Pastor Stephen Dedman

Tag: eternal life

Watch And Pray

Encouragement, Trust

Watch And Pray

“Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation.  The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Matthew 26:41

 

The Spirit vs. The Flesh

Jesus warned Peter, James, and John to watch and pray as He went into the Garden of Gethsemane to pray to the Father.  He had just celebrated the Passover meal with His disciples and was about to be betrayed by Judas.  The guards were seeking to arrest Him and He knew He only had a couple of hours to prepare Himself for the worst suffering and torture known to man. Three times Jesus went away to pray and three times He returned and found the three men slumbering.

Jesus tried warning the three disciples but they let their guard down.  Little did they know that they were about to be tested and tempted more than ever before.  They didn’t think all of this would happen on that night because it was a time of Jewish celebration.  In verse 33 Peter exhaust himself and exclaimed that he would never deny Him even if he were to die.  Three times Peter denied Jesus before the rooster crowed.

We all fall into similar slumbering.  We think all is well and life couldn’t be any better.  That is when Satan prowls like a lion to devour.  We must never let our guard down.  We must always be alert to the temptations of sin.  Jesus said the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.  We all have high regards to what we strive to do for Christ but in the end we each fall into the same category as Peter.  Good intentions are not good enough.

We can all relate to Paul and his dilemma in Romans 7:15-20.  He sums it up in verse 19, “For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.”

Prayer

Pray for the Lord to help you to stay alert keep you from the temptation of sin.

Resurrection Sunday

Encouragement, Faith, Salvation, Trust

Resurrection Sunday

He is not here, for He has risen, as He (Jesus) said.

Matthew 28:6

Because He Lives

Today we celebrate the life, death, and resurrection of our Lord and Savior of the world. Easter Sunday is a day that the world can be sure that God’s promises are true and that redemption is accomplished. Because Jesus lived a perfect and holy life on this Earth His blood that was shed on the cross became the atonement for our sins. In other words, Jesus paid the ultimate price for sin which is death!

On the third day (Sunday) Jesus defeated death and sin by bringing Himself back to life. Only God the Son could do such magnificent and miraculous work. That is why we worship and celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Only Jesus could live and die and then live again. All power and majesty are given unto Him!

Because He lives, we have hope and assurance in salvation. One day we all will leave this Earth but glory to God we shall see Jesus face to face. Heaven awaits us for eternal life in perfect harmony and glory. There will be no more sin! No more death! No more tears! No more suffering! It’s all because of Jesus. It’s all because Jesus lived. It’s all because Jesus died. It’s all because He lives! Celebrate today with the joy and blessedness that we have received because God so loved the world that He gave us His only Son so that all who believe in Him will not perish. Jesus gives us everlasting life!

Prayer

Lord, thank you for dying in my place and forgiving me of my sins. Thank you for giving me eternal life in Heaven. I will live for your glory so that others may know you as I do.

Daily Devotional

Rejoice In The Lord

Encouragement, Trust

Rejoice In The Lord

Yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
‭‭Habakkuk‬ ‭3:18‬

 

God Is In Control

Habakkuk was experiencing some very tough economic times. Verse 17 tells us what was happening.  There were no figs on the trees, no grapes on the vines, no oil to cook with, no crops growing and no animals for meat. This simply means there was nothing to eat or drink and the future was not very promising.  People would panic if that were to happen today.

Habakkuk remained positive and faithful as verse 18 shines rays of hope. Habakkuk knew God was the source of everything. He knew that God is the Creator and Sustainer and could make anything happen. He knew God had everything under control. If God wasn’t going to allow the earth to produce then somehow everything would work out in His timing.  That’s why he says, “yet I will rejoice in the Lord and take joy in the God of my salvation.”  Even in the worst case senerio he knew he would be saved, even if he died.

Don’t focus on your circumstances. Focus on praising the One who controls everything. Circumstances can change quickly.  There was not a lot of food, but Jesus fed 5,000 men.  There was no wine at a wedding feast but Jesus saved the best for last.  To rejoice in the Lord when things are not going well means you know that God has something great in the works.  People all around you may be down in the dumps and depressed but you could be the one who brings hope and encouragement as a solution. Your attitude and actions reflect how you trust God.

Prayer

Praise God for what He has provided and you will not dwell on what you are lacking. God will provide what you need. Thank Him in advance.