Living by Faith

I recently heard someone say that "some people need to get some faith." Actually the Bible tells us that everyone has a measure of faith (Romans 12:32)  Each of us has faith, it just gets low sometimes. The problem is that sometimes we don't know where to put our faith.People let us down. Opportunities don't come out quite like we expected them too. Finances dry up. The list goes on ...

I am reminded of the scriptures where King David said, "some trust in chariots, and some in horses, but we will remember the name of the Lord our God." Our God has never failed us. When our faith begins to get low, we need to remind ourselves of the times he has provided for us. If he has ever answered a prayer for you, he can do it again.

Jesus compared our faith to a grain of mustard seed. It is a tiny seed but it eventually will grow into a great tree if given the right opportunities. It needs the right amount of sunlight, rain, cold, and heat to become the tree it is destined to be. The lesson is that all of us go through different seasons in our lives. Just as the mustard seed needs these different season, so do we. God has a destiny for all of us. We are on the path to become what he has promised we will be.

Some might feel like you are still a seed. Some might be a young sapling. Still others are in the latter stages of life and have become that mighty tree the Bible talks about where others can find rest. No matter the stage of your life, we all need continual spiritual nourishment. We need to feed and water our faith. We do this by daily doses of God's word and prayer.

In John 15:5 Jesus said, "I am the vine, ye are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."  

No matter what stage you are in, don't quit watering your faith. Let it grow as long as you live. You never know what it might become!

Living by Faith,

Pastor Jones 

Can you perform a miracle?

Do you believe we have power to do the things Jesus did while He was on earth? That is hard to comprehend for some people? You mean I can perform miracles? I can speak to someone and they will be healed? I can cast out devils? Let's see what the word of God says about matter. 

John 14:12 
“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.

When Jesus went back into heaven he left his followers with power to carry on his work. Naturally the power isn't in you or me. But it is resident in us if we are filled with the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Through the Holy Spirit and the name of Jesus we can do all kinds of things for God. There is no limit to what God can do and no limit to what He is willing to do through us if we are surrendered to His will daily. 

Just imagine - I can do all thing through Christ who gives me strength! (Phillipians 4:13)

Life's a dance

We all have to make decisions in life. Some decisions are easy like whether to order a cheeseburger or a big Mac. Others can be more complicated such as considering a mid-life career change or whether to buy a house or not. No matter how old we get there are choices to be made.  The young are contemplating marriage and the older are contemplating retirement. The choices seem never to end.

The Bible tells us in Psalm 37:23 that the steps of a good man are ordered of the Lord. I am of the opinion that we worry far too much about asking God to order our steps. What we should focus our attention on is “being good.” In other words, if we will do what is right, we can trust God to order our steps. Sometimes we simply will not know which decision to make. We just pray, trust God, and make the most informed decision we can. In the end, if we have studied the situation out, sought Godly council, and prayed we just go forward and trust God.

In my own life I have too often feared making the wrong choices. It is good to be careful but it is not good to be afraid. Fear of making the wrong choice paralyzes an individual into doing nothing. It is better to try something and find out it wasn’t quite the right way than to put off doing anything until it is too late.

We would all like for God to just give us a road map through life with all the highways, pit stops, and detours marked. Fortunately for us, he doesn’t do it that way. If life were so laid out there would be no adventures, no lessons learned, and no trials to make us stronger. Sure there will be heartaches along the way. Some decisions we will regret and others we will be glad we made. The important thing is to go forward. If we make an honest mistake, God can fix it. Trust Him, he’s got this.

In closing let me give you the words to a popular song. (Pardon the preacher for using the words to a country song)

Life’s a dance you learn as you go

Sometimes you lead and sometimes you follow

Don‘t worry about what you don’t know

Life’s a dance, you learn as you go

The important thing is to keep dancing, keep the faith, and don’t lose heart.

God bless,

Rev. Sullivan Jones 

Where Does God Rest?

Most of us would agree that the God that we serve is all seeing, all knowing, and all powerful. The logical conclusion of that understanding is that God never gets tired and never needs to rest. In fact Isaiah 40:28 confirms this:

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.

Yet the scripture does speak of God as resting. After God spent six days creating the world, he rested on the seventh day (Genesis 2:2). Without going into the theological implications of why God might need to take a rest I would like to focus on WHERE God rested.

Isaiah 66:1 - Thus says the LORD: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; what is the house that you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest?

There was a time when David wanted to build a house for God but God said a house could not contain him. In the above verse the prophet tells us that when God wants to sit and rest, the whole of heaven is his throne. And as for his feet, the earth is his footstool! Can you imagine how great and powerful this God is! If it takes all of heaven to hold him, and he places his feet upon the earth like a footstool, is anything to hard for him? Just think, this is the God to whom we pray? A God so big and powerful can certainly handle any need that might arise in our lives. Aren't you glad to be serving a God like that? I am!

OUR GOD IS AWESOME! 

Fear not - A New Years' Promise

I no longer make new years' resolutions. I do, however, use this occasion to reflect upon my personal goals, my relationships with family and friends, and most importantly, my relationship with God. The past two weeks I have been off of work and had a chance to do some vacationing and some work around the house and the church. As I was evaluating my goals I must admit that I felt a little trepidation about the new year. I am back to work and beginning two classes today. Some of the thoughts that have gone through my mind are, will I have enough time to do two classes at once? How will I balance church work, my job, and college work? The list goes on. You all know the feeling.

Last night I visited at a church where I have preached for much of this year. I was not preaching but just wanted to be in the house of God among friends. It was a beautiful service with a wonderful message about not letting our dreams die. At the end of the service there was a candlelight communion service. (In my denomination we do communion only on special occasions such as Easter and for the New Year.) After the communion each participant was invited to pull a scripture card from a box of promises, read the verse aloud and pray the prayer that was written on the back of that card.

The verse I pulled was Isaiah 41:10- "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee."

It was a solid reminder that I have no need to worry about tomorrow or what I can't control. My faith is not in my ability to balance duties or to make good grades. My faith is in the Lord Jesus and He is far more capable than I to handle any situation that might arise. He is with me and my favorite part is - " I will help thee". When I need help God is always by my side. I will not have to do my homework, job assignments, or church work alone. I will never preach one sermon alone or write one paper alone. The Lord is with me and His Spirit will help me. What a promise!

Maybe some of you reading this also have some concerns. They will be as varied as your needs. They may be financial, physical, job related or a combination. Whatever the need, He is with you. A child of God has no need to fear. God always takes care of His own.

God Bless and Happy New Year,

Sullivan Jones