Reading Is Fundamental

I have this small problem. (Maybe you can help me!)

It's a problem I've had for as long as I can remember. No matter how hard I try, I just can't seem to shake it off. It has frustrated my wife for a while now, and quite recently, even my children have begun suffering because of it. I know I need to get some help.

Now they say confession is good for the soul, so I'm going to go ahead and give it a shot. Besides, if there's anyone I can trust my problems to, it's Christians right? (smile!)

Here's my problem: I hate reading manuals.

That's right. Whether it's a new television or DVD player. A new cell phone or laptop.
Or maybe even a new toy or bike for the kids. No matter the situation, I have embraced this warped sense of pride that reading manuals are somehow completely unnecessary.

They seem beneath me. Way too time-consuming. A viable threat to my ability to be a man. (See, I told you I had a problem!)

I have discovered, after all my attempts to program the things around me, that life would be a whole lot simpler if I had taken the time out to read the manuals. Despite the times when I feel I can just glean on my previous successes, it is foolish for me to continue to assume I will ever know more about a product than the builder or company who created it.

I wonder how many "crashes" I could have avoided, if I took the time to read and discover whether or not those new programs (and people) I was trying to "download" into my life, had old systems that were no longer compatible to where I was going?

Or I wonder how many "holes" I could have avoided hammering into the "walls" of my heart, had I just taken the time out to read and discover that there are some dreams I have regarding my life that need "stronger anchors" to hold up?

One of the most avoided manuals in the history of mankind is The Word of God.

Inspired and written by the greatest Builder and Manufacturer the world has ever known, The Word of God (also known as The Bible) has a wonderful disclaimer for people like me who tend to live life trying to figure it out as we go:  All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

What a wonderful assurance it is to know that God, the author and finisher of our faith, has created a manual for you and I that will help provide us with the reproof, correction, and instruction we need to program and repair everything we need in our daily lives.

His instructions are visible. His paths are clear. And his customer service is top-notch and always available to us, even when life seems to be labeled: some assembly required.

So the next time you go to flick the light on and the microwave comes on, or try to turn on the television set, only to discover you've opened up the garage: try to relax.

Life can get chaotic like that sometimes. But isn't good to know that God has already laid out a plan for our lives, full with step-by-step details equipping us for every good work.

Because when it comes to our faith and walk with Him, reading is fundamental.

Artis L. Smith

A Word To Father

New Hope as Fathers, everything we do in regards to our children should be done out of the love of God, and not just for our benefit. Love is not self-seeking, and so everything we do as a Father should be for their benefit. 

The Word instructs you to bring your children up tenderly, so you have to monitor everything you're doing with your child. You almost need to have a kind of love meter to see how many things you're doing that are out of God's love versus how many things you're doing just for yourself.

You need to be diligent and pay attention to how you're raising and training your children to make sure that everything you do with them is out of the love of God. Now, I know that's easier said than done. You're talking about every day of your life, but the Bible teaches us we're supposed to walk in love every day anyway.

That's not a new commandment. And that surely includes loving your child.

We as Fathers have to take this business of training our children up seriously. Many of us are very successful in our fields because we're detailed, diligent, and focused. We don't miss anything. And thank God for the achievements that we have, but the day is going to come where all that is going to pass away. But what you do with your children will last forever.

So if you're going to be detailed and focused in whatever your career area is, you should absolutely be like that with your children. The Bible says that a Father who has produced a righteous son will greatly rejoice. Why is that? Because the way your children turn out has a great impact on you.

So when you see them living a righteous life, mighty before God, producing for God, and prospering in every area--you'll rejoice!

God wants you to make sure they become righteous for their benefit and also for yours. The job you do as a parent will determine your future prosperity. One of the things that will cause you to rejoice is that your child is living right before God, and staying on the path that God has for them.

Your children are part of your prosperity.

Scripture Of The Day: "Fathers, do not irritate and provoke your children to anger [do not exasperate them to resentment], but rear them [tenderly] in the training and discipline and the counsel and admonition of the Lord." - Ephesians 6:4 (AMP)

 

Happy Father’s Day

Artis L. Smith

The Bible is Your Instruction Book

Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby. 1 Peter 2:1-2 (KJV)

Before we were saved, we were easily filled with anger, easily filled with wrath, even with malice. There were times when we just felt mean. Nobody did anything to us, but we just did something to somebody because we felt like doing it. Now that we are born again, we must put away anger, wrath, and malice.

Malice is an intent to commit an unlawful act or to cause harm without justification. Now some folks are just downright mean. Do you know anybody like that? They can be downright ornery. They have no reason to plot to do something against somebody, but they do it anyway.

It is unfortunate, but before we were saved, we acted with malice. This is a non-Christian behavior. But now that we are saved, it is time to put that away. Christians do not plot to harm other people with or without reason. Christians think the best of every person. And since you are thinking the best instead of harm, you are planning blessings for others, with or without reason.

Children get angry and act with malice like that all the time because they have not been taught yet. They haven't learned how to resist the enemy and how to flow in God's love. So, you will see a kid and nobody has done anything to that kid. But that kid will sit there and plan how to 'do in' somebody, and then he will do it. Have you ever watched what two and three year olds will do to each other? One kid will be playing by himself, and another kid will set a trap for him. Or he might come over there and whop the other kid upside the head for no reason. That is the nature of sin. Those are the clothes that you had on coming into this world.

But it is time to put on some new clothes now. You are no longer of this world now that you are born again. You are in this world, but you are not of this world. Therefore, you do not operate the way the world operates. You have a different instruction book. It is called the Bible. And the Bible will help you to put off that old way of malice and put on the new way of love.

Scripture References: John 10:10; 1 Corinthians 5:8; Colossians 3:8

Artis L. Smith

The Difference Between Being Lost and Being Led

 "Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea, and they went out into the wilderness”  (Exodus 15:22).

Many people who find themselves stuck in difficult situations often feel as if they've become lost.  Somehow, they've arrived in a wilderness where everything has dried up and nothing seems to be growing.  Many of them have lived in this wilderness for so long that they have given up on things changing and concluded that this must be all God has in store for them.  On numerous occasions, they have attempted to change their situation, but all of their efforts have failed.  If this sounds like you, you may not be lost at all!  You may be squarely within the Will of God.  All dry places in life are not the result of being lost.  Sometimes God uses dry places as a place of preparation. 

In Exodus 3:8, when God met Moses at the burning bush, He told him that He was going to deliver His people from bondage and into a land flowing with "milk and honey”.   Yet, we know when God delivered His people from bondage, He led them directly into a "wilderness” where they spent 40 years.   We know that their wilderness experience had a purpose because the Bible tells us that there was a shorter route available that they could have taken and avoided the wilderness altogether. Exodus 13:17 says, "God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, even though it was near."  

Whenever God leads you some where He has a purpose and a predestined place for you, even if the route is a long or a dry one. 

Often, your wilderness is the doorway to your promise.  At the initiation of Jesus' public ministry He was led into the wilderness first before He ever preached a sermon.  If you are in a wilderness right now, remember what you learned while there because it will be necessary to sustain you in your Promised Land.  Don't faint or lose heart.  You may be at the door of your promise and purpose.  You may not have been lost at all.  You may have simply been led!

Artis L. Smith

Come Visit Us On Facebook

New Hope has a new presence on Facebook. Follow this link:

New Hope Missionary Baptist Church - On Facebook.


Come and like us, today!

Not My Way But Your Way

Lean not to your own understanding, acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path (Proverbs 3:5-6). This scripture is very valuable to every believer. I know when this was written, God had given us important instructions to help us win. We have to practice this Word from the Lord daily to achieve the best He has for us. When He tells us, that His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8). Both scriptures tie in together to say, we cannot trust in or rely on our fleshly intellect. We have to call on Him for the wisdom when we need to make daily decisions. 

Solomon knew best, when He said He wanted the wisdom of God first, before he asked for anything else (2 Chronicles 1:7-12). Pride is the very thing that will keep us from moving ahead in the will of God. Wanting to control every situation based on your own understanding will keep you from receiving better. Trusting in the Lord with all you got will get you to the higher levels you desire. 

Most importantly what He desires for you. Leaning not to your own understanding, but trusting Him instead, will take you to levels you never dreamed of. I will do exceedingly and abundantly above all you can ask or think (Ephesians 3:20). God has “AMAZING” in store for you. It’s up to us to trust Him, lean on Him, stand still and see the salvation of The Lord. Doing it our way will cause weariness. If we grow not weary in well doing, then we will receive our blessings in the due season (Galatians 6:9). Doing well is doing it the way God has instructed. I believe our season has come and God is ready to release. Stand under His covering and trust. He will direct your path to success. 

Scripture of the Day: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths." - Proverbs 3:5-6

 

Because of Calvary

Artis L. Smith

Lessons From A Child

New Hope, one of the greatest parts of being a parent are the many lessons about God that our children are able to teach us. When our children were infants, they had this beautiful way of bringing so many scriptures to life for us, and they had no idea that they did it.

Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather in barns; yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Matthew 6:25-26 

God tells us not to worry about our needs being met, for He is in control. Yet many of us are constantly worried about bills being paid, our jobs being secure, our cars not breaking down, etc. Sometimes those worries try to rise up in me as well but then I take a look at my children, they don’t have a care in the world. 

Yes, they get hungry and thirsty. Yes, they need clothes to wear and a place to rest their heads. But that doesn’t keep them up at night or keep them from being the happiest children ever. 

They know that their needs are going to be met, so they don’t have to take on that burden. If only we trusted God the way our children trust their mothers (and fathers).

Often times, God will direct us to do something but we allow fear to stop us from moving in it. We have all kinds of excuses like not being qualified to do it or simply being fearful of the unknown. It happens to most everyone at some point. These days when fear tries to grab me, I again take another look at my children who seem fearless to me. 

I think about when they were learning to take their first steps. They could have thought to themselves, “I’ve never walked before so I better not try to walk now.” But instead, they (like most babies) had that innate trait that pushes them to try almost anything (including those things we wish they wouldn’t). 

Watching them try so many different things without hesitation is a constant reminder to me of how my “faith walk” should look. If I can only step out with the same confidence that they do, I might be surprised at how far my faith can take me and how many wonderful things I could accomplish.

When I truly learn how to put all my trust in God in the same manner that they put their trust in me, confident that I would never do anything to intentionally hurt them, my relationship with God would soar to levels I never thought possible! Children have an incredible way of putting the “scriptures in motion.” And these are lessons we all need to embrace!

Scripture of the Day: “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.“ - Matthew 17:20

 

 

Artis L. Smith