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
July 2024
 

"And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence."  Colossians 1:18

The Scriptures reveal that Christ has created everything for the glory of Christ, and He does have preeminence.  We know that Jesus Christ is our God.  We know, Jesus Christ is before all things;  He created all that is not God;  He holds everything together;  He created everything to display the supremacy and the glory of Jesus Christ.

Some have claimed this is egomania, but not so, it is love.  God's Word helps us understand that the apex of Christ's glory is the glory of grace.  It's the glory of Christ's supplying everything His church needs to be holy and content forever.  It's the glory of triumphing over death in bringing millions of believing sinners to everlasting life.  And it's the glory of establishing a new heaven and new earth of peace and reconciliation by the blood of His cross.  Christ is supreme, may we get a fresh vision of His superiority and grandeur.

Adapted from:  https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/the-supremacy-of-christ-in-everything

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."  Hebrews 11:1

The Hebrew writer declares that "Faith is the assurance of things hoped for."  The "hoped for" is not like, "I hope my team is going to win," but you don't know if it's really going to happen, or "I hope this or that is going to happen," when you don't really know if it will.  This "hoped for" is assurance.  You know that what you have hoped for will happen and you have conviction, like conviction of things not seen.  You know that that which you don't see is real and true because it is based on He who is most dependable and most faithful, the eternal God of the universe who has given us His Word, who has given us His Promises, who has come to us, who in the flesh has lived a perfect life, died on a cross and risen from the dead.

Faith in Christ is the most sure foundation for your life.  Who else has conquered death?  Faith in God, who has created the world, where else would you put your hope?  May you see the beauty of faith.  May you know the wonder of a visionary faith and see the assurance and conviction of faith that then drives every facet of your life.  Live today by faith, because the just shall live by faith.

Adapted from:  https://radical.net/podcasts/pray-the-word/living-by-faith-hebrews-111/

"And what I say unto you I say unto all, WATCH." --Mark 13:37

The Bible instructs us to be spiritually awake, vigilant, and walk circumspectly.  Jesus calls those who follow Him to "watch."

One might ask, "What are we to watch out for?"  We must watch out for deceivers:  "Take heed that no man deceive you" -Matthew 24:4.  Every believer should be cautious of deceivers.  We must watch unto righteousness:  "Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God:  I speak this to your shame" --Corinthians 15:34.

A Christian should awake unto or should watch unto righteousness, in order to live above sin.  We are to watch out for the Second Coming of Christ:  "Watch y therefore:  for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight..., lest coming suddenly and he find you sleeping"  Mark 13:35-36.

And we are to watch out for the Satan's devices:  "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:  whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same affliction are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world"  1Pet 5:9.

May we heed our Lord's words and WATCH, faithfully and vigilantly.

Adapted from:  https://righteousfaith.net/watchfulness/

"...no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only." --Philippians 4:15

Paul commends the Philippian church by reminding them of how, at the first preaching of the gospel, after he departed from their region (Macedonia), they shared with him in the matter of giving and receiving (4:15-16).  At that point, they were the only church that took the initiative to send support to Paul.  Even when he was still in Macedonia, at Thessalonica, more than once they sent gifts to him.  Apparently those gifts were not enough to provide full support, because he reminds the Thessalonians how he worked with his hands to provide for his needs when he was with them (2 Thess. 3:7-9).  But right from the start of their Christian experience, the Philippians had given.

What do we learn?
1.  Faithful giving should be one of the first things we establish in our Christian walk.
2.  Faithful giving should be focused on the furtherance of the gospel.
3.  Faithful giving is investing in eternity.
4.  Faithful giving should be motivated by worship.  There is joy in giving, may you find it to be true.

Adapted from:  https://bible.org/seriespage/lesson-28-faithful-giving-faithful-god-philippians-414-20