Pastor Stephen Dedman

Tag: God

Keys Of The Kingdom

Salvation, Trust

I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭16:19‬

When you have a relationship with Jesus Christ you have all access to God the Father.  Because we are one with Christ, Jesus has given us access to everything that has been given to Him.  The keys of the kingdom of heaven represent this magnificent gift.

What more could a person desire? We are given authority and power because we belong to Jesus.

On the day of Pentecost, Peter used the power of Jesus’ name to preached the Gospel and three thousand people made a decision to follow Jesus. Peter used the kingdom keys for God’s glory. 

On the day that Peter commanded the lame man to get up and walk in Jesus’ name, he used the kingdom keys.  And the day that Peter was miraculously released from prison, the kingdom keys were used. Peter discovered and amazing opportunity of using the keys of the kingdom that were given by Jesus.

If you are a born-again Believer, you have the kingdom keys as well.  When you find yourself in fear or anxiety, remember you have direct access to God.  

When you are lacking anything, remember that you hold the keys to the kingdom of heaven.  

When you are broken or burdened, all you have to do is access the Father.  

God freely gives to those who belong to Him.  If you have the keys, you have something really amazing.

Pray

Lord, thank You for giving me direct access to You.  You have all that I need including eternal life. Help me to never forget what I have in You.

Finding Favor With The Lord

Encouragement

But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.  These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God.
Genesis 6:8-9

According to a former Walmart employee in West Palm Beach, FL, a man entered Walmart and stole a large screen TV. When he walked out of the store he discovered that his truck had been stolen. Needless to say, he encountered a bad day. 

Even the ones who are causing evil will encounter evil as well. We live in an evil, sinful world.  Every where we look we see all kinds of evil taking place.  It’s everywhere.

Noah lived during a very corrupt time.  The Bible says everyone and everything around him was evil continually.  He faced a crisis during his day in time.  It’s hard to imagine a world worse than it is right now, isn’t?  

It is interesting to note that Noah was found righteous and blameless while living amongst such evil people.  Noah did what was right.  Scripture says he found favor in the eyes of the Lord.  God was pleased with the way he lived his life while being exposed to such evilness.

We all choose if we will do what is right or fall into the temptation of evil.  We live among evil people who get away with a lot of crime but that does not mean that we should. As Christians we are to be different from the rest of the world.  

It’s difficult to live righteously in a sinful world but if we look at Noah we see that it is possible.  It is not possible to be perfect but we should strive to be.

Pray

Lord, help me to strive for holiness and righteousness.  Help me to overcome any temptation that I face. Let me set an example to others of what You expect from every Christian.

Pleasures Forevermore

Encouragement

You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭16:11‬

There are mysteries concerning the things of God.  But there is one thing that is for certain.  He wants to reveal Himself to us and He desires for us to know Him in a close relationship.

David reveals three blessings for those who trust in the Lord.  First, David not only found the path of life, he also found the path that leads to eternal life.  David didn’t come up with his own path of life, God revealed it to him.  

David knew he was a sinner and that God was holy.  David knew God had a special purpose for him.  

The next blessing is the fullness of joy.  David knew God was the One who supplied his joy.  David had many ups and downs but he never lost the source of his joy. He searched the Lord to find true joy and contentment.  

The third blessing is within the pleasures of life.  David didn’t seek God for physical pleasures but for spiritual pleasures.  He trusted God for eternal pleasures that awaited him in Heaven.

As you meditate on this verse today, understand that the path of life is made known by God, the fullness of joy is found only in the presence of God, and eternal pleasures are for those who fully trust in Him.

Are you seeking God for the things of this world or for the things that are eternal?

Pray

Lord, I seek You to know You and to serve You.  You are all that I need and all that I desire.  Thank you for loving me and saving me.