1/2/19 – Pastor Brian’s Blog

President Trump is considered by many to be the most powerful man in the world. Yet he is struggling to get the finances approved to build a wall that he strongly feels will enhance the security of our country.

Bill Belichick, coach of the New England Patriots, is thought to be one of the greatest, if not THE greatest, football coaches of all time. Yet only the most passionate, devoted, and loyal fans believe that his Patriots have any chance of making the Superbowl this year.

According to Forbes Magazine, Floyd Mayweather Jr. (a professional boxer) is the world’s highest paid entertainer for 2018. Because of his financial success, Mayweather lives in mansions. He owns a 22,000-square-foot, five-bedroom, seven-bath, custom-built mansion in Las Vegas, Nevada. Recently he purchased another mansion in Beverly Hills for $25.5 million. And now, he owns not one but two Vegas mansions. Not bad! I think Judy and I could be comfortable in our retirement home if it is custom-built like that!

Yet even with all that money, it wasn’t enough. Last month Mayweather agreed to a total settlement of $750,000 with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for failing to disclose income he had received from issuers of the initial bit coin offerings.

“Power, Prestige and Pesos.” Sorry for the last “P” but it was the only word I could think of that began with P that referred to money!

2019 has arrived with all of its unknowns. There will be the unknown personal adventures, unknown difficulties, unknown international controversies, unknown weather related disasters, unknown personal health and financial issues, unknown deaths as well as unknown births. 2019 has entered our lives and few of us have any idea or little control over many of the events that are going to be revealed to us.

Yet there are many people that believe, ‘if I can only get one of those 3 “P’s”, my life will become complete.’ So they intentionally live their lives believing that if they can obtain more power, or if they can become the best at their job or the most successful in their field of expertise, if they can just make more money, they will be able to be in control of their life. If they can just obtain any or all of those 3 “P’s,” they will be able to alleviate all the struggles and pain that 2019 may bring their way.

Yet, based on the testimonies of the most powerful man in the world, the greatest football coach of all time, and the richest celebrity in 2018, I am pretty sure that these things are no guarantee to alleviate all the struggles and pain that 2019 may want to bring our way.

Instead of trying to obtain these things on our own, let’s turn our life over to the one person that not only has Power, Prestige and Pesos, but is willing to share the benefits of possessing these “P’s” with us.

Power

The Son (Jesus Christ) is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word. Hebrews 1:3

The Roman government and the Jewish religious leaders tried to kill Jesus, and couldn’t… “He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying.” Matthew 28:6

Satan tried to take Jesus down, and when Satan was done, Jesus told Satan to leave, so he left. He left because Satan must obey Jesus and he knows it… Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'” Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him. Matthew 4:10-11

Since the beginning of the church, political leaders, false religions and even science has tried to silence and even destroy the church. No worries, Jesus said, ‘I can handle that too…’ Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it. Matthew 16:18

Prestige

Jesus is in the Oval office, He is in the Kremlin, and He is with the “Rocket Man” in North Korea… Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Romans 13:1

As a matter of fact, all these authorities work for Jesus… For by Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him. Colossians 1:16

Talk about prestige! Consider this: not only do the authorities on earth submit to Jesus’ rule, but all authorities everywhere accept His authority… Now Christ has gone to heaven. He is seated in the place of honor next to God, and all the angels and authorities and powers accept His authority. 1 Peter 3:22

Pesos

Do I need to remind you about the time Jesus took a coin out of the mouth of a fish? Or how about those two separate occasions when Jesus put out a buffet and fed crowds of 4000 and 5000 men plus women and children with a couple fish and a few loaves of bread? Do you actually think that there is a financial need on earth that Jesus needs your help with? Consider what Jesus said to His Jewish family… I have no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens, for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are mine. If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it. Psalm 50:9-12

So in 2019 instead of jumping on the treadmill of life and trying to attain that power, that prestige, and those pesos on your own, just listen to the words of Jesus and remember whatever 2019 brings your way, Jesus has it covered… “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:25-33

As 2019 brings on the good and the bad, the fun and the difficult, while power, prestige and the pesos come and go, remember there is always One who is constant, One who is always faithful, One who will never leave you, not even once.

Happy 2019 from Judy and me, and be encouraged…


Categories: Pastor's Blog