Pastor Stephen Dedman

Category: Encouragement

Deep Faith

Encouragement

And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;
Acts 17:26-27

Just because you believe in Jesus as the Son of God doesn’t mean you have strong faith. Faith in Christ is the foundation of salvation but strengthening your faith and your walk with Christ is a process. Salvation is instantaneously given to those who believe.

Sometimes our faith isn’t always strong. Even though we believe in Jesus, there are times when we feel far from Him. Our Christian faith is more than just an intellectual belief. Strong faith results in a life of seeking to please God and valuing what He values.

It is easy to say that God is in control. It’s harder for us to believe in faith that He actually is. Sometimes fear supersedes our faith and doubt replaces the truth. We need to always remind ourselves that everything we experience is ordained by God. Everything that happens in our life is for God’s glory.

God is sovereignly positioning every little piece of your life; the good and the bad. God is in control of every detail of your life and so He knows what you are dealing with. God is always within reach and you can draw near to Him by saying, “Lord, I need You. Help me.”

Pray 

Lord, You are all that I need and all that I desire. I know that You have a count of every hair on my head and every thought in my heart. Give me the courage to know that You are sovereignly in control of all things.

The Lordship Of Christ

Encouragement

But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.
‭‭Romans‬ ‭13:14‬

Paul uses the threefold title, “Lord Jesus Christ,” to emphasize the Lordship of Christ. He did so to prove a point that making Him Lord over our lives helps us overcome the temptation to sin. When we “put on” Christ temptation loses much of its power. This doesn’t mean that we avoid temptation, but it does mean we have the power to overcome it. 

Temptation is an issue for everyone who draws a breath. Even Jesus was tempted just like we are. Satan tries to use temptation to make us stumble in our walk with God. When we submit to temptation and commit sin a sinful act, we break fellowship with God. Hence the importance of forgiveness of sin. We need to be forgiven so we can have a good relationship with our Lord. 

The only way to fight against fleshly desires is to seek Jesus daily. When we put Jesus first we can fight the battle of temptation much easier. Everyone’s temptation is different. But know that the devil knows what you’re tempted with and will do whatever it takes to make you slip and fall and give in to sin. So beware of the devil, because he prowls like a lion seeking to destroy you. But have confidence that as a Believer you have the power of God to fight against the flesh and say no to sin.

It’s a daily battle and that is why Paul says to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ” and don’t allow your fleshly desires to have a part of making decisions. When we seek Jesus with all of our heart, mind and soul, we become a fierce battle for the devil. Put on the Lord Jesus Christ today and make Satan wish he never messed with one of God’s children. 

Pray

Lord, I seek you today to be my first desire. Give me power to say no to temptations that I will face today. Thank you for giving me the power to overcome sin. 

The Greatest Demonstration

Encouragement

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8

God wants to make Himself known to us. He shows and reveals Himself to us so that we shall know that we belong to Him alone. While He has never been seen by human eyes, His glory is revealed to us in various ways. He reveals Himself through the beauty of His creation. He will reveal Himself to us through people that He places in our lives. But most especially, God reveals Himself to us through His only Son, Jesus Christ.

Jesus is Emmanuel! He is the loving, good Savior who came to earth. Emmanuel means, God is with us. Jesus is God in word and flesh. 

From the Bible, we learn that we all sin (Romans 3:23). And the punishment for sin is death (Romans 6:23) and eternal separation from God’s goodness. Because we sin, we cannot go to be with God in heaven on our own when we die. God loves us so much, and he provided a way to rescue us from our sins about 2,000 years ago.

God makes His presence be known among us through the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the invisible truth of God that encourages and convicts us of our sin. Most importantly the work of the Holy Spirit is in bringing people to salvation. When God shows His love for us, He reveals His nature and character to us so that we may know Him personally.

Pray

Lord, I want to see Your glory. Let the power of the Holy Spirit give me wisdom to see You as a personal God who loves me and cares for me. Thank You for sending Jesus into my life.