Faith Filled Friday – Ask For BIG Things!

Posted on March 29, 2019 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

“These are the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son: Abraham fathered Isaac, and Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-aram, the sister of Laban the Aramean, to be his wife. And Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife, because she was barren. And the Lord granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived.” (Genesis 25:19–21, ESV)

And the Lord granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived. Does God answer your BIG prayers? Seriously. Often we pray for little things, and when they happen we aren’t sure whether it was God, coincidence, or someone else.

Yet when we ask for BIG things, things that no one else would do if they could do them, then we know God has responded. When God shows up and shows off, we are certain that “he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6, ESV)

Now, we all know verses like that if we have been in the faith for a while. We hear them talked about in worship and Bible studies, but are we sure they tell us true truth?” Does God really care about the details of my life? And why would He? Doesn’t He have bigger things to deal with other than this?

Such are the questions of doubt. All too often we simply don’t believe God loves us enough to take the time and energy to help us with our problems, tall, grande, or venti, as they say at my coffee shop. Doubt destroys faith like a spring rain ruins a newspaper.

When Rebekah couldn’t have children, Isaac knew that the God who promised the stars of the universe in number would have to intervene. And so, choosing to take his issue to God, God answered. Maybe it was just a test. Was God simply trying to exercise Isaac’s faith muscle? Did He want the second generation of faith to know and see God work like his father Abraham had?

And in your life, is there a BIG problem that you can’t solve? Has it been going on for a while? Isaac would tell all of us to stop, drop and roll. Stop trying, drop to our knees and cry out to God for His supernatural intervention, and roll all our concerns upon Him. He is more than able to resolve anything that has come our way.  Today would be a great day to pray and then watch God work!

Faith Filled Fridays hope to boost your trust in God and accelerate your daring and courage in everyday life. Dr. Matthew Lee Smith, Executive Director of Eagles In Leadership, writes each encouragement out of a heart that has known both great joy and great loss – his wife of 38 years, 5 months and 2 days was promoted to Heaven on November 11, 2017. Through every experience, God has proven Himself more than faithful and trustworthy. He welcomes your comments below.

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Train Them Thursday – Discipling Our Children

Posted on March 28, 2019 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

“And when He became twelve, they went up there according to the custom of the Feast; and as they were returning, after spending the full number of days, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. But His parents were unaware of it, but supposed Him to be in the caravan, and went a day’s journey; and they began looking for Him among their relatives and acquaintances.” (Luke 2:42–44, NASB95)

Supposing that he was among their band of travelers, they journeyed on for a full day while looking for him among their family and friends. Training a child to obey and be responsible by the age of twelve is what good discipleship is all about. We raise children. We don’t babysit them or allow them to remain children.

Discipleship is the process of moving infants into adulthood. While we want them to grow through the process, Americans seem to be so much more comfortable with raising teenagers –larger children –a concept that was unknown globally until the mid-1900’s!

Responsibility is one of the hallmarks of maturity. Growing alongside Joseph, Jesus learned not only a trade but also a character. Watching His father work with people and with wood and stone, Jesus learned how talking to God by faith and walking in life by sight intertwine. Joseph and Mary guided Jesus as their little boy grew into a young man. And since, “The Child continued to grow and become strong, increasing in wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him,” (Luke 2:40, NASB95) they had no reason to think He would do anything except be the most responsible and respectful traveling.

And so, when His turn came along to head to Jerusalem for Passover, Mary and Joseph knew Jesus would stay with the group, be responsible, and leave with the caravan as it headed back for Nazareth. However, “the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem.”

There comes a time when disciples begin to sense the tug of God in their lives and hearts. They, like all children, start to make their own way, follow their own path. For the disciple of Jesus, that is the Path of Life. It’s different for each of us. And it’s our task to help the young follower of our King to discover how to discern their way on that path.

Until then, responsibility and loyalty to the discipler are key, for these are marks of a life well lived in the presence of the Almighty!

Train Them Thursdays seeks to wed the Great Commission directive of Jesus with the practice He employed while on Earth. Each nugget is meant to encourage the reader with a “can-do” spirit to realize that discipleship is something each person is both capable of and empowered to accomplish. Dr. Matthew Lee Smith, Executive Director of Eagles In Leadership, writes each thought and they flow out of decades of his tried and true field-testing in multiple settings from rural to inner city. He welcomes your comments below.

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Willing Worker Wednesday – Leave It Alone! It’s Not Yours!

Posted on March 27, 2019 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

“Tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they asked him, “Teacher, what should we do?” He told them, “Don’t collect any more than what you have been authorized.”” (Luke 3:12–13, HCSB)

Don’t collect any more than what you have been authorized. Greed is such an insidious monster. Once it gets a foothold on our heart, it seems to taint our every thought. “Just a little bit more!” it tells us. “It will be ok. You just need a little bit more,” greed whispers in our ear. And soon, we believe that we need that thing and into our cart it goes – whether at the Dollar Store, on Amazon, or at the car dealership. All along the way, we find ourselves at the whim of this green-eyed monster that always craves just a little bit more.

Thus, when those who could – and did – extort extra money from people under the color of authority came to surrender to the King of kings, they wondered how the new administration would govern their occupations. Business would never be the same again in Jesus’ reply.

Consider for a moment what Jesus actually means when He tells these IRS agents for the Roman Government to stop being greedy. In one simple sentence, Jesus forbids being human in our sinful nature. His words are the equivalent to saying, “Stop taking what doesn’t belong to you.” And in that, we all have a lesson to learn.

Whether it’s a tool along the roadside, some money in the street, or someone else’s spouse, if it isn’t ours then we have no business taking it. Being content with the wages we make and not pilfering from the supply closet is the intent of Jesus all-encompassing decree. “Leave it alone! It’s not yours!” could be the battle cry of the businesswoman or man who takes His words to heart.

Servant leaders understand that Jesus is watching, auditing our actions and attitudes, our methods and our motives. As a result, we comprehend the reality that Jesus calls us to a higher standard. As the writer of Hebrews instructs us … “Your life should be free from the love of money. Be satisfied with what you have, for He Himself has said, I will never leave you or forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5, HCSB)

In the midst of the busy-ness of each day, we need to remember that there is a reward and that God is always with us. Whatever we need, He will provide – at the right time and in abundance!

Willing Worker Wednesdays are dedicated to explaining the core realities of servant leadership – the Biblical principles and methods used by God’s faithful people throughout time. They further reflect the lifestyle of Jesus, the King of kings and Lord of lords as He walked on this earth announcing the Kingdom of God had arrived. These brief lessons are written by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith, Executive Director of Eagles In Leadership, and come from his extensive ministry within the local church, in higher education, in church consulting and as a Biblical author and leader. He welcomes your comments below.

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Turn-Around Tuesday – The Wages of Sin

Posted on March 26, 2019 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

“So, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her servant, and gave her to Abram her husband as a wife. And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress.” (Genesis 16:3–4, ESV)

 And when she saw that she had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress. Have you ever had one of those, “Well, duh!” moments? Life can be riddled with them, can’t it?

So often we fail to envision the results of our decisions until after we make them. Unfortunately, hindsight is 20-20. However, in reality, it isn’t a lot of help for the mistake we have already made, except to lead us to repentance and to cry out to God for mercy over our failure. If we are to turn around our troubles, we will have to come to some honest realities about our choices and our lack of patient faith in God.

Sarai saw the pain of the moment and failed to comprehend the potential pain of the future. Having children isn’t a decision to jump into rashly when biology isn’t working. Surrogacy is not new. Popular in Abraham’s day, the process was more tactile, less test tube.

Such a hands-on approach was sure to rouse the realities of God’s design, though Creation was over 2,000 years in the past. God had said it was “very good” to have one wife for your life. This design of two people in a marriage allowed God to stamp His approval and wisdom on the family unit. That is something not to trifle with.

Despite the difficulties in having a child, and they had been having them for well over a decade, God had promised abundance and miracles into the life and future of this tested couple (See Genesis 12:1-4). When God makes a promise, it is His problem to deliver!

As you think about your life at this moment, what promises are you holding on to from God’s heart? Whether you read them in His Word or you heard them whispered through His Spirit, God has probably told you something that is unimaginable.

Trust God. Obey His words. Trust His timing. Wait for his fulfillment. While I know it can be both frustrating and painful, when God delivers you will be as happy as a small child. God knows. Wait!

Turn-Around Tuesdays are designed to bring hope and help, insight and encouragement to those of us who are simply overwhelmed by the flood of problems life throws at us. No one is immune to trials and troubles, but God has a way of lifting us from life’s torrents. Each short thought is written by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith, Executive Director of Eagles In Leadership, and comes from his life-journey with the God who never leaves us or forsakes us. He welcomes your comments below.

 

 

 

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Hope For Today – Having Eternal Life!

Posted on March 24, 2019 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

While the world celebrates with a bunny, we know it’s all about the substitutionary Lamb of God who takes away our sin!

I’m Dr. Matthew Lee Smith and I want to share some Hope For Today about how Having Eternal Life!

Check it out at the link below. Click the link below to listen. 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, “Join Us In Israel This Fall,” at the top of the website for more information.

And, if you are so inclined, sign up for more encouragement through notifications (UPPER RIGHT CORNER OF THE WEBSITE) of other blogs and podcasts while you are at the Eagles in Leadership​ website. Check it out at the link below. Click the link below to listen. 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, “Join Us In Israel This Fall,” at the top of the website for more information.

And, if you are so inclined, sign up for more encouragement through notifications (UPPER RIGHT CORNER OF THE WEBSITE) of other blogs and podcasts while you are at the Eagles in Leadership​ website.

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Faith Filled Friday – Do Not Delay!

Posted on March 22, 2019 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

“And he and the men who were with him ate and drank, and they spent the night there. When they arose in the morning, he said, “Send me away to my master.” Her brother and her mother said, “Let the young woman remain with us a while, at least ten days; after that she may go.” But he said to them, “Do not delay me, since the Lord has prospered my way. Send me away that I may go to my master.”” (Genesis 24:54–56, ESV)

Do not delay me, since the Lord has prospered my way. I have functioned for some time under the credo, “To delay is to disobey.” Why? I can be a professional procrastinator. What about you? Are you known for your rapid response or do you have a “to do” list that keeps getting more and more “not done?”

While many make perfectly good excuses for their postponements, the reality is that I choose to delay because, well, to be honest, I just don’t want to do it. Do you understand? Can you empathize with me? Do you know what I mean when I say, “I like to rest?”

Perhaps it’s the perspective of experience. I mean, really. Has anyone else noticed that if you empty your list by evening, the next morning there’s a new list?! What’s up with that? So, if a few things don’t get done today, well, there’s always tomorrow, right?

Such are the attitudes of those who do not function in close relationship with the Almighty, as I have learned. (Read through Proverbs in the middle of your Bible and track the concepts of diligence and laziness if you don’t believe me.)

When Abraham’s servant got the good news that Bethuel and Laban were in agreement with Rebekah becoming Isaac’s wife, he was ready to depart the next morning. Imagine, a one-day mission!

Where do you think the servant had learned such a quick response time? From his boss, of course. Abraham was known for his rapid responses to God. As a part of his character, we can safely assume that this trait carried over into his personal and business life as well.

Faith responds; it doesn’t delay. And perhaps that’s why God honors it. After all, parents appreciate it. Bosses respect it. Spouses praise it. Why wouldn’t we want to possess it? And when we do, we discover that life is filled with more prosperity and good success.

Faith Filled Fridays hope to boost your trust in God and accelerate your daring and courage in everyday life. Dr. Matthew Lee Smith, Executive Director of Eagles In Leadership, writes each encouragement out of a heart that has known both great joy and great loss – his wife of 38 years, 5 months and 2 days was promoted to Heaven on November 11, 2017. Through every experience, God has proven Himself more than faithful and trustworthy. He welcomes your comments below.

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Train Them Thursday – Parenting Our Children

Posted on March 21, 2019 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

“Now His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when He became twelve, they went up there according to the custom of the Feast.” (Luke 2:41–42, NASB95)

Now His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. Discipleship is always easier when there has been a lifestyle of dedication to the Lord played out in the lives of one’s children. As our kids see our devotion and the sacrifices we make for the One who gave His all for us, their hearts, minds and souls are imprinted with the concepts of discipleship.

Discipleship is, in essence, parenting. We spiritually birth them and then we parent the newborn in Christ to maturity. They, in turn, do the same and so, the link continues from Jesus and The Twelve through us to the next generation. In their early days, we teach both by what we say and, more importantly, by what we do in their presence.

Here, Jesus had watched for eleven years as the caravan for Jerusalem left without him each Passover. Now, the excitement must have been almost uncontainable as He walked with Joseph and alongside Mary. Imagine those long days and joy-filled nights as the pilgrims sang the songs of the ascents (Psalms 120-134), told of Passovers gone by, and what lay before them this year in Jerusalem!

Can you see the connection? Year after year, conversation after conversation, life was breathed into the young Jesus. As He saw His parents live the words they spoke, as He saw the grace they gave in handling the ridicule they endured for His unique birth, and as He watched them make the long trek to Jerusalem each year only because of their passionate faith, Jesus learned that God was worth His all. (Shades of His willingness to sacrifice Himself on the Cross were imprinted each month in Nazareth.)

So the question before us is, “Am I living out my faith in front of my children? Do I talk and walk the faith I possess? Am I influencing my kids in a supernatural way to live for Christ by the example I set?”

“Is the imprint I leave in the cells of their souls one that will linger long after I am gone?”Only by our repeated nurturing and parenting – whether with our own flesh and blood children or our spiritual ones – will we be able to answer, “Yes!” to this question.

Train Them Thursdays seeks to wed the Great Commission directive of Jesus with the practice He employed while on Earth. Each nugget is meant to encourage the reader with a “can-do” spirit to realize that discipleship is something each person is both capable of and empowered to accomplish. Dr. Matthew Lee Smith, Executive Director of Eagles In Leadership, writes each thought and they flow out of decades of his tried and true field-testing in multiple settings from rural to inner city. He welcomes your comments below.

 

 

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Willing Worker Wednesday – Sharing Shows Caring

Posted on March 20, 2019 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

““What then should we do?” the crowds were asking him. He replied to them, “The one who has two shirts must share with someone who has none, and the one who has food must do the same.”” (Luke 3:10–11, HCSB)

Share with someone who has none. Generosity is the footprint of God’s presence. In our lives, we are never more like Him than when we are giving. Remember, we are to imitate Him wherever possible, See 1 Corinthians 11:1 and John 3:16 as examples.

Giving is such an integral part of our faith that is it the sign of servant leadership itself. We cannot serve if we will not give. Consider the average amount of giving we have to do just to serve another person. First, we have to choose to serve, which means we first give up ourselves for someone else. That’s an attitude shift.

Next, we give of our resources. When I travel to be with someone, I have to use gas for my car, money for Uber, or sweat as I pedal my bicycle. In every case, I have to sacrifice precious resources for someone else. That’s a resource shift.

As we sit over coffee and talk, or we work together to fix the car, or we drive someone to their appointment we use up valuable time. Time is our most valuable commodity. We have little of it to spare in these hectic days. Once an hour is gone, it can never be retrieved. So, investing in someone else instead of us is a value shift.

When Jesus called us to share He told us to do so out of our surplus. You see, sharing is about having something that is good enough that I value it. Whatever I value in resources – time, clothing, food, money, etc. – Jesus calls us to share it.

Why? Because nothing is more personal than giving from our own resources to help another who lacks those very needs. People are drawn to such sacrifices for they reflect one’s heart. And servant leadership is nothing if it is not driven from our hearts.

When you look up and look around today, see those with genuine needs. Of course, start with your family. Then, look at your faith family. And don’t forget your neighbors and even your enemies.  Nothing softens hearts more to be receptive to Jesus than sharing!

Willing Worker Wednesdays are dedicated to explaining the core realities of servant leadership – the Biblical principles and methods used by God’s faithful people throughout time. They further reflect the lifestyle of Jesus, the King of kings and Lord of lords as He walked on this earth announcing the Kingdom of God had arrived. These brief lessons are written by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith, Executive Director of Eagles In Leadership, and come from his extensive ministry within the local church, in higher education, in church consulting and as a Biblical author and leader. He welcomes your comments below.

 

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Turn-Around Tuesday – Happy Wife, Happy Life?

Posted on March 19, 2019 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

“Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. She had a female Egyptian servant whose name was Hagar. And Sarai said to Abram, “Behold now, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. Go in to my servant; it may be that I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.” (Genesis 16:1–2, ESV)

 And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. Sometimes the choices we make, in retrospect, make absolutely no sense. Have you been there? I know I have. What were we thinking? Were we thinking?

Every time I reread this story I say the same things. What were they thinking? Were they thinking? How does this make sense on any level? Does the desire to have a child, a son, override the sacredness of the marriage bed? The answer to that question will define one’s quality of life for the remainder of our years.

Here, with an insurmountable problem before Him was a God who had just promised Abraham, “And behold, the word of the Lord came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.” And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.” (Genesis 15:4–6, ESV)

How do you resolve situations where obstacles seem to have stopped and derailed your forward progress? Do we pray, fast, cry out to God and enlist the prayers of others for God’s supernatural intervention? Or do we imitate the ways of the world and seek natural, unbiblical ways to bring about the result we desire?

How we step forward when our paths are blocked reveals the destination we will eventually arrive at. Shortcuts and sin-cuts will only lead us to a less-than-desired future filled with regret and pain.

As Abraham and Sarah will tell you now, on this side of their horrible solution, lots of bad came from this arrangement. Animosity, that corrosive emotion that undermines everything between two people ate away the joy of union and replaced it with the loathing of seeing each other. Today, though the way is hard, choose the Path of Life. God will honor it in time if we trust Him.

Turn-Around Tuesdays are designed to bring hope and help, insight and encouragement to those of us who are simply overwhelmed by the flood of problems life throws at us. No one is immune to trials and troubles, but God has a way of lifting us from life’s torrents. Each short thought is written by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith, Executive Director of Eagles In Leadership, and comes from his life-journey with the God who never leaves us or forsakes us. He welcomes your comments below.

 

 

 

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Magnificent Marriage Monday – Leveraging Our Platform!

Posted on March 18, 2019 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

“Then he said, “Since I have ventured to speak to my lord, suppose twenty are found there?” He replied, “I will not destroy it on account of twenty.” Then he said, “Let my lord not be angry, and I will speak one more time. Suppose ten are found there?” He answered, “I will not destroy it on account of ten.”” (Genesis 18:31–32, CSB)

I will not destroy it on account of ten. Marriage is a wonderful platform from which to share the goodness and generosity of God’s character. When a husband and wife walk close to the Lord and one another, the incredible things that happen are showcased to the world we live in. Like a constantly running video, God allows his grace and mercy to flow effervescently in and over our friendships.

Many fail to grasp the enormity of a couple walking in peace with one another. We often don’t realize that what the Lord gives us is so unlike what the world experiences. The tranquility of inner peace and the power of partnership combine to display an enviable atmosphere others see and hunger for.

Such is the platform the surrendered and servant-hearted man and wife are able to speak life from. Yet, so many fail to enunciate the reasons for their joy and happiness, to the loss of those who would be eager to hear it.

It is at this point that Lot and his wife failed grievously. While they had lived in Sodom for some time, they had yet to influence others, much less bring them to saving faith. For the 21stCentury follower of Jesus, nothing could be more essential when it comes to the couple united in holiness.

The Prime Directive remains the mission statement of each individual and each couple who claim the name of Jesus. Amidst the cash and the chaos, God prods His people – especially couples – to use their platforms of peace to open the hearts and minds of their friends with the saving knowledge of Jesus their King.

Though Lot and his wife lost their community through their lack of influence, you have an incredible opportunity to work together, create a platform of mercy, and leverage that grace into something that will change lives as you speak of the goodness of God. All you need to do is speak the life you so constantly enjoy to those you live around!

Magnificent Marriage Mondays are helpful hints, clues, ideas, and solutions for the child of God who is looking for a spouse, in a relationship with someone, or are already married. Each post seeks to bring help, hope, and honesty to your life and make the rest of your life, the best of your life. They are written by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith, Executive Director of Eagles In Leadership, and come from his 38 years, 5 months and 2 days experience with his wife, Melodee, who was promoted to Heaven on November 11, 2017. He is currently seeking God’s will for his new life partner. He welcomes your comments below.

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