Author Archives: Pastor Tommy

“If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.” (1 Corinthians 15:14)

On Monday we took a look at the embarrassing evidence in the testimony of the women and on Wednesday we unpacked the “enemy” evidence that came from the religious leaders. Today, in our final installment, we will look at the Pharisee Saul, a true enemy of Jesus.

Saul of Tarsus

For over two thousand years, no skeptic has ever been able to explain away in any reasonable and plausible fashion Saul, the persecutor of the church, becoming Paul the pastor, preacher, and disciple of Jesus who penned much of the New Testament.

Saul of Tarsus was feared among the first-century church. He was relentless in his persecution of the followers of Jesus, and he testifies to that truth in a variety of places (1 Corinthians 15:9; Galatians 1:13; 1 Timothy 1:13), “as for zeal, persecuting the church” (Philippians 3:5). Along with his epistles, the book of Acts testifies to Saul being a staunch persecutor of the church. Then something happened on the road to Damascus.

Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. As he neared Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” (Acts 9:1-6).

Perhaps there was no greater enemy of the early church than Saul of Tarsus. It is said he even held the coats of those who stoned Stephen to death (Acts 7). Saul was blinded by his self-righteous, false religion and did everything in his power to extinguish the light of the gospel. But to no avail. The resurrected Jesus showed up and transformed Saul the persecutor into Paul the preacher. How do explain this historical truth? There is only one way – it happened just like the Scriptures say it happened.

Oh, one more thing. It is beyond contestation that Paul was martyred under the emperor Nero for his faith in Jesus. Early church fathers, Polycarp, Tertullian, and Clement of Rome, all testify to this truth. The only way anyone could go from killing Christians’ to being killed for being a Christian is because the risen and resurrected Jesus showed up. From embarrassing testimony to enemy attestation, what we have is a powerful proof for the resurrection of Jesus. So, the question is, “Do you believe?” He is risen! He is risen indeed! HAPPY RESURRECTION SUNDAY!

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

“You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away.’” (Matthew 28:13)

On Monday we took a look at the embarrassing evidence in the testimony of the women regarding the resurrection. Today and Friday we will look at the “enemy” evidence that comes from those who hated Jesus.

The Religious Leaders

Everyone is in agreement on both sides of the resurrection debate that enemy attestation is a powerful proposition regarding the proof of the resurrection. The enemies of Jesus hated Him and were the ones who had Him put to death. The Jewish Sanhedrin and the Roman government had had absolutely nothing to gain and everything to lose in making any statement that helped prove the resurrection. Now, in order to have a resurrection, you first need an empty tomb. Do you know who was first to testify to the tomb of Jesus being empty?

While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, ”You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.          (Matthew 28:11-15)

First, the tomb location was known. This is called the “Jerusalem Factor” as Jesus was publicly executed and put into a known tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. Remember, two known Pharisees buried Jesus – Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus. So, there would be no confusing the precise location. Second, if the tomb was not empty, the religious leaders would have simply produced the dead and decaying body of Jesus and paraded Him around Jerusalem for all the world to see. The reason they could not produce His body from a tomb that was widely known was because Jesus was no longer in the tomb. He rose bodily from the grave. 

Remember, if someone has any kind of bias against someone else, what would be the reason for that person saying anything positive or helpful about the other person? There would be no reason, except for the fact that it must be true. The only story the enemies of Jesus could come up with for the tomb being empty was the disciples stole the body. And, we know how silly that claim is when we read the stories of how most of them died for their faith in a risen Jesus. On Friday, we will look at Saul, the enemy of the Savior.

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

The woman hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. (Matthew 28:8)

We have arrived at Holy Week and I would like to share with you three “minimal facts” that come under the heading “Criteria of Authenticity” regarding the resurrection of Jesus agreed upon by most scholars and historians on both side of the debate (rooted in the work of Habermas, Licona and Craig). They use this approach to establish specific facts about the historical Jesus and the resurrection without assuming the inspiration of the Gospels. My focus this week will be on what is called “embarrassing” evidence, what is considered by all as counter-productive to serve as a source of proof for the resurrection.

The Witness of the Women

To understand the power of this embarrassing piece of evidence, we need to journey back in time to the first century. In our contemporary culture, what I am about to say doesn’t compute. But in the ancient world, it was simply a fact of life. Women were looked down upon by men as second-class citizens and their testimony was considered untrustworthy. They were not allowed to give testimony as public witnesses or public spokesmen, but they could testify in domestic and family matters. Also, they were never counted among the men. You might remember, in the feeding of the 5,000, the story only records the 5,000 men, without any mention of woman or children, who surely were there. So, this would be an unlikely invention in the minds of the first century gospel writers. 

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him,’ So the woman hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them, “Greetings,” he said. (Matthew 28:1-8)

So, why do we read these second-class citizens who cannot give testimony in a court of law, are the first to see the risen Jesus? Because it is true! No one would up a story that would be both embarrassing and counter-productive. In fact, it must have been hard for the gospel writers to write it this way. After hearing the report from the women, here is what they have to say, “their words seemed to them like nonsense” (Luke 24:11). Surely, they would have rather said it was Peter, James, and John who first saw the empty tomb and the risen Lord. This would have been a far more credible statement for the first-century audience to swallow. But this would not have been the truth. So, we read exactly what God had planned in providing a powerful proof to the resurrection in the witness of the women.

A second-century critic of Christianity, Greek Philosopher Celsus, mocked and ridiculed the witness of the women saying Mary Magdalene was a “hysterical female . . . deluded by sorcery.” If you were going to make up the story of the resurrection to get anyone to believe it, you would never use the witness of the women. The only invention regarding the witness of the women is in the mind of the contemporary reader today. So, what do you think about the witness of the woman as the first to see the risen Jesus?

On Wednesday and Friday, we will look at enemy attestation as our second powerful proof of the resurrection.

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

In everything that he undertook in the service of God’s temple and in obedience to the law and the commands, he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so he prospered. (2 Chronicles 31:21)

Hezekiah knew that God would not bless half-hearted effort. So in all that he did for the glory of God, Hezekiah did it with all of his heart. If someone was writing your story today, would this be written about you? Is the effort you are giving for the glory of God and the good of others, half-hearted or whole-hearted? Remember, the choice is always yours and the results are guaranteed as Charles Spurgeon explains.

This is no unusual occurrence; it is the general rule of the moral universe that those men prosper who do their work with all their hearts, while those are almost certain to fail who go to their labor leaving half their hearts behind them. God does not give harvests to idle men except harvests of thistles, nor is He pleased to send wealth to those who will not dig in the field to find its hid treasure.   

We really need no encouragement to give a whole-hearted effort in the things God has called us to do. All we need to do is look to our Savior, who never gave less than all of His heart to everything He did. There was no half-hearted effort in the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ. And when He had done all that He came to do, He gave His heart to the entire process of crucifixion and He gave it until it beat its last and cried out, “It is finished!” Our so great salvation would not be won by a half-hearted effort. 

If you are to prosper in anything you do in life, you will have to give all your heart to it. I have learned over the years that whole-heartedness shows itself in the three P’s –

Passion – a strong feeling of enthusiasm and excitement for doing something is a mark of a whole-hearted effort.  

Perseverance – regardless of the obstacles to overcome, whole-hearted effort keeps going and going and going until the goal is reached.

Progress – the whole-hearted accomplish the most basic demand of life . . . making measurable progress in reasonable time. 

So, is your life marked by passion, perseverance, and progress? If you are giving all of your heart to all you are doing, it will be and on the other side of your whole-hearted effort will be the promised blessings of God.

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

Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky. (Philippians 2:14-15)

When you hear the word “star” what comes to mind? For most people, it would be the name of someone who is famous in the world of entertainment or sports. Perhaps even in the world of politics or business. Well, I have a word of unimaginable encouragement for you today and that is – you are a STAR – one of the SAVIOR’S STARS! 

You don’t need to be a biblical scholar to know the world we live in is both dark and depraved. When Adam and Eve fell in the Garden of Eden, they brought all of creation down into the depths of darkness and destruction. But in their fall into sin and rebellion, a promise was given to them that God would send a Savior who would bring light into this world and make of His people, stars that would shine His light everywhere they went. So, is this the confession of your life today? Are you shining your light in a dark world and pointing the way to the Savior?

Notice, Paul is telling the Philippians that grumbling and arguing shrouds the light God has given to His people. Grumbling and arguing are not the marks of a transformed life. It is a reminder of the old nature that still lives deep within every child of God. These are the marks of the heart that beats for the self, not the Savior. But this is not for you! 

You see, the same grace that saved you is the same grace that is currently sanctifying you. God did not save you to leave you where you are. He saved you to form in you Christ-likeness, which over time would remove the old nature of grumbling and arguing, replacing it with patience and trust in the providence of God. To be sure, some providence is painful. But God is with us in that pain and we ought not wine, grumble, or complain when it comes our way. We are to receive all providence from the loving, nail-scarred hands of our Lord Jesus Christ with the confident assurance, that we are getting exactly what we need to be all God is calling us to be. 

So, are you shining brightly as one of the SAVIOR’S STARS? What one thing would you need to change today to shine a bit more brightly? Prayerfully consider your answers to those questions because at the end of the day, you never want to be the kind of person that lights up the room when he leaves, rather than when he walked in! Remember, the stars in this life are temporal.  But the SAVIOR’S STARS are eternal and their light will never go out. May this truth encourage and comfort you today. 

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

Because the Sovereign Lord helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore  have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame. (Isaiah 50:7)

The next time you go by a business with a “Help Wanted” sign out front, let it remind you of today’s word of encouragement . . . NO HELP WANTED SIGN HERE!

These words from the prophet Isaiah are the prophetic words of our Messiah who would one day give His life as a ransom for many. In verse 6 we read, “I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting.” And this is exactly what our Lord Jesus Christ did on our behalf. Jesus offered His back to the lash and by His stripes we are healed. The Roman officers pulled out His beard and spit in His face, all the time laughing and mocking Him. Yet, at no time did His confidence wane. He trusted in the will of His Father in heaven, and knew He would be victorious in the end. 

Did you know that the help the Father gave to the Son, is the same help the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit give to you, not only daily, but moment by moment? Think about the last time you were in need of help. Did you not get the help you needed from your Father in heaven? Perhaps it was not the help you wanted, but make no mistake, it was absolutely the help you needed. God knows what is best for you and He never gives you less than what is best. 

Remember, Jesus suffered and endured the pain and shame you shall never suffer and endure. He took your place on a cross and became sin who knew no sin. The Father poured out His wrath on His Son in your place, causing Him to cry out, “My God, My God, why has thou forsaken me?” You will never be put to shame. You will never be forsaken. You will never be abandoned. Jesus took all of that in your place and has promised to provide you with the help you need regardless of the cost or circumstance. 

So, regardless of where this finds you today, God has promised to meet you in your deepest place of need. Set your face like flint and commit yourself fully to the plan and purpose God has given to your life knowing that what He has called you to do, He will help you get it done. With God on your side, does it really matter who or what comes up against you? With omnipotent aid at your beck and call, what obstacle is too great for you to overcome? Fear not! Doubt not!  Go forth this day in the strength and security of your Savior and remember NO HELP WANTED SIGN HERE because JESUS IS ALL THE HELP YOU WILL EVER NEED!   

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

And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. (John 14:13-14)

So, what’s in a name? In a word . . . EVERYTHING . . . when it is the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Far too many in the church today have not learned this deep truth of praying continually in the name of Jesus. What this means is this: to ask in the name of Jesus is to ask according to the will of God . . . according to the character of God . . . for the glory of God. When we keep prayer in this perspective, we realize that asking for some of the things we ask for does not meet with this “cosmic” criteria. The key is keeping Jesus in view when we come before the throne of grace and petition our God for the desires of our heart.

When Jesus says, “You may ask me for anything” far too many have twisted this biblical truth, turning God into some kind of genie in a bottle. Many have taken this verse out of context and use it as some kind of magic formula for getting the selfish desires of their hearts. Make no mistake, our God will never grant any of our requests that are contrary to His nature, His will, and His glory.          

Here is the key that unlocks the door to living in the light of this biblical truth. The closer we draw near to Jesus, the more our prayers will be in line with what He wants for us. God the Father is perpetually pleased to honor the name of His Son when we are petitioning the throne of grace for things that bring honor and glory to His name. Remember, Jesus provided the greatest insight when praying to our Father in heaven – “But not my will, but thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven!”

So, have the prayers you have been lifting to heaven been a fragrant offering in the sight of God? Know this – if your prayers are prayed in the name of Jesus according to the character and will of God, this is your truth because those prayers will ultimately bring honor and glory to your God, while at the same time, expanding the cause of His kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. 

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

Do you see someone skilled in their work? They will serve before kings; they will not serve before officials of low rank. (Proverbs 22:29)

Today’s word of encouragement is rooted in the following story . . . 

A man passed by a large construction site where the workers were laying brick.  He asked one of the workers, “What are you doing?” 

The man answered, “What does it look like I’m doing? I’m laying these stupid bricks.” 

Going further past the construction site, the man asked another worker, “What are you doing?”

The second worker replied, “I am making a wall.”

Further along the construction site, the passerby asked a third man, “What are you doing?”

The third man exclaimed, “I am building a magnificent cathedral to the glory of God!”

What’s the difference between the miniscule vision of the first two workers and the magnificent vision of the third worker? THE POWER OF PURPOSE! The third worker worked for something bigger than himself. He worked for the glory of God!

So, how does this apply to you right now, right where this finds you? You need to see what you are doing as something bigger than what you are doing. If you are just trying to get through each day and survive the week, you will miss the greater purpose in what you are doing. And that greater purpose is to bring ultimate glory to your God!  How? Through the pursuit of EXCELLENCE!

When you pursue excellence in every area of your life, both professionally and personally, you will not be satisfied with just getting through the day and surviving the week. Rather, you will see all that you are doing as opportunities of bringing glory to God by giving your best effort and using the gifts, talents, and abilities God has given to you in a way that demonstrates whose you are and what He has called you to do. 

Make no mistake, the POWER OF PURPOSE, will propel you above the level of simply surviving life, to thriving and succeeding for the glory of God. Don’t just lay bricks in order to simply get through the day and survive another week. Instead, resolve in your heart to build a monument for the glory of your God. This is the POWER OF PURPOSE, and it will serve you well, all the days of your life!

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

From six calamities he will rescue you; in seven no harm will touch you. ( Job 5:19)

Job has dealt with the most unimaginable horrors any man could endure. He lost his health, his wealth, and all ten of his children in a single blow. To be sure, he laments his birth, but he never stops leaning into His Lord. When Job’s three friends show up to comfort him, Eliphaz is the first to speak. And in these word’s above, we see a poetic expression “six . . . seven” which means more than many. At the deepest level, we have been given a great promise from God – regardless of how many difficulties and calamities we face, our God will repeatedly rescue us.

Job dealt with one calamity after another in rapid succession. He did not have time to process what had happened let alone recover from any of it. Yet, God was in the middle of Job’s storm and promised to rescue him over and over and over again. There is simply no limit to the resources God will send our way to help us in times of need. Regardless of the number of storms we are currently facing, divine deliverance has been promised for each and every one of them. 

We need to keep in mind that our rescue may not look exactly like we want it to look. We might be hoping for one thing, but God gives to us another thing altogether. What we can be assured of is we will be rescued in God’s way and in God’s timing. On the night Jesus was betrayed, Peter denied His Lord three times, just as Jesus said He would. Peter was down, dejected and went out and wept bitter tears of repentance. Yet, after the resurrection, Jesus rescues His beloved disciple and restores him to a place of service and Peter preaches at Pentecost and 3,000 are saved. 

So, regardless of the waves of challenge you might be facing today, your God has promised to rescue you from each and every one of them. And if this finds you in no need of rescue, praise your God . . . but prepare for the storm that is surely on the horizon. As I have said many times, there are only three positions in life – in a storm, coming out of a storm, or going into a storm. Let that truth set you free to faithfully focus on your Redeemer who is in the business of repeatedly rescuing you.   

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

PROMISES WITHOUT POWER!

“Our ancestors possessed nothing but false gods, worthless idols that did them no good. Do people make their own gods? Yes, but they are not gods!”  (Jeremiah 16:20)

When we hear the word “idolatry” we have a tendency to think of primitive people in remote areas of the jungle bowing down to sacred cows, stone carvings, special bushes, the sun, moon, and the stars. We pity the poor uneducated heathen who worships a god of stone, while we who are sophisticated and seemingly superior, bow down in worship to a god of gold. We have become experts of making gods out of everything.

In the 1830’s Alexis de Tocqueville made this observation regarding the state of America, “There is a strange melancholy that haunts the inhabitants . . . in the midst of their abundance.”  We live in a cultural context that believes “more” is the key that unlocks the door to happiness and contentment. More prosperity. More power. More possessions. More pleasure. The list is endless. To be sure, our contemporary culture has its own “totem poles” and “spiritual shrines.” Yet, none of this will ever satisfy us or meet us in our deepest place of need. All they can and every will be able to deliver is a POWERLESS PROMISE!

Here is the simple way of looking at our idols. There is nothing wrong or idolatrous with prosperity, power, possessions, or pleasure. Only when we take these good gifts that God gives to us and turn them into ultimate gifts, do they become bad gifts. What we need to keep in view is this: what rules the heart ultimately shapes the life. So, if we are counting on anything smaller than Jesus to find meaning, purpose, significance, contentment, or anything else that matters to us in life, we are counting on a POWERLESS PROMISE! The truth of today’s verse comes shining through – THEY ARE NOT GODS!!!

So, let me ask you, is there anything in your life right now that is more important to you than Jesus? Here is another way to put it: is there anything in your life right now, that, if you lost it, your life as you know it would be ruined? Remember, we are often blindsided by the good gifts God gives to us like family and friends when we turn them into ultimate gifts. They simply cannot bear the weight of our expectations and in the end, all comes to ruin. But there is one thing that can and His name is Jesus. 

Every promise Jesus has made He will keep. Only Jesus has promised and can make good on His promise of meeting you in your deepest place of need, regardless of what that need is. Keeping Jesus on the throne of your life will keep you in a perpetual place of promised blessing, whether in seasons of plenty or seasons of want. 

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