Pastor Stephen Dedman

Tag: spiritual thoughts

A Good Conscience

Encouragement, Faith

A Good Conscience

Then Paul, looking earnestly at the council, said, “Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.”
Acts 23:1

A Clean Slate

If you remember the life of Saul before the Lord changed his name to Paul, you will remember how he was persecuting the church and killing Christians.  He was not considered a good person in our perspective.  But here in this verse Paul says to the Sanhedrin council, “I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.”  How could he say such a profound statement?

Paul knew his past was not good.  But he also knew that he had received God’s forgiveness and grace.   Even though he had previously acted out violent persecutions against Christians, he was a new person in Christ.  He always used his testimony to show people how Jesus changed his life.  So Paul could honestly stand before the council and declare that he had a good and clear conscience before God.  His slate was clean and he was cleared from all unrighteousness.

That is a great way to live.  We should all seek to live before God with a good conscience.  The only way you can effectively do so is to confess your sins and turn from all evil.  A problem occurs when we confess our sin but keep doing the same sinful things.  We are to confess, repent, and turn away from repeating the same sins.  The only way to receive a good conscience before God is to be clean and free from sin.  Paul was able to let the past stay in the past and live in the present for the Lord.  Is there any sin in your life that is troubling your soul and keeping you from having peace with God? Confess and repent today.

Prayer

Pray and ask God to reveal any unconfessed sin and repent from it today.

I Am With You

Encouragement, Trust

I Am With You

Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭41:10‬

His Presence Is Everything

This is a verse we all should memorize and keep close to our hearts.  Whenever you feel that God may not be listening, remember this promise.  Or when you feel you just can’t make it another day, know that God is still there.  When you just cannot do it, He will.  He holds everything together in the palm of His hand.

The truth of this great verse is found in the promise of His presence. We never know what we may encounter from day to day, but we can count on God being right here with us.  If we have fear, His presence is all we need.  If we are without understanding, His wisdom surrounds us.  When we are lacking, He fills us with His love.  The power of His presence is overwhelming when we realize how close He is.  God is not far away.  As a Christian, He is living inside of you.  He wants to be part of your life.

We should seek and desire His presence everyday.  Moses said to God in Exodus 33:15, “If Your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here.”  Moses didn’t want to make a move until he knew God was going with them.  Moses was so use to seeking His presence that He would be lost without it. That should be our same attitude and desire.  God’s presence is the most important thing we know.  The Holy Spirit is God’s presence.

Prayer

Praise Him out loud by saying or singing, “You are my strength, You are my help, You are my God!”

With All Your Heart

Salvation, Trust

With All Your Heart

“Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;”
‭‭Joel‬ ‭2:12‬

 

Worship With All Your Heart

There is somewhat of a mystery to when the prophet Joel lived but most scholars believe he prophesied after the people returned to Jerusalem from the 70-year Babylonian captivity.  Joel speaks of a “locust plague” in Joel 1:4 that results from God’s judgment to the people’s lack of repentance.  Whether this plague was literal or not, Joel tells the people that they need to turn to God in repentance and worship to receive His rewards.

There has always been a history of God’s people straying away during times of prosperity and enjoying their blessings more than worshipping the God who blessed them.  This is still happening today.  We are so blessed as children of God but sometimes we tend to get caught up in seeking pleasure from material things than seeking joy from worshipping and praising God.

People who heed the proclamation of Joel can reverse the judgment of God and experience the character of God as Joel says, “God is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and relents from punishing.” (Joel 2:13)  We must all repent and worship God whole-heartily.  Jo-el means “God is Jehovah”.  There is One God and we serve Him faithfully.

God demands and deserves our full commitment. Serving God half-heartily is unacceptable.  Lukewarm devotion has its devastating consequences as Jesus states in Revelation 3:16.

Even right now, turn to God with all your heart, soul and mind.

Prayer

Pray and ask God to forgive you of any sin that might be keeping you from receiving true joy and fellowship.