Exodus 3:14 - God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM.
I have often heard the adage "it is what it is." This is usually expressed when something is not as it should be. The expression in itself might seem to be a statement of praticality. If we can't change something then we should just work with what we have and not "cry over spilt milk" to borrow another expression. Leave the past in the past and go forward. I'm sure there are times when the expression fits.
However, there are times when we shouldn't just accept things as they are. There are situations in our life that need to be changed. Maybe it is a recurring ailment that keeps one feeling both spiritually and physically drained. Perhaps it is a battle with depression that one can't seem to conquer. It might be a spiritual bondage from which you have give up hope of ever being free. Whatever the problem, "it is what it is" is not the answer.
In the Old Testament God introduced himself to Moses as "I am who I am." Moses wanted to know God's name because he wanted some assurance that God could do what he said he was going to do. God's only answer was, "I am." God's Old Testament name, "JEHOVAH", actually is a form of the verb "to be". Whatever Moses needed, God was the answer.
In the same way, God wants to be your answer today. Maybe you don't see how your situation can ever be any different; perhaps you have given up hope that you can change. If you are dealing with things in your life that aren't as they should be, they don't have to stay that way. Because God "IS WHO HE IS" things can be different.
Faith is expressing belief that because "GOD IS" my situations don't "have to be". If I give them to Jesus he can work them out. I am not talking about doing away with practicality and reason. I am suggesting that we don't let "reason" deprive us of a blessing. If God promised it I can have it, because HE IS.
In Faith,
Sullivan Jones
4/4/13
Scripture Only
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.
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
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