Fervent In Spirit

November 19, 2019 Pastor Stephen Dedman Encouragement, Faith, Trust

Fervent In Spirit

Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.
‭‭Romans‬ ‭12:11‬

Passion And Enthusiasm

The word fervent means to have passion for something or towards something. There are many things that we show passion for. But most importantly, we are to be passionate about serving the Lord. That really means that we show enthusiasm when it comes to our spiritual behavior. In other words, we are to be excited about the things of God.

What do you have a passion for? Are you enthusiastic when it comes to serving Christ and serving others? We live in a very selfish world that tends to make everything revolve around self. We must constantly and consistently be searching for opportunities to glorify God.

Today it is rare to see someone excited about their job. But when you do it is noticeable. They have a smile on their face and enthusiasm in their soul. They enjoy what they are doing. That is the kind of passion we should have when it comes to serving the Lord. People around us should witness the joy we have and the passion for serving Christ. It is not about money, power, and prestige. It’s about having a fervent spirit. You are not going to naturally wake up in the morning ready to go to work for Jesus. The natural tendency is to be lazy about the work of serving others. Paul essentially instructs us to get our priorities straight. If we have passionate desires for worldly things, something is wrong spiritually. Our focus needs to turn to being enthusiastic about what makes God happy.

Prayer

Lord, renew my mind and fill my heart with joy. I want to serve You today and be enthusiastic about Your work that You have called me to do.

The Second Time

November 18, 2019 Pastor Stephen Dedman Faith, Trust

The Second Time

Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time,
Jonah 3:1

Can You Hear Me Now

Jonah is well-known for trying to run away from God’s mission work. God commanded him to go to the wicked city of Nineveh and preach repentance. The people in Nineveh were worshipping idols and were on the verge of being destroyed by God. Jonah hated the people of Nineveh and probably wanted to see the entire city destroyed by the hand of God.

Jonah went the opposite way from where God called him to go. After being swallowed and saved God spoke to Jonah a second time. The second time God spoke Jonah listened and obeyed. Because of Jonah’s obedience and Nineveh’s repentance, God spared his judgment and did not destroy the city. It’s considered one of the largest revivals in history. There is nothing better than to see an entire city fall on their knees and turn back to God.

There is a couple of things to ponder about this story. First, we should always be ready to obey the voice of God the first time He speaks. God shouldn’t have to speak twice before we listen and obey. Instant obedience is important. Second, we should be thankful for second chances. God is so gracious to give us second chances to do His will. He is patient and forgiving and desires for us to align our life with His will. Third, we should never wish the wrath of God on anyone. Sometimes we spare sharing faith and hope with those who need it the most. If God gives you a second chance to speak the gospel truth to someone you should be ready and willing to obey. If God has given you a second, third, or fourth chance to do something you should be very thankful.

Prayer

Lord, I want to hear you speak to me and I desire to obey Your Word. Give me ears to hear and a willing heart to respond.

A Bag With Holes

November 16, 2019 Pastor Stephen Dedman Encouragement, Trust

A Bag With Holes

You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes.
‭‭Haggai‬ ‭1:6‬ ‭

Priorities

In some point in our life we’ve all had to learn some valuable lessons the hard way. Sometimes God will allow us to go our own way so that we finally realize that we are wrong. It may take a little while but eventually we come to our senses. The best biblical example is with the Prodigal Son. After going his separate way, he finally came to his senses and came back to his father. It is the same with our Heavenly Father. He is waiting for us to turn back to Him.

In the Book of Haggai the prophet was sent by God to instruct the people of God to get their priorities straight. The people knew the importance of serving God but had drifted away and started living with an intellectual belief system. They were busy bodies but for the wrong things. They were living for pleasure and not for pleasing the God who had blessed them so much.

We are going to face times when it seems like our life is falling apart. There will be times when our work does not seem productive, our money that we earn is never enough, our clothes seem to grow old, and our food never satisfies. If we don’t trust God for all things we tend to try to make it on our own only to no avail. Remember to “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew‬ ‭6:33‬)

Prayer

Lord, I turn to You for my joy and strength. You are all that I need.