Posts tagged Encouragement

40 Days of Preperation Easter Sunday

Apr08
2012 Leave a Comment Written by Warner Smith

Today is Easter Sunday. The highest and holiest day in the Christian religion. Without the resurrection of Jesus from the dead Christianity is useless. There have always been those who have denied Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. There is no evidence, however, that any of the disciples, or New Testament witnesses ever wavered concerning the truth of Christ’s resurrection from the dead, even when tested with laying down their own lives.

People do not die for beliefs which they know to be false! That the disciples and early Christians died willingly is evidence that;

  1. They knew Jesus was who He said He was
  2. That Jesus in fact truly has been raised from the dead.

The Apostle Paul made his argument for the reality and importance of Jesus’ resurrection to the Church at Corinth. Paul wrote:

12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. 1 Corinthians 15:12-19 (ESV)

Notice that Paul teaches that if the resurrection of Christ were ever to be disproved then Christianity would also be disproved. If Jesus’ power is not sufficient to conquer death then neither can He overcome the power of sin. Fortunately for those of us who believe, we know that Jesus did in fact rise from the dead, because we have the witness of the Holy Spirit testifying to the reality of His resurrection within our souls.

20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 1 Corinthians 15:20-21 (ESV)

Jesus’ resurrection is not only the lynch pen concerning the reality of the claims of the Gospel writers, but it is also a fact of history, witnessed by over 500 individuals.

3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 1 Corinthians 15:3–8 (ESV)

The facts of Jesus’ resurrection are presented in the Gospels in a rather matter of fact fashion.

1 Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. 2 And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. 4 And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. 5 But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” 8 So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.” 11 While they were going, behold, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place. 12 And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers 13 and said, “Tell people, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ 14 And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” 15 So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story has been spread among the Jews to this day. Matthew 28:1–15 (ESV)

The fact that Jesus was resurrected is only helpful to us if we believe that He also is God’s Son, and died in our place for our individual sins. Easter is genuinely a celebration only for those who believe and know with absolute certainty that Jesus is who He claimed to be, was capable of accomplishing the work His Father assigned Him, and is currently interceding at the right hand of the Father on our behalf.

Easter is not about eggs, baskets, bonnets, or new clothes.  Each of these things are fine in their place, but none of these have any place in a genuine celebration of the resurrection of Christ. A more proper and authentic celebration of Easter would involve thanking God for His grace, praising God for His provision of a sacrifice capable of removing the penalty of sin from us, to worship Him and desire to live in His presence, while doing everything we can to tell others about the Good News that is found through following Jesus Christ.

Will you celebrate Easter? If so, how? Will you choose to commemorate this act that gives hope to Christians that there is forgiveness of sin and eternal life for all those who believe, or will you gather like Easter is just another excuse to celebrate without giving God His due? Remember Jesus’ teaching:

15 And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” 16 And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, 17 and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ 18 And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” Luke 12:15–21 (ESV)

Please make it your only ambition to be “rich toward God.” Happy Easter!!!

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40 Days of Preparation Day 40

Apr04
2012 Leave a Comment Written by Warner Smith

Today, Wednesday April 4, 2012, is the fortieth day of preparing our hearts, souls and minds for the most high of all Christian holy days, Easter Sunday. Today I need to “put off” anger and “put on”self control. When I speak of putting off anger I do not mean that you and I will never have anger or show anger again but that what causes us to become angry and how we behave when angered will change from our pre-Christian lives.

Jesus shows us the distinction between righteous indignation and selfish anger when He cleansed the Temple in Jerusalem.

13 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. 15 So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father’s house into a market!” 17 His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.” 18 Then the Jews demanded of him, “What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?” 19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” 20 The Jews replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” 21 But the temple he had spoken of was his body. 22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the Scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken. John 2:13–22 (NIV)

Zeal for God’s house ignited Jesus’ anger and not His own sense of being personally wronged. When you or I become angry it is for our own self interests. It is this form of selfish anger that I am suggesting you and I need to “put off.” It is selfish anger to which the writer of Proverbs refers when he writes:

22 An angry man stirs up dissension, and a hot-tempered one commits many sins. Proverbs 29:22 (NIV)

Whenever we become converted the fruits of the Spirit begin to manifest themselves in us. As we mature in Christ these fruits grow and become manifest more and more. If you are a Christian you need to compare your spiritual maturity by the presence of the fruits of the Spirit in your own personal life.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22 – 23

It is by putting on self control that you and I are able to allow God the Holy Spirit to control our natural flesh’s tendency to lash out when wronged or when we perceive we have been wronged. The practical reason why you and I need to “put off” anger and “put on” self control is that to fail to do so causes us to live our lives preoccupied by defending our own honor and being offended whenever our defenses prove unsuccessful. If, however, we are able to “put off” anger and “put on” self control we will live our lives for God’s glory and count it all joy whenever we are offended for His great names sake, and the sake of His gospel. I believe the world needs more mature Christians who have “put off” anger and “put on” self control! Do you agree or disagree?

 

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40 Days of Preparation Day 39

Apr03
2012 Leave a Comment Written by Warner Smith

Today, Tuesday April 3, 2012, is the thirty-ninth day of preparing our hearts, souls and minds for the most high of all Christian holy days, Easter Sunday. Today I need to “put off” retaliation (getting even) and “put on” returning good for evil.

The Old testament law provided a principle for retaliation. This principle as it came to be passed down to us through our legal system is referred to by the Latin phrase lex talionis. The principle is that a punishment inflicted should correspond in degree and kind to the offense which the wrongdoer has committed. The Mosaic law states:

17 “ ‘If anyone takes the life of a human being, he must be put to death. 18 Anyone who takes the life of someone’s animal must make restitution—life for life. 19 If anyone injures his neighbor, whatever he has done must be done to him: 20 fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. As he has injured the other, so he is to be injured. 21 Whoever kills an animal must make restitution, but whoever kills a man must be put to death. 22 You are to have the same law for the alien and the native-born. I am the Lord your God.’ ” Leviticus 24:17–22 (NIV)

Yet even though this was the Jewish law, the writers of the Old Testament still struggled to square the concept for retaliation with the concept of forgiveness.

29 Do not say, “I’ll do to him as he has done to me; I’ll pay that man back for what he did.” Proverbs 24:29 (NIV)

Jesus’ taught us that in reality the desire to retaliate is human, and of the flesh, but that the willingness to forgive is from God.

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5:43–48 (NIV)

Whenever you and I are harmed we have the right to retaliate up to the point where we inflict an equal amount of pain upon the person or persons who have harmed us. This is right, just and equitable. As Jesus says, however, even tax collectors and pagans can live by this form of justice. The kingdom ethic is different and higher than this form of retaliation. Those who will follow Jesus are called to be perfect as God is perfect.

If God is the standard by which we are to measure our desire to retaliate or to forgive those who harm us, then each of us who have ever been guilty of harming another have only one legitimate course of action in this regard. As a recipient of God’s forgiveness, and as one who has received forgiveness from others whom I have harmed, it is only just and right for me to forgo my right to retaliate and to instead choose to forgive.

How is it possible to forgive rather than to retaliate? Jesus answers this question when He tells us to “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” If I am practicing this love and prayer for my enemies then it will be much easier for me to extend grace and mercy to them whenever they harm me. The desire to retaliate or to forgive is a choice. You and I need to choose to “put off” retaliation (getting even) and “put on” returning good for evil.

Followers of Jesus Christ are to be known for extending grace and mercy more than for retaliating against those who have harmed them. Paul explains this concept practically to the church at Rome.

17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Romans 12:17 – 20 (NIV)

I am not to repay evil for evil. When I forgo my right of taking my own revenge I am leaving room for God’s wrath. Whenever I forgo my rights and instead act as Christ would have me behave I am subjecting my rights to God and trusting Him to avenge.

Paul does recognize, however, that everyone will not be able to meet this very high standard. Paul gives us a qualifying statement, “if it is possible, as much as lies with in you” then live at peace with all men. This is one of those biblical principles whose application is left up to each individual person. Some will be able to bear much, others will be able to bear less, but the goal of each is to live at peace with all people. Today you and I need to “put off” retaliation (getting even) and “put on” returning good for evil for to do so makes us more like Christ.

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40 Days of Preparation Day 37

Apr01
2012 Leave a Comment Written by Warner Smith

Today, Sunday April 1, 2012, is the thirty-seventh day of preparing our hearts, souls and minds for the most high of all Christian holy days, Easter Sunday. Today I need to “put off” lying and “put on” speaking the truth. You and I live in a society where honesty is in short supply. Today the two major political party’s version of reality is so diametrically opposed to one another that the only logical conclusion which an unbiased, outside third party can draw is “one of them is lying.” The problem is determining who.

The prevalence of lying has become so great in America that a former president of the United States, and fellow Southern Baptist, Bill Clinton became famous, or infamous, for so carefully parsing the words of his legal testimony that in one specific area he said its truthfulness depended on what ones “meaning of the word ‘is’ is!”  Our predisposition for lying has even become the butt of jokes. Mark Twain wrote that their are “lies, d*** lies, and statistics.” We have become so comfortable with lying that we use a color code to absolve ourselves from a lie’s severity.  A “white” lie is widely believed to be harmless, perhaps even healthy. The problem with this logic, however, is that any lie and every lie is a sin. This is yet another reason to value silence.

Such a casual attitude for the truth is clearly in violation of God’s word and reveals why you and I need to “put off” lying and “put on” speaking the truth. Writing to the people in the Church at Ephesus Paul reminds us that speaking truth is a prerequisite for holiness.

22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. 25 Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Ephesians 4:22–25 (ESV)

Lying is part of our old nature. Whenever we lie we are guilty of keeping rather than putting off our old nature. Lying is more insidious than this, however, because when we lie we are not only hurting ourselves, but we are also hurting our neighbors as well. The entire community is harmed by our falsehoods. Clearly lying is no joking matter.

After the children of Israel have returned from their Babylonian captivity (punishment for their continual idolatry) and are beginning to reorder their society God tells the nation of Israel what they should do.

16 ‘These are the things which you should do: speak the truth to one another; judge with truth and judgment for peace in your gates. 17 ‘Also let none of you devise evil in your heart against another, and do not love perjury; for all these are what I hate,’ declares the Lord.” Zechariah 8:16–17 (NASB)

Do you understand what you have just read? God hates perjury, God hate injustice, God hates it whenever we do not speak the truth to each other. If God hates it, then I should hate it also! God’s desire for Israel then is also His desire for America today. Therefore, because God hates it I need to “put off” lying and “put on” speaking the truth.

 

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40 Days of Preparation Day 34

Mar29
2012 Leave a Comment Written by Warner Smith

Today, Thursday March 29, 2012, is the thirty-fourth day of preparing our hearts, souls and minds for the most high of all Christian holy days, Easter Sunday. Today I need to “put off” having a critical spirit and “put on” kindness.

2 That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. Matthew 7:2 (The Message)

Satan will use this critical spirit to present many temptations in my life.  He wants me to exaggerate today’s problems and thereby diminish my resolve to keep my eye on the ultimate goal of finishing my life strong. Evidences of this critical spirit at work in my life include the four emotional cancers of;

  • Complaint
  • Comparison
  • Criticism
  • Competition

It is because these emotional cancers are so common and so ever present in our lives that you and I need to “put off” having a critical spirit and “put on” kindness. As I have struggled with fighting these all too common temptations in my own life I have learned from Charles Swindoll that my eyes will be focused at all times on one of four places:

  1. If my eyes are focused on my circumstances, I will experience instability, because my emotional life will go up and down with whatever current circumstance I face.
  2. If my eyes are focused on others you I will experience disappointment because inevitably I will be hurt and disappointed by those around me.
  3. If my eyes are focused on myself I will experience emptiness because there is nothing more unfulfilling than one’s life wrapped up in itself.
  4. If my eyes are focused on Jesus, however, I will experience wholeness because only Jesus can pardon my past, empower my present, and provide for my future.

According to Paul the whole law is fulfilled in loving my neighbor as myself.

13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another. Galatians 5:13–15 (ESV)

This sounds like our needing to “put on” kindness, because neither you nor I need devour one another lest we be consumed. This process of “putting on” kindness requires our spiritual growth.  A great mistake which Christians make is to assume their spiritual growth will be automatic. Listen to the writer of Hebrews.

11 I have a lot more to say about this, but it is hard to get it across to you since you’ve picked up this bad habit of not listening. 12 By this time you ought to be teachers yourselves, yet here I find you need someone to sit down with you and go over the basics on God again, starting from square one—baby’s milk, when you should have been on solid food long ago! 13 Milk is for beginners, inexperienced in God’s ways; 14 solid food is for the mature, who have some practice in telling right from wrong. 1 So come on, let’s leave the preschool fingerpainting exercises on Christ and get on with the grand work of art. Grow up in Christ. The basic foundational truths are in place: turning your back on “salvation by self-help” and turning in trust toward God; 2 baptismal instructions; laying on of hands; resurrection of the dead; eternal judgment. 3 God helping us, we’ll stay true to all that. But there’s so much more. Let’s get on with it! Hebrews 5:11–6:3 (The Message)

Jim Wilson of the California SBC says that here the writer of Hebrews is urging his readers to grow spiritually; mastering the basics and enjoy solid food. Each of us need to sharpen our ears and prepare for growth.

When you hear someone teach you have the same responsibility to learn that the teacher has to be prepared to teach. Jim suggests 4 things each of us should do to prepare ourselves to learn:

  1. Pray. Pray for the speaker and pray for ourselves and the other participants.
  2. Check our critical spirit. We cannot learn from someone who we are constantly evaluating and criticizing.
  3. Be prepared to teach others what we’ve learned.
  4. Be prepared to make immediate application of what we’ve learned. After all, we really haven’t learned it, if we don’t do it.

When I have “put off” my critical spirit and “put on” kindness I prepare myself to grow spiritually and learn from those who can teach me more so that I can grow even more.  To fail in this regard will cause me to become consumed by these emotional cancers and result in my remaining immature and unable to be fully and effectively used by God.

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