Lord Of Glory

September 25, 2019 Pastor Stephen Dedman Faith, Trust

Lord Of Glory

My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.
‭‭James‬ ‭2:1‬ ‭

God’s Beauty

What comes to mind when you think of God’s glory? Is it a cloud of smoke? Maybe a bright light? Both are great visions because of what men visioned the glory of God to be in the Scriptures.

James writes to believers who were scattered due to the persecution of the church in Jerusalem. He is concerned with the faith of believers and wants to make sure their faith is real. We too, should read the book of James with this concept in mind; is our faith real? Most certainly there are tests to confirm such a truthfulness as we live out our faith everyday. We face trials and sufferings and even encounter temptations because we are tested in our faith. Our faith will increase as we obey the Word of God and testify to the truthfulness of God’s Son. Faith in Jesus saves us from our sins and gives us eternal life in Heaven. That is why we all must be certain that our faith in Christ is real.

James says that our faith will reflect the glory of God. Real faith in Jesus will be evident in the things we say and do. Everything we do should show the beauty of God. Our lives will display the glory of God even though we suffer and are persecuted. The reflection of God’s glory will be a witness and testimony without having to declare that you are a Christian. People will see you for who you really are. They will see your actions in accordance to how you live your daily life. We all sin, but we show God’s glory through mercy and forgiveness.

Prayer

Lord, let Your glory shine through me today. Help me to be a witness of Your beauty.

Anger Lodges In The Heart

September 18, 2019 Pastor Stephen Dedman Encouragement, Trust

Anger Lodges In The Heart

Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the heart of fools.
‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭7:9‬

Slow To Anger

Frustration can lead to bitterness. Bitterness leads to anger. If anger resides long enough it can get the best of you. The key to overcoming anger is not just a forgiveness issue, it’s a heart issue. If you are bitter and angry for too long you will suffer physical and spiritual problems.

It is sad that people like to watch and listen to disagreements. Reality TV shows are a booming business because of this. Some people feed off of drama. They are thrilled when someone gets what they deserve and anticipation grows when they don’t. In the real world it’s the same. It’s very sad but it’s true to say that some people like to watch others suffer.

As Christians we are to be different from the rest of the world. However, if we fill our minds with the filth and garbage of reality TV, gossip, and drama, we tend to engage upon it. There comes a point in time when the Holy Spirit urges us to stop feeding on the negativity and start feeding on positive thoughts and actions. It can be difficult sometimes but it is best to abstain from the filthy lust of the flesh. Evil surrounds us and is easily enticed when we allow it. But on the opposite spectrum, when we fill our hearts and minds with encouraging and uplifting spiritual things we produce righteousness. Feeding our bodies with the correct nutrients is comparable to feeding our souls with the necessary nutrients. If you want to produce good fruit you will need to feed your soul biblical truth. The more you mature in the Word of God the more distance can come between you and sin. Thrive on the blessings that only come from God and reap the joy of doing so.

Prayer

Lord, take my focus off the negative things of this world and allow me to see the great things You are doing in my life.

Murder

September 17, 2019 Pastor Stephen Dedman Faith, Trust

Murder

“You shall not murder.”
‭‭Exodus‬ ‭20:13‬

Are You A Murderer?

You are probably reading this and wondering why in the world would this be the scripture for today. Most, all, people know that the intentional killing of a person is a sin. You don’t even have to be a Christian but you know that murder is morally wrong. You would think that no one in their right mind would ever intentionally kill someone else. However in today’s world we need to biblically teach that murder is a sin and the Sixth Commandment.

Cain killed his brother Abel. Moses killed an Egyptian. David killed Goliath and had Uriah killed. Paul had Stephen stoned to death and was responsible for persecuting and killing Christians. As you can see there were many key people in the Bible who committed murder or were part of the act of murder. There are many occasions in the Bible that hundreds and thousands were killed because of one person. We need to teach, “You shall not murder.”

Jesus intensified it and took murder to another level. You may be thinking right now that you have never murdered or killed anyone so you are good. Jesus said in Matthew 5:22 anyone who is angry with his brother is guilty of the same judgment of murder. That is serious. Because we have anger in our hearts toward another person we too can be just as guilty as someone who has committed murder. Paul says if your enemy is hungry you must feed him, not kill him. Murder stems from a condition of the heart. Jesus says because you have hatred or anger toward someone you are a murderer. If you have hatred or anger toward someone it is time to get things right with them.

Prayer

Lord, I don’t want to be a murderer. Help me to love instead of hate. help me to forgive just as I am forgiven.