| ............ | A Word In Due Season JUNE 2021 6/1/21 PEACE IN THE STORM Scripture: Mark 4:40 "Why are you fearful? How is it that you have no faith?" Jesus told His Disciples to go to the other side of the lake. However, He did not tell them about the storms that they would encounter while trying to get to the other side. Neither did He mention the difficulty they would have in obeying His command or trying fulfill His will. Have you ever followed the leading of the Holy Spirit and found yourself in a seemingly bad situation? You know that you are in the will of God, yet you find yourself in a great storm, your boat is filling up with water, your life is in jeopardy, and although you know Jesus is there with you, it seems that He is asleep. These times become very frustrating because we cannot understand what is happening or why God does not intervene immediately and take care of the whole situation. We allow our emotions to take control and we react to our situations like the Disciples did. They asked Jesus, "Do you not care?" Their very words showed their feelings of rejection. Have you ever felt that God did not even care about you or your situation? You see God answering other people's prayers and working on their behalf, but He is strangely silent concerning you. There seems to be no answers or help for you as you stand alone in your dilemma. In Psalm 42:3 the psalmist said, "My tears have been my meal day and night, while they continually say unto me, 'Where is your God?'" Even his tears were questioning his circumstances. The Disciples were feeling the same way about Jesus. They were afraid that He was going to let them perish in the storm. They forgot that His words to them were, "Let us go to the other side." The Lord’s intention was to get to the other side of the lake safely. The storm in the middle of the lake was just a test of their faith. Yet, the disciples allowed their emotions, their feeling of rejection, and their fear to destroy their faith. In Luke's account of this story, Jesus says, "Where is your faith?" He asks us the same question. We must decide, "Is our faith in God, or in what our emotions dictate to us?" Jesus did two things in this adverse situation. He rebuked the wind, then spoke to the sea and said, "Peace be still." He showed us by example that when the storms of life come against us, we are to rebuke the spirit that is the root cause of the situation, and then speak peace to the physical circumstances. We are to place our faith in God and continue in His will despite the contrary winds and adversities that are coming against us. We must believe that if the Lord told us to go to the other side, He will make a way for us to get there. If He told us to do something, He will help us do it. It is very easy to trust God when the sun is shining, but real faith causes you to have peace even in the midst of the raging storm. +++ 6/2/2 BOLD AS A LION Scripture: Proverbs 28:1 "The wicked flee when no man pursues: but the righteous are bold as a lion." Did you ever notice how anxious you become when you know that you have done something wrong and you are in fear that you may get caught? I remember one of those experiences. I had a job that required me to go to the courthouses in seven different precincts of the county, and each time I went there would be numerous police cars in the parking lot. I parked my car right next to theirs without any reservations and even backed into the parking space for easy departure. I boldly displayed my front windshield because I thought that I was in right standing with the law. Little did I know that the inspection sticker on my car had expired five months earlier. One Saturday, as I sat in my car waiting to meet some friends at a restaurant, I noticed that the inspection sticker had expired. When I realized that I was out of the confines of the law, my boldness turned to guilt, and the guilt opened the door to fear. I could not get the car inspected until after the weekend, so from that moment on, I was like the wicked man who fled when no one pursued. I envisioned the police pulling me over and giving me a ticket so I would make unnecessary detours in order to get to my destination. My whole attitude and actions changed because I knew that I was operating against the laws of the land. All through the scriptures, we see righteous men who stood boldly in adverse situations. Moses confronted Pharaoh and Queen Esther persuaded the King against wicked Haman. The Apostle Paul witnessed to the people in spite of the difficulties and persecutions that challenged him and Jesus confronted the religious leaders. There were many others righteous men who did not flinch or run in the heat of the battle. However, there were others who did flee and hide from God because of their unrighteousness. Adam and Eve hid themselves from God in the Garden of Eden because they had eaten the forbidden fruit and Cain hid from God after he had killed his brother, Abel. There is something about the element of spiritual failure and sin in our lives that causes us to want to run and hide from God or the law. Our boldness is dispelled by guilt and fear, and we feel that God is pursuing us so that He can punish us. Yet, God's true desire is not to punish us, but to extend His forgiveness. Hebrews 4:15-16 tells us that the Lord knows how we feel because He was tempted in the same manner as we are when He was here on Earth. He experienced temptation so that He could free us from sin. God is waiting for our simple confession and when we own up to our sins, He is faithful to forgive and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (I John 1:9). The choice is ours. We can allow ourselves to be pursued by guilt and fear or to become bold as lions through repentance. Let us make the right choice. +++ 6/3/21 PROMISE GIVER Scripture: Hebrews 3:19 "So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief." Joshua and Caleb were allowed to enter the Promised Land because they simply trusted God and believed His Word of promise. The rest of the Israelites who had come out of Egypt with them wandered around in the wilderness for forty years but failed to enter into God's promise because of their unbelief. God gave them a promise and delivered them from the Egyptian bondage with a mighty hand. He then showed them His power and His provision through miraculous signs and wonders as they traveled through the wilderness. Yet, time and time again, they chose to disbelieve God. They had forty years to get it right, but they murmured against God and continually complained about their circumstances. They were never able to come into a place of total trust and confidence in God, and for that reason, they never received what God intended for them to have. They died in the wilderness, just short of the Promised Land. This parallels our own lives, for God has delivered us out of darkness and bondage and He has translated us into the Kingdom of His marvelous light. Yet even though we are in God's Kingdom, most of us are not experiencing the fullness of the things that His Kingdom affords. We suffer lack in many areas of our lives because of our unbelief and do not enter into the rest that God has designed for us. Instead, we wander around in the wilderness and struggle with our circumstances. Darkness, defeat, and discouragement are easy to come by and all that we have to do to experience these things is just exist. Yet, life and light demand faith. We must believe God if we intend to receive His promises and walk victoriously in them. God has always had good plans for you. You do not belong in the desert of despair and lack. Instead you belong in the Promised Land of blessings. As children of the Living God and as joint Heirs with His Son, Jesus Christ, you have been given precious promises. You are not only promised salvation for your soul through the sacrificed life of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary, but God has promised to meet all of your needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus. He has also provided healing by the stripes that were laid upon Jesus' back and He has sent the promise of the Holy Spirit to comfort, teach, and guide you. The Lord has promised to perfect all things that concern you and vowed that He will be with you until the end of the world. 6/4/21 TALKING TO GOD Scripture: Acts 4:24 & 31 "... they lifted up their voice to God with one accord ... and when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together ... " We make prayer very complicated at times, when in reality it is simple communication with someone who loves and cares about our needs and desires. Communion with God is better than talking to our best friend about our problems and heartaches because God understands and He never judges. Besides that, He always has the right answer to every question. We never have to be fearful about going to Him because He told us that we could come boldly before His throne of grace in the time of our need. Even when we fall down, make a mistake, or sin, God said that He would be faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. He is a loving and faithful God, yet many times we fail to exercise our privilege to talk with Him. Instead, we run to everyone else for help when trouble comes and it looks like our world is falling apart. In this scripture setting, the religious leaders, or the Sadducees, were persecuting the church of God because the believers were preaching in the Name of Jesus and teaching about His resurrection. Supernatural power always brings persecution. So in the midst of the persecution, the Disciples went to God in prayer and reminded God of who He was. They said, "Lord, You are the God which made Heaven, Earth, the sea, and all that is in them." The Disciples believed that God was still in control and that there was nothing too hard for Him. They reminded God of what He had said through David, His servant. "The heathen rage and imagine vain things." This was the same situation the church was in. The religious leaders were raging against them because they were doing great things for God. The Disciples asked God to look at their problem and grant them boldness to speak His Word. They not only asked God for boldness to speak, but also to confirm His Word with signs and wonders in the Name of Jesus. Their mighty prayer caused the place where they were assembled to be shaken by the power of God, and God granted their request. God wants you to know that when you pray, you are talking to the same God that the Disciples talked to. He is a God of the 'Now.' He wants to help you, comfort you, and meet your needs. If you can just see this truth, it will make you free. It will give you confidence in your spirit to approach God and ask for the help that you need regardless of your situation. God gave you permission to do this and even invited you to do it. In Jeremiah 33:3 He said, "Call unto Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things that you have not known or recognized before." Trust God with all of your problems and lift up your voice to Him. Just talking is cheap, but talking to God is priceless, for He listens and He will respond. +++ 6/7/21 HIS SHOES OF PEACE Scripture: Ephesians 6:15 "And your feet shod with the gospel of peace." One of the most important choices of our day is to select the appropriate shoes to wear. We have various selections, from work shoes to casual or dress shoes to choose from depending upon our agenda for the day. The Apostle Paul told us to put on the whole armor of God, and in that armor he included the shoes of the gospel of the preparation of peace. The shoes were just as important as the breastplate, helmet, shield, or any other piece of the armor, for no soldier goes into battle barefooted. Without proper shoes or boots, a soldier cannot march very long or be able to do battle against the enemy. So it is in the spiritual. You cannot last long in the battles of life unless your feet are protected with God's supernatural peace. As the day begins, you must make time to fill your heart with God and His Word because His Word is the gospel of peace. As you linger in God’s presence and mediate upon His Word, He pours Himself into your soul. He instills strength and gives you faith for the journey of the day that is set before you. God makes you equal to every task, and through Him you find that you are able to do all things because His strength is abiding in you. The silent company of His Spirit engulfs your being as you walk peacefully through the turbulence of life's situations. You become a witness to others as they sense this supernatural manifestation of God's peace in your life. You are an example of the Kingdom of God on this earth, which is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost (Romans 14:17). Paul said, "Look carefully how you walk! Live purposefully, worthily, and accurately, not as the unwise and witless, but as wise - sensible, intelligent people" (Ephesians 5:15 Amp). It is not sensible or wise to live outside the realm of peace, for it will inflict havoc in your body, soul, and spirit just as marching barefoot will cause problems with your feet and other parts of your body. You must be wise and purposefully put on the shoes of peace that God has provided through His Son, Jesus. In John 14:27 (Amp) Jesus said, "Peace I leave with you; My Own peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid - stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful, intimidated, cowardly, and unsettled." Every moment of this day, make a personal determination that you will walk in the shoes that God has provided so that you can experience His supernatural peace that passes all understanding. +++ 6/8/21 BREAD FOR US Scripture: Numbers 14:9 "They are bread for us: their defense is departed from them, and the Lord is with us; fear them not." When God led His people out of Egypt, He promised to give them a prosperous land, one that flowed with milk and honey. Twelve spies went out to view that land and all of them returned with wonderful fruits confirming that it was just as God had said. Yet in spite of the fact that it was a good and prosperous land, ten of the twelve spies had an evil report. They said, "The land that we searched is a land that "eats up" or devours its inhabitants, for the men we saw there were giants." Not only did they waver in their own faith but they also discouraged the hearts of the rest of the people. However, the other two spies, Joshua and Caleb, encouraged the people of God. They said, "Yes, there are giants in the land, but the giants will not eat us - we will eat the giants. Let us go up at once and possess the land." They refused to allow fear to control them or to steal their blessing and decided to conquer the problem instead of letting the problem conquer them. Joshua and Caleb were the only ones of that generation who were allowed to enter the Promise Land and possess God's blessing. Every day you have the opportunity to meet adversities and challenges in your life. Your inefficiencies will magnify the negative and make them look like giants that are waiting to eat you up. If you are short, you will see everyone else as being tall. If you are old, you will see everyone else as being younger. Everyone will seem wiser than you. Your perspective on life will either make you weak or cause you to grow stronger. Your disappointments will make you bitter or cause you to become better. Your tribulations will bring frustrations or they will work patience and other virtues into your life. Like Joshua and Caleb, you cannot ignore the giants, but you can choose to conquer them. You have the opportunity to see the situation as negative and run in fear or to see it in a positive light. To walk in victory, you must look beyond the challenge and see God's ability. You must remember that you are "more than a conqueror through Him who loves you and gave Himself for you" (Romans 8:37). As you consider how big God is, the size of the giant will diminish and you will realize that the enemy's defenses has departed from him. Each giant that you overcome through God will become bread for you and make you stronger. Each battle will make you wiser. Every conflict will train you and impart confidence in your soul. Your victories will sustain you and will assure you that God is with you. This knowledge will make you stronger to face the next challenge. +++ 6/9/21 SACRIFICE OF PRAISE Scripture: Hebrews 13:15 "Let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His Name." Our praise and thanksgiving becomes a sweet incense to the Lord just like the sacrifices that were placed on the altar in the Old Testament. Many times our praise and thanksgiving is a true sacrifice from our heart because it can be difficult to praise God in the midst of trouble, heartache, and hard times. Yet, the sweet aroma of worship and adoration that we give to God in the times of adversity and pain reaches to His very throne and touches His heart. The Lord notices the scent very quickly and then seeks to discover the one who is giving praise to Him. It is a natural curiosity just like we would have if we heard that someone had said something kind about us. We would want to know immediately what was said and who said it. We may even want it repeated to us several times. I picked some roses from my yard and enjoyed their beautiful velvet petals of various colors. I left the room for a while and when I returned, the whole room was full of the fragrance of those roses. It is true that they were born and nurtured among the thorns and there were still thorns attached to their stems. Yet, they did not complain about where they had been or the thorns that remained. They just graced the room with their beauty and filled the atmosphere around them with a wonderful fragrance. I was the only one around so it seemed that their beauty and fragrance was intended just for me to enjoy. I thought this must be how God feels when we offer up our praise and thanksgiving to Him because He is the only one who can hear our heart. He may turn our direction and look at us when He passes by just as I stopped to admire the roses. He may stop and take in the sweet fragrance when He hears our praise to Him. For sure, God hears us when we cry and He listens when we express our pain because He loves us. He will not turn away from us when we are in hard times, but if our words are putrid because our hearts are filled with anger, our aroma cannot be pleasing to Him. He will turn away just as we would turn away from a foul odor. God is not attracted to us when we are murmuring and complaining or verbalizing our doubt and unbelief. Regardless of the thorns that we have experienced in the past or the thorns that are currently pricking our sides, we are to bless the Lord at all times and His praise is to continually be in our mouths. Psalms 74:21 says, "Let the poor and needy praise Thy Name." Even when we have a lack or need, we must offer up a sacrifice of praise to God. Our praise will manifest our trust in God. Our worship will change the atmosphere and create a wonderful fragrance. That fragrance will cause the Lord to turn our direction and He will then take notice of our needs and reward our trust. +++ 6/10/21 GOD'S WILL Scripture: Psalms 143:8 "Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk." This Psalm was written by King David, a man who sought God with all of His soul and loved God with all of his heart. God, Himself, gave testimony concerning David's affection for Him and also expressed His confidence in him. In Acts 13:22, God said, "I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, which shall fulfill all My will." David's full surrender was a delight to the heart of God and God knew that He could trust him. God placed His confidence in David and raised him up to be King over Israel. Even though David loved God and his heart was right with God, He continually asked for God's guidance and direction. He said, "Cause me to know the way that I should go." But he did not stop there. He not only wanted to know the will of God, but also said in verse ten, "Teach me to do Thy will." Doing God's will is totally different than knowing God's will. Many times we stand at a crossroad knowing the right path, but instead we choose the wrong path. Our heart is willing, but our flesh remains weak. God's will may overwhelm us at times because our finite mind cannot seem to get it all into perspective. We try to figure out God's plan on our own instead of relying upon the Holy Spirit who is our "Comforter, Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, and Strengthener" (John 15:26 Amplified). David sought the Lord's will in every area of His life. Sometimes, God told Him to go out and do battle. Other times, God told him to stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. Whatever God said, David did. We may have great affection for the Lord, but we cannot presume to know God's thoughts without seeking Him. His thoughts are higher than our thoughts and His ways are much higher than our ways. Like David, we must ask God to cause us to know His will. When God shares this vital information with us, we then must ask Him to teach us how to fulfill it. God, Himself, is all that we need in order to complete His will. +++ 6/11/21 SOWING AND REAPING Scripture: Galatians 6:7 "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man sows, that shall he reap." In both the natural and the spiritual realm, the principle of sowing and reaping is very simple as there are at least three basic laws that are in operation. First, you reap what you sow. If you put a bean seed in the ground, you will reap beans. If you plant potatoes, you will harvest potatoes. You cannot plant peas and expect to reap corn. It just does not work that way. God established this law in the beginning when He said, "Let it bring forth after its kind." You will always reap whatever you sow. Second, you reap more than you sow. Sowing operates exponentially. God did not tell the seed to double, He told it to multiply and bring forth. It only takes one small kernel of corn the size of the end of your smallest finger to produce an eight-foot stalk with twelve to fifteen ears of corn on each stalk. Each ear of corn contains hundreds of kernels, which have the same ability to reproduce themselves after their own kind. Finally, the third law of sowing and reaping is that you sow now and then you reap later. There is a long season or period of time between sowing and reaping. During this silent time, it appears that nothing is happening with your seed. You must extend your faith for the harvest because you cannot see the changes that are occurring below the surface. Yet as the seed dies in the obscure darkness, it begins to produce life again, which will eventually lead to fruition. George Washington Carver said: "How far you go in life depends on your being Tender with the young, Compassionate with the aged, Sympathetic with the striving, And tolerant of the weak and the strong Because someday you will have been all of these." Mr. Carver was in essence saying, "Be careful how you live your life." Job 4:8 says that if you sow wickedness, you will reap the same. Hosea 10:12 also says if you sow righteousness, you will reap mercy. Like the natural seeds, God also established boundaries in the spiritual. You will never reap mercy if you sow wickedness. You may get by with something for a while, not realizing that you are in a time of silent grace. God is very patient and will wait for your response of repentance. However, do not be deceived. There will always be seedtime and harvest, and your season to reap will eventually come. Sin has consequences and righteousness has rewards. So be very careful of the seeds that you sow, for in time they will produce fruit after their own kind. +++ 6/14/21 FAVOR AND PROSPERITY Scripture: Genesis 39:3 "The Lord was with Joseph and the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand." Life was not always easy or fair for Joseph. Many times he had to go back to square one and start over again. Yet regardless of where Joseph found himself, those about him recognized that the Lord was with him, and he always found grace and favor in their sight. Joseph prospered even though he faced many negative circumstances on his journey from the pit to the palace. He probably experienced discouragement, but he never gave up or quit because he had tremendous faith in God. There was a quiet sense of destiny in Joseph's heart because God had given him great dreams. However, God tested the motives of Joseph's heart before allowing those dreams to come to pass. He trained Joseph for this very special place by putting him into various and adverse situations. God then observed Joseph's responses to those conflicts. Psalms 105:19 tells us that "Until the time that God's Word came to pass in Joseph's life, the Word of the Lord tried him." When Joseph went through these trials and tests, he chose to let these hard places push him towards God, not away from God. He refused to allow bitterness, anger, and resentment to rule his life. Instead, Joseph maintained a good attitude, lived a lifestyle of forgiveness, and worked hard. He understood the process, or the exchange of life. The exchange of life means that what you put into life is what you will get out of it. Even though he was imprisoned and tested for about sixteen years, Joseph wasted nothing. He worked hard and made the most of each moment, and even in prison, favor and prosperity came to him. You too can translate your dreams into reality, although they may seem vague right now. You may feel that time and opportunity have passed you by. Like Joseph, your life may not have been easy and you may have been treated unfairly. You may have been rejected by your family or emotionally imprisoned without cause. Now, you must choose whether to stay in this pit or proceed towards the palace. You are the only one who can make the exchange of life for yourself. You must believe that this is your time for favor and prosperity. Whichever path you choose, you will reap what you sow. To reach the destiny that God has for you, you must believe and continue to sow in faith. Through it all, you must trust God to cause all things to work together for good. Like Joseph, you must do all that your hands find to do and then do it as unto the Lord. In time, God will cause His Word to come to pass in your life and you will reap favor and prosperity. +++ 6/15/21 SHAKE IT OFF Scripture: Acts 28:3 & 5 (Living Bible) "As Paul gathered an armful of sticks to lay on the fire, a poisonous snake fastened itself onto his hand ... But Paul shook off the snake into the fire and was unharmed." I recently killed a poisonous snake in my yard and when I chopped its head off, the body and tail continued to move. This reminded me of an article that I had read in a magazine. It said that 85% of the snake related incidents that are treated at the hospital are from exposure to snakes that had already been killed. Although the snakes themselves were dead, the poison in their fangs was still very much alive and potent. Like the snake that attached itself to Paul, there are harmful spiritual things that will seek to attach themselves to us. We will have many experiences in our lives and face many disappointments that can poison our souls and spirits if we allow them. The poison may come through abuse, divorce, grief because of the death of a loved one, lost relationships, or unfair financial situations. In our minds, we may think that we have destroyed the things that would harm us. We put the memories in the past, shut the door, and do not visit those rooms. We make every effort to forgive and let go. Yet in the farthest reaches of our being, there lingers a hurt, a grief, and a shame that will not allow us to move beyond that point into a place of absolute and total freedom. It is like a dead snake whose poison is still potent. From time to time, it shoots out its venom of pain and bitterness and disallows our heart to trust others or believe for a better future. In so doing, many times we stifle God's plan for our life. God's desire is that we shake off the past hurts and disappointments. He wants us to go on with life, unharmed as Paul did, and live life at its fullest. The Lord does not want us to handle the memories that are alive with venom, lest it poison and destroy our souls. He does not want us to pine away our life in sorrow and grief because He has a better plan. God sent His only begotten son, Jesus, so that we could have an abundant life. He anointed Jesus to give us beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness (Isaiah 61:3). However, to receive the abundant life that Jesus provides, we must choose to shake off anything that would poison us. We must choose to come out of the ashes of mourning and heaviness. Then we must receive the Lord’s beauty and His joy and put on His garment of praise. +++ 6/16/21 CHOOSING YOUR BATTLES Scripture: Proverbs 26:17 "He that passes by and meddles with strife that does not belong to him, is like one that takes a dog by the ears." King Solomon spoke very wisely concerning the business of choosing battles. He warned about getting involved in situations that do not belong to us and described these actions as meddling. For sure, there are many challenges in life and battles will come to the best of us, but Solomon said that if we are not careful in our choices, we will end up being like someone who grabs a dog by the ears. In other words, when we meddle in the wrong battles, they will bite back. Solomon's words remind us that even if our intentions are to help we may be misunderstood and unappreciated. When conflicts present themselves, regardless of whether it is a huge conflict or small skirmish, our first strategy should be to go to God for counsel. God is awesome and His knowledge and ways are much higher than ours. He showed us His wisdom and His mighty power in the battles that were fought in the scriptures. David was a small shepherd boy, but he went to battle against Goliath, the giant warrior. David chose this battle because Goliath was mocking God and defying the armies of Israel. When David's own brothers questioned him about his choice to fight, David answered them with these words, "Is there not a cause?" (I Samuel 17:29). David not only chose to defend the cause of God, but ran towards the battle that was set before him and he defeated the giant. There were other times when God specifically instructed men not to go against their enemy in battle. When the enemy came against Jehoshaphat, he sought the Lord, and the Lord told him that he did not need to fight the battle because the battle belonged to the Lord. God told Jehoshaphat to stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. The Lord had a unique plan and instructed him to send worshippers into the battle instead of warriors. When the people began to sing and to praise the Lord, God sent an ambush against the enemy and the enemy destroyed themselves (II Chronicles 20:22). There are battles that we are destined to fight and many times we are called to fight them alone. Like David's situation, the cause may be greater than our own small world, but we can be assured that if God sends us into the battle, He will be our shield and defense. There will be other challenges that we are to simply praise our way through as God fights for us. God may say, "Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord" or "pursue the enemy and take back your territory." Our battles may be conflicts in relationships, financial hardships, problems with our children, health issues, or spiritual matters. Regardless of the challenge, the battle belongs to the Lord, for the Apostle Paul said that we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces. We must understand that the devil is not an easy foe to reckon with, but God in His mercy has provided us with His own mighty armor and spiritual weapons. God did not tell David, who was known for his wonderful praise and worship, to go out singing before the giant and neither did He tell Jehoshaphat to go against the enemy with a few stones and a sling. God chose the battle plan. Like these mighty warriors, our battles will be won while we are on our knees in prayer. As we wait on the Lord, He will instruct us and give us mighty counsel. So let us get God involved when we are choosing our battles and make a determination that we will not meddle or grab just any dog by the ears. +++ 6/17/21 FULLNESS OF GOD Scripture: Ephesians 3:19 "That you might be filled with the fullness of God." It is an awesome revelation when we come to understand that we are vessels whom God has chosen to live in. He could have chosen anything on Earth to abide in, but He chose mankind and made us temples of His Holy Spirit. Yet, we often forget that the Holy Spirit is living inside of us. We listen to abrasive music and language that the Holy Spirit would rather not hear, and look at things that He would rather not see. We are insensitive to His presence as we do things that He would rather not do and we take Him places that He prefers not to go. We can sense His grieving deep within our being. Yet, we fail to walk in the straight and narrow and we totally quench the Holy Spirit’s promptings. The Apostle Paul encouraged us to be filled throughout our being with the fullness of God. When we are filled to this measure with the presence of God, there is no room for other things that will quench His Spirit and grieve His heart. In I Corinthians 5:6, Paul said, "A little leaven will leaven the whole lump of dough." He was telling us that if we allow the devil the smallest space in our heart, he will move in and fill it with every evil thing that he can. The space we yield to the devil becomes like an empty and unused room in our house, which little by little, gathers all sorts of junk. Finally, the area becomes so crammed with clutter that it cannot be used. We shut the door, try to ignore it, and hope to hide it from others. The Scriptures tell us that the Holy Spirit uses whom He wills. He knows whether or not He has filled every room of our heart. Sometimes, He finds that there is just too much self, and other times He finds unconfessed sin. The Gospel of Luke chapter four tells us that Jesus, being full of the Holy Ghost, was led into a season of temptation in the wilderness and was tested to see if He would give in and satisfy His own desires. Jesus did not give any space of His heart to the devil. He stayed full of the Holy Ghost. When the season of temptation was complete, He came forth in the power of the Spirit. His ministry was launched as His fame spread throughout the region. What would have happened if He had given the devil just a small portion of His heart? Christ came to settle down, abide, and make His permanent home in your heart. He does not want a roommate. He wants you for His total possession so that He can work on the inside of you at His will. When you surrender your all to Him, He will thoroughly fill your being according to His design so that He can carry out His purposes and do supernatural things in your life. May you grasp the meaning of Paul's words, "Be filled with the fullness of God. That is, may you experience His divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself." +++ 6/18/21 FATHER'S DAY Scripture: Proverbs 22:6 "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." Fathers, as well as mothers, have an awesome responsibility to train their children in the ways that they should go. They are to continually mold, instruct, prepare, and point their children in the right direction. There will be many challenges, but the Apostle Paul encouraged particularly the fathers, not to provoke their children to wrath, but to bring them up in the nurture and loving discipline of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4). Parents must be an example to their children every day of the year and every moment of the day. Following is a poem, which reveals the results of our everyday actions. CHILDREN LEARN WHAT THEY LIVE Author Unknown If a child lives with criticism, he learns to condemn. If a child lives with hostility, he learns to fight. If a child lives with ridicule, he learns to be shy. If a child lives with shame, he learns to feel guilty. If a child lives with tolerance, he learns to be patient. If a child lives with encouragement, he learns confidence. If a child lives with praise, he learns to appreciate. If a child lives with fairness, he learns justice. If a child lives with security, he learns to have faith. If a child lives with approval, he learns to like himself. If a child lives with acceptance and friendship, he learns to find love in the world. We honor all fathers and encourage them to listen to the wisdom of these words. +++ 6/21/21 BE STRONG AND OF GOOD COURAGE Scripture: Deuteronomy 31:6 "Be strong and of good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord your God, He goes with you; He will not fail you, nor forsake you." Moses tried very hard to lead the Israelites into the place that God had for them. Yet, many of them missed out on the promises of God because of a spirit of discouragement. This discouragement came from within the group as they began to talk about the obstacles that stood in their way. The discouraging voices said that the cities they were to face were very great and had mighty walls. These same voices also spoke of the people who were greater and taller than themselves, in fact they saw their enemies as giants. As God's people heard these words, their souls became very discouraged and they spoke against God and Moses (Numbers 21:4-5). Those who had no faith also deprived their brothers of their confidence and hope. Their negative words drained their spirits and caused their hearts to melt. There will be those in your life whose words will deprive you of your confidence and hope. Very often discouragement will come from those closest to you. They may even do this in good will, thinking that they are giving you good counsel. In their own hearts they may have your best interest in mind. Yet if you listen and give heed to their disapproval and objections, their words will drain your spirit and destroy your dreams. Their words will prevent you from completing God's will and deprive you from receiving His blessings. When words from any source hinder you in going forward, you must make a decision to either operate in the positive (courage), or operate in the negative (discouragement). There is no neutral ground. It is either faith or fear. Not only must you disallow discouraging words to affect you, you must be very careful with your own words when you find yourself in the midst of a challenging situation. For if you are not careful, you will be the one to speak words that would discourage someone else's faith and deprive them of their blessing. Our courage rests in our faith and our hope in a faithful God enables us to face danger and hardships with confidence. Faith and hope cause us to be brave and resolute regardless of our circumstances and the fears that seek to hinder us. God said that He is the one who goes with us and He has promised never to fail or forsake us. We need no other words to keep our minds and hearts in peace. We do not have to struggle with fear because God is in control. We only need to rest in God's promise and "Be" strong and "Be" of good courage. +++ 6/22/21 POWER OF THE SPIRIT Scripture: Luke 4:14 "And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit ... " The battle you face today is not an uncommon battle. It has been faced many times before by many people, but if you can learn to rely on the Word of God, which is the Sword of the Spirit, the victory will be yours. Jesus was led into the wilderness by the Holy Ghost for the expressed purpose of testing the Word of God that was inside of Him. With all three conflicts, He responded with a scripture and three simple words, "It is written." He did not try to reason with the enemy, nor prove Himself right. He relied on the truth of God, and the truth prevailed. The thirteenth verse says that the devil ended his temptation and departed for a season. You do not have to be super spiritual or smart to confront the devil. All you have to do is "submit yourself to God" then "resist the devil and he will flee" (James 4:7). When you resist the devil with a portion of God's Word, you shine light on his deception, and the truth of God dispels the darkness of all of his lies. Notice, however, that the devil only left Jesus for a season. The devil does not give up easily or stay away for very long. We are in constant warfare with him. Ephesians 6:13 tells us to put on the whole armor of God so that we can stand against the enemy. Then having done all that we can do, stand. The Greek translation of these words is "having done all, stand and get ready for the next battle." Satan attacks us internally through our minds and emotions and externally through circumstances, relationships, and health. His sole purpose is to undermine God's will for our lives as he comes to "steal, kill, and destroy" (John 10:10). Jesus came so that we could have an abundant life. He defeated the devil and returned in the power of the Spirit, and then empowered us to do the same. Jesus gave us the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven and told us that we could bind on Earth whatever was bound in Heaven and loose on Earth that which was loosed in Heaven. God's Word determines what is bound in Heaven and what is loosed in Heaven (Matthew 16:19). If you want to be victorious in your time of testing, make sure you are using the Word of God, for His Word is the only sword that will destroy the enemy. You will only return in the power of the Spirit when you boldly come into a face-to-face conflict with the devil and overcome him with the written Word of God. +++ 6/23/21 FATHER OF GLORY Scripture: Psalm 19:1 (NRS) "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows and proclaims His handiwork." God is the greatest artist of all. You only have to look at a majestic sunset to appreciate the splendor and glory of God. I saw one of His masterpieces as it spanned the entire sky. In the east were clouds of pinks and grays that were indescribable. In the west, the sun was setting behind clouds of gold, silver, and purple. This was a magnificent creation, and yet, as great as it was, it was destined never to be duplicated. All of heaven was declaring the glory of God in those brief moments as God revealed Himself in nature. However, to experience this glory, you would had to have seen it personally. I could try to paint a picture with words, take a photo, or even put the scene on canvas in oils for you. Yet regardless of my detailed description or attempt to duplicate it, your appreciation would be limited because of your lack of experience of this glorious moment. How often do we miss God's glory in nature by not being in the right place at the right time in order to see it? Likewise, how often do we miss God's glory in the spiritual because we are not spiritually discerning? The Apostle Paul expressed his concern for the church's inability to experience the glory of God because their eyes were not open to God's calling in their life (Ephesians 1:17-18). As Paul prayed for the church, he addressed his prayer to the Father of Glory, the God of the Lord Jesus Christ. His first request was that the church would have a spirit of wisdom and revelation so that the eyes of their understanding would be opened. The Amplified Bible says that he prayed that God would give them "insights into mysteries and secrets by having their eyes of their heart flooded with light." Paul was calling out to the Father of Glory. A father is one that creates or originates something and then remains responsible for it. God was the Creator and the Father of the glory of the sunset that I witnessed. He was solely responsible for its majestic beauty, and just as He manifests His glory in that sunset, He desires to manifest His glory in your life. What an awesome thought! In Colossians 1:27 Paul says, "Christ in you, the hope of glory." God's hope of being able to declare His glory to this lost and needy generation will only be revealed when His presence and anointing is abiding in you. You are His hope and He wants to manifest Himself in your life. Yet, just as the heavens and the earth are not able to produce their own glory, neither can you. You must trust God to paint your life as He sees fit and use the colors that He chooses. As you do, the Spirit of Christ will live big within you and your life will declare God's glory and it will proclaim His handiwork. +++ 6/24/21 HOPE IS THE VISION OR BLUEPRINT Scripture: Hebrews 11:1 "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Most of the time, our thoughts are focused on obtaining faith and not considering hope. Because hope, by itself, sounds so vague and almost wishful, we forget that it is a very big part of the process of faith. Hope has desire and vision, yet it stands alone as a vision until faith goes into action and adds substance to it. However, this vision of our desire or hope should never be demeaned, for Proverbs 29:18 says, "Where there is no vision, the people perish." In the end, the vision of our hope rescues us from perishing. This vision of hope is necessary because it guides us along the path to faith's fulfillment. A good example of hope at work is a blueprint for constructing a building. Without a blueprint and a definite goal, the original purpose would perish. The blueprint gives a clear picture of what the building should look like at its final end. As the construction begins, the ultimate goal is to complete the vision that is on the paper. Yet, the building will never be completed by just studying the blueprint. Conscious effort must be made to work towards the goal of taking the project from the vision state to place of reality. So it is also in the spiritual realm. God gives us a hope of prosperity, health, and peace. III John 2 says, "Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers." This is just one of many blueprints of what God desires for us. For each blueprint, He gives us the materials to build that vision. God speaks and imparts a confident belief in the truth into our hearts through His Word. Romans 10:17 says, "Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God." Just like the construction of a building, the Word comes to us "precept upon precept; line upon line; here a little, and there a little" (Isaiah 28:13). Through this Word, we are gradually transformed by the renewing of our minds. As we look at the blueprint that our hope has defined, our faith begins to consciously builds upon that blueprint until it brings our hope into reality. +++ 6/25/21 THINGS THAT IMPRESS GOD Scripture: Isaiah 58:8 (Living Bible) "If you do these things, God will shed His own glorious light upon you." The people of God were trying to do all the right things to gain favor with God and to get their own needs met, but they were receiving no results. In verse three, they cried out to God and said, "We have fasted before you. Why aren't you impressed? Why don't you see our sacrifices? Why don't you hear our prayers? We have done much penance, and You haven't even noticed it!" Have you ever come to this point of frustration? You fast and pray for a certain situation, but it seems that nothing changes. God spoke very plainly in this chapter and said that He is not as interested in religious acts and sacrifices as He is in our practical ministry to others. Like a natural father, what really makes our heavenly Father happy is what we do for His children. In verse six, God says, "Consider the type of fast that I have chosen ... I want you to stop oppressing people and treat them fairly. Share your food with the hungry, clothe the naked, and shelter those who are helpless, poor, and destitute by bringing them into your own homes." True ministry in the eyes of God is as follows: "Find a Hurt and Heal it. Find a Need and Meet it. Find a Void and Fill it. Find a Problem and Solve it." By Rev. John H. Osteen This is true religion that is undefiled before God. If you do these things, God said that He will also reward you by shedding His glorious light upon your own needs. He will heal you and your righteousness will go before you. When you pray, He will quickly reply and say, "Yes, I am here." In other words, God makes a promise that if you will be there for others, He will be there for you. God's fast is for you to forget about your own needs for a season and think about others. As you minister to others, it will impress God and He will anoint you and grant you the grace to be bigger than you are. +++ 6/28/21 DOUBLE PORTION Scripture: II Kings 2:9 "Elijah said to Elisha, Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken away from you? And Elisha said ... Let a double portion of your spirit be upon me." Elijah was a prophet and a miracle worker. He had done mighty things in the midst of the people and was now preparing to leave this Earth. In just a few hours, a chariot of fire and a whirlwind was going to usher him into Heaven. Before he left, he offered to grant the desire of Elisha, a man who had been chosen by God to replace Elijah as a prophet. Elisha had faithfully followed Elijah and had humbly ministered to his needs. He was a man who hungered for the power of God. His desire was not only to receive the spirit which was upon Elijah, but also a double portion of that same spirit. When the servant, Elisha, made his request to the Prophet Elijah for a double portion of the Spirit, Elijah said, "You have asked for a hard thing, but if you see me when I am taken up, it shall be granted to you ... but if you do not see me, it shall not be so." When the time came for Elijah to be taken, Elisha acted in determination to receive the promised gift. He kept his eyes on Elijah in the midst of the splendor of the whirlwind and chariot. He did not allow himself to be distracted by the event and when Elijah went up, Elisha saw it. Elijah's mantle fell from the heavens, and when Elisha took it up, the spirit of Elijah rested upon him. Elisha had courage and boldness to make an awesome request for what his heart desired, which was a double portion of the Spirit of God! What if we were to make this same request? It would be awesome, for sure, to do the miracles that Elijah and Elisha did, but to asking for that kind of power may seem too enormous for us at this point in our lives. Instead of asking for a double portion of the miracle gifts of the Spirit, what if we started by asking for a double portion of the fruit of the Spirit, which are love, joy, peace longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance (Galatians 5:22-23). Can you imagine the effects of having a double anointing of the fruit of God's Holy Spirit in our lives? We would begin to manifest twice as much love in the midst of hateful and bitter situations. We would have twice as much peace when confronted with the storms of life and a double amount of patience and self-control in the midst of conflict. We would be bubbling over with joy, and kindness and goodness would continually be flowing from us to others. Supernatural faith would prevail in every situation. God has called us to be able ministers to a hurting world. What better way to fulfill His calling than to boldly ask Him for a double anointing of His Spirit in our lives? +++ 6/29/21 FAITH'S REPUTATION Scripture: Romans 1:8 "... your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world." The Apostle Paul was looking forward to ministering to the church in Rome and wrote a letter to them to prepare them for his visit. He gave thanks to God for them and for their testimony of faith. He told them that their faith was so profound that it had gained its own reputation and was widely known and spoken of throughout the whole world. Everything that we accomplish, whether natural or spiritual, depends upon our faith. In the natural, we plant seeds in faith expecting to reap a harvest. We invest our finances believing that we will gain. We buy in faith and sell in faith believing that every transaction will be profitable. We work hard each week expecting in faith to be compensated by those we serve. We invest in friendships and relationships with faith in our heart that the love we give will be returned to us in some manner. In the spiritual, we pray in faith believing that God, Himself, will hear our words and answer our prayers. We ask in faith because the Lord said that if we ask it would be given to us. We seek in faith because He said that we would find, and we knock in faith because He told us that the doors would open. The world about us watches our every effort and most of the time it is without our knowledge. I recall the year when my husband was dying of cancer. It was a season when my faith was sorely tried, physically, financially, and emotionally. It took every ounce of faith to make it through the long dark valley of the shadow of death and grief. Yet, the Lord was true to His Word every step of the way. He was always near, met every need, and was a present help in the time of trouble. We were a family that lived from payday to payday, yet we made it through several months with no savings and no income. It was a year of miracles. When I needed to drive my very sickly husband to the hospital for his radiation treatments, in over 100-degree summer Texas heat, in a car with no air conditioner, I asked God to give my husband a cloud. Each day without fail, for several weeks, a cloud came just at the right time to cool down the car for the 25-mile journey to the hospital. The cloud was there the entire journey and then it would disappear until the time for the return trip home. You cannot convince me that God does not provide our needs. I cannot explain faith's mystery or how we even made it through that year. I only know that God was faithful. When I was the weakest, God revealed His mighty strength. I later found out that my neighbors were watching as I leaned upon the Lord and allowed Him to lead me through the valley, one day at a time. One neighbor remarked that she drew strength from my example, which helped her get through a similar situation the next year. I had no idea that she was reading my life. Second Corinthians 3:2 says that we are an epistle, known and read of all men. Faith has a reputation. Whether it is weak or strong, it is silently speaking volumes. What is your faith speaking to those in the world around you? +++ 6/30/21 Copyright © 2021 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved www.widsonline.com |
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