Pastor Stephen Dedman

Tag: christ

Are You Ready?

Encouragement, Salvation

‘Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.’
Revelation 1:7

One day soon Jesus is coming back. He will return in the clouds for his church. It will be a glorious day and everyone will see Him.

The rapture of the church is something we should be watching for. There should be something in the hearts of every Christian that longs to be united with Christ. To live with Him for eternity is our hope and goal as a Christian.

John was given a very unique revelation or vision as to what will happen in the last days. He was prompted to write it down for all of us to read and understand. Notably there is significance as to the holiness of the presence of Jesus. Jesus will be worshipped and honored as He should be.

We should never fear the coming of Jesus rather we should rejoice in the occasion. Jesus desires to be with His bride and we desire to be with our Master and Savior. It is encouraging to know that one day soon we all will be in glorified bodies.

The main question is, “Are you ready?” Are you ready for Jesus to return in the clouds and take up His church? The only way to be prepared is to believe in our hearts that Jesus is the Son of God, that He died on the cross, and was resurrected from the dead on the third day. Faith in Jesus gives us eternal life.

Are you ready for Jesus to come?

Pray

Lord, prepare my heart and soul for Your coming. Allow me to be a witness to others to prepare the way for You to come and get all who believe. Until You come, I will strive for holiness and righteousness.

At The Name Of Jesus

Encouragement, Salvation, Trust

But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!”
‭‭Acts‬ ‭3:6‬

Peter and John were walking into the temple to pray and they were greeted by a lame man begging for money.  Peter looked at him and said, “I don’t have any money but I’ll give you something better.  In the name of Jesus get up and walk!”  

Instantly the man was healed and he jumped up and began praising God.

Let’s unpack this wonderful miracle.  Notice the place where this miracle occurred.  It was at the temple gate entrance where many people, including the Pharisees, would pass through to get inside.  The lame man knew the place would be an ideal location because the Pharisees exercised their giving in front of other people to be noticed.  It was guaranteed to be profitable place.

Now notice the problem that was solved.  Poverty and paralyzation left the lame man with no hope or purpose.  But after being healed he was filled with joy.  This miracle gave him new life and purpose.  There’s no problem that Jesus can’t solve.

Notice the people who witnessed this great miracle.  Verse 9 says the people who saw him walking and worshipping were filled with amazement.  This miracle wasn’t just for the lame man.  It was for all the people to witness before Peter proclaimed the Gospel.  This miracle opened an opportunity for their hearts and minds to receive the Gospel and be saved.

Are you trusting money to solve your problem? Or are you trusting in someone else to take care of your needs? Trust Jesus and allow His Word to bring you joy and amazement as He works all things out for the glory of God

Pray

Lord, instead of focusing on my negative circumstances today, I will praise You for the miracle of grace You have shown upon me. Help me to be a witness for Your glory so others can experience Your grace.

Stay On Focussed

Encouragement, Trust

“Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.”
‭‭I Corinthians‬ ‭10:12‬

Have you experienced a great victory in the recent days? We love to hear about great victories. We love to hear about people who have fought against cancer and are cancer free. We love to hear about people who overcame addictions.

The best victories are the stories of how someone was the underdog and came out on top. There is nothing like the feeling of standing on the mountaintop after a great victory. 

We can read countless stories in the Bible, Old and New Testament, of great victories and how God led the small armies to defeat large armies. We read about Joshua and the walls of Jericho. We read stories like David and Goliath and it brings us hope for the battles we face.

Certainly God fights the battles for his children that belong to Him. But something interesting always takes place soon after the victory. After a great victory there’s always the potential for a great fall. We must remember to stay on guard even after we win a great victory. 

Possibly the reason why we witness great falls after great victories is because the enemy attacks when we least expect it. After great victories we tend to have a time of celebration and we rest or let down our guard. We must be very careful when we let down our guard against the enemy and give him an opportunity to strike back. 

A good example of this is found in 1 Kings 18 when the prophet Elijah experienced a great victory on top of Mount Carmel. The prophets of Baal were defeated after Elijah prayed for God to send down fire from Heaven. Then the power of God consumed the sacrifice on the alter and the rain came after the long drought. But Elijah let his guard down. 

When the wicked Queen Jezebel heard what had happened to her prophets, she sent a messenger to tell Elijah he would be killed the next day. Elijah ran in fear and and got very depressed. He let his guard down and quickly forgot how God gave the great victory. 

We face battles everyday. And when we win and experience times of victory we need to stay on guard. If we get relaxed in our spiritual warfare we give room for the enemy to enter in and catch us off guard. Make sure you are always glorify God for your great victories, but stay on guard for what is about to happen next. 

Pray

Lord, You alone receive honor and glory for your great power. Help me to establish myself in you everyday and to never allow temptations to overcome me.