A wonderful day was had by all.
Monday, August 27, 2012
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Finishing Well
It's important that we pay close attention to timing of events that occur in our lives. We shouldn't allow time to float by or to let things just happen. For those with a destination in mind, you have to understand the value of providential moments.
We serve a God with a purpose. He uses providential moments to effect and or change our current paths permanently if we are obedient. As we get closer to the end of this year of trying times, economic challenges and multiple job losses, it's imperative that we draw even closer to God.
Often times, we as Christians, don't practice what we preach. We consistently say that we want what God has for us. It troubles me that when God gives us what he has for us, we question him, curse him and even turn our backs on him. The story of Job is so befitting for those that want to finish well. We know that God allowed the enemy to test Job. We have to understand that our tests and trials are no surprise to him.
If we are doers of the word, we know that the enemy will want to challenge God's best, which we all are. What assignments have you not completed that you know you must before the end of this year? Is it a book, a program for youth, or even a new career? What providential moment did you experience that clued you in that its time to make the next move?
It's heart wrenching to get knocked out when you are in a fight. Successful fighters spend years preparing physically and mentally for the challenge that lies ahead. Like fighters, God prepares us seasons in advance. Don't take anything for granted. You may not be where you think you should but what you have already experienced was for you to use in this season. God knew then what he could trust you with.
In Matthew 25, Jesus tells the parable of the talents. One man was given 5 talents, one was given 2 and one was given 1. The catch is that they were given talents based on their ability. In order to finish the rest of this year of "birthing" it's important to get back in place, refocus and commit to go all the way so that you finish well.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
At Midnight
People of God, adversity comes in many shapes forms and fashions. These
perplexing, confusing, and mystifying predicaments show up at the most
inconvenient and awkward times in our lives, and the frustrating thing
is that adversity does not need an invitation to enter your home.
One moment life appears to be serene, calm, peaceful and quiet; then the next moment we find ourselves caught in the middle of the storm. For some of us life is just one storm after another.
One of the strange things about this season is that it seems like it is lasting forever. One of the purposes God has for our lives is that we grow to maturity in our faith in Him and not in stuff or in people. You know your faith is maturing by what you do and how you act during your storm and in your problem.
"And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed. And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.” Acts 16:23-28 (NKJV)
Here in the book of Acts we find a story about the Apostle Paul and Silas who find themselves in what seems to be a storm. Paul & Silas were called by God to take the gospel into the region of Macedonia. However, when they got there, instead of wide open doors, like they might have expected, they ran into a season of opposition!
They are locked up and in chains because they were at the place God wanted them to be, doing the very thing God told them to do. What I love about Paul and Silas is that they still had faith in God. The text does not say they were crying and angry but that they were praying and singing praises.
This is my favorite part of the text, it says “but at midnight”. I know you have heard people say that midnight is the darkest hour and it’s when you’re at your lowest, but what I want to point out here is that midnight is also a transition period. It is the transition from an old day to a new day. It can confuse you because when you think of transition you think of a sudden, rapid change.
Midnight transition is very minute because nothing really changes but the time. I want you today to put all your faith in God no matter how it looks my sister and no matter what they say my brother. Don’t allow the code red to detour you because there is a transition about to take place in your life but you have to trust God.
Remember you are where He wants you to be. It’s not time to put your faith in the things you see but put to your faith in the God who holds you in His hand.
Scripture Of The Day: "By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible." - Hebrews 11:3 (NKJV)
Artis L. Smith
One moment life appears to be serene, calm, peaceful and quiet; then the next moment we find ourselves caught in the middle of the storm. For some of us life is just one storm after another.
One of the strange things about this season is that it seems like it is lasting forever. One of the purposes God has for our lives is that we grow to maturity in our faith in Him and not in stuff or in people. You know your faith is maturing by what you do and how you act during your storm and in your problem.
"And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed. And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.” Acts 16:23-28 (NKJV)
Here in the book of Acts we find a story about the Apostle Paul and Silas who find themselves in what seems to be a storm. Paul & Silas were called by God to take the gospel into the region of Macedonia. However, when they got there, instead of wide open doors, like they might have expected, they ran into a season of opposition!
They are locked up and in chains because they were at the place God wanted them to be, doing the very thing God told them to do. What I love about Paul and Silas is that they still had faith in God. The text does not say they were crying and angry but that they were praying and singing praises.
This is my favorite part of the text, it says “but at midnight”. I know you have heard people say that midnight is the darkest hour and it’s when you’re at your lowest, but what I want to point out here is that midnight is also a transition period. It is the transition from an old day to a new day. It can confuse you because when you think of transition you think of a sudden, rapid change.
Midnight transition is very minute because nothing really changes but the time. I want you today to put all your faith in God no matter how it looks my sister and no matter what they say my brother. Don’t allow the code red to detour you because there is a transition about to take place in your life but you have to trust God.
Remember you are where He wants you to be. It’s not time to put your faith in the things you see but put to your faith in the God who holds you in His hand.
Scripture Of The Day: "By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible." - Hebrews 11:3 (NKJV)
Artis L. Smith
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Why You Need the Church
"The many parts make up only one body." 1 Corinthians 12:12 TLB
Finally he took a last bow and left. Backstage someone stopped him and said "I thought you had to go after a few minutes. What happened?" Jimmy answered, " You can see for yourself if you look on the front row." In the front row were two veterans, each of whom had lost an arm in the war. One had lost his right arm and the other had lost his left. Together, they were able to clap, and that's exactly what they were doing, loudly and cheerfully.
There's a wonderful story about Jimmy Durante,
one of the truly great entertainers. He was asked to do a show for
World War II veterans. He told them he was very busy, but if they
wouldn't mind his doing one short monologue and immediately leaving for
his next appointment, he'd come. They agreed. But when Jimmy got on
stage he went through the short monologue - then stayed, and stayed.
Soon he'd been on stage 15, 20, then 30 minutes.
Finally he took a last bow and left. Backstage someone stopped him and said "I thought you had to go after a few minutes. What happened?" Jimmy answered, " You can see for yourself if you look on the front row." In the front row were two veterans, each of whom had lost an arm in the war. One had lost his right arm and the other had lost his left. Together, they were able to clap, and that's exactly what they were doing, loudly and cheerfully.
That's a picture of what's supposed to happen in church: "But the
many parts make up only one body when they are all put together. So it
is with the 'body' of Christ." But to enjoy its benefits you have to go,
and when you get there you must reach out to others so that you can
know, and be known. Pew-sitting, back-of-the-head fellowship won't cut
it! Someone sitting next to you has 20/20 vision where you have blind
spots. You need their counsel, correction and comfort. And they need
yours. When that happens, the church is working like it's supposed to.
Artis L. Smith
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Is Alone Time With God Realistic?
If you're like me, you have a busy schedule, which includes family
time, meetings, calls, reading, errands, traveling, shopping, and an
ongoing To-Do List. Sometimes it's simply frustrating. And this is just
Monday! It is common for frustration to set in for many of us when we
start thinking about the reality of having regular prayer time. Many
believers struggle with having a consistent, fulfilling prayer life.
I've been there before.
A retiree without a rigid schedule may be able to incorporate more free time in prayer than a single parent with kids. Although both may need prayer just as much, each individual will have to approach this very differently. The single parent may be too exhausted to rise at 5:00am or remain awake at midnight to engage in time with the Father. On the other hand, that single parent may be able to do devotionals for 15 minutes in the car prior to starting their day and then spend some lunch time in prayer and journaling as God speaks to their heart.
What's more frustrating for believers is when preachers start
talking about how Jesus got up early in the morning to seek out a
relationship with the Father. My response sometimes has been, "I'm not
Jesus!" , and I'm a preacher too!
So all of these realities push me to wonder, with our hectic schedules, does God really expect us to seek Him out in prayer on a regular basis? The answer is - Yes AND No.
Let me deal with the 'No' first. Many times, unfortunately, we've been taught incorrectly about our prayer life. Many have been taught to approach prayer as an activity versus an experience. There were times that I'd take my wife to the movies to 'keep her off my back'. With this approach, we both were guaranteed not to enjoy the evening.
So all of these realities push me to wonder, with our hectic schedules, does God really expect us to seek Him out in prayer on a regular basis? The answer is - Yes AND No.
Let me deal with the 'No' first. Many times, unfortunately, we've been taught incorrectly about our prayer life. Many have been taught to approach prayer as an activity versus an experience. There were times that I'd take my wife to the movies to 'keep her off my back'. With this approach, we both were guaranteed not to enjoy the evening.
When
I changed my approach and engaged in the evening as a fresh encounter
to build relationship, personally relax, and more importantly, simply
connect, the experience turned out much more positive for the both of
us. This should be your approach to prayer. If prayer is just something
to do, it will never be exciting. When prayer is an experience, you will
always look forward to a fresh encounter.
In our highly competitive environment, we have often compared ourselves to others and what we've assumed their prayer life is like. This mindset can only lead to aggravation. We really aren't fully aware of what kind of prayer life others have from a distance. Unless, we have engaged in a personal dialogue about other's private prayer life, everything is conjecture. We must always be realistic about our prayer life based on what season of life we are in.
In our highly competitive environment, we have often compared ourselves to others and what we've assumed their prayer life is like. This mindset can only lead to aggravation. We really aren't fully aware of what kind of prayer life others have from a distance. Unless, we have engaged in a personal dialogue about other's private prayer life, everything is conjecture. We must always be realistic about our prayer life based on what season of life we are in.
A retiree without a rigid schedule may be able to incorporate more free time in prayer than a single parent with kids. Although both may need prayer just as much, each individual will have to approach this very differently. The single parent may be too exhausted to rise at 5:00am or remain awake at midnight to engage in time with the Father. On the other hand, that single parent may be able to do devotionals for 15 minutes in the car prior to starting their day and then spend some lunch time in prayer and journaling as God speaks to their heart.
The retiree may have the flexibility in their schedule to go for
multiple hours to the church and pray. This realistic approach is much
more freeing than a rigid, traditional thought process about prayer.
More importantly, it places a premium on relationship versus religious
behavior. God desires relationship.
Finally, many of us have approached prayer without any sort of strategic plan at all. Simply put, if we are to bombard heaven with prayers that avail much (James 5: 16), we must be strategic. We should take time and develop a daily, weekly, monthly, and annual prayer agenda. This agenda must be personal, and most importantly, relevant. If you don't have a heart for the homeless, it won't make sense for you to attempt to spend an hour praying for this group. Develop a strategic plan to pray for what you have a heart for. You're not less spiritual because of this.
So yes, prayer with God is expected and necessary.
Finally, many of us have approached prayer without any sort of strategic plan at all. Simply put, if we are to bombard heaven with prayers that avail much (James 5: 16), we must be strategic. We should take time and develop a daily, weekly, monthly, and annual prayer agenda. This agenda must be personal, and most importantly, relevant. If you don't have a heart for the homeless, it won't make sense for you to attempt to spend an hour praying for this group. Develop a strategic plan to pray for what you have a heart for. You're not less spiritual because of this.
So yes, prayer with God is expected and necessary.
It is expected if
you :
A) desire to really connect with God as your Father
B) maintain your spiritual growth and mental stability
and
and
C) desire to continue to serve as an intercessor for others.
It is not a thing to do, but an on-going journey to stay on. You
never arrive at a destination of prayer. You only engage in an on-going
experience of conversations with God, our provider. How we do it...well,
that's up to you and God. Enjoy the Encounter!
Artis L. Smith
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