Peniel Pentecostal Holiness Church

3239 Rosebud Road Walnut Cove NC 27052
Pastor: Dr. Tim Nelson -  Church Office 336-591-36112
A Place To Encounter God Face To Face. Gen. 32:3

A Word From The Pastor Archives 2024
January 2024
 

Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:"  Philippians 1:6

God's not done with us, we are still being drawn and invited into relationship with Him - He is yet to do more in our lives.  To see the more and to experience that which God is yet to do - keep your eyes on Jesus.  When our hearts are focused on Jesus we see His servanthood and selflessness, we see His love for the Church (Ephesians 5:25),  as He lived on earth.  And we also see Him in His glory and splendor as He sits at the right hand of God the Father.  We see the image to which we are being conformed, now while in this life and the life yet to come.

There is more yet to be in you, through Christ in 2024.  Keep your eyes on Jesus - keep trusting, keep listening, and keep obeying - there is more yet to come!  So rest in  hope and turn your focus upward toward God and outward toward others as we await that which is yet to be in Christ in 2024.

"Not that I speak in respect of want:  for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content."

In the fourth chapter of Philippians, the Apostle Paul encourages believers to find satisfaction and fulfillment in God's provision, rather than constantly striving for more or looking to external sources for satisfaction.

One way to cultivate a heart of contentment is to practice gratitude and thankfulness, focusing on the blessings and provisions that God has given us, rather than dwelling on what we lack.  These verses speak to the idea of placing our faith in God and trusting in God's strength and sufficiency, rather than relying on our own abilities or resources.

One was to practice trusting in God is to surrender our plans and worries to Him in prayer, and to seek His guidance and direction in all aspects of our lives.  And one way to grow in faith is to spend time in God's Word, meditating on and applying its truths to our lives.  By cultivating a hear of contentment, practicing trusting in God, and seeking to grow in faith, believers can apply the truths of Philippians 4 to their own lives and experience the strength and sufficiency of God in all things.

https://www.biblelyfe.com/verse-of-the-day/meaning-of-philippians-4-13

... believe in thine heart that God hath raised from the dead...  Romans 10:9

It is impossible to believe anything into existence.  The Gospel did not come into being because men believed it.  The tomb was not emptied of Christ's body that first Resurrection morning (Easter) because some faithful persons believed it.  The fact preceded the faith.  We are psychologically incapable of believing without an object of our faith.  The object of Christian faith is Christ.  Faith means more than an intellectual assent to the claims of Christ.  You are not called upon to believe something that is not credible, but to believe in the fact of history that in reality transcends all history.

Faith actually means surrender and commitment to the claims of Christ.  We do not know Christ through the five physical senses, but we know Him through the sixth sense that God has given every man---the ability to believe.

PRAYER:  Father, As I keep my eyes on Jesus, I know my faith does not waver.  However, too often I look down and stumble.  Lord, let me comprehend today afresh the power that raised Christ from the dead, as I believe in my heart.

Adapted from:  https://billygraham.org/devotion/the-ability-to-believe/

Abide in me, and I in you.  As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine:  no more can ye, except ye abide in me.  John 15:4

We are branches that remain in the vine (v.4).  Apart from God, we can do nothing, but Jesus promised that as long as we remain in the vine, we will bear fruits.  If you want a fruitful life, you have to be connected with God all the time.

God's word remains in us (v.7).  We are guaranteed to be fruitful as long as we are committed to DO God's word.  It's not how much we know or study but how much we live out.

We remain in God's love (v.9).  Love is a powerful thing.  Love endures.  Without God's love, no human power/endurance can do greater things for God, at least not for long.  Our joy is not complete (v.11).  The joy of being right with God is a joy surpassing anything the world can offer.  Out of this exhilaration, the strength to do greater things for God comes

PRAYER:  Dear Lord, apart from you we can do nothing.  We want to live a fruitful life.  We want to remain in you, keep your commands and do your word.  Amen!

Adapted from:  https://raisinsandapples.com/2022/09/26/jesus-heart-john-151-11-devotional/