Mar17

............	A Word In Due Season March 2017 3/1/17 GOD'S PRECIOUS MEMORIALS Scripture: Acts 10:4 "Your prayers and your alms are come up for a memorial before God." Have you ever tried to talk to someone, but knew in your spirit that they were not listening to you? Worse still, they may even cut you off right in the middle of your words. Even though you really had something important to share, no room was given for you to exchange your thoughts and express your opinions. It was as though your concerns were of no importance or even nonexistent. Communication of this sort is frustrating, but we can rest assured that this is not the type of communion that we experience with our Father God. Our prayers and the words that we address to the Lord are very meaningful to Him. As we speak, He listens with the intent to hear, considers our thoughts, and does not forget them. The Lord keeps our words before Him as a memorial. Just as we listen to the simple words of our own children or grandchildren, God listens to us. How often have we kept a scrap of paper that had the words "I luv you" or something similar scribbled in crayon as a special memorial of a child's love and adoration for us? Those words were a personal treasure to our heart and God feels the same about the words that we offer to Him. He is not so much concerned about the eloquence of our communication as He is the condition of our heart and our love for Him. Our words are precious to Him and He looks at our earnest and honest intent. It is written in Revelation 5:8, that He takes our prayers and saves them as memorials in golden vials. Then the angels mingle our prayers with incense and offer them upon the golden altar that is before God's throne. Regardless of how simple our words might be, God loves them and appreciates them. As our prayers ascend unto God, they become as sweet odors in His nostrils (Revelation 8:3-5). Sometimes we may think that God has forgotten our request, but we soon discover that although He is rarely early, He is never too late. Our need is ever near His heart and He always answers right on time! God keeps our words and our expressions safe, whether they be praises or petitions. When we make our thoughts and needs known unto God, they are placed in a golden bowl near His throne. They remain as memorials before Him until the appropriate time that He desires to respond. Then when the fullness of time comes, our sovereign God reaches into the golden bowl and pulls out our prayer. And to our utter amazement, He answers our petition when we least expect it and in a way that we had never considered. So never give up on your prayers because they are a memorial before God. When you prayed, God listened, God heard, and your answer is on the way. +++ 3/2/17 COMPASSION VERSUS FAILURE Scripture: John 4:6 "Jesus was weary with His journey and sat on the well." It is hard to imagine Jesus being weary and thirsty, but He was. And this natural situation caused Him to be in the right place at the right time so that He could minister to a very special woman. While His disciples went into the city to buy food, Jesus sat on Jacob's well and waited. His waiting had a purpose. He was not waiting for a multitude. He was waiting for one person. Finally, a woman of Samaria came to draw water from the well. Jesus was a Jew and was to have no dealings with the Samaritans, but when the woman came to the well, He disregarded the traditions of men and yielded to the will of God. He made time for this woman, and even though He knew her failures, He had compassion upon her. As Jesus began to talk with the Samaritan woman, He exposed her failures. He knew everything about her and approached her sins with tenderness and compassion. She had been married five times and the man that she was presently living with was not her husband. They were just living together. Yet, Jesus looked far beyond her faults and saw her needs. He recognized her thirst for God. He knew there was something deeper within her broken and scarred heart than men could see. Jesus asked the woman to give Him a drink of water and when she responded, He offered her living water. He told her that the living water that He could provide would be able to quench her thirst and that she would never thirst again. Jesus was not speaking of natural water and natural thirst, but of the Spirit. The water of the Spirit quenches the thirst for the things that are of the flesh. Just as Jesus waited by the well that day, He patiently waits for you so that He can minister to you, one on one. You are important to Him whether you realize it or not and His love for you may be more than you can even believe. Jesus usually ministered to the multitudes. Who would think that He had time for one Samaritan woman who was living in sin? Yet, He did and He loves you just as much as He loved the Samaritan woman. The Lord draws you to Him by His Spirit so that He can impart the Living Water to you. When God imparts the Living Water, it will drive away those ungodly things that you thirst for and struggle with such as impure thoughts and desires, lust, jealousy, and covetousness. As the Lord ministers to you, you will find yourself overflowing with new life and you will know that His compassion is far greater than your failures. +++ 3/3/17 CREATED IN HIS IMAGE Scripture: Genesis 1:26 "God said, Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness." God created the heavens and the Earth and called light into existence. He made the sun, moon, and planets and placed them in their appropriate positions. He also scattered the stars across the heavens according to His own divine pattern. He created the mighty oceans and formed the seas and then filled them with enormous amounts of water that cannot be measured. He divided the lands, formed the mountains, and dredged out the rivers. He also created all of the animals and brought plant life into existence. Then as a finishing touch, He created man and woman. God commanded life into everything that He made. Yet, the creation of man was different. When God created man, He said, "Let Us make man." God the Father called for a divine council with God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, and all were included in the creation of this special being called a man, who was formed from the dust of the Earth. Another thing that was different about man was that he was created in God's own image. None of God's other creations could lay claim to this high honor. When we began to understand why we were created in God's very own image, it is a very sobering thought. God wanted someone like Himself that He could commune with on a personal basis. He wanted someone that had the capacity to love and worship Him in spirit and truth, even though all nature cries out with praise to God. He also designed His most special creation to have His own attributes and to show forth His likeness. God created man with the capacity to be holy as He, Himself, is holy (I Peter 1:16). That may seem like a far stretch to most of us, but God created us to be filled with His Spirit so that we could display His image of holiness to a wayward world. We are to be like a healthy tree and manifest the fruits of His Holy Spirit. When others look at us they are to see God's image of love, joy, and peace. As His witness, we are to display His image of patience, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. When others encounter our presence, they should experience God's mercy, grace, and forgiveness because Christ is within us. God's image of wisdom that comes down from above is to rest upon us and we are to be His light to a darkened world. We must acknowledge and respect God's work in us and understand our constant responsibility to be His image in the Earth. Everything that God is, He has designed us to be also, for He created us in His own image. +++ 3/6/17 MYSTERY OF INIQUITY Scripture: II Thessalonians 2:7 "For the mystery of iniquity does already work." A mystery is a secret. It is a truth that is closed for the present and can only be opened or comprehended by revelation. There was a mystery going on in Paul's heart and soul that baffled his intelligence. He personified the strife of two natures within himself; the Adamic nature that he was born with and the divine nature, which he received through his spiritual new birth in Christ. He described this struggle in Romans 7:19 as he was moved by the Holy Spirit. He said that he did not do the good that he wanted to do, but instead he did the evil, which he did not want to do. In his inner man, he found delight in the law of God but the members of his own body warred against his desire to be obedient to that law. Does this struggle sound familiar? It is no surprise, for the closer that we get to being in the center of God's will, the harder Satan fights against us. As long as our physical body is tied to this world there will be an unseen battle raging within our spirit, for we are no different than Jesus, the Apostle Paul, or the other New Testament saints. In all of our lives there lurks an underlying current of evil oppression. It is like an unwanted houseguest or a mouse in the pantry. We do not want it there and we do not want to deal with it, but we cannot ignore it. Something has to be done to rid it from our presence and we are the ones that must do it with the help of the Holy Spirit. God allows nothing in your life that He will not use for your good and for the benefit of His great and wonderful cause. Jesus passed this way before you and He understands your struggles as He was also tempted by the devil, yet He remained without sin. However, He knows that, like the Apostle Paul, you do not always do the things that you want to do and that sometimes you do the very things that you do not want to do. Jesus is touched by your feelings of discouragement as you experience disappointment in yourself. He continually prays that your faith will not fail even though Satan desires to sift you as wheat (Luke 22:31). God is doing great and mighty things and He wants you to be a part of it. As He enlarges your vision and stretches your borders, He wants to impart a revelation that will help you understand this mystery of iniquity so that you can move forward and fulfill His purposes. He desires that your heart be filled with peace concerning the temptations that you face and realize that these challenges are just part of the battle. God is on your side and He wants you to have victory over sin. Temptations will come, but if you submit yourself to God and resist the devil, the devil will have to flee (James 4:7). +++ 3/7/17 FAITH TO FORGIVE Scripture: Luke 17:4-5 "If your brother trespass against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turns again to you saying, I repent; you shall forgive him. And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith." As Jesus was teaching about forgiveness and the necessity to forgive again and again, His disciples asked Him to increase their faith. The two main things in this context of scripture is faith and forgiveness, for it takes faith to forgive. Jesus responded by telling His disciples that they only needed a little faith as a grain of a mustard seed. Jesus said that with a small amount of faith, they could tell the sycamine tree to be plucked up and cast into the sea, and it would obey. The sycamine tree was known for its particularly strong roots and was regarded as almost impossible to be uprooted. His example spoke that with just a little faith, even the roots of bitterness and unforgiveness could be uprooted and cast into the sea. In verse one, Jesus says that it is impossible for offenses to never come. We live in an imperfect world and at some point in time, we will offend others as well as be offended by them. Misunderstandings will happen, views and opinions will clash, and actions will be disappointing. Time and time again, our feelings will be hurt and our hearts will be broken by those whom we love. Jesus let us know that even though repeated offenses are frustrating, we must always forgive. In another scripture, Jesus told Peter to forgive seventy times seven, which equals four hundred and ninety times (Matthew 18:22). Four hundred and ninety times is a lot of forgiving, but Jesus was stressing the point that regardless of what is happening, we cannot allow offenses to take root in our heart. If offenses take root, they will become like the roots of a sycamine tree, strong and almost impossible to deal with. Matthew 6:15 says, "If we do not forgive others, we also cannot be forgiven by our Father in Heaven." The unforgiving spirit and bitterness caused by the offenses that we harbor in our hearts will make it impossible for us to receive forgiveness from God. It does take faith to forgive in the manner that Jesus described, but forgiveness is a choice. It is also God's law and it works. You must trust that your offender's repentance is true and you must forgive them, and forgive them, and forgive them, and then continue to forgive. You must exercise your faith to forgive, seventy times seven if necessary or four hundred and ninety times. Remember Jesus words and at the first sign of offense, use the little faith that you have and forgive those who trespass against you. +++ 3/8/17 THE LORD'S CORRECTION Scripture: Proverbs 3:12 (Living Bible) "Do not resent it when God chastens and corrects you, for His punishment is proof of His love." Correction, chastisement, reprove, discipline, and punishment do not sound like words of love, but they really are. You know, yourself, that you correct your own children because you love them and you punish them because you want to save them from all of the heartache and pain that an undisciplined life will bring. Many times we have declared our love right in the midst of rendering punishment with such words as, "I am punishing you because I love you" or "This hurts me more than it hurts you." One young child responded to his dad with these words when he was being punished, "Well, in that case, I wish that you didn't love me so much." God loves and corrects us just like a natural father who corrects his own children because he loves them. And when God chastises us, it probably hurts Him more than it does us. Yet, He corrects us because He understands our situations better than we do and knows the end results of our bad attitudes and evil actions. His pure motive is to spare us from the consequences that we face and the only way for Him to do this is to help us change our thoughts and try to direct our paths. When we do not heed God's instructions, He then must chastise and punish us so that we turn from our wicked ways and discontinue our transgressions. God has many different methods to instruct us. He speaks to us through His written Word, sermons from our spiritual leaders, and words from others. His Holy Spirit also deals with us, Spirit to spirit. Not long ago, I began to pray the words that King David prayed in Psalms 139:24 (Living Bible). I prayed, "Point out in me anything that makes You sad." I really thought that I was doing okay but just after I began praying those words, my close friends and family members began to speak into my life and tell me of personal changes that I needed to make. One by one, they came to me with counsel and pointed out all of my faults that I was not aware of. They called my attention to negative things in my life and instructed me to change my ways. None of them had talked with each other, but each one was saying the same thing. Then every scripture I read and every sermon I heard exposed the darkness of my inner thoughts. I wondered what was happening and thought that everyone had suddenly turned against me, but then I remembered my prayer and realized that God was dealing with me and using others to be His voice in my life. God was proving His love for me and showing me the things in my life that made Him sad. He was answering my prayer. After a season of getting bombarded with correction, I told one of my friends that when I asked God to point out my faults, I did not know that He was going to use other people to correct me. Yet through their words, the Holy Spirit convicted me and helped me change my life. So, I encourage you to allow God to point out the things in your life that makes Him sad. Then regardless of how God's correction comes to you, do not resent it, for "God's punishment is proof of His love." +++ 3/9/17 OVERWHELMED Scripture: Psalms 61:2 "When my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I." Have you ever been overwhelmed by circumstances and could not seem to find your way out? You feel utterly overcome and upset by either the physical or emotional forces that are coming against you. You have no control over what is happening, and there seems to be no one to help you. You feel like a vessel that is being engulfed and submerged by the waves of the sea. It's very frightening because you do not know what to do at that present moment and certainly cannot predict the future outcome. King David was experiencing these same emotions when he wrote this psalm. He was overcome but he knew the answer for his dilemma. He cried out to God in his overwhelming situation and asked the Lord to lead him to the Rock that was higher than himself. David knew that his physical strength was insufficient and that he could not depend upon his own understanding. He wanted help from the One whose ways were higher than his own ways and whose thoughts were higher than his own thoughts. He looked to the past and remembered that God had always been there as his shelter and strong tower in times of distress. In every situation, God had protected him from the fierce enemy. In Psalms 142, David again spoke of his spirit being overwhelmed. He poured out his complaints to the Lord and showed Him all of his trouble. David said, "No one will help me; no one cares a bit what happens to me ... Lord, You are my only place of refuge." Life presents us with many challenges and often overwhelming circumstances. Like David, there will be times in our life when there will be no one in the natural that we can turn to. No one will want to listen to our problems or share our grief. Yet, we can always go to the Rock of our salvation and find our answers and comfort in Him. So, when you find yourself overwhelmed with life and its many battles, remember that someone really does care you. Then make every effort to find your way to the Rock, Christ Jesus, and place your confidence in Him. Jesus really is your only faithful refuge in this troubled world. +++ 3/10/17 GOD'S SPECIAL PLACE Scripture: Genesis 40:14 "Remember me when it is well with you, and show kindness to me, mention me to Pharaoh, and bring me out of this place." Joseph was being held prisoner along with Pharaoh's baker and chief butler and these men had a dream, which they shared with Joseph. Joseph interpreted both dreams and told the butler that he was going to be restored to his post. He pleaded with the butler to remember him and also to mention him to Pharaoh when this event happened. Yet, the butler forgot to befriend Joseph even though Joseph had graciously interpreted his dream for him. Finally after two full years, Pharaoh had a dream that no one could interpret. The butler remembered Joseph, who was still in prison, and recalled his divine gift of interpreting dreams. He mentioned the accuracy of Joseph's interpretations to Pharaoh and Pharaoh sent for Joseph to be brought out of prison. When Joseph was able to interpret Pharaoh's dream and give him sound counsel, Pharaoh recognized Joseph's wisdom and discretion and made him ruler over all the land of Egypt. From time to time, we acquire items with the intentions of using them for special occasions. It could be crystal stemware and linen napkins for a formal dinner or plastic cups and plates for a picnic. Yet because we have designated their use for a special time, we usually put them in a special place to save them for their season. God did the same with Joseph. He knew exactly where Joseph was and could have delivered him out of the prison at any given moment, but the Lord kept Joseph hidden in the darkness of this special place until his appointed time. When the time was right, God moved suddenly in the life of Joseph and called him out of the depths of darkness into the light of his destiny. What would have happened if the butler had remembered to mention Joseph to the Pharaoh two years earlier? If Joseph had been released from prison, he may have went back to his homeland. He surely would not have been in the place where Pharaoh could conveniently find him in order to move him into God's new place at God's appointed time. Joseph had already been in bondage for about fourteen years when God chose to leave him two more years. God may have needed those last two years to instill the finishing touch in Joseph's life in order to prepare him to be ruler over a multitude of people. Sometimes we do not recognize our own personal prisons as special places. We struggle with the darkness of not understanding why we cannot move forward and we become embittered by the difficulties that we face. We grow impatient because the time of our deliverance lingers and we often move out from under God's covering. We try to get others to help us and we make a way of escape for ourselves, which is not in God's perfect plan. We may have been in a marriage that God intended to mend. We may have borrowed money to settle a debt when God had another plan that would have saved us a large amount of interest. We may have tried to accomplish ministry on our own terms by going out before our time, prophesying our own words, or attempting to use gifts that God had not yet imparted to us. Wherever we are and regardless of the darkness and difficulties that we face, we must remember that God knows exactly where we are and that He has His own reasons for keeping us hidden. If we wait for God’s timing, we can rest assured that our season of deliverance will come. At the appointed season, the Lord will take us out of our special hidden place and move us into our destiny. +++ 3/13/17 HIS PEACE Scripture: Philippians 4:7 "And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." As I reflected on this scripture, I had a mental picture of my understanding traveling down a highway. My understanding was anxious as it tried to make sense of the circumstances that engulfed it. It was in turmoil as it faced making decisions and resolving situations. Then suddenly, I turned my heart and thoughts to God and acknowledged Him in all of my ways. When I did this, God began to direct my uncertain path, and His peace overtook me and passed me up. His peace then went before me, making the crooked way straight. Then as my understanding just simply followed God's Spirit of peace, calmness came to my heart and mind. One of the most precious items that Jesus left us when He went back to Heaven was His Spirit of peace (John14:27). It wasn't the same kind of peace that the world had to offer. It was a supernatural peace that transcended and defied reason. His peace is a calm in the midst of the storm, not the absence of the storm. The peace that Jesus held within Him enabled Him to sleep in the midst of a raging storm and His words of "Peace be still" were able to overpower the winds and waves. His peace is not anxious and did not pressure Him into running to Lazarus when news came that he was sick. His peace caused Him to wait on the timing of God and He experienced Lazarus being raised from the dead. His peace also allowed Him to remain silent in the face of accusations and mockery, for Jesus held His peace and answered not a word. His peace was strong enough that it kept Him from calling the angels to deliver Him when He was on the cross. God's peace in the lives of other people in the scriptures was not the absence of danger itself, but a knowledge that God was in control and that He was able to deliver. His peace prevailed in the lion's den for Daniel and also in the furnace of fire for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. In prison, His peace allowed Peter to sleep peacefully between two soldiers when he was facing certain death. The same peace brought joy to Paul and Silas, allowing them to sing songs in the prison at the midnight hour. The world only offers peace when everything is secure and going great, but God offers a peace that cannot be comprehended. His peace prevails in the time of storms, life threatening or difficult situations, and even death. If you want to experience this supernatural peace that transcends worldly peace, keep your mind stayed on Jesus and trust in Him (Isaiah 26:3). Then, just slow down and allow the peace of God that passes all understanding to overtake you and go before you. +++ 3/14/17 GOD'S CONFIDENCE Scripture: Job 1:8 "Have you considered My servant Job, there is none like him in the earth?" When God spoke these words to Satan, He was expressing His full confidence and trust in His servant, Job. God's trust was so strong that He allowed the hedge that was around Job to be lifted, but He also limited Satan's actions against Job. Job went through a lengthy season of loss in every area of his life and his patience was challenged in every way. Yet in the end, Job's steadfast faith prevailed against his hopeless situation. Satan was defeated, God's confidence was justified, and Job received his reward. Everyone has different issues to face in life. One struggles with finances, another with relationships, some with health, and others with death. For some life itself is a challenge. Hebrew 12:1 tells us that there is a race that is set before each of us. We are not allowed to choose our circumstances or the particular race that we will participate in. Neither can we choose our strengths or weaknesses. God is sovereign and He chooses our battles at His discretion and equips us accordingly. We must patiently endure the challenge, knowing that God will never put more upon us than we can bear. Whoever you are and whatever you are going through, you can be assured that you were God's choice for that testing. He knows your heart and He has faith in you. God has good plans for you and His thoughts towards you are much higher than you can imagine, but you must run your race with patience. You must discipline yourself and expect to experience hurdles in your path. You cannot allow yourself to be distracted by the glory that you receive or by the pains that you are forced to endure. As you run your race, you are to lay aside every weight and every sin that seeks to burden you down. Jesus is the author and finisher of your faith and He is to be your great example, as He was able to endure the cross and despise the shame. His goal was to defeat Satan and His vision of victory kept Him from giving in to the temptations and evil devises of the devil. You must consider Jesus and the things that He endured so that you do not become weary and faint in your own mind. Like His thoughts towards Job, God has great confidence in you and He does not want you to give up in the middle of the test. You must run your race with patience until you catch the second wind. In the midst of the race, the Holy Spirit of God will fill you with His power, and you will experience the joy of victory and receive great reward. +++ 3/15/17 WHEN YOU PRAY - BELIEVE Scripture: Mark 11:24 "What things so ever you desire, when you pray, believe that you will receive them, and you shall have them." What a promise from the Word of God. It sounds so simple. When you pray, believe. Yet, how many times do we just say a prayer rather than pray with real faith? Prayer should be a reverent petition to God, not just words uttered aloud. When you pray there should be great expectation. For prayer to be effective, you must reach out in faith and release your request in the spirit. As you do, the answer will come to pass in the natural. Awesome things happen when a simple prayer that is mixed with faith meets God. Notice Jesus said, "When you pray, believe ... and you shall have." There is a time when you have faith to believe and that is at the moment you should ask. After your encounter with God in prayer, your faith may be tested, but keep holding on. The faith in your heart will work even though doubt is attacking your mind. Just before Jesus told his disciples to have faith when they prayed, He cursed the fig tree that had no fruit. Jesus had faith when He spoke to the tree and it began to wither on the inside. There was no evidence of change on the outside, but when the disciples passed by the next day, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. Jesus used this example to teach the disciples some important principles concerning prayer. He said, "You shall have." In other words, your answer is on the way. Most of the time we cannot comprehend that our prayers are in the process of being answered because we cannot see God at work. Too often we give up just before the answer comes. Verse twenty-two says, "Have faith in God." God delights in honoring your faith. When you believe and trust in God, you set a mighty force to work. Like gravity, which is the strongest force in nature that cannot be seen, faith is a very strong force in the spirit. Although faith cannot be seen or explained, FAITH works. So when you pray, believe, and when you truly believe, you shall have. +++ 3/16/17 EPISTLES Scripture: II Corinthians 3:2 "You are our epistle ... known and read of all men." An epistle is a written message or letter of communication. Paul uses this as an example and tells us that our lives are like written epistles. Even though our lives are not written with ink on tablets or paper, they are human letters that are written by the Spirit of God and are being studied by men. Our families, associates, and those we minister to are reading our lives on a daily basis and the truth of our witness is being manifested when we are the least aware of it. Those about us are closely observing our actions to see if our deeds line up with what we say. It is remarkable when someone takes notice and mentions something good that you did, especially those things that you cannot even recall yourself. Yet, it is important to recognize that our negative impressions leave a mark just as well, for all of our life is a letter of communication to the world that chooses to read us. Often when you purchase a book, the outside cover will have a picture and some brief excerpts that depict the contents of what is on the inside. This part of the book is meant to entice you to purchase and read the book. Sometimes, however, the outside is misleading as it turns out to be more interesting than the entire book itself. This is what happens to our testimony when others look at us from the outside. They see us on Sunday in the choir, teaching Bible Study, and doing all the right things. We convince them that we are great by our outside cover. We entice them into believing in us, but the real proof of our lives come as they read the chapters of our lives and watch us face life's daily challenges and disappointing circumstances. The reality of our responses becomes our true witness. God wants to work through us because we are His workmanship that He created in His image. He knows that others will be looking at us, and He wants us to be a living communication of His glory. Colossians 1:27 says, "Christ in you, the hope of glory." God is glorified when our lives communicate His character to the world and He is pleased when our inner man lives up to what is represented on the outside cover of our life. We are His epistles and our lives will speak volumes. When people read our lives, the Lord wants them to see His life in our life; His Spirit within our spirit; His peace controlling us; His love flowing through us; His joy flooding our soul; His kindness and patience working in us; and His light shining through us. In other words, He wants us to not only 'talk the talk' but also 'walk the walk' because we will be read and known by all men. +++ 3/17/17 THE MEASURE OF WEALTH Scripture: Luke 12:15 "A man's life does not consist in the abundance of things which he possesses." These words from Jesus remind us that real life and happiness does not depend upon how much stuff we have. We are human and we have needs in the natural, but Jesus said we are not to be "anxious and troubled about these things ... for life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing." Jesus proceeded to tell the story of a man who had an immoderate desire for wealth. He was greedy and desired to have more and more. He kept gathering grain into his storehouse until he had to build other storehouses just to accommodate his wealth simply because he would not share his blessings. He was very secure within himself and measured the wealth of his life by the abundance of his storehouses. When he thought he had fully arrived, he decided to sit back and enjoy life. His words to himself were, "Take your ease, eat, drink, and be merry." God had other plans, however. He came on the scene that very night, requiring the man's life, and all that the man had stored up was passed to someone else. In the Message Bible, Eugene Peterson said, "This is what happens when you fill your barn with Self and not with God." Jesus was relating to us that a barn full of stuff or a life full of stuff is not necessarily a life that is full. You cannot define or measure life by the things that you have or the things that you do not have. Real life is found in Jesus. In John 14:6 Jesus says, "I am life." And the important "stuff of life" is found in our relationship with God, our families and children, health, peace, and happiness. Too many times we take our life and health for granted, and forget to count the true blessings that God has provided for us. Many folks today would give everything they own to have their health, youth, marriage, and family relations restored. Those paralyzed and diseased would trade all of their possessions to be able to live a normal life. The fact remains that the best things in life cannot be purchased or stored up. A quote from an unknown source encourages us with these words: "Measure wealth not by the things you have, But by the things you have for which you would not take money." +++ 3/20/17 MINISTERING TO JESUS Scripture: John 9:4 (Amplified) "I must work the works of Him Who sent Me, and be busy with His business while it is daylight; night is coming when no man can work." Jesus was conscious of the limited time that He had to complete the Father's business here on Earth. In the short time that He was here, He proved Himself diligent and effective. Even as a young boy, Jesus lingered in the temple, listening to the doctors and asking them questions. When His mother and father finally found Him, He responded with the words, "Didn't you know that I must be busy about My Father's business?" We too have a short time to fulfill the work that God has designed for us. Often, however, we wait for some prestigious opportunity to come along that will be big and important. We forget that God's call is not about our own ego but about helping people and ministering to hurting humanity. Our job description in the Kingdom of God is to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, provide for the widow and fatherless, visit the sick and those in prisons, and take care of the homeless. Yet, we often shun the thought of mingling with those who are poor and who cannot dress well. We also seldom think of ministering to the homeless street people or those in prison. Even the widows and orphans with their daily needs are far from our minds and our busy lives as we seek to serve Jesus. However, if we stopped and listened, their spirits would speak to us, "Don't you recognize me, I'm the Jesus you say that you love." For Jesus said in Matthew 25:45, that if we fail to minister to the least of these who are with needs, we have failed to minister to Him. Our ministry call is to find a void and fill it; find a need and meet it; and find a hurt and heal it. We are to allow God to do His work through us on this earth while there is still day. Very soon the night will come and our opportunity will be gone. If we are not careful, we will never finish the work that God has ordained for us because we will pass up the simple in search for the grand. Taking care of God's business is simply ministering to each need that we see. If we do this, one day Jesus will say to us, "I was hungry, and you fed Me. I was thirsty and you gave Me a drink. I was a stranger and you took Me in. I was naked and you clothed Me. I was sick and in prison and you visited Me. When you ministered to the least of these, you were ministering to Me" (Matthew 25:40). +++ 3/21/17 BLESSINGS OF THE LORD Scripture: Proverbs 10:22 (Amplified) "The blessings of the Lord, it makes (truly) rich, and He adds no sorrow with it." There is a tremendous difference in the blessings that come from God and chance that just happens in our lives. Without exception, blessings that come from the Lord are good and they make us truly rich, for He knows exactly what to give us and what to hold back. He knows our needs better than we do and His plans for us are for good and not evil to give us a good future and a hope. There is never any grief or sorrow that comes with God's blessings and for that reason you never hear the expression "bad blessing." With luck, it is different. It is like the pendulum of a clock that swings back and forth, for it can go either way. If you choose to believe that your life is governed by luck, you can have good luck or you can experience bad luck. A man in our local community won thirteen million dollars a few years back. Some of my close friends knew him personally. At first glance, we would have called this win a blessing and the world would have labeled him a lucky man. Yet, at the end of the matter, things did not turn out good for this individual, for there were no blessings attached for him personally. In fact there was only devastation. Within two years of winning this enormous amount of money, he was divorced, lost his home and family, and ended up taking his own life because of the grief and sorrow that surrounded him. A blessing is supernatural and comes from the heart and hands of God. It is not something that we can produce ourselves. In I Chronicles 4:10 there is a prayer recorded by a man named Jabez. Jabez asked God for something that Jabez himself could not produce. He asked for a supernatural blessing and then left his life in the hands of a sovereign God. Like Jabez, we need to present ourselves to God and look to Him for blessings rather than to depend upon fate or luck. We have God and He is all that we need to help us make it through life. Ephesians 1:3-7 tells us that God has already blessed us with spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus. He has chosen us to be holy before Him, adopted us, and made us accepted in the beloved. Through the Lord Jesus we have redemption and through His blood we have the forgiveness of sin. We must agree that we are truly blessed and believe that these blessings make us rich and do not bring with them sorrow of any kind. +++ 3/22/17 EXPEDIENT NOT LAWFUL Scripture: I Corinthians 10:23 "All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient." Life presents us with many choices. These choices determine our future and create our past. They cause us to become who we are in character and also establish our reputation in the eyes of others. Choices are made because of our hopes and desires, but they also determine our failures. As we follow our choices, they take us down many trails and the options we choose leave behind us a path that others will follow. Sometimes the examples that we provide for others are good but other times we mistakenly lead them down the wrong paths. At the time, our choice may have been acceptable and lawful for us personally because our motives were pure, but they may have caused problems for those within the circle of our influence who may not have known the entire situation. The Apostle Paul addressed this issue by saying, "All things are lawful for me, but not all things are expedient." In other words, all things that we could actually do within the realm of the law may not edify or build up those around us. In fact, some things that are lawful in the eyes of God will actually hinder our witness and possibly destroy the faith of those who look to us as examples. It may even hinder God's destiny for our lives. In chapter twenty-five of I Samuel, David was so provoked by an evil man named Nabal that David vowed to destroy Nabal and everything that pertained to him. This act of vengeance would have been lawful for David, but it was not expedient. David was destined to become the King of Israel and this act would have been a major blemish in his character and damaged his reputation before others. So David refused to avenge himself or to shed innocent blood in order that this dreadful act would not become an offense in his own heart and also ultimately hinder God's plan for his life. When we know God and His ways, it is very easy to discern which choices are morally and ethically right and which ones are wrong. Yet, we must remember Paul's words that even though things may be lawful for us, not all things are expedient. If we speak lawful words of truth or speak with the tongues of angels and have not love, we are as a tinkling cymbal. If we prophesy without love, we are nothing. We must follow the pattern of Christ and choose to do those things that edify and give a worthy testimony to the world about the God who lives within us. We are epistles read of all men and the law that we follow should be always governed by the spirit of love, for love is always expedient. +++ 3/23/17 THERE IS A SEASON Scripture: Ecclesiastes 3:1 "To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven." From the very beginning, God set things in order and caused them to function on a timely basis. It is amazing that we can know in advance the exact time the sun will rise and set each day. We can also count on the various seasons to come to pass each year just as they have for thousands of years. God is very dependable and faithful. And just like His plans for this earth and the heavens that cover it, God has a season and purpose for our lives. No matter how we struggle, our seasons will not come to pass until it is in God's time. Lester Summerall said, "The greatest blessing God has promised to you in your life or ministry will always be just beyond your grasp as long as you strive for it. Striving delays the anointing. If you are building your ministry - God isn't! If you are ruling your life - God isn't!" God's anointing rests on His will and His appointed timing. I heard a story once of a minister who felt the call to a foreign field. He sold everything, packed up what he needed, and moved overseas thinking that God was going to take care of him and his family. After struggling through a very hard year with no open doors, he finally asked God what the problem was because he had felt sure that he had heard from God. God answered him with these words, "I did call you to this mission field, but you came a year early." The minister repented of his hasty action, and from that moment on, in God's appointed time, all things began to fall into place. Doors opened and needs were met. God's timing is just as important as His calling. Throughout the scriptures, you find phrases like "when the fullness of time was come" which indicates that God always has a perfect season and a perfect time for every purpose. Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, "That He hath made everything beautiful in His time." Everything works out right and is beautiful when you put your faith in God's timing. When you "wait on" Him and "wait for" Him, you will be ready when He is ready. Circumstances will line up, and He will order every step to bring about His purpose and His plans for your life. +++ 3/24/17 PRAY AGAIN Scripture: James 5:18 "And he prayed again." Elijah prayed earnestly and asked God to send rain. Six times, nothing happened, but on the seventh time, the heavens opened and the rain began to pour. Elijah could have given up on the sixth time that he prayed, but he didn't because he was determined to pray until an answer came. What if Elijah had stopped praying after his first prayer because he felt that true faith does not need to pray a second time? What if he questioned himself after the second prayer by wondering if he was righteous enough to go before God? What would have happened after the third prayer if he thought his request may be considered selfish in the eyes of God? After the fourth prayer, what would have happened if he had stopped praying because he felt ridiculous praying about the elements of nature? Surely, he had doubts after the fifth time that he bowed himself before God with the same petition, for the scriptures record that he was a man of like passions just like you and me. When he prayed the sixth time, he may have wondered if God was even listening at all. Yet Elijah did not give up, and when he went boldly before God's throne of grace on the seventh time, he received his answer. Powerful and effective prayer does not just happen. Sometimes you must stand at length before God's throne before you see any results. You must ask and keep on asking, seek and keep on seeking, and knock and keep on knocking until God answers. Abraham interceded for Sodom and Gomorrah several times and Jacob wrestled with the angel of the Lord all night before he received his blessing. He wrestled so long and so hard with God that his hip was thrown out of place and he walked with a limp for the rest of life. Jesus, Himself, prayed for a blind man twice before the blind man's sight was totally restored. Jesus also went to God three times for Himself and asked that the cup of suffering be removed from Him. The tenacity of prayer and faith is illustrated in the definition given by three boys. The first boy said, "It is taking hold of Christ"; the second said, "It is keeping hold of Christ"; and the third said, "It is not letting go!" We are not to simply skirt around on the outside of God's presence, but instead take time to venture deep into the Spirit. We are to reach beyond our simple petition and go boldly before God's throne of grace in our time of need. We should take hold, keep hold, and not let go of Christ as we make our prayers of petition. We have been invited to approach God as many times as we need, without any reservations. We must always remain submitted to the Father's will, but never take no for an answer until God says no. Until the answer comes, we must pray and pray again. +++ 3/27/17 JOY THAT IS FULL Scripture: I John 1:4 "And these things write we unto you that your joy might be full." Today we stand on the edge of uncertain days, never knowing what the next news brief will bring. Even though the events are happening far from us, we know that each fiber of news affects all of us in some area. It is as though we sense that we are standing on the edge of eternity. Yet even though we face the truth of these realities, we should never allow a foreboding spirit to overwhelm us, for God is still in control. He has scheduled our life for this time in history and He is well able to protect and take care of us. As we stand facing uncertainties in the physical world about us, we are to be encouraged, for we are also standing on the edge of the glorious miracles and ministries of God’s spiritual Kingdom that is within us. The Apostle John was an eyewitness to the life of Jesus. He had seen Jesus, had heard Him speak, and even had an opportunity to touch His nail scared hands. As John wrote this letter while being inspired by the Holy Spirit, he said that he was sharing with us so that our joy might be full. This letter is an intimate Word from the Father God to His children who are in the world. God has always been there for His people and He will be there for eternity. God knew that we would be facing these days, but He did not leave us without light. He gave us Jesus, the Light of the World, and He told us to walk in that Light and fellowship with that Light. It is only as we follow these instructions that we can truly be full of joy. It is true that we may enjoy the pleasures of sin, but those pleasures will only last for a short season (Hebrews 11:25). Grief, sorrow, and heartache will soon follow because sin brings death and destruction. Sin's cup of pleasure is never full. It is always half empty. It lacks fulfillment and never satisfies. However, when we walk in the Light and Fellowship with the Light, who is Jesus, we begin to discern the differences between pleasures and true joy. As we allow Jesus to show us the things in our lives that make Him sad and seek cleansing from all unrighteousness, He fills our cup. And when the Lord fills our cup, it runs over and we experience "joy unspeakable and full of glory" (I Peter 1:8). +++ 3/28/17 THE BLAME GAME Scripture: Proverbs 28:13 "He that covers his sins shall not prosper; but whoso confesses and forsakes them shall have mercy." When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, neither one of them wanted to take responsibility for their actions. Adam not only blamed Eve, but also blamed God for his failure to obey God's Word. He told God, "The woman whom You gave to be with me," as if his sin was all God's fault. Then Adam accused Eve of enticing him to eat the fruit, but the last few words of the sentence reveals the truth of the matter when he said, "And I ate it." Adam was the one who ate the fruit, but he did not want to admit his guilt or assume responsibility for his own actions. His real problem was that he gave in to Eve's wishes because he wanted to be one with her. When God confronted Eve she also refused to take the blame by saying, "The serpent beguiled me and I did eat." Yet before both of them knowingly sinned against God's Word, they had walked with God in the Garden everyday and communed with Him on a personal basis. God’s Words were very simple and He made His will very plain to their hearts. Adam and Eve knew that they were doing wrong and after they transgressed against God's Words, they covered themselves and tried to hide from His presence in shame. Even today, many of us do not want to be accountable for our shortcomings. We want to place the fault on someone else or upon our circumstances. We blame our weaknesses on our genes or our past generations. We declare that it is just our nature, and like Adam, sometimes we even blame God. Yet at some point in our life, things need to change and we have to stop trying to cover ourselves by blaming others. We must own up to our own weaknesses and realize that our current actions are not our mother's fault, our father's fault, the fault of our environment, or other negative influences in our life. It is because we have not sought for God's deliverance and help in these areas. II Corinthians 5:17 declares that "If any man be in Christ, He is a new creature; old things are passed away, and all things are become new." When we are born again, there is a greater voice and stronger Spirit within us than the one that is in the world. The Holy Spirit of God guides us and gives a witness and a peace in our spirit confirming that our actions are in obedience to the will of God. The Holy Spirit also leads us into truth and lets us know when we are listening to the wrong voices or going in the wrong direction. He causes us to feel uneasy, to grieve, and to be anxious over the matter. We have no excuse for falling into sin or trying to cover our failure by blaming others. We can ask God to help us in the midst of our temptations or find forgiveness and mercy when we fail. All we need to do is ask for the Lord's help and He will reveal our sins and shine His light into our lives. As He uncovers those things that are drawing us into disobedience, let us forsake them and seek His forgiveness. As we do, we will obtain His mercy and find prosperity. God gives us a choice to walk away from sin. If we fail to do this, we can only blame ourselves. +++ 3/29/17 INTIMACY WITH GOD Scripture: Psalms 103:7 "He made known His ways unto Moses, His acts unto the children of Israel." The children of Israel saw God deliver them from Egypt through various signs and wonders. God parted the waters of the Red Sea for them and they experienced dry ground for their crossing. Then God's mighty hand destroyed Pharaoh's army in those same waters. They heard the thunders of God's voice on the mountain as He spoke with Moses, and they were led through the wilderness with a cloud during the day and a fire at night. They drank water from the rock and every day for forty years they ate fresh manna from Heaven. Yet regardless of all of these mighty acts, the children of Israel were never able to comprehend or understand who God really was. They saw God's acts and experienced His miracles but they never knew His ways. They never truly knew the heart of God and therefore they never were able to trust His Word nor enter into the place of His promise. God is pleased when we acknowledge His acts because they demonstrate His power and glorify Him. Yet, He is more pleased when we acknowledge Him as a person and simply believe that "He is" (Hebrews 11:6). God created us in His image and He wants us to appreciate Him as our Father God. For instance, we appreciate the fact that our children think that we are good parents and we are honored when they trust us to provide for them. Yet, our greatest delight is when they simply love us and know us as Mom and Dad. We want them to recognize our character and understand our ways which are governed by our hearts. Knowing God's ways is a process. The Apostle Paul said that He was determined to know Christ. Yes, he wanted to know the power that flowed from Christ, but more than seeing His acts or signs and wonders, Paul wanted to experience the person of Christ in an intimate way. He said, "That I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Christ, perceiving and recognizing the wonders of His person more strongly and more clearly" (Philippians 3:10)." Paul's intimate knowledge of Christ did not come because of a one time experience on the road to Damascus, as great as that experience was. Neither did Moses' intimate knowledge of God come at the burning bush. Both men's knowledge of God and Christ came through their own intimate relationship with them. Moses came to understand God and His ways as God talked with Moses face to face as a man speaks to his friend (Exodus 33:11). Paul sought this same kind of relationship and through faith he pressed towards Christ. Like Moses and Paul, would you like to know God's ways and not just witness His acts? It is a possibility and it is simple. The way to gain this intimate knowledge of God is to spend intimate time with Him. +++ 3/30/17 THE ROCK OF REVELATION Scripture: Matthew 16:18 " ... upon this rock I will build My church and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it." Jesus asked Peter a powerful question, "Who do you say that I am?" Peter answered Jesus saying, "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God." Flesh and blood did not reveal this knowledge to Peter. God the Father opened Peter's heart, enlightened his spiritual eyes, and granted him the revelation that Jesus was His Son, the promised Messiah. This revelation is the foundation for the Church of the Living God and it is the rock that we build our own personal faith upon. Many recognize Jesus as the Christmas babe in the manger or the Easter Jesus on the cross. Yet they never come to know Him as Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of the Living God or discover that He is the Rock of their salvation. The revelation that Jesus is the Messiah, the Anointed One of God, opens a whole new spiritual dimension in our lives. This knowledge enlarges the borders of our heart and increases our personal influence with others. Jesus becomes the foundation that we place our faith upon and we find that He is endless, His power is boundless, and His love is without measure. As we continue to look into the chambers of His heart, we see His goodness, His mercy, and His grace. In His presence, we experience His joy and His peace, and in each heartache and pain, we come to know His compassion. The more intimate we become with Jesus, the more we realize that our relationship is not about what we have done or can do for Him, but it is about who He is, what He has done, and what He will do for us in the future. He is the Messiah of our lives. Often, however, we develop a Messiah syndrome by taking the weight of the world and our problems upon our own shoulders. We allow ourselves to become bound by the enemy of our souls because we do not lean upon the Holy One of God or draw from His mercy and grace. Our attempt to work ourselves and others free from the bondages of evil creates frustration when all we really needed to do was simply call upon Jesus. As our Messiah, Isaiah chapter sixty-one declares that Jesus came to take our burdens and set us free from all bondage. He came to comfort, restore, and rebuild. He does the work in our individual lives by the anointing of the Holy Spirit and when He ministers to us, it remains eternal. When we recognize that Jesus is our Messiah, the Son of the Living God, the gates of Hell can not prevail against this revelation. +++ 3/31/17 LITTLE BUT WISE Scripture: Proverbs 30:24-28 "There are four things which are little on the earth, but they are exceedingly wise: the ants ... the conies ... the locusts ... and the spiders." Solomon was a man who was granted supernatural wisdom from God and yet he chose four small and insignificant creatures to show us what true wisdom is and how it operates. The first example is the ants because of their preparation and hard work. We are not only amazed as we see these small creatures carrying their enormous and heavy loads, which are twenty times their own weight, but we are also astonished that they have the foresight to prepare for the future. Proverbs 6:7 tells us that the ants "have no guide, overseer, or ruler, but they work all summer." One reference said they are the "most laborious insects in existence," each doing its own job without show or expecting any honor, working without weariness until the work is complete. The other three examples are just as amazing. The conies or badgers show us the importance of protection and sure foundations. These small animals build their houses in the tight places of the cleft of the rocks where there is protection on all sides, and then cautiously face outwards. The next wise creature, the locusts, display exceptional unity and organization. They have no king or leader, yet they band together as one unit and work in harmony. And finally, the spiders show us boldness and confidence. They will go anywhere without fear, even the king's palaces. They are not easily discouraged and when their webs are swept down, they spin them again and again. As we look at these four examples we come to understand that wisdom does not depend upon how great or rich we are, but on how we conduct ourselves in life's circumstances. We can use these examples of wisdom in our spiritual lives as well. Like the ants who store up food in the natural, we must store up bread of Heaven or the Word of God so that we can make it through the seasons of famine in our lives. We cannot allow ourselves to wait until we are faced with a crisis. David said, "I will hide Your Word in my heart so that I may not sin against You." We must feed on God's Word in our summer seasons so that we are prepared for the winters of our life. Like the badger's hidden home in the cleft of the rock, Jesus is our refuge and secure hiding place. He is the solid rock and if we build our trust and faith on Him, He will be our sure foundation and protection from our enemies. We must allow the Lord to surround us on all sides and also we must continue to maintain a vigilant watch, for our adversary, the devil, goes about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. The locusts show us the incredible wisdom of banding together with other believers so that we can experience tremendous victories as we work together in unity and harmony. There is great power in agreement and the Word of God tells us that if one can chase a thousand, two can chase ten thousand. On the day of Pentecost we see the results when just 120 believers came together in complete harmony and one accord. God sent the promise of His Holy Spirit as a rushing mighty wind to empower them to become His witnesses. Because these few believers manifested unity, harmony, and power, they changed the world. Finally, the spiders teach us to be bold and confident so that we can go anywhere and everywhere that God sends us. They not only show us how to go forth with courage, but that we should have faith for the king's palaces. They demonstrate how to refuse failure. Regardless of whether we fail on our own or because someone else sweeps our web away, God's gifts and callings are without repentance (Romans 11:29). Like the spiders, we still have the ability and responsibility to get up, start again, and spin another web. So which one of Solomon's examples do you need to follow to become wise? The answer is all of the above. All of these principles need to be operating in your physical and spiritual life so that you may prosper in your body, soul, and spirit. +++ Copyright © 2017 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved www.widsonline.com			..............................