The Arabian Bible School

Without a doubt one of the greatest men of the New Testament was the Apostle Paul. We know very little about Paul’s life before his conversion other than what he tells us. We know that he was a Pharisee from the city of Tarsus and the he was a Roman citizen from birth. We can conclude other things from our knowledge of history and the Bible lands. He was probably from a wealthy family. He may have been from a gentile father and a Jewish mother. This would explain his being both a Roman citizen and a Jew by birth. Of course, much of this is speculation but much of history is speculation. What we do know about Paul is even more extraordinary than what we don’t know.

Paul was a one-time hater of Christians. His own conversion came as he was on his way to arrest some Christians in the city of Damascus. It is amazing that this man was so radically changed that he became a devout follower of the Jesus he was adamantly against. What is even more amazing is that he later became the author of at least 13 books of the New Testament. Paul became knows as the Apostle of Grace and gave us most of the New Testament teaching on church doctrine.

Have you ever wondered from where Paul got his teachings? How did he understand about the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus or salvation through grace by faith? The apostles who knew the Lord Jesus in the flesh didn’t teach him. In fact he spent very little time with them. After Paul’s conversion he basically disappeared for three years. Where did he go? He tells us in Galatians chapter one the he went into Arabia.

Arabia at this time was a general geographic area that was often without definite geographical bounds. It was filled with nomadic tribes and was certainly not considered a civilized region. In other words Paul went and spent three years in some undisclosed location in the desert. Why? What did Paul do in Arabia for three years?

Paul went into the Arabian wilderness a Jew who was trained in the Law of Moses. Paul came out of the wilderness a fiery apostle of the Lord Jesus. Paul went into the Arabian wilderness with Geneses, Exodus, and Leviticus. He came out of the wilderness with Romans, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, etc.

Some have called Paul’s time in the desert “The Arabian Bible School.” But who was there to teach Paul? Apparently in those three years he got face to face, if you will, with the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He no doubt spent time studying and reading the law but this time it was with a new understanding. He had a new understanding of who Jesus is. Paul had spent his youth learning the laws of Judaism and probably even memorizing much of it by rote. But now He spent his time learning about the God of the law.

When Paul came out of that wilderness he didn’t just have a list of do’s and don’ts but he had an intimate relationship with Jesus. It was this relationship that empowered him to evangelize Asia Minor, the modern day Turkey and parts of Greece, with the gospel of Jesus. His relationship took him through heartache, misery, betrayal and finally death without going back on his newfound faith.

Paul probably went into the Arabian wilderness because he didn’t know where else to go. He was no longer welcome among his Jewish brethren now that he was a Christian. He wasn’t yet trusted among the Christian community when just a few days before he was hunting them down to be killed. It can be said that he went into Arabia to hide. He even changed his name from Saul to Paul during his conversion and subsequent identity crisis.

Whatever Paul’s ultimate reasons were, his time in the Arabian Desert made him into the man we read about in scripture. The persecutor of Christians spent three years being forged into a giant of the faith. I’m sure Paul would rather have been anywhere than hiding out in the Arabian Desert for three years but this was no doubt God’s plan for his life. His story can tell us something. God can take the difficult seasons in our lives and use them for his glory if we will but surrender ourselves to him. After all, as Psalm 31:15 says, “My times are in his hands.”

We all go through difficult times in our lives. Sometimes it seems that life is not measured by the good times but by the difficulties. Yet these difficulties have a way of telling our mettle. It is in the desert places in life that we must do as Paul did in the wilderness. We must look past the situations we are in and develop our own face-to-face encounters with Jesus.

Paul went into the Arabian Desert with a deep-seated religious tradition. He came out of the wilderness with a relation with God. Just as Paul’s trial did to him, our trials can solidify us if we will allow them to. Are you in a time of trouble, anxiety or upheaval? Perhaps it is time for your own Arabian Bible School experience. Paul’s time in the wilderness forged him into a giant of the faith. What will yours make of you? Only you can decide.

Will you come out of your trial a refugee or an apostle? Most assuredly, you are not the Apostle Paul but His God is your God. If you allow Him to, God can do the same kind of miraculous work in your life that He did in Paul’s. He is no respecter of persons. Why not let this wilderness experience be the one that makes you into a giant of the faith?

Yours in Christ’s Service,

Rev. Sullivan Jones

Beauty in the Mundane

II Timothy 1:12 - I know the one in whom I have placed my confidence, and I am perfectly certain that the work He has committed to me is safe in His hands until that day. Phillips New Testament


"The Most important question is not how much work is being done but how much Jesus is doing through you." Corrie ten Boom

There are times when all of us feel as if we are not doing enough. In the grind of day to day life we can  feel as if what we are doing is futile. Take a simple think like washing dishes. We wash them after breakfast but they must be washed again after lunch and dinner. So why bother washing them? The answer is simple; because we must have clean dishes to eat from.

We can use that example with any part of our lives. The day to day tasks that we do may seem mundane but they are important. Importance is not measured by how glamorous a job is. In fact, it is often the least glamorous jobs that are the most important. The janitor, for instance, is the first one to be noticed if he is not at work but is usually the last one recognized for anything he does.

When we read about people in the scriptures we tend to put them on a pedestal that we ourselves are not on. We look at Paul when preached to Cornelius or Peter when he raised a girl from the dead and are amazed at the faith they had. We tend to think they must have belonged to a race of men with some level of super faith that we can not even hope of  reaching. Yet these were just the highlights of their lives. There were many days when Peter and Paul (and even Jesus) spent a lot of time doing the mundane. They lived normal lives like each of us. They went to work and battled sickness and perhaps even dealt with sick children or aging parents. The Bible doesn't focus on these things because they were not out of the ordinary. They were not glamorous occurrences so they didn't make the news, so to speak.

There are some people who are never able to do anything well because they get tired of the mundane too easily. When the new and exciting part of a job wears off they fail to follow through. These people may have great ideas but in the grand scheme of things they are not the most important people in a corporation. They ones who are always faithful to be at work and are willing to lend a hand with anything are far more important.

We don't have to be the best at everything but we should do what we can do to the best of our ability and leave the rest to God. I don't have to be spectacular I just have to be diligent. There will always be someone who can do better work than I can but I will not let that stop me from doing what I can do. I will do all in my power and if it's not enough I will leave the rest to Jesus. I am confident that He will take what I do for him and make it into something good.


In Christ's Service,

Spanish Pastor Jones

Everyone's Favorite Words

I read an article recently that talked about a recent Gallup poll in which people were asked about their favorite words. Almost without exception, the top three things people like to hear most are "I love you", "I forgive you", and "supper is ready". While we may chuckle at little at the last one there is no doubt that the first two are sorely lacking in our world.

The Holiday season is upon us and with that comes thoughts of family. To some people this means cozy thoughts of a small family gathered around the fireplace on Christmas Eve opening presents. To others it means large  gatherings with in-laws, cousins, etc. To some it may mean feeling the absence of family more keenly than throughout the rest of the year. While many look forward to family get-togethers, others dread them. It seems like family is the hardest to get along with for some.

Families are a gift from God and no one can ever take the place of family in our lives. Christmas time is a time to think about gift giving. The best present some of us could give to a family member would be an "I love you" or an "I forgive you". These words may not always be the easiest to say but they certainly are the most rewarding. At first it may feel awkward to tell these words to someone you haven't used them on in a long time. But words such as "I love you" are healing words when said from the heart.

Is there a relationship in your life that needs mending? Does someone you know need to be reassured of your love and forgiveness? Perhaps you need to ask forgiveness of someone yourself. Maybe you know of someone who is lonely and just needs an invitation to Christmas dinner. Whatever the occasion, make this Christmas special by using the three phrases people need to hear most: "I love you", "I forgive you", and "Supper is ready".

Merry Christmas,

Sullivan Jones 

Star of Bethlehem

Matthew 2:9 - The star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.

The story of the wise men who followed a star to the baby Jesus has become an enduring symbol of Christianity. A manger scene hardly seems complete without several wise men and the favorite topping for any Christmas tree is the star. Yet few of us realize what that star really signified.

When we think of the wise men we usually imagine three  men gathered around the baby Jesus with the shepherds on the night of his birth. The reality is far more intriguing. Though the Bible doesn't give us many details, we can deduce a few things from what it does say. 

The Bible tells us that when the Wise men arrived in Jerusalem to tell the wicked king Herod of the star they had been following He and all of Jerusalem were troubled. This means that everyone knew about their arrival. This is probably because they came with a great caravan and caused quite a stir in the city. No doubt it was a great trade caravan instead of a small band of men. We can also conclude that they were wealthy by the expensive gifts that they brought. No common merchant would have been able to give gold and rare spices to a baby. They brought expensive gifts worthy of a king. 

When the wise men told Herod about the star he knew nothing of a new king being born. He pretended to be interested and asked diligently about the time the star appeared. Then when the men were gone, he had all the baby boys from two years old and under killed. They must have told him that they had been following the star for nearly two years. This indicates that they came from a great distance away. When they finally found Jesus the Bible refers to him as a young child instead of an infant. He would have been around two years of age before the Magi arrived. 

Why does all this matter? What does the story of the wise men tell us? Isn't it just a good story. Do the details really matter? They do. They speak to us of a group of people with determination. It must have take some serious determination to travel such a great distance through the desert in search of a king in a distant land. One can only imagine the hardships they endured in their quest for this king. And we can only imagine their surprise and shock when they found that he was born in a stable rather than a palace. 

The story of the wise men is not just a simple children's story. It is a magnificent story of a people desperate for a king. A king that would solve all the world's problems and bring peace to a troubled land. It tells us something of the desperation and hope these men must have felt that they went to such great lengths to find this king. But instead of an earthly king they found something much more precious. They found a savior. 

The light that led these men to Jesus still shines today. For the real light they were seeking was not the star but the king himself. This king still lives and His light is available to all who need it. For Jesus himself is the light of the world. If you need an answer just look to Jesus! His light still shines for all the world to see. 

Wise men still seek Him!

Merry Christmas,

Spanish Pastor Jones 

A Child is Born

Isaiah 9:6 - For unto us a child is bron, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 

This is one of my favorite times of the year. I know I'm not alone in this. We all love Christmas time. We love the lights, the Christmas Carols, and the generally festive mood. We love watching "It's a Wonderful Life" and "White Christmas". Although we get exasperated with the busyness of the season, and promise to do "something different" next year, we always get caught up in the "Christmas spirit." How could we not? We humans love to have a good time and Christmas is a good time to have fun. 

Yet very few of us will truly take timeto contemplate why we are celebrating. The humble origin of the Holiday is the birth of a baby who came to change the world by setting us free from the bondage of sin. The Son of God wasn't born in a stable so that we could eat fruit cake and sing about reindeer. I love the season as much as anyone. I enjoy the family get-togethers and the exchanging of gifts. It is always such fun to surprise someone with that "just right" present. And I would be lying if I didn't admit that I look forward to the things others will have for me. Yet the greatest gift is not what I will find under the tree on Christmas Eve. The greatest gift was given to the world a little more than two Millenia ago when God gave us the gift of His Son Jesus Christ as the first Christmas present. 

According to some counts there are more than 300 prophecies of the Messiah (The Promised One) in the Old Testament. Every Jew who was educated in the law knew at least a few of these prophecies. No doubt they often quoted them to one another in difficult times. Yet they missed his birth. They were so busy with the affairs of life that they missed the one they had been awaiting for more than 4,000 years. 

In this Christmas season, even as we supposedly celebrate the birth of our Lord, it will be easy to miss him. It will be easy to pass over the celebration of a humble birth for the lights and candles and presents. In my family we will exchange gifts on Christmas Eve. We will eat and laugh and have a good time. We may even watch a Christmas movie. But before we do any of that, we will first open the Scripture and read those timeless words from the book of Matthew chapter one, "Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise......"

Let's celebrate! Let's have a good time. But Let's not forget the reason for the celebration. For unto us a child is born! 

The Meek will Inherit the Earth

Matthew 5:5 - Blessed are meek for they shall inherit the earth.

These are some of the most known and yet most misunderstood of Jesus words. It seems that many people mistake the word meek as meaning weak. Yet few are aware that Jesus was referring to the words of King David in Psalm 37: 11; "But the meek shall inherit the earth." To understand Jesus' words we must first understand David's words.

Psalm 37 itself is home to some beautiful and oft quoted scriptures. Verse 4 says "delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart." Verse 5 continues to say, "commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him and he shall bring it to pass." Verse 23 tells us that the Lord orders the steps of a good man. In verse 25 David tells us that, though He is old where once He was young, he has always seen God provide for His needs. In short, the whole chapter is about trusting in the Lord.

This David who talks about trusting in the Lord was not a weakling. It was He who killed the giant Goliath with a sling and stone. It was He who killed both a lion and a bear when they came after his sheep. The people said of him at one point, "Saul has killed thousands of men, but David has killed tens of thousands." David was no weakling; He was a warrior at heart. Yet this David knew what it was like to trust God.

Because David was so popular with the people, King Saul decided to kill him. He was afraid David would take his throne, not understanding that God had already decided to give it to David. David had no choice but to run from Saul. Once as Saul was pursuing David, David hid in a cave. Saul came into the cave not knowing that David was there. David could have killed him but he chose not to. Another time David slipped into Saul's camp in the middle of the night. Again, he could have killed him but chose not to. He was afraid to touch someone that God had anointed to be king. This was meekness personified.

Meekness is knowing that I can do something to avenge myself but choosing not to. It goes hand in hand with temperance or self control. Meekness and self control are listed together in the list of the "fruit of Spirit in Galatians" because they are two sides of the same coin. When I understand that I can do something about my situation but don't need to, then I must have the self discipline to restrain myself knowing that God will avenge me when the time is right.

It can be said that meekness is the attitude behind self control. When I understand that I am nothing then it is easier to control myself and not be easily angered with others. When I give my situation to God I can be assured that He will always come through for me. It may not be the eaisest thing now but it will have great rewards later on.

Will the meek inherit the earth? Absolutely, because God will give it to Him.

Have patience, my friend. The Lord always comes through for His own.

Trusting Him Daily,

Spanish Pastor Jones 

The Ear That Hears and The Eye That Sees

Proverbs 20: 12 - The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the Lord hath made even both of them.

I am continually amazed at how accurate God's word is. This morning, as I was reading Proverbs 20, I came upon the above verse. It leaped out to me because I have just finished taking Biology and one of our main focuses was the theory of evolution. I wrote my final paper on "why a Christian should not believe in evolution." 

We are told in Proverbs 20:12 that the lord made the ear that hears and the eye that sees. The human writer of this verse could not have known that thousands of years later these two things would particularly baffle scientists that believe in evolution. Again and again I have heard how there is no way that an eye  could have evolved. More than any other part of the body, the complexity of the eye is a problem for evolutionists. Yet it is not a problem for those who believe in the word of God. The writer tells us very plainly why the eye and the ear function so well; the Lord made both of them.

Although the Christian does not need outside sources to confirm his faith, there is undeniable evidence of the scientific validity of the Bible all around us. When I consider all the care God put into making us, it reminds me of just how special each of us is to him. If you are in a struggle today just remember that the Lord who made the eye to see and the ear to hear is listening now. You can take your needs to Him and He will hear. Not only will He hear, He can do something about your problems when no one else can. Give Him a try! He sees all, knows all, and can do all!

God Bless,

Spanish Pastor Jones 

Successful vs Unsuccessful

The holidays are coming up and we know that everyone will be thinking about partying, eating, and exchanging gifts. Even though the meaning of holiday is Holy Day, very little thought will be given to the things of God during this season. For this reason our church has dedicated this week to be a time of fasting and consecration prior to the start of the season. Some are fasting food, others media and entertainment, etc. Basically it is a time of self reflection. We all need times to allow the spirit of God to search our hearts and show us how we can draw closer to him. I have a sheet of paper on my bulletin board above my desk that really spoke to my heart this morning as I was doing some soul searching. I thought I would share it with you since God used it to speak to me. 

Successful People	Unsuccessful People
Are Thankful	Have a sense of entitlement
Forgive	Hold in Anger
Take responsibility for their own mistakes	Blame others and circumstances
Congratulate	Criticize
Talk about ideas	Talk about other people
Want others to be successful	Secretly wish evil on others
Share information	Withhold information
Show joy	Exhale bitterness

Now is the time … Analyze yourself, correct yourself, and change!

God Bless,

Spanish Pastor Jones 

Grace- what is it?

Grace - that all encompassing word that seems to mean different things to different people. To some the thought of grace reminds them of how good God has been to them. To others it brings back memories salvation from the bondage of sin.

Mercy is defined as not getting what we do deserve and grace is defined as getting what we don't deserve. Let me give and example. A teenager is caught speeding. The young lady goes to court. The judge is sitting behind the desk looking very stern. He looks at the young lady and says, "do you realize I could take away your license, give you community service or a jail term, and impound your car?" Naturally, she is terrified. Instead he reduces her fine from several hundred dollars to fifty dollars. Then he steps around from behind the desk, takes off his robe and pays her fine? Why? Because the judge is her father.

This is the perfect picture of God's grace. The fact that he reduced her fine is mercy. She didn't get the judgment she deserved. When he paid her fine that was grace. He gave her something she was not worthy to have.

Notice what he did not do. He did not give her a free pass to keep speeding. Speeding was still against the law and against this fathers wishes for his daughter. It was still just as dangerous. There are some who seem to think that grace is a license to live however I want to live and have God overlook it. Whatever else Grace may be, it is not a license to sin. Grace is better defined as the power of the Holy Spirit living in me to keep me from sinning.

Impossible, you might say. No once can live free from sin. I know that all of us are imperfect. But as Christians we are on a journey of perfection. Our daily desire should be to become a little more like Jesus. Naturally we will never reach a place where we have no struggles with our flesh while we are in these imperfect human bodies. But the more we grow in God the less we should struggle with certain things. If we are still struggling with the same anger, unforgiveness, or temptation we were struggling with five years ago we need to reevaluate. Have I really surrendered it to God? Am I truly doing all I can to let Grace work in my life.

Jesus told the woman who was caught in adultery that he would not condemn her. But he didn't stop there. He told her to "go and sin no more." This is grace. He wouldn't give a command if he didn't also give the power to keep the command. Instead of thinking of all the reasons why we can't chance, why don't we begin to thank God for helping us change? Instead of making excuses, why not give God a chance to work? You might be surprised what He can do. If we do fail, there is mercy. But let's not use mercy and grace as an excuse anymore. Grace is not an excuse to do wrong but a reason to do better.

Phillipians 4:13 - I can do all things though Christ who give me strength. 

One Complex Whole

Truth is one complex whole. - Unknown

Have you ever heard the saying, "the truth shall make you free?" Did you know it is a direct quote of Jesus in John 8:32? I have heard these words repeated so many time that they almost sound like a cliche. Many times people use these words when they want to say something they know the other person is not going to like. It is as if they believe they can use Jesus' words to cover the harshness of their own. If it is true I can say it because truth always makes us free. Yet this is not the intention of Jesus' famous words.

When Jesus said this He was speaking of himself. He was telling the crowd that day that ultimate truth could only be found in him and in his teachings. We know this because immediately before this He told them that they could only truly be His disciples if they continued in His word (John 8:31).

Truth today is considered to be speculative. We live in a  global environment where people are exposed to more information about the world at large than ever before. Yet that information comes at a price. The media, the writers in hollywood and many others have an objective. That objective is to make the lines of truth disappear and get us to accept every other teaching out there as equal (or even superior to) the teachings of Jesus. For a Christian, this simply can't be.

Jesus claimed to have ultimate truth. We must either accept this or reject it. As C.S. Lewis said, either He was telling the truth about Himself as being the Son of God, He was a deceiver, or He was insane. Let's look at the evidence. His teachings are not the teachings of a mad man. They are some of the most awe inspiring, wisest words ever written. Neither or they the teachings of someone who was purposefully out to hurt others. The concepts he taught like forgiveness and turning the other cheek are not the writings of a conman.

That leaves only the first option; He was telling the truth. He really was and is the Son of God and in Him alone and His word can we find ultimate truth. It is that truth that will set us free. Truth is one complex whole and if we leave off any part of it we will not have it. Even a small lie makes a witness invalid in a court of law. How much more so should we apply these same rules in our spiritual lives. If you want philosophy there are many teachings in the world where one can find it. If you want a feel good religion, those are available as well. But if you want to know truth, there is only one source. As Jesus said, read the words of Moses and the prophets, for they testify of Him (John 5:39). He is the way, the truth and the life and no one can come to God any other way (John 14:6). He is the truth!

Truthfully,

Rev. Sullivan Jones 

I believe you're my healer

I woke up this morning with a song going over and over in my mind. Part of the lyrics are:

I believe you're my healer
I believer you are all I need
I believer you're my portion
I believe you're more than enough for me
Jesus you're all I need

I have been taking a Biology class and for my final paper I have chosen the topic "Why a Christian Should not Believe in Evolution". As I began to think on this topic this morning I realized something. It is is easy for me to believe that God created man but now always easy to  believe that He will heal man. The same scripture that says He formed me from the dust of the ground says He will heal me when I am anointed with oil and prayed for by the elders of the church. It is a promise. If one is true then the other is true.

I have nothing against medical science and am thankful for access to good medical care but there is always a limit to man's knowledge and abilities. God's knowledge and abilities have no end. He created the body and He knows how to repair it if something is wrong. I believe the reason we don't see more supernatural healing today is because we don't expect them. It is too easy to go to the doctor or take a pill. If we would believe for more healings we would see them.

I am determined to start a one-man mission to convince people that God can and does heal today. If you need healing, I challenge you to claim the stripes Jesus took on His back for your healing. Jesus can and does still heal.

I believe you are my healer ....

Believing,

Sullivan Jones

A New Pair of Shoes

Ephesians 5:20 - Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

The other day I went looking for a new pair of brown dress shoes. I have several pairs of nice shoes but most of them are casual. I wanted a brown pair of dress shoes. I ran into the shoe store and spent a few minutes trying on shoes. When I found the pair I wanted I paid and left. As I was leaving the store it suddenly dawned on me that I had on a comfortable pair of shoes and at least two more pair in my closet that fit good not counting tennis shoes. Then I thought about all the people around the world who would be thankful to own even one pair of shoes. Many will never own a pair of shoes in their entire lives.

When I lived in Honduras I would see all the young men at the Bible school hanging out their clothes to dry after washing them by hand. Many times their socks would have holes in them and instead of tossing them in the trash they would keep them for their mothers to repair. Money was too tight to throw away a pair of socks that could be mended. After watching that, I promised myself that I would never be unthankful again. How easily that promise was broken once I was back in the prosperous United States.  I am not feeling bad about the fact that I am blessed and I don't feel bad for buying a pair of new shoes. I believe I should look nice when I go to the pulpit. But I did take a moment to thank God for all of his blessings and to ask his for forgiveness for any complaining I had done.

What about it? Is there too much complaining in your life? Now would be a good time to think of all God has blessed us with and spend some time being thankful. We may just find that things are not as bad as we once thought they were.

Thankfully,

Spanish Pastor Jones 

Waiting on God's Timing

Psalms 62:1 - Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation.

Have you ever made a decision that you quickly realized was a mistake? Naturally, we all have. For me, the biggest mistakes I've made have been the times when I didn't pray and ask God what He thought before I made my decision. Or worse yet, there have been times when I prayed and felt a check but went ahead and did what I wanted to do anyway. Then when things went wrong there was no one to blame but myself. Thank God for His mercy!

The word wait in this verse from the Psalms carries the meaning in Hebrew of sitting quietly. It means to sit and not be troubled or bother anyone else until we are given instructions. Much like a child who is told to sit quietly in the corner while mom or dad conducts business with the banker. Remember those days? How hard it was to just sit and wait. Patience doesn't come naturally to most of us. It is something that has to be cultivated within us. There is a reason that Jesus told us that we must become as a little child to please him.

We are taught in Sunday School to pray and ask God for what we need and He will answer. Then many times, when we pray, it seems as if nothing is happening. It is not that nothing is happening but that it is not time for us to move yet. Just like the child who has to wait on his parents, all of us have to wait on God at times. In those times we have a choice to make: Will I sit quietly and wait with confidence or will I fret because my answer hasn't come yet. Sounds easier said than done? It is. Yet if we can discipline ourselves to wait with patience we will have much more peace in our lives.

Remember that it is always worthwhile to wait on God's answer. He has information that we don't have and His timing is always perfect!

Waiting,

Spanish Pastor Jones

The Power of Words

 Proverbs 18:21 - Death and life are in the power of the tongue.

 

 The power of our words is so amazing. We can create things with out words and we can also destroy things. I remember one night I was preparing a Sunday School lesson and I leaned back in my chair and glanced at the ceiling. I live in a wooded area and there was a big wood roach over my head that had apparently gotten in from outside. I grabbed a towel and went to kill it but I missed. As I swung I said "You are a dead roach." I knew I didn't hit it but at the moment I spoke those words the roach fell to the floor dead. I was stunned and then I immediately heard the Holy Ghost say, "your words have that much power. You killed that roach with your words. You need to watch what you say."

I know that may sound crazy to some but we all know how much power is in our words. It is with words that man's imagination is ignited. Countries have been compelled into war by words and words are used to make pacts of peace. Words cause people to feel well and to feel bad, both physically and spiritually. Words of truth bring clarity and words of deception bring confusion. Words of encouragement bring hope and words of doubt often bring fear. 

 

Let us be careful of every word for we will answer to God for every idle (vain or evil) word that we speak. Why? Because by giving us the power of speech God has given us the power of creation.God created the world by His word and our words are the creative factor that is with in us. Doesn't it then stand to reason that we can affect destiny with our words. Let's not create things God didn't want created; let's use our words to build his kingdom. It's the only thing worth building!

Where is your trust?

 Psalm 33:17 - A horse is a vain thing for safety; neither shall he deliver anything by his great strength. 

There is the tendency in all of us to put our trust in the known or in what we are good at. Yet life has a way of surprising us with things we could not have foreseen. It is in those time that we see just how inadequate our safety nets are and we must trust in God. I am so glad that when we need him the most, our God never fails.

A friend of mine once told me the following story. I'll call him Jack since I didn't get permission to use his story.  When he was in college he and his girlfriend (now wife) were at a nice restaurant celebrating his birthday. As they left the restaurant a man pulled a gun on them in a dimly lighted portion of the parking light. The man demanded Jack's wallet and his girlfriends purse. Jack asked the man if he could keep his driver's license and the man only became agitated and demanded the wallet again. His girlfriend was urging him to just give the man what he wanted in hopes that he would let them go. What happens next is truly only something only God can do.

Jack said that at first he was just going to do what the man asked. But he said, "All of a sudden I felt a boldness that can only come from God." Jack looked at the man with the gun and said, "I rebuke you in Jesus' name." The man laughed and replied, "I rebuke you too." Jack then said, "But I rebuke you in Jesus' name." By this time the man looked stunned. Jack then said, "I rebuke you in Jesus' name the third time."

When he did, the man with the gun started to tremble and cry and dropped the gun. He began to confess and tell them that he had never done anything like this before. He told them that the only reason he was doing it was desperation. He said his wife and baby were at home without any food and he had been without work for a long time. Jack began to witness to the man and prayed with him before they parted.

Now my intention in telling this story is to be neither political nor to talk about gun control. I simply want to say this: as a grandmother in our church used to say, "My God will do to depend on." When all of our safety nets are stripped away, there is safety in the name of Jesus and He will never let us down.

Trusting Him Daily,

Spanish Pastor Jones

Trust

"Trust people and they will be true to you; treat them greatly and they will show themselves great."
Ralph Waldo Emerson

David Wilkerson was an evangelical preacher who is best known for his work among the street gangs of New York in the 1960s and 70s. His story of work among New York City's toughest children and teenagers is told in the book The Cross and The Switchblade and in the movie of the same name. A story that he shares in the book exemplifies what trust can mean to someone.

Nicky Cruz was a young man that Wilkerson met in the streets. The first time they met Cruz pulled a knife and told Wilkerson he would kill him if he came near. Nevertheless, Wilkerson persisted and convinced many of the youth to come to a rally at a rented facility. This was a massive undertaking which required busing the children from different gangs across town to keep them from fighting as they went through a rival gang's territory. Nothing like it had ever been attempted before and all the critics said it would fail.

During the rally when it came time to take the offering Cruz was the one chosen. They passed an offering plate and he and several of his fellow gang members were asked to go through a side door and bring it up onto the stage. All the youth began to laugh and Wilkerson knew why.There was also an exit from that side door out onto the street and everyone knew that Nicky would simply take the money and leave: but he didn't. In his own words, Cruz later testified: "When I went out of that side door with the money it suddenly dawned on me that the preacher trusted me. In all my life no one had ever trusted me before." This trust opened the door to Nicky's heart and his conversion. In time Nicky Cruz became a well known minister himself and continued Bro. Wilkerson's work among the gangs.

Is there someone in your life that is hard to deal with? Someone that seems to make the same mistakes again and again. Perhaps they just need someone to believe in them, to believe they can be different. You just might be that someone if you won't give up. After all, a little trust goes a long way.

Trusting Him Daily,

Spanish Pastor Jones 

What shall it profit?

Mark 8:36

For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

As I look around on all that is happening in our world it is obvious to me that democracy has failed? What do I mean? Well let's look at the facts. We live under the rule of  a government where the two main political parties can not agree on anything. We have politicians from both sides who have been accused and sometimes convicted of scandals that have rocked the world. Our country is in a mess and no one can agree on how to fix it. It is obvious to met that democracy (or a republic) has failed.

We can look at other forms of government that have failed. The Roman empire eventually failed as did the Greek and Persian empires before it. The socialist idea of a communal government  has always failed as was proven when the U.S.S.R. fell apart. There was a time when most of the countries of Europe were ruled by Kings and Queens and these too failed. Why? The reason is simple. Without God, man's idea of equality and fairness will always fail.

We can go all the way back to the Biblical world for more examples. Israel decided they wanted a king but when they got Saul he was a wicked man and they were soon disappointed. Even the beloved King David fell into sin and betrayed his own friends and fellow countrymen as a whole. Almost every King after David was increasingly more wicked than the ones before him. The idea of a kingdom failed.

But why did they want a king in the first place? Simple. For many years they had been ruled by judges who were supposedly set in place by God. They were tired of judges who claimed to speak for God but served only themselves. They had no voice to oppose what the judge deemed was right or wrong. They somehow thought a king would be better than this. After all, how could anything be worse? But we know that it was indeed worse.

After all these failed forms of government it seemed that the next step would be a government where the people could speak for themselves. But, as we have seen, this too has failed. Failed in its attempts regenerate mankind and make him a better person. Failed in its desire to rid society of crime, racism, and a myriad of other evils. Failed.

With all this failure, is there any hope? The Bible tells us that a man will arise that will claim to have all the answers. He will be the one who knows how to settle the fighting in the middle east. He will know how to bridge the gap between rich and poor, religious and non-religious, people of different religions and so forth. He will seem to have all the answers. Yet we know that the man I speak of is what the Bible calls the anti-Christ. Ultimately, he will turn against the people of God and even fight against God himself. Yet his government too shall fail.

The only true hope for anyone in this world is Jesus Christ. The only safe haven is the church. The church that will taken out of this world when Jesus Christ comes to claim his own. We can build kingdoms and castles here in this life but they will eventually crumble and fall. The only way to be sure of anything is to make sure our hearts and lives are right with God. For what will it profit us if we gain the whole world but lose our own souls?

Trusting in Jesus,

Sullivan Jones

The Battle for America

Corrie ten Boom and her sister Betsie watched in stunned silence as her mild mannered father reacted so angrily to the Prime Minister's announcement that there would be no war. He jumped up and snapped the radio off and just as quickly the fire went out of his eyes. But it was his words that stunned them the most: "It is wrong to give people hope when there is no hope. There will be a war. Holland will fight and Holland will fall. I feel sorry for all Dutchmen who do not know the power of God." Just a few hours later Holland was plunged into WWII and in only five days fell to German hands.

On the fifth day they were walking down the street when a window opened and a lady announced that Holland had surrendered. With tears in his eyes a young man looked at Father ten Boom and announced, "I would not have surrendered. I would have fought." "That is good, my son", He replied, "For Holland's battle has just begun."This afternoon these words came to me as I waited for my wife to complete her errands in the store. It was if I could hear God whispering into my spirit, "America's battle has just begun." 

I would read The Hiding Place and wonder if ever I would have adventures such as these. I realize now that as a child I didn't truly comprehend the horror of what those involved endured. Yet there was one thing I did understand: God saw them through. I am not a doom and gloom prophet but I know what the scripture says. Not only the battle for America but the battle for our world has just begun. Even if our economy takes an upturn tomorrow and government works out its problems we are still in trouble. The spirit of anti-Christ has risen in our world in a way that we have not seen in a long time. Scriptural prophecy is being fulfilled before our eyes every day and by and large people are unaware of it. God's people do not realize how close the coming of the Lord is.

Yet these things do not make me fearful for in the midst of all these troubles God's church is destined to have  great revival. And even more than that we must remember the words of Jesus: "When these things begin to come to pass, lift up your heads for your redemption draweth nigh." I would like to echo the words of Casper ten Boom. I feel sorry for every American today who does not know God. But I have nothing but joy in my heart for those who do. This world is about to see the wrath of the anti-Christ and the judgment of God such as it has never seen. And yet our world is about to see God exalt his church. Then one day soon his church will be caught out of this troubled world to forever be with the Lord.

 If I knew I were not right with God today, I would not delay. I would get my heart right with Him. For it is in Him and Him alone that our hope lies. Only in Him can we truly have security for the future! His retirement plan is out of this world!

Not on my watch!

I Thessalonians 2:7 - For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way.

Did you know that the church has the power to change things in our world? That's right we have the power to hold back things and allow things to be as long as it is according to the will of God. I know that there are many things prophesied  in the scripture that will come to pass. But the scripture is very vague about when some of the things will happen. I believe the reason that it is so is because some things are not set in stone. Although God has established a day of reckoning and judgment for the world things do not have to be as bad as they could have been if the church had not prayed.

Unconvinced? Let's look at some examples from the Old Testament. In I Kings chapter 21 we are told that God was about to judge Israel. When the prophet went to warn Ahab, he jumbled himself. The exact words of scripture are that "he walked softly before God." God sent the prophet to Ahab again to tell him that these things would not happen in his days but in the days of his son. Hezekiah was another king of Israel with a death penalty on him. He prayed and cried out to God and God gave him 15 more years to live.

As I contemplated these things this morning I had  this thought: NOT ON MY WATCH. What do I mean? It's like this. God has put me in 2013 with a purpose. Just as Peter was responsible to his generation and Paul to his so we are responsible to ours. It is the job of the church to pray for our nation. We are the only good in this world and we are the reason that judgment is being held back. With that said, we should be interceding for our nation now like never before. We know that things look bad but they don't have to be as bad as they could be.

When God's judgment came on Egypt the land of Goshen was spared. Not only was Goshen spared but the people of Israel prospered. Several years ago I heard a man of God say this: "I refuse to participate in the downward economy." God sent manna from heaven and fed his people and he could do it again if need be. He will take care of us. But more than him taking care of me, I want him to take care of my loved ones, friends, neighbours, and my nation.

The greatest need of our nation now is for the church to pray. Pray for God to have mercy on us. Pray for God to spare us of any intended evil. Remember Moses when he stood between God and the people? God spared Israel because of Moses. No doubt this country that we love has set itself against God in a multitude of ways. But there is still a church in the earth that can stand between God and the ones that we love. I believe God wants us to intercede. Who knows but that God will have mercy, not only on me and mine, but one my government as well.

The Apostle Paul told us to pray for "all that are in authority". Why? so that we could live a quiet and peaceable life. All of us want peace. Our world is in desperate need of peace. We as Christian are filled with the Spirit of Peace. Jesus is our Prince of Peace. So I believe we need to cry out to our Lord and ask him to intervene with peace.

Would you join me today? Let's cry out to God for our nation. Ask Him to give our government officials peace between themselves and wisdom to decide what is right. Ask him to give the church favor in the sight of the government that it make no laws that would restrict our ability to worship freely. Ask Him to have mercy on us. If the government is going to fall in and our economy is going to crash it doesn't have to happen today. It doesn't have to happen on my watch. If we pray, who knows what God may do!

I don't wish evil on any future generation. But I am not responsible for the future any more than I am the past. I am responsible for today. And right now I see trouble in my land. So I cry out to my brothers and sisters, would you help me pray? It's not too late. It's never too late for God to work. Ask Him to work for us today and see what He will do, not only for us but for our country as well.

Prayerfully,

Sullivan Jones

A Good Report

Proverbs 15:20 - A good report makes the bones fat.

The Bible is so scientifically sound that it is amazing. Deuteronomy 17:11 tells us that "the life of the flesh is in the blood." Today we understand just how true this is. The blood is needed to carry nutrients toward and impurities away from every cell in our bodies. There was no way to know this for many years and yet the Bible recorded this thousands of years ago.

I recently learned something else in my biology class that made me think of the above scripture in Proverbs. There are two types of bone marrow in our bodies, red and yellow. Red is where the blood cells are produced and yellow marrow is where the fat cells are. Without going into a long scientific explanation which I am not qualified to give, let me say this. We have known for a long time, though we still don't completely understand how, that our physical health is tied to our mental health. We know that a person who laughs and can release stress easily is much less likely to suffer from a myriad of diseases. It makes me wonder exactly what the connection is between "a good report" and strong, healthy bones.

Now as a theologian instead of a scientist let me explain what I believe. When someone receives good news it is truly like an injection of medicine, not only to the spirit but to the body as well. Words of encouragement are like fat to our bones. Somehow God designed our bodies so that good thoughts and encouraging words can literally give us physical strength. I don't' understand it but I believe and have seen that it works.

So what can we do with that information? We know that people all around us are nervous about the future? There is much uncertainty in our world. Instead of passing on the bad news let's tell others how good God is. Let's remind each other that God has never let us down and His word says that he never will. I'm not talking about denying reality but speaking life. No matter what the economy or our government does our God has promised to take care of us.

There may be someone around you today that needs to hear those very words. Let's encourage each other today with words of life. After all, a good report makes the bones fat.

 

Time and Chance

Solomon, recognized by many as the wisest man that ever lived, made this statement: Time and chance happen to us all (Ecclesiastes 9:11). It seems a rather bleak diagnosis. He seems to be telling us that our lives are guided, not by the choices we make, but by pure luck or the lack of it. Many would agree with his stance and say life is controlled by forces unseen and there is little we can do about it but hope for the best. Is this true? Do we really have so little control over our own destinies?

I would like to remind us that Solomon wrote these words as a frustrated man who had walked away from His God to serve the idols that his wives enticed him to serve. In fact, I believe the book of Ecclesiastes is in the Bible to show us how far a man can go from truth.  He went so far as to build temples to pagan Gods right in the middle of Jerusalem and allowed people to worship there. This same king had experienced such closeness with God that the Bible tells us that God appeared to him and allowed him to choose anything he could wish for. We know what he chose, wisdom. Yet it was this wisdom that was Solomon's downfall. He was lifted up in pride and, forgetting about the God who gave him the wisdom,  relied on his own intellect to lead Israel. When later in life he pondered how he could have fallen so far from God in so short a time he blamed it on "time and chance."

Yet it was not "chance" that caused Solomon to walk away from the God of his fathers. It was choice. It was his choice to marry princesses from other nations for the sake of peace. It was his choice to allow them to bring their pagan practices of child sacrifice and other unspeakable evils into Israel. Later on, instead of writing about chance, Solomon should have written about choice.

I see a similarity with our own country in the story of Solomon. Like many of us I am concerned about my country and the direction it is heading in. We can blame it on all sorts of things but it comes down to this: choice. No one can deny that our country is in financial, political, and moral crisis. Yet it is not by happenstance that we find ourselves here. We are here because of a long history of bad choices. Democrat, republican, and independent alike, we are all guilty. We as a nation have chosen to look the other way when our politicians have committed sins against God and others. We have chosen to believe that we can borrow money endlessly, both on a personal and at a government level, without our economy collapsing. We have chosen to believe that we can disobey God's most basic commandments without suffering the consequences. We have preached "don't judge" to the point where almost everyone is afraid to say anything is wrong for fear of being labeled a bigot. We are truly in a mess of our own making that has nothing to do with "chance" and everything to do with "choice."

Am I condemning us all? No, of course not. Truly our God is a God of mercy and grace. If it were not for His grace none of us would be here. Yet we can not preach grace to the detriment of judgment. For surely judgment will always eventually come. Naturally there are things in life that I can't control; but I can control how I respond to things around me. I can choose to seek God more in times of crisis. I can choose to keep a right spirit when confronted with evil on every side. I can choose to base my life on God's word when everyone else has changed the rules. Then when I'm wondering how things will work out, I can know that God will  take care of me.

To the Christian I issue a challenge today. Stand for what is right and Holy. Don't be afraid to speak against what God's word calls evil. Be bold enough to warn someone when you see them going astray. Take a stand for what is right even when it's not popular to do so. Yet do it all with love. And when we do, we can be assured that our lives are not guided by mere chance but by the hand of a God who sees all, knows all, can do all, and loves us very much. In the words of Betsie ten Boom, "There are no 'ifs' in God's kingdom." He is in control of all!

Respectfully Yours,

Sullivan Jones 

Jesus was a real man

I John 4:2 -3: This is how we know if they have the Spirit of God: if a person claiming to be a prophet acknowledges that Jesus Christ came in a real body, that person has the Spirit of God. 

But if someone claims to be a prophet and does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus, that person is not from God.  New Living Translation

There is a teaching in the world that says that Jesus Christ did not have a real human body like you and me. The teaching says that he had something called divine flesh. It basically means that his body only looked like a human body but it was really the body of a God.

Why is this important? Isn't it simply enough to believe that Jesus came? Why did John say that this was an indicator of the Spirit of Anti-Christ. After all, that is a strong rebuke. The reason it matters so much is simple. If Jesus did not have a real human body he could not die for the sins of man. In order to break the curse of sin a perfect man (without sin) had to die (John 11:50). But I believe there is an even greater reason.

The Bible tells us in Hebrews 4:15 that Jesus was tempted in everything like we are but without sin. In other words, he felt every kind of pain, every kind of sorrow, etc that a human being can feel. He was also tempted to sin but did not sin. God wanted us to know that the High Priest who continually prays for us felt our pain. When we pray to Jesus we are not praying to a half man who does not understand us. Jesus Christ was every bit as much of a human as you and me. When we pray to Him, He understands us.

I heard one person describe it like this. Jesus was a God-man. He was a man who knew what it was like to be God and yet, being God in flesh, He could now understand what it was to be a man.  He was all of God in a completely human body (Colossians 2:9).

I don't know how that makes you feel but it gives me great comfort to know that the one who continually hears my prayer understands how I feel. Whether I am weak, sick, angry, hurt, or in temptation, He has been there. Because of this, His mercy towards me is greater than I can even imagine.

Aren't you thankful to have a God like that to call on. If you need something from Him, He is waiting and ready to hear your petition.Not Sure? Try it and see.  Call on the name of Jesus today. Ask His help in anything you need. Ask Him to make Himself known to you as Lord. I promise you won't be disappointed.

Yours Truly,

Spanish Pastor Jones

I Believe in a Hill Called Mt. Calvary

Just before I awoke this morning I was dreaming that I was singing "I believe in a hill called Mt. Calvary." When I awoke I looked the song up on you tube and listened to it. It is a beautiful song and conveys my beliefs exactly. If there was ever anything worth believing in, it is Calvary. The fact that the God of all the universe robed himself  in flesh and died a cruel death for you and me is the most beautiful story every told. It never gets old and it never looses the power to change lives.

Although the cross was a bloody, gory place of death, to the Christian it represents life. It is truly the greatest story ever told. Though it may seem foolish to men, the Apostle Paul said that it is the power of God unto salvation (I Corinthians 1:18, Romans 1:16). The blood of Jesus will lever lose its power and the message of the cross will never get old!

A few points about Calvary:

1. You can not truly understand Calvary and wonder if God still loves you.
2. You can not truly look at Calvary and struggle with feelings of insecurity, inferiority, or lack of self worth.
3. You can not understand the spirit of Calvary and refuse to forgive someone else.
4. You can not embrace the message of  the Cross and live in fear, depression, and loneliness.
5. You can not understand Calvary and wonder if your life is worth living.
6. You can not truly understand Calvary and still fear for your salvation. You will understand that the God who saved is able to keep you.
7. You can not truly understand Calvary without being gripped with a love for souls. You will want to share the gospel story with everyone you meet.
8. When you truly understand Calvary nothing you are asked to do for God will seem to hard.
9. When you truly understand Calvary you will want to live Holy because you will not want Christ's death to be in vain.
10.Only when you get a true glimpse of Calvary will you understand unconditional love.

And when time has surrendered and earth is no more

 

I'll still cling to the old rugged Cross.

 

 

 

In Christ's Love,

 

Spanish Pastor Jones 

Do I really make a difference?

Whoever will be great among you, let him be your minister. And whoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant. Matthew 20:26-27

Recently a lady asked me if I thought that anything she did made a real difference. I understood her question. I have asked myself the same question many times. Perhaps we all have. I was able to answer her by sharing what I believe God has put in my heart for such times.

Everyday I ask God to direct my steps. I ask him to let me be used of him that day. I believe he hears. I also believe what the scripture says about God ordering mys steps. The problem is that I don't always see and understand God's ways. We are probably the most benefit to others when we are not aware of it.

Some days we enjoy what we do and it seems like we float through the day. Other days, no matter our job titles, it is just work. We are doing it because it needs doing or because we are getting paid to do so. For the Christian, there should be another reason. We should be doing everything we do as a service to God. What service? That's the point. Everything that we do, even the seemingly mundane, unimportant things, are done in service unto him. The things that I do are important to someone and if I wasn't doing them they wouldn't get done. I can't do them because I want thanks from men. Sometimes even my closest friends and companions will not understand why I do what I do. But I keep on because I don't do any of it for men but for God.

So my answer to this lady, and to all of us, is Yes! Yes, what you are doing makes a difference. More than you will ever know. Some of the things you do may not make sense until eternity but they will make sense. If you are feeling frustrated and don't know what to do, just keep doing what you are doing. Do it with all your heart. Do it well! To someone it may mean the world!

Serving Joyfully,

Spanish Pastor Jones

Daily Benefits

Psalm 68:19 - Blessed be the Lord who daily loads us with benefits, the God of our salvation. 

The benefits of serving God are not always physical. Though God does bless us financially, etc., this should not be our primary reason for serving him. The benefit of knowing Jesus is our salvation. The fact that we are saved through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ is the greatest blessing of all. When we remember that we were bound with sin and destined to spend eternity in hell we must surely be grateful for salvation.

What exactly is salvation, one might ask. Salvation is literally a rescue from the path we were one. If one is slipping and about to fall over a cliff and another grabs the back of his shirt just in time, this is salvation. If a car is driving toward a washed out bridge and another driver warns him, this is salvation. This is the picture of what Jesus Christ did for us on Calvary. He gave his life so that you and I could be eternally diverted from the road to hell.

When we begin to consider this, the benefits are innumerable. The fact that the Son of God was willing to die for me and for you. The fact that he sits eternally in the presence of the Father making intercession for us. I almost can't imagine it. When I consider it all I can do is rejoice. This is the true benefit of being a Christian. If I die rich or poor it makes no difference. If I die young of a terminal disease or an old man in my bed it makes no difference. The best benefit is yet to come; I will get to spend eternity with the one who died for me and I'll do it in a glorified, perfect body free from all heartache, pain, and worry.

Who wouldn't want to serve a God who gives his children benefits like that!

Rejoicing Daily,

Spanish Pastor Jones

By Bread Alone

Matthew 4:4 - Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.

This verse is such a beautiful promise for us. The word of God sustains our souls as bread does our bodies. Whether we are in need of encouragement, direction, understanding, comfort, hope or anything else the word of God will always have the answer. If we eat from it daily it will make us strongly spiritually.

Often times we put things into our natural bodies that we shouldn't eat; we call it junk food. The word of God does not contain junk food. Every bite we take will be good for us. Sometimes it may taste like candy and other times like medicine but it is always healthy.

Take a bite today. It will be the best thing you eat today. But be forewarned. It is addictive. Once you start eating from the Lord's table nothing else will satisfy.

Spanish Pastor Jones

Overcome Evil by Good

Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil by good. Romans 12:21

No one would deny that there is much evil in our world. One can hardly read the paper or turn on the news without hearing of another heinous crime. In fact, it seems like the more we try to do good, the more evil there is. The Apostle Paul must have felt the same way. (Romans 7:21). Is the situation hopeless then? Is there nothing we can do?

The above verse in Proverbs tells us what to do. We are to overcome evil by doing good. It almost sounds like a cliché doesn't it? Yet is truly isn't? You see, the world and its system doesn't know what to do with someone who responds to evil with good. When someone is ugly to us they expect us to be ugly back. They are disarmed when we respond with love and forgiveness.People who lie constantly believe that everyone else does the same. When they learn that someone will not lie to them they are amazed, yet they respect that person more.

You see the pattern? The only way to truly conquer evil is to not give in to it. The nature of evil (and it's father, the devil) is such that it wants to draw everyone of us into its power. When we do not give way to the temptation the evil has lost, at least in our personal lives.

Right about now you might be thinking, "But, Bro. Sullivan, that sounds way too hard." "I am not superhuman." No, none of us are superhuman. But we do have a superhuman God that lives inside of us. He would not have given us a command that we could not obey. And the truth is, this verse is not just a command. It is a secret weapon against the enemy. I can frustrate his plans for my day but not giving in to the evil around me. I can overcome evil with good.

Respectfully Yours,

Spanish Pastor Jones 

Servant-hood

Psalm 84:10 - For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.

There has been some speculation over what David meant when he used the word "doorkeeper" in the above verse. One thing is certain, however we look at it, a doorkeeper was not a lofty position; It was a position of servant-hood. A doorkeeper was not in a position to give orders but to take them. 

No doubt David knew what it was to take orders. He had been ordered around his whole life. He had seven older brothers to tell him what to do in addition to his parents. He was the one who was sent to the fields to keep the sheep. In that culture he wasn't even considered a son because he was number eight. He may as well to have been born a servant. I can just imagine him wondering what it must be like to "dwell in the tents" with the rest of his family rather than to be out in the field like a servant. 

It may have seemed like an unlikely place from which to choose a king but God knew what he was doing. The previous king, Saul, had decided that he could rule Israel himself without the help of God. Because of this God took him from the throne and promoted David. God wanted a man on the throne who knew what it was like to take orders. You see, God was Israel's real king and He wasn't going to let anyone forget it. 

All of us can find a parallel with David's life. Whether we are in the field or the palace we must remember that God put us there. Are we waiting on a promotion? We must serve diligently where we are and learn what we need to learn in our present state. Have we already been promoted? We must always remember that it was God who gave us everything that we have and He can take it away again. 

The concept of servant-hood is certainly not popular in today's world, especially as Americans. We are all very proud of the concept of freedom from tyrants and taskmasters. Yet we must all remember that we are called to be servants. Each of us is a servant of the Lord God Almighty and by extension a servant to our fellow man. Although it doesn't fit our comfort zones, there is no higher calling than to be a servant of God, willing to do whatever he asks us to do. And many times that service takes the form of helping another human being. 

Whatever God asks me to do, I want to be willing. When we are submitted to God we have a peace that nothing else can bring. David surely knew this peace. For only a God given peace can cause a man to say thus: I would rather be a servant and know my conscience is right with God than to be a wealthy man that has attained all he has through unrighteous means. 

Contentedness is of one of life's greatest blessings. Lord, help me to be content with where you have placed me and help me to take every opportunity I can to be of service to my fellow humans. For I know that in doing so I am serving you. Amen! 

A missing leg

Many of you know that my wife has been through two knee replacement surgeries in the last year.  In the last few years we have truly learned all the adjustments that it takes to live with a handicap. One of the most frustrating things at times has been trying to find a parking space. It seems that most people don't think about handicapped parking. I understand because until I had to deal with it, I didn't give it much thought either.

The other day my wife and I were pulling into a Dollar General Store. I was headed towards a handicap spot right near the front entrance when a sporty little car pulled into the spot ahead of us. I saw that the car didn't have a handicap tag. My first thought was that the person probably didn't need the spot. I know this wasn't a nice thought but I can't tell you how many times I have known people to pull into a handicap spot and just "take the chance" that they wouldn't get a ticket. Imagine how I felt when the lady got out wearing a prosthesis. Her right leg was gone from about midway between her hip and knee.

I don't know if the lady was a veteran, accident victim, or what but it made me thankful for my wife's artificial knees. She is walking better everyday and hopefully one day soon she will not need the handicap tag. I realized when I saw the lady with a missing leg how much worse it could have been. It is so easy for us to complain about what we do not have. But the old adage is true; there is always someone worse off than we are. I must tell you that I had to ask God to forgive me right there in the car. He has been so good to me and I am often unthankful.

Lord, help me not to be too quick to judge a situation before I have all the facts. And help me to remember how much I have to be thankful for.

Thankfully,

Sullivan Jones

Unrealistic Expectations

Job 14:1 - Man that is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble. 

Sometimes we read about the characters in the Bible and think of them as if they are not human.  Yet the characters that we often call "saints" had their fair share of discouragement, anger, temptations, and failure. We do ourselves and them a great disservice when we fail to realize that they were as imperfect as we are. Many of the most beautiful passages of scripture were written in times of great distress.The above verse fits the bill. The statement that Job makes here seems almost to be pessimistic, yet I don't believe it is intended as so. I believe it is more a statement of reality than complaint. Allow me to explain.

We live in a fallen world that is no longer perfect because of sin. Yet from some where, maybe as a small child, the ideas begins to form in the minds of some that life should be perfect or what we call fair. Of course it isn't. Life is full of troubles. We get flat tires, sometimes we don't feel well, and the list goes one. These things are not signs that God doesn't love us or that we are not praying enough. They are just part of life in this world.

Yesterday I had a debilitating headache that just wouldn't quit. I had to go home and lie down before church. My wife prayed for me and it didn't instantly go away although I did feel better after a time. I had a lot to do at work and had a business meeting that night at church. I didn't ask God why He let me have a headache on such a busy day. It wasn't God's fault. It is just a part of life.

Many times our young people have unrealistic expectations when they enter the work force; they believe that they should start at the top. They don't value the experience of growing and learning and being under someone else's authority. In the same way, we can all have unrealistic expectations when it comes to the kingdom of God. We are all growing and learning. It is unrealistic to expect everyday to be wonderful and stress free. It is unrealistic to expect to always feel good and never had a headache. I am not being pessimistic but realistic. Many times the reason people get discouraged is because of unrealistic expectations.

The sooner we realize that this life is never going to be perfect the better off we will be. We make the most out of the good and the bad. If we are always looking at the bad and complaining about it we will never be happy. But if we find the good and thank God for it we will learn the meaning of contentment.

Some people are never happy in their church because they expect the pastor to be perfect. If he makes a mistake they are looking for somewhere else to go. Some are never content to stay in a job. They are always looking for better pay and a better position. They fail to realize that they will never get better pay and a better position if they are not faithful to the position they have now. Unrealistic expectations.

Now life is not perfect but we do have a perfect God who helps us through our infirmities (troubles). In John 16:7 Jesus said that when he went away he would send us a helper. The King James says comforter. The Greek word is "parakletos" which can also be translated as helper.  Jesus was promising that when the Holy Ghost came he would be our helper. The Holy Ghost comes alongside the believer and helps through his troubles. When I find myself in a bad situation I can ask the Holy Ghost (who by the way is the spirit of Jesus himself) to be my helper.

Life is hard but I don't have to face life's difficulties alone. I have a helper who lives inside of me and is with me in every situation. When I need wisdom He is there. When I need strength He is there. When I need advice or direction He is there. I must throw out the idea that life is perfect; It will never be so in this life. Expecting every day to be carefree is like looking through rose colored glasses. I don't fear and look for trouble. But I can't let it discourage me when it comes. I understand that it is part of the imperfect world we live in. When the trouble seems to great to handle I just reach for my Helper. He is always there. When I speak the name Jesus He runs to my rescue.

And I look forward everyday with joy knowing that there is a perfect life coming. It is waiting as the reward for every child of God who has been faithful to the Master, Jesus Christ. Let us run with patience the race that is set before, looking unto Jesus ....(Hebrews 12:1)

Sincerely,

Sullivan Jones

Life is Difficult Without Prayer

Romans 8:14 - For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

I have heard it said that life is difficult without prayer. I would add to that statement by saying that the Christian life is impossible without prayer. We simply can not know how God thinks, feels, and what He wants us to do without talking to Him on a regular basis.

The concept of being a Christian has become somewhat distorted in our world. A Christian is not someone who believes in Jesus but a Christian is someone who represents Jesus. The Bible tells us in Acts 11:26 that the disciples were first called Christians in the city of Antioch in what is now Turkey. It makes one wonder what inspired others to refer to them as Christians. I believe I know:  Acts 4:13 says of Peter and John "they took note of them that they had been with Jesus." They disciples lifestyles imitated Jesus so much that people began to call them Christians. This was most certainly not intended as a compliment among ethnic Jews but as a statement of fact. It could even have been intended as ridicule.

The disciples had spent so much time with Jesus that they began to act like he acted even to healing a lame man which is what sparked this statement. You and I do not have the privilege of physically walking alongside Jesus everyday. That was limited to a handful of chosen men during his brief earthly ministry. Despite claims to the contrary, we do not know what Jesus looked like. We can only guess as to the color of his hair, the color of his eyes, his height and his weight. We don't know if He had a beard  or how he combed his hair. Yet we can know him.

We can know Him through the teachings he left us. We can read about the miracles He did and the lessons he taught in the four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. We can read about the instructions he left to the early church through Peter, Paul and James in the epistles. But even more so we can hear directly from Him every day through prayer.

We need never wonder again what God thinks about something. He left detailed instructions. And if we don't quite get the instructions we can simply ask. Many times I have puzzled over the meaning of a verse until I realized I could pray about it. Sometimes the answer the answer didn't come for weeks or even months. But then I would hear a message that opened my understanding. At other times I would have another verse come to mind that went hand in hand with the puzzling one. However it happened God would open my understanding to the verse I had asked him about.

We need not be troubled about what God requires of us. If take him at his word, we can ask. His answer may come in an assortment of ways but it will come. Prayer is the key to unlocking the mind of God. Try it today! It is free and there is a 100% success rate. Just don't be upset if you don't get the answer you wanted. If God is anything, He is honest. Try Him and see!

Trusting Him Daily,

Sullivan Jones 

Children of the Light

John 1: 4-5
In him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

The Bible tells us here in the Apostle John's version of the gospel that Jesus Christ is the life and light of the world. He came into the world for two reasons: to bring life and light. He came to reverse the curse of sin and death and restore spiritual life to the world. Because men were blinded by their sin he also had to be the light. His words, actions, and very countenance were filled with light.

The Bible tells us that the people who were confronted with Jesus light did not understand it. It was not something to be understood with the natural mind. Jesus' teachings then and now can only be understood with the spiritual mind.

Sometimes Christians wonder why they don't feel comfortable in certain environments or around certain people. We try so hard at times to show people that we are as normal as the rest of the world.  But the truth is, we are not normal. We have been filled with the light of God's word and Spirit. We are striving to walk in communion with Jesus Christ. This is not the norm in our world.

We must understand that as Christians we are truly not at home in this world. We believe in being good citizens. The Bible teaches us that we must be. We believe in being kind and showing God's love to everyone we meet. We believe in taking care of what God has given us which includes the planet we live on. But we are not at home in this world and truthfully many people will never understand us. The sooner we quit trying to be understood the happier we will be.

The people of Jesus day did not understand him. The disciple is not above his Lord so since they didn't understand Jesus it is a good sign that we will be misunderstood as well. We must learn not to get frustrated or angry when unsaved family members don't understand why we make the choices we make.

Let us fall in love with the light of God's word and be happy to be the children of the light. When others see that we are happy in the life we life they will be drawn to Him through us. Let us be children of the light - the world needs us.

Walking in the Light,

Sullivan Jones