Out On A Limb

January 24, 2018 Pastor Stephen Dedman Encouragement, Salvation

Out On A Limb

“And he (Zacchaeus) was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭19:3‬

Zacchaeus and Jesus

I love reading the story of Zacchaeus because it never gets old. The theme of this passage of Scripture is salvation and how any person from any background can seek and find Jesus. You probably remember Zacchaeus because he was “a wee little man, and a wee little man was he!” I’m sure everyone who hears the jingle remembers the gist.

Zacchaeus was a rich tax collector and was hated by everyone. To say the least he didn’t have a very good reputation among the people for being honest. But the day he met Jesus everything changed. He became a new person. And everyone witnessed it and benefitted from it.

Because of the large crowd, Zacchaeus literally went out on a limb to see Jesus. He risked everything. What he didn’t know was Jesus had seen him from the beginning. As the sycamore tree was the divine meeting place for Zacchaeus, the wooden cross is ours.

Jesus does not look at your past or failures like the world does. Jesus sees you for the person you can become through the power of the Holy Spirit. Just think of the potential you have as a Child of God. The world means nothing when Jesus is on your side.

The good news is we don’t have to look very far to find Jesus, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke‬ ‭19:10‬)

Pray

Pray for the Holy Spirit to empower you with strength, courage and wisdom as you strive to become the perfect person God created you to be.

Concerning The Times

January 19, 2018 Pastor Stephen Dedman Encouragement, Faith, Salvation, Trust

Concerning The Times

Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you.
1 Thessalonians 5:1

Anticipate The Day

There is great joy and great confidence in knowing that Jesus Christ is coming very soon. In 1 Thessalonians 4, Paul gives answers to the questions of what happens when someone dies and Jesus hasn’t come back. But there are many questions of when is Jesus coming back for the church. So Paul starts chapter 5 with a great statement to encourage Believers. Just as the Thessalonians were curious about the coming of Jesus and the Rapture of the church so are many of us today.

Paul said we do not need any more information because we already have what we need to know. He means this in a way that Christians are prepared for Jesus’ return and since no one knows the day or hour we stay alert and rejoice in the fact that Jesus is returning soon. Acts 1:7 says, “He (Jesus) said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.” If we knew the exact time that Jesus was going to return it would either cause panic and fear if it were near or it would cause us to lose hope if it were a long time away. What Paul does say that we need to know is the fact that the day is coming soon. We should expect it to happen even if it were today.

Prayer

Pray for God to help you live a holy life with complete obedience to His Word and in anticipation of looking forward to the day of the Lord.

Known for Love

January 19, 2018 Pastor Stephen Dedman Encouragement

“By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
‭‭John‬ ‭13:35‬

If there is one word to describe the person of Jesus it should be love. Jesus is the living example and definition of love. Jesus taught how to love and who to love. But most of all Jesus proved His love by dying on the cross.

Every born-again Believer is transformed into a new person as 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” You become a new person because the Holy Spirit comes inside and dwells in your inner person. He gives you new life that lasts for eternity. But the evidence of salvation is demonstrated by love. Jesus says people will know you belong to me because of your love.

I want to point out three ways people will know you are a true follower of Jesus Christ. First, people will know you’re a Christian because you love the Lord. You don’t have to tell people you’re a Christian when it’s written all over you. You will have a demeanor about you that glows and reflects Jesus. Your words and actions glorify the One you love. You will love to worship and praise the Lord.

Second, people will know you’re a Christian because you love others. Your love for people (all people) is true evidence that your heart is occupied by the Holy Spirit. It’s easy to love those who are peaceful and lovable, but what about those who are difficult to love? You know who I’m talking about because someone just popped into your mind. Uh oh! If Jesus loves them, we too must love them the same.

Lets move on to the third way people will know you are a Christian. When we love Jesus we will obey Him. Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” (John‬ ‭14:15‬) Our love is demonstrated by how we obey the One we love. Complete obedience to God’s Word is a requirement. When we obey the commandments we show others that we belong to Jesus.

Can someone identify you as a Christian by your steadfast love?

Pray for God to give you a heart that is full of love.