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A Word In Due Season
1st Week of November 2007

11/01/07
YOU ARE GOD'S BUILDING

Scripture: I Corinthians 3:9 "... you are God's building."

The church is like a magnificent building. I Peter 2:4-5 says that Jesus Christ is the foundation of the building, and we, as individuals, are the lively stones that God uses for the existing structure. God is the Master Builder and He works with each of us to form and fit us together just like a mason works with stones and bricks. He studies each stone and carefully sets it into the wall where it will fit precisely together with the other stones so that there are no gaps or overlaps. Each stone is valuable to the builder, regardless of its size or shape. In fact, the various shapes and sizes enhance the beauty of the final product.

God has placed within each of us different talents and abilities so that we compliment each other and make up for any lack or differences. Each and every individual is important and serves his unique purpose, enhancing the beauty of God's building. If the mason finished his building and discovered that one stone was missing in the construction, he would consider his building a disaster. Not only would the beauty of the building be ruined, but the security of the structure would also be in danger. Just like the stonemason, God doesn't want any gaps in His building. He wants each individual member of His building to be fitly joined together, working in unity, and fulfilling His will and purpose.

In the previous verses, Paul corrected the church for the division they were having concerning Appollos and himself. Paul made it very plain that both he and Appollos were servants of the Lord and co-workers together with Him. One was not greater than the other. There is no room for jealousy in God' building. Paul also emphasized that God would be the one who would prosper the work. Like Paul and Appollos, we are called to fulfill the purposes of God according to the abilities that He has placed within us. Regardless of what we are chosen to do, we must endeavor to leave no gaps in God's spiritual building. God may choose us to plant or to water, but it makes no difference what our part may be because God will be the one who will bring the increase. We need to rest in this assurance that we are all necessary and important to God, for we all are part of God's building. +++

Copyright © 2007 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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11/02/07
WHERE ART THOU?

Scripture: Genesis 3:9 "The Lord God called unto Adam, and said to him, Where art thou?"

When God first created Adam and Eve, He created them in His own image. They were surrounded with His glory and never took notice that they were naked. Their sin, however, destroyed the glory that surrounded them and revealed their nakedness. When they saw themselves exposed, fear infiltrated their hearts and the guilt and shame that overpowered them caused them to run and hide from God. God searched the garden diligently and His voice called to them like a loving Father searching for His lost children. After a long conversation with them about the sin that they had committed, God again clothed Adam and Eve, but this time it was with coats from the skins of animals. God then forced them to leave the Garden of Eden.

God's voice is still sounding in the world today. Have you noticed how loud God's voice seems when you have disobeyed Him in some area of your life? You may pray a hundred prayers and wonder if God has heard you. But the minute you use those same lips to say something that is not good, you feel His Spirit of conviction and hear His voice of correction speaking to you. It's like thunder in your ears. You stand there stripped in His presence, and like Adam and Eve, you want to hide. However, you soon learn that you cannot hide from God, for He knows the garden too well. His eyes run to and fro until He locates you. He brings you to a place that you must acknowledge where you are and what you have done. Because God is full of mercy, He offers you repentance, and because of His faithfulness and grace, He forgives.

God's grace and mercy, however, is never a license to sin. When the woman who was caught in the act of adultery was brought to Jesus, He not only said, "I forgive you," He also confronted her sin and said, "Go, and sin no more." God's forgiveness always demands change within our heart and in our actions. It would be great if we obeyed God's every command and never sinned, but God knows that we are frail humanity and that this is never going to happen. Jesus was the only one who has ever lived on this earth without sin. He understands our temptations, and as the Good Shepherd, He will leave the ninety-nine good sheep and search for the one that has strayed out of the sheepfold. If you have failed in some point and are hiding under a shroud of guilt and shame, allow the Holy Spirit to reveal the secrets of your heart to your loving Father. God is calling your name and asking, "Where art thou?" He is diligently searching for you because He wants to forgive you, restore you, and clothe you in His righteousness. +++

Copyright © 2007 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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A Word In Due Season
2nd Week of November 2007

11/05/07
COVERED WITH DARKNESS

Scripture: Isaiah 50:3 "I clothe the heavens with blackness."

A few days ago a storm hit our area at mid-afternoon and it became pitch black outside. The only hint of light was the lightening as it flashed across the sky. It was darker than night because at least at night time, the moon reflects the light of the sun. The sky had been clear and the sun had been visible just a few hours earlier, but in a very short amount of time all light was shut out by the impending storm clouds. It was as though a cloak had suddenly been thrown across the earth and had separated the earth from the lights of the heavens. Like Isaiah declared, it seemed that God was clothing the heavens with blackness.

When all of this was happening, I had no thought or fear that the darkness that presently surrounded me would prevail forever. I did pray for safety, but I went about my business and occasionally looked outside to view the storm and the darkness. I did not allow the circumstances to affect me because I knew that the storm had an end and that it would eventually run its course. I believed that things would return to normal and had no doubts that the sun would shine again. When the storm finally ended, I had to clear away the limbs that had fallen across my path and then travel down roads that were flooded. Yet, in the end, God protected me and I was safe from all harm. I am sure that somewhere in our area God's covenant of the rainbow was visible.

We know a lot about nature and we should seek to know just as much about God. If we truly knew God, we would experience much more peace when we are challenged with the storms of life. I am not talking about the physical storms, but those things that challenge us in areas of our health, wealth, and emotional well-being. If we could just trust our lives to God, we would be still and calm when the thunder rolled, the lightening flashed, and the fierce winds of adversity blew against us. We would not panic or allow circumstances to force us into unwise decisions while we were in trapped in the valley of darkness. If we understood that God controlled the darkness, our confidence in His judgment would save us from a lot of grief concerning our own future. We would remember the storms and the darkness of the past that we had safely made it through and would have hope for our present deliverance. Terror would not be able to prevail in our soul because we would know that the storm that rages so fiercely around us has no power except for that which God allows.

God's plan for our lives does not always make sense. Yet, we do know that in the seasons of darkness we discover a deeper devotion within us for the Lord of our life and we develop a greater faith in His might and power. In the darkness, we come to understand that God is faithful in all things and at all times, and that we live by His promises and not by His explanations. When the water gets too deep, the fire burns too hot, the way becomes too long, and the darkness covers our soul, we know that His promises are still true. Even though God may not explain the darkness that is hovering over us, we know that we can trust in Him, for He is the light within our soul. +++

Copyright © 2007 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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11/06/07
A SOLID FOUNDATION

Scripture: Matthew 7:24 "Everyone then who hears these words of Mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house upon the rock."

Jesus said that there are two foundations that we can build our life upon, the shifting sand or the solid rock. Those who build upon the rock are the ones who hear God's words and then, in faith, act upon those words. Everyone wants to be able to endure the raging storms of life and remain intact, but unfortunately many times we choose the shifting sand as our foundation. We fail to realize the weakness of our structure until the rains come and we find ourselves in jeopardy.

It is easy to get into this situation in all areas of life and build our faith upon the shifting sands. We may look to our jobs or our financial portfolio as our source and security, but this is not a solid foundation, for the market can fail and riches can very quickly come to an end. Financial security is only found when we trust in the Lord God, who has promised to supply all of our needs according His riches. He said that He would never forsake the righteous and that their seed would never have to beg for bread. It is also wonderful to know that we have national security, but if that is where our trust is, we are misguided and not resting upon a sure foundation. For total protection, we must abide under the shadow of the Almighty and find shelter under His wings (Psalms 91). He alone must be our fortress, for He is the only one who can keep us safe in all of our ways. Nothing is forever except the foundation of God's love, mercy, and grace. Relationships will fail, but the Lord will stick closer than a brother. Fame and honor will cease, but God will always be there.

The angel spoke to the church of Laodice and said, " You say, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing (Revelation 3:17)." This church was lukewarm, which meant that it was neither hot, nor cold. They thought that they were doing fine, but according to the angel they were really wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. Their foundation was not built upon a solid rock. Instead, it was based upon the material things that they had collected. They were blind to their apparent lack, for they didn't realize that their material goods had left them wretched and miserable and that the nakedness of their spiritual life was exposed. They weren't aware that a raging storm could sweep their security away in a moment's time.

The Lord shared these words with us, not to frighten us, but to impart His truths to us. We must never give ourselves over to the thought that we have need of nothing, for we need God just as much in the good times as we do when things are going bad. We must build our faith upon Him and obey His every command. He is the Rock of our salvation and if we place our trust and confidence in Him, our foundation will be sure and our lives will not collapse in the midst of the storms. +++

Copyright © 2007 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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11/07/07
WAIT PATIENTLY

Scripture: Psalms 37:7 "Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him."

This is a simple instruction but sometimes it is difficult to rest and wait patiently for God because it seems that our prayers are not being answered. Little do we realize that God is working behind the scenes to give us a better answer than what we have asked of Him. His answer is far greater than anything than we could have asked or imagined (Ephesians 3:20) because His ways are always higher than our ways and His thoughts are always higher than our thoughts. Our worries turn out to be in vain because God always thinks beyond today's hope and answers according to tomorrow's best for us.

One day I left work to run a short errand, which should have taken a few minutes, but on my way back to the office, I was stopped by a train. The train was proceeding very slowly, but to make matters worse, it stopped on the tracks. I could see that there were four engines pulling the train, but the rest of the train was hidden from my view by some buildings. I wanted to take matters into my hands and squeeze out of the line so that I could take an alternate route over the overpass, but I was prevented by the other cars that blocked my escape. I was only nine blocks from my destination, yet I had no choice but to sit there and wait. At first, I was frustrated and impatient, but then I began to use the time to commune with God, and in just a little while, the train began to move. I still thought that I would have a long wait because in most cases, when four engines are pulling a train, it indicates that it is a very long train. To my surprise, as the train started moving, I could see that the four engines were pulling only five freight cars and my wait was suddenly ended. I was grateful that God had prevented me from leaving the line because the alternate route would have delayed me even more.

There are circumstances that occur in our lives that force us to wait. We may feel that we are very close to receiving our answer and even be able to see the end of our journey, but we can't seem to hurry things along in order to get there. When this happens, all kinds of questions and solutions come to our mind. Yet, we find that we have no choice in the matter. Our only choice is whether we are going to wait patiently or wait in a state of frustration and anxiety. We must learn not to become discouraged when there are delays, for the wait may be shorter than we thought. Like the train, the end may be hidden from our view, but in a moment of time, God can rearrange all of the circumstances so that we can continue to pursue our agenda. We must also understand that God has a plan and that many times He blocks our way by His divine intervention. His delay is for His purpose and we must trust in the Lord's timing so that we can experience His perfect plan. As we trust in the Lord, we will come to know that the heart that is filled with faith in God can and will rest and wait patiently for Him. +++

Copyright © 2007 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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11/08/07
UNDERSTANDING GOD'S LOVING KINDNESS

Scripture: Psalms 107:43 "Whoever is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the loving kindness of the Lord."

Is it possible to understand the loving kindness of the Lord? David said that we could if we would simply observe the things that happen to God's people. In this psalm, David presented four pictures of deliverance. He told of travelers who were guided out of their distress (vs. 4-9), prisoners who were released from prison (10-16), sick who were restored to health (vs. 17-22), and sailors who were saved from a storm (vs. 23-32).

David said that if we are wise, we can get a revelation of God's love and kindness by looking at the way He dealt with His people in the past. In the four stories in this psalm, there was a problem, a prayer, and God's provision. Each time the people failed God or got into trouble, the scripture says, "Then they cried out to the Lord." When they cried out to God, His heart was touched and He responded to their cry. Like any father, God was moved by the tears of His children and had compassion for their pain. He possessed tremendous love and kindness towards them and manifested His feelings by being quick to forgive and to deliver them from their situations.

Many times we feel that we have failed God and fallen short of His desire for our lives. Like those in this psalm, we find ourselves wandering in the wilderness of confusion, in dungeons of despair, sick in our body, or tossed to and fro in the storms of life. We finally come to our "wit's end" as spoken of in verse twenty-seven. We are not sure what to do or where to turn. We have no solutions and our hopes begin to fail. Because of our distress, we tend to lose sight of the never-ending love and kindness of the Lord. We come to a point that we need a new and fresh revelation of the nature of God. If we consider this psalm, we can better understand God's nature. God is love and His nature is kindness. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. His mercies never come to an end. Regardless of our failures towards God, He is still full of love and kindness. If we desire to be wise, we need only to "Cry out to the Lord" in our distress, for He is ready to forgive and anxious to deliver. +++

Copyright © 2007 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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11/09/07
THORN IN THE FLESH

Scripture: II Corinthians 12:7 "There was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan."

The Apostle Paul suffered many afflictions for the sake of the gospel. He was beaten, stoned, put in prison, and shipwrecked on the open sea. He also endured other perils and God delivered him out all of them except one. There was one thing that Paul could not overcome even though he prayed about it three different times. We are not sure what he suffered but he called it a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan. This weakness in Paul's life caused him much distress and Satan used it to torment Paul. When Paul prayed about this situation, the only answer that he received from God was, "My grace is sufficient for you; for My strength is made perfect in weakness."

I recently got a thorn in my foot and it disabled my entire body. I could not walk on that foot and had to hobble to a chair. From the moment the thorn entered my life, it was speaking tormenting messages to me in the form of physical pain. All of my thoughts were focused on that tiny thorn and the first thing on my agenda was to get it out of my foot. The thorn was so small that I had to use my reading glasses and a magnifying glass to even see it. When I took the thorn out of my foot, I wondered how something that small in comparison to the size of my body could bring my entire body into subjection to it. It was such a little thing, but it had control of my life and was able to divert me from what I had planned to do by forcing me to give it my undivided attention.

We experience thorns in our lives from time to time, which are not physical. Like Paul's thorn, these thorns are messengers of Satan in our lives. They come against us in various ways and are meant to hinder and disabled us from walking in God's will. They cause us to stumble along in life and disable us from our best performance. They distract us and speak defeat into our lives. They are such small things compared to the vision that God has for us, but they cause such great pain in our lives that we take note of them. These messengers speak harsh words of condemnation, intimidation, and fear. They play on our disappointments, physical handicaps, addictions, and financial hardships. They may come from without or they may come from within us, but whatever the source, they constantly remind us of our shortcomings and failures. They are little and insignificant but they destroy our vision for a better future. Through the pain they inflict upon our souls, they are able to steal our faith, hope, joy, and peace.

All of us must personally deal with the thorns in our own flesh. We must pray for God's deliverance but rest in Him if His answer is, "His grace and His strength." As simple as that answer sounds, it is true, for God is enough and God is all that we need. Our relationship with Him is more important than any thorn that seeks to intrude into our lives. God alone is necessary. We must trust in Him and lean upon Him, for His grace is greater than any pain that we may have to endure and His strength is greater than our weakness. In His time and at His choosing, He will manifest His glory and remove the thorns from our life. +++

Copyright © 2007 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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A Word In Due Season
3rd Week of November 2007

11/12/07
EVEN WHEN THINGS SEEM HOPELESS

Scripture: Lamentations 3:26 "It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord."

A friend sent me a humorous email recently with several pictures of animals that were caught in precarious situations. One of the pictures was of a mule that was in quite a predicament. The mule was harnessed to the front of a two-wheeled cart, which was loaded down with heavy goods. The weight on the cart must have been unevenly distributed because the rear of the cart was touching the ground and the front of the cart, with the mule, was in the air. The caption over the picture read, "Even when things seem hopeless." This situation was certainly hopeless, for there was no way the mule could help himself, much less pull the heavy burden that had been assigned to him. He just hung there in hopeless despair waiting for his master to unload part of the weight.

Have you ever been in a place of hopeless despair like the mule in this scene? It seems that your burdens are too heavy, your storm is too great, your grief is too painful, and your situation is too bleak. There just doesn't seem to be any relief in sight. Jesus never intended for you to suffer through life in this manner. In fact, He came to give you an abundant life. He said that His yoke would be easy and His burden would be light and that He would not put more upon you than you could bear. Yet, many times we become overburdened by our own design. We take burdens that are not ours to bear and engage in battles that are not ours to fight. We put too much on our cart physically and mentally. In the midst of it all, our strength begins to fail and our faith is challenged beyond measure. Then, like the mule, we are stopped in our tracks and held in suspension by these heavy loads.

We may look just as ridiculous to the Lord when we try to carry our own burdens as the mule looked when he was lifted into the air by the weight of his burdens. Jesus must look at us and wonder why we don't cast every care upon Him. He cares for us and He wants us to cease from our struggles, let go of the conflicts that surround us, and begin to rest in His presence. He wants us to wait for His salvation, for only the Master of our soul can deal with our situations and deliver us. As we yield ourselves to Him, He will take our burdens one-by-one. Things may look bad at the present, but even when things seem hopeless, it is time "to both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.". +++

Copyright © 2007 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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11/13/07
LIFE'S SPEED BUMPS

Scripture: Psalms 25:4-5 "Show me Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your path. Lead me in Your truth."

There is a path that I take to work each day to save a little time, which leads from the post office where I pick up the daily mail to the main street. This shortcut goes through the parking lot of several commercial buildings and the speed is maintained in the lot by several speed bumps. You barely get to going fast and then you have to slow down again just to cross over a bump. There is a better way, however, to keep your speed up while traveling this path and that is by weaving around the edges of the speed bumps from the left to the right. This act of impatience totally disregards the fact that the local officials put the speed bumps there for a reason.

Recently all of the outside edges were blocked by parked cars and I was forced to adhere to the law and slow down. As I did, I thought about God's plan for our lives. In Jeremiah 29:11, He said that He had good thoughts and plans for us and even a hopeful future. From the very beginning, when He laid out this master plan, He instituted spiritual speed bumps and put them there purposely to slow us down. He gave a Sabbath Day and told us to rest one day out of the seven and provided nights so that we could sleep and regenerate our bodies and minds. He also expects us to retreat and take extra seasons of rest. Even Jesus told his disciples to separate from the crowds and take a rest. God extends an opportunity to us to slow down and rest so that we can soak in His presence and commune with Him.

Taking physical rest is not the only time that God instructs us to slow down. He has told us to be slow to speak, slow to judge, slow to anger, and slow to express wrath. He said, "In your patience, you possess your soul." Time and again, the Lord instructs us to wait and not be hasty. Yet, many times our impatience prompts us to swerve around His speed bumps, hurry along the path, and disregard His words and signals. Instead of being slow to anger and quick to understand and appease the situation, we become quick to anger and slow to appease. Instead of being slow to judge and quick to forgive, we are quick to judge and find it difficult to forgive and forget. God is attempting to lead us down a straight path and we must slow down and listen to His voice. It is not His will that we impatiently swerve to the right and left in order to avoid His signals. As we consider David's words again, let us ask God to do the same for us, "Show me Your way, teach me Your path, and lead me in Your truth." We must recognize that life's speed bumps are there for a purpose and then yield to them. +++

Copyright © 2007 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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11/14/07
PURE AS SILVER

Scripture: Psalms 12:6 "The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times."

Things are no different now than they were when David wrote this psalm. David saw the aggressiveness of the wicked and declared that all of the godly men were vanishing from the earth. The men who were left spoke vain words with flattering lips and a double heart. They spoke proudly saying, "With our tongue we will prevail: our lips are our own: who is Lord over us?" They had no regard for the Lord and felt that they could just say anything at anytime. It is sad to say but this is becoming the mindset of our generation with its offensive language, deceit, perjury, and broken vows. Pure words are beginning to vanish, from the leader to the lowest.

In the sixth verse of this psalm, David contrasts the impure words of the wicked with the pure words of the Lord. David assured us that regardless of what is happening in this earth, we can know that God's Word is true and that He will watch over His Word to perform it. His words are as pure as silver that has passed the test of the fire. There is no dross nor impurities left to weaken what God has spoken, for He speaks no careless words. All that He says is the purest truth. God's Word never fails those who trust in it and have met the terms of the One Who has breathed it. The word of the Lord never returns to Him void. If God has spoken, we can take His Word to the bank ... and He will validate it. He always accomplishes His purpose and confirms His Word with signs and wonders (Mark 16:20).

We can count on God's Word. The problem is, do we really hear His Word? Like Elijah in I Kings 19:11-12, so many times we listen for God to speak His Word, thinking we will hear His voice in a great wind, an earthquake, or a fire. In the clamor of all that is happening, disappointment and frustration set in when His directions seem unclear. Our hearts wonder, "Did God speak or didn't He?" Experience tells me that if I'm not sure that God has spoken - then He hasn't. God usually doesn't speak audibly so that we hear Him with hearing of the ear. In fact, that is a rare experience. He speaks to us through His written word and within our spirits in a still small voice with a sound of gentle quietness. It is a simple impression or a witness within our heart. A moment occurs when our spirit connects with His presence and we know that we know that He has spoken. He makes known His will and reveals His desires to our inner being. When He speaks, it is pure and without dross, like silver that has been purified seven times. It is a sure word that will come to pass. +++

Copyright © 2007 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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11/15/07
FAITHFUL STEWARDS

Scripture: I Corinthians 4:2 "Moreover, it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful."

We are required to be faithful stewards over that which God entrusts to us. The Apostle Paul said that it didn't matter to him what men said about him or how they judged him. It wasn't even important how he judged himself. His main concern was that the Lord would see him as a faithful minister and steward. In verse four, Paul said, "It is the Lord (Himself) Who examines and judges me." It was more important to Paul to be in the place where God wanted him to be than to have the praises of men or the wealth of the world.

There is a story of a lady who walked in the country. As she looked at the things of nature, she thought surely God had made some mistakes. She saw the strong tree that held the very small fruit of an acorn, and the small vines on which large watermelons grew. She questioned the wisdom of the large fruit on the small vine, and the small fruit on the large tree. In all her wisdom, she thought that she would have planned things a little differently had she been God. As she sat down under the tree, however, her mind was suddenly changed when a small acorn fell from the tree and hit her. It would have been quite a disaster if the watermelon had been growing in the tree.

Romans 12:6 tells us that we have been given gifts that differ according to the grace that is given to us. The foot should not complain that it is not the hand, and the ear should not complain that it is not the eye. All the members of the body are important and necessary. God has set every one of the members in the body as it pleased Him (I Corinthians 12:15-18). Like the small acorn or the large watermelon, God has put us in the places on this Earth where He felt that we would fit the best and He has fashioned and formed us for that particular place. We must depend upon the wisdom of God for all areas of our life. We are not responsible for gifts or positions that God did not ordain for us and we must never force a ministry that He has not called us to do. We must only be good stewards over that grace which has been entrusted to us and faithfully bloom and be a blessing wherever He has planted us. +++

Copyright © 2007 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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11/16/07
THE POWER OF THE KEYS

Scripture: Matthew 16:19 "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven ..."

Peter shared a tremendous revelation that Jesus was Christ, the Son of the Living God. As Christ, Jesus would be the anointed one who would fulfill all of the prophetic scriptures pertaining to the Messiah. Isaiah had prophesied that the Messiah would preach good tidings to the poor, bind up the broken hearted, proclaim liberty to the captives, and appoint joy to the mournful. Other prophets had declared that the Messiah would heal the sick, cause the lame to walk, the blind to see, and bring salvation through His death on the cross. The Messiah was destined to do the works that God had ordained for Him and He would not return void to the Father.

Jesus called the revelation that Peter had "The Rock", or foundation, upon which His church would be built. Jesus declared that the gates of Hell would not be able to prevail against this revelation. He also declared that He would give Peter the keys of the Kingdom. These keys would have the authority to bind and to loose (lock and unlock) whatever had been bound or loosed in Heaven by Jesus' mission here on Earth. These keys would not be available only for Peter but for all believers. Jesus said that even you and I would be able to do the works that He did, and even greater, because He had to go back to the Father (John 14:12). As we experience the kingdom ourselves and realize who Jesus is and what His word says, we come to understand how to use the keys of the Kingdom. You can't tell someone about a place that you've never visited or seen. So it is that you really can't explain the joys of the Kingdom until you have experienced it yourself. Once you've experienced the things of the Lord, the gates of Hell cannot prevail nor take away what God has given.

These keys are just like any natural key. They may seem very small, but they hold enormous authority and demand great responsibility. A small two-inch key is able to control a seven-foot door and guard an entire house. One of the most precious things that we give our children as they mature is the key to our house or car. Jesus trusted us enough to give us the keys of His Kingdom. What an awesome responsibility we have. These keys work regardless of our feelings. In the natural we have no power or ability within ourselves to open any locked door without a key, and it is the same in the spirit. We can't unlock things in the spiritual realm without using spiritual keys. Success is in the key itself, as it alone possesses the ability and power to unlock the door.

Romans 14:17 gives us a definition of the Kingdom of God, saying that it is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. Hell cannot prevail against this Kingdom with unrighteousness, confusion, and sadness. We have the authority to overcome the kingdom of darkness because we have a revelation of Christ, and He has given us the keys of the Kingdom. Some of these keys are His Word, His Blood, and His Name. Through these keys we can receive cleansing, redemption, healing, and help in every area of our lives. However, having the keys and using the keys are two different matters. It is only as we cooperate with God and depend upon Him and His power that we can accomplish His will on Earth. He waits for us to simply use the key. +++

Copyright © 2007 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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A Word In Due Season
4th Week of November 2007

11/19/07
THINGS VALUED

Scripture: Proverbs 15:6 "In the house of the righteous is much treasure."

I can remember a time in my life when you never saw a penny tossed away on the ground because it actually had significant value. Even though my family didn't have much materially, we didn't seem to be poor because we had the same as those around us. It was just after World War II and things were scarce for everyone. When we got a penny for bubble gum, we were thrilled. We would chew it during the day then place it on a saucer at night and cover it with a drinking glass. The next day, we were allowed to dip it into the sugar bowl to sweeten it up. This was a real treat because sugar was rationed. Can you imagine the joy of a penny stretching so far? When I started school, things were better and we were given nickels to spend and the penny began to lose some of its value. With a nickel you could either buy a nourishing mid-morning snack or a coke from the new soda machine in the afternoon. Eventually, the cost of cokes went from a nickel to six cents and this caused the worth of the penny to increase.

Today, pennies are almost worthless except for the precious words inscribed on them that remind us, "In God we trust." How many things in our lives have become like the penny? The relationships that we once viewed as valuable and precious are now taken for granted. We have friendships that we are too busy to make time for and family who suffer neglect because of our busy careers. The jobs that we desperately sought after have turned into mundane labor and brought on extra stress. Our passions for the spouse that we once held dear may have dwindled. As time has passed the values of our heart have been altered and things once precious are now neglected. We are driven by the need to prosper and succeed and have lost sight of the true treasures of life, which are basically free.

Solomon said there is much treasure in the house of the righteous. We need to think about his statement and allow this season to remind us to look around and focus on the blessings that we have, for there are hidden treasures all about us. We must place value on those things that are more important than the wealth that can be measured in dollars and cents. If we have family, friends, love, health, food, clothing, and freedom, we are indeed blessed and must recognize that within the walls of our own home there is much treasure. We should be thankful for these blessings and reflect on their value, for where our treasure is there is our heart also. +++

Copyright © 2007 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
www.widsonline.com
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11/20/07
GIVE THANKS IN ALL THINGS

Scripture: I Thessalonians 5:18 "In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."

There are times in our lives when there seems to be enormous plans that are working against us, and in our innocence, we fail to recognize it as a plan of a shrewd enemy. We assume that we are wrestling against flesh and blood, when in fact we are in a spiritual warfare against the "wiles and strategies of the devil" (Ephesians 6:11). God tells us that when we find ourselves in these situations, we are to be joyful and give thanks "in" everything. He did not say give thanks "for" everything, but "in" every situation be thankful to God. James 1:2 says that we are to "count it all joy."

Why are we to be thankful and joyful? James 1:3 says, "the trying of our faith is working patience in our lives." Trials develop character and character produces fruit. According to Romans 5:23, tribulations are not meant to destroy us, but to cause God's glory to come forth in our spirits as His fruit of patience develops. Romans 8:28 tells us that we can "know (not hope so, think so, pray so, but KNOW) that ALL things are working together for good to those that love God, and are called according to His purpose." We look at the example of Joseph as he was rejected by his own brothers and sold into slavery for many years. His situation was certainly not good, but he recognized that his circumstances were in the plan of God. He knew that things in his life would work out for good and he continued to believe that God's purposes would be established in spite of how bleak his present situation seemed. Even though Joseph had to endure much heartache and pain, he was grateful that God had called him to the kingdom at such a critical time. With a thankful heart, he told his brothers, "You thought evil against me; but God meant it for good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive."

If you love God and are called according to His purpose but find yourself in adverse situations, be assured today that He is still working in your life. The devil thinks evil against you and works to that end. Like Joseph, you may not see present evidence, but God is on the other side working all things together for your good and His eternal purposes. So in everything give thanks, for this is God's will concerning you. +++

Copyright © 2007 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
www.widsonline.com
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11/21/07
GIVING HIM THANKS

Scripture: Luke 17:15-16 "And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at Jesus' feet, giving Him thanks."

Ten men who were plagued with leprosy found the time and the energy to seek out Jesus when they needed Him. As Jesus came to their village, they unashamedly cried, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us." Jesus instructed them to go and show themselves to the priest, and as they went their way they were healed. However, only one of the ten returned to glorify God and give Him thanks. The one that returned could not thank Jesus enough for the healing that he had received. Yet, his attention went beyond his miraculous healing as he focused on the Healer. He was so grateful to Jesus that he fell down on his face at Jesus' feet in worship and gave Him thanks.

Jesus' response was "Where are the other nine?" They had sought Jesus out, crying for mercy and calling Him Master. They were also healed of leprosy, but once they were healed, they did not return to give Him even a small word of thanks. If they had any gratitude at all, it was silent to the ears of the One who had healed them. Their new found healing called them back to their own lives and self interest. They no longer had time to follow Jesus or allow Him to be the Master of their lives, for they were in a hurry to get on with their own agenda.

Our circumstances may not be perfect, but if we look around us, we will find that we have much to be thankful for. I Thessalonians 5:18 says, " In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." God has done so many things for us and we need to thank Him for everything. Our words of gratitude should be one hundred percent. We shouldn't return and give thanks for just one thing and leave the other nine undone. How sad it would be if Jesus responded to our efforts and said, "What about the other nine things I did for you. Aren't you thankful for them also?" We get so busy during this season that we forget the reason for the season. We forget why we are supposed to be Happy at Thanksgiving and Merry at Christmas. We must be careful and give diligent thought to the true reason for our happiness and joy. It is because of who Jesus is and what He has done for us. Let us find time to turn away from ourselves, our busy schedules, and celebrations during this season long enough to return to Jesus and give Him a simple word of thanks. +++

Copyright © 2007 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
www.widsonline.com
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11/22/07
BE THANKFUL

Scripture: Psalms 100:4 " ... Be thankful unto Him, and bless His Name."

In this Psalm of praise, David exhorts us to make a joyful noise to the Lord, to serve Him with gladness, and to come before Him with singing. We are to recognize that the Lord has made us and acknowledge that we are His people. We are to express our thankfulness and bless the Lord, for He is good and His mercy is everlasting. Many times, however, we take our many blessings for granted instead of taking notice and expressing our appreciation to God for all the things that He has done for us. Too often, it takes seeing the sufferings of others or experiencing our own suffering to remind us of how short our thankfulness has fallen.

Martin Luther made a very strong point about our lack of thankfulness when he wrote of "God's Unceasing Kindness." In part he said, "If our heavenly Father were not so liberal in the distribution of His gifts, we would be more thankful to Him." Martin Luther then went on to explain this theory. He said that if God had caused all men to be born with only one leg or foot, and later, at the age of seven, was given the other leg and foot, man would be more thankful. He would appreciate his legs the rest of his life and would never take them for granted. Likewise, if a man were born with one arm and one hand, but given the other arm and hand at the age of twenty, he would appreciate his arms and hands and prize them more highly.

God has bestowed upon us great and bountiful blessings. Yet many times, it is only as we are deprived that we begin to appreciate them. Sometimes it takes the electrical power going out in the midst of a storm to remind us of how much we appreciate having lights. It takes illness to remind us of how precious good health is. It takes the threat of death before we become thankful for each breath that we are allowed to take. Like Luther's story, what if you were born with one leg or arm, blind, or deaf? Would you be more appreciative when you were restored? When was the last time you gave thanks to God that you could walk, talk, see, and hear? Have you thanked the Lord lately for your family, friends, shelter, and food? Don't wait for adversity to remind you of what you have and what you should be thanking God for. Begin right now to acknowledge God's awesome goodness to you personally and praise Him for the daily benefits that He is providing. Be thankful and bless His Name! +++

Copyright © 2007 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
www.widsonline.com
=================================================================================
11/23/07
THANKSGIVING

Scripture: Psalms 100:4 "Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His holy name."

At times we stand outside the gates of God's presence and wonder why we can't feel God or sense His awesome power. We are plagued with our lack of direction and haunted by our unanswered prayers. We question the meaning and purpose of the desperate situations and circumstances that surround us at the moment and wonder if things are ever going to change. We have the feeling that if we could just get to God and present ourselves to Him that everything would be all right. We know that if we were in His presence, He would surround us with His love and shed His glorious light on our dimly lit path. We sense His Spirit drawing us, yet we just grope around outside of the gates without a clue of how we once were able to find that wonderful place at the foot of God's throne.

In this verse, the psalmist gives us insight into how to enter the gates that bring us into the presence of God. He says that our initial approach to God requires a heart of thanksgiving and lips full of praise. This is a very important issue with God. We must be thankful and verbalize our gratitude, for this kind of heart attitude opens the gates that lead to the courts of God. Thankfulness is like the hinges on which the gates swing. Without a grateful heart, the hinges will not work and the gate will not open. As a result, we will not be able to enter into the presence of God where our prayers are answered and where we find peace.

Very often, we must offer up sacrifices of thankfulness. It may be hard to thank God in the present situation that you are in, but your words are important to Him. He cherishes your thankfulness and praise. The Lord listens to your every word and as you express your thankfulness to Him, you magnify Him. He is more pleased with your thankfulness and praise than He is with your tangible sacrafices like the animal sacrifices that were made under the old covenant long ago (Psalm 69:30-31). When you voice your thanksgiving, you make God big not only in your own sight, but in the sight of those who hear your words of praise. As you praise and thank Him, God oils the hinges of the gate and it begins to open. His Holy Spirit then ushers you through the gate and into God's presence. +++

A Word In Due Season
5th Week of November 2007

11/26/07
DISCIPLES OF LOVE

Scripture: John 13:35 "By this shall all men know that you are My disciples, if you have love one to another."

God has a purpose for your life. You may not see it clearly at this time or even be aware that He is using you in your daily routine. Never the less, God is doing an awesome work through your life. He is showing forth His love through you and using you as a minister of reconciliation (II Corinthians 5:18). Whether your good deeds are great or small, you are announcing to the world the message of God's grace and reconciling others to Him. That message is validated by the love that is manifested in your life and the world will know that you are His disciple because of the love of God that is in your heart.

People are not interested in religion. They are looking for relationships. As they watch your life, they recognize your devotion to God and are able to truthfully discern if the love that you are manifesting for God and towards them is real. The Apostle Peter instructed us to make sure that we have an "unfeigned love of the brethren." This means that our love cannot be false. He said, "See that you love one another with a pure heart fervently" (I Peter 1:22). Love has no value if it is not true and real.

God wants to raise up committed believers who will be servants of God's love. You can't earn any place or position with God, for His place comes by His grace. He chooses and establishes His vessels when He feels that He can trust them to show forth His love in all situations. That is not always an easy task. It means turning the other cheek and many times taking the blame. Jesus showed His love for mankind and His commitment to God the Father by pouring out His life on the cross even though He had no faults. He then gave us a commandment to love as He loved. Like Jesus, we are to pour out our lives for others so that they may see our good works and glorify the Father who is in Heaven. When our love towards the world is manifested in this manner, we become a strong witness and others recognize and acknowledge that we truly are disciples of Jesus. +++

Scripture: Galatians 5:16 "Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh."

The Lord understands how strong the temptations are that come against us because while He was living in a fleshly body here on Earth He was tempted in all the areas that we will be tempted in. Yet, Jesus was able to make it through the temptations without committing any sin whatsoever and became the spotless Lamb of God. Even though Jesus was able to remain without sin, He is aware that we will experience many failures in our lifetime. He knows that our spirit is willing to live right, but He also knows that our flesh can be very weak. We face a constant dilemma, for as the Apostle Paul said, "The things that we want to do, we don't do, and the things that we don't want to do, we do."

Temptations can be rough for us to handle at times because our enemy is aware of our personal desires and he will challenge us in the areas of our greatest weakness. There are things that you may encounter that would not bother me at all, and vice versa. Our desires and temptations vary but we all have battles of some kind to deal with. The Lord did not leave any of us without a solution. Instead, He gave us words and instructions to live by so that we can overcome the temptations of life. He simply told us to walk in the Spirit. It is a comfort to know that God did not say the opposite, "Do not sin and then you will be able to walk in the Spirit." He put first things first. He knew that we needed the strength of His Spirit to be able to stand against temptations and successfully deal with the challenges of life. He also knew that only as we submitted ourselves to God could we resist the devil, for our own strength is too small to stand against the forces of evil.

Walking in the Spirit is like walking in the natural. It takes determination and effort on our part. It is a one step at a time process that demands focus, for it is possible to step out of the Spirit at any time. Temptations can come suddenly and without warning. Therefore, we must constantly guard our heart as we walk with God along the narrow path of His righteousness. As we walk with God, we have the assurance that He will avail Himself to us and help us in our battles. The Lord has promised not to put more upon us than we can bear and He is faithful to those words. He will never leave us or forsake so we will never have to battle with temptations alone. As we give ourselves to God and walk in the Spirit we will be able to resist the lust of the flesh because of the strength of His grace. +++

Scripture: Exodus 3:4 "And when the Lord saw that Moses turned aside to see, God call unto him out of the midst of the bush, Moses, Moses..."

Moses was tending his father-in-law's flock on the far side of the desert. As he carried on his normal duties, the Lord appeared to him in the midst of a burning bush, yet the bush was not consumed by the flames that engulfed it. When Moses saw that the bush was on fire, he said, "I will turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burned up." Moses made a decision to forfeit his normal duties and schedule so that he could give full attention to what was happening. He laid aside every distraction in order to investigate this phenomenon. When God saw Moses' response, He began to talk with him and even called Moses by his name.

Like Moses' experience, many times God intervenes in our life and tries to draw us close to Him. He may not set a literal bush on fire to get our attention or speak audibly from a flame, but He is there just the same, expending His energy as He makes an effort to communicate with us. He wants to share His sovereign plan, but doesn't speak until He knows that He has our full attention. He waits to see our response and watches to see if we will turn aside and come into His presence. He loves us so much and has so much to say. Yet, even though we sense His tender wooing, we very often neglect it. We allow other things to take precedence like a television program we want to see, a friend we need to visit, or some project we need to finish. Life is too busy and we are too tired to give attention to God as we should.

The most significant encounters with God are those when He chooses to intervene in our lives in an effort to reveal Himself to us in a personal way. He comes to us because He has something to say. For a brief moment, God gives us the opportunity to approach Him and to stand in His presence on Holy ground. All we have to do is respond to His simple wooing, and when we do, His voice shakes the very mountains of our life. Yet, many times we miss this awesome opportunity to commune with Him because our hearts postpone His plans. We seek for a more opportune time and make plans to go to our closet place of prayer when it is more convenient for our schedules. We fail to realize that it's not the power of the closet, but the power of God when He reveals Himself in the closet. For Moses, it was never the bush; it was God in the bush. It wasn't the flames of fire that engulfed the bush, it was God's Holy Spirit burning, yet never consuming. The ground around the bush was not holy in itself. It was sanctified and made holy by God's holy presence. If you want to hear from God, you must not only seek for Him, you must respond to Him on His terms. Turn aside at the Lord's bidding whenever and wherever it may be and allow Him to be God over your life. He will speak when He sees you turn towards Him, and will sanctify and make holy the place and the moment. +++

Scripture: Luke 21:19 "In your patience, you possess your soul."

Jesus warned His disciples about the hard times that they were destined to face. He spoke of the persecution, imprisonment, and betrayal of family members and friends that they would experience. He told them that they would be brought before kings and rulers for His name's sake, but not to meditate beforehand what their answers were to be. In the most difficult of circumstances, they were to remain patient and rely upon His wisdom and His protection. He promised to fill their mouth and give them words to speak that would be so logical that their adversaries and opponents would not be able to withstand or contradict them. He said, "In your patience, you possess your soul."

The soul of man is comprised of his mind, his will, and his emotions. His mind tells him what to think. His will tells him what he wants, and his emotions tell him how he feels. These three functions of his soul determine his actions and responses. Without patience in his soul, he will fall into a trap. His mind will allow his carnal will and nature to be led by his emotions. Everything will be decided by what he wants and what feels good at the moment. He will seek to gratify his fleshly desires regardless of the consequences. A soul that is patient, however, will weigh the situation by God's word and God's wisdom. Patience will put all things in the balances of godly counsel and then submit to the will of God, disallowing the soul's own desires and emotions to give in to the moment.

We often wonder why we must go through so many trials and so much tribulation. Yet James 1:3 states that this is the process that develops patience. It is as we go through difficult seasons that we learn to be patient, and then as our patience grows within us, we begin to possess our soul. Trials and temptations train us how to think rationally with our minds, keep our wills in order, and bring our emotions under control. Each mistake that we make teaches us not to be so hasty the next time. Patience teaches us to wait upon God until we are possessing His thoughts and leaning upon His understanding. When we suffer loss because we have allowed our own desires to override God's will, we see the wisdom in listening to His voice and following Him more closely. When we suffer the guilt and shame of allowing our soul to express it's emotions in outrage, we learn to exercise more patience when the challenge presents itself again. Possessing your soul is a moment-by-moment process and requires that you don't give your soul up or loan it out for any reason. When the enemy tempts you to share your mind, will, and emotions with him, ask God to help you exercise patience so that you can possess your soul. +++

Scripture: Amos 7:15 "And the Lord took me as I followed the flock, and the Lord said to me, Go, prophesy to My people Israel."

Amos was a simple herdsman who also took care of the trees and gathered fruit before the Lord called him to be a prophet to Israel. He was actually following his flock and going about his normal duties when the Lord called him. He declared that until the Lord called him, he was not a prophet or even the son of a prophet. His words indicate that the thought of ministry had never entered his mind and that he was just as surprised as everyone else that God had chosen him. There seemed to be nothing special about this man that God, Himself, decided to call. Yet God saw great potential in Amos. When God called him, He put His own words in Amos's mouth and caused him to prophecy to a nation and speak out against their social evils and pagan worship.

When God wants something special done, He seems to call people who are busy about the duties at hand. He called Elisha when Elisha was plowing a field. Moses was in a desert tending his father-in-law's flock when God called out from the burning bush. Joseph was working hard in the prison. David was in the field keeping sheep. Paul was on the Road to Damascus fervently attempting to serve God when God changed his life around, introduced him to Jesus, and put true ministry into his heart. Matthew was collecting taxes and Peter was fishing. All of these men were doing their normal duties when God called them. They may have been tired and dirty as they plowed the fields with the oxen or followed the sheep, but none of them were lazy or slothful.

God is awesome in His choices and it is often surprising to see whom He will call. In I Corinthians 1:26-27, the Apostle Paul said that God doesn't call many wise, mighty, or noble to do His work, but that He chooses the foolish to confound the wise and the weak to confound the mighty. God is simply looking for those who are ready for the harvest and will work hard in His fields. If you aspire to do great things for God, you must start by plowing and planting the field that you are in today or following and caring for the flock that He entrusted you with until He commissions you to do otherwise. When you are found faithful in these small things, God will call and qualify you for greater things. +++