A Good Conscience

November 20, 2019 Pastor Stephen Dedman Encouragement, Faith

A Good Conscience

Then Paul, looking earnestly at the council, said, “Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.”
Acts 23:1

A Clean Slate

If you remember the life of Saul before the Lord changed his name to Paul, you will remember how he was persecuting the church and killing Christians. He was not considered a good person in our perspective. But here in this verse Paul says to the Sanhedrin council, “I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.” How could he say such a profound statement?

Paul knew his past was not good. But he also knew that he had received God’s forgiveness and grace. Even though he had previously acted out violent persecutions against Christians, he was a new person in Christ. He always used his testimony to show people how Jesus changed his life. So Paul could honestly stand before the council and declare that he had a good and clear conscience before God. His slate was clean and he was cleared from all unrighteousness.

That is a great way to live. We should all seek to live before God with a good conscience. The only way you can effectively do so is to confess your sins and turn from all evil. A problem occurs when we confess our sin but keep doing the same sinful things. We are to confess, repent, and turn away from repeating the same sins. The only way to receive a good conscience before God is to be clean and free from sin. Paul was able to let the past stay in the past and live in the present for the Lord. Is there any sin in your life that is troubling your soul and keeping you from having peace with God? Confess and repent today.

Prayer

Pray and ask God to reveal any unconfessed sin and repent from it today.

Fervent In Spirit

November 19, 2019 Pastor Stephen Dedman Encouragement, Faith, Trust

Fervent In Spirit

Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.
‭‭Romans‬ ‭12:11‬

Passion And Enthusiasm

The word fervent means to have passion for something or towards something. There are many things that we show passion for. But most importantly, we are to be passionate about serving the Lord. That really means that we show enthusiasm when it comes to our spiritual behavior. In other words, we are to be excited about the things of God.

What do you have a passion for? Are you enthusiastic when it comes to serving Christ and serving others? We live in a very selfish world that tends to make everything revolve around self. We must constantly and consistently be searching for opportunities to glorify God.

Today it is rare to see someone excited about their job. But when you do it is noticeable. They have a smile on their face and enthusiasm in their soul. They enjoy what they are doing. That is the kind of passion we should have when it comes to serving the Lord. People around us should witness the joy we have and the passion for serving Christ. It is not about money, power, and prestige. It’s about having a fervent spirit. You are not going to naturally wake up in the morning ready to go to work for Jesus. The natural tendency is to be lazy about the work of serving others. Paul essentially instructs us to get our priorities straight. If we have passionate desires for worldly things, something is wrong spiritually. Our focus needs to turn to being enthusiastic about what makes God happy.

Prayer

Lord, renew my mind and fill my heart with joy. I want to serve You today and be enthusiastic about Your work that You have called me to do.

The Second Time

November 18, 2019 Pastor Stephen Dedman Faith, Trust

The Second Time

Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time,
Jonah 3:1

Can You Hear Me Now

Jonah is well-known for trying to run away from God’s mission work. God commanded him to go to the wicked city of Nineveh and preach repentance. The people in Nineveh were worshipping idols and were on the verge of being destroyed by God. Jonah hated the people of Nineveh and probably wanted to see the entire city destroyed by the hand of God.

Jonah went the opposite way from where God called him to go. After being swallowed and saved God spoke to Jonah a second time. The second time God spoke Jonah listened and obeyed. Because of Jonah’s obedience and Nineveh’s repentance, God spared his judgment and did not destroy the city. It’s considered one of the largest revivals in history. There is nothing better than to see an entire city fall on their knees and turn back to God.

There is a couple of things to ponder about this story. First, we should always be ready to obey the voice of God the first time He speaks. God shouldn’t have to speak twice before we listen and obey. Instant obedience is important. Second, we should be thankful for second chances. God is so gracious to give us second chances to do His will. He is patient and forgiving and desires for us to align our life with His will. Third, we should never wish the wrath of God on anyone. Sometimes we spare sharing faith and hope with those who need it the most. If God gives you a second chance to speak the gospel truth to someone you should be ready and willing to obey. If God has given you a second, third, or fourth chance to do something you should be very thankful.

Prayer

Lord, I want to hear you speak to me and I desire to obey Your Word. Give me ears to hear and a willing heart to respond.