Pastor Stephen Dedman

Tag: daily devotional

God In The Flesh, Part 2

Faith

‘And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.’
I Timothy 3:16

As we continue in our study of 1 Timothy 3:16, let’s allow the Holy Spirit to enlighten our souls of the importance of Jesus’ humanity; God was manifested in the flesh.

John 1:1 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” And verse 14 says, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

A firm essence of Christianity is believing that God the Son, the Second Person of the Trinity, came to earth in human flesh. He was fully God while simultaneously fully man. He is the God-Man.

Jesus laid aside His glory in heaven and took upon Himself mortal flesh so that He could become sin for us. Christ was perfect in every sense of the meaning. Perfect in completion and perfect in excellency.

Only those who believe that Christ was God manifested in the flesh can receive and fully understand the mystery of godliness in their life. The life of Christ is made manifest in the life of believers at the moment of salvation.

God wants to be with you and in every part of your life. Will you open the door to let Him in? Can you open your heart to receive His grace and mercy? Will you allow Him to come in to every area of your life?

Pray

Lord, I invite you into my life. I want You to be in every part of my life. Help me to lean on You for wisdom and understanding. Thank You for coming down from heaven to meet me right where I am.

Without Controversy, Part 1

Faith

‘And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.’
I Timothy 3:16

1 Timothy 3:16 is a wonderful verse and loaded with great truths. For the next few days we will break apart each phrase and dig deeper into the meaningful fundamentals of our Christian faith. The Apostle Paul reveals to us, and ages to come, a mystery of godliness.

In keeping the context of chapter 3, Paul is writing to Christian leaders instructing them on godly conduct, internal and external purity, and spiritual living. Each of these elements are expressed in the believer’s behavior.

The grace of God is made available to all who believe. This wonderful truth needs to be taught and spoken without controversy. It’s unfortunate when Christians debate or deny the fundamental truths of Christianity.

People develop personal beliefs by revelation of God’s Word and through inspiration of the Holy Spirit, but sound doctrine is based upon Jesus’ death, burial, resurrection, and glorification. Debating or denying these truths cause controversy.

Godliness is weaved into every born-again believer and is not something conjured up. Godliness is a fruit of the Holy Spirit that needs to be evident in our lives so that Christ is glorified. The more that Christ shines the more that people will believe.

Pray

Lord, thank You for saving my soul and making me a new creature. Thank You that the Word of God became flesh in the person of Jesus Christ. May my behavior reflect the glory and riches of Your great grace.

Election Day

Trust

‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.’
Isaiah 55:9

When we look back through the Old Testament we see God appointing various kings and leaders. Some were noted to be good and some were evil. But all in all, God appointed them to rule.

Let’s take a trip back to 1 Samuel 8 when the elders of Israel came to Samuel and asked him to appoint a king to judge the nation. Verse 6 says, ‘But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” So Samuel prayed to the Lord . And the Lord said to Samuel, “Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them. ‘ (I Samuel 8:6-7) In chapter 9 we read that Saul became the first king rule over Israel.

Tragically, Saul was not a good king. But what we see throughout history is that God appoints the leaders of all nations. Some seek the Lord and some do not. Some rule well but some do not.

Today we will see who God appoints for our nation. Regardless of who you vote(d) for, you cannot boast triumphantly nor can you despair since God sovereignly appointed our president. One thing is for sure, God is known for using whoever He chooses – even your enemies – to accomplish His great plans and purposes.

No matter who becomes our president, he is not God. Our nation needs to turn to God because He still reigns over us. May we all be like Samuel and pray to the Lord for guidance and protection. It’s not too late!

Pray

Lord, bless our nation. Bless our next national and local leaders. May they turn to You for guidance and wisdom. Allow us as a nation to trust in You.