Pastor Stephen Dedman
Stephen Dedman

The Worst Became Best

Messages from Pastor Stephen Dedman
Stephen Dedman

“Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.”
Matthew 27:45-46,50

Jesus was executed and put to death. The Son of God was put to death on a cross for who He was. He came into the world and the religious leaders feared Him and hated Him. While at first it may seem that all is said and done, it was the plan of God from the beginning.

How encouraging it is to know that today is called Good Friday because death died when Jesus died on the cross. The worst day in history is really the best day because of Jesus. Just remember this when you are at your worst, Jesus is at His best. The worst possible thing that could happen was actually the best.

Can we be honest for a moment? Jesus said, “the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41) There are times in our life when we are ready to throw in the towel. We are frustrated, confused, and irritated when things don’t turn out the way we want them to. But this is when we must rely on the strength and power of God to reveal to us that He is up to something bigger than we are. God has something in the works that may not seem important at the surface but deep down in the grasp of things, God is doing a mighty work.

Don’t give up hope. Don’t give into the temptations of the enemy. Satan tried everything he could to keep Jesus from dying on the cross but God did not allow it to happen. Why? Because He loves you more than you realize. He is more powerful than anyone can ever imagine.

Whatever you may be going through right now, God has a plan and it is going to work out for His glory.

“Then is shall be brought to pass as it is written: Death is swallowed up in victory. O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (I Corinthians 15:54-57)

Lord, thank you for loving me so much that You sent Your only Son to die on the cross and save me from my sins. Help me to never lose hope in what You are trying to accomplish.

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Merry Christmas

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of he only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14

God With Us

The birth of Jesus was a miraculous event not just because He was born of a virgin but because God became a man and came to this place called Earth. Matthew 1:23 says, “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel (which means, God with us). When Jesus was born the greatest blessing of all time was witnessed and some didn’t even realize that He was God. As we read through the Gospels we realize that a few knew that Jesus was God’s Son or God in the flesh. As John says, “we have seen His glory.”

Jesus is the most precious gift anyone can receive. Jesus is God’s gift to mankind. God became flesh so that we as believers may be with Him in Heaven for eternity. God wants to live in your heart and give you an amazing inheritance. Nothing can compare to the gift of receiving Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. God came to save you from your sins. Have you invited Him into your life?

On this Christmas day take time to “see” His glory. Look out into His wonderful creation and witness His love towards mankind. The world is full of His majestic glory. Merry Christmas!

Prayer

Lord, we thank you for giving up your place on the throne and coming as a humble servant to die in our place on the cross. Thank you for giving us eternal life.

Daily Devotional

Faithful God

Faithful God

Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations,
Deuteronomy 7:9

Every Word Matters

We live in a world of broken promises. From the workforce to marriages there are people suffering from broken promises and unfulfilled commitments.  A person’s word has no merit when it comes to contracts and legal documents.  Unkept promises make for a frustrating life.

When we learn about the truth of God we know that faithfulness is part of His character.  It’s what makes Him God. He keeps every promise because He is faithful.  If God were not faithful, we could not be saved nor would there be any reason to pray and absolutely no hope for the future.  We live in faith knowing that God is faithful and true.

To say that God is faithful we must realize that what He says is the truth.  He says what He means and means what He says.  His word never fails or falters.  His promises will always be kept.  2 Corinthians 1:20 says, “For all the promises of God find their Yes in Him. That is why it is through Him that we utter our Amen to God for His Glory.” If God says it we can count on it.

Sometimes when we face trials in our life we tend to think that God has either forgotten about us or He doesn’t care what happens to us.  That is far from the truth and we must change the way we view God’s character.  God loves His children and He is faithful in every aspect known to man.

Prayer

Show the Lord that you trust His faithfulness by praising Him in every circumstance you face whether it is good or bad.