Living Water

Proverbs 27:20 - Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied. 

Isn't it amazing how unsatisfied we are? It is in the nature of life. We eat breakfast at six or seven a.m. and by noon we are "starving." The natural man must eat to keep up his nourishment. And no matter how many days we do eat, we will always want something else to eat pretty soon.

As the natural, so is the spiritual. We are never satisfied because the things of this world can not satisfy the innermost needs of a man's heart and soul. Most of us live in houses that are much nicer than anything the rest of the world has. We don't truly know what it is like to be hungry. We can get at least some healthcare if we are sick. Yet for all that we are not satisfied. If we could go shopping with unlimited funds and take as many vacations a year as we wanted to take, we would still be unsatisfied. Why? Because the eyes of man are not satisfied. They will always want more.

The only true way to be satisfied is in Jesus. He told the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well that he could give her living water that would quench her thirst forever. It is interesting to note that after this one encounter with Jesus she left her water pot and went back to tell her friends and family about this living water. She had found something else to satisfy her thirst. Oh, I'm sure she eventually needed water again. She was, after all, human. But Jesus wasn't speaking of the natural man. He was speaking of the spiritual man. The one who can only be satisfied with a drink from the cup of Jesus Christ.

Is there emptiness in your life? Do you find that, no matter what you have, it is never enough? Are you anxious, afraid, or depressed? Do you always desire more? Have a longing for something you can't name? If so, you need a long drink from the spiritual well of Jacob, Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God. It is only HE that can satisfy your soul. Ask him today for a drink of that living water. Once you taste it you will never be the same. But be forewarned; This water is addictive. Once you drink of it, nothing else will ever again satisfy your thirst. You will have to come again and again to the well of salvation. It is the only source of living water.

Yours in Christ's Service,

Sullivan Jones 

Good Tidings of Great Joy

Luke 2: 10-11 Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 

Last night I was chatting online with a friend from Honduras. He lives in an area of the city not far from where I lived during my year in Tegucigalpa, the capital. That side of town is known to be quite dangerous in places. I was asking him about about the safety of that area. He said it was about the same as when he first went there in 2001. When I told him that the reports I hear all tell how bad the city has gotten he had this reply: Man, it is the same as it has always been. The reason that people think it is worse is because the media only reports the bad things. They put gruesome crime scene photos in the papers that would not be put in the papers in the United States. The purpose is to be sensational because it makes a good story. No one, it seems, wants to read about good news. 

This world is indeed full of bad news. There is always another story about a murder, rape, or robbery. But for the Christian there is always good news. Our good news is that Jesus Christ came into the world to save us from our sins. We who believe in him are eternally set free from our sins through the His atoning blood on the Cross. We need never hang our heads in shame, fear, or doubt. No matter what happens in this life there is one thing that never changes. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). Riches come and go and fame fades. Governments rise and fall. There will always be wars and rumors of wars. But the Christian has a constant hope. God will always be by my side and that is what gives me my joy. No matter what the papers say, there is good news today. Jesus Christ Lives!

Loving Jesus,

Sullivan Jones 

A Hiding Place

Psalm 32:7 - You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.

Isaiah 32:1-2 - Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment.

And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.

Corrie ten Boom, the holocaust hero, heard her father read these words as a small child. "What kind of hiding place?", she wondered. "What is there to be afraid of?" Later on the Nazis invaded their land and the atrocities began. She and her family began to hide Jews in their home and had a secret room built for times of search. At the families arrest it kept five people safely hid from the Nazis. All but one escaped arrest and lived through the war. 

But it was later in prison that Corrie found the real "Hiding Place." When she was alone in solitary, HE was there. When she was treated cruelly by the guards, HE was there. When she afraid, HE was there. Who is this HE? The only real hiding place. The best friend you will ever have. His name is Jesus. He is the one the prophet was speaking of when he said, "A man shall be as a hiding place ... the shadow of a great rock in a weary land." 

Corrie found out that neither her secret room nor her family could protect her. But she was never alone. Most of us will never be arrested for our faith, nor asked to endure what Corrie went through. But we all have our own struggles. Whatever they are today, you are not alone. Jesus, the rock of all ages, is nearby. He will be your shadow of comfort in a weary land. He is as close as the mention of his name. Call on him today. He will not let you down!

Trusting in Jesus,

Sullivan Jones 

God Knows Me.

Job 23:10 - He knows the way that I take ...

There are an unlimited number of ways that the enemy tries to creep into our lives. Like a lion, he is constantly on the prowl for a saint of God who has let his guard down. His tricks are not knew; they have worked since the beginning of time. A misconstrued word,  a misunderstood action, these are just a few of the things he will try to use to bring division among the body of Christ. According to Proverbs, "a word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver." Our words are powerful; we must guard them carefully.

We must also guard our minds and spirits. A second glance in the wrong direction may be all it takes to start a chain of events we will be sorry about forever. Never underestimate the weakness of our human frame. It will deceive us every time. We must constantly be in prayer to keep our spirits, hearts, and minds pure and free from the lust and enticements of this world. The flesh will never stop wanting what it can not have. The Spirit will never be satisfied when fed by the flesh. Its only satisfaction come from God alone. We must feed our souls daily with the word of God and prayer. This is the nourishment that gives us strength for when the enemy attacks.

God is  faithful to always deliver us in the hour of need. Whether it be personal temptation, attack from without, physical infirmity, or some other cause, it matters not. The devil's purpose is to make us discouraged enough to quit. The mature Christian can learn to sense when their is a trick of the enemy at work and act accordingly. The most improtant thing we can do is pray daily for ourselves and those around us that God will keep us safe from enemy attack. Ask him to grant us wisdom to understand when the devil is trying to reak havoc in our lives. Claim the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of Peace in your life and meditate on God's word.

The apostle Peter wrote that we must add to our basic faith in Jesus Christ, virtue, knowledge,  temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness and charity.We add these things to our lives through close communion with God in prayer, meditation, and Bible reading. The importance of this can never be overstated. Our salvation depends on it. How important is it? Peter said, "if you do these things you shall never fall." 

The word of God and prayer have the power not only to to bring us into the kingdom of God through salvation, but to keep us there as well. We must be careful to have a steady diet of them. Remember, the adversary is always around the corner.We must never be afraid of him for "greater is he that is in us than he that is in the world." At the same time we must be constantly alert and sensitive to the voice of God. His voice will keep us from many perils if we will but heed it. 


Trusting in Jesus,

Sullivan Jones 

The Faith of a Bird

There is an interesting phrase found in Psalm 104: 16. It says "the trees of the Lord are full of sap." The birds make their refuge in these trees yet they don't belong to the birds. They belong to the Lord. The next verse talks about the high hills where the wild goats live. The goats make homes in the caves of the hills, yet the hills belong to the Lord as well. There is a point here we all need to consider. It is about trusting God. Jesus told us in Luke chapter 12 to consider the birds of the air. They don't work, nor do they save for the winter. Yet God takes care of them. Why? Because somehow they understand that the trees belong to God and he will always see that they have food. God is so careful to take care of the birds that not even one of them dies without him knowing. Matthew 10:29.

If God takes such good care of the birds of the air, don't you think he will take care of his children? We talk about having the faith of a child but perhaps we should have the faith of a bird. Just understand that it all belongs to God, do what we know to do, and let him care for us. It really is that simple.

Thankfully,

Sullivan Jones 

I'm a Soldier in the Army of the Lord

I awoke this morning with the words to a Sunday School song going through my mind.

I may never march in the infantry, ride in the Calvary, shoot the artillery,
I may never zoom over the enemy, but I'm in the Lord's army.

Little boys often dream of growing up to be war heroes, much like little girls dream of being princesses. To a six year old singing that song in Sunday School war just seems like an adventure. He has no idea what war is all about. What he is really saying is, "I want to grow up and do something important." Something important seems like sinking enemy submarines or capturing a mountain for the Fatherland. Yet, these things are not what most of us experience. Although I highly respect our men and women in uniform, I am thankful that most of us are spared the atrocities of war.

Yet all of us are in a warfare everyday. The Bible tells us that we do not fight against flesh and blood .... but against spiritual wickedness in high places (Ephesians 6:12). This battle that we are fighting is largely a battle for control of our minds and our spirits. It is a battle to see who will be in charge that day, the enemy of our souls or our Lord Jesus Christ. This is real warfare and the outcome is far more important, eternally speaking, than any human battle. 

The idea of war strikes fear into the hearts of many. Yet the Christian need never fear. We are promised the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (I Corinthians 15:57.) We have an armor that is impenetrable when applied everyday in prayer. We have the Holy Spirit who lives inside of us and gives us strength to fight. We have a God who hears every prayer that we pray. We are on the winning side. 

This battle is real, but GREATER IS HE THAT IS IN ME THAN HE THAT IS IN THE WORLD. 

I am a soldier in God's army and HE always wins his battles. 

Victoriously,

Sullivan Jones 

The quality of mercy

The quality of mercy is not strain'd,
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest:
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.

Shakespeare

All of us like the idea of receiving mercy. We like to talk about mercy until we are the one who needs to give it to someone else. Mercy, in a nutshell, is forgiveness. It is not giving someone the punishment they deserve. Mercy is letting a past wrong go or being kind and gentle when someone is less than perfect. All of us have needed mercy at some point in our lives and I'm sure we will need it again eventually, some sooner than others. Lamentations 3:22 says that it is because of God's tender mercies that we are not consumed. If God were to give us all what we really deserve, none of us would be here. But he gives us new grace every morning. Should we not show the same quality of mercy to others. In the words of Shakespeare, let mercy drop as the gentle rain from heaven. It will bless both the one who gives and the one who receives. 

Thankful for his Mercy,

Sullivan Jones 

The Narrow Way

Jesus said, "Wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. - Matthew 7: 13 -14

To many, Christianity seems to be too confining. Life is full of choices and human nature says to live life to the fullest. It is a big world out there. How can you know what you are missing unless you sample all of it. Live and let live is the cry of the day. But like the Leprechaun who knows he has found the rainbow with the real pot of gold, so is the Christian who has discovered the real source of joy. The path that we are on may be narrow and confining but it leads to Jesus and he is the source of eternal life. Once I consider that, everything else pales in comparison. There may be wider roads that offer more in this life, but the one I'm on leads to Jesus. Won't you come along? You'll never be sorry you did. 

Following Jesus,

Sullivan Jones 

I Choose to Believe

Recently I was talking with a friend and he was expressing that there are things in the Bible that are hard to comprehend with the human mind. In order to believe that the Bible is the word of God we are asked to believe some things that seem strange to logical thinking. Skeptics have said for years that Jonah could not have really lived inside of a fish. And whoever heard such a tale as two naked people in a garden listening to a talking snake. It almost seems to be science fiction here. Don't get me wrong, I believe every word of the Bible. I am speaking from a standpoint of human logic. 

The book of Hebrews tells us that in order to come to God we must believe that He (God) exists and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek after him. The apostle Peter spoke of the Apostles Paul's writings as "some things hard to be understood" (II Peter 3:16). Yet as Christians we do believe these things and that belief is what has opened the path for us to have a relationship with God.

True, we have often been ridiculed for believing "ridiculous stories" but I say it takes far more faith to believe in evolution than it does to believe in God. In order for evolution to be true there is no end to the "miracles" that would have had to happen at each step in the game; yet evolution is deemed science while the Bible is deemed nonsense. The problem is that our human logic gets in the way of simple, child-like faith. It is far easier (and wiser) to simply trust that God knows what he is doing and let him work out the details. Yes, there are some things I will probably never understand in this life but the good thing is I don't have to. I choose to believe that God made it all and that makes all the difference. 

Sullivan Jones 

Habits

Sometimes we tend to think of ourselves as being spiritual in one part and physical/emotional in another. Actually we are this one big, complex whole. What affects us physically will affect us mentally and spiritually and vice versa. It is important to keep a balance in our lives and see about our overall health. Prayer and Bible study are necessary to spiritual health. Eating correctly and exercise are necessary to physical health. Both of these things affect our emotional health. We must not put all of our emphasis on one area and neglect the rest. The key is discipline, a word we don't often like to think about.

Discipline isn't something that comes naturally to most of us. We usually think of discipline as punishment when in isn't. Discipline is having structure in our lives. When we were children we were told to go to bed at a certain time and get up at a certain time. As adults we go to bed and get up because have to be at work. Some may be able to get up without an alarm but most do not. The important thing is, we have learned to get up and get dressed without some one telling us that we must. This is called discipline.

As important as discipline is in our daily lives, it is even more important in our spiritual lives. Have you ever noticed that as soon as you begin to pray the phone rings? Or you think of a million things that need to be done. You get the picture. The reason is that prayer requires disciplining the natural mind to deny itself so that the spirit can commune with God for a little while.  Just like training ourselves to get up in the morning, we can train ourselves to pray. It may not be easy at first but the results are well worth the effort.

Most often when we begin to diet or exercise we do it only for a little while and then go back to our old habits. The same is true of prayer. We get up earlier and make ourselves pray but it only lasts for a short time. Then we are sleeping to the last minute again. (At least that's been my cycle.) But discipline is good for us and we need it. They say that actions become habits and habits form our destinies. If this is true, then I am determined to create good habits. After all, they just might make the difference of a lifetime.

Committed to Jesus,

Sullivan Jones