May17

............	A Word In Due Season May 2017 5/1/17 ENDURING TEMPTATIONS Scripture: James 1:12 "Blessed is the man that endures temptation." James, the brother of Jesus Christ and also the pastor of the church at Jerusalem, wrote these words. Both of these natural positions probably gave James much insight into the struggles of everyday routine life. He knew that all men would be tempted and that temptations would be a daily challenge even for the faithful believers. He also realized that there were great rewards for those who were able to endure the temptations that came their way. Endure means to carry on despite the hardships and to suffer patiently without yielding. Endurance is the power to withstand in the midst of the conflict and continue in existence. When you give up or give in to temptations, that part of you dies or loses its strength. When you yield to temptation, you bring an end to your purity, you damage your witness, you destroy your character, you relinquish and diminish your spiritual authority and power, and you give up your rewards. That is quite a price to pay in exchange for just a few moments of pleasure that the devil offers. We understand that temptations do not come from God, for James said in verse thirteen that God, Himself, cannot be tempted with evil and that neither does He tempt us with evil. God will allow tests to come in our lives, but His tests are trials of our faith and never involve a temptation to do evil. His tests are not choices between right and wrong, but choices between faith and doubt and are meant to determine the degree of our faith. God wants to know where our heart is before He moves us to another level of responsibility or enlarges our borders of ministry. Temptations come to us from Satan, our own flesh, and the things in the world. Temptation is evil from its very source. Temptations are never easy to endure because we are only tempted in the areas where we are most vulnerable and where we are most likely to be drawn away by our own personal lust. It would be useless for the devil to tempt me with drugs or alcohol because I do not have a problem in those areas. He tempts in other arears and does the same with all of us. He identifies our weakness and finds the thing that will entice us to do wrong so that we lose our rewards in Heaven and our victory in life. Our failure to avoid temptations affects every area of our life and also those about us. When Jesus was tempted of the devil, His kingdom and our eternal salvation were tied up in His righteous decision to endure the temptation. Our souls hung in the balance and could have been lost forever if He had failed or given in to the devil's devices. You can be sure that temptations will come your way, but there are some valuable secrets in overcoming them. First, the temptation that Jesus endured in the wilderness showed us that there is an end to temptation and that it can only last for a season. The scriptures declare, "When the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from Jesus for a season" (Luke 4:13). Second, God will never give you a greater temptation than you can handle and He will always give you a way to escape (I Corinthians 10:13).. Third, you are not alone, for temptations are common to all men (I Corinthians 10:13). If you hold these truths in your heart in the midst of temptation, you will have an advantage over the tempter. These truths will infuse you with strength to endure and if you do not give in for a moment, you will be blessed for eternity. +++ 5/2/17 SILENT YEARS Scripture: Luke 2:51 "And Jesus went down with them, ... and was subject to them." There are periods of Jesus' life that we know little about, but we do know that during these silent years He was growing and mighty things were happening within Him. God had a plan and purpose for Jesus and He was being prepared for the destiny that was set before Him. Luke 2:40 declares that as a child, Jesus "grew strong in the Spirit, was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon Him." Luke also said that when Jesus was twelve years old until about the age of thirty, "He increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man" (Luke 2:52). Although these seasons of Jesus' life were unseen, they were very productive. Jesus knew who He was during these years and knew that He must be about His Father's business. Yet, He humbly submitted Himself to those in authority over Him, waited on the timing of God, and allowed the Holy Spirit to prepare Him for the ministry that was set before Him. When God lives within us, we have purpose, and yet, there may seasons or even years that we see nothing happening in our lives. We may even experience discouragement because our futures look bleak. We know that things are happening within us even though no one else seems to notice our spiritual growth. These silent years of our lives are like the foundation of a home. There is not very much celebration when the foundation is poured and there is no beauty to behold, for it is just gray cement. There is even a long waiting period to allow the cement to dry and set sufficiently. Even later, when the house is finished, the foundation is rarely honored or recognized. Instead, everyone comments on the architecture of the home and the beauty of its furnishings and decor. Even the landscape receives more attention than the foundation. Yet, the home would not be able to stand without being established on a firm and solid base. Waiting on God through our seasons of silence should be a journey of faith, and not of fear and frustration. We must so trust God with our lives, that we are able to submit to Him and allow Him to take the time that He needs to establish a strong foundation within our lives. This foundation may not look so beautiful at the time or seem like anything to celebrate. In fact, our life and ministry may just look like gray cement. Yet, the season of the unseen and silent years are the secret to becoming a great vessel in the hands of God. Later, we will discover that this was the time when the most solid part of our being was formed. When we thought nothing was really happening, God, by His Spirit, was filling us with His wisdom and imparting His grace and favor upon us. Without us even knowing it, He was making us strong in the spirit and preparing us for the future. The silent years are the greatest times of increase so we must not allow impatience to control and manipulate our lives. Instead we must devote ourselves entirely to God and be subject to His will so that He can build within us the ability and strength to become what He wants us to be. +++ 5/3/17 THE LORD WILL NEVER FORSAKE US Psalms 27:10 "When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up." Many have experienced those times when it seemed that their dearest friends had forsaken them and their own brothers or sisters had failed them. Some have even had their own fathers and mothers, or sons and daughters, to withdraw their love and ignore their cries for help. The pain that comes with rejection and neglect by a loved one is heart wrenching. The disappointment is overwhelming because the bonds of friendship that were depended upon and the ties of love that were trusted failed in the season of adversity. When this happens a deep and lasting wound is created in the spirit of the one rejected and neglected. You may be experiencing this kind of difficult season right now with someone you thought that you could depend upon. You may think that this has only happened to you, but you can be encouraged because you are not alone. Most everyone has faced this difficult place in their life at one time or another. Joseph's life is an example of the same rejection and abandonment that you may be feeling. His own brothers treated him very cruelly. They were jealous of him, hated him, sold him into slavery, and lied to their father about his disappearance. Their actions forced Joseph away from his family and cheated him from his youth. Yet after many years of separation from them, Joseph was still able to love, forgive, and embrace the same brothers who had treated him so badly. Joseph was able to look beyond his brother's rejection and cruel treatment and see that what they had meant for evil, God meant for good. God trained Joseph in the season of his adversity and then used him to save not only his brothers but a multitude of people from the famine. We also see Jesus being rejected by His closest friends. Judas betrayed Him and sold Him for a few pieces of silver. Peter cursed and denied Him. His family misunderstood Him and said that He was mad. The disciples could not stay awake and pray with Him for an hour in the Garden of Gethsemane. Then when adversity came, they all fled away from Jesus and hid themselves in the fear of the moment. In the midst of the crisis, they did not show their love for Jesus but love must have prevailed in their hearts because they returned to Him. Jesus forgave them and empowered them with His Spirit so that they could carry forth His message. When the test came again years later, they did not forsake Jesus. Instead many of them honored Jesus by dying a martyr's death for Him. The psalmist gave us clear assurance that God would never forsake us. God's love for us is stronger than a natural father or mother and He will stick closer to us than our own brother or sister. His commitment to us is greater than that of any friend and His loyalty will never fade away. Jesus will rejoice with us in the good times and He will sustain us in the bad times. He will always be there and His Word will remain true and faithful. And like the psalmist said, "When everyone else fails us, the Lord will take us up." +++ 5/4/17 PUT YOUR HOPE IN HIS NAME Scripture: Matthew 12:21 (NIV) "In His Name the nations will put their hope." There is a call from the Spirit of God for us to put our hope in the Name of the Lord. Every other name will fail us but we can confidently trust in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. There is also a call for God's people in all nations to pray because prayer truly is our only hope in these days of global distress. Today, is the National Day of Prayer in the USA. Many people will go to special prayer meetings throughout the land and others will take a special private moment to call out to the Lord for help. I encourage you to be a part of this massive prayer effort wherever you are. I invite you to join with me and all of the other believers who will make a commitment to approach the throne of God in prayer. Can you imagine how God must feel to hear the voices of so many of His children calling out His Name in prayer on this special day? It will be a sound of many tongues, from people of many nationalities and colors, but with one voice, crying out for God's unfailing love and mercy to prevail in these desperate times. God said, "If My people, which are called by My Name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from Heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land" (II Chronicles 7:14). God needs to hear our voices; yours and mine! He does not require all of the people of the world to pray. He only requires His people who are called by His Name to humble themselves and pray. Prayer made to the Father in Heaven changes things. It invites God's presence to move in our midst and builds an atmosphere on Earth for Him to work. It lets God know that He is wanted in the affairs of men, for He will not interfere if He is not welcomed. Our words to the Father will cause Him to release supernatural answers. Let us be mindful that if we pray He will hear us, and if we seek Him we will find Him. His Word tells us that God's eyes are upon those who fear Him and He blesses the nations that consider Him to be their God (Psalms 33:12 & 18). Let us all join our hearts together in prayer. As the Lord sees that we are putting our trust in Him and our hope in His Name, His unfailing love and His mercy will rest upon us and we will find peace. +++ 5/5/17 OBEDIENCE BRINGS THE BLESSING Scripture: Deuteronomy 28:8 "The Lord shall command the blessing upon you in your storehouses, and in all that you set your hand to do." None of us really know what will happen in the future or how to prepare for life's uncertainties, but God gives us a promise in this scripture that can sustain us in every circumstance. He sets the guidelines and conditions for either blessings or cursing to come upon our lives. His instructions are very simple and very clear. He told us that if we listen diligently to His voice and observe to do all that He commands, He will bless us. But He also says that if we neglect to listen to Him and refuse to obey His voice, we will be cursed. How the blessings will transpire and come to us is up to God. We do not have to figure it out because His plans are higher than our plans and He can create a blessing that we have never even thought of. Our responsibility is to obey God's voice and when we do, He will command the blessing. This powerful God who intends to command a blessing upon us is the same God that spoke the worlds into existence. He started with nothing, but look what He ended up with. His command has power and when He speaks, all nature responds whether visible or invisible. In I Kings, chapter seventeen, we see this principle at work in the life of Elijah. As he acted in unquestioning obedience to God's Word, God commanded blessings to come to him. First, God commanded the ravens to bring him food in the mornings and evenings and provided water from the brook. Then, when the brook dried up, God commanded a widow woman to sustain him. These blessings came to Elijah only because he listened to God's voice and obeyed His Word. Had Elijah refused to go to the brook or to the widow's home, he would not have experienced God's blessings and provisions for his life. Not only that, he would have also robbed the widow and her son from receiving a blessing as well. We must understand that our obedience always touches the lives of others. There may come a time when you face an extreme circumstance in your life. Remember that God has already thought it through and that He has a definite plan to match that hour. He not only has a plan, He has the power to command a blessing on His plan and will do just that if you remain under His covering and meet His requirement of obedience to His every Word. +++ 5/8/17 GOD REGARDS PRAYER Scripture: Psalm 102:17 "God will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer." Psalms 102 is titled "A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed and faints, and pours out his complaint before the Lord." The Message Bible states it another way. It says, "A prayer of one whose life is falling to pieces, and who lets God know just how bad it is." These are extremely long titles, but I suppose that the writer was in such distress that he wanted to make sure that God understood where he was coming from. The psalmist directed his prayer to God and pleaded for God to listen to him. He said, "Hear my prayer ... Let my cry come before You." He earnestly asked God not to hide His face from him. Have you ever tried to talk to someone who would not look at you? It is apparent that they are not listening when they hide their face from you. The psalmist was experiencing this same feeling in his spirit. He wanted God to face him. He said, "I'm in trouble ... answer me quickly." Then he began to describe his sickness, pain, and frailty. He continued the prayer by discussing his loneliness, rejection, and sorrow. And in verse six, he compared himself to a pelican of the wilderness, an owl of the desert, or a lone sparrow sitting on the housetop. In all of these places he saw himself alone, desolate, and destitute. In verse nine the psalmist said, "For I have eaten ashes like bread and mingled my drink with tears." He was in a pretty desperate place, but talking with God did something for him. We begin to see him change as he turned his attention towards God. He recognized that God was looking down from His sanctuary in Heaven and beholding the earth. God knew exactly what was happening to him. The psalmist was able to declare that he had found confidence in the sovereignty of an eternal God who never changes. He declared, "But You, O Lord, shall endure for ever" ... "You are the same and Your years have no end" (Vs. 12 & 28). Like the psalmist, you may feel like your life is falling to pieces. You may see yourself as destitute and be facing what seems like a dim future. You must realize that regardless of how desperate your situation may seem, you have a sovereign God who is not hiding His face from you, nor does He despise your prayers. Be honest with God and tell Him just how bad it is and how much you hurt. When you do, God will regard your prayers and give you answers of peace. +++ 5/9/17 POSSESSING THE PROMISE Scripture: Deuteronomy 1:7 & 8 "You have dwelt long enough in this mountain ... go and possess the land." God had made a promise to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and to their children after them that He would give them the Promised Land. Moses now speaks to the people and commands them to go forward and possess the land that God had promised to their fathers before them. In verse twenty-one, Moses also tells the people of Israel to do this without fear or discouragement. Israel was given a tremendous promise of a special land, but the possession of that promise came only by facing the giants and engaging in battles. It is very easy for us to get excited about a promise that we receive from God, but it is another thing to put forth the effort to possess that same promise. Too often, we view the promise from afar and never walk towards the vision that God has placed in our hearts. The giants of doubt and unbelief challenge our hopes and dreams and tempt us to give up. In the midst of the battle, we must remember that God never makes a promise that He cannot keep. When the Lord leads, He goes before us and no foe can stand in His way. His presence clears the way before us, making the crooked paths straight and the rough ways smooth. God has set before you open doors in an attempt to enlarge your borders and He speaks to you as He did with Moses, "You have dwelt long enough in this mountain. Go possess the land." Adversity may come as you move forward, but if you allow it, that same adversity will strengthen you. Conflicts transform the meek into mighty warriors, fires purify, water purges, and stones polish. It is a known fact that hard times make us strong, and valleys rather than mountains cause us to grow. Your shattered hopes and disappointments will cause you to shift your focus to God and God alone. Your experiences will give you insight and discernment and God will use all of your brokenness to minister to you and equip you to be able to minister to others. The peace and joy that you win in battle will become more precious than the peace which has known no conflict. God desires that you move into your destiny and speaks, "Don't fear or be discouraged. Go and possess the promise." +++ 5/10/17 ACCIDENTAL DEEDS Scripture: Romans 7:19 "For the good that I would do, I do not: but the evil which I would not do, I do." A few years ago, I was very amused with a statement made by my young granddaughter. Instead of drying her hands on the towel that was next to sink in the bathroom, she hurried to the living room and dried them on the decorative throw, which was on the couch. When her parents corrected her, she said, "I didn't do it, my hands did it." She explained the situation further by saying, "It was an accident. I didn't know that my hands were doing that." She was unconsciously exercising a bad habit, and because she did not do it deliberately, she did not feel responsible for what her hands had done. It was as though her hands were a different entity than the rest of her whole being, so it was not her fault that they had accidentally dried themselves on the throw instead of the towel. This incident sounds humorous to us as adults because we know that we cannot get away with putting the blame on our hands or other parts of our body when we do something wrong. We understand that the entire body is involved in our actions and that we have to take responsible for our individual members. Yet, there are probably times in God's eyes that we look much like my granddaughter when we try to justify our actions. We have an enemy in our life who tempts us to do wrong. When we find ourselves in financial difficulty, he tells us that it is okay to cheat just a little. He tempts us with lustful thoughts and disguises it as true love. He deceives us into thinking that we can say what we want to say and do what we want to do, and tells us that if it feels good, it must be okay. We speak hurtful words and share rumors, but instead calling it an accident, we try to cover it up by saying, "I really didn't mean to say that." We allow our eyes to linger on offensive scenes and expose our ears to vulgarity, and then dismissed it by declaring, "I couldn't help it, it just flashed across the movie screen." Paul was a great apostle and wrote most of the New Testament. Yet, we can see from his own words that he struggled with daily challenges just like us. Like Paul, we do things that we do not want to do and we do not do the things that we want to do. We may not issue a disclaimer for our misconduct by calling it an accident like my granddaughter did, and we may not even be aware that our actions are displeasing to God because our conscience may have become seared. So we need God's help. David prayed and asked God to point out anything in him that made God sad. We must do the same. We must allow God to show us our secret sins and then acknowledge that our actions, whether good or bad, are not mere accidents. We need God to remind us not to do the things that we are not supposed to do and then help us do the things that we should do. God is loving and faithful, and He will help us if we ask. +++ 5/11/17 POWER, LOVE, AND A SOUND MIND II Timothy 1:7 "For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." The Apostle Paul reminded Timothy about two spiritual qualities that Timothy possessed. First, Timothy had acquired a true and solid faith because of the influence of his mother and grandmother. Second, Timothy had received the gifts of God, for Paul, himself, had imparted these special gifts to Timothy when he laid his hands upon him. Paul now exhorted Timothy to stir up those gifts and to exercise his faith in the Lord. God's work needed to be made manifest in his life, for the gifts of God and true faith are useless if they are only held within ones heart and never released for the benefit of others. When Paul addressed Timothy's fear, He also addressed our issues. God still imparts gifts and faith to His children, yet as believers, we face the same dilemma that Timothy faced. We allow the awesome gifts of God and the faith that is within our hearts to be shrouded by a spirit of fear. We are timid and shy with those that we are trying to minister to and intimidated by those about us who are more experienced in the things of God than we are. Even though God has filled us with His Holy Spirit, many times we are so afraid of personal failure that we will not allow His power to flow through us and manifest itself in our lives. We are afraid of what will happen if the person that we are witnessing to scorns us instead of receiving God's plan for eternal salvation. We question ourselves with the thoughts, "What if my prayers for healing do not work, or worse, what if the person I am praying for dies?" We are even afraid to love because love makes us vulnerable to possible rejection and pain. We have given our hearts away before and were only wounded in return. Even our minds become unsound and clouded with confusion because of the fear that overwhelms us. It is any wonder that when fear dominates our lives in this manner that we cannot work the works of the One who sent us? These feelings are very real. Timothy experienced them and Paul understood what Timothy was feeling. Yet even though the spirit of fear is real, it is not from God and we do not have to allow it to reign within our being. We are destined and ordained to be an overcoming people, full of God's power, operating in His love, and exercising good sense and self-control. These things are from God. Let us graciously receive His spirit of power, His spirit of love, and His spirit of a sound mind. +++ 5/12/17 BEING VIRTUOUS Scripture: Proverbs 31:29 "Many daughters have done virtuously, but you excel them all." There is a total difference in "doing" a virtuous act and "being" a virtuous person. Proverbs 31:10-31 list the things that make up the character of a virtuous woman. She is trustworthy with her marriage vows and does good for husband all the days of her life. She takes care of business needs and works willing with her hands. She rises early and prepares food for her family. She takes care of herself and strengthens her own body. She stays up late at night in order to get the necessary things done. She clothes her family and herself with comfortable and beautiful clothing and she also reaches out to the poor and needy. She causes her husband to be known in the city and to have honor in his workplace. Her mouth is filled with wisdom and in her tongue is the law of kindness. She is never idle but always energetic as she takes care of her entire household. Many are capable of doing some of these virtuous works, but it is quite a challenge to conquer the entire list and do it all with excellence. If you get up early before everyone in the house, fix the breakfast and the lunches for the day, it is hard to stay up and be the last one to go to bed at night. If you work all day with your hands and take care of business needs, it is difficult to find the time to exercise and strengthen yourself. With everything on your list, you must also factor in time to care for the poor and needy without neglecting your own family's needs. This is not to mention that at the end of the day you must prepare the meal while everyone else is resting from their day of labor. As you accomplish all of these things you must also be an encourager to those around you. Words of wisdom must continually be coming from your mouth and the law of kindness be on your lips. The list is longer than you want to look at and the energy is just not there to complete all of the task. That is why virtue is about "being" and not just about "doing". Even Jesus pulled away from the needs of the people to rest and He did not run to every battle or even make haste to reach Lazarus before Lazarus died. He waited for God. The virtuous woman always excels. She is not in pursuit of favor because she has discovered that it is deceitful and she does not seek beauty in itself, for she has found it to be vain (Vs. 30). The key to her life is spiritual and she has gained wisdom because she fears the Lord, and the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 1:7). This aspect of her character makes the difference in her life. It governs her natural affairs of life and causes her to be stable in relationships. And because of the godly virtue that reigns in her heart, her husband is able to trust in her. He praises her and her children also rise up and call her blessed. Her love and reverential fear of the Lord has created within her a servant's heart and even her works speak out in praise to her. This is a virtuous woman whose price is so far above rubies that she cannot be bought. She serves because she loves and does not love because she is served by others. If you want to be considered a virtuous woman, the conclusion is simple. Seek to be virtuous in your heart and then virtuous acts will follow what your virtuous heart demands and dictates. +++ 5/15/17 LIBERTY FOR THE BRUISED Scripture: Luke 4:18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to ... set at liberty those that are bruised." The word "bruise" has two meanings. A physical bruise is an injury in which the skin is not broken, but the blood vessels underneath are ruptured and are hemorrhaging. The second definition of bruise refers to a psychological injury. The Greek translation of "bruise" in this scripture refers to the second definition. It means the injury of one's feelings, to crush, or to hurt psychologically by pounding into minute fragments. Both of these type of bruises hurt, but most often the second one is most painful. At some point in your life, you most likely have experienced an emotional injury that has left you feeling totally crushed. Emotional bruising and crushing come through various circumstances such as a death of a loved one, divorce, financial disappointments, issues in relationships, or debilitating illness. Adverse circumstances and situations such as these pound and shatter us into minute fragments until we reach the point of hopelessness. Life seems unfair and we are stripped of the desire to go on. Like a physical bruise, our emotions suffer much pain, and long after the injury, this emotional bruising is still visible in our lives. We may try very hard to hide our feelings from others like we try to hide a bad physical bruise, but the tenderness in our hearts, minds, and emotions remain. The deep pain we harbor within our hearts can be sensed by those who are close to us. Bruised emotions are a form of captivity, but there is a release, for Jesus was anointed to set at liberty those who have been injured in this way. Galatians 5:1 says, "Stand fast therefore in the liberty where with Christ has made you free, and don't be entangled again with the yoke of bondage." If you have been bruised emotionally, Jesus came to proclaim liberty to you and to set you free and He wants you to stay free. He opened the door for you to leave your captivity, but you must not allow yourself to be entangled with the yoke of bondage. When you leave your bruised emotions behind, you must not go back to your place of captivity. Instead, obey the scriptures that say, "Think on the things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, of virtue, or of praise" (Philippians 4:8). In other words, refuse to allow your mind to dwell on the things that bruised and crushed you in the past. Do not keep hitting your bruise. Allow yourself to heal and allow God to set you free. He is able to restore you and put you back together again if you give Him all of the pieces. +++ 5/17/17 OUR GREATEST SPIRITUAL ASSET Scripture: Matthew 28:20 "... I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." Our greatest comfort and our greatest joy is the assurance of these words from Jesus. Every moment, His followers are promised His personal and empowering presence. This promise is our greatest spiritual asset, and we could ask for no greater treasure. We could depend on no better security. We could reach no higher heights or experience no deeper depths than to know that Jesus is with us. How awesome is the thought that Jesus will never leave or forsake us. He will always be there. Others may leave, but He will remain. He is with us in our laughter and He is with us in our tears. He is with us in our triumphs and He is with us in our tragedies. He is there with us as we experience joy and He is there in our pain. And He is always touched with the things that our hearts are caused to endure. Jesus made this commitment to be with us to the ends of the world or the end of the age. It does not matter if we are at home or in a distant land, His presence surrounds us, fills our lonely hearts, and girds us with strength. We only need to recognize Him and know that He is there. It does not matter if we are doing menial tasks or are involved in a major undertaking, He is there to help us in the time of our need. It does not matter if we are experiencing peace or engaged in war, His protecting arms surround us at all times. It does not matter if it is Sunday, Monday, or another day of the week, He is there always and His mighty presence fills every moment. In His presence there is a peace that passes all understanding. There is also a trust that cannot be described, an abounding love that fills the heart, and a grace that is sufficient for the soul. We do not have to dread the road ahead or be anxious about the future, for the Lord's presence will lead us and He will take care of every detail. The power of His presence will always make a way where there seems to be no way. He will go before us and make a way in the wilderness and cause streams in the desert (Isaiah 43:19). His presence will even cause us to bloom in the hard places where we are planted. Isaiah 42:16 says, "He will make the darkness light before us, and the crooked things straight. These things He will do for us, and He will not forsake us." We must hold to the promise that the presence of Jesus will always be with us, for this is the greatest asset that we could ever hope to gain. +++ 5/18/17 FEW WORDS Scripture: Ecclesiastes 5:2 "Let your words be few." These are the words of King Solomon that we should pay close attention to because he was declared to be the wisest man who ever lived. He was actually speaking about our prayers to God, but he was not telling us not to talk to God very long. Solomon clarified his words by saying, "Don't be rash with your mouth or let your heart be hasty to utter a word or make a vow before God." He also reminded us that God is in Heaven and we are on Earth. God knows much more about what is going on in our lives than we could ever presume to know so we should keep our ears open for God's voice and our hearts attentive to His spirit. When we stop and listen to God, we will discover that He has more to say about our situation than we do. In fact, sometimes we are so busy chattering to God about our problem and how we want it solved that He cannot get a word in edgewise to covey His solution to us. We are to be still and to know that He is God. Jesus said similar words about our prayers. He said, "Don't use vain repetitions, as the heathen, for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking" (Matthew 6:7). Prayer is not supposed to be a big theatrical production but a personal one-on-one audience with the Lord. Yet many times, in our attempt to get what we want, we either make rash promises to God or we resort to making railing accusations about the things that are happening in our lives that we do not understand. We forget that God is still God Almighty, the Creator of Heaven and Earth, and that He is still on the throne and in control. Solomon said, "To listen is better than to speak foolish words." Jesus said, "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks" (Luke 6:45). Foolish words are not profitable, for by our words we are either justified or condemned. We must not allow our mouths to lead us into sin and condemnation. We need to be quiet unless we know that we are praying according to God's will. When we come to God we need to come without formulas and techniques. We are to simply approach Him like a child approaches their earthly father. When we do this, we will evoke God's presence. Then as we find ourselves alone with God, we will be so awed by His presence that our focus will shift from ourselves to Him. In His presence, we will forget about our own desires and we will want His will to be done in our lives here on Earth as He has ordained in Heaven. When we commune with the Lord, let our words be few so that we can listen and hear what the Lord is saying to us. +++ 5/19/17 AUDIENCE OF ONE Scripture: I Chronicles 28:8 " ... and in the audience of God, keep and seek for all the commandments of the Lord your God: that you may possess this good land ... " King David desired to build a temple for the presence of the Lord, but because he had been a man of war and had shed blood, God disallowed him to experience this honor. So at the Word of the Lord, David put aside all of his hopes and desires to build the temple himself. In obedience to God, David gave the pattern of the temple that the Spirit of the Lord had put in his own heart to his son, Solomon, and allowed him the honor of building a house for the Lord. David was able to lay down his dreams and visions because he was a man after God's own heart and sought only to please God. He knew that success with God was not measured in ones achievement but in faithfulness to His Word. When David stood before the congregation of Israel to make known the plans and process of building the temple, he exhorted the people to search for and keep all the commandments of the Lord. David spoke from experience, for he knew the personal value of obedience to God and the rewards that came from keeping His commandments. He also knew the results of disobedience and sin. In his prayer of repentance that came about because of his involvement with Bathsheba, David prayed, "Cast me not away from Thy presence; and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me" (Psalm 51:11). Sin separates you from the heart of God and destroys His purposes for your life. In the heart of David, it was a fearful thought that he would no longer have the privilege of enjoying the presence of the Lord and having a personal audience with Him. You could have the opportunity to stand before multitudes, but like David, you must come to the realization that the highest place that you could ever achieve is an audience with God. When you stand in His presence, you stand before the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. You are in the glory of the Almighty God. You must be dedicated to seeking this awesome audience of One, for only the Lord God matters. The Apostle Paul said that it was a small thing to be judged by man or even by himself. His only concern was for the approval and praise of God (I Corinthians 4:3-5). Like Paul, God must be the only One sitting upon the throne of your heart. You cannot allow yourself to be moved by the praises or the criticisms of men. When you pray, enter your closet and pray to this audience of One. When you sing praises, sing to His heart and not to the ears of those around you, and when you give, give as unto Him and not to be seen by others. God sees your heart and knows which audience you are seeking to impress. When you seek to honor God in all that you do, He promises that you will possess the good of the land. +++ 5/22/17 MORE PRECIOUS THAN GOLD Scripture: I Peter 1:7 "The trial of your faith, being more precious than of gold." These words were written by Peter to the Christians who had been scattered. These Christians were chosen by God, obedient to the blood of Christ, and sanctified by the Holy Spirit. Yet, their situation was one of suffering and trial because they were trying to live faithfully for God while in a pagan and hostile society. Peter's message of hope was intended to comfort them and to encourage them to rejoice and stand firm even in the midst of their trials. Life has not changed and neither has the message of Peter to the church of the Living God. When all hope is gone, God's Word to His people today is the same as it was to the early Christians. We are to "greatly rejoice" though we are in a season of heaviness because of manifold temptations. Manifold temptations mean that the trials are multiplied. One of Satan's tactics is to attack your faith from all sides. He did this with Job. A messenger came to give Job bad news, and while the messenger was still speaking, there came another bad report. It was one bad thing after the other in Job's season of testing. He had to face the devil in every arena. Yet, Job refused to curse God and instead, he made a declaration of his commitment. He said, "Though God slay me, still I will trust Him." He left his life and future in God's hands. The Apostle Paul's faith was also tried in manifold situations, yet he maintained a spirit of faith through it all (II Corinthians 4:8-13). He said, "We are troubled on every side ... perplexed ... persecuted ... and cast down ... that the life of Jesus might be made manifest in our body." And Jesus, Himself, faced a series of testing in the wilderness. Satan tempted Him in three areas, but Jesus placed His faith in the Word of God and remained faithful. You may be scattered in your mind right now with manifold trials and temptations but remember the devil only has a season. Always keep in mind that your times of testing are precious times because you are held in the palms of God's hands. His eyes are ever on you just as His eyes were on those Christians who were scattered. God never leaves the refining pot to tend to other matters. You are His main concern and the strength of your faith is important to Him. He has judged you and counted you mature enough to endure the conflicts and the reproach that you are now facing. Satan's main goal is to destroy your faith in today's test so that it will affect your hope for the next season and your ultimate destiny. God knows the degree of heat that you can handle, and if things get too hot He has promised to rescue you by making a way of escape. God believes that your faith will come forth as pure gold as He allows the fires of adversity to refine it. As your faith passes through the fire, things that are impure will separate from you. When this process is complete. only genuine faith will remain. In the midst of the fire, God will deliver you from fear, agitating passions, and moral conflicts. So as the fires come, embrace them and live above the reproach. Allow God to purify your faith and burn out the things that are foreign to His nature. As you do, your faith will come forth as pure gold and your suffering will be changed into glory and honor for Him. +++ 5/23/17 A PLACE CALLED PRAYER Scripture: Matthew 14:23 "Jesus went up into a mountain apart to pray." This scripture is sandwiched in between two mighty miracles that Jesus preformed. In the first miracle, Jesus fed over 5000 people with only five loaves of bread and two fish. Within just a few hours, He preformed another miracle by walking on the water. Could we say as the people did in Matthew 13:54, "Where did this Man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?" Jesus answers this question in John 5:19-20 when He says, "The Son can do nothing by Himself; He can do only what He sees His Father doing ... For the Father loves the Son and will show Him what He is doing." Even though Jesus was God the Son, when He came to Earth He was the "Word made flesh" (John 1:14). He emptied Himself and took on the form of a mere man and could only do what the Spirit of God anointed Him to do (Philippians 2:6-8). Jesus did not take advantage of His divine nature, but instead He completely abandoned Himself into the hands of God. He depended on God the Father to show Him what to do and to anoint Him to do it. Acts 10:38 says, "God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power, Who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil: for God was with Him." Jesus' wisdom and power came about as a result of the anointing of God, and the anointing came as a result of His communion with God the Father. Jesus continually searched for a time and place to be alone with God. It was in those intimate places that God showed Jesus what He was to do and infused His being with the presence of the Holy Spirit who then empowered Jesus to complete the work. Jesus miraculously fed the multitudes, but then He sent His disciples and the multitudes away so that He could find a place to pray before He walked upon the water. Jesus renewed His strength through His relationship with God the Father and did not try to function in yesterday's power. And because He spent time with God, God was with Him. Too often we find ourselves too busy to spend time with God. We begin to experience a great lack in our study of God's Word and prayer time and then find ourselves trying to rely on yesterday's revelation and yesterday's anointing. We must recall the secret that Jesus held. He found wisdom and power in the solitary place called prayer. His main interest was His communion with the Father. God's anointing is only going to come to us through this same place of intimacy with Him. When we pass through the veil into God's presence, we will gain an assurance that He is with us and we will find the power of His anointing that will cause us to be able to fulfill His call. +++ 5/24/17 HEALING FOR THE HEART Scripture: Psalms 147:3 " ... Jesus binds up their wounds." Saint Augustine, who lived in 354-430 AD said, "It's one thing to remove the spear, but quite another to heal the wound by long and careful treatment." His statement was not only true concerning physical wounds but also true with regard to wounds that come when the heart has been shattered by the conflicts of life. The spear, or the circumstance that causes our pain, may be quickly removed from our lives, yet the wound that has been inflicted will take much time to fully heal. For when the spear is removed, it leaves a gaping hole within our heart that only God can mend. Memories may linger for a lifetime and will surprise us at the most inopportune moments. Against our will, they will resurface and remind us of the pain that we suffered and the injustice that we were forced to endure. Painful memories are like permanent stains, which cannot be erased, removed, or washed away without the supernatural work of our Comforter, the Holy Spirit. King David was a mighty warrior and knew the hardships and grief of battle. Yet, his heart had been wounded not by a spear from the enemy, but by a trusted friend. He prayed to God concerning this particular painful and personal experience that he had suffered. He said if an enemy had reproached and taunted him, he might have been able to bear it. Or if he had been hurt by someone who hated him, he would have just gone into hiding. But sadly, David's wounds came from his close companion and familiar friend. He was betrayed by someone with whom he shared a close relationship. They had a sweet fellowship with one another and had even walked together to the house of God (Psalms 55:12-14). Like David, most of us have sustained near-fatal wounds in the spirit and have felt the pain of the spear as it pierced our heart. We have lost loved ones to death, experienced divorce, or possibly suffered an estranged relationship with a close friend or a precious member of our own family. Through no fault of our own, we have been terribly wounded by those that we have loved and trusted the most. No enemy could have broken our heart that deeply. No worldly acquaintance could have disappointed us more than the betrayal by our spiritual brother or sister whom we fellowshipped with in the house of the Lord. These wounds to our heart are deeper and far greater than those that an enemy could inflict, for it is harder to receive healing when our wounds came by those whom we love. Nevertheless, we do have hope. The Lord, Himself, has promised to heal the broken hearted and to bind up the wounds. We must yield ourselves to His process. Jesus will remove the spear and then by long and careful treatment, He will lovingly bind up or dress our wounds until our hearts are thoroughly healed. +++ 5/25/17 GOD TEACHES AND DIRECTS Scripture: Isaiah 48:17 NIV "This is what the Lord says - your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go." As we travel our various roads of life, there are separate destinies that await us. Yet often in quest of God's purposes and plans, it seems difficult to 'get on' and 'stay on' the right course because there are so many distractions to lead us away in the wrong direction. Our paths may be diverted by failures and disappointments or sometimes even good things that are not necessarily the right things for our life. It would be great to be like the Israelites who were led by a cloud each day and guided by a fire at night. Or can you imagine being directed by the Star of Bethlehem, which led the wise men to their intended destination? With precise signs and wonders like these leading us, it would surely be hard for us to miss God's perfect plan for our life. God, however, has not ordained these types of supernatural happenings for our daily life. He has given us His Word, the witness of His Holy Spirit, and His still small voice to guide and direct us. As simple as this plan of communication may sound, however, His presence and His voice is just as phenomenal as signs and wonders. How awesome it is to feel God's presence leading us along the right path. It is just as exciting as the cloud by day or the fire by night because or when God makes His presence known, it is an overwhelming and eternal experience. And too, when God singles us out and speaks distinctly within our spirits, there is no sign or wonder that can compare. Every time God touches us in a personal and special way, we are changed. His desires become our desires and His choices become our choices. The more we see Him move in our circumstances, the more we realize that His ways truly are better than our ways and His thoughts higher than our thoughts. All of God’s plans for us are for our good and not evil and they are designed to give us a future and a hope. He is our Redeemer and the Holy One of Israel. Isaiah said that the Lord not only teaches or lets you know the right way, but that He also directs you in the way you should go. God is interested in that which is the very best for you. Trust His leadership, for He knows what is ahead and is much wiser than you. As you trust Him, you will find that He always gives you the best when you allow Him to do the choosing. +++ 5/26/17 FORGIVENESS AND FAITH Scripture: Matthew 6:34 (NRV) "Today's trouble is enough for today." "I laid down my worries and looked at them. Part of them, I noticed, belonged to the past and another part to the future." - Corrie ten Boom Take a look at what you are truly concerned about right now. Many of us are experiencing Corrie ten Boom's words. We are living in the present day but are allowing the guilt of the past and the fears of the future to haunt us. We have become mentally indebted and we cannot seem to let go. It is said that guilt is the interest paid for past mistakes - and worry is the interest paid for the future. In the natural, you may have experienced a debt situation where the interest, penalty, and late charges that were added were quite a bit more than the original debt. If you examine your entire situation, you may find that the interest you are paying for your worries, in terms of stress, is adding up to be more than the actual debt. Debt, whether it be natural or mental, can be costly and stressful. We must trust God concerning the failures of our past. When we live in guilt and fear, we are actually questioning God in His forgiveness and His ability to fulfill the promises that He has made to us. He wants to forgive us and is waiting to hear our confession. All that we have to do is simply confess our sins and God will faithfully forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (I John 1:9). Forgiveness for the past comes by confession. This means we must confess our sins to God, calling them by their name. He does not want a general prayer that vaguely confesses, "If I have sinned, forgive me." God wants us to take responsibility and own-up to our sins and failures, naming them one by one. When we do this, He has promised to cleanse us, erase the debt, and remove all guilt and shame. God also wants us to know that we can trust Him for the future. He will provide for us and fulfill all of the promises that He has made to us. Mathew 6:28 says, "Don't even take thought for the food, water, and clothes that you will need. Your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things." If you just trust Him, He will provide daily food for you just like He does for the birds because you are more valuable to Him than they are. You are His special creation and He has even numbered the hairs on your head. Jesus said, "Just look at the beautiful lilies of the field. They don't toil, spin, or worry." They just look toward the heavens and draw their strength from God's daily provision of rain and sun. Because of their simple trust, God clothes them in a glory that exceeds the glory of King Solomon. Like the lilies and the birds, God will also take care of you and clothe you in the same splendor. Jesus said it so plainly. "You have enough to worry about for today. So forget the past and all of its failures and trust Me for your future." +++ 5/29/17 GOD'S MEMORIAL DAY Scripture: Exodus 12:14 "And this day shall be unto you for a Memorial." This scripture is in reference to the institution of the Passover, which began when Moses was leading the people out of Egypt. This event was a shadow or an illustration of the redemptive work that Jesus was to accomplish for us on the cross. At this first Passover, Israel was instructed to take a lamb without spot or blemish, kill it, and apply the blood to the doorpost of their homes. God told them that when He saw the blood, He would pass over them and not kill the firstborn of that house. He promised that death would have no dominion over them if they would simply apply the blood of the slain lamb. God grants us a Memorial Day such as this. Jesus is our lamb without spot and blemish. When John the Baptist saw Jesus, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). Jesus was slain on the cross of Calvary for our sins and because of His sacrifice, we have a promise of eternal life, and death no longer has dominion over us. However, just like the first Passover, God's work is not complete until we personally apply the blood of Jesus to our lives by receiving Jesus as our Savior and Lord. God gave such simple instructions to His people. They only had to take the lamb, kill it, and apply the blood. Yet, many people in Egypt did not respond to these instructions and faced the judgment of their choice. You also have a choice. Eternal salvation is just as simple, for God has made a way for you by sacrificing His own Son, Jesus. Please respond to His great invitation, for the steps to salvation are as simple as ABC. A) Acknowledge your sin, for all have sinned. (Romans 3:23) B) Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. (Acts 16:31) C) Confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, and you will be saved. (Romans 10:9) Today we celebrate Memorial Day in America in honor of those who have given their lives for this country. So when you see the red stripes on our great American flag think about those who have fought and have paid the ultimate price with their blood for your own personal freedom. And also remember the great sacrifice that Jesus made for your eternal freedom and the crimson blood that He shed for the remission of your sins. +++ 5/30/17 ANGER WITHOUT SIN Scripture: Ephesians 4:26 "Be angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down on your wrath." Anger is defined as great displeasure or indignation. We always think of anger as being evil, but the Apostle Paul made mention that you could actually be angry and still be without sin. Anger can be a positive emotion if its motives are pure and it is dealt with in the right manner. Anger can motivate you to righteous actions and even drive you into a state of war against evil forces that defy God. Yet even with its positive points, we do not have a license to be angry about every little thing that comes our way, for the scriptures plainly teach us to be slow to wrath. King Solomon said, "He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding" because a hasty spirit exalts folly (Proverbs 14:29). He also said, "He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty" because he is able to rule his own spirit (Proverbs 16:32). Paul said, "Don't let the sun go down on your wrath." We must settle the situation as quickly as possible by assuming the fault or forgiving the one who has transgressed against us. Whatever we do, we cannot continue to hold on to anger. Another definition of anger is inflammation. Just as you cannot continue to use a muscle that is inflamed without causing more serious injury, you cannot continue to allow your emotions to be inflamed with anger without causing greater injury to your spirit. In the next verse Paul said, "Neither give place to the devil." Unresolved anger opens the door to the devil and gives it a place to reside.. A friend told me a story recently that was overwhelming. Her husband's brother was out of work and came to stay with them for awhile and their landlady became enraged over the situation. They were perplexed but remembered that she had told them that she and her own brother had been at odds for forty-seven years. Her brother had tried to reconcile with her, but she refused. The spirit of anger within her would not allow her to let go of the past. Even though she could not remember what the battle was about forty-seven years ago, it still raged within her soul and kept her in bondage. Not only did the spirit of anger destroy the years and the relationship that she and her brother could have had, but it also manifested itself against others who had good family relationships. This is the type of anger that Paul warned against, for anger of this sort opens the door to unforgiveness and gives a place to the devil. We know that Jesus was without sin and that God is not evil. Yet, Jesus, Himself, felt the emotions of anger against the religious people who judged Him for doing good and healing on the Sabbath Day. Mark 3:5 says, "He looked on them with anger." He was grieved for the hardness of their heart, yet He did not allow anger to rule His spirit. Jesus went on with His business and healed the man with the withered hand. The religious folks who were angered over the incident took counsel on how they could destroy Jesus, and their anger drove them to evil. Jesus also came against those who had disrespect for the house of God (John 2:14-15). He made a scourge of small cords and with it He drove the money changers out of the temple along with their animals and overthrew their tables of business. Even God showed anger. He was angry with Moses (Deuteronomy 4:21) and with King Solomon (I Kings 11:9), and David declared that God is angry with the wicked everyday (Psalms 7:11). Everyday, evil provokes God to anger, yet God is always ready and quick to forgive. He hates the sin but He loves the sinner. Let us remember His example. His grace is sufficient and His mercy endures forever. When we are provoked to anger, let us not hold it in our hearts but deal with it gracefully and be ready to forgive and to forget before the sun goes down and the way is lost in the darkness. +++ 5/31/17 KEEP ON ASKING Scripture: Luke 18:1 (Amplified) "Always pray ... do not turn coward, faint, lose heart and give up." This scripture deals with a widow who received justice from a judge. The judge gives his account of the situation and explains why he granted her justice. He said that he did not avenge her because he reverenced and feared God. Neither did he grant her petition because he had respect and consideration for her as a person. The judge avenged her because he began to realize that she was not going to give him any peace until she received some answers. Every time he turned around, she was there and her voice was in his ears. She was bothersome and an intolerable annoyance to him. She was determined in her spirit and was not going to leave without getting an answer. In verse seven, Jesus said, just like this unjust judge, "Shall not God avenge His own elect, which cry day and night unto Him, though He bear long with them?" How many answers do we fail to receive because we quit praying and give up? James 5:16 says, "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." This speaks of Elijah's earnest prayers concerning rain. His petition was not a "one time" prayer. I Kings 18:42-43 tells us that Elijah cast himself down upon the earth, put his face between his knees, and prayed seven times until he saw that his answer was on the way. Effective prayer continues until there are results. It is like boiling a pot of water. Water must reach 212 degrees before it begins to boil. We can stand there and wait until it reaches 210 degrees and give up each time just before it starts to boil, or we can see the process through. In Mark 8:22-25, Jesus put His hands on a blind man the second time before the man's vision was restored completely. And Daniel's prayer was heard from the first day that he prayed, but his answer was delayed twenty-one days (Daniel 10:12). Shameless persistent faith holds on until the answer comes. You must never give in to disappointment and discouragement if you want to experience victory. And you must not turn coward and faint. Instead, "Ask and keep on asking, and it shall be given unto you; seek and keep on seeking, and you will find; knock and keep on knocking, and the door shall be opened to you." (Luke 11:9 Amplified). +++ Copyright © 2017 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved www.widsonline.com			..............................