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Election Day

November 3, 2020 Pastor Stephen Dedman Trust

‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.’
Isaiah 55:9

When we look back through the Old Testament we see God appointing various kings and leaders. Some were noted to be good and some were evil. But all in all, God appointed them to rule.

Let’s take a trip back to 1 Samuel 8 when the elders of Israel came to Samuel and asked him to appoint a king to judge the nation. Verse 6 says, ‘But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” So Samuel prayed to the Lord . And the Lord said to Samuel, “Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them. ‘ (I Samuel 8:6-7) In chapter 9 we read that Saul became the first king rule over Israel.

Tragically, Saul was not a good king. But what we see throughout history is that God appoints the leaders of all nations. Some seek the Lord and some do not. Some rule well but some do not.

Today we will see who God appoints for our nation. Regardless of who you vote(d) for, you cannot boast triumphantly nor can you despair since God sovereignly appointed our president. One thing is for sure, God is known for using whoever He chooses – even your enemies – to accomplish His great plans and purposes.

No matter who becomes our president, he is not God. Our nation needs to turn to God because He still reigns over us. May we all be like Samuel and pray to the Lord for guidance and protection. It’s not too late!

Pray

Lord, bless our nation. Bless our next national and local leaders. May they turn to You for guidance and wisdom. Allow us as a nation to trust in You.

The Worst Became Best

April 10, 2020 Pastor Stephen Dedman Faith, Salvation, Trust

“Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.”
Matthew 27:45-46,50

Jesus was executed and put to death. The Son of God was put to death on a cross for who He was. He came into the world and the religious leaders feared Him and hated Him. While at first it may seem that all is said and done, it was the plan of God from the beginning.

How encouraging it is to know that today is called Good Friday because death died when Jesus died on the cross. The worst day in history is really the best day because of Jesus. Just remember this when you are at your worst, Jesus is at His best. The worst possible thing that could happen was actually the best.

Can we be honest for a moment? Jesus said, “the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41) There are times in our life when we are ready to throw in the towel. We are frustrated, confused, and irritated when things don’t turn out the way we want them to. But this is when we must rely on the strength and power of God to reveal to us that He is up to something bigger than we are. God has something in the works that may not seem important at the surface but deep down in the grasp of things, God is doing a mighty work.

Don’t give up hope. Don’t give into the temptations of the enemy. Satan tried everything he could to keep Jesus from dying on the cross but God did not allow it to happen. Why? Because He loves you more than you realize. He is more powerful than anyone can ever imagine.

Whatever you may be going through right now, God has a plan and it is going to work out for His glory.

“Then is shall be brought to pass as it is written: Death is swallowed up in victory. O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (I Corinthians 15:54-57)

Lord, thank you for loving me so much that You sent Your only Son to die on the cross and save me from my sins. Help me to never lose hope in what You are trying to accomplish.