Pastor Stephen Dedman

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Divine Vision

Encouragement

Where there is no vision, the people perish: But he that keepeth the law, happy is he.
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭29‬:‭18‬

Do you ever see yourself in the future? God gives us a vision to foresee what the possibilities can be. If we didn’t have a vision we wouldn’t have any hope.

One vision God wants us to have is a vision of heaven. He gives us wondrous descriptions of what heaven will look like and what we will be doing in heaven when we get there. We should be joyful knowing that our future in heaven outweighs every negative thought we have.

God also gives us a vision of what we can do here and now. He gives us the desires of our hearts to accomplish great things so He can receive the glory. What desires has He put in your heart?

Think about the vision God has given to you today. What can you do to take steps toward what you see? If you don’t have a vision, pray and ask God to give you one.

Pray

Lord, give me the desires of my heart. Show me Your path for me. Thank you for giving me a future of being with You for eternity.

Ask And Receive

Encouragement

‘So Jesus answered and said to him, “What do you want Me to do for you?” The blind man said to Him, “Rabboni, that I may receive my sight.”’ 
Mark 10:51

Can you imagine Jesus walking up to you and asking, “What do you want Me to do for you?” What would you say? What would you ask Jesus to do for you?

It is hard to believe that the Lord would ask us what He could do for us, but sometimes that is exactly the question we must answer. Bartimaeus was blind, but he knew exactly what he wanted Jesus to do for him. He wanted Jesus to give him vision. 

He didn’t just receive physical vision, his eyes were opened to Jesus Christ. Jesus knew Bartimaeus’ heart was faithful and immediately he was miraculously healed, physically and spiritually.

When we pray according to God’s will, He will answer our requests. When we pray in faith, He will give what we ask. God delights in responding to our requests and supplications. If we ask according to His will, we, like Bartimaeus, will receive far more than we anticipated. 

Begin your day by asking Jesus what is on your heart that you desire. Pray that what you ask for is aligned with the will of God. 

Pray

Lord, help me to know Your will so I can ask and receive from You. Forgive me for not having faith that You are willing and ready to give what I ask. Let my requests be according to what You have in store for me.

Jesus Is Coming Soon

Encouragement

For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
‭‭I Thessalonians‬ ‭5‬:‭9‬


In the 5th chapter of 1 Thessalonians, Paul begins writing about the end times. He says the Lord will return like a thief in the night. He warns Christians to be aware of what is happening.

If we take a close look at the events taking place in the world today I think we would all agree that the end is very near. There are some bizarre things happening all around us.

After the rapture of the church, the world will witness the wrath of God. It will be a series of bad events when the Tribulation occurs. The world has never witnessed the difficulties, distress, and disasters that are going to occur.

Praise God, He has provided a way out of experiencing His wrath and anger. He sent His Son, Jesus, to give us the free gift of Salvation. God wants to protect His children from wrath.

If we truly believe Jesus is coming soon, we should warn others. Paul says to encourage one another with these things. The best encouragement we can witness is the fact that Jesus saves.

It’s our duty and responsibility to encourage others with the truth of God. Think about the people you will encounter today and encourage them with the truth that Jesus is coming soon.

Pray

Lord, thank you for saving me and giving me eternal life. Help me to encourage others to see the light of Jesus. Help me to grow in faith.