Pastor Stephen Dedman

Tag: stephen dedman

It’s Time To Repent

Encouragement

Now it happened, when the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, that he tore his clothes.
II Kings 22:11

Does your heart ache when you sin against God? It is amazing how so many people believe that as long as they don’t feel that something is bad, then it must not be bad. As long as they feel okay about it, they will continue to do it. And as long as God does not deal with them immediately, it must be okay.

Josiah was very young (8 years old) when he became king over Judah. Peace, prosperity, and reform characterized his 31-year reign. At the age of 26, Josiah began the process to repair the temple after it had been desecrated by Manasseh, who built pagan altars and images inside it. 

During the renovation, a copy of the Book of Law (possibly the Book of Deuteronomy ) was found. The high priest informed Josiah of the discovery and read from it to him. In response, Josiah became distressed and tore his robe. He was troubled over hearing what God required of His people as he compared that with how far they had departed from His will.

Josiah feared the anger of the Lord and wanted the people of Judah to repent. Such a response was shocking to the people and reveals that they had not consulted the word of God for a very long time. They had fallen away from God and from His commands.

Those who do not fear God will not fear sin. There is a direct relationship between a high view of God and a high view of sin. A low view of God will bring a low view of sin. When there is no fear of God there is no fear of sin.

Pray

Lord, I survey my life and ask You to convict me of any sin that may be unconfessed. Reveal to me Your will and way so that I may know the path of righteousness.

He Knows My Name

Encouragement

And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.”
Luke 19:5

Have you ever considered how big our world is? It makes us look really small in comparison. It also makes us feel really small. We can’t even imagine what lies beyond what telescopes cannot magnify.

In the Bible story about Zacchaeus, we can imagine what he felt as he climbed up into a tree to see Jesus walk by. Zacchaeus was not a popular person nor did he consider himself special. But when Jesus walked by, stopped and looked at him, everything changed in the blink of an eye.

Jesus called him by name and called him out of the tree so He could spend the afternoon with him. We know that it changed his life because after his encounter with Jesus he began giving money to the poor and refunding those he overcharged.

Before meeting Jesus, Zacchaeus was hated by everyone. But after receiving the free gift of salvation, he was a friend of everyone. Jesus changed his world and gave him a new life.

As we remember this amazing story, it would be advantageous for us to realize that Jesus knows everything about us. He knows our past, future, and what we face right now. When we encounter Jesus, He can change our life for His glory.

You may think that the Lord doesn’t care or isn’t listening to your prayers but He is. You may think that He has other things to be concerned about rather than your life, but He doesn’t. He is inviting you to spend quality time with Him today.

Pray

Lord, make me feel Your presence today. Let me know that You are doing something special in my life. Help me to never forget how much You love me.

Humility Matters

Encouragement

For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
Luke 14:11

Take every opportunity to promote yourself before and above others. Seize occasions for recognition and manipulate your way into the center of attention. According to the world, this is the way to attain high esteem. 

But according to God’s design, you must put others first. Humble yourself. It’s when God sees your humility that He will exalt you.

If we put our efforts into promoting ourselves, we will be brought down and humiliated. Jesus spoke of a man who tried to enhance his own image (Luke 14:7-11). While attending a dinner, he quickly claimed the seat of most honor. When the host saw this take place, he humiliated the man by asking him to move to another seat, the lowest seat in the room. 

Jesus said the wise thing to do is seek the lowest position and allow someone else to exalt you when they feel that you need to be recognized. 

When we strive to remain humble, we bring glory to God and not ourselves. If we honor God, He will honor us. When the world exalts you, you are the center of attention. But when God exalts you, others will praise Him for what He has done in your life.

Allow God to be the One who honors you in the way that pleases Him!

Pray

Lord, please keep me humble. I ask You to remove all pride from my heart. May Your Holy Spirit transform me and change me.