| ............ | A Word In Due Season MAY 2019 5/1/19 NO DEAD ENDS Scripture: II Corinthians 2:12 "When I came ... a door was opened unto me of the Lord." God never leads His children down roads that come to a dead end or which have no future. Likewise, He does not give us all of the details or blueprints of our life's plan either. He leads us step by step lest we put our trust in the plan instead of in Him. The Lord stands around the bend of the road and whispers softly to us. We have to exercise great faith to make the turn when we cannot see any tangible evidence of Him and all that we have to trust in is the gentle whisper of His still small voice. Yet, it is as we come to the end of the road and the end of ourselves that God opens a new path before us. Isaiah 42:16 says, "I will lead the blind by a way that they knew not: I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them." God does not open doors in advance. His way of doing things is similar to the automatic doors in the market places. You can stand outside the perimeter of the door's sensor all day and the door will not open. You can watch others come and go as the door opens for them, but the door will never open for you until you get close enough to place your foot on the mat. When the door senses you are there and that you are serious about going in, it will open. Likewise, when God knows that you are serious about going through the door of faith, He will open it for you. Throughout the scriptures, we see God opening the doors for men as He led them through various situations. For instance, Moses met many seemingly dead-end places, but God was never without a plan. God opened the Red Sea, provided manna daily for forty years, and brought forth water from a rock in order to rescue and provide for Moses and the Israelites. And in Joshua's case, it was only when the soles of the priests' feet stepped into the water that the river Jordan rolled back. God demanded faith on their part before He worked on their behalf. Isaiah 43:19 tells us that "God will do a new thing, something you knew nothing about. He will even make a way in the wilderness." If your mind is telling you that you are facing a dead end, remember that God is still able to open the door. He is not limited by your circumstances. Continue in faith and He will bring light into your darkness, make the crooked way straight, and open the door before you. +++ 5/2/19 LOVE FORMS THE CLAY Scripture: Isaiah 64:8 "O Lord, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You are the potter; and we all are the work of Your hand." We are the work of God's hands. We are not being shaped by fate or some invisible force but by a loving Heavenly Father. When God envisioned us, He did not see us as a number among the billions of people that would be created. He saw us as individuals with our own special personality, a creation of His own image. When God created us, He focused all of His efforts upon us to make us into the vessel that He needed us to be so that we could fulfill His purposes. Just as the potter is with the clay vessel that he is forming, God holds us firmly and forms us with His own hands. There are not two potters at the potter's wheel. There is only one. From the beginning to the end, God involves Himself with us on a one-on-one basis and if we allow Him, He will become not only our creator but also our closest friend. All of God's dealings are meant to make us into a vessel that is solid. Like the potter who removes the lumps and particles from the clay, God also works to remove the things from our lives that will weaken our vessel and that are destined to destroy us. We must trust God's sovereignty and His divine decisions. Our ultimate destiny may be hidden from our view and there may seem to be no immediate purpose for the things that we are going through. We may see our lives as spinning in many directions and out of control, but God has a wonderful plan for our life. He is not in a hurry and will take His time with us to insure that we are ready for use in His kingdom. We must focus our eyes upon the Lord and His righteousness and allow Him to conform us into His image. In Psalms 17:15 King David said, "I shall be satisfied when I awake with Your likeness." David was a man after God's own heart, yet he was not satisfied with his present state. He wanted to be changed into the likeness of God, and we too must be satisfied with no less. The scriptures declare that God is love. God is our Father and we are the clay. We must give ourselves to Him and allow love to form the clay into His likeness. +++ 5/3/19 WHAT MANNER OF MAN? Scripture: Luke 8:25 "What manner of Man is this! For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him." The disciples were crossing the lake at Jesus' command when they encountered a fierce storm. In the midst of this situation, they cried out to the Lord and He spoke peace to the storm. Even though the disciples were expecting Jesus to deliver them, they were still overwhelmed by the miracle that He performed. For with a few words, He calmed the winds and the waters. The question then entered their minds, "What manner of Man is this?" What kind of man can be asleep one minute and then have dominion over the elements of nature the next minute? What kind of man can speak to the winds or command the waters and bring them into subjection to His will? What kind of man has authority over the storms of life? Upon seeing this powerful display, the disciples recognized that they were in the presence of someone who was filled with the supernatural power of God and they worshiped Him. The storms in our lives are frightening, but like the storms in the lives of the disciples, our personal spiritual storms also create spiritual growth. It is in the storms of life that our prayers become more intense, for we realize that the Lord is our only help. It is in the midst of the storms that our faith is tried and tested as we are taken beyond our previous level of faith. We may grow tired and weary as we struggle against the winds of adversity and the waves of uncertainty, but in the end, the struggle of the storm will be the thing that strengthens us. In the storms of life, we discover that Jesus is always ready to come to our rescue. We learn that He is with us in the boat and that He is all that we need. We come to know that He understands all of the issues that we are dealing with, even our fears and lack of faith. In the storms we experience the Lord’s mighty power as His Words bring peace to our greatest challenge. You may have found yourself floundering around on the sea of life because you have not allowed Jesus to be the captain of your soul. It may seem to you that the Lord is asleep on the boat while you are struggling against your own personal storm. Like the disciples, you may be asking Jesus, "Do You care that I am about to perish?" Jesus knows just how much you can bear. When you are at the end of your faith, He will come and strengthen you. When you are being sifted like wheat, He will pray for you. The Lord of your life is never far from your dilemma. His Words of "Peace be still" will work today. He is able to bring hope into every hopeless situation and peace into every storm. He can speak one word of healing and drive out all of the sickness in your body. He can command that life dispel the spirit of death. He can cause you to prosper by dismissing poverty from your life. Everything in life and death must submit to God's will and obey His Words. Jesus has your answer, but you must call out to Him. Your prayer will invoke the Lord's presence and His voice of power and authority will come to your rescue. He will calm your greatest storms and cause every wave of adversity to cease in your life. That is the manner of this man named Jesus. +++ 5/6/19 BREAKING FREE FROM BONDAGE Scripture: Exodus 6:9 "Moses spoke to the Israelites; but they would not listen to him because of their broken spirit and cruel bondage." God made many promises to the Israelites and when they cried out to Him, He remembered the covenant that He had established with them through Abraham. When God saw the pain of His people, His heart turned towards them and He sent Moses to deliver them from the heavy burdens and bondage of the Egyptians. God's plan was to bring them into the land that He had promised to their ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Their inheritance was to be a land of joy, freedom, and plenty. However, they could not receive this word because their spirits had been broken by the cruel bondage placed upon them by the Egyptians whom they had served for four hundred years. Memories can become definite strongholds of bondage. Consider the elephant at the circus. When the elephant is young and has little strength, the workers chain one of its legs to a rod in the ground. By doing so, they condition the elephant's mind to believe that it is unable to break away from the chain. All of its life, the elephant pulls mighty burdens and does great work in setting up the circus. It has enormous strength, yet when it is restrained by its master's chain, it loses that strength. Because of the past, the elephant does not recognize its own ability to break loose from the small chain that holds it in bondage. It remembers that in the past it could not break free so it is held captive by the imaginations of its own mind. Today, you may have some sort of Egyptian in your life. Disappointments and painful experiences of the past may have made it difficult for you to believe for a better future. All that you can envision is failure because your spirit is bound by these insignificant memories. Feelings of rejection may conflict with your hopes of acceptance and the chains of a broken spirit may be causing your future to look hopelessly bleak. You may feel helpless, as your heart seems incapable of taking hold of any of God's promises. Your faith is lacking and near void because you are held to the memories of a cruel past. Maybe it's a father you never knew, a mother who passed away, a child who was taken from you, a failed marriage, or a situation of abuse. Whatever your cruel bondage, Jesus is anointed to set you free. He came to this earth so that you might have life and have it more abundantly. He hears your cries and remembers His covenant with you. Jesus wants to break the chains of the past that hold you and tear down the walls that surround you. While the chains may be strong in your mind, in reality they are weak compared to the Spirit of God that resides within you. You must recognize the weakness of these chains and trust the Lord to set you free. Through the power of His Blood, His Name, and His Word, the chains that have held you in cruel bondage can be broken and you can be free. +++ 5/7/19 WE ARE ON GOD'S MIND Scripture: Psalms 115:12 "The Lord has been mindful of us: He will bless us." This psalm is a wonderful reminder that we serve the only true and living God and that He is always mindful of us. God watches us just as a father watches his own son or daughter. He protects us and provides for us. He is there to comfort us in our grief and dry the tears from our eyes. He also lifts us up when we become discouraged and lets us know that all things are going to work together for good. He gives us hope and lets us know that He has good plans for our future. He even extends His mercy and grace when we fall. All of these provisions and blessings require no sacrifice on our part, for His love is unconditional. Other verses in this psalm speak of the other gods that men worship and serve. It says that those gods are handmade of silver and gold. Instead of being the Creator like the Living God that we serve, they are the created. They have mouths, but they cannot speak, eyes that cannot see, and ears that cannot hear. They have noses that cannot smell and hands that cannot grasp and handle things. They also have feet that cannot walk or run and throats that are unable to utter a sound. These idols and gods are useless. They cannot be touched with our feelings or understand our pain. How sad it would be to serve such a god that cannot function or communicate and whose value is limited to the amount of precious metal that it is made of. We are blessed to have a personal relationship with a Living God. He is sovereign and He knows every situation of our lives. Sometimes things may get out of balance and we may wonder what is happening in our life. We must understand that God is always in control and that He is mindful of us. We are in His thoughts even when we are under spiritual attack. Satan, himself, could not attack Job without the permission of God, and even then he was restricted by the limitations that God dictated. It has been said that we are either coming out of a trial, in a trial, or about to go through a trial. Wherever you are today, remember that you are on God's mind. He loves and cares for you and He is going to bless you. +++ 5/8/19 THY KINGDOM COME Scripture: Matthew 6:10 "Thy kingdom come." Jesus established a principle of prayer indicating that prayer is not to be made just for our own personal needs. Instead, prayer is designed for the benefit of the entire Kingdom of God. A prayer that was once published shows how we often think. A man prayed, "Lord, I pray that you would bless me, my wife, our son John and his wife ... us four and no more." However, Jesus' prayers were never about His own physical interest and needs, but were always focused on the Kingdom of God. In teaching us how to pray and get results, Jesus said, "Pray that God's Kingdom would come on Earth as it is in Heaven." He then mentioned that we should pray concerning our personal daily needs but also in another passage He told us that we did not need to be overly concerned about material things. He said, "Seek first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you" (Matthew 6:33). Jesus was telling us to seek the invisible and then the visible will be added. When you take care of God's business and His Kingdom, He will take care of your business. The definition of the Kingdom of God is given in Romans 14:17 that says, "For the Kingdom of God is not meat, and drink; but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." When you have a situation in which there is no righteousness, peace, and joy, you need to pray and declare that God's Kingdom manifest and take control. Matthew 11:12 says, "The Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force." The devil gets violent and does all that he can do to keep you from living in righteousness, peace, and joy. But, you can get violent in the spirit and stand against him. Even Jesus stood violently against the money changers and drove them out of the temple with a whip. In the sixth chapter of Ephesians, we are told to put on the whole armor of God and stand against the strategies of the devil. We are not wrestling against flesh and blood, but against principalities, powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world, and spiritual wickedness in high places. God's Kingdom will dispel and drive out the forces of the kingdom of darkness. In the natural, when you walk into a room that is dark, all you need to do to dispel the darkness is to turn on the light. The light will drive out the darkness by its own strength. You do not have the power within yourself to drive out the darkness, but you have the power to flip the switch that will produce the light. Likewise you cannot bring righteousness, peace, and joy into a situation by natural means, but you can flip the spiritual switch by praying as Jesus taught you to pray. When you begin to pray for God’s Kingdom to come and start declaring His authority in your situation, then the righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost will come into your kingdom and Jesus will rule as Lord in your life. +++ 5/9/19 GOD'S COMPASSION Scripture: Lamentations 3:21-22 (NIV) "Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail." Jeremiah, the prophet, was very distraught concerning the circumstances that surrounded him. He was in such a bad state of mind that his perception of God changed and he began to think that God was against him on every side. He put the blame on God and expressed his despair and fear, saying, "God has hedged me about so that I cannot get out" (Verse 7). It is recorded that the Assyrians would wall up their prisoners so that they had no way of escape and would allow them to die in this state. Jeremiah's thoughts caused him to experience this kind of pain and anxiety. He envisioned himself as being trapped within walls that were unmovable. He could not help himself and had come to the point that he felt that there was no help or deliverance coming from God either. In his distress, he declared, "My strength and my hope is perished from the Lord" (Verse 18). Jeremiah had allowed his mind to be shaped by the events around him and he gave in to his emotions. Yet in the midst of his inner struggle and outward turmoil, he remembered God, and when he began to think about God's mercy and compassion, hope returned to his heart. As he looked at his situation from a different perspective, he saw with a clearer vision the reality of what was really happening. He came to the conclusion that he would not be consumed in his problems because he knew that God's great love and compassion never fails. I suppose that most of us have been in a place similar to Jeremiah's where it seemed that we were surrounded by four walls that were closing in on us. There were financial difficulties on one side, failing health on the other, problems with relationships on the third side, and finally unpleasant situations on the job or something else to deal with. As the stress mounted, our strength failed and our hopes began to perish. Maybe you have even been like the Apostle Paul and have had more than four conflicts going on in your life at the same time. Paul declared that he had no rest because he was troubled on every side (II Corinthians 7:5). Yet, he did not allow himself to be distressed or in despair, but instead he continued in faith. We must have this same resolve that we are not going to be consumed or overwhelmed in the conflict that surrounds us. Instead, we are going to remember who God is in our lives and believe in His great love and compassion for us that never fails. +++ 5/10/19 TARRY ... UNTIL Scripture: Luke 24:49 "Tarry ....until you be endued with power from on high." There is always a voice calling us to a new and higher level whether it be in our financial status, our professions, our friendships and close relationships, or our calling to the ministry. It is a supernatural pull to move upward and forward in all areas. Most of us will do all that we can to move to this higher place, especially in spiritual things and the area of ministry. Like the Apostle Paul, the things of the past will become unimportant and we will make a determination to "press toward the mark of the high calling of God in our lives" (Philippines 3:14). When God first speaks to us of a new level, it is often overwhelming. It may even be troubling, like it was to the Virgin Mary who asked the angel, "How can these things be?" The outcome of the unknown is always a challenge in our minds. Yet when we sense that God is calling us from one place to another in our lives, something within us arises and causes us to want to run to it immediately. Our souls may be overwhelmed, but our spirits are excited by the vision and regenerated by the fresh Word from God. New strength is infused within our hearts by the impartation of the new assignment and the gifts that have been dormant in our lives are suddenly stirred and resurrected to new life. We are ready to move forward, but then we hear that still small voice of the Lord telling us to "tarry ... until," for God's call always demands the power of His Spirit. Jesus had a great calling for His disciples and followers. He wanted them to preach the gospel to the meek, heal the sick, deliver the oppressed, and do other mighty miracles in His Name just as He had done when He was on Earth. Teachers and mentors always want their students to excel. The Lord's voice was calling them to a higher place but He also told them to tarry until they received power from on high. He knew that they could do nothing of themselves, just as He could do nothing of Himself. Jesus depended upon God's power and He knew that His disciples must do the same. That power came on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came like a rushing mighty wind from Heaven and filled all of them. They did not have to announce their promotion or exalt their gifts because signs and wonders became evident in their own ministries. If you believe that you are not in the place that God has ordained for you to be or feel that you are lacking in any area of life, that is an indication that God is trying to move you forward. He wants you to succeed and be all that you can be, but until promotion comes you must realize that you are in a season of preparation. It is a season to glean from the wisdom of others who have passed this way before. It is a season to learn all that you can and absorb all that God brings your direction. It is a time to wait in God's presence, to develop the fruits of His Spirit, and to gain the knowledge that comes down from above. Most importantly, it is a time to "tarry ... until" God empowers you with His Holy Spirit. +++ 5/13/19 CHILDREN ARE A GIFT Scripture: Psalms 127:3 (New Living Translation) "Children are a gift of the Lord." Children come into our lives by the hand of the Lord, for He alone is the one who creates life. Conception and birth are both miracles of God. There are many instances in the scriptures where the barren woman was blessed with children because God intervened in her life. Sarah was one of those women who were barren, but when she was ninety years old, she gave birth to Isaac. Another miracle was Mary, the Mother of Jesus. She conceived at a very young age and gave birth as a virgin. God spoke about Sarah's child, Isaac, and also about Mary's child, Jesus, before they were ever created. He knew these children and had plans for them before He ever formed them in the womb of their mother. In the eyes of God, no child, then or now, comes into being as an accident, for God creates and plans the life of every being. Each child is precious and has a purpose in the kingdom of God. Yet, there may be a time when our children stray away from God's ordained plan for their lives. There is a hope that is given to us by the Word of God when this happens. God's Word tells us that if we train up our children in the way that they should go, when they are old they will not depart from it (Proverbs 22:6). Sooner or later, they will return. In the meantime, and in the middle of their situation, we need to be there for them. We must love them where they are and accept them unconditionally, just as God, our Father, loved us through our many temptations and failures. We cannot minimize our children's battles that we do not understand nor write off their pain that we do not feel. We must ask God to give us wisdom and help us empathize with them. Empathy does not mean that we feel sorry for them. Instead, it means that we experience their pain with them. We feel what they feel and hurt as they hurt. We become so involved with our hearts that we understand their temptations and what they are going through. Jesus did this when He came to Earth to die for us. He emptied Himself of His deity and took on the nature of mortal man so that He could understand what we go through and be touched with the feeling of our infirmities. He was tempted in all points that we would be tempted in, yet He remained without sin (Hebrews 4:15). When things begin to get kind of sketchy with your relationship with your child or you know that the path that they are taking is wrong, remember these words that Solomon spoke in the Psalms, "Children are a gift from God." Then, treat them in that manner. When you realize that God created your children and that He loves them just as much as you love them, you will be able to put them into the Lord's hands and confidently trust in Him to take care of them. +++ 5/14/19 POSSESSING GOD'S PROMISE Scripture: Numbers 13:30 "And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once and posses it: for we are well able to overcome it." God told Moses and the Israelites that He would lead them out of Egypt into a good land. He also told them that they would have to make an effort to receive this promise. They would have to face the giants, drive out the inhabitants, and posses the land. Caleb was one of the twelve men who was sent to search out this land of promise. He and Joshua came back full of faith and with a good report, while the other ten men voiced an evil report. Although Joshua and Caleb wanted to go up immediately and possess the land, they were held back by the unbelief of the majority. The ten men who had returned with an evil report were distracted by the giants in the land. When they saw the giants, they began to see themselves as grasshoppers, and knew that they were viewed in the same manner by the giants. These distractions led to deception and caused them to lose faith. They began to murmur against Moses and Aaron and eventually blamed God for their serious circumstances. They accused God of leading them into the wilderness so that they could be killed. Because they focused on the distractions and allowed themselves to be deceived, they became discouraged and said, " We wish we had died in Egypt or even in this wilderness" (Numbers 14:2). They became totally disillusioned and no longer wanted God's plan or the Promised Land. They wanted to return to Egypt and the bondage that they had left behind (Numbers 14:4). This is one of the devil's strategies as he leads us down a trail to the place of defeat. He uses distractions to take us into deception. In deception, we have no clear understanding about God or His will. We have no discernment about the problem or the solution. We become totally confused mentally and spiritually disoriented. The devil then begins to discourage us until he brings us to the place of disillusionment. He works his plan, one step at a time, to keep us from possessing the promises of God. I Peter 5:8 says, "Be vigilant because your adversary the devil walks about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour." So keep in mind the devil’s weapons of destruction, which are distractions, deception, lack of discernment, disorientation, discouragement, and disillusionment. Our hope to possess God’s best for our lives is to follow Caleb's example. When God gives a promise to us, we must make the decision to possess that promise and refuse to focus on the problems or the giants. Whatever the challenge, we must not fear but seek to secure the promise at once, for the Lord will help us to posses and make us more than conquerors. +++ 5/15/19 THE GREAT COMMISSION Scripture: Mark 16:15 & 20 "Jesus said, 'Go into all the world and preach the gospel' ... And they went forth ... the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs and wonders." When Jesus spoke these words, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel," He also made promises to those who obeyed Him. He promised the Anointing of the Holy Spirit, the Authority to use His name, and the Assurance that He would confirm His Word with signs and wonders. He made it very clear that the believers would not have to depend upon their own powers and abilities, for their strength would never be a sufficient match for the challenges set before them. When God led His people to the edge of the Red Sea, He was aware that they had no ability to cross it. He knew that it would take His own miracle working power to deliver them. Moses, their leader, was not equipped to roll back the sea by himself, but the presence of the Lord that was with Moses was greater than the task that was set before him. When Joshua faced the walls of Jericho, God knew that Joshua did not have the strength to bring the walls down, but God had a plan. He told Joshua to march around the city once a day for six days and seven times on the seventh day, and then give a mighty shout. When Joshua and his army obeyed God, God's power filled their shouts and the walls came down. Paul and Silas found themselves in prison with no hope of helping themselves, but God's power was greater than the chains and prison bars that help them captive. As they prayed and sang praises to God a great earthquake shook the prison. The doors were opened and they were set free. When God sends the believer out, He always goes before them and prepares the way. You can be sure that if God is speaking to you about something, He is also working on the other end of the situation just as He did with Moses, Joshua, and Paul and Silas. God is not slack in any area. He is the Author and Finisher of His work. He is preparing the heart that you are being compelled to witness to. His healing power is waiting for your prayers of faith to activate it. There is no Red Sea, no Jericho wall, and no prison that can stop God from fulfilling His will and purposes in your life. There is no task that is set before you that is greater than God's presence within you. He has made you more than a conqueror in every situation. God will go before you and make the crooked way straight and also make a way in the wilderness. He will give you favor and will meet every need. Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and do not lean upon your own understanding, for as you go, He will confirm His Words with signs and wonders. +++ 5/16/19 JOY FOR THE JOURNEY Scripture: Psalms 40:2 " ... He established my goings." Life is a process and a journey through time where lasting memories are created. Like any other journey, the highway of life that we travel climbs the hills and passes through the valleys. Sometimes it takes us to the top of the mountains where there is much joy and at other times it circles and overlooks deep dark canyons where fear prevails. This journey takes us across the rivers, near the oceans, and through the desert places. Each mile we travel is different and unpredictable. There are sudden detours that take us down unfamiliar paths and challenging circumstances all along the way that we must face. Often, we are unable to clearly read the signs and temptations that try to lure us into exiting from God's highway of holiness. Throughout this journey, we must remember that God is in control and that He is "establishing our goings." David said, "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord" (Psalms 37:23). And Proverbs 16:9 tells us that a man's mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps and makes them sure. We choose our route, but our lives remain in the hands of a sovereign God. When we make Him the Lord of our life and seek to do His will, we put Him in the driver's seat. That means He has the authority to take us down the good roads and sometimes down the roads that seem bad. But we must trust God's divine wisdom and direction for we know that all things will work together for good because we love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). We have chosen God's highway of holiness, but many of us are driving "clunkers." We have no joy, no peace, and no rest. His burden has become heavy and we are road weary and uncomfortable. We have not learned that joy is the journey, not our destination. The joy of the Lord must be our companion if we are to continue in strength and complete our course. Joy is a choice that we make and comes into being when we totally surrender everything to God. When the psalmist was in the midst of adversity he declared, "This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it" (Psalm 118:24). Regardless of his circumstances, he made a conscious decision to be joyful. As you travel today's journey, choose joy as your companion. The road before you will be brighter and your load will be lighter. +++ 5/17/19 HIS WORKMANSHIP Scripture: Ephesians 2:10 (NAS) "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." The following quote is a meditation from the book "Reflections of God's Glory" by Corrie ten Boom: "In the basement of a large tenement house in which many families lived, there was an old broken harp. People had often tried to repair it and play it, but no one had ever succeeded in doing so. One day a beggar came and asked for shelter. The only place for him to spend the night was in a corner of that basement. Late that night people heard the sound of beautiful music coming from the basement. They found the beggar there playing the harp, and they asked, "How were you able to repair the harp and play it so beautifully?" He replied, "I made this harp myself. When I was young, I made lots of harps. This is one of my harps. Shouldn't I be able to repair something I made myself?" We have been created by the hands of Jesus. I despair when I try to change myself and patch myself up. I can't do it and never will be able to do it, but if I surrender myself to Him who made me, I experience miracles!" Just like the harp that was created to make beautiful music, God has created us for good works, special plans, and definite purposes. Jeremiah 29:11 says, "God knows the thoughts He has for us, they are for good and not evil, to give us a future and a hope." We are His workmanship. God created us in Christ Jesus and works with us to make us into the vessels that He has preordained us to be. Although we may get battered about by the storms of life and seemingly cast aside for a season, we can take hope, for "The gifts and calling of God are without repentance" (Romans11:29). God never changes His mind or withdraws His gifts. They are irrevocable. At the appointed time, God will set His hand upon us the second time and restore us to His original purpose. The harp could not make music in the state that it was in. It took the hands of the creator to bring restoration. So it is in our lives. The ability to make music is still there within us, but if we want God to restore us we must totally surrender all the pieces of our broken lives to Him. The Lord made us. Shouldn't He be able to repair and restore us? +++ 5/20/19 PARTAKERS OF HIS DIVINE NATURE Scripture: II Peter 1:3-4 "His divine power has given unto us all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of Him ... that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature." The divine power that is mentioned in this scripture is the Greek word "Dudamus" and it means the power to reproduce itself. When Jesus comes into our life, He gives us the opportunity to partake of His divine nature. He promises to share His very being with us and gives us everything that pertains to life and godliness so that His nature can be revealed in us. The Apostle Peter tells us how this wonderful transformation takes place. When we make a diligent effort to know Jesus in a personal way, His divine power begins to reproduce within us and we are changed from the inside out. As His power works on the inside of us, we begin to act like Jesus acts, talk like He talks, and think like He thinks. His very nature becomes our nature. Verse eight tells us that as these qualities of Christ become ours, they keep us from being barren and unfruitful. Barren and unfruitful means being unable to produce and without fruit, which is a disappointment to all. We see many born again believers in this state who have the nature of God inside of them, but are unfruitful in their character and works. They have faith in God but do not partake of His divine nature or allow Him to transform their lives into His image. Fruitfulness comes about by diligent effort like a muscle that is developed through exercise. It takes personal sacrifice, but as you yield to Christ, His divine power begins to reproduce His divine nature. Peter explained how this divine nature comes about in verses five through seven. Faith is just the beginning of your walk with the Lord. It is your basic foundation, but to partake of Christ's nature you must add virtue to your faith. Virtue is general moral excellence and right action. Peter then says, add knowledge to your virtue and temperance to your knowledge. Temperance is moderation and self-restraint in your conduct and expression. You are then to add patience, a willingness to wait and endure without complaining. To your patience, you must add godliness, and to godliness, brotherly kindness. Charity, which is the love of God and love of humanity, must also be added. If you are diligent in these areas and allow Christ's divine power to work within you, you will not only be partakers but also examples of His divine nature. +++ 5/21/19 KEEP YOUR MIND ON WHAT GOD SAID Scripture: Genesis 3:1 (NIV) "Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, 'Did God really say?'" The devil is very subtle and from the beginning of time he has always approached mankind with doubt. With just two people on the earth, he started his method of deceit. He approached Eve in the Garden of Eden with the words, "Did God really say?" He also used this same approach with Jesus over 2000 years ago and has continued with this tactic throughout the ages. Even today, his main weapon is to plant fear and doubt in the minds and hearts of the believer. For instance, Deuteronomy 31:6 says, "Be strong, courageous and firm, fear not, nor be in terror before them; for it is the Lord your God who goes with you; He will not fail you or forsake you." These are simple words that God wants us to believe. Yet the devil attempts to distort them by planting just the opposite thoughts in our minds in an effort to dispel the faith that is within our hearts. He changes these words and speaks his thoughts to our mind saying, "Be weak, be afraid, shrink back and run in terror, for the Lord your God is not with you. He has failed and forsaken you." Have you ever experienced this conflict in your mind that brought doubt and caused you to wonder if you can handle the challenge that was set before you? Has he painted the mountains of adversity so big that you feel that they cannot be conquered? Has he said that it is okay for you to fear because you cannot make it through this ordeal or this illness? If so, it is time to resist the devil and believe and confess the Word of God. I had a pastor who had a unique way of handling the voice of deception. When fear and doubt would attack his mind and speak against what God had promised in His Word, my pastor would say, "Thank you, Mr. Devil, for letting me know the real truth." He knew that everything the devil said was a lie. In fact, the Word of God said that the devil is the father of lies. My pastor would then confess just the opposite of the tormenting words that were trying to engage his mind in doubt and unbelief. The devil will try to distort God's Words and question His intentions, but God's Words are true and will remain forever. In every instance in life, you must know that God is in control and there is nothing to fear. God's Words of judgment will always leave you in peace, His corrections will be gentle and full of grace, and His chastisement will be accomplished with love. Remember to keep your mind on what God said. Do not allow the devil to engage you in battle. When he challenges your faith and questions the promises of God that are within your heart by saying, "Did God really say?", then simply respond, "Yes, God did say." +++ 5/22/19 HOW LONG? Scripture: Psalms 13:1 "How long will You forget me, O Lord." David must have been in extreme misery and difficulty when he wrote this psalm, for in the first two verses he questioned the Lord four times saying, "How long?" He said, "How long will you forget me?" "How long will you turn your back and hide your face from me?” "How long must I bear pain and sorrow in my soul?" "How long will the enemy be exalted over me?" I can imagine how David must have felt because I have faced some discouraging seasons myself and asked, "How long?" Even when I go through a stressful place or have to endure some other unpleasant procedure, the first thing that I ask is, "How long is this going to take?" It seems that it is a whole lot easier to endure a situation if you know there is an end in sight. Yet, many times our ordeal may take much longer than anticipated because our own struggles cause delays. David was waiting for God to deliver him from the oppression of his enemy, but it seemed that the Lord had turned His face from David and had forgotten all about him. This situation must have gone on for some length of time because David declared that he had sorrow in his heart daily and felt that he was near death as his enemies triumphed over him. As David worried over his situation and the oppression of the enemy, he suddenly stopped questioning God. Right in the midst of his dilemma, he began to pray for God's deliverance. When he began to pray, his mindset changed and he ended this psalm in victory. Notice that David was still in the same place physically, but his faith had moved to a different level spiritually as he declared his trust in God's mercy, salvation, and bountiful love and care. Have you ever been to the point where it seems that you just could not take much more? You wanted to know how much longer the journey was going to take. You felt that you could hold out to the end if you only knew when the trial was going to be finished. When would your health be restored? When would you find another job? How long are you going to be in debt? When will you meet that special someone? Like a child on a journey with their parents, you questioned God, "Are we almost there?" You must understand that God really has not turned His back or hid his face from you or your circumstances. He is there working out the problem, but He is also waiting for you to change your approach to the situation. It is one thing for us to murmur and complain about our circumstances and it is another thing for us to place those things that disturb us into God's hands. God cannot work for us because we will not let go of the things that concern us and rely upon Him to perfect them. Many times when we ask God, "How long," He probably wants to answer, "As long as you cause it to be." So if you want God to complete His work, give all of your struggles to Him. Then rest in His timing. +++ 5/23/19 ACTIONS ARE LOUDER THAN WORDS Scripture: Matthew 21:31 "Which of the two did the will of the Father?" There is a story about three frogs who were sitting on a log over a pond, discussing whether or not to jump into the pond. Finally one frog said, "I've decided to jump." According to this statement, how many frogs were left sitting on the log? The answer is three! Even though the one frog made the decision and verbal commitment to jump, he never followed through with any action. He continued to sit on the log with the other two frogs, never accomplishing his goal. In Matthew's gospel, Jesus tells a similar story about a man who had two sons. He asked the first son to work in his vineyard, who refused by saying, "I will not." Later, that son repented and went to the vineyard and worked for his father. Likewise, the father asked the second son to work in his vineyard. The second son answered and said, "I will go, sir," but he never followed through with his commitment. Jesus then questioned the disciples about which son had done the will of the father. The answer is obvious. The son who acted upon the request of the father is the one who actually did his father's will, not the one who just verbally agreed with it. It is not what you say you are going to do – it is what you actually do that counts with God. The decision to act gets you only half way there. God is interested in the final results. James 2:17 tells us that if faith does not have corresponding works and acts of obedience to back it up, it is destitute of power and dead. Anyone can make a verbal commitment to do God's will, but that statement is dead without actual performance. In John 6:38 Jesus said," I came down from Heaven not to do My own will, but the will of Him that sent Me." Even though Jesus prayed in agony three times and asked the Father to allow the cup of suffering to pass from Him, He still submitted Himself to God's will. He said, "Never the less, Thy will be done." He made a decision and a verbal commitment to respond to God's will and then followed through with actions. He could have called ten thousand angels to come to His rescue at any time. Instead, Jesus followed His Father's will to the end by giving His own life on the cross, thus completing God's redemptive plan. Jesus' actions spoke louder than His words. Think about His commitment and sacrifice and then ask yourself if your own actions are as loud as your words. +++ 5/24/19 FROM THE MOUTH OF CHILDREN Scripture: Matthew 21:16 "Out of the mouth of babes ... Thou has perfected praise." When my granddaughter was three years old she sat beside me at the piano, composing songs. The first one was about Frosty the Snowman ringing his Jingle Bells at a reindeer. Then, she became serious and began to sing about the roses that were on the piano. Her words were very simple but also very meaningful. She sang, "Roses grow and are beautiful, But roses do not grow like the trees. Trees are big and tall but the roses stay little Because God wanted them to be beautiful for me. Roses grow but don't make noise. They just make pretty petals and are always quiet. I like for God to make roses grow ... For the Bible told me so." There was no pretense in this song from the heart of a three-year-old child. It was simple praise to God for the beauty of the roses. It was also recognition that God had made the roses grow and a realization that He had also made them different from the trees. She considered the roses and voiced her appreciation that God had made them beautiful for her. Little did she know that when she concluded her song with "For the Bible told me so" that she was speaking a truth and that her mouth was perfecting praise. Jesus told us to consider the lilies of the field. He said, "The lilies toil not ... yet King Solomon, who was the richest man of his day, was not arrayed like one of these (Matthew 6:28-29). Jesus continued to say that our Heavenly Father knows everything that we need and that we are not to be worried about any detail of our life because He is in control. You may look at your life today and be discouraged because it has not developed into the mighty oak that you had planned. Your dreams and visions had been those of such grandeur, and yet, they have not come to pass in any way, shape, or form. Your life has been very quiet and is like that of the roses that grow but do not make any noise. No one even seems to notice your existence, which to you seems mundane. You feel there is nothing important going on in your life, especially when compared to others about you, who seem to be successful in every endeavor. You wonder why your life is so plain and simple and think that you have nothing to offer. Yet, God has placed in your life a beauty that goes beyond the grandeur of the mighty oak. You may not recognize it because God grew it gradually within you. He has placed within you a meek and quiet spirit that is as delicate as the petals of a rose. He has made your life a sweet fragrance to those whom you encounter. Your spirit of love and compassion permeate your entire environment and reaches into the hearts of those about you. God has caused the beauty of your visible witness to bring peace, joy, and comfort to a hurting world. He has made you to be the person that He wanted you to be. So even though your life is like a rose that does not make a lot of noise, allow it to bless others with its fragrance and understand that your life is giving silent praise to God. +++ 5/27/19 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. +++ 5/28/19 BEFORE THE DAY Scripture: Mark 1:35 "And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, Jesus went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there He prayed." Giving God the first part of the day is like giving the tithe of your income. In both situations in some miraculous way, God takes what you give to Him, then He blesses it and returns it to you. What you have left in terms of money or minutes is supernaturally stretched and multiplied by His mighty power. God rebukes the devourer for your sake and your abundance cannot be explained. Jesus, Himself, arose a great while before the day began and went to a solitary place to pray. He showed us that being alone with God and giving Him the first portion of the day was important. If the Son of God felt that it was important to seek the Father before He started His day, shouldn't we? There is a secret in this special time of communion, for it is in the quiet hours of the early morning that we gain strength for our entire day. We start our physical day with nourishment and should do no less in nurturing our spirit. David was a man after God's own heart. And like Jesus, David also knew the secret of having communion with God before the day began. In Psalms 143:8, He spoke very clear words to God. David said, “Cause me to hear Your loving kindness in the morning, for in You do I trust. Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk, for I lift up my soul to You." In these few lines David made a very definite request. He wanted to hear about God's unfailing love for him every morning and he wanted God to show him where to walk that day. These words could also become a daily prayer for you before you start your day. Find a solitary place as Jesus did and spend a few moments with the Lord. As you wait on God, He will renew your strength. You will mount up with wings as the eagles and you will find yourself running without growing weary. In the quietness of His presence, He will fill you with His Spirit and give you clear directions for the day. +++ 5/29/19 CONSUMED BY HIS PRESENCE Psalms 139:7 "Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? In this prayer that King David prayed, he acknowledged the abiding presence of the Lord in his life. He said there was nowhere that he could go in order to flee from the presence of God. He also focused on some other wonderful supernatural attributes of God. He declared God's knowledge of all things, His awesome power, and His holiness. God's presence has a purpose in our lives. He is not around just for the sake of being there so that we can experience a special feeling. He is in our lives to search our heart and destroy all evil. Because David recognized God's presence and knowledge of all things, he asked the Lord to search him and know his thoughts. He relied upon the holiness of God to try him in every area of his life. He willingly laid his heart open before God. David wanted the Lord to reveal any wicked way that might be in him, for he knew that the Lord had the power to deliver him from the evil that was within his own heart (Verse 23 & 24). He desperately longed for the Lord to lead him in the ways of righteousness. We must understand that our life with God is not just a time of His visitation, but a life of His habitation. When we are born again we become a peculiar people and His Spirit dwells within each of us, setting us apart from all others. The Lord takes up residence within our spirit and He is always there. He never leaves us or forsakes us. He is not just around when we are worshipping in church with other believers or when we are doing good deeds. God is present even when we are in the midst of doing questionable things. Like the psalmist said, there is no place that we can go to get away from God's Spirit and nowhere to flee from His presence. When we come to realize that we are surrounded and consumed with God's wonderful presence at all times, our lives will be transformed and the options of our hearts will change. We will begin to understand the thoughts and feelings of God's heart and our heart will want to please Him only. We will not want to flee from the Lord’s presence, but will want to fulfill all of His desires. +++ 5/30/19 SHIELD OF FAITH Scripture: Ephesians 6:16 "Above all taking the shield of faith, wherewith you shall be able to quench the fiery darts of the wicked." God provides us with great spiritual armor that enables us to stand against all the strategies of the devil. This armor is not just to be displayed on a shelf, but is to be used continually in our battle against the principalities and powers of wickedness. We are to keep this armor on in the good times as well as the bad times, so that we are not taken off guard when evil attempts to surprise us. Every piece of the armor is vital, but when Paul listed them, he said, "Above all, take the shield of faith." Above all the other pieces of armor, we are to take the shield of faith because it is held in the forefront and helps protect the other pieces of armor. It also protects any area that the armor itself might not cover. This word "shield" in the Greek in this particular situation is interpreted as "door or gate" or "entrance, which opens and closes." Our faith or shield of faith has the ability to open or close the door to the forces of evil. Doubt, fear, and unbelief will always challenge us and we can either allow these fiery darts to afflict our spirits and soul or we can stand against them in faith. We can stand behind our shield of faith in integrity or open the door and allow the enemy to penetrate and destroy our principles. We can hold to our faith in truth and refuse to discuss the "ifs" and "cans" of God's will and His ability or we can let our shield down and be drawn into a damming conversation with the devil who is the father of all lies. When we lift up our shield of faith and determine to stand concerning the things that we believe, the water of God's Word will quench the fiery darts that come against us. In I Kings 22:29-37 there is a story about King Ahab who was in battle against the King of Syria. Verse thirty-four says that King Ahab was killed because a certain man drew a bow at venture, without taking specific aim, and the arrow hit in the area where the king's armor was divided. This was just a small unprotected place in his armor, yet it yielded death to the king. King Ahab probably never thought too much about this insignificant place, but had his shield been lifted up, it would have protected this open area in his armor and saved him from destruction. Like this story, the enemy of our soul goes about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. All he needs is one small vulnerable place in our spiritual armor that will allow him to cause havoc in our lives. When he finds it, he aims a fiery dart. The results of his efforts are up to us, for the damage of his attack will depend upon whether or not our shield of faith is between us and him. So above all, let us lift up the shield of faith. +++ 5/31/19 PRAISE PREPARES THE WAY Scripture: Psalms 50:23 (NIV) "He who sacrifices praise honors Me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God." Praise is a mighty force. It is not only an expression of our faith but also a spiritual weapon that can be used against the enemy of our soul. When we praise God in the midst of our adversity, we are declaring our trust in Him. Our praise demonstrates our total confidence in God's ability and wisdom. It also confirms our submission to His will. When we give praises to God, we are also informing the devil that we believe in God and know that He is still in control regardless of the outcome of our situation. Like Job, our praise declares, "Though God slay me, yet will I trust Him." Everything in our life does not have to be perfect for us to praise God. Many times we have to offer up a sacrifice of praise and give thanks to God regardless of our circumstances, for praise is the force that will open the windows of Heaven and allow God to work in our lives. The psalmist said that when we honor God with praise and thanksgiving, we are preparing the way for Him to show us salvation. Like the Israelites, God will not intervene and bring deliverance in our situation until we quit murmuring, enter into His rest, and give Him praise. Throughout the scriptures many deliverances occurred when praises were being exhibited. When Paul and Silas sang and praised God at the midnight hour, the prison doors were opened, and they were set free. When Jehoshaphat's army praised God on the battlefield, God sent ambushments against the enemy and the enemy destroyed themselves (II Chronicles 20:22). In Matthew 15:25, a woman worshipped and praised Jesus and her daughter was delivered of demons. Also, there was a ruler who worshipped Jesus and his daughter was raised from the dead. Praise prepared the way for God to bring deliverance in these situations. We were created in God's imagine and His nature is within us. We understand how hard it is to deny our own children's request when they are expressing their love and adoration for us. So it is with our Heavenly Father's thoughts towards us. Praise speaks volumes to the heart of God and draws His attention to us and our situation. Our praise is a declaration of our faith and when He sees our worship and hears our praise, He reacts. The Word of God says that we always reap what we sow. When we are in lack and sow praise regardless of our need, we are telling God that we believe in His provision and He allows us to reap His bountiful supply. When we sow praise while our lives are in turmoil, peace begins to prevail because we are focusing upon God instead of the confusion. When we sow praise in the midst of adversity, the forces of Hell must give way to deliverance. You may be facing extreme circumstances and it may truly be a sacrifice for you to give praise and thanksgiving in your current situation. Yet deliverance is available and the choice is yours. Are you going to use your voice of praise to prepare the way for your salvation? +++ Copyright © 2019 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved www.widsonline.com |
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