Monthly archives for January, 2010

Being a Christian Does Not Mean You Will Never Have Any Problems

Jan22
2010 Written by Warner Smith

When I was in high school I entered the Public Speaking Contest each year.  My classmates had the unfortunate duty of having to listen to me practice my speeches as the contest dates approached.  Many of them may remember the introductory line of one of those speeches.

“Problems, problems, problems! You got problems, I’ve got problems, everybody’s got problems.”

It was true then and it is true now, and will remain true into the future.

For some reason many people mistakenly believe that when they receive Christ as their personal savior they will never ever experience anymore problems in their lives.  This is not reality.  There are up and downs in our relationship with God, and this is normal.

The Psalmist’s reveal how normal individual ups and downs in ones relationship with God can be.  The various writers of the Psalms reveal an open, honest relationship with God warts and all.

The Psalmist expressed anger to God due to his feelings of abandonment.

9 I say to God my Rock, ‘‘Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?” 10 My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long, ‘‘Where is your God?” Psalm 42:9-10

Because God’s timing is not our own we often feel as though he has abandoned us. Hindsight will reveal how wrong our feelings of abandonment truly are, but this does not change how we feel in those moments of pain.When you feel as though God has abandoned you tell Him!  He can handle our anger, our questions, and even our rage.  Crying out to Him in our desperation is how children respond to their father when they are in distress.  These expressions are a biblical form of prayer known as prayer’s of complaint. The key is to complain to Him and not everyone else.

The footprints poem helps us understand how Christ really helps us get through our own times of trouble and pain.

Footprints in the Sand

One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord. Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky. In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand. Sometimes there were two sets of footprints, other times there was one only. This bothered me because I noticed that during the low periods of my life, when I was suffering from anguish, sorrow or defeat, I could see only one set of footprints, so I said to the Lord, “You promised me Lord, that if I followed you, you would walk with me always. But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life there has only been one set of footprints in the sand. Why, when I needed you most, have you not been there for me?” The Lord replied, “The years when you have seen only one set of footprints, my child, is when I carried you.” – Mary Stevenson, 1936

Remember if you are His, not only does He have you in His hand when your problems seem unbearable He is carrying you.  If your problems seem more than you can bear ignore conventional wisdom.  Don’t tie a knot and hang on. Bend your knees and bow your heart and if God is you Father (i.e. you have established a relationship with him by placing your faith in His son) then cry out to Him.  Express yourself to Him openly, honestly and candidly! You will feel better, and more than any earthly father God can and will respond when He hears His children cry.

Posted in Daily Devotions - Tagged ,

God Cares About Every Aspect of Our Lives

Jan21
2010 Written by Warner Smith

The unemployment rate in the state of Georgia has reached 10.4%.  This statistic does not  take into account the number of people who are chronically unemployed (unemployed so long that they are no longer looking for work) or under employed (working in a position that does not fully utilize their training or work experience).

Almost five out every thirty five home loans in the United States were in foreclosure or at least 30 days past due at the end of October 2009.  As of June 2009 the number of Americans filing for bankruptcy has increased to over 6000 every day.  Many more are paying their bills but have little to no savings and live paycheck to paycheck.  Are you depressed yet?

The reality is that many people are hurting financially and have little to no hope.  My point in this devotion is : “No matter how bad your situation is, there is hope, and your help comes from the Lord.

Each of us need to learn from our poor financial behavior that we should not believe the credit card companies.  Scripture is more reliable.

The rich rule over the poor, and borrowers are servants to lenders. Proverbs 22:7 (NCV)

We have not often lived in strict adherence to this principle.  Sometimes we get into debt but many of us are struggling now with too much debt and some of us are overwhelmed with debt.

The scriptures tell us how one woman’s experience with debt was miraculously met by God’s provision.

1 Now the wife of one of the sons of the prophets cried to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the Lord, but the creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves.” 2 And Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me; what have you in the house?” And she said, “Your servant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil.” 3 Then he said, “Go outside, borrow vessels from all your neighbors, empty vessels and not too few. 4 Then go in and shut the door behind yourself and your sons and pour into all these vessels. And when one is full, set it aside.” 5 So she went from him and shut the door behind herself and her sons. And as she poured they brought the vessels to her. 6 When the vessels were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” And he said to her, “There is not another.” Then the oil stopped flowing. 7 She came and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts, and you and your sons can live on the rest.” 2 Kings 4:1–7 (ESV)

Here are some principles which those of us who find ourselves overwhelmed by debt need to learn from this widow.

  1. Creditors are not your friends. They will take your children and sell them into slavery.  We deal with creditors at our own peril. Getting out of debt and living free from debt should be the goal of all of God’s children.
  2. When you have a problem, any problem even problems with money you can bring them to God and to the servant of God. Many people have asked “Is it o.k. to pray for money.”  My answer is,  “Yes, if you need money ask God for it.”  Jesus taught us to pray; “Give us this day our daily bread” Matthew 6:11 (ESV).  It is my opinion that praying is a much better course of action than buying a lottery ticket, and saying “you have to be in to win.”
  3. The man of God used what the widow had in her own house to bring her the money she needed. You need to ask God to show you how you can use what you already have to bring in an income to pay your creditors.
  4. The widow and her sons had to act on and implement the plan given her by the man of God. Getting out of debt will require you and your familiy’s action.  Pray and work and work and pray.

God is our ultimate source. Ultimately your paycheck comes from God not your employer.  Be faithful to Him! He alone can make what you have last, and make you satisfied with that which He has supplied you.  Just be faithful, seek His will and obey him.

Someone once told me we should work as though everything depends on us and pray as though everything depends on God, because it does.

Posted in Daily Devotions - Tagged , , , ,

Points About Which Every Spiritual Leader Must Be Certain

Jan20
2010 Written by Warner Smith

Leadership brings with it great responsibility. Political scientist’s will debate exactly what message the voters of Massachusetts were sending to leaders in Washington D.C. last night by their groundbreaking election of a Republican for United States Senator, but one cannot deny that a message was delivered. Leaders who do not deliver what they were sent to accomplish pay a political price.

Spiritual leaders need also to understand that leadership brings with it great responsibility. God will require a price be paid when we do not obey his commands to us. God Himself addresses this requirement of spiritual leadership to Jeremiah.

17 But you, dress yourself for work; arise, and say to them everything that I command you. Do not be dismayed by them, lest I dismay you before them. 18 And I, behold, I make you this day a fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls, against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests, and the people of the land. 19 They will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you, declares the Lord, to deliver you.” Jeremiah 1:17–19 (ESV)

This text addresses four vital points of which every spiritual leader should be aware.

1. “dress yourself for work” Each of us who have accepted the role of leadership in the service of Christ must prepare to work and work hard. The ministry is not a place for those who wish to be kept by others, but should be occupied by those who are dedicated and determined to serve Christ whatever be the personal costs or sacrifices.
2. “arise” God’s servants must arise. Get up! Stand up! Too few in our generation are leading by taking a stand against sin before their own congregations and society in general. If you have a spiritual leader who has the intestinal fortitude to stand up for truth and stand against the sins of our age then pray for him, protect him and give him your support.
3. “and say to them everything that I command you.” The man of God must also be one who will speak up. When I have taught classes in preaching I tell the students that the three rules of public speaking are to stand up, speak up, and sit down, and that it is preferable to conclude these three actions before your audience finishes. The man of God, however, must always remember that his greatest audience is not the one to whom he speaks, but the one for whom he speaks. Absolute obedience is what He requires.
4. “Do not be dismayed by them, lest I dismay you before them.” Those who stand and speak must also remember the high price which God will require if our fear of man ever becomes greater than our fear of God. Although opposition to us is certain, our protection is also certain. God promises to be with us and to deliver us.

God appoints spiritual leaders in our homes and workplaces as well as the church. Perhaps your vocation is not the ministry, but as a Christian your avocation is to be His service.

I am certain that the pain of losing an election may be great, and that giving a concession speech must be uncomfortable and unpleasant.  Each of God’s servants must realize that such pain and discomfort will pail in comparison, however, to our being dismayed by God because of our disobedience!

I pray that each of us will obey so that none of us will ever be dismayed before Him.

Posted in Daily Devotions - Tagged , , , , ,

A Christian Response To Tragedy

Jan19
2010 Written by Warner Smith

We often find ourselves focusing on the wrong thing. We seek the answer to the wrong questions. Such is the case anytime there is a tragedy which we determine to be an “act of God”. When lives are lost needlessly, we have great difficulty coping. The underlying reason for this human dilemma is our own denial. To one degree or another we all live in denial of our own mortality.

Barring Christ’s second coming in our lifetime (which could very well occur) each of us will die. This elementary and undeniable fact is routinely denied or ignored by super majorities of men and women all across the globe. When a young person dies due to an accident or disease we have more trouble with our grief than when someone who is aged dies. Why? Because you feel less threatened by death the further you are from the age of the deceased. When someone our own age or younger dies we feel more threatened by death.

When a natural calamity befalls any known group of people we all feel threatened by death and begin to complain because these circumstances force us to deal with how fleeting and arbitrary our lives really are.

We each need to learn the lesson which Jesus taught concerning calamity and tragedy during His own life upon this planet.

Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.” Luke 13:1-5 (NIV)

The tragic truth which Jesus and His contemporaries were forced to live with was that Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor, did not value human life and killed people regularly who got in his way. Why did God let this happen?

Jesus points out that the deaths in the temple are part of a greater human tragedy which is continuously going on all over the world. He asks about those who died from a falling tower in Siloam. Why didn’t God stop this accident from happening and save these eighteen peoples lives?

If you listen carefully to Jesus, the real question is not “Why did others die?” but “Why have I been left alive?” He then tells the parable of the demise of the barren fruit tree. You see, God expects me to be fruitful. When tragedy occurs I should not ask, “Why did these other people die?” but instead I should ask, “What can I do for God’s glory with the remaining part of my life?”

Because of the fall of man, evil exists and Satan will have his way with this world until Jesus returns to settle all accounts. Until that time, Christians are soldiers on a foreign battlefield. We should be ready to die and while we live our duty is to do as much harm as is possible to Satan, (which means we should do as much good in Jesus’ name as possible) the ultimate enemy and cause of all the tragedy in this world.

When Christians rush to give comfort and assistance to those who are suffering and have suffered, we give God glory. We also defeat the evil intentions of the enemy. Joseph learned this lesson through his own suffering. He told his brother’s:

You meant to hurt me, but God turned your evil into good to save the lives of many people, which is being done. Genesis 50:20 (NCV)

When tragedy comes, rather than becoming consumed with asking “Why?”, Christians who bear fruit for our Lord respond by serving those in need, as we would want others to respond to our own needs had this current tragedy been visited upon us.

Posted in Daily Devotions - Tagged , , , , ,

Update On Haitian Disaster Relief Efforts by Southern Baptists

Jan18
2010 Written by Warner Smith

The following is an update I have received on Haitian Disaster relief efforts by Southern Baptists.

  1. Baptist Global Response is hoping to have an 8-member, initial assessment team on the ground today.  They will be working to assess the situation and determine an appropriate plan of response.  That process alone is expected to take 10-14 days due to the enormity and increasing complexity of the situation.
  2. The US government is strongly encouraging all untrained / non-credentialed volunteer groups to NOT self-deploy.  There is no infrastructure in place to accommodate volunteer groups.  Transportation and communication is still halted.  The only communication from Port Au Prince of which the North American Mission Board is aware of is via satellite phone.
  3. The top priority at this time (per the Haitian government and the US state department) is medical evacuation and establishment of infrastructure.  Therefore, it is going to be a considerable amount of time before trained, Disaster Relief volunteer groups are going to be ready to enter the country; much-less untrained and inexperienced groups.

This disaster has been likened to “911″ and Katrina rolled into one.

  • 3 million people living in Port Au Prince
  • An estimated 100,000+ dead already
  • Food and water are being quickly depleted
  • Violence is on the rise
  • Bodies are being loaded onto tractors to be buried wherever possible
  • 10,000 vehicles at one border crossing trying to get in from Dominican Republic

What our church and other churches should do!

  • PRAY! PRAY! PRAY!
  • Give generously.  Donations can be sent to the GA Baptist State Convention.  Donations can also be made online at www.gbcdisasterrelief.org
  • Minister to Haitian’s you know.  The Joseph family in our own congregation.  They are grieving the loss of many loved ones and are anxious for those they have not heard from.
  • Go to any of the following sites for updates (the NAMB website has a pdf bulletin insert for churches to use): www.gbcdisasterrelief.org         www.namb.net          www.flbaptistdisaster.org           www.gobgr.org

Register for disaster relief training so that when the time comes you will be able to go.

The cost is $35.00.

The next training is February 5-6, 2010 at Hebron Baptist Church located at 202 Hebron Church Road in Dacula, GA   30019.  The  REGISTRATION DEADLINE: is JANUARY 29.

Or attend the training on March 12-13, 2010 at First Baptist Church of Thomson, located at 253 Jackson Street in Thomson, GA  30824.  The REGISTRATION DEADLINE: is MARCH 5.

Or attend the training on April 10, 2010 at Ingleside Baptist Church, located at 834 Wimbish Road in Macon, GA   31210.  The Registration Deadline is April 2.

6. What churches should not do!

  • Please do NOT self-deploy.  If you get there, there won’t be anyone to receive you or help you, and the sights, sounds, and smells are overwhelmingly ghastly.
  • Please do not start collecting items to send.  Many times, the cost of shipping items exceeds the worth of the items being shipped, and there’s no one ready to distribute the items if they get there.  More than likely, the collections will end up in a landfill (a lesson we learned from Katrina).
Posted in Disaster Relief - Tagged ,
« Older Entries Newer Entries »