Pastor Stephen Dedman

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Joy And Peace

Encouragement, Faith, Salvation

Joy And Peace

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
Romans 15:13

The Source of Peace And Joy

God wants you to be filled with joy?  He also wants you to experience peace in all areas of your life.  He wants you to have peace with your family, peace with your friends, peace with your church family, and peace with the world.   He wants you to have peace within your work, your play and your worship.  The only way to experience peace and joy is through a right relationship with Jesus Christ.

The reason most people don’t have peace and joy in their life is because they are missing the free gift of salvation.  God gives us peace and joy through our faith in Jesus Christ.  Romans 5:1 says, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Because we are born with a sin nature we are naturally at war with God.  Once we surrender and submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ we are at peace and all sin is forgiven.

Another reason why most people don’t have peace and joy in their life is because they are seeking to be filled with worldly pleasures instead of the hope of God.  Even as a Christian we can get caught up in the trap of worldly living.  If we are not careful we will find ourselves seeking pleasure in things that will only last temporarily and will soon fade away.  However if we keep our minds and hearts set on the things of God we will enjoy the peace and joy that only God can give.

Prayer

Ask the Lord to fill your heart with peace and joy and then seek the things of God.

Worthy Of The Gospel

Encouragement, Faith, Trust

Worthy Of The Gospel

Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel,
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭1:27‬

Living For Jesus

Paul lived a Christian life that was radically different from his life before knowing Jesus.  Jesus made a difference in his life.  After the road to Damascus experience, Paul was on mission to make sure people knew Jesus as Lord and Savior.  It wasn’t just a job, it was his life.

As Christians we are to live worthy of the gospel of Christ.  Christ did something that no one else could do.  He paid the ultimate penalty for sin.  If we really consider the cost involved we would desire to live for Christ with all of our capabilities.  However, sometimes we tend to forget about the grace and compassion that was done on our behalf.  We never need to forget what Jesus did for us.  If we would always have Jesus on our mind we would always be productive in building the Kingdom of Heaven.

Paul sets the example of one of the greatest Christians who ever lived.  He had his faults of course, but he sets and example of how we are to live our lives.  We are to have the mind of Christ at all times.  To have the mind of Christ is to have the Gospel in our hearts.  Reading and hearing the Word of God should be the most important thing we do as Christians.  We should never be too busy to read and meditate on His Word.  Once we have the Word on our mind and in our hearts we can live a life that is worthy of the Gospel.

Prayer

Lord, I want to search you with all of my heart, mind and soul.  Help me to dig into your Word with eagerness and passion.

Meditate On It

Encouragement, Trust

Meditate On It

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
‭‭Joshua‬ ‭1:8‬

According To All That Is Written

Moses was dead and Joshua was the one chosen to lead the people of Israel.  He was chosen and appointed by God to lead the people into the Promise Land.  In Joshua Chapter 1 God had some specific words of encouragement and commitment for the new leader.  Even though Joshua was chosen by God he still had to gain the respect of the people and he did so by the grace fo God.

God’s message to Joshua was to be strong and courageous.  Three times in the first nine verses God tells Joshua to be strong and courageous.  He did so to let Joshua know that he was going to face some uncertain days ahead that will be determined by his faith and by his determination of moving forward with faithfulness.  It takes strength to be faithful when times get tough.  It takes courage to keep your faith when everything else seems to be collapsing.  But take note of the specific condition that God lays before Joshua.  He tells Joshua that as long as he meditates on the Law (the first five books of the Bible) then he would have great success and be prosperous in his ways.  The promise of God was conditional upon Joshua keeping his part.

This same promise is for us today.  We need to meditate upon the Scriptures of God and not let them leave our mouth nor our mind.  Meditating upon the Scripture allows our heart to be in alignment with the will of God.  When our heart and mind are right with God then our actions and our decisions will reflect the things of God.  That is how we can be assured that we will be blessed by God.

Prayer

Lord, allow me to know your Word by heart.  Help me to be rooted and sustained by your precepts.