Pastor Stephen Dedman

Category: Encouragement

Going Fishing

Encouragement, Faith

Going Fishing

Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
John 21:3

Fishing For The Familiar

It’s amazing how quickly we can forget our mission and purpose in life.  As Christians we are commanded by Christ to make disciples.  But sometimes we lose focus of the big picture and lean toward seeking fulfillment of what we “want” to do.  Especially when we face discouraging moments.

This was the case with Peter.  Peter was facing a difficult time.  On one hand he knew he was suppose to serve Christ and fulfill the mission of sharing the gospel with others.  But on the other hand, he was dealing with guilt and shame because he denied Jesus.  Peter started doing what he use to do.  He went fishing because he lost his mission and vision of serving Christ.

For over three years Peter had followed Jesus close enough to know that he was a soul winner and no longer a fisherman.  Jesus told him that he was the “Rock” that would build the church and the gates of Hell could not prevail against it. (Matthew 16:18)  But sadly, when Jesus was distant, Peter went back to fishing again as he did before he met Christ.  It was the easy thing to do.  When he started battling discouragement he gave up and retreated to something familiar.  But notice they caught nothing all night.  He wasn’t a fisherman, he was still a fisher of men.

Let’s stay focussed on what God has called us to do and keep making disciples.

Prayer

Lord, help me to focus on Your love and keep me in your loving arms.

Torn In Two

Encouragement, Faith, Salvation

Torn In Two

And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split.
Matthew 27:51

All Access

Matthew, Mark and Luke share the same event of the curtain (or the veil) being torn when Jesus died on the cross.  The tearing of the curtain has a significant meaning that we must consider as we remember the death of Jesus.  The events that took place while Jesus was on the cross prove that Jesus was the Messiah.

The Jewish temple was a complicated place of worship.  On the outside there were courts set aside for women and Gentiles to be able to worship God.  On the inside the temple the Jewish men were allowed to worship.  The temple had a very special room called the Holy of Holies.  Once a year the High Priest would go into the Holy of Holies and offer a sacrifice for the sins of the nation of Israel.  There were certain rules and arrangements made just for this special occasion. A beautiful curtain blocked the entrance of this special place where the presence of God was said to be in the Ark of the Covenant. The curtain was approxmiately 60 feet long, 20 feet wide and 4 inches thick.  The historian, Josephus, said horses tied to each side could not pull it apart.  But yet we read that when Jesus died on the cross, the curtain was torn from the top to the bottom.  Only God could have done such a wondrous work.

The torn curtain symbolizes how every Christian now has access to God without going through a priest.  As a Believer we can go directly to God anytime we want to.  Because the Holy Spirit resides in the heart of the Believer there are no longer any barriers separating us from God.

Prayer

Father God, we thank you for sending us Jesus to save us and give us eternal life.  We thank you for removing all barriers and allowing us to pray directly to You.

Remember This Day

Encouragement, Salvation, Trust

Remember This Day

Then Moses said to the people, “Remember this day in which you came out from Egypt, out of the house of slavery, for by a strong hand the Lord brought you out from this place. No leavened bread shall be eaten.
‭‭Exodus‬ ‭13:3‬ ‭

Out Of Bondage

Before God delivered His people out of Egypt they were living in bondage. They were severely worked hard and abused. We call it slavery today. But they weren’t always in bondage. Moses was the man who God chose to deliver the people from out of bondage.

Egypt represents the life of bondage that we once lived in before we were delivered from our bondage of sin. Before we were delivered from our bondage of sin we were trapped. Sin would not let go of us. Then God sent Jesus to come and deliver us from our sins. No longer do you live in chains and shackles. You have been set free by the person of Jesus Christ.

Jesus tells us to remember what He did for you s on the cross. If you have participated in the Lord’s supper then you have meditated upon the works of Jesus. His body is our bread of life that was broken. It was His blood that was poured out for the remission of sin. It was His death that gave us victory over sin. We celebrate because we are forgiven. We must always remember what Jesus did on our behalf. When Jesus was dying on the cross, He was thinking of you.  As the children of Israel were commanded to set a day aside to remember what God did for them, we too as Christians are always to remember what Jesus did for us. If we keep our eyes on Jesus and our mind on His Word, our lives will be a living example of what we believe.

Prayer

Lord, open my eyes and ears so that I may fill my heart and mind with Your love.

Daily Devotional