A NEW REVELATION THAT CAN LEAD TO A TRANSFORMATION

A New Year’s Pep Talk

“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory [making us conquerors] through our Lord Jesus Christ,” 1 Corinthians 15:57, Amplified Version.

By Pastor Ronnie D. Simmons, House of Faith Christian Center, Smyrna, Tennessee

Once again, our Heavenly Father has allowed us to step into a brand-New Year. And we are here today, not because we have been so good, but because God is good all the time, and all the time, God is good. When we reflect upon how the Lord was good to us in 2022, we can testify that the Lord heard our petitions; He entertained our supplications; He healed our bodies; He directed our footsteps; He prepared us; He delivered us; He protected us; and He restored us.

Today [January 1]and for the rest of the week, people around the world will be making their New Year’s resolutions, but if the truth be told, they do not need New Year’s resolutions. What they need is a New Year’s Revelation.

We don’t want to get into New Year’s resolutions because most of us, let’s be honest, may break them in the first month. Some of you break them in the first week. So, let’s not focus on New Year’s Resolutions; let’s focus on New Year’s Revelations.

Here’s a revelation that we have; it comes from Psalms 1:1-3:

Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ^]ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
He shall be like a tree
Planted by the ^]rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.

These verses in Psalms provide three insights for a New Year’s Revelation.        

To be blessed, we must:

• Watch the company we keep this year. The Bible talks about “blessed,” which means we are empowered to prosper; it means to be imbued to succeed.
  • A Blessed person is instructed to not keep fellowship with:
    • The ungodly – those who continue to sin and have no conviction
  • • Sinners – Those who sin openly and blatantly
  • • The Scornful – Those who sin and encourage others to sin

As followers of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, we must watch who we walk with, who we stand with, and who we sit with. See 2 Corinthians 6:14-18.

• Saturate ourselves in Divine Principles of the Word of God and the teaching of Jesus.
  • To Delight is not always what we want, but what we need to survive.

When we delight, we take our faith to a whole new level. See Psalm 40:8.

• Stay planted and positioned in the Word of God and be productive and prosperous.
  • A blessed person is compared to both a Tree and Rivers of Water.

We are like a tree. This tree is not an ordinary tree but a Tree of Righteousness. See Psalm 92:12-14. There are two types of trees highlighted in the Bible. There is a Palm tree and a Cedar tree. The Palm tree represents stability; it’s been around for a long period of time. A cedar tree represents strength. This tree has been intentionally planted in a carefully chosen spot. The rivers of water represent God’s Divine Supply for our lives. The tree is planted and positioned to receive plenty of water for growth, where it can become fruitful where it can be productive and prosper.

PRAYER OF COMMITMENT

Father, in the Name of Jesus, I thank you for allowing me to see a New Year of 2023, and You give me the Victory through Jesus Christ my Lord. I thank you that I am blessed, and this year of 2023, I will watch the company I keep; and saturate myself in the Divine Principles of God’s word, and the teachings of Jesus Christ. I thank you that I will stay planted and positioned in the Word of God, which will allow me to be both productive and prosperous. As I realize this, I understand that I will experience God’s Grace of Victory for me in 2023. In Jesus Name. I pray. Amen.

House of Faith Christian Center, located at 2001 Motlow College Blvd, Smyrna, Tennessee, is an interracial nondenominational Christ-centered ministry that demonstrates “Compassion in Action.” Simmons is the founder and pastor-teacher who received the vision for the ministry in 1992. His wife, Pastor Terrie R. Simmons, is director of Operations. The Simmons present “Hour of Power” Teleconference Bible Study every Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. EST. The phone number is (978) 990-5417; and the access code is 721963#.