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............	A Word In Due Season Oct 2023 10/2/23 From: Mary Padgett Ministries, Inc. A Word In Due Season BE NOT AFRAID Scripture: Joshua 1:9 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be dismayed for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." It is said that courage is the art of not allowing anyone to know that you are scared to death. Can you imagine how Joshua felt when God chose him to take the place of Moses? After Moses' death, Joshua was chosen to lead the people across the Jordan into the Promised Land. Joshua was to follow in the steps of a man whom God had used for forty years to bring the plagues on Egypt, to part the Red Sea, to provide daily manna from Heaven, water from the rocks, and to be responsible for millions of people. Moses had been the people's link to God, and now it was Joshua's turn. What an overwhelming assignment this must have seemed. It is no wonder that God gave this commandment to Joshua, "Be of good courage; be not afraid." God could not allow His chosen leader to stand before the people in weakness, fear, discouragement, and dismay so, He told Joshua to resist the feelings that may try to overwhelm him. He was telling Joshua, "Be strong whether you feel like it or not!" A minister said when God tells you to do something, "Do it afraid!" Feelings have nothing to do with completing the assignment. We can complete our assignments just as Joshua did because of the promise that comes with the commission. Like Joshua's Word from the Lord, when God tells you to do something, He is with you wherever He sends you, and He will help you do what He told you to do. King David said, "Be of good courage, and God shall strengthen your heart" (Psalms 27:14 and 31:24). When we choose to be strong in our minds and act courageously, God can strengthen our spirit, or the inner man of our hearts. As God strengthens our hearts doubt and fear will not be able to manipulate us, and discouragement will not be able to control us. We know for sure that regardless of what comes against us, God will never leave us, fail us, or forsake us. So, we must simply trust and obey. When God gives an assignment, He also issues the command, "Do not be afraid," and that command comes with the promise, "For, I am with you." +++ 10/3/23 THE RIGHT MIXTURE Scripture: Hebrews 4:2 " ... the Word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it." As a child, I remember mixing ingredients together to make a paste that we could use for glue. There were only two ingredients needed for this paste, which were flour and water. Later, I learned that you could mix a few other things with flour, such as sugar, baking powder, butter, and eggs, and end up with something different, like a cake. The ingredients used determined the results, and a few additions and variations resulted in either paste or something special and delicious to eat. As the ingredients in the natural realm determine what we end up with, so it is in the spiritual realm. There are certain spiritual ingredients that become powerful when we mix them together. The writer of Hebrews declared that faith had to be mixed with the Word of God for the Word to be profitable in our lives. We may have a knowledge of the written Word of God, yet in our hearts we may doubt His power to perform it. This kind of knowledge has little profit. The faith that we add to our knowledge of God's Word makes a difference in what we receive and what happens in our lives. Yet, faith can only be acquired by hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17). It is an incredible mixture. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God, and then the Word of God works according to the faith within our heart. In other words, God's Word produces faith, and faith activates God's Word and causes it to come to pass. Both the Word and faith work together. Other things can alter this recipe of life and either enhance it or hinder its strength. We may have a portion of faith but have mingled it with doubt and fear, and then wonder why we are not receiving the promises of His Word. We may have received God's Word but allowed the persecutions and the cares of this life to choke out the seeds and destroy our faith. If we had only mixed a little joy with the Word and our faith, we could have endured to the end, for joy imparts strength into our spirits. Jesus was able to endure the cross because of the joy that was set before Him. We must remember too, that faith works by love. We cannot use God's Word in faith for hateful reasons, for it is not designed to be used as a weapon of revenge. True faith in God's Word makes no demands on the sovereignty of God. Like in the case of Job’s suffering, true faith says, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him." We must decide what we want to achieve when we hear God's Word. Do we want the results to be paste or something pleasing and substantial. The choice is ours. Are we going to settle for just a passing word, or do we want to receive God's Word as an eternal and powerful Word of faith? +++ 10/4/23 PRAYER PULLS AT THE HEART OF GOD Scripture: Psalms 145:18 "The Lord is near to all them that call upon Him ..." These words were written by King David who knew what it meant to experience the presence of the Lord in a personal way. When he was just a young shepherd boy, David called out to God to protect him and his sheep, and God gave him courage to fight against the lion and the bear. As a young man, David called out to God, and God delivered him from the hand of King Saul who was trying to kill him. David called out to God when he challenged Goliath, and the hand of God guided the stone that killed the giant. He cried out to God when he grieved over the death of his infant son, and God comforted him. David cried out to God in his sin with Bathsheba, and he found forgiveness. He called out to God in battle, and saw God conquer the enemy. David also called out to God when his own son tried to take his kingdom from him, and God reached down and rescued him. Every time that David called out to God, he found that God was near. God never failed him. David learned early in life that all he had to do was cry out to God and that God would hear his cry and save him. God was there for David in the quiet times and in the raging battles. He could feel God's presence when he sang songs of praise and worship and when his voice was shouting a battle cry. God was there when David played on the harp or when he held the battle weapon in his hands because David's thoughts were directed towards God. Whatever David needed; he knew that he could depend upon God. Our prayers pull at the heart of God, and they invite His presence into our life. When we call out to God, we open the door for Him to come in. It does not matter what we need, He wants to give us our desires as well as to meet our needs. Regardless of whether our battle is big or small, God will be there for us. He draws near when He hears our voice calling out to Him. The Lord rushes to our aid when He hears our petitions, and He listens intently when His Name is spoken from our lips. Our words reach into God's heart and stirs Him to rescue us from our dilemma because we are His precious children. We can be sure that He will draw near to us if we draw near to Him, and He will answer us if we call upon Him. +++ 10/5/23 ACCEPTANCE Scripture: Ephesians 1:6 "He has made us accepted in the beloved." Jesus is not only the Savior of the sinner, but He is also the Healer of the brokenhearted, the bruised, and the cast down. He brings freedom to all who are caught in Satan's designs and grants victory to those who are held captive in Satan's snares. Regardless of our faults and failures, Jesus still loves us and accepts us just as we are. Scriptures declare that He is no respecter of persons, for He has no favorites and treats everyone the same way. Wherever we are today in life's walk, Jesus is waiting to save us, heal our rejected spirit, and restore our joy and purpose. Acceptance is one of the most basic needs that people have so Jesus has included all people in His invitation into His Kingdom. Rejection is a very lonely and heartbreaking experience, but Jesus understands our feelings of rejection and has compassion for us because He experienced rejection. Isaiah 53:3 tells us that He was despised, rejected, and forsaken by men. The majority of men could not see His worth, nor did they esteem or accept Him as the Messiah sent by God. In fact, they turned their faces from Jesus. Yet, regardless of men's refusal to accept Jesus, His life and purpose remained in the hands of God, and He fulfilled that purpose, which was personally designed for Him. Satan formed a weapon against Jesus, but it did not prosper. Jesus was the stone that was rejected and thrown aside, but through His death, burial, and resurrection, He established the Church and became its Chief Cornerstone. Jesus' goal is to make us a part of His building and fit us into His Kingdom (Ephesians 2:21-22). He accepts us just as we are and desires that we be a habitation for the Spirit of the Lord. He remains the Chief Cornerstone of this building, and He holds it together by His power. We may think that we are different from the other stones and rejection may have tried to move in and disillusion our spirit, but we must not be discouraged. Our hope is in the Lord. God knows exactly what He is doing with us, and He is fitting us and all our experiences into His perfect plan. Each stone is important to God. We must believe that there is no weapon that is formed against us that can prosper. Jesus has been where we are, and He understands our deep pain and lack of self-esteem. We must allow the Lord to deliver us from the spirit of rejection so that He can restore our joy and purpose. We must believe His Word for us, for we truly are accepted in the beloved. +++ 10/06/23 MIGHTY PRAYER Scripture: Acts 4:31 "And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together." The Sanhedrin counsel had just forbidden the Disciples to preach about the resurrection of Jesus. The Disciples responded by coming together to pray concerning this dilemma and when they had finished praying the place was physically shaken. That was a mighty prayer. Not many of us have ever had this kind of prayer experience. What brought such power into the room when they prayed? The answer is simple. They had the right perspective and purpose for their prayers as we can see in the following verses. 1) They were in agreement with each other concerning the situation. They all prayed the same very plain and specific prayer. (Vs. 24) 2) They made themselves aware that they were talking to God. They said, "You are God," and then they submitted to His control and power. (Vs. 24) 3) They reminded themselves and God of what He had done in the past. They acknowledged Him as Creator and believed that as Creator, He controlled everything and could do mighty things for them. (Vs.24) 4) They asked God to look at their problem. They said, "Now, Lord, Behold the threats of the enemy." (Vs. 29) 5) They prayed for boldness to speak the Word of God. They did not pray for their own deliverance from persecution, but only that the Word of God go forth and that He confirm it with signs and wonders. (Vs. 29) 6) They asked God to stretch forth His hand to heal and do signs and wonders in the Name of Jesus. (Vs. 30) Their main concern was that they would have a powerful witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ and that His Name be exalted in their lives. These are valuable principles of prayer that we need to remember if we want to experience God in a powerful way in our own personal prayer life. Verse thirty-three confirms that God did answer their prayer. Prayer makes a difference. It brings God's presence into our lives and when He comes, He comes with answers and deliverance. +++ 10/09/23 TOTALLY PERSUADED Scripture: II Timothy 1:12 "For I know Whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day." To know Christ and the fellowship of His sufferings was one of the Apostle Paul's greatest desires. Now Paul speaks very tenderly to Timothy, his young son in the faith, concerning this issue. Paul obviously had obtained the knowledge that he had desired, for he declares that he not only knows the One Whom he believed in but has staked all his faith in Him. Paul also acquired an assurance in his spirit that the Lord would keep everything that Paul had committed to Him until the Day of Judgment. He believed that none of his accomplishments or the faith that he had found in Christ would be loss. Paul's deep and abounding knowledge of the Lord came because of the intimate time that he personally spent when he was caught up in Christ’s divine presence. Paul’s total persuasion that the Lord would be faithful to him had not come easy, but it had been developed during the many hardships that he had endured and the persecutions that he had experienced. Paul's life and ministry produced many difficulties, yet in his walk with the Lord, he had come to this place of total persuasion. He knew Jesus whom he believed in and knew that He would be faithful until the end. When Paul wrote these words, he was alone in a cold dungeon and knew that he was near death. According to tradition, soon after this intensely personal letter to Timothy, Paul was beheaded. In the Spirit, Paul had come to know God's only begotten Son, Jesus, who had died on the cross for his sins. This was God's ultimate sacrifice for all of us, for which we should always be thankful. If we cannot think of anything else to praise God for, we can always praise Him for Jesus who makes a difference in our lives. When we choose to believe in Jesus and receive Him as our Lord and Savior, He spares us from eternity in Hell. The next phase of our relationship with Christ after salvation should be the same as Paul's commitment, which was to know the One in Whom we have believed. Yet, this total trust and persuasion in Jesus can only be birthed by His presence and the knowledge of His covenant with us. We must search for this personal and intimate relationship with Jesus like Paul did, for it will sustain us even when we are at death's door. And like Paul, we too will be able to declare without any reservations, "For, I know Whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day." +++ 10/10/23 MADE INTO ANOTHER VESSEL Scripture: Jeremiah 18:4 "... He made it again into another vessel ..." God led the Prophet Jeremiah to the potter's house to encourage him and to show him an important life lesson. God showed him that things do not always work out as planned and that sometimes we must start over. He allowed Jeremiah to witness the great patience of the potter and his attentiveness to every detail of the vessel that he was working with. Jeremiah saw the potter diligently work with the clay to create a particular vessel, only to destroy it. This did not mean that the clay itself was useless but that the vessel being created needed special attention by its maker. The potter did not try to patch the vessel or paint over the cracks and flaws. Instead, he took time to work with the clay and made it into another vessel that was without imperfections. Like the vessel on the wheel of the potter, God puts us on the wheel of life. From the very beginning of our lives, He has a plan to mold us into the vessel that can be used for His particular purpose. Yet many times we do not stay in the center of His wheel, but instead we venture to the left or to the right. We make great promises to the Lord but fail to keep them. We develop unhealthy relationships, dwell on bitter memories, and allow both to hold us in bondage. We leave unspiritual doors open to the enemy of our lives and we visit addictions. Eventually the temptations become so strong that we go through those doors. This variance keeps us from becoming the vessel that God has designed us to become, and His intentions for our lives are thwarted. Yet, He is never discouraged but continues to work with us and eventually makes us into another vessel. We may have situations in our lives that cannot be altered or corrected. The sins of our past may haunt us, and we may think that there is no hope for our destiny to be fulfilled because of our past experiences. We must remember that God's love has no end and that His mercy and grace surpass our understanding. He has faith in us even though we feel that we are miserable failures. He looks at us with hope in His heart and has a vision of a vessel that is without imperfections. God speaks life and light into our spirits and personally works out all the defects in our lives. As clay in His hands, we must trust the Potter. It is time to let go of evil condemnation and take hold of the Lord's conviction. We must make Jesus the Lord of our life, obey His laws, live in His covenant, and allow Him to make us over again into another vessel. Only as we find victory over the past will we be able to have hope for the future. +++ 10/11/23 FAITH WAITS PATIENTLY Scripture: Psalm 40:1 "I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined unto me, and heard my cry." We want God to move in our lives, but we are often unwilling to wait patiently for Him and His timing. When we make a request we expect to see immediate results and if this does not happen, we begin to move in our own plans. In Psalm 25:5 (Amplified), King David said, "For You only, and altogether, do I wait expectantly all the day long." He was waiting for only one person, and that was God. He was not going to hurry and he did not want a substitute. He intended to wait until God, Himself, showed up, even if it meant waiting all day long. The scriptures declare that there were several things that occurred when David waited patiently on the Lord (Psalm 40:1-3). 1) God paid attention to him. 2) God heard his cry and listened to him. 3) God brought him out of a horrible pit of turmoil and destruction. 4) God brought him out of the miry clay. 5) God set his feet upon a rock. 6) God steadied his steps and established direction in his life. 7) God put a new song of praise in his mouth. David knew that deliverance came to him because he waited patiently on the Lord. And he not only experienced deliverance, but also became a testimony to the people who saw it and heard his new song. Because of his own testimony, he expected those about him to turn to God with trust and confidence. Like David, your life is also an open book for the world to read. Your situations and problems not only affect yourself, but also those who are watching to see if the God you serve will deliver you. When you pray, God wants you to completely put the matter in His hands and then rest in His promises. It is then that He can work out the circumstances in your life for your good and also for the benefit of those who will be witnesses to it. As God sees you waiting, He will pay attention to you and listen to your cries. He will deliver you and set your feet on a solid rock. He will also establish direction in your life and put a new song of praise in your mouth. You will be blessed if you allow your faith to wait patiently on God. +++ 10/12/23 LEARNING TO FISH Scripture: Matthew 4:19 (Living Bible) "Jesus called out, "Come along with me, and I will show you how to fish for the souls of men." When Jesus called Andrew, Peter, James, and John to come with Him, He intended to take the knowledge they had concerning fishing and incorporate it with soul winning. As they left their boats and nets and journeyed with Him for the next three years, they witnessed many wonderful things and truly learned how to draw souls into the Kingdom of God. Jesus showed them how to use the proper bait by ministering to the people's physical needs, for His religion was not only spiritual but also practical. He was constantly meeting the human needs of those that He ministered to. He turned water into wine, quenching the thirst of the guests at a wedding. To reach the people with the gospel, He baited His hook with the loaves and fish and fed the multitudes. Jesus even cooked fish for His own Disciples on the seashore. Jesus taught His followers to act in love and patience when reeling in the souls of hurting people. He refused to condemn the woman caught in the act of adultery and shifted due blame to her accusers. He showed the same love and compassion to the woman at the well who had had five husbands and was now living with a man that she was not married to. He showed Himself friendly to the sinners and ate with the publicans. He allowed the woman who had an issue of blood and considered unclean to touch His garment. Like any good fisherman, Jesus only fished for hungry souls who would receive the gospel. He did not waste His valuable time fishing for those unresponsive religious leaders who were bound in tradition and law. He recognized their lack of interest for the truth of the gospel, and He ignored their laws by doing good and healing the sick on the Sabbath. Jesus declared that He came to earth to do the works of the One who had sent Him, and He ministered to those who reached out to Him, whether they were ragged beggars, blind, lame, or demon possessed. No soul was beyond Jesus’ help, and He extended His grace beyond their need. His gentle conviction caused those who heard His message to change their lifestyles, follow Him and be His disciples. There are many souls that need to be reached with the gospel and brought into God's Kingdom. Many need to hear that God has forgiven all their sins and that He does not condemn them. They must be told that they can come to Jesus just as they are. Some have physical needs and need to hear about the Great Physician and Healer. Others may just need a Friend to talk to. But everyone needs to be drawn in by a personal touch and shown the love and compassion of Jesus, our wonderful Savior and Lord. Jesus speaks to us today in the same manner that He spoke to His Disciples. He says, "Come along with Me and I will show you how to fish for the souls of men. Whether in the streets or the marketplaces, in your hometown or on the foreign mission field, I will tell you where and when to let down your net. I will cause you to bring a multitude into My Kingdom." +++ 10/13/23 FROM WATER TO WINE Scripture: John 2:9 " ... but the servants which drew the water knew." Jesus attended a wedding in Cana and during the celebration, they ran out of wine. When Jesus' mother, Mary, approached Him for help, Jesus responded to the need. He instructed the servants to fill the water pots with water, and He then turned that same water into wine. When the wine was served at the feast, the ruler of the feast remarked that it was better than the wine that had previously been served. The ruler had no idea that he was drinking a miracle beverage, but the servants who drew the water knew the wine was a miracle. Very often in our lives we experience actual miracles. God heals our body, meets a financial need, restores a relationship, or does something for us that cannot be explained. When we try to share our testimony, it falls on deaf ears. For the most part, the world cannot receive the miracles of God or comprehend His mighty power. In 1980, I was in an auto accident and my right knee was crushed. Two medical opinions said that I had to have a steel rod put in my leg and that it would be impossible for me to ever bend my leg again. There were no other options if I wanted to save my leg. They put me to sleep and took me to surgery, but God intervened and the surgeon was unable to operate. When I came out of recovery, the doctor apologized. He said that he did not know what happened to him, but that he could not cut on my leg. He was embarrassed and said that he had never had an experience of this sort before. I responded with praises to God and told the doctor that I believed that God was going to heal my leg. He said that was impossible and that he was only postponing the operation for a few weeks. However six weeks later when I went to the doctor for an evaluation for the surgery, I was able to walk a little. The doctor postponed the surgery for a few weeks and then a few months later, he totally released me. God healed my leg and I never had to have the surgery. Even though the doctor could not explain what happened, he never acknowledged the miracle because it was impossible and did not agree with science. Those around me recognized the miracle just like the servants who had witnessed the water being turned into wine The servants at the wedding feast knew that the water could not possibly have been changed into wine without a miracle. They drew the water from the well themselves, and they served it as instructed. Jesus put them in total charge of the water pots. Can you imagine how this might have challenged their faith? They saw the water go into the pots and had to trust God for wine to come out. They were in a perplexing situation because they could have easily provoked the ruler of the feast, and as servants they could have reaped harsh punishment if the water in their vessels had remained water. However, their simple act of obedience to the words of Jesus allowed them to experience a miracle and be a part of God's great plan. Jesus may tell you to do something very simple just as He spoke to the servants at the wedding. Those around you may not understand why you are putting water into the pot when it is wine that you are needing. They will not understand why you are tithing and giving offerings when you are facing financial needs yourself. Neither will they understand why you are standing in faith for a healing when the doctors have given up. You may be unable to share the reasons for your faith or the victories of your deliverance because of their unbelief. Yet, this does not disqualify you from experiencing the miraculous works of God. As you respond in obedience to God’s words, He will change the water of your life into wine. When all is finished, you will be amazed to find that you have been a part of God's greater plan. +++ Copyright © 2023 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved www.widsonline.com			..............................