Study to shew yourself approved unto God, a workman that does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. II Timothy 2:15
The great cry of the Protestant Reformation in Europe was "Sola Scriptura" which is a Latin phrase meaning scripture only. At that time most of the world did not have the Bible in its own language. The Bible was available mainly in Latin which most people (other than clergy and scholars) did not speak. The only thing that most people knew about the Bible was what was told to the by the clergy. Because most people could not read the scriptures, they came to rely upon the clergymen to interprate the Bible for them. Althought this in itself was not necessarily a bad thing, it had its drawbacks. Since the comman man could not go to the scripture for himself, he had to believe whatever the clergy told him was written there. There was not system of checks and balances to make sure that one person's understanding was the correct one. In time, the scriptural interpretations of the state church came to be equated with the scripture itself. In other words, what the pastor said about a scripture was given equal spiritual authority with the scripture even if it contradicted the scripture or explained it away. When printing became readily available and the Bible was printed in the common language of the day, many realized for the first time the blatant errors that were being taught and took a stand against them.
In 2013 we live in the most educated society in the history of the world. Because of television, the average high school student has watched an open heart surgery. Most of us know far more about the world than Columbus ever did, without having ever left our living rooms. Yet our world is sadly lacking in knowledge of the Bible. We send our young people off to get secular educations with dollar signs in mind. Even those who feel a call to preach are discouraged from getting Bible college educations because they can make more money with secular degrees.
Liberal theologians are telling us that the Bible doesn't have to be taken literally; we can choose which parts of it we want to believe. We are told that there are many paths to God when Jesus said that "No one comes unto the Father except through him." There is an all out war in today's world against Christianity and the teachings of God's word. Those who insist that the Bible is a book to be obeyed are labeled at bigots and as being prejudiced.
We have arrived at a place again where most know only what has been told to them about the Bible. Very few have read the Bible for themselves. Even fewer are willing to take a stand if it goes agianst what grandma or grandpa taught them. With no disrespect to my forefathers, I am more interested in knowing what the scripture says for myself than in listening to someone else's interpretation of it. As a minister and Bible teacher I encourage my students to read the scripture for themselves. I am not worried that they might take a different view than I have. I am open to anything as long as it is in the scripture. If one day I will be judged by the scripture then I need to make sure I know what is in it. My eternal destiny depends on it.
If I have a creed it is this: SOLA SCRIPTURA - SCRIPTURE ONLY. It is the only thing that matters.
4/2/13
Graduation Day
"In the Spring a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love", said Alfred Loyd Tennyson. Everyone loves the spring time. It is a time of new hope and fresh plans. It is a time for weddings and proms and mainly for graduations. In just a few weeks young people all over the nation will be graduating from both high school and college. They will, no doubt, be full of hopes and dreams for the future. I'm sure there are many busy making plans for "after graduation." Some are cramming for final exams; others are wondering if they will pass math or English in time to graduate. Very few have anything long term on their minds.
As important as graduation is, there is another date which is far more important. It is a date that all of us must keep and for which very few are truly prepared. The date is not set in stone; it is different for all of us. It is the date on which we will graduate from this life. Hebrews 9:27 tells us that it is appointed unto men once to die, and after this the judgement. You see, that day will truly be a graduation day. Right now is just the school time that is preparing us for where we will spend eternity. We are taking the tests at this very moment. On that day the books will be opened (Revelation 20:12) and the grades will be read. It will be too late to study. Whatever grades we have made will be recorded there for everyone to see.
I don't know about you, but I made a few grades in school that I really would not want anyone to see. Some of my college classes I had to retake because I wasn't as diligent as I could have been the first time around. I'm sure we've all had to take make-up tests because we were absent from school on a certain day. On that day, there will be no make-up tests. The make-ups must be done before one's name is called.
We must all examine ourselves to see if we are ready for that day or not. If not, there is still hope. There is still time to find a place of repentance and let the blood of Jesus wash us clean. There is still time to restore that broken relationship that we messed up. There is still time to right any wrongs that we may have done to someone, whether intentionally or not. But I challenge you not to wait too long thinking that there is plenty of time. Your graduation day may be sooner than you expected.
Thoughtfully Yours,
Sullivan Jones
As important as graduation is, there is another date which is far more important. It is a date that all of us must keep and for which very few are truly prepared. The date is not set in stone; it is different for all of us. It is the date on which we will graduate from this life. Hebrews 9:27 tells us that it is appointed unto men once to die, and after this the judgement. You see, that day will truly be a graduation day. Right now is just the school time that is preparing us for where we will spend eternity. We are taking the tests at this very moment. On that day the books will be opened (Revelation 20:12) and the grades will be read. It will be too late to study. Whatever grades we have made will be recorded there for everyone to see.
I don't know about you, but I made a few grades in school that I really would not want anyone to see. Some of my college classes I had to retake because I wasn't as diligent as I could have been the first time around. I'm sure we've all had to take make-up tests because we were absent from school on a certain day. On that day, there will be no make-up tests. The make-ups must be done before one's name is called.
We must all examine ourselves to see if we are ready for that day or not. If not, there is still hope. There is still time to find a place of repentance and let the blood of Jesus wash us clean. There is still time to restore that broken relationship that we messed up. There is still time to right any wrongs that we may have done to someone, whether intentionally or not. But I challenge you not to wait too long thinking that there is plenty of time. Your graduation day may be sooner than you expected.
Thoughtfully Yours,
Sullivan Jones
4/1/13
All Fools Day
The first of April has been referred to for centuries as All Fools' Day and then later as April Fools' Day. The day has its origins in the medieval Feast of Fools celebrated in December. It was a day to masquerade as someone in authority such as the bishop or king in order to mock them. It generally had a festive fair and joke playing was usually themed around making fun of the rich or church leaders. The fool was the object of the ridicule.
The Bible has a different definition for a fool. Psalm 14:1 tells us "The fool has said in his heart, there is no God." I recently saw a missions video that captured a sign on a train in Europe. The sign said, "There is probably no God so stop worrying and enjoy your life." I immediately wished I had been there to see the sign. I would want to tell the person responsible that I am enjoying my life BECAUSE I KNOW that there is a God.
It is foolish to believe that this life is all there is. Everything in our world points to a divine creator. It is equally foolish to assume that the God who created all is not interested in how we live our lives. He is very interested in every detail. If it concerns you, it concerns him. He has your well-being at heart.
There will come a day when all the joke playing will cease. On that great day of judgement, in whom will they trust who have denied the existence of our God? Psalm 33:17 says "It is vain to trust in a horse for deliverance." That is trusting in our own strength. In a time of trouble I had rather put my trust in the God who knows all and sees all than to chance life without him. That is why I can say, I truly am enjoying my life.
God Bless,
Rev. Sullivan Jones
The Bible has a different definition for a fool. Psalm 14:1 tells us "The fool has said in his heart, there is no God." I recently saw a missions video that captured a sign on a train in Europe. The sign said, "There is probably no God so stop worrying and enjoy your life." I immediately wished I had been there to see the sign. I would want to tell the person responsible that I am enjoying my life BECAUSE I KNOW that there is a God.
It is foolish to believe that this life is all there is. Everything in our world points to a divine creator. It is equally foolish to assume that the God who created all is not interested in how we live our lives. He is very interested in every detail. If it concerns you, it concerns him. He has your well-being at heart.
There will come a day when all the joke playing will cease. On that great day of judgement, in whom will they trust who have denied the existence of our God? Psalm 33:17 says "It is vain to trust in a horse for deliverance." That is trusting in our own strength. In a time of trouble I had rather put my trust in the God who knows all and sees all than to chance life without him. That is why I can say, I truly am enjoying my life.
God Bless,
Rev. Sullivan Jones
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