Author Archives: Pastor Tommy

Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, went around doing good. (Acts 10:38)

To be a disciple of Christ is to know Him, love Him, serve Him, submit and surrender to Him personally. But with that being said, all of this is to be lived out publicly, not privately. We are never to say, “It’s Jesus and ME . . . not Jesus and WE!”

It is important to remember that inasmuch as we are saved individually, we are saved to community. Not only that, the community we are saved to is a community that has been called into a cosmic mission to go into all the world and make disciples of every nation. Salvation and being a disciple of Christ is indeed personal but it is not a private affair. When Jesus shows up on the beach after His resurrection and reinstates Peter for ministry, notice the language Jesus uses.

“Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” (John 21:15)

Now Jesus goes on to ask Peter this question a total of three times. After Peter responds in the affirmative each time, Jesus tells Him to make His love for Him known. The love that Peter had for Jesus that started out personally, was never to be lived out privately. And the same is true for every disciple of Jesus. As the Reformers would say, “We are saved by faith alone, but not a faith that is alone.” When Jesus was asked about the greatest commandment, He made it clear that loving God was at the top of the list. But He did not stop there. He went on to share the second – to love our neighbor – and we simply cannot live out what Jesus was talking about from a distance.

So, in looking at how you are currently living out your faith today, would it best be described as, “Jesus and ME” or “Jesus and WE?” Now I know the world regards religion as a “private matter” and want Christian’s to keep it that way. But this is not what Jesus had in mind when He said, “Follow me!” Jesus had an intensely personal and private connection with His Father in heaven as we see in the many instances of time alone in prayer. But He lived it out publicly for the glory of God and the good of the people. He went around doing good. May this be the confession of our lives. 

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

God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.”  (Genesis 1:28)

If you found out today that a long-lost relative had passed away and left you 10 million dollars, would you be at work tomorrow? For most people, including Christians, the answer is a resounding ‘NO!’ Why? Because these people see work as only a “means to an end” and that end is the end of each week when they can “Thank God It’s Friday.” As the song goes, “Everybody’s working for the weekend” including most Christians.

Now, this was not always the case. The early Christians saw their work as an act of worship to God. It didn’t matter what the work was, they knew if they were doing it to the best of their God-given ability for the glory of God and the good of others, their work was worship. Of course, they understood that work was not a result of the fall into sin in the Garden of Eden. They knew work was a gift from God given to Adam and Eve in the beginning. It was the primary way they, as image-bearers of God, were to bear His image in this world. In her book, Total Truth, Nancy Pearcy puts it this way:

In Genesis, God gives what we might call the first job description: “be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it.” The first phrase, “be fruitful and multiply” means to develop the social world: build families, churches, schools, cities, governments, laws. The second phrase, “subdue the earth,” means to harness the natural world: plant crops, build bridges, design computers, compose music. This passage is sometimes called the Cultural Mandate because it tells us that our original purpose was to create cultures, build civilizations – nothing less.

Remember, our God is a working God, who created everything, and continues working by sustaining everything. As His image-bearers, we are called to live out the Cultural Mandate in every possible sphere of life. Every kind of job matters to God when we are doing it to expand the cause of His kingdom. Cleaning a house, cultivating a garden, practicing law, digging a ditch, driving an Uber, building a home, baking bread, waiting on tables, stocking store shelves, and on and on. The problem today is the church has lost sight of this biblical truth and has bought in to the sacred/secular split. All the jobs I mentioned are put in the category of “secular” while only those jobs inside the church or para-church organizations are “sacred” and truly doing the work of God. NOT TRUE!

Your work matters to God, no matter what that work is . . . when you are doing it for His glory and to the best of your ability. If we understand the Cultural Mandate rightly, we will see that the fundamental hallmark of authentic Christianity is to do a job, any job, for the glory of God and the expansion of His kingdom. That is when our “Work is Worship.” Remember Jesus came into this world and spent much of His life as a carpenter and Paul was a tentmaker. Only when we understand our work . . . ALL WORK . . . as worship will we begin to influence and impact our culture for the glory of God and the expansion of His Kingdom as we bear His image to everyone who sees our witness in our work. Now how do you see your work?

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

Today is the 4^th of July, a time for family, friends, food, and fireworks. But it is a time for so much more for the Christian. The 4^th of July is a day to reflect on and remember we are a nation that was founded, rooted, and established on Judeo-Christian principles, so say our founding fathers. 

Do not let anyone claim tribute of American patriotism if they even attempt to remove religion from politics.  George Washington

It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded not by religionists but by Christians, not on religion but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Patrick Henry

The 1^st Amendment has created a wall of separation between church and state, but that wall is a one directional wall, it keeps the government from running the church, but it makes sure that Christian principles will always stay in government.  Thomas Jefferson

Regardless of what we hear our politicians saying today supported by the liberal media or even the history revisionists, our great nation was founded on Christian principles and the freedom not to worship the god we want, but rather, the God who is, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 

Our founding fathers not only pledged allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, they pledged allegiance to their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. They echoed the inspired and infallible words of the apostle Paul:

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God who loves me and gave himself for me . . . Galatians 2:20

Their ultimate allegiance was to the Almighty. They were devoted to Him. They were dedicated to Him.  They were committed to Him. Their entire existence was rooted in their right relationship with their Redeemer. And that is to be the confession of the lives of all those Christians who pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and every other Christian around the world regardless of what flag they pledge allegiance to. 

On the day that we in the United States of America commemorate the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain, let us meditate on our Declaration of Dependence upon our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and His sovereign rule in our lives. Jesus is to be our first priority in both life and death. He is to be our safety in the storm. He is to be our peace in times of trouble. He is to be our portion in times of need. He is to be our All in all.     

There is no greater declaration for the Christian to make and honor than the one made to the King of kings and the Lord of lords. When we declare to be His we declare that we are no longer our own. We have been bought at a price no man can measure. The very Son of God was crucified and nailed to a wooden cross, hung between two thieves to pay our penalty for every one of our sins, past, present, and to come. We are His and no other and He will tolerate no rival. 

So, today as you enjoy your 4^th of July celebration with family and friends, pause to remember to give thanks to the One who purchased your independence from the kingdom of the prince of this world. He has brought you out of darkness and into His marvelous light to remain with Him forever and ever, world without end.    

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

Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. (Mark 8:25)

I find in this story of the blind man in Bethsaida healed by Jesus forcing me to ask a question, “Why does Jesus heal the man in a two-step process?” In the Gospel accounts we have seen Jesus heal with just a word, heal from a distance, and heal instantly. Surely, this is something to think about, wouldn’t you agree? Why the protracted healing of this man, we do not know because we are not told, but we know that this way of healing was both intentional and purposeful. Was Jesus teaching a deeper lesson on healing either physically or spiritually, and that in our lives this can and often does, take time? We simply do not know.  

Now, one thing we can be assured of through revelation is Jesus did not need to heal this man with a two-step process. And we can be assured the first part of the healing Jesus administered did not fall short of the intended goal of a total restoration of the man’s sight. So, again, why the two-step process in healing this blind man when all Jesus needed to do was simply speak sight back into this man? Well, I think this is just another wonderful example of the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. This is simply what happened. This is another historical account in the life and ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ. When we read biblical narratives like this, we are to be strengthened in our faith that what we are reading are faithfully true historical accounts of what happened. For those skeptics who write the Bible off as mere myth, these kinds of stories remove any possibility of mythology.

In closing, let me give you something else to think about. When Jesus asked the man what he saw after his first stage of healing and the man responded, “I see people; they look like trees walking around” (Mark 8:24), perhaps Jesus wants us to understand that until we are completely healed of our spiritual blindness, which will not happen on this side of the grave, none of us can see with absolute perfect clarity. As I have said often from the pulpit, “No one speaks from Sinai. We all have some of our theology wrong and we will find out this biblical truth only when we cross the Jordan.” Until then, we need to remember we are all afflicted with spiritual nearsightedness, seeing people like trees walking around, and that includes us. Keeping this in view we are more likely to be kind, compassionate, and loving to those who just might not see things just like we see them, and that my friend, is something to think about.

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

Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters – one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.) (Mark 9:5-6)

We find today’s Word in the account of the Transfiguration of our Lord Jesus, when he took Peter, James, and John (His inner circle), up on a mountain. While there, Jesus is transfigured as His personal appearance was instantly changed into a heavenly and glorified form, giving Peter, James, John, and us, a glimpse of His divine glory and nature. Then all of a sudden, appearing with transfigured Jesus is Moses and Elijah. Why?

In order to begin to plumb the depths of this profound moment in the life of Jesus, we need to understand a little something about both of these great saints of God. Moses represents the Law and Elijah represents the Prophets. Now, when we read they are “talking with Jesus,” we are to understand this majestic moment on that mountain as a picture of the greater Moses and Elijah in Jesus, who fulfills both the Old Testament Law and the prophetic promises.

Peter is overwhelmed by this experience and once again, speaks before thinking, this time out of fear, as he suggests building three shelters (or booths used for the celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles), one for Moses, Elijah, and Jesus. The implication in the mind of Peter is that he sees all three on the same level and desires to prolong the experience. But then a voice comes from heaven to set things straight:

Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!” (Mark 9:7)

Any confusion in comparing these three figures was suddenly corrected by God the Father from heaven. Both the Law and the Prophets were to be understood as pointing to Jesus and finding their fulfillment in Him. And we know that the three disciples eventually understood the truth of the transfiguration, that Jesus is the One and Only, as we read in what Peter wrote:

We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain. (2 Peter 1:16-18).

The Transfiguration of Jesus demonstrated both audibly and visibly that Jesus is the Son of God. And as the Son of God, He is the fulfillment of both the Law and the Prophets. If we desire to live a life of meaning, significance, and purpose, we must listen to Jesus. Is this the confession of your life? Are you listening to the Voice of Truth . . . the One and Only?

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

Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13-14)

Tough times and trials have been promised to the disciple of Christ. So too, the presence of Christ during those tough times and trials. Today’s word of encouragement comes under the heading of “resilience” – the ability to adapt to the adversities of life and to keep moving forward in faith. The Bible is full of examples of resilience in action like Job in the Old Testament and Paul in the New Testament, and many admonitions to keep pressing on even when we find ourselves in the pressure cooker of challenge. Here are a few:

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:21)

Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, the person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. (James 1:12)

Because the believer is united to Christ, resilience is the only right response to the waves of challenge in life. The same power that raised Jesus from death to life, is the same power that is at work inside every child of God. Resurrection power is not the power to “return” to something . . . bouncing back. Rather, it is the power to breakthrough to a better and brighter future. Because we are new creations in Christ, there is nothing to bounce back to. Everything is in front of us. To be sure, we are to treat the past as a school, and take the lessons from it. But bouncing back has a tendency to keep us living in the past rather than learning from the past.

So, the next time the waves of challenge begin to wash over you and you are facing the fiery furnace of affliction, or simply dealing with the increasing pace of change, know that God has promised to bring you through it all and cause you to bounce forward not back. Remember, because the best is always yet to come, we are to be bounding forward not backward, knowing God is bringing us to the end of ourselves and that only happens while we are moving forward in faith. Let these words of Paul encourage you to keep bouncing forward regardless of the circumstances you are facing:

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but no in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. (2 Corinthians 4:8-9)

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

I will go before you and will level the mountains. (Isaiah 45:2)

Perhaps you are familiar with the saying, “Making a mountain out of a molehill.” It is an idiom referring to over-reacting to some challenge in life, making it much more than the minor issue it actually is. I must confess, over the years I became quite proficient in this process, losing much sleep over many molehills I had turned into mountains. Well, today’s verse tells us that our God is in the business of making a molehill out of any mountain that stands in our way, including the ones that are man-made.

When we are looking at whatever “mountain” we think is standing in our way, we must remember not to cry out to God and tell Him how big the mountain is. Rather, we are to cry out to the mountain and tell it just how BIG our God is. It was Jesus who told His disciples that they did not need much faith to be able to cast mountains into the sea and far out of sight. When we focus on our Master rather than on whatever mountain that is seemingly standing in our way, we can be assured that our God is going before us and is in the process of making that mountain level ground that we will walk over as if it never existed.

Here is another word of encouragement from the prophet Isaiah that can keep us keeping on no matter what difficult circumstances we are facing in life:

A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low” (Isaiah 40:3-4).

So, what mountains are you facing today in your life, personally, professionally, relationally? Remember, God is in the business of making a molehill out of any mountain you are facing, and in the process, He is making you more and more like Jesus. When David went up against Goliath, this giant looked like an unmovable mountain to all of the Israelites including King Saul. But to David, who looked up at God rather than out at Goliath, the giant was little more than a molehill that God would level out for His glory and the good of His people. What God did for David, He has promised to do for you. Look to Him and watch your mountains disappear.  

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

Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. (Galatians 6:8)

I suspect you are well aware of the agricultural law of sowing and reaping – whatever you sow, that you shall reap. For example, if you sow corn seeds, you shall reap corn; if you sow bean seeds, you shall reap beans; and so on. Here is another way of explaining this truth: if you sow tomato seeds, you will never get oranges. In our verse today, we see the biblical truth that Paul shares with the Galatians then and us today: we reap what we sow. So, what have you been sowing lately and reaping as a result?

Now the first thing to remember about the law of sowing and reaping is that this process does not happen in a day, but daily. It takes time to go from seed to harvest and we must not grow impatient through that process. Often, it looks like not very much is happening after the seed has been planted. But we must remember that God is at work and much of that work happens out of plain sight, but nonetheless, it is happening. And here is something else to remember: not everything ripens at the same time. Some ripen sooner and others much later, but all will ripen that are growing in the Lord.

Remember, the crops we harvest will always be determined by the seed we have planted. What Paul wants us to remember is to make sure we are planting good seed by sowing to the Spirit. When we sow to the flesh, as many in Galatia were doing, they were reaping from the flesh that which did not glorify God or grow them in Christ. It was leading them down the pathway to destruction. But when we so to the Spirit, God has promised to produce a harvest of good fruit that will be evident to all those who come in contact with us. 

Now, if you are currently reaping something other than God’s best for your life, all you need to do is sow new spiritual seed. Sow the seeds that come from the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. When you do you can be assured that God will absolutely, positively, supply the increase, in His time and in His way.

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

Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:58)

The ultimate goal of the Christian life is perfection, when God’s ultimate goal for the Christian has been completed, “To be conformed to the image of his Son” (Romans 8:29). But please never forget, that will take a lifetime and will not be completed until God brings us home into our heavenly rest. Until then, we are to focus on progress.

The One who began this good work has promised to carry it on to completion, which means, He is working in and through everything that is going on in our lives. Is this not a comfort for you right where this finds you? You are not what you will one day be, but you are not what you once were. God is at work and He is using everything in your life to accomplish His goal of conforming Christ in you. God is using both your victories and your defeats and He never leaves any work unfinished, including you.

Remember, being in an unfinished condition does not mean you are unloved, unwanted, or unwelcomed. Simply, you are unfinished. And to leave you in your unfinished condition would not be for His glory or your good, and that would be unacceptable. God knows exactly what He is doing in your life and will not stop short of His gracious design as He brings you into your “divine destiny.” Regardless of every obstacle that comes up against you, the world, the flesh, and the devil, God will let nothing hinder His Holy progress of perfecting you.

So, regardless of where this finds you, God is not finished with you yet. In both your days of sunshine and storms, He is strengthening you in your faith and growing you up in Christ, perfecting His promise from the pen of the psalmist, “The Lord will perfect that which concerns me” (Psalm 138:8 NKJV). Pause for a moment to let that truth sink in. God is concerned about everything you are concerned about and wants you to keep in view the work He is doing both in and through you that one day will be brought to completion. And on that great and glorious day, all the progress God has performed in your life will be brought into perfection. Let that truth set you free to be all God is calling you to be.

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

For when I am weak, then I am strong.  (2 Corinthians 12:10)

I have learned by way of personal experience that the devil loves when we think we are standing strong and able to withstand any wind of temptation or trial in life that blows our way. Because when we think we are beyond the reach of temptation or certain trials, that’s when we are most vulnerable to find ourselves knee deep in it.

The apostle Paul gives us a wonderful reminder to acknowledge our weakness because we all have a tendency to think we are stronger than we actually are. We have a tendency to serve God in our own strength and ability and lean on our own understanding rather than His. And when we do, we are setting ourselves up for a fall. But when we acknowledge our need for God and our dependence upon Him, He is ready, willing, and able to fill us with His strength and that empowers us to withstand the slings and arrows of our enemy, the devil. Only when we are living in the power of the Holy Spirit can we be effective in living out the plan and purpose God has for our lives.

The key in understanding how Paul could live out this truth he penned is found in the words in the first part of the verse, “For Christ’s sake, I delight in weakness, in insults, in hardships, in persecution, in difficulties” (2 Corinthians 12:10). It was for Christ’s sake, that Paul could acknowledge his weakness and depend totally upon the Lord to strengthen him regardless of the circumstances he was facing in life. Paul could actually find contentment in so many difficult circumstances because it was for Christ’s sake and the expansion of the cause of His Kingdom.

So, in Paul’s test of strength by acknowledging weakness, what grade do you get? We live in a world that abhors weakness. But God takes our weakness and uses it as a witness to His glory. As we trust and depend upon Jesus, we enter into the “Hall of Faith” along with some of the great saints of God “whose weakness was turned into strength” (Hebrews 11:34). Remember, when we acknowledge our weakness, God makes us more than conquerors through Christ who loved us.    

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