Pastor Stephen Dedman

Tag: salvation

Heaven Bound

Encouragement

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
1 Peter 1:3

Peter was writing to a group of believers who were being persecuted for their faith in Jesus. They were facing rejection and severe hatred from the world around them.  So Peter began his letter encouraging them to endure the difficult times that they will face in this world.

Perhaps one of the best solutions of how to deal with difficult living is to look toward our heavenly future. This serves not only as encouragement but as a promise from God.  Troubles in this life are temporary and small compared to eternity in Heaven.

We all need to be reminded from time to time that we will suffer trials in order to build stronger faith.  So we need to view our suffering and trials as good things and keep glorifying God through it all.  

In the Old Testament, Job is one of the best examples of suffering as he kept on praising and worshipping God.  He never lost faith and he never stopped worshipping God.

Suffering should never direct you away from worshipping God.  Instead it should draw you to Him.

As Christians our inheritance is Heaven.  All of Heaven!  As children of God we are given eternal life that is free from sin and full of grace.  

It is hard for us to comprehend what life in Heaven will be like but Paul says it best, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9)

Pray

Lord, show me what I need to learn through my sufferings. Let my trials and difficulties bring me closer to You. Help me to see a heavenly perspective.

Come Before The Lord With Praise

Encouragement

The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and great in mercy. The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works. All Your works shall praise You, O Lord , and Your saints shall bless You.
Psalms 145:8-10

The best way to approach the Lord is with praise. The Lord is full of grace and compassion for those who seek Him. Even when we don’t deserve it, the Lord pours out His grace and love upon us.

If you think about the worst thing you have ever done in your life, you probably don’t deserve God’s mercy and grace. But that is the God that we serve. He is full of grace, full of love, full of mercy, and slow to anger!

We bow down to the Lord when we pray to Him. This act of bowing down is submissiveness that renders an attitude of humility. We must stay humble in order to praise the Lord.

Sometimes we need to be humbled. No one likes to be humbled, but it’s a place of surrender. Sometimes God humbles us to make us praise Him.

Don’t wait to be humbled in order to praise and honor Him. Bow down today and bless Him for who He is. Let your praise be to God and not to yourself.

Pray

Lord, there is none like You. You are so good to me and I don’t deserve Your grace and love. Thank You for being so good to me.

Declare His Greatness

Encouragement

One generation shall praise Your works to another, And shall declare Your mighty acts. I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, And on Your wondrous works. Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts, And I will declare Your greatness.
Psalms 145:4-6

God’s works and mighty acts are worthy to be praised. It is the responsibility of fathers and mothers to teach their children about the greatness of God. Generation after generation shall declare His greatness.

Meditation upon God’s splendor moves people to praise. His creation and redemption are all part of His wondrous works. His nature is revealed in His works.

God’s power is spoken of by those who experience His greatness. Once you witness His excellence you will never stop speaking of His majesty.

We praise the Lord because of who He is to us. As small as we may be compared to all of creation, He has chosen mankind to be His best works.

God wants us to experience His greatness on a daily basis. He wants us to love Him for who He is. And as soon as your eyes are opened, you can’t help but love the Creator of the universe.

Do you love God with all of your heart? Let your actions prove it. Let your lips prove it.

What has God done for you today that makes you praise His great name?

Pray

Lord, You alone are worthy of all praise. Thank You for giving me the fee gift of Salvation through Jesus Christ. Let the words of my lips reflect my heart of joy.