Pastor Stephen Dedman

Category: Encouragement

Be On Your Guard

Encouragement

And he (Jesus) 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.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭12:15‬ 

Many people foolishly believe that what matters most in life is how much they own. It may be money or things that can be acquired. The misunderstanding comes from thinking that having more of what we desire will make us content. But according to the Bible, only God can satisfy our every need. 

It’s so easy for us to direct our attention toward earthly pursuits and lose our eternal perspective. Worldly ways produce greedy and covetous attitudes. But Jesus taught the things of this world will all pass away while the things of Heaven are eternal and more meaningful. 

Jesus made it very clear that His Kingdom is not based upon fleshly desires or the pursuit of pleasures. If we were to be honest, we all desire a life of luxury and ease. Even the people that Jesus ministered to had the same desires. 

We are encouraged to be on guard against covetousness and greed.  Jesus said, “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” (Mark‬ ‭8:36‬)

If we spend our life focused on the things of this world and coveting the things we don’t have, we are wasting our life. The life that we lose here will be rewarded with much gain in Heaven. Jesus said to “lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.” (Matthew‬ ‭6:20‬) 

Our life does not consist in the abundance of our possessions but of the treasures that we have stored up in Heaven. 

Pray

Lord, keep me from selfish desires and envying what others may have. Help me to live for Christ today and produce fruit that proves I belong to You. 

God Will Fight For You

Encouragement

You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the Lord will be with you.
‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭20:17‬

The godly king of Judah and his nation were under attack by three kings and their armies. It was three against one. It wasn’t a fair fight by any means, but God revealed to the king of Judah that a miracle was on the way. 

God said to the king of Judah, “You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your position… Don’t be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.”

The next verse states the king’s response. “Then Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord, worshiping the Lord.”(‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭20:18‬) 

The next day the armies started closing in and the LORD destroyed them and great fear came upon every nation surrounding Judah because the LORD was on their side. What a great victory!

This Old Testament event proves that the Lord wants to fight your battles for you. He just wants you to get into position to receive a miracle. We face a powerful enemy that desires to destroy us, but God is more powerful and has already gained the victory. Raise your head up and allow God to show you what He can do for you.

Do you let the Lord fight your battles? When you get discouraged, do you set your mind on Heaven? When you get disappointed do you turn your eyes to Jesus? 

When life gets you down, let God fight your battles for you. He’s waiting for you to surrender. It takes you getting to the point that you can’t do anything on your own.

Pray

Lord, I surrender to Your almighty power and wisdom. Fight my battles today and give me rest. Forgive me for not trusting You.

Turn To The Lord

Encouragement

“And he (John the baptist) will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before Him (Jesus) in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”
Luke 1:16-17

What will it take to turn this world upside down for Jesus? That is a question that many spiritual leaders have been pondering for a while. We desperately need to see a change in our nation today but what will it take? Who or what can bring about such a change?

God will not do a mighty work in our land until the hearts of His people are changed. We must stop pointing the finger at other people and start pointing the finger at ourselves. Sad to say, but the mess that we are living in is due to the condition of the hearts of God’s people. 

The reason why the world is in such chaos is because the hearts of God’s people are in chaos. God desires that we, believers and Christians, get our heart right with Him.

We should never expect a lost and dying world to all of a sudden wake up and realize that they are wrong. What must take place is the saved people of God get their lives turned around and start living righteously and holy for our Righteous and Holy God.

John was sent as the forerunner for Jesus to prepare the way of Jesus’ coming. God used him to bring people to repentance by preaching and proclaiming the word of God. John was a man of God who lived a holy life set apart for God’s work. He did his job as God desired him to do. We too must prepare the hearts of others to receive Jesus. 

Our lives must represent the life of Jesus. We can not expect the world to change until the people of God change first. We must take our sin to heart and confess it and repent of it. Then God will hear His people and heal their land. But nothing will change if we continue to live like we are right now. Don’t point the finger at other people and criticize their actions and not judge yourself. That is a hypocrite! 

We must seek holiness and righteousness in our daily lives. We must be seeking after Jesus with our whole heart. We need to love like Jesus loves and forgive like Jesus forgives. Who among us will stand like John and proclaim the name of Jesus with courage and boldness? Who will prepare the way of Jesus’ coming soon? 

Pray

Lord, mend my heart. Break my heart for the thing that breaks Yours. Help me to live holy and righteous before You. Let my life prepare others for Jesus.