Pastor Stephen Dedman

Tag: jesus

What’s Weighing You Down?

Encouragement, Faith

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,”
Hebrews 12:1

Do you have any distractions in your life? Who doesn’t, right? The devil desires to keep us distracted so that we aren’t aligned with the will of God.

When we allow distractions to overcome us we allow our minds and hearts to stray from God’s plan and purpose. To stay on course means we must guard ourselves from becoming distracted. Most of the time we aren’t even aware that it is happening.

The New Living Translation says, “let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.” (Hebrews 12:1b) This terminology helps us to see that anything that weighs us down, especially sin, will keep us from achieving the perfect will of God.

We need to “strip off” whatever is distracting us. What distraction is keeping you from being one with God?

Our relationship with God through Jesus Christ should be the most important relationship in our life. Jesus said the most important commandment is to love God with all of our hearts, soul, and mind and then we are to love others.

When our hearts are focussed on God and the things of God we will do what God expects. Is Your heart in the right place?

It’s easy to get distracted when we are weighted down with sin. When we focus on holiness, we stray from sin and other distractions.

Pray

Lord, forgive me and keep me from sin. I confess my sin to You. Give me strength to stay the course and keep myself holy and pure.

Standing Before The Throne of God

Salvation, Trust

“After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands,”
‭‭Revelation‬ ‭7:9‬

Can you imagine a crowd of people so large that couldn’t be numbered? The largest stadium in the U.S. is Michigan Stadium, nicknamed the “The Big House”.  The seating capacity is 107,601. Even though that is a large crowd, everyone can be counted.

When Jesus miraculously fed the 5,000 men there may have been a larger crowd of about 20,000 people including the women and children. The Scripture says they sat in groups of 50.

The multitude that John saw in his vision around the throne of God was not able to be counted by man. However don’t forget that God knows how many stars are in the sky and the hair on our heads are numbered. 

What makes today’s verse so special is the correlation of Gods promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:2, “And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.”‭‭

And later when Abraham was seeking God for a son the Bible says, “And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.“” Genesis‬ ‭15:5‬ ‭ESV‬‬

That great promise of God is fulfilled in Revelation 7:9. John sees the great multitude of saints around the throne of God. What a great sight to behold!

It should excite us to know that one day soon we will be standing around the throne of God. We will be clothed in white robes and singing praises to Jesus. Read verses 9-12 and try to imagine what a glorious day that will be when Jesus we shall see. God is faithful and true to keep His promises.

Pray

Lord, we thank you for promising us an eternity in Heaven with You. Give us the vision and mindset of Heaven so we can take our eyes off this world.

Focussed On Jesus

Faith, Trust

So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus.
Matthew‬ ‭14:29

Immediately after Jesus fed the 5,000 men, He instructed the disciples to get into the boat and go to the other side of the lake. Jesus dismissed the crowds and then went up top of a mountain to pray.

As the disciples were rowing through the night, Jesus came walking up to the boat, walking on the water.

Imagine for a moment how frightened you would be if you were in the boat that night. Jesus comes walking on the water, defying all laws of logic and science. How could it be?

Peter was so intrigued that he wanted to experience what no man has ever been able to do and walk on water. Peter fully seized the moment and truly wanted to be part of the miracle. And for a few moments, he walked on water.

Here is the point. Peter stepped out of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. The other disciples had it in their mind that they couldn’t do it. They had doubt. Peter never doubted that he could walk on the water until he took his focus off of Jesus. And when he began to sink Jesus asked him, “why did you doubt?”

There are many things we could do in this life if we could eliminate all doubt. The reason why we can’t walk on water is because we doubt. The reason why we don’t experience great miracle moments of our own is because we have doubt.

Sin causes us to doubt. Sin poisons our minds. It produces seeds of doubt that voids our faith. Is it possible to have so much faith that we could walk on water?

If Peter would have kept his eyes on Jesus he wouldn’t have started to sink. Peter’s focus turned from Jesus back to human logic and reasoning as he saw the wind and waves. If we want to experience mighty miracles we must remove all doubt. The only way to remove doubt is to keep our focus on Jesus.

Anytime we take our focus off of Jesus we allow doubt and fear to creep into our minds. So the more we stay focused on Jesus the less doubt and fear we experience. It sounds simple but we have so many things that distract us from focusing on Him.

Pray

Lord, remove my distractions and keep me focused on You. I desire to experience Your wonderful presence. Help me to have no doubt.