God In The Flesh, Part 2

December 9, 2020 Pastor Stephen Dedman 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.

Watch And Pray

December 20, 2019 Pastor Stephen Dedman 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.

A Gentle Tongue

December 10, 2019 Pastor Stephen Dedman Encouragement, Trust

A Gentle Tongue

A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭15:4‬ ‭

Choice Words

Words have power. Our words have the power to heal or crush. Positive and encouraging words can build up a person and negative and degrading words will tear them down. We must choose your words wisely.

People need to hear the truth but there is a positive and constructive process to do so. Sometimes our words come out hateful and unkind and are received as criticism. We must be careful to always be alert to what we are say and what kind of tone we say them in. Hurtful words are unforgettable. People will always remember the negative things you say. Right now you probably remember something negative that was said to you years ago. This is why it is important to use our words wisely.

The old saying, “if you don’t have anything good to say, don’t say anything at all” is a very good rule to follow. If we only speak true and positive words in a positive tone the outcome will be positive. We must build each other up and encourage one another in the Lord. Jesus never said anything that was untrue or derogatory. His words were always right and right on time. We must learn to control our speech. It takes much practice but it is possible. We will never be perfect but we can strive for perfection. Your words will have a great effect on people whether you like it or not. Even when you need to give constructive advice you can do it in a positive and encouraging way. Just be sure to pray before you speak. The Lord will give you the right words to say at the right time.

Prayer

Lord, let Your Spirit control my words and allow me to speak the truth with courage.