Pastor H. Lamar Smith
"Confess It" by Pastor H. Lamar Smith
We must balance “Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us” Luke 11:4a (NIV) with “Whoever is born of God does not sin” 1 John 3:9. The key is intentional sin. The Father’s children want to obey Him. They have in themselves the seed of the Father because they have been born of God, therefore they do not sin presumptuously. When they discover in themselves some unloving act, they do not hide it or cover it, but they do confess it.
“My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” (1 John 2:1 (NKJV).)
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"The Failure To Love" for Sunday, 6 May 2018 by Pastor H. Lamar Smith
Measure sin by the law, and it leads to self-righteousness and legalism. The Pharisees were a glaring example of that. Jesus taught us that the essence of sin is the failure to love; it is the message of the whole Bible. When I examine my heart by the Great Commandment, then I find there is always something I need to confess. Looking back, I always find some way, some person or some time when I have not loved as my Lord has taught me. It breaks my heart. There is spiritual progress in the contriteness and confessions of our failures to love as we ought.
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Measure sin by the law, and it leads to self-righteousness and legalism. The Pharisees were a glaring example of that. Jesus taught us that the essence of sin is the failure to love; it is the message of the whole Bible. When I examine my heart by the Great Commandment, then I find there is always something I need to confess. Looking back, I always find some way, some person or some time when I have not loved as my Lord has taught me. It breaks my heart. There is spiritual progress in the contriteness and confessions of our failures to love as we ought.
“Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37-40 (NIV))
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"Sanctification Through Grace" for Saturday, 5 May 2018 by Pastor H. Lamar Smith
We do not fall into sanctification by passivity, osmosis or casually. The critical point is that we make an intentional consecration of our whole being to the Lord. This is essential to the growth that follows. The growth part of sanctification happens as we consciously and obediently avail ourselves of all the means of grace. The means of grace are all the ways by which grace is mediated to us. Prayer, fasting, Bible study, obedience, worship, acts of mercy, and Holy Communion are a few examples. Neglect the means of grace, and our growth, formation and sanctification are stagnated. The writer of Hebrews reminds us to run after “the sanctification” (Hebrews 12:14). This is to be the way of life for all believers.
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We do not fall into sanctification by passivity, osmosis or casually. The critical point is that we make an intentional consecration of our whole being to the Lord. This is essential to the growth that follows. The growth part of sanctification happens as we consciously and obediently avail ourselves of all the means of grace. The means of grace are all the ways by which grace is mediated to us. Prayer, fasting, Bible study, obedience, worship, acts of mercy, and Holy Communion are a few examples. Neglect the means of grace, and our growth, formation and sanctification are stagnated. The writer of Hebrews reminds us to run after “the sanctification” (Hebrews 12:14). This is to be the way of life for all believers.
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"Our Kind Father" for Friday, 4 May 2018 by Pastor H. Lamar Smith
Jesus’ gentleness and kindness are not indicators of weakness. He is showing us the new revelation of His Father. He is showing us a God of unconditional love who is not out to bash us to show His strength. There is nothing more revealing about God than Jesus. We too are to reveal our Father. Our un-Christlike representations of God through our statements and actions must go. When we are hostile and unkind, we are revealing our own self, we are not letting the Spirit shape us to be those who reveal the Father the way He really is.
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"Our Kind Father" for Friday, 4 May 2018 by Pastor H. Lamar Smith
Jesus’ gentleness and kindness are not indicators of weakness. He is showing us the new revelation of His Father. He is showing us a God of unconditional love who is not out to bash us to show His strength. There is nothing more revealing about God than Jesus. We too are to reveal our Father. Our un-Christlike representations of God through our statements and actions must go. When we are hostile and unkind, we are revealing our own self, we are not letting the Spirit shape us to be those who reveal the Father the way He really is.
Jesus said, “If you have seen me, you have seen the Father” (John 14:9).
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"The False Self" for Thursday, 3 May 2018 Pastor H. Lamar Smith
The false self is what we construct to make us look better to those around us. We build it to help us cope with the unpleasant things in our lives. It creates a false reality. We build it to set us above our peers. It is a self that hides the real self. It keeps us from being genuine. It is fearful to think about not having it lest we melt down into the unknown. If we would be healthy and whole, the false self must die. In this way, the real self can live. This is why we need to take up our cross and follow Jesus. This is how we both lose ourself and find ourself.
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The false self is what we construct to make us look better to those around us. We build it to help us cope with the unpleasant things in our lives. It creates a false reality. We build it to set us above our peers. It is a self that hides the real self. It keeps us from being genuine. It is fearful to think about not having it lest we melt down into the unknown. If we would be healthy and whole, the false self must die. In this way, the real self can live. This is why we need to take up our cross and follow Jesus. This is how we both lose ourself and find ourself.
Father, You have sent Your Son to save us even from ourself . May we appropriate by surrender and faith the fullness of your salvation. Amen!
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