Ready for an Audit

Philippians 4:9 - The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God peace will be with you. 

This writing from the Apostle Paul comes in the same chapter where Paul admonishes us to think on things that are lovely, pure, etc. It is also the chapter where Paul tells us that we can do all things through Christ and that God will supply all of our needs. But is there is a prerequisite to these things? Is there something I must do to have confidence with God? It seems to be so; Paul is telling the Philippians that if they will abide by his teachings then they will have peace and confidence that God will take care of them.

So it is with us. When we know that we have done what is required of us we are confident. No one is worried about an audit who has kept the necessary paperwork in order. An accountant who does his job correctly is always prepared for the IRS. This is what Paul meant. When we live our daily lives as we should, that is to the best of our abilities, then we need not worry when trouble arises. God will take care of us. If we do what we know to do, God will do what only he can do.

None of us can know the future but it is enough to know the God who knows the future. When we do our part, God will do his.

Trusting in Jesus,

Sullivan Jones

How to Eat an Elephant

How does one eat an elephant? One bite at a time. Or so the old saying goes. Personally, I've never wanted to eat an elephant but we all get the point. It basically means that we have to start somewhere. Personal goals are attainable if we take it nice and slow. Easier said than done, right? Right!

Are we wanting to lose weight? Many of us are? Perhaps you want to develop a better prayer life. Maybe you want to write that book you've always dreamed of righting. It will not happen overnight but you can start with 10 minutes of prayer in the morning and you can write one paragraph at a time. You might think that it seems too simple. "He's just trying to motivate me" might be your first thought. With most of us, the problem isn't diligence. We know how to be diligent. We work hard, take care of a house (and kids for some), and pay bills. Life is busy. For most of us, we just don't know where to start. How can we accomplish the dreams that God has put in our hearts. And for all of us the answer is the same as eating the elephant: one bite at a time. 

Are we afraid of failure. We must adopt the attitude of Thomas Edison and the light bulb. We might find 99 things that don't work but eventually something will work. We just have to try and see. I am firmly convinced that if we take the first step, God will lead us the rest of the way. We just have to have the confidence to try. 

So get up ten minutes early and read your Bible. Before you know it you might be reading whole chapters every week. Walk on the tread mill for ten minutes. Eventually it will be an hour. Write a few lines on a notepad and see where it takes you. It can't hurt to try. Some day you'll be glad you did. 

I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength! - Philipians 4:13 

What is tolerance?

Tolerance is not the highest virtue; love is the highest virtue. Tolerance is presented in our world as a way to make everyone agree with a certain position. This is not tolerance. To tolerate, by its very definition, means that I don't agree with something. If I agree with something then it is not something I have to tolerate. I can tolerate my neighbor being Catholic if I am Protestant. This means that I don't agree with his position; I don't agree with Catholicism. It also means that I will allow him to continue to be Catholic while I continue to preach what I preach. We will be civil to one another and may even be friends because that is the true definition of tolerance. Tolerance is a good thing when seen in the right light.

There are some things I should not have to tolerate. Any parent knows that they will not tolerate their child coming in after curfew without asking where they have been. They will not tolerate a child smoking or drinking behind the parent's back. This is just common sense. As a Christian, there are some things my belief system will not allow me to tolerate, no matter who is offended by it. I will still be civil to everyone but I will still continue to preach that the things they are doing are wrong.

There are certain sexual behaviors that our government does not tolerate such as polygamy, child -adult relationships, and incest. These are deemed harmful to both the individual and society as a whole. Not that long ago homosexuality was on this list. Then it became tolerated. Now it is more than tolerated; it is being promoted. When our government begins to demand that a Christian businessman do business with someone against his own conscience, this is no longer tolerance. It is promoting one religious belief system over another and demanding that everyone adhere to it. This goes against the very reason our country was founded - to give us freedom of religion. Our country is in upheaval but we as the true church of the living God must be anchored in the truth and not swayed by this so-called spirit of tolerance. It is tolerant to everything but Christianity and we can not afford to tolerate that mindset.

God Bless,