| ............ | A Word In Due Season December 2022 12/1/22 WORKING WITH GOD Scripture: Joshua 5:6 "The children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, until all the people that were men of war, which came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they obeyed not the voice of the Lord." A journey that started out so promising for the Israelites ended in defeat simply because of unbelief. It should have taken less than two weeks for God's people to make their way across the desert into the Promised Land, but instead their journey lasted forty years and they perished along the way. Throughout the journey they murmured and complained, and even though they had lived in cruel bondage in Egypt, they continued to look back. They even voiced their desire to return to the evil they had been delivered from. God rained down manna from Heaven upon them for forty years and provided water from a rock to quench their thirst, yet they still longed for the leeks and garlic that they had left behind. Somehow in their memory they imagined that the conditions of the past had been better than they actually were. Because they could not give up or resolve the past, they failed to receive God's promise for their future. How many journeys do we fail to complete? Our hopes and plans perish in the middle of our dreams because we give up along the way. Our unbelief outweighs our faith and we fail to work with God by following His plan to the end. The desert places get too dry even though God is there providing water from the Rock, Christ Jesus. The lion's den is too dark and scary even though we can see that God has shut the mouths of the lions for us. The fire is too hot even though we can feel the Lord standing with us and shielding us from the flames. And the storms are too fierce even though we know that we are secure because He is in the boat with us. In life's journey we tend to repeat the things that we do not resolve. Like the Israelites, many times we wander back and forth through the wilderness of unforgiveness, disappointments, bitterness, and emotional hurts. If the wounds of the past are not resolved, every time that God pours Himself into us, His goodness will flow out through the open wounds of our heart. We cannot hold God’s goodness in because we cannot believe in ourselves. God loves us and does not want us wandering around in a wilderness of emotional pain for forty years. He wants to take us from that bondage and bring us into a new and glorious place that He has prepared for us. To get a grip on the things that God has planned for us, we must work with Him and move forward in faith, resolve the old issues, and let go of the past. No matter where we are in life, there is a new level and a higher place. Let us determine to listen to God and work with Him so that we do not perish in the wilderness of defeat. +++ 12/2/22 WHAT MANNER OF MAN? Scripture: Luke 8:25 "What manner of Man is this! For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him." The Disciples were crossing the lake at Jesus' command when they encountered a fierce storm. In the midst of this situation, they cried out to the Lord and He spoke peace to the storm. Even though the Disciples were expecting Jesus to deliver them, they were still overwhelmed by the miracle that He performed. For with a few words, He calmed the winds and the waters. The question then entered their minds, "What manner of Man is this?" What kind of man can be asleep one minute and then have dominion over the elements of nature the next minute? What kind of man can speak to the winds or command the waters and bring them into subjection to His will? What kind of man has authority over the storms of life? Upon seeing this powerful display, the Disciples recognized that they were in the presence of someone who was filled with the supernatural power of God and they worshiped Him. The storms in our lives are frightening, but like the storms in the lives of Jesus' Disciples, our personal spiritual storms also create spiritual growth. It is in the storms of life that our prayers become more intense, for we realize that the Lord is our only help. It is in the midst of the storms that our faith is tried and tested as we are taken beyond our previous level of faith. We may grow tired and weary as we struggle against the winds of adversity and the waves of uncertainty, but in the end, the struggle of the storm will be the thing that strengthens us. In the storms of life, we discover that Jesus is always ready to come to our rescue. We learn that He is with us in the boat and that He is all that we need. We come to know that He understands all of the issues that we are dealing with, even our fears and lack of faith. In the storms we experience the Lord’s mighty power as His Words bring peace to us in our greatest challenge. We may find ourselves floundering around on the sea of life because we have not allowed Jesus to be the captain of our soul. It may seem that the Lord is asleep on the boat while we are struggling against our own personal storm. Like the Disciples, we may be asking Jesus, "Do You care that I am about to perish?" Jesus knows just how much we can bear. When we are at the end of our faith, He will come and strengthen us. When we are being sifted like wheat, He will pray for us. The Lord of our life is never far from our dilemma. His Words of "Peace be still" will work today. He is able to bring hope into every hopeless situation and peace into every storm. He can speak one word of healing and drive out all of the sickness in our body. He can command that life dispel the spirit of death. He can cause us to prosper by dismissing poverty from our life. Everything in life and death must submit to God's will and obey His Words. Jesus has our answer, but we must call out to Him. Our prayer will invoke the Lord's presence and His voice of power and authority will come to our rescue. He will calm our greatest storms and cause every wave of adversity to cease in our life. That is the manner of this man named Jesus. +++ 12/5/22 LOVE FORMS THE CLAY Scripture: Isaiah 64:8 "O Lord, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You are the potter; and we all are the work of Your hand." We are the work of God's hands. We are not being shaped by fate or some invisible force but by a loving Heavenly Father. When God envisioned us, He did not see us as a number among the billions of people that would be created. He saw us as individuals with our own special personality, a creation of His own image. When God created us, He focused all of His efforts upon us to make us into the vessel that He needed us to be so that we could fulfill His purposes. Just as the potter is with the clay vessel that he is forming, God holds us firmly and forms us with His own hands. There are not two potters at the potter's wheel. There is only one. From the beginning to the end, God involves Himself with us on a one-on-one basis and if we allow Him, He will become not only our creator but also our closest friend. All of God's dealings are meant to make us into a vessel that is solid. Like the potter who removes the lumps and particles from the clay, God also works to remove the things from our lives that will weaken our vessel and that are destined to destroy us. We must trust God's sovereignty and His divine decisions. Our ultimate destiny may be hidden from our view and there may seem to be no immediate purpose for the things that we are going through. We may see our lives as spinning in many directions and out of control, but God has a wonderful plan for our life. He is not in a hurry and will take His time with us to insure that we are ready for use in His Kingdom. We must focus our eyes upon the Lord and His righteousness and allow Him to form us into His image. In Psalms 17:15 King David said, "I shall be satisfied when I awake with Your likeness." David was a man after God's own heart, yet he was not satisfied with his present state. He wanted to be changed into the likeness of God, and we too must be satisfied with no less. The scriptures declare that God is love. God is our Father and we are the clay. We must give ourselves to Him and allow love to form the clay into His likeness. +++ 12/6/22 THY KINGDOM COME Scripture: Matthew 6:10 "Thy Kingdom come." Jesus established a principle of prayer indicating that prayer is not to be made just for our own personal needs. Instead, prayer is designed for the benefit of the entire Kingdom of God. A prayer that was once published shows how we often think. A man prayed, "Lord, I pray that you would bless me, my wife, our son John and his wife ... us four and no more." However, Jesus' prayers were never about His own physical interest and needs, but were always focused on the Kingdom of God. In teaching us how to pray and get results, Jesus said, "Pray that God's Kingdom would come on Earth as it is in Heaven." He then mentioned that we should pray concerning our personal daily needs but also in another passage He told us that we did not need to be overly concerned about material things. He said, "Seek first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you" (Matthew 6:33). Jesus was telling us to seek the invisible and then the visible will be added. When you take care of God's business and His Kingdom, He will take care of your business. The definition of the Kingdom of God is given in Romans 14:17, "For the Kingdom of God is not meat, and drink; but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." When you have a situation in which there is no righteousness, peace, and joy, you need to pray and declare that God's Kingdom manifest and take control. Matthew 11:12 says, "The Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force." The devil gets violent and does all that he can do to keep you from living in righteousness, peace, and joy. But, you can get violent in the spirit and stand against him. Even Jesus stood violently against the money changers and drove them out of the temple with a whip. In the sixth chapter of Ephesians, we are told to put on the whole armor of God and stand against the strategies of the devil. We are not wrestling against flesh and blood, but against principalities, powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world, and spiritual wickedness in high places. God's Kingdom will dispel and drive out the forces of the kingdom of darkness. In the natural, when you walk into a room that is dark, all you need to do to dispel the darkness is to turn on the light. The light will drive out the darkness by its own strength. You do not have the power within yourself to drive out the darkness, but you have the power to flip the switch that will produce the light. Likewise you cannot bring righteousness, peace, and joy into a situation by natural means, but you can flip the spiritual switch by praying as Jesus taught you to pray. When you begin to pray for God’s Kingdom to come and start declaring His authority in your situation, then the righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost will come into your kingdom and Jesus will rule as Lord in your life. +++ 12/07/22 RESTORATION Scripture: Psalms 23:3 "He restoreth my soul." Each day we make an effort to restore our physical bodies. We refresh ourselves so that we feel better and are more presentable to the outside world. Yet, our bodies are not the only part of us that needs refreshing. God does the same with our soul. As we encounter life and its disappointments, our soul becomes tattered and worn. We may feel like the psalmist did when he wrote Psalms 42. He was cast down, oppressed, and harboring many questions concerning his plight. Even his own tears mocked him. But in his spirit, he knew the solutions to his own problems. He knew the One who could restore his soul. David declared this restorer and shepherd of his soul to be the Lord. David was a man that loved God, and he was a man that was loved by God. I Samuel 13:14 describes David as a man after God's own heart. He had a special relationship with God, yet David went through many places where he faced frustrations in his soul. His soul continually needed to be renewed and restored by God. As a young man, David was forgotten by his own father, Jesse, when Samuel, the prophet, came to anoint one of Jesse's sons to be king. Later, David experienced shame for his own sin with Bath-Sheba and felt guilt for his part in the murder of her husband. David suffered the consequences of that sin when the son he had with Bath-Sheba died. As a parent, David faced the rebellion of another son, Absalom, and he had to deal with Absalom's efforts to take his kingdom. David's wife, Michal, mocked him as he worshipped God. King Saul, whom he served so faithfully, sought to kill him. As a leader, David's men spoke of stoning him after their city, Ziklag, was burned and plundered, and their families were taken captive (I Samuel 30:4). David was in such despair that he cried until he had no more power to weep. It seemed that he was always facing a dilemma or controversy. The rejection, shame, guilt, betrayal, and mockery that David experienced would destroy the peace and joy in anyone's heart. His emotions must have soared as these hurts were inflicted by those whom he loved. Yet, David encouraged himself in the Lord and continually praised and worshiped God. Even in adverse situations, David looked to God for restoration. He knew whom he could trust and in whom his hopes lay. You may be facing something just as challenging in your life right now. You may be looking into the face of disappointment or danger. When you look at your situation, remember David and his responses to adversity. Refuse to allow the enemy of your soul to defeat you or get you down. Begin to encourage yourself in the Lord and praise and worship Him. As you do, God will lead you from the valley to the mountain top and He, Himself, will restore your soul. +++ 12/8/22 GOD'S COMPASSION Scripture: Lamentations 3:21-22 (NIV) "Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail." Jeremiah, the prophet, was very distraught concerning the circumstances that surrounded him. He was in such a bad state of mind that his perception of God changed and he began to think that God was against him on every side. He put the blame on God and expressed his despair and fear, saying, "God has hedged me about so that I cannot get out" (Verse 7). It is recorded that the Assyrians would wall up their prisoners so that they had no way of escape and would allow them to die in this state. Jeremiah's thoughts caused him to experience this kind of pain and anxiety. He envisioned himself as being trapped within walls that were unmovable. He could not help himself and had come to the point that he felt that there was no help or deliverance coming from God either. In his distress, he declared, "My strength and my hope is perished from the Lord" (Verse 18). Jeremiah had allowed his mind to be shaped by the events around him and he gave in to his emotions. Yet in the midst of his inner struggle and outward turmoil, he remembered God, and when he began to think about God's mercy and compassion, hope returned to his heart. As he looked at his situation from a different perspective, he saw with a clearer vision the reality of what was really happening. He came to the conclusion that he would not be consumed in his problems because he knew that God's great love and compassion never fails. I suppose that most of us have been in a place similar to Jeremiah's where it seemed that we were surrounded by four walls that were closing in on us. There were financial difficulties on one side, failing health on the other, problems with relationships on the third side, and finally unpleasant situations on the job or something else to deal with. As the stress mounted, our strength failed and our hopes began to perish. Maybe you have even been like the Apostle Paul and have had more than four conflicts going on in your life at the same time. Paul declared that he had no rest because he was troubled on every side (II Corinthians 7:5). Yet, he did not allow himself to be distressed or in despair, but instead he continued in faith. We must have this same resolve that we are not going to be consumed or overwhelmed in the conflict that surrounds us. Instead, we are going to remember who God is in our lives and believe in His great love and compassion for us that never fails. +++ 12/9/22 TARRY ... UNTIL Scripture: Luke 24:49 "Tarry ....until you be endued with power from on high." There is always a voice calling us to a new and higher level whether it is in our financial status, our professions, our friendships and close relationships, or our calling to the ministry. It is a supernatural pull to move upward and forward in all areas. Most of us will do all that we can to move to this higher place, especially in spiritual things and the area of ministry. Like the Apostle Paul, the things of the past will become unimportant and we will make a determination to "press toward the mark of the high calling of God in our lives" (Philippines 3:14). When God first speaks to us of a new level, it is often overwhelming. It may even be troubling, like it was to the Virgin Mary who asked the angel, "How can these things be?" The outcome of the unknown is always a challenge in our minds. Yet when we sense that God is calling us from one place to another in our lives, something within us arises and causes us to want to run to it immediately. Our souls may be overwhelmed, but our spirits are excited by the vision and regenerated by the fresh Word from God. New strength is infused within our hearts by the impartation of the new assignment and the gifts that have been dormant in our lives are suddenly stirred and resurrected to new life. We are ready to move forward, but then we hear that still small voice of the Lord telling us to "tarry ... until," for God's call always demands the power of His Spirit. Jesus had a great calling for His disciples and followers. He wanted them to preach the gospel to the meek, heal the sick, deliver the oppressed, and do other mighty miracles in His Name just as He had done when He was on Earth. Teachers and mentors always want their students to excel. The Lord's voice was calling them to a higher place but He also told them to tarry until they received power from on high. He knew that they could do nothing of themselves, just as He could do nothing of Himself. Jesus depended upon God's power and He knew that His disciples must do the same. That power came on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came like a rushing mighty wind from Heaven and filled all of them. They did not have to announce their promotion or exalt their gifts because signs and wonders became evident in their own ministries. If you believe that you are not in the place that God has ordained for you to be or feel that you are lacking in any area of life, that is an indication that God is trying to move you forward. He wants you to succeed and be all that you can be, but until promotion comes you must realize that you are in a season of preparation. It is a season to glean from the wisdom of others who have passed this way before. It is a season to learn all that you can and absorb all that God brings your direction. It is a time to wait in God's presence, to develop the fruits of His Spirit, and to gain the knowledge that comes down from above. Most importantly, it is a time to "tarry ... until" God empowers you with His Holy Spirit. +++ 12/13/22 JOY FOR THE JOURNEY Scripture: Psalms 40:2 " ... He established my goings." Life is a process and a journey through time where lasting memories are created. Like any other journey, the highway of life that we travel climbs the hills and passes through the valleys. Sometimes it takes us to the top of the mountains where there is much joy and at other times it circles and overlooks deep dark canyons where fear prevails. This journey takes us across the rivers, near the oceans, and through the desert places. Each mile we travel is different and unpredictable. There are sudden detours that take us down unfamiliar paths and challenging circumstances all along the way that we must face. Often, we are unable to clearly read the signs and temptations that try to lure us into exiting from God's highway of holiness. Throughout this journey, we must remember that God is in control and that He is "establishing our goings." David said, "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord" (Psalms 37:23). And Proverbs 16:9 tells us that a man's mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps and makes them sure. We choose our route, but our lives remain in the hands of a sovereign God. When we make Him the Lord of our life and seek to do His will, we put Him in the driver's seat. That means He has the authority to take us down the good roads and sometimes down the roads that seem bad. But we must trust God's divine wisdom and direction for we know that all things will work together for good because we love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). We have chosen God's highway of holiness, but many of us are driving "clunkers." We have no joy, no peace, and no rest. His burden has become heavy and we are road weary and uncomfortable. We have not learned that joy is the journey, not our destination. The joy of the Lord must be our companion if we are to continue in strength and complete our course. Joy is a choice that we make and comes into being when we totally surrender everything to God. When the psalmist was in the midst of adversity he declared, "This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it" (Psalm 118:24). Regardless of his circumstances, he made a conscious decision to be joyful. As you travel today's journey, choose joy as your companion. The road before you will be brighter and your load will be lighter. +++ 12/14/22 HIS WORKMANSHIP Scripture: Ephesians 2:10 (NAS) "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." The following quote is a meditation from the book "Reflections of God's Glory" by Corrie ten Boom: "In the basement of a large tenement house in which many families lived, there was an old broken harp. People had often tried to repair it and play it, but no one had ever succeeded in doing so. One day a beggar came and asked for shelter. The only place for him to spend the night was in a corner of that basement. Late that night people heard the sound of beautiful music coming from the basement. They found the beggar there playing the harp, and they asked, "How were you able to repair the harp and play it so beautifully?" He replied, "I made this harp myself. When I was young, I made lots of harps. This is one of my harps. Shouldn't I be able to repair something I made myself?" We have been created by the hands of Jesus. I despair when I try to change myself and patch myself up. I can't do it and never will be able to do it, but if I surrender myself to Him who made me, I experience miracles!" Just like the harp that was created to make beautiful music, God has created us for good works, special plans, and definite purposes. Jeremiah 29:11 says, "God knows the thoughts He has for us, they are for good and not evil, to give us a future and a hope." We are His workmanship. God created us in Christ Jesus and works with us to make us into the vessels that He has preordained us to be. Although we may get battered about by the storms of life and seemingly cast aside for a season, we can take hope, for "The gifts and calling of God are without repentance" (Romans11:29). God never changes His mind or withdraws His gifts. They are irrevocable. At the appointed time, God will set His hand upon us the second time and restore us to His original purpose. The harp could not make music in the state that it was in. It took the hands of the creator to bring restoration. So it is in our lives. The ability to make music is still there within us, but if we want God to restore us we must totally surrender all the pieces of our broken lives to Him. The Lord made us. Shouldn't He be able to repair and restore us? +++ 12/15/22 PARTAKERS OF HIS DIVINE NATURE Scripture: II Peter 1:3-4 "His divine power has given unto us all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of Him ... that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature." The divine power that is mentioned in this scripture is the Greek word "Dudamus" and it means the power to reproduce itself. When Jesus comes into our life, He gives us the opportunity to partake of His divine nature. He promises to share His very being with us and gives us everything that pertains to life and godliness so that His nature can be revealed in us. The Apostle Peter tells us how this wonderful transformation takes place. When we make a diligent effort to know Jesus in a personal way, His divine power begins to reproduce within us and we are changed from the inside out. As His power works on the inside of us, we begin to act like Jesus acts, talk like He talks, and think like He thinks. His very nature becomes our nature. Verse eight tells us that as these qualities of Christ become ours, they keep us from being barren and unfruitful. Barren and unfruitful means being unable to produce and without fruit, which is a disappointment to all. We see many born again believers in this state who have the nature of God inside of them, but are unfruitful in their character and works. They have faith in God but do not partake of His divine nature or allow Him to transform their lives into His image. Fruitfulness comes about by diligent effort like a muscle that is developed through exercise. It takes personal sacrifice, but as you yield to Christ, His divine power begins to reproduce His divine nature. Peter explained how this divine nature comes about in verses five through seven. Faith is just the beginning of your walk with the Lord. It is your basic foundation, but to partake of Christ's nature you must add virtue to your faith. Virtue is general moral excellence and right action. Peter then says, add knowledge to your virtue and temperance to your knowledge. Temperance is moderation and self-restraint in your conduct and expression. You are then to add patience, a willingness to wait and endure without complaining. To your patience, you must add godliness, and to godliness, brotherly kindness. Charity, which is the love of God and love of humanity, must also be added. If you are diligent in these areas and allow Christ's divine power to work within you, you will not only be partakers but also examples of His divine nature. +++ 12/16/22 KEEP YOUR MIND ON WHAT GOD SAID Scripture: Genesis 3:1 (NIV) "Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, 'Did God really say?'" The devil is very subtle and from the beginning of time he has always approached mankind with doubt. With just two people on the earth, he started his method of deceit. He approached Eve in the Garden of Eden with the words, "Did God really say?" He also used this same approach with Jesus over 2000 years ago and has continued with this tactic throughout the ages. Even today, his main weapon is to plant fear and doubt in the minds and hearts of the believer. For instance, Deuteronomy 31:6 says, "Be strong, courageous and firm, fear not, nor be in terror before them; for it is the Lord your God who goes with you; He will not fail you or forsake you." These are simple words that God wants us to believe. Yet the devil attempts to distort them by planting just the opposite thoughts in our minds in an effort to dispel the faith that is within our hearts. He changes these words and speaks his thoughts to our mind saying, "Be weak, be afraid, shrink back and run in terror, for the Lord your God is not with you. He has failed and forsaken you." Have you ever experienced this conflict in your mind that brought doubt and caused you to wonder if you can handle the challenge that was set before you? Has he painted the mountains of adversity so big that you feel that they cannot be conquered? Has he said that it is okay for you to fear because you cannot make it through this ordeal or this illness? If so, it is time to resist the devil and believe and confess the Word of God. I had a pastor who had a unique way of handling the voice of deception. When fear and doubt would attack his mind and speak against what God had promised in His Word, my pastor would say, "Thank you, Mr. Devil, for letting me know the real truth." He knew that everything the devil said was a lie. In fact, the Word of God said that the devil is the father of lies. My pastor would then confess just the opposite of the tormenting words that were trying to engage his mind in doubt and unbelief. The devil will try to distort God's Words and question His intentions, but God's Words are true and will remain forever. In every instance in life, you must know that God is in control and there is nothing to fear. God's Words of judgment will always leave you in peace, His corrections will be gentle and full of grace, and His chastisement will be accomplished with love. Remember to keep your mind on what God said. Do not allow the devil to engage you in battle. When he challenges your faith and questions the promises of God that are within your heart by saying, "Did God really say?", then simply respond, "Yes, God did say." +++ 12/19/22 DON'T ABANDON YOUR DESTINY Scripture: Matthew 1:20 " ... Fear not to take unto thee Mary as thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost." Mary and Joseph were espoused to be married. 'Espoused' among the Hebrews was the legal part of the marriage, meaning that the legal documents had been completed and signed, and that the marriage date had been set. Even though Mary and Joseph had not come together as man and wife, this legal binding could only be broken by a bill of divorcement. In the midst of the season of their espousal, Joseph learned that Mary was with child. His first thoughts were to put her away privately so as not to expose her to public shame. While he thought upon these things, the angel of the Lord spoke to him. The angel told Joseph not to fear to take Mary as his wife because the child in Mary's womb had been conceived of the Holy Spirit. Without fully realizing what was happening in his life, Joseph was in the perfect will of God. God had chosen Joseph to be the husband of Mary and to act as the natural father who was to care for the Messiah child, Jesus. For the next few years, Joseph was to protect and provide for the beloved Son of God. Joseph was also destined to be the instrument that God would use to fulfill many of the prophecies of old as he followed the leading of the Lord and obeyed the visitations of the angels. Now because of the purpose of God and the divine conception of the Holy Ghost, Joseph was facing public shame and misunderstanding. In the midst of this conflict, Joseph almost abandoned his destiny by putting Mary away privately, but God faithfully intervened and kept him on course. Like Joseph's walk with the Lord, God leads us in our natural paths to fulfill His supernatural purposes. Often we have no idea that God has set before us divine appointments. We just proceed in the natural toward our goals and plans, thinking that we are only pursuing our dreams and visions. In reality God has caused us to conceive those desires by planting them in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. God then opens and closes doors by His wisdom and leads us unknowingly down His paths that He has designed. Suddenly, the season comes for His perfect plan to be accomplished in our life and great conflicts may accompany it. We may face many challenges, yet we must never give in to fear or abandon the destiny that God has for us. We must continue to hold on to the things that have been conceived in our hearts by the Holy Spirit and allow God to complete His work and His plan. When we allow God to work in our lives, we will stand in wonder as we find ourselves in the right place at the right time, accomplishing something for His Kingdom that we never thought possible. +++ 12/20/22 NO ROOM Scripture: Luke 2:7 "There was no room for them in the inn." Joseph and Mary did not just happen to be in Bethlehem at the time that Jesus was born. Instead, it was planned and ordained by God, as He fulfilled the prophecy that was spoken in Micah 5:2, which declared that the Messiah would come from the City of David, Bethlehem of Judea. To make sure that Mary and Joseph were in the right place at the right time to fulfill this prophecy, God caused Caesar Augustus to make a decree that required all of the people to go to their own country to be taxed. God does not do things randomly. He has purpose for all things and it seems to be very fitting for Joseph and Mary to be found in Bethlehem when it was the time for Jesus to be born because the name Bethlehem means "house of bread." God was making provision for all mankind, for Jesus is the Bread of God (John 6:33). He is also called the Bread of Life (John 6:35) and the Living Bread (John 6:51). Yet when Joseph and Mary arrived at this special place that God had ordained, there was no room for them. Jesus was the King of kings but instead of being birthed in His own castle, He was born in a borrowed stable where animals were kept. Instead of having a royal bed, His mother gave birth to the Son of God on the ground amongst the animal's straw. Instead of having royal subjects to assist her, Mary and Joseph, alone, took care of the Anointed Christ. Instead of being given royal robes, the Messiah was wrapped in swaddling clothes. And instead of being laid in a beautiful crib, the Savior of the world was laid in a manger where the animals were fed. It is no wonder that as all mankind neglected the birth of His Son, that God, Himself, showed up to honor Jesus and to celebrate this wonderful event. God created a great star to light up the sky and then He instructed the angels to sing as the glory of God shone all around them. They pronounced, "Peace on Earth and good will towards men" and sang, "Good tidings of great joy." God brought the shepherds of the field to worship the Christ Child and moved upon the kings and wise men of the East to bring gifts that were fit for this King of kings and Lord of lords. As we think about this event, we must examine our own lives. Jesus stands at the door of our heart every day and knocks. Will we tell the Lord of lords that there is no room today because our lives are full or will we invite Him to come in so that we can commune with Him? Will we give Him the lesser place in our lives or will we treat Him as our King and allow Him to be the ruler of our heart? Will we allow other idols to dominate our lives or will we worship and bow before the Lord's throne? Will we be reluctant to share our means with Him or will we give the best gifts that we have to offer? These are all personal questions that each of us must answer. The Lord is seeking for an open heart. Do not allow the moment to pass. Do not allow your heart to be so full of the world that you have no room for Him. Instead, give Jesus the best chamber of your heart. +++ 12/21/22 THE LIGHT OF LIFE Scripture: John 8:12 "I am the light of the world: he that follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." People are attracted to light whether it be the natural light of the sun, moon, and stars or the man made lights of a city at night. At Christmas we enjoy the special lights of the season that celebrate the birth of Jesus and on Independence Day we watch in awe as we experience the lights of the fireworks. On cold nights we relax by the flickering lights of the fireplace and on special occasions we light candles to enhance the atmosphere. And of course, our daily lives depend upon light. We must have light whether we need the sun’s light in the fields to grow crops or electrical lights to be able to function in the workplace. Light creates life, and without light, there is no life. From the beginning, the presence of Jesus brought light, for when the angels announced His birth, the heavens were filled with light and the glory of God. The wise men were also guided by a radiant light that led them to the Savior. When Jesus came, He came as the Light to a spiritually darkened world, and His Light brought life to men as He revealed God to their souls. People marveled at this light which came from God as He healed the sick and cast out evil spirits. They were amazed when He raised the dead and performed signs and wonders. John 12:36 says that Jesus instructed the people to "believe in the light so that they could become children of light." Yet, many who saw the miracles did not believe on Him. They preferred to stay in darkness. What a sad report; many saw, but did not choose to believe. The most important thing that you will ever do with your life is to believe in Jesus. It is only then that light will come into your soul. When you believe that Jesus is the Son of God and receive Him into your heart, Colossians 1:12-13 says He delivers you out of the kingdom of darkness and brings you into His Kingdom, making you partakers of His light. As you come out of darkness and partake of His light, you then also become responsible to be a light to the world. You are to bear witness of the Light, that all men might believe (John 1:8). Bearing witness of the Light means that you walk in fellowship with Him (I John 1:7). You walk in light and truth, leaving the deeds of darkness behind. Jesus said, "I am the Light and if you stay close to me and follow me, you will be able to walk in My light." +++ 12/22/22 NO NEED FOR FEAR Scripture: Luke 2:9-10 (NIV) "An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.'" The shepherds were in the fields keeping watch over their flock of sheep and minding their own business when the angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to them. As the glory of the Lord shone around them in the darkness of the night, the shepherds were terrified. The angel immediately told them not to fear and began to tell them the good news of the Savior's birth. Many times in the scriptures, people experienced fear when God sent a message to them through an angel. When the angel, Gabriel, approached the Virgin Mary, he said, "Do not fear." The angel also told Joseph, the man whom Mary was going to wed, not to fear. The same words were spoken to Zacharias, who was to be the father of John the Baptist. As we look at these lives, we wonder why these glorious events evoked so much fear. Yet, we must admit that when God gets involved in our own lives we too have fear because we have created boundaries by our natural senses. We are afraid that God will put us into the unknown and unfamiliar. We fear that we will not be in control of our own lives or that He may tell us to do something that we do not want to do, maybe even call us as a missionary to a foreign land. Yet, the only way to exercise faith and trust is by going through the unfamiliar and the unknown. When God calls, He does not show us a complete blueprint of the future or guarantee our security. His voice just moves us into the unknown. It is darkness to our natural senses, but a glorious light to our spirit because God always gives peace to the one to whom He speaks. Others may question our decisions, but God says, "The way that you will know this is from Me is that I will give you perfect peace. There is no need for you to fear." God speaks to individuals, not to groups. Even if He is directing or leading a group, each heart will hear His voice personally. Each shepherd witnessed the glory of the Lord and heard the angel speak. God spoke peace to each one individually. Have you ever had to instruct your own child to do something new or foreign? The first words out of your mouth were probably, "Don't be afraid. I am with you." Your words and the security of your intimate relationship that you had developed with your child created peace in their heart. We must have the same emotional bond with Jesus and know that God is a God of His Word. We must trust them and surrender our lives to their bidding. When they speak, it will be good news, so there will be no need to fear. +++ 12/23/22 ONE SOLITARY LIFE Scriptures: Luke 2:10-11 & 1:31-33 "Fear not: I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord… Thou shall call His name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest ... And He shall reign forever; and of His Kingdom there shall be no end." "He was born in an obscure village. He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty. He then became an itinerant preacher. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had a family or owned a house. He didn't go to college. He had no credentials but Himself. While He was still a young man, the tide of public opinion turned against Him and His friends ran away. He went through a trial that was a mockery. He was nailed to a cross between two thieves. While He was dying, His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had on earth, and that was His coat. When He was dead, He was laid in a borrowed grave. Twenty centuries have come and gone, and today He is the central figure of the human race. All the armies that have ever marched, All the navies that have ever sailed, All the parliaments that have ever sat, And all the kings that have ever reigned have not affected the life of man on this earth as much as that ..." ONE SOLITARY LIFE ... Copied - From Unknown Author May you be blessed as you celebrate the Birth of this One Solitary Life. +++ 12/26/22 I AM Scripture: Exodus 3:14 "I AM THAT I AM" God spoke these words to Moses when He sent Moses to deliver the children of Israel out of Egypt. God told Moses that He would be everything that Moses needed Him to be so that he could bring the people out of bondage and into the Promised Land. When God said, "I AM," He was saying, "I AM the God of Now." He did not say, "I used to be," or "I will be," but He used the present tense. Whatever you need, "I AM there for you." Under the new covenant, Jesus told us that He would always be with us and that He would never leave us or forsake us. He is everything that we need in order to be delivered out of the bondage that we are in. He is there to help us be able to receive the promises of God for our life. In the gospel of John, Jesus made some specific "I AM" statements about Himself. May His declarations of who He is be a blessing to you this Easter season. Jesus said: "I AM the Bread of Life." (John 6:48) - Verse fifty-one says, "I am the living bread which came down from heaven ... I will give my flesh for the life of the world." If we receive this bread from heaven, He will satisfy our spirits and we will never hunger or thirst. "I AM the Light of the World." (John 8:12) - "He that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the Light of Life." I John 1:6-7 tells us, "If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not (walk in) the truth: we are to walk in the Light as He is in the Light." "I AM the Door of the Sheep." (John 10:7) - If we enter the kingdom through Jesus we will be saved. If we try to get in through another door we are a thief and a robber. "I AM the Good Shepherd." (John 10:11) - The Good Shepherd gives His life for the sheep and they have a personal relationship with each other. Jesus knows His sheep, and the sheep recognize His voice (verse 27). "I AM the Resurrection and the Life." (John 11:25) - When we receive Jesus, we receive resurrection life. We will live eternally and never die. "I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life." (John 14:6) - There is no way to enter the presence of God except through Jesus. It is only through His Name that we can even pray. He is our access to God. "I AM the True Vine." (John 15:1:1) - Jesus tells us in John 15:5 that He is the vine and we are the branches. If we want to bear fruit we must abide in Him for without Him we can do nothing. +++ 12/27/22 DAYSPRING Scripture: Luke 1:78 "Through the tender mercy of our God; ... the Dayspring from high has visited us." The term "dayspring" means "the springing up of light." It is the dawning of the morning as the sun rises to give light to a darkened earth. This glorious light at dawn brings with it a freshness of new life and all of nature rejoices. The birds sing and the roosters crow, welcoming the sun and the birth of a new day. The dawning of the sun's light causes hope for all of the earth as it brings forth the promise of growth. We seldom give thanks to our Father God for the wonders of this phenomenon or the breathtaking beauty of the sunrise. Instead, we most often take it for granted and assume that it will be provided for us, each and every day. Yet, it only takes a few days of dreary weather to cause us to once again appreciate the sun at dawn. Can you imagine life without the sun? Luke said that Jesus is our Dayspring from on high. When Jesus visited us, He brought us life and translated us out of the kingdom of darkness into His marvelous light. John 1:4 says, "In Him was Life and that Life was the Light to men." He was sent to this earth like the rising of the sun because of the great love and the mercy of our Father God. Jesus is the dawn that shines eternal light into the darkest places of our lives and causes all evil to flee. The night cannot overtake the day once the sun has risen, for physical darkness cannot absorb physical light. In fact, the greater the darkness, the greater the light seems to shine. Light a candle in a dark room and then watch the darkness put it out. It simply cannot because the darkness cannot conquer the light. It is an impossible challenge. Yet, light can overcome darkness. Likewise, spiritual darkness can never overtake the light of Jesus in our lives. The kingdom of darkness and evil cannot overcome, put out, or absorb His eternal light and life once the Dayspring has come to live within us. Verse seventy-nine tells us that Jesus will "shine and give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to direct and guide our feet in a straight line into the way of peace." We were sitting in Satan's kingdom of darkness waiting to die an eternal death until Jesus rose like the dawning of the day. Jesus’ birth was a glorious sunrise. He became our Dayspring as He began to shine His light into our path and guide us into peace and eternal life. Jesus said, "I am the light of the world: he that follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life" (John 8:12). Jesus is the "true light that lights every man" (John 1:9). We are forever blessed because Jesus, the Dayspring from on high, has visited us. +++ 12/28/22 DELIGHT TO DO GOD'S WILL Scripture: Psalms 40:8 "I delight to do Thy will, O my God." We often pray the phrase that is in the Lord's Prayer that says, "Thy will be done," but we rarely think about the results that may happen when this prayer is answered. We tend to forget that life and death is in the power of the tongue and that our words set things into motion. It is very easy to declare our total surrender to the will of God because we love God and truly want His will to be accomplished in our life. Yet, when things begin to change and we find that God's will is much different that our own will, it is another story. It is hard to put everything into God's hand and allow Him full control, for even though our spirit is willing our flesh is very weak. Jesus came to Earth to do the will of the Father (Hebrews 10:7). God's will for Jesus was that Jesus leave the splendor and glory of Heaven and come to Earth to redeem man from sin. Jesus' venture was not just a journey to Earth but a life that was destined for humility and sacrifice. He would face every temptation known to man; yet, He would live a life that remained holy and free of all sin. He would be ridiculed, mocked, rejected, despised, spit upon, brutally beaten, and then hung on a cross in shame to die, not for His own transgressions but for yours and mine. In the course of events, He would be in so much agony that He would sweat great drops of blood. Yet He still submitted and committed Himself to do the Father's will, saying, "Not My will, but Thine be done." Jesus delighted in doing the will of God because He knew that through His obedience, He would destroy the works of the devil. Completing the will of God meant that Jesus would be able to deliver men out of the kingdom of darkness and translate them into the kingdom of light. God's will meant that Jesus would heal the sick and raise the dead. He would cause the blind to see, the deaf to hear, and the lame to walk. He would turn water into wine, calm the raging seas, and feed the thousands because it was God's will that His Son, Jesus, would work miracles. God's will was that Jesus would preach and teach the Word of God to a multitude of people and that His life would leave such a powerful witness that 2000 years later, people would still be calling upon His Name to be delivered. Yielding to God's will may not always be easy, but it is always the best thing to do. His ways are so much higher than our ways. The safest place to be is in the perfect will of God, for you know that no matter what happens God is in control. He is sitting in Heaven and He is managing your life. You cannot lose because while Satan is sifting you as wheat, Jesus is there at the right hand of Father interceding for you. You can be sure that all things will work together for good because you are in the will of God. You should delight in fulfilling God's will for your life, for when you are in His will, you are not just in His plan, you are in His hands. +++ 12/30/22 INCREASE AND BLESSINGS Scripture: Deuteronomy 1:11 (NIV) "May the Lord, the God of your fathers, increase you a thousand times and bless you as He has promised!" Moses spoke these words over the children of Israel as he encouraged them to go in and possess the land that God had promised to them. God had such good plans for them and wanted to give them a thousand times more than what they had. It was God's intent to give them a land that flowed with milk and honey. This Promised Land was theirs for the taking, but they refused to believe God's Words, and because they limited God through their unbelief, they never entered into His promise. Except for Joshua and Caleb and the younger generation, they all died in the wilderness of defeat. God still wants His children blessed beyond measure. This does not necessarily mean that we will have everything that we want or that we will all be rich and famous, for prosperity and fame does not guarantee blessings. Blessings go beyond the material and capture the true riches of life, which is happiness, joy, and peace. Robert Louis Stevenson said: "The best things are nearest; Breath in your nostrils, Light in your eyes, Flowers at your feet, Duties at your hand, The path of God just before you." As you journey through this next year, I pray God's blessings upon you in a new and fresh way. I pray that you will recognize that blessings come from God's hands and that you will realize that life's greatest blessings are the simple things of life. True blessings and prosperity have nothing to do with the stuff that you can gather around yourself or the fame that you acquire. Instead, true blessings are life itself and the relationships that you are able to establish with God and others. May the Lord increase you a thousand times and bless you as He has promised! May you truly have a Blessed and Prosperous New Year! +++ Copyright © 2021 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved www.widsonline.com |
.............................. | ||