Nov15

............	A Word In Due Season Nov 2015 TALENTS Scripture: Matthew 25:15 "He gave to every man according to his own personal ability." Matthew tells the story of a man who divided several talents between his servants. The servant who received five talents and the servant who received two talents put them to work and doubled them. But the servant who had received only one talent was fearful and hid his talent in the ground. He didn't have enough faith to put his talent to work even though he knew that his master was able to reap and gather where he had not sown. When the master returned and found that the servant had done nothing with the talent that had been entrusted to him, he took back the servant's talent and gave it to those who had been faithful, diligent, and productive in their efforts. This story shows us four things. First, God never asks you to do anything that He has not given you the ability to do. He disburses talents according to the ability that is within you. He gives you personal assets and with every gift or endowment, God provides you with the wisdom to know what to do with your gift. Second, if you do what you can to use what you've been given, God will increase it and will also give you a promotion. Third, limited ability does not negate responsibility. God doesn't expect less effort from you because you have little, for any amount can be increased. And finally, God requires faithfulness in spite of the fear that may challenge you. He wants you to step out in faith even when you are afraid. How many battles would have been won if no one was willing to fight because of the fear that was raging in their hearts? Fear comes to all of us, but it is just an emotion. Faith can dispel fear just as light dispels darkness, but faith must be acted upon. Faith is substance and evidence (Hebrews 11:1). Like playing a game of baseball, you have to be willing to strike out if you want to hit a home run. Only when you swing the bat will you make contact with the ball and be able to experience a hit. It is impossible to dream the hit into existence. You must take action, for faith without works is dead. So it is with your talents and investments. You can dream all you want, but if you're not using your talents or assets, they will not be productive, nor will they multiply. God doesn't stand by to increase your ability or cause you to reap when you have been idle or too fearful to sow. He responds and multiplies your gifts because of your effort and your faith. He makes good investments and expects good returns. God gives you a gift and a dream and it pleases Him when you are able to give it back to Him with return. Then, when He sees your faithfulness and your ability, He will give you more and enlarge your borders. +++ 11/03/15 THE LORD'S MERCY Scripture: Genesis 19:16 (Living Bible) "When Lot hesitated, the angels seized his hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters and rushed them to safety outside the city, for the Lord was merciful." Two angels came to rescue Lot and his family from the destruction that was about to occur to Sodom and Gomorrah. The angels said, "Flee for your lives ... and don't look back." Even though the angels warned Lot to leave quickly so that he would escape the judgment that was to come, Lot hesitated. Fleeing the city meant that he would have to leave behind his home and everything that he had acquired, including his friends and two son-in-laws. Lot's hesitation almost cost him his life, but God's angels intervened because the Lord was merciful. Can you look back on your life today and see the many times that God intervened, saving you from heartache and destruction? Maybe God kept you from marrying the wrong person whom you thought you were madly in love with or stopped you when you were thinking about ending your good marriage. Possibly, God intervened when you were about to go in debt, overextending yourself financially. Did you ever look back on a car or house deal that you had prayed and asked God for and then thanked Him that He did not answer your prayer because you found a better deal somewhere else? God is so merciful to us. Even though we can't see it at the time, He always has our best interest in mind and will always give us the best when we allow Him to do the choosing. God desperately tries to lead us by His Holy Spirit so that He can bless us and rescue us from hurtful situations, but like Lot, we often hesitate. We don't want to let go of where we are and walk into the future with nothing but childlike faith in God. We continually look back to old relationships that have failed and refuse to let go of our past hurts. We bitterly hang on to the hurtful memories so that we can't truly forgive. We dwell on the negative reports of the doctors, which hinder God's Word of healing for our bodies. Yet, the Lord continues to be merciful to us. Lamentations 3:21-23 says, "Yet there is one ray of hope: His compassion never ends. It is the Lord's mercies that have kept us from complete destruction. Great is His faithfulness; His loving kindness begins afresh each day." We can thank the Lord that when we hesitate to do His will or trust His Word, we still have a ray of hope. God's faithful compassion and mercies never end, and He will take necessary steps to keep us from complete destruction. +++ 11/04/15 GOD CAN AND GOD WILL Scripture: Psalms 78:19 "Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?" God did many signs and wonders in the lives of the people of Israel as He led them out of Egypt. They saw Him divide the Red Sea and cause the water to stand in a heap on each side of them as they passed through on dry ground. They witnessed their deliverance as God used those same waters to destroy their enemies. God miraculously guided them with a cloud during the day and a fire by night. He provided water from a rock to quench their thirst and angel's food, or manna, to satisfy their hunger. Each day for forty years He sufficiently met every need that challenged them. Yet, they forgot God's marvelous works and spoke out against Him saying, "Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?" The chosen people of God continually provoked Him as they journeyed in the wilderness. They grieved, tempted, and limited the Holy One of Israel by their words and actions. From one miracle to the next, they would forget what God had done for them. It would seem that their faith would have grown stronger with each passing miracle. But instead, they questioned God's ability with each new event, often speaking out against Him and their leader, Moses. They never came to the place where they really knew God or truly trusted Him. Because of the cruel bondage that they had suffered for so long, their spirits were full of anguish and it was difficult for them to believe for anything better (Exodus 6:9). How many times have we questioned God's ability to take care of our needs? We think our problem is too great or it has gone on too long. Because of past hurts and anguish, we just can't seem to come to the place where we can trust God to furnish a solution. The current turmoil distracts us and we fail to rely upon God who has always been there and has never failed. We do the same thing the people of Israel did. We grieve, tempt, and limit the Holy One of Israel. Even though God has proved Himself in the past and is quite able to meet our present need, He can't do very many mighty works in our lives because He is limited by our unbelief (Matthew 13:58). God wants to move mightily in your life and furnish a table in your wilderness. Trust in Him for every need and instead of asking the question, "Can God?" start believing and declaring, "God can and God will." +++ 11/05/15 OUR WORDS Scripture: Luke 6:45 "For out of the abundance or overflow of the heart the mouth speaks." Luke uses the illustration of a tree to explain a point. He said that good trees produce good fruit and that evil trees produce evil fruit. He then compares this concept to men who have the capacity to either produce good or evil conversation depending upon what is in their heart. In Psalm 19:14 David said, "Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable." The words of your mouth proceed from the meditations that are in your heart so you must "Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it flows life" (Proverbs 4:23). In 'God's Little Devotional Book', it says, "Language is the expression of thought. Every time you speak, your mind is on parade." How true these words are, for once our words are spoken, they are out there for the whole world to hear, whether they are good or whether they are bad. We are then judged by our words and either accepted or rejected because of them. Ecclesiastes 3:7 says, "There is a time to keep silent and a time to speak." It is said that sometimes it's better to keep our mouth shut and let everyone think we are stupid than to openly speak out and remove all of their doubts. James 1:19 declares, "Be swift to hear, and slow to speak." Our words should always render grace and be a word in due season to the world and to the body of Christ. We must understand that words are full of power, and they are able to produce life or death (Proverbs 18:21). Therefore, "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man" (Colossians 4:6). In other words, endeavor to have your heart so filled with God's Word and His wisdom that when you speak, you are His voice and your words are like God's grace on parade. +++ 11/06/15 BEAUTY FOR ASHES Scripture: Isaiah 61:3 "To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes." Jesus emptied Himself of His royalty and left His throne in Heaven so that He could come to this Earth to minister to the needs of people and eventually die for them. This was His heartbeat and strongest desire. When He came, He preached good tiding to the meek and He set the captives free. He went about doing good to all people, whether rich or poor. He healed the sick, raised the dead, restored sight to the blind, caused the lame to walk, and did many other mighty miracles. When Jesus went back to His throne in Heaven, He asked the Father to send the Holy Spirit to continue and maintain His work. His Spirit still works in the Earth today, restoring beauty for the ashes of our lives. I went through a very solitary and dreadful season in my life many years ago because of bad decisions on my part. It was a short season, but it seemed like a life time and I thought that it would never end. I felt like all was lost and I could see no way out of my dilemma, but God, in His mercy, rescued me. While I was in this lonely place of despair and discouragement, I learned something about ashes. The place where I was living had the most healthy and radiant roses and their fragrance was indescribable. I wondered how this could be because they were never cared for in any special manner. Later that winter I discovered the secret to their beauty and success. The ashes from the fire place were placed upon the roses throughout their dormant season of winter. God spoke hope into my heart through the roses and let me know that He could take the ashes of any experience and use them to create something beautiful in our lives. Jesus sees your hopes that have been burned up in the fires of life and your colorful dreams that have turned to gray ashes. He knows your pain even better than you do. He sees the spirit of sorrow and mourning that is holding you in bondage and knows the heartache and heaviness that has stripped your spirit of its life. He sees the hopelessness of your situation. He also sees your body that has been ravaged by sickness and disease. The Lord understands your despair and discouragement. He searches out every matter and leaves no stone unturned in your life. Whatever He sees, He is faithful to take care of. Jesus speaks good tidings to you that will set you free and restore all that the devil has taken from you, whether it be financial, spiritual, or in your relationships. He is able to exchange every ugly thing from your past and make it into something beautiful. He will do a supernatural work that cannot be explained. He applies the oil of His joy to your heart so that you can be healed and your soul can be fully restored. He also gives you a garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness because He loves you and wants you to be blessed beyond measure. He left you with His Word so that He could build faith in your heart and turn your life around. Your miracle is waiting for you but you must reach out and receive it by faith. You can be sure that when you offer the Lord Jesus the ashes of your life, He will be faithful to give you something beautiful in exchange. +++ 11/09/15 PRAYING ALWAYS Scripture: Ephesians 6:18 "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit ..." The Apostle Paul instructed the believers to put on the whole armor of God and stand against the strategies of the devil. When he finished listing the various pieces of the spiritual armor, he then exhorted the believer to pray with all manner of prayer. The various pieces of spiritual armor are essential but prayer itself is a powerful secret weapon that is always available to the believer. Prayer is communion with God and it ushers in the anointing of His Spirit. It produces revelation of God's Word, keeps you in tune with God's will, brings protection, and helps you to make right decisions. Paul instructed us to pray with all manner of prayer. There are different prayers for the different situations in your life. The prayer of faith will heal sick bodies, move the mountains of adversity in your life, and calm the raging storms. Prayers of deliverance will set you free from your addictions and bondage. Prayers of confession will open the way for the forgiveness of your sins. Prayers of dedication and consecration will define your total submission to God's will as you pray as Jesus prayed, "Not My will, but Thine be done." There are prayers of thanksgiving, worship, and praise that give honor to the Lord for Who He is and for the things that He has done. There are prayers that are prayed in agreement with other believers and also prayers that are prayed in intercession for other believers. There are also prayers that are prayed in the Spirit that will build you up in your faith. There are silent prayers and there are vocal prayers. There are short prayers and there are long prayers. It is said that if you have no prayer in your life, you will have no power. If you have little prayer in your life, you will have little power. And if you have much prayer in your life, you will have much power. That is the reason that Paul said, "Pray always." We are to pray without ceasing (I Thessalonians 5:17) and we are to pray everywhere (I Timothy 2:8). We are to always pray and not faint (Luke18:1), continuing instant in prayer (Romans 12:12). Prayer is simple but it makes a mighty statement. It demonstrates your dependence upon God and your trust in Him. Prayer is a powerful energy because it moves the heart of God. Begin today to use this mighty secret weapon that God has given to you and pray with all manner of prayer for every need of your life. +++ 11/10/15 BOUGHT WITH A PRICE Genesis 23:13-17 (Living Bible) "... Let me pay the full price of the field ... and the cave and the field became his permanent possession by agreement." Abraham was seeking a place to bury his wife, Sarah, and because he was so honored in the land, the men of Heth told him to choose the finest of their sepulchers for her burial. When he chose a field and a cave that belonged to one of the men of Heth, the man offered to give the parcel of ground to Abraham without charge. But Abraham refused the offer, choosing instead to pay the full price for it. He wanted to make his claim to this possession sure and final. When Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness he offered to give Jesus the kingdoms of this world (Luke chapter 4). Satan's gift appeared to be free. All that Jesus had to do to receive the kingdoms was to bow down and worship Satan. Certainly this offer might have seemed a lot less painful physically, mentally, and emotionally for Jesus than the cross that He was facing. Jesus, however, chose instead to pay the full price to gain His kingdom and purchase our salvation. He chose the ultimate prize and paid the ultimate price. Acts 20:28 tells us that it was with Jesus' own blood that He purchased us. The price of our redemption included suffering, shame, and death on a cruel cross. The devil tries to make claim to our soul, but because of Jesus and the sacrifices that He made, the devil has no rights. When Jesus shed His blood for the price of our sin, He sealed our salvation and we became His permanent possession. We belong to Jesus if we believe in our heart and confess with our mouth that He is Lord and that God has raised Him from the dead (Romans 10:9). It's wonderful to know that Jesus loved us so much that He would pay such a great price. It is awesome to realize that His entire life was wrapped up in this one purpose. He was made flesh and dwelt among us so that He could pay the debt that we owed. I Corinthians 6:20 declares that we have been "bought with a price." Let us rejoice, for we belong to God and we are His permanent possession. +++ 11/11/15 LIGHT AND UNDERSTANDING Scripture: Psalms 119:130 "The entrance of Thy Words give light; it gives understanding unto the simple." God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all. There is not even the slightest hint of a shadow or variation in Him, for He doesn't change. His light is not like the pale sunrise that slowly dawns upon the day or the sunset that diminishes in the evening, for His light never departs or decreases, but instead it remains stable forever. As powerful as light is, it cannot be touched or handled. It is just there and its presence or absence is very evident. When God's Word enters our life, His light illuminates our soul and spirit and brings truth into every situation. Jesus is the Light of the world. The light that comes from His Word corrects, convicts, and comforts. His Word reveals to us that we have a need for eternal salvation and explains that this salvation was made possible through Jesus' sacrifice on the cross of Calvary. When we hear God's Word concerning healing for our bodies, provisions for our needs, or instructions for a life of righteousness, illumination comes and gives us understanding. Sickness and disease may darken our day, but God's Word concerning healing will dispel all of the darkness. Sin can knock on the door of our heart, but it cannot overcome the light of His Word that is hidden within us. The light that comes with God's Word will enable us to discern the evil of the darkness that is attempting to entice us. King David said, "Thy Word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against Thee" ( Psalms 119:11). Clouds of adversity may try to hide God's light from our souls for a season, but if God's Word is within our spirits, His light is always there speaking to us of a better future. If there is no entrance of God's Words into your life, there can be no light, no spiritual revelation, and no faith because faith comes only by hearing the Word of God. If there is no light, you will not have clear direction and you will walk alone in the darkness. Without the light of His Word, you will stumble and you will experience injury. You will be disoriented and confused about your surroundings and vulnerable to the spirit of fear. Your body and soul will be in jeopardy. This is the reason that you must study God's Word on a daily basis and listen for His voice. It is only then that your soul can be illuminated and that you can walk in the light with the assurance that you are going in the right direction. We may be simple, but we have this wonderful promise from God. His Word is powerful and if we allow it to enter our hearts, it will change us from within. His Word will not only be a light for our life but will also give us understanding for living. +++ 11/12/15 KINGDOM, POWER, AND GLORY Scripture: Matthew 6:13 "For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen." Jesus' disciples wanted Him to teach them how to pray. He answered their request by teaching them what we know as the "Lord's Prayer." This prayer that He gave as an example was simple but covered all of their needs. He told them to start their prayer by acknowledging their established relationship with God, who was their Heavenly Father, and to recognize His authority and honor His Name. He told them to submit to God's will and to seek His kingdom and He instructed them to pray concerning their temptations and deliverance from evil. Jesus told them that forgiveness would come to them only as they forgave others. He also included provisions in this prayer for their needs of daily food. The Lord finished this prayer by ascribing all the kingdom authority, all the power, and all of the glory to God the Father. God has the authority to do all the things that were listed in the Lord's Prayer, and He also has the power and ability to perform them. He is to receive the glory for who He is and for what He does. Fathers want to see the needs and desires of their children taken care of and for them to feel secure and protected by his love. So it is with our Heavenly Father. He finds pride in protecting and causing His own dear children to feel secure and it is His glory when they are well taken care of. Some of our earthly fathers were able to bless us and give us the things that we wanted and no one could stop them from exercising their parental wills. However, many of our fathers were limited in their power by their personal supply and resources. How many times have we said to our own children, "If it were in my power or ability, I would do it for you?" As parents, we had authority, but no power or ability because our resources were too scarce to take care of their immediate need or desire. Unlike our position, our Father God is not limited in His authority, ability, or power. He is able to do exceedingly beyond anything that we can ask or think (Ephesians 3:20). God is awesome and He will always be there to meet our needs. Jesus ended His prayer by reminding the disciples that God's kingdom, power, and glory were to be forever. God's kingdom and authority are eternal because He will always occupy the throne. His power and ability has no end because He is able to create, and His glory is eternal because of Who He is. He is Almighty God, our Heavenly Father and we honor His Holy Name. To Him be all the glory and power forever. Amen. +++ 11/13/15 GIVING YOUR DESTINY BACK TO GOD Scripture: Genesis 22:9 " ... Abraham built an altar ... bound Isaac ... and laid him on the altar on the wood." God made a covenant with Abraham and called him the father of many nations. God told him that his seed would be as numerous as the stars in the sky. Abraham waited many years for the promise of God to come to pass. Finally, when Abraham was one hundred years old, Isaac was born. Abraham enjoyed Isaac for a few years but then there was a new turn of events. God asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac on an altar. The three days journey up the mountain to fulfill God's instructions must have been the hardest days of Abraham's life. He probably reflected on the good times that he and Isaac had shared together. Also he was most likely very anxious about his present state as the time grew nearer for him to sacrifice Isaac. How was he going to explain this to Isaac and what words would he use to say goodbye? And he surely must have been dreading the future without his precious son at his side. Who knows what other thoughts went through the mind of this loving father as the pain of the situation gripped his heart? If you have ever walked through the valley of the shadow of death with a loved one, you may in a small sense know how Abraham might have felt. Sometimes it becomes very difficult to obey God and to do His will, particularly when you don't understand what He is doing. Yet as Abraham's obedience prevailed, God rewarded him and provided another sacrifice. Abraham bound Isaac to the altar and as he lifted up the knife to slay him, the angel of Lord spoke and said , "Do not harm him." Then a lamb was found in the bush. God is always faithful and trustworthy. God’s original promise did come to pass in Abraham's life and through Isaac, Abraham's seed was blessed. God's will and plans can become very mysterious at times. He speaks a word or plants a vision in our hearts, then as we try to follow that dream, it seems that He changes His mind. Like Abraham's situation, God stops us right in the middle of the process and tells us to give our hopes back to Him. We watch Him as He builds an altar, binds up our dream, and then lays it upon the wood that is on the altar. We may question Him in our hearts, "Don't You know that the fire is going to consume the wood." This is an awesome test and is never easy, but God wants to find out what passion consumes our heart. What is more important? Is it our vision from God or the God of our vision? Our word from God cannot consume our heart and dethrone the God who gave it. If we cannot place our dreams upon the altar and allow God's fire to purge them or possibly consume them, they have become an idol. There are to be no other God's before Him. When we discover that the destiny in our soul has become bigger than God who is within our heart, we must place our dreams and vision in His hands and trust Him to be Lord. +++ 11/16/15 A SHOUT IN HEAVEN Scripture: Jeremiah 25:30 "The Lord shall roar from on high, and utter His voice from His holy habitation; He shall mightily roar ... He shall give a shout." Our God is not timid and neither is He quiet. With His voice, He makes His presence known among the inhabitants of the earth. The prophet Jeremiah said that the Lord roars from on high. Psalms 47:5 says, " God is gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet." And I Thessalonians 4:16 tells us that when the Lord comes back to the earth again, He will "descend from Heaven with a shout." Think about it; God goes and He comes with a shout. It sounds as though we are serving a noisy God, but His shouts are not empty sounds. They are shouts of victory. There were words and shouts coming from the lips of God from the very beginning of creation. The earth and the universe heard the sound of His mighty voice as He called all things into existence. Every time God speaks, something happens because His Words change the atmosphere. Things either come into being or they are changed, for His Words are not idle and never return to Him void. Whatever He speaks will come to pass, for His Words have purpose and are full of power. God not only shouts but He commanded His people to shout. He told them to march around Jericho and then shout. When they obeyed His Word, the walls came down (Joshua 6:20). The people shouted when the Ark of the Covenant was brought into the city (I Samuel 4:5-6) and they also shouted when the temple foundation was completed (Ezra 3:11). Life has many challenges and we should go into each one with a shout of praise, knowing that God is sovereign and is in control of every situation. Our shouts of praise announce our faith in God. If we sound out words of defeat, we will feel defeated. If we sound out words of victory, we will feel victorious. Psalms 5:11 says, "Let all those that put their trust in You (God) rejoice: Let them ever shout for joy because You defend them." God hears the shouts of joy and He blesses expectant people. There is a shout in Heaven even today. Can you hear the Lord's shout? It is a shout of victory and not defeat because Jesus finished His work here on Earth. He sacrificed His own life on the cross of Calvary, defeated the devil, arose from the dead, ascended into Heaven, and is now sitting on the right hand of the Father making intercession for us. That is something for us to shout about. We need to start today with praise on our lips. Regardless of what surrounds us, our response should be a shout of faith. We must understand that God doesn't expect us to stand alone in our difficult times. If we pray and engage Him in our battles, He will give a shout from Heaven that will shake the forces that are against us. +++ 11/17/15 SIFTED LIKE WHEAT Scripture: Luke 22:31 "Satan has desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat." Aren't you glad that this was not the final word? In the next scripture, Jesus finished His thought by saying, "But I have prayed for you, that your faith will not fail." Have you ever felt like you were being put through a sifting process? Even your faith was beginning to falter as you felt yourself losing control of your own life. Circumstances were causing you to feel just like grain that is being threshed. In the threshing process, the grain is first trodden on by animals so that it can be broken up. Then it is thrown into to the air with forks so that the wind can carry away the chaff. When you are trodden on, broken up, and tossed about like the grain, you begin to realize that if God doesn't help you, you will be lost with the chaff in the whole process. If you are in the process of being tossed about, you should take courage. God knows what is happening to you right now and what will happen in the future. He knows the enemy is after your soul, but with every temptation, God has already made a way of escape for you. Jesus told Peter in advance that the enemy was going to try to sift Peter as wheat. But Jesus also gave Peter a wonderful promise that He would pray for him during the whole process. Isn't it a relief and a comfort to know that Jesus is sitting at the right hand of God and that He is praying and making intercession for you? (Romans 8:34) Romans 8:35-39 asks, "Who can separate us from the love of Christ?" There is nothing and no one who can sift and separate you away from God's love. Paul listed seventeen things that the devil used to try to separate him from the love of God, and Satan will use the same approach on you: tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, sword, death, life, angels, principalities, powers, things present, things to come, heights, depth, or other creatures. When these things come against you and you feel like you are being crushed, beat down, thrown in the air, and then sifted in the wind like the wheat, don't lose hope. Jesus is praying for you and He never slumbers or sleeps. If you call to mind the Lord's amazing love and grace and His prayers of intercession for you, it will help you endure the sifting process and protect you from Satan's desire. +++ 11/18/15 BREAK UP THE FALLOW GROUND Scripture: Hosea 10:12 "... break up the fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord ..." Fallow ground is ground that has not been plowed and turned up for some time. Because it has been neglected, it has become hard and crusty. Nothing can grow or flourish in it because of its condition. Seeds can't be dropped into it because of the soil's hardness. And even if they were forced by some means into the hardened soil, they wouldn't survive because the rains that came to water them could not be absorbed. The ground itself becomes a monument of hopelessness to others until the keeper of the ground makes a decision to break up the soil and prepare it for a fruitful harvest. Once the decision is made and the process is started, it demands time and involves much labor and effort. It is not an easy job but the fruitful rewards are priceless. The condition of the fallow ground is a parallel to the condition of the spiritual state that we find ourselves in at times. Because we have not diligently sought the Lord, read His Word, and lingered in His presence, our hearts have become hard and cold. The further we fall away, the worse the condition of our hearts become. Eventually, like the hardened soil, we can't seem to receive anything from God's Word, our prayers can't get past the ceiling, and we lack the enthusiasm that we once had for anything spiritual in our lives. The lust of the flesh and other things consume our very being. Only thorns are able to survive in the gardens of our hearts because of our hearts' lack of nourishment and we find ourselves in a pitiful state. Oh, but God is good. His Word says, “Break up the fallow ground. It is time to seek the Lord." The Lord leaves the initial effort up to us. We must repent and seek Him. We must turn over the hardened clods of soil in our hearts and expose ourselves to the Lord. We must allow Him to discard the weeds and hard pebbles and deal with anything in our lives that prevent our spiritual growth. As we draw near to Him, He promises to draw near to us. As we allow our hearts to be broken and contrite before Him, God will again minister to us. He will pour out the seeds of His Word and rain His Holy Spirit upon us. He will touch our hearts and cause us once again to flourish in His presence. Others will rejoice because of the bounty of blessings upon our lives that not only touch us, but also reach out to them. So today begin to break up the fallow ground of your heart, for this is the season to receive the good things that God has for you. +++ 11/19/15 ASKING IN LINE WITH HIS WILL Scripture: I John 5:14-15 "This is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask any thing according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us ... we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him." When we were young, we knew the hearts and minds of our parents and usually, without a doubt, we knew the things that they would allow in our lives. Even before we asked them for something, we knew whether or not they would grant our request. We had great confidence to come boldly into their presence and ask for something when we knew that it met their approval. However, when we knew that our request would conflict with their approval, we were forced to become a little more creative. We would ask a friend to go with us when we approached our parents with our request. If we received a negative response, we continued our efforts to pressure our parents by trying to make them feel guilty. We would tell them that our friend's parents were responding positively to the same request. We did everything in our power to manipulate our parents into allowing us to have our own way. But our parents always had our best interest in mind and many times felt it unwise to give in to our demands. If we continued to badger them about matters that were beyond their means or desires, they would just quit listening. A former U.S. President once said, "God always answers prayers. Sometimes it's 'Yes'. Sometimes the answer is 'No'. Sometimes it's 'You've got to be kidding'." How many times do our prayers, like our youthful requests, fall into the third category? They sound like a joke. Yet, because of our desperate needs or passionate desires, we presume on God to answer us. We fail to seek His face and refuse to allow our hearts to discern His perfect will in the matter. We follow a prayer formula, but become confused when we don't receive our answer. All the while, God is sitting on His throne and echoing those words, "You've got to be kidding." Like our earthly parents, God is lovingly watching over our lives and setting gracious limitations. He doesn't always give us what we want, but He always gives us His best. Our disappointment may not see His wisdom working for us, but Isaiah 55:9 says, "God's ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts." As God's children, we need to become so acquainted with Him that we know and understand His will, and then trust Him to give us what He knows to be best. When we reach this place in our walk with God, we will find that our prayers will be in agreement with His eternal plan. When our prayers line up with His will, we can be confident that He will hear us when we talk to Him. He will listen to our petitions and He will answer our prayers. +++ 11/20/15 FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH Scripture: Psalms 84:6-7 "Who passing through the valley of Baca, make it a well ... They go from strength to strength." The psalmist knew quite well what it was like to face adversity on every level. Yet, he spoke of those who do not allow themselves to be overcome when they pass through the valley of Baca. The valley of Baca did not refer to a specific place but a place of weeping, crises, misery, and pain. Those who experience victory when they pass through these places of despair are the ones who do not focus on the negative. Instead they choose to turn their valley of distress into a season of blessings. They go from one level of strength to a higher level of strength by creating wells in their difficult places, which refreshes and sustains them. They embrace their loses and learn from their own disappointing circumstances. The wisdom they gleaned from their personal crises gives them wisdom for the challenges of their next season and also teaches them how to help others make it through their time of misery and pain. Going from strength to strength in the spiritual realm is like going from strength to strength in the physical realm. It takes effort. Strength will only come as you exercise yourself in the spirit. When you find yourself in the valley of Baca and all that you want to do is sit down and cry because of the misery and pain that you are going through, it is time for you to arise and take action. Wisdom and knowledge will teach you how to increase in strength (Proverbs 24:5 and 8:14). You must learn what God has to say about the matter and what He is saying to you. Knowing that you are in agreement with God will infuse you with strength and keep you from wasting your time and efforts. One of the most important things that you need to do when you are in a valley of Baca is to recognize that God alone is the strength of your life (Psalm 27:1). You must stay in His presence and continue to worship in His sanctuary. As you wait upon Him, you will renew your strength. You shall run and not be weary and you shall walk and not faint (Isaiah 40:31). Even though there seems to be no hope and your life is crumbling around you, you must retain your passion for God. Do not look to yourself or depend upon others for the strength that you need. In the midst of trails, troubles, and tribulations, cry out for the Living God and believe that He will not withhold any good thing from you because you are walking uprightly before Him (Psalm 84:11). Another source of strength is joy. (Nehemiah 8:10). Develop joy in your life even if you have to force yourself to laugh. Medical science has proven God's Word to be true that laughter does do good like a medicine. Stress is a real killer and drains your energy, but laughter and joy releases endorphins into your system that energizes your strength, relieves you from stress, and rids your life of the negative consequences that stress produces. Quietness and confidence will also generate strength (Isaiah 30:15). Rest in Lord. Your physical body needs rest and your spiritual man needs rest. In a military battle it is hard to do combat when you are suffering from physical fatigue. Likewise, the spiritual man also needs physical rest lest it suffer battle fatigue. Many times we fail a spiritual challenge because our physical bodies are worn out. Even Jesus told His disciples to come apart and rest. Finally confession of God's Word creates strength. God created all things with His Words of power. He said, "Let there be light" and it was so, and He then declared that the light was good. The prophet Joel said, "Let the weak say I am strong" (Joel 3:10). Words are powerful. We are created in God's imagine and there is life and death in the power of our own tongue. If you talk weak, you will become weak. If you talk strength, you will become strong. Begin today by confessing God's Word over your life and let His power filled words of truth be the answer to every challenge of the enemy. You will find yourself coming out of the valley and your defeat will turn to blessings as you go from strength to strength. +++ 11/23/15 PRESSING TOWARD THE MARK Scripture: Philippians 3:13-14 "Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark ..." Life is a series of choices. In the Apostle Paul's instance, his sole ambition was to know Jesus and to be conformed into His image. In an effort to achieve this standing, Paul made the personal choice to lay aside all of his credentials and everything that he had done in the past. As Paul took inventory of his life, he noted that he had been circumcised according to the law. He was also of the race of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews, and a Pharisee. Paul had position and power and even legal authority to persecute the churches. These were the things that made Paul seem important to himself and to others. Yet, when compared to the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, whom he had met supernaturally in the spirit on the road to Damascus, Paul counted all of his own accomplishments as nothing. Paul had other things that he had laid aside as he pressed toward the mark of the high calling of God for His life. These were the wrong choices that plagued his mind with guilt and sorrow. He had stood by and watched Steven being stoned. The memory of Steven's face as he was being martyred must have flashed into Paul's thoughts many times. There was also the memory of the other members of the church that Paul had persecuted with such zeal. How could he forget their cries and the agony on their faces? He had much to forget as he pressed toward God's plan. And even though Paul realized that he had not attained perfection, he was determined to press toward the mark of the high calling of God on his life. What if Paul had not laid aside these things to fulfill God's calling? What if he thought himself too great to bear the cost of becoming an Apostle of Jesus Christ? Why should he sacrifice his credentials and honor to become a minister, who would be beaten, stoned, enslaved, shipwrecked, and suffer hunger and thirst? What if he thought himself to be too lowly to serve Jesus because he had persecuted the churches? If Paul had never moved beyond the shame and burden of responsibility for his failures, he would have never written nearly three-fourths of the New Testament. Nor would he have ever shared the information that is so vital to the church today. Paul's great achievements for his own life and the instructions, revelations, and spiritual legacy that he gave to the church are the result of his choice to forget what lay behind and to press toward the mark of the high calling of God. Like Paul, you must continue your walk with the Lord regardless of your own accomplishments or your past failures and regrets. You must follow his example and forget those things in your past that try to distract you from completing God's plan and purpose for your life. You must not only move beyond your failures but also choose to let go of the achievements that you are proud of. If you want to reach God's highest goal for your life, you must lay aside everything in order to press toward the mark of the high calling of God for your own life. +++ 11/24/15 WAITING ON HIM Scripture: Psalms 25:21 "Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on You." In this psalm David mentions waiting on God three separate times. He says that those who wait on God will not be ashamed (Vs. 3). David also declares that God is his salvation and that he will wait upon God all of the day (Vs. 5). He then speaks of integrity and uprightness preserving him while he waits (Vs. 21). It is difficult to wait upon anything in life, but waiting upon God can truly generate some challenging moments. When God first speaks a word in our ear, we hear it clearly and it excites us. Amazingly, with just a quiet simple word, we begin to prepare to receive what has been spoken into our spirits. Our strength is fresh and we are ready to run with the vision. However, the answer doesn't usually come right away and we find that we have to exercise our faith if we want to receive the fullness of the promise. It is as though we are viewing a bend in the road and we can't see around the corner. We have no idea how much longer the journey will be once we turn that corner. We only know that our destiny awaits even though the complete picture is not in view. David experienced these same situations. He knew God's voice, but he too had to wait for God to fulfill His plan. David's enemies no doubt mocked him, but he refused to be ashamed of waiting on God's perfect timing for his deliverance. However long the day or how tedious the season, David was determined to wait. He knew that God was bigger than any mountain of adversity, for David had seen God deliver the giant into his own hands. He knew that his bond and relationship with the Lord was stronger than all of the sins that he had committed because he had experienced God's forgiveness and grace. David knew that God's love was greater and deeper than any sea because he had felt it on the mountainsides when God created songs within his heart as he tended the sheep. Like David, God is our salvation and we must endeavor to get into the mainstream of His will for our lives. We must not allow ourselves to get emotionally involved with any situations that will draw us away from His divine purposes. As we walk in the light of what God has said, we have confidence instead of shame. The integrity and uprightness of our faith will sustain us because we know that we are waiting on God and that He will watch over His Words to perform them. +++ 11/25/15 GOD’S WILL IS THAT WE GIVE THANKS Scripture: I Thessalonians 5:18 "In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” I recently heard this question posed to an audience, "What if you only had tomorrow what you gave thanks for today?" That is a very powerful and sobering question. Many of us would have very little tomorrow because we only gave a brief prayer of thanks for the food that was set before us at our meals today. Sometimes even those prayers were a ritual instead of a true and sincere expression of thankfulness and appreciation. We prayed a verbal prayer out of habit instead of offering a true expression from the depths of our heart to God for His bountiful provisions. The scripture above tells us that it is God’s will for us to give thanks in everything. However, many times we are too busy living our life to give any conscious thought about the many blessings that we are enjoying as we live it. We do not take time to express our thankfulness even though we may be thankful in our heart. We take for granted our family and friends, our health and strength, our shelter and material things, and our source of income. We also do not take thought or give thanks for the other non-tangible blessings that we enjoy daily such as happiness, peace, freedom, and religious liberty. These things have been stable in our lives for so long that we just expect them to remain with us. We enjoy so many blessing and express so little gratitude. When we are reminded of our many blessings we are truly thankful for them. Yet, many times we do not realize our lack of appreciation for our blessings until they are lost or taken from us. As we search our hearts, let us put aside the idea of taking life and everything that it offers for granted. Let us develop a heart attitude of continual appreciation for the many blessings that grace our lives. Let us be obedient to God’s will and remember that thankfulness is a necessary response to God's gracious generosity. +++ 11/26/15 LIVES THAT OVERFLOW WITH THANKSGIVING Scripture: Colossians 2:7 (Living Bible) "Let your lives overflow with joy and thanksgiving for all that the Lord has done." As we journey through life, we learn more about the Lord and also come to understand the more precious things that life has to offer. We learn that each and every year contains its own special storehouse of blessings; new births in the family, new friends added to our circle, new songs to sing, fresh experiences, and the addition of special memories. As I review what God has done in my life, I am overwhelmed at His bountiful goodness. When I add together all of the blessings that I have received in the years that have passed, I realize that I am truly very blessed beyond measureand that I have more to be thankful for this year than any year in the past. There are many blessings that we take for granted. I remember standing in the family circle as we prayed over our dinner on Thanksgiving Day just a few weeks after 9/11, 2001, a day when our nation was attacked. It was a special moment as we offered our prayer of thanksgiving for our food. Yet, in our hearts, there was also a unanimous and awesome feeling of gratitude for our free nation. We probably had never expressed those thoughts with such passion before, but the recognition of our freedom had become more important to us than the food that was spread before us. In just a few hours of time, things in our nation had drastically changed and we had all come to realize that we must never again take our lives, families, freedom, or blessings for granted. As we approach this wonderful season, let us vow that Thanksgiving will no longer be just a one-day ritual of food and fellowship. Let us celebrate it as a continual reflection of God's goodness in our lives. Let us determine that our voices will resound throughout the year declaring our gratitude for the gracious blessings that we have been granted. Let us learn to celebrate life itself each and every day and allow our hearts to continually overflow with joy and thanksgiving to the Lord for all that He has done. +++ 11/27/15 WRITTEN LOGOS OR REVEALED RHEMA WORD Scripture: Matthew 16:17 "For flesh and blood has not revealed it unto you, but My Father which is in Heaven." Jesus asked His disciples what men were saying about Him. His disciples responded that some thought that Jesus was either John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the other prophets. They did not add any other personal conclusion. Jesus then asked them, "But whom do you say that I am?" He was interested in their personal revelation of His identity and deity. Peter replied, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God." It is obvious that Peter had a greater understanding and deeper revelation about Jesus than the other disciples. Yet the other disciples had been with Jesus and had experienced a close communion with Him just as Peter had. Something had made the difference in Peter's recognition that the man they had hung out with for over three years was not just another man who had taught them the scriptures or showed them where to fish. Jesus wasn't just the local carpenter’s son. He was in reality the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Jesus told Peter that this revelation did not come to him by flesh and blood but by the Father in Heaven. The written Word of God is truly awesome. It came to us through many writers who were inspired by the Holy Spirit. Yet it all comes together in unity and it all speaks about Jesus. No other words, written or spoken, can bring faith, healing, strength, hope, direction, and comfort like God's Word. This is because when the Spirit of God breathes upon the Word, it becomes a living organism. Jesus said, "The Words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life" (John 6:63). And because God's Words are Spirit, they cannot be revealed to us by flesh and blood. It is true that God will use natural teachers. But like Peter's revelation of Jesus, the Father, Himself, must supernaturally open up the eyes of our understanding. We can read a scripture a thousand times, and then one day, it will just seem to come alive and this supernatural revelation and understanding will illuminate our very being. This is the difference between the Logos Word, which is the written Word of God, and the Rhema Word, which is the revealed Word. Most of us can discern that this is a special season in history and many of us believe that God has called us to His kingdom for such a time as this (Esther 4:14). The Word has declared that those who know their God will be strong and do exploits (Daniel 11:32). God is Spirit and we were created in His image. God has mysteries that He wants to make known, but He will only speak to us as He did to Peter, Spirit to spirit. To fulfill His mighty promises for our lives, each one of us will need to have a personal revelation from God because flesh and blood can not reveal the things of the Spirit. Likewise, flesh and blood cannot receive the things of the Spirit. So let us ask God to give us supernatural revelation, which will cause His written Word to come alive as a Spirit revealed Word within our hearts. +++ 11/30/15 LABOR TO ENTER INTO REST Scripture: Hebrews 4:11 "Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest..." These words encourage the believer to find the place in their walk with God that allows them to cease from anxiety and to enter a place of rest. Verse nine says that this place of rest would be like the Sabbath that God experienced when He finished His creation and all of His work. He labored six days so that He could rest on the seventh. This rest in our walk with God is to be a place where there are no more struggles with faith and no more struggles with religious works. It is a place where we come to understand that God's promises are sure and that His work of grace is complete. To labor so that you enter into rest sounds contradictory, for the concept of rest indicates no work. Yet in this sense, it simply means making a conscious effort to believe and to set our will against doubt and to rest from it, just as we have set our will against sin. Time and again, we overcome the temptation to sin because our convictions are established. We must be the same way with doubt and unbelief. If our beliefs are established we can rest in them. We must also do away with murmuring and complaining, knowing that if we allow discontent to linger in our hearts, it will eventually blossom into unbelief and bring struggles in our spirit, which destroy our rest.. Even in the natural, you labor to enter into rest. Think about the different things that you do to be able to rest at night. You check the locks on the doors of you home. You get dressed for the night, brush your teeth, and fluff the pillows. You make the room dark so there are no distractions, snuggle into the covers, and get yourself comfortable so that you can rest. You diligently labor and make an effort to resist interruptions in your routine. Yet if you lay down to rest and discover that you have forgotten one of these details, you will often find yourself getting back up to check the doors, close the blinds tighter, or take care of some other distraction. Your routine becomes a labor to enter into rest. God left us with many promises and said that we could trust Him and rest in His Word. He promised salvation, healing, provision of needs, peace, joy, comfort, and hope for the future. Many times these wonderful blessings are not experienced simply because of our unbelief, for they must be received by faith. Where there is faith, there is always a heart full of rest, for even though faith cannot be seen, it is substance. Faith links us to God and His eternal faithfulness. When we are able to receive His righteousness, which is by faith, we will be able to rest from our own feeble righteousness. When we can trust in Christ and the finished work of Calvary, we can rest from depending upon our own good works. When we can put all of our trust in God and His grace, we will be able to cast our cares upon Him and find rest and help in the time of our need. When we reach this place in our faith and are able to put everything into God's hands, we can say, "Now, I can rest." +++ Copyright © 2015 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved www.widsonline.com			..............................