Pastor Stephen Dedman

Category: Faith

Eyes Like Fire

Faith, Trust

Eyes Like Fire

The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire,
‭‭Revelation‬ ‭1:14‬ ‭

The Risen Lord

If you were to describe what Jesus looks like would you use this description?  Most people would visualize Jesus smiling with a brown beard, brown hair and brown eyes.  Seeing Jesus with a white beard, white hair, and fire-filled eyes is not what most would depict Jesus to look like.  So why did John have this vision of Jesus?

When we read about Jesus in the Gospels we read about a humble man who walked in sandals with a long robe and loved to be around people.  He was meek and gentle with a love for children.  We tend to depict Him as a soft spoken forgiving person.  But in Revelation 1 we see the risen Lord in a great and mighty appearance.  In the Bible, white is symbolized as pureness.  His white hair and white garments refer to the power He has to purify His people from their sins. His eyes as a flame of fire represents His all seeing power.  Jesus can see the thoughts of people and look straight to the their heart. This is who Jesus is.  He is all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-present.

Daniel had a similar vision of Christ hundreds of years earlier.  Daniel 10:5-6 gives a description of Jesus that made Daniel fall to the ground trembling. John also fell at Jesus’ feet as though he was dead.  What an amazing reaction these two men had as they witnessed the great majesty of the risen Jesus.  But do not think that Jesus tried to frighten either one of them.  Both men were told not to be afraid and regained their strength.  This exemplifies how Jesus is King of Kings and Lord of Lords and every knee shall bow to Him.

Prayer

Lord, may we never underestimate your power and majesty.  Allow us to experience your love and mercy as you purify and perfect our hearts.

Daily Devotional

The Musician Played

Faith, Trust

The Musician Played

And Elisha said, “ As the LORD of hosts lives, before whom I stand, surely were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not look at you, nor see you. But now bring me a musician.” Then it happened, when the musician played, that the hand of the LORD came upon him.”
‭‭II Kings‬ ‭3:14-15‬‬‬

Daily Devotional

God Showed Up

God cares for His children. There is no doubt that He can and will defeat our enemies.  He can and will perform any miracle that He wills to do. He speaks and nature must obey. Above all these great things, God is more concerned about our relationship with Him. He knows you and He wants to be known by you.

The story of 2 Kings 3 is very fascinating. Three kings were about to perish because of a strong enemy and a lack of water. The drought was the result of not taking God seriously and consulting Him concerning their plans. So ultimately, the greater enemy was not just the Moabites, but their own failure to seek God’s guidance. They called for the prophet, Elisha, to bring a word from God.  So to prepare to receive a word from God, Elisha called for a musician to help prepare his heart. And it was at that time that God showed up.

It was about a relationship with God. Elisha valued his relationship with God more than power or wealth. He trusted God more than anything else and his actions proved it. God longs for our hearts more than performing any miracle or defeating our enemies. Sure He can do it all easily but when God has your heart, He is pleased. Do you take your relationship with God seriously?

Prayer

Lord, I pray that I may know you more today than ever before.  Help my worship be acceptable and glorifying to You.

Daily Devotional

No Doubt

Encouragement, Faith, Trust

No Doubt

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭1:7‬

Casting out all fear and doubt

Satan uses tools of fear and doubt to keep us from doing extraordinary things.  God gives us power, love and a sound mind to do things that glorify Him.  But sometimes we limit God because of the fear and doubt we possess in our minds.

In Matthew 17:14-21 a man came to Jesus and begged for his son to be healed from demonic convulsions associated with epilepsy. Previously the man brought his son before the disciples but they couldn’t heal him. Immediately Jesus cast the demon out and the boy was healed. The disciples asked why they couldn’t cast it out and Jesus replied, “Because of your unbelief.”  He said if they had mustard seed-sized faith they could move mountains and nothing would be impossible for them. The problem wasn’t with their faith.  They had faith.  The problem was with their unbelief or doubt.  He gave them a solution: “this kind (of unbelief) does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” 

The devil plants seeds of doubt into our minds subconsciously and sometimes we are not aware of it.  We must protect our minds and be sure of what we are hearing and seeing is full of truth and not lies of Satan. Jesus said to fast and pray.  Fasting and praying starves the flesh of self desires and feeds our souls with the Spirit of God.

Is there anything ungodly that you should eliminate by fasting and praying?

Prayer

Pray in the Name of Jesus to have all fear, unbelief and doubt removed from your mind and replaced with God’s power, love and truth.