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A Word In Due Season
1st Week of April 2005

04/01/05

OBEDIENCE FROM THE HEART

Scripture: Deuteronomy 5:29 (Living Bible) "Oh, that they would always have such a heart for Me, wanting to obey My commandments. Then all would go well with them in the future."

God speaks to us through His word and instructs us in the ways of righteousness. He tells us to depart from evil and to always do good. He makes His commandments very plain and teaches us through the example of Jesus that it is not just the letter of the law, but also the attitude of the heart that matters. He wants us to serve Him with all of our heart, all of the time. Jesus taught that it is just as bad to have a heart full of lust or murderous thoughts as it is to commit the acts themselves.

I am reminded of a story about a man who was tired of seeing the cars speeding near the school where his child attended. He had the children's welfare and safety in his heart so he decided to make use of his time each day by conditioning the traffic to drive slower in that vicinity. He simply sat in his car and pointed a hair dryer out of the window. Thinking that the hair dryer was a radar detector, all the drivers began to slow their vehicles down because they did not want to suffer the consequences of a speeding ticket. After a while, they were conditioned to drive slower, not because they had the protection of the children in their minds, but because of the anticipation that a radar trap may be in the area.

God said, "Oh, that you would always have a heart for Me and want to obey Me." We worship God with our lives through our obedience to Him. God doesn't want us to obey His commandments only because we think that someone is watching us or that we are on His radar screen. He wants us to obey always with our whole heart regardless of the rewards that we may receive or the consequences that await us. God has a plan and a purpose for every word that He has spoken and He takes great pride when we submit to Him, for His words bring life. He spoke to Adam and Eve and told them not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This was not because He wanted to keep the fruit from them, but because He was seeking to protect them. When they disobeyed and ate the fruit, He was forced to remove the tree of life from their midst and death resulted. We are God's main interest and He is concerned about our lives. Each word that He speaks directs our future and brings about the destiny that He has planned for our lives. We must make sure that our hearts are towards Him and that we are obeying His words so that all will go well in our future. +++

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A Word In Due Season
2nd Week of April 2005

04/04/05

WHAT MORE COULD JESUS DO?

Scripture: Hebrews 4:14 (Living Bible) "Jesus, the Son of God, is our great High Priest who has gone to Heaven itself to help us; therefore let us never stop trusting Him."

Jesus was with the Father in Heaven, but He left His throne in glory to come down to Earth even though He knew the cruel destiny that He faced. He was the King of Kings, yet He submitted to being born in a lowly stable. He was wrapped in swaddling clothes instead royal robes, and even though He was the Lord of Lords, He was humbly laid in a manger. His birth brought good tiding of great joy to the hearts of men, yet He, Himself, suffered mental anguish in the garden of Gethsemane. He was the Rose of Sharon, the Lily of the Valley, and the Bright Morning Star, yet became uncomely as cruel men ripped His beard from His face and spat upon him. Instead of being placed on an earthly throne, He was nailed to a rugged cross. Instead of receiving honor, He suffered the shame of the crucifixion. He died for all men, yet He was rejected, scorned, ridiculed, laughed at, and mocked by those same men that He gave His life for.

Jesus is the Spirit of Truth, yet men distrusted Him and accused Him of being a liar, a fraud, and a false prophet. His cousin, John the Baptist, doubted and questioned if Jesus was truly the Messiah, and even Jesus' own mother and brothers thought He was mad. He said that He would never leave us or forsake, yet He was forsaken by His own Heavenly Father. He is our Comforter, yet He experienced suffering and sorrow as no other. He is the Bread of Life, but He experienced hunger and even Satan tempted Him to turn the stones into bread. He was rich but He became poor for our sakes. He promised to build us a mansion in Heaven when He didn't even have a place to lay His head here on Earth. Jesus is love and loved the unlovely, yet He, Himself, was unloved by many. He is the Messiah, the Son of the living God, yet He was humiliated and slandered. He is a friend that sticks closer than a brother, yet His most trusted friends lost faith in Him and forsook Him in His darkest hour. Jesus came to give men eternal life, but men took His life from Him. He is the Lamb of God without blemish, yet He became the sacrificial lamb for our sins.

Think about the cross and what Jesus has done for you. Can you imagine that He freely gave all that He had to give in order to gain you for His eternal possession? He experienced every infirmity so that He could understand and be touched by everything that you would ever face. Jesus is the Son of God and your High Priest. He now sits at the right hand of the Father in Heaven, speaking words to help you. Never stop trusting Him because He loves you so much. He gave His all for you, what more could He do? +++

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04/05/05

TARES AMONG THE WHEAT

Scripture: Matthew 13:25 "But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat."

In this parable, Jesus told of a man who had sown good seed in his field, but while he and his men were asleep, the enemy came and sowed weeds or thistles throughout his field. The man wasn't aware of the evil deed that had been done against him, but when his wheat began to spring up, the tares or weeds also appeared. The man's servant wanted to remove the tares immediately, but his master declined the suggestion with the warning that if they tried to remove the tares, they might uproot the wheat in the process. He said, "Let both of them grow together until the harvest, then we will gather up the tares and burn them and gather the wheat and store it in the barn."

Jesus explains this parable saying that the tares are the children of the wicked one (Vs. 36-43). While Jesus sowed the good seed in the earth, which produced wheat, the enemy sowed bad seed, which produced the tares. It seems that the fields of God's Kingdom are always the targets of Satan's activity. He goes about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour and continually mingles his evil seed amongst the good. His goal is to deceive the very elect if possible. His work is very subtle and in the beginning both the wheat and the tares look so much alike that it is hard to distinguish them from each other. Jesus warned us that the devil himself would appear as an angel of light and also referred to many of the religious leaders of His time as vipers or snakes. Jesus also told us that there would be those who would do mighty works and even cast out devils in His name, but in the end of time, He would declare that He never knew them. All of these manifested themselves as being good. Who could deny an angel of light, religious leaders, or those doing mighty works in the Name of Jesus? Yet these workers of iniquity were actually tares that were growing amongst the wheat.

We must understand that God doesn't take all the wrong influences out of our lives and give us a perfect world to live in. He said that evil would be with us until the end of time. The devil will make his bid for our attention and for our very life. There will always be those around us who professed to be wheat, when in reality they are tares. They may say and do all the right things but they walk in deception. We must ask the Holy Spirit to open our spiritual eyes and help us walk in discernment so that we are not led astray and tossed about by every wind of doctrine. We must be vigilant and learn to distinguish between right and wrong, good and evil, wheat and tares, by judging and measuring everything with the Word of God. +++

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04/06/05

PREDETERMINE NOT TO SIN

Scripture: Genesis 39:9 "How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God."

Joseph had been sold into slavery by his brothers, and as he served Potiphar, he gained great favor. His master, Potiphar, noticed that the Lord was with Joseph and that the Lord caused everything that Joseph did to prosper so Potiphar put Joseph in charge of his entire house and everything that he had. Potiphar held nothing back from Joseph except his own wife. Joseph was a handsome young man and Potiphar's wife began to entice him to sleep with her, but Joseph blatantly refused. There was no discussion about the matter, for his heart was predetermined not to sin against God.

How often do we slip into a place of sin because we have not made a predetermined decision not to take that path? It is amazing, but when you draw a line of demarcation in your spirit concerning certain matters, the devil doesn't even tempt you in those areas. He knows that you have set certain boundaries and limits and that you are clearly separated from engaging in those activities. He knows that you have decided that you are not going to steal, kill, commit adultery, lie, cheat, or give into addictions so he doesn't place these temptations in front of you, but tries to find another area where you may be vulnerable.

We always have canned drinks in the refrigerator, but seldom have bottled drinks. The other day my oldest son left a bottle of Coke in the refrigerator so that he could drink it later. I pointed it out to my younger son and told him that it belonged to his brother and not to drink it. Upon hearing these instructions, he promptly declared, "Well don't blame me if I accidentally drink it." I was amused, for how could he drink it accidentally when he was plainly told that it belonged to someone else and was asked not to drink it. By the way, he is no child. He is thirty-one years old. Yet, this is how it is when we allow ourselves to sin. Even though we are mature in the Lord, we think because the temptation is there, it is not our fault if we give in. I guess that Adam and Eve felt like saying, "Well don't blame us if we accidentally eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil." Yet the availability to sin does not dispel the responsibility of our actions. In times of temptation, we must remember Joseph and understand that the only way to win the battle of temptation is to make a predetermined decision in our heart. We must bring ourselves to our senses by saying, "How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?" +++

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04/07/05

LEAVING THE PAST BEHIND

Scripture: Philippians 3:13 "Forget the past ... reach to the future ... press toward the mark."

Jean-Pierre de Caussade in 'The Joy of the Saints' said, "To escape the distress caused by regret for the past or fear about the future, this is the rule to follow:

Leave the past to the infinite mercy of God,

The future to His good providence;

Give the present wholly to His love by being faithful to His grace."

The Apostle Paul basically said the same thing. He said, "I am going to forget the things that are behind and reach for the things which are before me." As he forgot the past and looked with anticipation to the future, he made every moment of his life count by pressing towards the goal that was set before him. He spent no idle moments and left no stone unturned. When he was in prison, he didn't sit around and wait until he was released to do something for God. He diligently spent his time writing letters to instruct and encourage the saints in the ways of the Lord. Even when he was stoned and left for dead, Paul did not shrink back because of this horrific past event, but fearlessly got back into the arena and fought the good fight of faith.

These are such wise words, for even though we are living in the present, there is not a day that goes by that we do not reflect on the past or wonder about the future. As far as the past is concerned, we all have things that we regret, but there is no way to unscramble eggs or to change our histories. What is done is done and, like the Apostle Paul, we must forget the past and move on with our life. We cannot drag our past into the promise of our future, but must leave our regrets to the infinite mercy of God. He tells us not to worry about our transgressions because He is not adding them up or holding them against us. In His heart, they are as far as the East is from the West. When we seek His forgiveness, He instantly erases our sins from His thoughts and never judges us harshly even though He, Himself, has never sinned. As God forgives us, we must forgive ourselves. It is interesting that those about us who have failed are the ones who continually hold us accountable for our past. Their memory seems to be short concerning their own failures, but very keen in remembering the past mistakes of others.

Our future is in God's hands and as God holds it before us, we must reach for it, believing that He has good plans or a good providence for us. There is nothing to fear, regardless of what we may face, for God is with us and He is in control. His will for our lives is sovereign and we must be faithful to submit to His plan with our whole heart. As we give the present season to Him and press forward towards the mark of His high calling on our lives, the door to our future will open before us and the fear of the unknown and the distress of the past will fade into obscurity. +++

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04/08/05

DON'T LOSE HEART

Scripture: Psalms 34:19 "Many are the afflictions of the righteous ..."

Have you ever been in a season where you felt that you were fulfilling this portion of scripture that David wrote? Like the scene with Job, while you were learning about one dilemma in your life, another was occurring. You discover that your righteous living is not exempting you from troubles, for it seems that for the moment, you are facing more conflict and struggle than you can bear.

Where is the comfort in your situation? David finished this verse by declaring that the Lord would deliver the righteous out of all their afflictions. This is a grand promise that gives hope and will keep you from losing heart in the midst of the raging battle that surrounds you. According to the Apostle Paul, the afflictions you face right now are only for a season and are working for you an eternal glory beyond all measure (II Cor. 4:17-18). Somehow God is going to redeem your situation and use it for His glory. Romans 8:18 says that the things you are suffering at the present can't even be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in you.

David wrote this psalm concerning afflictions and deliverance out of a hurting heart and a broken spirit. He had fled from King Saul in an effort to save his own life, but met another conflict when King Achish recognized him. David had to pretend to be insane before King Achish in order to save his own life. He was in the midst of many afflictions, yet he trusted in the Lord, and the Lord delivered him from all of his troubles (I Sam. 10-15). You may also be in the midst of many afflictions yourself, but rejoice. God is still in control of your life and you can be assured that Jesus will never leave you while you are in the midst of your brokenness and trouble. His presence was with Joseph in the prison, Daniel in the lion's den, and the three Hebrew children in the fire. He did not fail them in their desperate hour. When you are facing many afflictions and things look their worse, don't lose heart, for God's deliverance will always come through. +++

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A Word In Due Season
3rd Week of April 2005

04/11/05

CREATED FOR PURPOSE

Scripture: 1 John 3:8 "For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil."

Jesus came to the earth with a definite purpose to fulfill, and that purpose was to undo and destroy the works of the devil. As the Son of the Living God, Jesus had one thought on His mind when He was here on Earth and that was His journey to the cross. He came to fulfill the prophecies of old that spoke of the agony and shame that He would suffer to redeem men from their sins. Yet there was joy within His heart as He traveled the road to His destiny. The Apostle Paul declared that Jesus was able to endure the cross because of the joy that was set before Him. The joy that He experienced was not the cross itself but the accomplishments of the cross, for Jesus knew that His sacrifice was going to set men eternally free from Satan's captivity.

Jesus won the battle against the forces of evil through His death on the cross and because of His victory, the Heavenly Father held nothing back from Him. After Jesus' resurrection, He declared, "All power is given unto Me in Heaven and in Earth" (Matthew 28:18). Jesus then released that same power to those who would go and preach His gospel in His Name. He did not leave us on the earth with empty hands and nothing to do. Before Jesus ascended into Heaven, He created purpose for our lives, spoke words of vision into our souls, and breathed His Holy Spirit into us. He gave us power to be His witnesses and promised that He would be there in our midst and also confirm His word with signs and wonders. He totally equipped us to do the work that He did so that we could also destroy the works of the devil.

We are not called to the cross of Calvary like Jesus, but God has created us with purpose. You must come to know that what is happening in your personal life is very important to Him. He is in your midst, making an effort to use you right where you are. Your purpose may not seem very great to you as you take care of your grandchildren in the later years of your life or care for a handicaped or elderly person. You may be suffering 'burn out' or feel stuck in a mundane position with no promotion on the horizon, but you must search for the purpose of the season. It is awesome when you discover the reason why you are who you are and realize that God has placed you where you are for a reason. It brings light to the darkest season and causes your life to come alive with revelation. Knowing your purpose will change your life and getting a glimpse of your destiny will help you be able to chart your actions so that you can stay on course. Your thoughts, attitudes, goals, and priorities will become what He desires. When you believe that God is using you where you are, you will begin to schedule His plans into your life with joy and you will find that He will be your partner in the labor. When you are yoked to Him, He will help you accomplish His divine plan for His eternal purpose. +++

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04/12/05

CONFIDENCE THAT HE WILL HEAR

Scripture: I John 5:14 "And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us."

This is a simple guarantee to gain an audience with God. Prayers that touch the heart of God are not accidents. If we want God to listen to us, we must first listen to Him and then pay attention to what He says. The Apostle John said that God would listen to the words that we are saying if the petitions that we are presenting to God are lining up with His desires. Prayer that finds answers are not just a bunch of empty words. They seek to satisfy God's will for our lives, accomplish the purposes of His kingdom, and are based upon His written covenant. So in order to receive answers, we must search the scriptures and find out what God has said about the matter. If we don't, our prayers are idle chatter.

Our prayers must become effective. James 5:16 says, "The effectual fervent prayers of a righteous man avails much." Prayers that are effective are in accordance with God's will. When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray, Jesus told them to address the Father in Heaven, give honor to His Name, and then declare, "Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done." These words concerning His Kingdom and His will were to be spoken before any petitions were made for daily needs such as bread, forgiveness, direction, and deliverance from evil. There is a confidence that is gained when you know that you are seeking to complete God's will, and this confidence will birth faith within your soul. In turn, that faith will link with Divinity and clothe you with power to receive.

One of the first things that I ask when I begin to pray and commune with God is that His Holy Spirit help me pray according to God's will. I remind God that my spirit is willing to do His will, and also confess that my flesh is weak. I tell Him that I need the guidance of His Spirit as I pray so that I may fulfill the scripture above and acquire the confidence that I need in knowing that He is hearing me as I speak. Many times I am amazed at the words that follow after I pray these words as the Holy Spirit guides my thoughts and directs my prayers. I may have started out with my own agenda to express my immediate needs, but as I yield to God's Spirit, He opens my heart to understand the true will of the Father and then prompts to me pray greater things that agree with His will. As this communion with Heaven transpires, great confidence comes. I know that my words have reached God's throne, and that if He has heard the prayer that His Spirit has prayed through me, He will answer accordingly. +++

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04/13/05

FAITH IN LIFE AND DEATH SITUATIONS

Scripture: Job 13:15 "Though He slay me, yet I will trust in Him."

The devil sought to dislodge Job from his faith by destroying his possessions, killing his children, afflicting his body with disease, and separating him from the bonds with his friends. Yet, Job remained strong and faithful in all of his sufferings and did not charge God foolishly. He placed his life in the hands of God and determined to trust in Him even if it meant death to his physical body. This showed Job's great faith in the goodness and the sovereignty of God.

It is one thing to have faith for life, but it is quite another to have faith for death. It is easy to have faith when you are walking on the water, but it becomes difficult to maintain that same faith when you begin to sink. It is not so hard to worship God and stand for the things you believe in until you are faced with the fiery furnace for expressing those beliefs. It is easy to say prayers in public, but it would be frightening if you knew the consequences of saying those prayers was a lion's den. It is not so difficult to believe that your ship can make it to the other side of the lake until a raging storm begins to toss you about in the midst of your voyage. We have to admit that the threat of death is a great challenge to our faith. Yet, I believe that when this one foe is conquered, we are brought to a higher level.

Like Job, we must come to understand that we can trust the One who created our bodies and that death has no sting for the child of God. If our Heavenly Father wants to take us home with Him, we must have faith to submit to His bidding, and say "Though He slay me, I will trust in Him." The furnace we face may be heated seven times hotter, but we must trust the One who kindles the fire and realize that except for the final episode of our lives, it is not intended to consume us, but to refine us so that we can come forth as pure gold. Neither are the raging storms meant to destroy us, but to show us that the Lord is the Master of the Sea. Our lives may have many tangles and tears, but we must learn that if we use our mouths to pray and worship, God will close the mouths of the lions and keep us safe when we are in their midst. Each of Earth's challenges are meant to show us Heaven's provisions and bring us to a place of faith so that we can have victory in the midst of life situations and in the midst of death itself. +++

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04/14/05

NEVER EARLY - NEVER LATE

Scripture: Psalms 31:15 "My times are in Your hand."

David trusted and relied upon the Lord, for he had seen God come through for him many times in his life. He knew very well what it meant to put all of his confidence in God and allow Him to guide His footsteps. There were times when God allowed David to kill a bear and a lion, or spoke to him to go into battle, to fight the giant, or to chase down his enemy and recover his family and goods that the enemy had taken from him. But there were also other times that God told David not to fight but to wait and just stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. On all of these occasions, David was confident that his life was in God's hands and also in God's timing whether he was engaged in battle or allowing God to fight the battle for him.

How assuring it is when we discover that our times are in God's hands. I was in a big hurry as I drove down the street one day and I could see that the traffic light ahead was red. I anxiously sighed a big sigh and wished for the light to turn green before I got there, which it did. But because the traffic was proceeding very slowly, enough time expired for the light to turn back to red. As I began to fret again about the light, I thought, "Why am I worrying about the light when I am not even there yet?" I didn't need the light to be green until it was my turn to go through the intersection. I came to the conclusion that I should just be patient and proceed forward in joy. Like David, I needed to put my times into God's hands and trust that the light would be green when it was time for me to go through.

We are like this many times in life's situations. When God begins to stir our spirit in preparation for change in our life, we become anxious. We want to know that the road ahead is clear of obstacles and we want to see the green light. Yet often the light may change to red on the pathway to our future. The door to our destiny may be closed for a moment while God prepares our heart and keeps us until His perfect timing is ready. His delay causes us to fret, but in reality, we are not even near the intersection of our dreams. We have a long way to go, for God is still maturing us and equipping us for the task ahead. We want to take immediate action, but God doesn't want us running the shoulder of the road so that we can pass all of the cars that are ahead of us. Hastiness will only create a bad situation. God wants us to trust Him and to understand that He is never early and He is never late. He is always right on time and you can be sure that your times are in His hands. Be encouraged. God will open the door to your destiny in His timing and turn the light green at the appropriate time. +++

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04/15/05

DECEPTION IN THE WILDERNESS

Scripture: Numbers 13:33 "... And we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight."

God led His people out of Egypt with great signs and wonders, but when the journey became long and things became difficult, they allowed a spirit of deception to defeat them and lead them astray from their destiny and God's best for their lives. They were deceived about their provisions and murmured about not having meat to eat even though God was faithfully raining down fresh bread from Heaven every day to satisfy their hunger. When they complained about the lack of water, God supplied it from a rock, but they were still deceived about God's presence with them. They said, "Is the Lord among us or not?" They even thought that God had lured them into the wilderness to kill them. They were in deception about who they really were and what God really wanted to do for them.

They limited the Holy One of Israel because they were caught up in deception in their own minds. They did not see themselves as God saw them or believe that He could do what He promised to do. They had no faith that He was able to bring them in to the Promised Land. When they finally saw the fruit of the land, they believed another evil report. Deception told them that they could not penetrate the walled cities and possess the inheritance that God had given them because there were giants in the land, and they, themselves, were as grasshoppers in the sight of these giants. They were so deceived that they saw themselves as grasshoppers in their own sight. Deception spoke again to their hearts and caused them to want to return to Egypt and the bondage from which they had been delivered.

You may be experiencing a wilderness in your present walk with the Lord, but God doesn't want you to be deceived. He wants you to see yourself as you really are and to know that you can have all the things that He has promised you. He doesn't want you to view yourself as a grasshopper in the midst of your giant enemies. You were created in God's image and He wants you to see yourself in that light. One of Satan's greatest fears is that you will see yourself as God sees you. God sees you forgiven and washed in the blood of Jesus. He sees you healed by the stripes of Jesus. He sees you prospering as your soul prospers. He sees you delivered and set free because Jesus paid the price on the cross of Calvary. Don't allow deception to steal your inheritance. God's promises belong to you and they are yours to possess. +++

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A Word In Due Season
3rd Week of April 2005

04/18/05

FORGIVE - COMFORT - LOVE

Scripture: (Living Bible) II Corinthians 2:7-8 "Now it is time to forgive him and comfort him ... Please show him that you love him very much."

These scriptures concern a man in the church who had transgressed God's laws in a grievous way. He had caused Paul and the church a lot of pain and they had punished him in an effort to correct him. Now Paul says that the guilty man had been punished enough and that it was time for restoration to begin. Paul tells the church to offer forgiveness, comfort, and love to the one that had sinned. He says, "Otherwise he may become so bitter and discouraged that he won't be able to recover."

It is often difficult to reinstate someone in our affections after they have hurt us and caused us pain, especially those who are in the household of faith. We feel that they should have known better in the first place. But if God is willing to forgive and restore them, shouldn't we? However, there are too many times when we hold on to our personal grudges and feel that it is our duty to pour on the guilt and shame. We want to make sure that the punishment exceeds the wrong deed, and we can't seem to bring ourselves to a place of forgiveness, much less be able to offer them comfort and love.

Paul says that unforgiveness is a trick of the devil and tells us not to be ignorant of his devises (verse 11). Satan knows that if you refuse to forgive, you give him an advantage in your own life. You not only hold the guilty person in bondage, disallowing him to recover, but you also put yourself into bondage. Mark 11:26 says, "If you don't forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your failings and shortcomings." And Matthew 5:23-24 says that if you and your brother have grievances, God will not receive your offering until you go to your brother and find reconciliation. It is only then that you can return and offer your gift. God demands forgiveness and love.

Sin and inappropriate behavior require confrontation and discipline, but repentance deserves restoration. When repentance occurs, don't continue to pour on guilt - pour on love. Galatians 6:1-2 (Amplified) says, "If any person is overtaken in misconduct or sin of any sort, you who are spiritual - who are responsive to and controlled by the Spirit - should set him right and restore and reinstate him ... less you be tempted also. We are to bear one another's burdens and troublesome moral faults, and in this way fulfill and observe perfectly the law of Christ." We are to forgive as He forgave, comfort as He comforted, and love as He loved. +++

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04/19/05
THE UMPIRE OF PEACE

Scripture: Colossians 3:15 (Amplified) "Let the peace, or soul harmony, from Christ rule or act as umpire continually in your hearts."

An umpire is one who is appointed to rule and is empowered to settle an issue. He is designated as judge and arbitrator to direct and govern disputes. In sports events, both teams depend upon the umpire to follow the rules and to be fair. There are moments of anticipation as both teams wait for the umpire to give the call. We all can visualize and hear in our minds that famous word in a baseball game, "S--t--r--i--k--e!!!!" Once the umpire's call is given, it is accepted. We may have seen it differently from the stands, but there are no questions and no arguments. The umpire's judgment is deemed final.

Paul tells you to let the spirit of peace do this same work on the inside of you. When there are questions in your mind, you should allow the peace of God to rule and be the umpire. You are to wait for the Holy Spirit to give His call and speak peace to your soul. Your soul is your mind, will, and emotions. When your soul is in harmony, all these areas are in agreement and at peace. Your mind and your emotions can only be at peace when your will is flowing in God's divine will for your life. If there is any turmoil in your soul, you should realize that there is something about the situation that you don't know or understand. Like the umpire, God sees what you can't see. At His vantage point, He can see the whole picture.

When Jesus went away, He left us His peace. He said, "My peace I give unto you: not as the world gives, give I unto you Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" (John 14:27). His peace is supernatural and passes all understanding. It keeps and guards our minds and hearts through Christ Jesus. God's peace should decide and settle with finality all questions that arise in your mind. You are to "trust Him with all of your heart and lean not to your own understanding" (Proverbs 3:5). You must come to a place in your walk with God that you are able to totally surrender your mind, will, and emotions to Him, and allow His peace to be your umpire. +++

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04/20/05

WHY PRAY?

Scripture: I Peter 3:12 "For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and His ears are open unto their prayers."

There are many things in life that I do not understand, but I am not going to do without these things just because my understanding is limited. I could not tell you how the engine and all of the parts of an automobile work together, but I still plan to use my vehicle to get me to the places that I need to go. I can't explain the seasons and how the soil, water, and sunlight can make things grow, but I will continue to pant and expect my flowers to bloom. I don't understand computers, televisions, and radios, but I will use them anyway. And don't expect me to sit around in the dark just because I don't understand electricity. It's just not going to happen. I am going to use every tool that is available to me to enrich my physical life.

My thoughts about God and His words are the same. I can't explain God to you and tell you how prayer and obedience to God's words work. There is no reasonable explanation how Moses could stretch out his hand across the Red Sea and cause the waters to divide and the sea to become dry land (Exodus 14:21). Neither can I tell you how Joshua could march around the walls of Jericho for seven days and then give a shout that would make the walls come tumbling down (Joshua 6:20). Their victories came because of their obedience to God. There are many things about Jesus and the things that He did that are unbelievable. He healed the sick, caused the lame to walk, opened blinded eyes, raised the dead, walked on the water, calmed the seas with His word, and fed thousands of people with a meager supply of bread and fish. I can't explain any of these things to you, but I believe that they really happened and are true.

So it is with communication with God. I can't explain how we can live here on Earth and talk to God in Heaven any more than I can explain to you how I can live in Texas and talk on the telephone to someone on the other side of the world. Both are beyond my own comprehension. Indeed, there are people who can explain the phone system and the other natural tools that we use, but no one can explain prayer, for it is supernatural. It is spiritual and simply can not be explained in natural terms. All we know is that when we talk to God, He has promised to hear us and answer our prayers. Don't get me wrong; God is not some sort of cosmic bellhop that we can order around. Neither does He grant our every petition in hopes of receiving a financial tip by our tithes or offerings to the church. So why should we pray? James 4:2-3 tells us, "You have not because you haven't asked for it ... You receive not when you ask amiss." Let us take these words to heart, and even though we may not understand how prayer works, let us talk to God and present our petitions to Him because we believe what the Apostle Peter said, "His ears are open to our prayers." +++

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04/21/05

LABORS OF THE HARVEST

Scripture: Proverbs 20:4 (Living Bible) "If you won't plow in the cold, you won't eat at the harvest."

Fruit and grain for our livelihood does not spring forth from the ground without effort. There is much work and faith that goes into bringing about a harvest. The ground has to be plowed and the seed has to be planted at the right season, for nature does not allow for procrastination.

God's spiritual kingdom is also like this. Luke 10:2 says, "God is the Lord of the harvest" and tells us that we are to pray that He would send laborers into His harvest. Both the laborers and the harvest are symbols of the minister and the work that he is called to do. Yet, many times when we are called as laborers into the harvest to witness or minister, we fail to follow God's leading because we are distracted. Like the natural farmer, we see the hazards of the cold. We may feel that we are not spiritually prepared enough to witness, or that the person that we are to witness to is not ready. Perhaps we feel there are other matters that we must take care of first, so we fail to plow the field and plant the seed. Therefore, the promise is lost because of procrastination and the work is undone because of distractions.

In Luke 9:62, Jesus tells us that we are to put our hand to the plow, and not look back. The Living Bible says, "Anyone who lets himself be distracted from the work I plan for him is not fit for the Kingdom of God." We are not to allow any distractions to keep us from God's appointed time. When He speaks to us or shows us a need, God is letting us know that the season is right and that His Holy Spirit has already begun a work. If we fail to move at God's biding and in His season, we will fail to see the many blessings that God had prepared for those lives that He had intended to reach through us.

Has God placed it on your heart to do a good deed, say a kind word, or meet a special need? Has He called you into His fields to witness to someone about salvation? Do you have good intentions, but do not follow through because of the distractions of life? Like a natural harvest, God's Kingdom does not allow for procrastination, either. If God is speaking to you, He is working on the other end to prepare the harvest. As the Lord of the harvest, He waits for you to put your hand to the plow and sow the seeds that He has provided. He depends upon you, His laborer. If you do not work His fields, bless others, or reach out to the lost, there will be no harvest. +++

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04/22/05
ENCOURAGING YOURSELF

Scripture: I Samuel 30:6 "David encouraged himself in the Lord his God."

Have you ever been so discouraged that it seemed that you couldn't cry any more? It seemed as though your whole world was falling apart around you. Your possessions were gone and you were separated from the ones you loved dearly for one reason or another. No one understood your situation and even your friends had turned away from you.

These are the circumstances that David found himself in when he and his men came home to their city, Ziklag. They found the city burned and their wives and children taken captive by the enemy. "Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep" (Verse 4). They had spent all of their tears. Further discouragement came to David when his men blamed him for this disastrous situation and talked of stoning him. David was greatly distressed because of his own grief and because of the many accusations. However, David did not allow himself to stay in this place of discouragement, distress, and grief. He rose above the negative circumstances and began to encourage himself in the Lord. He didn't wait for someone else to get him out of the pit of depression. David ministered to himself and reminded himself of the goodness and mercy of the Lord. Then he asked the Lord what to do about his desperate situation. God instructed David to pursue the enemy and gave David a promise that he would "overtake the enemy and, without fail, recover all." God's promise was true and came to pass just as He had said it would.

No matter how desperate your situation may be today, God also has a promise of victory for you. When you find yourself in a place of discouragement and find there is no one else to turn to, encourage yourself in the Lord. When you feel that you don't have enough strength to shed another tear, remember that God specializes in things that seem impossible. He has not changed. He is still your God and He will deliver you. +++

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A Word In Due Season
4th Week of April 2005

04/25/05
JUST PASSING THROUGH

Scripture: Psalms 84:6 "Who, passing through the valley of Baca, make it a well."

Baca means a place of weeping, crises, misery, and pain. God never promised that you would be exempted from your places of Baca. He did say, however, that He would be with you always, even in the midst of your crises, misery, and pain. God is there to give you victory right in the middle of your adverse situations, but you must do your part. As you are passing through the valley of Baca, you must decide to make this place of weeping into a well of life. With God's help, your tears can become a place of refreshing for your soul instead of a place of bitterness. God will not waste one moment of your grief and pain. If you will give it all to Him, He will draw from the well that you create with your tears and wash your eyes, cleanse your heart, and refresh your spirit. If you allow your Baca to become a well, you will go from strength to greater strength (Psalms 84:7).

You can also take solace in the fact that the valley of Baca is designed to be a temporary place. You are only passing through this time of weeping and despair, but in order to just pass through, you can't sit down and give up. You must continue to take one step at a time to conquer the valley. It may seem like the valley is too deep and the way is too hard. But remember, you have a promise from God that He will never put more on you than you are able to bear. When things become too difficult for you, God will make a way of escape. In Psalms 23:4, David spoke of walking "through the valley of shadow of death." He said that he would not fear because he knew that the Lord was with him. This blessed assurance will also see you through your valley and bring you to a place of victory over your circumstances and inner conflicts.

Andrae Crouch wrote a song with these lyrics: "I've had many tears and sorrows. I've had questions for tomorrow. There have been times that I didn't know right from wrong. But in every situation God gave perfect consolation that my trials come to only make me strong. And through it all ... I've learned to trust in Jesus. I've learned to trust in God. Through it all, I've learned to depend upon His word." What mighty words. When you find yourself in the valley of Baca, remember that valleys are very fertile. So glean all you can from your valley and embrace its strength. As you are passing through Baca - let your tears create a well. +++

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04/26/05

FAITHFUL IN THE FEW THINGS

Scripture: Matthew 25:21 "You have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things: enter into the joy of the Lord."

In relating this story, Jesus lets us know that our destiny and joy depends on our faithfulness to be good stewards over the things that God has set before us. God places within our hearts a dream and endows us with the gifts and talents to fulfill that vision. However, before the vision comes to pass, it is met with many challenging circumstances, and we find ourselves in positions that are far from the dream that is in our heart. Many times our place of service to God seems so small in our own eyes and our area of ministry seems so limited. Like Jabez, we pray for God to enlarge our territories but instead He tries our faith and tests our motives.

Throughout scripture, we see men who waited for the promises of God to come in their lives. Meanwhile, they remained faithful in their place of service regardless of how meager it may have seemed to them at the time. They exercised diligence and patience, waiting until God's appointed and appropriate time. Joseph was enslaved and bound in prison before God's dream came to pass in his life, but Joseph worked hard and gained favor with everyone around him (Genesis 39:4). He was faithful in the small things and God made him ruler over much. Elisha was plowing in the field behind twelve oxen when the prophet Elijah cast his mantle upon him and called Elisha into the ministry (I Kings 19:19). Elisha could have become discouraged as he worked daily in the hot sun following behind dirty oxen, but he remained faithful in the place where he was until God called him. David was also found faithful until God promoted him. He cared for a few sheep that were entrusted to him even though he had been anointed by Samuel to be the king of Israel (I Samuel 16:13). And Jesus waited until He was thirty years old before His ministry took shape and form.

Just like these great men, God has a time and a place for you. He wants you to continue to walk towards your destiny regardless of how long the journey may seem. You must not allow yourself to become discouraged by your seemingly small and insignificant place, but remain faithful as you look unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of your faith. Plow the fields that He has placed you in and care for His sheep. At the appointed and appropriate time, He will acknowledge your faithfulness and hard work and will make you ruler over much. +++

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04/27/05

OUR WORDS

Scripture: Luke 6:45 "For out of the abundance or overflow of the heart the mouth speaks."

Luke uses the illustration of a tree to explain that good trees produce good fruit and evil trees produce evil fruit. He then compares this concept to men who have the capacity to either produce good or evil conversation depending upon what is in their heart. In Psalm 19:14 David said, "Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable." The words of our mouth proceed from the meditations that are in our heart so we must "Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it flows life" (Proverbs 4:23). In 'God's Little Devotional Book', it says, "Language is the expression of thought. Every time you speak, your mind is on parade."

How true these words are, for once our words are spoken, they are out there for the whole world to see. We are then judged by our words and are either accepted or rejected because of those words. Ecclesiastes 3:7 says, "There is a time to keep silent and a time to speak." It is said that sometimes it's better to keep our mouth shut and let everyone think we are stupid than to open it and remove all their doubts. James 1:19 declares, "Be swift to hear, and slow to speak."

Our words should always render a word in due season to the world and to the body of Christ. Words are full of power, and are able to produce life or death (Proverbs 18:21). Therefore, "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man" (Colossians 4:6). In other words, endeavor to have your heart so filled with God's word and wisdom that when you speak, your words are like God's grace on parade. +++

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04/28/05
REACHING THE OTHER SIDE

Scripture: Mark 4:35 "Let us go over to the other side of the Lake."

These instructions seemed very simple to Jesus' disciples at the beginning, as several of them were fishermen who were used to the water and knew quite well how to handle a ship. Besides that, it probably didn't even look like it was going to rain, much less storm when they started out on their obedient journey across the lake. They thought that crossing the lake would be so easy and had no idea of the challenge that they were to face. However, they were just about to experience a great teaching from the Master concerning prayer, faith, and the power and authority of His word.

As they journeyed across the lake, their peace soon turned to turmoil and fear gripped their hearts as a great storm formed. The winds began to blow, the waves beat the ship, and the ship began to fill with water. In desperation, they cried out to Jesus, who was asleep on the ship, saying, "Master, do you not care that we are about to die?" Jesus arose, rebuked the wind, and spoke to the sea. His words were simple, "Peace, be still." The wind obeyed His words and there was a great calm!

We have much to learn from this story. When God gives us a promise, there will be a challenge. It may thunder and it may rain. The storm may get fierce and our ship may be tossed about with the waves. It may be a very fearful, painful, and uncomfortable situation. We may even think that we are facing the end and speak as the disciples did, "Master, do you not care that I'm am about to perish? I'm about to go under. There is no way my ship is going to make it to the other side. I just can't hold on any longer." However, His words come back to us, "Let us go to the other side." His words, "Let us", show us that He is journeying with us through the rough waters.

Sometimes we may feel that He is asleep, but in reality His presence is always there to deliver. His promises are true regardless of the adversity that we are facing, and He shows us that prayer can be made concerning circumstances. He also lets us know that our faith will draw answers from God and that in the midst of the waves and wind, we can exercise authority over the forces of evil just like He did. Although we should have enough faith to make it through the storm, He shows us that if our faith is lacking, He will still come through for us just like He did for the disciples. He will arise and rebuke the storm, and speak "Peace" to the situation. When we get to the other side, we will find that our prayer life has been intensified and our faith strengthened. Let these thoughts reign in your heart, "God told you to get into the boat and go to the other side. Yes, you may be facing a great storm, but when Jesus is in the boat with you, you will make it to the other side." +++

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04/29/05

GOD IS FAITHFUL

Scripture: Deuteronomy 7:9 "Know, therefore, that the Lord your God is the faithful God, which keeps covenant and mercy with them that love Him and keep His commandment to a thousand generations."

God is always faithful to keep His word. When He tells you to do something or go somewhere, He waits for your obedience to carry out His instructions. Then, when you move in that direction, He makes the crooked way straight and opens the path before you. He leads you through green pastures and beside still waters. He provides every need for the journey and the anointing for the mission. He never fails to honor His covenant but will not do anything until you step out in faith.

Obeying God's voice and following His commands may not always be easy, but it will always be possible. God may not share His master plan with you or accomplish it in the same manner as He did in the past, for God is creative. He is big on doing new things and His ways are past finding out. If God tells you to go to the other side of the lake, His presence will go before you. He may calm the waters so your ship can cross safely, or He may roll back the water and allow you to cross on dry ground like He did with Moses and the children of Israel. Then again, He may cause you to walk on the water. You just have to flow with His plan.

Arthur Blessed, the gentleman that walked across this nation and many others carrying a cross, made this statement about obedience to God. He said:

"If God says to do something or go somewhere...

I get on a plane.

If there is no plane - I get on a train.

If there is no train - I get on a bus.

If there is no bus - I walk.

If I can't walk - I just fall in that direction!

In the walk of faith, you will find that God does not act until you move. He doesn't dry up the sea until your feet touch the water. He won't calm the storm unless you are making your way across the lake. And you will never walk on the water in faith if you don't get out of the boat. You must never allow doubt to pollute your faith but you must act on His word. "Whatever He says unto you, do it" (John 2:5). The Lord is God, He is faithful, and He will keep His word. +++

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