Pastor Stephen Dedman

Category: Encouragement

Are You Ready?

Encouragement, Salvation

‘Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.’
Revelation 1:7

One day soon Jesus is coming back. He will return in the clouds for his church. It will be a glorious day and everyone will see Him.

The rapture of the church is something we should be watching for. There should be something in the hearts of every Christian that longs to be united with Christ. To live with Him for eternity is our hope and goal as a Christian.

John was given a very unique revelation or vision as to what will happen in the last days. He was prompted to write it down for all of us to read and understand. Notably there is significance as to the holiness of the presence of Jesus. Jesus will be worshipped and honored as He should be.

We should never fear the coming of Jesus rather we should rejoice in the occasion. Jesus desires to be with His bride and we desire to be with our Master and Savior. It is encouraging to know that one day soon we all will be in glorified bodies.

The main question is, “Are you ready?” Are you ready for Jesus to return in the clouds and take up His church? The only way to be prepared is to believe in our hearts that Jesus is the Son of God, that He died on the cross, and was resurrected from the dead on the third day. Faith in Jesus gives us eternal life.

Are you ready for Jesus to come?

Pray

Lord, prepare my heart and soul for Your coming. Allow me to be a witness to others to prepare the way for You to come and get all who believe. Until You come, I will strive for holiness and righteousness.

Make Him A King

Encouragement, Trust

‘Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone.’
John 6:15

After Jesus fed the 5,000 men, the Jews sought to make Him king. The Jews had often suffered famine in those times allowing their surrounding nations and enemies to prevail against them. Once they saw the power that Jesus had to multiply a few loaves of bread they instantly thought He was the one who could also provide protection against their evil enemies.

Their plan would get rid of king Herod, who allowed the Romans to be in power, and force Jesus to bring control back for the Jews. Jesus perceived this notion either by divine revelation or by watching circumstances unfold. So before the Jews could team together and form a new government, Jesus departed to the mountain to be alone and to pray to the Father.

If Jesus would have become king on earth, He would have never went to the cross where He essentially conquered the entire world. Jesus was fully aware of what was happening and knew the hearts of men. It is also possible that the disciples themselves were going along with making Him king because it would give them a seat of power in Jesus’ kingdom.

Sometimes we get the wrong idea about what God is doing in our life. We must be careful to make sure that we are submitting to His will and not trying to accomplish our agenda. We know the power of God and we want to see great things happen but it’s not always the plan of God to do so. We must be patient and wait upon the Lord.

Pray

Lord, You know all things and I don’t. I submit myself to your authority and I will wait for You to instruct me. Help me to know Your will and Your way.

You Are In Good Hands

Encouragement, Faith, Trust

“The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, And He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the LORD upholds him with His hand.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭37:23-24‬

Have you ever had one of those days when you feel defeated and discouraged? Yes, we all have. Maybe you’re feeling that way right now. Just know that the enemy is the one who is trying to discourage you, not God. As today’s scripture promises, God upholds you with His hand. As the insurance commercial states, You’re in good hands.

David wrote Psalm 37 while he was in a desperate and discouraging time. He was reflecting back on when he was in a similar situation and leaning on the promises of God. David knew God would never forsake him. He had a close relationship with God which gave him confidence. He knew that if he stumbled, God would be there to pick him back up. God is a loving Father who wants the best for His children.

The devil wants to make you feel that you are disqualified and rejected once you make a mistake. Sadly even some Christians criticize one another in the like manner. We must encourage one another and lift each other up. You can find plenty of negative people around you but how many are positive and encouraging?

Don’t ever believe the lies of the devil that you are disqualified when you mess up. In fact, most of our mistakes give us profound wisdom and understanding. We must learn from our failures and get up and make a difference. Some of the best people to receive counsel from are those who have encountered similar failures and made a difference moving forward. You may be the perfect person to give spiritual advice to someone who is suffering today.

Good people fall everyday but God will uphold you. You’re not defeated. You may feel discouraged or battered, but today is a new day. The first step of getting back up is reaching out for help. Reach out to God for what you need and He will not let you down. Keep a positive attitude and wait for God.

Pray

Lord, help me be an encourager to those who are discouraged. You are my Rock and Shield. Give me strength to endure.