Pastor Stephen Dedman

Tag: bible

No Comparison

Encouragement, Trust

No Comparison

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
‭‭Romans‬ ‭8:18‬

Suffering Vs. Glory

Every Christian lives in the hope of glory to come.  The Holy Spirit fills our hearts with hope and the reality that one day we will be in the presence of Almighty God.  Because we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, Jesus Christ restores us unto God with blessed assurance.  One day we will be made perfect and live eternally in Heaven with all the saints of God.  We shall see Jesus face-to-face.  That alone is enough to motivate us to anticipate the coming day of the Lord. Hallelujah!

But what about here and now, as we live on this earth?  We are not promised a life of luxury just because we are followers of Christ.  To say that a person is free from suffering and anguish because they trust Jesus is a false theology.  Perhaps when we do come to Christ in faith the sufferings and trials we face are more because the devil is trying hard to get us to stumble.  And the battle rages between good and evil.  That is why we are persecuted, mocked, and scorned for our faith in Christ.

Do you know that sufferings we face today will all fade away.  When we get to Heaven the glory we will receive outweighs the pain and suffering we endure here and now.  But here is the thing, we must keep the big picture in mind.  We are only here on this earth for a very short amount of time compared to eternity in Heaven.  James 4:14 says, “yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring.  What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.”

Prayer

Pray and ask God to give you a heaven bound mind.

God’s Compassion

Encouragement, Salvation

God’s Compassion

When Jesus saw him lying there and knew the he had already been there a long time, he said to him, Do you want to be healed?
John 5:6

Healed by Jesus

While in Jerusalem, Jesus walked by a man who had been paralyzed for 38 years.  Every day he would sit next to the Pool of Bethesda waiting for someone to pick him up and place him into the pool when it began to stir.  Foolishly, there was a well known superstition that supposedly an angel would stir the water and the first person to step into the pool would be healed of their disease.  For 38 years this man anticipated the day that he would be healed.  On this certain day Jesus walked up to him and asked if he wanted to be healed.  Instead of a yes or no answer the man gave an excuse that no one would help him into the water.  Jesus then told him to get up and pack up his bed and walk.  Instantly the man was healed and he walked away.

This miracle was the result of God’s great compassion.  The first thing to notice is the fact that this man could not save himself.  He had good intentions but he couldn’t do it on his own. He needed help and he needed a Savior.  Second, this man was chosen by Jesus.  In John 15:16 Jesus says, “You did not choose me, but I chose you…”  Thirdly, Jesus gave him new life.  For 38 years this man was stuck in unfavorable circumstances until Jesus came into his life and gave him hope.

Are you thankful for God’s compassion and saving grace in your life?

Prayer

Pray and thank God for sending His Son, Jesus, into this world to save you for giving you eternal life and hope.

Wait On The Lord

Encouragement, Trust

Wait On The Lord

Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.
‭‭John‬ ‭11:32‬

Waiting For God’s Blessings

One of the greatest things about God is everything good happens in His timing. There are great rewards for those who patiently wait for the Lord to show up.

Lazarus had been dead for 4 days when Jesus arrives to Bethany to perform His last public miracle.  Mary and Martha come to Jesus and they are both an emotional wreck.  A messenger had been sent to tell Jesus to come quickly so He could heal their brother but He delayed and Lazarus died.  As Mary and Martha are mourning the death of their brother, Jesus shows up. They are sad, angry and even blaming Jesus for not saving their brother.  Little did they know something wonderful was about to happen.  Jesus walks over to the tomb and cries out with a loud voice for Lazarus to come forth and instantly he comes walking out. Everyone who saw was amazed and Mary and Martha rejoiced.

Jesus is never late showing up.  He knows what is happening in your life but the timing is all part of His master plan.  Sometimes we develop a bad case of “stinkin’ thinkin'”.  We think we know what is best and we don’t wait for the Lord to show up.  This is when we mess up and take matters into our own hands.  Abraham made this mistake with Sarah’s servant, Hagar, and forced a son (Ishmael) before having Isaac (Genesis 16)?  It caused years of havoc.

Always wait upon the Lord (Isaiah 40:31) because He is going to show up.

Prayer

Pray for the Lord to give you a spiritual mindset to understand His master plan and patiently wait for all things to come together in His perfect timing.