Pastor Stephen Dedman

Tag: salvation

They Glorified God

Encouragement, Trust

They Glorified God

Then fear came upon all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has risen up among us”; and, “God has visited His people.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭7:16‬

Touching People

In Luke 7:11-17 Jesus stops a funeral procession when He saw a widowed woman who was just moments away from laying her only son to rest. This woman had lost her husband and now has lost all hope of any future because her only son has died. But Jesus saw her and had compassion for her. He touched the casket and told the dead man to get up. Immediately the man sat up and began speaking. The large crowd was amazed at what they saw but most importantly verse 16 says they glorified God because they knew Jesus was God.

This passage of Scripture gives us a perfect a portrait of how a church is to minister to people.

We must realize that the church is who represents Jesus in today’s society. We must do as Jesus did and see the needs of others and reach out and touch them with compassion and love. When the lost are touched with the love of Jesus, they come alive, spiritually. A church will glorify God when they are on mission and ministering to His people. We can’t miss any opportunities of serving people because we lose focus of the mission.

An encouraged church congregation is required to fulfill its mission. A discouraged church is not effective. Every church needs faithful members using their God-given gifts. Members who are not using their gifts are wasting them. Compassion brings people together and to the cross of Jesus. If a church is not loving people it’s not a real church.

Prayer

Pray and ask God how you can be the hands and feet of Jesus.

Rejoice In The Lord

Encouragement, Trust

Rejoice In The Lord

Yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
‭‭Habakkuk‬ ‭3:18‬

 

God Is In Control

Habakkuk was experiencing some very tough economic times. Verse 17 tells us what was happening.  There were no figs on the trees, no grapes on the vines, no oil to cook with, no crops growing and no animals for meat. This simply means there was nothing to eat or drink and the future was not very promising.  People would panic if that were to happen today.

Habakkuk remained positive and faithful as verse 18 shines rays of hope. Habakkuk knew God was the source of everything. He knew that God is the Creator and Sustainer and could make anything happen. He knew God had everything under control. If God wasn’t going to allow the earth to produce then somehow everything would work out in His timing.  That’s why he says, “yet I will rejoice in the Lord and take joy in the God of my salvation.”  Even in the worst case senerio he knew he would be saved, even if he died.

Don’t focus on your circumstances. Focus on praising the One who controls everything. Circumstances can change quickly.  There was not a lot of food, but Jesus fed 5,000 men.  There was no wine at a wedding feast but Jesus saved the best for last.  To rejoice in the Lord when things are not going well means you know that God has something great in the works.  People all around you may be down in the dumps and depressed but you could be the one who brings hope and encouragement as a solution. Your attitude and actions reflect how you trust God.

Prayer

Praise God for what He has provided and you will not dwell on what you are lacking. God will provide what you need. Thank Him in advance.

No Comparison

Encouragement, Trust

No Comparison

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
‭‭Romans‬ ‭8:18‬

Suffering Vs. Glory

Every Christian lives in the hope of glory to come.  The Holy Spirit fills our hearts with hope and the reality that one day we will be in the presence of Almighty God.  Because we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, Jesus Christ restores us unto God with blessed assurance.  One day we will be made perfect and live eternally in Heaven with all the saints of God.  We shall see Jesus face-to-face.  That alone is enough to motivate us to anticipate the coming day of the Lord. Hallelujah!

But what about here and now, as we live on this earth?  We are not promised a life of luxury just because we are followers of Christ.  To say that a person is free from suffering and anguish because they trust Jesus is a false theology.  Perhaps when we do come to Christ in faith the sufferings and trials we face are more because the devil is trying hard to get us to stumble.  And the battle rages between good and evil.  That is why we are persecuted, mocked, and scorned for our faith in Christ.

Do you know that sufferings we face today will all fade away.  When we get to Heaven the glory we will receive outweighs the pain and suffering we endure here and now.  But here is the thing, we must keep the big picture in mind.  We are only here on this earth for a very short amount of time compared to eternity in Heaven.  James 4:14 says, “yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring.  What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.”

Prayer

Pray and ask God to give you a heaven bound mind.