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A Word In Due Season
1st Week of April 2011

04/01/11
THINGS THAT BELONG TO PEACE

Scripture: Luke 19:42 "If you had known ... the things which belong unto your peace."

Jesus wept over the people and He desired that they come to know the things that pertained to their peace. Who would know better about peace than Jesus, for He is the Prince of Peace? The words of the Lord are so powerful. In fact, they are sharper than a two-edged sword. Just one phrase or one sentence from His lips can speak peace to our storm, drive away our darkness, and turn our lives around. We can learn a great truth from these simple words that speak to us even today, which is to "know the things that belong to our peace."

Jesus came to give all of us peace, but receiving His peace is an individual and personal issue. There are some spiritual things that we need to know to have peace in our hearts and soul, but there are also some natural things that we need to understand and then do so that we may obtain peace. In the spiritual realm, we must first receive Jesus into our lives as Lord and Savior, for without that security, we will never have true peace. The knowledge of our salvation settles the question of who we are, who we belong to, and where we will spend our eternity. Peace will also be ours when we spiritually cast all of our cares upon the Lord and allow Him to carry our burdens for us. To continue in peace, we need to confess our sins daily and allow the Holy Spirit to wash us with the water of God's word, for forgiveness generates peace. We also need to keep ourselves from worrying about the future. Instead of allowing anxiety to torment our minds, we must rest in God's promises and believe that He will take care of all of our needs.

On the other side of the coin, if we want to have peace we must also deal with things in the natural. For different people, it may mean different things. Many lose their peace when they are surrounded by clutter because they find it hard to concentrate or can't find things when they are needed because they are not in their proper place. Simply misplacing your keys can steal your peace. It causes you to be late and makes you have to rush in order to make up for lost time. Neglecting to pay your bills on time can hinder your peace because this habit brings undue stress into your life. It steals your finances through late fees and forces you to deal with collection agencies. This is not to mention the havoc that is caused by the worse case scenarios when the bill is so delinquent that the water or lights are turned off. Then too, simply not eating right or getting enough rest can hinder your peace because you will become agitated when your physical body is suffering from lack of care. If you do not obey the laws of the land a multitude of problems can occur that will steal your peace. Being at odds with your friends and family will create tension that will destroy your peace, and engaging yourself in battles that do not have eternal value will frustrate you and drain you of your peace. Sometimes, you must stay quiet and allow God to fight for you if you want to keep your peace.

Ask God to help you to recognize the things that will bring peace into your own life. When you know what creates peace for you, then make yourself available for change. God will be there to help in the spiritual, but you will have to deal with the physical. The Lord will not pay your bills, clean up your clutter, exercise for you, or force you to obey the laws of the land. You will have to do your part and deal with the natural things, and then God will be faithful to do His part. Jesus has already paid the price for your personal peace. He said, "My peace, I leave with you." It is not a peace like the world gives but a peace that passes all understanding. His peace is a great gift, so come to know the things that belong to your peace and allow Jesus, the Prince of Peace, to rule over you. +++

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A Word In Due Season
2nd Week of April 2011

04/04/11
REPENTANCE & OBEDIENCE

Scripture: Matthew 21:28-31 Jesus said, "What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He came to the first and said, Son, go and work today in the vineyard. And he answered, I will not; but afterward he repented and changed his mind and went. Then the man came to the second son and said the same thing, and he replied, I will go, sir; but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of the father? They replied the first one."

Doing God's will is simply walking in obedience one step at a time. It is starting at the point where we are when the Lord speaks and following Him wherever He may lead. It is a simple matter of putting our foot into His footprint along the pathway of life. There are times, however, in all of our lives that we fail to do God's will either because of rebellion, compromise, or simple neglect. When we find ourselves in these places we need to call out to the Lord for help, be quick to repent, acknowledge our fault and sin, and search for the will of the Father.

When my oldest son was about three years old, he was playing in the yard. We lived in a safe neighborhood and the yard was enclosed with a cyclone fence. There was no way that he could unlock the gate and get out so I felt that he was very safe. I needed to go into the house for just a few minutes so I told him not to climb the fence. A few minutes later, I heard him calling from the yard. His cry was loud, but not frightening. I immediately went out to find him hanging on the fence. The hood of his winter jacket was ensnared in the wires at the top of the fence and he was hanging there like a picture on a wall. He was not hurt or even uncomfortable, just stuck in a situation that he had created. There was no way that he could help himself get out of this dilemma. I asked him if he had climbed the fence against my word and He said, "No, Mommy. Just get me down." He knew that I still loved him and that I was able to fix this situation for him. I asked him this question several times and each time he denied that it was his fault. Finally, he realized that his denial was not helping the situation and that he was not getting off of the fence until he repented and promised never to do it again.

I laugh today as I remember this episode and wonder how many times do we find ourselves in a similar predicament. We fail to obey God and find ourselves hanging on a fence. We know that we've stepped out of God's will and He knows it too. Yet, we try to deny that we have made a mistake or that we have sinned. We just want God to fix the situation for us and get us down from the fence. Like my love for my own son, God's love is still there for us and He wants to fix everything in our lives that concern us. He is well able to get us down from the fence, but He waits for us to repent. He wants us to promise that we will not repeat the wrong action or that we will do those things that we have neglected. Take note of your situation. Are you hanging on the fence of rebellion or indecision? If you are struggling with doing the will of the Father, confess your unfaithfulness to Him. He will forgive and cleanse you from all unrighteousness (I John 1:9.), and He will deliver and set you free to fulfill His will. +++

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04/05/11
PRAYER MOVES GOD

Scripture: Genesis 19:29 (Living Bible) "So God heeded Abraham's plea and kept Lot safe, removing him from the maelstrom of death that engulfed the cities."

We serve an awesome God who, even though He holds all power and authority in His hands, still listens to our voices and responds to our intercessions. It's an incredible thought that we can change the heart of the almighty God by our simple words.

In the eighteenth chapter of Genesis, Abraham conversed with God concerning the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah who were utterly evil. God was planning to destroy the entire city, but Abraham pleaded with God not to destroy the godly with the wicked. He even challenged God by saying, "Far be it from You to do such a thing - to kill the righteous with the wicked." Abraham then reminded God that as the Judge of all the earth, He must remain fair and do right. When God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, He remembered Abraham's words and yielded to his intercessions. God spared the lives of Lot and Lot's daughters by sending them out of the city.

Abraham's intercession was simple but effective. He simply reminded God of who God was and then asked Him to regard the righteous that were in the wicked city. There are many people in our lives who need our prayers. For one reason or another, they are in the wrong place at the wrong time. They are walking in darkness and don't even realize that they are being deceived. Even though we feel that they are on the edge of impending danger, there is nothing that we can say in the natural to change their minds. Our counsel is of no effect and our only recourse is to follow Abraham's example and intercede for them. Our prayers may be their only hope. Who knows, but that God would heed our prayers and keep them safe by removing them from their present danger.

Ezekiel 22:30 tells us that God seeks for a man to make up the hedge and stand in the gap for the land. We have a responsibility and God is depending upon us to pray and intercede for His people and the unsaved world. God heeded Abraham's plea and He has made a promise to do the same for you. It has been said that "God moves the mountains, but prayer moves God." +++

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04/06/11
STRENGTH FOR THE INNER MAN

Scripture: Ephesians 3:14 & 16 "I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ ... that He would grant you according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man."

The Apostle Paul was in prison when he wrote these words. Yet he was not concerned with his own problems and discontent. Instead, he was concerned for the needs of the body of Christ. Because of these concerns, he bowed his knee and prayed this prayer for the Church that their inner man would be strengthened with might, power, and ability. This can only happen by the work of the Holy Spirit as He comes to dwell in our innermost being and personality.

Paul continued to pray in the next few verses that Christ would actually dwell in our hearts by our faith. When Jesus dwells in our hearts, He settles down, abides, and makes His permanent home there. He is not just an overnight guest, but is there to stay. And like any natural situation, the longer we live with Him and are exposed to His person, the more like Him we become. We gradually begin to take on His attributes and characteristics. His strength becomes our strength and we become rooted and grounded in His love because He is love. The deeper our roots grow in His love, the more secure we become in Him. Paul prayed that we would have the power to comprehend the breadth, length, height, and depth of this love. The love of Jesus comes as we live with Him and experience Him on a daily basis. It passes mere knowledge that has no experience. You may have had an experience in your life where you just knew that you could live with a particular individual, but as you began to live with that close friend or relative, the relationship proved the truth. You either bonded in love or separated in disharmony.

Paul's prayer for us is that our hearts bond with God and that our spirits be filled with His being. He desires that we be filled with God's glory, for we are designed for divine purposes. God is able to do far more than we can ask or think, but He only works according to the power that is working within us. If we want to become all that God intended for us to be, we must allow Him to strengthen our inner man. We must make an effort to know and experience the fullness of the divine Presence of God Himself. +++

Copyright © 2011 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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04/07/11
WAIT PATIENTLY

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

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

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

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

Copyright © 2011 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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04/08/11
CONTINUE TO MINISTER

Scripture: Mark 6:6 "And Jesus marveled because of their unbelief. And He went round about the villages, teaching."

Jesus had traveled the countryside, healing the sick, delivering the oppressed from evil spirits, and performing other miracles for the multitudes. His fame had spread throughout the entire region. When Jesus returned to His own country, He went to the synagogue and began to teach the people. The people who heard Him were astonished at His wisdom and wondered where He had received it. They had also heard about all of the miracles that He had preformed and marveled at the mighty works that He had done. Yet, they were offended at Jesus because they knew Him as the natural son of Joseph who was a carpenter and his wife, Mary. Their limited faith would not allow them to believe that He was the Son of God. Because they did not honor Jesus or have faith in Him, He could not do any mighty works in their midst. He was only able to heal a few sick people by laying His hands on them (Mark 6:5).

To me, being able to heal a few sick people is still a mighty miracle that is beyond human ability. Yet, Jesus could have done so much more in their midst if they had just given Him honor and believed in Him. Jesus marveled at the people's unbelief but He understood that a prophet was without honor in his own country, amongst his own kin, and in his own house (Verse 4). Jesus did not allow this setback to stop His mission, but continued to go throughout the villages and teach. He could have become discouraged and thought that His season to minister was over. He could have believed that God, the Father, had lifted the anointing from His life and that He no longer had power to do miracles. Many things could have raced through His mind in this disappointing hour, but Jesus didn't give in to those thoughts or allow the people's lack of faith to control His own destiny. He just kept doing the will of the Father.

I believe that the Holy Spirit shared this story with us as an example to keep us from being discouraged. If the lack of faith on people's part could affect Jesus' ministry, it can surely affect ours. There will be seasons in all of our lives when we are limited by the faith of others. We can share the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ with others, but we can't force faith into their hearts. We can witness to them about healing, but we can't make them believe. We can show them the way to deliverance from their addictions, but we can't lay down bad habits for them. We can teach them how to believe God for their provisions, but we can't receive their blessings for them. We are just as limited as Jesus was when He ministered. The people that we minister to must exert their own faith in order to receive. They may not want to receive our words of hope, for like the crowds who listened to Jesus, they recognize us as just a family member or a common acquaintance.

We must not get discouraged when we have done all that we could do, and said all that we could say, and there has been no positive response, for we are not responsibility for the spiritual heartbeat of others. We are only responsible to God. When everything seems to have failed and we see unbelief all around us, we must do as Jesus did and that is to continue to minister as God has called us to do. +++

Copyright © 2011 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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A Word In Due Season
3rd Week of April 2011

04/11/11
A DECEITFUL BROOK

Scripture: Jeremiah 15:18 (Amplified) "Will you indeed be to me as a deceitful brook, like waters that fail and are uncertain?"

Jeremiah was a man who found great joy in the word of God. He loved God and God's powerful hand was upon him, yet, he found himself in a very perplexing situation. For the Lord's sake, he was suffering reproach at the hands of his enemies. In Jeremiah's anguish, he began to think that God had utterly failed him and had possibly lied to him. Jeremiah couldn't understand why he continued in his pain and why his wounds refused to be healed. When he spoke to God, he compared his situation to a thirsty traveler who is excited when he finds a brook but becomes disappointed when he discovers that the brook has actually dried up.

Have you ever come to this place in your journey through life? You find joy in God's word and you trust in His promises. You set your soul to believe for an answer to your prayers; healing for yourself or someone you love, restoration of a relationship, or financial prosperity. But when the answer is delayed, your faith wavers and you begin to wonder if you are believing in a deceitful brook. Your mind tells you that you must have misunderstood God, and you begin to doubt His power and faithfulness.

Listen to God's answer to Jeremiah's question and apply it to your own life. God says, "If you will return and give up this mistaken tone of distrust and despair, then I will give you again a settled place of quiet and safety" (Verse 19). God also told Jeremiah, "You have to separate yourself from the vile things that are in your heart and cleanse your own heart from unworthy suspicions concerning God's faithfulness." God made Jeremiah accountable for the doubt and unbelief that was in his heart.

If the promise from God that you have believed in seems to be turning into a deceitful brook, you need to remember that Numbers 23:19 tells us that "God is not a man that He should lie; neither the son of man that He should repent. If God has spoken it, it will come to pass." God is never deceitful, so rejoice in His word and turn from your distrust and despair. Separate yourself from doubt and believe in Him. God rewards those who diligently seek Him and when you trust in Him, He will create water for your dry brook and streams for your deserts. +++

Copyright © 2011 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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04/12/11
THE PLACE OF REST

Scripture: Hebrews 3:10-11 "They always go astray in their hearts, and have not known My ways. In My anger I swore, 'They shall not enter My rest.'"

God promised the Israelites a good and prosperous land that flowed with milk and honey. He never said that this place would come easy or that there would be no battles. This prosperous land that God was offering them had to be possessed by faith. It was a sure gift, yet they never entered the Promised Land. The results of their defeat were not because the battles were too great, but because their faith was too small. They mixed God's word with murmuring, complaining, and unbelief instead of mixing it with faith and obedience.

Faith is not something that you struggle with or work up in the natural. It comes by supernatural impartation by the Holy Spirit as God speaks to your spirit. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. However, many times you may have to face your own limitations and be real with God. Like the man in Mark 9:24 who requested prayer and deliverance for his demon possessed son, you may have to tell God, "I believe, but please help my unbelief." God is understanding and He will always be faithful to meet you at your point of faith.

All of God's promises to us rest in our faith and obedience to His word. He shows us the concept of faith in a natural seed. You must let go completely when you plant a seed into the ground, leaving it there to rest for a long and dark season. You can't dig it up and analyze it every day to see if anything is happening. You have to cease from your own efforts, rest, and trust God to finish the work. You cannot bring life to the seed. Only a miracle can regenerate that seed and cause it to grow. Your only responsibility is to plant the seed in faith and wait expectantly for the harvest. God will work underneath the surface and in the darkness of the situation to bring life to the seemingly dead and hopeless seed. So it is with true faith. When true faith is planted in God, it will cease from anxiety and will enter a place of rest until God brings forth fruit and life. +++

Copyright © 2011 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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04/13/11
WALKING IN INTEGRITY

Scripture: Psalms 26:11 "But as for me, I will walk in my integrity."

Many words come to mind when we think of the word 'integrity' such as soundness, honesty, and an adherence to standards and values. Webster's dictionary defines integrity in the same manner, but adds another interesting meaning. It states that integrity also means "the quality or condition of being undivided or the state of being unimpaired."

Integrity is not just obedience to the rules, but is an undivided and unimpaired heart attitude towards right. Integrity is not prompted by what others will think or by the rewards or consequences that will be received. It is a deep desire of the heart to do the right thing simply because it is the right thing to do. An undivided and unimpaired heart means that it is not lacking in any area. When you are walking in integrity, there are no hindrances that are able to tempt or challenge your decision and there are no handicaps to keep you from fulfilling your commitment. You are single minded and determined to fulfill God's will and His commandments at any cost, and you cannot be forced to do otherwise. Integrity separates you from those whose schemes are questionable because your standards and values do not waver or bend with the opinions of your associates.

The psalmist, David, decided far in advance that he would walk in integrity. He declared his intentions by emphatically stating, "As for me, I will walk in my integrity." He was undivided in his decision to walk in the straight and narrow path of righteousness. David's integrity began with a decision of the will and the heart, and he followed through with actions. He felt so strongly about his decision that he challenged the Lord to examine or search him, test him, and try him (Psalms 139:23). For sure, David had faults, but his heart was perfect before God. David loved God and trusted God to keep him as he walked this straight path. There is stability and security when you walk in integrity. David said, "My foot stands on level ground." As with David, God sees your heart and knows if it is undivided and unimpaired. When you declare your intentions to walk in integrity, God will walk with you and lead you in paths of righteousness one step at a time. +++

Copyright © 2011 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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04/14/11
TRUSTING GOD INSTEAD OF SELF

Scripture: II Corinthians 1:9 (Amplified) "Indeed, we felt within ourselves that we had received the very sentence of death; but that was to keep us from trusting and depending on ourselves instead of on God Who raises the dead."

The Apostle Paul had experienced a lot of the trouble when he was in Asia. He was strong in the Lord. Yet when Paul spoke of this season that he had spent in Asia, he said that he was so utterly and unbearably weighed down and crushed that he despaired even of life itself. There was so much affliction and oppressing distress that He felt like he had received a sentence of death. There seemed to be no hope, but God rescued Paul from these perilous situations, and because God had come through for him in the past, Paul had confidence that God would deliver him again.

In the midst of all the turmoil and confusion, Paul received a revelation. That revelation was that God used the hardships, danger, and difficult places to teach Paul that he could not trust nor depend upon himself. God showed Paul that He alone was Paul's source and his deliverer. This was a hard realization for Paul because he was used to being in control and making things happen. Paul used this experience and shared the grace and peace that he received from the Lord during this season. He told the saints that because he was comforted during these hard and perilous times, he now found that he was equipped to comfort others with the same comfort that he had received. Because he had suffered, he now had the grace to console and encourage the suffering.

There are times when we just can't figure out what is happening in our life. We try to believe and make our confessions positive but it seems that God is miles away. We want to get things in focus, but regardless of our efforts, our life remains out of control. We are pressed beyond measure on every side and have no answers for life's questions. We are used to trusting in our own abilities and depending upon our own resources to bring us through. Yet, we find that nothing works. Where do we go and what do we do? Did you know that nothing surprises God? He is aware of every situation in your life. You may be out of control, but you are the only one who is out of control. God is still on the throne and is fully aware of your situation. He holds you in the palm of His hands. He wants you to do all that you can and then trust and depend upon Him to perfect and complete those things that concern you. He is able to deliver you and will do exceedingly beyond anything that you can ask or think; for He is a God who never fails. +++

Copyright © 2011 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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04/15/11
GOD IS ALWAYS GOD

Scripture: Isaiah 40:28 "Have you not known? Have you not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth faints not, neither is weary? There is no searching His understanding."

The other day when I wrote a personal note to a friend I meant to say, "God is always good." Instead of using those words, however, I misspelled good and wrote, "God is always God." When I noticed my error, I thought about the powerful statement these four words made, for truly God is always God and He never changes (Malachi 3:6). He is sovereign and will forever be the Supreme Being in all of our lives. He is the Creator, the Lord, and the Maker of Heaven and Earth. There is no variableness or shadow of turning with Him (James 1:17). He is the same today as He was yesterday and He will be the same tomorrow (Hebrews 13:8).

Isaiah also declared that there is no searching of God's understanding. I agree with these words, for I have found that the more I learn about God, the more I realize just how little I really know. For me, the knowledge of the Lord is like looking at a vehicle and then taking it all apart. I can discover all of the individual parts, but after examining them, I would have no idea how they all fit back together again or how they actually work. I have known God since I was small child and I have walked and communed with Him on a daily bases for many decades. I have learned something new about Him every day, but I have come to the conclusion that God and His ways are far beyond my comprehension. Like the prophet Isaiah said, "There is no searching God's understanding."

God understands our lives better than we do. He created us in our mother's womb and caused us to come forth, and He has ordained a plan for our destiny. He is the Everlasting God and He never faints or grows weary in the process of being who He is. Friends and family may fail you, but you can always depend upon God. He outlasts every challenge and comes through victorious in every battle. He knows your way from the beginning to the end. He holds all of the pieces of your life in His hands and knows exactly where every piece is supposed to fit. You are the joy of God's heart and His main interest. His love for you will never fail. When you come to understand God in this manner, it will be easier for you to trust your life to Him. As you learn to lean upon God, allow these two thoughts to minister faith and assurance to you, "God is always good ... and God is always God." +++

Copyright © 2011 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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A Word In Due Season
4th Week of April 2011

04/18/11
I AM

Scripture: Exodus 3:14 "I AM THAT I AM"

God spoke these words to Moses when He sent Moses to deliver the children of Israel out of Egypt. God told Moses that He would be everything that Moses needed Him to be so that he could bring the people out of bondage and into the Promised land. When God said, "I AM," He was saying, "I AM the God of Now." He didn't say, "I used to be," or "I will be" but He used present tense. Whatever you need, "I AM there for you."

Under the new covenant, Jesus told us that He would always be with us and that He would never leave us or forsake us. He is everything that we need in order to be delivered out of the bondage that we are in. He is there to help us be able to receive the promises of God for our life. In the gospel of John, Jesus made some specific "I AM" statements about Himself. May His declarations of who He is be a blessing to you this Easter season. Jesus said:

"I AM the Bread of Life." (John 6:48) - Verse fifty-one says, "I am the
living bread which came down from heaven ... I will give my flesh for the
life of the world." If we receive this bread from heaven, He will satisfy
our spirits and we will never hunger or thirst.

"I AM the Light of the World." (John 8:12) - "He that follows me shall
not walk in darkness, but shall have the Light of Life." I John 1:6-7 tells
us, "If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we
lie, and do not (walk in) the truth: we are to walk in the Light as He is
in the Light."

"I AM the Door of the Sheep." (John 10:7) - If we enter the kingdom
through Jesus we will be saved. If we try to get in through another door,
we are a thief and a robber.

"I AM the Good Shepherd." (John 10:11) - The Good Shepherd gives His
life for the sheep and they have a personal relationship with each other.
He knows His sheep, and the sheep recognize His voice (verse 27).

"I AM the Resurrection and the Life." (John 11:25) - When we receive
Jesus, we receive resurrection life. We will live eternally and never die.

"I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life." (John 14:6) - There is no way
to enter the presence of God except through Jesus. It is only through His
Name that we can even pray. He is our access to God.

"I AM the True Vine." (John 15:1:1) - Jesus tells us in John 15:5 that
He is the vine and we are the branches. If we want to bear fruit we must
abide in Him for without Him we can do nothing. +++

Copyright © 2011 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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04/19/11
STRENGTH IN ADVERSITY

Scripture: Proverbs 24:10 "If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small."

The scriptures teach us that once we are born again, we enter into a major warfare with the enemy, for Satan goes about as a roaring lion seeking to devour us. He doesn't have any good intentions towards the children of God who shine as lights upon his darkness and bring the message of God's peace and hope to a troubled world. John 10:10 says that Satan's purpose is to steal, kill, and destroy. The more you try to serve God, the greater Satan's attack, or as one minister says, "New Level - New Devil."

Yet, God does not leave His people helpless against this spiritual adversary. Through the Apostle Paul, God instructs us that we are to stand against the devil and having done all to stand. God provides us with spiritual armor and weapons consisting of truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and the Word of God (Ephesians 6:13-18). God then exhorts us to pray at all times with all manner of prayer. The armor protects us and prayer empowers us for the battle. Our battle is not won on the battlefield, but on our knees in our prayer closet.

Just before His toughest battle, Jesus spent His time in prayer in the garden of Gethsemane. His disciples could not stay awake and pray with Him. Sleep overtook them and when adversity came, the disciples forsook Jesus and fled. Their faith became weak and their strength fainted. When Jesus had found them sleeping earlier, He warned them, "Watch and pray, so that you do not enter into temptation." But they were too tired to pray. "Their spirits were willing, but their flesh was weak" (Matthew 26:41).

Weariness is a great hindrance to prayer, but prayer is the only way to maintain spiritual strength when the day of battle comes. If we find ourselves too weary and too tired to pray, we will find ourselves too weak to fight the enemy. Hebrews 12:3 tells us to look at Jesus, who was able to endure, so that we do not become weary and faint in our minds. Our strength comes from the Lord. And if Jesus found it necessary to pray, shouldn't we? In the day of adversity, we will not faint if our strength is not small and our strength will not be small if we have been empowered by His presence in prayer. +++

Copyright © 2011 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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04/20/11
JESUS HAS BEEN THERE

Scripture: Hebrews 4:15 "For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to understand and sympathize with our weaknesses ..."

Jesus was with God in the beginning of time, but came to this earth so that He could redeem mankind. When He came to Earth, He came in the likeness of man. As the Son of man, He embraced all that we would have to experience as human beings. He allowed himself to be acquainted with physical, emotional, and spiritual pain.

Jesus suffered and wept with friends when His own friend, Lazarus, died. He felt the rejection of His own mother and brothers who thought that He was mad. He experienced frustration with the religious hypocrites and He became angry with those who were abusing the temple of God. He suffered disappointment with those who had been part of His ministry team for three years when they all left Him in His time of need. Judas betrayed Him and Peter, one of His closest friends, cursed and denied their friendship. Jesus wearied Himself with doing the work of the ministry so much that He was able to sleep in the midst of a great storm. He also suffered the abuse of a mocked trial, great physical torture, and endured the pain of the crucifixion. He then died in shame, feeling totally abandoned by His Father God. Jesus subjected Himself to all of this so that He could know and be touched with our feelings.

Jesus experienced more than we've ever dreamed of experiencing. Even though He was the Son of God, He was also the Son of Man. We tend to think that Jesus had it easier than us because He was God in the flesh. Yet, Hebrews 5:7 tells us that in the days of His flesh, Jesus offered up very definite and special petitions to God and that His prayers were filled with strong cries and tears. He wanted God to deliver Him from the coming death and asked that the cup pass from Him. The last part of this verse in the Amplified Bible says "He shrank from the horror of separation from the bright presence of the Father." And because of His cries, "He was heard in that He feared." It is hard to imagine these words, "Jesus feared." But we know that He prayed with such anxiety in the garden of Gethsemane that He sweat great drops of blood. He went through this agony for you and for me. He has already been down every path of pain and sorrow that you will ever travel. Jesus knows exactly where you are and He wants you to know that He understands your heartaches. He is touched by your feelings and all that you are experiencing. Just lean upon Him. Jesus understands because He has been there. +++

Copyright © 2011 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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04/21/11
NEVER FORSAKEN

Scripture: Hebrews 13:5 "I will never leave you, nor forsake you."

No one on this earth has the power to make this commitment. Our lives are very unpredictable and regardless of our best intentions, circumstances and seasons eventually separate us from those who are the dearest to our hearts. However, God's promises to us are very sure. When He said, "I will never leave you", you can be assured that He will fulfill His words. His faithfulness is always predictable.

There are times when we find ourselves on the lonely back side of the desert and we may begin to wonder about these words. Jesus experienced this when He was on the cross. After a mocking trial and brutal beating, He hung on the cross with nails driven through His hands and feet. Spittle from the mockers replaced the beard that had been torn from His face. Isaiah 52:14 said that His face was so marred that He could scarcely be recognized as human. A crown of thorns was forced into His brow and a sign was placed above Him that read THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS. What thoughts must have run through His mind as He hung there in shame? The crowds reproached and abusively jeered at Him, wagging their heads and saying the same words that Satan had challenged Him with in the wilderness, "If Thou be the Son of God" do something about your situation. When Jesus was crucified, darkness covered the earth from noon until three in the afternoon. Finally in agony, He cried out to the Father in a loud voice and said, "My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:27-46)

What brought Jesus to such a place as this? It was because of the need that you and I would experience in our own lives. He had to pay the price so that He could be touched and feel everything that you and I would ever have to encounter. He was despised and rejected by men, and was acquainted with grief and sorrow so that He could understand our heartaches and inner pain. He was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was placed upon Him, and stripes were laid on His back so that we may be healed. Isaiah 53:3 says that He was stricken, smitten, and afflicted by God." No wonder He cried in a loud voice, "Why have You forsaken me?"

If you are facing a season of despair and feeling rejected and forsaken by friends and family, remember that Jesus "has been there and done that." There is nothing that you are passing through mentally or physically that He has not experienced. The price of your deliverance has been PAID IN FULL on the cross by His suffering. Why would Jesus leave you or forsake you now? He stands in the shadows of every valley and waits for you to simply reach out to Him. As you do, He surrounds with His love and ushers in deliverance. +++

Copyright © 2011 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
www.widsonline.com
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04/22/11
THE CROSS OF LOVE

Scripture: Philippians 2:8 "He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."

Some two thousand years ago there was a cross placed on a hill called Mount Calvary. There were two other crosses on the hill that day, but only one cross stands out in the portals of time and speaks an everlasting message of hope and redemption. This one cross held a man who had done no wrong. In fact, this man was the only one that has ever lived on this earth who was judged to be without sin. When the people were crying out their desire to crucify this man, Pontius Pilate said, "I find no fault in Him". And God, Himself, had no accusing words against this man. In fact, God declared "This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased."
The community knew the man on the cross as a carpenter and the son of a carpenter whose name was Joseph. This same man was their Rabbi and teacher. He was with them daily in the temple, explaining the scriptures to them. He had healed many of the people who now watched Him as He hung on the cross that day. Their thoughts may have gone back to the time that they saw Him cause the deaf to hear, the blind to see, the lame to walk, or the demonic man to be delivered. This man had multiplied the food to satisfy their hunger and had turned water into wine. He had performed other mighty miracles in their midst when He spoke peace to the storm and calmed the raging seas. He had even brought their dead back to life again. He then freely gave His life on the cross to pay the price for the sins of all mankind, including you and me. This man was called Jesus. He is the Christ, the Messiah, and the precious Son of the Living God.

Why did Jesus set His face to go to Jerusalem knowing that He was destined to be crucified when He could have run the other direction? Why didn't He give in to the cries of people and call ten thousand angels to deliver Him from the pain and suffering as He hung on the cross? The reasons are simple but profound. He chose to endure the cross and its shame because of His great love for us and because of His humble obedience to His Father. He came to do the will of God and make a way for us. He was willing and determined to lay down His life for us and through His sacrifice, our sins were washed away. The ordinances and laws that were against us were blotted out as they were nailed to the cross (Colossians 2:14). The purpose of this cross, which was stained with His incorruptible blood, was the price of our eternal redemption and gives us entrance into the gates of Heaven. To many, the preaching of the gospel of this cross is foolishness but to those of us who believe and are saved, it is the power of God (I Corinthians 1:18).

This cross should stand tall in our hearts today as we remember what it represents. It was not just the flesh of a man that was nailed to the cross that day, but Jesus' love for us that has no measure. Jesus loves each of us so much that He gave His all so that we could receive His all and live with Him in eternity. We celebrate His work on the cross and His resurrection. +++

Copyright © 2011 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
www.widsonline.com
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A Word In Due Season
5th Week of April 2011

04/25/11
GO AND TEACH

Scripture: Matthew 28:18-20 Jesus spoke to them saying, "All power is given unto me in Heaven and in Earth ... go therefore and teach all nations ... lo, I am with you always..."

After Jesus' death and resurrection, He spoke these words to His disciples. His words were few and simple but they encapsulated His vision that all men everywhere would hear the good news of the gospel and that none should perish but that all should receive eternal life. These words also defined the great work that He was commissioning to His followers. His followers were to go into all the world and teach the gospel to all nations. They were to win the lost, heal the sick, and help those in need. They were to complete the work that Jesus had begun, and according to His words in John 14:12, they were to do even greater works than He had done.

Such a simple command, "Go and teach." Jesus called His disciples to be a part of His dream. Yet His dream was so big that it demanded great power and authority. So with this command, Jesus also issued the authority and gave the promise of His power that would be needed to complete the mission. He gave them His Word, or the gospel, His Name, and the promise of His presence. In this account in Mark's gospel, Jesus said, "I am with you always." His presence alone is power, and when His presence is with you, it releases authority in you, and great and marvelous things happen. When the disciples followed His command of "Go and teach," they witnessed the fulfillment of these words. Mark 16:20 declares that as they went forth and preached everywhere, the Lord worked with them and confirmed His word with signs.

Jesus, who was life, gave up His life so that He could offer eternal life to a dying world. His purpose and His vision has not changed and His word remains the same. He says, "Go, teach, and I will be with you." Then He waits to hear us respond, "Jesus, I will do anything to be a part of Your dream. I will go. I will teach. I will fulfill Your commission. My life is in Your hands." We may never reach the foreign soil, but we can send one who will go, and we can reach the many nations that are on our own soil. We may not find opportunity to teach the multitudes, but we all have someone within our own circle that needs help. We all have a world and each one is different. It doesn't matter if we are a student, a mother, a businessman, part of the church staff, or one who is incarcerated in prison. We can all share the good news that Jesus loves and Jesus cares. As we go and touch those about us with His light and life, Jesus fulfills His promise. He works with us and confirms His word. +++

Copyright © 2011 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
www.widsonline.com
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04/26/11
NO HANDLES?

Scripture: Isaiah 45:9 (Amplified) "Woe to him who strives with his Maker! ... Shall the clay say to Him who fashioned it, 'What do You think You are making? ... Your work has no handles?'"

We see here an earthen vessel that has been formed in the potter's hand. The potter knew the intended use and exactly what he wanted when he made the vessel. He knew how he would use that particular vessel, so he fashioned it precisely and supplied it with everything that it would need to fulfill His purpose. However, the vessel became very unhappy because it saw all the other vessels that were made differently than itself. It was experiencing disappointment because some of the vessels were endowed with more than it had. They either had handles on both sides or at least a handle on one side.  Some had a handle on top and some were very special with a spout for pouring. And then others were just as it was - a "no handle" vessel. All of the vessels, however, were created very differently to meet a particular need, and all were necessary.

Have you ever compared yourself with others? And in looking at yourself, did you notice the great differences in your physique, inner character, talents and abilities, and strengths and weaknesses? Did you ever question your Creator, God, like the scriptures read in Romans 9:20, "Why have you made me thus?"  Or have you wondered why you were different, and like the vessel that Isaiah spoke about, said, "God, I have no handles!  What do you think you are making? Look at me God, I'm not like your other vessels. How can You use me? I have no special gifts or talents. If I just had one small handle - maybe, just maybe - You could use me."

You must remember that when God Himself was making you, He was designing you for a unique purpose. Jeremiah 29:11 says, "God knows the thoughts or plans He has for you. They are thoughts and plans for peace and not evil, to give you an expected end." God saw your future when He was forming you, and He knew if you would need handles or not. God never commissions without equipping, and His call does not come void of power. Don't allow yourself to strive with your Maker. Instead yield yourself completely to His choosing. Trust the Potter. Allow Him to use you as His vessel for His purposes and understand that regardless of whether you have handles are not, you are still the work of His hands. +++

Copyright © 2011 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
www.widsonline.com
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04/27/11
GOD HONORS OUR EFFORTS

Scripture: Matthew 7:7 "Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek and you shall find; knock, and it shall be open to you."

God is sitting on His throne in Heaven desiring to accomplish His work in our life. Jesus is sitting there beside Him interceding in prayer for us and the Holy Spirit is hovering around the throne waiting for instructions. Even the angels are waiting to do God's bidding on our behalf. They are all involved in bringing solutions to our problems and helping us in our situations, but everything is on hold because they are waiting for their work orders to come through before they proceed. They are waiting for a heart that is full of faith to draw upon Heaven's resources. They are listening for the words of a prayer and are watching to see if anyone is searching for them. And, they are hoping that someone will knock at their door.

All too often we don't involve God in our daily needs even though He is our loving Father and He wants to give us answers and provide for us. He wants us to search for Him so that we can find Him and experience His awesome presence. He wants to open doors for us that no man can shut and He delights to show us great and mighty things that we have never seen before. He desires to lead us to the green pastures and beside the still waters. He is ready to respond to us but the delay rest in the fact that we need to make an effort in His direction. We need to ask for our provisions if we want God to provide them. We must seek Him with all of our hearts if we ever expect to be drawn into His presence. If we want to see the great and mighty things that are promised, we must call upon Him (Jeremiah 33:3). If we want to be led to the green pastures and still waters, we must follow Him wherever He leads. If we desire God to draw near to us, we must first draw near to Him.

Psalms 78:41 says that God's chosen people limited the Holy One of Israel. God wanted to do great and mighty things for them but they never received God's promise because of their own unbelief. It takes faith to ask, faith to seek, and faith to knock. Yet, the scripture says that everyone that asks will receive an answer, will find what they are searching for, and that doors will be open to them (Matthew 7:8). You only have to take one step towards God for Him to begin to move in your direction. He will meet you at your level of faith and take care of all of your needs. He will come to you with His love, comfort, healing, direction, and provision. So, instead of fretting over your needs, make a decision to simply approach God in faith and on His terms. He will honor your efforts and you will receive your answers. +++

Copyright © 2011 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
www.widsonline.com
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04/28/11
THINGS THAT SEEM IMPOSSIBLE

Scripture: Psalms 40:13 "Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me; O Lord make haste to help me!

Do you have any rivers that you think are uncrossable or any mountains that you cannot tunnel through? If so, you must change your mindset and come to understand that God specializes in the impossible. He is not limited and He can do what no other power can do. All you have to do is trust God and just let go of everything. You must allow God to be sovereign in your life. When you yield yourself to His will, your burdens will vanish and your darkness will turn to light.

You may be standing at one of these rivers or mountains today with burdens that seem too heavy for you to carry. It may appear that there is no way for you to cross the river or go through the mountain. You may be at a mountain of financial difficulty or lack with no way to fix the problem because you are at the end of your natural means and can do nothing else. You may be at a river of loneliness as you grieve over the loss of a loved one or a relationship. Or you may be facing a mountain of physical disease and don't have the energy within yourself to continue the battle that is raging in your body. There may be a river of confusing circumstances and you need God's direction to get through them. God specializes in problems. He can give clear direction and make a way when there seems to be no way.

David said that he had made the Lord his refuge. He waited patiently for the Lord, and the Lord heard him. God not only heard David, but He also put a new song in David's heart. It was a song of praise unto God. In the midst of David's problems, God gave him such peace and praise that David said, "Many shall see and fear, reverently worship, and put their trust and confident reliance in the Lord." Like David's witness, you too are a testimony and an open book that is read of all men. They watch you when you face rivers, encounter mountains, and walk through dark valleys. They take note of your responses and when you come to the end of your dilemma, you find that God causes you to be a comfort to them.

At the river's edge God says, "Be patient - wait - stay where you are. Look to me, love me, and worship me. I'm building a bridge for you to cross. Don't go to the right or to the left to find a way to fix the problem yourself. Instead, wait for Me and I will take you to the other side. The process belongs to Me. Give Me your problems and the mountains and rivers that you face and I will give you My solutions. Ask Me your questions and I will give you My answers. Look to Me and let Me help. I will perfect those things that concern you. When things seem impossible, I will make haste to deliver you". +++

Scripture: Hebrews 11:25 "Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasure of sin for a season"

This scripture speaks of Moses and the choice that he made for his own life. When Moses was born, his mother hid him for three months from Pharaoh and when he was too big to hide, she put him in a basket and placed the basket on the river. His mother was trying to hide him because Pharaoh had commanded that all of the male Hebrew children be put to death. Yet, God had a very special plan for Moses and it wasn't death. His sovereignty caused Pharaoh's daughter to find Moses and when she saw the baby Moses, she had compassion upon him. She drew him out of the water and brought him into Pharaoh's palace and raised him there as her own son until he was grown.

When Moses was old enough to make his own choices in life, he did something that probably confused a lot of people. He refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He may have loved her as a mother but the call of God on His life was a stronger commitment. He chose to sacrifice his place of honor amongst the people in Pharaoh's court and he walked away from the wealth and pleasures that could have been his. Verse twenty-four says that he made this choice by faith. He left the easy life and walked into the darkness and hardships of the unknown. He willingly put aside his comfortable life and the luxuries that he was accustomed to. He forgot his fame amongst Pharaoh's servants and went to live on the backside of the desert where no one knew him. He chose to live in a tent rather than in Pharaoh's beautiful palace. He tended his father-in-law's flock in the field instead of being in charge of more important duties or commanding a host of men. Moses stayed in this humble position for forty years.

It was in this setting that God spoke to Moses from a burning bush and commissioned him to bring the Israelites out of the bondage of Egypt and into the Promised Land. God planned to use Moses long before he was ever born and God ordered his steps and protected him from all harm. When Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, he probably never dreamed of the fame that he would receive or that people would still be talking about him almost 4000 years later. Yet, he chose the path that God had ordained for him. His choice not only affected him but also a multitude of people, for his personal sacrifice brought millions into blessings and freedom.

Our lives are full of choices. Some of them are easy because they promise joy and happiness, but others are difficult. They call for true commitment and sacrifice. It may not be on the same scale as Moses' sacrifice because none of us will have to give up our palace, our easy life, or our multitude of servants. Our sacrifice may be to simply share our meager means with someone who has less, go the extra mile when we are weary, or allow others to take the best of the lot. Yet, the choice still demands something from us and like Moses' decision, it will take faith on our part. We must remember that God never asks for anything that He doesn't intend to repay. We will never know the rewards of what could have been unless we make the right choice. To experienced God's best, we must be willing to choose the affliction instead of the pleasures of sin that last for only a short season. +++