Why Does the Resurrection Really Matter?

           

“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die;”  John 11:25

 

This word resurrection is the capstone of the Christian faith.  There were many, in particular the Sadducees, who didn't believe in someone rising from the dead (Matt 22:23; Mark 12:18; Luke 20:27).  The word resurrection literally means to be raised up.  It's from the Greek word anastasis - which is where we get the word anesthesia, the stuff doctor's use to put people out before surgery.  It's funny doctors would call the medicine that puts you to sleep, not wakes you up, anesthesia?  I've found they're more people in the word trying to put us to sleep on the truth, then sharing the TRUTH! (Can I get a witness?).

 

The resurrection the Christian church celebrates is the foundation of our faith; whereas Atheist and many Agnostics can't fathom someone literally getting up from out of the grave.  The question on the floor is did he (Jesus) really rise in the first place?  Friends support friends, enemies never would support who they don't like (example, real Raider fans don't like the 49ers), and those neutral wouldn't do anything to support either side.  Over 500 witnesses (1 Cor 15:6) saw him but they were believers; but why would writers such as Flavius Josephus, Cornelius Tacitus, and Jewish Sanhedrin corroborate the first Christians accounts of Christ being seen after his death?

 

Thinking of the worlds’ greatest unsolved mysteries leads me to pose 3 points of what the resurrection does prove:

 

1. That God did really love the world.

For to join together (reconcile) the world back to himself again, God had to see mankind as holy and in right standing with him.  His Son dying for the sins of the world would again place repentant man in direct relationship with him:  “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believe in him shall receive everlasting life”  John 3:16

 

2. That Christ was truly an obedient Son.

Jesus forever the theanthropos (God/Man) was willing to allow his Spirit man to take precedent over his carnal nature.  Even when his human side wanted to renege on dying for the sins of the world because his own friends wouldn't stay up and pray for him (Matt 26:36-44); his obedience and commitment to his Father rose above his will.

 

3. That the Holy Spirit can resurrect us from dead places too.

The same men who slept, lied, and abandoned him would now be infused with his power (Acts 1:8) and would literally be transformed to 'supermen':  “When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.” Acts 4:13

 

His followers were now preaching, healing, raising the dead, and building the church.  And we now, because of his resurrection, can have the same impact.  Jesus promised we'd do even greater works (John 14:12).

 

So, time to get busy and rise from idleness to build God's kingdom, because the resurrection does really matter.

 

Think about it…

 

 

Kirkland A. Smith

Senior Pastor of Grace Bible Fellowship of Antioch

 

Act Like You Know

Act Like You Know!

 

Hebrews 11:6 (NIV) "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."

 

The feeling of faith is leading and ordering your steps even when you're in a new season (ask Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego - Dan 2:16-19).

For when your circumstance seem to paralyze you, you'll never be able to get to your destination unless you 'get up' and move! You got to learn to ACT in spite of how you feel.

 

A- Acknowledge him in all your ways, and he'll direct your paths.  (Prov

3:5-6)

C- Confess that you have embraced fear in the past, and you will no longer make him your master.  (2 Tim 1:7)

T- Trust that God is faithful and will do it.  (2 Tim 2:13)

 

Make up your mind that you will act in spite of your feelings.  When you act (not phony, but with faith), like you believe, God will show up and reward your faith.

 

There was a story of two adventurous hikers who went hiking with no clothes into the Bayou for many days with no food and no water (Reality TV).  Within a few days they began to tire, their feet became raw; they were attacked by pest, were cold, irritable and lost.  The man was ready to give up (goal was to endure the surroundings for 21 days and reach their destination), but the woman had to encourage him because she knew he was stronger, and she couldn't make it without him (I just said something and I hope you got it).

 

After 3 days, he finally got back up and acted like he was the skilled hiker that began the conquest; finally they reached dry land and their destination.  He thought it was a mirage, but when he reached and touched dry ground for himself, he rejoiced, but when he looked over at the woman, she had already been celebrating because she already had seen it, CAN YOU SEE IT?

 

Then rejoice, because the key to faith isn't knowing it all, the outcome, the way, or the time; but the one thing the believer does know is the SOURCE- GOD!  They know God will, not sure when, but they know he will.  They know God will, not sure how, but they know he will.  They know God will, not sure where, but they know he will.

 

See if God was small enough to be understood, he wouldn't be big enough for your problems! Change your ways (disposition, attitude, countenance, etc.), and act like you know God's about to show up!

 

Lift someone up with this devotional that's going through, and remind them that it's going to work for their good (Rom 8:28); so act like you know.

 

Pastor Kirkland A. Smith

Senior Pastor of Grace Bible Fellowship of Antioch

I have a Dream Too
“For the Lord your God will bless you as he has promised,…” (Deut 15:6 NIV)

 

As we embark upon another Black History Month, the truth is people of color have come a long way!  Much of that success has been because of great men (both black and white) who stood for the struggle.  Some whose names you know, others not known but forgotten.  They endure beatings, death threats and sacrifices; so that we could have, could hope, and we could hear what was to come.

As wonderful as those pioneers were to provide us the opportunities we’ve received today; let’s not forget the hand of God for if it had not been for the Lord on my side, where would I be (Psalm 124)!

We’ve been delivered because of the promises of God.  We’ve been given opportunities because of the promises of God.  We’ve been able to rise above the opposition because of the promises of God.

He promised to bless us, and he has.  In spite of politicians failing to keep their promises, fathers faltering, supervisors slicing jobs and doctors’ misdiagnosis; God has remained on point and I praise him for it!

His promises for his children are irrevocable, irreversible, fixed and final.  There are conditions to the promises; but if we keep the commands, we will experience the promises!

His promises are sure, his blessings are great, his grace is sufficient, his presence is near, his mercy is everlasting and his truth endures through all generations.  Celebrate Black History Month, because I’ve got a promise that I can take to the bank.

Draw me close to you: Luke 11:1

As we embark upon a new season and New Year, it is also a season that we are anticipating an unprecedented move of God in our lives. We’ve seen him work in others Pastor Marvin Winans said, and we want him to work in us! How does this happen? When will this happen? Well, first and foremost, we must put ourselves in position (proper location) for a move of God to happen. This is why we pray. Prayer is asking God to do what we can’t for ourselves. The Apostles asked Jesus to teach them how to pray, not how to preach, nor how to minister. We know that Jesus ability to heal, minister, and speak words of eternal life was amazing, but his ability to connect to his Father must have been even more impactful. So hence, because they saw something extraordinary when Jesus spoke directly to his Father, which motivated them to want the same type of relationship and results as he received when he prayed, they asked him to teach them how to pray! Next real prayer brings about immediate results, for you have “passed the buck so to speak” to the One who is able to keep you from falling, and is able to do all things well. For nothing is impossible with God (Luke 1:38). Just as when you are approaching someone, this can only come to pass if you’re continually making progress in His direction. So it is if we are making progress towards God by prayer, that we must make sure that prayer stays continual, it should be offered on behalf of others, even when we are going thru ourselves, and finally we should expect the mysteries of God to be revealed when we pray (Col 4:2-4). The Lord will sometimes allow circumstances to come our way with the intended purpose of this particular situation drawing us closer to the Father. Instead of looking at the problem, let’s look at the possibility of a greater connection with the Promise-keeper! So whenever troubles come our way, let us pray, for this will draw us closer to God through his son Jesus Christ; and the prayer we offer up to God in faith with the saints standing with us, and sometimes praying for us will cause a shift in our circumstances and bring forth change (healing, wholeness, and peace). Prayer is effectual and powerful in its working. So in our season of fasting, let’s draw closer to God, seeking answers to questions, and ultimately becoming closer to Him than ever before. Thank you Lord for drawing me close thru prayer and it is my desire to experience your presence unlike ever before. I’m believing every need is about to be met, every obstacle is about to be moved, every tear will be wiped from my eye, and I experience a closer walk with thee. In Jesus name, Amen Pastor Kirkland A. Smith

It's Your Season

If you were to take a poll, which day would you say is the most special to people? Their birthday/ Their anniversary? Their Graduation? Well for the believer, it should be bigger than just one day, it should be a season! Way you ask, because God's promises transcends beyond a measly day. See sometimes you know your season is about to change. Take for example the leaves falling off the trees that are an indication that summer is gone, and the fall is here. Or consider the abundance of lights, trees, and wreaths being displayed all over; that's another indication that the holiday season is near. In Acts 1:7, Jesus said, "it is not for you to know the times or the seasons which the father hath put in his own power."But what he has done for his children, unlike what transpires for normal man, is that he will allow you to garner insight into things that others can't see, because he'll give you the spirit of discernment (Now the Lord gives wisdom from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. he holds success in store for the upright...Prov 2:6-7; to the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and happiness... Ecc 2:26a). God will create an atmosphere that only you can see, only you can discern, that conveys to you clearly that YOUR SEASON of blessing and increase is coming your way! You have sown, you have prayed, you have been faithful. You have waited on the Lord, and been of good courage. You have blessed others as they experienced their season; now it's time for you to experience yours. Matt 24:32 says “when his branch is yet tender, and put forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh." In other words you know because of what's already happened on the front end, what is to come on the back end. All the tears sown will reap joy. All the hard work will reap promotions. All the seeds are about to reap a harvest. For you it's not the Christmas bells ringing, or the streets lights being lit up, but it's the promises of God you are standing on that he's never let the righteous be forsaken (Ps 37:25), nor his seed begging bread. God's gift to his people was his prophet (Eph 4:11-13) and his job was to declare the word of the Lord to the people of God. He could do this because the Spirit of the Lord was upon him (Luke 4:18) and he sent the word in due season. God's people would financially prosper, experience freedom, receive healing of their bodies, and deliverance in areas of their lives in which they had previously struggled when the prophet delivered the word. Praise Him now cause this is your season! Pastor Kirkland A. Smith

Ripples

Ever considered some people natural, while others you would put in the super natural category? Many would agree that sports, entertainment and technology moguls like Steven Jobs, Oprah Winfrey and LeBron James all had these super human skills upon entering this planet! Others would vigorously debate that proclaiming they came with hard work and dedication. What is not debatable is that they are currently making or have made an impact in their particular sections in American culture. This is not up for debate! Ever thrown even a small pebble or rock into a river or lake? You will see no matter the size of the rock, the impact it had on water, especially the current in its immediate vicinity. And I believe in many respects, we never consider even if we’re not super human (natural), that we can still have an impact in the lives of God’s people/creation! If you recall in Acts 4:13-14, that the religious teaches were really moved by the power of God that was working in the lives of the Apostles. It was said that they’re just ordinary men. How can ordinary men impact the extraordinary? Just understand that God has created all of us in his image (Genesis 1:28), and in his likeness; and has given all children of God a spiritual gift (Romans 12:6); which was intended to have a ripple effect in the life of God’s people. So, don’t ever feel that you can’t make a difference because you’re small (remember David vs. Goliath), or because you’re unknown (remember Gideon in Judges) or because you’ve forgotten (remember Elizabeth in Luke 1:13-14, 37). A small rock will always create a ripple. Pastor Kirkland A Smith

There are some things that you can't Google. Try Prayer. Matt 6:5-8

In this time of social media, it seems the main players today in our lives of importance are Face book, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and many other Apps on our IPhones (some sporting the new 6) and others Smart phones. Our concerns it seems like today are more social than spiritual. We're concerned with whose following us, and how many 'likes' do we have, not as much about the spiritual health and well-being of our families, How many of us are praying with our families? Or even challenging our children to memorize scripture? How many of us make church a weekly family activity, or do you just go when you can fit it in? For what is in a man will come out of that man! Our children's moral surroundings are decaying all around us, and they are not as sensitive to the affects that it (carnality) will have on them spiritually. It appears oftentimes, family issues creep up on us (jealousy, favoritism, mental health issues, and even suicide). You can find help through Apps, forgetting though that God would have like to have been asked to help, for even if considered old by man's standards, his power and perfection in resolving man's issues are timeliness! He often will he allow problems (storms, fiery furnace experiences, and lion dens) in our life, for this will draw us to God in prayer. You may connect to a link on prayer, but that won't connect you to God! You may connect to a song of comfort, but that doesn't mean it will provide it because true joy is found within. We need to develop personal relationship with Jesus Christ, for he provides true life (John 3:16, 14:6). I believe the internet and worldwide web, which includes social media definitely has its place, but let's not forget connecting with God thru prayer. Instead of trying the internet, why not try Jesus; tell him about your troubles Kirkland Smith Sr. Pastor of Grace Bible Fellowship of Antioch