Pastor Stephen Dedman

Tag: jesus

At The Name Of Jesus

Encouragement, Salvation, Trust

But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!”
‭‭Acts‬ ‭3:6‬

Peter and John were walking into the temple to pray and they were greeted by a lame man begging for money.  Peter looked at him and said, “I don’t have any money but I’ll give you something better.  In the name of Jesus get up and walk!”  

Instantly the man was healed and he jumped up and began praising God.

Let’s unpack this wonderful miracle.  Notice the place where this miracle occurred.  It was at the temple gate entrance where many people, including the Pharisees, would pass through to get inside.  The lame man knew the place would be an ideal location because the Pharisees exercised their giving in front of other people to be noticed.  It was guaranteed to be profitable place.

Now notice the problem that was solved.  Poverty and paralyzation left the lame man with no hope or purpose.  But after being healed he was filled with joy.  This miracle gave him new life and purpose.  There’s no problem that Jesus can’t solve.

Notice the people who witnessed this great miracle.  Verse 9 says the people who saw him walking and worshipping were filled with amazement.  This miracle wasn’t just for the lame man.  It was for all the people to witness before Peter proclaimed the Gospel.  This miracle opened an opportunity for their hearts and minds to receive the Gospel and be saved.

Are you trusting money to solve your problem? Or are you trusting in someone else to take care of your needs? Trust Jesus and allow His Word to bring you joy and amazement as He works all things out for the glory of God

Pray

Lord, instead of focusing on my negative circumstances today, I will praise You for the miracle of grace You have shown upon me. Help me to be a witness for Your glory so others can experience Your grace.

Learning The Will Of God

Faith, Trust

“Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground!”
Psalm 143:10

Learning something new can be a bit of a challenge. But once you discover how to do something new it can be rewarding and great. For example, learning to play an instrument can be difficult and time consuming but once you learn to play a song it’s exciting.

In the same sense, learning to do God’s will can be challenging but the reward is worth it all.

In this Psalm David is cries out to God for help. It’s a desperate cry for help. But right in the middle of this Psalm, David seeks to understand the will of God because he knows it’s the best thing. He knows that God is in control of all things but he wants God to reveal His will to him.

This is the best attitude to have when we face difficult times in our life. Instead of praying for God to remove our trials we should face them with a perspective that God is trying to teach us something new.

Just think about all the challenges that David faced during his life.

  • He was the youngest and smallest of his brothers but he knew he had a purpose.
  • He took on the biggest and strongest Phillistine and experienced victory.
  • He committed many sins but found forgiveness through God’s love and grace.
  • He lost a child who was only a few days old but knew the child was with God in Heaven.

The list can go on and on but David was always aware that God was maturing his faith and increasing his spiritual strength.

That is how we should look at our life. God causes all things to work for His glory. God wants to see you grow in faith.

Pray

Lord, teach me to do Your will. Let Your Spirit lead me along the path that You desire. Increase my faith and give me strength to endure to the end.

Armor Up

Encouragement, Trust

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.”
Ephesians 6:10

Sometimes life can be a real struggle. Reality can be obscured from a fantasy by what we watch in advertisements, in Hollywood, and see on social media.

While the battle itself is invisible, the battlefield is very much visible. Individuals fight, couples argue, families quarrel, and churches split. Add school shootings to the list as well. The struggles of our children are amongst the conflicts as well. Depression and anxiety added to the mix equates for a real messy situation. Life is a struggle.

The true reason of why we struggle in life is much deeper than we can imagine. What we commonly think is the source of our struggles is that we are in conflict against flesh and blood, against other people. However, Paul says our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but an invisible battle between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan.

The good news is that we are strengthened and can be set free through Jesus Christ. Through Him we obtain strength and courage to endure any situation. The Lord helps us overcome any obstacle we face.

Satan doesn’t have any power over God’s children. When Jesus defeated Satan on the cross and defeated death on the third day when He arose. We who believe are set free to live an abundant life.

However, when we don’t rely on the strength of the Lord we become weak. Paul tells us to put on the whole armor of God. The struggle is real but the Lord is ready to deal with our struggles.

Armor up with the strength of the Lord through the truth of His word. Face your daily struggles with confidence and assurance of who you are in Christ. Don’t try to do life without Him!

Pray

Lord, I am powerless and need You. Strengthen me in the knowledge of Your truth and wisdom. Help me to understand that without Jesus I am nothing. Thank You, Lord.