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A Word In Due Season
1st Week of October 2010

10/01/10
STEPPING-STONES

Scripture: Joshua 4:7 " ... and these stones shall be a memorial."

Throughout the scriptures stones have been mentioned with great significance. They were used to mark special times, events, and places. Jacob used a stone as a pillow for his head and then the next morning he used that same stone as an altar before God. He poured oil upon the stone and worshiped God because God had visited him in the night and promised him a covenant blessing. Aaron and Hur used a great stone to support Moses when he grew tired in battle. The stone helped him to endure until the enemy was conquered. David used a simple stone to win a victory against the giant, Goliath. Joshua sets stones as a memorial on the banks of the Jordan River when the congregation of Israel passed over it on dry ground. The stones were to be a sign to their future generations of God's miraculous deliverance. Samuel set a stone at a place called Ebenezer to signify that God had helped Israel defeat their enemy. God called Moses to the mountain where He recorded the Ten Commandments on the two tablets of stone. And of course, the greatest stone that has been set in the portals of time is Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the Living God. Isaiah 28:16 declared that Jesus was "the foundation stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, and a sure foundation", and the Apostle Peter said that Jesus was "a Living Stone."

Our lives are also filled with precious stones. We may not have recognized them as stepping-stones at the time. Yet as we look back on our journey through life, we can recall special places and significant seasons where God intervened in our lives and changed our thinking and direction. We may have experienced some slippery stones and lost our footing, but found that the lessons we learned were of great benefit to our future success. Some of the stones that we have walked across have been sharp and jagged and hard to bear. They may have left cuts and bruises, but we learned to use the experience to help us be more careful the next time around. We can all agree that some of our stepping-stones in life have not been smooth. We may have even had some spiritual judgmental stones that were thrown at us a time or two. Yet regardless of our experience, the stepping-stones have always moved us forward in the journey of life.

Jesus did not allow the stone that covered His tomb to keep Him in bondage. Instead, He allowed the power of the Holy Spirit to resurrect Him and to roll the stone away. We must allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives in the same manner if we want to be free. God is sovereign and He knows the path that is ahead for us. There will be hindrances for sure, but the Lord will always guide us and give us counsel if we turn to Him for direction. How we deal with the stones that stand in our pathway will determine our destiny. They can become stumbling stones or stepping-stones. Our challenges can grind us to pieces or they can polish us, like rock against rock. It will all depend upon what we are made of. So, let our hearts be solid in our faith and trust towards God and our stepping-stones a memorial of His faithfulness in our lives. +++

Copyright © 2010 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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A Word In Due Season
2nd Week of October 2010

10/04/10
THOSE WHO FEAR THE LORD

Scripture : Psalms 25:12 (NIV) "Who is the man that fears the Lord?

When we speak of the fear of the Lord we are not talking about being afraid of Him as though He were a mean and hateful God, for the Lord is not vicious or abusive in any way. Instead, He is defined as love and all that He does is motivated by the love that is within Him. Even His correction shows His love for us. He corrects us because He hates sin and His chastisement is meant to keep us from further sin. It was because of God's great love that He made the ultimate sacrifice and sent His only begotten Son into the world to die for our sins. He paid a great price for us and that indicates that is He is for us and not against us. He does, however, set righteous standards for us. He wants us to be so full of His Holy Spirit that we emulate Him and His kingdom in the Earth and that we show forth His glory to all mankind.

When the Word speaks of the fear of the Lord, it refers to a holy reverence towards the Lord and a respect for the things that He represents. Proverbs 8:13 tells us that the fear of the Lord is to hate evil. Then it goes on to list some of the evil things that God hates, such as pride, arrogance, evil behavior, and perverse speech. If we truly fear or reverence and respect God, we too will hate the evil that He hates and we will shun the evil temptations that come against us. We will refuse to allow ourselves to be involved in evil because God's Spirit lives within us and evil is against His holy nature. And if we love Him, we will obey His commandments. Psalms 25:12-14 lists several things that belong to you when you choose to fear or reverence the Lord.

1) God will instruct you in the way that has He has chosen for you.

2) You will spend your days in prosperity.

3) Your descendants will inherit the land.

4) The Lord will confide in you and you will know His secrets.

5) The Lord will make His covenant known to you.

God is not blind, deaf or naive. He knows the ones who truly fear Him just as an earthly father knows when his own children respect and reverence him. One of the virtues of God is that He is not a man who will lie or deceive. You can depend upon every word that He has spoken. If God said it, it will come to pass. You can be assured that He is watching for those who fear Him and will reward them accordingly. +++

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10/05/10
THE GOOD OLD DAYS

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 7:10 (Living Bible) "Don't long for the 'good old days', for you don't know whether they were any better than these!"

Often we look back on life and may wish that we could return to the "good old days." We remember the times that our children's laughter filled our homes, but now they have homes and families of their own. They may even live in distant cities and we rarely get to see them. Possibly, we recall our own youth and long for the love of our mothers and fathers or loved ones, which are no longer with us. We remember a time of freedom from the tremendous burdens of responsibility of adulthood that we now face. Maybe we think of a more prosperous time or a time of better health than what we are experiencing at this current season of our lives. Whatever the case, time has a way of changing things. And regardless of our desire, there is no way to turn back the hands of time. Life goes forward.

Solomon, in all of his wisdom, instructs us not to long for the former days or to wonder why they seem so much better than today. He said it's not wise for us to look back because we don't know for sure that the former days were better than the day that we are now living in. We are to live this day to the fullest, cherish every moment, and celebrate each experience. We are to recognize that all things may not seem to be good at the moment, but that good can come from all things. This is God's promise to us. Our attitude is what makes the difference. God rewards those who trust Him and who do not murmur and complain.

In Philippians 4:11-12, Paul teaches us this same concept. He tells us to be content in all things. We are to learn how to be abased when we suffer lack and how to abound when we have plenty. We are not to long for the 'good old days' or wish for a better future day. We are to count each day as a blessing and a gift from God. God is using each day and every circumstance in our life to mold us and make us into His special vessels. We must trust Him and not look back or long for the past. God has made today for us and given us breath to experience it. It should be an adventure and we should "rejoice and be glad in it" (Psalms 118:24). +++

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10/06/10
TRANSFORMED INTO THE SAME IMAGE

Scripture: II Corinthians 3:18 "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."

When Moses was in God's presence on the mountain, his face began to shine with the glory of God. Paul said that we should have this same experience in a spiritual sense. As we behold the glory of the Lord, we should be transformed by the Holy Spirit into the very image of Christ. It is a metamorphic process such as that of the caterpillar turning into a butterfly and it comes as we understand the character of Jesus through the Word of God. The clearer we see Him, the more we are able to discern our own spiritual deficiencies and understand the changes that we need to make. It's like looking into a mirror in the natural to correct the way we look. We don't want anyone to see us in the morning until we've made some drastic changes. Some of us really start out looking like caterpillars, but by the time we are finished, we look like colorful butterflies. This is a constant process that must be repeated daily.

Paul said the same thing about our spiritual man. He used the term "beholding" to show that our process of spiritual transformation is continual. Yet, we must understand that just seeing the image of Christ through the Word does not change us. Transformation only comes when we obey the Word of God and allow it to renew our minds (Romans 12:2). James 1:23-24 says, "If any man listens to the Word without obeying it and being a doer of it, he is like a man who looks carefully at his own natural face in a mirror; for he thoughtfully observes himself, then goes off and promptly forgets what he was like." When we get away from God and His word, we forget the real picture of ourselves and how bad we appear spiritually.

In the natural, we can't see ourselves until we look into the mirror. One day I walked along the beach with a friend. I looked okay when I left, but when we returned to the beach house, my other friends began to laugh. When I looked into the mirror I could see why. Before the walk, I had sprayed my hair heavily with hair spray to keep it in place, not realizing how the humidity would affect it. The wind had blown my hair and the damp air had caused it to stick out all over my head like horns and it was a sight to behold. Even though my friends pointed and laughed, I needed a mirror to reveal to me the changes that I needed to make. God's Word is our spiritual mirror and a constant reminder of the characteristics and qualities of Christ. If we are earnest with God we will look into His word and act upon what we see. As we behold His glory, we will allow Him to make the necessary changes in our lives so that we may, by His Spirit, take on the image of Christ. +++

Copyright © 2010 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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10/07/10
LAW OF FAITH

Scripture: Romans 3:27 " ... but by the law of faith."

Laws are a system of rules and the established authority and control that are imposed by such rules. Faith is that indefinable something that causes us to believe that God is God and allows us to trust in His words. The writer of Romans declared that there is a law of faith. That law is summed up in Hebrews 11:6 which says, "Without faith it is impossible to please God: for he that comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him." Believing that "God is" and trusting His promises brings us into a spiritual rest and establishes God's authority in our spirits. This faith and trust then results in our personal obedience and action to His command.

I Timothy 3:9 speaks of the mystery of faith. Although we cannot understand nor explain how or why faith works, we know that God answers our prayers of faith and honors our trust in Him. This law of faith that God has established brings results just as any other universal law that He has set in motion. Just as we may not be able to understand or explain how the law of gravity works, we do not have to understand faith. Faith will work just the same without our understanding. If we were to try to deny or defy the law of gravity, we would find ourselves in a great deal of trouble, for what goes up will surely come down. The law of gravity has been established by the authority of God and His rules determine the results. The law of faith is as sure as the law of gravity. This mysterious law of faith declares, "Believe and you shall receive."

The working of faith is a mystery, but the results are promised. To operate within the confines of this law, God has made His rules very simple. The rule is that we must believe that He is and believe that He will reward us when we diligently seek Him. God is pleased when we put our anxieties to rest and do these two things. None of our works or religious acts create this right standing with God. Our righteousness comes only through faith in the blood of Jesus (Romans 3:25). Regardless of our needs, God's law of faith is waiting for us to make demands upon it and set in motion the forces of God's almighty power. God's hand is not too short to reach us and His provisions are not too lacking to help. He faithfully waits for us to call upon Him so that He can answer and show us great and mighty things. Speak faith filled words to God today and let Him know that you believe that He is God. Then diligently seek Him for the answers that you need and the rewards that He has promised. +++

Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus answered them saying, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart ... and your neighbor as yourself ... on these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

God has set two commands in motion for us so that we could find peace and happiness in this earth. With these two laws working together, our lives will be like a well-woven fabric that is not easily rent into pieces. One law is to love God and the other is to love our neighbor as ourselves. These are simple commands, and just as the forces of nature hold the universe together, if obeyed, the law of love working within us will hold our hearts intact and we will discover a better life because of our obedience to God's words.

This law of love that God set forth is like the builder's tools, the straight measure of a plumb line and the bubble in the level. When these two devises are in correct alignment, the item being constructed is fitly joined and able to hold together. For when both the vertical and horizontal members are squared, they are in alignment with the forces that hold the entire universe together. These forces allow a house to be able to stand and a chair to bear weight. This is the mystery of the strength of right angles. Likewise, our spiritual plumb line represents our vertical relationship with God and the bubble represents horizontal relationships with others. We cannot be right with God and wrong with people any more that we can be wrong with God and right with people. The two must be squared off and in unity if we want our lives to be in right alignment and functioning properly. If our relationship to God is not straight or our relationship to others is not level, our lives will be out of balance and headed towards destruction. In time, our lives will fall apart just like an ill constructed house that does not adhere to the laws of nature.

Consider God's words as you think about your relationship with God and others. The principles that Jesus taught indicate that we must be right with man to receive from God. He said, "Ask God to forgive your debts as your forgive your debtors." Forgiveness only comes as we forgive. We must also give to others if we want God's blessings of prosperity upon us. Jesus said, "Give and it shall be given to you ... with the measure that you give, it will be given back to you" (Luke 6:38). The prophet Isaiah tells us to deal our bread to the hungry, house the homeless, and clothe the naked, and then our light will break forth and our needs will be met (Isaiah 58). Keeping our relationship straight with those about us opens the windows of Heaven for God to minister to us. And likewise, there must be a receiving relationship from God before we can reach out and minister to others.

It is only by the anointing of the Holy Spirit that our works will bring forth fruit. Our own works accomplish nothing in themselves (Zechariah 4:6). God's word in our mouth only becomes life when His Holy Spirit breathes upon it. And our hands can only minister healing to others as God flows through us. It is only when we receive something from God that we can freely give (Matthew 10:8). If you want to find these blessings, determine to work at keeping the plumb line straight between you and God and the bubble in your relationship with others balanced and level. As you do, you will find peace surrounding you and your heart will discover a new place of rejoicing. +++

Copyright © 2010 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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A Word In Due Season
3rd Week of October 2010

10/11/10
GIFTS AND CALLING

Scripture: Exodus 31:1-4 (NRS) "The Lord spoke to Moses: See, I have called by name Bezaleel ... to devise artistic designs ..."

We recognize the name of Moses, a man who was chosen by God for a special work, which was to bring God's people out of their bondage in Egypt. This exodus and mighty deliverance was a journey that lasted forty years and everyday they experienced miracles, wonders and supernatural provisions. Yet, most of us would not recognize the name of Bezaleel who traveled with Moses and this entourage of millions of people. Because Bezaleel's name only appears a few times in the scriptures, we may think that he was insignificant, but the truth is that he was also chosen and called by God to do a special work. God not only called him but also filled him with His Spirit and gave him great wisdom, ability, and skill to construct the Tabernacle and everything that it contained. Bezaleel even made the Ark of the Covenant (Exodus 37:1). We hear much about the Ark of the Covenant, but little if any about this man who actually made it.

God was so particular with the design for the Tabernacle and the things within it that He called Bezaleel by name to make sure that he would be the one to devise the artistic designs. God chose him and then validated his call and assignment to Moses. Can you imagine how Bezaleel must have felt as he left Egypt and wandered around the wilderness? He may have thought that his artistic gift would never be used again. Yet, God had a wonderful plan for him and used him to create beautiful things to be used in worship even in the midst of the wilderness experience.

God commissions all of us for particular works and it is not our place to second-guess His choices. We may think that His gifts and calling only include the spiritual things like preaching, teaching the Bible, or being a missionary. Yet we see in this scripture that God also anoints artists for His purposes because God loves art and beauty. In fact, He paints every sunrise and sunset, which are new and fresh each day. God has gifts and callings in every category of life and He can use the least of us for His glorious purposes. We need to prepare ourselves and be willing and obedient to answer when He calls. We must not allow our current circumstances or our lack to dictate our God ordained destiny. We must understand that God is in control and that His gifts and callings are without repentance (Romans 11:29). At some point, even in the desert wilderness or place of hopelessness, God will validate our gifts before others and He will call us out by name to do the work that He has designed for us to do. +++

Copyright © 2010 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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10/12/10
PURE HEART

Scripture: Matthew 5:8 "Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God."

Purity means to be clean and free of defilement. It also means to be sincere, real, and without mixture. Jesus said that those who kept their heart in this condition would be blessed beyond measure. He even said that they would see God. That is a tremendous statement. Did He mean that they would physically see God? I am not sure, but I do know that when you keep your heart pure and disallow your thoughts to be defiled by negative influences, you will be able to spiritually see God at work all around you, whether you are experiencing good or bad situations.

God is not confined to the four walls of the church. When your heart is pure, you will see Him solving problems in the workplace, as He becomes your helper and advocate in the times of trouble. His presence will surround you when a loved one dies and you will see Him as the God of all Comfort. You will experience Him in nature, as you view a sunrise, a sunset, or a beautiful night of stars, and you will acknowledge Him as the Creator of the Heavens and Earth. The love in your heart will cause you to see Him in your children and grandchildren and you will know Him as the Giver of Life. You will encounter Him in praise and worship and His holiness will be revealed to you. He will show Himself to you as you pray and study His word. He will give you insight and revelation and you will see Him as the Word made flesh who dwells among us. These are not visible theophanies, where God makes a divine personal appearance to us, but they are real just the same.

God sees our heart and He is pleased with who we are. We don't have to struggle to be someone else or despise our own personalities. God created us just as He wanted us and we are to rest in the purity of that thought. We are who we are because He made us to be who we are. He only wants us to be sincere and keep our hearts pure before Him because we are responsible for what goes on within us. When we understand this concept, we will be blessed and will possess God's favor and win the heart of the King (Proverbs 22:11). When our hearts are pure, the Lord will open Himself up to us personally and allow us to see Him in all of His beauty and He will make Himself known to us in a divine way. +++

Copyright © 2010 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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10/13/10
PREPARING FOR GOD'S PLAN

Scripture: Hebrews 11:7 "By faith, Noah being warned of God ... prepared an ark ..."

In the book of Genesis, we find that God became very discouraged about the things that were taking place on Earth. In fact, Genesis 6:6 says, "It repented the Lord that He had made man on the Earth, and it grieved Him at His heart." For this reason, He decided to destroy man and every living creature, but a man named Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord, and God spared him and his household from the flood.

When God chose Noah, He chose a man that walked with Him and a man who was just and blameless among the people of his time. Noah was also a man that dared to be different. He followed God when it didn't make any sense. He didn't worry about what other men thought about him as he made provision to build a huge ark, hundreds of miles from the water. Noah boldly spoke God's words and warned of a flood that would come even though rain had never fallen before upon the land. He obediently cooperated with God's plan. God said, "This is what I want you to do and this is the way I want you to do it." God gave every measurement and provided every detail, and Noah did all things according to God's instructions without question. It took Noah 120 years to prepare for God's plan, but he persevered until the ark was finished.

Noah was not just involved, he was fully committed to God's plan. It made no difference to him whether he understood everything or not. He had a reverential fear of God and was determine to be prepared for God's great plan. There were no gray areas in Noah's faith. It didn't matter to him how long it took or how old he became, he just continued to prepare for the destiny that was set before him. He trusted God in all things. God is still looking for that characteristic in men today and when God finds that kind of commitment, He commissions a work. He takes ordinary people and does extra ordinary things in and through their lives. When God imparts His hopes and desires into our hearts, they are designed to complete His purposes. Like Noah, we must dedicate ourselves to prepare for the destiny that is set before us. For when the moment arrives, God can only use those who have taken the time to prepare. +++

The Word of God gives us clear instructions about keeping our hearts and minds at peace. It tells us that if we would pray about everything that the peace of God would prevail in our lives (Vs. 6-7). The secret of peace is having faith in a faithful God, yet we find this difficult at times. It seems that we can exercise more faith in the natural things than in the Almighty God who created them. For example, we place more faith in the postal system than we do in our own prayers to God. We mail precious documents, checks, and sometimes even cash with great faith. We put these items in a paper envelope, which is not very secure and place a stamp on the outside that is worth only a few cents. We then put the envelope in the mail and totally commit our unguarded letter to the postal service. It may change hands hundreds of times as it travels thousands of miles across the nation or around the world. Yet, rarely do we consider that it may not arrive at its destination still intact. We have used the system so often that we assume that it will not fail.

God wants us to develop this same kind of faith in Him and to know that He hears and answers our prayers. We must come to the understanding that even though prayer is a mighty force, it is still as simple as mailing a letter. When the requirements are met and the prayer is released, we can expect it to reach its destination and bring results. It may take some time as God works on our behalf, but we are not to give up or to think that He never received our petition. God set up this system called prayer and He is well able to oversee it. We just need to believe that God hears us when we pray and that prayer brings results.

When we pray, we must exercise faith for our necessities and believe that we will be delivered from every adverse situation. We are to cast every care upon the Lord, once and for all, and expect Him to answer. A peace that passes all understanding will come to us when we make our request known unto God because when we share with Him, He becomes our partner. He truly does care for us and we are not to be anxious about anything. Worry is forbidden by our Loving Heavenly Father and reaps no benefits, but a prayer spoken to Him in faith brings results and ushers in peace. +++

Copyright © 2010 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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10/15/10
BENEFITS OF GOD

Scripture: Psalms 103:2 "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits."

Man is a three part being. He lives in a body, which houses his soul and spirit. His body is his sense-consciousness, meaning it uses the five senses and relates to the material world. The body's function is to see, hear, taste, feel, and smell. The soul of man is the self-consciousness and is comprised of the mind, will, intellect, and emotions and its function is to think, make choices, and express feelings. The soul links the body to the spirit. The spirit of man is the highest part by which we have God-consciousness and is the part of man that is able to comprehend God, commune with God, and worship Him. Andrew Murray said, "God dwells in the spirit; self dwells in the soul; and sense dwells in the body."

In this Psalm, David speaks to his soul or that part of his being that links his body with his spirit. He tells his mind, will, intellect, and emotions to remember God and all of His benefits. In so doing, he encourages himself in the spiritual realm. We find David doing this throughout the scriptures. When he found himself in discouraging places in the natural, he would speak to his soul until he was renewed in his spirit. In this particular psalm, David listed some of the benefits of God and told his soul to remember them and bless God for them. I encourage you to meditate on these benefits and SPEAK THEM ALOUD to your own soul. As you do, you will find that your spirit will be renewed and your faith will begin to rise as you hear your mouth speaking God's word. (Psalm 103 - Paraphrased for clearer understanding.)

1) God forgives all my sins - vs. 3
2) God heals all my diseases - vs. 3
3) God redeems my life from destruction - vs. 4
4) God crowns me with loving kindness - vs. 4
5) God crowns me with tender mercies - vs. 4
6) God satisfies me with good things - vs. 5
7) God renews my youth as the eagle - vs. 5
8) God judges me righteously when I am oppressed
by the enemy - vs. 6
9) God will show His ways to me - vs. 7
10) God will show His acts to me - vs. 7
11) God is gracious to me - vs. 8
12) God is patient and slow to anger with me - vs. 8
13) God has plenty of mercy towards me - vs. 8
14) God reproves me temporarily - vs. 9
15) God's anger passes and He does not stay mad at me - vs. 9
16) God does not punish me according to what I deserve - vs.10
17) God removes my sins as far as the east is from the west - vs. 12
18) God pities me like a father because I fear Him - vs. 13
19) God remembers that I am only human - vs. 14
20) God has numbered my days on this earth and He causes me
to flourish as a flower - vs. 15
21) God has eternal mercy towards me because I fear Him - vs. 17
22) God shows righteousness to my children and grandchildren - vs. 17
23) God shows His righteousness to me because I obey His
commandments - vs. 18
24) God's throne is in the heaven and He is in control - vs. 19
25) God's kingdom rules over me on this earth - vs. 19
26) God's angels excel in strength and hearken to His word to
minister to me - vs. 20-21 +++

A Word In Due Season
4th Week of October 2010

10/18/10
PUT ON THE NEW MAN

Scripture: Revelation 1:5 "Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood."

We can do nothing to wash our sins away except to "confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead" (Romans 10:9). However, once we have been washed in His precious blood there are things that we can do to stay clean.

Can you imagine putting your dirty clothes back on after you have taken a refreshing shower? The dirty clothes would cause you to still look and feel unclean. The Apostle Paul tells us that if we have been born again, we are a new person. We have been raised to new life through Christ Jesus and we are to set our minds on the things above and think differently. Once cleansed by the blood of Jesus, we are not to go back and put on the old filthy deeds that oppose the will of God in our lives. Paul lists these deeds in Colossians 3:8-9 and says, "Put away and get rid of all the old ways such as anger, rage, bad feelings toward others, curses and slander, foul mouthed abuse, and shameful utterances. Do not lie to one another, for you have stripped off the old unregenerate self with its evil practices." We are not to even consider putting these things back into our cleansed lives. Putting dirty deeds over a cleansed heart would be like putting dirty clothes over a cleansed body. The unclean sinful ways destroy our witness and testimony for Christ because people are not able to discern that we have been born again. Our outward sinful and unclean nature hides our cleansed and reborn spirit.

We are to put on the new man, or to "clothe ourselves with the new spiritual self ... after the image and likeness of God" (Colossians 3:10). The next few verses tell us what our new spiritual clothes are to be. We are to put on behavior that is marked by tenderhearted pity and mercy. We are to be kind, gentle, and patience. We are also to be long suffering and have the power to endure whatever comes, with a good temper. We are to have a lowly opinion of ourselves and be ready to pardon and forgive others as Christ forgave us. Above all, we must "put on love...and let the peace of God rule in our hearts." The Apostle Paul speaks the same message in Ephesians 4:22-32. He says that WE are to put off our former nature and old self, and WE are to put on the new nature that has been created in God's image. Jesus redeemed and washed us on the inside with His blood but we are the ones who have to decide to put on the new nature that has been provided for us. +++

Copyright © 2010 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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10/19/10
FLOURISHING IN GOD

Scripture: Psalms 92:13 "Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God."

Trees that are planted and stay planted grow and flourish. The tree itself grows stronger and taller as its roots take hold, make their home in the soil, and spread in every direction. Its height grows in proportion to its root system which gives it the life support, stability, and the security that it needs. However, if the tree were to be moved around every other season, the instability would hinder its growth, for it would never be able to take root nor to bear fruit.

In this psalm that was written as a Song for the Sabbath Day, the psalmist emphasized that God's people are like trees. We need to be planted in the house of the Lord and we need to stay planted. If we are going to grow properly, we need to be nourished on a regular basis. Therefore, God gives us anointed pastors and ministers who give us balanced nourishment. When we stay under their covering, God honors our faithfulness and causes them to minister to our every need. As we find this place where we belong, we begin to flourish. Not only do our own leaves become green because we are being fed, but the nourishment we receive causes us to also bear fruit for others.

In verse twelve, one of the trees that this psalmist compared the righteous to was a palm tree. Some of the characteristics of the palm tree are that it grows from within and has 200 uses. It has deep roots, is always green, and doesn't grow wild. It is able to sustain seasons of drought without wilting. It also bends gracefully with the winds of the storms and does not break under the pressure. What a wonderful analogy of those who choose to be planted in the house of God. We should never allow the devil to distract us but should base our choice on God's call and allow Him the privilege of planting us where He wants us to be. Like the palm tree, when we are in the place where we belong and where God wants us to be, we will flourish. +++

Copyright © 2010 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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10/20/10
DEALING WITH OUR OWN SHORTCOMINGS

Scripture: Matthew 7:3 "Why worry about the mote or speck in the eye of a brother when you have a beam or a board in your own?"

As I read this scripture, I was reminded of a time when I was judging another brother in the church. The matter was so important at the time, but now I can't even remember what it was about. One night I went to bed praying that God would correct this man and show him his faults. The next morning, my son told me that he had a dream about me. My son had no idea about the struggle that was going on within my heart. As he related his dream to me he said that there was a huge pile of railroad ties stacked in our front yard. I was trying to move them, one by one, to the back yard so that they couldn't be seen. I didn't want to get rid of them; I just didn't want anyone else to know that I had them. As I carried each one to the back yard, I had to go around the corner of the house. Unfortunately, each time I tried to get though the narrow passage, I would knock some of the bricks off of the side of the house. I was doing a lot of damage to my house trying to hide the beams.

Of course, my son had no idea what the dream meant, but I immediately recognized that it had to do with my attitude towards my brother in Christ. I was judging him for something that was smaller than the critical spirit that I was harboring in my own heart and also trying to hide from the world. As I heard this dream, God immediately spoke this scripture to me. Jesus said, it's so easy for us to pick out the faults in other's lives and disregard our own faults. We look for the smallest particle of dust, and when we find it, we judge it, gossip about it, and often sow discord trying to correct it. We fail to realize that we will be judged with the same judgment that we judge others. In reality, when we are critical and judge others, we are destroying ourselves just as I was destroying my own home in the dream when I tried to hide the railroad beams in the back yard.

We must come to realize that when we harbor a critical spirit, we damage ourselves physically, mentally, and emotionally. We knock the bricks of our life out, one by one. This doesn't mean that we are not to use Godly discretion and discernment, for we are instructed to know others by their fruit. But, we are to consider ourselves and understand that our first mission from God is to get the board out of our own eye so that we can see. When our hearts are made pure and the negative beams are destroyed, Jesus will be able to use us to help others with their problems and to show them how to get rid of the "specks" that are in their lives. Then as we approach them with love instead of condemnation, we will truly be able to minister to them. +++

Copyright © 2010 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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10/21/10
DREAMS WORTH LAUGHING AT

Scripture: Genesis 18:14 "Is there any thing too hard for the Lord?"

God told Abraham and Sarah that they would have a son in their old age and both of them laughed when they heard the news. If God were telling the truth, this meant that Abraham would be 100 years old and Sarah would be 90 when the child was born. This news seemed too good to be true. God responded to their laughter by saying, "Is there anything too hard for the Lord?" Their natural situation had become impossible for them to have children, but "the things which are impossible with men are possible with God" (Luke 10:27). Abraham and Sarah were not dealing with medical science but with the almighty God who had created all life. If this miracle working God had made Adam from the dust of the earth and then created Eve from Adam's rib, surely He could perform a miracle for them. For nothing is too hard for God.

God also asked Jeremiah the same question that He asked Abraham, "Is there anything too hard for Me?" Jeremiah declared, "Behold, You have made the heaven and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You" (Jeremiah 32:17, 27). If we could just believe like Jeremiah that "nothing is too hard for God" and expect miracles from Him, we would see great and mighty things happen in our lives. However, we often look at the promises of God's Word and then look at our difficult situations and feel that the promises are impossible for us to obtain.

Big dreams will not come to pass in the natural unless they are envisioned in the spirit. God desires to plant a dream and a vision in your heart that is so big, that like Abraham and Sarah's promise, it's worth laughing at. God wants you to attempt something so great that unless He intervenes, it is bound to fail. Give God something to work with. Dream a big dream and hold on to it. Remember that nothing is too hard for God if we believe in Him, for God deals with impossibilities. +++

Copyright © 2010 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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10/22/10
SOWING AND REAPING

Scripture: Galatians 6:7 "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man sows, that shall he reap."

In both the natural and the spiritual realm, the principle of sowing and reaping is very simple and there are at least three basic laws that are in operation. First, you reap what you sow. If you put a bean seed in the ground, you will reap beans. If you plant potatoes, you will harvest potatoes. You can't plant peas and expect to reap corn. It just doesn't work that way. God established this law in the beginning when He said, "Let it bring forth after it's kind." You will always reap whatever you sow.

Second, you reap more than you sow. Sowing operates exponentially. God didn't tell the seed to double, He told it to multiply and bring forth. It only takes one small kernel of corn the size of the end of your smallest finger to produce an eight-foot stalk with twelve to fifteen ears of corn on each stalk. Each ear of corn contains hundreds of kernels, which have the same ability to reproduce themselves after their own kind.

Finally, the third law of sowing and reaping is that you sow now and then you reap later. There is a long season or period of time between sowing and reaping. During this silent time, it appears that nothing is happening. You must extend your faith for the harvest because you cannot see the changes that are occurring below the surface. Yet as the seed dies in the obscure darkness, it begins to produce life again, which will eventually lead to fruition.

George Washington Carver said:

"How far you go in life depends on your being
Tender with the young,
Compassionate with the aged,
Sympathetic with the striving,
And tolerant of the weak and the strong
Because someday you will have been all of these."

Mr. Carver was in essence saying, "Be careful how you live your life." Job 4:8 says that if you sow wickedness, you will reap the same. Hosea 10:2 also says if you sow righteousness, you will reap mercy. Like the natural seeds, God also established boundaries in the spiritual. You'll never reap mercy if you sow wickedness. You may get by with something for a while, not realizing that you are in a time of silent grace. God is very patient and will wait for your response of repentance. However, do not be deceived. There will always be seedtime and harvest, and your season to reap will eventually come. Both sin and righteousness have consequences and rewards so be very careful of the seeds that you sow, for they will produce fruit after their kind. +++

A Word In Due Season
5th Week of October 2010

10/25/10
FAVOR AND PROSPERITY

Scripture: Genesis 39:3 "And the Lord was with Joseph and he was a prosperous man."

Life was not always easy or fair for Joseph. Many times he had to go back to square one and start over again. Yet regardless of where Joseph found himself, those about him recognized that the Lord was with him, and he always found grace and favor in their sight. Joseph prospered even though he faced many negative circumstances on his journey from the pit to the palace. He probably experienced discouragement, but he never gave up or quit because he had tremendous faith in God. There was a quiet sense of destiny in Joseph's heart because God had given him great dreams. However, God tested the motives of Joseph's heart before allowing those dreams to come to pass. He trained Joseph for this very special place by putting him into various and adverse situations. God then observed Joseph's responses to those conflicts. Psalms 105:19 tells us that "Until the time that God's word came to pass in Joseph's life, the word of the Lord tried him."

When Joseph went through these trials and tests, he chose to let these hard places push him towards God, not away from God. He refused to allow bitterness, anger, and resentment to rule his life. Instead, Joseph maintained a good attitude, lived a lifestyle of forgiveness, and worked hard. He understood the process, or the exchange of life. The exchange of life means that what you put into life is what you will get out of it. Even though he was imprisoned and tested for about sixteen years, Joseph wasted nothing. He worked hard and made the most of each moment, and even in prison, favor and prosperity came to him.

You too can translate your dreams into reality, although they may seem vague right now. You may feel that time and opportunity has passed you by. Like Joseph, your life may not have been easy and you may have been treated unfairly. You may have been rejected by your family and may have been emotionally imprisoned without cause. Now, you must choose whether to stay in this pit or proceed towards the palace. You are the only one who can make the exchange of life for yourself. You must believe that this is your time for favor and prosperity. Whichever path you choose, you will reap what you sow. To reach the destiny that God has for you, you must continue to sow in faith. Through it all, you must trust God to cause all things to work together for good. Like Joseph, you must do all that your hands find to do and do it as unto the Lord. In time, God will cause His word to come to pass in your life and you will reap favor and prosperity. +++

Copyright © 2010 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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10/26/10
GUARD YOUR HEART

Proverbs 4:23 "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life."

We all have material things that we treasure and try to protect. Even though our personal belongings may be sparse and worthless in the eyes of others, we still lock them up when we leave our homes.  We would never allow an intruder to come into our presence and take our possessions from us or allow our acquaintances to abuse them. As meager as our "stuff" is, it is important to our livelihood, so we guard it, maintain it, and try to preserve it as much as possible. Even though we trust God, we try to be cautious.

Likewise, in the spiritual, we are to trust God but we are also supposed to guard our own hearts. There are two sides to guarding and protecting your heart. First, it is very important to be careful about the things that you allow to come into your heart. You are to guard your heart against any intruding thoughts that the devil would plan against you. The things you hear, see, read, or think about in your mind eventually make their way to your heart and begin to fashion your inner spirit. Romans 12:2 confirms this. It says that you either conform to this world, or you are transformed by the renewing of your mind through God's word. You make the choice.  Solomon said, "Pay attention and listen closely to the words of God's wisdom" (Proverbs 20:4).

Second, it is important to be careful to protect the things that God imparts to you. You must not allow the devil to steal them out of your heart. Solomon said, "Don't let God's word out of your sight.  Keep it in your heart." You keep it by guarding it. Just as you would hide your valuables or lock them up in a safe place, you must do the same with God's word, so that it will be there when you need it. God's word is a treasure that needs to be protected, for He declared that His words are a wellspring of life and health.

John 10:10 says, "The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy, but Jesus came that we may have life, and have it to the full." You must understand the strategies and motives of the devil, for he will attempt to force God's word out of your heart. No wonder Solomon, the wisest man of his time, said, "Guard your heart."  Solomon understood that the heart is the center of everything that you are and everything you hope to be. It is your wellspring of life. +++

Copyright © 2010 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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10/27/10
GOD'S TIMING

Scripture: Luke 5:5 "At thy word I will let down the net."

Jesus told His disciples to launch out into the deep water and to let down their nets, and then they would catch a lot of fish. Peter's response was similar to what ours would be in this situation. He said, "Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing."  Peter was saying, "But Jesus, you just don't understand the situation." Peter was a fisherman by trade and he knew how to fish. He knew when to fish and he also knew when not to fish. They had just come from the lake and the fish were not biting. He was trying to tell Jesus, the carpenter, that this was not a good time to fish. In essence He was saying, "Jesus, you can do carpenter work anytime. The hammer, saws, and nails will always work with the wood, but in the fishing trade you have to have the cooperation of the fish. We have fished all night long and this just isn't a good time to fish."

Although Peter and his partners were exhausted, they did not ask if they could go home and rest a few hours. They just responded to Jesus even though it meant that they would have to clean their nets again when they finished, regardless of whether they caught any fish or not.  And although the timing seemed against his better judgment as a fisherman, Peter submitted himself to the Lord and said, "Nevertheless at Thy word I will let down the net." Had they postponed God's timing, they may have missed their miracle altogether.  But when they acted upon Jesus' word, they gathered a multitude of fish so great that their nets began to break and they had to ask the boats that were surrounding them for help.

Jesus gave Peter and his men a direct word with a promise. He said, "Let down your nets for a large catch of fish." When Jesus spoke these words, He meant exactly what He said. Peter and his men were to expect a great haul of fish. Like this story, when God tells us to do something, He means what He says and will stand behind each and every word. His word to us will always be productive and effective, and will accomplish His purposes. Yet, He will only fulfill His promise when we submit to Him. We must obey and not lean upon our own understanding, realizing that His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. When the Lord speaks, we must act and not wait until it is more convenient, for His timing is just as important as His calling. +++

Copyright © 2010 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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10/28/10
VOICE OF THE CONSCIENCE

Scripture: John 8:9 "... being convicted by their own conscience."

Our conscience is the voice of our spirit and it bears witness with our decisions (Romans 2:15). It will speak out, either condemning or approving our thoughts and actions, depending upon our sense of right and wrong. The old saying, "Let your conscience be your guide" sounds good, but if you plan to follow your conscience, you must make sure that it is not seared, desensitized, and defiled. To be a worthy guide, your conscience must be yielded to the Holy Spirit and trained according to God's laws and moral standards.
I Timothy 4:2 speaks of those who have had their "conscience seared with a hot iron." When something has been seared or cauterized, there is no feeling. A seared conscience doesn't happen suddenly, but is the result of a gradual process like the effects that occur to your tongue when you drink very hot coffee. The first time you drink it, your tongue is burned because of the extreme heat, and it loses some of its feeling. The second time you feel even less of a burn. As this process continues, eventually you don't feel the heat at all when you drink the hot liquid. Without your realization, your tongue has become totally desensitized to the heat.

This same situation happens within our spirit when we disregard the voice of our conscience. The first time we rebel against God's Word and Spirit, we feel much guilt and shame and cry out for mercy and forgiveness. The second time, we feel less remorse. When the next opportunity comes, if we haven't totally repented and surrendered our lives and hearts to follow after God, we will allow ourselves to fall back and give into the same temptation. Ephesians 4:18-19 tells us that our moral understanding becomes darkened and our reasoning becomes clouded. This happens because of ignorance and willful blindness due to the hardness of our heart and the insensitiveness of our moral nature. In our spiritual apathy, our spirit has been seared, and we have become callous and past feeling. None of us want to get to this place, but it happens gradually, one step at a time.

As we think about this word, we must make a daily and deliberate decision not to engage in any actions that would sear our conscience. We must walk in truth and keep ourselves tender before God so that we will be sensitive to Him and be able to respond to the conviction of His Holy Spirit in all things. +++