Kenya Report 1-24-2007

We have just watched a beautiful sunset on our last night here in Kenya. God has been so good. Our sickness of the past few days has left us, thanks to the Cipro and many many prayers. We are finishing this work strongly.

On Tuesday we visited a small church in Mayanja pastored by Evans Mututa. They have a very large and exuberant worship and praise team and we enjoyed ourselves greatly. Both Margaret and I shared from the Word with them and they seemed very appreciative. Our host, Gideon, scaled back our schedule for that day so we could gain back our strength.

We also had the opportunity to present Pastor Gideon with his laptop that was donated by some folks in our body. He was so appreciative and caught on right away (he is very technically savvy). We had put a free Office and Bible Study program on the laptop and he was busy figuring out how to use it. He plans to use a car battery and an inverter to run the laptop from his house (remember he has no electricity).

Wednesday was a busy but very fruitful day. We went back to Kitale to speak at a worship symposium of some pastors and worship leaders from Kitale. Margaret shared from Psalm 95 and then Tom shared some insights into worship and how we worshp at Calvary Chapel Newberg. The group seemed appreciative of the encouragement and exhortation to make worship God focused and a sacrifice of praise.

We shopped a little bit in Kitale and lunched at a beautiful spot on the second story of a building looking down on a square. It was truly enjoyable.

After lunch it was off to Tulwet to Pastor Nickson's church. Pastor Nickson was with us during the conference in Busia and for several days after that. He is truly a humble man of God that we have grown very close to. Margaret shared her testimony and ended with Galatians 6 where we should bear one another's burdens.

Tom then shared a special word God had given him the night before from Matthew 11:28-30 encouraging the people to let Jesus be the stronger bull and them be the little bull, letting Jesus bear their burdens. All seemed to enjoy the words spoken by the two of us.

The pastor then asked us to dedicate three babies, which we were glad to do, laying hands on them and praying.

We shared an emotional goodbye with Pastor Nickson and his wife Lynnet and off we went back to Webuye. On the way we enjoyed beautiful scenery and again the great African sunset.

This will likely be our last report. On Thursday we speak at a small Bible school, then enjoy worshp with Evelyn (Gideon's wife) and her worship team. Lord willing we will teach them "With All I Am" in Swahili.

We are going to bring back with us two Swahili worship songs that we can learn both in English and Swahili. We then head to the airport in Kisumu where we fly to Nairobi. We then have a four hour layover and leave for Zurich at 12:20AM on Friday Kenya time.

We thank you so much for your prayers during our trip. We asked that you pray for the Holy Spirit to give us words to speak when we needed it and He has answered those prayers.

Blessings to you and we will see you again this weekend.

Pastor Tom and Margaret

Kenya Report January 23

Greetings from Kenya Africa. Getting on the Internet from Kenya proves to be difficult. It's taken me an hour and half just to get to this post, so I apologize.

Thank you for all of your prayers. Margaret and I have gotten quite ill over the past few days. We finally took the Cipro that our doctor prescribed and are on the mend.

On Monday we went to the orphanage in the large city of Kitale. Kitale is the first place we have seen outside of Nairobe that could be a U.S. town, but with many many differences.

The orphanage is outside of town in a setting that reminds me a lot of Oregon: many trees, a lot of grass, cows grazing, etc. The orphanage itself is a nicely built structure that had been envisioned by Gideon Mudenyo's father as a hospital. When that could not happen they remade it into an orphanage.


There were 23 kids there the day we visited, three surprise additions. They were all very friendly and seemed happy with the little whistle/recorders that our electric guitarist David provided. We unloaded the rest of the clothing and toys for the staff to distribute. They seemed very happy and blessed for the help. We are hoping to get shoe sizes and purchase shoes for the orphans on Wednesday.

They showed us where they are giving sewing lessons to neighbors as a way to raise money. We also saw the rooms of the children and watched as they cleaned each others feet.

The orphanage has cows and chickens to help supply food and even some money as they can sell the excess milk.
Today I am going to visit another town and teach at a church. Tomorrow they have created a worship symposium (as they call it) back in Kitale. When they found out that Margaret and I are worship leaders they wanted us to teach them about worship. Oh well, blessed are the flexible.!

On Wednesday we are also doing some sessions (as they call them) for the church of Pastor Nickson (pronounced Neek-sohn). He has been traveling with us over these past days and is a wonderful man of God.

If possible I'll update again before we leave back for the U.S.

Pastor Tom (and Margaret)

Kenya Report January 20

Greetings from Kenya! Hamjambo!

We greet you from East Africa. Sorry it has taken us this many days to give an update. We have been "out in the bush" and away from Internet access but wanted to give a brief update on what God has been doing.

We'll start from tonight. Margaret and I have just returned from an open air crusade in a market in the Kenyan region known as Busia. The churches in the area set up a sound system, held wonderful praise and worship African style, then I shared a simple gospel message. One of the local pastors, Pastor Boniface, translated into the local dialect of Swahilli. Praise God, about 100 responded to the message and came forward to accept Christ. There were also several healings that took place.

The trip has been very different than our expectations. We drove in a rented van from Kisumu to Webuye to Pastor Mudenyo's home. We were there only a couple of hours when we packed up again and drove into the very rural parts of this region near a town called Busia. The conference we were teaching at was held in a church with mud walls and a steel roof and a mud floor. The road to the area was dirt and in places more like a Jeep trail.

This is truly something we had not expected but we have fallen in love with the people in these villages, many still live in grass and mud homes. They love the Lord, love to praise, and love to share the gospel. I shared several messages with the group of pastors, pastors wives and church leaders about studying and teaching the Bible verse by verse. They were very well received.

Margaret shared powerful messages about how important it is that the Lord who shapes our lives and that we let His life live out through our lives to bring others to faith and strength in God.

We have had the pleasure of dining on authentic African food prepared in love and served in the traditional African way. The Kenyan people are very hospitable and friendly. They have accepted us with open arms and love. The conference is now complete and the pastors have headed home to teach Sunday morning.

We are happy for what the Lord has done, while pretty exhausted from the travelling and busy schedule. Pray for strength to do what remains. We look forward to visiting the orphanage Monday and bringing the many gifts our body has provided.

Life for many of these people is very hard. Many walk or bicycle many kilometers each day and earn less than a dollar a day. They suffer from famine and drought and disease. Yet they have a love for Jesus. We so much enjoy their singing and praise as you can see from the photo. We look forward to returning home soon to give more details!

God bless you!

Kenya Here We Come

Greetings. For those of you who regularly read these posts I wanted to give you an update of what's happening.

Tuesday, January 16 my wife, Margaret, and I will be jetting off to Kenya, East Africa. We will be there for about 10 days. The purpose of our visit is to 1) Teach about 150 pastors and church workers at a conference in Webuye, a small town north of Kisumu near the border of Uganda. 2) we will visit churches and see the tremendous move of God in that region. 3) Visit an orphanage run by The Lords Ministry and Pastors Jonathan and Gideon Mudenyo (our hosts). 4) Hold open air crusades the preach the gospel. 5) Teach at a Bible school run by Pastor Patrick Amutala.

We will be very busy during the time we are in Kenya but hope to see some of the wildlife and definitely get to know the culture. Your prayers are requested. You can get our Kenya Prayer Guide here.

I will be posting on this blog (hopefully) each day with photos and accounts of our trip. If you get these posts via email then the images may not come through, but you can check this space if you like. Once we return I will once again use this space for our journey through the Scriptures together. Look for the first post next week.

Pastor Tom

What If Nothing Pans Out?

For those of us who belong to Jesus Christ, we want to do God's will. So we pray and think and meditate on what that might be, then hopefully we start doing something. Perhaps it is teaching Sunday school or leading a Bible study or just sharing coffee with a friend that is in need or maybe donating to a missionary.

Sometimes when we do things, nothing happens. I mean nothing. We don't get money ringing into our bank account when we give, we don't see the end of our friend's need and perhaps we don't see any fruit from our endeavors at passing on God's truth. Does that mean we stop?

Joseph found himself in that situation in Genesis 40. Joseph has had it hard. He was just trying to be honest and found himself left for dead, sold into slavery, then falsley accused and thrown into prison.

There he had a chance to make things right for himself. Two guys had dreams that he knew God could interpret. His one request was that these guys remember him when they got out. They didn't

Joseph could have been pretty sore about his, but instead he just kept doing the excellent job he always had. Eventually the chief cup bearer of Pharaoh remembered him, he interpreted Pharaoh's dream and became Prime Minister of Egypt.

Joseph, you see, wasn't being excellent for what he could get, it was simply in his character to serve God diligently no matter what. How about you?

Colossians 3:23-24 Whatever you do, work heartily , as for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. ESV

Pastor Tom

Being Cheated

When you read the account of Jacob in Genesis 30 and 31 you really feel sorry for the guy. His uncle took real advantage of him (not that Jacob didn't deserve it after he swindled his brother out of the birthright and the blessing).

But Jacob's trouble with Laban was only part of God's plan to help Jacob realize that he no longer needed to depend on his own wits to succeed, but that he needed to depend only on God. We need that lesson too.

It's like God took Jacob through a series of unmanagable situations to prove how incapable he really was, then showed Jacob through a series of miracles that God could provide where Jacob could not. An example is with the flocks. Jacob agreed to take the spotted and speckled sheep. Then all the sheep started being birthed spotted and speckled. Genesis 30 seems to suggest that it was Jacob's plan of showing the sheep the streaked stakes that made them streaked. That's unlikely, for it was really God who was making Jacob a success.

For us it is the same way. We get cheated and taken advantage of and we want to strike out and get back at that person. In reality we need to trust that it is God who will provide for us, not matter how much other people take advantage.

Focus on God as your provision, and not on how unfairly others treat you.

1 Corinthians 6:7 Why do you not rather accept wrong? Why do you not rather let yourselves be cheated? NKJV

Philippians 4:19-20 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. 20 Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen. NKJV

Pastor Tom

"It's All About Me"

What is the purpose of the Old Testament? There are actually a few, including setting the state for God being the Creator of the universe, and setting the stage for what the character of God is like through the Law.

But there is one main purpose of the Old Testament that we must always keep in mind or we will misunderstand the whole thing.

That is, that the entire thing - from Genesis to Malachi is about one thing: Jesus Christ. You won't find the words Jesus Christ in the Old Testament - but if you look for the Hebrew words Joshua and Messiah you will. Jesus is the Greek word for Joshua and Messiah changed to Greek is Christ - they both mean "Anointed One."

All the stories and prophecies and Psalms - they are all about God's Messiah: the Savior who came to redeem the world from the fatal disease called sin.

Think about it like a "V". On the left side of the V everything looks forward Jesus' life, death, burial and resurrection. On the right side everything looks back at what He has done. Jesus Himself said this too:

Luke 24:44-48 "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled." 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. ESV

So if you have a hard time with the Old Testament, it may simply be that you have the wrong focus. Think about it in terms of God's Messiah and it'll all make sense.

Pastor Tom

Two Mistakes That Rock Our World

In Genesis 16 and following Abram and Sarai each make a mistake that cost them dearly and had repercussions all through the ages and today are a cause of world turmoil and affect things in our country like elections, the economy, and the war in Iraq.

God promised Abram that he would have a son and that this son would be the first of descendants too numerous to count. Years went by and the old man Abram and his equally old Sarai saw no signs of the fulfillment of that promise.

So Sarai tells Abram: Genesis 16: 2 "Behold now, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. Go in to my servant; It may be that I shall obtain children by her."

That was the first mistake. Instead of waiting on God to fulfill his promise she took matters into her own hands and suggested a way that they could help God out a bit.

The second mistake follows: "And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai."

Abram had heard the voice of God giving him the promise on more than one occasion. But he decided to listen to Sarai instead of God. He took Sarai's servant as his wife and she had a baby: Ishmael. Ishmael became the father of the Arab people.

He is described as being a "wild donkey of a man" who will always be fighting with his brothers. Sound familiar?

Now I'm not knocking the Arab people or anything like that. My point is very simple: God has given us great and very precious promises - promises like He will never leave us nor forsake us - promises that all things work together for the good of them that love God and are called according to his purposes - promises like no temptation will come upon you that you cannot bear by finding God's way of escape.

How often do we figure out ways we can get out of difficult situations instead on relying on God. How often do we listen to the voices of others who want to offer shortcuts rather than obedience?

Each decision has a consequence. We know Abram and Sarai's decisions did. How about yours?

Pastor Tom

But It Looked So Good!

How often do we make decisions based on our senses and our environment? "If it feels good, do it!" is a popular saying in our culture today. The problem is that often times our senses and our environment fool us.

Take Lot, for instance. In Genesis 13 Lot contends with Uncle Abraham. Instead of fighting, Abraham (Abram then) tells Lot to pick and he'll take the leftovers. Lot "lifted up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zoar" (Genesis 13:10). Also in that direction was Sodom and Gomorrah.

Lot was after getting the best for himself by his own wits. Abraham was after getting God's best by God's promises. Lot quickly got into trouble as he moved closer to wicked Sodom. He got kidnapped in a battle and Uncle Abram had to rescue him. Not learning his lesson, Lot ended up living in Sodom and even becoming a city leader of sorts.

The "well watered" plain of the Jordan was also rife with sin. That internal rottenness did not manifest itself in an external desert. Quite the opposite in fact. It looked good on the outside but was rotten on the inside - where it really mattered.

In our lives we need to be careful making decisions based on what appears great. Madison Avenue makes us think that new expensive car will be a chick magnet and will get us on the road to happiness. Now that doesn't mean that we shouldn't have a car or even a new car. The difference is, are we like Lot looking out for our own best interests based on what we see and can do, or are we trusting God that He will provide our needs and is in the business of changing us on the inside into His likeness?

So when presented with "well watered plains" just make sure you include God in the discussion and ask for His guidance and then do things that will benefit your walk with Him, draw you closer to Him and lead you to act more like Him.

Pastor Tom

Why The Rainbow?

Today I wanted to talk about rainbows. In Genesis 9 after the flood God said to Noah: "I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth."

The agreement was that God would no longer destroy the earth by water (He will destroy it by fire, but that's another study).

In order to have a rainbow you need two ingredients: the sun and rain. I'm sure for Noah and his descendants when they saw storm clouds and rain approach they were probably frightened given what they had either experienced or heard about. They were to gain comfort from seeing the rainbow in the midst of the storm: God's promise of safety.

We face storms too in life. If God has a covenant with you through Jesus Christ then you have a promise of safety as well:

2 Timothy 4:17-18 "The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen." ESV

So how does the rainbow fit in? The rainbow is created when sunlight hits raindrops in midair. You have to be looking at the rain with the sun sort of behind you in order for the effect to work. The light shining on the storm actually changes its appearance from your perspective. You see instead of threatening rain and doom an incredibly beautiful scene that takes your breath away.

That's how God works through your difficulties. God takes the storms in your life and actually creates beauty in you through the transformation of your character into His character. Yes it is difficult, but the next time something looms on the horizon as a terrible storm in your life, try letting the light of God's love and promises shine on that problem so you can see the beauty He will make out of it.

Jeremiah 31:13 "I will turn their mourning into joy ;I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow." ESV

Romans 8:28 "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." ESV

Pastor Tom

Satan's First Line of Offense

Have you ever wondered where attacks from Satan will come first? Don't think that he'll appear as a guy in a red suit with a pitchfork, or even as some hideous looking demon. No, Satan will disguise himself as an angel of light (in fact his name: Lucifer, comes from a Latin word for 'light bringer').

There are many lines of attack: our own flesh, temptation, lies, and even sometimes frontal assault. But I think some instruction from the first book of the Bible is revealing:

Genesis 3:1 "Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God actually say, 'You shall not eat of any tree in the garden'?""

You know the story from there - Eve got in a theological argument with the serpent and ended up making a mistake that has cost each one of us a great deal. But I want to notice how the attack came - and make no mistake - this was an attack.

Satan questioned God's Word. "Did God actually say ..." He wanted Eve to doubt something God had said. Satan still does that to this day. I hear people all the time claim that the Bible is not the Word of God. I reject that for a number of reasons, including the fact that Jesus Himself validated the Old Testament, and His apostles (eye witnesses) validated the New Testament as Scripture.

While there isn't space here to debate that topic I just want us to be aware that when doubts are brought up about the validity of the Bible as God's Word, the source of the doubt may not be an honest intellectual or spiritual pursuit of truth (that's great when it happens) but a diabolical attempt to get you to do like Eve: doubt the word of God. Don't make that mistake, it can be fatal (in more ways than one!).

Pastor Tom

And now, the rest of the story...

Revelation 13:10 If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity he will go. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword he will be killed. This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints. NIV

This verse comes during a phase in earth's history when evil will rule. You might say "well, I think if evil isn't ruling its doing a great job of back seat driving!" and this is true. But there is coming a time when the worst things you can possibly imagine will be commonplace.

As God prepares to return to earth He prepares the earth for His return. This includes allowing the powers of darkness to be unleashed as never before. Those powers will be focused primarily on wiping out anyone who belongs to God on earth. I believe during this period, known as the Great Tribulation, that those of us who have received Jesus as Lord and Savior will be snatched off this rock and will be enjoying the marriage supper of the Lamb.

But there will also be many who come to Christ during this period, when environmental disaster, the forces of man, and the forces of darkness all seem to have become the norm. Being a Christian during this time will be awful. I think that's why John wrote the words above. He is sending a message to those Tribulation Saints that bad things are going to happen. They might be killed or taken captive by the Beast. But what he is saying is for them to hang on, for the Lord will be their ultimate rescuer.

Here is the end for those that give their hearts to Jesus at this time:

Revelation 20:4-6 Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years. ESV

So if you know Him, rejoice that you are going to be with Him, and live a life that echos His character now so that many who do not know Him will also escape these times. If you don't yet know Jesus then get to know Him now. A little humbleness will allow you to escape terrible times later; times that make today's disasters look like nothing.

Pastor Tom

How to Overcome

Do you sometimes feel like the odds are stacked so high against you that you can't see the top of the stack? Do you experience attacks from the enemy or personal struggles that are too much for you? Take heart!

Revelation 12:10-11 And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony ESV

How do you overcome? It's not by being the "best that you can be" or by having some super secret weapon or by bucking up or depend on anything here in this world. You conquer by two things:

1. The blood of the Lamb. Jesus' blood cleanses you from sin; sin being anything that is outside the character of God. So anything Satan tries to throw your way in terms of accusations just bounces off. It's like double jeopardy (not the game show kind but the criminal kind). You can't be tried to the same crime twice. Jesus already paid the penalty for your crimes so there is no more trial or punishment.

2. The word of your testimony. The only way for Jesus' blood to take effect in your life is for you to make Him your Lord and Savior. If you can say "Jesus is my Lord" and mean it in your heart, then that is your testimony.

He paid the price, you took the deal. That's overcoming. You can now ignore the taunts of the enemy telling you you are no good and don't deserve God's love. We already know that - but He gave us His love anyway.

No matter what odds are stacked against you, you can rise above them because you are clean and loved and accepted by God who is much more powerful than any accusation brought against His children.

Pastor Tom

Feel Condemned?

Do you have a hard time recovering from sin? I'm talking to those of us who know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. If you don't know him you will never be able to recover from sin - sin being anything that is outside the character of God.

But if you do know him, do you find yourself often feeling under the pile when you fail?

I just want to share some comforting words from the Apostle John: 1 John 3:19 "By this we shall know we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything."

What does God know? He knows that you will fail. But He also knows that your failures have been paid for the blood of His Son Jesus. He also knows that He is in the process of changing you from the inside out. That process does not happen immediately, and often our life in Him is a series of failures, followed by discipline, followed by Holy Spirit empowered change of character.

When we find ourselves not able to accept the fact that God has forgiven us we need to go back to this verse and let Him reassure us that we are no longer condemned - ever. Accept this as truth and move on towards letting God make you more like Him!

Pastor Tom

Cleverly Devised Fables

It's sad to say that many people believe the Bible was written by men and not by God. I remember a recent Discovery Channel special on the flood of Noah. One conclusion the producers came to is that rabbis made up the story of the flood in order to keep unruly people in tow by proclaiming the judgment of God on the unrighteous.

Some also do not believe that Jesus Christ was a real person, or if He was real He was just an historical figure, but not a messiah or anything like that.

In a court of law what is the most important type of evidence? It is an eye witness. "I saw him shoot that guy!" So too in choosing whether to believe the Bible and Jesus Christ as the Son of God we need eye witnesses. We have them.

1 Peter 1:16 "For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty."

And: 1John 1:1 "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life ... that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you."

Both Peter and John saw Jesus, they witnessed His miracles, they heard His Words, they saw Him die, and also saw Him alive again and taken up into heaven. They didn't have to make anything up; God came down and gave it to them in person, then through His Holy Spirit gave them words to write down for us.

When someone puts doubt in your mind about the Bible or Jesus, just remember these verses and the men who later gave their lives to testify to its truth.

Pastor Tom

Why Stop Sinning?

Peter was a very practical person. His writings of 1st and 2nd Peter bear this out. They are filled with advice for workers and taxpayers and those who undergo the everyday stress of life.

Read through the first 3 chapters of Peter and you get the idea that Peter wants us to live a life that reflects the character of God in a world that reflects none of it, even if that means suffering unjustly.

Then in chapter 4 he takes an interesting direction. He says "Since, therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God."

I think we take our character way too lightly. We think that since we have been forgiven we can basically do anything we want. We don't realize that our flesh continually wars against us, trying to get us to give in to its desires. Reflecting God's character is a way for us to shine the light of God's forgiveness to a dying world. Can you do this on your own? Of course not. You need the power of God's Spirit in you to change you.

But what I really wanted to point out was a "why" that we should focus on a godly character. Look at verse 7:

"The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers."

Isn't that interesting? It seems that the more we pay attention to living life in the Spirit and not the flesh, paying attention to our character, it affects what we pray and how we pray and even the effectiveness of our prayers.

Do you want to make a difference in this world for Jesus? Focus on your life, and Peter has some great ways of doing that, so that you will know how to pray and that your prayers will be just that more effective.

Pastor Tom

Getting Help

All of us at one time or another need help. Recently climbers on Mount Hood in Oregon became trapped and one of them called on a cell phone for help. Unfortunately for them the weather kept searchers, and rescue, away for days. You may be in some sort of need, not as serious as being trapped on a mountain in winter, but perhaps your need is your health, or a family member who is sick. How do you get help?

Maybe your need is financial. You've lost your job and the bills are piling up. Maybe your need is emotional as relationships have broken and you don't know how to fix them. Perhaps your need is more spiritual. You feel rotten about yourself and your life and you just want to end all the pain once and for all.

The word for you today is good, my friend. Help is closer than a cell phone call and I guarantee that this Helper cannot be foiled by high winds and snow. There is no condition He cannot heal, no bind He cannot undo and no relationship He cannot heal.

But there is something you must do. You must make the call. You must make the effort. You must reach out and you'll find that this help is closer than you might have imagined.

Hebrews 4:1 "Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

Help is as close as your next breath, if with that breath you proclaim that you are falling on God's grace - receiving a gift of new life that you do not deserve. Normally when you drew near to a king's throne you could find yourself killed. Kings were not known for grace and mercy. But the King of Kings is.

Normally when you approach a monarch they are demanding something of you. But the head of all monarchs offers to help you instead. Don't stay away. Don't crawl into a snow cave in your life and shut out everything hoping that it'll all go away. No - come boldly before God's throne of mercy and grace to find help when you need it most.

Pastor Tom

Always Studying, Never Learning

Are you on a search for truth? Many people are these days. Spirituality is on the rise as people realize there is more to life than working our tails off to get more stuff. For some, the journey to find spiritual truth is like getting on a treadmill. You search all the world's religions, and even search through the Bible, trying to make sense of it all, but you can't. It seems that something stands in the way.

The Apostle Paul recognized this state when he described some people to a young pastor named Timothy:

2 Timothy 3:7 always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.

If you have studied the Bible, even for many years and with a doctorate, but still can't find the truth, the problem may not be in your head, but in your heart. You see, our rational, finite human minds cannot fully conceive of an infinite God. He appears irrational to us and so we reject what He says.

"It's just too simple!" we say.

I think the problem may lie in the fact that we want to be masters of our destiny. If we can't understand something then it cannot be true because we are really the center of our universe.

I suggest that your heart, your will really, needs to let go and let God do the work of bringing truth to your life. You can't get enough knowledge to know it all, or even to understand God fully. But you can let His Word bypass your head and go into your heart.

2 Timothy 1:8-9 God, 9 who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began.

For whatever reason, God has done all the work. Invite Him into your heart by changing your mind about your condition, admitting that you have fallen short, then grasping onto the free gift of new life that God gave through His Son Jesus.

Then God will begin to speak to both your heart and your mind!

Pastor Tom

Demons are teachers too

1 Timothy 4:1 The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. NIV

Did you know that demons can teach the word of God too? They can. They know the Bible better than you do. And they are in a campaign designed to draw people off from the truth of the Bible into doctrines that they make up.

And in some ways it is more subtle than you might think. We suppose that a demon-doctrine would be all about pleasure and sin and blaspheming God. But when a demon teaches falsehood it is cloaked in the truth.

Look at what Paul says about those doctrines:

1 Timothy 4:3 They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth."
NIV

Doesn't Paul himself say that if God gives them the gift they should stay unmarried? (1 Corinthians 7:8) And doesn't the Bible forbid the eating of certain foods in the Old Testament? Yes to both questions.

What is so diabolical about demonic doctrine is that it is not 180 out of phase with the truth, but only a few degrees. If you steer a ship a few degrees off from your destination in the end you will be way off the mark. That's how it is with demonic teaching. It reflects a partial truth of God and in the process obscures the full truth - that is that all the Bible is focused on Jesus Christ. We marry him when we become part of His body, and it is in Him that foods are no longer forbidden because it is our hearts that are changed into His image. We then have the freedom to abstain from foods if it helps someone else find Jesus as well (1 Corinthians 8:13).

So how do we tell the difference? Ask yourself - how does this doctrine reflect on the person of Jesus and His gospel. That'll help you steer clear of demon teachers.

Pastor Tom

Is What Paul Wrote The Word of God?

I've talked to more than a few people who think that the Bible is simply a bunch of stuff men wrote down, or at best some of the Bible was actually God speaking to man but not all of it. Some even think that because of the hard things he had to say, that what Paul in particular wrote is not inspired.

I beg to differ on that point. Paul was an Apostle. He met the resurrected Lord Jesus in person, was called by Him for the task of being an Apostle and performed many miracles in support of that ministry.

Further, what Paul wrote down in the letters that make up much of the New Testament is in fact God speaking to men and women.

Consider this verse: 1 Thessalonians 2:13 "And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in your believers."

Rest assured that the Holy Spirit did speak through Paul. If you have a hard time understanding what he said, dig deeper and pray more and seek good teaching on Pauline doctrine. You'll find that you may have misunderstood some things while others you need to hear, but just haven't opened up your heart enough for God to speak to you.

Pastor Tom

Put it Away

Ephesians 4:31 "Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. :32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you."

I don't know about you, but this verse is pretty hard hitting. How often when we feel wronged do we let all of these exact feelings take control of our minds and actions? In a way there is a process here. We are offended and so we feel bitter, then judgmental, then we get angry and start saying things, wishing things, and perhaps even doing things with the aim to hurt that person who we think hurt us.

My challenge for myself and for all of us today is to instead of letting those emotions control us, let God's love control us. Did God feel wrathful to you who have accepted His free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ? No. So instead of having a hardened heart towards that brother or sister, have a tender heart and forgive them.

You may not get satisfaction for the supposed wrong, but then again, did God for yours?

Pastor Tom

"Let he who is without sin ..."

Let me say something first before giving you today's scripture: sin is bad, sin is evil, sin is anything that does not reflect the character of God. I don't like sin because I like God and I want to be like Him. God made a way for me to be like Him by sending His Son to die in my place and give me His Spirit to transform me into His image.

That being said, I also realize I live in a fallen world that doesn't want me to be like God. I also have a flesh, or "old man," as the Bible calls it, that also doesn't want me to be like God and tempts me to do things that are sinful. We should also mention that we have a powerful enemy who also works night and day to get us to do things that aren't like God so we will be ineffective for Him.

I use that as a backdrop because the verse I am sharing today might be mistaken for a view that is soft on sin. I'm not.

Galatians 6:1 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness."

Unfortunately, the way many of us act in the church today that verse might read "if anyone is caught in any transgression shoot first and ask questions later!" We are so focused on sin's badness that we don't take into the consideration the weakness that leads up to it and, more importantly, God's ultimate plan to restore, not ruin, the sinner.

I can't tell you the number of people I know who stay away from church because they feel their failures will be counted against them and they will be shunned instead of supported. Now I'm not talking about the arrogant person who sins and is proud of it and wants everyone he or she meets to sin as well. I've run into those people too and I don't welcome them into the church (if they claim to be Christians). I'm talking about the person who knows they have sinned and needs to be built up and encouraged, not shot down and judged.

For the pre-Christian we need to focus on the free of God through Jesus to cleanse us and make us like God. For the Christian we need to focus on the continual mercy and grace of God and the transforming power that will see even their sins and weaknesses used in the process of maturing them.

Pastor Tom

Comic Relief

I love this little verse in 2 Corinthians 9: "for God loves a cheerful giver." That word "cheerful" comes from a word that means "hilarious." I love that. God loves a person who gives, not grudgingly, not sparingly, not tentatively, but with hilarity!

Is that how you feel when the offering plate comes around? Does it feel like a huge magnet is holding your money in your wallet and it takes everything you have to pry it loose? Giving is actually a sign of maturity in the believer. Though there is no law of tithing in the New Testament, there is a principal of tithing.

Jesus fulfilled the entire Law and then put that law into our hearts. So instead of an external rule to give, Jesus has made it a part of who we are to give to His work.

And to those who think deep in their hearts that if they give to God He will pour out material blessings on their life I would say to read on in 2 Corinthians 9. The focus of this part of the chapter is giving so that God will supply to you the ability to give more!

I conclude with verse 10: "He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed" why? "for sowing and increase the harvest" of what? "of your righteousness."

See, God wants us to freely give ourselves and our possessions to Him so that He can freely give His character to us. I think that's a great bargain.

Pastor Tom

You Can Do Anything You Like

The Apostle Paul said "All things are lawful." And its true. For the person who has given their life to Jesus Christ and freed from the bondage of sin everything is okay.

"Okay," you ask, "what's the catch?" Paul goes on in that verse (1 Corinthians 10:23) to say "but not all things are helpful. All things are lawful, but not all things build up."

The "catch" is two fold. You can do anything as long as it brings glory to God (look at verse 31). In other words if you do something that reflects God's character then go for it! If you find yourself doing things that God wouldn't do then you need to look carefully at that thing and decide if a redeemed person should really do it.

The other "catch" is this: will your actions bring others closer to God or push them further away? That was what was going on in Corinth. The people were taking their freedom and flaunting it in front of people who had sacrificed meat to demon idols. This caused them to doubt whether Jesus was really God and got confused about the whole salvation thing.

Listen to what Paul says in 8:9 "But take care that this right of yours does not become a stumbling block to the weak."

Paul, and we, have a right to do anything that brings glory to God. All foods are given by God to be enjoyed, Paul says, and if we eat something or if we don't it won't affect whether we bring God glory - except if by eating we cause someone else to stumble in their faith. This can be applied to a lot of things.

Paul says in 9:19 "For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them."

Food for thought.

Pastor Tom

Preaching to the Outside - Purifying on the Inside

The Corinthian church was not a model church. Not by a long shot, in fact. The church was rife with problems including backbiting, envy, world-worship, idolatry - and the list goes on.

But if you had asked the Corinthians about problems they would have laughed at you. They thought they were something pretty special. So the Apostle Paul has to be pretty strong with them, including calling them on the carpet for rampant sexual immorality.

When he does this it is instructive for us as well. Listen to this:

1 Corinthians 5:9 "I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people - not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler ..."

I find this interesting because sometimes we get things turned around like the Corinthians. We judge and condemn sin outside the church but often let people treat each other horribly within the church. Now neither Paul nor I suggest that sin outside the church is okay - sin leads to death. But for those outside the church we should preach the gospel - that Jesus died for our sins to bring us back to life. Focusing so much on the sin takes the focus away from the gospel.

By the way, we focus on the "big" sins like homosexuality but notice that "greedy" is on that list. Know anyone who is greedy? The point is that to those who do not belong to Christ we tell them about Jesus. To those who know Christ we tell them that the Holy Spirit wants to renovate their lives and make them into God's image and that it is now possible thanks to their giving their lives to Jesus. If they won't listen and continue in sin then we need to move things up a notch.

Pastor Tom

What Is Your Mindset?

Romans 8:6 "To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace."

I wonder sometimes how much of our thoughts are taken up by the flesh. A recent study showed that Americans are bombarded by at least 3,000 advertising messages each day. Most of those messages encourage the flesh to eat more, look good, have the latest toys, get the girl (or guy) and never be satisfied with what you got yesterday.

Especially as the Christmas holiday approaches the messages to our flesh mount. At this time do you find yourself focusing on what you can get? Perhaps you are making lists of things you want; fantasizing over a new toy or gadget.

I find it ironic that we become so materialistic at Christmas when we are supposed to celebrate the greatest gift ever given, that of Jesus Christ coming into the world.

And what is the fruit of all that? Greed, jealousy (when someone else gets what we think we should have), covetousness, frustration, even anger. That's death stuff. If we would instead focus on the Spirit we would experience life and peace. What are the things of the Spirit? Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, self control, among other things.

My suggestion for this Christmas? Instead of the gifts, focus on giving out these qualities as gifts from yourself to others, especially to those you don't like. Want to have a happy holiday? Be a giver, not a getter.

Pastor Tom

Something Good from Something Bad

You may remember the story of Stephen in Acts 6 & 7. Stephen preached the good news of Jesus Christ to the Jews and they stoned him in return. That act led to a great persecution of the young church "...and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria." (Acts 8:1)

Sounds pretty bad, and it was. These people had to flee for their lives. Later, Saul went after them and actually had some of them put to death. But I noticed something as I was reading through the section today that gave me hope:

Acts 11:19 "Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no except Jews. But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists ... and a great number who believed turned to the Lord."

You know, sometimes I think God likes to shake us up to get us going. Here these people were running from evil but in fact they were going in exactly the direction God wanted them to go. Jesus told his disciples to preach the gospel in the whole world. To make that happen God had to scoot them out of the nest. Sometimes He does that to us too. Don't think that just because something bad has happened doesn't mean God isn't at work.

By the way, the word "Christian" was first coined at Antioch, thanks in part to those who ran from Jerusalem. And one more thing: there was at Antioch that same man they fled from: Saul, now called Paul. And at Antioch was where the Lord called Paul to go out and preach the gospel to the gentiles.

What good came from something so bad.

Pastor Tom

The True Purpose of the Holy Spirit

If I asked you what you thought the purpose of the coming of the Holy Spirit was, what would you say? To give gifts to believers, to grant power to the Christian, to speak in tongues? All are true - but are consequences of the Holy Spirit, not the purpose.

A careful literal reading of Acts 2:8 gives us insight:

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses..."

The purpose of the Spirit coming in power upon the believer is very simple: to be a witness for Jesus Christ. It is to reach the unsaved with the knowledge of the gospel.

We see it acted out immediately. Yes, the disciples had tongues of fire resting on them and spoke in other tongues - but what did they speak? Acts 2:3 "And divided tongues of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak on other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance ... we hear them telling in our own languages the mighty works of God."

Follow that with Peter when he began speaking - formerly an uneducated and somewhat clumsy fisherman to a powerful orator for the gospel. The result? :41 "So those who received his word ... were added that day about three thousand souls."

The Spirit comes to the believer to aid the believer in sharing the gospel. The gifts come to the Christian in order to help the Christian bring others into the kingdom. Period.

The Spirit is not for us. He didn't come for us to have a "Spirit Pool Party" where we all jump in the pool excited about showing off the gifts to each other ("Hey guys, watch this cannonball!"). He didn't come to show off in any way, nor to benefit the believer (though that happens).

We don't own the Spirit, He owns us, and His purpose is to use us and the power in us to bring others to Christ.

It's time we refocused.

Pastor Tom

Bed of Roses - Bed of Nails

I wanted to share one of my life verses today. It's in John 17. Right in the midst of warning His disciples about what was about to happen and the fact that they w0uld be scattered and Jesus would be arrested and killed He said this:

"In the world you will have tribulation, but be of cheer, for I have overcome the world."

I think too often we think that when we come to Christ He automatically fixes everything - like a supernatural virus scan and spam blocker, Jesus keeps all trouble from coming our way and fills our lives with happiness and money and health.

Then when we experience a job loss or sickness or bills we can't pay for have an accident or are homeless or some other calamity befalls us - we either blame God for not protecting us or oursevles for not having enough faith.

I think that whole notion is wrong. Jesus said you will have tribulation. It's a fact. Now God uses that tribulation in ways we won't know fully until heaven. But I am struck by the latter half of that verse. Jesus said "be of good cheer because I have overcome the world."

Jesus didn't say to leap for joy or that we'd always be on top of the world, but he did say we can have good cheer - why? Because Jesus has overcome. Jesus has overcome your loss. Jesus has won over your trouble. Jesus has claimed victory over the worst thing that can come into your life.

It doesn't mean you won't experience trouble, but it does mean you are not alone and that you have someone on your side who has already overcome it. Now what He allows to come your way is okay. He is in control.

Pastor Tom

Why did Jesus Cry?

You may have read the shortest verse in the Bible: John 11:35 "Jesus wept."

I've often wondered why He cried. The situation was that a good friend of His, Lazarus, had died and was in a tomb. Lazarus' sisters Mary and Martha were there as were a bunch of friends - all mourning the loss.

Jesus wasn't just tearing up or quietly crying. The word used there means to weep. So why did Jesus weep? Was it because Lazarus was dead? No, because He was about to raise him. Was it that He just saw the mourning and crying of those around Him and He couldn't help it? Not really.

I wonder if the reason Jesus wept was because of death in general. The scene in front of Lazarus' tomb was never supposed to happen. When man was created he was not supposed to die. Yet our own rebellion led to our death and to the scene of mourning in front of a grave many billions of times over.

So it makes me wonder if Jesus wasn't weeping because God never wanted us to die. He wants to live and He will do anything to bring us that life that can never be taken away.

It shows the heart of God-not a vindictive judgmental angry righteous judge, but a feeling person who sees our plight and is deeply moved to the point of weeping. How wonderful is He?

Pastor Tom

Being Drawn

Have you ever experienced an inner longing for Jesus Christ? Set aside all the stereotypes and all the bad things people say about him. In your heart of hearts; in that quiet time when it's just you-do you feel drawn to him? There's a reason for that:

John 6:44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.

God the Father wanted so much to be able to have a relationship with you and give you eternal life and joy and peace that he sent Jesus to you. Now he is wooing you to come to Jesus as the only way to have such a relationship with God. He is speaking softly into your heart telling you that what you lack he will supply.

I would encourage you to read the gospel of John chapters 6-10 to learn about this Jesus and just what he did. Jesus' voice may speak to you as well if you are listening.

John 10:27-30 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one." NIV

Pastor Tom

Who to Believe - Man or God

I had an interesting conversation with someone who saw one of our studies in Revelation on Google video. The bottom line of the conversation was that this person feels that we should only believe only what God says and not man. He was concerned that the Bible was merely man's invention.

I know this doesn't answer this person's concerns but I ran into this interesting verse in, yes, the Bible:

John 3:34 "For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives his Spirit without measure."

That person was Jesus Christ who came to earth and spoke God's word to us. You might not want to believe what Peter or Paul or Moses wrote - but how about Jesus?

Oh, one more thing. John 1:1 "In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God and the word was God ... And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth."

Now there's a person worth believing!

Pastor Tom

A Tale of Two Rich Men

In Luke 18 there is the account of Jesus and a rich young ruler. The guy had everything that we humans love: youth, position, and wealth. This man felt pretty confident in himself and his righteousness. But when Jesus told him that his riches were a problem and were actually an idol that kept him from God, the man went away sad.

Contrast that with Luke 19 and the story of Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus was also very rich and he was powerful. People loathed the tax collectors but also had to fear them as well. Zacchaeus was not just any tax collector, he was a chief tax collector. We know Zacchaeus was short - but he could have been handsome and short!

So in many ways these two guys are alike, but there is a huge difference: one got saved and the other didn't. Was it the riches or the position? No. I think it was the heart attitude. The rich young ruler was self justified. Zacchaeus was self aware. The Bible tells us that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." The problem is not all of us realize it.

As soon as Jesus came into his life he saw his shortcomings. If wealth was holding him back then he would get rid of wealth. If position kept him away from Jesus he would climb a tree in order to see him. Zacchaeus wanted to get close to Jesus no matter what it took. Are you?

Pastor Tom

Should We Always Go Along to Get Along?

Christians by and large are nice people. Jesus said for us to love our enemies and pray for those who despitefully use us. And didn't the angel announce "peace on earth goodwill towards men"?

So why on earth did he make this statement in Luke 12:

"Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division."

So what's going on? Jesus didn't come the first time to bring peace on earth, but peace between God and man. It marks a separation. No more is it just man against God. With Jesus there is a way back to God, but not all will choose that way. So now there are those who belong to Jesus and those who don't.

Jesus says later in chapter 13 "Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able."

Not everyone will be happy with your choice to follow Jesus and enter through that narrow door. In fact, some will be mad at you, angry, even hurtful and vicious. They may even try to kill you. So what should you do in that case? Love them, for sure. Pray for them - yes. But don't back down from your choice of a new relationship with God even if it means a broken relationship here on earth.

In cases like that Jesus acknowledges there will be division, and that's okay. It's not okay to back away from Jesus just because someone doesn't like your choice. Who knows - sometimes the person who is the most angry about it is actually wrestling with the choice themselves.

Pastor Tom

Pressed Down Shaken Together

Many of you are probably familiar with this verse:

Luke 6:38 "...give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you."

I know that many times the verse is used to suggest that if you give materially to God He will give materially to you. After re-reading Luke 6, I'm not too sure if that's correct.

Take another look at the chapter, especially the beatitudes. Jesus is talking about being poor in spirit, and poor in judgment towards others. He is talking about being rich in God, rich in love, rich in forgiveness, rich in lending without expecting in return.

We should be generous, and God will be generous with us. But does it mean "stuff?" I think it more likely means more of God; more of His character, more of His Holy Spirit. For more on that read Luke 11 carefully, especially where it talks about the good gifts the Father gives.

If you measure out forgiveness to those who hurt you, forgiveness will be measured back. If you measure out love to those who hate you, love will be measured back to you - in spades.

It's just another way of looking at it. But in terms of God's character I think it fits.

Pastor Tom

The Eye of a Needle

You may have heard the story in Mark 10 where Jesus encounters a rich young man who wants to be justified. Jesus discusses righteousness and the Law with him, but the real thing that keeps the man from coming to salvation are his riches, his possessions.

Jesus told him to give up on that thing that is holding on to him, like an idol. The man was unwilling and went away sorrowful. Then Jesus says "How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God ... It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God."

It is true that material possessions can often possess us and make us think that we have no need of a savior for our soul because our physical needs are taken care of. Wealth is like alcohol: it anesthetizes us to reality; we are care free when we should care very much about our eternal state.

But I thought of something else. It's not just material wealth, but wealth of any kind that makes it harder than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle.

Jesus said "blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." There are many things that can make us feel we are rich: philosophy, pleasure, physical prowess, position or power, intellect. Any of these without Jesus can be like idols, making us think like the rich young ruler than we have everything we need and reject anyone who tells us to leave behind that most important thing.

Jesus always seems to go right to the heart of what we serve. Jesus will not have second place because there really is no other place. We can't serve two masters. Why not serve the only real master; the only one that can bring true riches?

Pastor Tom

Did Jesus Want to go to the Cross?

It was Jesus' job to go to the cross, right? So does it follow that He wanted to do it? No. Take a look at Matthew 26:38 "My soul is very sorrowful, even to death..." Then later: :39 "He fell on His face and prayed saying, "My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will."

I don't think Jesus wanted to go to the cross in the sense that it was just something to do. Remember, Jesus was perfect. He had never sinned and didn't have a sin nature. His standing before the Father was pure and perfect. Sin had never touched Him in fact He healed sinners.

But on the cross the full force of the Father's wrath would be poured out on Him. He would suffer all the wrath that should have come our way. You could never endure just your wrath. But imagine enduring the wrath of God for every sin committed by every human throughout history. No wonder Jesus was sorrowful. No wonder He asked the Father that if there was any other way to save man other than the cross to do it.

There was no other way. No, Jesus didn't want to go to the cross but He did. Why? Because He loved you so much. It was love that drove Him there. It was love that kept Him there. It was love for you that allowed Him to give everything so you could have everything. He thought about you on that cross. He wanted to be with you for all of eternity so badly that it was worth it.

That's why the author of Hebrews could write: "who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame." Isn't He wonderful?

Pastor Tom

Does the Law = Rules?

When I say the word "law" what immediately comes to mind? A book of rules that if you don't follow there are punishments? Probably. That's what I think too. I think that even about the Law contained in the Old Testament. You know, the 10 Commandments and all that.

But I want us to consider a little thing that Jesus said about the Law:

Matthew 23:23 "Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice mercy and faithfulness."

Now, putting aside the rebuke against the religious leaders for a moment, I thought it interesting that this is how Jesus summed up the law in just three words: justice, mercy, and faithfulness. To me, this doesn't speak of a book of rules but of a life of character. Justice speaks of a pure character, mercy speaks of a loving character, and faithfulness speaks of a person in love with God and wholly devoted to them.

The Law is really nothing more than a partial revelation of God's character. The more we become like God the more we become like what the Law says. How does that happen? Surely not from our own efforts, but from opening up our lives to God Himself who gave His Son to suffer the punishments we deserved (mercy) so that He could place His Holy Spirit inside us to change us into His character (justice) and will hold on to us no matter what and will never stop loving us (faithfulness).

Instead of looking at the Law as a book of rules, think about it as a character sketch of God.

Pastor Tom

Who Do You Think Jesus Is?

Matthew 16:13 "Who do people say that the son of man is?"

It's a fair question for all of us to ask. What are the voices around you saying about Jesus Christ? I hear that he was a good man, a teacher, a guru, a healer, an example. The disciples heard various theories that Jesus was a famous prophet or celebrity.

I think as we make up our minds what we think about Jesus we need to take those opinions into account because they affect our own perception. But I think it is equally important for us to take a serious look at what we think about him.

In verse 15 Jesus says "but who do you say that I am?" Jesus wasn't interested so much in what others thought about him, but what individuals thought. And it wasn't because he was looking for complements or an ego boost. In fact, what you think about Jesus is the single most important opinion you will ever form.

1 John 5:11-12 And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life , and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. ESV

Jesus himself said something similar:

John 6:40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life , and I will raise him up on the last day." ESV

So how do you make up your mind about who you think Jesus is? Don't go by public opinion or what others tell you. Explore it for yourself. Look into his word, the Bible, and make up your own mind.

For those who already belong to Jesus: who is he to you? A big brother, a Lord, a distant and stern father, an insurance policy, an acquaintance? Time to think about it.

Pastor Tom

Judging

Matthew 7:1 "Judge not, that you not be judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged..."

Maybe I'm just dense or something, but whenever I read this I always thought it meant "Judge not, that God will not judge you."

When I thought about it, though, two things came to mind. First: God judged Jesus so that He didn't have to judge us. In fact, God does not judge us though we deserved it. Second: I realized that Jesus may have been talking more about how we interact with each other.

By "judge not" I do not mean that we simply turn a blind eye to any and every thing that anyone does that is contrary to the character of God. "Judge" in this case means to condemn. That's not our job.

But if we go around passing condemnation on others - first it's not right. We should be praying for them, not judging them. Until they die there is still a chance they will repent and turn to Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

But I was just thinking that if our attitude towards people is condemning, won't their attitude towards us be the same? Sure, we need to encourage each other to let the Holy Spirit transform us into God's image. But Scripture tells us to gently lift someone out of sin. Isn't that how we want to be treated when we fail?

So just don't be too quick on the judgment trigger finger. You may find yourself on the receiving end from others. Instead be like Jesus who was condemned unjustly and responded by praying for the Father to forgive them, and then laying down His life for the very ones who judged Him.

Pastor Tom

Jesus Under Human Care

I was reading the first five chapters of Matthew today and was struck by something. I noticed that God left it up to humans to care for the very fragile existence of His Son Jesus. While in the womb he left it up to Joseph to decide to marry Mary. It was Joseph who took Jesus to Egypt after He was born to escape Herod's plot, and then Joseph moved his family to Nazareth to avoid Herod's son.

Why I think this is interesting is because of what God did not do. God could have just forced Joseph's mind to accept Mary. No, instead Joseph was left to ponder what to do. At first, in fact, he made the wrong decision to divorce her.

God could have killed Herod before he had a chance to carry out his plot against the children of Bethlehem. God could have wiped out the soldiers who came to murder Jesus. God could have simply surrounded the holy family with angels so that they would be bullet proof while Jesus was little and fragile. But He didn't.

What did God do? He sent His word, in the form of angels, dreams, and stars. His Word informed people who had a choice. They listened to what God's Word told them and obeyed Him. That very fragile life was cared for and sustained by people listening to God.

Your life might seem very fragile to you. You might have enemies all around you who want to hurt you physically or emotionally. My advise today: listen to God's Word and trust that He will guide you through the toughest of hours.

I leave you with this quote from the Apostle Paul:

2 Timothy 4:18 "The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom."

Pastor Tom

As If It Had Never Happened

I ran across this great little verse buried in the prophet Zechariah:

10:6 "...I will bring them back because I have compassion on them, and they shall be as though I had not rejected them."

God here is talking about bringing Judah back from captivity in Babylon, but it made me think about how God also brings us back from captivity to sin through Jesus Christ.

I think sometimes we look around after being washed in Jesus' blood and we think "I really don't belong in God's family. Maybe if I just keep my head down and don't make a lot of noise no one will notice and tell me to get out." We feel as if the sins we did taint us and even their memory is enough to make us feel unworthy to approach God.

But look at what God says - He makes it as if we had never been rejected. God remakes us through Jesus to be as if we had never sinned. As if all that happened in the Garden of Eden never took place. It's a refreshing and comforting thought to know that God looks at you in Christ as if you are perfect, because Jesus is perfect.

Pastor Tom

The Lord Gets Joy from You

Zephaniah 3:17 "The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing."

If you belong to the family of God through His Son Jesus Christ then you are rejoiced over by the Lord. He is mighty and has saved you. He rejoices over you because He has become your rescuer. No more do you need feel anxious about your future because His love will sustain you and quiet you. God exults over you with loud singing.

Today if you feel heavy of heart or anxious, listen closely for the loud singing of the Lord over your life. If God is singing for joy, then maybe things won't be so bad after all.

Pastor Tom

Glory in the Midst of Darkness

So I'm reading the prophet Habakkuk. Most of it is about judgment and the purity of the Lord. 1:13 says "You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong." Habbakkuk is complaining the Lord has taken a long time to bring about justice for the oppressed.

There are plenty of "woes" in this short book. But right in the midst is this wonderful verse:

2:14 "For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea."

It's like this incredible promise in the midst of doom and gloom. That the purity of God, the glory of God, will be known by everyone.

I'm going to meditate on this verse today. How about you? Is your day filled with darkness? Know the purity and wonder of God today. Let the knowledge of Him fill your world.

Pastor Tom

What Does God Want Anyway?

"With what shall I come before the Lord and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my body for the sin of my soul?

He has told you, O man, what is good and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" Micah 6:6-8

This is really an amazing scripture. As humans we think that the bigger our gift, the bigger our sacrifice, the more God is pleased. We feel guilty for doing and saying things we know aren't right, and we think that if God sees we are really sorry and we do "pennance" then he will be pleased.

But look at what God says He wants from us: be right on the inside (do justice), be love on the outside (love kindness) and have a right attitude towards ourselves and God (walk humbly).

If we would but follow these short principals, through the blood of Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit, how much better our lives would be.

Pastor Tom

Knowing God Hurts

Hosea 6:1 "Come, let us return to the Lor; for he has torn us, that he may heal us; he has struck us down, and he will bind us up."

This seems like such a strange verse. It almost paints God out to be a double personality--on the one hand healing and the other hurting. How could this be? Isn't God love? Would a God of love actually cause harm to someone?

Look at chapter 10 verse 10: "When I please, I will discipline them." Discipline hurts, no doubt about it. As parents we discipline our children, not to punish them, but to train them. We slap their hand away from a hot stove or yank them back from crossing a busy street. We say "no" to them when they want to follow the crowd to do evil. We withold privileges to teach them the consequences of their actions. God does the same.

Hebrews 12:6 "For the Lord disciplines those he loves."

Our kids sometimes say mean things to us when we discipline them, but they come around and eventually, hopefully, see the good we are trying to do in their lives. That's the way God is times infinity. He tears out the bad in order to instill the good; He hurts by allowing us to feel the consequences of our actions in order to instill His character in us.

So let's do what Hosea says later in chapter 10:12 Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the LORD, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you. ESV

Pastor Tom

Keys to the Successful Prayer

Daniel 9:18-19 For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy. 19 O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act. Delay not, for your own sake, O my God ESV

I really like Daniel's prayer for several reasons:

1. He hasn't gussied himself up for God so that the Father will look down and think "what a good boy, I've give you a treat." Daniel comes right out and says "I'm not asking this because I deserve it."

2. He asks because of God's mercy. God does desire to give to His children, but it isn't out of obiligation but because of mercy. It's not even out of our mercy, but His. Mercy is basically getting what you don't deserve.

3. Daniel asks God for four things associated with his prayer: "hear, forgive, pay attention, act." I like that. We come to God, who will not even hear our prayers unless we come through the Messiah, we ask for forgiveness because, frankly, we need it, then we ask God to focus on our situation and act. Make your prayers full of requests, not just statements or emotions (though those are good too). James says "You have not because you ask not."

4. Daniel asks God not for something that benefits him but benefits God. "For your own sake" he says. I like that. We should always want to give glory to God and if the thing we ask doesn't do that then maybe it's the wrong thing to ask for in the first place.

Pastor Tom

On Balance

There is a pervasive opinion in our world today that God grades on the curve. We think that when we get to heaven we can make a case to God that all the good I did, and the bad I didn't do should outweigh any sins I've committed.

Some might call it karma-my good karma cancels out my bad karma if I've done enough good in my life. I call it bad information.

Read Ezekiel 33, for instance. Here's a snippet: "12 The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him when he transgresses, and as of the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall by it when he turns from his wickedness, and the righteous shall not be able to live by his righteousness when he sins."

In other words, any sin cancels out all the good you've done. What is sin? It's anything that is outside the character of God. If you think that's an easy standard, just read Revelation 22:15 (lying, for instance-ever lied, even once?)

The good news is that no matter what bad you have done, if you repent and turn (change your mind) about those things, and seek God's cleansing through His Son Jesus Christ, then no amount of bad will keep you from God's presence. God in affect sees His righteous Son Jesus rather then you when He looks at you. It's a cool deal and one worth pursuing.

Pastor Tom