Give And Do Not Refuse

October 30, 2019 Pastor Stephen Dedman Encouragement, Trust

Give And Do Not Refuse

Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5:42‬ ‭

A Right Heart

In the sermon on the mount, Jesus is addressing the issues that plague the heart. Real heart issues that really have an effect on how we treat others and how we live our lives publicly and privately. Most of the issues that Jesus covered are issues that most people have when they are selfish and motivated by self pleasing ambitions.

Jesus says to give to the those who beg and don’t refuse to lend to those who ask to borrow. The heart issue here deals with greed. Most of the time we are not quick to give or lend because we have a greedy mindset. When it comes to our personal possessions we tend to get very selfish. When someone comes to us with a need and we have the means to meet that need we should be quick to help. Most of the time we want information that we should not necessary need. For example we ask a lot of questions when someone wants to borrow money and we test to see if it is really a need or not. What Jesus is getting to in this idea is that when we have a brother or sister in Christ who needs our help we should be willing to help them quickly.

If we see a person who is in need we should be quick to help them before they ever ask for help. 1 John 3:17 says, “But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in Him?” If we see someone in need we need to meet that need. The issue lies in the heart. Are you more concerned with your possessions or serving God?

Prayer

Lord, show me someone who needs my help. Let me be quick to see the need before they ever ask for help. Thank you for blessing me with what I have.

Transfigured

October 29, 2019 Pastor Stephen Dedman Faith, Trust

Transfigured

And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭17:2‬ ‭

On The Mountain

Jesus took Peter, James, and John up into a high mountain and was transfigured before them. Literally, Jesus’ face was bright as the sun and his clothes were as white as light. This mountaintop experience had a lasting effect upon these three disciples as they witnessed Christ being glorified.

Mountaintop experiences are wonderful to behold. These are the times when Heaven seems to open up and we get a glimpse of glory divine. We never forget these times in our lives when everything just seems right and perfect. We usually linger around expecting more of what God might do. We stand in awe of what God has done and what might happen next. Jesus definitely wanted these three disciples to remember this day for the rest of their lives. The disciples were so impelled by this experience that they fell down on their faces in fear. It took the touch of Jesus and a command to arise for the men to get up. After this they only saw the person of Jesus standing alone.

The transfiguration gives additional testimony to the fact that Jesu is the Messiah. Jesus shined with the glory of God and both Moses and Elijah gave witness to this event. When we experience mountaintop moments we need to also consider that God desires for us to witness His glory. His glory and presence gives us confidence that He is God and He is in control of all things. When we are on the mountaintop we are full of faith and joy. We long for these experiences to happen in our life. It’s when we come off the mountain and into the valley that we lose focus and begin to fear and lack faith. Keep your mountaintop experiences close to mind and never forget what you saw.

Prayer

Lord, I trust You to show me your glory and allow me to witness Your power and presence in my life. Let me see what You are doing in my life.

I Am With You

October 28, 2019 Pastor Stephen Dedman Encouragement, Trust

I Am With You

Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭41:10‬

His Presence Is Everything

This is a verse we all should memorize and keep close to our hearts. Whenever you feel that God may not be listening, remember this promise. Or when you feel you just can’t make it another day, know that God is still there. When you just cannot do it, He will. He holds everything together in the palm of His hand.

The truth of this great verse is found in the promise of His presence. We never know what we may encounter from day to day, but we can count on God being right here with us. If we have fear, His presence is all we need. If we are without understanding, His wisdom surrounds us. When we are lacking, He fills us with His love. The power of His presence is overwhelming when we realize how close He is. God is not far away. As a Christian, He is living inside of you. He wants to be part of your life.

We should seek and desire His presence everyday. Moses said to God in Exodus 33:15, “If Your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here.” Moses didn’t want to make a move until he knew God was going with them. Moses was so use to seeking His presence that He would be lost without it. That should be our same attitude and desire. God’s presence is the most important thing we know. The Holy Spirit is God’s presence.

Prayer

Praise Him out loud by saying or singing, “You are my strength, You are my help, You are my God!”