Tag: honor

Posted in A Father's Love, Creation, Fathers Love, Holiness, spiritual warfare, wisdom, worship

Isaiah 61–The Most Lovely Prophecy

Posted on by Michael Smith

We have discussed repeatedly the idea that Isaiah was not only a prophet, but a true evangelist.  Of the many beautiful prophecies, Isaiah penned; none are more promising than Isaiah 61.  In a verse, Isaiah lays out the mission of the Lord and the mission of His chosen ones.  Just read and let this passage pour over you like a warm shower.  Let it reach into your spirit and remind you of the love of our Heavenly Father.  

From the beginning God wanted His kids to enjoy a full and meaningful life.  He wanted to restore all that had been lost.  He addresses all the pains of poverty, sickness, sadness, capture, imprisonment and blindness.  He understood that every need is unique, and that God cares for each of our needs personally and completely.  Isaiah speaks of restoration and vindication for God’s own.  He heals and restores them so that they can bring the same ministry to the world.

Christ has come.  He calls each to a personal relationship with God.  If we will follow, we will live eternally with Him in Heaven and will see Him prepare, protect, and provide for us while we are traveling through.  We must trust the Lord and know He always keeps His promises.  We can never forget that He will be there for us now and forever. Thanks Isaiah for sharing God’s beautiful promise.  Help me, Lord to trust You to carry it through.

God Bless You

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
    because the Lord has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
    to proclaim freedom for the captives
    and release from darkness for the prisoners,[a]
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
    and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
3     and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
    instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
    instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
    instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
    a planting of the Lord
    for the display of his splendor.

4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins
    and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
    that have been devastated for generations.
5 Strangers will shepherd your flocks;
    foreigners will work your fields and vineyards.
6 And you will be called priests of the Lord,
    you will be named ministers of our God.
You will feed on the wealth of nations,
    and in their riches you will boast.

7 Instead of your shame
    you will receive a double portion,
and instead of disgrace
    you will rejoice in your inheritance.
And so you will inherit a double portion in your land,
    and everlasting joy will be yours.

8 “For I, the Lord, love justice;
    I hate robbery and wrongdoing.
In my faithfulness I will reward my people
    and make an everlasting covenant with them.
9 Their descendants will be known among the nations
    and their offspring among the peoples.
All who see them will acknowledge
    that they are a people the Lord has blessed.”

10 I delight greatly in the Lord;
    my soul rejoices in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation
    and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness,
as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest,
    and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
11 For as the soil makes the sprout come up
    and a garden causes seeds to grow,
so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness
    and praise spring up before all nations.

Posted in A Father's Love, Devotions, Holiness, The Gospels, wisdom, worship

Isaiah 45–The Lordship Of Almighty God

Posted on by Michael Smith

Isaiah brings forth a clear and bold statement from the Lord. It is not complex; it is not controversial; it is simply the truth.  I am the Lord God. In context for the world, Lord is the key word.  So many nations worship so many things. Yet , during that, God remains the Lord of all.  He raises and levels kings, kingdoms, and empires. As the creator of all that is, God could and has simply wiped it all out. 

God has been amazingly patient in his handling of men and specifically His own.  Israel’s and Christians’ pride and sin have resulted in so many lost blessings.  He has had to allow sin to take its toll. The result has been loss of freedom, of prosperity, and loss of life. None has ever thrilled the Father. In retrospect, however, God has done everything possible to reach out and restore salvation to His chosen.

Satan, in many forms has always looked to undermine God’s plan.  Each life and period of history where people have abandoned God, it not only breaks the Lord’s heart, but it also fuels sin and despair among those for whom He sacrificed all to redeem.  God will not be mocked.  He does not ignore our choices and sin.  Instead, He trusts His son Jesus to separate the sheep from goats. Accepting into fellowship sheep and not goats.

All we like sheep have gone astray–but God demonstrates His love for us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8.  It is our responsibility to trust Him and follow Him closely.  We do that by seeking the Lord out in word and in prayer.  To be effective, we must accept Jesus as LORD and Savior.  That will change everything; it gives us eternal life with God and restores the relationship the enemy so ardently desires to quash.

Do not be afraid of the Lordship of God–Like any father, our Lord, Adonai always wants an abundant life for us here and for eternity.  We simply have to look at what He has done and trust that God can repeat it in our lives.

God Bless You

“This is what the Lord says to his anointed,
    to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of
to subdue nations before him
    and to strip kings of their armor,
to open doors before him
    so that gates will not be shut:
2 I will go before you
    and will level the mountains[a];
I will break down gates of bronze
    and cut through bars of iron.
3 I will give you hidden treasures,
    riches stored in secret places,
so that you may know that I am the Lord,
    the God of Israel, who summons you by name.
4 For the sake of Jacob my servant,
    of Israel my chosen,
I summon you by name
    and bestow on you a title of honor,
    though you do not acknowledge me.
5 I am the Lord, and there is no other;
    apart from me there is no God.
I will strengthen you,
    though you have not acknowledged me,
6 so that from the rising of the sun
    to the place of its setting
people may know there is none besides me.
    I am the Lord, and there is no other.
7 I form the light and create darkness,
    I bring prosperity and create disaster;
    I, the Lord, do all these things.

8 “You heavens above, rain down my righteousness;
    let the clouds shower it down.
Let the earth open wide,
    let salvation spring up,
let righteousness flourish with it;
    I, the Lord, have created it.

9 “Woe to those who quarrel with their Maker,
    those who are nothing but potsherds
    among the potsherds on the ground.
Does the clay say to the potter,
    ‘What are you making?’
Does your work say,
    ‘The potter has no hands’?
10 Woe to the one who says to a father,
    ‘What have you begotten?’
or to a mother,
    ‘What have you brought to birth?’

11 “This is what the Lord says—
    the Holy One of Israel, and its Maker:
Concerning things to come,
    do you question me about my children,
    or give me orders about the work of my hands?
12 It is I who made the earth
    and created mankind on it.
My own hands stretched out the heavens;
    I marshaled their starry hosts.
13 I will raise up Cyrus[b] in my righteousness:
    I will make all his ways straight.
He will rebuild my city
    and set my exiles free,
but not for a price or reward,
    says the Lord Almighty.”

Posted in devotion, Holiness, spiritual warfare, The Gospels, wisdom, worship

Isaiah 14 Part 1–Restoration

Posted on by Michael Smith

The Lord has never hidden His love for Israel.  As they contemplated the destruction of their nation, Isaiah was called upon to also remind them restoration followed.  God’s timing is His own and history reminds us that Israel’s restoration as a nation was never really completed until 1948.  Still, God did restore His people.  He used the world after WWII to bring the Israeli people home from across Europe and the world.  Now Israel stands as an independent nation with influence across the globe.

Then and now, God has laid claim to HIs people. That is why those that honor God honor Israel.  It is also why those who hate God want Israel wiped from the map.  One can never underestimate the power of the tiny nation.  As God loves His people Israel, He also loves those around the world that have chosen to have a personal relationship with Him.  They are His adopted children and have the same devotion.  

As one of His chosen, we must live and act as the devoted ones.  Hide the word of God in our hearts. Pray without ceasing. Do not forsake the meeting and fellowship with other believers.  Instead, simply trust God and humbly follow His lead in our lives.  If we will, Like Israel, we will experience God’s restoration in our lives.

God Bless You

The Lord will have compassion on Jacob.
    Once again, He will choose Israel
    and will settle them in their own land.
Foreigners will join them
    and unite with the descendants of Jacob.
2 Nations will take them
    and bring them to their own place.
And Israel will take possession of the nations
    and make them male and female servants in the Lord’s land.
They will make captives of their captors
    and rule over their oppressors.

3 On the day the Lord gives you relief from your suffering and turmoil and from the harsh labor forced on you, 

4 you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon:

                How the oppressor has come to an end!

                        How his fury[a] has ended!

5 The Lord has broken the rod of the wicked,
    the scepter of the rulers,
6 which in anger struck down peoples
    with unceasing blows,
and in fury subdued nations
    with relentless aggression.
7 All the lands are at rest and at peace;
    they break into singing.
8 Even the junipers and the cedars of Lebanon
    gloat over you and say,
“Now that you have been laid low,
    no one comes to cut us down.”

Posted in A Father's Love, Creation, Devotions, spiritual warfare, wisdom, worship

Ephesians 5–The Sanctity of Marriage

Posted on by Michael Smith

In an organized society, there are some foundations and cornerstones that bring stability to the base.  Those foundations, when solid, can withstand great weight and stress from external forces.  Amid that stress, there can be pain, grief, and loss. The ability to move on afterward, however is tied directly to the strength and stability of what lies underneath.

It is critical to evaluate one’s personal walk with God. It is always easier to find fault in others than it is to admit our own insufficiencies.  More importantly, in our society, we must remember how critical the covenant of marriage and the strength of family is.  I am increasingly reminded that Satan wants to destroy the very pillars of marriage and family to destabilize the entire nation. 

 As husbands, we MUST love our wives unconditionally and sacrificially.  They truly bring strength, stability, and order to our homes. They are the ones that make our houses HOMES and our children awesome adults. They sacrifice more in a day than most husbands do in a lifetime. As husbands, we are the only humans, most times, that our wives can be totally themselves to.  That may sometimes be difficult, but that is our role. Step back and look at all the birthdays, holidays, and events from school plays to soccer games and evaluate who really dressed, fed, and cleaned up those events–MOM. 

As wives, the only real gift you can give your husband is the respect that he needs as he attacks the world each day.  It is simply a thankless existence to make a living and do the things dads do to keep the boat afloat. It never is enough, and it never brings any accolades.  Wives are the critical people to respect and build up their spouses as the world takes aim at them each day.  Wives know the heart of their warriors grow faint and need someone to be in their corner; cheering them on to face the next day’s battle.

Together, marriage is a strong foundation to build families. Families are the basis of understanding authority and living in decent society.  In families, we learn that everyone has a voice.  In families, we learn to disagree without becoming disagreeable.  We learn that we simply do not always get our way. We learn “we are not all that and a box of crackerjacks.” We learn the word NO. We learn the terms Yes Ma’am and Yes Sir.

In short, God knew what he was doing to make marriage a covenant and not simply a living arrangement.  It is the foundation of what keeps a nation alive.  As you face your week. please–Husbands, love your wives like Christ loved the church and gave himself for it.  Wives honor your husbands and give them the respect and devotion that absolutely no one else in the world is willing to give.

God Bless You

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Wives and Husbands

22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.

25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.[a] 28 In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, 30 because we are members of his body. 31 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. 33 However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

Posted in Devotions

Isaiah 2 Part 2–The Day of the Lord

Posted on by Michael Smith

The Lord almighty has a day in store…For Judah, that was not the best news! It really came and comes down to who is running the show.  For Isaiah, he was warning the chosen people of Israel that they need to allow God to be God.  He was in charge and the inevitable nature of that would prevail.  My daughter uses this line with her 2-year-old that pretty well sums it up, “You can obey with a happy heart or a sore bum…You choose!”

God was warning Judah that they could follow Him with a happy heart or face the day of the Lord. Make no mistake–on the Day of the Lord, God will be exalted.  People will be humbled like never before–all that cool stuff they collected, WORTHLESS.  All the security and safety measures they put in place…USELESS.  People will be running in fear and hiding in squalor.  They will have left their Idols behind. Idols like wealth, pleasure, power and beauty–IRRELEVANT.  It will be a time of survival.

There will be little doubt–God is God! Nothing formed by human hands will be of worth–only the vast creation and its Creator will matter.  In Judah’s fall, Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed. The people were led away into captivity and their national identity destroyed. For the next 70 years they lived as slaves, and they were subject to Babylonian and Persian rule.  The Book of Esther, a tale of the time, never mentions God’s name once.Could it happen again? For Israel–it did; in Rome, and in Europe. Now, after restarting again in 1948, they have again gained prominence across the globe.

But what of the church? We too are His chosen.  As Joshua said so many generations before–“Choose this day whom you will serve…As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!”  Make no mistake, the Day of the Lord will again come. In that day, all our collections and treasures will mean very little. The only things that will matter will be what we have collected for the eternal…That will be a day when all that the world holds as priceless will become worthless; and, all that men deem glorious will seem petty.  On that day, all that God has made, and all that He has said is important will take center stage. We will worship Him, as it was intended to be. 

 So, like my precious granddaughter, we can do so with a happy heart, or with a sore bum!

God Bless You

The eyes of the arrogant will be humbled
    and human pride brought low;
the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.

12 The Lord Almighty has a day in store
    for all the proud and lofty,
for all that is exalted
    (and they will be humbled),
13 for all the cedars of Lebanon, tall and lofty,
    and all the oaks of Bashan,
14 for all the towering mountains
    and all the high hills,
15 for every lofty tower
    and every fortified wall,
16 for every trading ship[b]
    and every stately vessel.
17 The arrogance of man will be brought low
    and human pride humbled;
the Lord alone will be exalted in that day,
18     and the idols will totally disappear.

19 People will flee to caves in the rocks
    and to holes in the ground
from the fearful presence of the Lord
    and the splendor of his majesty,
    when he rises to shake the earth.
20 In that day people will throw away
    to the moles and bats
their idols of silver and idols of gold,
    which they made to worship.
21 They will flee to caverns in the rocks
    and to the overhanging crags
from the fearful presence of the Lord
    and the splendor of his majesty,
    when he rises to shake the earth.

22 Stop trusting in mere humans,
    who have but a breath in their nostrils.
    Why hold them in esteem?

Posted in devotion, Devotions, Holiness, spritual Warfare, wisdom, worship

Wisdom the Bridesmaid???–Proverbs 1 Continued

Posted on by Michael Smith

We have all met them.  Perfectly lovely people who have for one reason or another not been able to connect with another.  We all pull for them and want so badly for someone to scoop them up and love them—and yet, alas, it never seems to happen.  That is Solomon’s illustration for wisdom.  So many people say they want to be wise and insightful.  We want the answers to life’s difficult questions and issues.  Solomon indicates that it is us–not wisdom.  Like the girl never picked at the dance, no one is willing to partner with wisdom.  Some would say it’s just too weird—wisdom is not their type.  They prefer sarcasm and google.  Others shy away feeling they are not worthy to have such an amazing partner.  Still others flirt with wisdom but just want what it will give them not caring instead what it will make them.

Wisdom, like the beautiful maiden, stands arms outstretched longing to be embraced.  But, we have to want to be wise and not simply knowledgeable.  What’s more, wisdom does not share the stage with base emotion and trash thought—She expects a desire to remain humble and to diligently seek God.  Finally, wisdom requires faith in God and his timing in order to be the lasting influence in our lives—This ain’t no one night stand. It is a covenant relationship that comes with age and commitment to service.  James 1 sums it up quite nicely—“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask God who give generously and without judgment.  But when He asks let him ask in faith—or he will be like aa double—minded man.

If you have not begun, yet; today is the best day to court and win the hand of Wisdom in your life.

God Bless You‘

20 Out in the open wisdom calls aloud, she raises her voice in the public square; 21 on top of the wall she cries out, at the city gate she makes her speech:

22 “How long will you who are simple love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge? 23 Repent at my rebuke! Then I will pour out my thoughts to you, I will make known to you my teachings. 24 But since you refuse to listen when I call and no one pays attention when I stretch out my hand, 25 since you disregard all my advice and do not accept my rebuke, 26 I in turn will laugh when disaster strikes you; I will mock when calamity overtakes you—

Posted in A Father's Love, Creation, Devotions, Holiness, Marraige, spiritual warfare

Preparation made into Profession–Genesis 41 Continued

Posted on by Michael Smith

God always seemed to put Joseph over whatever he had in mind.  At Potiphar’s he was over the entire house, in Prison, Joseph was in charge of the entire jail.  Now, even Pharaoh saw God’s hand on Joseph and entrusted him with all things other than the actual throne.  It was an uncanny thing, but people could not miss Joseph’s unique cal by God in his life.  He was trustworthy and he was blessed.  It was such an overwhelming presence, that you simply wanted him to be in charge.

We should strive to be that unified with God.  It would serve us in so many ways.  We would be blessed in all circumstances. We would change lives all around us.  And God would be glorified in each and everything we did.  It is a great ministry to honor God by simply being ourselves.  The challenge is to do so without personal pride or desire for gain.  When we live like Joseph lived, we will be blessed like Joseph was blessed.  Help me, Lord to honor you with all I do so you will be glorified.

God Bless You

39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. 40 You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you.”

Joseph in Charge of Egypt

41 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.” 42 Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his finger and put it on Joseph’s finger. He dressed him in robes of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. 43 He had him ride in a chariot as his second-in-command,[b] and people shouted before him, “Make way[c]!” Thus he put him in charge of the whole land of Egypt.

Posted in Devotions, Fathers Love, Holiness, spiritual warfare

Joseph–Genesis 37 Part 1

Posted on by Michael Smith

The favored one–Joseph was surely adored by his dad and chosen by God. What an amazing place to be. The honor of being chosen and favored come, however, with a price. Joseph lived differently than his brothers and was treated differently by the rest of the siblings. His behavior always honored his Father. He loved his dad and would never intentionally hurt or bring shame to him. Sadly, his brothers resented this favor and his attitude and failed to realize they should model him and not hate him. 

In our lives, we like Joseph are chosen. It is a great honor and gift. It does, however, come with a price. We are called to be like Christ. We, out of love, strive to honor him daily. This is not always easy nor does it win favor with the world at large. We are considered at least ignorant or gullible. Often we are hated, singled-out and persecuted. Mostly, we are never supported for our choice. 

Take heart though, the Father loves us and will give his best for and to us. We simply walk faithfully an trust him completely and we will stand out like Joseph did.

God Bless You  

This is the account of Jacob’s family line.Joseph, a young man of seventeen, was tending the flocks with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives, and he brought their father a bad report about them.

Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made an ornate robe for him.

When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.

Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more.

He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had:

We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it.”

Posted in A Father's Love, devotion, Devotions, Holiness, spiritual warfare

Hospitality the best Evangelism Tool–3 John

Posted on by Michael Smith

There are so many tools for evangelism.  Pamphlets, tracts, revivals movies, skits and the list goes on.  But since the first century, the best tool of evangelism has been hospitality and love.  I remember in college hearing again and again–“People do not care what you know until they know that you care.” Everyone longs to be treated well. We in the Church should be the masters of treating folks well.

So, welcome people, listen to them share your heart with them.  When they see the difference Christ has made in us, they will want what we have.  Sadly, many in the Church practice exclusivity. they do not want to be exposed to “Pagans”.  Truth is we are called to be in the lives of those who need Christ–then they will see our hearts and want Christ in their lives.  Lord, help me to treat folks well!!!

God Bless You

Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, just as you are progressing spiritually. 3 It gave me great joy when some believers came and testified about your faithfulness to the truth, telling how you continue to walk in it. 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

5 Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers and sisters,[a] even though they are strangers to you. 6 They have told the church about your love. Please send them on their way in a manner that honours God. 7 It was for the sake of the Name that they went out, receiving no help from the pagans. 8 We ought therefore to show hospitality to such people so that we may work together for the truth…Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God.