No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. —1 Corinthians 9:27

We are all in a race—are we are trying to outdo one another? No. Not at all. In this race every single one of us can receive that prize. So our competition, Paul says, is our bodies. He says, “I beat it and make it my slave.” The word slave is the translation of the Greek word doulos.

Paul is not meaning here that we get to heaven because we beat our bodies black and blue, but according to Paul we could miss the prize if we do not. And the prize was very important to him. So he regards his body as a slave of the spirit.

Behind Paul’s thinking are three principles. First, Paul knew that being an apostle, being a preacher, did not guarantee him the prize. In fact, according to James 3:1, it makes it worse. So the higher profile you have, the greater gift, the more you are called to do, the harder it is to get the prize.

Paul knew also that God is no respecter of persons and therefore will not bend the rules for anybody. Now if there were ever a soul whom you would think God would bend the rule for, it was the apostle Paul. Look at the way he suffered. Surely that ought to move the heart of God to say, “Well, Paul, because you have worked so hard, when it comes to the prize I’m not going to be so strict with you.” But it is the opposite.

And last, Paul knew his greatest competitors were not his fellow Christians—but his own body. Like Paul, we ought to be aware that our greatest competitor is not our fellow Christians but our very own bodies. In other words, it is possible to be a success as a preacher, but that success could be under a cloud, not because the preaching lacked eloquence, or truth, or converts, but because of a failure in personal holiness.

Excerpted from When God Says “Well Done!” (Christian Focus Publications Ltd., 1993).

Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered. —Hebrews 5:8

A man or woman with a secret anointing always needs further preparation. We do not get the necessary refinement by merely praying for more of the Holy Spirit. Jesus had all the Holy Spirit that there was—the Spirit without limit (John 3:34). Yet, “although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered” (Heb. 5:8).

I find this truly amazing. To think that Jesus, the God-man, needed suffering to be perfected. He was man as though He were not God—and was filled with the Spirit without any measure or limit set on that filling. He was completely filled with the Spirit. He was also God as though He were not man! And yet, “in bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering” (Heb. 2:10). All I can say is, if our Lord Jesus Christ needed to suffer before He could be all that God the Father envisaged for Him, how much more do we need to suffer before God can trust us with the full extent of the anointing?

Suffering was David’s passport to a greater anointing. Though the Spirit came upon him in power (1 Sam. 16:13), little did David know that, rather than being crowned king in the next week or two, he would have years and years of fleeing Saul—for one reason: to guarantee that the secret anointing in him was refined.

The secret anointing in you, though you are kept from a high profile, will still be a threat to the enemy God chooses for your refinement. David could not hide his anointing. He wasn’t ambitious. He simply did what he was asked to do and did it too well. David thought the preparation would never end. You may feel the same way. But thank God for the secret anointing in you. Thank God for friends. And thank God for your enemies. They will probably mean more to you, at the end of the day, than your friends!

Excerpted from The Anointing: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow (Charisma House, 2003).

Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. —1 Corinthians 9:25

In the Olympics an athlete was subject to disqualification if he did not go through ten months of strict training. It is interesting that in those ten months the athlete had to do away with lawful pleasures. The Greek word that is used here is agnoidzo; it means “to agonize.” It means self-control in all things, and so the implication is that if the athlete has to have self-control for ten months prior to the games, so this Christian race is to be run throughout a lifetime of self-control. This refers, of course, not merely to the body, but to the whole man—body, mind, spirit.

The prize won at the Olympics was a wreath, sometimes made of pine, and strangely enough, sometimes made of celery! That’s right! Can you imagine wearing a wreath of pieces of celery? Perhaps if it is fresh and you give me some salt with it I could enjoy it.

The wreath was already beginning to wither when they put it on the winner’s head. So when Paul says they do it to get a crown that will not last, that sounds like an understatement. But what it looked like was not the point. The winner had no thought of the composition of the crown. As with modern athletes, victory meant fame; it was for prestige and sometimes fortune, so that the crown was simply a symbol of victory.

Paul says that crown was nothing in the light of the believer’s prize. Who knows what it will look like? Who knows whether it is a symbolic gold crown or if it is literal? Who knows? But just to hear the words of Jesus, “Well done!” will give to that person a self-consciousness that will last forever.

Excerpted from When God Says “Well Done!” (Christian Focus Publications Ltd., 1993).

Afterward, David was conscience-stricken for having cut off a corner of his robe. —1 Samuel 24:5

When you know that a person is obsessed with you and is out to discredit you, you are very, very blessed indeed. This doesn’t happen to everyone. You are chosen, for behind your enemy is the hand of God. God has raised up your enemy—possibly just for you! King Saul’s pursuit of David was the best thing that could have happened to David at the time. God did David a very special favor: he raised up Saul to keep him on his toes, to teach him to be sensitive to the Spirit (1 Sam. 24:5), and to teach him total forgiveness. Saul was David’s passport to a greater anointing.

When you totally forgive your enemy, you have crossed over into a supernatural realm. Perhaps you are like me and wish you could excel in all the gifts of the Spirit; you wish you could have a hand in signs and wonders; you’d love to see your usefulness intensified and extended by a double anointing. The gifts are supernatural; that is, they are above and beyond the natural order of things. There is no natural explanation for the truly miraculous. But if you and I totally forgive someone who is truly an enemy, believe me, we have just crossed over into the realm of the supernatural.

I believe this is the highest level of spirituality that exists. This is as good as it gets. Totally forgiving an enemy is as spectacular as any miracle. No one may even know, though. You quietly intercede for them in solitude. Only God, the angels, and the devil know.

You and I can do something exceedingly rare: forgive an enemy (if we have one). Loving an enemy defies natural explanation.

It begins with having sufficient motivation. I am literally seeking to motivate you in these lines to do what very few do—but which all can do: totally forgive anyone who has hurt you. And the blessing is beyond words to describe.

Excerpted from Total Forgiveness (Charisma House, 2002).

For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. —Philippians 2:13, NAS

Years ago I talked to a minister who came to me at a place where I was preaching in the northern part of England. He said, “I’m in the worst bondage. I think I’ve married the wrong woman.”

I asked, “How long have you been married?”

He replied, “Twenty-five years!”

“Well,” I said, “what if you have married the wrong one? What are you going to do?”

He did not know. But he was all torn up about it.

Looking back, many of us have doubts about this or that, wondering whether we did do the right thing. The apostle Paul would say, “But it doesn’t matter. What is in the past is in the past. You don’t have to decide.”

I think one of the most interesting discussions is whether or not Paul was right to go to Jerusalem in Acts 21. We read that different people warned him, and even Agabus prophesied in the Spirit and said, “You shouldn’t go to Jerusalem!” But Paul still went.

You may say that Paul would not make a mistake, but Luke says they spoke “in the Spirit” and said he should not go. So it looks to me like Paul disobeyed. Now I do not think Paul gave it that much thought; he just said, “I’m going to go.” Looking back on it, however, he could say in Philippians 1:12, “Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel.” So he was not concerned whether he had been right or wrong. He was concerned that the gospel kept going, and that is what he was happy about.

Many of us are not concerned whether the gospel goes on but rather, “Was I right?” and “What about me?” Paul said it does not matter. Because who knows? The outcome is unknown. One does not have to know whether one is totally right or totally wrong. Leave it to God to order all your ways!

Excerpted from When God Says “Well Done!” (Christian Focus Publications Ltd., 1993).

Do not judge, or you too will be judged. —Matthew 7:1

Here is something always to remember about what we should know about those who judge us. There are three things: the first is that they do not have all of the evidence. We know that God is not finished with us yet in any case. In addition, they do not know everything, even in the area where they think that they are in a position to say this or that. They do not have all of the evidence, so they do not really know at the end of the day what they are talking about.

We also should remember that when anybody judges us, they have disobeyed Jesus. We are just not given permission by Jesus to judge anybody. And when anybody judges me, I know he has disobeyed Jesus.

The third thing is, the opinion people have of us is temporary. It is only a matter of time before they will change their tune; they will have to, eventually. Remember, however, that this works both ways. When you judge someone, you will be ill-informed, disobedient, and eventually judged by God.

The next time you are prepared to criticize another person, and you wonder why God does not deal with that person, I want you to ask yourself this question: Has not God been patient with me? Can you recall that time when you were not the perfect example and God continued to bless you? He supplied your needs, He helped you, He was with you, He answered prayer. Things were happening, and you can look back later and think, Oh, God was good to me; I didn’t deserve that. Always remember, maybe another person does not deserve it either, but God is being good to them just as He was being good to you.

Excerpted from When God Says “Well Done!” (Christian Focus Publications Ltd., 1993).

Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth, may Israel now say: Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth: yet they have not prevailed against me. —Psalm 129:1-2

When it comes to our past, God knows everything. God wants to bring us to the place where we can be ourselves. We do not have to pretend, because God knows us. We also know that He has forgiven us. What is certain is that we must not let past failure or our lack of spiritual progress immobilize us.

This psalm is a reminder that some have a past full of hurts. Perhaps that describes you. If that is the case, remember two things: in the Christian family there will be fellow believers who have suffered in a way similar to you, who can sympathize with you; best of all, Jesus will sympathize with you.

There are some people who have such a keen sense of rejection that they just can’t handle a situation where someone tries to love them. They believe somehow it won’t be true.

But even though you have known rejection and hurt or have damaged emotions, these experiences will not save you. You may think that because of these experiences you deserve a special break and somehow God will let you into heaven. But He will not.

A lot of people, if they have had some kind of hurt, have not received the victory over their attitude toward the problem. Instead they let the situation have the victory over them.

We must deal with the anger and bitterness toward those who caused the hurt or toward God for allowing it. If we do, God grants us a sweetness of spirit that will lead us actually to pray for those who caused the hurt.

Let me tell you how to cope with your past. It is not to say, “This is the way I am”; it is to say with the psalmist, “But they have not gained the victory.”

Excerpted from Higher Ground (Christian Focus Publications Ltd., 1995).

I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. —1 Corinthians 4:3-4

This message is a word that is relevant for anybody who has difficulty in handling criticism. Maybe you know what it is to be criticized. Maybe you have had enough. Maybe it was by parents, and others are still doing it even though you have grown up. Maybe you know what it is to live with a nagging wife who is always putting you down. Maybe it is your husband criticizing you. Maybe somebody at the office. Perhaps somebody at university, in college, maybe a friend. Maybe a Christian with some stature criticized you, and because of who it is, you take it seriously. Whatever the situation, Paul shows us how to handle it.

Many of us just fall apart when somebody criticizes us or sits in judgment on anything we have done. We just cannot handle it. But Paul was not afraid; he was unintimidated.

The reason is he knew what they were trying to do. They were trying somehow to punish him verbally. Do you know what it is to be punished verbally? Have you ever punished anyone in this way? You are putting them down. Perhaps you are wanting them to feel guilty.

But the fact of the matter is that whenever you concede that the other person is trying to punish you, you immediately know that they are acting in fear. This does not mean, however, that we should not listen to criticism. We need each other. But it is sheer judgmentalism such as Paul was receiving that we must throw off.

That means that when anybody criticizes you and you are afraid that what they are saying about you is going to hurt you, remember the words of Peter: “Be self-controlled and alert” (1 Pet. 5:8). Do you know that the way to get the devil to leave you alone is to let him see that it just does not bother you? You resist him and refuse to let him intimidate you. That is the first thing to do in response to criticism.

Excerpted from When God Says “Well Done!” (Christian Focus Publications Ltd., 1993).

Build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. —Jude 20

There will be no praying in heaven. We may regret many things at the judgment seat of Christ—how we used our time, how we spent our money, the friends we chose, the decisions we made; but I can safely promise you one thing you will not regret: the time you spent alone with the Lord. If Jesus, who was the Son of God and was filled with the Spirit without limit (John 3:34), felt the need to do this, how much more do you and I need it?

Praying in the Spirit is a vital part of spiritual warfare. This seems to be what Paul means in Romans 8:26: “The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.”

Praying in the Spirit is praying in the will of God. It is the only kind of praying that matters, because it is only when we ask in God’s will that we are heard. We are fools if we think we can upstage God’s will, as if our idea would be better than His.

Here is a principle you can count on for the rest of your life: God always gives His best to those who leave the choice with Him. The reason is this. He already has a plan for you. It has been carefully thought out. The same wisdom that entered into God’s plan for creation and redemption is the brilliance and care that lay behind His thoughts toward you. This is why only a fool would try to come up with a better idea than the one already conceived in God’s heart and mind. Therefore to pray the will of God is the best thing we can do when it comes to prayer.

So I ask you, “How much do you pray?”

Excerpted from Pure Joy (Charisma House, 2006).

First Corinthians 4:3-4 says: “I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me.”

This message is a word that is relevant for anybody who has difficulty in handling criticism. Maybe you know what it is to be criticized. Maybe you have had enough. Maybe it was by parents, and others are still doing it even though you have grown up. Maybe you know what it is to live with a nagging sibling or parent who is always putting you down. Maybe it is your husband criticizing you. Maybe somebody at the office. Perhaps somebody at university, in college, maybe a friend. Maybe a Christian with some stature criticized you, and because of who it is, you take it seriously. Whatever the situation, Paul shows us how to handle it.

Many of us just fall apart when somebody criticizes us or sits in judgment on anything we have done. We just cannot handle it. But Paul was not afraid; he was unintimidated.

The reason is he knew what they were trying to do. They were trying somehow to punish him verbally. Do you know what it is to be punished verbally? Have you ever punished anyone in this way? You are putting them down. Perhaps you are wanting them to feel guilty.

But the fact of the matter is that whenever you concede that the other person is trying to punish you, you immediately know that they are acting in fear. This does not mean, however, that we should not listen to criticism. We need each other. But it is sheer judgmentalism such as Paul was receiving that we must throw off.

That means that when anybody criticizes you and you are afraid that what they are saying about you is going to hurt you, remember the words of Peter: “Be self-controlled and alert” (1 Pet. 5:8). Do you know that the way to get the devil to leave you alone is to let him see that it just does not bother you? You resist him and refuse to let him intimidate you. That is the first thing to do in response to criticism.

Excerpted from When God Says “Well Done!” (Christian Focus Publications Ltd., 1993).