The Standard
Ephesians 4:11-14
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
I recently had some work done on my vehicle. We all know that vehicle repair can be costly. I'm sure many of us have wondered why it took a mechanic 30 minutes to change something and they charge us for four hours of work. The basic premise is that they use a guide book. Let's say that you need your starter changed like I did. The mechanic has a book that tells him how many hours it should take to change the starter. If it is two hours he can not charge you for four hours worth of labor. If he does it in 30 minutes because he didn't have any problems then he still gets paid for two hours. If it takes him five then he is just working overtime without extra pay. The labor guide protects the customer. Without it there would be no way to say how much a shop should charge and unethical people could take advantage of you.
The same is true with the word of God. Unfortunately there are many people who teach all kinds of things in the name of Christianity that are not Christian principles. We are humans and therfore we are subject to error. But thankfully there is a Guidebook. We all know it as the Holy Bible. It tells us what Jesus taught and what his apostles taught after him. If we are ever in doubt about any teaching then we can go to the book and find the answers that we need.
This book teaches us to respect authority. It teaches us to honour the king and reverence our pastors. Yet it also teaches us to try every spirit and doctrine to make sure it is in line with God's word. The one is not in conflict with the other. We just have to understand that God's word is always the final authority. In the everchanging world in which we live sometimes nothing seems secure. People we thought we could have faith in let us down. Factories close down and we find ourselves without a job. Loved ones pass on and we feel the loss.
Yet there is one thing that is secure. Psalm 119:89 says "Forever, oh Lord, thy word is settled in heaven." God's word is never changing. Jesus is always as close as the mention of his name. Do you need something solid in your life. Try Jesus- he will never change!
2/8/13
2/1/13
Faith
There is a plaque on the wall in my living room that says "Have faith in God." It has a story to tell because when I see it I am reminded of how God's faithfulness. It is a story of God's miraculous intervention and most of all it reminds me of how much he loves me.
Several years ago my wife and I were in need of a vehicle. We were driving a borrowed car that was on its last leg. We were in the process of moving from Wiggins to Jackson and knew that we could not move until we had another vehicle. We were hesistant to make a note we couldn't afford and although we had looked at several vehicles, each time we seemed to hear God say "wait."
One day I was walking through the Dollar General store on Siwell Road in Jackson and my eyes fell on this plaque. Immediately I felt the Lord impress me to buy it and put it in our living room. I felt that it was an expression of faith that God was going to take care of us. We were literally counting our last few dollars to buy a few groceries and I had to ask my wife if there was enough to buy the plaque. I spent my last 8 dollars on that plaque but I left the store with peace knowing that God was in control.
The next week the Lord provided enough money for us to get on to our next preaching engagement which was in my home town in south Louisiana. I was scheduled to preach Sunday morning and Sunday night at Beam of Life Tabernacle for Pastor Frank Manguno. After Sunday morning service we ate lunch with the pastor at his home. During the meal he asked me about our vehicle but said nothing more. That night after I preached, Pastor Frank came to the pulpit and said God had spoken to him. He then explained our need for a vehicle to the congregation.
What happened next is still one of the most amazing things I have ever witnessed. In a matter of a few mintues, as my wife and I sat in shock, wiping tears, he took a ten thousand dollar offering to buy us a vehicle. There were not 50 people in that church that night but the ones who were there apparently were givers.
After church Pastor Frank told us to go that week and find the vehicle we wanted. On Thursday his wife drove to meet us with the offering and by Friday we were the owners of a shiny red Nissan Xterra. When I looked back later I was so thankful that I had not gone out and made a car note I couldn't afford. God provided in his own good time. Now when I see that plaque I am reminded that I can depend on him.
Trusting in His Care,
Rev. Sullivan Jones
Several years ago my wife and I were in need of a vehicle. We were driving a borrowed car that was on its last leg. We were in the process of moving from Wiggins to Jackson and knew that we could not move until we had another vehicle. We were hesistant to make a note we couldn't afford and although we had looked at several vehicles, each time we seemed to hear God say "wait."
One day I was walking through the Dollar General store on Siwell Road in Jackson and my eyes fell on this plaque. Immediately I felt the Lord impress me to buy it and put it in our living room. I felt that it was an expression of faith that God was going to take care of us. We were literally counting our last few dollars to buy a few groceries and I had to ask my wife if there was enough to buy the plaque. I spent my last 8 dollars on that plaque but I left the store with peace knowing that God was in control.
The next week the Lord provided enough money for us to get on to our next preaching engagement which was in my home town in south Louisiana. I was scheduled to preach Sunday morning and Sunday night at Beam of Life Tabernacle for Pastor Frank Manguno. After Sunday morning service we ate lunch with the pastor at his home. During the meal he asked me about our vehicle but said nothing more. That night after I preached, Pastor Frank came to the pulpit and said God had spoken to him. He then explained our need for a vehicle to the congregation.
What happened next is still one of the most amazing things I have ever witnessed. In a matter of a few mintues, as my wife and I sat in shock, wiping tears, he took a ten thousand dollar offering to buy us a vehicle. There were not 50 people in that church that night but the ones who were there apparently were givers.
After church Pastor Frank told us to go that week and find the vehicle we wanted. On Thursday his wife drove to meet us with the offering and by Friday we were the owners of a shiny red Nissan Xterra. When I looked back later I was so thankful that I had not gone out and made a car note I couldn't afford. God provided in his own good time. Now when I see that plaque I am reminded that I can depend on him.
Trusting in His Care,
Rev. Sullivan Jones
1/25/13
It Wasn't the Nails
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)
I have had a song in my mind for several days. The chorus says "It wasn't the nails that held Jesus to the cross. He could have come down but my soul would still be lost. The ransom was so high only he could pay the cost. It wasn't the nails that held him to the cross."
This morning I awoke again with those lyrics in my mind. As I dressed for work I found myself singing it. I couldn't help but stop and worship Jesus just a moment for paying the price for my sins. I am thankful that he was willing to go all the way for me. When I begin to contemplate his great love for me I feel at once overwhelmed and grateful. Overwhelmed because it seems so high a price to pay. And grateful because, as in the words of the song, I could never have paid the price for myself.
Are you feeling low today? Are you tired and weary? Wondering if anyone loves you? Just remember that Jesus Christ, God in flesh, went to the cross for you. Take a moment to reflect on how much God loves you. I guarantee it will make you feel better.
In His service,
Rev. Sullivan Jones
I have had a song in my mind for several days. The chorus says "It wasn't the nails that held Jesus to the cross. He could have come down but my soul would still be lost. The ransom was so high only he could pay the cost. It wasn't the nails that held him to the cross."
This morning I awoke again with those lyrics in my mind. As I dressed for work I found myself singing it. I couldn't help but stop and worship Jesus just a moment for paying the price for my sins. I am thankful that he was willing to go all the way for me. When I begin to contemplate his great love for me I feel at once overwhelmed and grateful. Overwhelmed because it seems so high a price to pay. And grateful because, as in the words of the song, I could never have paid the price for myself.
Are you feeling low today? Are you tired and weary? Wondering if anyone loves you? Just remember that Jesus Christ, God in flesh, went to the cross for you. Take a moment to reflect on how much God loves you. I guarantee it will make you feel better.
In His service,
Rev. Sullivan Jones
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