Pastor Stephen Dedman

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In Your Midst

Encouragement

The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.
‭‭Zephaniah‬ ‭3:17‬

Isn’t it great to have people who love you no matter your faults and failures?  

Zephaniah 3:17 is a great verse to remind you how much God loves you no matter what you look like or what you have done in the past.  God loves you with an unconditional, eternal love that is unfathomable.  

Today’s verse reminds us that God is always with us in the very middle of what is going on in our lives.  It’s comforting to know that the One who loves us the most is right in center of our lives.  

Even though we may think God is not thinking of us or involved with what’s happening in our lives, He is actively involved and holding everything together. With God in our midst, He is protecting us and guiding every step of the way.

When we look back through the history of God’s chosen people we can’t help but notice how much God loves His people.  Because God loves us, He wants to save us.  There is so much proof that He goes to great lengths to be with us.  He provides a way through His Son Jesus to bring us back to Him.  His love is so amazing that we can’t comprehend its greatness.

Never forget how much God loves and cares for His children.

Pray

Lord, thank you for Your everlasting love and kindness. Thank You for never giving up on me. I rest in Your great grace and forgiveness.

Remain Positive

Encouragement, Trust

For all flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever. And this word is the good news that was preached to you.
‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭1:24-25‬

We hear a lot of bad news on a regular basis. We expect the news sources to keep us informed with what’s happening around the world but most of the news is negative. After hearing so much bad news and negativity for so long we can start to grow numb to it.

The Bible teaches us there is a day soon approaching when Jesus will come for His bride, the Church. The dead in Christ will rise from their graves and all Christians still living will meet Jesus in the air before entering into Heaven. This future event is called the Rapture.  

We see events unfolding everyday that leads us to believe the Rapture could happen at any time.  Violence and crime will continue to get worse and persecution of Christians will soon be like it was in the first century.  But don’t worry, there is hope.

The good news is given to us through the Word of God. The nightly news may be doom and gloom but God’s Word brings peace and comfort to those who believe it.

It is important to saturate ourselves with the Good News of Jesus Christ.. This dark world needs the positivity of the church until we leave this world. The Church should be the light that brightens the world.

What can you do today to brighten someone’s day? Can you share a compliment, extend a helping hand, or pass a smile to someone who is down. Positivity starts with you. You can make a difference in someone’s life today.

Pray

Lord, thank You for growing your church throughout the world. Help us be a part of spreading your good news. Keep me positive and grounded in Your truth.

Are You Praying?

Faith, Trust

“Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.”
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭33:3‬

What are you praying to God today? Do you pray expecting God to answer in a mighty way? Sometimes we pray for something so big to happen but in the back of our minds we have so much doubt.

When we pray we have to realize first and foremost, who we are praying to. We pray through Jesus, who is our mediator. Jesus takes our requests to God.

That is why we end our prayers with, “in Jesus name,” or “in Christ name.” We pray to the Son of God who knows what we need before we ask. He can part waters, move the stars, heal, mend, forgive, and He can change any situation you’re facing.

Second, we must know what we are praying for. Sometimes we ask for things to happen for our good but essentially it’s not for God’s glory. When we pray we seek the Holy Spirit of God to put on our hearts what we need to pray. He will answer the prayers of the righteous because their hearts are in tune with God.

You may be praying for a different job, a person to marry, or even a change of circumstances, but is what you’re praying for going to bring glory to God? We pray for God’s will to be done, not ours.

Third, we must know why we are praying. We are praying because there is something on our heart that we want to see happen.

We want to see the sick be healed, we want to see the poor and needy have what they need, we want to see peace in our lives, we want to live worry-free. We pray because we desire the things of God to happen on earth as it is in Heaven. The real reason we pray is because we know God answers prayers.

Pray

Lord, I seek you with my whole heart. Cleanse me and forgive me. Reveal to me what I need to know today.