Happy Good Friday!

Posted on April 10, 2020 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

It’s Good Friday, 2020!

For most of us, we are in lockdown – quarantined from family and friends … and our Church families. Some have found the quarantine difficult and depressing. But for us, Children of God, we have found the time to be refreshing! We have had …

  • Time for Bible reading our Bibles out loud and hearing the words of our Father each day!
  • Time for prayer and listening as the Spirit of God witnesses afresh with our spirit that we really ARE the sons of God!
  • Time for confession of selfishness, sin, and our playing games with the devil and his devices!
  • Time for contemplation and planning to see that all we read and the things the Spirit of Holiness tells us are not lost or wasted!
  • Time to be “doers of the Word and not hearers only” so that we can escape the deception that has overtaken us in the past!
  • Time to love our spouses and renew the honeymoon in our marriages that reflect the love King Jesus has for His Church and the respect the Church has for their King Jesus!
  • Time to enjoy our families and train them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord so that they SEE the life of God in us and FEEL the love of God from us and IMITATE those attitudes and actions for life!
  • Time to hope afresh in the power of God and abandon the feebleness of our seeming “control” over life and its surprises!
  • Time to be human again and step away from the insane race for things that cannot satisfy and will be left behind when we step into our eternal residence!
  • Time to laugh again, talk again, connect again, and become human again having escaped the worldliness of running, working, doing, and shopping!
  • Time to rest … oh that blessed gift of God we are supposed to take EVERY week … now imposed by God to remind us we were not ok and we needed to recover from the madness of a life lived for self instead of the Savior.

Good Friday long ago was a brutal day … a day of despair … a day of endings … much like the last weeks have been for many of us, but we have not suffered nearly as much as they and our King did that day long ago!

Good Friday was a day of death … death to hopes and dreams … death to life and joy … NOTHING would ever be the same again! Much like today … our plans and aspirations have evaporated … our routine and regularity have ended … NOTHING will ever be the same again!

But remember, THREE DAYS LATER our King rose triumphant from the Grave! Death was banished and Life was victorious! Life … amazing, abundant, eternal Life is now ours for the acceptance. And the cost … ALL of us! Total. Surrender. To. King. Jesus.

And with that SURRENDER we have a glorious purpose, wonderful meaning, incredible direction, and never-ending hope!

Rejoice in this Good Friday! Rejoice in this death of Death! Rejoice for our King has substituted His life to pay our penalty once and for all for every rebellion, every sin, every transgression, every trespass, every arrogance, everything that separates us from His Love and Leadership!

So today, SURRENDER afresh. We quote His words from the bottom of our souls, “Not MY will but YOURS be done!” You are MY King, there is NO other, not even – and especially not – ME!

Happy Good Friday! Resurrection is coming! Hope is coming! The Empty Grave is coming! Life is coming! Abundance is coming! NOTHING will be as it was! Everything will be NEW!

Hallelujah for the King on the Cross!

Hallelujah for the Lamb of God that takes away MY sin and yours!

Hallelujah for the Hope of Easter on this Day of Death!

Resurrection is right around the corner!

Look up! Our King is coming!

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Hope For Today! God’s Expansion Involves Using Our Blessings!

Posted on March 22, 2020 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

Has anyone else noticed how selfish people are today? When things don’t go our way, we seem to want to blame everyone else on the planet  – everyone EXCEPT ourselves. We are even willing to blame God!

Hi there, I’m Dr. Matthew Lee Smith and I want to share some Hope For Today about the thought that God’s Expansion of our lives involves our using the blessings God has already given us!

 

Check it out and listen by clicking the link below. Hope For Today is a part of the ministry of Eagles In Leadership. If you would like to know more about the hope God gives and His abundant life through Jesus Christ, I would invite you to check out our website: EaglesInLeadership.org.

Just push the media button below to hear this encouraging message!

We are so excited about what God will do with us in 2020 – Our Year of Expansion!  We want to include YOU in that EXPANSION!

We hope you’ll consider going to Israel with the Eagles In Leadership! In early December we will be leading a tour throughout Israel! You have ALWAYS wanted to “walk where Jesus walked!” THIS is your opportunity! Click the link, “Israel Tours,” at the top of the website for more details and a registration form.

And if you are ordained clergy and would like to go to Israel AT A DISCOUNT, take a moment and go to our website – Eagles In Leadership – click the link, “Israel Tours,” at the top of the website and message us concerning a ridiculously low price for an Israel tour!

And, if you are so inclined, sign up for more encouragement through notifications (Scroll to the bottom of any post and signup there!) of other blogs and podcasts while you are at the Eagles in Leadership​ website.

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Hope For Today! God’s Expansion Self Replicates!

Posted on March 15, 2020 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

Ask yourself a simple question right now, “Is my life growing or shrinking?” In other words, “Can I honestly say things are getting better or are things growing worse? Do I have promotion or demotion?”

Hi there, I’m Dr. Matthew Lee Smith and I want to share some Hope For Today about the thought that God’s Expansion Self Replicates!

 

Check it out and listen by clicking the link below. Hope For Today is a part of the ministry of Eagles In Leadership. If you would like to know more about the hope God gives and His abundant life through Jesus Christ, I would invite you to check out our website: EaglesInLeadership.org.

Just push the media button below to hear this encouraging message!

We are so excited about what God will do with us in 2020 – Our Year of Expansion!  We want to include YOU in that EXPANSION!

We hope you’ll consider going to Israel with the Eagles In Leadership! In early December we will be leading a tour throughout Israel! You have ALWAYS wanted to “walk where Jesus walked!” THIS is your opportunity! Click the link, “Israel Tours,” at the top of the website for more details and a registration form.

And if you are ordained clergy and would like to go to Israel AT A DISCOUNT, take a moment and go to our website – Eagles In Leadership – click the link, “Israel Tours,” at the top of the website and message us concerning a ridiculously low price for an Israel tour!

And, if you are so inclined, sign up for more encouragement through notifications (Scroll to the bottom of any post and signup there!) of other blogs and podcasts while you are at the Eagles in Leadership​ website.

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Faith ROARS When Fear RAGES!

Posted on March 12, 2020 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

Doc was listening to this encouraging song and being reminded that when the devil is pushing fear we need to be pushing FAITH.

If you’re with us, and you’ll start pushing FAITH on your social media posts and stop pushing fear, please share this post and share your FAITH posts on all your social media accounts for the next 7 days.

We are an army of the King of kings and Lord of lords who possesses the hosts of the Angel Armies.

No weapon formed against us will stand, and he will never leave us or forsake us!

The devil wants to attack? This Means War!

Put on the full armor of God and stand your ground.

Declare publicly,

“I will be very courageous! I will not be afraid!”

And be envigorated with the song, “War” by Charles Jenkins and Fellowship Chicago at this link! 

Posted in Attitude, Becoming Like Jesus, christian life, Discipleship, Engaging Culture, faith, Last Days, Leadership Blog, Ministry, Missional, Prayer, Scripture | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Hope For Today! God’s Expansion Is A Process!

Posted on March 8, 2020 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

Expansion thinking changes everything! In fact, when you think about it, nothing ever gets done when we fill our minds with shrinking thinking!

Hi there, I’m Dr. Matthew Lee Smith and I want to share some Hope For Today about God’s Expansion Is a Process!

 

Check it out and listen by clicking the link below. Hope For Today is a part of the ministry of Eagles In Leadership. If you would like to know more about the hope God gives and His abundant life through Jesus Christ, I would invite you to check out our website: EaglesInLeadership.org.

Just push the media button below to hear this encouraging message!

We are so excited about what God will do with us in 2020 – Our Year of Expansion!  We want to include YOU in that EXPANSION!

We hope you’ll consider going to Israel with the Eagles In Leadership! In early December we will be leading a tour throughout Israel! You have ALWAYS wanted to “walk where Jesus walked!” THIS is your opportunity! Click the link, “Israel Tours,” at the top of the website for more details and a registration form.

And if you are ordained clergy and would like to go to Israel AT A DISCOUNT, take a moment and go to our website – Eagles In Leadership – click the link, “Israel Tours,” at the top of the website and message us concerning a ridiculously low price for an Israel tour!

And, if you are so inclined, sign up for more encouragement through notifications (Scroll to the bottom of any post and signup there!) of other blogs and podcasts while you are at the Eagles in Leadership​ website.

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Hope For Today! How God’s Expansion Continues!

Posted on March 1, 2020 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

As we move deeper into 2020, you have probably realized that we can step backward into shrinking thinking again like some of us did in 2019 or we can choose to use expansion thinking this year!

Hi there, I’m Dr. Matthew Lee Smith and I want to share some Hope For Today about How God’s Expansion Continues!

In the second line of the Bible we read these words  … “Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” (Genesis 1:2, NIV)

 

Check it out and listen by clicking the link below. Hope For Today is a part of the ministry of Eagles In Leadership. If you would like to know more about the hope God gives and His abundant life through Jesus Christ, I would invite you to check out our website: EaglesInLeadership.org.

Just push the media button below to hear this encouraging message!

We are so excited about what God will do with us in 2020 – Our Year of Expansion!  We want to include YOU in that EXPANSION!

We hope you’ll consider going to Israel with the Eagles In Leadership! In early December we will be leading a tour throughout Israel! You have ALWAYS wanted to “walk where Jesus walked!” THIS is your opportunity! Click the link, “Israel Tours,” at the top of the website for more details and a registration form.

And if you are ordained clergy and would like to go to Israel AT A DISCOUNT, take a moment and go to our website – Eagles In Leadership – click the link, “Israel Tours,” at the top of the website and message us concerning a ridiculously low price for an Israel tour!

And, if you are so inclined, sign up for more encouragement through notifications (Scroll to the bottom of any post and signup there!) of other blogs and podcasts while you are at the Eagles in Leadership​ website.

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Hope For Today! How God’s Expansion Begins!

Posted on February 9, 2020 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

It’s a New Year! And let me tell you, for Kate and I, it took off running! You probably know what we mean. Wow, God told us to lead people in A 21 Days fasting and prayer movement. People all over the globe are involved! We are humbled by what God is doing as a result of God’s people simply praying and seeking God for what we are calling, 2020: Our Year of Expansion!

Hi there, I’m Dr. Matthew Lee Smith and I want to share some Hope For Today about How God’s Expansion Begins!

Check it out and listen by clicking the link below. Hope For Today is a part of the ministry of Eagles In Leadership. If you would like to know more about the hope God gives and His abundant life through Jesus Christ, I would invite you to check out our website: EaglesInLeadership.org.

Just push the media button below to hear this encouraging message!

We hope you’ll consider going to Israel with the Eagles In Leadership group this December! Click the link, “Israel Tours,” at the top of the website for more information.

Or perhaps you would like to explore Moses’ Egypt! Come see the pyramids, explore the world where Moses grew up, where God demonstrated His power and might over all the gods of the Egyptians! Click the link on our website, “Egypt Tour,” at the top of the website for more information.

So, if you have ever wanted to go to Israel, why not join us this fall! Or Join us in Moses’ Egypt next April! Details are on our website, just click either tab, Israel or Egypt!

And, if you are so inclined, sign up for more encouragement through notifications (Scroll to the bottom of any post and signup there!) of other blogs and podcasts while you are at the Eagles in Leadership​ website.

 

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You Can Play Kissy-Face With The Sphinx!

Posted on January 26, 2020 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

Why travel to Egypt with Doc and Kate?

Egypt is a spectacularly beautiful country filled with cultural gems.  It’s a country you can experience and check off your bucket list – THIS APRIL!  There are TONS of reasons why you should visit, but here’s a great one!

You Can Play Kissy-Face With The Sphinx!

Also located in Giza near the pyramids is the Great Sphinx.  The sphinx is the oldest known monumental sculpture and is generally believed to have been built sometime around 2520-2494 BC.  You can pay a small price and have a talented local to pose you to appear to be kissing Mr. Sphinx.

For details about the trip, an itinerary, costs, and more visit:

Egypt Tour

Feel free to message Doc and Kate or comment below!

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Come Gaze At The Pyramids of Giza!

Posted on January 25, 2020 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

Why travel to Egypt?

Egypt is a spectacularly beautiful country filled with cultural gems.  It’s a country you can experience and check off your bucket list – THIS APRIL!  There are TONS of reasons why you should visit, but here’s a great one!

To Gaze At The Pyramids of Giza!

Let’s state the obvious first, right?  The initial draw for many tourists to Egypt is to see the pyramids that we all learned about while in primary school.  And, they don’t disappoint – they’re spectacular!  The Great Pyramid of Giza (the largest of the three) is the oldest and is the only one of the “Seven Wonders of the Ancient World” which is still standing.

For details about the trip, an itinerary, costs, and more visit:

Egypt Tour

Feel free to message Doc and Kate by commenting below!

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Scripture: When We Are Accused!

Posted on January 24, 2020 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

6 Scriptures on Accusation

Searching the Bible recently, we discovered some interesting facts about accusations!

We all suffer from accusers, and at times, we must admit we too have accused people. This spirit of our old birth, from our old father, the devil, must be removed from our “toolbox” of relational interactions.

To be an encouragement, these verses can be a source of great motivation to reject the spirit of accusation when it wants to rear its ugly head and spew from our hearts and mouths. In these days a social media vitriol, let’s be children of mercy and remember that “love covers over a multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:8, NIV)

So, here’s what we can realize about accusation …

  • Accusations without witnessing the pain and right lifestyle of the one suffering is the act of an angry person (Job 34:5-9, MEV)
  • An accusing witness often accuses us about imaginary events (Psalm 35:11, MEV)
  • Often invented accusations can contain threats that the accuser wants us to respond to, often just to distract and derail the good work we are doing (Nehemiah 6:5-7, MEV)
  • Accusations are often meant to frighten us and to slow the work of God (Nehemiah 6:8-9, MEV)
  • But we need to remember, that the accusations against us can create prayer targets for us and we should ask God to remember attackers (Nehemiah 6:11-14, MEV)
  • The accusations made by the Pharisees were met with a greater response by Jesus … He turned their accusations against them and asked for their accountability to the Word of God (Matthew 15:1-9, MEV)

As you can see, the accuser is often trying to derail the work of God. When possible, ignore them. When not possible, hold them to account for their lifestyle as it pertains to the expressed, revealed Word of God!

 

 

 

 

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