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............	A Word In Due Season MARCH 2018 3/1/18 GUARD YOUR HEART Proverbs 4:23 "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." We all have material things that we treasure and try to protect. Even though our personal belongings may be sparse and worthless in the eyes of others, we still lock them up when we leave our homes. We would never allow an intruder to come into our presence and take our possessions from us or allow our acquaintances to abuse them. As meager as our "stuff" is, it is important to our livelihood, so we guard it, maintain it, and try to preserve it as much as possible. Even though we trust God, we try to be cautious. Likewise, in the spiritual, we are to trust God but we are also supposed to guard our own hearts. There are two sides to guarding and protecting your heart. First, it is very important to be careful about the things that you allow to come into your heart. You are to guard your heart against any intruding thoughts that the devil would plan against you. The things you hear, see, read, or think about in your mind eventually make their way to your heart and begin to fashion your inner spirit. Romans 12:2 confirms this. It says that you either conform to this world, or you are transformed by the renewing of your mind through God's Word. You make the choice. Solomon said, "Pay attention and listen closely to the Words of God's wisdom" (Proverbs 20:4). Second, it is important to be careful to protect the things that God imparts to you. You must not allow the devil to steal them out of your heart. Solomon said, "Don't let God's Word out of your sight. Keep it in your heart." You keep it by guarding it. Just as you would hide your valuables or lock them up in a safe place, you must do the same with God's Word, so that it will be there when you need it. God's Word is a precious treasure that needs to be protected, for He declared that His Words are a wellspring of life and health. John 10:10 says, "The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy, but Jesus came that we may have life, and have it to the full." You must understand the strategies and motives of the devil, for he will attempt to force God's Word out of your heart. No wonder Solomon, the wisest man of his time, said, "Guard your heart." Solomon understood that the heart is the center of everything that you are and everything you hope to be. It is your wellspring of life. +++ 3/2/18 NOW MY EYES SEE YOU Scripture: Job 42:5 "I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eyes see You." If you are in the midst of a trial, you should be encouraged because you are a candidate for a fresh revelation of God. Look at the account of Job. He was a very prosperous man. In fact, Job 1:3 says that he was the greatest man in all of the East. He was honored amongst the young and the old and even among the nobles and the princes. Job knew God, worshiped God, and offered up sacrifices to God for his own children. He even helped the poor, the fatherless, and the widows. Job was a good man and God was pleased with him. God spoke of Job, saying, "There is none like him in all the earth. He is a perfect and upright man, one that fears God and hates evil" (Job 1:8). All of Job's fame and fortune came to a sudden end, however, when God lifted the hedge of protection that was about him. God allowed Satan to take Job through a season of great trials and tribulations. Job lost his servants, his material possessions, and all of his children. He was afflicted with boils and sores on his body and looked so pitiful that his friends could not recognize him. Instead of comforting Job, his wife encouraged him to curse God and die, and his closest friends judged him and accused him of sin. He had no one to turn to and no one to lean upon. Finally, in the midst of his conflict, God intervened and revealed Himself to Job. In Job's distress, he came to know God in a way that he could have never known Him if he had remained in prosperity with everything going well. Job said, "I heard about God, but now I see Him." God then restored to Job twice what he had lost. We have heard about God and His miracle power, but revelation comes when we experience Him. Conflict and adversity force us to seek God. In the scriptures, we read about Jesus healing the sick, but revelation of Him as The Healer only comes when we see a supernatural healing. We know the Word says that "God will supply all of our needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus" but understanding comes when we receive a miracle of provision. It is only when we are heartbroken and alone that God's presence reveals the truth of His Word that says, "I will be near those who have a broken heart" (Psalms 34:18). In our darkest hour, He shows Himself to be our greatest light. In our sin, He is our saving grace. In grief, He is our Comforter and in the season of desperation, He is our hope. When we are undecided, He shows us the right path and gives direction. Like Job, we've heard about God and all that He can do, but now we need to see Him and experience Him in a new way. Our prayer should be that we may not only know the Lord by the hearing of the ear, but that the Holy Spirit would open our eyes and reveal Him to us as never before. +++ 3/5/18 COMMITMENT AND TRUST Scripture: Psalms 37:5 "Commit your way unto the Lord; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass." Commit means to give something over to another's care or to place something in official confinement or custody. True commitment to God means that you place your entire life and all of it situations in His hands and that you do not take them back, for they are in His official custody. You submit your way unto the Lord and you allow Him to deal with all of your circumstances, however He sees fit. You do not grab the reins in fear when it seems that you are getting close to the edge or try to give God instructions when it does not seem like things are going to work out. Instead, you let go and allow the Lord to do a complete work. Very often, it becomes hard to totally commit our way unto the Lord. We make a mental decision to let God lead and guide us, but very soon we start giving Him directions and suggestions. Like riding in the car when someone else is driving, we are tempted to tell God each turn to make, for we feel a need to be in control. We are anxious to get on with life and move forward. Yet, God sees the big picture and He knows the pitfalls and dangers that lay ahead. In His mercy, He holds us back and keeps us from harm. We try to persuade Him to go to the left or to the right and we become frustrated because He does not respond. We should be thankful that God's infinite wisdom disallows Him to follow our directions or answer all of our prayers. Pause and think about the burden that is upon your heart today. What thoughts plague your mind and cause unrest within your soul? Try to pinpoint the reason for the anxiety and fear that is within your spirit. Then, with all of your heart and soul, commit those things to the Lord. Remember that your understanding is limited by your knowledge and warped by the memories of your past. Come to realize that your knowledge and understanding is meager when compared to the wisdom of the omniscient God. Then begin to lean upon God and trust in His knowledge, integrity, and timing. As God tenderly shuts your life up in His hands, ask Him to keep it and not allow you to take it back. When you fully commit to God and allow Him to be in control of your life, He will take care of those things that concern you and bring things to pass according to His plan and purpose. +++ 3/6/18 KEEPING SECRETS Scripture: Matthew 6:6 "Your Father who sees in secret shall reward you openly." There are three secrets that the Lord instructs us to keep. We are to give in secret, pray to the Father in secret, and fast in secret. If we keep these three things secret between God and ourselves, God has promised to reward us openly. Jesus said, "Don't do your alms to be seen by men, and also don't remind them of your good deeds." Has anyone ever given you something that was very special to you, but because they continually reminded you of their gift, you finally lost pleasure in it? You may have even wished they had never given you the gift at all. Jesus instructed us not to call attention to ourselves by sounding a trumpet before people about our gift. In fact, He said don't even let your right hand know what your left hand is doing. In other words, do not try to receive glory from men and do not glorify or remind your own self of your good deeds either. Jesus also told us to "Pray simple prayers to God in secret." Our prayers are not to be long and repetitious. We must realize that God is not only God, but that He is also our Father and we have a relationship with Him, so we must talk to Him in that manner. Even in public prayer we must remember that we are speaking to God, not for man's benefit, but for God's benefit so that He will hear us. Why should we spend time praying if we are only speaking words so that men can hear us? If God is not listening, our words are wasted. Our prayers need to go up before God who is the source of our answers. Finally, Jesus said, "Do not appear unto men to fast." We are not to go around with a sad countenance wanting others to feel sorry for us just because we are not eating, and we are not to try to gain glory because we are righteously fasting. That glory will only last for a brief moment. Why should we waste our nourishment and the enjoyment of food for such a worthless reward as men's recognition and glory? God said if you do anything for your own glory and recognition, then He cannot and will not reward you. In other words, if you receive glory from men then that will be the only reward you will receive. However, "In as much as possible, if you keep your alms, prayers, and fasting a secret between God and you alone, then He will reward you openly." What the Lord sees you do in secret, He will reward with gifts and answers that are eternal and heavenly. God told Cornelius, "Your prayers and your alms go up before God as a memorial" (Acts 10:31). If you desire answers and rewards, then determine that your prayers, alms, and fasting will go up as a secret memorial before God and not be just empty words and worthless actions before men. +++ 3/7/18 AN ENCOUNTER WITH JESUS Scripture: Luke 24:32 "Did not our heart burn within us, while He talked with us by the way, and while He opened to us the scriptures?" On the day of Jesus' resurrection, two men traveled toward a village called Emmaus, which was near Jerusalem. As they journeyed, they discussed the crucifixion of Jesus and their disappointments in His death. Their hopes had been shattered at Jesus' death because they had believed that He was the one that would redeem Israel. That day, reports began to come saying that the tomb was empty and that Jesus was alive. The two men did not know what to think about this news. As they walked and communed together concerning these facts, Jesus drew near to them. He began to explain the scriptures to them, but kept Himself hidden from them. He started with the words of Moses and went through the prophets. He explained that the reason for the necessity of Christ's suffering was so that He could enter into His glory. Later, as Jesus broke bread with the two men, their eyes were opened and they recognized Jesus just before He vanished out of their sights. They then realized why their hearts burned within them as the scriptures were being opened to them. Jesus had been in their midst and the anointing that rested upon Him had ministered to their wounded hearts and souls as He opened the Word to them. Jesus is no less concerned about your thoughts, confusion, and disappointments. He will draw just as near to you as He did to the two men who traveled the Emmaus Road that day so that He may commune with you and give you counsel. He wants to help you with the things that you do not understand and to remove your anxieties. He wants to light your path and give you clear direction. He makes Himself available so that you too will encounter Him in a fresh way and have the opportunity to come to know Him more intimately. As you seek the Lord, He opens your spiritual eyes and reveals Himself to you. When He does, you will experience the very depths of His love, the heights of His joy, and the richness of His grace in a fashion that you have never known before. A moment with Jesus is eternal and something that you will never forget. When Jesus has finished ministering to you personally, you realize that all the while that He was speaking to you, your heart was burning within you and that His presence was imparting revelation to you. +++ 3/8/18 PERSISTENT PRAYER Scripture: I Kings 18:44 " ... and it came to pass at the seventh time." When we pray in the name of Jesus and we know that we are praying according to the will of God, there is only one thing that is lacking, and that is to be persistent. We must stand in faith and believe that the Lord will bring the miracle. God looks for the man, woman, or child who will pray in this manner and not give up. Elijah prayed seven times for the rain to come. He prayed for rain and then he just kept on praying. He did not allow himself to be distracted by the negative reports that his servant brought back to him. He also did not become discouraged when things looked hopeless because there was no sign of rain. He bowed himself before the Lord and continued to pray until his answer came. James referred to Elijah's persistent prayer and said that the fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much (James 5:16). Elijah had done mighty things in the name of the Lord but he, himself, was not a supernatural spiritual giant. James said that Elijah was a man who had the same passions that we have. He had his ups and downs and his own weaknesses to deal with. After a major victory over 400 prophets of Baal, Elijah became so terrified of one woman named Jezebel that he ran from her. Elijah also got physically tired and had to rest. He got discouraged and wanted to give up and die (I Kings 19:4). He had to deal with his own prideful thoughts. He declared that he was the only prophet left that God could use, but God let Elijah know otherwise. God told Elijah that He still had seven thousand in Israel who had not bowed their knee to Baal (I Kings 19:18). Like Elijah, there are many challenges that come our way. Yet, we cannot give up in the midst of fear and discouragement, and even when we are weary, we must continue to fight life's battles. The greatest weapon that we possess is the knowledge that our battles are fought and won while we are on our knees in prayer. Our prayers must be persistent. We may have to pray seven times or more concerning a single matter, but we must hold on in faith until the answer comes. When there seems to be no hope, no sign from God, and no rain clouds on the horizon, we must still believe that God's answer is on the way. His delay does not necessarily mean denial. There is a big possibility that it means not yet. So my friend, take courage and believe that God is listening when you pray. Your prayers and the words that you speak into God's ears today will make a difference in your tomorrow. Your destiny is at stake so keep praying until the answer comes. +++ 3/9/18 THE ROCK THAT IS HIGHER Scripture: Psalms 61:2 "Lead me to the Rock that is higher than I." When David's life was in jeopardy and his heart was overwhelmed he cried out to the Lord for comfort and asked God to lead him to a secure place. He needed a place of protection and a season where his soul could be restored and his spirit could find new strength. David knew exactly where he needed to be in this time of desperation. He looked to the Lord and spoke of Him as being a Rock, a Shelter, a Strong Tower from the enemy, and a Covering (Verse 2-4). David declared his confidence in the character of God and praised Him for His faithfulness, for he had never seen God fail. There are times in our lives when we have no one to turn to but the Lord. He is our only hope because no one wants to listen to our problems or to be involved in our solutions. It is just us and the Lord. We may suddenly lose our grip on life when we get a bad report from the doctor, have a disturbance in a close relationship, or face a serious financial crisis. Sometimes we cannot even figure out how things have escalated to this degree or where we went wrong in the situation. But none-the-less, here we are needing a Rock, a Shelter, a Strong Tower from the enemy, and a Covering that we can run to for help. Like David, we become overwhelmed and desperate to find that place of protection, restoration, and new strength. David's simple prayer; "Lead me to the Rock that is higher than I" should also be our prayer in the time of our crisis. Our only hope is found in what Jesus has done for us, for He is our Rock and our Fortress. I invite you to pray these words with me, which incorporate the Lord's finished work on Calvary, as detailed in Isaiah 53:3-5. When I am suffering the rejection of others, Lead me to the Rock who was despised for me. When my soul is overwhelmed with emotional grief, Lead me to the Rock who has carried my sorrows. When I have transgressed God's commandments, Lead me to the Rock who was wounded for my transgressions. When I have committed sin, Lead me to the Rock who was bruised for my iniquities. When I am anxious, oppressed, and afflicted, Lead to the Rock who was chastised for my peace. When my body is threaten with disease and racked with pain, Lead me to the Rock, by whose stripes I am healed. When I am overwhelmed with life, Lead me to the Rock that is higher than I. +++ 3/12/18 DOING THE FATHER'S BUSINESS Scripture: Luke 2:49 "... I must be about My Father's business." All the words recorded in scripture concerning Jesus depict His mission on Earth, which was to bring eternal life to a dying world and destroy the works of the devil (I John 3:8). His whole life was about doing His Father's business. From the very beginning of His life, Jesus fulfilled the Messianic prophecies with His birth in Bethlehem. Then, as a young child, Jesus sat in the midst of the doctors in the temple and declared to His parents that He "must be about His Father's business." He recognized very early in life that He was anointed by God to do a particular work and He remained focused on that agenda. Jesus had a dream and He knew His destiny. He was to fulfill the work that His Father in Heaven had given Him to do here on Earth. So, despite the fact that His call and His mission included the cross and its shame, Jesus endured all that was set before Him with joy, knowing in His heart that He was pleasing His Father (Hebrews 12:2). However, there was opposition along the way. In fact, Jesus lived in a perpetual state of conflict because He was headed towards His dreams. The king tried to destroy Jesus when He was a just a small child. Religious leaders of the day tried to keep Him from proclaiming His message of the Kingdom and healing the oppressed. And Satan, himself, tempted Jesus in the wilderness. Yet, Jesus never strayed from His call or doing His Father's business. When the time came for His work to be completed, He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, never flinching from the cross of Calvary (Luke 9:51). Your Father in Heaven also has plans for you. He has big dreams and envisions you being a big part of those dreams. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, you are to be about His business, for you are the hope of His glory. You are an epistle which will be read of all men and by your works and influence, men will come to know God and will learn to love Him or dislike Him. You have a responsibility to do God's business and do it well. Never lose sight of the dream that God has for you. Ask Him to breathe upon those dreams and ignite you for His service. Like Jesus, you will face opposition. There will be heartache and disappointment along the way but keep your eyes on Jesus and keep focused on the dream. Endure the rough places with joy knowing that you are fulfilling God's plan and doing His business. +++ 3/13/18 VOICE OF THE CONSCIENCE Scripture: John 8:9 "... being convicted by their own conscience." Our conscience is the voice of our spirit and it bears witness with our decisions (Romans 2:15). It will speak out, either condemning or approving our thoughts and actions, depending upon our sense of right and wrong. The old saying, "Let your conscience be your guide" sounds good, but if you plan to follow your conscience, you must make sure that it is not seared, desensitized, and defiled. To be a worthy guide, your conscience must be yielded to the Holy Spirit and trained according to God's laws and moral standards. I Timothy 4:2 speaks of those who have had their "conscience seared with a hot iron." When something has been seared or cauterized, there is no feeling. A seared conscience does not happen suddenly, but is the result of a gradual process like the effects that occur to your tongue when you drink very hot coffee. The first time you drink it, your tongue is burned because of the extreme heat, and it loses some of its feeling. The second time you feel even less of a burn. As this process continues, eventually you do not feel the heat at all when you drink the hot liquid. Without your realization, your tongue has become totally desensitized to the heat. This same situation happens within our spirit when we disregard the voice of our conscience. The first time we rebel against God's Word and Spirit, we feel much guilt and shame and cry out for mercy and forgiveness. The second time, we feel less remorse. When the next opportunity comes, if we have not totally repented and surrendered our lives and hearts to follow after God, we will allow ourselves to fall back and give into the same temptation. Ephesians 4:18-19 tells us that our moral understanding becomes darkened and our reasoning becomes clouded. This happens because of ignorance and willful blindness due to the hardness of our heart and the insensitiveness of our moral nature. In our spiritual apathy, we allow our spirits to become seared. We become callous and past feeling towards the issues of sin. None of us want to get to this place, but it happens gradually, one step at a time. As we think about this word, we must make a daily and deliberate decision not to engage in any actions that would sear our conscience towards the things of God. We must walk in God's truth and light. We must keep ourselves tender before God so that we will be sensitive to Him and be able us to respond to the conviction of His Holy Spirit in all things. +++ 3/14/18 TRUSTING YOUR LIFE TO GOD'S HANDS Scripture: Psalms 25:1 (Amplified) "Unto You, O Lord, do I bring my life." Sometimes it seems harder for us to trust in God than it is for us to trust in others. For instance, when we are sick and hurting, we do not find it hard at all to give ourselves completely to a doctor that we barely know. We bring our lives to the doctor in simple trust. We allow him to prescribe medication for us and to do whatever he feels that he needs to do. If necessary, we even allow him to put us to sleep for several hours so that he can perform an operation on our bodies that we do not even understand. Because we know so little about the subject, we rely on the doctor's training, education, and skill. We assume that his diagnosis is correct and that what he tells us is the truth. We rarely question his efforts unless he proves himself wrong. Our lives are literally in the physician's hands When it comes to putting our trust in the Lord, however, it is hard for us to let go and let God have His way. We tend to cringe at the thought of not having total control over our own lives. We sense God's Holy Spirit leading us, but our minds and emotions take us in the opposite direction because we fear disappointment and failure. We do not have the confidence that we need to walk the path of faith that God has set before us. If God prescribes something, we question Him. We also find it difficult to rest while God is working His plan in our lives. David said the most precious thing he had was his own life, but he brought it and placed it in the hands of the Lord. He could trust no other, but was confident that his tender loving God would not disappoint him. David depended upon the Lord to show him the right way to go and trusted God to guide him down the path of truth. He leaned on God's covenant of grace to comfort him when he was lonely and afflicted. God became David's secret companion because David reverently feared and worshiped Him. How great it would be if we would come to this wonderful place of trust that David found and then be able to surrender our lives to God and declare to Him, "Unto You, O Lord, I bring my life." +++ 3/15/18 SOMEONE TO LISTEN Scripture: Job 31:35 "Oh that one would hear me! Behold, my desire is that the Almighty would answer me." Have you ever sought out a friend to comfort you in your time of trouble and despair, but found that they were disinterested? Or worst still, they found fault and judged you while you were already suffering emotional pain or being tossed about in the storms of confusion. This has happened to most of us at some time in our life. Instead of finding the comfort we so needed, we were misunderstood and dealt harsh words that brought more discouragement to our wounded soul. If you have experienced this, you may have reached a point where you felt that no one cared. Job had come to a place where it seemed to him that no one cared for his soul. He said, "Oh, that one would hear me." He could not find one person to listen to his problems without preconceived judgment in their hearts. None of his friends wanted to listen, but they all wanted to criticize, judge, and give him unsolicited advice. Job's attention turned to the Lord, and as he sought the Lord, he said, "Behold, my desire is that the Almighty would answer me." Some years ago, I was in a place such as this. Unlike Job, my family and friends were available for me and encouraged me in every way that they could, but there was just so much that I could share with them. My heart was wounded beyond belief and my self-esteem was shattered. Confusion was coming from all sides. My heart was filled with grief and my spirit was engulfed in hopelessness. I saw no way out of my dilemma and I truly thought that my days of happiness and ministry were ended. During this season of despair, I thought if I could just sit down with Jesus for a while and if He could just hold me in His arms, none of this would matter. More than anything or anyone on earth, I needed the Lord. I needed to hear the Lord's voice whisper in my ear that everything was going to be all right. Like Job, my desire was that the Almighty would answer me and bring resolution to my problems. In the end, God did come to my rescue and restored my life. He also used all of the disappointment, confusion, grief, and despair to enlarge my life and the borders of my ministry. Trying seasons do come, but you must remember that God is always faithful. He sees your pain and He understands your heartaches. Job was only being tested because God believed that Job could pass the test. God will never put more upon you than you can bear. If you are in a difficult season, you should rejoice knowing that God's faith in you equals the trial that is set before you. If you stay steady and remain true to God, you will not vanished in the fires of adversity, but you will come forth as pure gold and be a vessel that is fit for the Master's use. +++ 3/16/18 LET NOT YOUR HEART BE TROUBLED Scripture: John 14:27 "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world gives, give I unto you. Let not your heart be trouble, neither let it be afraid." As a child you may have asked your parents to stay close beside you when you were facing difficult situations because somehow the promise of their presence dispelled your fears. Today, as an adult, you do not have that privilege even though you may often feel the same anxieties about facing the future. In these times of uncertainty and insecurity, your heart can only reach out to your loving heavenly Father, for He knows the future. He knows all about you and is acquainted with all of your feelings. If you listen closely, you will hear His still quite voice reassuring you with these same words, "Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." These are such wonderful words from our Master as He tells us two things. First, the Lord has left His peace with us. It is not the natural security of the world system, but His supernatural peace, which passes all understanding and works even in the midst of storms and adversities. Second, His peace is there for us, but we have to partake of it. He tells us to "Let not." This means that if we are going to enjoy the benefits of peace, we have to do our part. "Let not" means we must stop allowing ourselves or permitting ourselves to fear. If Jesus told us not to allow our hearts to be trouble or afraid, He surely left us the power to obey those words and the ability to resist the spirit of fear. Fear does not just cause anxieties about the future, but uses another tactic by coming upon us suddenly with the purpose of catching us off guard. Proverbs 3:25-26 says, "Do not be afraid of sudden fear ... for the Lord shall be our confidence, and shall keep our feet from being taken." In Isaiah 41:10, God gives us the same instructions. He says, "Fear not, for I am with you; do not be dismayed for I am your God" and then He gives us three reasons why we do not have to fear. 1) God will strengthen us. 2) God will help us. 3) God will uphold us with the right hand of His righteousness. You are to never allow your heart to be overcome with fear, whether you are facing the anxieties of the future or experiencing a sudden attack of the devil. When fear strikes, you need to pause and think on these simple truths. Jesus said that He would never leave you or forsake you and He also promised to strengthen, help, and uphold you through the situation. These words alone should encourage you for today and give you hope for the future. Fear is a spirit. When you resist that spirit of the devil, he has no choice. He must flee from you (James 4:7), for this is God's Word. God has left you His peace and when you submit yourself to God and do your part, God will do His. +++ 3/19/18 STRENGTH FOR THE INNER MAN Scripture: Ephesians 3:16 "That God would grant you according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man." The Apostle Paul was in prison when he wrote these words, but he was not concerned with his own problems or his personal discontent. His concern was for the needs of the body of Christ. So he bowed his knee and prayed this prayer for the Church that their inner man may be strengthened or reinforced with might or power and ability. This transition can only come about by the work of the Holy Spirit as He comes to dwell in our innermost being. Paul also prayed that Christ would actually dwell in our hearts by our faith. When Jesus dwells in our heart, He settles down, abides, and makes His permanent home there. He does not enter our life as just an overnight guest. He comes with the intention of staying eternally. And like any natural relationship, the longer we live with Him and the more that we are exposed to His person, the more like Him we become. We gradually begin to take on His attributes and characteristics. His strength becomes our strength, and because He is love, we become rooted and grounded in love. Love strengthens our inner being and the deeper our roots grow in His love, the more secure we become in Him. Paul prayed that we would have the power to comprehend the breath, length, height, and depth of God's love. He also prayed that we would bond with God and be filled with His being. God's love comes and grows within us as we live with Him and experience Him on a daily basis. You may have had an experience in your life where you just knew that you could live with a particular individual. But as you began to live with that close friend or relative, the experience proved the truth. You were either bonded in love or separated in disharmony depending upon the strength of your love. So it is in your relationship with God. You will only be strengthened in your inner man as you come to know and experience the fullness of the divine Presence of God Himself. As you begin to experience God, He will do far more for you than you could ever ask or think because it will be according to the riches of His glory. +++ 3/20/18 FORGIVE US AS WE FORGIVE Scripture: Matthew 6:12 "Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors." Forgiveness is one of God's laws and it works. Jesus told us to ask God the Father for forgiveness but He also said that our forgiveness will only come to us as we forgive others (Mark 11:25-26). Even our gifts are unacceptable before God when unforgiveness is lingering in our hearts. Matthew 5:23-24 tells us that if we go to the altar and remember that our brother has anything against us, then we are to leave our gift at the altar and seek reconciliation with our brother. Do you ever wonder why there is no anointing on your gift or why your tithes and offerings are not returned to you as the Word promised? Could it be because of a matter of unforgiveness in the heart? It is only after we have reconciled with our brother that we can return to the altar and lay our gifts before God. There are times, however, that our brother will not accept our apologies or allow reconciliation. If we have covered every base by confessing our own wrongdoing against them, offered restitution if necessary, told them that we are sorry, and asked for their forgiveness, then our responsibility is complete. Reconciliation is left in their court and we are free to continue on with God. After we have done all that we could do, we must not harbor ill feelings, but release them and the situation to Jesus. In Matthew 18:21-35, Jesus tells of a man whose master had forgiven him of a very large debt. There was another man who owed a small debt to the man who had been forgiven of the large debt. The man who owed the large debt refused to forgive the man with the small debt, and turned him over to the tormentors because he could not pay. The master, who had forgiven the man with the large debt heard about the situation. When the master heard that the man he had forgiven of much would not, in turn, forgive someone who owed little, the master gave him over to the tormentors. The master could not find it in his heart to forgive someone who would not forgive. As we acknowledge that God has forgiven us many times for so much, we must in turn forgive others for the small offenses against us. This Word clearly shows that if we do not forgive, we will not be forgiven and that we, ourselves, will suffer. The unforgiveness in our hearts will open a door, which will allow the tormentors to attack our soul. The tormenting spirits of bitterness, hatred, jealousy, anxiety, and a number of other negative emotions, all of which cause physical diseases, will seek to destroy us. Proverbs 19:11 says that it is the glory of a man to overlook a transgression or an offense. Let us determine to put forgiveness into practice and to remember Jesus' principle of life, which is "forgive and be forgiven". +++ 3/21/18 LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS Scripture: Psalms 18:28 (Living Bible) "You have turned on my light! The Lord my God has made my darkness turn to light." Seasons of darkness come into all of our lives at some point. It may come through grief, disappointment, lack of direction, or any number of other situations. We have all had times when it seemed like we were under a cloud or walking in darkness. We just slowly grope around with no sense of direction, not knowing whether to go to the left or to the right. We stretch forth our spiritual arms hoping to feel for something that is familiar, but we end up stumbling over things and often injure ourselves in the process. These times are frustrating and fearful in the natural as well as in our spiritual life, especially if we find ourselves in a new place where everything is unfamiliar. David was facing a dark season just like this, but God turned David's darkness into light. God came into his darkness and simply turned the light on. The Lord showed David the way out of the situation, delivered him from his enemies, and gave him victory. Your circumstances are no greater than David's. Just as God rescued David, He is able to intervene in the midst of your situation, turn His light on, and give you direction. God is your deliverance and your light, and His light has a way of driving out all darkness. Like natural light, His light provides comfort and shows clear direction. Darkness does not have the ability to overcome or put out the light. Light is very powerful. The difference that one small light or candle can make in a room full of darkness is amazing. One small and seemingly insignificant light, like a flashlight or match, can be the means that will help you get to the main power source that can produce more light for your situation. In your darkest hour, you may only see a small glimmer of light. Perhaps that light is a scripture, a song, a message, or a friend with a good word. It may not seem like much at first, but if you will receive it, that small light will get you to the main power supply. As you reach towards God, He will turn the light on in your situation and drive out all of the darkness and confusion that is in your life. +++ 3/22/18 THE JOY OF THE LORD IS STRENGTH Scripture: Nehemiah 8:10 "The joy of the Lord is your strength." The joy of the Lord within your heart gives you the strength that you need to face every situation, for it provides hope in every hardship. The joy of the Lord is a mysterious quality that enables you to endure temptations and it enables you to complete the God ordained course for your life. Without the joy that comes from a steady relationship with the Lord, you will likely become weary in your journey and give up. The battle will become too hard to fight and the burden will be too great to bear. Even Jesus required joy to finish the work that God sent Him to do. Hebrew 12:2 says, "Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith; Who for the JOY that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." Isaiah 12:3 says, "Therefore, with joy shall you draw water out of the wells of salvation." Joy is an instrument in your hands and is like a bucket that you would use to draw needed water from a well. You may stand by the well and know that the water is there, but you cannot draw the water up without joy in your spirit. You may know the promises of God's Word and recognize that the answer to your situation is available. Yet the answer is deep in the well and you will only be able to exercise the faith needed to receive the promise if you have the strength that joy gives. Joy is not magical and does not come automatically. It is a supernatural fruit of the Holy Spirit. Yet, the scriptures teach us that there are things that we can do to develop joy in our life. First, we must study God's Word. Jeremiah 15:16 says, "Thy Word was unto me the JOY and rejoicing of my heart." Without knowing the truth of God's Word, we cannot be free, and we certainly cannot experience joy when we are in bondage. Second, we must also seek out the presence of the Lord. David faced many difficult and adverse situations in his life, yet, he understood the source of his joy. In Psalms 16:11 he said, "In Thy presence is fullness of JOY; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore." The third ingredient for joy is purity. David knew that he had to stay pure before the Lord if he wanted true joy in his life. In his prayer of repentance, David pleaded with God, "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me ... Restore unto me the JOY of Thy salvation; and uphold me with Thy free spirit" (Psalms 51:10,12). He recognized that he had lost the joy of salvation when he had entered into sin. Jesus taught on another area of joy. He said that you must be faithful with your talents. He told a story of a steward who had been careful and faithful over his talents. His master said, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant: you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things: enter into the JOY of the Lord" (Matthew 25:21). Let your mind dwell on these four things that will create joy in your life; God's Word, God's presence, purity in the sight of God, and faithfulness in your stewardship. Begin to concentrate on developing these areas. As you do, the joy of the Lord will begin to grow in your heart and the fruit of it will produce new zeal and strength in your life. +++ 3/23/18 DEALING WITH INSECURITIES Scripture: Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." We have challenges every day that cause us to recognize the inadequacies in our own lives, and with each challenge we realize more and more how dependent we are upon God. We come to the sure knowledge that without Him we can do nothing; without Him we will surely fail. We are not alone in our plight, for Moses also faced these same feelings of insecurity and inadequacies and tried five times to excuse himself from God's plan for his life. Yet as Moses questioned God, God met every challenge that was presented and turned Moses' eyes from his own human frailty back to God. God's plan for our lives may not be as enormous as the one that He had for Moses. Yet, we can use these same principles to help us deal with the insecurities that rise up and seek to hinder God's purpose for our life. Moses first response was to question who he was. He asked God, "Who am I?" (Exodus 3:11-14). God answered this question and told Moses that it did not matter who he was but that it was important who God was. God changed Moses' question, "Who am I" into God's declaration of Himself, "I AM that I AM" and then He said, "Certainly, I will be with you." In other words He told Moses, "I'm calling you to do this great thing and whatever you will need Me to be 'I AM.'" God speaks to us in the same manner and says, "I will be with you always and I will be all that you need ME to be in every situation." Moses' second question was, "What shall I say?" (Exodus 3:13). He did not know the words to say, but God said, "Tell the people that 'I AM' sent you to deliver them." Jesus told us nearly the same thing. He said to go into all of the world, not in your own name, but in the Name and in the authority of the Lord Jesus. Moses' third challenge was the fear that he had that people would not believe him (Exodus 4:1). However, God did not leave him with just words alone. In the next verse God asked Moses, "What is in your hands?" He then granted Moses a gift to do signs and miracles with the rod that he held. Jesus has promised the same for us. In the Great Commission, Jesus told us to "Go" and that He would "confirm the Word with signs following" (Mark 16:20). Moses' fourth area of inadequacy was in his speech. He said, "I am not eloquent, but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue" (Exodus 4:10-12). God said, "Who made man's mouth? Now therefore go and I will be with your mouth, and teach you what you should say." Isn't it a great comfort to know that God Himself will be with our mouths? We do not have to worry about what we are to say for the Lord promised to teach us and give us the words to say in the time that we need them. Finally Moses pleaded with God and said, "Send someone else" (Exodus 4:13). God had equipped Moses in the natural for forty years. He allowed him to be trained in Pharaoh's court. Yet, Moses still felt inadequate to speak and he allowed his insecurities to steal his blessing. God's anger was kindled against Moses and He appointed Aaron to be Moses' spokesman, thus the office of the priesthood was passed to Aaron and his sons rather than to Moses and his sons. How many blessings have we missed because of our insecurities? We fail to consider that God is aware of our lack before He ever calls us to do anything for Him. When God calls, we should obey and be blessed. We must reject the feelings of insecurity and remember that Christ in us is the hope of God's glory. We should feel secure knowing that with God all things are possible and that He will strengthen us to do whatever He asked us to do. +++ 3/26/18 BEHOLD THE LAMB Scripture: John 1:29 "John saw Jesus coming to him, and said, Behold the Lamb of God which takes away the sin of the world." John's challenge to the people of his day to "Behold the Lamb of God" still speaks to us today. We are to turn our eyes upon Jesus and look at Him, the One who took away all of our sins by enduring the pain and crucifixion of the cross. Isaiah 52:14 and 53:1-7 prophetically tells us that His face and whole appearance was marred more than any man. Jesus' accusers actually ripped His beard from His face and when they were finished, He could not be recognized. Just think of His pain as you think about the pain that you experience when only one hair is pulled from your head. As the Lamb of God, Jesus acquainted Himself with grief and sickness, bearing all of our weaknesses and distress. He became a man of sorrows and endured the pain, and despite His sacrifice for mankind, Jesus was still despised and rejected by mankind. Men did not appreciate His worth, nor did they esteem Him for who He was. He was the Messiah, the Son of the Living God, yet He had no form of royalty, kingly air, or beauty that would cause men to want to look at Him. In fact, people turned the other way and hid their faces from Him. Yet, Jesus carried the sorrow of pain and punishment for all men. Although He was innocent, He was stricken, smitten, and afflicted by God. Peter said, "We are not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold but with the precious blood of Christ, as a lamb without blemish and without spot" (I Peter 1:18-19). We could not be redeemed with corruptible things, so God gave His only begotten Son, Jesus, who willingly offered Himself to be the sacrificial lamb. As the Lamb of God, Jesus was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our guilt and iniquities. The chastisement that was needed to obtain our peace and well being was laid upon Him in the form of a crown of thorns upon His brow. And by the thirty-nine stripes that were laid upon His back, Jesus purchased our healing so that we could be made whole. Jesus was abused and oppressed, yet when He was afflicted He remained submissive and did not open His mouth in self-defense. He was as a lamb that was led to the slaughter. During this season, while you honor Jesus' death and celebrate His resurrection, take the time to behold Him as the Lamb of God who was personally sacrificed for you. +++ 3/27/18 CLEANSED BY JESUS Scripture: John 13:8 "If I wash you not, you have no part with Me." At the last supper before the crucifixion, Jesus washed the feet of His disciples. It was a very intimate moment and when He finally came to Peter, Peter was overwhelmed as Jesus humbled Himself before him. Peter could not imagine that the One whom he, himself, had identified as the Son of the Living God was now kneeling before him and attempting to wash his feet. He spoke to Jesus and said, "You will never wash my feet" (Verse 8). At Peter's refusal, Jesus explained that this was the only way that Peter could share companionship with Him. When Peter heard these words, he said to Jesus, "Wash not only my feet, but also my head and hands." He clearly wanted to make sure that he could fellowship with Jesus. Jesus then explained that Peter only needed his feet to be cleansed. This act showed not only self-humiliation on the part of Jesus, it was a lesson about receiving daily forgiveness. It teaches that even though we have repented and given our hearts to the Lord, we still need daily cleansing. We are exposed to the world each and every day, and as we travel down the paths of life our feet become very dusty. Things of this present life lay hold upon us and make every effort to cling to us eternally. Jesus is the only one who can wash these sins away. We must allow Him to examine our lives continually and then wash and cleanse us from all unrighteous. Like Peter, if we refuse and disallow Jesus to cleanse us, we cannot be in close communion with Him because righteousness does not fellowship with unrighteousness and light does not have communion with darkness ( II Corinthians 6:14). Unrighteousness and darkness challenge us daily causing us to miss the mark and come short of the glory of God. Even Paul who wrote nearly three fourths of the New Testament speaks of the struggles within himself. He said, "I know that no good thing dwells within me. The will to do good is present within me, but I can't seem to perform it. The things that I want to do, I do not, and the things that I don't want to do, I do" (Romans 7:18-19). This war that raged within Paul is also present within us and the same devil who fought against him is the same devil that we struggle with. Life has not changed. However, the same Jesus who washed the feet of Peter and the other disciples stands ready to wash our feet. We must allow the Lord to do this, for if we do not allow Him to wash us and forgive us, we can have no part with Him. We cannot approach God in our own righteousness because our righteousness is as filthy rags. Jesus is the only one who can separate us from our sins, and as He does, we find His love and mercy overwhelming. Isaiah 1:18 says, "Come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow." Allow Jesus to cleanse your soul with His blood and make it as white as snow. +++ 3/28/18 WILLING SPIRIT - WEAK FLESH Scripture: Matthew 26:41 "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." Jesus spoke these words to His disciples after He found them sleeping when they were supposed to be watching and praying. These were not condemning words but understanding words, for Jesus Himself had just encountered a spiritual battle within Himself. His spirit had experienced the rebellion of His flesh. Jesus was willing to submit to the Father's will, but His flesh rose up in weakness. It fought hard against the coming torture of the crucifixion and separation from the Father. Look at Jesus’ words from the Amplified Bible as He struggled through this conflict: - "He said, 'My soul is very sad and deeply grieved, so that I am almost dying of sorrow.'" (Matthew 26:38) - "He prayed, 'Father, let this cup pass away from Me' ... He went away and prayed for the third time, using the same words." (Matthew 26:39 & 44) - "He began to be struck with terror and amazement and was deeply troubled and depressed." (Mark 14:33) - "Being in agony of mind, He prayed the more earnestly and intently." (Luke 22:44) - "His sweat became great drops of blood dropping down upon the ground." (Luke 22:44) Sometimes life becomes very difficult and we question in our mind if we can make it. Yet, with all that comes against us, I doubt seriously that any one of us have faced the degree of agony that Jesus faced. He endured so much in the garden as He prayed that His sweat became great drops of blood. Can you imagine that? The purpose of His distress and sorrow was so that He could become acquainted with our emotions and be touched with the feelings of our infirmities. Jesus' experiences qualified Him to become our High Priest and enabled Him to make intercessions for us continually before the Father. If your battle gets tough and you find yourself in deep depression and overwhelmed with grief and sorrow, remember that Jesus had the same struggles. He can help you through yours. Lean upon Him, for He knows that your spirit is willing and He understands the struggles of your weak flesh. +++ 3/29/18 WHY? Scripture: Matthew 27:46 (Amplified) "Jesus cried with a loud voice, My God, My God, why have You abandoned Me - leaving Me helpless, forsaking and failing Me in My time of need?" When Jesus was hanging on the cross, He spoke these words, quoting Psalm 22:1, which King David had spoken to God. The scriptures say that David was a man after God's own heart and Jesus was God's only begotten Son. Yet both of these great men, whom God loved, found themselves in such distressing situations that they felt that God had utterly forsaken and abandoned them. In their hour of need, the One whom they loved and trusted the most had seemingly rejected them. They both found it difficult to understand why God had not come to their rescue. Their question "Why?" searched for some kind of answer about God's intentions to deliver them from their painful and perplexing situations. How many times has this small word come to our mind and even crossed our lips when we faced difficult situations? Why did I have to wreck my car, get a ticket, lose my job, get sick, or lose my mate? Why doesn't God come through for me? Why doesn't He heal me? Why is He waiting so long to deliver me? Why has God abandoned me, leaving me helpless? Why has He forsaken me in the time of my greatest need? These questions are hard and full of reality. We don't always discern God's working or understand His purpose. It is difficult to understand why God does not immediately eliminate our painful situation, but it is comforting to know that we have a Savior and a Friend who knows exactly where we are and how we feel. Jesus was touched by every pain and anxiety that we will ever face, and He sits on the right hand of God making intercession for us. As our High Priest, Jesus prays for us with feeling because He was in a place where He cried out in His own pain and distress. Hebrews 4:15 and 16 in the Message Bible says, "We don't have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He's been through weakness and testing, experiencing it all - all but the sin. So let's walk right up to Him and get what He is so ready to give. Take the mercy and the help." Hide these words in your heart and when your time of testing comes, turn your 'WHY' into 'WHO' and look to your High Priest, Jesus Christ, who is sitting at the right hand of God the Father, praying and interceding for you. In the final outcome, He will deliver you and give you victory. +++ 3/30/18 A RISEN SAVIOR Scripture: Luke 24:6 "He is not here, but is risen." On the first day of the week, at early dawn, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James came to the tomb where Jesus had been laid after His crucifixion. As they approached the tomb, they found the stone had been rolled away and the tomb was empty. While they were standing at the empty tomb in wonder and amazement, two angels appeared to the women and asked them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead?" The angels then declared, "He is not here, but is risen." The question that the angels asked the women at the tomb that day is still a valid question for us today. Are we seeking the living among the dead? Do we envision Jesus on the cross of Calvary or is He alive in our hearts? Is the Lord’s presence near to us or do we feel that He is strangely distant? Can we hear Him in our spirit or is His voice silent and dead to us? Does Jesus walk with us along the pathway of life or He is missing from our fellowship? Jesus has never changed. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Jesus is as alive today as He was when He was laid in a manger as a babe, when He walked the shores of Galilee with His disciples, when He carried the cross to Calvary, when He rose from the dead, and when He ascended to the Father in Heaven. Jesus is risen from the dead and He has promised to be with us always. This is our hope and our eternal assurance. May The Glorious Blessings Of Jesus' Resurrection Be Yours ... Every Moment of Every Day! +++ Copyright © 2018 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved www.widsonline.com			..............................