Pastor Stephen Dedman

Category: Trust

The Word Is Truth

Faith, Trust

“Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.”
John 17:17

Just before He was taken away from His disciples, Jesus prayed the most beautiful and profound prayer known to man. With suffering and death on His mind, He prayed to the Father for His disciples who He loved so dearly. He prayed that they would be sanctified in the truth, set apart and made holy unto Him.

Sanctification is a specific act of the Holy Spirit. Once a sinner is saved by grace, the ongoing process of becoming holy takes place in the heart of the believer. It’s an ongoing process that is completed once we are in the presence of God in Heaven. Until then we are increasingly conformed in the likeness of Jesus Christ. It’s a life long process.

Everyone who trusts in the Lord for salvation is sanctified the moment they receive the Holy Spirit into their heart. But every believer must go through the process of maturing in their faith. Day by day we progress into the image of Jesus Christ Himself.

We are enriched with truth through the power of the Word of God. The truth of God sanctifies us and separates us from evil. As we meditate and on the Word of God and study its powerful promises, the truth is planted in our hearts. With the Holy Spirit’s help, we trust our heavenly Father to complete a good work that He started in us on the day of salvation.

Have you allowed the Word of God to work in you? The work we do for Jesus is because of our faith in Him. We steadily and boldly work towards being the person God has called us to be. It’s not an easy to be a Christian but it is rewarding. Set yourself apart from the world today and proclaim the goodness of our Lord in your words and actions.

Pray

Lord, thank You for choosing me. You loved me before I loved You. You have set me apart for Your good work and I am up for the challenge.

Sunday Is Coming

Trust

‘So they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard.’
Matthew 27:66

Saturday… the day between Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Nothing happened on Saturday. It was a silent day.

The Bible makes one reference to Saturday of Holy Week in Matthew 27:62-66 when the Pharisees visited Pontius Pilate asking for a guard to be placed in front of the tomb where Jesus’ body lay.

We can only imagine how Mary and Jesus’ disciples were feeling after the tomb was sealed. They probably had a sense of failure, a loss of hope, and were in the depths of grieving the death of their Savior.

We know that Easter is coming. They did not have comfort in knowing that Sunday was going to be a day of celebration. Instead they wept and mourned.

Take this day to prepare your heart to celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus. Take a few moments today, be silent and reflect on your life. What areas do you need comfort in knowing that Jesus makes all things new?

The best way to prepare for Easter is to confess your sins to God and rebuke the temptations of the devil. Abide in His Word today and receive the comfort of knowing that Jesus makes everything right.

Are things secured in your life right now? Is Jesus the top priority of your life? Has Jesus given you peace and comfort?

Sunday’s coming!

Pray

Lord, You can make all things new in my life. You make my life complete and You give me peace. Help me to spiritually and mentally prepare for Resurrection Sunday.

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.