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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
March 2023
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March 5, 2023
Ask, and
it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock,
and it shall be opened unto you: (Matt.
7:7)
What is
Matthew 7:7-11 about? Someone asked, Will God grant me
the grace I need if I ask Him, based upon this passage?
This is a great question, and
one that is asked often. Yet as we seek to understand
the passage, let us be cautious
about two possible errors one can fall into as we
approach a passage like this.
First, we can make the text say more than
it does. Some have misunderstood Matthew 7:7-11 as
teaching a "blank check" theology of prayer, namely, ask
God for whatever you want, and He will give it to you.
This understanding makes the text say too much and
completely takes it out of its context. We must read
this passage in light of the previous verses (1-6) where
the Lord warned His disciples against sinful
judgmentalism and encouraged them to be spiritually
discerning. Therefore verses 7-11 do not provide us with
a blank check for whatever we want, but they do teach us
to strive in prayer for the wisdom and enablement
demanded by verses 1-6. (Read the parallel passage in
Luke 11:13).
The second possible error is one that can
make these verses say too little, stripping them of any
real promise at all. This is done by many well-meaning
Christians to avoid the error just mentioned. However,
this view is contrary to the Scripture's own teaching on
prayer. Prayer is a powerful means by which the Lord
carries out His will in and among His people (James
5:17-20). It is an effective instrument, and we must
resist the temptation to believe that it is not.
So avoid the errors, but embrace the
truth. Now, to answer the question: will God grant you
the grace you need if you ask him? Framed by a biblical
understanding of prayer and reading this passage in
contest, yes God will grant the grace we need!
Adapted from:
https://www.opc.org/qa.html?question_id=434
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March 12, 2023
Enter
by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the
way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in
by it. Matthew 7:13
Limits, restrictions, rules,
and judgment these are highly argumentative concepts in
much of our present society. The world around us responds,
We do not like them; we do not want them. We are going to
criticize anyone who believes in them.
So many refuse to talk about
these concepts. However, when someone does talk about these
concepts, there is an immediate backlash of criticism and
even assault. Why do we have such a destructive atmosphere?
It is because most people walk down that big wide road, the
road that leads to destruction, without ever even thinking
about it. On this wide road, there are no set of sure
values, no real sense of right and wrong, and no
understanding of our need for redemption. Those who are on
the wide road, are on a road that always leads to disaster.
Jesus challenges His
disciples and also challenges us. He wants us to walk down
the less-taken path or sometimes called, the road less
traveled. Yes, it's a harder path to travel, but it is the
only way that brings ultimate liberation and victory. How do
we know this? We know this because, Jesus has already walked
that path before us! Which road are you traveling? The path
that leads to life or the path that ends in eternal
destruction?
Adapted from: https://www.heartlight.org/wjd/matthew/0327-wjd.html |
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March 19, 2023
Beware of
false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing.
Matthew 7:15
Jesus has just presented a
choice that each person must make - the narrow way or the
broad way. As He continues the closing of this
profound sermon, He presents another choice each must make -
to listen to the voice of truth or the voice of deception -
the true teachers or the false teachers. There were
those among the paople within the synagogues that taught
false doctrine. There were many among the ccepted
religious Jews that were guilty of false doctrine.
Jesus didn't have to look among the world or the places of
secular worship to find them: they were among the religious
elite of His day.
Do we
understand the gravity of Jesus' teaching on this subject?
Satan has deployed false teachers and those who only profess
Christ to infiltrate the assembly of believers for the
purpose of deception and destruction. Satan doesn't
need to convince or corrupt the worldly and ungodly.
They are already under his control. He doesn't need to
create doubt in the heart of a lost man. Satan desires
to infiltrate the church with false teachers and false
Christians. He desires to place people in places of
leadership and influence who spread his deadly poison.
He knows the power of the gospel, and he seeks to hinder the
sharing of truth at the source, among the church. That
is why Jesus said beware. So let us be aware as we
beware. The urgency is real, becaue the gospel does
have the power to save the souls fo humankind. And it
is very evident that Satan will work against it any way he
can.
Which voice are you listening to,
the voice of truth or the voice of deception? Be sure
to check out the truth and make the right choice. |
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March 26, 2023
Jesus asks the question of all -
upon what foundation are you building your house (life)?
Upon what ground does your building rest? The
foundation of a house determines the ability for the
structure to withstand the elements likewise, the foundation
of one's life determines the ability to withstand the ruins,
winds, and floods of life. We all face the strong hard
winds and storms of life in various ways. No one is
immune, because we live in a fallen world. In this
fallen world we contend daily with Satan's influence, we
struggle with the temptations of sin and wrestle with self
as we face the trials and heartaches that often blow hard on
us all.
As we live
life, we may face a sudden death, the loss of income, a
wayword child, a chronic illness, a love-less marriage - you
name it, these and more beat against our houses like no
small hurricane. How can one endurea? Only those
whose hope is built on Christ the solid Rock will stand,
even when the storms fiercely blow. It is certain that
Christ's comforts will never fail. His faithfulness is
great and new every morning. And we can be assured
that the Lord is our portion and sufficiency, nd when He is
our portion and sufficiency we will always be satisfied and
secure.
Make the
choice today. On Christ the solid rock, I will stand!
Adapted
from:
https//www.sharing-bread.com/commentary/matthew-7-24-27
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