God Still Speaks

In the Old Testament God often spoke in dramatic ways to his prophets. God spoke to Moses face to face. He also called to him out of a burning bush. He spoke to many of the Old and New Testament characters through angels, dreams, and awe-inspiring visions. Most of us probably do not have quite such dramatic stories to tell about seeing and hearing from God. This does not mean we can not hear from God.

God still speaks to us, just maybe in different ways. He speaks to us through preaching, teaching, and Christian books. Sometimes we receive a direct answer from God through prayer. Other times we might just have a firm assurance that we know what the right thing to do is. However God chooses to speak, He can make his will perfectly known in our lives as long we are seeking him.

Sometimes hearing from God requires turning off the many voices around us. We might have to turn off the radio, television and telephone, and disconnect from social media. Perhaps we need to spend a day (or several days) in a quiet place with God, seeking his face. It is often in these times that our way becomes clear because we are able to focus all of our attention on God. These times are invaluable to the Christian who is seeking for God's word.

It is our responsibility to cultivate our relationship with God so that we will recognize His voice when he speaks. Expect God to speak to you and He will!

Blessings,

Spanish Pastor Jones

Part of my thoughts were taken from Manna From Moses: 101 Morsels for Successful Christian Leadership by J. Stuart Lassetter.

Is Stealing Wrong?

The following scenario was posted in one of my philosophy classes. I have posted the question and my answer.

Scenario: Heinz’s wife was dying from a particular type of cancer. Doctors said a new drug might save her. The drug had been discovered by a local chemist and Heinz tried desperately to buy some, but the chemist was charging ten times the money it cost to make the drug. This was much more than the Heinz could afford. He could only raise half the money, even after help from family and friends. He explained this to the chemist and asked if he could have the drug cheaper or pay the rest of the money later. The chemist refused, saying that he had discovered the drug and was going to make money from it. The husband was desperate to save his wife, so later that night he broke into the chemist’s and stole the drug.
Question: Was Heinz justified in stealing the drug?

Answer:
The entire scenario above is flawed. When hypothetical questions like this are staged, the purpose is to get Christians to admit that God's commandments are sometimes wrong. In this case, Heinz is justified in stealing even though he is breaking one of God's most fundamental laws. The Christian does not have to fall into such a trap. Heinz is not at the mercy of a pharmacist who will not provide medicine. Our God is able to supply all of our needs. God would not give us a commandment that we could not keep. He is a just judge. According to God's word, one day we will be judged for the deeds done in our lifetime (II Corinthians 5:10). God will not be guilty on that day of setting us up to fail. We are serving the God who parted the Red Sea. Surely he can provide a way for Heinz to honor his word. The Christian must be careful not to be sucked into such "what if" arguments. They are designed to make us question our faith. God's word has the answer for such questions. The answer in this case is that God will provide.

Blessings, 

Sullivan 

Wisdom: The Principle Thing

Proverbs 4:7 – Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

We live in a world that puts a high priority on education. I have heard it said that the generation of Americans 40 and under has the highest percentage of college graduates in the history of the world. At the same time, it contains the lowest percentage of people with any true job skills. Whether or not these statistics are exactly accurate, the issue is real. Modern education has produced an overabundance of people with degrees in the humanities and arts who don’t know how to use a wrench. As I consider this, I am forced to ask this question: what good is all that learning if it doesn’t translate into any marketable skill? (I do not mean this to be derogatory; I myself am an academic and not a tradesman.)
The same idea can be applied to the difference between knowledge and wisdom. Knowledge is the accumulation of facts. Wisdom is the skill to use those facts in a needed situation. Allow me to give an illustration. Knowledge is knowing that a desert path is 12.4 miles long. Wisdom is packing enough water for the hike (Scuderi). (To go a step further, insight is the forethought to build a lemonade stand at mile 6.)
The Bible has much to say about wisdom. The fear of the Lord is referred to as the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 1:7, 9:10). Wisdom will give the discretion to know when to keep silent and when to speak (Ecclesiastes 3:7). Wisdom let us know that a gentle answer will turn away another person’s anger (Proverbs 15:1). Wisdom lets us know that it is not good to borrow because it makes us a slave to someone else’s desires (Proverbs 22:7). These are more than just head facts.  They are sound principles of advice that, if heeded, will help one avoid many of life’s unnecessary pitfalls. In short, wisdom keeps us from acting hastily in adverse situations. It will help us make careful, informed decisions based on reason and logic instead of the emotion of the moment.
In II Samuel 1:27 King David has just learned that his father-in-law, King Saul, has been killed in battle. In David’s grief he utters these timeless words: “How are the mighty fallen.” Though his words are spoken as an exclamation, the questioning tone of David’s lament is unmistakable. How did one such as King Saul fall so far from God’s grace? I believe the answer is very simple. Saul thought he was smarter than God. He thought he didn’t need the advice of Samuel, the prophet of God. He thought he didn’t need the advice of his counselors and men of war. He was a law unto himself. Though he was a very talented and capable leader, his lack of wisdom caused him to fall far and hard. How are the mighty fallen!
The lesson for us today is noteworthy. None of us is an island. We are all in need of direction and guidance. Our own experiences are not enough. We must know how to apply the head knowledge we have in times of difficulty. We need the wisdom of the word of God and the advice of our elders. We don’t want the next generation to be a nation of people who can quote Shakespeare but can’t use a screwdriver.
We also don’t want the next generation to call itself Christian but not understand sound Biblical principles such as the sanctity of marriage, the principles of hard work, the value of spending less than you make, loyalty, etc. These things have made this country great and will preserve it into a new generation. The lack of these things will destroy us quicker than any terrorist organization. In short, we need wisdom. It will preserve us. Education is good. Knowledge is good. Wisdom is necessary.

Let us cling to wisdom. It will preserve us.

Blessings,

Spanish Pastor Jones

Works Cited

Scuderi, Royale. “What Are The Differences Between Knowledge, Wisdom, and Insight?”Likehack. Web. 18 March 2016

 

 

Is God Dangerous?

Is God dangerous?

“The intelligent person recognizes that his or her well-being lies in being in harmony with God …God is not mean but he is dangerous (Willard  2012).

When I read this quote I was reminded of one of my favorite quotes from the Chronicles of Narnia: “He is not a tame lion.” The lion, Aslan, was C.S. Lewis’ representation of Jesus Christ, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. In this scenario two people who had gone astray were discussing whether to give themselves willingly into the hands of the Lion for judgment or to run away. When one asked another how the Lion would respond, this was the answer. “How should I know?” “He is not a tame Lion.”

The depiction of Jesus Christ here is near-perfect. God is holy and just, but he is not tame. Some have a picture of God as a heavenly Santa Claus who gives out gifts to good little boys and girls. Nothing could be further from the truth. Though there is a reward in serving God, we must not serve God only for the rewards. We must serve him because He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He breathes fire on His enemies and devours His opponents. There is no one that can stand before the fierceness of His anger. When Jonathan Edwards depicted this in his now-famous treatise, Sinners in the Hand of an Angry God, it is said that people fainted in the audience for fear of God’s anger.  

I do not serve God for fear. I serve Him because I am in love with Jesus. He is my dearest and best friend. He is an ever present comfort in every situation. Yet I would be a fool to say that I do not fear Him. This would be more than dangerous. I would be gambling with my soul. I am afraid that the modern church is guilty only of preaching John 3:16 and omitting Hebrews 10:31 and Hebrews 12:29. Let us love God. He is lovable. But let us never cease to fear Him. After all, He is God!

Willard, D. (2012). Renovation of the Heart: Putting on the Character of Christ. Colorado Springs, CO: NAVPRESS.

 

Yes, I can.

I Samuel 30:6 - David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.
One of the more difficult parts of counseling is overcoming the "I can't" syndrome. If a person thinks s/he can't, s/he won't even try and thus is defeated before s/he has begun. An effective way to overcome this is to have the counselee tell you about something s/he has overcome in the past. This can be done with an open ended question. Can you tell me about the last time you started a new job? How did you overcome the anxiety that time? How did the job turn out for you? If s/he starts thinking about it, s/he will convince him/herself that s/he can do this after all.

Church folks have a phrase for this as well. It is called a testimony. You know that time we used to give on Wednesday night for people to stand and say something for Jesus? Often these testimonies followed a pattern:

1. I had a problem.
2. I didn't know what to do.
3. I knew God had done it before.
4. I prayed and he did it again.

Did you notice the pattern? The person had to remind himself that he had come through a trial before and he would make it through again. Often the answer to the problem was simply getting rid of the "I can't attitude." There is something powerful about believing in oneself and one's own ability to get the job done.

We Christians have an even greater advantage. We are not just trusting in our own ability. We are trusting in an all powerful God who has an awesome track record. He has never lost a battle and never will. He is always in control and never lacks self confidence. Are you facing an obstacle today? Is there a difficult decision directly in your path? Are you uncertain of what to do? Don't despair. Just follow the above guideline with a few modifications.

1. I have a problem.
2. God knows what to do.
3. He has done it before.
4. He will will show me what to do (or not do) this time.
5. Therefore it is not a problem.

Above all, face the situation with an " God and I can" attitude. Remember, God is on your side. Together there is nothing you can't accomplish. Sometimes we wonder why God has not already worked out a certain situation for us. I believe it is often because he wants us to take the first step. Like a parent coaxing a child to try, God wants us to realize that we can. Sure, He is there to help us, but He can't help us if we won't try. "Believe in yourself" is not contrary to the word of God. "Believe in God and yourself" is an unstoppable combination.

Believe in yourself! God does and you should to.

I can,

Sullivan Jones