Pastor Stephen Dedman

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Eyes Like Fire

Faith, Trust

Eyes Like Fire

The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire,
‭‭Revelation‬ ‭1:14‬ ‭

The Risen Lord

If you were to describe what Jesus looks like would you use this description?  Most people would visualize Jesus smiling with a brown beard, brown hair and brown eyes.  Seeing Jesus with a white beard, white hair, and fire-filled eyes is not what most would depict Jesus to look like.  So why did John have this vision of Jesus?

When we read about Jesus in the Gospels we read about a humble man who walked in sandals with a long robe and loved to be around people.  He was meek and gentle with a love for children.  We tend to depict Him as a soft spoken forgiving person.  But in Revelation 1 we see the risen Lord in a great and mighty appearance.  In the Bible, white is symbolized as pureness.  His white hair and white garments refer to the power He has to purify His people from their sins. His eyes as a flame of fire represents His all seeing power.  Jesus can see the thoughts of people and look straight to the their heart. This is who Jesus is.  He is all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-present.

Daniel had a similar vision of Christ hundreds of years earlier.  Daniel 10:5-6 gives a description of Jesus that made Daniel fall to the ground trembling. John also fell at Jesus’ feet as though he was dead.  What an amazing reaction these two men had as they witnessed the great majesty of the risen Jesus.  But do not think that Jesus tried to frighten either one of them.  Both men were told not to be afraid and regained their strength.  This exemplifies how Jesus is King of Kings and Lord of Lords and every knee shall bow to Him.

Prayer

Lord, may we never underestimate your power and majesty.  Allow us to experience your love and mercy as you purify and perfect our hearts.

I Stand At The Door

Trust

I Stand At The Door

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.
‭‭Revelation‬ ‭3:20‬

Open The Door

Have you ever witnessed a church that was not on fire for the Lord?  Maybe the church wasn’t dead but it just wasn’t doing anything productive for the Lord.  This describes the spiritual condition of the Church at Laodicea in Revelation 3:14-21. The Church was neither cold nor hot. And it really upset the Lord to the point of sickness. In verse 16 the Lord says, “So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.”

The Church at Laodicea was obviously a wealthy and prosperous congregation as they had everything they needed.  Their riches caused them to turn away from being effective in the ministry of serving the Lord. It sounds like they lost their focus and purpose of why they were a church in the first place. But the good news was they had opportunities to change. The Lord tells them that He is standing outside the door and knocking. He wants to come in but He will never be where He is not welcome.

It takes each and every Christian to be effective in the ministry of the Church. You need to be using your gifts and talents to evangelize and edify one another in your church. If you are not serving in a local church, you should ask the Lord to direct you to one that preaches the entire truth of God’s Word and serves the Lord with gladness and love. If you are at a church like Laodicea open the door and let the Lord back in where He can visit with you.

Prayer

Lord, I hear Your voice and I open the door to invite you in to fill Your house with Your Spirit.

As Far As The East Is From The West

Encouragement, Trust

As Far As The East Is From The West

As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭103:12‬

Forever Forgiven

What an amazing truth and promise we have from God. We need to be reminded of His forgiving love often. When God forgives our sins they will never be remembered again.

As humans this is hard for us to comprehend. We have the ability to forgive but we have difficulty with letting go.  How many times do we ask the Lord to forgive us from certain sins but we never let them leave our mind? It’s not God who keeps bringing them back to our attention it is us. When we ask God for forgiveness and we repent of our sins, He removes them from existence. They are not stored in a memory bank nor will they be counted against us in the future. They are gone.

That is a great blessing and benefit to remember. What a blessing it is to have all your sins removed and remembered no more. If you have confessed and repented of a sin then you need to accept God’s grace of forgiveness. If you are haunted with the guilt of that same sin then you need to trust this promise from God. Let the past stay in the past. It’s time to live today for today. When Satan wants to remind you of your past then remind him of his future. The Bible says there is a day coming when Satan will be chained up and put away. Then there will be a time when Jesus reigns as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The grace of God is more powerful than anything else.

Prayer

Confess your sins to the Lord and accept His wonderful and loving forgiveness.