J. Phillip Jones

Monday, January 31, 2005

Little Foxes

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior

Jesus Christ. I want to talk today about compromise.

I see today in a lot of churches a prevailing spirit of

compromise where the members are willing to tolerate

some "small" sin in order to appease everyone.

My friends, this is a disaster waiting to happen.

Remember that Jesus said that the enemy comes

not but to steal, kill, and destroy. If the enemy is

willing to offer a compromise to you or your church,

it is only because he doesn't think that he can win.

And if we stand strong in Christ, he can't win against us.

But he is aware that he can get us to tolerate sinful things

in our midst, it weakens us. Then, when the enemy

believes that we are no longer strong enough to fight him,

he won't want to compromise anymore, he will come

to kill.

So then we shouldn’t think that we must give in when

the devil offers us a compromise, because it is then that

we have the power to put a stop to his advance. We

need not tolerate any sin in our churches. If we stand

up to it when it first comes in, only then will we will be

able to safeguard the souls of the congregation.

Remember what Jesus said about the little foxes.

Watch carefully and let nothing come between your

soul and the Savior. Grace and peace be to you. Amen.

Monday, January 24, 2005

Dust...

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

I want to ecourage all of you who are seeking the Lord in

the truth of His word and His commandments to remain

steadfast and sure. I'd also have that you would seek

and find those of like faith to the best of your ability. I

know that most of you do this already, but I have seen

some people who walk in the truth that have decided

not to reach out to those of like faith, but to be

content to fellowship exclusively with those who

have fought the very things they preached. This church

that I speak of has consequently been ravaged.

That's not to say that we should not talk to these

people who need a little more truth. God forbid

that we not reach out to them. But as Jesus instructed,

if they hear you not, shake off the dust of you're feet

and go on. Do not spend year after year in close

fellowship with those who rebel against the truth.

Be it known that they will betray you. I have seen it.

Let the church of the living God that walks in

truth be not fragmented. We have a great in free

country that we live in. Let us take advantage of

that great gift and pool our resources to reach this

nation. After all, the Body of Christ needs all of

it's members to function properly.

Grace and peace be unto you in Jesus name.

Monday, January 10, 2005

Seek the Kingdom First...

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

It is my hope that this article finds you walking not after the ways

of the flesh, as do carnal men, but after the ways of the Spirit.

But it is very easy, if we do not watch, to fall into the routine

of seeking after the things that we want naturally in this life rather

than the things of God. I think sometimes that Christians can,

if they are not careful, end up viewing God as a means to an end.

Namely, that if they walk in the way, then they will receive the

blessings of a good life. Well, this is true. If we follow Jesus,

we will be blessed. But this should not be the reason for our

service.

Those who seek after Jesus for what He can give them are

like those who followed Him for the loaves and the fishes. When

He began to speak of things that confused them, many walked with

Him no more. And this is the problem with serving God only for

the blessings. Something will come along to discourage us and we

will turn away. Only those seeking after God first are willing to

have God in their life even when the carnal blessings don’t come.

Finally, Jesus said to seek the Kingdom of God first,

and all of these other things will be added to you. But remember,

seek Him first that you may endure the times of trouble and

want. For He is the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.


Thursday, January 06, 2005

It pays to be ready

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. A friend of

the family got the Holy Ghost the other day. He was an elderly gentleman,

a good man, and an inhabitant all of his life of the great rural heartland

here in the mid-western united states. He was a man of character,

someone who was respected by all and dearly loved by his family. He

was peacable and a long-time church attender.

But without the Holy Ghost, he was not saved. Peter made mention

in his first epistle about how the righteous are scarcely saved. In other

words, just being "good" is not "good enough." This is because without

the Spirit of Jesus down in our hearts, we cannot be purged of our sins.

Remember, to God our righteousness is as filthy rags. There is no

way that we within ourselves can be justified without having the

blod of Christ applied to our souls. Also remember, because we

think that we are living a "good" life, doesn't mean that we can trangress

a few things and still make it to heaven. I know people who fall into

this trap too. The Holy Ghost is given so that we may live above all

sin.

But this man that I speak of got the Holy Ghost and was changed

dramatically. Whereas before he was a "good" man (none is good

but God), now he was an excited man wating to work for the Lord.

There is a tremendous difference between the two.

He died a few days later. He was on the road driving, and died

suddenly. He got the Holy Ghost just in time. But if he had waited

but a few more days to surender all to God, he would not have had

the Spirit of God he needed for his salvation.

So my theme tonight is this: "It pays to be ready." We never know

when our appointed time is. So I would encourage each and everyone

who reads this to not wait, surrender all to God today. Examine yourself

and set aside any weight. Do not wait until you only have a few days to

work for God, or none at all.

Be sincere in ALL things. Be working actively for the Lord.

Be the elect.