| ............ | A Word In Due Season June 2015 6/1/15 GOD'S FORGIVENESS Scripture: Psalms 103:12 "As far as the East is from the West, so far has He removed our transgressions from us." David was a man who loved God with all of his heart and wrote these enormous words concerning forgiveness. He learned about God's forgiveness and experienced it first hand. In a season of passion, David committed adultery with Bathsheba, and in his efforts to hide his sin, he caused her husband to be killed in battle. Yet when David repented of his terrible sins before God, he received forgiveness and restoration. Notice that David did not say that God would remove our transgressions as far as the North is from the South, but as far as the East is from the West. If you were to start out at some point in the United States, such as California, and travel East, as you circled the globe and came back to your starting point, you would still be going East. As long as you moved forward you would never be going West. This is not true of traveling North and South. If you travel North, when you reach the North Pole and start down, you will be traveling South. When David said that God removes our sins as far as the East is from the West, he was declaring that there is no end to God's forgiveness. God's forgiveness is forever and eternal. Not only is God forgiving, but He is also merciful. He doesn't deal with us according to our sins, nor does He reward us according to our iniquities (verse 10). God doesn't give us the punishment we deserve. Isn't that a relief? He extends His patience and waits for us to repent and when we do He is quick to forgive. In another Psalm David says, "Iniquities and much varied guilt prevail against me; yet as for our transgressions, You forgive and purge them away. You make atonement for them and cover them out of Your sight" (Psalms 65:3). There is not one sin that God is incapable of taking care of or one stain that He cannot remove. All we have to do is confess them. He promises to be faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (I John 1:9). When God forgives, He completes the work and His act of forgiveness removes our sins as far as the East is from the West. +++ 06/02/15 GOOD FIGHT OF FAITH Scripture: I Timothy 6:12 "Fight the good fight of faith." Faith has many challenges. The storms will get rough, the mountains will be too hard to climb, the rivers too deep to cross, the valleys too dark and lonely, and the battle too long and weary. This is the reason the Apostle Paul told Timothy to "fight the good fight of faith." Faith itself is a battle and is only won through great effort. When God speaks a Word of faith into your heart, the devil comes immediately to steal that Word through offense, persecutions, and the cares of this life (Luke 4:15-19). To receive God's promise, you must hold on to God's Word and endure to the end. You must fight the good fight of faith. A good fight is one where you know that you are going to win. You have a secret plan, a hidden weapon, or you hold the high card in your hand and you know that you can draw on that strength when the demand comes. After Paul told Timothy to fight the good fight of faith, he instructed him to, "Lay hold on eternal life." The fight of faith can't even begin until Jesus is professed as Lord and trust is placed in Him and His completed work at Calvary. Having faith in ourselves and who we are, our financial security, our education, and our relationships will fail at some point, for there is no supernatural substance in them. Having the assurance that we belong to God and that we have obtained eternal life through the blood of Jesus is our hidden strength. With this revelation in our hearts, even the gates of Hell can not prevail against us. As you face today and the following days, remember that there will always be battles. The Apostle Paul had battles and he told Timothy that he too would have battles. Serving Jesus does not exempt you from problems. In fact, many times it qualifies you to go to the front lines of the battle. Your faith will be challenged in all areas, but understand that your faith does not have the responsibility to prove the devil wrong. Faith is designed to enforce what God has already accomplished. You hold the keys to God's kingdom. Jesus said, "Whatever you loose on Earth will be loosed in Heaven and whatever you bind on Earth will be bound in Heaven" (Matthew 16:19). You don't have to debate with evil. Instead, just resist it and declare the written words of God as Jesus did. Jesus said, "It is written" and then quoted the Word of God when He was tempted with evil. Let the devil debate with Almighty God and His Word. You will discover that the devil will flee at God's Word, for he knows that he is already defeated. God and His Word always prevail. This is the good fight of faith. +++ 06/03/15 BUTTER AND HONEY Scripture: Isaiah 7:15 "Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse evil, and choose good." When I grew up, I was poor but didn't know it because my family had as much and maybe a little more than most families in my town. We had a house that my dad had built and daily food, but I was much older before I realized that we didn't have the best of foods. When lunchtime came, we were given a choice between a mayonnaise or a mustard sandwich. We didn't know that there was supposed to be meat, tomatoes, and lettuce with it. We thanked God, blessed the food, and enjoyed what we had. If you offered me only bread with mayonnaise or mustard today, I would look in wonder at the meager provision because I have tasted and learned that there is so much more to a sandwich. Yet, had I never experienced a complete sandwich, I would not have learned that anything was missing. It is the same as drinking a regular soda or a diet drink. We know the difference because we have tasted the real thing. The prophet Isaiah spoke in a spiritual sense about those who have eaten butter and honey. He said that because they have tasted the real thing, they have gained discernment and know to refuse evil and choose good. We often wonder why some of the people we know choose to live the way they do, for they seem to enjoy their lifestyles of sinful pleasures. Yet, we know that their choices do not measure up to the true joy that is found in serving and worshipping Jesus. Those who choose evil may find pleasure for a moment, but it will be followed by pain, discouragement, guilt, and shame. Jeremiah 15:16 says, "Your Words were found, and I ate them, Your Words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart." Our spiritual taste becomes refined as we feast on God's Word and fellowship in His presence. Once we have tasted of the friendship of God and eaten of His Word, we know that there is nothing to compare with His glories. His love and His Word become as the butter to our spirits and the honey to our soul that Isaiah spoke of. Then our choices become very simple, for we are keen to distinguish between good and evil. There is no contest within our souls in choosing God's will rather than our own desires. We can easily discern between black and white, darkness and light, or right and wrong. Even the subtle tactics of the devil become evident to our spiritual eyes because we have tasted of the goodness of God. There is a popular slogan today, "You are what you eat." Think about it, for so it is with spiritual food. You will only know to refuse evil and choose good when you have chosen the right spiritual diet. +++ 06/04/15 THE GREATER SHADOW Scripture: Acts 5:15 (NLT) "Sick people were brought out into the streets on beds and mats so that Peter's shadow might fall across some of them as he went by." The other day I took a walk in the late afternoon. The sun was beginning to set behind me so my shadow stretched out about fifteen feet before me. As I walked, I caught up with another couple who were walking in front of me. They knew that I was coming close behind them because they could see my shadow on the pavement between them. Yet, it seemed that they took little notice of my shadow because even though my shadow had invaded their territory, it had no life or power within it to alter their lives in any way. It could not hear the conversation between the two of them or verbally communicate with them. And even though my shadow was in their path, it could not cause them to stumble. My shadow could only announce that someone was very near. This was not the case when the Apostle Peter's shadow passed by on the streets of Jerusalem. The people had great hope in Peter's shadow to the extent that the sick people gathered in the streets just to experience his shadow passing over them. Yet, please understand that it was not Peter's shadow that brought healing and miracles. Instead, it was the anointing of the Holy Spirit that was upon Him as a person. Peter had been with Jesus and because of that intimate communion with Him, supernatural power continued to linger in Peter's life. It was Peter's relationship with the Lord that caused the gifts of healing and deliverance to overflow from his life into the lives of those who believed and had faith to receive. If you have a desperate need today, you cannot lay upon the streets of Jerusalem in hopes that Peter's shadow will pass over you and cause healing to come to your body or cause your other needs to be met. Those days are over, but there is a greater shadow that is offered to you. It is an everlasting shadow that is found in the presence of the Lord. Psalms 91:1 tells us that if we dwell in the secret place of the Most High that we will abide under the shadow of the Almighty. The secret place that you need to search for is simply the Lord's presence, for His presence is your greatest security. It is your healing place and haven of peace. It is under God’s shadow that you will experience His love and care in a unique way. As you hide yourself in His presence He will be your refuge and will keep you safe from all harm. +++ 06/05/15 PERCEIVING THE NEW Scripture: Isaiah 43:19 (NIV) "I am doing a new thing! ... Do you not perceive it?" God is creative and He is very much into doing new things. He has fresh ideas every day. His sunrises are never the same and He never duplicates a sunset. Each sunrise and each sunset has its own beauty and glory. Every wave that breaks in the ocean and every cloud that forms in the sky is different. The rainbows that grace the heavens may look similar, but each one is actually an original masterpiece of God. And every time that God forms life inside of a womb, He creates for that special being a new set of fingerprints and voice inflections that are different than anyone else's. Even the hair on the head of His new creation is so unique that with careful study it can be distinguished from all others. God has created each one of us in His own image and He wants us to conform to His mindset, which is reaching for the new each day of our life. He wants our lives to be purposeful and profitable. He told us not to think about the former things or consider the things of old and He also spoke favorably about our future. God said that He knew the thoughts and plans that He had for us and that they were for good and not evil (Jeremiah 29:11). His heart longs to bless us with more. Yet, we are so comfortable where we are that we often become confused when God begins to do new things and move our lives in a new direction. The old is just a part of our life and we feel a certain security when surrounded by the familiar. We may secretly long for the new, but shrink back when it presents itself because we are not sure what the change will bring. You may be wondering why your desires and interests are beginning to change. You may have noticed that your hopes and dreams have taken on a different image. There may be an awareness that new relationships are forming and a sense of new adventure has capture your interest. You can sense that you are going in a different direction and have wondered what it all means. There may be no physical event connected to the new thing that is happening, but you realize that something very significant is taking place in your spirit. You have no words to explain what you are experiencing but God is enlarging your borders and giving you new territories. The prophet asked, "Do you not know it?" Can you see that things are different? Can you perceive that God is moving? Examine your life and evaluate your position. Acknowledge the fresh wind of God’s Spirit that is blowing upon you and cooperate with God. Trust everything to Him and follow His lead. He will take you places that you have never been and show you things that you have never seen. If you allow Him, He will complete the new thing that He has started in your life. +++ 06/08/15 THE POWER OF HIS SPIRIT Scripture: Ecclesiastes 9:11 "The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong." Solomon, a man of great wisdom, recognized that the anointing of God was the element that made the difference in the accomplishments of man. Solomon had been granted wisdom in response to God's offer to give him anything that he wanted. Because Solomon did not choose to satisfy his own lust, God not only granted him the wisdom he requested so that he could rule the people but also allowed him to have wealth and honor. All of these gifts were the work of God's Spirit. Solomon couldn't create a spirit of wisdom within himself simply by educating himself and gaining information. It took an impartation of God's spirit of wisdom coming down from above (James 3:17). Zechariah, the prophet, also recognized the power of God when he spoke God's Word, "Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of Hosts." Often we feel that we are not swift enough for the race, not strong enough for the battle, and not wise, educated, or skilled enough to do what God has called us to do. Yet, according to the words of this wise man, our strength is of little importance to God because God is not dependent upon our might or power. His Spirit is quite capable of enabling and empowering us to handle the job. God used Peter and John to minister healing to the lame man at the gate of the temple. The rulers of the people and the elders of Israel marveled, as they perceived that Peter and John were unlearned and ignorant men. But Acts 4:13 said, "They took knowledge that Peter and John had been with Jesus." Peter and John acknowledged that the miracle was not because of their own might and power. They said, "Why do you look so earnestly at us as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?" They knew it was the power of the Lord. I Corinthians 1:26-27 says, "God does not choose many wise, mighty, or noble men. But He chooses the foolish to confound the wise, and the weak to confound the mighty." God's ways are certainly not like our ways for we would choose strength and ability. However, God's strength is made perfect in our weakness and when we spend time with Him, His presence makes up for our deficiencies. As we lean upon Him we find that His Word is true that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong. +++ 06/09/15 GIVING Scripture: Luke 6:38 "Give, and it shall be given unto you..." There is an inspiring story about giving that I would like to share with you. A woman moved back to the farm where she had been raised as a child. She soon noticed some special plants blooming in the flower garden, which her mother had planted years ago. The plants were a sweet reminder of the times that she and her mother had shared together so she weeded the garden and gave the plants special care. Then one day an elderly neighbor passed by and noticed her garden and the rare plants. The woman could see the desire in her neighbor's eyes, but was reluctant to part with her few precious plants that had belonged to her own mother. However, she finally dug up a few of them and gave them to her grateful neighbor to enjoy. A few years later, the woman who had shared her plants with her neighbor lost her own few remaining plants during a bitterly cold winter, and not even the slightest seedling survived. She desperately searched the garden but none of the special plants remained. A few weeks later, in the Spring, her elderly neighbor called her on the phone, as the woman's neighbor had heard that her plants were all lost. The elderly neighbor told her that her own plants had made it through the winter and were doing fine. Later that afternoon she brought some of the plants to the original owner. It was more seedlings than the woman had originally given to her neighbor years before. This story teaches that sharing doesn't mean losing. Jesus shared with us this same principle of giving. He said, "Give, and it shall be given back to you." In fact, He said that you would receive more than you originally gave. He also said that it would return to you pressed down, shaken together, and running over, for you can never out give God. The more you give, the more you receive. Like these precious plants, it may not come back immediately, but it will come back and at the right time. Ecclesiastes 11:1 says, "Cast your bread upon the waters: for you will find it after many days." It has been stated that your gifts may leave your hands, but they never leave your life. Some way and somehow God will cause them to return to you. +++ 06/10/15 NEVER EARLY - NEVER LATE Scripture: Psalms 31:15 "My times are in Your hand." David trusted and relied upon the Lord, for he had seen God come through for him many times in his life. He knew very well what it meant to put all of his confidence in God and allow Him to guide His footsteps. There were times when God allowed David to kill a bear or a lion and to fight the giant. There were times He spoke to David to go into battle and to chase down his enemy and recover his family and goods that the enemy had taken. But there were also other times that God told David not to fight but to just stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. On all of these occasions, David was confident that his life was in God's hands and also in God's timing whether he was engaged in battle or allowing God to fight the battle for him. How assuring it is when we discover that our times are in God's hands. I was in a big hurry as I drove down the street one day and I could see that the traffic light ahead was red. I anxiously sighed a big sigh and wished for the light to turn green before I got there, which it did. But because the traffic was proceeding very slowly, enough time expired for the light to turn back to red. As I began to fret again about the light, I thought, "Why am I worrying about the light when I am not even there yet?" I didn't need the light to be green until it was my turn to go through the intersection. I came to the conclusion that I should just be patient and proceed forward in joy. Like David, I needed to put my times into God's hands and trust that the light would be green when it was time for me to go through. We are like this many times in life's situations. When God begins to stir our spirit in preparation for change in our life, we become anxious. We want to know that the road ahead is clear of obstacles and we want to see the green light. Yet often the light may change to red on the pathway to our future. The door to our destiny may be closed for a moment while God prepares our heart and keeps us until His perfect timing is ready. His delay causes us to fret, but in reality, we are not even near the intersection of our dreams. We have a long way to go, for God is still maturing us and equipping us for the task ahead. We want to take immediate action, but God doesn't want us running the shoulder of the road so that we can pass all of the cars that are ahead of us. Hastiness will only create a bad situation. God wants us to trust Him and to understand that He is never early and He is never late. He is always right on time and you can be sure that your times are in His hands. Be encouraged. God will open the door to your destiny in His timing and turn the light green at the appropriate time. +++ 06/11/15 GOD SEES YOU Genesis 16:13 "You are the God who sees me?" Abraham's wife, Sarah, was barren and as she waited, year after year, she finally gave up hope in ever having a child of her own. In desperation Sarah arranged for her maid, Hagar, to bear a child with Sarah's own husband, Abraham. Things did not work out as Sarah had planned, however, because sin never delivers what it promises. Instead of finding happiness, Sarah found grief and bitterness. She blamed Abraham for her bad decision and she despised Hagar who had conceived and bore a child to Abraham. Sarah eventually had a son of her own and they named him Isaac, but she still had no peace in her heart. When Hagar's son mocked Isaac, Sarah asked Abraham to send Hagar and her son away into the wilderness. Abraham and Sarah's bad choices brought Hagar much undeserved heartache and pain. Hagar had served them faithfully for many years and had yielded herself to their wishes and demands. Yet, she was treated harshly by those that she had given herself to in obedience. She was used, rejected, abused, despised, suffered reproach, and then sent away to die. She was in a place of no hope, no provision, and no future. No one seemed to care for her or her child, but God saw Hagar in her afflictions and He came to her rescue. He spoke life to her and her son, Ishmael, and pronounced blessings upon their lives and their future posterity. When God came to Hagar's aid, she not only declared, "You are the God who sees Me," but she also said, "Have I truly seen the One who sees me?" Hagar not only realized that God had seen her and her son, but she also got a glimpse of who God was in the process. She saw that He was a God of love and compassion and when she saw God at work in her life, she understood the great plans that He had for her and her son. We have this assurance that regardless of how desperate our situation may look, God has not forsaken us. He will remain true to His Word. As we wait for His answer to come, we can be sure that He will deliver us from all evil. When we have been used and abused, we can’t allow bitterness to linger in our hearts. When we have been rejected by loved ones, ignored by the world, and feel like a cast away, we can't give in to the negative emotions of the moment or allow them to dictate our lives. As we look to God as our refuge and help in the time of trouble, He will be our comfort and show us acceptance. In times of adversity we must not only recognize that God sees us, but we must understand that we have the same opportunity that Hagar had, which is to look beyond our distressing circumstances to see the One who sees us. We only need one small glimpse of God's glory and grace to make it through life's circumstances and that will happen when we search for God with all of our heart. +++ 06/12/15 YOUR FRUIT IN YOUR SEASON Scripture: Psalms 1:3 "He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth his fruit in his season." The first verses of this psalm explain the process and conditions of blessings and spiritual fruit. They declare that you can't expect blessings or fruit in your life if you walk with the ungodly, stand in the place where sinners congregate, or sit with those who are scornful. Exposing yourself to these conditions will cause you to wither and dry up within. It is like planting a perfectly good plant in the dry and barren desert, where it's total surroundings produce death. All of us have experienced these places of entrapment at some point in our life, and before we could flee the situation, the circumstances and the people involved seemed to draw our very life from us. There was nothing edifying or encouraging in their scornful words or misconduct, and in most instances, we were shamed by their actions. The psalmist said that those who meditate upon God's Words will bring forth "his fruit in his season." He stated it as a matter of fact. God has planned for every life to bring forth fruit and has ordained its particular season. Yet if you want to produce the fruit that the Lord has ordained for your life, there are conditions that must be met. You must delight yourself in His law and meditate upon His Words day and night. This means 24-7, you are to think on God' Words; in light and in darkness; in good times and in bad times; when you are rich and when you are poor; when you have energy and when you are weak; when you have friends that surround and support you and when you are all alone; when you are encouraged and when you are discouraged; when you are in health and when infirmity is attacking your body; when you are experiencing victory and when you are facing defeat; and when everyone loves you and when everyone rejects you. Delighting yourself in God's Word and meditating upon what He has said is the only environment that will keep you fresh and green because this continual nourishment from His Word gives life to you. His Word keeps you on track in the good times and strengthens and encourages you in the bad times. When you meditate upon what He has said, God establishes your spirit in His concepts and thoughts. When He establishes you, you become like a tree that is planted by the rivers of water. You can't be moved from your zone and you will never wither or shrink in adversity. Your roots run deep and because you are strong within, you are able to stand in the seasons of drought and famine and still bring forth fruit. +++ 06/15/15 MATCHING SHOES Scripture: Isaiah 52:7 (NLT) "How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news, the good news of peace and salvation, the news that the God of Israel reigns!" The prophet Isaiah declared that the feet of the messengers who bring good news are considered to be beautiful. Their words of good news offer peace, salvation, and a sure confirmation that God is sovereign and that He reigns over all this Earth and also in the personal lives of mankind. This is the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and there is no better news. When Jesus was born, the angels declared, "Peace on Earth." And when the Apostle Paul listed the important items of our spiritual armor, he included a covering for our feet. He said, "For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News" (Ephesians 6:15). He knew the importance of walking in peace and recognized that no spiritual battle could be won when the mind was in disarray and confusion. In the natural, correct shoes are necessary for every day of life, but particularly for times of battle because there is no sitting down or resting your feet on the battlefield. You can't engage in battle with two left boots or two right boots on your feet. It will cause you to be clumsy and slow. Neither can you stand properly or walk very far with your boots or shoes on the wrong feet. It will make you miserable and tire you out. And if there is just a slight difference in the height of the two shoes, it will cause discomfort and throw your spine out of alignment, affecting your entire back and body. Irregular shoes or boots will be a great hindrance in your everyday walk but more so when you are engaged in a battle. Our spiritual walk is the same, we must make sure that we have matching shoes. Not just for our own benefit, but also for the world that is watching our lives. We are a book that is read of all men. They can tell if we have two left shoes on and they can also discern if we have an odd match. We can't allow ourselves to wear one shoe of peace and another shoe of confusion. We can't have one shoe that walks in faith and the other that treads about in doubt. We can't speak of goodness at the same time that we act unkindly towards others. We can't have one shoe of love and one of bitterness. We can't speak words of grace and blessings at the same time that we are criticizing and cursing. We can't pretend to be patient when the world is looking at our uncontrolled temper. We can't act in obedience if one of our feet is walking in rebellion and disobedience any more than we can stand in darkness while we are standing in the light. Both of our feet must agree on the direction they intend to take and they must be properly fitted for the walk. The Lord has made it very plain. If we want our feet and our personal walk with the Lord to be considered beautiful in the eyes of the Lord andothers, we must be a messenger that brings the good news of peace and salvation, the news that God reigns. +++ 06/16/15 THE GOOD SHEPHERD Scripture: John 10:14 "I am the Good Shepherd, and I know My sheep, and My sheep know Me." Jesus speaks much about Himself as being the Good Shepherd and His believers as being the sheep of His pasture. He talks about leading His sheep and caring for them in every way possible. Jesus declares that He knows His sheep so personally that He calls them each by name and He is committed to protecting them whatever the cost. He even said that the Good Shepherd would give His own life for His sheep. These words are comforting to us because in the beginning of this discourse Jesus gave a stern warning about the deception that is in the world. He made it very clear that there is a spirit of evil that will try to show itself as our shepherd. These false shepherds will even try to speak like the true Shepherd speaks by using the Good Shepherd's own words. They can quote scripture just as Satan did when he deceived Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden and when he attempted to deceive Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane. That is the reason you must listen for the voice of the Good Shepherd and not just the words that are spoken, for they may be an attempt to deceive. The false shepherds are thieves that are out to steal, kill, and destroy (Vs. 10). They will bind up the sheep so that they cannot go in and out to find pasture because they don't want the sheep to feed on God's truth. The Word says that they will pretend to love the sheep, but in instead, they are simply hirelings who are there for what the sheep can give back to them. They are only interested in the sheep's wool and flesh and will flee at the first sign of danger. The Good Shepherd, on the other hand, will lay down His life for the sheep. His sheep will know Him, recognize His voice, and will follow Him. Jesus is the Good Shepherd and He came to give to you, not take from you. There will be many voices telling you many things in this life, but don't be confused or deceived. Listen for the voice of the Good Shepherd and ask the Lord to help you hear Him plainly. His voice will always lead you into truth and peace. Be cautious if you hear another voice that you do not know or recognize. If it sounds strange and does not bear witness to the Holy Spirit within you remember that you have the right to flee from it (Vs. 5). Jesus knows His sheep and His sheep know Him. He will never make His voice strange to His sheep because He is the Good Shepherd. +++ 06/17/15 THE ACCESS NAME Scripture: Romans 5:2 "By Whom (Jesus) we have access by faith." Jesus told us exactly how to talk to the Father and how to receive answers. One of the principles of prayer that He gave to us is so simple but often missed. In John 16:23 Jesus said, "You shall ask Me nothing. Truly, truly, I say unto you, Whatsoever you shall ask of the Father in My Name, He will give it to you." Jesus gave us His Name and that Name allows us access to God the Father. There is no other name. In today's modern world, we understand access codes and what they will allow us to do or not do. As we attempt to use the computer, access our bank accounts and credit cards, or draw funds from the ATM machines, we realize the importance of being totally accurate. One incorrect digit or dot will hinder our access to what rightfully belongs to us. Using the Name of Jesus to access the Father is comparable to these codes. We must approach God accurately and on the basis of who Jesus is and what He has done. Jesus told us that we would experience problems if we did not make our petitions in the correct way. There's great comfort in talking to Jesus, fellowshipping with Him, singing about Him, and enjoying communion with the Holy Spirit. We may even call out the Name of Jesus when we need deliverance from our distress. But Jesus made it very plain that we should ask nothing of Him, but that we were to ask the Father in Jesus' Name. The Father is the one who grants our petitions, and we need to gain access to His throne of grace in order to get our needs met. Our prayers and requests need to be spoken directly to God the Father in the Name of Jesus. Peter and John soon put these words to the test in the third chapter of Acts when the lame man was healed in the Name of Jesus. Peter told the crowd of people who looked on in amazement and wonder, "Why look on us as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?" Peter said, "It was Jesus' Name and through faith in His Name that caused this man to walk." Like the situation with Peter and John, Jesus gives us His Name and expects us to access our Heavenly Father in faith. When we go to the Father in Jesus' Name, God listens and responds. He will faithfully grant our petitions when our petitions represent who Jesus is and what His will is for our lives. +++ 06/18/15 SOUND OF A TRUMPET Scripture: Psalms 47:5 "God has gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet." In the scriptures the trumpet was not used just as an instrument to create beautiful music. It was also used for various things depending upon the sound that it made. With one sound, the trumpet summoned people to worship and with another sound, it gathered dignitaries together. There was also a distinctive sound to call the troops to battle and a different one to announce peace. The trumpet made a jubilant sound for victory and a mournful sound to announce death and defeat. The sounds were clear and their signals were recognized by all. Many times there was a shout that accompanied the sound of the trumpet, as in the case when the walls of Jericho came down. My oldest son played the trumpet when he was in high school. We not only listened to him practice at home but took advantage of every opportunity to hear him play in the school concerts. His dad and I sat in the outside stadium at the local football games in the heat, cold, and inclement weather so that we could see him march with the band and hear him play the trumpet. There were other trumpet players in the band but we were attentive to one whom we loved and who shared our name. We were proud of our son's talent, skill, and accomplishments and the sound that he made on his trumpet was our greatest interest. If you had been sitting in the crowd with us your attention, no doubt, would have been on the sound coming from your own son or daughter. Just as we took interest in our son, God is watching us as we march through life because we are His children and we share His Name. We do not sound a literal trumpet as we pass though life, but the sound of our voices are as instruments in the ears of God and He listens very attentively for our voice. He said, "Call unto Me and I will show you great and mighty things that you have not known." He hears our words of faith and honors them and calls things into being because of the words that we speak. He gives attention to our petitions and listens to our prayers when we come to Him in Jesus' Name. And the Lord always gives audience to our words and the melodies that come from our lips when we praise and worship Him. God's Word tells us that life and death are in the power of our tongue. Like the trumpet, our words can stir up war or bring peace. Our voices can sound forth victory or defeat. Our own tongue can create positive emotions that will sustain our hope and help us endure adversity or it will cause negative emotions that will fill our hearts with doubt, fear, and confusion. We must remember that God's ears are never closed to our sounds so we must choose our words carefully and make our sounds certain. God is forever listening to us with His heart and He has declared that our own sounds will determine our personal destiny. +++ 06/19/15 GUIDANCE FROM OUR FATHERS Scripture: Proverbs 4:1 "Listen, children, to the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding." We have all learned from our fathers in one way or another. A good father teaches us the principles of life and guides us into truth by their pure examples. They may never say a word concerning a certain matter, yet, their actions alone will cause us to understand the difference between right and wrong or good and evil. Their heartbeat will be the drum that we listen to and learn to follow. A father who is not a good example also teaches us, but in a different way. With a father of this sort, we learn the things that we shouldn't do if we want to live a good and blessed life. It is a matter of choice, for many good sons and daughters have come from less desirable parents. Earthly fathers are meant to be a type and shadow of our Heavenly Father. They are to love us unconditionally but also be there to discipline us when needed. They are to be our comfort, protector, and provider, but more importantly they are to be our guide through life as they lead us down paths of righteousness. Solomon said, "Hear the instruction of your father, and give attention to understand what they are saying." He then follows these words by saying that if we listened to our fathers and gave attention to their guidance, that their wisdom would preserve and keep us (Vs. 6), promote us and bring honor to us (Vs. 8), be an ornament of grace and a crown of glory to us (Vs. 9), give us life (Vs. 13), and bring health to our flesh (Vs. 22). It is one thing to hear, but it is another thing to follow. Being told that the stove is hot and not to touch it is good instruction and guidance, but understanding and giving attention and obedience to those words is wisdom. I had a wonderful earthly father who served God faithfully. Was he perfect by Heaven's standards? No, but his heart was perfected by God's love. He made mistakes for sure, but I knew that he loved and cherished me and that he always had my best interest at heart. He went to be with the Lord many years ago, but I still honor his life. The Apostle Paul tells us to honor our father and mother, and then he reminded us that this is the first commandment with a promise (Ephesians 6:2). In all of the other commandments, God just said, "Thou shalt" or "Thou shalt not" and never gave a stated promise with the command. When He gave us the commandment to honor our father and mother, He promised that our obedience to that command would give us long life on this earth. Solomon reiterated the promise by saying that honoring the wisdom of our fathers would preserve us, keep us out of danger, and give us life. We will have many fathers who will give guidance to our lives and there are great rewards for listening to their words and then yielding our lives to their instructions. We must understand that honoring these faithful men of God and giving attention to their words of wisdom is not a one-day affair as on Father's Day. Instead, it should be a continual lifestyle that will bring us long life. +++ 06/22/15 COME LEARN OF ME Scripture: Matthew 11:28-29 "Come unto me .... Learn of Me." Jesus gives us two wonderful invitations. He invites us into His presence by saying, "Come unto Me," and He also invites us to "Learn of Him." He offers us His personal fellowship and His personal mentorship. These two invitations that He offers are actually one package, for you can't have one without the other. You can't really learn about who Jesus is without coming to Him and experiencing Him as a person, and you can't come into His presence without learning from Him and about Him. When we come to Jesus to learn of Him, He doesn't offer us a second hand education. He said that the Holy Spirit will teach us all things (John 14:26). The knowledge that you acquire in His presence is spiritual revelation like it was with Peter when he declared that Jesus was the Son of the Living God. Peter didn't surmise the person of Jesus through reading about Him in a book or hearing others talk about Him. He had come unto Jesus and he had learned of Him. Peter knew in his own heart who Jesus was because he had been with Jesus and had experienced a spiritual transference of wisdom and understanding. Jesus explained that flesh and blood had not revealed this knowledge to Peter, but that the revelation of Jesus' deity had been supernaturally imparted by the Father in Heaven (Matthew 16:17). These two invitations to come and to learn were given particularly to those who were weary and carrying heavy burdens. Yet, invitations are simply that. No one will force you to come regardless of how tired and weary you may be and no one will force you to learn. It is up to you to accept the Lord's invitation and make time in your own personal schedule to follow through. Communion with Jesus offers us an awesome avenue of exchange. He promises that if we would take time to come into His presence and learn of Him that He would give us rest in our souls in exchange for the things that were making us weary. He declared that His yoke would be easy and that His burden would be light. Isaiah 40:31 tells us that if we wait upon the Lord, our strength will be renewed and we will mount up with wings as eagles. We shall run and not be weary, and we shall walk and not faint. It is important that you take a few minutes every morning to come into the Lord's presence and learn of Him before you start your day. As you develop a relationship with Jesus and learn of Him, you will come to understand that you can only do what He tells you to do and say what He tells you to say. That knowledge will impart incredible strength into your soul because it will release you from false responsibility and free you from stress. Your decisions will become easier and more accurate because you are leaning upon the Holy Spirit of Wisdom and Truth. Your path will become clearer because your life will be less cluttered by the things that surround you. When you sow this seed of time for your day, you will find yourself saying “No” to a multitude of distractions because you will be focused on God's goals and desires for your life. His plan and His purpose is the most important agenda for your life so take time to come and learn of Him and allow His strength to carry you through the day. +++ 06/23/15 GARMENT OF PRAISE Scripture: Isaiah 61:3 "... garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness." God has a remedy for the oppression and depression that you or maybe someone that you care for may be facing. He has anointed Jesus to minister to the meek, the brokenhearted, and the captives that are bound in physical and spiritual prisons. Jesus came to comfort all that mourn in Zion, which represents the church. He appoints unto us three things in a great exchange. He takes the ashes and our ruined lives and gives us beauty. He gives us oil or the anointing of joy in our lives in place of mourning, and He also gives us a garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. Jesus turns everything that has damaged and hurt us into something beautiful. He takes "all things and works them together for good to those that love Him and are called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28). Notice that He called 'heaviness' a spirit. There is no force that can battle an evil spirit but the Spirit of the Living God. God's Word tells us exactly what we are to do when this spirit of mourning and heaviness comes against us. God provides the "oil of joy and the garment of praise" for us, but they are like items that are only issued to us. Once they have been appointed, they need to be received and put on. They are like unused clothing in our closet until we apply them to our lives. We must put forth an effort and begin to sing and praise God from a thankful heart. Only then will the Spirit of God drive out the evil that is oppressing us and trying to force us into depression. Isaiah 51:11 says, "The redeemed of the Lord shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head; they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away." This is a pattern for deliverance. When we begin to sing and rejoice, the anointing of joy begins to flow from God, and the sorrow and mourning that is attempting to plague our lives has to flee. Isaiah 52:1 and 9 says, "Awake, put on your strength, O Zion; put on your beautiful garments," ... "Break forth into joy, sing together." We must take the initiative to awake and put on this beautiful garment of praise that has been provided for us. We must take heed to God's Word. When oppression and depression present themselves, we must exchange them for songs of praise and then watch sorrow and mourning flee away as we break forth into a spirit of joy. +++ 06/24/15 GOD'S FAITHFULNESS Scripture: Lamentations 3:23 "Great is Thy faithfulness." Our God is awesome and our God is faithful. There is no way to measure the length, depth, or height of God or His faithfulness. If we were to try to explain God's faithfulness, we would have to agree with the writer of this scripture that God's faithfulness is simply "great." The proportions of His faithfulness cannot be measured because it expands with every need that we encounter. Neither can the Lord's faithfulness be counted or numbered because it is new every morning. God is faithful to love us when we are unlovely. He sees only the beauty of His creation and not the shortcomings and failures of our human nature. God is faithful to forgive us of all of our sins, for when we confess our sins, He sees the blood of His only begotten Son and not the ugliness of our words and actions. God quickly forgives when we confess and is faithful to extend His mercies. His love is abundant and free and His compassion never fails. When He speaks, His Words come to pass and never return to Him void. There is not the slightest shadow of turning with God. He faithfully remains the same today as He was yesterday, and will be the same forever. God will be as faithful to you as the universe that He created and set in motion. The sun rises and sets right on time each and every day. The moon remains in its appointed position and faithfully reflects the light of the sun. The seasons come and go and have faithfully done so for century after century. God works His plan and He is stable. This is a manifestation of His character. You can put your faith and trust in Him. Just like His magnificent universe, God is in control of your life and He will not fail you. Yes, the clouds may cover His sun and shadows may make your way seem dim. There may be times that you can't see Him and think that He is not there. These are the times that you must place your trust in His Word. God said that He would never leave you or forsake you and that He would supply your need according to His riches in Christ Jesus. You can depend upon His Word. Although dark seasons may come to your life, He will bring light again. God will not leave you alone. He is forever faithful and He is with you right now. He is standing somewhere in the shadows of your darkness. He is the Spirit of Truth. Reach out to God in simple faith, trust Him, and trust His Word. God is faithful and His faithfulness is great. +++ 06/25/15 FALLING SHORT BUT STANDING TALL Scripture: Psalms 37:24 (NIV) "Though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with His hand." It is wonderful to serve a loving God who understands our shortcomings and holds us up when we begin to fall. Though we stumble around in life's situations, His grace gently picks us up and helps us start over again. He is like a natural father who teaches his child to walk. He eagerly waits for us to make the next step and His hand is there to catch us before we hit the ground. God doesn't scold us when our knees wobble or when our feet trip along the rough paths. He knows that our spirit is willing but that our flesh is weak so He just holds our hands a little tighter, lifts us up, and helps us along our way. God is aware that we are going to stumble many times in life before we reach our place in Heaven. Throughout the scriptures, He gives examples to let us know that His forgiveness and restoration is always available. Abraham, the friend of God and the father of faith, fell short in his walk with God when fear gripped his heart. His faith failed him and he asked his wife, Sarah, to pose as his sister in order to protect his own life. Also, instead of believing God's promise and waiting on His timing for the righteous seed to be conceived and birthed, he gave in to Sarah's plea. He followed her suggestion and took her maid, and through this unrighteous union Ishmael was birthed. Even though Abraham stumbled, the Lord held him up and his faith was still counted unto him as righteousness. King David fell short and committed many sins, but stood tall and reached into the heart of God and found forgiveness for all of his transgressions. The Apostle Peter also fell short in his actions when he denied Christ, but later he not only acknowledged that he knew Jesus but stood very tall as he openly preached to the multitudes, proclaiming Jesus Christ as the Messiah, the Son of the Living God. You must understand today that even though you may have fallen short in your walk through life, you can still stand tall in God's presence. His love covers a multitude of sins and His grace is sufficient in all circumstances. He wants to assure you that there is no mistake that you have ever made that He can't erase and no stain in your life that He cannot wash away, for His blood takes care of it all. He wants you to know that there is hope even when you think there is no way of restoration. God's ways are not like your ways and His thoughts go beyond your thoughts. When you feel yourself begin to stumble, immediately reach out to the Lord and He will lift you up and help you stand tall. +++ 06/26/15 THE LORD MADE TODAY Scriptures: Psalms 118:24 "This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." Have you ever found yourself in a place where it appeared as if everything in your life was going wrong? The enemy seemed to be attacking in every area; one blow after another, and anything that could go wrong was going wrong. While surrounded by your problems, you began to feel like the writer of this psalm; distressed, fearful, hated, and also disappointed in humanity, rulers, and governments. And worse yet, your own mind was attacked and you wondered if you were being chastened by the Lord. As the psalmist experienced all of these things, he declared that he felt as though the nations were surrounding him like a swarm of angry bees. And like the psalmist, we, too, may feel this same way when things begin to overwhelm us. In the natural when we encounter a swarm of bees the safest thing to do is stay calm. But instead we panic, we run, we jump, we hide, or do whatever is necessary to escape them. So it is when we are attacked in the spiritual realm. Rather than stay calm, we begin to panic, and in our distress, we become fearful and lose faith. Look at how the psalmist addressed all these issues in Psalm 118: Verse 5: In distress - He called upon the Lord. The Lord answered and set him in a large place. Verse 6: When fear attacked - He recognized that the Lord was on his side. Verse 7: When hated - The Lord stood up for him. Verse 8: When men disappointed him - He trusted in the Lord. Verse 9: When his leaders failed - He trusted in the Lord. Verse 10: When nations surrounded him - He destroyed them in the Name of the Lord. Verse 13: When physically attacked - The Lord helped him. Verse 18: When chastened by the Lord - He recognized that God had not given him over to death. Be encouraged by these words. When the problems of life overwhelm you to the point that you feel that you are surrounded with bees, remember to stay calm and trust in the Lord. He made this day for you and chose all the events that would surround you. "Be joyful in every trial and test, knowing that the trying of your faith will work patience in your life" (James 1:2-4). God is in control so allow patience to complete its work within your heart and rejoice and be glad, for this is the day the Lord has made. +++ 06/29/15 REFUSING TO COMPROMISE Scripture: Nehemiah 6:2 "Come, let us meet together in ... in the Plain of Ono." Nehemiah organized God's people for the purpose of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. From the very beginning of this endeavor, their enemies had tried to discourage and hinder their work by mockery, conspiracy, extortion, and slander. Yet, they continued in their efforts and their work on the wall progressed. Now, however, the enemy was attempting to lure them from their work on the walls into the Plain of Ono for a meeting. God's people recognized the enemy's plan as a plan of mischief. In verse three, Nehemiah, their leader, responded to the invitation with the words, "I am doing a great work so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease while I leave it and come down to you?" He refused to enter into a place where he would have the opportunity to listen to any terms of compromise. As in this story, the enemy will try to lure you from the commitments that you have made to God and will also try to destroy your faith in God's promises. If he can get you to come down from your position on the wall of faith, he may be successful in stopping the great work that you are doing for God. Once you are in his territory, the enemy will try to get you to a place where his voice of compromise can whisper to you in every area. As he gains your attention, he will sow seeds of doubt such as, "You can't be saved. You have done too many evil things." "You can't give your tithes and offerings this week. If you do, how will you pay all of your bills?" "You can't be healed. Everyone dies from that disease." "You can't sing, testify, and serve Jesus. You're not good enough." "You can't be delivered. Addictions to alcohol, drugs, gambling, and sex are just too strong to fight against." "You can't forgive. You've been hurt too much and the pain is too deep." The list goes on as the devil continually tries to discourage you and steal your faith. Your weapon against him is to refuse to reason with him or to listen to his lies. Remember that your example is Jesus. In Matthew chapter four, Jesus faced the devil but refused to compromise. His only responses to the devil's temptations were, "It is written" and Jesus then quoted the Word of God. The devil has no defense against God's Word, which is "powerful and sharper than a two edged sword" (Hebrews 4:12). Like Nehemiah, God has a great work for you to do also. So when the devil attempts to lure you from the wall of faith and invites you to leave your place of commitment, refuse to compromise or come to down to his level. +++ 06/30/15 HEALING FOR THE BROKEN HEART Scripture: Psalms 34:18 "The Lord is near unto them that are of a broken heart." From the beginning, Jesus defined His ministry to mankind by quoting from the prophet, Isaiah. He stood in the synagogue on the Sabbath Day and boldly declared that the Spirit of the Lord was upon Him. Jesus said that among the things God had anointed Him to do, He was to heal the hurting and bind up the broken hearted (Luke 4:18). You may have received Jesus as your Lord and Savior. You may have also experienced physical healing for your body and received provisions for your needs, but God's grace extends beyond those boundaries. God wants you to have life and have it more abundantly in all areas; body, soul, and spirit. So He sent Jesus to heal your wounded spirit and to set you free from the emotional pain that plagues you. Jesus is touched by every feeling and infirmity that will ever challenge you. He knows about your past and is sensitive to your painful memories. Jesus sees the hurts and disappointments of your present. He also understands your fears and anxieties concerning the future and He wants to help you. Friends, family, children, or professionals can be a great support and may point you in the right direction, but only the anointing of God's Spirit can break the yoke of bondage that holds you captive and bring freedom to your soul. If you have been wounded emotionally, if your heart is breaking, if you are lonely with no one to turn to, if the memories of the past grip your soul, and you anguish over the poor choices of your life that have been haunting you, then know that Jesus loves you and He is near. This is His promise. He said that He would be near those who were of a broken heart. As you allow Jesus to touch your heart, He will take all of your hurt and turn it around for good. Isaiah 61:3 says, the Lord will give you beauty for the ashes of your life, the oil of joy for your mourning, and a garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. Jesus, Himself, will open your prison doors and set you free. He is near and stands ready as the Great Physician to bind up your painful wounds and to heal your broken heart as only He can do. The Lord wants you to call upon Him in faith and to embrace the promises of His Word. +++ Copyright © 2015 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved www.widsonline.com |
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