Magnificent Marriage Monday – Marriage Suffers Under Parental Neglect!

Posted on October 29, 2018 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

“In the course of time Cain presented some of the land’s produce as an offering to the Lord. And Abel also presented an offering—some of the firstborn of his flock and their fat portions. The Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but he did not have regard for Cain and his offering. Cain was furious, and he looked despondent.” (Genesis 4:3–5, CSB)

 

The Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but he did not have regard for Cain and his offering. Raising our children to understand what God loves and what He requires is key to our magnificent marriage. Like John, every parent wants to be able to proclaim, “I have no greater joy than this: to hear that my children are walking in truth.” (3 John 4, CSB)

So, why do so many parents neglect the spiritual growth and nurture of their children? I mean, they make sure they’re signed up for every conceivable activity and experience on the planet. Why not deeply ingrain in them the one relationship that will ensure they get off the planet alive and well?

Cain and Abel suffered from what most children born into a spiritual home today do: Parental neglect. When children have no root structure deep in a relationship with God Almighty through Jesus Christ and are devoid of the indwelling and filling of the Holy Spirit, their lives run amok. Heartache and heartbreak are the natural results of a life lived apart from the supernatural transformation and inspiration of the God who created and loves them.

When our children know and understand that God loves them and only wants the best for them, they flourish in His favor – the smile of His face over their lives. As parents, our marriage flourishes because we are able to invest in one another. We aren’t pulled in ten different directions because of this catastrophe and that rebellion.

Marriage is designed by God to be magnificent. Of course, it will be a lot of work. Living with another person is a recipe for tension. Adding to that mix with four, five, or six children multiplies those difficulties unless you both choose to work with God and lead those lives well. In the management of your home, working together, your marriage will blossom in new dimensions you’ve never imagined!

 

 

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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Hope For Today – Don’t Give Up!

Posted on October 28, 2018 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

 

I’m Dr. Matthew Lee Smith and I want to share some Hope For Today to encourage you: Don’t Give Up because God speaks Hope For Today when he says in 2 Chronicles 15.7, (CSB) from the distress of His people in the Old Testament …

But as for you, be strong; don’t give up, for your work has a reward.

 

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!

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We are heartbroken at the latest attack of hate! 

Posted on October 27, 2018 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

We are heartbroken at the latest attack of hate! 

 

Thank you for  joining us at

Eagles In Leadership

As we pray for Pittsburgh during the aftermath of the Synagogue mass shooting.

 

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Faith Filled Friday – Faith Embraces God’s Declared Will!

Posted on October 26, 2018 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

 

“And Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before you!” God said, “No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him.” (Genesis 17:18–19, ESV)

And Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before you!” God said, “No.” If you have ever tried “to help God out” in establishing His plans for your life, you know what it is to fail. Abraham had sought to bring about God’s words through logic and common sense. Since he and his wife were well past childbearing, what harm could come from a surrogate mother? And, thus, Ishmael was born from an outsider to their wedding bonds.

Now, 13 years after that failed experiment in spiritual reasoning, Abraham’s love for his son of surrogacy pushes God to embrace the child of doubt. And God wasn’t having anything to do with it.

You see faith is about trusting God. Central to that trust is listening to and working with the revealed words of God. His plan unfolds by the declarations He makes. And, contrary to our limited vision and understanding, God has no limitations! He is able – to do whatever He chooses, wheneverHe chooses.

This is perhaps the hardest issue for us as disciples to get our minds around. God is able to do anything. He can change everythingat anytimeHe chooses. And there’s the rub. Welimit God so often by our moving forward when we should wait and then trying to coerce God to accept our short-sighted, powerless attempts to bring about what we perceive to be His will for our lives.

Today, as you stop and drop to your knees in prayer, do a quick inventory as you pray these words, “God, where have I tried to “help you out” and messed things up?” God will answer. And, when He does, roll your sin onto His compassion and ask Him for the forgiveness you need to clear the guilt and soften your heart.

At that moment, God will be able to use you afresh for His glory as He returns you to His plan, which hasn’t changed at all – even 13 years later as Abraham had discovered! God wants to unveil the fulfillment of His promise in your life – and it will be huge when it arrives!

 

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 – Growing Closer and Enjoying His Favor!

Posted on October 25, 2018 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

 

“The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.”” (Luke 1:30–33, NASB95)

 

Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will …Discipleship is about drawing closer to God, obeying His will and whim, and enjoying His favor. However, most people fail to comprehend that once God has favored a disciple, there is often a task, a mission that He sends that one on.

For Mary, a child of God who had brought a smile to God’s face (the meaning of favor), the announcement of God’s favor came with a plan to be used for God’s glory. You see, favor is bestowed upon a person when they have been pleasing God. Once we choose to please God with our lives and live that pleasure, God knows we are ready to be used by Him for a mission that is on His heart.

Apparently Mary had pleased God immensely. While there is no record of anything that would indicate the pleasure God had in her, parents can comprehend some of the missing details. As a child chooses to set the table without discussion or take out the trash without complaint, or offer to help when there’s a dirty job being done or come alongside a sick parent, each of these actions are statements of a heart that understands and loves.

We reward children who are so gracious – grace-filled – to step up and step in when life needs to be done. And, so it is with God. Throughout the pages of our Bibles there are countless examples of God noticing, nodding, blessing, and launching another of His children on a specific assignment. This assignment is always an indication of His heart. He knows the one assigned is ready, capable, and willing to do whatever it takes to complete the task.

Today, I wonder if you will do a quick inventory. Are you serving God with pleasure, from a joy-filled heart of gratitude? If so, know that God’s smile over you is growing and soon He’ll break in with blessing!

 

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 – God Is On The Case!

Posted on October 24, 2018 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

 

“He has done a mighty deed with His arm; He has scattered the proud because of the thoughts of their hearts; He has toppled the mighty from their thrones and exalted the lowly. He has satisfied the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty. He has helped His servant Israel, mindful of His mercy, just as He spoke to our ancestors, to Abraham and his descendants forever.” (Luke 1:51–55, HCSB)

 

He has helped His servant Israel, mindful of His mercy, just as He spoke to our ancestors. Sometimes we forget God is on the case! While we struggle and the battle we wage against the world, the flesh, and the devil feels like it will never end, God is working on our behalf.

While I don’t pretend to understand the complexities of the mind of God I do know that trials and troubles are for our spiritual maturity and growth (James 1). As we work for Him, He develops our leadership skills, if we willingly follow and trust Him.

Nowhere is that more encouraged in the New Testament than in the Holy Spirit’s words to Mary, the mother of Jesus, through Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptizer. As we listen to what is said, I want to focus your attention on the verbs in this passage. Notice how this text starts off: “He has done a mighty deed with His arm.” But what has God done? Again, notice the verbs.

“He has scattered the proud.” “He has toppled the mighty.” “He has satisfied the hungry.” “He has helped His servant.” All of these acts reveal the intricacy of God’s activities behind the scenes. As He commissions you and I to “make disciples” (Matthew 28:19-20), He is busy setting countless things in motion. He thwarts those who work against Him (and us), and He promotes the activities that will bring about His will as we work on His agenda.

Pondering these words should enliven our souls with the energy we need to press on toward to goal when we’d rather chuck in the towel, sit on the couch and eat till we explode! But, God is at work! He’s at work all around us! He’s doing the “heavy lifting” that we cannot do so that when we proclaim the Good News of His love and leadership, people are more willing and ready to receive it. Isn’t it great that God does so much so that we can be successful on His mission?

 

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 – When God Remembers Us!

Posted on October 23, 2018 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

 

“But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the livestock that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind blow over the earth, and the waters subsided. The fountains of the deep and the windows of the heavens were closed, the rain from the heavens was restrained, and the waters receded from the earth continually. At the end of 150 days the waters had abated,” (Genesis 8:1–3, ESV)

 

But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the livestock that were with him in the ark. So many times we feel like God has forgotten us. It seems like forever for many of us since God spoke and our lives were changed. Our memories of the day of our transformation through salvation are faint in the fog of today’s troubles, aren’t they?

And yet, you’ve done what God has called you to do. You have kept the faith. While you have stumbled from time to time, you have stayed the course. In your faithfulness, the struggle has been so difficult. Yet, God has chosen this moment to stop and attend to your need, to answer your prayer, to remove the obstacle, and bring about your victory!

God remembers … God looks down … God chooses to intervene at the exact moment we need Him most. For the faithful, for those who have chosen not to give up, God’s timing will be perfect.

When He shows up, He shows off! For Noah, God changed the weather. He stopped the flow of subterranean rivers. God allowed the floodwaters to subside.

Today, be assured that your storm is beginning to pass. God is working on the solution and the perfect timing of its execution. God knows the when and God knows the how of your rescue. Trust Him to come upon your nightmare and turn it into a distant memory.

Your faithfulness will be rewarded. Your fortitude will be applauded. God loves how you are remaining true to His words. He brags about your willingness to endure hardship for His name and His fame. He tells of your exploits to the angels in Heaven.

Be assured He will soon move the heavens and earth for you!

 

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 – Growing Into All God Intends You To Become!

Posted on October 22, 2018 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

 

“The man was intimate with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain. She said, “I have had a male child with the Lord’s help.” She also gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel became a shepherd of flocks, but Cain worked the ground.” (Genesis 4:1–2, CSB)

 

Now Abel became a shepherd of flocks, but Cain worked the ground. Unless you marry in your later years, God’s design and desire is for you to have children. Note, I didn’t say, “a child.” The command of God was, “God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth.” (Genesis 1:28, CSB)  Last time I checked, and correct me if I’m wrong, multiples of two (Adam and Eve) would be four, six, eight, etc.

Now, when God gives you children, the first thing you will notice, as Adam and Eve did, was that a magnificent marriage is designed by God to be enlivened by multiple children who have different personalities! In other words, our children aren’t alike, don’t think alike and, most likely, don’t agree or act like either of their parents.

This is all part of God’s design and desire to bring depth and meaning into our marriage. It allows us to be stretched and to develop our leadership skills. Differing styles of people (your kids) brings out new managerial and leadership needs which you, as a couple, must seek to engage in and become proficient in mastering.

God designed these unique children to develop you into godliness and spiritual maturity. In fact, as a husband, your success in managing and leading your children is a public mark that you may be ready for spiritual leadership in your local church. Speaking to the position of an elder of the local church, Paul puts this as one of the requirements for consideration: “He must manage his own household competently and have his children under control with all dignity. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of God’s church?)” (1 Timothy 3:4–5, CSB)

Thus, today, rejoice in God’s amazing creativity and His direct intervention in your lives. He greatly desires your growth and, as such, He gave you the children you need to become all that He longs you to become. Pray for wisdom, lead with love, and become amazing!

 

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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Hope For Today – Finding God When We’re Lost!

Posted on October 21, 2018 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

I’m Dr. Matthew Lee Smith and I want to share some Hope For Todaya bout Finding God When We’re Lost from 2 Chronicles 15.4, (CSB) …

… but when they turned to the Lord God of Israel in their distress and sought him, he was found by them.

 

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!

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Faith Filled Friday – Faith Stretches Reality!

Posted on October 19, 2018 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

 

“And God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. I will bless her, and moreover, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.” Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, “Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?”” (Genesis 17:15–17, ESV)

Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, “Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child? If you haven’t figured it out yet, faith operates in the realm of the ridiculous, humanly speaking.

Take the centenarian, Abraham, and his much younger wife, 90-year-old Sarah. After twenty-five years of waiting, and 13 years after Abraham and Sarah’s surrogate parenting fiasco, God shows up to show off!

Now He announces the long-awaited fulfillment of His promise. There are only two small problems. As Paul eloquently and delicately puts it, “In hope [Abraham] believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.” He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb.” (Romans 4:18–19, ESV) In 21stCentury medical terms, Abraham was impotent and Sarah was post-menopausal.

And this is the moment God shows up to show off! Long after the dream has died. Long after they “helped” God achieve His promise, only to experience the pain of their doubt-filled choice resulting in the birth of Ishmael.

You see, God works in the world of the impossible. As Jesus so succinctly and clearly put it to the man with the demon-possessed boy: “All things are possible for one who believes.”(Mark 9:23, ESV)

If your vision or dream has died, perhaps today is the day to pick it back up, dust it off and remember that couple who nursed their baby and changed his diapers at an age most people are already dead!

 

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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