Pastor Stephen Dedman

Tag: bible

God’s Presence

Encouragement, Trust

And he said to him, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here.”
‭‭Exodus‬ ‭33:15‬

There are many people today who are not concerned about the presence of God.  They are not concerned if God is with them personally or in their church.  It is alarming to know how many people claim to be Christian but are not concerned with God’s presence.  

Moses was concerned with God’s presence.  He didn’t want to go into the Promise Land if God was not going with them.  Moses said he would rather stay in the wilderness with God rather than be in a land flowing with milk and honey and be without the Him. Moses couldn’t imagine living life without God’s presence.

We should be praying daily that we are aligning our life with the way that God desires for us to live.  We make life choices everyday but are we seeking God’s way?  Too many times we exclude God from our lives.  We often make the mistake of doing things that we think we should and never ask God if it is what we should be doing.

God’s presence is powerful and brings peace into our lives.  Without God’s presence we will face many turmoils and disturbances that will cause us to lose sight of God’s big picture.

Do you sense the presence of God where you are right now?

Pray

Lord, mold me to make me what You want me to be.  Plant my feet on solid ground and move me to where You want me to be.

You Can Conquer Sin And Satan

Salvation

“If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭4:7‬

The story of Cain and Abel is disturbingly tragic.  How could the first child born of Adam and Eve commit the sin of murder? It wasn’t like the world was so full of evil like it is today.  There were only 4 humans in existence.

The Bible says Cain and Abel both offered up offerings to God but only Abel’s was accepted.  Abel’s offering was considered to be the best of the best. Cain’s offering didn’t please God.  Jealousy and envy began to rage in the heart of Cain.

God said to Cain in verse 7, “If you do what is right you will be blessed.  But if you choose to rebel then you will be destroyed by the deadly effects of sin.”  God made it clear to Cain that sin was knocking at the door and he must master it.  However in verse 8, Cain went out and murdered Abel.

God’s warning to Cain is the same for us today. First, we must be aware that sin is present and near to every one of us.  No one is immune to it.

Second, sin is personal and seeking to devour you individually.  Satan’s plan is to rob you of joy and fellowship. Will you allow Satan to win?

And thirdly, sin is powerful and you must have control over it.  Any unconfessed sin will harbor hatred inside your heart.  We must be wise and alert or else our life will be consumed with evil like Cain’s.

Sin doesn’t have to reign in our life. Jesus gives us victory over sin and Satan. We must have faith in knowing that we are victorious only through Jesus and we conquer sin by abiding in Christ.

Pray

Lord, I repent of my sin and turn away from it quickly. Help me to receive the joy of Your great salvation. Keep me from evil and give me a heart of love.

Faith In Jesus

Salvation

The righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction:
‭‭Romans‬ ‭3:22‬

The free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ is offered for all who believe in Him. Jesus died on the cross for everyone. He died a sinner’s death in the place of sinners. There is forgiveness for sins for those who believe and trust in the name of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

The most memorized verse, John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (NKJV)  There is a great promise to those who believe in Jesus that they will not perish.  This blessing is only given to those who believe.

There are many who know about Jesus but only those who trust in the person of Jesus will inherit eternal life.  The only way to trust Jesus is to know Him personally.  In order to trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior, you must acknowledge that He is the Son of God, believe that He died on the cross, and arose from the dead three days later.  

Salvation is not earned but given by God to all who believe.  To know Jesus means to have a real, meaningful relationship with Him.  Jesus instructs all who believe in Him to follow Him and to keep His commandments.  This is the true test of real faith.  

The question may have been asked of you, “Do you know Jesus?” But you must answer this question as well, “Does Jesus know you?”

Pray

Lord, I believe in You and trust You as my Lord and Savior.  I repent of my sins and ask You to give me eternal life in Heaven.  Thank you for dying on the cross in my place.