Author Archives: Pastor Tommy

“Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.” (Luke 15:9)

In the ancient world in Palestine, it was common for women to receive ten silver coins as a wedding present. These coins had both a monetary value and a sentimental value, kind of like a wedding ring would have today. To lose a single coin would be as distressing as it was upsetting. So the woman who lost the coin would search everywhere until she found it. And just as the woman would rejoice and celebrate with her friends, so too, the angles in heaven rejoice and celebrate when one lost sinner is repents and turns to God.

Here are a few things to take from this story that will both comfort and challenge you as a “Christian Coin” –

• We were lost because of our sin
• We had no interest in being found
• We were the object of a search by the One who wanted us
• We were found by the One who searched for us
• We were celebrated by the One who found us

Remember this important point in the story: even though the woman still had nine coins in her possession, she went after that one lost coin and would not stop until she found it. God loves us so much and desires deeply to be in a right relationship with us, regardless of how many other coins He has, He still goes after that one lost coin and will not stop until that coin has been found. Why? Because that single lost coin has true value and the same is true for every lost sinner in the eyes of our Lord.

Oh, one final point. There was a cost for the woman in finding her lost coin. “Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it.” First, to light a lamp would be costly simply because of the oil expended. Next, she does not just glance here and there, but uses a broom to sweep the whole house, searching diligently and carefully until the coin is found. Remember, Jesus was making this point to the self-righteousness religious leaders who cared not for others. Certainly, they had no concern for “sinners.” But Jesus came to seek and to save lost sinners and He paid the ultimate cost to have them – His precious blood shed on a cross. 

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

Love covers a multitude of sins. (1 Peter 4:8)

We have a “Cosmic Covering” in our Lord Jesus Christ. To “cover” at the deepest level of understanding is to forgive and to forget and only God has the ability to do that over and over again in our lives.

While Jesus hung on the cross, He said, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). Once we have this truth firmly planted in our understanding, we can begin to live it out in our lives with others, which is specifically what Peter is referring to in today’s passage. Peter is talking about interpersonal relationships on the horizontal level. Only as we are able to love others as Jesus has loved us – by forgiving as we have been forgiven – can we truly be considered His disciples. Because we have been given this “Cosmic Covering,” we must be willing to share it with others.

But what we must remember in our interpersonal relationships is the fact that love covers a “multitude” of sins . . . not all of them . . . and Paul makes this clear in the following ways:

• We are to separate ourselves from those who claim to be believers and still live immoral and destructive lives (1 Corinthians 5:11)
• We are to give a word of warning to those who are living idle and disruptive lives (1 Thessalonians 5:14)
• We are to bring restoration to anyone who has been caught in the snare of sin (Galatians 6:1)
• We are not to participate with others in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but rather we are to shed light on them (Ephesians 5:11)

To be sure, the life of the believer is a life lived in the shadow of the cross, as we forgive and forbear. Love does indeed cover a multitude of sins. Yet, there are sins that must be addressed in love when someone’s sin is destructive to them, others, and us. There are biblical boundaries for every relationship if that relationship is to being glory to God and good to others and the truth of those boundaries must always be clearly communicated in LOVE.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. (Hebrews 7:25)

Most of us would be quite familiar with the biblical title, “The Prince of Peace,” rooted in the prophecy of Isaiah. But are we as familiar with the biblical title, “The Prince of Prayer?” One of the most neglected understandings of our Lord Jesus Christ in the church today is the continually heavenly intercession He is making on our behalf.

We have a tendency to focus primarily on what God in Christ has done for us in the past and what He has promised to do in the future, but we have a tendency to minimize or even forget what Jesus is doing right now for us. To be sure, everything that was needed for our salvation has already been done for us through the sinless life, sacrificial death, and supernatural resurrection of our Lord Jesus. All that comes under the heading of our Justification. But we must never forget that the work of our Lord is not finished as it relates to our sanctification and growing and maturing in our faith. And that comes under the heading of His Intercession.

Now it’s important to understand this ongoing work of our Lord doesn’t mean anything related to our right standing before God was left unfinished. When we understand that Jesus is always making intercession for us, we are to see it as the application of what His atonement has accomplished. His intercession is a powerful picture of the fulness of His victory and His cry on the cross, “It is finished!” (John 19:30), through the daily, and even, moment by moment, application of all that Jesus accomplished on our behalf.

Here is something to remember that will be both a comfort and a challenge. Just as Satan is continually accusing us and pointing out our sins and shortcomings, Jesus is interceding for us, which means Satan’s accusations fall on “Divine Deaf Ears!” There is no condemnation for the believer (Romans 8:1), and not until that truth seizes us will we be able to withstand the slings and arrows of the evil one. On final point – you need no other mediator between you and God. Jesus is the One and Only Mediator as the God-man who has your back in every set of circumstances you find yourself in. Oh, Jesus also has your front, sides, and inside too because Jesus is your Prince of Prayer who is continually making intercession for you.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage!  As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.” (Acts 23:11)

I have a word of great comfort for you today rooted in the passage from which our verse was taken. The apostle Paul was in harm’s way after having confronted the hypocrisy of the religious leaders. The uproar was so great that the Roman guard needed to take Paul away and put him into the barracks for his own protection. While some of the religious leaders were plotting to kill Paul, the angel of the Lord told Paul that he was in a word . . . UNTOUCHABLE . . . because God was not finished with him yet. And the same is true for you and me. 

The Bible makes it clear that we are all “immortal” until our work is done. God’s purposes will be accomplished and nothing and no one will stand in His way. It mattered not that the corrupt religious leaders had conspired to kill the apostle Paul. In fact, the narrative tells us that “more than forty men were involved in this plot” (Acts 23:13). Forty men were no match for God, because God was not finished with Paul yet. The whole world could have taken its stand against Paul, but they were impotent to do anything to Him while Omnipotence had more work for him to do. 

Make no mistake, when your work for your Lord is done, He will usher you into His eternal presence along with all the saints of God. But that will not happen one moment before you have completed your assignment here on earth. So, receive what the angel of the Lord said to Paul, “Take courage!”- because God is not finished with you yet. As an ambassador of the Almighty, your safe passage is guaranteed while you are fulfilling your service for your Savior.    

So, as a disciple of Jesus, you have been called to testify to the truth. Every child of God has been given the assignment of participating in the expansion of the kingdom of God. Is there anything keeping you from fulfilling your calling? Remember, the Lord is standing right by your side every step of the way into glory. His promise is to never leave nor forsake you. Therefore, be at peace as you participate in the greatest work on this side of the grave – witnessing for Christ. Let this truth sink in and ultimately set you free – He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion regardless of the cost or circumstances you face because greater is He who is in you than the one who is in this world. No weapon formed will keep you from finishing the work God has set before you to do because under the care of the Almighty, you are UNTOUCHABLE. 

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. (Philippians 3:7)

Because we have been made in the image and likeness of God, we have been made to make a durable difference in the world around us. So the question before you and me today is – “Are we making a difference that is durable?” 

To be sure, there are many things that get in the way of making a durable difference in the world around us. One of those things is to be more focused on pleasing man rather than pleasing God. Make no mistake, people pleasers do not make a durable difference in the world because they are more concerned with what others think of them rather than what God thinks of them. They find their deepest satisfaction when others are pleased and accepting of them.  But this was not the life for the apostle Paul and that is why he made a durable difference.

I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may accomplish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.  Acts 20:24

These are the sentiments of a man who made a durable difference in the world. Now it was not that the apostle despaired of life itself. Rather, he despaired of life without Christ as the center and circumference of it. And he was willing to give it up in the faithful and fruitful service of his Lord. Paul made no account of his life apart from the life the Lord Jesus had called him to live on the road to Damascus. 

Paul’s goal was to accomplish or finish his course or race. He knew a durable difference would only be made when he crossed the finish line of life having given all he had and all he was as a testimony to the gospel of the grace of God. Paul purposed to live a life for something bigger than just his life. He lived for His Savior. He refused to shrink the size of his life down to the size of his life. Paul lived to please God, not man, and in doing so, he made a durable difference as a disciple of Jesus. 

So, can the same be said about you today? Are you making a durable difference by the life you are currently living? The answer of course is YES if you are living your life for the glory of God and the good of others. It matters not what your station in life is.  What matters is who you are living for in your current station. And when you are living for Jesus and pouring yourself out for the advancement of His kingdom, then you can know in no uncertain terms, that the life you are living is making a durable difference in the world around you. 

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.”  For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. (Hebrews 11:5)                                                                                                                                        

It is said that Enoch lived such a holy and righteous life that God Himself testified to it . . . not once, but twice in sacred Scripture.

After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked faithfully with God 300 years.  Genesis 5:22

Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.  Genesis 5:24

So pleased is God when we walk by faith before Him, that He is committed to testifying to it as a fact before men. In essence, this is the testimony of God to a life well lived before His face and in the presence of others. Enoch walked faithfully with God every step of the way into heaven. Can the same be said about us? Is our walk with the Lord Jesus Christ a walk that is rooted in faith or a walk that is rooted in sight . . . and what would be the testimony of God?

Look at it this way. Never do we more closely bear the image of our God than when we are walking faithfully with Him. And never is God more pleased with us than when we are bearing more of His image. To be sure, when Adam and Eve fell in the Garden of Eden, the image of God in them was stained by sin and that stain marred its perfection. Now we bear God’s image imperfectly in everything we do, but we do still bear God’s image. And never do we bear it more than when we are walking faithfully with our God. 

To walk with someone is to be in close proximity with them. As you walk, you talk, and your attention is focused on the one you are walking with. You are in step with that person and you share a time of intimate companionship with them. This is what it means to walk faithfully with your God. We are in close proximity to Him. We are focused on Him. We are sharing a time of intimate fellowship with Him and when we do, we are affirming that God is the greatest good in our life. When we do, we live at the level described by A. W. Tozer – “to live in a state of unbroken worship.” 

Walking by faith is faithfully trusting God even when we cannot trace Him. This is a life marked by walking in unwavering obedience to His Word and His will regardless of the cost or circumstance. This was the confession of the life lived by Enoch. But he was not alone in the biblical account. It is said of Noah that as “a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, he walked faithfully with God” (Genesis 6:9). And this is God goal for every one of His children and He is committed to testifying to it. 

So, be encouraged today by the example of Enoch. Make it your hearts deepest desire to live a life marked by walking with your God, wherever He leads knowing it will ultimately be for His glory and your good. 

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. (Revelation 3:7)

What a word of encouragement this is for us today. Our God is the keeper of the Gate into glory. It is God who holds the key that unlocks the door leading to eternal life, and it is God who locks it keeping all those who have entered in eternally safe. This is the key of David and it is designed to both encourage and comfort you not only today, but all the way into glory. Here are some of the incredible implications:

Salvation is rooted in . . .

• God’s mercy – not our merit
• God’s grace – not our good works
• God’s good pleasure – not our posturing

The gate that allows access into eternal life is opened by God and God alone. He is the one who extends His invitation. He is the one who pours out His grace. He is the one who offers His mercy. And when we receive it by faith, we can be assured that our home in heaven is absolutely assured. In addition, that same gate that allows access into eternal life on the other side of the grave, is closed and secured by God too. What this means is eternal life is assured and judgment is certain. 

You see, today is a day of invitation for all those who are outside the gate. God in Christ has extended His invitation to everyone who will trust in Christ alone for eternal life. The promise is eternal life for those who will abandon their self-salvation project and transfer their trust to the Savior. The flip side of this truth is – tomorrow may not be a day of invitation because we have breathed our last, and the door leading to eternal life is closed forever. So, if you have acknowledged yourself to be a sinner in need of a Savior and you have transferred your trust to Jesus Christ, rejoice knowing that a banquet is being prepared for you this day, and one day soon, you will be sitting at table with Jesus Christ.     

To know that your salvation is secure is to know that there is nothing in the entire universe that can separate you from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus. Not your sin. Not Satan. Nothing!  The door that was opened by your Savior has also been closed and locked behind you. Does that truth not fill you with unimaginable strength for the day ahead? If Jesus has the ultimate authority as the keeper of the gate, He is absolutely sovereign over everything detail of your life. Nothing happens to you that doesn’t first pass through His nail-scarred hands. And everything happens to you for two reasons: God’s glory and your eternal good. 

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said to himself, “My master was too easy on Naaman . . . as surely as the Lord lives, I will run after him and get something from him.” (2 Kings 5:20)

The story of the prophet Elisha who healed Naaman of leprosy is well known by students of the Scriptures. However, there is another story closely associated with this one that is less known and perhaps, more profound in its message (2 Kings 5). The story of Gehazi. 

Naaman was the commander of the army of the king of Syria. The Bible tells us that he was a mighty man of valor, but was a leper. One day he sought out the prophet Elisha that he may be cured of his leprosy. Naaman was not happy with the response he received from Elisha, but he did as he was instructed and went down to the Jordan, dipped himself seven times in it, and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child. 

Now Naaman was so grateful for his healing, he wanted to reward Elisha, but Elisha refused. Enter Elisha’s servant Gehazi, who had a leprous heart that was beating for things smaller than God. Gehazi ran after Naaman requesting the reward that Naaman had refused. When Elisha learned of his servant’s actions, the prophet rebuked Gehazi for his greed, and he became as Naaman had been, a leper, like snow.

By nature, we all have a bit of Gehazi in us. We have leprous hearts that beat for the stuff of this world rather than our Savior. On the outside Gehazi looked quite good to the watching world. He was a servant of the prophet Elisha, bringing him close to God and God’s Word continually. He was immersed in an environment of all things eternal. But his leprous heart was beating for that which was temporal, and eventually, what he loved most rose to the surface of his life. It always does!

So what has your heart been beating for – things above or things below? What have you been running after lately? Do not be deceived like Gehazi was and think everything is ok inwardly, simply because of your outward environment. As a servant of the prophet Elisha, he was close to God outwardly, but deep inside his heart was far from Him. Remember, it is not your religion rooted in your church attendance, prayer life, daily devotions, and service to God that protects you from a leprous heart. It is always, and in every way, your right relationship with your Redeemer because the ultimate reward in both life and death is Jesus.      

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

You deceived me, Lord, and I was deceived; you overpowered me and prevailed. (Jeremiah 20:7)                                        

Over the decades as a coach and a trainer, I have been able to tell the athletes if they did certain things, they could expect certain results. For example, for those who had the goal of getting stronger, participating in a consistent weight training program would produce the desired result. For the goal of increasing speed, a systematic running and sprinting program would be the way to go. However, inasmuch as this principle is at work for the Christian who desires a closer walk with Jesus (Bible Study, Prayer, Corporate Worship, Service, etc.), often God will deliver to us something totally unexpected, perhaps even unwanted. 

Today’s verse is an example of the unexpected. The prophet Jeremiah had not foreseen, nor did he expect, the trials he would have to experience and endure when God called him into his prophetic ministry. To be sure, Jeremiah’s preaching ministry did not return the results expected. His call from God was met with beatings and prison. I think you would agree, very often we find ourselves in the same situation as Jeremiah . . . experiencing the exact opposite of what we had expected God to do in our lives. Sadly, as a result of the “UNEXPECTED,” a root of bitterness can grow, robbing God of His glory and us of the good God intended.   

Yet, our God is in the business of delivering the unexpected. Because God sees the beginning from the end, He knows what is best and He orchestrates events to produce His desired results, which are often, unexpected. Like Jeremiah, we did certain things and expected certain results. Unknowingly, we had put our God in a box. And once we put God in a box, we began serving the god we wanted, rather than the God who is. Here are three things we must remember if we are going to have any measure of peace and joy in this life:

1. There is a God
2. It is not me
3. And I don’t get a vote

So, regardless of where this finds you today, remember, God is in the business of delivering the unexpected. We all need to take a lesson from the psalmist and keep these powerful words before us, “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). The better we get at “being still” the better we will get at receiving the unexpected and the freedom, joy, and faithfulness it is designed to deliver.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

Peter asked, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now?  I will lay down my life for you.” (John 13:37)                                                                                                                                                                             

We have a tendency to prepare ourselves for the attacks of the evil one where we are the weakest. Yet, experience has taught me on more than one occasion, Satan often attacks where we are seemingly the strongest. Today’s word is designed as both a comfort and a caution as you go throughout your day.

In our verse today we read of Peter’s sold-out commitment and service to his Savior.  Peter was confident in his commitment to Christ. But his confidence was in himself. Peter was boasting of his strength and this is exactly where the devil found his foothold. Peter was unaware of the weakness of his strengths. What we all need to remember is attacks will not only assault us at our weak or low points, but also at the heights of what we consider to be our strengths. Peter was secure in his strength to withstand any attack that would come his way, and that is exactly the place where Satan tripped him up, exposing Peter for his true natural condition – poor, blind, and naked.

What was true for Peter is true for all of us. Our strength is also our weakness when we are trusting in our strength rather than in the One who has given it to us. We have all been tripped up by the devil in the places we felt the strongest. Like Samson, we were counting on our gift of strength rather than on the One who had given us that gift. We must never think we are safe in our strengths. We are only safe in the strength of our Savior that is at work within us. To be sure, the devil looks for chinks in our armor and will launch his attack. But we must also be ready to do battle with the evil one where we feel we are fully armored up. 

When we find ourselves in the cross-hairs of the world, the flesh, and the devil, let us remember we can do all things . . . but only those things in which Christ has strengthened us. The best way to keep the weakness of our strengths from witnessing to the watching world is to keep our eye of faith fixed on Jesus, the One who has promised us victory in Him and Him alone. It is in His strength, nor our strength, where we will stand firm against every attack the devil sends our way. As James said, “Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).  Remember, where we are weak, there He is strong.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!