Oct15

............	A Word In Due Season Oct 2015 10/01/15 PARTAKERS OF HIS DIVINE NATURE Scripture: II Peter 1:3-4 "His divine power has given unto us all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of Him ... that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature." The divine power that is mentioned in this scripture is the Greek word "Dudamus" and it means the power to reproduce itself. When Jesus comes into our life, He gives us the opportunity to partake of His divine nature. He promises to share His very being with us and gives us everything that pertains to life and godliness so that His nature can be revealed in us. Peter tells us how this wonderful transformation takes place. When we make a diligent effort to know Jesus in a personal way, His divine power begins to reproduce within us and we are changed from the inside out. As His power works on the inside of us, we begin to act like He acts, talk like He talks, and think like He thinks. His very nature becomes our nature. Verse eight tells us that as these qualities of Christ become ours, they keep us from being barren and unfruitful. Barren and unfruitful means being unable to produce and without fruit, which is a disappointment to all. We see many born again believers in this state who have the nature of God inside of them, but are unfruitful in their character and works. They have faith in God but do not partake of His divine nature or allow Him to transform their lives into His image. Fruitfulness comes about by diligent effort like a muscle that is developed through exercise. It takes personal sacrifice, but as you yield to Christ, His divine power begins to reproduce His divine nature. Peter explained how this divine nature comes about in verses five through seven. Faith is just the beginning of your walk with the Lord. It is your basic foundation, but to partake of Christ's nature you must add virtue to your faith. Virtue is general moral excellence and right action. Peter then says, add knowledge to your virtue and temperance to your knowledge. Temperance is moderation and self-restraint in your conduct and expression. You are then to add patience, a willingness to wait and endure without complaining. To your patience, you must add godliness, and to godliness, brotherly kindness. Charity, which is love of God and love of humanity, must also be added. If you are diligent in these areas and allow Christ's divine power to work within you, you will not only be partakers but also examples of His divine nature. +++ 10/02/15 HIS WORKMANSHIP Scripture: Ephesians 2:10 (NAS) "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." The following quote is a meditation from the book "Reflections of God's Glory" by Corrie ten Boom: "In the basement of a large tenement house in which many families lived, there was an old broken harp. People had often tried to repair it and play it, but no one had ever succeeded in doing so. One day a beggar came and asked for shelter. The only place for him to spend the night was in a corner of that basement. Late that night people heard the sound of beautiful music coming from the basement. They found the beggar there playing the harp, and they asked, "How were you able to repair the harp and play it so beautifully?" He replied, "I made this harp myself. When I was young, I made lots of harps. This is one of my harps. Shouldn't I be able to repair something I made myself?" We have been created by the hands of Jesus. I despair when I try to change myself and patch myself up. I can't do it and never will be able to do it, but if I surrender myself to Him who made me, I experience miracles!" Just like the harp that was created to make beautiful music, God has created us for good works, special plans, and definite purposes. Jeremiah 29:11 says, "God knows the thoughts He has for us, they are for good and not evil, to give us a future and a hope." We are His workmanship. He created us in Christ Jesus and works with us to make us into the vessels that He has preordained us to be. Although we may get battered about by the storms of life and seemingly cast aside for a season, we can take hope, for "The gifts and calling of God are without repentance" (Romans11:29). God never changes His mind or withdraws His gifts. They are irrevocable. At the appointed time, God will set His hand upon us the second time and restore us to His original purpose. The harp could not make music in the state that it was in. It took the hands of the creator to bring restoration. So it is in our lives. The ability to make music is still there within us, but if we want God to restore us we must totally surrender all the pieces of our broken lives to Him. He made us. Shouldn't He be able to repair and restore us? +++ 10/05/15 ACTIONS ARE LOUDER THAN WORDS Scripture: Matthew 21:31 "Which of the two did the will of the Father?" There is a story about three frogs who were sitting on a log over a pond, discussing whether or not to jump into the pond. Finally one frog said, "I've decided to jump." According to this statement, how many frogs were left sitting on the log? The answer is three! Even though the one frog made the decision and verbal commitment to jump, he never followed through with any action. He continued to sit on the log with the other frogs, never accomplishing his goal. In Matthew's gospel, Jesus tells a similar story about a man who had two sons. He asked the first son to work in his vineyard, who refused by saying, "I will not." Later, that son repented and went to the vineyard and worked for his father. Likewise, the father asked the second son to work in his vineyard. The second son answered and said, "I will go, sir," but he never followed through with his commitment. Jesus then questioned the disciples about which son had done the will of the father. The answer is obvious. The son who acted upon the request of the father is the one who actually did his father's will, not the one who just verbally agreed with it. It's not what you say you are going to do - it's what you do that counts with God. The decision to act gets you only half way there. God is interested in the final results. James 2:17 tells us that if faith doesn't have corresponding works and acts of obedience to back it up, it is destitute of power and dead. Anyone can make a verbal commitment to do God's will, but that statement is dead without actual performance. In John 6:38 Jesus said," I came down from Heaven not to do My own will, but the will of Him that sent Me." Even though Jesus prayed in agony three times and asked the Father to allow the cup of suffering to pass from Him, He still submitted Himself to God's will. He said, "Never the less, Thy will be done." He made a decision and a verbal commitment to respond to God's will and then followed through with actions. He could have called ten thousand angels to come to His rescue at any time. Instead, Jesus followed His Father's will to the end by giving His own life on the cross, thus completing God's redemptive plan. Jesus' actions spoke louder than His words. Think about His commitment and sacrifice and then ask yourself if your own actions are as loud as your words. +++ 10/6/15 CONSUMED BY HIS PRESENCE Psalms 139:7 "Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? In this prayer that King David prayed, he acknowledged the abiding presence of the Lord in his life. He said there was nowhere that he could go in order to flee from the presence of God. He also focused on some other wonderful supernatural attributes of God. He declared God's knowledge of all things, His awesome power, and His holiness. God's presence has a purpose in our lives. He is not around just for the sake of being there so that we can experience a special feeling. He is in our lives to search our heart and destroy all evil. Because David recognized God's presence and knowledge of all things, he asked the Lord to search him and know his thoughts. He relied upon the holiness of God to try him in every area of his life. He willingly laid his heart open before God. David wanted the Lord to reveal any wicked way that might be in him, for he knew that the Lord had the power to deliver him from the evil that was within his own heart (Verse 23 & 24). He desperately longed for the Lord to lead him in the ways of righteousness. We must understand that our life with God is not just a time of His visitation, but a life of His habitation. When we are born again we become a peculiar people and His Spirit dwells within each of us, setting us apart from all others. He takes up residence within our spirit and He is always there. He never leaves us or forsakes us. He is not just around when we are worshipping in church with other believers or when we are doing good deeds. He is present even when we are in the midst of questionable things. Like the psalmist said, there is no place that we can go to get away from God's Spirit and nowhere to flee from His presence. When we come to realize that we are surrounded and consumed with God's wonderful presence, our lives will be transformed and the options of our hearts will change. We will begin to understand the thoughts and feelings of God's heart and our heart will want to please Him only. We will not want to flee from His presence but will want to fulfill all of His desires. +++ 10/07/15 DECEPTION IN THE WILDERNESS Scripture: Numbers 13:33 "... And we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight." God led His people out of Egypt with great signs and wonders but when the journey became long and things became difficult, they allowed a spirit of deception to defeat them and lead them astray from their destiny and God's best for their lives. They were deceived about their provisions and murmured about not having flesh to eat even though God was faithfully raining down fresh bread from Heaven every day to satisfy their hunger. When they complained about the lack of water, God supplied it from a rock, but they were still deceived about God's presence with them. They said, "Is the Lord among us or not?" They even thought that God had lured them into the wilderness to kill them. They were in deception about who they really were and what God really wanted to do for them. They limited the Holy One of Israel because they were caught up in deception in their own minds. They did not see themselves as God saw them or believe that He could do what He promised to do. They had no faith that He was able to bring them into the Promised Land. When they finally saw the fruit of the land, they believed another evil report. Deception told them that they could not penetrate the walled cities and possess the inheritance that God had given them because there were giants in the land. And they were so deceived that they begin to see their own selves as grasshoppers in the sight of these giants. Deception spoke again to their hearts and caused them to want to return to Egypt and to the bondage from which they had been delivered. You may be experiencing a wilderness in your present walk with the Lord, but God doesn't want you to be deceived. He wants you to see yourself as you really are and to know that you can have all the things that He has promised to you. He doesn't want you to view yourself as a grasshopper in the midst of your giant enemies. You were created in God's image and He wants you to see yourself in that light. One of Satan's greatest fears is that you will see yourself as God sees you. God sees you forgiven and washed in the blood of Jesus. He sees you healed by the stripes of Jesus. He sees you prospering as your soul prospers. He sees you delivered and set free because Jesus paid the price on the cross of Calvary. Don't allow deception to steal your inheritance. God's promises belong to you and they are yours to possess. +++ 10/08/15 BEFORE THE DAY Scripture: Mark 1:35 "And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, Jesus went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there He prayed." Giving God the first part of the day is like giving the tithe of your income. In both situations in some miraculous way, God takes what you give to Him, then He blesses it and returns it to you. What you have left in terms of money or minutes is supernaturally stretched and multiplied by His mighty power. God rebukes the devourer for your sake and your abundance cannot be explained. Jesus, Himself, arose a great while before the day began and went to a solitary place to pray. He showed us that being alone with God and giving Him the first portion of the day was important. If the Son of God felt that it was important to seek the Father before He started His day, shouldn't we? There is a secret in this special time of communion, for it is in the quiet hours of the early morning that we gain strength for our entire day. We start our physical day with nourishment and should do no less in nurturing our spirit. David was a man after God's own heart. And like Jesus, David also knew the secret of having communion with God before the day began. In Psalms 143:8, He spoke very clear words to God. David said, “Cause me to hear Your loving kindness in the morning, for in You do I trust. Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk, for I lift up my soul to You." In these few lines David made a very definite request. He wanted to hear about God's unfailing love for him every morning and he wanted God to show him where to walk that day. These words could also become a daily prayer for you before you start your day. Find a solitary place as Jesus did and spend a few moments with the Lord. As you wait on God, He will renew your strength. You will mount up with wings as the eagles and you will find yourself running without growing weary. In the quietness of His presence, He will fill you with His Spirit and give you clear directions for the day. +++ 10/09/15 FROM THE MOUTH OF CHILDREN Scripture: Matthew 21:16 "Out of the mouth of babes ... Thou has perfected praise." When my granddaughter was three years old she sat beside me at the piano, composing songs. The first one was about Frosty the Snowman ringing his Jingle Bells at a reindeer. Then, she became serious and began to sing about the roses that were on the piano. Her words were very simple but also very meaningful. She sang, "Roses grow and are beautiful, But roses do not grow like the trees. Trees are big and tall but the roses stay little Because God wanted them to be beautiful for me. Roses grow but don't make noise. They just make pretty petals and are always quiet. I like for God to make roses grow ... For the Bible told me so." There was no pretense in this song from the heart of a three-year-old child. It was simple praise to God for the beauty of the roses. It was also recognition that God had made them to grow and that He had made them different from the trees. She considered the roses and voiced her appreciation that God had made them beautiful for her. Little did she know that when she concluded her song with "For the Bible told me so" that she was speaking a truth and that her mouth was perfecting praise. Jesus told us to consider the lilies of the field. He said, "The lilies toil not ... yet King Solomon, who was the richest man of his day, was not arrayed like one of these (Matthew 6:28-29). Jesus continued to say that our Heavenly Father knows everything that we need and that we are not to be worried about any detail of our life because He is in control. You may look at your life today and be discouraged because it has not developed into the mighty oak that you had planned. Your dreams and visions had been those of such grandeur, and yet, they have not come to pass in any way, shape, or form. Your life has been very quiet and is like that of the roses that grow but don't make any noise. No one even seems to notice your existence, which to you seems mundane. You feel there is nothing important going on in your life, especially when compared to others about you, who seem to be successful in every endeavor. You wonder why your life is so plain and simple and think that you have nothing to offer. Yet, God has placed in your life a beauty that goes beyond the grandeur of the mighty oak. You may not recognize it because God grew it gradually within you. He has placed within you a meek and quiet spirit that is as delicate as the petals of a rose. He has made your life a sweet fragrance to those whom you encounter. Your spirit of love and compassion permeate your entire environment and reaches into the hearts of those about you. God has caused the beauty of your visible witness to bring peace, joy, and comfort to a hurting world. He has made you to be the person that He wanted you to be. So even though your life is like a silent rose that does not make a very big noise, allow it to bless others andto give silent praise to God. +++ 10/12/15 BE OF GOOD CHEER Scripture: John 16:33 "In the world you shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." Sometimes we think that because we are born again Christians we should live in a bubble of protection and be able to live a life of ease. But Jesus says, "This is not so." He said there would always be tribulations and difficulties in this world. A lady once asked a minister to pray for her that she would have no problems and that the devil would not be able to attack her in any way. The minister then began to pray for her, asking God to take her to Heaven immediately. The lady stopped him and said, "I don't want to die, I just want to be free of problems." The minister then explained that the only way to be totally free from tribulations would to be to enter the gates of Heaven, for it is only there that all of our trials are ended and our tears are wiped away. Even though we are destined to experience difficulties in this world, Jesus told us to be cheerful and to understand that He is in control. He has overcome all of the forces of evil. It is a finished work. He speaks these encouraging words to us in advance to prepare us and give us strength so that we may be able to maintain our inner peace. When conflicts come, we can be assured that Jesus has a plan and we can rest in the fact that all things are going to work out for our good. Acts 14:22 tells us that just a few days after Paul had been stoned and left for dead, he exhorted the people to continue in faith, saying that we must go through much tribulation to enter the kingdom of God. Paul's encouraging words to endure tribulations were not empty words spoken by a man who had not experienced difficulty. If I had been stoned and left for dead, I would probably tell you to run and hide when you were faced with the same adversity. But Paul told us to "glory in tribulations" because by the time they are finished we will have gained several qualities (Romans 5:3-5). Those new gained qualities are that tribulations will work patience. Patience will work experience or prove our character. Experience will develop hope, and hope will cause the love of God to be shed abroad in our hearts. The Message Bible says it another way. When the tribulation is finished, "We're never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary -- we can't round up enough containers to hold everything that God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!" So when tribulations come, and they will, be cheerful knowing that Jesus has overcome. +++ 10/13/15 HIDE YOURSELF Scripture: Isaiah 26:20 "Come, My people, enter into your chamber, and shut your doors behind you; hide yourself for a little moment ..." Isaiah spoke about the people of God who were in such turmoil that he compared them to a woman about to give birth. In their day of trouble, they went to the Lord and poured out their hearts to Him. Isaiah said they cried out in pain before God like a woman who is travailing in labor as she gives birth to a child. God answered their cries of distress and told them to go into their chambers, shut their doors behind them, and hide themselves for a little while. God extends this awesome invitation to us as well. Yet when challenges come, our natural instinct is to run here and there trying to solve our own problems. In our confusion, the enemy of our soul moves in and tries to deceive us into thinking that we have been left alone and that God is too busy or too far away to help. Satan tries to force us out of our hiding place and away from the presence of God. Satan's aim is to destroy our faith so that we become discouraged and lose all hope. He knows that when we give in to a spirit of hopelessness, we are defeated. When hopelessness and defeat challenge you, you must follow the prophet Isaiah's words. You must hide yourself in the secret place of God's presence, even if it is just for a moment, so that you can listen for His voice of instruction. Shut the door to every distraction that would cause you to make a hasty and wrong decision. As you enter God's presence He will draw you to Himself and hide you under the shelter of His love and He will keep you in His peace away from the present danger. As you wait before Him, God will regenerate you and give you new strength so that you are able to mount up with wings as the eagles and soar above the current problems that are challenging you. In every situation, you are to cast every care upon the Lord and never forget that He cares for you. Just as He cares for the smallest sparrow, He is watching over every facet of your life and will take care of your situation. God is still in control and is in the process of working all things out for your good. The Lord's solution to your situation is for you to enter into His chamber, shut the door behind you, and continue to keep yourself hidden in His presence. +++ 10/14/15 LIFE, BREATH, AND ALL THINGS Scripture: Acts 17:25 "He gives to all life, and breath, and all things." Jesus came that we may have life and have it more abundantly. This doesn't mean that He will make every one of us rich in earthly goods or cause us all to be famous. It also doesn't mean that we will all experience excellent health or exceed in wisdom. Instead, it means that our individual lives have the potential to be fulfilling and that we all have the same opportunity for the joy of the Lord to overflow in our souls. Deuteronomy 30:19 tells us that God sets before us life and death and then instructs us to choose life. Proverbs 18:21 says that death and life are in the power of the tongue. So we must understand that even our words create and destroy life and that the outcome of our lives depend upon our own attitudes and the choices that we make. Our life, our breath, and everything that we have came from God, for He created the world and everything that is in it. Every breath that we take is because He breathes life into us. Every drop of blood that our hearts pumps is because He causes the pressures within the heart and arteries to make it happen. Every step that we take is because He gives us mobility. Everything that our hands are able to grasp is because of the strength that He imparts. Every thought that we think is because He has provided us with a brain and a logical mind. Everything that we see is because of the eyes that He has furnished. Every sound that we are able to hear is because He has given us ears and opened our hearing. Every ounce of life that we have and enjoy is because of Him. Our very lives are held in the hands of the Almighty God. God knows all about us. We may be able to hide our thoughts and feelings from the closest people around us but God made us and He knows when we are up and when we are down. He is ever watching and sees us as we are coming in and going out. Nothing is hidden from His view. He uncovers the secrets that are deeply hidden within our hearts so that He can heal them. He communicates with us not just through the things of life but as a friend to a friend. He calls us each by name and deals with us individually, spirit to spirit. He give us life, breath, and all things. Let us never neglect to love and commune with this One who has created us, for in Him we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28). +++ 10/15/15 DO ALL YOU CAN Scripture: Galatians 6:10 "As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith." Our Christian character isn't developed by just exercising moral or legal correctness, but also comes as the Holy Spirit works within us to minister to those around us. Each day provides us with ample opportunities to do good. We just have to watch for them. There are hurting people everywhere who need a good word spoken to them or a helping hand stretched in their direction. They need an ear to listen to their heart beat or a shoulder to cry upon. They need someone who can envision their dream and dream with them. There are also those who have grown weary in well doing and need someone to encourage them to continue. Many just need a friend to pray for them or an ally who will stand with them against the enemy who is attacking their soul. There is an interesting story concerning World War II, even though some of the details escape my memory. There were some soldiers who were being held captive by their enemy. The enemy forced the soldiers to make weapons that were to be dropped on the captive soldier's own men and allies. The captive soldier faced death themselves if they did not comply with the orders of their enemy so they faithfully appeared to work as instructed. However, when the bombs were dropped from the warplanes, all of them turned out to be duds and none of them exploded. When the bombs were investigated, they were found to contain notes inside that said, "Doing everything that we can, with all that we have, for as long as we can." The soldiers were held captive and couldn't fight against the enemy themselves, but they wanted their comrades and allies to know that they were still working with them and making the most out of every opportunity. In essence, this is all that God wants or expects from us. He is all knowing and never asks us to do the impossible or to give what we do not have. He simply asks, "Do everything that you can, with all that you have, and for as long as you can." His requests may require faith and sacrifice, but He will see you through every situation and reward all of your efforts. Nothing will go unnoticed by the Father as you do good to all men and especially those of the household faith. +++ 10/16/15 I WILL NOT FEAR Scripture: Psalms 118:6 "The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do to me?" When you stand on the edge of the cliff or there is a Red Sea before you, it is not the time to put your trust in man, for he will probably fail your expectations. It is the time to trust in God and ask Him to deliver you in your situation. The psalmist said that he called upon the Lord in the day of his distress and the Lord answered him. Knowing that the Lord was on his side, the psalmist was able to boldly declare that he would not fear what man could do to him. Safety is not the absence of danger, but the presence of the Lord. When you are hemmed in on every side and are forced to meet your adversary, it is a great security to know that the Champion of all battles is with you and that He is on your side. Think of some of the saints of old that showed no fear in the midst of life threatening situations. David faced Goliath, the giant, but had confidence that the Lord was on his side, so he ran towards Goliath in battle. God was faithful and delivered the giant into David's hand. Daniel prayed openly to God knowing that he would be thrown into a lion's den. He trusted in God and knew that man could not do anything to him that God didn't allow. God shut the mouths of the lions and Daniel's deliverance became a mighty testimony to the king. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had no fear of death or the fiery furnace. The Lord showed them that He was on their side and even walked with them in the midst of the fire. He delivered them in such a mighty way that when they came out of the fire, there wasn't even the smell of smoke upon them. Live or die, we must come to the same conclusions that these courageous men did. And, like the psalmist, we must make bold confessions of our faith that are based upon the Word of the Lord. As we look through the scriptures, we can boldly say: 1.) I will not fear when things go wrong because God is on my side, and all things are going to work together for my good because I love Him and am called according to His purposes. (Rom. 8:28) 2.) I will not fear when I do not have sufficient funds, because God is able to meet all my needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus. He will make a way where there seems to be no way. (Phil. 4:19) 3.) I will not fear when danger approaches me because God is my refuge and He will hide me under the shelter of His wings. (Ps. 91:2 & 4.) I will not fear when my heart becomes overwhelmed in trying to find the right direction for my life because The Lord is my Shepherd and He will lead me in the paths of righteousness and beside the still waters. (Ps. 23:1-2) 5.) I will not fear when distress and discouragement attacks because Jesus will restore my soul. (Ps. 23:3) 6.) I will not fear when sickness attempts to attach itself to my physical body because the Lord is my healer and by His stripes, I am healed. (I Peter 2:24) 7.) I will not fear when death knocks at my door because I face a win-win situation. The Lord has promised to never leave me or forsake me in this life on Earth. And if I should die, I know that He will escort me to Heaven, for I have this confidence that when I am absent from my body, I will be present with Lord. (II Cor. 5:8) 8.) Finally, as the psalmist said, "The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do to me?" +++ 10/19/15 SHIELD OF FAITH Scripture: Ephesians 6:16 "Above all taking the shield of faith, wherewith you shall be able to quench the fiery darts of the wicked." God provides us with great spiritual armor that enables us to stand against all the strategies of the devil. This armor is not just to be displayed on a shelf, but is to be used continually in our battle against the principalities and powers of wickedness. We are to keep this armor on in the good times as well as the bad times, so that we are not taken off guard when evil attempts to surprise us. Every piece of the armor is vital, but when Paul listed them, he said, "Above all, take the shield of faith." Above all the other pieces of armor, we are to take the shield of faith because it is held in the forefront and helps protect the other pieces of armor. It also protects any area that the armor itself might not cover. This word "shield" in the Greek in this particular situation is interpreted as "door or gate" or "entrance, which opens and closes." Our faith or shield of faith has the ability to open or close the door to the forces of evil. Doubt, fear, and unbelief will always challenge us and we can either allow these fiery darts to afflict our spirits and soul or we can stand against them in faith. We can stand behind our shield of faith in integrity or open the door and allow the enemy to penetrate and destroy our principles. We can hold to our faith in truth and refuse to discuss the "ifs" and "cans" of God's will and His ability or we can let our shield down and be drawn into a damming conversation with the devil who is the father of all lies. When we lift up our shield of faith and determine to stand concerning the things that we believe, the water of God's Word will quench the fiery darts that come against us. In I Kings 22:29-37 there is a story about King Ahab who was in battle against the King of Syria. Verse thirty-four says that King Ahab was killed because a certain man drew a bow at venture, without taking specific aim, and the arrow hit in the area where the king's armor was divided. This was just a small unprotected place in his armor, yet it yielded death to the king. King Ahab probably never thought too much about this insignificant place, but had his shield been lifted up, it would have protected this open area in his armor and saved him from destruction. Like this story, the enemy of our soul goes about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. All he needs is one small vulnerable place in our spiritual armor that will allow him to cause havoc in our lives. When he finds it, he aims a fiery dart. The results of his efforts are up to us, for the damage of his attack will depend upon whether or not our shield of faith is between us and him. So above all, let us lift up the shield of faith. +++ 10/20/15 FAITH TO GET UP AGAIN Scripture: Proverbs 24:16 "A righteous man falls seven times and rises again ..." Have you ever looked at your life or your current situation and felt like things weren't turning out like you planned? Your hopes and dreams were falling apart, and on top of all that, you were not getting any younger. Comparable to taking the wrong exit off the freeway, you made one bad choice, and before you knew it you were going down the wrong road and had no way to turn back. Situations then forced you to make other bad turns. Finally, things got to the point that you didn't even know where you were, much less how to get back to the main road. God never promised you that you wouldn't make mistakes or face disappointing circumstances but He did promise that He would be there to comfort you and deliver you out of all of your afflictions (Psalms 34:19). If you give God all the pieces, He will take your fragmented life and put it back together again for His glory. He says that you will not be overthrown by calamity if you are in right standing with Him. But you are the one who has to make the effort to rise up from the fall. The Message Bible says, "The righteous man is not down long." Consider your response to your child when he was learning to walk. You counted those first few unsteady steps as a magnificent feat even though your child fell down after his effort. You never told your friends about your child's fall or failure, but bragged about the fact that he had walked even though it was just a step or two. Each time that he tried again and failed, it was a grand victory because you knew that sooner or later your child would get it together and walk perfectly. You encouraged him to try again because you didn't want him to give up and have to be carried around for the rest of his life. God is your heavenly Father and holds this same view. He created you and knows that you are only common flesh and bone and that you are going to fall as you make an effort to walk through life. In fact, He said the righteous man will fall and may even fall seven times, Yet God doesn't want you to fear, get discouraged, or be overcome with your failures. No matter how many times you trip and fall, your Heavenly Father wants you to rise up and try again. Psalms 37:23-24 says, "God delights in our way and He busies Himself with our every step." When you fall, God will always be there to help you get up. Falling is not a failure ... failure is refusing to get up and try again. +++ 10/21/15 CONSECRATION AND BLESSINGS TODAY Scripture: Exodus 32:29 "Consecrate yourselves today to the Lord ... that He may bestow upon you a blessing this day." Moses gave a word to Gods' people to let them know that if they wanted to receive God's blessing, they needed to consecrate themselves to God. One of the definitions of this word 'consecrate' in the Hebrew, as it is used in this verse, meant "to be fenced in." Just as in the case with Moses and the people of God, God's love and blessings do flow out to us with mercy and grace. Yet, as we mature in God, we learn that He expects things from us. He desires a life that is freely consecrated to Him. When we are babes in Christ, we may get away with a few things, but we soon learn that, "to whom much is given, much is required" (Luke 12:48). With maturity comes responsibility, which means that we must fence ourselves into the demands of God's Word if we want His blessings to rest upon us. Moses said, "Consecrate yourselves today." Each day has its own challenges. Just about the time that we think we have arrived spiritually, we find ourselves facing something new and come to realize that we have just begun our journey towards holiness. Walking with God and remaining in His precepts is a daily walk and it is only accomplished one step at a time. Each and every day we are to consecrate ourselves by putting a fence around our thoughts, imaginations, emotions, and deeds. We then have to guard the borders of our heart from the snares of evil. Our sacred purpose must be to render ourselves to God's service and give Him dominion over every space in our lives. We must dedicate every chamber of our heart to the Lord and declare it to be holy ground. God must have an open hand in our lives and everything must come under His rule. Our measuring rod must be governed with the question, "Will the Holy Spirit enjoy participating in this particular activity or will it bring Him shame?" That simple question will divide the light from the darkness and make God's will clear in your heart and mind. It is only as we come to this place of total commitment and surrender and then follow through with our actions that we will experience the true blessings of God. Receiving His blessings doesn't mean that we will become rich and famous or have all the material things that we desire. But it does mean that our souls will be satisfied with the goodness of God and that His favor will rest upon us in an unusual way. Moses said, "Consecrate yourself today ... so that you can receive God's blessings today." This word with a promise is yours. Begin by giving yourself to God, consecrating all that you are and all that you hope to be to Him. Then, ask God to help you build a fence around that commitment that will keep you within its borders and also protect you from the outside hindrances. Then as you consecrate yourself today, get ready to experience His blessings today. +++ 10/22/15 IDOLS OF THE HEART Scripture: Matthew 19:21-22 "Jesus said, ... sell what you have and give to the poor ... But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful for he had great possessions." A rich man desired to become a follower of Jesus and thought himself to be a good candidate because he had kept all the commandments of God all of his life. Yet Jesus told the rich man that he lacked one thing and He instructed the man to sell everything that he had and give it to the poor. The rich man's truest desires were exposed when he was unable to give up his riches in exchange for God's kingdom. His wealth and material possessions had become the god of his life and were ruling his heart. His refusal to surrender his riches prevented him from completing God's will and left him sorrowful in heart. When we think of idols, we usually think of images of heathen worship. But as Jesus showed us in this story, there are other things that can rule our hearts. Idols are very easy to form. Job security, children, relationships, fame, fortune, and even ministry can become idols in our life. God is not against His people having these things, but He doesn't want those things to dictate our lives. He wants to be the King of our life and to rule all the kingdoms of our heart. God's ways are never like our ways. Throughout scripture, we see the principle of eternal exchange. Jesus emptied Himself and became a servant so that He could become Lord. He refused the kingdoms that Satan offered Him in order to gain the Kingdom of God. Likewise, we must give up something to receive what God has for us. We have to forsake all to follow Him. If we want to be great, we have to humble ourselves and become the least. We have to lose our life so that we may find it, just as we must bury seeds in the ground to obtain a harvest in the field. We must love our enemies in order to accomplish our revenge. We must give what we have so that we may receive what we need. All of our selfish motives and desires must be dethroned before God can truly accomplish His purposes in our lives. We can never receive what God has intended for us until we let go of the treasures that hold our hearts. When the idols of our heart are surrendered, we will not be sorrowful because we will gain the Kingdom of God, which is a far greater rate of exchange. +++ 10/23/15 WITS' END Scripture: Psalms 107:27 "Ships in great waters reel to and fro .... and are at their wits' end." Like the ships in great waters, there are problems and situations in our lives that bring us to our wits' end. We do all that we know to do, but our resources are limited and insufficient to deliver us from the storm or to spare us from the difficulty that we are facing. Just like the mariner, it seems that our ship mounts up to the heavens on the high waves, and then descends into the depths of the ocean. Our lives are tossed to and fro and our souls melt because of the trouble that we are in. We can no longer navigate the ship and like the seaman our wisdom is to no avail. There is no time to think because of the turmoil of the restless sea that surrounds us. Yet with God all things are possible if we look to Him for the help that we need. Verse twenty-eight tells us what to do when we are at our wits' end. It says, "Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble." When we begin to cry out for help, God will calm the storm, caused the waves to be still, and bring us into a safe haven. There are examples throughout the scriptures of people who were at the end of themselves and their situations, but God intervened with His plan. Following are four examples for your own life. You may have come to your wit's end regarding your finances. The widow in I Kings 17 had come to the end of her provision in a great time of famine. She planned to make a cake for herself and her son and then just die. But the prophet came with God's plan and challenged her to give. As she gave and met the prophet's need, God met her needs and sustained her through the famine. So be obedient to the Lord's request and He will sustain you. You may be facing a serious health issue. The woman who had an issue of blood for twelve years in Matthew 5:25-34 had spent all that she had on the physicians and had not become better, but grew worse. She was at the end of her finances and health. But in her desperation, she put her faith into action, pushed through the crowds and reached out to Jesus, and was healed. So when you are at the end of your health, reach out in faith to the Lord for your healing. Your relationships with others may be at their wit's end. The prodigal son in Luke 15:11-32 had abused his relationship with his father, squandered all of his inheritance, and eventually found himself eating the swine's food. He was at the end of his own devices, but when he finally came to himself, he returned to his father and repented. As he cried out to his father, his father responded in love and restored him. For since the day the son had left, the father had been waiting for his son's return. Remember that your friends and family are waiting for reconciliation so be the first to return and reach out in love. You may be at the end and ready to give up on ministry. Joseph in Genesis 37-47 was treated unjustly many times, lied about, and rejected by his brothers. Even the chief butler and baker forgot about Joseph when they were released from the prison. Many times Joseph must have come to his wit's end, thinking that the dreams and visions that God had given him had no chance of ever coming to pass. However, God fulfilled the dream and in one day's time Joseph was raised from the prison to the palace, and from obscurity to fame. Continue in faith and you will reach your God ordained destiny. Just like these examples, God is always there when you come to your wit's end and will rescue you when you turn to Him for help. When your desperation brings you to this place, you will find that God is there and you will discover that He is smarter than you are. When you come to the end of yourself and put your complete trust in Him, you are at the beginning of God and at the edge of the miracle that He has planned for you. +++ 10/26/15 MIRACLES OF LIFE Scripture: Mark 6:52 "For they considered not the miracles of the loaves: for their heart was hardened." The disciples witnessed Jesus walking on the water just after they had watched Him miraculously multiply five loaves and two fish into enough food to feed five thousand men, plus the women and children. However, verse fifty-one says that when He came walking to them on the water, they were amazed beyond measure. They had seen Jesus do so many miracles up to this point and yet they were amazed and wondered when they saw Him walk on the water. It seemed that it was too much for them to comprehend. There is no mention that the disciples were ever amazed or wondered when Jesus multiplied the loaves and fish even though they gave out the food as it was multiplied and also gathered up the abundant leftovers. They never questioned how the food was multiplied and it seemed that their hearts had become hardened to this miracle of provision, for they didn't even consider it when Jesus approached them on the water. Albert Einstein said, "There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle." When we think about it, life itself is a wonderful miracle that we can't comprehend with our finite mind. Our whole being has been created in God's image and the scriptures declare that our physical bodies are fearfully and wonderfully made. The world around us is a miracle and everything in it functions in a miraculous way. We have electricity, transportation, and communication systems among other things. Yet too often, we take all of these things for granted and disregard God's amazing miracles that are at our fingertips and that we enjoy every day of our lives. One of the greatest wonders to me is the fact that we have twenty-six simple letters in an English alphabet that allows us to communicate through writing. Where would we be without books and literature or the ability to communicate with written words? Life would be dull indeed. Also, we have nine numbers and a zero that allows us to count further than our minds can even comprehend. These are very simple but amazing things that should provoke a thankful spirit within us. Most of us can recall things that happen in our past that we counted as miracles and we can remember how excited we were when the incident occurred. Perhaps we found some money or provision came in unexpectedly to pay a debt. Our bodies may have experienced a supernatural healing or a relationship may have been restored that we thought was lost forever. Maybe God had intervened in our lives and caused us to escape a terrible accident. Too often we allow time to pass without considering those things that once were so precious in our thoughts. We must allow our hearts to go back to these awesome experiences and recall the special things that God has done in our lives. As we do, we will find that our faith will be renewed for the things of the present and our hope strengthened for the future. Let us consider the words of Albert Einstein and determine to live our lives as though everything is a miracle. +++ 10/27/15 THAT WHICH IS NOT Scripture: Proverbs 23:5 "Will you set your eyes upon that which is not?” King Solomon, the richest and wisest man who ever lived, wrote these words concerning riches. In this same verse, he continued to say, "Riches certainly make themselves wings and fly away as an eagle towards heaven." Riches are fleeting and elusive so Solomon advised in verse four, "Labor not to be rich and cease from your own wisdom." Solomon wrote these words several hundred years before Christ was even born, yet they are just as true today some 2700 or 2900 years later as they were he wrote them. In very recent days, we have seen secure jobs terminated, retirement benefits lost, and market investments diminished. The hopes and futures of many innocent people have been dashed to pieces through no fault of their own. We had set our eyes on the security of our riches and found as Solomon so wisely stated, "they were not." The riches and security of many took wings as King Solomon described and suddenly flew away as an eagle towards heaven. It was devastating and very sad. As we think about Solomon's words and have witnessed the losses that many have experienced, we come to the same conclusion that he did. We must not labor to be rich, for the security of riches "is not." The only riches that are secure are those eternal ones that we have in God, and the only labor that is not in vain is the labor that we extend for Him. The only investments that are secure and will never be lost are those that we invest into His Kingdom, and the only treasures that are secure are the ones that we put into God's hands for Him to hold. God is our only hope and security and without Him, we are left very lacking. We must set our eyes upon God and not upon those things "which are not." We must cease from our own wisdom and acknowledge Him in all of our ways. Solomon also said in Proverbs 3:5-6, we are to trust God with all of our heart and not lean upon our own understanding. As we put our lives into God's hands and diligently trust in His wisdom, He will direct our paths. Even in the times of great loss, when our riches have taken flight, we will have nothing to fear. God will remain our security and our labor will never be in vain. +++ 10/28/15 BEYOND YOUR WOUNDS Scripture: Psalms 109:22 "For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me." David cried out to God for deliverance and made his petitions very clear. He declared that his enemies had surrounded him with words of hatred and fought against him without a cause (Verse 3). He asked God to judge these false accusers who had lied and spoken deceitfully against him,and he said to God, "Don't hold Your peace" (Verse 1). David's heart was seriously wounded within him as he cried out for mercy and deliverance from the Lord. He was a man that loved God with all of his heart. He was the king of Israel, a strong leader, and a mighty warrior. Yet underneath the royal robes and warrior's armor, there was a man with a sensitive heart. He wasn't exempt from emotional pain because of his position in life or because of his strength as a leader. He could hurt within just like any other man and he saw God as his only recourse in this situation. David opened up his heart before God and allowed God to see his wounds as he stood before God and confessed his pain and his need. C. S. Lewis once said, "God whispers to us in our pleasure and shouts to us in our pain." Many times in our season of pleasure we become relaxed and distracted. There is no driving force that causes us to fast, pray, and search for God. When we are in this state, we often miss the still small voice of God because our hearts are not turned in His direction and our ears are not tuned to His voice. Yet, when we are hurting in some way or facing a mountain of adversity, we become more attentive and it seems that God's voice is much easier to hear. We seek for a solution, we search for an answer, and we listen for Him to speak. His slightest whisper becomes a shout within our spirits. David was wounded and was facing a need, but he knew that beyond his wounds there was an answer and that answer was God, Himself. He made a commitment to God, saying, "I will give myself to prayer." Like David, you must look beyond your wounds and needs and go to God in prayer. He has your answers. Get a glimpse of God and then allow Him to deliver you and redeem your situation. +++ 10/29/15 WALKING WITH GOD Scripture: Micah 6:8 (Living Bible) "God has told you what He wants, and this is all it is: to be fair and just and merciful, and to walk humbly with your God." God delivered Israel out of Egypt by giving them great leaders such as Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. God also reversed the curse of Balaam and brought His chosen people into the Promised Land. He did mighty things for His people so that they might understand the righteousness of God. Yet, they turned away from God, causing Him to ask these questions, "Why have you turned away from Me? Don't you remember what happened and what I did for you?" Israel proposed to make up for their sins by offering God sacrifices of calves, rams, and rivers of olive oil. They even offered to sacrifice their oldest children. However, God did not want their sacrifices. Instead, He simply wanted their obedience. He had already told them what His desires and demands were. He wanted them to love Him, fear Him, walk in all His ways, and serve Him with all of their heart and soul (Deut.10:12). Walking with someone indicates that you are in agreement with them in your spirit. Amos 3:3 confirms this by stating, "Can two walk together except they be in agreement?" When you walk with someone, you go in the same direction they go, and you strive to reach the same destination and goals that they are striving for. This is God's desire for you that you walk with Him and be in agreement with Him and His Word. Jesus said, "If you love Me, keep My commandments" (John 14:15). God does not want you to offer Him an occasional sacrifice to make up for your spiritual lack or your sins. You can never regain through sacrifice what you lose through disobedience. God wants you to be filled with His Spirit and follow after His own heart as closely as you can. He wants you to love Him with every fiber of your being and make every effort to walk in continual obedience to His commands. God is speaking tenderly to you today saying, "Walk with Me today, this is all that I want." +++ 10/30/15 SO MUCH MORE Scripture: John 21:25 (NLT) "Jesus also did many others things. If they were all written down, I suppose the whole world could not contain the books that would be written." We have libraries, bookstores, and homes that are filled with books on various subjects. Can you imagine that if all of these books only contained information about Jesus that there would still be much more to say about Him? The Apostle John said that the world could not even contain all the books that could be written about Jesus. His life as the Son of God and as the Son of man is just too enormous to record and His works are too glorious to be totally contained even in a multitude of books. This is the reason there were many things left unsaid by the disciples and followers of Jesus. There were even signs and wonders that Jesus did in the presence of His disciples that were not written about in the scriptures (John 20:30). The scriptures speak prophetically about Jesus before He came to Earth and they also record the events of His life after He came. They tell us about the healings and miracles that He did. They also speak of His acts of love and kindness, His words of judgment and peace, His journey to the cross, His glorious resurrection, and His miraculous ascension into Heaven. The scriptures even speak of Jesus returning to Earth some day. These mighty accounts of His life impart information and inspire our faith, yet His life was still so full that all of the things that He did, spoke, and felt were not recorded. Jesus lived on the Earth thirty-three years and His ministry lasted three and one-half years, yet, we only have access to a small portion of His life and His Godly wisdom. There is no way to record all of His knowledge and understanding or to explain how the gifts of the Holy Spirit worked in His life. Neither are there enough words to explain the measure of the love that was in His heart, which caused Him to give His life willing on the cross of Calvary, for the love of Christ passes all knowledge and understanding (Ephesians 3:19). How many books would it take to explain the holy grief that He felt for those who rejected Him or how many volumes would it take to describe His emotional agony and physical pain on the cross? Who really knows all of the changes that He made in the hearts of the men, women, and children who witnessed His life? Words are just too few and too inadequate to convey His righteousness, mercy, and grace. The truth is that no life can be wrapped up in written words or pages in a book, for a personality has to be experienced. I could write many books about my children and grandchildren but my words could never explain to you their individual characteristics. I could write a million words and never convey my depth of love for them. I could write a book today and tell you all that I know about them, but it would be out of date tomorrow because their lives change daily. The only way you could ever possibly know and understand who they are would be by spending personal time with them. With all of this in mind, I encourage you to not only read all that can about Jesus in the scriptures but to also spend time with Him. Meditate on His Words and the words that were spoken about Him and give attention to Him in worship and communion. As you do, you will gain immeasurable knowledge about who Jesus is as a person and you will agree with the Apostle John that Jesus is too wonderful to be contained even in a multitude of books. +++ Copyright © 2015 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved www.widsonline.com			..............................