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 2023
January 2023
 

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:1-2).

It is a reality we cannot ignore, every day we are faced with a myriad of distractions. All of them are designed to get you to take your eyes off Jesus and what matters most. Let this new year be the year you lock in on what matters to God and his heart. After all that is what matters most.

Prayer: Lord, help me to fix my eyes on You. There are so many distracting voices that clamor for my attention. Help me to shut those out to focus on Your voice. Help me to make room for You and to make time with You a top priority in my life. In Jesus name, Amen.

Adapted from:

https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/timely-prayers-to-prepare-for-the-new-year.html
 

Everyone who is called by My name, Whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made him.” Isaiah 43:7

Living intentionally simply means to act and do with purpose. For instance, you might be purposeful about drinking sixty or seventy ounces of water daily this year. Maybe it’s thirty minutes of exercise three or four times each week. Or, maybe you have a special project you want to complete in 2023. Yet as we consider intentional living, what about faith? How do we live our day-to-day faith in a purposeful way?

According to Isaiah 43:7, man’s purpose is to glorify God. Living intentionally pertaining to the Christian faith simply entails being purposeful with our daily decisions and goals. It can include consciencious decisions concerning forgiveness, love, reading the Bible, praying, and more. But don’t think of these faith actions as a checklist to be conquered. An intimate, intentional life with Jesus offers so much more - it is about becoming more and more like Jesus. Will you chose to live intentionally in each area of your life in 2023?

Adapted from: https://www.ibelieve.com/faith/how-to-live-intentionally-in-a-distracted-world.html
 

And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. 2 Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: 3 “Blessed are…. Matthew 5:1-3a

Matthew chapters 5–7 are part of a single message given by Jesus on the side of a grass-covered hill overlooking the beautiful Sea of Galilee. These beatitudes (Latin for blessed) have rightly been called the greatest sermon ever given, and are often referred to as the “be attitudes” and not the “be doings.” God is always looking at the attitude of our hearts, so it was not by accident that He began this sermon by pointing to our heart’s attitude about our own spirituality.

Most people in our society today would argue against such a message that says, blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are those who mourn, blessed are the meek, blessed are those who hunger for righteousness, etc. Conventional earthly wisdom says, “happy are the successful, the powerful, the glamorous the rich, the famous, the aggressive, the self-reliant, and the self-confident.” But it is only when we realize that any real blessings in life are blessings that flow from and out of our relationship with Jesus the Christ, that is when we will discover the blessed life.

Where are you looking for life’s blessings? Are you trusting what you can DO for blessings in life or are you focused on BEING more like Jesus and trust Him for the blessings He alone provides?

Adapted from: 
https://packinghouseredlands.org/devotional/?p=10518

Ye are the salt of the earth, but if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted? 14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid....Matthew 5:13-14

 The thing about both salt and light is that both are extraordinarily important to our lives but neigher exists purely for its own sake. They serve life by enhancing what is already there. A little salt makes food taste better, helps in the healing process, cures and preserves meat.  But no one sits down to a meal of salt. Light exposes the world, but no one spends a day gazing into a light bulb or staring at the sun

Notice that Jesus isn't saying that those who follow him "ought to be" the salt of the earth and light of the world - he declares that they already are! And yet...salt can lose its saltiness and light can be covered up and therefore deny its purpose. How is your saltiness? What are the lumens of your light?

Adapted from
https://revkerry.com/2017/07/matthew-513-16/