Author Archives: Pastor Tommy

My expectation is from Him. (Psalm 62:5 NKJV)

One of the common denominators that comes up in many pastoral counseling sessions is “unmet” expectations. The primary reason for this is due to the fact that we tend to put our expectations upon someone other than God. Let me make something perfectly clear right up front: no one other than God Omnipotent can bear the weight of our expectations. Oh, the world will make promises multiplied, but they simply cannot produce.

David knew this truth and centered his expectations on the Eternal One. When our expectation is from Him, we are never left with an unmet expectation. When we set our desires on nothing less than God’s perfect will in our imperfect lives, our expectations will not only be met, they will be abundantly exceeded.

Jesus never had an unmet expectation because every moment of His life was spent in the eager expectation of the Father’s perfect will. His life of prayer and constant communion with His Father caused Jesus to seek and savor God’s eternal plan for His life, which met His every expectation.

Here is the key to unlocking the door leading to never having another unmet expectation. It is not in lowering your expectations; rather, it is in raising your expectation to God. God has promised to meet your every need, but not your every want. To be sure, God meets many of our wants along the way, but the promise is for our needs:

“My God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).

God has never broken that promise to anyone at any time. He hears our prayers and answers them according to His plan and purpose for our lives. As I often remind the congregation at Cross Community Church, sometimes God says “Yes,” and our expectation has been met; sometimes God says “Wait,” and our expectation has been met; and sometimes God says “No,” and our expectation has been met. How can it be that our expectation is met when God’s answer is “Wait” or “No”? Because when our expectation is from God, we receive His response with joy and gladness, whatever it is, because we trust that our God always works in our lives for our ultimate good.
Where does this find you today? Have you been dealing with some unmet expectations? If so, then you can be sure your expectation is not from Him. You have put your expectation in something smaller than God, and it simply cannot support the weight of your expectations.

When your expectations are from Him, they will never go unmet. That is true not only in this life, but in the next life also. Heavenly glory awaits you and the joyful expectation of hearing the words, “Well done.” Your room has already been prepared, but the door has not yet been opened for you to enter . . . which means that God still has work for you to do here! So do that work for His glory, and you can be assured that your expectations will be abundantly exceeded.

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

While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. (Luke 15:20)

After having spent all of his inheritance on riotous living, the Prodigal Son was left with nothing but the memory of what he once had: a roof over his head . . . food to eat . . . a bed to sleep in. Most importantly, he had a father who loved him with all of his heart. But he had turned his back on all that and set off to a distant country. It did not go well for him there. Now, sensing his overwhelming need, he imagined what it would be like to be back home, even if only as a servant rather than a son. And so, with a heart filled with a godly sorrow for the way he had spurned his father, the Prodigal set out for home. No doubt he was feeling some trepidation; when he had asked for his inheritance while his father was still alive, he was essentially saying, “I wish you were dead now!”

Take a second look at today’s verse; you read that the father saw the son “while he was still a long way off.” Do you see what that presupposes? The father was looking for and longing after the return of his son. Each day the father looked off into the distance, hoping that this might be the day when his son would return home. Finally that day arrived, and the father could not even wait for the son to walk up to the front door. Filled with compassion, the father ran out to meet him. Now, in the patriarchal culture of Jesus’ day, fathers just did not do this sort of thing! It would be considered undignified and embarrassing.

As the father was running toward the son, you can be sure that the son’s anxiety was accelerating. What kind of greeting was he about to receive? Would his father scold him for his utterly foolish behavior? Would his father rebuke him for his harsh, unfeeling words when they had last been together? The son knew he had that coming—he deserved a good tongue-lashing! But this was his great fear: Would his father disown him and order him to turn around and leave at once? No doubt the Prodigal was nervously rehearsing his apology one more time: “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men” (Luke 15:18-19).

But because the father in the story represents God our Father, he did the one thing that the Prodigal hadn’t expected—what he hadn’t dared even to hope for. The father threw his arms around his son and kissed him! The son began to confess his sin, but his father interrupted him:

The father said to his servants, “Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” (Luke 15:22-24)

In other words, the son would be received back in the same capacity in which he left—as his father’s son! This is what I call the “Prodigal Promise.” We are all prodigal children who wander away from our Father more often than we would like to admit. We turn away from our Father’s plan and purpose for our lives, determined to blaze our own trail. Perhaps it may seem like we made the right decision for a while. But before long, we find ourselves in the same sorry circumstances as the Prodigal: empty, unfulfilled, and desperate.

There is only one thing left to do at this point: return to our Father. That’s right; no matter what we have done or failed to do, the Prodigal Promise is offered to all who will simply return to the Father.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

How is it with you today? Do you feel like a prodigal son or daughter? Have you wandered away from your Father in heaven? Fear not! Your heavenly Father is waiting and watching for your return. And please remember this: your Father will not wait for you to get all the way home.

“Come near to God,” James promised, “and he will come near to you. . . . Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up” (James 4:8, 10). While you are still a long way off, your God will come running with open arms and nail-scarred hands. Your final steps toward home will find His kiss still warm upon your cheek.

Now that’s a homecoming worth coming home to!

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

I have refined you in the furnace of affliction.  (Isaiah 48:10)

Some Christians believe that redemption is the end of God’s great work of salvation. That is simply not true; redemption leads to refining. We have been redeemed to be refined, and God will not stop His work in us—conforming us to the image and likeness of His beloved Son, Jesus Christ—until He has completed it.

God saved us just as we are—dead in our trespasses and sins. But He steadfastly refuses to leave us in the condition in which we redeemed. Redemption’s goal is to refine us into the image and likeness of our Redeemer. It doesn’t happen in a day; God is refining us little by little, day by day, removing the sinful self and replacing it with the sinless Savior. And we must remember that God has promised to accomplish this through the furnace of affliction. God uses the fiery furnace to refine us, and if that furnace must be heated seven times hotter to accomplish the task, so be it! But we can be confident that our Lord is right there in the fire with us, just as He was with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Daniel 3:25).

It is far better to be refined by God and rejected by the world than to be refined by the world and rejected by God. In the beginning, God created us in His image. But when sin entered into humanity, that image was marred. When God raises us from death to life by giving us the gifts of repentance and faith, He begins the process of refining that distorted image into the very likeness of His Son. And what God starts, He always finishes, which means that He who began this good work will bring it to completion (Philippians 1:6). But that simply will not happen without time spent in the refining fire.

So . . . what fiery furnace are you facing today—personally, professionally, or relationally? Remember, when Jesus prayed for you in His High Priestly Prayer, He did not pray for you to be taken out of this world; no, He prayed that you would be protected from the evil one (John 17:15) while you remain in the world. We are here in the world to witness for our Savior; God often calls us to live out that witness in the furnace of affliction—not the furnace of affluence!

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

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God has blocked my way with a high stone wall. (Lamentations 3:9)

How we love to proceed unhindered from point A to point B in our daily pursuits! So how is it possible that there is a blessing to be found when the way we are attempting to travel is blocked? When God blocks the way in which we are going, we can be assured that He has ordained a special blessing for us by sending us in another direction.

One thing we can be sure of: God did not block the way because He means us harm, nor does He intend to weaken our witness. On the contrary, the blocked way is delivered to us by our loving heavenly Father, who is calling us to trust Him even when we cannot trace Him. The blocked way is designed to direct us in a new direction that God wants us to travel, one which will be for His greater glory and our greater good. The Bible is full of examples of the blessing of the blocked way, but perhaps none is better than the account of Saul on the road to Damascus.

Saul was in hot pursuit of those who were followers of the Way, “breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples,” (Acts 9:1), and seeking to arrest and imprison any that he found. He requested letters to take to the synagogues in Damascus to get assistance in arresting Christians, both men and women, with the goal of bringing them back to Jerusalem in chains. But God had another plan for Saul.

As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?” (Acts 9:3-4)

Jesus blocked Saul’s way to Damascus because He had a much better way for Saul to travel. After receiving a divine healing from his brief bout of blindness, Saul began to go into the synagogues, preaching that Jesus is the Son of God. The blessing of the blocked way turned Saul the persecutor into Paul the preacher, who penned almost half of the New Testament. Saul had his own plans for his life, but God sovereignly directed every one of his steps (Proverbs 16:9).

And the same is true for you. The blessing of the blocked way simply cannot be overstated. Regardless of where this message finds you today, if God has blocked the way before you, you can trust that He has a better way for you to go! God formed you and shaped you; He knows you intimately, even numbering the hairs on your head. He knows exactly what you need and when you need it. He is calling you into His perfect plan for your imperfect life—and, more often than not, that plan will include a few “detours” along the way.

Remember, the blessing of the blocked way will only be realized when you get to the other side of it. So, don’t give up and don’t give in!

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

The Lord gave special strength to Elijah. He tucked his cloak into his belt and ran ahead of Ahab’s chariot all the way to the entrance of Jezreel. (1 Kings 18:46 NLT)

Have you ever felt like you were “running on empty”? Maybe it would be better to ask, “When was the last time you felt like you were running on empty?” Perhaps you felt that way just recently. Well, I have a word of great encouragement for you today, so please read on.

The Lord is in the business of giving His saints “special strength” to do what He is calling us to do. I have found over the years that I am most drained of energy and strength when I am pursuing what I want to pursue rather than what God wants me to pursue. In other words, God does not provide me with any special strength when I am seeking to achieve my desires rather than seeking His will for my life.

In our verse today, God gave Elijah more than natural strength; He gave him special, supernatural strength, which enabled Elijah to outrun Ahab’s chariot for many miles all the way to Jezreel. I should point out that Jezreel was known as a city of chariots, which enabled the people there to excel in warfare. In the ancient world, those who had chariots possessed a great advantage over those who did not have them, just as a modern army with tanks possesses a significant advantage over an enemy without them.

Chariots represent the power and strength of man. But God demonstrated through the special strength He gave to His prophet Elijah that even the formidable power of chariots was no match for the power of God. As David wrote decades earlier . . .

Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
They are brought to their knees and fall,
but we rise up and stand firm. (Psalm 20:7-8)

Did you know that God has special strength available for you today? Regardless of the “chariots” you come up against, whether in your personal life or your professional life, God is calling you to stand firm in His strength and not your own. Sure, it may be tempting to climb aboard one of the chariots of this world that seem to offer you a promise of getting you to your desired destination with greater ease and speed. But even if you do reach that destination, you will be left weak and wanting.

Let me encourage you to look past worldly chariots of this life, whether they are enticing you or arrayed against you, and to fix your eyes on Christ. He is ready, willing, and more than able to give you the special strength you need to finish your education, start a new business, expand your ministry of service in your church, or mend any broken relationship in your life.

Scripture promises that those who find their strength in God will “go from strength to strength” (Psalm 84:7). He will always give you everything you need to do all that He is calling you to do.

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

To live is Christ.  (Philippians 1:21)

The Bible provides us with a variety of examples of those God used in His service—some as a discipline and some as a disciple. The difference is dramatic; one is desirable, the other is a dubious distinction.

In the Bible, to be used as a discipline is to serve as a warning to others, not to be like the person being disciplined; but to be used as a disciple is to serve as a witness to others, to be like that person in living life before the face of God.

The prophet Jeremiah tells us that God called Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, “my servant.” This pagan king served God, not as a sold-out disciple, but rather, as a severe discipline sent against the idolatry-racked nation of Israel. Nebuchadnezzar had no love for, or loyalty to God. During the time of his conquest of Israel, Nebuchadnezzar lived only for his own glory, not for the glory of the One True God, but the Lord used Nebuchadnezzar nonetheless as a source of discipline.

And then God’s hand of discipline rested on Nebuchadnezzar himself. One moment he was surveying the kingdom of Babylon, arrogantly congratulating himself, “Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?” (Daniel 4:30); the next moment he was living in the fields like a wild animal, eating grass instead of the sumptuous fare of the palace. 

Throughout the history of Israel, God used many people and nations as instruments of discipline in His mighty right hand. It must be plain to us that it is not enough to simply be used by God. God uses everything and everyone to accomplish His divine purposes.

So how do we know if we are being used by God as a disciple rather than a discipline? We are disciples when our hearts beat for nothing smaller than the Lord Jesus Christ. When we can echo the apostle Paul in saying, “To live is Christ, and to die is gain,” and focus on living for Christ and dying to self, we can be sure we are being used as disciples of Jesus.

Paul lived to preach the Gospel to everyone, everywhere, from priests to philosophers . . . statesmen to slaves . . . Gentiles and Jews . . . men and women. Paul lived to advance the cause of God’s kingdom, not his own. Paul could say without a trace of arrogance, “Follow my example” (1 Corinthians 11:1) because he was a sold-out disciple following the example of his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. 

How have you been living lately?

• Have you been pursuing the expansion of the kingdom of God . . . or your own little kingdom?
• Have you been serving your Savior  . . . or yourself?
• Have you been seeking to accomplish God’s will  . . . or your will?
• Who is sitting upon the throne of your life?

The answers to those questions will provide insight into whether God has been using you as a discipline or a disciple. To be sure, dying will be gain when we are received into glory. But until then, living for Christ is the key to living as a sold-out disciple.

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

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. (Psalm 23:6 ESV)

The psalmist has a word of incredible encouragement for all of us today. As we follow the Great Shepherd wherever He leads, even through the valley of the shadow of death, we are being followed every step of the way by both goodness and mercy.

These two supernatural sentinels form our rear guard and meet us in our deepest place of need as we travel through this life into the next. Like two guardian angels who have been sent to minister to us when we need it most, goodness and mercy meet us right where we are and gently guide us to where God wants us to be.

Goodness supplies our needs for the journey, making sure that every one of our needs is met. Please notice that I said needs, not “wants.” We don’t always get what we want, but we always get exactly what we need. God, in His infinite goodness and grace, has promised to supply all our needs in Christ Jesus. Whether it is manna from heaven or water from a rock, the goodness of God sustains and strengthens us.

Once our needs have been met by goodness, mercy steps in and cleanses us from all unrighteousness. God’s mercy—not our merit—blots out our sins. It was mercy that brought Jesus out of heaven and into this world. It was mercy that received our scourging, our crown of thorns, our nine-inch nails, our cross, and our death. Mercy met us when we were far off and brought us back into the loving presence of our good God. To know that goodness and mercy are following us all the days of our lives is to know enough!

But remember, it is only to the degree that we are closely following our Good Shepherd that we will sense the presence of goodness and mercy following us. If we feel distant from goodness and mercy, we can be sure that we have taken our eyes off of Jesus. So follow your Shepherd-Savior closely; keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, regardless of where He is leading you, and you will be confident that you are being followed by goodness and mercy all the way into glory.

“Follow and followed” is the formula of the faithful.

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

What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived – the things God has prepared for those who love him. (1 Corinthians 2:9)

Have you ever given much thought to God’s purpose in your life? Now, I am talking about something much deeper than whether you are to be a butcher, baker, or candlestick maker. To be sure, God is conforming all of His people into the image and likeness of His beloved Son; when that is completed, we will be ushered into the kingdom of the new heavens and the new earth. But when you go deeper still, God’s purpose for every believer is a process . . . not a place. And that process extends on into eternity.

You see, the ultimate goal in our relationship with Jesus is not to simply arrive in the new heavens and the new earth. Rather, the ultimate goal in our relationship with Jesus is our relationship with Jesus. That relationship will continue to grow and deepen from the moment we stand before Him unveiled on the other side of the grave and throughout eternity.

Eternity will be active, not passive. We will not be sitting atop a cloud, strumming a celestial harp for ever and ever and ever. Many mistakenly think the afterlife is like retirement, where we will just sit back and relax—shifting into neutral, if you will. Not true!

Eternal life will present us with the greatest opportunities and possibilities we could ever imagine. It will be one glorious and eternal adventure after another. In eternity, we will not only be worshippers, which would be more than enough, but we will be willing workers too. God has ministry magnified for each one of His children, and we will use all of our God-given gifts, talents, and abilities to continue bringing greater and greater glory to God. We will never grow weary. We will never get discouraged. We will never burn out. We will serve and serve and go from strength to strength, living at a level of significance that just isn’t attainable on this side of the grave.

Paul wrote, “Do you not know that we will judge angels?” (1 Corinthians 6:3). I will confess that I am not exactly sure what that means. But I do know this: as we reign with our Lord Jesus Christ, the angels who were sent to minister to us here on earth will be, in some way, at our disposal to assist us in doing all that God calls us to do. To be sure, eye has not seen and ear has not heard what is in store for us in the Almighty’s adventure that awaits us!

So regardless of where this finds you today, pause and consider what awaits you on the other side of the grave. Be encouraged, knowing that God has not only prepared a place for you, He has ensured a process for you to live out throughout all of eternity.

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

Those on the rocky ground are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. (Luke 8:13)

I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase, “Grow Up!” more than a few times. Perhaps it was directed at us by a frustrated friend or parent; perhaps we have said it to someone else. To grow up is a good thing. To mature in character and in commitment is the way of the Christian life. But, in order to grow up, we must, at the same time, grow down. Let me explain, so that you might be encouraged today.

When God in His grace gives us the gift of eternal life, He also extends us grace to grow us up into Christ. But in order to grow up into Christ, we must be growing down and developing a solid root system that is connected to the Rock of our salvation.

In the Parable of the Sower, the seed (the Word of God) fell on four different types of ground: the path, rocky ground, among thorns, and good soil. Jesus said that seed on the rocky ground represents people who receive the Word of God with joy and begin to grow up; but at the first onset of trouble or testing, their faith withers and dies because they had a weak root system. The vast majority of biblical scholars agree that the seed on rocky ground represents an individual who is not a true believer, but the parable also provides a picture of what can happen in the life of the believer if his or her “roots” do not go down deep. When the storm winds blow, we will be tipped over if our faith is not deeply rooted in the soil of the sanctified life.

Make no mistake, godly growth happens in two directions simultaneously: upward and downward. And though it may seem counterintuitive, the key that unlocks the door to downward growth is to first raise our eyes to heaven . . . to Jesus. Jesus came down to us from heaven, but when He arrived, He was not done in His downward direction. Instead of coming as the King of kings and the Lord of lords to be served, He came to serve others. The Creator of the universe got so low that He took a towel and basin and washed the feet of His disciples. But still He was not done. He willingly hung on our cross and took our death upon Himself that we might have eternal life in Him.

We are most like our Lord when we go downward in life by serving others, washing their feet, and willingly laying down our lives for them. The more we do this, the deeper our roots go. And when the storm winds blow our way and the waves of challenge threaten to engulf us, we are not moved, because we are rooted in the Rock of our salvation.

So grow up, Christian, but don’t forget to grow down also!

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

You have said, “I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.” (Genesis 32:12)

Is it right to remind our Redeemer of anything? Does He not know all things and remember all things too? To be sure, God is omniscient, so He does know all things and remember all things, therefore the idea of “reminding” God may seem strange . . . perhaps even sinful. Yet Scripture reveals that we have God’s permission to remind Him of His promises—not to jog His memory, but to strengthen ours. Jacob did just that when he was about to encounter his brother Esau for the first time since Jacob had deceived their father Isaac and wronged Esau. Esau had determined to kill Jacob (Genesis 27:41), and Jacob feared for his life and the lives of his family. So Jacob, in all meekness humility, reminded God of His promise of blessing.

You and I are to do the same whenever we are facing adversity. Reflect on any promise that God has given you and lay hold of it with a humble heart. What is there to fear from angry “Esaus” who come up against you when your God is absolutely and completely for you and has promised to do you good? Notice the word “surely” in today’s verse. I take it as a guarantee from our God. In other words, we can be absolutely certain that God will make good on His promises to us. Our good God has promised to work all things for our good, regardless of what comes up against us. And “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31). 

So regardless of what you are up against today, when you take a moment to remind your Redeemer of the promises He has made to you, your faith is strengthened and your hope is renewed. Remember, God’s Word is not for the benefit of God; it is given for our benefit. The better we know it, the better we will be able to recall it, and remind our Redeemer of His promises to do us good. God wants us to come to Him and present our requests and desires to Him. Not only that, He has given us permission to open our prayer with “You have said . . .” knowing that this reminder is for us and not God, that we might be strengthened in knowing that He who has promised can be trusted to make good on every promise He has uttered.

Let me encourage you today to get in the habit of reminding your Redeemer when you are on your knees before the throne of grace. Is there anything in particular that you need to remind your Redeemer (but actually remind yourself) that He has promised? I assure you that this will keep you from ever forgetting that your God is a covenant-keeping God who has promised ultimate good to you as you make your way into glory.

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