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Scripture: Psalms 51:10 "Create in me a clean heart, O God: and renew a right spirit within me."

Nathan, the prophet, had exposed and brought to light the sin that David had committed in his relationship with Bathsheba. As David owned up to his personal failure and his sin against God, he began to plead for God's mercy, forgiveness, and cleansing. He also asked God to do something new in his life and to create within him something that wasn't there. David needed a clean heart and a right spirit but he recognized that without God, he could not change.

This is an awesome revelation! It declares that God is still creator and shows us that we too cannot truly change without the work of the Holy Spirit. We may cover our faults over with pretense for a season, but unless God changes our heart and renews our spirit, our sin nature remains within us and will eventually manifest outwardly. This truth not only applies to the temptations of sin that knock at our heart's door but also to our daily spiritual lack. We may feel the tugging of God's presence in our lives but struggle with the simple things that He calls us to do. This is the reason that we need God to create within our being something that will effect a change.

This scripture is the focus for the National Day of Prayer, which is today. There is a call from the Spirit of God for us to put our hope in the Name of the Lord. Every other name will fail us but we can confidently trust in the Name of the Lord Jesus. There is also a call for God's people in all nations to pray because prayer truly is our only hope in these days of global distress. Today, many people will go to special prayer meetings throughout the land and others will take a special private moment to call out to the Lord for help. I encourage you to be a part of this massive prayer effort. I invite you to join with me and all of the other believers who will make a commitment to approach the throne of God in prayer.

Can you imagine how God must feel to hear the voices of so many of His children calling out His Name in prayer on this special day? It will be a sound of many tongues, from people of many nationalities and colors, but with one voice, crying out for God's unfailing love and mercy to prevail in these desperate times. God said, "If My people, which are called by My Name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from Heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land" (II Chronicles 7:14). God needs to hear our voices; yours and mine! He doesn't require all of the people of the world to pray. He only requires His people who are called by His Name to humble themselves and pray.

Prayer made to the Father in Heaven changes things. It invites God's presence to move in our midst and builds an atmosphere on Earth for Him to work. It lets God know that He is wanted in the affairs of men, for He will not interfere if He is not welcomed. Our words to the Father will cause Him to release supernatural answers. Let us be mindful that if we pray He will hear us, and if we seek Him we will find Him. His Word tells us that God's eyes are upon those who fear Him and He blesses the nations that consider Him to be their God (Psalms 33:12 & 18). Let us all join together in prayer. As the Lord sees that we are putting our trust in Him and our hope in His Name, His unfailing love and His mercy will rest upon us and we will find peace. +++

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05/03/13
KNOWING HIS CALLING

Scripture: Ephesians 1:18 "The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling."

God is working in your life to bring about His plans, and He is working in a far greater way in the spiritual than you can see in the natural. From the moment God created you, He placed within you gifts and abilities so that He could use you to fulfill His desires and accomplish His purposes. Within you lies the potential to be His hands, His feet, His ears, and His voice in the earth. Upon you rests the responsibility to share God's heart with a hurting world. Colossians 1:27 sums it up with these words, "Christ in you, the hope of glory." You are God's hope as you walk through this spiritually dark world carrying His light in your life. You must be careful not to hide that light under a bushel, but let it shine for the entire world to see.

Just as Paul prayed for the church's eyes to be opened so that they could know the hope of God's calling for their life, God wants your eyes opened. He wants you to catch His vision, for without a vision your gifts and callings will never come to fruition. He wants to open your mind and fill it with His knowledge and His wisdom. God wants to unlock your soul and spirit so that He can empower you with His Holy Spirit. He has good plans for your life, but the Holy Spirit can't do it all. You must do your part by submitting to Him and making every effort to stir up the gifts that reside within you. Only then can God resurrect those talents that have lain silently dormant for all these years.

You may have doubts and fears that God has passed you by and that your time is over, but Romans 11:29 tells us that "the gifts and the calling of God are without repentance." God never changes His mind; we just grow complacent and give up. What gifts has God endowed to you? What desires has He placed in your heart concerning His kingdom? If there is a desire within you to do something special for God, then there is a place and a time for it to happen. God will not put something into your heart that He does not equip you to do.

Look at the birds. God gave them the ability to fly and a sense of desire to go south in the winter. He would not have stirred them to go south unless there was a south to go to. Yes, it may be frightening for them to leave their safe homes and head for the unknown places that are hundreds of miles away. Yes, they have to work hard and fly long hours to get there and may face storms and dangers along the way. It is true that there may be struggles and they may grow weary and become discouraged. But as they fly one mile at a time and face each day as it comes, they will eventually complete their journey.

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What an awesome thought this is, that you were in the mind of God before you were ever conceived. Before the almighty God ever began to form you in your mother's womb, He envisioned your being. When you were born you were no accident or surprise to God, for He had already made plans for you and designed purposes for your life. When He formed you, He made you into the person that He, Himself, wanted you to be. All of your thoughts of self-worth should be wrapped up in the knowledge that you are who you are by God's design.

Every beautiful diamond started as a piece of coal from the Earth. Every smooth lustrous pearl began with an insignificant piece of sand or other foreign matter that was lodged in the shell of an oyster. Every precious gem had to be cut from a rugged rock and polished into perfection. Every beautiful pot was first a lump of clay that was filled with rocks, hard clumps, and impurities. Every precious gold and silver ornament or vessel came from the Earth and had to be discovered and then refined by fire. Each of these beautiful things had a glorious future, but each had to be worked with until the finished product was completed.

Your life is no less significant than the most beautiful diamond, lustrous pearl, precious gem, beautiful pot, or vessel of silver or gold. Only God is able to create these beautiful things, and even though you were made from the dust of the ground like Adam and Eve, you were created and formed by God, Himself. The creation of your total being is a miracle of God. Your voice and your fingerprints are like no others. Your thoughts are totally individual. You are a special being handcrafted and fashioned by God and He values you and your life. You are important to Him. God is concerned about all of your needs, and even though He takes special interests in the flowers of the field and the birds of the air, you are more valuable to Him than any of these creations. When situations fail and relationships cease, leaving you with thoughts of self-worthlessness, allow God's words to defeat those thoughts. You will always be worthy in His eyes, for he declared that He knew you before He formed you. +++

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05/07/13
BE HOLY

Paul spoke to ordinary Christians at Ephesus and told them to be holy and without blame. These same words are meant for us today, but this instruction seems almost impossible to accomplish. Our carnal mind cannot comprehend the concept that we can be holy. Yet God never gives us an assignment that we can't handle and He confirmed His desire in Leviticus 19:2 saying, "You shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am holy." God wants His children to be just like Him, and because He spoke these words to us, there must be a way to attain this place of holiness in our lives. But how can we possibly fulfill these words with all of the daily challenges that we face?

The word "be" means to exist, to live, to remain, or to continue. It is not something that happens just one time but is a continuation. How can we exist, live, or continue to be holy as God is holy? It is simple, for being holy is like living life. Life happens one breath at a time, one heartbeat followed by the next heartbeat. From the time we are born until the time we die, we are one breath away from death and one heartbeat away from eternity. Yet even though we are that close to death, we say that we are living and that we have life. The same is true with holiness. God tells us to be holy, but regardless of how hard we try, we will always be one thought, one attitude, or one action away from relinquishing our state of holiness. We can only live as God gives us breath to live and we can only be holy as He empowers us to live in holiness and as He continues to forgive us when we fail. Being holy is a constant and continual moment by moment journey.

There is a story of a father who tied a bag of candy to the ceiling. His young son desperately tried to reach it, but when he discovered that he could not reach the candy, he began to jump for it. When that failed, he decided to stand on a chair but he was still too short and the candy remained out of his reach. Everything he attempted failed. The son wanted the candy with all of his heart, but regardless of all of his efforts, he finally realized that it was impossible for him to reach the bag at the top of the ceiling and he gave up. When he gave up, his father took him in his arms and lifted him up so that he could grab the bag of candy. What was too difficult for the boy to do by himself was easy with his father's help.

God wants us to know that being holy may seem impossible for us, but when He sees our desperate desire and struggle to be holy like Him, He will take us in His loving arms and lift us up so that we can accomplish His will. We must include God in our quest for holiness, for He understands all of our weaknesses. When things get too hard, we must simply surrender to the Lord, pray, and ask for His help. Like breathing one breath of air at a time, He will help us to live, moment by moment, in holiness. +++

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05/08/13
FAITH TO FORGIVE

Scripture: Luke 17:4-5 "If your brother trespass against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turns again to you saying, I repent; you shall forgive him. And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith."

As Jesus was teaching about forgiveness and the necessity to forgive again and again, His disciples asked Him to increase their faith. The two main things in this context of scripture is faith and forgiveness, for it takes faith to forgive. Jesus responded by telling His disciples that they only needed a little faith as a grain of a mustard seed. He said that with a small amount of faith, they could tell the sycamine tree to be plucked up and cast into the sea, and it would obey. The sycamine tree was known for its particularly strong roots and was regarded as almost impossible to be uprooted. His example spoke that with just a little faith, even the roots of bitterness and unforgiveness could be uprooted and cast into the sea.

In verse one, Jesus says that it is impossible for offenses to never come. We live in an imperfect world and at some point in time, we will offend others as well as be offended by them. Misunderstandings will happen, views and opinions will clash, and actions will be disappointing. Time and time again, our feelings will be hurt and our hearts will be broken by those we love. Jesus let us know that even though repeated offenses are frustrating, we must always forgive. In another scripture, Jesus told Peter to forgive seventy times seven, which equals four hundred and ninety times (Matthew 18:22). Four hundred and ninety times is a lot of forgiving, but Jesus was stressing the point that regardless of what is happening, we can't allow offenses to take root in our heart. If offenses take root, they will become like the roots of a sycamine tree, strong and almost impossible to deal with.

Matthew 6:15 says, "If we do not forgive others, we also cannot be forgiven by our Father in Heaven." The unforgiving spirit and bitterness caused by the offenses that we harbor in our hearts will make it impossible for us to receive forgiveness from God. It does take faith to forgive in the manner that Jesus described, but forgiveness is a choice. It is also God's law and it works. You must trust that your offender's repentance is true and you must forgive them, and forgive them, and forgive them, and then continue to forgive. You must exercise your faith to forgive, seventy times seven if necessary or four hundred and ninety times. Remember Jesus words and at the first sign of offense, use the little faith that you have and forgive those who trespass against you. +++

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05/09/13
PURPOSE OF PRAYER

Scripture: James 4:3 (Amplified) " You fail to receive because you ask for the wrong purpose."

We have all wondered why some of our prayers are answered and why some of them are not. There are many guidelines in the scriptures concerning prayer and receiving answers, but James states that one of the reasons that we do not get the things that we ask for is because our prayers are centered around our own lust. He declared that we are not able to obtain the contentment and happiness that we seek because of our own evil and selfish motives.

James' words of judgment are hard and painful, but we must acknowledge that it is very easy for us to fall into this kind of selfish trap. Even two of the disciples of Jesus prayed a prayer that was motivated by their own anger. They had walked with Jesus daily and knew that He operated in unconditional love and compassion. They saw Him continually heal the sick and raise the dead and also witnessed the forgiveness that He extended to the most vile people. Yet, the disciples were so personally offended that the Samaritans did not receive Jesus that they wanted to call down fire from Heaven. They entreated Jesus to allow them to do this so that their entire village would be destroyed. They wanted fire to consume the people that Jesus came to give His life for. Jesus rebuked these disciples with the words. "You don't know what manner of spirit you are of" (Luke 9:54-56). Jesus told them that He didn't come to destroy men's lives, but to save them.

The Lord watches over all and is concerned about every need that we have, from the smallest to the greatest. Yet we must understand that He is also concerned about the needs of others. He is righteous and it would be against His holy character to answer our request at the expense of someone else. His mercy and grace for all mankind far exceeds His need to answer our lustful request.

What is God supposed to do when the fans of both ball teams are praying to win? What should God do when we pray a prayer that will be harmful to someone else in His kingdom? What if one of your own children asked you to destroy their brother or sister because of a disagreement or an offense that had occurred between them? What if they ask for something that was against your will because you knew that it would be harmful for them? Regardless of how much you loved your child, you would not give them what they wanted, for this is not the way of love or a request that merits an answer. God feels the same towards us. If we want our prayers answered, we must delight ourselves in the Lord and pray in accordance to His holy will. It is only as our petitions are right and our motives are pure that we will receive the answers that we desire from Him. +++

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05/10/13
BEING VIRTUOUS

Scripture: Proverbs 31:29 "Many daughters have done virtuously, but you excel them all."

There is a total difference in "doing" a virtuous act and "being" a virtuous person. Proverbs 31:10-31 list the things that make up the character of a virtuous woman. She is trustworthy with her marriage vows and does good for husband all the days of her life. She takes care of business needs and works willing with her hands. She rises early and prepares food for her family. She takes care of herself and strengthens her own body. She stays up late at night in order to get the necessary things done. She clothes her family and herself with comfortable and beautiful clothing and she also reaches out to the poor and needy. She causes her husband to be known in the city and have honor in his workplace. Her mouth is filled with wisdom and in her tongue is the law of kindness. She is never idle but always energetic as she takes care of her entire household.

Many are capable of doing some of these virtuous works, but it is quite a challenge to conquer the entire list and do it all with excellence. If you get up early before everyone in the house, fix the breakfast and the lunches for the day, it is hard to stay up and be the last one to go to bed at night. If you work all day with your hands and take care of business needs, it is difficult to find the time to exercise and strengthen yourself. With everything on your list, you must also factor in time to care for the poor and needy without neglecting your own family's needs. This is not to mention that at the end of the day you must prepare the meal while everyone else is resting from their day of labor. As you accomplish all of these things you must also be an encourager to those around you. Words of wisdom must continually be coming from your mouth and the law of kindness be on your lips.

The virtuous woman always excels. She is not in pursuit of favor because she has discovered that it is deceitful and she does not seek beauty in itself, for she has found it to be vain (Vs. 30). The key to her life is spiritual and she has gained wisdom because she fears the Lord, and the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 1:7). This aspect of her character makes the difference in her life. It governs her natural affairs of life and causes her to be stable in relationships. And because of the godly virtue that reigns in her heart, her husband is able to trust in her. He praises her and her children also rise up and call her blessed. Her love and reverential fear of the Lord has created within her a servant's heart and even her works speak out in praise to her. This is a virtuous woman whose price is so far above rubies that she cannot be bought. She serves because she loves and does not love because she is served by others.

The list is longer than you want to look at and your energy level is just not there to complete all of the task. That is why virtue is about "being" and not just about "doing". You must rest in God and allow His Spirit to overshadow you and strengthen you, moment by moment, for the task at hand and for those tasks that lie before you. Even Jesus pulled away from the needs of the people to rest in the presence of His Father. He did not run to every battle or even make haste to reach Lazarus before Lazarus died. Jesus waited on the timing of God the Father. If you want to be considered a virtuous woman the conclusion is simple. Seek to be virtuous in your heart towards God and then virtuous acts towards others will follow what your virtuous heart demands and dictates. +++

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05/13/13
NO GOD - NO POWER

Scripture: John 15:5 "I am the vine, you are the branches ... without Me you can do nothing."

Jesus compared Himself to the vine and His followers to branches. The message He was conveying was that if we want to be able to draw continual strength from Him, we must stay in relationship with Him. To walk in light and maintain life we must abide in Jesus and allow Him and His words to abide in us. A branch must stay attached to its source to maintain life. A branch that is separated from the vine or trunk may flourish for a short season, but it will soon dry up and wither away because it is not self-supported. Like the natural branch needs the vine, God is our life and the source of all of our strength. All the power that we experience comes from God, and God alone. Without Him, we can do nothing.

We must have the same mindset that Peter had in Acts 3:12 when the lame man was healed. Peter recognized that he was simply a vessel of the Holy Spirit. The people tried to attribute the miracle to Peter, but he said, "Don't look on us as though by our own power or holiness that we made this man to walk." Instead, he gave all of the glory to God. God could have chosen anyone, but He chose Peter and allowed a miracle to flow through him because Peter was attached to the vine. He had an intimate relationship with Jesus and drew strength from Him daily. Peter was filled with the Spirit of the Living God and was fully aware that God was the one who was responsible for performing the miracle. He dared not take the glory.

It is so easy for us to forget how insignificant we really are when God immediately answers our prayer or does something supernatural in our lives. When God uses us for something, we may forget for a moment and tend to look at ourselves in grandeur. We become like the woodpecker who pecked continuously at the trunk of a tree. Suddenly, lightening struck the tree and split the tree down the middle. The woodpecker declared, "Wow, I didn't know I had that much power in me!" He failed to realize and acknowledge that the act was wrought by God's power.

Zechariah 4:6 explains our ability. It says it is "not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit says the Lord of Host." We have no might or power to call our own, for we are simply a branch drawing our strength and power from The Vine. Power is held in the hands of the Almighty God. Let us remember that without Him, we can do nothing. +++

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05/14/13
THOSE WHO SEARCH

Scripture: Luke 19:5 Jesus said, "Zacchaeus ... come down for today I must abide at your house."

Zacchaeus was the chief among the publicans, meaning that he was over them. The publicans were tax collectors for the Romans and had very bad reputations, often abusing the tax system through extortion. Zacchaeus had become very rich because of his position and yet there was something lacking in his life. One day, he heard that Jesus was going to be passing by, and because Zacchaeus was little in statue, he hid in a tree to get a better glimpse of Jesus. Can you imagine how Zacchaeus must have felt when Jesus stopped underneath the tree and spoke directly to him and called him by name?

This story is like many others in the Bible. It's a story of a man seeking God and at the same time a story of God seeking that same man. Zacchaeus was in the tree looking down when Jesus stopped and looked up. Even though Zacchaeus was probably trying to hide, Jesus knew exactly where he was physically and also spiritually. Jesus knew all of his secrets and was aware that he was caught in a web of deceit and greed. In His mercy and grace, Jesus told Zacchaeus that He intended to go to his house that day and eat. Jesus wanted to fellowship with the chief of the publicans and to sit at the table of a thief. And for this, Jesus was criticized. Verse seven says, "When the people saw it, they murmured, saying, He has gone to be a guest with a man that is a sinner."

Jesus could always be found seeking out those with needs, whether rich or poor. It was never difficult for Him to minister to the unclean or to the outcast. He had no problems reaching out and touching the diseased and those who were living in moral degradation. He continually left the religious folks and gave Himself to the prostitutes and the thieves. Jesus forgot about the laws and it's harshness and allowed His heart to be tender towards the rejects of society. Verse ten says, "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost." He was looking for those who needed help and He continues that search today. The Lord knows your secrets and where you are lacking. He knows where you are hiding and He also knows your name. He knows your desires and He is waiting for you to approach Him. Like Zacchaeus who climbed a tree, when you diligently seek to make contact with Jesus, He will notice and He will respond and seek you out so that He may abide with you. +++

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05/15/13
ASK AND RECEIVE

I had a dream several weeks ago. In the dream, I was standing with a lady next to a copying machine. I handed her some sheets that I wanted copied. I waited as she ran the sheets through the copier, one by one. When she finished, she kept the originals and gave the copies back to me. I glanced through the copies and noticed that several of the sheets were blank. I was disturbed because I thought each sheet should have been filled with information, so I asked the woman why some of the copies had nothing on them. She told me that the sheets came out blank because there was nothing on the original. She told me that if I wanted something to come back on my copy, I must present something to her on the original. She then proceeded to tell me that these sheets were like my prayers. Some of my prayers were answered, but many of the things I desired and needed had not come back to me because I gave God blank requests. There was nothing for God to respond to. I had floundered around, never truly verbalizing my need to God.

We limit God when we do not make our request known to Him. We stand next to the copier waiting for our answer, only to receive a blank sheet of paper, which is the exact duplicate of what we originally gave to God. We then wonder why our needs are not met. Jesus made it very plain in Matthew 7:7-8 that He wanted us to actually ask God for help and provision. He said, "Ask and it will be given, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you. For everyone that asks receives, everyone that seeks finds, and everyone that knocks, it will be opened to them."

When you ask in accordance with God's will and with an assurance that He heard you and that He will answer you, something new will happen within your spirit. You will start expecting answers to all of your prayers. You will begin to talk to God with the intent of actually receiving an exact duplicate answer to the original request that you had handed to Him. There will be no blank sheets returned to you and no disappointments. Jesus made it very simple. He said, "Ask and you shall receive that your joy may be full" (John 16:24). This is how prayer works - ask and you shall receive. +++

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05/16/13
STILL SMALL VOICE

Scripture: I Kings 19:4 "It is enough: now, O Lord, take my life."

Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal and fire from heaven came down, consuming the sacrifice that he had placed on his altar. When the fire consumed the sacrifice, the people repented and turned to God. Elijah then commanded that the prophets of Baal be killed. After this, he prayed for rain, which came in abundance even though there had been many years of drought. Elijah experienced great victories because he was a man who had power with the Lord. Yet, even though Elijah was a mighty prophet of God, he was still subject to the same passions that we have. James 5:17 says, "He was a human being with a nature such as we have -- with feeling, affections, and a constitution as ourselves."

After Elijah had displayed such great courage and zeal, he ran for his life from Jezebel, who was threatening to kill him in retaliation for the slain prophets. Elijah ran until he reached a place of such weariness and discouragement about his own situation that he requested to die. He said, "O Lord, it is enough, take away my life." Maybe you haven't come to this point of utter discouragement or ever felt that life itself was a burden and not worth living. Maybe you've never had to run in fear that your life would be taken. Yet, at times we all face situations when we say, "I've had enough, I just can't take any more. I can't go on." In the midst of these wearisome and stressful situations, if we would just stop and listen for the voice of God, we would hear Him speak to us as He did to Elijah, "What are you doing? Stand up. I want to talk to you" (I Kings 19:9).

As Elijah began to listen for God upon the mountain, he had to wait through many distractions. God's voice didn't come in the great and mighty wind, the earthquake, or the fire, but He spoke to Elijah in the sound of a gentle stillness. God also wants to speak to you in this same still small voice. He wants to calm every fear and encourage you in your season of distress. Don't be distracted by all the noise about you but wait upon the Lord and listen for His faintest whisper. Psalms 46:10 says, "Be still and know that I am God." Stillness is very powerful. When you are still, you cease from yourself and do not give in to the voices of the strong winds, earthquakes, and fires. It will be in the stillness of His presence that you will come to know God. And it will be in the quietness of His presence that your answers will come and that your strength will be renewed. +++

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05/17/13IN THE MIDST OF TROUBLE

Scripture: Psalms 138:7-8 "Though I walk in the midst of trouble, ... the Lord will perfect that which concerns me."

Do you have concerns today for which you have no solutions? Are you right in the middle of a troubled situation and it seems that you are being tossed about in a terrible storm? David was in a dilemma such as this, but he was able to retain his confidence in God. Right in the midst of his turmoil, David declared that God would revive him and raise him up. He trusted God to stretch out His mighty hand, fight for him, and make everything perfect. David knew that God cared for him so he humbled himself before God and cast all of his cares upon Him.

The middle of trouble is a frightening and crucial place, but it is also the place where God manifests His strength and power. It is a place where Jesus suddenly steps up and calms everything with one command, "Peace be still." Like David, Jesus' disciples found themselves in the midst of trouble when their ship encountered a storm. What were the disciples' thoughts when the storm first began? Jesus didn't seem to care at all. He rested as the storm began to approach, and then slept soundly as the storm grew worse. Jesus wasn't trying to help them maintain the ship in the natural or deal with it in the spiritual. While the prince of the air was trying to destroy the ship, the Prince of Peace, Jesus, was at rest and slept peacefully. Fearful and frustrated, His disciples asked Jesus, "Don't You even care that we are about to perish?"

Fear and frustration may cause you to feel the same way as the disciples felt. It may seem that God is not interested at all in your circumstances as they progressively get worse, but He truly is concerned. There is no situation in your life that escapes His notice and He promises to perfect everything that concerns you. The Lord is able to take everything that is happening in your life and make it work together for good. There is not one concern that you may have that is too big for Jesus to handle because He is able to fix every problem in more ways than you could ever dream of. He has ways and solutions that are higher than your ways and His thoughts are higher than your thoughts (Isaiah 55:9). Before you even ask, He has the answer for your problem. When life demands that you walk through trouble, cast your cares upon the Lord and trust Him to make perfect those things that concern you? +++

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Scripture: I Corinthians 1:9 "God is faithful, by whom we were called unto the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord."

We have many prayer request and concerns that come to us daily through our ministry. We rarely refer to them, but I thought that I would share the answer to one question with all of you. A person who is going through a very dark season in her life asked if I had ever been through any discouraging times myself. Of course the answer to this question is the same as it would be for all of us, for we have all faced difficult and disappointing situations in our lives. Job 14:1 tells us that all who are born of a woman are of a few days, and are full of trouble. In other words, life is short and no one is exempt from problems and burdens.

So yes, I have personally suffered grief and sorrow and have faced long seasons of discouragement. Yet, I found that I could find peace in the midst of the storms through Jesus Christ and direction for my life through the Word of God. I have been through financial difficulty where I had to depend upon God to pay my bills. I have baked and sliced up the last potato and fed it to my three children and then depended upon God to put food on my table for the next meal. I have cried out in the middle of the night and saw God perform miracles of provision the very next day. God was always faithful. We never had to ask others for food, it was always there when we needed it. We depended upon God's promise that He would not forsake us and that His seed would never have to beg for bread (Psalms 37:25).

I have been through the struggle of losing my husband to cancer after more than twenty-eight years of marriage. Yet, as I took care of him in our home for several months, I experienced God's awesome strength in my physical body and felt the comforting presence of the Holy Spirit when my husband's death left a void in my life. As the spirit of grief and sorrow attempted to overwhelm me, I found solace in God's Word that says that we do not sorrow as those who have no hope (I Thessalonians 4:13). I have also experienced other disappointments in friendships and relationships that have torn my heart to pieces and left scars that I thought could never be mended. I once cried so much that I thought that I was going to drown in my own tears, but then I recalled that God is near to those who are of a broken heart (Psalms 34:18).

Many disappointments have come my way, for those in ministry are not exempt from discouragement, heartache, and pain. Yet in the midst of it all, I can testify that God has always remained faithful. I experienced the awesome healing power of the Lord Jesus Christ when there was no help medically. I have also had to depend upon God to start my car, send me help when my house went through a flood, and give me wisdom in other situations or catastrophes. We will all face dark nights, and even the clouds will block our vision in the daylight. But we must remember that just as the sun is always shinning behind the dark clouds, God is always there in our darkest hour regardless of whether we can see Him or not. Even though His presence may be hidden, we must understand that He never leaves us alone. There will be a sunrise again in our lives. The dark clouds will part and God will bring glory out of our present suffering. We know this for sure that we can always trust God, for He has and always will be faithful. +++

Copyright © 2013 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
www.widsonline.com
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05/21/13
IN THE IMAGE OF THE CREATOR

Scripture: Genesis 5:1 & 3 "When God created man, He made him in the likeness of God ... When Adam was 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness."

Adam was created in the likeness of God and clothed in His glory, but Adam rebelled against God's Word and partook of the forbidden fruit in the garden. When he committed this act against God, the image of his innocence was destroyed and his nakedness was exposed. From that point on, he and all his descendants that came after him would carry a sinful nature. Even though they would be created in the image of God, they would have to strive to take on His character. Romans 5:19 says, "For by one man's (Adam) disobedience, many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one (Jesus) shall many be made righteous." It was because of Adam's sin that we inherited the nature to sin. This sinful nature makes it very easy to do wrong and a struggle to do right. Even Paul said, "The things I want to do, I do not, and the things I don't want to do, I do" (Romans 7:19).

Adam's sin brought us into condemnation and set our souls upon lust and self-fulfillment, but Jesus died on the cross for us so that we could be cleansed from sin. His sacrifice and His blood brought us into justification. Jesus places within us His very nature, and it is only through Him that we can walk in righteousness and live in the image of our Creator. Yet, living in the image and the likeness of our creator instead of the image of Adam is a daily process that requires a conscious effort on our part. We have to "put off the old self" that is corrupted by our desires and we have to form new attitudes so that we can "put on the new self" that is created to be like God (Ephesians 4:22-24). When we are born again, our new man waits to be instructed through the Word of God, for it cannot change on its own. We can only change as our minds are renewed in the knowledge of our Creator.

Even nature itself teaches us that things left to themselves will not prosper. They must be maintained on a daily basis. A house that is left to itself without maintenance will soon deteriorate. A yard or garden that is not kept will become overrun with weeds and vines in just a short time. Children who are not cared for will become dysfunctional and if not corrected, they will become undisciplined. Friendships and marriages that are not nurtured will soon grow apart. So it is in the spiritual realm. II Peter 1:4 says that God gave us "great and precious promises that we might be partakers of the divine nature." Yet, to partake of His divine nature, we must maintain ourselves spiritually. As we yield ourselves to the gentle molding hands of the Creator through prayer, communion with Him, and study of His Word, changes will take place in our lives and we will be transformed into His image. +++

Copyright © 2013 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
www.widsonline.com
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05/22/13
DIVINE APPOINTMENT

Scripture: Luke 7:13 "And when the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said unto her, Weep not."

A woman and many of the people from a town called Nain were in a procession following the casket of the woman's only son. She had lost her husband to death and now was also having to give up her son. She was grief stricken and distressed, for her world seemingly had come to an end and there was no hope. As she approached the gates of the city, she never dreamed that she was on the verge of a divine appointment with the Almighty God, and that very shortly she would encounter a miracle at His hand.

At the same time, Jesus, along with His disciples and many other people, approached the gates of the city from the outside. This entourage was probably still happy and excited about the miracle that Jesus had preformed the day before when He spoke just a word and the centurion's servant was healed. Now at the gates of the city of Nain, two worlds were about to collide. God in Heaven had set the stage for a divine appointment. A procession of resurrection life led by Jesus Christ was destined to meet with the procession of death led by the young man in the casket. Light was going to collide with darkness. Comfort was going replace sorrow and grief. Joy was going to dispel sadness, and laughter was destined to drive away all the tears. When Jesus saw the woman, He had compassion upon her. He spoke to her and said, "Weep not." Then Life touched death, and Jesus raised the widow's son from the dead.

You may have come to a time, like the widow, that you are facing what seems to be the end. It's a sad time as special relationships come to an end, dreams fall apart, your health and finances fail, or death takes your loved one from you. It is a time of discouragement and despair as you mourn the death of what could have been. However, don't lose faith as you seemingly exit your hopes and dreams. Jesus is on the other side of the gate, and all of Hell trembles because He is on His way to deliver you. When your life is threatened in any area, He comes to your rescue. Jesus will resurrect your dead situation and restore your relationships. He will comfort you in your grief, and in the midst of your sorrow He will give you hope. He will resurrect your dreams and restore all that is lost. It only takes one divine moment as His anointed hands touch your impossible situation. In Jeremiah 29:11 God says, "For I know the thoughts and the plans that I have for you. They are plans for good and not evil, to give you a future and a hope." Take courage and look to the future with hope, for God has planed a divine appointment for you. +++

Copyright © 2013 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
www.widsonline.com
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05/23/13
GOD DESIGNED LIFE

Scripture: Proverbs 20:24 "Man's steps are ordered by the Lord; how can a man then understand his way?"

All scripture is given by the inspiration of God and is meant to minister grace and build faith in the heart of the hearer. Allow this word to minister to you as you think about God's marvelous plan for your life. He created you in His image and He has ordered your steps. Before you woke up this morning and started on your way, His thoughts were upon you. He very lovingly began to make plans and designed the path that He wanted you to take, the people that He wanted you to meet, and the experiences that He wanted you to encounter. He then set about making a way through the wilderness and clearing the paths before you. He also saw to it that the proper provisions were along the path that He had designed for you to take.

God leaves nothing undone or to chance and regardless of what happens in your life, He is not surprised. He knows what you are capable of and also knows the degree to which you can be tested. He orders your steps and when you follow as He leads, He promises that there will be no burdens too heavy for you to bear and no temptations greater than your resistance. Look at Job's life and you will see that every step that he took and all that he endured was allowed by God. God was always in control and the devil was limited by God's sovereign power.

However, the plan of God can be thwarted and His Holy Spirit grieved because God has given each of us a free will. We can either follow as His Spirit leads or be led away by our own lusts or other voices. The Lord has ordered our steps and designed our paths, but when we are not in tune with Him, how can we understand which way to go? From birth until death, God's design for our life and His plan is waiting for us, but it is so easy to wander off and lose our way. To accomplish His divine design, our ears must be able to hear His quiet and gentle voice telling us which path to take and our hearts must be willing to lay aside the plans that we have made for ourselves. Our steps have been ordered by the Lord, but we must choose to walk in the path that He has ordained for us. +++

Scripture: Philippians 1:12 "I want you to know, beloved, that what has happened to me has actually helped to spread the gospel ..."

The Apostle Paul was an amazing person. It was as though nothing could discourage him. He allowed nothing to separate him from the love of God, nor did he allow anything to deter him from the call of God on his life. When he found himself in prison, instead of grumbling, complaining, and questioning God, he wrote letters to the churches. Even though he was facing hardships and death itself, he made an effort to encourage the saints and ministers. When Paul wrote to them in the first chapter of Philippians, he didn't speak concerning his sad state of affairs or beg them for their sympathy. Instead, Paul told them, "Every time you cross my mind, I thank God for you. I commend you for your faithfulness, and I pray for you with joy in my heart."

Paul could rejoice and be content in the place where he found himself because he had an assurance that God was in control of his life. He knew that God was still God whether he, himself, was in prison or living in freedom. Paul also knew that all things were going to work together for good for him because he loved God and was following after God's purpose. He stood in faith as he looked at his circumstances and chose to let his conflict become a blessing to others instead of a source of defeat. He forgot about his reputation and his own personal comfort, and as a result of his selflessness, the prison guards heard the message of Jesus Christ. The confidence of the Christians outside the prison walls was also increased because they saw Paul's all consuming desire to advance the gospel and witnessed his unwavering spirit of fearlessness.

Paul teaches us a great life lesson in this chapter. Every hardship in our life presents us with an opportunity of response. In our hour of conflict, we can become discouraged that God has selected us to go through the fiery trial or we can become a witness as we pray for others and rejoice that God is using us to promote their spiritual growth. When adversity comes, we can face it with unwavering faith in the living God, or we can give in to our fears. When afflictions come, we can believe God's Word that says, "Many are the afflictions of the righteous but God delivers them out of them all" (Psalms 34:19), or we can lose faith in God's Word. In the midst of every heart-breaking situation, we can murmur and complain, or we can encourage our brothers by saying what Paul said, "What has happened to me has actually helped to spread the gospel." In other words, when we face difficult circumstances and adversities, we can either choose to imprison the message and life of Jesus Christ that is within us or we can choose to share Him freely and in so doing advance His kingdom on Earth. +++

05/27/13
GOD'S MEMORIAL DAY

Scripture: Exodus 12:14 "And this day shall be unto you for a Memorial."

This scripture is in reference to the institution of the Passover, which began when Moses was leading the people out of Egypt. This event was a shadow or an illustration of the redemptive work that Jesus was to accomplish for us on the cross. At this first Passover, Israel was instructed to take a lamb without spot or blemish, kill it, and apply the blood to the doorpost of their homes. God told them that when He saw the blood, He would pass over them and not kill the firstborn of that house. He promised that death would have no dominion over them if they would simply apply the blood of the slain lamb.

God grants us a Memorial Day such as this. Jesus is our lamb without spot and blemish. When John the Baptist saw Jesus, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). Jesus was slain on the cross of Calvary for our sins and because of His sacrifice, we have a promise of eternal life, and death no longer has dominion over us. However, just like the first Passover, God's work is not complete until we personally apply the blood of Jesus to our lives by receiving Jesus as our Savior and Lord. God gave such simple instructions to His people. They only had to take the lamb, kill it, and apply the blood. Yet, many people in Egypt did not respond to these instructions and faced the judgment of their choice.

You also have a choice. Eternal salvation is just as simple, for God has made a way for you by sacrificing His own Son. Please respond to His great invitation, for the steps to salvation are as simple as ABC.

    A) Acknowledge your sin, for all have sinned. (Romans 3:23)
    B) Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. (Acts 16:31)
    C) Confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your
          heart that God raised Him from the dead, and you will be
          saved. (Romans 10:9)

Today we celebrate Memorial Day in American in honor of those who have given their lives for this country. So when you see the red stripes on our great American flag think about those who have fought and have paid the ultimate price for your own personal freedom. And also remember the great sacrifice that Jesus made for your eternal freedom and the crimson blood that He shed for the remission of your sins. +++

Scripture: Proverbs 3:12 (Living Bible) "Do not resent it when God chastens and corrects you, for His punishment is proof of His love."

Correction, chastisement, reprove, discipline, and punishment do not sound like words of love, but they really are. You know, yourself, that you correct your own children because you love them and you punish them because you want to save them from all of the heartache and pain that an undisciplined life will bring. Many times we have declared our love right in the midst of rendering punishment with such words as, "I am punishing you because I love you" or "This hurts me more than it hurts you." One young child responded to his dad with these words when he was being punished, "Well, in that case, I wish that you didn't love me so much."

God loves and corrects us just like a natural father who corrects his own children because he loves them. And when God chastises us, it probably hurts Him more than it does us. Yet, He corrects us because He understands our situations better than we do and knows the end results of our bad attitudes and evil actions. His pure motive is to spare us from the consequences that we face and the only way for Him to do this is to help us change our thoughts and try to direct our paths. When we do not heed God's instructions, He then must chastise and punish us so that we turn from our wicked ways and discontinue our transgressions. God has many different methods to instruct us. He speaks to us through His written Word, sermons from our spiritual leaders, and words from others. His Holy Spirit also deals with us, Spirit to spirit.

Not long ago, I began to pray the words that King David prayed in Psalms 139:24 (Living Bible). I prayed, "Point out in me anything that makes You sad." I really thought that I was doing okay but just after I began praying those words, my close friends and family members began to speak into my life and tell me of personal changes that I needed to make. One by one, they came to me with counsel and pointed out all of my faults that I was not aware of. They called my attention to negative things in my life and instructed me to change my ways. None of them had talked with each other, but each one was saying the same thing. Then every scripture I read and every sermon I heard exposed the darkness of my inner thoughts.

I wondered what was happening and thought that everyone had suddenly turned against me, but then I remembered my prayer and realized that God was dealing with me and using others to be His voice in my life. God was proving His love for me and showing me the things in my life that made Him sad. He was answering my prayer. After a season of getting bombarded with correction, I told one of my friends that when I asked God to point out my faults, I didn't know that He was going to use other people to correct me. Yet through their words, the Holy Spirit convicted me and helped me change my life. So, I encourage you to allow God to point out the things in your life that makes Him sad. Then when God's correction comes to you, don't resent it, for "God's punishment is proof of His love." +++

Scripture: Luke 1:78 "Through the tender mercy of our God; ... the Dayspring from high has visited us."

The term "dayspring" means "the springing up of light." It is the dawning of the morning as the sun rises to give light to a darkened earth. This glorious light at dawn brings with it a freshness of new life and all of nature rejoices. The birds sing and the roosters crow, welcoming the sun and the birth of a new day. The dawning of the sun's light causes hope for all of the earth as it brings forth the promise of growth. We seldom give thanks to our Father God for the wonders of this phenomenon or the breathtaking beauty of the sunrise. Instead, we most often take it for granted and assume that it will be provided for us, each and every day. Yet, it only takes a few days of dreary weather to cause us to once again appreciate the sun at dawn. Can you imagine life without the sun?

Luke said that Jesus is our Dayspring from on high. When Jesus visited us, He brought us life and translated us out of the kingdom of darkness into His marvelous light. John 1:4 says, "In Him was Life and that Life was the Light to men." He was sent to this earth like the rising of the sun because of the great love and the mercy of our Father God. Jesus is the dawn that shines eternal light into the darkest places of our lives and causes all evil to flee. The night cannot overtake the day once the sun has risen, for physical darkness cannot absorb physical light. In fact, the greater the darkness, the greater the light seems to shine. Light a candle in a dark room and then watch the darkness put it out. It can't, for the darkness cannot conquer the light. It is an impossible challenge.

Likewise, spiritual darkness can never overtake the light of Jesus in our lives. The kingdom of darkness and evil cannot overcome, put out, or absorb His eternal light and life once the Dayspring has come to live within us. Verse seventy-nine tells us that Jesus will "shine and give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to direct and guide our feet in a straight line into the way of peace." We were sitting in Satan's kingdom of darkness waiting to die an eternal death until Jesus rose like the dawning of the day. His birth was a glorious sunrise. He became our Dayspring as He began to shine His light into our path and guide us into peace and eternal life. Jesus said, "I am the light of the world: he that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life (John 8:12)." Jesus is the "true light that lights every man" (John 1:9). We are forever blessed because Jesus, the Dayspring from on high, has visited us. +++

Scripture: Romans 12:18 "If it be possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all men."

When Jesus came to Earth, He brought peace and good tidings of great joy. Then shortly before He left this Earth to return to Heaven, He said, "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you." The peace that He left is supernatural and is sufficient to help us maintain inner peace in every situation that challenges us. Yet, the Apostle Paul recognized the impossibilities of living in total and perfect peace with the outside world at all times. He said, "When keeping the peace depends upon you, then do it ... if possible."

Paul's word encourages us to bend almost to the breaking point, turn the other cheek, and bite our tongue when necessary, but he never instructs us to compromise our convictions in an effort to maintain peace. Paul experienced these kinds of situations. When he entered a city, the scriptures declared there was "no small stir" (Acts 19:23). A large commotion began to occur among the people because Paul taught against pagan worship and preached in the Name of Jesus.

In another incident, there was so much contention between Paul and his brothers in Christ, Barnabus and Mark, that they had to separate from each other. Barnabus was determined to take John Mark with him and Paul on their missionary journey, but Paul thought that it was not a good idea. Acts 15:39 says, "The contention was so sharp between Paul and Barnabus that they departed from each other." Barnabus took Mark and sailed to Cyprus and Paul chose Silas and went another direction. Jesus, Himself, faced times that weren't too peaceable. Even though He was the Prince of Peace, He made a whip and drove the moneychangers from the temple (John 2:15).

Like the Apostle Paul and Jesus, even though peace is ruling and reigning in our hearts, there will still be times when we will encounter irate individuals and adverse circumstances. Righteous convictions usually bring conflict at some point and time, and that conflict will force confrontation. In these situations, the peace that we hold in our heart will not be able to control the actions of others or protect us from difficult situations. Yet, we must never cower down under pressure. We must always stand for that which is right and remember and receive affirmation in what Paul said, "If it be possible, live peaceably with all men." +++

Scripture: Psalms 27:10 "When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up."

Many have experienced those times when it seemed that their dearest friends had forsaken them and their own brothers or sisters had failed them. Some have even had their own fathers and mothers or sons and daughters to withdraw their love and ignore their cries for help. The pain that comes with rejection and neglect by a loved one is heart wrenching. The disappointment is overwhelming because the bonds of friendship that were depended upon and the ties of love that were trusted failed in the season of adversity. When this happens a deep and lasting wound is created in the spirit of the one rejected and neglected.

You may be experiencing this kind of difficult season right now with someone you thought that you could depend upon. You may think that this has only happened to you, but you can be encouraged because you are not alone. Most everyone has faced this difficult place in their life at one time or another. Joseph's life is an example of the same rejection and abandonment that you may be feeling. His own brothers treated him very cruelly. They were jealous of him, hated him, sold him into slavery, and lied to their father about his disappearance. Their actions forced Joseph away from his family and cheated him from his youth. Yet after many years of separation from them, Joseph was still able to love, forgive, and embrace the same brothers who had treated him so badly. Joseph was able to look beyond his brother's rejection and cruel treatment and see that what they had meant for evil, God meant for good. God trained Joseph in the season of his adversity and then used him to save not only his brothers but a multitude of people from the famine.

We also see Jesus being rejected by His closest friends. Judas betrayed Him and sold Him for a few pieces of silver. Peter cursed and denied Him. His family misunderstood Him and said that He was mad. The disciples could not stay awake and pray with Him for an hour in the Garden of Gethsemane. Then when adversity came, they all fled away from Jesus and hid themselves in the fear of the moment. In the midst of the crisis, they did not show their love for Jesus but love must have prevailed in their hearts because they returned to Him. Jesus forgave them and empowered them with His Spirit so that they could carry forth His message. When the test came again years later, they did not forsake Jesus. Instead many of them honored Jesus by dying a martyr's death for Him.

The psalmist gave us clear assurance that God would never forsake us. God's love for us is stronger than a natural father or mother and He will stick closer to us than our own brother or sister. His commitment to us is greater than that of any friend and His loyalty will never fade away. Jesus will rejoice with us in the good times and He will sustain in the bad times. He will always be there and His Word will remain true and faithful. And like the psalmist said, "When everyone else fails us, the Lord will take us up." +++