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