Nov16

............	A Word In Due Season Nov 2016 11/01/16 BEHOLD THE RESURRECTED LORD Scripture: Philippians 3:10 "That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection." Jesus was the Lamb that was slain; the sacrifice that was without spot or blemish and with His life, He paid for our sins. Now we must behold Him as our resurrected Lord, for the resurrection of Jesus is crucial to our faith. I Corinthians 15:14 says, "If Christ is not risen from the dead ... our faith is vain." There were three men who were crucified that day on Calvary, but only one of them had the power of resurrection working in His life. That man was Jesus, the Son of the Living God. Paul's purpose and goal was to know Jesus in a deep and personal way. The Amplified Bible says, "To know the wonders of His person ... and to know the power out flowing from His resurrection." Paul wanted to be intimately acquainted with Jesus. There are many levels on which to know someone. For instance, we can all say that we know the great American evangelist, Billy Graham. We know what he looks like and can recognize the sound of his voice, but that is only because we have seen and heard him on the television. We do not really know him intimately. You can travel down the chain of Billy Graham's relationships and see intimacy growing stronger as the relationship gets closer to those who spend the most one-on-one time with him. From his crusade audience, to his staff, to his casual friends, to his close friends, to his family, to his children, and then finally to his wife, we see that intimacy is developed with personal relationship. Paul was determined to have an intimate relationship with the Lord. He wanted to know the wonders of the person of Christ and the power that had raised Him from the dead. Paul did not simply want to hear about Jesus and the resurrection, he wanted to experience Him and His awesome power. Paul was willing to give up everything to know Jesus. He said, "I count everything as loss compared to the possession of the priceless privilege of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord" (Philippians 3:8). To Paul, being able to achieve this state of intimacy with Jesus was overwhelming and precious. This was his greatest desire and highest goal. Like Paul, we must also strive to know Jesus intimately and to experience the wonders of His person. We must search to know Jesus not only as the Lamb of God that took away our sins but also as our Resurrected Lord, for without Christ's resurrection, His sacrifice and our faith is in vain. +++ 11/2/16 GOD KNOWS WHERE WE ARE Scripture: Job 23:10 "He knows the way that I take: when He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold." Job was in quite a dilemma as he sat there in an ash heap, scraping his boils, and speaking these words. His sons, daughters, servants, livestock, and property had been destroyed in one disaster after another. In fact, the Word says that while one bad report was being given to him, another disaster was happening. And on top of all of this, the people that Job needed to encourage him the most during this crucial time, his wife and friends, had turned their backs on him in judgment. But "in all of this, Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly" (Job 1:22). In fact when Job’s whole life began to cave in on him, he fell down and worshiped and blessed the Name of the Lord. Later, we find Job in search of answers. He tells his friend, "I go forward, but God is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive Him; and on the left hand ... but I cannot see Him." Then he determines, "God is hiding Himself on my right hand, so that I cannot see Him" (Job 23:8-9). Job had an assurance that even though he could not see God, God's eyes were upon him, and God knew exactly where he was. Job felt that at the end of these fiery trials he, himself, would ultimately come out as pure gold. Job never departed from God's commandments when the bad times came his way. He said, "Though God slay me, yet will I trust in Him" (Job 13:15). What gave Job such confidence? He trusted God, and he trusted God's Words. In verse twelve, he said, "I have esteemed the Words of God more than my necessary food." Job had come to understand that although natural food may nourish and sustain him, only God's Word of power could keep him alive and restore his health. Luke 4:4 says that Jesus answered the devil's temptation in a similar way that Job answered his friends. Jesus said, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word of God." God also expects us to live by every Word that He gives to us. We cannot obey, serve, and worship God only in the good and prosperous times. We must continually maintain our own walk before God because as Job declared God would not receive hypocrites (Job 13:16). God knows where we are. Like Job, we may not be able to see the Lord in the front of us, in the back, or to the sides, but we can rest assured that His presence is there hidden from our view while we are being tried. If we esteem His Word more than food and live by His every Word, we can be assured that we will come forth as gold. +++ 11/3/16 MAGNIFY THE LORD Scripture: Psalms 34:3 "O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together." Magnify means to enlarge, make greater, or increase in size. We can magnify something visible with a magnifying lens, but the lens can never make the object actually larger in size. It can only enlarge the image of the object or draw it closer so that it can be seen better. The magnifying lens is an invaluable tool to the scientist. The lens in his microscope can take a particle that is invisible to the human eye and enlarge it into an image that can be seen in great detail. The lens in an astronomer's telescope can draw the stars and moons nearer for observation. Even the eyeglasses that we use magnify the world around us to give us more precise vision. King David said, "Magnify the Lord," but how can we make God bigger, for God is as big as He is ever going to get. We cannot increase the measure of His greatness, for He is omnipotent or all-powerful. We cannot make Him more knowledgeable than He is for He is omniscient and knows all things. He is also omnipresent, which means that He is always present everywhere. These attributes of God go beyond our comprehension. We cannot explain how God's power works because we ourselves are not very powerful. Neither can we share with others the knowledge of an all-knowing God, for the measure of our understanding is limited. And we cannot even think about being everywhere at all times because that concept is beyond our own human abilities. Yet our lives either magnify or de-magnify the image of God. Paul said that we are epistles that are known and read of all men. People are looking at our witness daily in the market places and we must understand that our lives become the lens through which they see Jesus. I recently had a conversation with someone who blamed God for her adverse circumstances, and declared the Lord to be unjust in His ways. I literally shook as I heard her bitterly speak of the evil ways of God, and when I saw God through her eyes, He became a very small God and a terror to the human heart. This individual was seeing a totally different God than I see and know, for even in the hard and painful times, God has always been there to comfort my heart and caress my wounds. We have a choice with every word that we speak and every thing we do. We can either allow our lives to diminish the greatness of God or we can allow our praise, our good deeds, and our faith to magnify Him. We can make God bigger than the problems and adversities in our lives by standing strong in faith. And by our uncompromising trust and peace, we can show others that God is more powerful that any storm that rages about us. Others look at our lives in an attempt to see Jesus, so whether the times are good or bad, let us magnify and exalt the Name of the Lord together! +++ 11/4/16 EVERY WORD AND DEED Scripture: Colossians 3:17 (Amplified) "And whatever you do - no matter what it is - in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, and in dependence upon His Person, giving praise to God the Father through Him." Every word and every deed that we do is supposed to mirror the character of Christ. Yet, we often find ourselves in provoking situations and even though we do our best to remain silent in these situations, we usually react in frustration. We make an effort to defend our position and justify our actions. In contrast to the scripture above, our reactions are not done in the name of the Lord, nor in dependence upon His Person, and God surely receives no praise for our actions. James 3:7-8 tells us that every kind of beast, bird, reptile, and sea animal can be tamed, but the human tongue cannot. Our tongues are unruly, undisciplined, and motivated by our emotions. Too often, we react rather than respond. Solomon, the wisest man of his time, said, "He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his own spirit is better than he who takes a city." Solomon also said, "He who has no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down and without walls." (Proverbs 16:32 & 25:28) When the walls of our spirit are broken down, any element can intrude and provoke us to wrong words or deeds. Jesus was our greatest example of someone ruling his own Spirit. He taught and preached with much authority, calmed the storms with a few words, rebuked the "religious" folks, drove the moneychangers out of the temple, and cast demons out of the possessed. Even though some of these things seemed harsh and bold, Jesus never reacted out of His own will and emotions. Scripture records that He only spoke and did the things that the Father showed Him. Even Pilate marveled greatly when Jesus did not answer the accusations that were made against Him. Our goal is to follow Jesus and resist the temptation to say the wrong thing, at the wrong time, and in the wrong spirit. We were always told to count to ten before reacting. But if we simply follow God's Word and consider the three statements that Paul made in the above scripture, we will be able to rule our spirit and tame our tongues. Considering Paul's statements, ask yourself these three questions when you are confronted with a provoking situation: 1) Can I say this word or do this deed in the Name of the Lord? 2) Can I depend on the Person and presence of Jesus to back me up in this word or deed? 3) When I say this word or do this deed, will it give glory to God the Father through Jesus? Perhaps by the time you finished asking yourself these questions in your mind, the moment of passion will have passed. Nevertheless always remember, that the less you say, the less you will have to repent of. +++ 11/7/16 WALKING IN THE ARMOR Scripture: Ephesians 6:11 "Put on the whole armor." We have an enemy who rages against us daily. This enemy is not contained in a body of flesh, nor does he have blood flowing through his veins. He is a spiritual enemy and his battle strategies are evil. The Apostle Paul gives us instructions on how to combat this enemy, the devil. One of the main things we must do is recognize who he is. We then must put on the whole armor of God and come against him with spiritual weapons because "the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but are mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds" (II Corinthians 10:4). There are four things that Paul tells us to do in Ephesians 6:10-18: 1) Be strong in the power of the Lord. (vs. 10) 2) Put on the armor of God. (vs. 11) 3) Stand with the armor on. (vs. 13-14) 4) Pray with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit. (vs.18) Paul makes it very plain that our strength and power will come from the Lord, for it will be God's armor, not our own, that will protect us in the evil day. God's armor is listed as truth, righteousness, peace, and salvation. When we realize that it is God's armor that we are standing in, it will give us courage to lift up the shield of faith against the devil. When truth prevails in our heart, we understand that we do not have to depend upon our own strength and self-righteousness. All we have to do is stand in God's armor and allow God to take care of the battle. Paul said, "stand, and having done all, stand." This word "stand" in the Greek language means "stand and get ready for the next battle." The devil never quits. Our battles will continue throughout our lifetime but we must remember that God has equipped us for battle. After Paul told us to put on the whole armor of God and stand, he then instructed us to pray. This means that we are to enter into prayer with God's armor and aggressively come against the enemy with the sword of the spirit, which is the Word of God. Our battles will be won in prayer and with the Word of God. As we resist the devil, he will flee from us because he has no choice. He knows the power of God's Word. When the devil sees God's armor of truth, righteousness, peace, and salvation coming toward him, and he hears the Word of God being spoken against him from inside the armor, he recognizes the power of God and he will flee. +++ 11/8/16 SECRET OF THE LORD Scripture: Psalms 25:14 "The secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him; and He will show them His covenant." Secrets are special knowledge that are held within one’s own heart or shared in confidence with just a few close friends and trusted confidants. We feel privileged when someone calls us aside and chooses us to be one whom they trust enough to share their private matters and innermost feelings. When a secret is shared, it creates a bond between those who are privy to the information and defines a certain responsibility. It also tests the trustworthiness of the one receiving the secret information, for secrets are never general knowledge but specific and guarded information. Shared secrets even create a certain amount of power and the prestige of inclusion. We all love to be included in knowing the things that are secret and we pay very close attention when one is being shared with us or one is whispered near us. Someone told me a special way that they witness to others about Jesus. They get into a crowded elevator with another believer and then begin to whisper to each other about the goodness of God and the love of Jesus. When they begin to whisper, the people on the elevator begin to listen, thinking that they are going to hear some "juicy" private information. Instead, they are exposed to mysteries of God and His wonderful plan of salvation. As this captive audience departs the elevator, they are given a gospel tract. God has many secrets that He wants to share with us. He is a covenant making and a covenant keeping God, but the psalmist said that God would only reveal the secret of His covenant with those who reverently fear Him. God's covenant is precious to Him and He will not cast His pearls before the swine (Matthew 7:6). He desires to take us into His confidence, but covenants require relationship. We can never understand the things of God without personally knowing God. He is ever present in our crowded world and continually whispers His Words to us. When the prophet sought to hear the Lord's instruction, it did not come in the wind, the earthquake, or the fire, but came in a still quite voice (I Kings 19:11-12). Even Jesus did not share God's covenant with everyone, but taught in parables so that the secret things of God would stay hidden from those who were unworthy to receive the revelation. The Lord stands like the witnesses in the crowded elevator and continues to speak the mysteries of His gospel through His Word. He whispers out His revelations to those who seek after Him and who truly want to understand His secrets. When He sees that our hearts reverently fear Him and that our spiritual ears are attentive to His voice, He will share His secrets with us. +++ 11/9/16 OUR STRENGTH, REFUGE, AND COVERING Scripture: Isaiah 25:4 "For You have been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat." Tragic events are occurring in the lives of all people, including the believers, even as these words are being written. In every nation there are reports concerning storms, fires, floods, financial loses, diseases, wars, and other disturbing events. There is desperation, great loss, and enormous pain beyond words of description in the hearts of people. The present has become very challenging and the future seems very dismal for many. It is as though the whole world is being tried and tested beyond belief. It is apparent that God is the only hope in the midst of all of the turmoil and confusion. As believers, we place our faith in Him because we know that He is always present and is watching us very carefully. He offers strength in every situation and He never flees the scene or fails in His responsibility as our Heavenly Father. It does not matter what kind of distress, need, or situation that we find ourselves in, we believe that the Lord will always be there for us and that He has a solution for our particular problem. He is the One that we trust because we know that He is the only one who is big enough to give us true peace in the midst of the chaos and confusion. He is the only one who is tender and compassionate enough to bring comfort when we are suffering. And He is the only one who is strong enough to impart total courage in the time of fear. There is no one like our God. These words are victorious and these thoughts are easy for us to believe when everything is going good in our lives. It is also real easy for us to encourage others in hope and faith when all is well. Yet it is a different story when we are facing the storms of life and our own boat is capsizing in the water. When the trials and tests come and we find ourselves going under, our words are tried and our faith is tested. Instead of just talking about hope and faith, we have to reach out to God for His mercy that endures forever and depend upon His grace that is sufficient. Whatever our need may be, we must realize that God really wants to do something about it. The devil will try to tempt us with false security but we must wait upon God to take care of all of our needs. We must understand that it is better for us to have a need or face a storm with Jesus at our side than to live calmly without Him. God will make Himself known to those who will trust in Him. He is our strength, our refuge, and our covering. +++ 11/10/16 LIVE PEACEABLY Scripture: Romans 12:18 "If it be possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all men." When Jesus came to Earth, He brought peace and good tidings of great joy. Then shortly before He left this Earth to return to Heaven, He said, "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you." The peace that He left is supernatural and is sufficient to help us maintain inner peace in every situation that challenges us. Yet, the Apostle Paul recognized the impossibilities of living in total and perfect peace with the outside world at all times. He said, "When keeping the peace depends upon you, then do it ... if possible." Paul's word encourages us to bend almost to the breaking point, turn the other cheek, and bite our tongue when necessary, but he never instructs us to compromise our convictions in an effort to maintain peace. Paul experienced these kinds of situations. When he entered a city, the scriptures declared there was "no small stir" (Acts 19:23). A large commotion began to occur among the people because Paul taught against pagan worship and preached in the Name of Jesus. In another incident, there was so much contention between Paul and his brothers in Christ, Barnabus and Mark, that they had to separate from each other. Barnabus was determined to take John Mark with him and Paul on their missionary journey, but Paul thought that it was not a good idea. Acts 15:39 says, "The contention was so sharp between Paul and Barnabus that they departed from each other." Barnabus took Mark and sailed to Cyprus and Paul chose Silas and went another direction. Jesus, Himself, faced times that were not too peaceable. Even though He was the Prince of Peace, He made a whip and drove the moneychangers from the temple (John 2:15). Like the Apostle Paul and Jesus, even though peace is ruling and reigning in our hearts, there will still be times when we will encounter irate individuals and adverse circumstances. Righteous convictions usually bring conflict at some point and time, and that conflict will force confrontation. In these situations, the peace that we hold in our heart will not be able to control the actions of others or protect us from difficult situations. Yet, we must never cower down under pressure. We must always stand for that which is right and remember and receive affirmation in what Paul said, "If it be possible, live peaceably with all men." +++ 11/11/16 GOD HAS ALWAYS BEEN FAITHFUL Scripture: I Corinthians 1:9 "God is faithful, by whom we were called unto the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord." We have many prayer request and concerns that come to us daily through our ministry. We rarely refer to them, but I thought that I would share the answer to one question with all of you. A person who is going through a very dark season in their life asked if I had ever been through any discouraging times myself. Of course the answer to this question is the same as it would be for all of us, for we have all faced difficult and disappointing situations in our lives. Job 14:1 tells us that all who are born of a woman are of a few days, and are full of trouble. In other words, life is short and no one is exempt from problems and burdens. So yes, I have personally suffered grief and sorrow and have faced long seasons of discouragement. Yet, I found that I could find peace in the midst of the storms through Jesus Christ and direction for my life through the Word of God. I have been through financial difficulty where I had to depend upon God to pay my bills. I have baked and sliced up the last potato and fed it to my three children and then depended upon God to put food on my table for the next meal. I have cried out in the middle of the night and saw God perform miracles of provision the very next day. God was always faithful. We never had to ask others for food because it was always there when we needed it. We depended upon God's promise that He would not forsake us and that His seed would never have to beg for bread (Psalms 37:25). I have been through the struggle of losing my husband to cancer after more than twenty-eight years of marriage. Yet, as I took care of him in our home for several months, I experienced God's awesome strength in my own physical body and then felt the comforting presence of the Holy Spirit when my husband's death left a huge void in my life. As the spirit of grief and sorrow attempted to overwhelm me, I found solace in God's Word that says that we do not sorrow as those who have no hope (I Thessalonians 4:13). I have also experienced other disappointments in friendships and relationships that have torn my heart to pieces and left scars that I thought could never be mended. I once cried so much that I thought that I was going to drown in my own tears, but then I recalled that God is near to those who are of a broken heart (Psalms 34:18). Many disappointments have come my way, for those in ministry are not exempt from discouragement, heartache, and pain. Yet in the midst of it all, I can testify that God has always remained faithful. I experienced the awesome healing power of the Lord Jesus Christ when there was no help medically. I have also had to depend upon God to start my car, send me help when my house went through a flood, and give me wisdom in other situations or catastrophes. We will all face dark nights, and even the clouds will block our vision in the daylight. Yet, we must remember that just as the sun is always shinning behind the dark clouds, God is always there in our darkest hour regardless of whether we can see Him or not. Even though His presence may be hidden, we must understand that He never leaves us alone. There will be a sunrise again in our lives. The dark clouds will part and God will bring glory out of our present suffering. We know this for sure that we can always trust God, for He has and always will be faithful. +++ 11/14/16 POSSESSING HIS PROMISE Scripture: Numbers 13:33 "And there we saw the giants ... and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight." God took His people out of Egypt with a mighty show of power and then provided for them miraculously while they wandered in the wilderness for forty years. When they were near the Promised Land, Moses sent the leaders of the twelve tribes to search out the land of Canaan. When they returned, their report confirmed God's promise that the land was indeed prosperous. Yet, their unbelief caused ten of the twelve to bring an evil report concerning God's ability to carry out His promise. They began to compare themselves with their enemy and saw themselves as grasshoppers. The giants in the land became bigger than God's promises in their hearts. After forty years of wandering in the wilderness, God's people were only one day away from their dreams being fulfilled. They were close enough to go in and spy out the land. And they were close enough to bring back some of the grapes, pomegranates, and figs without the fruit perishing. Yet, their hearts were far away from receiving God's promise because they still could not believe for victory over the giants that were in the land. This scene mirrors our own situation, for many times we come close to God's plan for our life but we allow the giants of doubt and insecurity to hold us back. Instead of looking at God, we look at ourselves and as we do our own strength begins to shrink because of the challenge that is set before us. If we allow it, this comparison will undermine God's plan for our individual lives. It will destroy our faith by distorting our vision. It will usher in a spirit of fear that will birth a negative report. We will see ourselves as grasshoppers in the sight of our gigantic problems and reap failure because we discount God's ability to fulfill His promise. What has God spoken to you that requires faith on your part? To possess God's promise and complete His will, you must become aware of the strategies of the devil. You must let God be God and you must stay off of His throne. You must do your job and then allow God to do His. Victory demands that you be obedient to God's voice and allow Him to work out all of the details. When God speaks, trust Him to equip you to fulfill His will. When you face the giants of adversity, do not give in to a spirit of fear and doubt. Never think of yourself as being unworthy or allow yourself to focus on your own inability. Refuse to give in to the grasshopper mentality. Instead, allow God to enhance and build your self-image. See yourself as God sees you. He sees you as a unique vessel that He has created and chosen for such a time as this. So do not stay in the wilderness of defeat. Instead, discover the will of God for your life and then go forward and possess His promise. +++ 11/15/16 VOID OF OFFENCE Scripture: Acts 24:16 "I exercise myself to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward man." The Apostle Paul was a godly man and very knowledgeable about the Word of God. In fact, he wrote nearly three-fourths of the New Testament. Yet he never portrayed himself as being holier than anyone else because he faced daily struggles with his carnal nature just as you and I do. In fact, Paul confessed that the things he wanted to do, he did not do, and the things that he did not want to do, he did. Life was just as challenging for Paul as it is for us, but he never became discouraged. He continually made an effort to press towards the mark of the high calling of Christ Jesus in his life. He was very determined to complete the will of God by running the race that was set before him and finishing the course. As Paul made his journey through life, he not only tried to make sure that his actions were in alignment with God's Word, he also disciplined his inner nature. He said that he exercised himself in the area of his conscience because he did not want anything to stand between him and God or between him and his ministry to others. He made a deliberate effort not to be an offence with his words and actions. You would think this would have been easy for someone as spiritual as Paul. Yet, another translation speaks of Paul's efforts in a more graphic way by saying that he "mortified or put to death his carnal affections, bodily appetites, and worldly desires." Paul's act of self-discipline felt like death to him, but he kept himself under control so that he could maintain a clear, pure, and blameless conscience toward God and toward men. Regardless of how spiritual we may judge ourselves to be, we all have to deal with this spirit called offence because even when we have the best intentions in mind, our words or actions can be an offence to those in our midst. Consider Peter who began to rebuke Jesus because Jesus spoke of His own soon coming suffering and death on the cross. Peter declared that he would never let that happen. Jesus turned to Peter and said, "You are an offence to Me because you do not savor the things that be of God, but those things that be of men" (Matthew 16:23). Peter was thinking merely from a human point of view. He actually meant well but he did not fully understand the spiritual implications of the matter. Jesus was destined to suffer at the hands of men and die a cruel death on the cross because His blood was the only thing that could redeem man from his sins. Physical exercise is a daily routine. We must do no less in the spiritual realm, for Paul said that he exercised himself "always" in the area of his conscience. As you face this day with its challenges, I encourage you to remember Paul’s words and personal determination and then follow his example. In as much as possible, keep your heart and actions under control. Exercise yourself in spiritual matters and savor the things that be of God. In so doing, you can develop and sustain a conscience that is void of any offense toward God and toward man. +++ 11/16/16 DELIVERANCE Scripture: Psalms 44:4 "Thou art my King, O God: command deliverances ..." The Spirit of the Lord God was upon Jesus to bring good news to the suffering and help to the oppressed. He was anointed to proclaim liberty to those in captivity and the opening of the prisons to those who were bound (Isaiah 61:1). He was sent to comfort the broken hearted and to appoint joy to those who were in mourning. It is through His Name and His Blood that deliverance comes. Jesus is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Only by His power will you have victory over your enemies and those things that attempt to plague your soul. You can never trust in your own strength or depend upon your own sword to save you, for your own meager weapons are no match against the weapons of the evil one. You must depend upon God to command deliverance in your life. As you submit to Him, He will provide you with His weapons, which are spiritual and not carnal. The mighty weapons that come to you through God will enable you to pull down spiritual strongholds. They will help you to cast down the imaginations in your mind that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God. God's weapons will allow you to take every thought that comes into your mind and make it obedient to Christ (II Corinthians 10:4-5). As long as you have life you will face battles because Satan goes about as a roaring lion seeking whom he can devour. He is a liar and his weapon is deception. The devil tries to be a god and rule as king in your life. He comes to steal, kill, and destroy through sickness and disease, heartache and grief, bondage and financial lack. Yet, regardless of the devil's great effort, the forces of evil cannot prevail against God’s Spirit of Truth. Your battle belongs to the Lord! He is your Deliverer. You must replace the lies of the devil with the Word of God and trust the Lord, your King. You are His child and a joint heir with Jesus Christ. You belong to God's kingdom and as you allow Him to rule over you, He will command deliverance in every area of your life. +++ 11/17/16 STAYING IN GOD'S WILL Scripture: II Chronicles 20:11 "They have come to cast us out of Your possession." Jehoshaphat and the people of God were faced with an enemy that was trying to drive them out of the land that God Himself had given to them. God's will was that they dwell in the land and possess it forever, but a great multitude was coming against them. When Jehoshaphat heard the news, his first reaction was fear. None of us are exempt from being attacked by this awful spirit. However, Proverbs 3:25 says, "Do not be afraid of sudden fear." When fear attacks, we are to shake it off and seek God just like Jehoshaphat did in this story. He went to God with three honest and simple statements: 1) The enemy is trying to cast us out of Your land. 2) We are not strong enough to fight this battle. 3) We don't know what to do. Have you ever found yourself in this place? You know that God has spoken a word of direction to you. You begin to follow after His perfect will, but as you try to possess the vision and fulfill His purpose, the challenges seem more than you can handle and the burden seems more than you can bear. You feel that you are not strong enough for the battle and you do not know what to do next. You know that the Greater One lives within you, but fear of failure lurks on the perimeter of your heart. Jehoshaphat experienced these same emotions, but when the enemy sought to dispossess him, he turned his focus to God and spoke to Him saying, "But our eyes are on You." God responded to Jehoshaphat and said, "You will not need to fight in this battle ... I will be with you." He instructed Jehoshaphat to appoint singers and to send them out before the army. They were to worship the Lord and praise Him with a loud voice. As they obeyed and began to sing praises, the enemy became confused. Suspecting each other of betrayal, they destroyed one another. Only God could come up with a plan this amazing. Like Jehoshaphat, you must keep your eyes upon God so that you can stay in His will and be able to possess His promise. When you stay in loyal relationship with God and obediently submit to Him, He obligates Himself to bring His Word to pass in your life. As you keep your eyes upon Him and worship Him, He will show you the way out of every situation and fight every battle for you. +++ 11/18/16 MYSTERY OF PRAYER Scripture: James 5:16 "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." Prayer is a real mystery to our carnal mind, for how can we as human beings talk to the Maker of the universe and the Creator of every living thing? How can God hear each of us praying at the same time, especially with our prayers coming from the four corners of the earth? How can He keep all of our requests separated and be able to answer them accordingly? Prayer is quite a mystery. Yet with so many needs and so many voices crying out to Him, God still opens the door to His throne room and gives all of us an invitation to come boldly to His throne of grace in time of need. Prayer is the most powerful influence in the spiritual realm because when we pray, our prayers touch three worlds, Heaven, Hell, and the Earth. Our prayers pull at the heart of God in Heaven and cause Him to work on our behalf. God uses our prayers to bind evil and destroy the works of Hell. Our prayers also bring blessings to us and those whom we are praying for here on Earth. Prayer is not limited by time and allows us to deal with our past, our present, and our future. We can ask forgiveness for things that we have done in the past or we can ask for help for the present situation that we or someone else is dealing with. We can also ask for the guidance, direction, and the protection that we need for the future path that is before us. In the scripture above, James lists two things needed for prayers to be effective. The prayer has to be fervent and the one praying must be righteous. In the same verse, before James spoke of the fervent prayer of the righteous man, he instructed us to confess our faults one to another. It is a simple spiritual progression. Confession brings forgiveness and forgiveness creates righteousness or right standing with God. God has given you an awesome invitation and is waiting for you to come into His presence. Do not allow the moment to pass. If it is sin that stands between you and God's throne, confess your sins and He will cleanse you from all unrighteousness. If you feel that your prayers are not getting past the ceiling, earnestly ask God to anoint you and help you to pray according to His will. When you have a heart that is fervent and in right standing with God, tremendous power is made available to you. When you align yourself with God's will and embrace His dreams, He will stop to listen to your prayers and you will receive wonderful answers. +++ 11/21/16 THE JOY OF GIVING Scripture: Acts 20:35 "It is more blessed to give than receive." God's ways are much higher than our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. In fact, Isaiah 55:9 says that His thoughts and ways are as far away from our thoughts and ways as the Heavens are from the Earth. That is quite a distance and shows us that we are nowhere near God's level of thinking because our natural thoughts are opposite of His. It is only as we learn from His Word that we are able to understand His ways and operate in His concepts. God declares in His Word that it is more blessed to give than to receive and this concept is foreign to our thinking because it is opposite of what the world teaches and demands. Yet, God has set a law of sowing and reaping into motion and there is a two-fold blessing to be received when we give. We are blessed when we sow because we not only get to see the joy of the receiver, but we also reap a blessing for ourselves. Jesus said, "Give and it shall be given to you; pressed down, shaken together, and running over." I watched my grandchildren as they grew, matured, and experienced the lessons of life. When they were two and five years old, the five-year-old had learned to give and to share with others. She had been taught and had experienced first-hand the joy of giving. She used some of her own birthday money to buy her brother a gift. Her two-year-old brother, however, was still tied to his nature. He was just beginning to talk and one of his main words were, "Mine." Giving and sharing at this stage in his life was not a strong forte, but as time passed, he too learned that there was joy in giving and sharing. This sounds elementary, but how many times in our own adult lives have we stood up and declared, "That's mine," when possibly God wanted us to let it go and give it away? He wanted us to experience the true joy that comes from sacrificial giving. When Jesus was born, the angels declared, "I bring you good tidings of great joy." The great joy that was being announced was that God, Himself, was giving His only begotten Son to die on the cross for our sins. How could this action be joyful to the heart of God? Yet when He gave His Son, He reaped many sons in return. Jesus had the same mindset as the Father. He not only willingly laid down His life for us, but also counted it as a joy that was set before Him, even as He endured the cross and its shame (Hebrews 12:3). Both God the Father and Jesus the Son gave sacrificially and both considered it to be a joy. We must take their actions to heart and follow their examples. When we do, joy will come and we will discover that it really is more blessed to give than to receive. +++ 11/22/16 EXPERIENCING GOD Scripture: Job 42:5 "I have heard of You only by the hearing of the ear; but now my spiritual eye sees You." The book of Job wrestles with the question, "Why do good people suffer?" Job was a man who was morally good and highly respected. He was spiritual and even functioned as a priest and offered burnt offerings for his family. Yet, God removed Job's hedge of protection and allowed Satan to come against him for a season. In an effort to destroy him physically and spiritually, Satan repeatedly used the forces of nature, sickness, and people against Job and yet he continued to trust God. Even death, itself, held no threat in Satan's challenge to destroy Job's faith, for Job said, "Though God slay me, yet will I trust Him" (Job 13:15). Several months of testing passed as Job continued to place his confidence in God. When his season of testing finally came to an end, Job had experienced a new relationship with the Lord. He now recognized the sovereignty of God and his need to acknowledge it. Before Job had been afflicted, his words concerning God had only been words without knowledge (Job 38:2). But in the midst of his tests, God spoke to Job directly, asking him simple but profound questions. When God began to commune with him, Job's spiritual eyes were opened, and he realized that God was the creator and was still in control. His knowledge of God changed from a hearing of the ears to a knowing of the heart. This is the same process that God takes us through in the seasons of our own lives. Throughout our life, we hear of Him with our ears, but when we are challenged like Job, we come to spiritually see or know God with our heart. We may hear of Jesus, the Son of God, but we only know Him as Savior when the Holy Spirit reveals Him to us, convicts us of our sins, and we receive Him into our heart. Likewise, we only come to know Jesus as the healer when we experience healing or to know Him as the provider when we see Him meet our needs. As we encounter the Lord directly, we become persuaded about who He is, and nothing can separate us from that knowledge. In the midst of our afflictions, we discover that God is not just a theory or a thought or someone that we have heard stories about. God is very real and He must be seen through our spiritual eyes and experienced with our heart. +++ 11/23/16 GIVING HIM THANKS Scripture: Luke 17:15-16 "And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at Jesus' feet, giving Him thanks." Ten men who were plagued with leprosy found the time and the energy to seek out Jesus when they needed Him. As Jesus came to their village, they unashamedly cried, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us." Jesus instructed them to go and show themselves to the priest, and as they went their way they were all healed. However, only one of the ten returned to glorify God and give Him thanks. The one that returned could not thank Jesus enough for the healing that he had received. Yet, his attention went beyond his miraculous healing as he focused on the Healer. He was so grateful to Jesus that he fell down on his face at Jesus' feet in worship and gave Him thanks. Jesus' response was, "Where are the other nine?" They all had sought Jesus out, crying for mercy and calling Him Master. They were also healed of leprosy, but once they were healed, they did not return to give Jesus even a small word of thanks. If they had any gratitude at all, it was silent to the ears of the One who had healed them. Their new found healing called them back to their own lives and self interest. They no longer had time to follow Jesus or allow Him to be the Master of their lives, for they were in a hurry to get on with their own agendas. Our circumstances may not be perfect, but if we look around us, we will find that we have much to be thankful for. I Thessalonians 5:18 says, " In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." God has done so many things for us and we need to thank Him for everything. Our words of gratitude should be one hundred percent. We should not return and give thanks for just one thing and leave the other nine undone. How sad it would be if Jesus responded to our efforts and said, "What about the other nine things that I did for you? Aren't you thankful for them also?" We get so busy during this season that we forget the reason for the season. We forget why we are supposed to be Happy at Thanksgiving and Merry at Christmas. We must be careful and give diligent thought to the true reason for our happiness and joy. We have happiness and joy because of who Jesus is and what He has done for us. Let us be sure to turn away from ourselves, our busy schedules, and celebrations during this season long enough to return to Jesus and give Him a simple word of thanks. +++ 11/24/16 BE THANKFUL Scripture: Psalms 100:4 " ... Be thankful unto Him, and bless His Name." In this Psalm of praise, David exhorts us to make a joyful noise to the Lord, to serve Him with gladness, and to come before Him with singing. We are to recognize that the Lord has made us and acknowledge that we are His people. We are to express our thankfulness and bless the Lord, for He is good and His mercy is everlasting. Many times, however, we take our many blessings for granted instead of taking notice and expressing our appreciation to God for all the things that He has done for us. Too often, it takes seeing the sufferings of others or experiencing our own suffering to remind us of how short our thankfulness has fallen. Martin Luther made a very strong point about our lack of thankfulness when he wrote of "God's Unceasing Kindness." In part he said, "If our heavenly Father were not so liberal in the distribution of His gifts, we would be more thankful to Him." Martin Luther then went on to explain this theory. He said that if God had caused all men to be born with only one leg or foot, and later, at the age of seven, was given the other leg and foot, man would be more thankful. He would appreciate his legs for the rest of his life and would never again take them for granted. Likewise, if a man were born with one arm and one hand, but given the other arm and hand at the age of twenty, he would appreciate his arms and hands and prize them more highly. God has bestowed upon us great and bountiful blessings. Yet many times, it is only as we are deprived that we begin to appreciate them. Sometimes it takes the electrical power going out in the midst of a storm to remind us of how much we appreciate having lights. It takes illness to remind us of how precious good health is. It takes the threat of death before we become thankful for each breath that we are allowed to take. Like Luther's story, what if you were born with one leg or arm, blind, or deaf? Would you be more appreciative when you were restored? When was the last time that you gave thanks to God because you could walk, talk, see, and hear? Have you thanked the Lord lately for your family, friends, shelter, and food? Don't wait for adversity to remind you of what you have and what you should be thanking God for. Begin right now to acknowledge God's awesome goodness to you personally and praise Him for the daily benefits that He is providing. Be thankful to God and bless His Name! +++ Copyright © 2016 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved www.widsonline.com			..............................