Oct19

............	A Word In Due Season OCT 2019 10/1/19 SUPPORT THOSE WHO ARE WEARY Scripture: Exodus 17:12 "Moses hands were weary ... and Aaron and Hur held up his hands." While Joshua and the army of Israel fought against the armies of Amalek, Moses stood at the top of the hill with the rod of God in His hand. Aaron and Hur stood by his side. As the battle raged, Moses lifted the rod that was in his hands as God had instructed him to do. When Moses lifted the rod up, Joshua and the armies of Israel prevailed in battle, but when he lowered his hands, the Amalekites prevailed. After a length of time, Moses finally became weary and could no longer hold the rod up. Israel was destined for defeat, but Aaron and Hur got a stone for Moses to sit upon and they stood on each side of him and held his hands up. Because of their effort and support, Joshua and the people of God prevailed and defeated the army of Amalek. God calls each of us to act in the same way toward our brothers and sisters in Christ. When we see that they are in a battle with the enemy, we need to stand by their side and support them. We do not have to engage ourselves in their actual battle but we can intercede in prayer, give encouraging words, send a card of comfort, cook a meal, or do something to let them know that we care. It may also be that we need to restore them in love if they have been overcome in sin. In Galatians 6:2, Paul tells us to bear or carry one another's burdens. It is in sharing each other's troubles and problems that we fulfill the command of the Lord. There are all kinds of battles that rage against believers and there are needs that surround us every day. All that we have to do is open our eyes and see them or allow our ears to be attentive to their cries. Yet, we often walk in denial and try to ignore the obvious, because acknowledgement requires some sort of personal response and self-sacrifice. Yet, meeting another person's need could be the one thing that brings victory in our own lives. Job's captivity turned when he prayed for his friends who had judged him harshly. And Isaiah 58:7-9 says that when we take care of the needs of others, our own light will break forth and health will come to our own bodies. It is as we sow blessings that we reap and as we give that we receive. Luke 6:38 says that whatever we share, it will be given back to us in a good measure, pressed down, and shaken together. So when you discern that your brother or sister is weary in their battle, be the one to hold them up. Your one soft word or your one kind deed may be the very thing that gives them the strength and help that they need to overcome and defeat their enemy. +++ 10/2/19 NO SIN TOO GREAT Scripture: Psalms 103:3 (Living Bible) "He forgives all my sins." God is faithful and He continually surrounds us with His loving kindness and tender mercies. He extends His love and compassion to us even though we do not deserve it. He knows our shortcomings and there is no sin so great that He will not forgive except that of total blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Whenever and whatever we confess, He promises to forgive and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. This is the good news of the gospel because our lives are marred with sin every day. Even the Apostle Paul was engaged in the battle for righteousness. Although he had been converted, he declared that he could not make himself do right. He wanted to do good, but he just could not. And when he tried not to do wrong, he did it anyway (Romans 7:19). He counted himself as a total failure as far as his sinful nature was concerned, yet he knew that God's grace was sufficient for him. We may think that the forgiveness and redemption of our sins and the sins of those about us is hopeless. Yet our sins will never be greater than the blood of Jesus, for His blood is able to wash away every stain and make us whiter than snow. We can look through the scriptures and find forgiveness on every level. After Peter declared the awesome revelation that Jesus was the Messiah, he cursed and even denied that he knew Jesus, but Jesus forgave him and caused him to be a great apostle. The woman at the well was living with a man that she was not married to, but when she encountered the forgiveness of Jesus, she became a witness to the entire city. Another woman was caught in the act of adultery, yet instead of condemning her, Jesus forgave her and rescued her from her accusers. King David found forgiveness not only for his sin of passion and adultery with Bathsheba but also for the premeditated murder of her husband, Uriah. The Apostle Paul did many things contrary to the Name of Jesus, and without mercy he persecuted the church. Yet Jesus met him on the road to Damascus, forgave him, changed his life, and called him to the ministry. Even in Jesus' most difficult hour, He extended forgiveness not only to the thief who hung on the cross beside Him, but also to the multitudes who had crucified Him without cause. This is the wonderful Savior that we serve. Jesus looks beyond our sins and who we are and He continues to be who He is. He is faithful and forgiving and does not turn us away when we fail. He looks at us through His eyes of love and remembers that He was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities. He paid a great price for our forgiveness. He is our Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, and He always forgives all of our sins. +++ 10/3/19 HIS WITNESSES Scripture: Acts 1:8 "You shall receive power after the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and you shall be witnesses unto me ..." Many times we become burdened with a false sense of responsibility concerning situations and problems in the lives of those around us. As we see their hurts and pains, we become deeply involved in their crisis. In the midst of their adversity and stress, we sometimes experience a "Messiah Syndrome," forgetting that we are but frail humans ourselves. Because we want to help those who are hurting, we forget that we are not their savior and that their deliverance is not held in our hands. We try to act as god in their life rather than merely interceding in prayer and being the witness that we are called to be. Eventually after much anxiety and wasted effort on our part, we come to this startling realization: I did not suffer shame - therefore, I can not deliver. I did not bear the stripes on my back - therefore, I can not heal. I did not sweat drops of blood - therefore, I can not relieve anxiety. I did not wear a crown of thorns on my brow - therefore, I can not give peace. I did not die on a cross - therefore, I can not redeem. I did not rise from the dead - I am not God. Jesus was the one who suffered these pains for humanity and He is the Messiah who is anointed by God. Only He can set the captive free, for all power is held in His hands. He understands the needs of those who suffer pain and He is touched by their feelings and weaknesses. He loves them and is just as concerned for them as we are and He is waiting to help. As the Lord's witness, our purpose is to simply point those who are hurting to Him. We must put them in His awesome hands and trust Him for their deliverance. Hebrews 4:14-15 says, "Jesus, the Son of God, is our great High Priest who has gone to Heaven itself to help us; therefore let us never stop trusting Him. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses because He had the same temptations that we experience, but He never once gave way to them and sinned. So let us come boldly to the very throne of God and stay there to receive His mercy and to find His grace to help us in our times of need." Jesus is the answer. We are simply His witnesses. +++ 10/04/19 NO COMPLAINTS Scripture: Philippians 2:14 "Do all things without complaining or arguing." Does this scripture really mean that we are to do everything without complaining and have a right attitude in every situation? That sounds a bit hard. Our first thought is that the Apostle Paul, who wrote these words of instructions, probably did not understand all the hardships that we would have to face. He must not have known that we would have people on the job, our families, and others in our social life to contend with. He must not have realized that we would have assignments that we did not want to do. The trash would have to be taken out and the lawn kept. There would be meals to cook and dishes and clothes to wash every day. Paul should have made allowances for some of the complaints that we would want to voice. Yet we fail to consider that Paul went through much worse tribulation and persecution than we will ever experience, and he still remained without complaint. These few words, "Do all things without complaining or arguing", lay a lot of responsibility upon us, yet they are not meant to be burdensome. Instead, they are meant to be for our good. The apostle Paul spoke these words knowing quite well that God was working in us to do His will and His good pleasure (verse 13). When God speaks, He wants His believers to simply obey His Words. Verse fourteen through fifteen tells us the reason why we are to obey without complaining. It is because our very actions speak of Jesus to a world that Paul described as crooked and perverse. When we live without murmuring and refuse to engage in disputes, we become blameless and harmless before them and without rebuke. They can find no legitimate cause in their refusal to hear our message concerning the gospel. One minister suggested that the way to break the habit of murmuring was to write each complaint on paper. Then, when we saw all of our complaints written out, we would realize how much we complained and understand how trivial our thoughts really are. Without a doubt, we must work to control our tongue and keep our attitude intact so that our labor is not in vain (Verse 16). When we do all things with joy, our witness will become as a shining light. We will be like stars in the universe to all those around us and they will respond to us as we hold forth the Word of Life. +++ 10/07/19 WHERE IS GOD? Scripture: Psalms 42:5 "Why be down cast? Why be discouraged and sad? Hope in God?" God is your heavenly Father and He wants you to feel safe, protected, and loved. He wants you to know that you have nothing to fear because He is in control of every situation in your life. You are to be as a small child in His loving arms. He said that He would never put more upon you than you could bear. And He promised you grace and strength for every challenge that life has to offer. You will never have to face hardships and disappointments alone because He said, "I am with you always, even until the end of the world." (Matthew 28:20) The writer of this psalm was discouraged and sad because of his circumstances. He was exiled in a foreign land and his enemies mocked him continually, saying, "Where is your God?" He longed to return to Jerusalem so that he could worship God in the temple again. He was so thirsty for the presence of God that he compared himself to a deer panting for a water brook. He revealed the depth of his oppression and despair as he spoke of being in tears night and day. There were times that he even questioned God saying, "Why have you forgotten me?" His emotions took him on a roller coaster ride. When he was down, he poured out his soul to the Lord in despair and then when he was up, he remembered the goodness of God and began to praise Him. He spoke of his adverse circumstances, then memories of past victories flooded his mind and he rejoiced and sang in the darkness of his hour. The doubts of his mind challenged the faith in his heart, but immediately his spirit rose within him and he finally came to this conclusion and confession of hope. Speaking to himself, he said, "Don't be discouraged. Don't be upset. Expect God to act! ... He is my help! He is my God!" Do you wonder where God is in your situation right now? He wants you to know that He is in the same place that He was when He created you. God is sitting on His throne and is high above the confusion and turmoil that you are facing right now. Although you may feel like you are held captive by circumstances that are beyond your control, remember that God is still God. He is your help! Do not be discouraged if your finances do not take a sudden turnaround the moment you pray and do not be confused when your health does not spring forth immediately. Do not allow your emotions to stretch you from high to low because you do not have all the answers. Isaiah 50:10 says, "Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the Name of the Lord and rely on his God." When you have no answers, submit to God's deeper work and simply trust in Him. Instead of being cast down or discouraged, be encouraged knowing that God is your Father and He is there in the dark with you. +++ 10/08/19 FIRM CHOICE Scripture: Luke 9:61 "Lord, I will follow Thee; but let me first go and bid them farewell which are at home at my house." Jesus extended an awesome invitation for men to follow Him in His ministry, but His offer was met with excuses. The reasons may have sounded legitimate but Jesus wanted total surrender to His call and His voice of direction. Jesus' answer to this man's plea to wait until later was, "No man who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God." Jesus was looking for more than faith; He was also looking for a determined focus to His agenda and immediate commitment to His will. The most limiting thing in life is a firm choice to be totally submitted to God's will. Total submission means that we must continually deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow the Lord. It is a forward walk in His foot prints every step of the way. There is no time to look back at the failures or successes of yesterday and there is no room to wander from the straight and narrow path. Think about yourself and the circle that is about you. A circle has 360 degrees. As you position yourself at the edge of that circle, see yourself standing on the first degree. This means there will be 359 degrees remaining or in other words there will be 359 other directions that you could go. Most of us would never think of turning and going 180 degrees in the opposite direction of God's will, but many times we do alter our course by a slight degree. We fail to realize that if we go one degree in the wrong direction for a length of time, we will eventually be very far from the presence and purposes of God. There are many distractions and temptations in life. Jesus declared that if we are considering any options other than following Him, we are not ready for His kingdom. Being human is a challenge because living in the natural conflicts with life in the spiritual. So we need to understand that God's ideas are better than ours and then walk as wise servants of the Most High God. Our present season is a seed for our future. What we do today will determine our tomorrow. We have a choice to either follow our own way, the persuasions of others, or the voice of the Living God. We must ask ourselves these questions, "What did God tell me to do?" and "Am I doing it?" When we discover the answer, then we must put our hand to the plow, follow Him, and never look back. +++ 10/9/19 EVERYTHING BEAUTIFUL Scripture: Ecclesiastes 3:11 "He has made everything beautiful in His time." God orchestrates our lives and fashions it for His purposes. We do not always understand what God is doing, but we do know that His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. God's timing is also a great mystery in our lives. He ordains not only the seasons, but also the individual moments that we experience. Everything is held in His hands. We often think that we are waiting upon God when in reality He is waiting on us. He waits for us until we are prepared for the journey that is set before us. God is wise and will not send us into battle until we are ready and He will not use us for His glorious purposes until the spiritual fruit is ripened in our lives. Each phase of our life is a preparation time for the next level. We must learn that when we are not doing exactly what we want to do or seemly not accomplishing very much we need to wait on the Lord. If we will use that waiting time wisely, we will be ready when God is ready. We should be encouraged as we look at the men in scriptures who experienced long waiting periods before God allowed them to complete their purposes. Moses was sent to the backside of the desert for forty long years before God spoke to him from a burning bush. Joseph endured the pits and prisons for sixteen years before his dreams and visions came to pass. King David waited patiently upon the timing of God for his kingdom to be established and in one of his psalms he declared, "My times are in your hands" (Psalms 31:15). The Apostle Paul spent eight years in the desert preparing for the ministry set before him. God, Himself, also waited four thousand years after the fall of man in the Garden of Eden before He sent His Son to redeem the world from sin. God may have wanted to do something earlier but He waited until the fullness of time had come before He released Jesus to complete His divine purpose (Galatians 4:4). We must put our faith in God and forget about the timetable of our life, for God is aware of our limited life span. In His perfect way, He will put everything together at the right time. He will see to every detail and arrange every circumstance. He will even change the hearts of others who need to be involved in our dream. He will order every step of our way to bring to pass the things that He has planned. So until your dreams actually come to pass, wait on God and realize that wherever you are and whatever you are doing right now, you are actually on the way to where you are going. Do not try to push or rush God because He will get you there at your appointed time. He has a special timing for every event in your life and as long as you wait for Him, He will make everything beautiful in His time. +++ 10/11/19 THE BREAD OF LIFE Scripture: John 6:35 "And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to Me shall never hunger and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst." This is a beautiful promise for our lives but it demands an act of obedience on our part; that is, we must come to Jesus for spiritual nourishment and water. We may look many directions for fulfillment, but Jesus is the only one who is truly able to satisfy our hunger and quench our thirst because our real needs are not physical or material. They are spiritual. Jesus told us not to take thought about what we were going to eat, drink, or wear, but instead to seek the Kingdom of God first and then all of these things would be added to us (Matthew 6:32-33). A spirit of deception will attempt to lure us into believing otherwise. Yet, even when we have obtained everything that life has to offer, our inner man will cry out within us for something more fulfilling, for only Jesus can satisfy our souls. When the Israelites wandered in the wilderness for forty years, they always had a daily provision of food. It was called manna and it came down from Heaven every morning, except for the double portion that came so that they could rest on the Sabbath. The manna was fresh each day and it sustained their physical lives. It was all they needed for nourishment and strength. We must have food and water each day to function and maintain our lives. Nourishment is necessary and it is something that we pursue with passion. If we fail to eat or drink then our physical bodies will cry out and remind us that something is missing. Even an infant feels the pangs of hunger and thirst even though it does not understand that it cannot live on yesterday's nourishment. So it is with your spirit. There is a spiritual hunger and thirst within you that cannot be denied. Your spirit needs fresh bread and living water from Heaven every day. It cannot live on yesterday's nourishment or past experiences. Jesus spoke of the manna in the wilderness and He then declared that He was the bread which came down from Heaven (John 6:49-51). He is all that you need, but you must come to Him in order to gather this precious manna every day. You must study His Word, pray, worship, and fellowship in His presence. He promises to be there for you every time that you need Him. Jesus will never leave you or forsake you. He will be the bread and water that will nourish and restore your soul. His presence will fill the void and empty places of your heart and His Spirit will settle your mind to know His will. His provision will wipe away every lack and His strength will swallow up your greatest weaknesses. He is your fresh manna and your living water. When you come to Jesus, you can depend upon Him to satisfy your hunger and quench your thirst. +++ 10/14/19 SHOW ME YOUR GLORY Scripture: Exodus 33:18 "And Moses said, I beseech You, show me Your glory." When Moses asked God to allow him to see His glory, God showed Himself to Moses. God did not show Moses the glorious universe that He had created. He did not point to all of the galaxies with its multitude of stars and planets. Nor did God show Moses the beautiful mountains, valleys, rivers, or oceans that He had called into existence with just a few words. God hid Moses in the cleft of the rock and covered him with His hand. Then the Almighty God allowed Moses a brief glimpse of His backside as He passed by. Later, Exodus 34:6-7 tells us that the Lord passed by before Moses and proclaimed, "The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth. Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin..." These attributes were the glory of God. Sometimes we do not realize it, but we are right in the midst of God's glory. We may not actually see a supernatural manifestation or a beautiful cloud swirling about us, but we experience His gracious actions toward us. His glory is manifested to us in the way of undeserved mercy, goodness, truth, and forgiveness. We may look for a sighting or something spectacular but instead God surrounds us with His glorious love and holiness. What more could we ask for? God has never hidden me in the cleft of the rock and allowed me the honor of seeing His backside as He passed by like He did with Moses. I have never seen the visible manifestation of God and yet I have experienced the glories of His mercy when I deserved judgment and cruel punishment. God has shown me the glory of His longsuffering as He tenderly dealt with me to change my heart and to redirect my paths when I was going astray. I also have seen the glories of His goodness toward me when He abundantly provided for my needs spiritually, physically, financially, and emotionally. I have witnessed the glory of His spirit of truth, which has never failed. God’s glory has never been absent from my life, for even though I could not touch Him or see Him, I have felt and known that His presence was near. I have never heard the audible voice of God but I have experienced the glory of His still small voice speaking a Word in due season to my heart. As we think about these seven simple words that Moses spoke, let us make them a daily profound petition to God for our personal life. Let us pray to our Father, God, "I ask You, show me Your glory." +++ 10/15/19 GOD'S WAY IS PERFECT Scripture: Psalms 18:30 (NIV) "As for God, His way is perfect; the Word of the Lord is flawless." We live in a real world, which is not perfect in any way. At times things seem to be in order and at other times there is great chaos. There are floods, fires, hurricanes, earthquakes, and personal problems that come in our direction. Our goal in the midst of these adversities must be to remain peaceful in all situations. We may not understand all that is happening around us, but what we do need to understand is that God is perfect in every way and that He is watching over us. What is happening in our own personal lives at the moment is not just an event but a process. It is a stepping-stone to help us get to the next place that God has ordained for us. God is doing something far greater in our lives than we can ever imagine, for the Lord's ways are much higher than our ways and His thoughts are greater than our thoughts. We may stand, weeping, beside an open grave that has been prepared for our loved one. We may watch as our leaders and heroes fail before us. Our friends and family may reject and abandon us when we need them the most. The truth is that things will not always turn out as we have planned. Yet, as we face the disappointments and the challenges that are set before us, we must remember that God's promises are always flawless. When He speaks, He makes no mistakes and He never fails. There are no idle words that come from His mouth, for each Word and every promise will come to pass just as He has declared. Isaiah 40:8 says, "The grass will wither, the flower will fade, but the Word of the Lord will stand forever." God is steadfast and we must trust Him at all times. We are His children and He has our best interest in His heart. Adversity does not signal that you are off course. When you are walking towards God and you are in His will, you are facing the devil who is walking in the opposite direction. So do not allow yourself to become discouraged by every speed bump in the road that slows you down. Just keep moving in faith. If you are unable to see the path before you because the problems are too great, just take one step at a time. Continue on the journey that God has set before you and remember that His ways are perfect and His Word is flawless. He will not fail you. +++ 10/16/19 ANYWHERE, ANYTIME, ANY COST Scripture: Matthew 26:8 "When the disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste?" Jesus was sitting down for a meal with his disciples when a woman approached Him carrying an alabaster box that contained very precious ointment. This small box of ointment was worth approximately a year's wages. When she began to pour this precious ointment upon Jesus' head, it caused much turmoil amongst His own disciples. They could not see the purpose of this act and felt that it was very wasteful. They thought that the ointment could have been put to better use if it had been sold and the proceeds given to the poor. Jesus commended the woman's actions, however, by saying, "Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a good work upon Me ... She did this for My burial." Can you imagine being able to save up a year's salary? For most of us, it would take many years for us to do that because after we pay our bills and necessities each month, we have very little left over. For me, it would be a great temptation to dip into those funds every time a special need came up. Yet somehow this woman was able to save the ointment for this occasion even though she may not have understood at the time why she was even saving it. She probably never dreamed that God had a special purpose or that He was going to use her gift to honor His Son. It is said, "What we receive too cheaply, we esteem too lightly." To her, Jesus was worth every drop of this expensive ointment, so she did not count the cost as a loss. And while others esteemed her actions as waste, she esteemed her sacrifice as an honor to the Son of God. There was a man from India who came to America in hopes of a better life. His dream came true and after many years he had gained a prosperous and wonderful life. Yet, God called him to give up everything and return to his poverty stricken homeland to minister. After a season of struggling with the desires of his own soul, he obeyed God's command. He made a commitment to God declaring, "Anywhere, Anytime, Any Cost." We must understand that God's purposes are not designed to fit our lives but our lives are meant to fit His purposes. We may not understand the things that are happening in our lives but we can be sure that the things we are going through are producing precious ointment within our souls. We may not have an alabaster box that is filled with precious ointment but we do have a heart and it should be filled with a desire to do God's will. If we give our all to the Lord, every sacrifice that we make will be used in its season for His glory. Others may question our sacrifice and have indignation because they see it is as a waste, but we must remain true to God's purpose and be ready when He is ready. Our commitment should always be "Anywhere, Anytime, Any Cost!" +++ 10/17/19 GRACE TO THE HUMBLE Scripture: I Peter 5:5 "God resists the proud, and gives grace to the humble." Two opposing forces that battle against each other in our spirits are pride and humility. Not only do these two forces battle within our own spirits, but they are also acknowledged and dealt with by God. God resists the spirit of pride and He exalts the spirit of humility. Pride is deceived, lifts itself up to the level of God, and declares, 'I did it'; while humility recognizes the truth and says, 'God did it'. Even Jesus declared that He could do nothing of His own self (John 5:30). He could only judge as the Father judged, speak as the Father spoke, and do what the Father showed Him to do. Jesus was able to accomplish the purposes of God because He was meek and humble and He walked in strict obedience to the Father's Word. Like Jesus, if we are going to minister to people and change the world, we are going to have to be concerned about the things that are important to God. God hates pride so much that He does not even want us to look proud. Proverbs 6:16-17 includes a proud look with the things that are an abomination to God. A proud look is listed among with the sins such as a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, wicked imaginations, false witness, mischief, and sowing discord. We all want to be humble and appear to others as being humble. We may even be proud that we are so very humble, but humility is not just an act. Humility is a heart attitude that never takes the honor or glory for the work that is done. We may be called and have the anointing of God upon our lives, but God's plan will be hindered if pride stands in the way. We will not experience God's best if we are not adhering to His demands. We must examine our own situations. If we feel that there should be things happening in our lives that are not happening, it is not God's fault. It is ours, for disobedience stops His blessings. God resists the proud and He is not going to bring us up to the next level and give us another assignment until we get our hearts right. We must ask God to deliver us from the spirit of pride and to fill our hearts with humility so that we can receive His grace. +++ 10/18/19 TRUST HIS SOLUTIONS Scripture: James 1:2 "When you fall into various temptations..." James, the writer of this epistle, took it for granted that the followers of Jesus Christ would encounter various trials and temptations. He was aware that challenges would come against their deep desire to walk uprightly. He knew that spiritual falls were inevitable, so he did not say "if" you fall, but rather "when" you fall. Falls are never planned. They just happen suddenly and without warning. You find yourself going down and like a physical fall there is nothing you can do but brace yourself and hope for the best. In verses two through five, James gives instructions as to what to do when we fall into temptation and our faith is being tried. He says, "When you fall, be joyful, be patient, and ask God for wisdom." When you are able to maintain your joy and patience it puts enormous pressure on the devil. As we respond to the situation in joy, we are letting the devil know that we believe that God is still the One on the throne, and that He is in control regardless of what is happening. As we remain patient, allowing God to do a perfect work, we in essence show that we are trusting God's perfect timing. Our faith speaks and says, "Everything is in God's hands." His Word assures us that He will not put more upon us than we are able to bear. We know that if things get too rough, God will make a way of escape. He is the keeper of His eternal Word. However, our enemy, the devil, is roaming about seeking whom he can devour and we are his open prey. He knows our individual weaknesses and uses every means to cause us to stumble and fall. But if we ask God for His guidance and help, He will provide a way out of each temptation and every trial. He is the God of all wisdom and He is still the Almighty Creator. He will create a way where there seems to be no way. He can make a way in the wilderness or streams in the desert. Nothing is too hard or impossible with God. He specializes in rivers that seem to be un-crossable. And He overpowers mountains that are too big and dense to be tunneled through. God’s wisdom is so much higher than our wisdom and He can do what no other being or power can do. God is the God of all grace, and He wants to impart Himself and His wisdom to you. The Lord always has your best interest in mind. What a marvelous thought. So in the midst of temptation, stop for a moment and in simple faith ask God for His wisdom and then trust His solutions. +++ 10/21/19 BEHAVE VALIANTLY Scripture: I Chronicles 19:13 "Let us behave ourselves valiantly." King David sent Joab to fight against Ammon and Syria. When Joab saw that the battle was set against him, he very quickly divided his army between his brother and himself. He reasoned with his brother to behave valiantly and to work together with him against the enemy. Joab told his brother, "If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you come help me. And if Ammon is too strong for you, then I will help you." When these two forces joined together, they became stronger and they were able to win the battle and cause their enemies to flee before them. Just as Joab and his brother fought valiantly for each other, you and I need to be allies in the spirit and fight for one another, for none of us are able to stand alone in our battle against the enemy. The devil makes himself strong and "roams about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour" (I Peter 5:8). Our job is to be continually vigilant, watching for his attacks. When we see that the enemy has become too strong for our brothers in Christ, we need to come to their rescue, pray for them, counsel with them, and either render supply or find help for them in their time of need. We should also be ready to receive help from our spiritual brothers in Christ when they come to our aid because we all have the same Father and the same enemy. Paul told us to bear one another's burdens (Galatians 6:1-2). James told us to pray for one another that we may be healed (James 5:16). We have a responsibility to stand and fight for each other, and not work against each other. Even when our Christian brother is taken in a fault, we are to restore him in a spirit of humility and meekness lest we be tempted in the same manner. When we restore our brother, we fulfill the law of Christ, which is to love our brothers as Christ loved the church. However, too often the sad fact remains, we shun and criticize our spiritual brothers when they are under attack and like the lyrics of the song, "we shoot our wounded." In Matthew 18:19, Jesus said, "If two of you agree on earth as touching any thing that you ask, it shall be done for you of my Father which is in Heaven." He promised to be in our midst even if there were just two or three gathered in His Name. What a powerful promise that is. Deuteronomy 32:30 says, "One will chase a thousand, and two will put ten thousand to flight." This scripture declares that our strength and power in the spirit does not just double when we get into unity with other believers, but it actually grows to the tenth power. Determine to take God at His Word and then act valiantly. When you see your brother's need run to his side and help rescue him from the enemy. +++ 10/22/19 ESTABLISHED WITH GRACE Scripture: Hebrews 13:9 "Be not carried away with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace." There are many religions and many doctrines that we will hear about while we are traveling the pathway to eternity. Some of them will be good and true, but others will be wrapped up in deceit. God never intended for religion to be difficult, but unfortunately there is a devil that works subtly behind the scenes to corrupt the simplicity that is in Christ (II Corinthians 11:3). The devil successfully beguiled Eve in the Garden of Eden and he works just as hard to get us to believe his lies. The writer of Hebrews warns us not to be carried away or follow after the strange doctrines that the devil creates, for there is no room for error in our convictions. Instead, we must understand truth and be established in what we believe. It is amazing that people can read the same scriptures and come up with so many different conclusions. For example when Jesus healed the blind man in John 9:6-11 several things occurred. Jesus spat on the ground, made clay with the spittle, anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, and then told him to go wash in the pool of Siloam. The man was healed and received his sight, but which of these things, if any, brought about his healing? One religion would say that it was the spit from the mouth of Jesus. While another would declare that healing came from the clay that was mixed with the spittle. Another group would hold to the doctrine that healing came when Jesus, Himself, touched and anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. Others would say that healing came when the Son of the Living God spoke the Word of healing. The last group would declare that it was none of the above, but that healing came from the water that the blind man washed in at the pool of Siloam. Each group would declare their own doctrine and make an attempt to convince others to believe and follow them. At the end, true doctrine might step in and say that this healing was based on faith, obedience, and the sovereign actions of Almighty God. Strange doctrines are in the world today, but we do not have to fear them if our hearts are established in grace. When we know the truth, the truth will set us free. With every word that comes our way, we can measure it with the Word of God and determine its value and its truth. Jesus assured us that as His sheep, we would recognize His voice and we would not follow another. Let us be careful to listen to the Lord's voice and be determined that our heart will be established and not depart from the simplicity of the gospel of Christ Jesus. +++ 10/23/19 MY SOUL … HOPE IN GOD! Scripture: Psalms 42:1 "As the deer pants after the water brooks, so pants my soul after Thee, O God." Situations brought the psalmist to this desperate place of discouragement and caused him to pant for God like a deer pants for the water. The word pant has a different meaning than just a dry mouth, desire to drink, or simple thirst. It is a loud and rapid breathing process, which is also visible and desperate. Like the writer of this Psalm, have you ever had the following thoughts and questions come to your mind? 1.) God, when will I see you or be able to sense Your presence? - Vs. 2 2.) God, even my tears say, "Where are You?" - Vs. 3 3.) God, why have You forgotten me? - Vs. 9 4.) God, why am I oppressed by the enemy? - Vs. 9 5.) God, even my enemies mock me, and say, "Where is your God?" - Vs. 10 The psalmist so longed for the presence of God that his thirst to find God became audible and visible to those close by. Like a panting deer, he was desperately searching for God's answers and deliverance. The psalmist was thirsting for the living God, for he knew that only God could help him and meet his needs. In his search for God, the psalmist shed many tears, felt rejected and forgotten, and suffered reproach from the mocking enemy. In desperation, he spoke to his own soul and said, "Why are you cast down, O my soul? Why are you disquieted, troubled, and in great commotion within me?" Disquieted means "loud." In other words he was saying, "Emotions, why are you making so much noise on the inside of me?" Does this place seem familiar? Have you felt like you were in a hopeless situation and that everything inside of you was crying out in a loud voice? You felt like a deer running wildly through the forest in search of the water brook. When this happens, I encourage you to slow down and know that God is God. He is still on the throne and He is still in control. Then, address your soul and speak these same positive words that the psalmist spoke to himself when he was in a state of desperation. Tell yourself to hope in God - Vs. 5 Praise Him for the help of His countenance or that His face is turned toward you - Vs. 5 Remember who God is and recall your past victories - Vs. 6 Trust God to command His loving kindness toward you - Vs. 8 Sing songs and pray in the night - Vs. 8 Confess that God is your rock - Vs. 9 Praise Him for He is your God - Vs. 11 Speak to your soul to hope in God. As you allow your soul to pant after God, He will manifest Himself to you and quench your thirst. +++ 10/24/19 CHEERFUL GIVER Scripture: II Corinthians 9:7 "... God loves a cheerful giver." God loves a cheerful giver, but He never intended for us to give to Him because He was in need. God has no lack whatsoever because He created everything and owns everything. There is nothing existing that He cannot duplicate and there is no new thing that He cannot create. If He needs a stream in the desert, He simply carves out a place with His own hands and it is there. If He needs a dry pathway through the sea, He rolls back the water with the wind of His breath. If He needs the mountain to be moved, just one word from His lips will cause it to come to pass. If God wants to provide a meal for several thousand people, He blesses a small portion of fish and a few loaves of bread and causes it to multiply. He can also change the water into wine. He can plant a seed of life into the barren womb of an older woman or even a young virgin woman and create life where there was no hope. He can also give life back to the dead, sight to the blind, and cause the deaf to hear. He can make the withered hand stretch forth like new and cause the lame to walk. He can create, multiply, restore, and resurrect. He is almighty God and He is unlimited and unstoppable. God is not desperate for our help, but knows that we desperately need His help. He knows the seed that we sow will produce a greater harvest for us in return. Yet, the process of the harvest will not begin until the seed is planted. In the natural or spiritual, a seed that is never sown will never produce. Our mere intentions to plant or to give will never reap a harvest. God is our Father and He wants us to have more in life than we need but He will only multiply what we sow. Verse six says, "He who sows sparingly shall reap sparingly and he which sows bountifully shall reap bountifully." God allows us to be in control of our seed, but the harvest remains in His hands and produces according to His law of the harvest. Sow little, reap little. Sow much, reap much. Sow nothing and when it is multiplied, it remains nothing. God shares all that He has with us cheerfully and He wants us to give back to Him and others in the same manner. We are instructed not to give grudgingly or out of necessity. God does not need the money or the item that we are giving but He wants us to give because it is a picture of our love for Him, our honor to Him, and our trust in Him. Everything that we have or will ever have came because of God's great love and provision for us. He is the source of our supply and we should follow His example of sharing. We should give cheerfully whenever we give because of our gratitude for the Lord's blessings to us and our intimate feelings for Him. +++ 10/25/19 ONE ANOTHER Scripture: Romans 12:5 "So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and everyone members of one another." Just before the Apostle Paul made this statement that the believers of Christ are all members of His body, He told us to present ourselves as a living sacrifice unto God, which is our reasonable service. He also said that we are not to be conformed to the world's way of thinking. Instead, we are to be transformed by the renewing of our mind through the Word of God. The world's view is to be more concerned about yourself than others, but a believer of Christ should consider others before themselves. Believers should also endeavor to function in unity, one with another. Like a body with different parts we possess different gifts and ministries, but we are still members of one body and should encourage and exhort one another daily so that the body of Christ can be strong in the Earth. It is evident that the Lord wanted us to care for one another because He inspired holy men of God to write scriptures to instruct us in the ways that we were to treat one another. It is quite amazing but the Lord uses us to touch others for Him and to do what is in His heart. Following is a partial list that defines the expectations of the Lord and tells us how we are to treat one another: 1) We are not to oppress 'one another' or take advantage of 'one another' (Lev. 25:17). 2) We are to love 'one another' as Jesus loved us (John 13:34). 3) We are to be kindly affectionate 'one to another', and in honor to prefer 'one another' (Rom. 12:10). 4) We are not to judge 'one another' (Rom. 14:13). 5) We are to serve 'one another' in love (Gal. 5:13). 6) We are not to destroy or devour 'one another' (Gal. 5:15). 7) We are not to provoke 'one another' to envy (Gal. 5:26). 8) We are to forbear or be patient to 'one another' in love (Eph. 4:2). 9) We are to forgive 'one another' as God forgave us (Eph. 4:32). 10) We are to teach and instruct 'one another' (Col. 3:16). 11) We are to comfort 'one another' with the Word of God (I Thess. 4:18). 12) We are to edify or build up 'one another' (I Thess. 5:11). 13) We are to exhort 'one another' daily (Heb. 3:13). 14) We are to consider 'one another' and to provoke 'one another' to love and good works (Heb. 10:24). 15) We are to submit ourselves 'one to another' (Eph. 5:21). 16) We are not to lie to 'one another' (Col. 3:9). 17) We are to pray for 'one another' (James 5:16). 18) We are to show hospitality 'one to another' (I Peter 4:9). 19) We are to minister 'one to another' (I Peter 4:10). This is not an exhaustive list, but God's intentions are very plain. It is apparent that He wanted us to love and minister to one another just as our own body cares for its many members. When a part of our personal body has a need or is in pain, the entire body rushes to its rescue regardless of whether it is a large member or a small member. Our body comforts and cares for itself. One hand is there for the other hand. Its members work one with another until the body is healed and functioning well. I encourage you to consider the scriptures above and allow them to renew your mind and transform your thinking. Let them guide you as you minister to others. Remember that you are not only a part of the Body of Christ but also members one of another. +++ 10/28/19 GRACE FOR GRACE Scripture: John 1:16 "And of His fullness have we all received grace for grace." Grace is defined as the unmerited favor of God and is the basis of our salvation and justification. It is undeserved and can never be earned because it comes only by the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross. The Apostle Paul said, "For by grace are you saved through faith ... not of yourselves ... it is a gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8). Because God is full of grace, He forgives and passes over all of our transgressions. John 1:14 says, "The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." Almost 2,000 years ago our Father God said "No" to His only begotten Son, Jesus, so that He could say "Yes" to us. God sacrificed His Son so that we could have eternal life. Jesus pleaded with God the Father in the garden that the cup of suffering would pass from Him. But the Father denied Jesus' request so that He could redeem all of us from death, Hell, and the grave. God's mercy speaks to us and says, "I forgive you of your sin. You do not have to pay for it." God's grace says, "I will sacrifice my only begotten Son to pay for your sin." God's grace is awesome and overwhelming. Like the words to the song, "I owed a debt I could not pay - He paid a debt He did not owe." Grace took our place on the cross and was crucified. Scriptures declare that Jesus was full of grace and truth. We still behold the glory of the grace of the Lord as it continues to work daily, bringing about salvation in every area of our lives. "Grace for grace" means that He piles one grace upon another grace. Out of His fullness and abundance He gives us one spiritual blessing after another. His grace in our lives is so amazing. Just when we think God should give up on us, He comes through with forgiveness again, and says, "If you confess your sin, I will be faithful and just to forgive your sins and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness." He says, "I will supply all your needs through Christ Jesus." It is just one unmerited thing after another, grace upon grace. The Apostle Paul experienced the glory of God's grace for grace in such a manner that he declared, "I take pleasure in infirmities, reproaches, necessities, persecutions, and distresses for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then am I strong." God will bestow upon you the same grace that Paul experienced and regardless of the challenges you may face, you will find that God's grace will always be sufficient for every need (II Cor. 12:9-10). +++ 10/29/19 HOW LONG WILL YOU MOURN? Scripture: Isaiah 61:1 & 3 "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me ... to appoint unto them that mourn ... to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness." Jesus came to fulfill this prophecy in Isaiah, but it is up to us to receive His finished work. We must make an effort to get out of the ashes, shake off the spirit of heaviness that is upon us, and praise God in the midst of our hurts. It is a matter of choice and action on our part. When we do our part, God does His part. When He sees us step away from the ashes of our broken dreams, He begins to restore our lives and exchanges the empty past for a beautiful tomorrow. He gives us joy as we look to Him and as we lay aside our grief and disappointments. And as we praise Him, He surrounds us with a supernatural garment that displaces the spirit of heaviness that had attached itself to us. Mourning is not just related to death. It can be brought on by any number of other experiences and failures. The psalmist said that he mourned because of the "oppression of the enemy" (Psalms 42:9). Mourning is a spirit, and it is the work of the enemy. When we allow ourselves to continually mourn over disappointments, we find ourselves in the ashes and overcome by a spirit of heaviness. We are weighed down with the cares of life. In our devastation, hopelessness engulfs us. We can see no beauty and we have no joy. Ecclesiastes 3:4-6 says, "There is a time to weep ... a time to mourn ... a time to lose." These times bring understanding and insight into our lives, causing us to have compassion for others who may be experiencing the same conflicts. But there comes a time to move out of that state of mourning and allow God to heal our hearts of its hurts and wounds, for there is also a time to "laugh ... a time to dance ... and a time to receive." Samuel mourned because Saul had rebelled against God. God asked Samuel, "How long will you mourn?" (I Samuel 16:1). God wanted Samuel to forget the past and go on with the future. Paul said it another way in Philippians 3:13-14. He said, "Forget the past." In other words, quit mourning over what could have been or should have been. You must look to the future and "press toward the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." God wants to bring restoration to you. If you allow Him, God will use every bitter situation that you have encountered to enrich your life and cause "all things to work together for your good" (Romans 8:28). God extends His Spirit of Grace to you. How long will you mourn? Begin this very moment to allow God to supernaturally move you from mourning into a place of beauty, joy, and praise. +++ 10/30/19 STRENGTH IN QUIETNESS Scripture: Mark 15:5 "But Jesus answered nothing; so that Pilate marveled." The tongue is a small member of our body, but it controls the course of our life like the rudder that controls the direction of a ship (James 3:4-5). It takes much strength and discipline to control the tongue and remain silent in the midst of accusing voices. Yet we see Jesus as He did just that. The chief priest, elders, scribes, and the whole council delivered Jesus to Pilate for interrogation. There were many false things witnessed against Him, but Jesus did not try to defend Himself. Rather, He responded in the power of quietness and stillness. Jesus could have called the angels to the scene or demonstrated some sort of miracle in the midst of His accusers to prove His identity, but He just stood there silently, and Pilate marveled at His response. Jesus' quiet response came because He was confident in who He was. He knew He was the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Jesus lived in this confidence and demonstrated it in His quietness. There was no need on His part to prove to anyone that He was the King of the Jews. Jesus allowed His Heavenly Father to validate His identity. On three different occasions God said, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Why can't we be like Jesus and exercise this same self control? Instead, we try to have the last word to prove a point or defend our stand. We somehow feel that if we stay in the verbal ring the longest, we are the victors in the confrontation or debate. We try to prove who we are and what we know rather than depending upon God's validation. Isaiah 30:15 says, "In quietness and in confidence shall be your strength." Confidence in the God we serve allows His power to quietly work within us. His gentle strength within us becomes a mystery to our enemies. Like Pilate's response to Jesus, those about us will marvel at our quietness and our strength. When we give a soft answer, it will turn away their wrath and conquer the evil that is set against us. They will be amazed at our forgiveness towards them, which will set them free. And they will be overwhelmed by the love of God that flows through our lives, and through this love they will be drawn to our Savior. +++ 10/31/19 FAITH IN LIFE AND DEATH SITUATIONS Scripture: Job 13:15 "Though He slay me, yet I will trust in Him." The devil sought to dislodge Job from his faith by destroying his possessions, killing his children, destroying the respect that his wife had for him, afflicting his body with disease, and separating him from the bonds that he had with his friends. Yet, Job remained strong and faithful in all of his sufferings and did not charge God foolishly. He placed his life in the hands of God and determined to trust in Him even if it meant death to his physical body. This showed Job's great faith in the goodness and the sovereignty of God. It is one thing to have faith for life, but it is quite another to have faith for death. It is easy to have faith when you are walking on the water, but it becomes difficult to maintain that same faith when you begin to sink. It is not so hard to worship God and stand for the things you believe in until you are faced with the fiery furnace for expressing those beliefs. It is easy to say prayers in public, but it would be frightening if you knew the consequences of saying those prayers was a lion's den. It is not so difficult to believe that your ship can make it to the other side of the lake until a raging storm begins to toss you about in the midst of your voyage. We have to admit that the threat of death is a great challenge to our faith. Yet, I believe that when this one foe is conquered, we are brought to a higher level. Like Job, we must come to understand that we can trust the One who created our bodies and that death has no sting for the child of God. If our Heavenly Father wants to take us home with Him, we must have faith to submit to His bidding, and say, "Though He slay me, I will trust in Him." The furnace we face may be heated seven times hotter, but we must trust the One who kindles the fire and realize that except for the final episode of our lives, it is not intended to consume us, but to refine us so that we can come forth as pure gold. Neither are the raging storms meant to destroy us, but to show us that the Lord is the Master of the Sea. Our lives may have many hardships, tangles. and tears, but if we use our mouths to pray and worship, God will close the mouths of the lions and keep us safe when we are in their midst. Each of our Earthly challenges are meant to show us Heaven's provisions and bring us to a place of faith so that we can have victory in the midst of life situations and in the midst of even death itself. +++ Copyright © 2019 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved www.widsonline.com			..............................