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04/01/13
BEHOLD THE RESURRECTED LORD

Scripture: Philippians 3:10 "That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection."

Jesus was the Lamb that was slain; the sacrifice that was without spot or blemish and with His life, He paid for our sins. Now we must behold Him as our resurrected Lord, for the resurrection of Jesus is crucial to our faith. I Corinthians 15:14 says, "If Christ is not risen from the dead ... our faith is vain." There were three men who were crucified that day on Calvary, but only one of them had the power of resurrection working in His life. That man was Jesus, the Son of the Living God.

Paul's purpose and goal was to know Jesus in a deep and personal way. The Amplified Bible says, "To know the wonders of His person ... and to know the power out flowing from His resurrection." Paul wanted to be intimately acquainted with Jesus. There are many levels on which to know someone. For instance, we can all say that we know the great American evangelist, Billy Graham. We know what he looks like and can recognize the sound of his voice, but that is only because we have seen and heard him on the television. We don't really know him intimately. You can travel down the chain of Billy Graham's relationships and see intimacy growing stronger as the relationship gets closer to those who spend the most one-on-one time with him. From his crusade audience, to his staff, to his casual friends, to his close friends, to his family, to his children, and then finally to his wife, we see that intimacy is developed with personal relationship.

Paul was determined to have an intimate relationship with the Lord. He wanted to know the wonders of the person of Christ and the power that had raised Him from the dead. Paul didn't simply want to hear about Jesus and the resurrection, he wanted to experience Him and His awesome power. Paul was willing to give up everything to know Jesus. He said, "I count everything as loss compared to the possession of the priceless privilege of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord" (Philippians 3:8). To Paul, being able to achieve this state of intimacy with Jesus was overwhelming and precious. This was his greatest desire and highest goal. Like Paul, we must also strive to know Jesus intimately and to experience the wonders of His person. We must search to know Jesus not only as the Lamb of God that took away our sins but also as our Resurrected Lord, for without Christ's resurrection, His sacrifice and our faith is in vain. +++

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04/02/13
POSSESSING HIS PROMISE

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04/03/13
MAGNIFY THE LORD

Scripture: Psalms 34:3 "O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together."

Magnify means to enlarge, make greater, or increase in size. We can magnify something visible with a magnifying lens, but the lens can never make the object actually larger in size. It can only enlarge the image of the object or draw it closer so that it can be seen better. The magnifying lens is an invaluable tool to the scientist. The lens in his microscope can take a particle that is invisible to the human eye and enlarge it into an image that can be seen in great detail. The astronomer's telescope can draw the stars and moons nearer for observation. Even the eyeglasses that we use magnify the world around us to give us more precise vision.

King David said, "Magnify the Lord," but how can we make God bigger, for God is as big as He is ever going to get. We can't increase the measure of His greatness, for He is omnipotent or all-powerful. We can't make Him more knowledgeable than He is for He is omniscient and knows all things. He is also omnipresent, which means that He is always present everywhere. These attributes of God go beyond our comprehension. We can't explain how God's power works because we ourselves are not very powerful. Neither can we share with others the knowledge of an all-knowing God, for the measure of our understanding is limited. And we can't even think about being everywhere at all times because that concept is beyond our own human abilities. Yet our lives either magnify or de-magnify the image of God. Paul said that we are epistles that are known and read of all men. People are looking at our witness daily in the market places and we must understand that our lives become the lens through which they see Jesus.

I recently had a conversation with someone who blamed God for her adverse circumstances, and declared the Lord to be unjust in His ways. I literally shook as I heard her bitterly speak of the evil ways of God, and when I saw God through her eyes, He became a very small God and a terror to the human heart. This individual was seeing a totally different God than I see and know, for even in the hard and painful times, God has always been there to comfort my heart and caress my wounds. We have a choice with every word that we speak and every thing we do. We can either allow our lives to diminish the greatness of God or we can allow our praise, our good deeds, and our faith to magnify Him. We can make God bigger than the problems and adversities in our lives by standing strong in faith. And by our uncompromising trust and peace, we can show others that God is more powerful that any storm that rages about us. Others look at our lives in an attempt to see Jesus, so whether the times are good or bad, let us magnify and exalt the Name of the Lord together! +++

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04/04/13
THE TONGUE

Scripture: James 3:5 "The tongue is a little member, and boast great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindles!"

The tongue is very small when it is compared to the rest of the body but even though it is small, it has many important assignments to perform, such as eating, speaking, and praying. Because the tongue is gifted to speak, it can be a very positive or a very destructive instrument. Proverbs 18:21 confirms this saying, "There is life and death in the power of the tongue." The tongue can bring blessings by speaking words of comfort and encouragement or it can bring destruction by speaking words of discouragement, doubt, and unbelief. Whatever the tongue speaks, it influences and sets the tone for the entire body.

In the natural, we take our tongue for granted and are usually not very conscious about it, but I recently had a lot of trouble with this one member of my body. I had to have some dental work done and the tooth that the dentist put a crown on was left with a very slight uneven spot on it. The dentist has looked at this tooth three times and has attempted to file it down once. The dental hygienist has polished it twice. Yet neither of them can see the problem even with magnifying glasses. To make matters worse, I can't see the problem either. Yet my tongue has discovered that small imperfection on that one tooth and can not leave it alone. It continually goes to that area in an attempt to expose the problem to the whole body. As long as my tongue is taking care of its own business such as eating and speaking, it is not bothered by the tooth. But when the tongue has an idle moment, it will search out that one tooth and examine the imperfection again and again. This action is an aggravation to my entire body.

Like the problem with my natural tongue, James warns the church about this member of their body, which can cause many problems. The tongue can take a small or insignificant matter and make it into something great, for it is often looking to expose the imperfections in others. It is like a small match that ends up burning down the entire forest. It takes only a few words of gossip to destroy a life, a marriage, or a home. The tongue can speak a few words of doubt and unbelief and destroy someone else's faith. It can speak discouragement and drive someone into a pit of bitter despair. Or the tongue can be discreet, speak words of faith, and be an encouragement. James said, "Out of the same mouth proceeds blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so" (James 3:10). Let us consider these words and be careful when we speak so that our tongues are used for good purposes and not evil. +++

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04/05/13
VOID OF OFFENCE

Scripture: Acts 24:16 "I exercise myself to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward man."

The Apostle Paul was a godly man and very knowledgeable about the Word of God. In fact, he wrote nearly three-fourths of the New Testament. Yet he never portrayed himself as being holier than anyone else because he faced daily struggles with his carnal nature just as you and I do. In fact Paul confessed that the things he wanted to do, he didn't do, and the things that he didn't want to do, he did. Life was just as challenging for Paul as it is for us, but he never became discouraged. He continually made an effort to press towards the mark of the high calling of Christ Jesus in his life. He was very determined to complete the will of God by running the race that was set before him and finishing the course.

As Paul made his journey through life, he not only tried to make sure that his actions were in alignment with God's Word, he also disciplined his inner nature. He said that he exercised himself in the area of his conscience because he didn't want anything to stand between him and God or between him and his ministry to others. He made a deliberate effort not to be an offence with his words and actions. You would think this would have been easy for someone as spiritual as Paul. Yet, another translation speaks of Paul's efforts in a more graphic way by saying that he "mortified or put to death his carnal affections, bodily appetites, and worldly desires." Paul's act of self-discipline felt like death to him, but he kept himself under control so that he could maintain a clear, pure, and blameless conscience towards God and towards men.

Regardless of how spiritual we may judge ourselves to be, we all have to deal with this spirit called offence because even when we have the best intentions in mind, our words or actions can be an offence to those in our midst. Consider Peter who began to rebuke Jesus because Jesus spoke of His own soon coming suffering and death on the cross. Peter declared that he would never let that happen. Jesus turned to Peter and said, "You are an offence to Me because you do not savor the things that be of God, but those things that be of men" (Matthew 16:23). Peter was thinking merely from a human point of view. He actually meant well but he did not fully understand the spiritual implications of the matter. Jesus was destined to suffer at the hands of men and die a cruel death on the cross because His blood was the only thing that could redeem man from his sins.

Physical exercise is a daily routine and we must do no less in the spiritual realm, for Paul said that he exercised himself "always" in the area of his conscience. As you face this day with its challenges, I encourage you to remember his words and personal determination and then follow his example. In as much as possible, keep your heart and actions under control. Exercise yourself in spiritual matters and savor the things that be of God so that you can develop and sustain a conscience that is void of any offense towards God and towards man. +++

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Scripture: II Chronicles 20:11 "They have come to cast us out of Your possession."

Jehoshaphat and the people of God were faced with an enemy that was trying to drive them out of the land that God Himself had given to them. God's will was that they dwell in the land and possess it forever, but a great multitude was coming against them. When Jehoshaphat heard the news, his first reaction was fear. None of us are exempt from being attacked by this awful spirit. However, Proverbs 3:25 says, "Do not be afraid of sudden fear." When fear attacks, we are to shake it off and seek God just as Jehoshaphat did in this story. He went to God with three honest and simple statements:

    1) The enemy is trying to cast us out of Your land.
    2) We are not strong enough to fight this battle.
    3) We don't know what to do.

Have you ever found yourself in this place? You know that God has spoken a word of direction to you. You begin to follow after His perfect will, but as you try to possess the vision and fulfill His purpose, the challenges seem more than you can handle and the burden seems more than you can bear. You feel that you are not strong enough for the battle and you don't know what to do next. You know that the Greater One lives within you, but fear of failure lurks on the perimeter of your heart.

Jehoshaphat experienced these same emotions, but when the enemy sought to dispossess him, he turned his focus to God and spoke to Him saying, "But our eyes are on You."  God responded to Jehoshaphat and said, "You will not need to fight in this battle ... I will be with you." He instructed Jehoshaphat to appoint singers and to send them out before the army. They were to worship the Lord and praise Him with a loud voice. As they obeyed and began to sing praises, the enemy became confused. Suspecting each other of betrayal, they destroyed one another. Only God could come up with a plan this amazing.

Like Jehoshaphat, you must keep your eyes upon God so that you can stay in His will and be able to possess His promise. When you stay in loyal relationship with God and obediently submit to Him, He obligates Himself to bring His Word to pass in your life. As you keep your eyes upon Him and worship Him, He will show you the way out of every situation and fight every battle for you. +++

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04/09/13
DELIVERANCE

The Spirit of the Lord God was upon Jesus to bring good news to the suffering and help to the oppressed. He was anointed to proclaim liberty to those in captivity and the opening of the prisons to those who were bound (Isaiah 61:1). He was sent to comfort the broken hearted and to appoint joy to those who were in mourning. It is through His Name and His Blood that deliverance comes.

Jesus is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Only by His power will you have victory over your enemies and those things that attempt to plague your soul. You can never trust in your own strength or depend upon your own sword to save you, for your own meager weapons are no match against the weapons of the evil one. You must depend upon God to command deliverance in your life. As you submit to Him, He will provide you with His weapons, which are spiritual and not carnal. The mighty weapons that come to you through God will enable you to pull down the strongholds and cast down the imaginations in your mind that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God. God's weapons will allow you to take every thought that comes into your mind and make it obedient to Christ (II Corinthians 10:4-5).

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04/10/13
THE JOY OF GIVING

God's ways are much higher than our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. In fact, Isaiah 55:9 says that His thoughts and ways are as far away from our thoughts and ways as the Heavens are from the Earth. That is quite a distance and shows us that we are nowhere near God's level of thinking because our natural thoughts are opposite of His. It is only as we learn from His Word that we are able to understand His ways and operate in His concepts.

God declares in His Word that it is more blessed to give than to receive and this concept is foreign to our thinking because it is opposite of what the world teaches and demands. Yet, God has set a law of sowing and reaping into motion and there is a two-fold blessing to be received when we give. We are blessed when we sow because we not only get to see the joy of the receiver, but we also reap a blessing for ourselves. Jesus said, "Give and it shall be given to you; pressed down, shaken together, and running over."

I am watching my grandchildren as they grow and mature. As I write these words, they are two and five years old. The five-year-old has learned to give and to share, for she has been taught and has experienced first hand the joy of giving. Recently, she told me that she was going to use some of her birthday money to buy her brother a gift. Her two-year-old brother, however, is still tied to his nature. He is just beginning to talk and one of his main words is "Mine." Giving and sharing at this stage in his life is not a strong forte, but as time passes, he too will learn that there is joy in giving and sharing. This sounds elementary, but how many times in our own adult lives have we stood up and declared, "That's mine" when possibly God wanted us to let it go and give it away? He wanted us to experience the true joy that comes from sacrificial giving.

When Jesus was born, the angels declared, "I bring you good tidings of great joy." The great joy that was being announced was that God, Himself, was giving His only begotten Son to die on the cross for our sins. How could this action be joyful to the heart of God? Yet when He gave His Son, He reaped many sons in return. Jesus had the same mindset as the Father. He not only willingly laid down His life for us, but also counted it as a joy that was set before Him, even as He endured the cross and its shame (Hebrews 12:3). Both God the Father and Jesus the Son gave sacrificially and both considered it to be a joy. We must take their actions to heart and follow their examples. When we do, joy will come and we will discover that it really is more blessed to give than to receive. +++

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04/11/13
MY FATHER'S HOUSE

Scripture: John 14:2 "In My Father's house are many mansions ... I go to prepare a place for you."

Before we make plans to go on a special trip and visit a new place, we get maps to show us the way and brochures to let us know what to expect upon our arrival. Our excitement builds as we study all the information that we have collected. We look at the accommodations, search out the restaurants, and choose the entertainment that appeals to us. We make reservations, get our finances in order, complete our ticket purchases, and pack the proper attire. We try to make sure not to overlook any detail in our preparation and then at the appointed time, we begin our journey.

Jesus said that He was going away to prepare a place for us, and that He would return to get us so that we could be with Him. He described this place as a mansion in His Father's house. The Apostle John gave us a description, or visual brochure, of this beautiful Holy City to which we are headed (Revelation 21 and 22). He said that we could expect the city to be glowing with the glory of God and that the light of the city is like jasper (sea green). There are great walls surrounding this city, which are 1,500 miles "four-square" (cubical). These walls are of jasper and have twelve foundations, each garnished with a particular stone. These stones are of jasper, sapphire, emerald, agate, sardius, topaz, and amethyst to name a few. The city has twelve gates that are made of twelve huge pearls and the streets are made of pure gold, which are as transparent as glass.

The Lord God Almighty and Jesus, the Lamb, are the temple of the city. Also there is no need for the moon or the sun, for Jesus Himself is the Light. There is a crystal river of life that flows through this city as it proceeds out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. There is also a tree of life, bearing twelve manner of fruit, whose leaves are for healing. There is no sorrow or grief nor anything that is defiling in this beautiful city. The greatest thing about this awesome Holy City is that we shall be able to see the face of Jesus (Revelation 22:4). Doesn't this eternal Holy City sound exciting?

None of us knows when God will call us to make our ultimate journey. Jesus is preparing our mansion, but like any other journey, we must make our own personal preparations for our final and eternal destination. We must invite the Lord to come into our heart, receive Him as our Lord and Savior, and allow Him to write His Eternal Name on our heart.+++

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04/12/13
BEAUTIFUL FEET

Scripture: Romans 10:15 "How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!"

The Apostle Paul declared that the feet of those who spread the gospel and bring good tidings were beautiful. He also mentioned the feet when he listed the spiritual armor in Ephesians 6:15 and instructed us not to go into any kind of spiritual battle without having the shoes of the gospel of peace on our feet. Notice that he included both feet. He recognized the importance of walking in total peace in every situation, for you cannot minister peace to others if you do not have peace within yourself. Have you ever tried to bring peace into a situation when you, yourself, were in a panic and those you were attempting to calm down told you that you were the one who was making them nervous? I have.

Jesus came to this earth to do great battle against the devil and to destroy the works of evil, yet in this mighty battle, He ministered peace everywhere He walked and He was called the Prince of Peace. Even at His birth the angels recognized His true mission and sang out the declaration, "Peace on Earth and good will to men." Jesus brought light and gave life by dispelling darkness and overcoming death. He spoke peace and calmed the raging storms. Jesus exchanged the spirit of peace for the torment that was in the mind of the man who was filled with demons and He also imparted peace into the hearts of the other believers who followed Him. Jesus walked in the shoes of this gospel of peace all the way to the cross of Calvary and made these shoes available to us as we believe. He said, "My peace I give you" (John 14:27). It is not the same kind of peace that the world gives, but a supernatural peace that passes all understanding and keeps you from being afraid in a troubled world.

You can recognize feet that are clad with peace, for they do not walk hesitantly or with a spiritual limp. They walk with a determined purpose to fulfill the will of God and are continually pressing towards the mark of the high calling of God. Beautiful spiritual feet are the ones that walk up to you and always have a good report regardless of how dark the situation may seem. They do not bring evil reports or bear tales of gossip and are never swift to run to evil. Instead, they are clad with peace and bring a word in due season to your soul that is fitting for the moment. Beautiful feet support you and stand beside you in adversity and do not kick you when you are down. They are quick to run to your aid with provisions when they see that you have a need. Beautiful feet stand in agreement with you and don't shuffle around in condemnation when you go to the Father in prayer. They dance to the rhythm of the same song and are never found to be out of step. They encourage you to walk with them down the paths of righteousness and don't try to lead you astray. They never leave you, but walk beside you through valleys and stick with you even in the shadows of death.

Beautiful spiritual feet are indeed very desirable, but require attention just like our natural feet. Let us take time to sit in the presence of Jesus and allow Him to wash our feet with His Word until they become beautifully shod with the gospel of peace. Then, as we possess His peace, let us set about to share His glad tidings of good things. +++

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04/15/13
EVERY WORD AND DEED

Scripture: Colossians 3:17 (Amplified) "And whatever you do - no matter what it is - in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, and in dependence upon His Person, giving praise to God the Father through Him."

Every word and every deed that we do is supposed to mirror the character of Christ. Yet, we often find ourselves in provoking situations and even though we do our best to remain silent in these situations, we usually react in frustration. We make an effort to defend our position and justify our actions. In contrast to the scripture above, our reactions are not done in the name of the Lord, nor in dependence upon His Person, and God surely receives no praise for our actions.

James 3:7-8 tells us that every kind of beast, bird, reptile, and sea animal can be tamed, but the human tongue cannot. Our tongues are unruly, undisciplined, and motivated by our emotions. Too often, we react rather than respond. Solomon, the wisest man of his time, said, "He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his own spirit is better than he who takes a city." Solomon also said, "He who has no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down and without walls." (Proverbs 16:32 & 25:28) When the walls of our spirit are broken down, any element can intrude and provoke us to wrong words or deeds.

Jesus was our greatest example of someone ruling his own Spirit. He taught and preached with much authority, calmed the storms with a few words, rebuked the "religious" folks, drove the moneychangers out of the temple, and cast demons out of the possessed. Even though some of these things seemed harsh and bold, Jesus never reacted out of His own will and emotions. Scripture records that He only spoke and did the things that the Father showed Him. Even Pilate marveled greatly when Jesus didn't answer the accusations that were made against Him. Our goal is to follow Jesus and resist the temptation to say the wrong thing, at the wrong time, and in the wrong spirit. We were always told to count to ten before reacting. But if we simply follow God's Word and consider the three statements that Paul made in the above scripture, we will be able to rule our spirit and tame our tongues. Considering Paul's statements, ask yourself these three questions when you are confronted with a provoking situation:

    1)   Can I say this word or do this deed in the Name of the Lord?
    2)   Can I depend on the Person and presence of Jesus to back me up in
           this word or deed?
    3)   When I say this word or do this deed, will it give glory to God the Father
           through Jesus?

Perhaps by the time you finished asking yourself these questions in your mind, the moment of passion will have passed. Nevertheless always remember, that the less you say, the less you will have to repent of.+++

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04/16/13
WALKING IN THE ARMOR

Scripture: Ephesians 6:11 "Put on the whole armor."

We have an enemy who rages against us daily. This enemy is not contained in a body of flesh, nor does he have blood flowing through his veins. He is a spiritual enemy and his battle strategies are evil.  The Apostle Paul gives us instructions on how to combat this enemy, the devil. One of the main things we must do is recognize who he is. We then must put on the whole armor of God and come against him with spiritual weapons, for "the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but are mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds" (II Corinthians 10:4).

There are four things that Paul tells us to do in Ephesians 6:10-18:

1) Be strong in the power of the Lord. (vs. 10)
2) Put on the armor of God. (vs. 11)
3) Stand with the armor on. (vs. 13-14)
4) Pray with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit. (vs.18)

Paul makes it very plain that our strength and power will come from the Lord, for it will be God's armor, not our own, that will protect us in the evil day. God's armor is listed as truth, righteousness, peace, and salvation.  When we realize that it is God's armor that we are standing in, it will give us courage to lift up the shield of faith against the devil. When truth prevails in our heart, we understand that we don't have to depend upon our own strength and self-righteousness. All we have to do is stand in God's armor and allow God to take care of the battle.

Paul said, "stand, and having done all, stand." This word "stand" in the Greek language means "stand and get ready for the next battle." The devil never quits. Our battles will continue throughout our lifetime but we must remember that God has equipped us for battle. After Paul told us to put on the whole armor of God and stand, he then instructed us to pray. This means that we are to enter into prayer with God's armor and aggressively come against the enemy with the sword of the spirit, which is the Word of God. Our battles will be won in prayer and with the Word of God. As we resist the devil, he will flee from us because he has no choice. He knows the power of God's Word. When the devil sees God's armor coming towards him and hears the Word of God being spoken against him from inside the armor, he recognizes the power of God and he will flee. +++

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04/17/13
THE WORD OF THE LORD

Scripture: Jonah 1:1 & 3:1 "The word of the Lord came to Jonah" ... "The word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time."

There was much that went on between the two times that the Lord spoke to Jonah. The first time God spoke, He instructed Jonah to arise and go preach against the wickedness of the great city of Nineveh. Instead of obeying God's voice, Jonah got on a ship and fled to Tarshish. In the midst of his rebellious flight, Jonah was thrown off of the ship and was swallowed by a whale. He stayed in this terrible dilemma for three days and three nights. While he was in the belly of the fish, he came to terms with his disobedience and remembered God. When he began to cry out to the Lord for deliverance, the Lord spoke to the fish and it vomited Jonah out onto the dry ground. Then, the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time but after all the distress and suffering that Jonah had endured, God had not changed His mind. His word to Jonah remained the same, "Arise, go to Nineveh and preach."

All of us have probably walked down the trail of disobedience at some point in our lives and discovered that its fruits were not very pleasant. I could tell you about a terrible situation that I got myself into because I was following after my own heart's desires instead of the perfect will of God for my life. Like Jonah, I found myself in the belly of a whale, not physically of course, but spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. It was the darkest and most painful experience that I ever endured. The hopelessness that I felt and the distress that I experienced drove me to my knees because I knew that God was the only one who could deliver me. God is very loving and merciful and He understood my frail humanity. He was faithful and patient with me and graciously provided a way of escape.

Every time that God speaks, the devil comes to challenge that word so that he can steal the blessing that God has planned. God's word to us is meant to touch other lives as well as our own. Jonah clearly heard the word of the Lord both times and knew that God wanted to use him to bring deliverance to the people of Nineveh. The first time God spoke, Jonah chose not to obey, but the second time he was convinced that he needed to do God's will regardless of his own personal preference, for he had experienced the results of disobedience and found that it wasn't very pleasant. When God speaks and we find it difficult to submit, we must remember the example of Jonah. We must make a determination to be attentive to God's voice and choose to be obedient to do His perfect will the very first time that He speaks. Our immediate obedience will keep us from having to go through the process of correction and being spoken to the second time. +++

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04/18/13
SECRET OF THE LORD

Scripture: Psalms 25:14 "The secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him; and He will show them His covenant."

Secrets are special knowledge that are held within one’s own heart or shared in confidence with just a few close friends and trusted confidants. We feel privileged when someone calls us aside and chooses us to be one whom they trust enough to share their private matters and innermost feelings. When a secret is shared, it creates a bond between those who are privy to the information and defines a certain responsibility. It also tests the trustworthiness of the one receiving the secret information, for secrets are never general knowledge but specific and guarded information. Shared secrets even create a certain amount of power and the prestige of inclusion.

We all love to be included in knowing the things that are secret and we pay very close attention when one is being shared with us or one is whispered near us. Someone told me a special way that they witness to others about Jesus. They get into a crowded elevator with another believer and then begin to whisper to each other about the goodness of God and the love of Jesus. When they begin to whisper, the people on the elevator begin to listen, thinking that they are going to hear some "juicy" private information. Instead, they are exposed to mysteries of God and His wonderful plan of salvation. As this captive audience departs the elevator, they are given a gospel tract.

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04/19/13
MYSTERY OF PRAYER

Scripture: James 5:16 "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much."

Prayer is a real mystery to our carnal mind, for how can we as human beings talk to the Maker of the universe and the Creator of every living thing? How can God hear each of us praying at the same time, especially with our prayers coming from the four corners of the earth? How can He keep all of our requests separated and be able to answer them accordingly? Prayer is quite a mystery. Yet with so many needs and so many voices crying out to Him, God still opens the door to His throne room and gives all of us an invitation to come boldly to His throne of grace in time of need.

Prayer is the most powerful influence in the spiritual realm because when we pray, our prayers touch three worlds, Heaven, Hell, and the Earth. Our prayers pull at the heart of God in Heaven and cause Him to work on our behalf. God uses our prayers to bind evil and destroy the works of Hell. Our prayers also bring blessings to us and those whom we are praying for here on Earth. Prayer is not limited by time and allows us to deal with our past, our present, and our future. We can ask forgiveness for things that we have done in the past or we can ask for help for the present situation that we or someone else is dealing with. We can also ask for the guidance, direction, and the protection that we need for the future path that is before us.

In the scripture above, James lists two things needed for prayers to be effective. The prayer has to be fervent and the one praying must be righteous. In the same verse, before James spoke of the fervent prayer of the righteous man, he instructed us to confess our faults one to another. It is a simple spiritual progression. Confession brings forgiveness and forgiveness creates righteousness or right standing with God.

God has given you an awesome invitation and is waiting for you to come into His presence. Don't allow the moment to pass. If it is sin that stands between you and God's throne, confess your sins and He will cleanse you from all unrighteousness. If you feel that your prayers are not getting past the ceiling, earnestly ask God to anoint you and help you to pray according to His will. When you have a heart that is fervent and in right standing with God, tremendous power is made available to you. When you align yourself with God's will and embrace His dreams, He will stop to listen to your prayers and you will receive wonderful results. +++

Scripture: Isaiah 25:4 "For You have been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat."

Tragic events are occurring in the lives of all people, including the believers, even as these words are being written. In every nation there are reports concerning storms, fires, floods, financial loses, diseases, wars, and other disturbing events. There is desperation, great loss, and enormous pain beyond words of description in the hearts of people. The present has become very challenging and the future seems very dismal for many. It is as though the whole world is being tried and tested beyond belief.

It is apparent that God is the only hope in the midst of all of the turmoil and confusion. As believers, we place our faith in Him because we know that He is always present and is watching us very carefully. He offers strength in every situation and He never flees the scene or fails in His responsibility as our Heavenly Father. It doesn't matter what kind of distress, need, or situation that we find ourselves in, we believe that the Lord will always be there for us and that He has a solution for our particular problem. He is the One that we trust because we know that He is the only one who is big enough to give us true peace in the midst of the chaos and confusion. He is the only one who is tender and compassionate enough to bring comfort when we are suffering. And He is the only one who is strong enough to impart total courage in the time of fear. There is no one like our God.

These words are victorious and these thoughts are easy for us to believe when everything is going good in our lives. It is also real easy for us to encourage others in hope and faith when all is well. Yet it is a different story when we are facing the storms of life and our own boat is capsizing in the water. When the trials and tests come and we find ourselves going under, our words are tried and our faith is tested. Instead of just talking about hope and faith, we have to reach out to God for His mercy that endures forever and depend upon His grace that is sufficient. Whatever our need may be, we must realize that God really wants to do something about it. The devil will try to tempt us with false security but we must wait upon God to take care of all of our needs. We must understand that it is better for us to have a need or face a storm with Jesus at our side than to live calmly without Him. God will make Himself known to those who will trust in Him. He is our strength, our refuge, and our covering. +++

Copyright © 2013 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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04/23/13
VISION

Scripture: Proverbs 29:18 "Where there is no vision, the people perish."

Vision is a picture of your future and a revelation of God's plan for your life. Vision looks forward, sees what is ahead, and then allows your mind to draw a blueprint of God's ultimate goal. God wants you to envision His plan for your life because as your mind begins to grasp what God wants to do with you, hope develops within your spirit. That hope then causes faith to arise in your heart so that God's goal can be accomplished. It is like the construction process. Faith sees God's plan and then acts on the promises of God and what He has revealed. It then slowly brings into existence the image that is on the blueprint.

People often say, "I know that God wants me to do something, but I just don't know what it is." They have a sense that God wants to use them in some way, but because they never ask God to give them light and revelation in their spirit, they never get a clear vision of that plan. And because they have no vision, they never make an effort to complete God's purpose. Paul prayed for the church at Ephesus that "the eyes of their understanding would be enlightened, so that they would know the hope of God's calling" (Ephesians 1:18). He wanted their spirit flooded with His light.

It is important to know what God hopes to accomplish through you. Without a vision, you will follow your own will and make your own choices without a sense of direction or purpose. Getting a clear understanding about God's plan for your life accomplishes several things that will enable you to see your dream and vision fulfilled. First, as you begin to see the ultimate goal, you are less likely to be distracted by trivialities of the moment or give in to a season of sin that will deter the entire process. When you have an eternal vision, you realize the present pleasure is not worth the price of losing the future reward. Second, when God shows you His plan, you are able to expect the impossible and trust Him for the supernatural to fulfill the plan. God's Word is true. Without a vision of His plan, your life's purpose will perish. It has been said, "You will never hold your dreams in your hands until you hold them in your heart." Without a vision, your destiny will perish. Pray and ask God to open the eyes of your heart so that you can know the hope of His calling for your life. +++

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

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

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

"Love has hands to help others,
Feet to hasten to the poor and needy,
Eyes to see misery and want,
Ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men.
That is what love looks like." - Augustine +++

Copyright © 2013 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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04/25/13
WAGES OF SIN

Scripture: Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Satan is very clever. He offers you the pleasures of sin for a season, but fails to mention the consequences that will result when the sin has completed its course. James 1:15 says, "When lust is conceived, it brings forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, brings forth death." The sequence is very simple; lust leads to sin, which leads to death.

From the beginning in the Garden of Eden until now, Satan roams about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. His purpose is to steal, kill, and destroy you and your relationship with God. In all these years, he hasn't changed his tactics. Satan still challenges God's Word in the same manner that he did with Adam and Eve, saying, "Surely you won't die. Eat the fruit. It is good and it will make you wise." He appeals to your lust, draws you into sin, and then mocks you when you fall into his trap. Satan's words and his offer of relief are very tempting. However, he never tells you the terrible side effects of his product. He draws you into unforgiveness but never explains that an unforgiving spirit opens the door for torments in your own life and that to be forgiven, you must forgive. He doesn't explain that substituting an immoral lifestyle for your loneliness will keep you from inheriting the kingdom of God, which is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. He doesn't tell you that a greedy selfish spirit will keep the windows of God's blessings closed to you. And worst of all, the devil tries to cover your eyes with scales so that you can't see that rejecting Jesus as Lord and Savior will lead to an eternal death and separation from God.

Satan's fruit and the temporary relief that he offers is no different than some of the products on our market today. For instance, a magazine advertisement for the medical relief of stiff joints and common arthritis pain lists several side effects that may occur if you use the product such as respiratory infection and inflammation, headache, dizziness, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, heartburn, swelling of legs and feet, back pain, tiredness, urinary tract infection, serious stomach problems, and even intestinal bleeding which could cause death. This leaves one to wonder which is worse: to have joints that are stiff or to be dead and stiff?

Copyright © 2013 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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04/26/13
GROWING IN FAVOR

Scripture: Luke 2:52 "Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man."

Jesus grew in three areas of His life; in the physical, in wisdom, and in favor with God and man. Understanding how to grow in our physical stature is easy. We simply eat the right foods, exercise, and take care of our bodies. Once we have grown to a certain height and weight, and developed our muscle tone, we then must continue to maintain our bodies to keep them healthy. It is a daily process that lasts as long as we are in an earthly vessel. This is an easy concept to understand in the natural because even though we can't see the process of growth, we do see the physical results. We go from one size to the next without realizing it and it's all the result of consistent action.

Growing in wisdom and favor is basically the same sort of process as growing in the natural. It comes by feeding on God's Word daily and exercising ourselves to understand it. It is gaining insights concerning God's nature by communing with Him. Jesus was the Son of God, yet He was not endowed with wisdom and favor from the time of His birth. The scriptures declare that He increased and grew gradually in these areas. At an early age, He was busy about His heavenly Father's business as He studied God's Word and questioned the priests in the temple. Luke 19:47 tells us that as an adult, Jesus was in the temple daily. His major interest was the search for God and His wisdom. As He received revelation and gained wisdom, He grew in favor with God. And as He gained favor with God, He gained favor with man.

Proverbs 9:10 tells us that the starting point of wisdom is the reverential fear of the Lord. This wisdom does not happen by a mechanical formula or by a process of book knowledge. Knowledge can be acquired through study, but wisdom is only received as it is imparted by the Holy Spirit. It comes as a result of a personal relationship with God. There are many unlearned people who are quite wise because they spend time with the Lord, and likewise there are many educated scholars who lack wisdom. Wisdom speaks to us in Proverbs 8:33-34 and says,

In this proverb, Solomon gives us a picture of the man who desires wisdom. He anxiously waits for wisdom as a person who waits to get a glimpse of someone coming out of their gate or home. The man who truly desires wisdom seeks for it on a daily basis and determinably waits at lengths for it. The person who sets his mind to this pattern will eventually increase in wisdom. As he increases in wisdom, favor with God and man will follow. If you are at a place in life that you do not have favor with man, think on these words of Solomon and remember that it is a consistent growth process. Search for the wisdom of God. As you gain the wisdom of God, it will usher in God's favor and His favor on your life will create favor with men. +++

Scripture: John 4:26 (Amplified) "Jesus said unto her, "I Who am speaking with you am He."

In this scripture setting, Jesus revealed Himself to the woman at the well. This woman had been married five times and was now living with a man that was not her husband. Many of us would have passed her by as a hopeless case. We would have judged her with our own self righteous standards and wondered if she were even deserving of God's amazing grace because it seemed that she could never get her life right. She had failed so many times that it would have seem useless to us to put our trust in her one more time. We would want to write her off as a loss. We would also fail to consider that areas of our own lives were actually in just as much disarray in the eyes of our holy God as her life was to us.

It is interesting to watch Jesus as He ministered to the people because His thoughts and actions are so contrary to religious thinking. He passed up the clergy and made His way to meet with the publicans and sinners and to minister to the demon possessed. He also invited the tax collectors and dishonest men into His closest circle of associates. He even spoke kind words of forgiveness to the prostitutes. Now Jesus, who was a Jew, was speaking to this Samaritan woman who was living in open sin. Time and time again, she had sought for love with the wrong people, but Jesus was able to look beyond her faults and see her need. When Jesus revealed to her that He knew of her marital status, she recognized that He was a prophet and she began to expose her inner most desires. Her need was to love and be loved. She wanted to love and worship God and she wanted to do it right. She questioned Jesus about the proper place to worship God, on the mountain or in Jerusalem.

Isn't the love of God wonderful? Jesus was weary from His journey, but He sat on the well and waited for this woman to come draw water. She didn't come to the well with the other women but came alone because of her immoral lifestyle and she probably was not accepted in the formal places of worship either. Yet, her heart was crying out for God and she was watching and waiting for the Messiah to come. Jesus sought this woman out and met her at her point of need. He reached out to her with kindness and forgiveness and told her that those who worship God must worship Him in spirit and in truth. Like this woman at the well, Jesus is never beyond your reach. Regardless of where you are right now or your mistakes in life, Jesus wants to meet you at your point of need. He knows where you are and He places Himself in the center of your territory. When your heart begins to worship Him, He will find you and make Himself known and available to you. He will minister to you personally, one on one, and give you Living Water to quench your thirsty soul. +++

Copyright © 2013 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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04/30/13
REXPERIENCING GOD

Scripture: Job 42:5  "I have heard of You only by the hearing of the ear; but now my spiritual eye sees You."

The book of Job wrestles with the question, "Why do good people suffer?" Job was a man who was morally good and highly respected. He was spiritual and even functioned as a priest and offered burnt offerings for his family. Yet, God removed Job's hedge of protection and allowed Satan to come against him for a season. In an effort to destroy him physically and spiritually, Satan repeatedly used the forces of nature, sickness, and people against Job and yet he continued to trust God. Even death, itself, held no threat in Satan's challenge to destroy Job's faith, for Job said, "Though God slay me, yet will I trust Him" (Job 13:15).

Several months of testing passed as Job continued to place his confidence in God. When his season of testing finally came to an end, Job had experienced a new relationship with the Lord. He now recognized the sovereignty of God and his need to acknowledge it. Before he had been afflicted, his words had only been words without knowledge (Job 38:2). But in the midst of his tests, God spoke to Job directly, asking him simple but profound questions. When God began to commune with him, Job's spiritual eyes were opened, and he realized that God was the creator and was still in control. His knowledge of God changed from a hearing of the ears to a knowing of the heart.

This is the same process that God takes us through in the seasons of our own lives. Throughout our life, we hear of Him with our ears, but when we are challenged like Job, we come to spiritually see or know God with our heart. We may hear of Jesus, the Son of God, but we only know Him as Savior when the Holy Spirit reveals Him to us, convicts us of our sins, and we receive Him into our heart. Likewise, we only come to know Jesus as the healer when we experience healing or to know Him as the provider when we see Him meet our needs. As we encounter the Lord directly, we become persuaded about who He is, and nothing can separate us from that knowledge. In the midst of our afflictions, we discover that God is not just a theory or a thought or someone that we have heard stories about.  God is very real and He must be experienced. +++

Copyright © 2013 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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