Author Archives: Pastor Tommy

The Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world . . .  (Revelation 13:8)

Do you remember the story of the Good Samaritan, which Jesus recounted in Luke 10:30-37? A traveler was beaten by robbers, who left him for dead on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho. A priest and a Levite came to the place where the man lay dying, and both passed by on the other side of the road. But the Samaritan, who was despised by the Jews because of his ancestry, had compassion on the beaten man; the Samaritan stopped and bandaged his wounds and took him to an inn. After caring for the man, he paid the innkeeper and asked him to look after the man while he was gone. The Good Samaritan promised that he would pay the innkeeper for any additional expense. In effect, he said, “Charge it to my account.”

Just like the Good Samaritan, Jesus Christ has said of each and every one of our past, present, and future sins, “Set that to My account.” Christian, the Lamb of God, who was slain before the foundation of the world, had every one of your sins imputed to Him. We could spend a lifetime in meditation and still not even begin to plumb the depths of this blessed assurance! Jesus, as our substitute, had a debt we owed but could never pay laid upon Himself . . . and He did it freely for the unimaginable joy that was set before Him (Hebrews 12:2)—the joy of seeing you, His bride, no longer dirty and befouled by sin, but spotless and pure, “arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints” (Revelation 19:8).

Satan wants us to forget this truth and live with gnawing guilt that will prevent us from doing all God has called us to do. The vile accuser of the brethren works to convince us that we are so polluted by sin that we are disqualified from doing the kingdom work God has given us to do.

Sadly, far too many in the church have forgotten their day of deliverance. They have forgotten Jesus’ victory cry from the cross: “It is finished!” Your debt has been paid in full! Your sin has been forgiven—all your sin. Eternal life has been secured. You must always remember that the devil is a liar, and he will do everything in his power to destroy your witness for Christ.

The next time you find yourself dealing with a bout of gnawing guilt, remember the story of the Good Samaritan, who was willing to pay any debt incurred by the beaten man he had brought to the inn. This is a lovely picture of your Lord and Savior, who is infinitely greater than the Good Samaritan. Jesus Christ has not only nailed every one of your sins to the cross (Colossians 2:14), but He washed them spotlessly clean with His atoning blood (Ephesians 1:7). Hear Him say, “Charge that sin to my account,” and let that truth strengthen you to go and sin no more.

The Good Samaritan spent his money to help a dying man; but Jesus spent His precious blood to raise you from death to life!

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

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10)

These words from the prophet Isaiah provide us with a wonderful guarantee that is designed to both comfort and challenge every child of God. Let’s take a look.

First, notice who has given us this guarantee of strengthening; it is none other than God Himself. Omnipotence has promised strength, and who would dare doubt such a guarantee? There is an endless stream of strength with Him who does not grow tired or weary (Isaiah 40:28), and that stream is not diminished in any way when He gives a portion of it to us.

Next, notice that we are not told in which season we will be strengthened. So we must take this promise to mean all seasons. God has promised to strengthen us in our seasons of successful service and in our seasons of sorrowful service. Whether we are basking in the warm sunlight of contentment or sloshing through storms of sadness, we have this guarantee from the Lord God Omnipotent: I will strengthen you!

This guarantee from God is to be a source of unimaginable comfort to every Christian, but it doesn’t stop there. It challenges us to rise above any obstacle that stands in our way, because our strength does not come from within; it comes from above. Human weakness is no obstacle to divine strength. In fact, 2 Corinthians 12:10 assures us that when we are weak, our God is strong, and He has promised to strengthen us, no matter what we are currently facing:

• The fearful are given courage.
• The doubting are given conviction.
• The lonely are given companionship.
• The weak are given confidence.
• The broken are given compassion.
• The fallen are given forgiveness.

These are just a few of the difficult seasons we face throughout life, and God has promised to give us the strength we need to see them all through.

So let me ask you a very important question right now: What strength are you in short supply of today? Fear not! God has promised to help you; take hold of that promise. Go to your Savior and ask Him, “Strengthen me supernaturally according to your Word!”

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

You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. (Acts 1:8)

The book of Acts records that Jesus commanded His followers to be His witnesses throughout the entire world. Jesus promised to provide the power and strength they needed to accomplish their mission in the person of the Holy Spirit. Unfortunately, however, the apostles didn’t go anywhere! Oh, they preached the Word and witnessed for Christ, but they remained hunkered down in the Holy City. It wasn’t until the heat was turned up through persecution that the ambassadors of the Almighty did what He had instructed them to do—go out into the world.

You might say that this is a demonstration of the Second Law of Thermodynamics: “The greater the heat, the greater the expansion!” It wasn’t until the apostles were persecuted that they did what God had commanded them to do. There were so comfortable serving God right where they were in Jerusalem—after all, souls were being saved every day and the apostles were “enjoying the favor of all the people” (Acts 2:47)—that they neglected the Lord’s command to take the Good News of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth.

So let me ask you this question: Have you been going out with the good news of the Gospel? If not, don’t be surprised if God turns up the holy heat! You see in today’s verse that the Good News was indeed to be preached in Jerusalem, but it was to be taken beyond the walls of the city, past the borders of Israel, and out to the far reaches of the earth . . . but that wasn’t happening, two years after Jesus had ascended into heaven. And so, because God’s plans and purposes can never be thwarted, persecution broke out, and God’s people were shaken out of their comfortable existence and began doing what God had commanded them to do.

I am convinced that our Lord will use any means necessary to get us to do what He has called us to do. There have been times when I felt some of that holy heat myself! With that truth in mind, we must see the Second Law of Thermodynamics as a wonderful grace from our God. Because God’s plan for our lives is infinitely better than our plan for our lives, God will turn up the heat when necessary to get us moving in the right direction.

If we want to “beat the holy heat,” let us be committed to following God’s leading in our lives, regardless of where that takes us. In the end, being right in the center of God’s will is the best possible place for us to be.

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

God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. (1 Corinthians 12:18)

We have a tendency to exalt those who are out in front leading the charge for the advancement of the kingdom of Christ. But let me ask you this question: What do these three things have in common: the spleen, the pancreas, and the kidney? The answer is that all three are hidden from view—they are invisible to our eyes—yet they are invaluable for the proper functioning of the body.

What is true for the human body is also true for the body of Christ. Many Christians are unknown and virtually invisible, working behind the scenes to serve and edify the people of God. But make no mistake, every single member of the body is invaluable for advancing the cause of Christ.

What is going on inside the human body is critical for its proper function, and what takes place inside the body of Christ is critical for its proper function. When one part of the body of Christ does not do what God has called it to do, everyone suffers. Everyone is needed and valuable in expanding the cause of the kingdom of God.

I often tell young people that God did not make any “extra” Christians. Everyone has been called by God to use their gifts, talents, and abilities as a fully functioning member of the body of Christ. What the pastor does is no more important than those who share their gifts of administration, helps, mercy, and prayer. Without everything that goes on behind the scenes, nothing would be happening out in front.

We each need each other in order to be a God-honoring, fully-functioning body of Christ. It takes all of us to make a church that will impact the world with the truths of the Gospel. And when we see it from the perspective of “Each of us for the other,” there is no limit to what God can do through His body. And when no one cares who gets the credit, the body of Christ functions at the peak of its God-given ability.

Where does this message find you as we launch out into another year? Perhaps you’ve been feeling a bit insignificant about your place in God’s kingdom because you have been laboring behind the scenes, virtually invisible in your service. Don’t feel that way! You are invaluable to the advancement of the cause of Christ right now, right where this finds you. Be encouraged today and throughout this year, knowing that whatever you are doing for the glory of God is echoing in eternity.

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

Do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. (Joshua 1:9)

Last Friday we took “A Backward Glance” consider the wonders that God had done throughout 2018. Today we let’s invest some time in thinking about our “forward march” as we prepare to launch out into 2019.

Tomorrow, January 1, 2019, if you’re out in the community, you will likely be greeted with a cheery “Happy New Year!” by many people you encounter. That’s a pleasant thought, but if a mere wish for a happy new year is all Christian believers had to launch out into a new year, it would be a skimpy portion indeed! But thanks be to God, Christians have a lot more than just a hopeful greeting given to us by the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. Today’s verse reminds us of God’s promise to Joshua: “I will be with you wherever you go.”

You may remember that, after Moses had completed his ministry of service to God, Joshua was preparing to lead the people of Israel into the Promised Land. Joshua was well aware of the challenges he would inevitably face in leading God’s people. He had learned from Moses just how difficult the task would be. But Joshua also knew, as Moses did, that he would not be on his own in performing the work God had called him to do.

The same is true for you and me as we begin our forward march into this new year. To be sure, the year ahead will bring both questions and concerns . . . doubts and fears . . . obstacles and opportunities. Will the doctor give you a less than positive report on your health? Will you be confronted with professional or financial challenges? Will your marriage of many years march on for many more? Will you suffer the loss of a loved one? The list of looming uncertainties is long. But no matter! We can hold on to something greater than the hope for a “Happy New Year” because we have God’s promise that wherever we go, He goes with us.

I want you to remember something about that promise: “Going with God” is not going by chancel; it is not a random roll of the dice. God is guiding, governing, and directing your every step. “A man’s steps are directed by the Lord,” Scripture assures us. “How then can anyone understand his own way?” (Proverbs 20:24). God is in sovereign control of everything; not a bird falls to the ground apart from His will (Matthew 10:29). Nothing in life is left to chance. So do not be discouraged, even when the waves of challenge are washing over your life. His promise to be with us wherever we go encourages us to exchange every doubt and fear for faith and hope throughout our forward march into God perfect plan and purpose for our lives.

One final point: Some 3,400 years after God told Joshua that He would be with him wherever he went, Jesus reaffirmed that promise before He ascended back to heaven: “Surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

Forward, march! Your Master will always be at your side.

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

Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced. (Psalm 105:4-5)

On Monday we’ll close out yet another year of Grace for Your Race. Today I want to encourage you to take a backward glance over the past year and remember and reflect on the many and multiplied wonders God has done in your life. On Monday we’ll look forward to the starting line of another year . . . and crossing the finish line of the year that lies ahead running well, if God is pleased to grant us that.

Someone has said, “It is difficult to climb to the summit of the mountain when you are always looking over your shoulder.” That’s true, but a backward glance is beneficial for the Christian believer to be reminded of all God has done. To be sure, it must be a brief glance if we are going to make forward progress throughout 2019; but make no mistake, it is the best way to close out another year of blessings that God has bestowed upon us.

It’s important to note that a backward glance is not the same thing as walking backward. We cannot go back, nor should we want to! God is moving us forward into His perfect plan and purpose for our lives. Inasmuch as we live His call on our lives out imperfectly, we must remember to always treat the past as a school. We are to learn the lessons from our past, but not live in it. I’m afraid that far too many Christians believe that their past limits their future, and that belief prohibits any measurable forward progress.

But this is not for you! Take some time this weekend to reflect on 2018, and make sure that backward glance includes both your successes and your storms. There is much to glean from both life experiences; God has delivered them to us in order to conform us to the image and likeness of His beloved Son, Jesus Christ. Let your “backward glance” bring to mind God’s . . .

• Faithfulness and Friendship
• Discipline and Devotion
• Mercy and Ministry
• Love and Leading

Your brief backward glance will encourage you and strengthen you to set out on another year of life with Jesus seated upon the throne of your life—guiding you through every twist and turn, and growing you through every up and down, every step of the way.

And as you look back, remember the greatest blessing of all: He who cried out “It is finished” from the cross was telling you that your sin debt is done; it is finished; it is paid in full by His sacrificial atonement. If you have, by grace through faith, placed your trust in Him, all the sins of your past are as far from you as the east is from the west.

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

Work out your salvation with fear and trembling. (Philippians 2:12)

Now, inasmuch as it is important to be using a sound workout plan to care of your body, which is the temple of the Holy Spirit, I want to encourage you today to engage in another kind of “workout,” one that builds that temple from the inside out.

First, let me make something perfectly clear: The apostle Paul was not suggesting that we need to work out a salvation that can be lost if we do not engage in the right kind of workout or produce the right kind of results. We are not to be living in a condition of continual fear. That, beloved, would violate not only the good news of the Gospel, but all of sacred Scripture. The “fear” Paul spoke of in today’s verse is best translated as “reverence” or “respect” for our Redeemer.

I’m not a big fan of paraphrases of the Bible, but I do believe that the rendering of Philippians 2:12 in J.B. Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English beautifully articulated the sense of what Paul was exhorting us all to do:

Be keener than ever to work out the salvation that God has given you with a proper sense of awe and responsibility.

So what does it look like for a Christian to work out his or her salvation? It starts with a desire to live obediently before the face of God. The primary witness of our “workout” is found in our practice of obedience to the Lord. Notice that I did not say “the perfection of obedience,” because perfection will not be part of our lives until we cross the Jordan and are received into glory. Along the way, we will live lives marked by both obedience and disobedience because our old sinful nature is in a constant struggle with the new sinless nature. But in spite of the many times we will stumble along the way, we are to “press on toward the goal,” as Paul said in Philippians 3:14, of growing in Christ-likeness. As I’ve said here before, Christian, always remember that falling is not failing unless you fail to get up again.

The secondary witness of our “workout” is found in the environment that we are working out in, which is an attitude of reverence and respect for the Almighty. Remember that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10). In other words, we are to take the call of Christ to live as obedient disciples seriously! Even though we know we will work out our salvation imperfectly on this side of the grave, nonetheless we strive to be obedient in all things. True disciples desire to live lives that are pleasing and acceptable to God. True disciples seek to use all their time, talent, and treasure for the advancement of the kingdom of God. True disciples look to glorify God in all things.

What has the witness of your “workout” been saying to those around you? In what areas are you working out well? In what areas do you need to put in extra effort? Remember, the same grace that saved you is the same grace that is sanctifying you—and it is all of grace—yet God has called each one of us to “work out the salvation that God has given you with a proper sense of awe and responsibility.” May this be the daily confession of our lives.

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

The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and we will call him Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)

On this day before Christmas, let us pause for a moment. Let us join the company of the shepherds who were out in the fields, keeping watch over their sheep, and go down to Bethlehem and see this Babe who was born King of the Jews in the little town of Bethlehem.

In my role as a pastor, there is no busier season throughout the year than the Christmas season. Christmastime can be saturated with so many activities and so much ministry that, if I’m not careful, I can miss the miracle of the message that “Unto to us a child is born, unto us a Son is given” (Isaiah 9:6). So let us pause for a moment, you and I, and contemplate deeply what we are about to celebrate tomorrow: the birth of the Babe in Bethlehem, who came into this world to save sinners . . . of whom I am chief!

Notice two things with me today and let your heart beat with joy for that first Christmas gift. First, “the virgin will conceive and give birth.” Oh, the wonder of His miraculous conception! Never before had the world heard of such a thing, and never will it be heard of again. But it had to be this way. Only through His conception by the Spirit of God would this Babe be born sinless, without spot or blemish. Because of the sin of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, all of us are born sinners through natural conception. But Jesus was conceived as the seed of the woman supernaturally, through the power of the Holy Spirit.

The second thing I want you to see is what this Babe born in Bethlehem was to be called: Immanuel, which means God with us. That’s right. God in Christ came into this world, not only to save us from our sins, but to be with us so that we could live in relationship with Him.

Take just a moment to think that through. Jesus left his throne in heaven and entered into this fallen, broken, sin-stained world so that He could have an intimate, personal relationship with you. He wanted so much to be with you that He was born to die. Every day of His life pointed to that day when He would be nailed to a cross on Calvary’s hill and pay the penalty for your sin. And three days later, on that first Easter morning, Jesus walked out of His grave alive and well, which was proof positive that God the Father was well-pleased with the sacrifice of His Son.

So, Christian, as you prepare to celebrate the birth of this Babe born in Bethlehem, pause today and remember that Immanuel is with you, regardless of where this finds you. But that’s not all! Jesus has also promised never to leave you nor forsake you. This Babe born in Bethlehem is not only with you now, He is with you forevermore.

Merry Christmas to you and yours!

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

The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus. (John 1:41-42)

Wouldn’t it be well said of all of us what is said about Andrew in the sacred writings, “He brought him to Jesus”? Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, is sometimes referred to as one of the “anonymous” disciples because, for the most part, he lived his life in Peter’s shadow. Beyond the Gospel of John, and a one-verse introduction in Matthew and Mark, Andrew is only mentioned in the lists of the apostles.

Like most of the disciples of Jesus throughout the last 2,000 years, Andrew is not well-known, almost anonymous. But what he is known for is the most important thing any of us can and should be known for: leading others to our Lord. After Andrew heard the proclamation of John the Baptist that Jesus was the Lamb of God, who had come to take away the sins of the world, he immediately went to find his brother Peter, who would go on to become one of the most influential of Jesus’ apostles.

Whether we acknowledge it or not, we will all leave a legacy. The question is, what sort of legacy are we leaving behind? Some people leave behind legacies that are positive; some leave behind legacies that are negative. And some leave the most important legacy of all: that of leading others to the Savior.

You might remember John’s account of the Feeding of the 5,000. Here again, you see that Andrew brought someone to our Lord Jesus Christ, saying, “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” (John 6:9).

After a long day of teaching, the people were hungry, and Jesus would use this as another opportunity to demonstrate He was the promised Messiah, the Son of the living God. Andrew spotted a boy with a few fish and loaves and brought him to Jesus. So now this boy was standing in the presence of God incarnate, and he watched in awe as Jesus multiplied his meager meal to feed as many as 15,000 – 20,000 people. We never hear about this boy again, but it may very well be that he went on to be just like Andrew—anonymous in the service of the Almighty, leaving a legacy of leading others to Jesus.

So . . . if today were your last day on this earth, what kind of legacy would you leave? What would those closest to you say about you? When was the last time you brought someone to your Lord? As I said in Wednesday’s article, I am well aware that witnessing for Jesus is a frightening idea for some people, but it doesn’t need to be. One of the best ways to start is to simply invite a friend or neighbor to visit your church or attend a church event.

Remember, Jesus has left us behind to be His witnesses (Acts 1:8). And because of this truth, we can count on Him to give us all we need to live a life like Andrew—leading others to our Lord so that they too may be filled to the measure of all His fullness.

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

How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation. (Isaiah 52:7)

Let me begin with this question: What word do the first two letters in the word Gospel spell? The word, of course, is GO. Did you ever consider how beautifully this one word describes the calling of every Christian at the deepest level of living out their faith in Christ? Please read on; it is my hope that today’s message will both challenge you and encourage you.

When you see a movie you really like, what do you do after it is over? If you’re anything like me, you tell others about it. When you have a great meal at a local restaurant, what do you do the next time you see a friend? If you’re anything like me, you tell them about it. We are hardwired to be evangelists; we share the good news of the things we like with those around us.

When we read through the gospel accounts, we see Jesus sharing the Good News with those around Him over and over again, whether they came to Him or He had gone to them. The question is: Can the same be said about our sharing the good news of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ?

It’s true that we have been commanded to “Go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19) and share the Good News about Jesus. But I much prefer to think of evangelism as a delight rather than a duty. Think about it this way: God has called you and me, broken earthen vessels, to take the Good News of Jesus Christ to the world. He did not need to call us, but He did. God invited us to go on mission with Him, and that should cause us to respond to The Great Commission out of a sense of sheer delight, not duty.

I don’t know where this message finds you today as it relates to the “Go” in Gospel, but let me encourage you to reread today’s verse from Isaiah and meditate on it for a moment. We see that our Lord regards the feet of those who carry the good news of the Gospel to the world as beautiful. If that doesn’t light the fire of your faith and inspire you to Go . . . your wood is wet!

Remember, everyone needs God’s love because everyone has been made in the image of God. I know that it may feel a little scary to tell others about Jesus . . . maybe a LOT scary! I know that because there was a time when I felt exactly that way. But fear not! God will give you the words to say and Jesus has promised to go with you. For right on the heels of the command to “Go” came this promise: “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

Remember, you have a testimony of what God has done for you. Jesus told the man He healed of demon-possession to “Go and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” You can do that too! So . . . will you go?

One last word of encouragement for readers who live in the South Florida area and would like to learn more about how to fulfill the command to “Go.” We will be presenting our Disciples Making Disciples program—both in weekend workshops and as part of our Wednesday Family Ministry night—at Cross Community Church in 2019. Whether you are a member of our church or not, we would be delighted to have you join us and be encouraged and equipped to share your faith in the One who regards our efforts to share that faith as beautiful.

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