RESOLUTIONS

“When they had eaten breakfast, Jesus asked Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?’ ” (John 21:15)

Restoration:

Jesus has a wonderful way of restoring us when we fail Him! He does not humiliate us. He does not criticize us. He does not ask us to make a resolution to try harder. Rather, He takes us aside and asks us to reaffirm our love for Him.

Failure:

Peter miserably failed his Lord when he fled with the other disciples from the Garden of Gethsemane. Later, he publicly denied that he even knew Jesus. Peter must have wondered if he had been capable of being Jesus’ disciple when he was unfaithful to Jesus in His most crucial hour.

As you begin a new year, you may be painfully aware that you have failed your Lord in many ways. Perhaps you were not faithful. Perhaps you disobeyed His word to you. Perhaps you denied Him by the way you lived. Jesus will take you aside, as He did Peter. He will not berate you. He will not humiliate you. He will ask you to examine your love for Him.

Affirmation:

Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love Me?” If your answer, like Peter’s, is “Yes, Lord,” He will reaffirm His will for you. If you truly love Him, you will obey Him (John 14:15). Jesus does not need your resolutions, your recommitments, or your promises to try harder this year. If your resolve to obey God last year did not help you to be faithful, it will not make you successful this year.

Jesus asks for your love. If you truly love Him, your service for Him in the new year will be of the quality that He desires.

Just a thought,

PSS

’Tis the Season of Hope and Joy
We live in a world where there seems to be a great sense of urgency, especially during the Christmas season. 

Hustle and bustle:
The season is marked by all the hustle and bustle from Christmas parties to end-of-the-year deadlines at work, to endless family gatherings, to last-minute shopping for the perfect gift. Marketers don’t make it any easier. Have you ever heard, “Hurry while supplies last,” or “limited time only”? None of us wants to be left out or made to feel as if we missed something good. So, there is this push to hurry, hurry, hurry. 

Sharing the gospel:
The word “urgency” means: importance requiring swift action, giving us a sense that we need to do something, go somewhere. As believers in the Lord Jesus, we should have a sense of urgency when it comes to sharing the gospel. Mark 16:15 (ESV) — “And he [God] said to them, ‘Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.’"

Going into all the world:
The word “go” means: as you are going, or as you’re living — as you’re golfing; as you’re working out; as you are at work, living, buying a new home; as you’re going to college or school; or as you’re just hanging out. In other words, as you’re living life, there should be this sense of urgency to share the gospel — the good news — to tell others what God has done for you. 

Write your testimony in a hundred words or less, and be prepared to share the gospel with others as you are living your life. Make a difference!

Just a thought and merry Christmas,
PSS

View from the Top

What is our worldview? What helps us decide what we believe, what we do, how we see the world, from what lens we see it?

Spirit vs flesh:

We either have a fleshly worldview about how we feel — no wrong or right — or a heavenly or spiritual view, based on the word of God. We either sow to the Spirit or the flesh. Way too many Christians’ worldviews are all about what the culture says is right or wrong. Not enough of us have a biblical worldview, where we allow God’s word to inform us of what we should believe or embrace.

Far above all:

Our worldview helps us see the world. If we have a fleshly view, we will end up being against God and His ways. If we have a biblical worldview, we will allow God’s word to shape us — our beliefs, desires, and actions. Colossians 3:1 NKJV — “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.”

Let’s allow the word of God — not this world, not this culture — to dictate our worldview. Let’s never call evil good or good evil.

Just a thought,

PSS

’Tis The Season

’Tis the season … so it’s said
When God gave reason for sins to shed
It started when a tiny babe
Found within a manger came
A single star that lit the night
Brought wise men far to view the sight
When first they eyed this tiny babe
The wise men sighed then knelt to pray

This truly is the Son of Man
And strength is His that does command
He is the way, the truth, the light
And so we pray our souls ignite
To spread the word throughout the land
Of what occurred at God’s command
This tiny babe the Son of Man
In a manger came when Christ began

— Jo Jo Bean

This is the real meaning of Christmas. People are looking. It is said that people going to mediums, palm readers, etc., went up 70% during the “plandemic”! Why didn’t the Church experience this same thing? It’s because those folks believe in what they do more than the Church does. We want to water down, make the gospel more palatable to the hearer. When we do this, it loses its power to transform, heal. The Church as a whole has run from the power of the word and the power of the Holy Spirit. Not we! Not you!

This year let’s go out of our way to invite everyone we know, even strangers, to our services. Then let’s believe those who attend will hear the truth and respond by becoming born again.

I thank everyone for being so faithful and for being generous.

Just a thought,

PSS

Knowing the Will of God

A lot of us say we want to know the will of God as an excuse not to be faithful and responsible.

His written will:

God entrusted this life to us, and it’s our job to live it, not to push the responsibility back on Him. I hear this all the time, “I just want to know: I’m waiting on the will of God.” It is usually an excuse to do nothing. What’s unfortunate is those people discount the will of God that is written — the Bible. It is full of His will for us.

No exemptions:

I believe we don’t want to do the obvious because too many are waiting to hear God tell us we are exempt from His word — very unfortunate. He will never say that. While we are waiting on God, we are to keep doing what we know to do. I may not know whether I should take this job or that one, but I do know to go to church, involve myself, support first the kingdom in every way.

Just do it:

The reason so many don’t ever get the direction they desire is that they are unwilling to do what God has already said. Why would He give us the answer when we ignore what He already has said? He won’t.

Let’s be people who do what we know according to the word of God, and then see how God will lead and direct our steps.

Just a thought,

PSS