Dec17

............	A Word In Due Season DEC 2017 12/1/17 GIFTS AND CALLING Scripture: Exodus 31:1-4 (NRS) "The Lord spoke to Moses: See, I have called by name Bezaleel ... to devise artistic designs ..." We recognize the name of Moses, a man who was chosen by God for a special work, which was to bring God's people out of their bondage in Egypt. This exodus and mighty deliverance was a journey that lasted forty years and everyday they experienced miracles, wonders and supernatural provisions. Yet, most of us would not recognize the name of Bezaleel who traveled with Moses and this entourage of millions of people. Because Bezaleel's name only appears a few times in the scriptures, we may think that he was insignificant, but the truth is that he was also chosen and called by God to do a special work. God not only called him but also filled him with His Spirit and gave him great wisdom, ability, and skill to construct the Tabernacle and everything that it contained. Bezaleel even made the Ark of the Covenant (Exodus 37:1). We hear much about the Ark of the Covenant, but little if any about this man who actually made it. God was so particular with the design for the Tabernacle and the things within it that He called Bezaleel by name to make sure that he would be the one to devise the artistic designs. God chose him and then validated his call and assignment to Moses. Can you imagine how Bezaleel must have felt as he left Egypt and wandered around the wilderness? He may have thought that his artistic gift would never be used again. Yet, God had a wonderful plan for him and used him to create beautiful things to be used in worship even in the midst of the wilderness experience. God commissions all of us for particular works and it is not our place to second-guess His choices. We may think that His gifts and calling only include the spiritual things like preaching, teaching the Bible, or being a missionary. Yet we see in this scripture that God also anoints artists for His purposes because God loves art and beauty. In fact, God paints every sunrise and sunset, which are new and fresh each day. He also creates the magnificent colors of the rainbow and the glorious silver lining behind the clouds. Even the beauty and wonders of the moon and stars at night are credited to His awesome artistic handiwork. God has gifts and callings available in every category of life and He can use the least of us for His glorious purposes for He is the artist of our souls. We need to prepare ourselves and be willing and obedient to answer when He calls. We must not allow our current circumstances or our lack to dictate our God ordained destiny. We must understand that God is in control and that His gifts and callings are without repentance (Romans 11:29). At some point, even in the desert wilderness or place of hopelessness, God will validate our gifts before others and He will call us out by name to do the work that He has designed for us to do. +++ 12/5/17 JESUS IS OUR DOOR Scripture: John 10:7 "Then Jesus said to them again, I am the door of the sheep." The shepherd was a familiar figure in Jesus' day. He had many duties to perform but one of his main responsibilities was to protect his sheep from any harm. Shepherds allowed their sheep to graze in the open pastures during the day, but before the sun went down they gathered them into a safe place, which was called a sheepfold. After the shepherd had gathered all of his sheep into the sheepfold in the evening, he would lay his own body down across the entrance. This was a common practice amongst the shepherds. The shepherd's body became like a door, which guarded the sheep. Nothing could pass through the entrance of the sheepfold without going through the door, which meant that nothing could get to the sheep without first encountering the presence of the shepherd. Jesus spoke these comforting words to us because we are the sheep of His pasture. He lovingly cares for us in every way. He leads us into green pastures so that we can be nourished and beside the still waters so that our souls can be restored. He does not quit there, however. Instead, He is also our way into the Kingdom of God or our door into the sheepfold, for no one can come to the Father except through Jesus. Like the sheep inside the sheepfold, we may have no idea what is on the outside of the safety that our Good Shepherd provides for us. Yet, Jesus is aware of every peril that seeks to destroy us and He places Himself between us and all danger. We never have to fear the unknown because nothing can get to us without first encountering His divine supernatural presence. We deal with doors everyday and most of us check to make sure that they are secured when we go in and out. A few years ago, I had a door that was not very secure. It was safe as far as keeping the rain and creatures out of the house, but it was too old and worn to protect me in the time of real trouble. When the fierce winds of a hurricane came my way, the door could not fulfill its purpose. And even though it was locked and braced with a makeshift board, it still blew open as the raging winds of the storm passed by. The door that Jesus offers us is not like this, for He, Himself, is the door and He is faithful and dependable. His presence provides safety and security beyond our natural comprehension. He is the Good Shepherd and He will not flee when the enemy attacks and He will not collapse in the midst of the storm. Even when facing the cross, Jesus willingly laid down His own life for us. It is a great assurance to know that we are safely hidden away from harm, for the Lord is our door and His presence is between us and any danger. This thought should give us sweet peace and destroy any terror in our soul. +++ 12/06/17 DREAMS WORTH LAUGHING AT Scripture: Genesis 18:14 "Is there anything too hard for the Lord?" God told Abraham and Sarah that they would have a son in their old age and both of them laughed when they heard the news. If God were telling the truth, this meant that Abraham would be 100 years old and Sarah would be 90 when the child was born. This news seemed too good to be true. God responded to their laughter by saying, "Is there anything too hard for the Lord?" Their natural situation had become impossible for them to have children, but the scriptures declare that "the things which are impossible with men are possible with God" (Luke 10:27). Abraham and Sarah were not dealing with medical science but with the almighty God who had created all life. If this miracle working God had made Adam from the dust of the earth and then created Eve from Adam's rib, surely He could perform a miracle for them. For nothing is too hard for God. God also asked Jeremiah the same question that He asked Abraham, "Is there anything too hard for Me?" Jeremiah declared, "Behold, You have made the heaven and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You" (Jeremiah 32:17, 27). If we could just believe like Jeremiah that "nothing is too hard for God" and expect miracles from Him, we would see great and mighty things happen in our lives. However, we often look at the promises of God's Word and then look at our lack and our difficult situations and we feel that the promises are impossible for us to obtain. Big dreams will not come to pass in the natural unless they are envisioned in the spirit. God desires to plant a dream and a vision in your heart that is so big, that like Abraham and Sarah's promise, it's worth laughing at. God wants you to attempt something so great that unless He intervenes, it is bound to fail. You must give God something to work with. Dream a big dream and hold on to it. Remember that nothing is too hard for God if you believe in Him because God deals with impossibilities. +++ 12/7/17 PUT ON THE NEW MAN Scripture: Revelation 1:5 "Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood." We can do nothing to wash our own sins away except to come to Jesus and "confess with our mouth that He is Lord, and believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead" (Romans 10:9). However, once we have confessed our sins and have been washed in His precious blood there are things that we can do to stay clean. Can you imagine putting your dirty clothes back on after you have taken a refreshing shower? The dirty clothes would cause you to still look and feel unclean. The Apostle Paul tells us that if we have been born again, we are a new person. We have been raised to new life through Christ Jesus and we are to set our minds on the things above and think differently. Once cleansed by the blood of Jesus, we are not to go back and put on the old filthy deeds that oppose the will of God in our lives. Paul lists these deeds in Colossians 3:8-9 and says, "Put away and get rid of all the old ways such as anger, rage, bad feelings toward others, curses and slander, foul mouthed abuse, and shameful utterances. Do not lie to one another, for you have stripped off the old unregenerate self with its evil practices." We are not to even consider putting these things back into our cleansed lives. Putting dirty deeds over a cleansed heart would be like putting dirty clothes over a cleansed body. The unclean sinful ways destroy our witness and testimony for Christ because people are not able to discern that we have been born again. Our outward sinful and unclean nature hides our cleansed and reborn spirit. We are to put on the new man, or to "clothe ourselves with the new spiritual self ... after the image and likeness of God" (Colossians 3:10). The next few verses tell us what our new spiritual clothes are to be. We are to put on behavior that is marked by tenderhearted pity and mercy. We are to be kind, gentle, and patience. We are also to be long suffering and have the power to endure whatever comes, with a good temper. We are to have a lowly opinion of ourselves and be ready to pardon and forgive others as Christ forgave us. Above all, we must "put on love...and let the peace of God rule in our hearts." The Apostle Paul speaks the same message in Ephesians 4:22-32. He says that we are to put off our former nature and old self, and we are to put on the new nature that has been created in God's image. Jesus redeemed and washed us on the inside with His blood but we are the ones who have to decide to put on the new nature that has been provided for us. +++ 12/8/17 PREPARING FOR GOD'S PLAN Scripture: Hebrews 11:7 "By faith, Noah being warned of God ... prepared an ark ..." In the book of Genesis, we find that God became very discouraged about the things that were taking place on Earth. In fact, Genesis 6:6 says, "It repented the Lord that He had made man on the Earth, and it grieved Him at His heart." For this reason, He decided to destroy man and every living creature, but a man named Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord, and God spared him and his household from the flood. When God chose Noah, He chose a man that walked with Him and a man who was just and blameless among the people of his time. Noah was also a man that dared to be different. He followed God when it did not make any sense. Noah did not worry about what other men thought about him as he made provision to build a huge ark, hundreds of miles from the water. Noah boldly spoke God's words and warned of a flood that would come even though rain had never fallen before upon the land. He obediently cooperated with God's plan. God said, "This is what I want you to do and this is the way I want you to do it." God gave every measurement and provided every detail, and Noah did everything according to God's instructions without question. It took Noah 120 years to prepare for God's plan, but he persevered until the ark was finished. Noah was not just involved, he was fully committed to God's plan. It made no difference to him whether he understood everything or not. He had a reverential fear of God and was determine to be prepared for God's great plan and to fulfill His purposes. There were no gray areas in Noah's faith. It did not matter to him how long it took or how old he became, he just continued to prepare for the destiny that was set before him. Noah trusted God in all things. God is still looking for that characteristic in men today and when God finds that kind of commitment, He commissions a work. He takes ordinary people and does extra ordinary things in and through their lives. When God imparts His hopes and desires into our hearts, they are designed to complete His purposes. Like Noah, we must dedicate ourselves to prepare for the destiny that is set before us whether we understand God's ultimate plan or not. For when the moment arrives, God can and will only use those who have obeyed His voice and taken the time to prepare according to His words. +++ 12/11/17 MORE IMPORTANT MATTERS Scripture: Matthew 23:23 (NIV) "You have neglected the more important matters of the law --- justice, mercy and faithfulness." Jesus spoke boldly to the religious leaders of His day and condemned them for strictly adhering to the law but not taking care of the more important matters. They were indeed paying their tithes, even on the smallest of herbs, but at the same time they were neglecting the law of justice, mercy and faithfulness. Their good works were only done so that they could be seen by others. They distorted their faces to announce that they were fasting and would sound trumpets in the streets when they gave their gifts to the church. Yet, they had no mercy when it came to those in true need, for they took financial advantage of the widows and neglected to care for their own elderly parents. In their hearts, the religious laws were far above the spirit of love, mercy and grace. They made no exceptions to the law even when exceptions were necessary so that the goodness of God could be presented to the people. They even found fault with Jesus when He healed people on the Sabbath day because they were bound by the law of the Sabbath. Jesus, on the other hand, was unlike these religious leaders. Although He taught the scriptures in the Synagogue, spent time with the doctors and lawyers, fasted, prayed, and did the other spiritual things that they did, He never allowed Himself to get bound up with the religious laws. He did not condemn the law but He came to fulfill it, and through His awesome works He displayed love, mercy, faith, and compassion to those who were hurting. He did not move away from the woman with an issue of blood when she touched Him although the law said that she was unclean and that it was a transgression for her to be in public. Jesus did not condemn the woman caught in adultery or the woman at the well who had been married five times and was now living with a man who was not her husband. Instead He brought forgiveness, healing, and restoration to these women. Jesus also dined and fellowshipped with the tax collectors and thieves in order to win them to God. And He chose unlikely and imperfect men to follow Him as His disciples in ministry. Jesus' destiny was not cheap. It came with the great price of His life. So while He was here on Earth, He used His time and efforts wisely and paid attention to the more important matters of life. Jesus cared for the needs of people. He strengthened the weak, fed the hungry, healed the sick, and taught the scriptures to the meek. He came to serve and not be served. Jesus has given us the same mandate and commissioned us to do the same works that He did. We are to follow the laws of the land and obey the laws of God. But like Jesus, we too are to give heed to the more important aspects of the law. We are to love the unlovely and lift up the fallen. We are not to neglect the true needs of people, but instead we are to respond in love by fulfilling the law of justice, mercy, and faithfulness. +++ 12/12/17 COMFORT IN DISTRESS Scripture: Psalms 119:50 "This is my comfort in my distress, that Your promise gives me life." When distress comes into your life, and it will, you can find comfort in God's Word. Isaiah 40:8 tells us that "the grass will wither and the flowers will fade, but the Word of the Lord shall stand forever." God's Word is eternal. It never withers and never fades away. In the midst of conflict, His Word remains stable and unmovable and in every circumstance it refreshes the soul and revives the spirit. There is life in every word that God has spoken and there is hope in every promise that He has made. The scriptures were written for our learning and instruction and it is through the patience and comfort of these words that we have hope (Romans 15:4). Job was a man who suffered many afflictions, yet despite the pain, he never denied the words of the Holy God. Job found much comfort as God spoke to him, and he determined that even if God were to slay him, he would still trust God. Even in the face of death, Job trusted God and found comfort in His promises. David also declared that he had hid the Word of God in his own heart so that those words would keep him from sinning against God. Words themselves are very meaningful and God's Words are powerful. If you want to be rescued from temptation and comforted in the times of affliction, you must learn the scriptures. You must also store the Word away in your heart in the same fashion that David did and trust in the Word as Job did. Establish a Word account in your heart just as you would establish a bank account for your finances. As with a bank account, you cannot draw God's Words from your heart if you have not deposited them there. Neither can you find comfort in His Word if you have not learned what the scriptures teach. You must memorize and hide God's Word and promises in the secret chambers of your heart so that you can be refreshed and revived as the Spirit of God quickens those words to you. If you do not consume God's Word on a regular basis, you will suddenly find yourself overdrawn with nothing fresh to lean upon. With your Word account depleted, you will lose hope, become discouraged, and suffer defeat. In these stressful times, you cannot allow that to happen. God's Words are guaranteed to give life. Allow Him to plant them deep within your soul so that you can find hope and experience comfort in the seasons of distress. +++ 12/13/17 WAITING FOR GOD TO MOVE Scripture: Numbers 9:22 "Whether it was two days, or a month, or a year, that the cloud tarried ... the children of Israel ... journeyed not." God led the people of Israel through the wilderness with a cloud during the day and a pillar of fire by night. This cloud and fire assured them of God's presence and His protection from the Egyptians. Yet, they never knew how long the cloud was going to rest in one spot or when it was going to move again. They had to be ready to obey God's sign of guidance and move when He moved and stop and wait when He was being still. This must have been a test to their faith and patience as it is easier to trust God when things seem to be moving and we can see something physical happening. Today, we live in a very fast paced world. Everything is drive through, fast food, and microwave. Our time is limited and we feel like we do not have moments to waste. We become very anxious when we have to stand in long lines or wait on anything, and waiting on God is no exception. Can you imagine Israel's plight? They were on a journey that should have lasted eleven to fourteen days, but they limited God and He kept them waiting on Him. After forty years, their waiting must have become very frustrating to them. This is a picture of our own life. Jeremiah 29:11 tells us that God has good thoughts towards us, to give us a future and a hope. However, to reach God's divine purpose and fulfill His perfect plan, we can only move at His command. We must follow as He leads, one step at a time, regardless of whether that means to go forward for a season or to stay completely still until God moves again. In either case, it is often difficult. When God says, "Go," we fear moving into the unknown. And when He says, "Stay," we become anxious and our faith begins to falter because we cannot see anything happening. Today, we do not have a visible cloud to lead us, but we have the witness of the Holy Spirit of God. Faith takes action, but faith often has to wait. If we want to experience God's greatest plan for us, we must move as we sense His presence moving and wait patiently on Him when He tarries. +++ 12/14/17 The Word of God gives us clear instructions about keeping our hearts and minds at peace. It tells us that if we would pray about everything that the peace of God would prevail in our lives (Vs. 6-7). The secret of peace is having faith in a faithful God, yet we find this difficult at times. It seems that we can exercise more faith in the natural things than in the Almighty God who created them. For example, we place more faith in the postal system than we do in our own prayers to God. We mail precious documents, checks, and sometimes even cash with great faith. We put these items in a paper envelope, which is not very secure and place a stamp on the outside that is worth only a few cents. We then put the envelope in the mail and totally commit our unguarded letter to the postal service. It may change hands hundreds of times as it travels thousands of miles across the nation or around the world. Yet, rarely do we consider that it may not arrive at its destination still intact. We have used the system so often that we assume that it will not fail. God wants us to develop this same kind of faith in Him and to know that He hears us and that He will answer our prayers. We must come to the understanding that even though prayer is a mighty force, it is still as simple as mailing a letter. When the requirements are met and the prayer is released, we can expect it to reach its destination and bring results. It may take some time as God works on our behalf, but we are not to give up or to think that He never received our petition. God set up this system called prayer and He is well able to oversee it. We just need to believe that God hears us when we pray and that prayer brings results. When we pray, we must exercise faith for our necessities and believe that we will be delivered from every adverse situation. We are to cast every care upon the Lord, once and for all, and expect Him to answer. A peace that passes all understanding will come to us when we make our request known unto God because when we share with Him, He becomes our partner. God truly does care for us and we are not to be anxious about anything. Worry is forbidden by our Loving Heavenly Father and it reaps no benefits, but a prayer spoken to Him in faith brings results and ushers in peace. +++ 12/15/17 TRULY PERSUADED Scripture: Romans 8:38-39 "For I am persuaded ... that nothing can separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Our relationship with the Lord is special. So our steadfast commitment to Him is very important and our love towards Him is to be complete in every way. He must be the Lord of all and must own every parcel of our heart. In fact, the scriptures tell us that we are to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, with all of our soul, and with all of our mind. There is to be no place in our lives that shuts out the Spirit of the Living God, for we are His temple and His abiding place. Likewise, we can also have an absolute confidence in God's love and commitment to us, for He loves us in every way that He requires us to love Him. In fact, He loved us so much that He gave His only begotten Son so that we could be redeemed and His Son sacrificed His own life on the cross for us. This sacrificial love was the love of God that was manifest in Christ Jesus our Lord. Because Jesus loved us so much that He willing gave His life for us, we can be assured that He will never leave us or forsake us. He is our Savior and Lord. He is also our fortress in trouble, our healer in sickness, our comforter in grief, our provider, our shelter from the storm, and our friend who sticks closer than a brother. The list is infinite, for He declared Himself to be the 'I AM.' This means that He is the All Sufficient One. The Lord is whoever we need Him to be or whatever we need Him to be. The Lord loves us with an everlasting love and regardless of what happens in our lives, we can be persuaded that nothing and no one will ever be able to separate us from His great love. Life is not a one time event, but a series of experiences. As I look back, my life is much richer because of my own personal life experiences. It is true that things were not always easy and circumstances were not always good, but in the midst of it all I discovered that God's Word really is true and that all things do work together for good. There have been many disappointments and times of total despair, but they taught me that God is the healer of the broken heart. There was a long season of hopelessness in my life, but during that season I learned that God never gives up. When I was down, He lifted me up and helped me to be able to endure to the end. There have been times of physical pain and financial lack, but I found that God's grace was always sufficient for me. He never allowed more upon me than I could bear. There were places where the shadows of death dominated my life, but the Lord never left me alone. Instead, we walked together through those dark valleys. In the end, my strength has been increased by the challenges that I have faced. My faith in God's promises has grown stronger because I had to believe His Word to make it through every trial. My trust in God has been established and is now unshakable because I found that I could truly and totally depend upon Him at all times. My wisdom has increased because I have discovered that I do not have to lean upon my own understanding. God knows more about me and my situation than I do and His ways and thoughts are much higher than mine. My compassion for others has grown deeper because of the trials and adversities that I have passed through. I know the anxieties of their hard places. My empathy for them is also greater because of the things that I have suffered. I can now actually feel their pain and understand their grief. I have not always understood everything that was happening in my life, but I have seen the unfailing faithfulness of the Almighty God. And like the writer of this scripture, I have also come to be persuaded that nothing and no one will ever be able to separate me from God's incredible love. +++ 12/18/17 A GOD BEYOND MEASURE Scripture: Isaiah 7:14 "Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel." For many it is difficult to grasp the concept that Mary, the mother of Jesus, could conceive and give birth to a child and still remain a virgin in the process. Yet this Immaculate Conception did occur as the Holy Spirit came upon Mary and the power of the Highest overshadowed her (Luke 1:35). This union with the Holy Spirit that she experienced was a fulfillment of a long awaited prophesy by Isaiah. Her obedience to God and her submission to His plan allowed His Word to come to pass in the flesh and enabled Jesus to dwell among us as Emmanuel, God with us. Mary was chosen by God to fulfill this special purpose, but there was much shame and degradation that came along with this privileged assignment and wonderful experience, for many could not believe that her purity was intact or accept the facts because it went beyond the laws nature. Yet, why is it so difficult to believe that the same God who created man from the dust of the ground could not plant a seed of conception in the womb of a virgin woman? Why is it so hard to believe that the Holy Spirit, who is beyond measure, could not overshadow Mary and impart life as He did when He breathed the breathe of life into the nostrils of Adam, causing him to become a living soul? God is a God beyond measure and nothing is too difficult for Him. All of life is His creation. Even in the natural when a biological seed is planted, it only comes to fruition when God breathes life into it. Like the Immaculate Conception with Mary, there are many things in our day-to-day lives that we do not understand. We must take them by faith because God's ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. How could we not believe that God could heal our bodies when He, Himself, formed us from the dust of the earth? How could we not trust the Lord who created the Earth to also be able to sustain us and provide our personal needs for nourishment? How could we not know that the One who created the entire universe by His Word of power would still be sovereign today and in control of our lives? How could we not believe that the Lord who filled our hearts with the ability to love and feel emotions would also mend our broken spirits and bring restoration to our hearts? How could we not believe that our Heavenly Father who sent His only Son to die for us would also forgive us of all our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness? As you think about the glorious experience that the Virgin Mary had and how wonderful the Lord is, make an effort to yield your own self to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to personally overshadow you during this special season. He is Emmanuel, God with us. When you open your heart to Him, you will find that He is waiting to minister to you. As He breathes upon you, you will experience new life and hope and know that He is a God beyond measure. +++ 12/19/17 HIS NAME Scripture: Isaiah 9:6 "For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." These prophetic words were about Jesus, the Messiah, who was to come and be the Sovereign Lord of all mankind. Isaiah saw that Jesus' character would encompass several categories and that His name would be called accordingly. He would be Wonderful, meaning that from the very beginning, His life would be surrounded by wonders. Jesus would be supernaturally conceived of a virgin and live a sinless life on this earth. He would perform signs and wonders in His ministry; heal the sick, restore sight to the blind, and cause the deaf to hear. He would also make the lame to walk and would have the power to cast out evil spirits. He would speak life into the dead and He, Himself, would experience resurrection. His entire life would be a total wonder. Jesus was also destined to be a supernatural Counselor and would bring words of eternal life to the multitudes. His words would be filled with wisdom and authority, as He would only speak the words that the Father gave Him to speak. Even the doctors in the temple were astonished at Jesus' understanding and the answers He provided for them when He was just twelve years old. As the Mighty God, the Spirit of the Lord would be upon Him anointing Him to do the work that He was sent to do. The enemy would not be able to prevail against Jesus, for He would conquer evil and take the keys of death, Hell, and the grave from Satan. Jesus would show Himself as the Everlasting Father, loving and caring for the needs of the people. And He would be the Prince of Peace who would rule in the hearts of men, bringing them out of their tormenting bondage. Jesus is a wonderful person who has been given a Name above every name. He is all that you need, whether it is a Mighty God to perform a miracle for you or just a friend or Counselor to talk with. He said that He would never leave you or forsake you, and He is there to care for you and meet your daily needs like a loving friend or Father. Jesus will guide you through the storms, comfort you, and give you light when things begin to overwhelm you. He will take every burden from your heart and bear it upon His own shoulders. He is your Prince of Peace, your Everlasting Father, your Counselor, your Mighty God, and He will show Himself as Wonderful in every aspect of your life. +++ 12/20/17 FAITH'S RESPONSE Scripture: Luke 1:45 "Blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord." Gabriel, a special messenger angel, was sent by God to speak good tidings to two individuals. As Gabriel delivered his message he received two opposite responses to the words that he spoke. One response was filled with faith while the other was clouded with doubt. When Gabriel told the priest, Zechariah, that he would become the father of John the Baptist, Zechariah responded by saying, "How shall I know this?" He wanted solid proof, but by questioning the validity of the message, he questioned the validity of the messenger (verse 18). Zechariah's doubt provoked the angel and Gabriel told him, "You shall be dumb, and not be able to speak until the day that these things shall be performed, because you did not believe my words." Gabriel's second visit was to a young virgin named Mary, who was destined to become the mother of Jesus. Questions also arose in Mary's mind. However, her questions were not the result of unbelief, but rather dealt with the information that she might have needed to fulfill the promise. In Luke 1:34 she said, "How shall this be, since I don't know a man?" She was possibly wondering if this great miracle would happen through natural means so she informed the angel that she was a virgin. Gabriel answered her question with these words, "The Holy Ghost shall come upon you, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow you: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of you shall be called the Son of God." When she realized that it would come about supernaturally, she began to rejoice in faith saying, "Be it unto me according to your word." Mary was blessed because she believed. How often do we hear from God and go through great struggles with the words that He has revealed to us? Like Zechariah, we often ask, "How do I know this promise is true?" rather than saying, like Mary, "How shall this be or how shall this happen?" When God speaks, He does not want us to question His Word, but He does want us to ask for His direction to bring about that Word. Most of the time there are necessary steps in the natural that must be taken for God's Words to come to pass so God wants to reveal His plans to us. For instance, when God speaks to a minister to build a new church, faith arises in the minister's heart. He grasps the vision but physical actions have to be taken on his part for the Word of faith to come to pass. Regardless of whether God plans to do a natural or a supernatural work through us, He still desires a faith response to His initial Word. In essence, our attitude should be like Mary's, "I believe You, God. How is this going to happen and what do you want me to do so that there will be a performance of those things which you have spoken to me?" +++ 12/21/17 FAITH TO CONCEIVE Scripture: Luke 1:31 The angel said to Mary, "Thou shalt conceive ... and bring forth." There can be no birth without first a conception. This is a natural fact and also a spiritual truth. Even the Holy Christ Child was conceived by Mary. She conceived ... and then she brought forth. It was an unusual conception in that it happened as the Holy Spirit came upon Mary and the power of the Highest overshadowed her (Luke 1:35), but still there was a conception. This supernatural occurrence was a picture of what happens in our spirits when God wants us to give birth to His purposes in our lives. First, His Holy Spirit comes upon us, inspiring us with a vision, a hope, or a dream. After our spirits conceive His thoughts, we then must nurture those thoughts or seeds with faith. Finally, we bring forth or give birth to the vision by the power of God. God is so awesome in His plan. The supernatural comes about in such a simple way. Like the conception of a natural child that comes through love making, conception of the spiritual also comes through loving and worshipping God. We see so many examples in the scriptures of people who received a natural blessing when they worshipped God in their spirits. The leper worshipped Jesus and was healed (Matthew 8:2). The ruler worshipped and his daughter was raised from the dead (Matthew 9:18-26). Again, a young girl was delivered of a devil when her mother worshipped Jesus (Matthew 15:22), and a man possessed with many devils was also delivered and made totally whole when he worshipped the Lord (Mark 5:1-13). You cannot birth healing or any other blessing until you have first conceived it from God in your spirit. You prosper and have health in the natural as your soul prospers (III John 2). It's so simple - whatever you need or desire has to happen first in your heart. Your heart is like a natural womb where the seed is conceived. Proverbs 23:7 says, "As you think in your heart, so are you." Intimacy with God changes you. When you worship God in the midst of your need and hopeless situation, the Holy Spirit overshadows you. True love and worship opens your heart to conceive the supernatural and then faith brings about its birth. You must surrender to God's will and exercise your faith to conceive His promise. As you do, God will plant His vision of victory deep inside of you and give you strength to deliver in due season. +++ 12/22/17 CHRISTMAS Scripture: Luke 2:10 " ... good tiding of great joy, which shall be to all people." One night the shepherds were going about their normal duties. It probably seemed that it was going to be a typical night as they watched over their sheep in the fields. Little did they realize that they were destined for a divine and supernatural appointment with the angels of the Lord. Nor did they comprehend that centuries later this encounter would be re-enacted time and again as one of the most prominent events in history. Images of angels and lowly shepherds would stand along side the nativity scenes and pictures of shepherds would also appear on thousands of Christmas cards. It is interesting that the angels did not go to the religious leaders of the synagogue, the Sadducees, or the Pharisees. Neither did they go to the wealthy or the prominent. Instead, God chose to send them to the lowly shepherds whose testimony would be one of the confirmations that Jesus Christ, the Messiah, had been born. Can you imagine the surprise it was to the shepherds when the glory of the Lord shone about them and the angels began to speak to them? The shepherds' first reaction was fear, but the angels reassured them that they were bringing good news and these good tidings of great joy were for all people. Christmas actually means "Christ for the masses." God never excludes anyone from salvation. His Word says that whosoever will, may come. It also declares that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). Christ Jesus gave His life on the cross for the masses of the world. He died for the pure and the prostitute, for the rich and the poor, and for the educated and the unlearned. He died for those who habitually obey the laws of the land and also for the lawless. He died for the saint and the sinner, for the kind and the unkind, the good and the bad, and the beautiful and the unlovely. Jesus died between two men. One man received Him and the other rejected Him. We have the same choice, for He does not force anyone into His kingdom. He gives us an invitation but we must respond. We can choose to believe the good tidings of great joy or we can reject God’s message. We can receive the good news of His salvation, healing, peace, and love or we can allow it to pass us by. The good tidings of the Lord’s mercy, grace, longsuffering, and forgiveness are available to us and will bring us great joy, but we must receive them. God has offered you much in His Word so give some serious thought to your life during this special season. Reflect on the angel's message of good tidings of great joy and be assured that Christ came for the masses, and that includes you. +++ 12/25/17 ONE SOLITARY LIFE Scriptures: Luke 2:10 - 11 & 1:31 - 33 "Fear not: I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. Thou shall call His name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest ... And He shall reign forever; and of His kingdom there shall be no end." "He was born in an obscure village. He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty. He then became an itinerant preacher. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had a family or owned a house. He didn't go to college. He had no credentials but Himself. While He was still a young man, the tide of public opinion turned against Him and His friends ran away. He went through a trial that was a mockery. He was nailed to a cross between two thieves. While He was dying, His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had on earth, and that was His coat. When He was dead, He was laid in a borrowed grave. Twenty centuries have come and gone, and today He is the central figure of the human race. All the armies that have ever marched, All the navies that have ever sailed, All the parliaments that have ever sat, And all the kings that have ever reigned have not affected the life of man on this earth as much as that ..." ONE SOLITARY LIFE ... Copied - From Unknown Author May you be blessed as you celebrate the Birth of this One Solitary Life. +++ 12/26/17 JESUS IS THE WORD Scripture: John 1:1 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." "Word" in this scripture refers to Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, the Messiah, and the Savior of the world. This scripture could have read, "In the beginning was Jesus, and Jesus was with God, and Jesus was God." Verse fourteen tells us that the Word (Jesus) was made flesh and dwelt among us so that we could behold the glory of the only begotten of the Father. Everything about Jesus is glorious, for in Him is life and His life is the light of men. Darkness cannot overcome His light and death cannot swallow up His life that He gives to us. We always think about an eternal future where time will never end and we all desire and trust that we will spend our eternity in Heaven with Jesus. Much is said about this beautiful place. There is talk about mansions, streets of gold, gates of pearl, and being able to worship God for all eternity. Yet nothing much is said about the eternal past, for we have no information about the beginning of God or where He came from or the beginning of time. We do know that the Apostle John said that the Word, Jesus, was there in the very beginning. He was with God when God formed the world and He also had a part in our creation, for God said, "Let us make man in Our own image." They worked together, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit to make each one of us into a special individual design. The written Word and the Word (Jesus), who became flesh, are both eternal living organisms and both speak to our hearts in different ways. The Light of His Word reveals the Life that is in Christ Jesus and the Life of Jesus imparts His Light into our spirits. When we hear or read the written Word, Jesus imparts revelation into our spirit and the written Word confirms the words that we receive when Jesus speaks to our heart by the Spirit. They never contradict each other and we are never left undone about what God is speaking to our hearts. In the past, Moses gave the law, which were commandments that were written in stone. Today the Word of Light and Life is written, not on tablets of stone, but upon our hearts. God's Word becomes a part of us and is the grace and truth that we are to live by. Think about this awesome revelation that the Apostle John shared. Jesus was with God and He is God. Now, when we receive Jesus into our hearts, this same Light and Life dwells within us. +++ 12/27/17 QUICKENED BY THE WORD Scripture: Psalm 119:49-50 "Remember the Word unto Your servant, upon which You have caused me to hope. This is my comfort in my affliction: for Your Word has quickened me." Seasons of affliction and distress come to all of us, but our victory during these times of trial and testing depends upon our response. The harder the test, the easier it is to give up and accept the defeat of the devil. However, the right response to times of affliction is found in this psalm. The psalmist responded by holding on to the Word of God that had been quickened, or made alive, in his heart and he allowed that Word to be his comfort. He did not become embittered about his circumstances or curse God. He simply reminded God of His Word and trusted God to honor it. Many times in the midst of our affliction, we try to hold on to a Word from God that has not been made alive to us. We have heard someone else quote it and have seen them receive their answer, so we assume that it will work for us. We act in superficial faith, believing for the same results. But acting on someone else's miracle is not faith. "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" (Romans 10:17). Faith comes when we hear God speak His Word to us. When He speaks, His Words are full of power and the miracle comes because the Holy Spirit brings life to that Word or scripture. Notice that God caused the psalmist to hope in His Word. Because God was connected with the Word that had been given, it was a comfort to the psalmist. God had breathed upon His Word and infused it with power, causing it to come alive within the psalmist's spirit. God was the source of the psalmist's hope. If you need a scripture to come alive in your heart that will bring comfort, it is only a prayer away. The psalmist showed us how he was quickened by the Word. He prayed in Psalms 119:107, "I am afflicted very much. Quicken me, O Lord, according to Your Word." He purposely asked God to quicken Him and bring him life. There are scriptures that are written to meet every need that you may have and bring deliverance for every bondage that is holding you captive. You must search the scriptures and find those that pertain to your situation, and then remind God of what He has said. Meditate on those scriptures and read them aloud. As you do, ask God to quicken you with those Words. Do this again and again until your spirit is made alive by those Words from God. This process is sort of like striking a match repeatedly until it finally ignites. Faith will come but it will come by hearing. When the Word of God ignites within your spirit, faith will arise to bring comfort in the time of affliction, because "God's Words are spirit, and they are life" (John 6:63). +++ 12/28/17 THE PROMISE OF A SONG Scripture: Hosea 2:15 "And she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth." God made a wonderful promise to the people of Israel. Even though Israel had failed God, He gave comforting Words saying that He would restore them. He would take the trouble they were going through and would turn that trouble into a door of hope. Salvation would come and they would sing again just as they did in their youth. Like the people of Israel, sometimes the song in our heart gets immersed in our sadness and mourning. Other times it gets covered up by the heaviness of our many problems. When our burdens get too heavy, we tend to stop singing and worshipping because it takes a certain energy to sing and give praise. We may try to make an earnest effort to offer the sacrifice of praise, but it really seems forced. We become like the captive Jews the psalmist spoke of in Psalms 137:2, who were in exile and could not sing. I was in a season of grief and despair when God revealed this scripture to my heart and made it a promise for my future. I had lost the song in my heart because of the heartache, confusion, and abuse that was happening in my life. Things looked bleak and a spirit of hopelessness surrounded me. This dark season only lasted for a couple of years but it seemed like an eternity to my soul. I thought I would never be delivered, much less sing again, but God was faithful to both deliver me and restore the song in my heart and soul. You may feel that you are in spiritual exile and the adverse circumstances that you are in may cause you to think that you will never sing again, but I am a witness to let you know that God is faithful. God knows exactly where you are. You cannot escape His knowledge or exhaust His love and mercy. God sees the reasons that the song has left your heart and He understands. He will reach down and lift you up out of the pit of doom and despair. He will speak grace to the mountains that you are facing and will create a straight and even path in the wilderness. He will work on your behalf by calling things that be not as though they were. And your song will come again as God begins to reveal Himself to you in a new and fresh way. God will use your valley to show you the grandeur of the mountain. He will take the storm that rages about you and show you His enormous peace. In your lack, God will show you His bountiful provision. He will replace your confusion with clear direction and in your weakness He will allow you to experience His awesome strength. As God begins to share this fresh revelation of Himself to you, a new song of praise will be birthed in your heart. Just like Israel, your valley of bitterness will turn into a door of hope and new life will come as God resurrects and restores you. Your spirit will become lighter and your notes will be clearer as God causes you to sing as you did in the days of your youth. +++ 12/29/17 NEW BOTTLES Scripture: Mark 2:22 "New wine must be put into new bottles." Jesus taught His disciples a very simple but profound truth about the dangers of mingling the old with the new. He said, "Do not sew a new piece of cloth onto an old garment and do not put new wine into old bottles." When you do this the garment will tear and the wine bottle will burst. His message defined God's principles concerning the separation between the things of the Spirit and those of the flesh. It spoke of the difference between responding in faith and just being obedient to the law. The new teachings of grace and truth, which came by Jesus Christ, could not be contained in the old laws, which were given by Moses (John 1:17). Neither could the Holy Spirit, which is represented by the new wine, be received into old and unclean vessels. God's Spirit must only be received into new bottles, for Jesus made His point very clear, "The old will always destroy the new." In all of life's experiences, we face this process whether spiritual or natural. The old must go in order to receive the new. We would never consider the option of installing new carpet over the old or wearing old clothing under our new apparel. Nor can we imagine storing drinks and food in old and unclean containers. Yet, we tend to follow this pattern with our spiritual surroundings and relationships. We refuse to let go of the past and stubbornly store negative memories in our hearts because it is just too hard to let go. We then try to cover these past hurts with our new dreams and fresh visions. We will not get rid of the bitterness that plagues us and keeps us from experiencing love again. Instead we pile our new hopes onto the old emotional scars and end up sabotaging our new relationships. Even though we realize these thoughts hold us back and deter our growth, we will not let go because we cannot face being hurt again. Distrust and skepticism have corrupted our vessels so we mask positive attitudes to compensate for our lack as we face our world. All the while, God is working desperately to do a new thing. He has such good hopes and plans for you, but He is limited because your heart is filled with the clutter of the past. He looks at your heart and has second thoughts about putting His new wine into an old bottle. He says, "Do not consider the former things or the things of old" (Isaiah 43:18). Your dreams may have failed and your closest relationships may have disappointed you, but you must make yourself vulnerable to hurts if you want to experience love and the joy of life again. You must put yourself in emotional harm's way and allow yourself to love and trust again even though it is not easy. You must clean the rooms of your heart and pay particular interest to the closets where your hurts are hidden. As you allow the Holy Spirit to shine His light on all that is dark, He will help you pull out those things that hold you back so that you can deal with them and resolve the issues. You can then go on with life and experience the good plans that God has for you. As you forget the past and press towards the future, God will pour out His blessings upon you and it will be as refreshing as new wine in a new bottle. +++ Copyright © 2017 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved www.widsonline.com			..............................