Beauty in the Mundane

II Timothy 1:12 - I know the one in whom I have placed my confidence, and I am perfectly certain that the work He has committed to me is safe in His hands until that day. Phillips New Testament


"The Most important question is not how much work is being done but how much Jesus is doing through you." Corrie ten Boom

There are times when all of us feel as if we are not doing enough. In the grind of day to day life we can  feel as if what we are doing is futile. Take a simple think like washing dishes. We wash them after breakfast but they must be washed again after lunch and dinner. So why bother washing them? The answer is simple; because we must have clean dishes to eat from.

We can use that example with any part of our lives. The day to day tasks that we do may seem mundane but they are important. Importance is not measured by how glamorous a job is. In fact, it is often the least glamorous jobs that are the most important. The janitor, for instance, is the first one to be noticed if he is not at work but is usually the last one recognized for anything he does.

When we read about people in the scriptures we tend to put them on a pedestal that we ourselves are not on. We look at Paul when preached to Cornelius or Peter when he raised a girl from the dead and are amazed at the faith they had. We tend to think they must have belonged to a race of men with some level of super faith that we can not even hope of  reaching. Yet these were just the highlights of their lives. There were many days when Peter and Paul (and even Jesus) spent a lot of time doing the mundane. They lived normal lives like each of us. They went to work and battled sickness and perhaps even dealt with sick children or aging parents. The Bible doesn't focus on these things because they were not out of the ordinary. They were not glamorous occurrences so they didn't make the news, so to speak.

There are some people who are never able to do anything well because they get tired of the mundane too easily. When the new and exciting part of a job wears off they fail to follow through. These people may have great ideas but in the grand scheme of things they are not the most important people in a corporation. They ones who are always faithful to be at work and are willing to lend a hand with anything are far more important.

We don't have to be the best at everything but we should do what we can do to the best of our ability and leave the rest to God. I don't have to be spectacular I just have to be diligent. There will always be someone who can do better work than I can but I will not let that stop me from doing what I can do. I will do all in my power and if it's not enough I will leave the rest to Jesus. I am confident that He will take what I do for him and make it into something good.


In Christ's Service,

Spanish Pastor Jones

Everyone's Favorite Words

I read an article recently that talked about a recent Gallup poll in which people were asked about their favorite words. Almost without exception, the top three things people like to hear most are "I love you", "I forgive you", and "supper is ready". While we may chuckle at little at the last one there is no doubt that the first two are sorely lacking in our world.

The Holiday season is upon us and with that comes thoughts of family. To some people this means cozy thoughts of a small family gathered around the fireplace on Christmas Eve opening presents. To others it means large  gatherings with in-laws, cousins, etc. To some it may mean feeling the absence of family more keenly than throughout the rest of the year. While many look forward to family get-togethers, others dread them. It seems like family is the hardest to get along with for some.

Families are a gift from God and no one can ever take the place of family in our lives. Christmas time is a time to think about gift giving. The best present some of us could give to a family member would be an "I love you" or an "I forgive you". These words may not always be the easiest to say but they certainly are the most rewarding. At first it may feel awkward to tell these words to someone you haven't used them on in a long time. But words such as "I love you" are healing words when said from the heart.

Is there a relationship in your life that needs mending? Does someone you know need to be reassured of your love and forgiveness? Perhaps you need to ask forgiveness of someone yourself. Maybe you know of someone who is lonely and just needs an invitation to Christmas dinner. Whatever the occasion, make this Christmas special by using the three phrases people need to hear most: "I love you", "I forgive you", and "Supper is ready".

Merry Christmas,

Sullivan Jones 

Star of Bethlehem

Matthew 2:9 - The star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.

The story of the wise men who followed a star to the baby Jesus has become an enduring symbol of Christianity. A manger scene hardly seems complete without several wise men and the favorite topping for any Christmas tree is the star. Yet few of us realize what that star really signified.

When we think of the wise men we usually imagine three  men gathered around the baby Jesus with the shepherds on the night of his birth. The reality is far more intriguing. Though the Bible doesn't give us many details, we can deduce a few things from what it does say. 

The Bible tells us that when the Wise men arrived in Jerusalem to tell the wicked king Herod of the star they had been following He and all of Jerusalem were troubled. This means that everyone knew about their arrival. This is probably because they came with a great caravan and caused quite a stir in the city. No doubt it was a great trade caravan instead of a small band of men. We can also conclude that they were wealthy by the expensive gifts that they brought. No common merchant would have been able to give gold and rare spices to a baby. They brought expensive gifts worthy of a king. 

When the wise men told Herod about the star he knew nothing of a new king being born. He pretended to be interested and asked diligently about the time the star appeared. Then when the men were gone, he had all the baby boys from two years old and under killed. They must have told him that they had been following the star for nearly two years. This indicates that they came from a great distance away. When they finally found Jesus the Bible refers to him as a young child instead of an infant. He would have been around two years of age before the Magi arrived. 

Why does all this matter? What does the story of the wise men tell us? Isn't it just a good story. Do the details really matter? They do. They speak to us of a group of people with determination. It must have take some serious determination to travel such a great distance through the desert in search of a king in a distant land. One can only imagine the hardships they endured in their quest for this king. And we can only imagine their surprise and shock when they found that he was born in a stable rather than a palace. 

The story of the wise men is not just a simple children's story. It is a magnificent story of a people desperate for a king. A king that would solve all the world's problems and bring peace to a troubled land. It tells us something of the desperation and hope these men must have felt that they went to such great lengths to find this king. But instead of an earthly king they found something much more precious. They found a savior. 

The light that led these men to Jesus still shines today. For the real light they were seeking was not the star but the king himself. This king still lives and His light is available to all who need it. For Jesus himself is the light of the world. If you need an answer just look to Jesus! His light still shines for all the world to see. 

Wise men still seek Him!

Merry Christmas,

Spanish Pastor Jones