Pastor Stephen Dedman

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The Spirit Of Love

Encouragement

‘On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.’
Matthew 22:40

An expert of the law decided to try and trap Jesus by asking Him what is the most important commandment of the law. Jesus responded that the first is to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind. The second is of the same essence: love your neighbor as yourself.

In summary, the spirit of the Bible is love. If we love God we will love others. If we love others it is because the love of the Father is in us.

The Bible is a love story that begins with man rebelling against God, but God kept pursuing him ultimately to a cross. The very thing that separated man from God is what actually brought God to man. It’s all about love and it’s an unending love.

The Ten Commandments can be divided into two sections. The first five commandments deal with our relationship with God and the last five deal with our relationships with others. But they all go hand-in-hand.

Once we establish a right relationship and fellowship with God it will show by the presence of this love for God in our relationships with others. As Jesus brought all the commandments down to two, we can clearly see that it’s the spirit of love.

Jesus came so that we may visualize the love of God. And there is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends (John 15:13). This is the example of true love.

We can do many things right but if we do not love we have missed the whole point. The better we understand the love of God the better we obey the word of God. And the better we obey the word of God the better we show the love of God.

Pray

Lord, help me to understand Your great love for me and let me reflect Your love in my life. Thank You for loving me even when I don’t deserve it. Give me the the spirit of love that others will see who You are.

Enjoy The Good Times

Encouragement

‘“The Lord our God spoke to us in Horeb, saying: ‘You have dwelt long enough at this mountain. ‘ Deuteronomy 1:6

If God only allowed us to experience “mountaintop” circumstances, we would never experience trouble or sorrow. You might think that sounds great but neither would we experience any victories. Great victories allow us to see God’s greatness.

The Israelites had gathered together at the bottom of Mount Horeb while God spoke aloud to them concerning His law and commandments. Fire and smoke consumed the mountaintop, lightning flashed from the clouds, and loud trumpet sounds were heard for miles. The ground shook and the people trembled in awe of what they experienced. (Exodus 19:16-25) It must have been a truly amazing experience to behold.

At times God will graciously provide us with mountaintop experiences. These experiences come in various settings: during a worship service, in time alone with Him, with Christian brothers and sisters, or even on the side of the road with a flat tire.

You may wish you could spend the rest of your life on the mountaintop, but just remember, that mountaintop encounters are God’s way of preparing you for the battles that await you. Enjoy the good times and consider the bad times as a way to see what God has planned next.

Pray

Lord, thank You for giving me mountaintop encounters so that I know who You are. Thank you for giving me trouble and sorrow so that I know that You can trust You. Help me to appreciate the good and the bad times.

Be Humble

Encouragement, Trust

“For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭14:11

It is natural for us to desire places or positions of honor and importance that make us look good. But it’s not biblical.

Jesus taught a very valuable lesson as He spoke to a multitude of people seeking to hear Him. He spoke a parable about attending a wedding reception and intentionally not taking the seat of honor just in case someone else arrived who was more important.

He said it would shame a person to place oneself in a place of honor when someone else deserves it more. Instead He said to sit at the lowest place and let the one who invited you place you at a higher place and then you will be honored by those you sit with.

Jesus spoke this parable to teach us about humility. When we seek to take honor to ourselves, we will always be humbled or humiliated. It is important for us to start off being humble and then let someone else exalt us.

Jesus was the perfect example of this. He deserved the highest place of honor but chose the lowest place and then God granted Him the highest place. Philippians 2:5-9 says, “though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,”

We live in a world that places so much value on being successful. While it’s good to strive to be the best at what you do, it’s equally important to consider how you treat others in the process. Lift others before yourself. Your actions reflect the condition of your heart.

Pray

Lord, help me to be humble. Let me notice what others need and want before myself. Thank you for being lowly and setting the perfect example for me to follow.