www.widsonline.com

09/01/08
THE BREAD OF LIFE

Scripture: John 6:35 "And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to Me shall never hunger and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst."

This is a beautiful promise for our lives but it demands an act of obedience on our part; that is, we must come to Jesus for spiritual nourishment and water. We may look many directions for fulfillment, but Jesus is the only one who is truly able to satisfy our hunger and quench our thirst because our real needs are not physical or material. They are spiritual. Jesus told us not to take thought about what we were going to eat, drink, or wear, but instead to seek the Kingdom of God first and then all of these things would be added to us (Matthew 6:32-33). A spirit of deception will attempt to lure us into believing otherwise, but even when we have obtained everything that life has to offer, our inner man will cry out within us for something more fulfilling, for only Jesus can satisfy our souls.

When the Israelites wandered in the wilderness for forty years, they always had a daily provision of food. It was called manna and it came down from Heaven every morning, except for the double portion that came so that they could rest on the Sabbath. The manna was fresh each day and it sustained their physical lives. It was all they needed for nourishment and strength. We must have food and water each day to function and maintain our lives. Nourishment is necessary and it is something that we pursue with passion. If we mentally forget to eat or drink then our physical bodies will cry out and remind us that something is missing. Even an infant feels the pangs of hunger and thirst and cannot live on yesterday's nourishment.

So it is with your spirit. There is a spiritual hunger and thirst within you that cannot be denied. Your spirit needs fresh bread and living water from Heaven every day. It cannot live on yesterday's nourishment or past experiences. Jesus spoke of the manna in the wilderness and He then declared that He was the bread which came down from Heaven (John 6:49-51). He is all that you need, but you must come to Him in order to gather this precious manna every day. You must study His word, pray, worship, and fellowship in His presence. He promises to be there for you every time that you need Him. He will never leave you or forsake you. He will be the bread and water that will nourish and restore your soul. His presence will fill the void and empty places of your heart and His Spirit will settle your mind to know His will. His provision will wipe away every lack and His strength will swallow up your greatest weaknesses. He is your fresh manna and your living water. When you come to Him, you can depend upon Him to satisfy your hunger and quench your thirst. +++

Copyright © 2008 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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09/02/08
CHEERFUL GIVER

Scripture: II Corinthians 9:7 "... God loves a cheerful giver."

God loves a cheerful giver. He never intended for us to give to Him because He was in need. He has no lack whatsoever because He created everything and owns everything. There is nothing existing that He cannot duplicate and there is no new thing that He can't create. If He needs a stream in the desert, He simply carves out a place with His hands and it is there. If He needs a dry pathway through the sea, He rolls back the water with the wind of His breath. If He needs the mountain to be moved, just one word from His lips will cause it to come to pass. If He wants to provide a meal for several thousand people, He blesses a small portion of fish and a few loaves of bread and causes it to multiply. He can also change the water into wine. He can plant a seed of life into the barren womb of an older woman or even a young virgin woman and create life where there was no hope. He can also give life back to the dead, sight to the blind, and cause the deaf to hear. He can make the withered hand stretch forth like new and cause the lame to walk. He can create, multiply, restore, and resurrect. He is almighty God and He is unlimited and unstoppable.

God is not desperate for our help, but knows that we desperately need His help. He knows the seed that we sow will produce a greater harvest for us in return. Yet, the process of the harvest will not begin until the seed is planted. In the natural or spiritual, a seed that is never sown will never produce. Our mere intentions to plant or to give will never reap a harvest. God is our Father and He wants us to have more in life than we need but He will only multiply what we sow. Verse six says, "He who sows sparingly shall reap sparingly and he which sows bountifully shall reap bountifully." God allows us to be in control of our seed, but the harvest remains in His hands and produces according to His law of the harvest. Sow little, reap little. Sow much, reap much. Sow nothing and when it is multiplied, it remains nothing.

God shares all that He has with us cheerfully and He wants us to give back to Him and others in the same manner. We are instructed not to give grudgingly or out of necessity. God doesn't need the money or the item that we are giving but He wants us to give because it is a picture of our love for Him, our honor to Him, and our trust in Him. Everything that we have or will ever have came because of God's great love and provision for us. He is the source of our supply and we should follow His example of sharing. We should give cheerfully whenever we give because of our gratitude for the Lord's blessings to us and our intimate feelings for Him. +++

Copyright © 2008 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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09/03/08
ON THE EDGE

Scripture: Exodus 15:1 "The Lord has triumphed gloriously."

When God's people fled from Pharaoh, they found themselves trapped between their enemy and the Red Sea. Their situation was seemingly hopeless and fear consumed their thoughts. They reacted to the circumstances that surrounded them and began to wish that they had never left Egypt but had stayed in the cruel bondage that they had been in. At the moment, serving the Egyptians seemed a lot better to them than facing death in the wilderness.

Difficult times bring a reality check. When Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, they saw God do amazing things and were excited about their deliverance until this first impossible situation came along. At the edge of the Red Sea, they failed to understand that the same God who had brought them out of Egypt was the one who was going to make a way for them and also keep them from perishing at the hands of Pharaoh and his army. In fact, instead of standing on the edge of destruction, they were standing on the edge of a miracle, for God had a magnificent plan of deliverance in His mind. The Red Sea that frightened and challenged them was going to be the instrument that God would used to destroy their enemy once and for all.

If you have been in a place where it seemed that you had a Red Sea on one side and the Egyptians on the other, you can understand the turmoil that went on in the hearts of the Israelites. You know what it was like when your mind and emotions began to reel totally out of control because you had no valid options. You have experienced the sinking feeling of hopelessness when you realized that you couldn't go forward and you certainly couldn't turn back. Yet, impossible situations have a purpose in the heart of God and He uses these places to work His wonders in your life.

God wants to do something awesome in your life that will utterly destroy the things that have plagued you for so long. All He requires from you is that you put your trust in Him and go forward in your commitments. When you do, it becomes His responsibility to deliver you from the enemy that has held you in bondage. So, instead of viewing the future with fear, realize that you are on the edge of God's miracles. Declare that He reigns in your life and believe that He has a magnificent plan for you. As you trust God and allow Him to work in your life, He will triumph gloriously by making a way for you where there seems to be no way and will destroy your enemies in the process. +++

Copyright © 2008 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
www.widsonline.com
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09/04/08
PERFECT PEACE

Scripture: Isaiah 26:3 "You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You: because he trusts in You."

Fear presents itself to us suddenly and from many directions. The enemy of our soul seeks to use this tool to draw our focus away from God and His promises and causes us to dwell on our impossible situation. Our enemy is like a wolf that cuts the small lamb away from the flock so that he can devour it. If he can cause you to stray from God's word and promises, he can cause doubt and confusion to come into your spirit in any given situation. He will move in and begin to torment you during illnesses, telling you that you will never be healed. He will wage a major attack on your mind when financial situations can't be met. He will tell you that your problems with relationships cannot be solved. He will try to confuse you as you seek to make life-changing decisions. And he will discourage the hope that you have in your heart for a better future. He is a thief that comes to take your peace and joy. John 10:10 describes this thief as one that "comes to steal, kill, and destroy."

God, however, has a promise for those who resist the devil and who refuse to focus on his deception. God says, "If you will just keep your mind on Me and what I can do, then you will have perfect peace regardless of the situation." God sees your heart and emotions. When you express fear, you are telling God that you don't think that He is able. So when fear strikes, you must make a decision, whom you will trust; your heavenly Father or the father of lies? It is a simple choice, but it is your choice. If you choose to focus on God and make Him your source of provision, you will have perfect peace. If you focus on the problem, you will be in turmoil.

Fear opens the door for the thief. God spoke many times throughout the scriptures and said, "Fear not." God has an answer to every question and a solution to every dilemma. He doesn't want you to fear anything at anytime. God wants you to have total confidence in Him. Proverbs 3:5 &8 says, "Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not upon your own understanding ... It shall be health to your nerves." If you put your trust in God and keep your mind constantly upon Him, you will close the door to fear, and God will give you perfect peace that passes all understanding. +++

Copyright © 2008 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
www.widsonline.com
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09/05/08
YET WILL I TRUST IN HIM

Copyright © 2008 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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09/08/08
DECISION TO CHANGE

Scripture: Luke 15:17 "And when he came to himself ..."

The prodigal son reached the very bottom of his circumstances and found himself sitting with the pigs. He was so hungry that he desired their food. It was then that he came to his senses. When he came to himself, he saw the results of his own choices and decided that he had been in this mess long enough. This wakeup call caused him to change his thinking and he made the decision to go back to his father's house where he belonged. Regardless of the humiliation that he would face and the unrighteous judgment that he would receive from others, he depended upon the mercy of his father and hoped to enjoy the benefits of his forgiveness and faithfulness. His intentions were to repent, ask for forgiveness, and possibly get a job as a hired servant in his father's house. This was the best that he hoped for.

The ways of the prodigal son are not foreign to us, for we have all failed and come short of the glory of God. We want to think that we are spiritual enough to be beyond that point, but the truth is that the desires of our heart and the lust of our flesh many times lead us astray, if not for long seasons at least for brief moments. The prophet Jeremiah said, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and is desperately wicked; who can know it?" (Jeremiah 17:9). There have been times that I have asked my own self, "Can I get any more confused about the desires of my heart than I am right now?" My true desire was to walk wisely in the things of the Lord but the foolishness of my heart was pulling the other direction. Like Paul, there was a war going on in my spirit. The things I wanted to do I did not do and the things I didn't want to do, I did (Romans 7:19).

The Lord searches our hearts and He knows the secrets that lie in every chamber. We can't hide anything from Him, for His Spirit not only discerns the thoughts but also the intents of our heart. We may put up a good front but the Holy Spirit knows if our hearts are in the right place or if we are like the prodigal son and are actually sitting in a spiritual pigpen, estranged from our Heavenly Father. Solomon said, "He that trust in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walks wisely, he shall be delivered" (Proverbs 28:26). If we want to walk wisely, we cannot allow ourselves to trust in our own hearts or follow after our own desires. Like the prodigal son, we must come to ourselves and make a decision to find our way back to the Father and ask Him to help us walk down the narrow paths that He has ordained for us. When He sees us turn from our own ways, He will welcome our submission to Him and celebrate our choice to fulfill His will. +++

Copyright © 2008 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
www.widsonline.com
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09/09/08
NO COMPLAINTS

Scripture: Philippians 2:14 "Do all things without complaining or arguing."

Does this mean that we are to do everything without complaining and have a right attitude in every situation? That sounds a bit hard. Our first thought is that the Apostle Paul, who wrote these words of instructions, probably didn't understand all the hardships that we would have to face. He must not have known that we would have people on the job, our families, and others in our social life to contend with. He must not have realized that we would have assignments that we didn't want to do. The trash would have to be taken out and the lawn kept. There would be meals to cook and dishes and clothes to wash every day. Paul should have made allowances for some of the complaints that we would want to voice. Yet we fail to consider that Paul went through much worse tribulation and persecution than we will ever experience, and he still remained without complaint.

These few words, "Do all things without complaining or arguing", lay a lot of responsibility upon us, yet they're not meant to be burdensome. Instead, they are meant to be for our good, for the apostle Paul spoke these words knowing quite well that God was working in us to do His will and His good pleasure (verse 13). When God speaks, He wants His believers to simply obey His words, and verse fourteen through fifteen tells us why. The reason we are to obey without complaining is because our very actions speak of Jesus to a world that Paul described as crooked and perverse. When we live without murmuring and refuse to engage in disputes, we become blameless and harmless before them and without rebuke. They can find no legitimate cause in their refusal to hear our message concerning the gospel.

One minister suggested that the way to break the habit of murmuring was to write each complaint on paper. Then, when we saw some our complaints written out, we would realize how much we complained and how trivial our thoughts really are. Without a doubt, we must work to control our tongue and keep our attitude intact so that our labor is not in vain (Verse 16). When we do all things with joy, our witness will become as a shining light or like stars in the universe to all those about us and they will respond to us as we hold forth the Word of Life. +++

Copyright © 2008 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
www.widsonline.com
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09/10/08
DOERS OF THE WORD

Scripture: James 1:22 "Be ye doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves."

A cartoon showed an elderly couple sitting at a counter in a diner. The gentlemen spoke to his wife and made mention of the older couple who were sitting at the other end of the counter. With a hint of criticism, he told his wife, "That's probably what you and I will look like in about ten years or so." She responded to him saying, "You do realize that's a mirror at the end of the counter, don't you?" The man could not see himself as he really was and truly thought that he was in much better shape than the reflection that was peering back at him. Little did he realize that his age and everything that comes with aging had caught up with him, even his poor eyesight.

Many times we are like this gentleman. We don't see ourselves as we really are and can't see the spiritual lack that has occurred in our soul because it has come upon us so gradually. We have become lukewarm in our spirits, and as we look at others, our criticisms define our own deficiencies. Even though we faithfully attend church services, read the Word, and listen to good gospel music, James tells us there is more. He said we must not only hear the Word, we must also be doers of the Word. In verse twenty seven, he expounds on this subject and defines true religion by saying that it is "to visit the fatherless and widows in their afflictions, and to keep yourself unspotted from the world." He said that if we are only religious and are not doing the Word or taking care of these matters, we are deceiving ourselves and our religion is vain. He says that we are like a man who looks at himself in a mirror, but goes away and forgets what he has seen.

If the woman in the story above had not corrected her husband, he would have continued his life with a wrong assumption of his current state. He needed someone to point out the error of his thinking. So it is with us. As we look into ourselves, we need God to enlighten the eyes of our understanding and help us to know what areas we need to change. God is very eager to help us, for we are the body of Christ. It is Christ within us that is the hope of His glory and He wants us to be useful in His kingdom. We are His hands to help, His ears to listen, His eyes to help guide, and we are His shoulder for others to lean upon. As we start each new day with our devotionals and Bible study, let us be reminded of this thought and ask God to lead us to those who need His help so that we can become not only hearers of His Word but also doers of His Word. +++

Copyright © 2008 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
www.widsonline.com
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09/11/08
THE SEARCH FOR WISDOM

Scripture: Proverbs 2:7 (Amplified) "God hides away sound and godly Wisdom and stores it for the righteous - those who are upright and in right standing with Him."

God appeared to Solomon in a dream and asked, "What would you like for me to give to you?" Solomon responded to God and asked for a wise and understanding heart. God granted his request and I Kings 3:12 tells us that there was never anyone so wise as Solomon. Yet with this gift of God upon his life, Solomon still had to apply himself to acquire the wisdom that God had stored up for him. Solomon said, "I gave my heart to seek and search out wisdom concerning all things" (Ecclesiastes 1:13).

The gift of wisdom is no different than any other gift. If you have been given the gift of a musician, you still must study and practice your music. In the same manner, wisdom doesn't come automatically because of age or position and cannot be measured by the number of gray hairs that may have been acquired along the way. It comes by a diligent search and application of the natural and godly laws and reasoning. Proverbs 2:4 tells us that we have to seek for wisdom as though we were seeking for silver, and we have to search for it as though we were searching for gold. Our search for silver and gold causes us to spend many years seeking an education to gain knowledge so that we can obtain lucrative positions. Then, for the rest of our lives we schedule our days to seek for the silver we deserve, making our professions our priority. We rise early, come home late, work extra hours, and make tremendous sacrifices to obtain the financial status we desire.

Solomon said that if we desire godly Wisdom, we are going to have to seek for it in the same manner as we would seek for silver and gold. Our quest for wisdom must become a priority in our lives and will demand sacrifice. The Message Bible tells us that in order to obtain wisdom, we must search for it like a prospector panning for gold or an adventurer on a treasure hunt. They separate themselves from the normal to focus on their search and are not satisfied until they lay claim to the expected treasure. Regardless of the hardships they have to endure, they continue to search in faith and hope until their diligence is rewarded. When they finally find the hidden treasure, they recover every ounce and guard it carefully. Wisdom is a hidden treasure of the Lord, which He has stored up and has given us the capacity to receive. Yet, wisdom only comes to us as we diligently search for it as though it was as precious as silver and gold. When God sees that we value His wisdom that much, He will allow us to find it. +++

Copyright © 2008 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
www.widsonline.com
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09/12/08
PURE FOUNTAINS

Scripture: James 3:11 "Does a fountain send forth at the same time sweet water and bitter?"

James was drawing a parallel between a literal fountain of water and the living water that flows from the soul and spirit of man, for Jesus said that out of your belly would flow rivers of living water. James made it clear that just as a fountain of water cannot be sweet and bitter at the same time, neither can the spirit of man be pure when contaminated with the things of the world. Whatever we put into our spirits is going to flow out of the fountains of our life. If you have ever been to the beach and got a little salt water mixed in with your fresh drinking water, you can understand and appreciate this analogy very well. For you know that just a little salt water ruins the taste and effects of the fresh water and makes it unfit to drink.

Did you know that you can add poison to water and it will not be visible? Yet when consumed, it becomes a deadly drink. It only takes just a little poison to have a negative effect. None of us would intentionally poison those about us, yet many times we disburse water from our souls that is not pure and it becomes like poison to those who receive it. James said that blessing and cursing cannot proceed from the same mouth. You cannot bless and praise God and then curse those about you, for they were made in the image of God and God loves them. You can't lie to one and then tell the truth to another without being a liar. Neither can your heart be in peace and in strife at the same time. You can't be a fig tree and produce berries or be a vine and produce figs. It doesn't work that way in nature and it won't work that way in the spirit either, for just the slightest amount of bitterness within your soul is going to ruin the sweetness of your witness.

We are who we are within ourselves. Proverbs 4: 23 says, "Keep your heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." Whatever is inside of our hearts is going to flow out, so we must live in God's grace and minister His grace to those that we come in contact with. We must guard our hearts like we would a precious fountain of water in a dry and barren desert, for it is all that we have to sustain ourselves and is the source of our ministry to others. We must not allow anything from within or from without to contaminate our spirits so that we can insure the sweetness of our fountain. If we want to have a pure fountain, we must be filled with God's Spirit and His sweetness so there will be no room for bitterness. +++

Copyright © 2008 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
www.widsonline.com
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Dear W.I.D.S. Subscribers:

Recently Hurricane Ike came through the Gulf of Mexico disrupting electrical power, water, phones, cell phones, and Internet service in the Texas area. Since our ministry is based near Houston, Texas we lost our electrical and Internet services early Saturday morning, September 13th.

We are grateful to God that our MPM offices and the homes of ministry personnel were spared any significant damage from the storm. We attribute this outcome to God's mercy and divine protection.

Due to the outages mentioned above, we have suspended the email broadcast messages of A Word in Due Season for the week of September 15th -19th. We anticipate being able to resume these services beginning next Monday, September 22nd.

Thanks for being patient and keeping us in your prayers.
Mary Padgett & WIDS Staff
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A Word In Due Season
4th Week of September 2008

09/22/08
FAITH AND PATIENCE

Scripture: Hebrews 6:12 "Be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises."

God's work at Calvary is complete, unmovable, and eternal. Our Christian life is based upon our acceptance of this finished work and our own personal faith in the promises of God. God's promises are sure, for He is not a man that lies with His lips or repents and changes the decisions of His heart. God's words are facts that have been established from the foundations of time. They stand steadfast and remain true in all circumstances and at all times. Whatever God says will come to pass, for His words never return to Him void but accomplish what they were sent forth to do.

The only variable in the situation is our faith and our patience towards what God has spoken, for it takes both faith and patience to receive His promises We have heard of the patience of Job, but we must remember that Job also had great faith. He had enough faith to place his life in God's hands and declare, "Though He slay me, I will still trust Him" (Job 13:15). That is unconditional faith that is not based on God's performance. Faith doesn't say, "Give me the answer, then I will believe." Faith says, "I believe and trust God regardless of what happens." Job had enough patience to make it through the trial that he was selected to endure, for God Himself spoke to Satan and said, "Have you considered my servant Job?" He brought Job to Satan's attention and then allowed Satan to take Job through an enormous test. Passing this test was not easy for Job, yet Job's faith and patience survived and he received more at the end of his ordeal than he had at the beginning.

When difficult pressures come our way, we may wonder about the status of God's promises and our own personal faith may tend to waver. It may seem that life itself is just one painful problem after another. Like the account with Job, the current trial that we are in may not end before another one begins. And if we experience disappointments and failures in the midst of these challenges, we may even want to give up because our faith may not have enough patience to endure the process. Yet, it is only as we follow the example of Job and the other mighty saints of the scriptures that we will inherit the promises that God has left to us. We must not be slothful but exhibit the same kind of faith and patience they had. God has faith in us and we can be confident that He will not allow anything to come against us that is greater than we can bear. Faith and patience is our banner of victory and as we stand steadfast, we will inherit God's promises. +++

Copyright © 2008 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
www.widsonline.com
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09/23/08
FAITH AND PATIENCE

Scripture: Hebrews 6:12 "Be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises."

Copyright © 2008 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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09/24/08
RENEWING THE INNER MAN

Scripture: II Corinthians 4:16 (Amplified) "Though our outer man is progressively decaying and wasting away, yet our inner self is being progressively renewed day after day."

The Apostle Paul reminded us that our outer man, which is our physical body, is progressively decaying and wasting away. We don't like to think about those words, but the older we get, the more we come to understand that our bodies are not capable of lasting forever. Even though we may go to great lengths to maintain them and try to extend their lives, we know that we can't stop the aging process. From the moment we exit the womb, we are headed towards death, and like Paul said, our natural bodies will progressively get older and weaker.

Our spiritual man is just the opposite. Paul said that it is progressively renewed day by day. From the time that we experience the new birth, our inner man is headed towards eternal life. And much like our outward bodies that have to be cared for, our spiritual inner man has to be nourished and exercised. If it is neglected, we will experience leanness within, just as a physical body becomes malnourished without food and care. The nourishing and strengthening of our inner man is a work of the Holy Spirit, but the Holy Spirit can only work with the materials that we give Him. In the natural, when you are trying to strengthen your body, you eat proper food and drink plenty of water, exercise, and get sufficient rest. You don't work on just a couple of your muscles and let the others go, you work your entire body so that your strength is not warped and out of balance. The entire body has to be fit for you to be in good health and to be able to function properly.

In the spiritual realm, the same process must occur for your spirit man to be renewed. You must eat of the bread of life daily, feasting on God's Word. Without applying yourself to the diligent study of the Word, the Holy Spirit is unable to teach you or transform you into the image of God's dear Son. Just like natural food, you can't live off of someone else's nourishment. You must take God's nourishment in for yourself and drink of the living water, refreshing yourself from the wells of salvation. You must build up your own self on your most Holy faith by praying in the Spirit (Jude 20). And you must always stay within the boundaries that God has set so that His love can reach and bless you (Jude 21). These are just a few of things that will start you on the road to a renewal in your spirit. As you do these things, God will reveal other things for you to do, and in a short time you will find that your inner self is being progressively renewed day by day. +++

Copyright © 2008 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
www.widsonline.com
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09/24/08
STANDING IN THE GAP

Scripture: Ezekiel 22:30 "I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge and stand in the gap before me for the land that I should not destroy it: but I found none."

God seeks to reconcile all men to Himself and is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to eternal life. Therefore, He depends upon those who know Him to pray, intercede, stand in the gap, and make up the hedge for others.  He ordains His followers to be a witness to the world. However, Isaiah 59:16 says, "He saw there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor."

It takes great commitment to make up the hedge and stand in the gap for others. It means laying down your own life to some degree and making many sacrifices. Moses stood in the gap between God and the people, and at one point, Moses even told God to wipe his name out of God's book if God destroyed the people. This took a lot of courage on Moses' part, but he knew that God was righteous and merciful. As Moses stood in the breach, he turned God's wrath away and the people were spared (Psalms 106:23).

Oswald Smith listed some of the things about the man that God uses. If you want God to use you to make up the breach and you are willing to stand in the gap, consider these challenges.

                 THE MAN GOD USES
                   by Oswald Smith

     1) He has but one great purpose in life.
     2) He, by God's Grace, has removed every hindrance
          from his life.
     3) He has placed himself absolute at God's disposal.
     4) He has learned how to prevail in prayer.
     5) He is a student of the Word.
     6) He has a vital living message for a lost world.
     7) He is a man of faith who expects results.
     8) He is anointed by the Holy Spirit. +++

Scripture: Psalms 118:6 "The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do to me?"

When you stand on the edge of the cliff or there is a Red Sea before you, it is not the time to put your trust in man, for he will probably fail your expectations. It is the time to trust in God and ask Him to deliver you in your situation. The psalmist said that he called upon the Lord in the day of his distress and the Lord answered him. Knowing that the Lord was on his side, the psalmist was able to boldly declare that he would not fear what man could do to him. Safety is not the absence of danger, but the presence of the Lord. When you are hemmed in on every side and are forced to meet your adversary, it is a great security to know that the champion of all battles is with you and that He is on your side.

Think of some of the saints of old that showed no fear in the midst of life threatening situations. David faced Goliath, the giant, but had confidence that the Lord was on his side, so he ran towards Goliath in battle. God was faithful and delivered the giant into David's hand. Daniel prayed openly to God knowing that he would be thrown into a lion's den. He trusted in God and knew that man could not do anything to him that God didn't allow. God shut the lion's mouths and Daniel's deliverance became a mighty testimony to the king. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had no fear of death or the fiery furnace. The Lord showed that He was on their side and even walked with them in the midst of the fire. He delivered them in such a mighty way that when they came out of the fire, there wasn't even the smell of smoke upon them.

Live or die, we must come to the same conclusions that these courageous men did and, like the psalmist, make bold confessions of our faith that are based upon the Word of the Lord. As we look through the scriptures, we can boldly say:

1.) I will not fear when things go wrong because God is on my side, and all things are going to work together for my good because I love Him and am called according to His purposes. (Rom. 8:28)

2.) I will not fear when I do not have sufficient funds, because God is able to meet all my needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus. He will make a way where there seems to be no way. (Phil. 4:19)

3.) I will not fear when danger approaches me because God is my refuge and He will hide me under the shelter of His wings. (Ps. 91:2 & 4)

4.) I will not fear when my heart becomes overwhelmed in trying to find the right direction for my life because The Lord is my Shepherd and He will lead me in the paths of righteousness and beside the still waters. (Ps. 23:1-2)

5.) I will not fear when distress and discouragement attacks because Jesus will restore my soul. (Ps. 23:3)

6.) I will not fear when sickness attempts to attach itself to my physical body because the Lord is my healer and by His stripes, I am healed. (I Peter 2:24)

7.) I will not fear when death knocks at my door because I face a win-win situation. The Lord has promised to never leave me or forsake me in this life on Earth. And if I should die, I know that He will escort me to Heaven, for I have this confidence that when I am absent from my body, I will be present with Lord. (II Cor. 5:8)

8.) Finally, as the psalmist said, "The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do to me?" +++

A Word In Due Season
5th Week of September 2008

09/29/08
FULLY PERSUADED

Scripture: Romans 4:21 "Being fully persuaded that what He had promised, He was able also to perform."

God promised Abraham many blessings and Abraham was fully persuaded that God would keep His promises. Abraham remained strong in faith and did not stagger in unbelief even though the promises themselves seemed impossible in the natural. He had hope when there was no reason to hope and he refused to consider the limitations of his own body. At the end of the matter, Abraham fathered a child when he was one hundred years old and became the father of many nations.

In another account in Acts 26:28, King Agrippa made the statement that he was almost persuaded to become a Christian. What a vast difference there is in being "fully persuaded" like Abraham and "almost persuaded" like King Agrippa. Abraham made a decision to believe God's word with all of his heart regardless of the circumstances that surrounded him, while King Agrippa, though convinced in his mind, did not allow his heart to believe. How sad these words are ... "almost." Have you ever "almost" made an investment or done something and then later found out that you missed the greatest opportunity of your life? King Agippa almost made the most important decision of his life. He almost decided to make Jesus the Lord of his life and almost chose Heaven as his destiny for eternity.

The scriptures testify of God's love and the work that Jesus accomplished. Yet, we often fall short in our belief and find ourselves almost persuaded to believe in what Christ did and what He will do for us. Because we are almost persuaded that He can and will forgive our sins, we walk around with guilt rather than confessing them and releasing our burdens to the Lord. We are almost persuaded that by the stripes of Jesus we are healed so we continue in sickness and ill health. We live in poverty and lack because we are almost persuaded that He will meet all of our needs according to His riches in glory. We spend many hours in loneliness and sorrow because we are just almost persuaded that He is our comforter and that He is near. We are too intimidated to witness to others because we are only almost persuaded of His power within us that is able to reach out to those about us.

Let us examine our hearts today and not allow our circumstances to limit our possibilities. Instead of being almost persuaded, let us become fully persuaded that what God promised, He is well able to perform. +++

Scripture: John 1:16 "And of His fullness have we all receive grace for grace."

Grace is defined as the unmerited favor of God and is the basis of our salvation and justification. It is undeserved and can never be earned as it comes only by the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross. The Apostle Paul said, "For by grace are you saved through faith ... not of yourselves ... it is a gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8). Because God is full of grace, He forgives and passes over all of our transgressions.

John 1:14 says, "The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." Almost 2,000 years ago our Father God said "No" to His only begotten Son, Jesus, so that He could say "Yes" to us. He sacrificed His Son so that we could have eternal life. Jesus pleaded with God the Father in the garden that the cup of suffering would pass from Him. But the Father denied Jesus' request so that He could redeem all of us from death, Hell, and the grave. God's mercy speaks to us and says, "I forgive you of your sin. You do not have to pay for it." God's grace says, "I will sacrifice my only begotten Son to pay for your sin." God's grace is awesome and overwhelming. Like the words to the song, "I owed a debt I could not pay - He paid a debt He did not owe." Grace took our place on the cross and was crucified.

Scriptures declare that Jesus was full of grace and truth. We still behold the glory of the grace of the Lord as it continues to work daily, bringing about salvation in every area of our lives. "Grace for grace" means that He piles one grace upon another grace. Out of His fullness and abundance He gives us one spiritual blessing after another. His grace in our lives is so amazing. Just when we think God should give up on us, He comes through with forgiveness again, and says, "If you confess your sin, I will be faithful and just to forgive your sins and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness." He says, "I will supply all your needs through Christ Jesus." It's just one unmerited thing after another, grace upon grace. Paul experienced the glory of God's grace for grace in such a manner that he declared, "I take pleasure in infirmities, reproaches, necessities, persecutions, and distresses for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then am I strong." God will bestow upon you the same grace that Paul experienced and regardless of the challenges you may face, you will find that God's grace will always be sufficient for every need (II Cor. 12:9-10). +++