Pastor Stephen Dedman

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Jesus Is Judge

Faith

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
II Corinthians 5:10

Aren’t you glad you have the forgiveness of Jesus Christ? It’s all because of Jesus that our sins are washed away and our lives are pure and righteous before God.

Reading 2 Corinthians 5:10 with the mindset that our sins are not forgiven is terrifying. While it is true we will stand before the judgment seat of Christ one day, we must also keep in mind that our sins (past, present and future) are forgiven and forgotten.

I pray you stand before Jesus one day and He looks you in the eyes and says, “well done good and faithful servant!” Those are the words that every Christian strives to hear from our Lord.

If a believer is freed from all sin then what will we be judged for when we appear before the judgment seat of Christ? Since Jesus took upon Himself the punishment of sin (death) what is left to be judged?

We will be judged on how we lived our lives here on earth. The moment that Jesus came into our lives and transformed us we started living for Christ.

Remember this… every tree is judged by its fruit. You are known for what you produce. It’s either good fruit or bad fruit. If you produce good works you are rewarded and if you do bad deeds, you will lose your rewards.

As a Christian your citizenship is secured in heaven. Praise God! Nevertheless, God expects His children to live godly to glorify our Father who is in Heaven.

Pray

Lord, thank You for saving my life and forgiving me of my sins. Help me to appreciate the free gift of salvation that has been graced upon me. Help me to live my life for Jesus today.

Do You Want The Blessings Of God?

Encouragement

One day as these men were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Appoint Barnabas and Saul for the special work to which I have called them.” So after more fasting and prayer, the men laid their hands on them and sent them on their way.
Acts 13:2-3

On this certain day, the Holy Spirit got a hold of these men. They were in a position to hear from the Lord. They were ready to receive a word from the Lord. The text says that they worshiped and fasted and then they fasted and prayed. Sounds like a lot of fasting was going on.

Presumably, they fasted because they were seeking God in a specific way. According to the text, it’s possible that they were seeking God for a direction to go and spread the Gospel. Their desire was to please the Lord.

God will use people who are committed to prayer. The Holy Spirit will speak to our hearts when we focus on the things of God to the point of desiring nothing but His presence.

The act of worship is necessary for our souls as well as pleasing to the Lord. True worship will change our hearts and align our thoughts for the things of God. Worship is a sincere way to seek the heart of God.

If we want the Lord to speak to our hearts we must worship Him. Worship entails praising, praying, listening, and honoring God. Sometimes people will lift their hands up high in worship because they are surrendering themselves to God.

What are you seeking God for today? If the Lord is not answering your prayers you need to consider worshiping and fasting and then fasting and praying. This is the process of positioning yourself to the blessings of God.

Pray

Lord, I want to hear from You. I seek you today to answer my prayer. You know my heart and You know my desires. Allow me to worship You will all of my heart today.

Joy Is Near

Encouragement, Faith, Trust

“For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭30:5‬

King David called for the nation to praise the Lord and gives them plenty of reasons to lift up their praise to Heaven. He describes God’s anger as brief when compared to His grace. His slowness to anger and His readiness to save makes it easy for anyone to praise Him.

David said there will be times of weeping, but by the mercies of God, we will experience joy. God allows us to go through seasons of sadness and sorrow, but only for a little while. There will be times when we are down but joy is right around the corner. Just as we can expect the sun to rise in the morning, we can hope that a time of joy is near.

A beautiful sunrise will give you a reminder of how God works. There may be times of darkness and gloom but God is at work. He knows what is happening in this world and He cares.

So when you finally see the break of dawn and the sun begins to give light, just know that joy has come. God is going to do a good work. A beautiful sunrise gives us hope of a new and fresh beginning.

Give God the glory for the grace and joy you are given.

Pray

Lord, You are worthy of praise. You deserve to be worshipped and adorned. Allow me to see how You are working things out for my good.