www.widsonline.com

=================================================================================

02/02/06
GREATER IS HE

Scripture: I John 4:4 "Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world."

There is not a day that goes by for any of us that we are not challenged in some way by our adversary, the devil. He works in many ways and is very persistent, roaming about twenty-four hours a day and seven days a week seeking whom he may devour. He creates irritating circumstances and brings fear and defeat into our lives. He causes discouragement, heartache, sickness, and pain, and his goal is to kill, steal, and destroy. The devil is a master gardener when it comes to planting seeds of doubt and unbelief in the hearts of men. He is very subtle and appears as an angel of light, when in reality he is the shadow of discouragement and death. He is also very cunning, for he knows that if he can cut off our spiritual life support, he can defeat us. So he begins by attacking our faith, which is our link to God and the blessings of Heaven.

Even though we are vulnerable for attack, we must understand that we have nothing to fear because we have a secret weapon against this onslaught of evil that comes against us. Our defense is the Lord, Himself. God is our only hope in the time of adversity, for the battle belongs to Him. He dwells within us and He is greater than the spirit that is in the world. We must simply position ourselves in faith and believe in His word. The devil may be bigger than you, but he is not bigger than the God that is within you. The disease that is attacking your body may be too big for you or your physician to handle, but it is not too big for the God who made your body and is inside of you. The devil may make your financial situation look hopeless, but the greater One that lives on the inside of you is greater than the spirit of lack, and He will meet your needs according to His riches. God, who is within us, is greater than any evil and negative report. He is larger than any raging storm and stronger than the fiercest enemy.

There is nothing and no one greater than our God. Harbor this secret in your heart so that whenever battles come your way, you can maintain your peace and joy. In the midst of your adversity, seek God and pray that His will be done in every area of your life here on Earth as He has planned it in Heaven. Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and do not lean upon your own strength. Victory will then spring up within your spirit as you delight in the knowledge that "Greater is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit who is within you than the devil that is in the world. +++

=================================================================================
02/03/06

DIVINE APPOINTMENT

Scripture: Luke 7:13 "And when the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said unto her, Weep not."

A woman and many of the people from a town called Nain were in a procession following the casket of the woman's only son. She had lost her husband to death and now was also having to give up her son. She was grief stricken and distressed, for her world seemingly had come to an end and there was no hope. As she approached the gates of the city, she never dreamed that she was on the verge of a divine appointment with the Almighty God, and that very shortly she would encounter a miracle at His hand.

At the same time, Jesus, along with His disciples and many other people, approached the gates of the city from the outside. This entourage was probably still happy and excited about the miracle that Jesus had preformed the day before when He spoke just a word and the centurion's servant was healed. Now at the gates of the city of Nain, two worlds were about to collide. God in Heaven had set the stage for a divine appointment. A procession of resurrection life led by Jesus was destined to meet with the procession of death led by the young man in the casket. Light was going to collide with darkness. Comfort was going replace sorrow and grief. Joy was going to dispel sadness, and laughter was destined to drive away all the tears. When Jesus saw the woman, He had compassion upon her. He spoke to her and said, "Weep not." Then Life touched death, and Jesus raised the widow's son from the dead.

You may have come to a time, like the widow, that you are facing what seems to be the end. It's a sad time as special relationships come to an end, dreams fall apart, your health and finances fail, or death takes your loved one from you. It is a time of discouragement and despair as you mourn the death of what could have been. However, don't lose faith as you seemingly exit your hopes and dreams. Jesus is on the other side of the gate, and all of Hell trembles because He is on His way to deliver you. When your life is threatened in any area, He comes to your rescue. He will resurrect your dead situation and restore your relationships. He will comfort you in your grief, and in the midst of your sorrow He will give you hope. He will resurrect your dreams and restore all that is lost. It only takes one divine moment as His anointed hands touch your impossible situation. In Jeremiah 29:11 God says, "For I know the thoughts and the plans that I have for you. They are plans for good and not evil, to give you a future and a hope." Take courage and look to the future with hope, for God has planed a divine appointment for you. +++

=================================================================================

A Word In Due Season
2nd Week of February 2006

02/06/06
THE ROOMS OF YOUR HEART

Scripture: II Corinthians 10:5 "Casting down imaginations ..."

Have you ever tried to clean a room, closet, or garage but found that your determination to do so was met with conflict by your own desires and actions? Your efforts were met with struggle, as you found it hard to get rid of the old junk. You looked at your broken items, declared that you still intended to fix them, and dreamed of having the time to master this feat. Even though you had items that were taking valuable space and that you had not used in years, you were afraid to throw them away because you thought that you might need them later. You didn't want to get rid of the clothes in your closet that are too small because you had hopes of getting back down to that size again. By the time you had finished your cleaning project, you ended up only discarding a few items and straightening the rest of the clutter. Everything left will continue to irritate you and eventually will have to be dealt with again.

Like our physical spaces, we have spaces within our hearts that desperately need to be cleaned out. I had some hurtful things in the past that I found hard to give up. My mind continually wanted to dwell on these disturbing thoughts that only revived the pain. One day when I began to recall the events and talk about the bitter pain of those days, my son said, "Mom, don't go to that room." When he said those words, I began to realize that I had a spiritual room within my soul where I was harboring all the evil memories from the days gone by. Most of the time, I would visit this room alone, but sometimes I would invite a close friend or one of my children to look inside my heart as I expressed my hurt. The therapy did help and their words usually comforted me, but my heart stayed cluttered. My soul was in total disarray, for I was surrounded by mental darkness and confusion because I could not understand why I had allowed myself to get into such a terrible situation. As I began to look into this chamber within my heart, I saw that there was a spirit of bitterness on one shelf because I felt that part of my life had been stolen from me. On another shelf there was pain because I had been deceived by someone who I thought cared for me, and for that reason, I found it hard to trust others. There was a space that was full of hopelessness because I could not let go of the past and move towards the future. All of the other feelings such as self-pity, anger, and shame were also crammed into this space that should have been storing the fruits and gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Just like the clutter in my physical closet, all of this spiritual baggage and junk was my stuff and I had to deal with it personally. No one could let go of the past for me or resist the spirit of anger or self-pity that was inside of me. I had to repent and seek God's forgiveness. I had to forgive those who had wronged me and also forgive myself for being deceived and making bad choices. I had to learn to consciously let go and cast down all of the painful memories of the past. I realized that if I wanted total deliverance, I couldn't just shut the door to the room, I needed to clean it thoroughly and then replace every negative thought with God's word or something good and peaceable. Memories remain, but I do not allow them to surround me with pain. I choose instead to learn from them and I look to the future with hope and trust God to restore the years that were stolen from me. I have forgiven those who deceived me and am learning to trust others. I disallow myself to store up spiritual clutter. This is a continuing process in my life, for things are still being revealed to me.

I encourage you today to allow God to shine His light upon your heart and show you the things that you are harboring within your spirit that are contrary to His will and then begin to work towards removing them. If it is too heavy, the Lord will help you lift it. If it is too high, He will help you reach it. If it is too difficult to bear, He will carry it for you. If it is too hard for you to let go, then allow Him to take it from you. Allow the winds of His Holy Spirit to sweep through your spirit and let His precious blood wash you clean. Begin to cast down all of the imaginations that keep you from walking in the freedom and towards the destiny that God has ordained for you. The Lord is eager to help you get rid of weights that hinder you from being able to run the race that He has set before you. He is waiting for you to ask Him to help you clean your spiritual closet. Make a commitment to work with Him and enjoy your new day of beginnings. +++

=================================================================================
02/07/06

DAYSPRING

Scripture: Luke 1:78 "Through the tender mercy of our God; ... the Dayspring from high has visited us."

The term "dayspring" means "the springing up of light." It is the dawning of the morning as the sun rises to give light to a darkened earth. This glorious light at dawn brings with it a freshness of new life and all of nature rejoices. The birds sing and the roosters crow, welcoming the sun and the birth of a new day. The dawning of the sun's light causes hope for all of the earth as it brings forth the promise of growth. We seldom give thanks to our Father God for the wonders of this phenomenon or the beauty of the sunrise, which is breathtaking. Instead we take the sunrise for granted and assume that it will be provided for us each and every day. It only takes a few days of dreary weather to cause us to appreciate the sun at dawn. Can you imagine life without the sun?

Luke said that Jesus is our Dayspring from on high. When Jesus visited us, He brought us life and translated us out of the kingdom of darkness into His marvelous light. John 1:4 says, "In Him was Life and that Life was the Light to men." He was sent to this earth like the rising of the sun because of the great love and the mercy of our Father God. He is the dawn that shines eternal light into the darkest places of our lives and causes all evil to flee. The night cannot overtake the day once the sun has risen, for physical darkness cannot absorb physical light. In fact, the greater the darkness, the greater the light seems to shine. Light a candle in a dark room and watch the darkness put it out. It can't, for that is an impossible challenge.

Likewise, spiritual darkness can never overtake the light of Jesus in our lives. The kingdom of darkness and evil cannot overcome, put out, or absorb His eternal light and life once the Dayspring has come to live within us. Verse seventy-nine tells us that Jesus will "shine and give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to direct and guide our feet in a straight line into the way of peace." We were sitting in Satan's kingdom of darkness waiting to die an eternal death until Jesus rose like the dawning of the day. His birth was a glorious sunrise. He became our Dayspring as He began to shine His light into our path and guide us into peace and eternal life. He said, "I am the light of the world: he that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life (John 8:12)." Jesus is the "true light that lights every man" (John 1:9). We are forever blessed because Jesus, the Dayspring from on high, has visited us. +++

=================================================================================

02/08/06

PURPOSE OF PRAYER

Scripture: James 4:3 (Amplified) " You fail to receive because you ask for the wrong purpose."

We have all wondered why some of our prayers are answered and why some of them are not. There are many guidelines in the scriptures concerning prayer and receiving answers, but James states that one of the reasons that we do not get the things that we ask for is because our prayers are centered around our own lust. He declared that we are not able to obtain the contentment and happiness that we seek because of our own evil and selfish motives.

James' words of judgment hurt, but we must acknowledge that it is very easy for us to fall into this kind of selfish trap. Even two of the disciples of Jesus prayed a prayer that was motivated by their own anger. They had walked with Jesus daily and knew that He operated in unconditional love and compassion. They saw Him continually heal the sick and raise the dead and witnessed the forgiveness that He extended to the most vile people. Yet, the disciples were so personally offended that the Samaritans did not receive Jesus that they wanted to call down fire from Heaven. They entreated Jesus to allow them to do this so that the village would be destroyed. They wanted fire to consume the people that Jesus came to give his life for. Jesus rebuked these disciples with the words. "You don't know what manner of spirit you are of" (Luke 9:54-56). He told them that He didn't come to destroy men's lives, but to save them.

The Lord watches over all and is concerned about every need that we have, from the smallest to the greatest. Yet we must understand that He is also concerned about the needs of others. He is righteous and it would be against His holy character to answer our request at the expense of someone else. His mercy and grace for all mankind far exceeds His need to answer our lustful request. What is God supposed to do when the fans of both ball teams are praying to win? What should God do when we pray a prayer that will be harmful to someone else in His kingdom? What if one of your children asks you to destroy their brother or sister because of a disagreement or an offense that had occurred between them? What if they ask for something that was against your will because you knew that it would be harmful for them? Regardless of how much you loved your child, you would not give them what they wanted, for this is not the way of love or a request that merits an answer. God feels the same towards us. If we want our prayers answered, we must delight ourselves in the Lord and pray in accordance to His holy will. It is only as our petitions are right and our motives are pure that we will receive the answers that we desire from Him. +++

=================================================================================

02/09/06

FOLLOW ME

Scripture: Matthew 9:9 "Follow Me."

This is a simple command, but with these two words Jesus gathered His disciples to Him. When Jesus said, "Follow Me", the men who were to become his disciples and closest friends left their boats, their businesses, and their families to fulfill this special call. They had no idea where their obedience would take them on this journey of faith, but their sacrifice demonstrated their trust and their devotion to the One who was calling them.

We hear the same call today, for Jesus said, "If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me" (Matthew 16:24). His call is not complicated or confusing. In fact, it is a very simple call to follow Him wherever He leads. We are not to linger in the places of nothingness, for our lights are not designed to be hidden under a bushel. We have been called to God's kingdom for such a time as this to do great exploits in His Name. He has commissioned us to go into all of the world and preach the gospel to every creature and has promised that He would confirm His word with signs and wonders. The world is changing drastically and we are facing a season of personal change and challenge that will be greater than anything we have seen in the past. This journey demands faith, but also offers great rewards. We cannot have two masters. We must make a decision that nothing will stand between us and the Lord's words that call us to Him.

The world looks for the strong, the successful, and the educated, but God looks for those who will simply devote themselves to Jesus in a radical way and be willing to follow Him to the ends of the Earth. The scriptures declare that those whom Jesus called were unlearned and ignorant, yet because of their personal relationship with Him, God validated their call and anointed them to do mighty miracles in the midst of the people. God gave them gifts that exceeded their natural abilities and went beyond their expectations. You may wonder what you can do or where you will fit into this great plan of God, but all He requires from you is your obedience. So when you hear the voice of His Spirit say, "Follow Me," do it without fear or reservation, and He will take care of everything else. +++

=================================================================================
02/10/06

LEARN OF ME

Scripture: Matthew 11:29 "Come unto Me ... learn of Me."

Jesus speaks to those of us who are weary and heavy laden and tells us that we don't have to stay in that condition. He tells us that all that we need to do is to come to Him and He will show us how to achieve rest in the midst of labor. This means mental and emotional rest as well as physical rest. The Lord doesn't want us to be stressed in any area, whether it is in trying to meet our job requirements or experiencing the undue weariness that comes in doing the work of the ministry. He invites us to take His yoke upon ourselves so that we can enjoy life and find rest for our souls.

Jesus says, "Learn of Me." This was a part of His great remedy for our fatigue, our stress, and ridding ourselves of heavy burdens. He is our wonderful counselor, but how could His few words, "Learn of Me," solve our many problems? We must look at the examples of His life and listen to the words that He speaks. He declared that He was meek and lowly. Being meek meant that He kept His emotions intact and disciplined Himself to be gentle. He didn't rant and rave about everything that went wrong in His life or allow the petty accusations of the religious leaders to wear on His emotions. He kept His mind on His mission and went about doing good and serving others. He also remained lowly or humbly submitted to God the Father. Jesus never tried to prove that He was the Son of God even when He was tempted of the devil. He stood steadfast in the knowledge of who God said that He was and did not put Himself in a bind by acting presumptuously. Instead, He only did what the Father showed Him. That in itself released Him from much pressure and responsibility. Jesus was simply obedient and left the results to Almighty God.

Jesus studied the scriptures from an early age so that He could understand the will of God and also be able to come against the strategies of the devil. He was challenged with feeding the multitudes but He never got under the burden that Martha did who found herself anxious about serving her guest. Like Mary, Jesus had chosen the good part and had spent much time sitting in the presence of His Father. When it came time to feed the thousands, Jesus trusted the same God who had provided manna every day for forty years in the wilderness for Moses and the millions of Israelites. Jesus didn't get uptight or face defeat when it became necessary to confront the demon possessed man because He had prepared Himself by prayer and fasting long before the incident occurred.

Jesus also showed us some natural things that will ease our burdens and renew our strength. He took time to be totally alone so that He could rest physically and regenerate His own spirit and encouraged His disciples to do the same. If Jesus needed physical and mental rest, we surely do. We can't wait until we have time, we must take time to follow His example. Jesus could perform miracles but didn't try to do all the work of the ministry by Himself. Instead, He surrounded Himself with twelve close friends, disciples, and allowed them to help Him carry His load. He was never threatened or became jealous when others tried to do what He was doing. Jesus was truly unique. We must become meek and lowly in heart as He was and learn all that we can from Him. As we do, we will be able to escape the weariness and anxiety that life creates. +++

=================================================================================

A Word In Due Season
3rd Week of February 2006

02/13/06

WHAT DOES LOVE LOOK LIKE?

Scripture: Hebrews 6:10 "For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love

God does not overlook any of the deeds or labors of love that you show when you minister in His name. He sees each time that you meet the needs of others and promises not to forget it. His word says that when you give to the poor you lend to the Lord and He will repay. It also says that whatever you give will be given back to you in greater measure. God is righteous and there is no way that you can out give the Lord, for He pays good interest rates on what He borrows from you.

Love is not a big, red, heart-shaped box full of chocolate candy, a dozen red roses, or a special card with cupids. Neither is love a mushy feeling or goose bumps. These are all neat expressions of love but true love has actions. Love sets its own desires aside to take care of the needs of others. It does not look inward but forgets about its own discomfort. We see this unselfish love manifested in the love a parent has for their children or in the love that a child has for an elderly parent. We see it when a married couple live out the words of their wedding vows, "to love in sickness as well as in health". We also see it when the saints minister to the needs of the other saints, when pastors sacrifice their own agendas for their sheep, or when a missionary leaves all to go to the foreign field. Love always can be seen by its actions and endures all things, without fail.

"Love has hands to help others,

Feet to hasten to the poor and needy,

Eyes to see misery and want,

Ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men.

That is what love looks like." - Augustine +++

=================================================================================

02/14/06

YOU ARE SO LOVED

Scripture: John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

These twenty-five words tell of God's enormous love for us, and in a very simple way they explain the gospel message. The good news of the gospel is that God loved us so much that He came up with a plan to save us from an eternal death. God's love refused to allow us to be held in captivity by the devil, even if it meant the sacrifice of His only begotten Son, Jesus. The reason that God made this awesome sacrifice and gave His precious Son to die on the cross was because He so loved us. It is difficult for our finite minds to comprehend God's love, for very few of us could give our only son in the place of another.

When the Holy Spirit breathed this scripture into the heart of John, the words that the Spirit used to describe God's abundant love for mankind was "so loved." Yet these two words speak volumes. God's love was so great that it's depth, height, length, and breath could not be measured or explained with words. God just so loved! His love knew no boundaries or limits. It reached to the highest mountains and flowed to the lowest valleys. His love passed all human understanding (Ephesians 3:17). He so loved that He gave that which He loved the most.

Any love, divine or natural, that can be measured is indeed little love. If you can put your love in a box, it is not worth much. If you can buy a gift that represents the value of your love, your love is cheap. If you can confine your love to mere words, it is lacking. If you can explain your love with measurements and borders, it is limited. If your love is conditional and controlling, it is not true love. Think about the love in your own heart and then reflect on God's love. Can you measure the love that possesses your heart for your own children? Your family? Your pastor and special friends? It is an impossible task. So it is with God's love. There are no words to explain the love that possesses God's heart when He thinks of you. If you had been the only one in the world, God still would have given His Son in your place because He "so loves" you. +++

=================================================================================

02/15/06

BLESSINGS OF THE LORD

Scripture: Proverbs 10:22 (Amplified) "The blessings of the Lord, it makes (truly) rich, and He adds no sorrow with it."

There is a tremendous difference in the blessings that come from God and the luck that just happens in our lives. Without exception, blessings that come from the Lord are good and they make us truly rich, for He knows exactly what to give us and what to hold back. He knows our needs better than we do and His plans for us are for good and not evil to give us a good future and a hope. There is never any grief or sorrow that comes with God's blessings and for that reason you never hear the expression "bad blessing." With luck, it is different. It is like the pendulum of a clock that swings back and forth, for it can go either way. If you choose to believe that your life is governed by luck, you can have good luck or you can experience bad luck.

A man in our local community won thirteen million dollars in the lotto a few years back. Some of my close friends knew him personally. At first glance, we would have called this win a blessing and the world would have labeled him a lucky man. Yet, at the end of the matter, things did not turn out good for this individual, for there were no blessings attached for him personally. In fact there was only devastation, for within two years of winning this enormous amount of money, he was divorced, lost his home and family, and ended up taking his own life because of the grief and sorrow that surrounded him.

Bruce Wilkinson speaks much about the word "blessing" in his book, "The Prayer of Jabez." He said, "When we ask for God's blessing, we're not asking for more of what we could get for ourselves. We're crying out for the wonderful, unlimited goodness that only God has the power to know about or give to us." Jabez asked God for something that Jabez himself could not produce. He asked for a supernatural blessing and then left his life in the hands of a sovereign God. Like Jabez we need to present ourselves to God and look to Him for blessings rather than look to fate for luck. We have God and He is all that we need to help us make it through life. Ephesians 1:3-7 tells us that God has already blessed us with spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus. He has chosen us to be holy before Him, adopted us, and made us accepted in the beloved. Through the Lord Jesus, we have redemption and through His blood we have the forgiveness of sin. We must agree that we are truly blessed and these blessings make us rich and do not bring with them sorrow of any kind. +++

=================================================================================

02/16/06

SUBMITTING ALL TO GOD

Scripture: Luke 5:5 "At thy word I will."

Jesus led Peter, step by step, into a place of total surrender. As the people pressed in upon Jesus to hear the word of God, He asked Peter if He could use his boat for a platform to teach the people. Peter and his men were very exhausted and discouraged. They had fished all night long and caught nothing. Dragging heavy nets is not an easy job and they just wanted to finish washing their nets, go home, and rest so that they could go out again in a few hours. The last thing they may have wanted to do was to sit there and listen to Jesus teach. Peter could have told the Lord that he was too tired and too discouraged to let Him use his boat. How many of us would go to church the morning after we had worked all night? Yet, despite his tiredness, Peter responded to the Lord's request and allowed Him to use his boat. We see the results of Peter's submission as he forgot his own worries and fatigue and sowed his boat back into the Lord's work. Peter reaped more than he sowed, for God gave back to him a miraculous haul of fish in a very short time.

Peter's boat was his business and the source of his income. It also represented his life. God requires no less from us. He wants us to show Him that He is first place in our lives by submitting all that we have to Him for His use. Most of us do not own a boat but we do have other assets that represent our lives such as our businesses, our homes, or our finances. Everything we have came to us because of the grace of God and belongs to Him. We are only the stewards of those blessings. We usually don't mind lending these things to the Lord when it is convenient, but how would we respond if we had been out all night working and God decided that He wanted to use our home or business to minister to others? Would we tell the Lord that we were too tired and try to postpone His plan? Would we refuse His request because we were discouraged, as things were not going well for us?

Jesus used Peter's business in a unique way and at a most inconvenient time for Peter and his men. God usually moves in our lives in the same way. When He calls us to do something for Him, it seems that His thoughts and His plans never coincide with ours. Yet most of us have learned from experience that His ways are always better than our ways, and His plans are higher than our plans. We must be ready at all times to submit everything that we are and everything that we have to God. As we do, we will discover that we are God's link to the world. And like Peter, we will find that when we seek to take care of God's business, God will take care of ours. +++

=================================================================================

02/17/06

IF WE FAINT NOT

Scripture: Galatians 6:9 "And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not."

We all would like to be "well doers" who reap rewards. Yet rewards are only promised to those who do not faint in the middle of the season. Look at the farmer who plants his fields. From the very beginning, he has to cope with each challenge that comes his way. First, through much labor, the ground has to be cleared and turned with a plow. Then fertilizer has to be shoveled and mixed with the dirt, which is not the most pleasant project. This is just the beginning of his work, for the seeds have to be planted and continually watered and weeded. After this, the tender shoots and crops have to be protected from the frost and animals. The farmer cannot relax in any of his efforts or put off any project during this entire season.

The farmer not only experiences a lot of hard work in the physical, but must also extend a lot of emotional effort. He begins his process in faith that his seeds will produce, that God will send rain from heaven, that the sun will shine, and that the harvest will come forth. He doesn't concentrate on the negative but believes for the best and understands the principal that he will reap only what he sows, and regardless of how weary he becomes or how hot the season gets, he doesn't neglect his fields. He knows that for his crops to mature, he must endure and not faint in his labors. He also labors with patience; for there is no way that he can rush the season regardless of how much he needs the harvest.

It's easy for us to get discouraged when we are sowing in God's fields. We often want immediate results as we witness and try to draw others into the kingdom of God. We also become frustrated because we can't understand why those in the kingdom can't see the light and change their attitudes. The enemy continually tries to steal our seeds, and we wonder if we will ever reap the promised harvest. Often, we become tired and begin to faint along the way and our purpose and conviction weakens. We begin to lose our spiritual strength and vigor and if we are not careful, we forfeit our harvest just before due season.

Jesus gave us a clue as to how to keep from giving up and how to see the results through to the end. He told a parable concerning a widow who troubled a judge until she obtained results. She did not become weary, but instead she wearied the judge by her persistence until he finally gave in. Jesus said, "men ought always to pray and not to faint" (Luke 18:1). Prayer brings strength and is Jesus' antidote to weariness and weakness. If you don't faint or become weary, you will eventually reap your harvest. Your loved ones will be saved, relationships restored, bodies healed, and finances replenished. Today, begin to look to the Lord of the harvest and pray, for your due season is near. +++

=================================================================================

A Word In Due Season
4th Week of February 2006

02/20/06

ABOVE ALL, LOVE

Scripture: Colossians 3:14 (NIV) "Above all these virtues put on love."

As followers and disciples of Christ, our lives should be very different from those who do not profess to know or have a personal relationship with the Lord. In everything that we do or that we say, we should be reflecting the virtues of Christ. Each day before we meet the world that we live in, we should clothe ourselves with His characteristics, which are holiness, humility, kindness, mercy, and forgiveness, and above all of these virtues, the Apostle Paul told us to put on love. Without love we are not fully dressed.

Paul said that love is the most important attribute that we must have in our lives because it binds everything together in harmony. All of the other virtues and faith, itself, are set in motion and work because of love. When love is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, it brings God's holiness into our lives. Because of our great love for God, we do not want to do evil against Him, and because we love others we do not want to harm them in any way. Love causes us to perform pure acts of kindness, show mercy, and extend forgiveness. You cannot express love and be unkind or impatience at the same time. Neither can hate and bitterness dwell in the same vessel where there is love. It just will not work, for when there is love, it will rule supreme.

Love goes beyond human comprehension and can't be explained or ignored. You can never admonish others for the love that is in their hearts because love is a commandment from God. He told us to love Him with all of our hearts and to love our neighbors as ourselves. There were to be no exceptions, not even for our enemies or those who did evil against us. Love was designed by God to make the greatest sacrifices and cover a multitude of sin. We are told to put on love because it is a matter of choice and conscious effort. Love matches everything and is always appropriate and essential in every situation. We are to wear it as our outside garment everywhere we go. The first thing that others should see as we approach them is our covering of love. Jesus said, "By this shall all men know that you are My disciples, if you have love one to another" (John 13:35). As you look yourself in the mirror before you start each day, remember to check your spiritual garments and above all make sure that you have put on love. +++

=================================================================================

02/21/06

STILL WATERS

Scripture: Psalms 23:2 (Amplified) "He leads me beside still and restful waters."

Life's journey takes us down many paths and unfortunately not all of them are pleasant. One pathway may present dangers, threatening foes, or diseases, which seek to overwhelm our hearts with fear. Another road may lead us through dark valleys where the shadows of doubt attack our minds with confusion. There may be dark tunnels that we pass through where there is not even a shadow that is visible. There will certainly be days where there is a veil over our future and all we can do is walk towards our destiny in faith. Yet in all of these circumstances, we have an assurance that our loving Shepherd will guide us each step of the way and will always refresh us with the still and restful waters of His Spirit.

We do not have to be anxious about anything when the Lord our Shepherd is leading us. He does not follow behind us, but is always before us. He goes through everything before we even get there so He understands every challenge that will greet us on our journey. He has experienced the pitfalls and the hurdles that are before us and makes sure that there is nothing that we cannot handle. He is always there to help us and give us rest. When we are obedient to follow Him, He will be faithful to lead us to the place where there is refreshing water for our souls. He is our Shepherd and He said that we shall not want.

When things are upside down in your life and you are at the edge of turbulent waters, think about this promise in God's word. For you are the sheep of His pasture and you belong to Him. He is concerned about your situation and your problems. He wants to lead you to a better place and deliver you from the worry and torment that you struggle with. He seeks to rid you of every evil foreboding thought because He wants you to enjoy life. But you must choose to allow Him to be the Shepherd of your soul. You must follow Him wherever He leads and trust Him to take care of every detail of your life. When you have needs, you must tell the Lord very plainly that you need money to pay your debts, that your need healing for your body, that you need courage for you soul, that you need restoration for the personal relationships that you are involved in, and that you need precise direction for your life and future. As you allow Him to become the Shepherd that He desires to be in your life, He will meet your needs and lead you beside the still and restful waters. +++

=================================================================================

02/22/06

HANDLING CONFLICTS

Scripture: Psalms 144:1 "Blessed be the Lord my strength, which teaches my hands to war, and my fingers to fight."

The scriptures declare that David was a man after God's own heart. He was a man who not only loved God, but who was also able to express his love with beautiful words that have lasted for thousands of years. In fact, the twenty-third psalm, which speaks of the Lord and paints a picture of a gentle and loving shepherd, seems to grow with us through the years and has a greater impact on our souls each time we read it. Throughout the psalms, we can see David's tenderness, compassion, and trust. The evidence of the depth of his love is mingled in the words that pour forth from his heart. Yet, even though David was capable of much love and passion, he was also a mighty warrior.

David blessed the Lord for teaching him how to fight, for he was engaged in many types of battles. In verse two David said that there were times that the Lord was his fortress, which is a military stronghold where he could retreat from battle and be safe from the enemy that was on the other side of the walls. During other battles, God became David's strong tower and lifted him high above the dangerous situations. There were times when the Lord was a shield about David and protected him as he went into the raging battles. The Lord also made David a victor and helped him conquered his enemies. All in all, God was David's strength and David was thankful that he had been taught how to fight and that he could have a calm assurance that God was with him in battle.

It would be great if we could go merrily down life's stream without conflicts and challenges to face. And life would be so much simpler if there were no battles to fight or wars to wage. Yet the Lord, Himself, told us that in this life there would be much tribulation. There would be conflicts with enemies and also with those whom we loved. For that reason, when we face a battle of any kind, we must first seek God and ask Him what weapons we should use and how we should fight the particular battle that is at hand. David fought some battles through physical combat, but God often told him to stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. Once David used a simple stone to conquer the giant, but in other battles he used mighty weapons of war. Joshua's army shouted the enemies' walls down. Gideon's pathetically small army broke their lanterns and shouted, "The sword of the Lord and Gideon." And Jehoshaphat confused the enemy and won the battle by sending a praise team before his army. Jesus told us to turn the other cheek to those who do us wrong. What kind of weapon is that? Yet, God knows the mind and the ways of our enemies and God's ways are never like our ways. He will surprise us every time. We must remember that the battle always belongs to the Lord and if we want to win, we must trust Him to teach our hands to war. +++

=================================================================================

02/23/06

GOD KNOWS YOUR NAME

Scripture: Psalms 147:4 (Amplified) "He determines and counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by their names."

I must confess to you that one of my biggest weaknesses is not being able to remember people's names. When I meet a person for the first time I give them my undivided attention and think surely I will be able to remember their name. I concentrate and make a conscious effort and even try to enhance my memory by writing their names on a list. But regardless of how diligently I try, when I meet them again their name often escapes me.

Our Father God, who is eternal and has no beginning or end, does not have this problem. Even though He has to manage the whole world, nothing escapes Him. He is omniscient and His knowledge is not only vast, it is also very specific and personal. The psalmist declared that the Lord's memory is so inexhaustible and boundless that He can remember the names of all of the stars. He knows exactly how many He has created and calls each one of them by their own individual and personal names. Even though there are billions of stars in the sky, He doesn't need a list and His mind never goes blank when He tries to recall their names.

As far as we are concerned, God knows everything about us. He not only knows our name but He also knows the exact number of hairs that we have on our heads (Matthew 10:30). He knew us before we were ever formed in our mother's womb and He also knows what our eternity will be. We don't have to worry about our future because God has already been there and seen the end before our beginning. Neither do we have to worry about the present, for if God keeps track of the number of hairs on our head, He is surely watching every other detail of our life. He knows every triumph and also every discouraging thing that is happening in our life and He is there to celebrate with us as well as to comfort us. Whatever your challenges are today, be encouraged because God knew this day was coming and He has been working on the solution to your problem before it ever got here. The Lord has made a covenant with you and just as He knows the names of the stars, He knows your name and He will never forget it. +++

=================================================================================

02/2406
WHOSE JOB IS IT?

Scripture: John 2:5 "Whatsoever He says to you, do it."

Obedience to these words brought about a miracle in Cana of Galilee. It was a crucial time at a marriage feast when the wine had run out. Mary approached her son, Jesus, for help and then instructed the servants to do whatever He said. The servants obeyed Jesus by filling the water pots with water, and Jesus then turned the water into wine. This great miracle shows us several things. First, Jesus is there to help us in the time of crises. Second, His miracle power rises above the natural laws and beyond our ability. And finally, the Lord expects us to do our part.

How many miracles have we missed because God told us to do something and we failed to respond? We may have been called to minister to someone needing a financial miracle, deliverance, or healing. There was such a great need and we felt that we had so little to offer, so we just did nothing at all. Most of the time Jesus used the very small, simple, and insignificant things to bring about miracles. He used a fish in Matthew 17:27 to bring finances to Peter so that taxes could be paid. What would have happened if Peter refused to go to the sea and fish as the Lord had told him to do? And what about the meager five loaves and two fish that were used to feed five thousand men, besides the women and children?

There is a song that says, "Little is much if God is in it." How true these words are. We 'hold' the miracles and blessings of God in our hands or we 'withhold' the miracles and blessings of God. If we want to be a blessing to others, we must obey His slightest command and not wait for Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody as in the story below.

                    Who's Job Is It?
                         (copied)

    There was an important job to be done.
    And Everybody was sure Somebody would do it.
    Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it.
    Somebody got angry about that, because it was Everybody's job.
    Everybody thought Anybody could do it.
    But Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn't do it.
    It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody
    When Nobody did what Anybody could have done.

=================================================================================

A Word In Due Season
5th Week of February 2006

02/27/06

CRITERIA FOR GIVING

Scripture: Exodus 35:21 "They came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing, and they brought the Lord's offering ..."

When Moses instructed the congregation of the Israelites to bring offerings for the tabernacle he gave them two criteria to meet in their giving. He said, "Your own heart must stir you to give and your own spirit must make you willing to give." There is no gift that is too small for the Lord to receive, but the only gift that is acceptable to God is the one that comes from a willing heart. God despises our works of kindness when we do them grudgingly only because our heart saw a need or when we were pressured to give because everyone else was giving. He emphasized that when we do feel stirred to give, He also wants our hearts to be willing, for He hates to hear us complain about our own personal sacrifice when we are doing a good deed or giving an offering to Him.

I saw an elderly lady who was walking in the drizzling rain and carrying packages. I assumed that she lived in my neighborhood so I stopped to offer her a ride even though I was in a terrible hurry because I had an appointment to meet. She smiled with relief as she got into the dry car, but my thoughts of "doing a good deed for Jesus" suddenly changed to "I am already late, what on earth was I thinking." As it turned out, she did not live in my neighborhood and could only speak a few words of English. Furthermore, she did not want to be taken to her home nearby, she wanted to go to the bus station and said that she would direct me on how to get there. The problem was that the path she wanted me to take was not accessible for auto traffic. What I had thought would only take a few minutes had turned into a nightmare and time was getting short. I followed her directions as she pointed, and after going around several of the businesses and hotel parking lots I was finally able to get her close enough that she could walk across the grass to the bus station.

While I was trying to make my way through the maze of this dilemma, the Lord began to show me something. The lady could see me smiling on the outside but God could hear my complaining heart on the inside. God let me know that even though my heart had been stirred to give this lady a ride, my spirit was only willing to cooperate if it was convenient. My good deed for Him was being rejected because my spirit was not right. He didn't want me to just give, but to give with a cheerful heart. Through the Lord's tender rebuke, I discovered that it was more important for me to do His will regardless of the cost, than it was for me to be on time for an insignificant event. We are very eager to commit our hearts to God and to love and serve Him. Yet, we must understand that we cannot offer God our hearts without giving Him eyes to see the needs of others, our hands to help them do what needs to be done, our feet to go where He leads, and our mouths to speak words of encouragement. The Lord requests an offering from us, but He not only wants it delivered with a heart that is stirred to give but also a spirit that is willing. +++

=================================================================================

02/28/06

SUFFERING AND GLORY

Scripture: Romans 8:18 "The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the glory which shall be revealed in us."

Every item that we enjoy and every object of beauty that we behold has suffered through a time of intense preparation. The olive must be pressed to produce oil and the rose petal must be bruised to bring forth a fragrant perfume. The dough must be kneaded and sent to a hot oven to produce bread and the sculpture or woodcarving must be cut and chipped with a sharp instrument. Precious gold must be heated, melted, and formed and the diamond must be cut. The moth must be imprisoned in a lonely dark cocoon to become a beautiful butterfly and a child is brought forth from the womb through much labor and pain In all of these we see that adversity and suffering produces a glorious result.

Our lives are much the same. The soul that has never known lack can never truly be full, for self sufficiency never appreciates the gift of God's mercy and grace. It is through suffering bruises and pain that we come to know and understand God's marvelous love. It is through our hardships and crushed spirits that a depth of compassion is created within our souls. Afflictions become our personal trainer, for our own sorrows enable us to comfort others in their sorrow. Our lack shows us the importance of sharing with others and our illnesses cause us to know their pain. Our mistakes become revelations that help us to teach others the virtues of wisdom and the importance of waiting for the appropriate time. The disappointments and broken hearts that we experience help us to understand the tears and heartaches of others and give birth to moving songs.

You must never be discouraged or allow your patience to be exhausted in your present suffering, for there will never be a harvest in your life without rain and heat or a birth without pain and labor. The Lord sees your situation and the trying of your faith is very precious in His eyes. You must wait upon Him and allow Him to complete His plan in your life. You can trust God's word and be assured that you will reap if your strength does not fail. And when all the trials are finished, you will discover that your present sufferings were not worthy to be compared to the glory that is destined to be revealed in you. +++

=================================================================================