Pastor Stephen Dedman

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Be Gracious To Others

Encouragement, Faith, Salvation, Trust

And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭9:54‬

Have you ever been so angry that you wanted God’s wrath to be poured out on someone? We need to be careful with this type of attitude.

As Jesus made His final trip into Jerusalem to face the cross, He wanted to minister to a village of Samaritans but the people would not welcome Him.  Jesus sent a few men ahead of them to find a place to stay but they couldn’t find one.  

The city of Samaria wanted nothing to do with Jesus.  When James and John discovered this, they wanted to see the village go up in flames.  They thought the people should be destroyed because they rejected the Messiah.

James and John were nicknamed “Sons of Thunder” because of their bodacious attitudes. (Mark 3:17)  They were brothers and close friends to Jesus and expected people to believe in Jesus as Messiah.  However, we all know that Jesus is rejected by many.  

Even today we witness people rejecting the message of Jesus but we should never want to see them consumed with fire because of their hardened hearts.  Instead we should pray for them and for their hearts to be softened to receive the gospel of Jesus.  Jesus rebuked James and John for their judgmental attitude.

Again in Acts 8:5, Philip (one of the twelve disciples) went back to Samaria to preach the Gospel and great things happened as they received the Word of God.  We should never give up on those who reject the gospel of Jesus.  

We should be consistent with sharing the love and good news to those who are ignorant to the truth.  Calling down judgment and wrath is not the right perspective.  God’s ultimate plan was carried out as they finally accepted Jesus and believed.  But what if they were destroyed before they ever believed?

Prayer

Lord we want to see Your great work done here on earth and we want to witness your power and grace. Help me to have a soft heart and a compassion for others.

The Throne Of Grace

Encouragement

‘Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.’
Hebrews 4:16

There is a feeling that we all experience at some point in our lifetime and that is the state of helplessness. It is a feeling that makes us think that there is nothing we can do. It comes when we have exhausted all resources.

Helplessness can actually be a good thing. When we turn to God in our helplessness, great is the reward. Actually God will allow us to get to that point so that all we can do is turn to Him. So many people in the Bible were helpless and they turned to God for help. (Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Job… just to name a few.)

Some things are just out of our control. The feelings that occur when we are in a state of helplessness are sometimes expressed through stress, discouragement and anger.

It’s in times like these that people feel overwhelmed, frustrated, and angered because there is nothing they can do about their situation. I am sure you can remember a time when you endured a circumstance that made you feel this way.

God gives us grace when we are in time of need. It’s in these times that only God can help us. It’s in these times that we are desperate for God to help us. Are you desperate for God?

Pray

Lord, help my helplessness. Help me to turn to You for all things. Give me grace that will get me through any situation I face.

Give God Glory

Faith, Trust

And one cried to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!”
Isaiah 6:3

God is ruler of all. He is the king of the universe and there is none like Him. He is the majestic King who is holy and perfect. All of heaven proclaims His majesty.

God is the same in the Old Testament as He is in the New Testament. He was and is and always will be.

David proclaimed in Psalm 8:1-4, “Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens. Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?”

The whole earth is full of God’s glory. Every single thing God has created shows us God’s glory in some way.

Isaiah heard the seraphim in proclaiming God’s glorious nature and character. “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord!” In Heaven, God’s holiness is exclaimed in the highest possible degree. God is set apart from creation and humanity because He is divine. If all creation were to dissolve, God would remain because He cannot be measured.

When we discover this incredible truth of God we can’t help but fall to our knees in humble worship. God is on the throne and we belong to Him. One day soon, we will see it all clearly. Until then we magnify His name and point others to Him.

Giving God glory that He deserves is vital to submitting ourselves to Him and living our daily lives in complete humility. Only God receives the glory!

Pray

Lord, You are my Ruler and King. I belong to You and You control everything. I praise You and honor You as Lord and Savior of my life.