The House Of The Lord

September 6, 2019 Pastor Stephen Dedman Encouragement, Trust

The House Of The Lord

The house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.
‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭5:14‬ ‭

The Glory Of God

What would it take for you to fall to your knees in reverent worship before God Almighty? Would fire need to fall from Heaven? Would someone need to be instantaneously and miraculously healed?

On the day of dedication of the temple, the Lord showed up and showed out. This verse speaks of the glory of God as a cloud that filled the entire temple driving men to their knees in reverent worship. Basically the Lord showed up and took over and everyone knew it. In the New Testament we read about a day when the people gathered together and prayed and the building shook and everyone was filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 4:31). It’s clear to see that the presence of God and the touch of God makes all the difference.

We don’t need more intellectual sermons or more inspirational music in our worship services, what we need is for God to show up. If the Lord is truly our focal point in time of worship then we can come together in the house of God and even before the preaching begins we can feel the convicting power of the Holy Spirit. The key is to focus on the Lord and nothing else. James 4:8 says to draw close to God and He will draw close to you. God wants to show up and show out in your church. If the focus is not on the Lord we cannot expect anything else but another ordinary worship service.

Prayer

Lord, I desire to see you show up and show out in my life today. My focus is on You alone.

Are You The One

September 5, 2019 Pastor Stephen Dedman Trust

Are You The One

And John calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to the Lord, saying, “Are You the One who is to come, or shall we look for another?”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭7:19‬

No Need To Doubt

In Luke 7:28 Jesus says, “there is none greater than John.” John the Baptist was the forerunner of Jesus who preached repentance of sin to prepare the way of the coming of the Messiah. When John baptized Jesus, he heard the audible voice of God and saw the Holy Spirit descend upon Jesus like a dove. There was no doubt that John knew that Jesus was the Messiah.

After John was arrested and held in prison for a long period of time, he began to question if Jesus was really the Coming One. There are three notable reasons that caused him to doubt and these can create doubt in our minds as well. First, the circumstances he faced made him question if Jesus cared. John was in prison because he stated the truth of Herod’s sin. Sometimes the circumstances we endure make us wonder if Jesus really cares for us. Second, listening to outsiders can cause doubt. While in prison, John heard a report about Jesus and obviously it was in contrast to what he believed. We must be careful to who and what we listen to. If it’s not the truth, it can cause us to doubt. Third, since we don’t have full knowledge, we question how things will work out. Jesus was just the opposite of what everyone expected. He was a humble servant instead of coming as one who would be treated like the king of the Jews. Limited information causes us to doubt if all things will work out in our favor or not.

When John doubted, he searched for truth from Jesus. We too should turn to Jesus when we start to doubt. He will give us what we need.

Prayer

Search the Lord through the Word of God and ask Him to reveal the truths that you need to know.

Lack Of Knowledge

September 4, 2019 Pastor Stephen Dedman Trust

Lack Of Knowledge

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge;
    because you have rejected knowledge,
    I reject you from being a priest to me.
And since you have forgotten the law of your God,
    I also will forget your children.
Hosea 4:6

There’s No Excuse For Not Knowing

We are blessed to have the written Word of God. It is available in 670 languages and in hundreds of versions. For even better conveniences the Bible is available to be listened to as well. What this means is there is no excuse for anyone not to be able to read and understand the Word of God. There are countless collections of commentaries and resources to help us understand the meaning of Scripture. The need for knowing doctrine is important. Knowledge of doctrine is what shapes our spiritual lives for Christian living.

More than anything the priests lacked a heart-knowledge more than a head-knowledge of God’s Word. There were many who knew the Word of God and most would memorize the Old Testament. The Pharisees and Scribes knew the Word of God forward and backward, but still lacked a heart-knowledge of it. A person could have knowledge about God but still not know Him personally. This is a dangerous thing.

Jesus said in Matthew 9:13, “Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” Jesus was referencing to Hosea 6:6. What Jesus was saying was they knew the technicalities of doctrine, but were missing it in their heart. You can go through traditions and rituals but if you’re not moved in your spirit something is wrong. A great example of this is with the “Lord’s Supper”. If you are not spiritually moved by observing this ordinance then your heart is not right.

Prayer

Ask God to break your heart for the things that breaks His.