Kissing the Preacher

For several years I was asked to preach regularly for a man I’ll call Pastor Brown. The entire church family became very dear to us and we count the Brown family as close friends. One night I had taken the pulpit and was about to read my text when the Brown’s young daughter, leaned over to my wife and said, “I just realized that you get to kiss the preacher.” My wife responded in turn, “I also do his laundry.” The girl's reply was, “You just took the fun out of that thought.”

This scenario, though humorous, is probably fairly typical of what many Christian young people think about the ministry. It is easy to have a romantic notion of what the ministry, and indeed life itself, is all about. As a young person I was guilty of this as well. All I could imagine was the excitement of traveling from place to place and preaching. I felt the call of God on my life from a young age and could hardly wait until I was old enough to sit at the preachers’ table after church and share in the talk.

I had ideas of traveling the world, preaching large revivals, and seeing thousands converted. I certainly did not envision having to work a secular job during the week or driving for hours to preach on the weekends. I had no idea of the times I would look over my notes on the way to a service while my wife drove. After ministering on a Sunday night we take turns driving home through the night so that we can work the next morning. This is typical for many evangelists.

My purpose in saying this is not to put any negativity on the life of a minister. My wife and I both love the life we lead and wouldn’t trade it for anything. I believe every one of my minister friends feels the same way. The point is that the minister, whether pastor or evangelist, is just as human as the next man. Their children get sick, their cars break down, and they get headaches and stomach bugs. Preachers have to work and their wives have to do laundry. Life is not all fried chicken and peach cobbler. As in anything else, life can be stressful at times.

There are many young people who start out life with grandiose ideas of fame and fortune. When life doesn’t go according to their fairy tale ideas it is easy to become bitter and disillusioned. The saying about the grass being greener on the other side is true for everyone, minister and saint alike. I truly believe the key to contentment is learning to take the good with the bad. When one expects everything to always be perfect, he or she is quickly disappointed. If one allows for the fact that life isn’t perfect, he will find himself much more at peace with the realities of an imperfect world.

Are you one of those people who has a romanticized concept of what life should be like? Are you constantly feeling unsatisfied and wondering why? Perhaps its time to take a long look at your expectations. If they are unrealistic, you will never be content. Life will never be perfect on this earth but happiness is what we make it. None should be more content than the Christian. There is never a day when we who are born again do not have something for which to be thankful. No, life is not all about kissing the preacher. Sometimes you have to do his laundry. Just be thankful you have soap.

Yours Truly, 

Spanish Pastor Jones 

Why I Take the Bible Literally

Why I Take the Bible Literally

There is perhaps no other book that has had as great an influence on society as the Bible. It is a priceless collection of love songs, poems, epic plays, tragedies, and devotionals. The Old Testament is largely the story of the history of the Jewish people and God’s dealings with them while the New Testament records the birth of the Christian church.

In the pages of this epic one can find great comfort and inspiration. The stories of the Old Testament have especially been used as parables for inspiration. Consider the story of Queen Esther who goes before her husband, the King of the Persian Empire, to beg for the lives of her people. According to the customs of the day she could have been killed for going uninvited, yet she went anyway. Many have used Esther as a basis to preach about faith and perseverance in times of great conflict.

Indeed, all the stories of the Old Testament could be used in this way. Moses had faith to lead God’s people through the Red Sea. Haven’t you heard someone preach that God will make a way for you as he did for Moses? Sure you have; it is the perfect story for an inspirational message. The possibilities are endless if one wants to inspire courage. There is Daniel in the Den of Lions, The Three Hebrew Boys in the Fiery Furnace, Caleb fighting for his mountain at the age of eighty five, and the list goes on.

            If the Old Testament were only a book of inspirational stories it would still be the greatest literary masterpiece in the history of the world. It is far more than that, however. The Old Testament is a history of real events that can also be used as parables. Many of the great stories in the Old Testament are more than just inspirational; they are prophetic, speaking of the future Messiah that would save Israel from her sins.

            Consider the story of Samson, the strong man who was betrayed by the woman he loved. He was turned over to the enemy and mocked. Yet he loved his people and sacrificed for them in his death. He died while pulling down the pillars in a pagan temple and killing more Philistines in his death than in his life. This is a foreshadowing of the story of Jesus, the Strong Man of our salvation, who would sacrifice himself to save his people.

            There is Joshua, the Savior, who led God’s people into the promised land. His Hebrew name, Yeshua, is the same as Jesus’ Hebrew name. He is not just a historical figure but a type of the Messiah in the Old Testament. There is also Samuel. His name, Shem-u-el, literally translates as “Name of God.” He was raised up by God to turn the people of Israel back to God. Again, a type of Jesus, the Messiah.

            One could go on naming the figures in the Old Testament whose lives tell us something about the future Christ. There is David the Giant Killer, Jeremiah the weeping prophet, Jonah whose trip in the whale is a parable of Jesus in the tomb, Gideon, Barak, and many more. While being true historical figures, all of these people were types of the future Savior of Israel.

            Every story in the Bible is interlinked with the others. Each hero in the Old Testament points to Jesus the Messiah in the New. Each story of God’s grace is a foretelling of the ultimate story of salvation in Christ. The story of each individual character fits together like a piece of a giant jigsaw puzzle, weaving together a beautiful story of God’s love for humanity. Each person’s birth, life, and death are so detailed that these things could not have happened by accident. Only God could have arranged the details in such a way. This is why I do not take the Old Testament as just a collection of inspiring stories.

            Samson’s story is a parable of Jesus. He was the strongman sent to save Israel. Yet Samson was a flawed human and could not save himself. He died in disgrace. Samson was not enough; we needed Jesus. Hebrews 12:24 speaks of “better things.” Though there were great and mighty men in the Old Testament, they were all as flawed as we are. Jesus came as God’s perfect gift to humanity, bypassing the flawed genes of sin by being born of a virgin through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus had no sin and no flawed genetics. He did for us what the Old Testament characters could not do. He redeemed us to God through the sacrifice of his own blood. We are free to worship in Spirit and in Truth because of his redeeming sacrifice. Sure, we love the inspirational stories of the Old Testament but without Jesus they would not be enough. In Jesus we find everything that we need for life, hope, salvation, and ultimately for peace when it comes our time to die.

The Bible is not just a book of inspiring stories. It is the promise of Eternal Life through Him who loved us. If you don’t have this promise of eternal life today, the Bible tells you how to get it. You can repent, be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, and be filled with Holy Ghost. Many believe the promise of the Holy Ghost is no longer for us but I have experience and know that it is real.

This method of salvation is Biblical and will bring you great peace with God such as you have never known. I urge you today, take the scripture for what it means. Obey the plan of salvation today and see why I take the Bible literally.

Pilate and Herod became friends

There is a scripture in the book of Luke that has always intrigued me:

That day Herod and Pilate became friends;

Before this they had been enemies (Luke 23:12, NIV).

The setting for this verse is during Jesus’ trial. When Jesus was arrested he was brought before Pilate. Pilate did not want to be guilty of condemning Jesus so he sent him to Herod. The ploy did not work because Herod, finding that Jesus was under Pilate’s jurisdiction, returned him to Pilate. Right in the middle of this drama and political circus something remarkable happens: Herod and Pilate’s long term feud was halted and they became friends.

In this verse I believe we see the essence of why Jesus came. He came to heal our broken relationships. First off, Jesus came to heal mankind’s broken relationship with God. Since the garden of Eden men have been at odds with God. Jesus came to heal this breach  through the atoning sacrifice of His blood.

As a consequence of man’s broken relationship with his God, humans also suffer from broken relationships with one another. We hear heartbreaking stories of family members that will not speak to one another. Long time friends allow a slight to separate their friendship. I have even heard of fellow church members taking one another to court instead of working out their own issues as Paul instructed (I Corinthians 6).

All of these things show us just how broken our relationships can become. We are all human and have all hurt been hurt and hurt others. We even inflict pain on our own selves at times. We humans are a pitiful lot without the help of God. Yet all is not lost. This Christmas season we celebrate the fact that God came into the world, wrapped in the body of his Son, Jesus Christ, to save us from our sin. Along with the healing for our sins I believe his sacrifice also paved the way for broken relationships to be restored. If two Roman politicians could have their friendship restored while they were plotting to crucify Jesus how much more could God do for his children.

Is there a broken relationship in your life? Perhaps it’s not completely broken but just needs a little love and care. What better time than at Christmas to reach out in love. Send a card, write a letter, make a phone call. You never know what God will do until you try. It may be this Christmas season that God brings the healing in your circle of influence.

Merry Christmas,

Sullivan Jones