Author Archives: Pastor Tommy

“Ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it” (John 14:14)

Prayer is a powerful tool in the hands of the people of God. Why? Because there is infinite power in the name of Jesus Christ. Not only have we been invited to come boldly to the throne of grace, we have been assured that anything we ask for in the name of Jesus will be done.

I must make something clear before we move on: to ask in Jesus’ name is to ask for Jesus’ sake. Our prayers are to be directed at the expansion of Christ’s kingdom, not our own. Make no mistake, when God opened the way for us to come into His presence, twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year, He was not giving us a blank check to cash for the advancement of our personal affluence and a life of ease. To ask in Jesus’ name is to ask about the things that matter most to Him.

Our Lord’s High Priestly Prayer, recorded in John 17, gives us valuable insight into what matters most to Jesus. He prayed to His Father, “As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them [His disciples] into the world” (John 17:18 NKJV). As a sent people, we are to be living lives of other-orientation. Jesus has commissioned us to live lives that bring glory to God and good to others . . . all others. We are to meet people in their place of need with the hands and feet of Christ. To pray in Jesus’ name is to pray for the advancement of the Gospel; when we pray like this, we can be assured our prayers will be answered with a resounding “YES!”

To pray in Jesus’ name is to pray to fulfill His plans and His purposes in this life. To pray in His name is to lay aside our personal goals, agendas, dreams, and desires. It is to abandon self as we advance in the direction of our Savior. When Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, “Not as I will, but as You will” (Matthew 26:39 NKJV), He provided us with the model for a prayer life that is rooted in His name.

Finally, when you are praying in Jesus’ name, you are being reminded to rely on His wisdom, His power, His strength, and His guidance. You are taking heed of the word of warning that James, the brother of our Lord, provided to the people of God: “You ask and do not receive because you ask with wrong motives so that you may spend it on your pleasure” (James 4:3).

I hope you will be encouraged today to take some time to pray in Jesus’ name, knowing that whatever you ask for in His name, He has promised to do for you.

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

“For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them.” (Ezekiel 34:11)

Notice the amazing truth contained in today’s verse: Our Lord Jesus Christ does not send someone out in His place to search for and look after His sheep. Oh no! The prophet Ezekiel was moved by the Spirit of God to tell us that the Lord Himself is the Sovereign, Seeking, Searching, Shepherd Savior. And He is all that for you. Is that not a word of cosmic comfort to you today, regardless of where this message finds you?

Notice something else contained within this text. Our salvation not only begins because of our Searching Savior, but it continues and is sustained because of our continually Searching Savior. No matter how often or how badly or how foolishly we wander away from our Savior, He chases us down and returns us to His sheepfold. Now, this does not happen when a certain number of His flock wander away. The parable of the Lost Sheep makes it perfectly clear that our Good Shepherd leaves the heard to go off and find one single lost sheep and brings him or her back to the fold. Christian, you matter that much to Jesus!

One final point: To be looked after by our Shepherd is to be locked securely into our salvation. Jesus told the crowd that followed Him, “This is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day” (John 6:39). Jesus will not lose a single sheep . . . and that includes you.

Is this not a powerful promise to plead if you realize that you have strayed from the sheepfold and from your Shepherd? It was for Peter. When Peter denied Jesus three times on the night our Lord was betrayed—when the rooster crowed, just as the Lord had said—Peter’s heart was broken for having wandered away from his Savior. But after the resurrection, Jesus restored Peter by asking a simple question—not once, but three times—“Do you truly love me?”

If your answer is the same as Peter’s—“Yes, Lord, you know that I love you”—then you can be assured that nothing can ever separate you from your Searching Savior. Let that truth set you free today and every day until you cross the Jordan and enter into your eternal rest.

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

Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. (Revelation 4:4)

There are many ways in which the Christian is to live on earth as it is lived in heaven. Today I want to encourage you by reminding you of your nearness to your Savior. The twenty-four elders described in today’s verse, all seated surrounding our Savior, represent all the saints in heaven, who will see the face of God (Revelation 22:4).

These elders seated in the throne room of God provide us with three biblical truths: their vision is clear, their access is constant, and their fellowship is close. And these qualities have been granted to every saint who has, by grace through faith, trusted in Jesus Christ alone for salvation. While they will not all receive equal rewards for their faithful and fruitful service while on earth, each saint has an equal share of their Savior—resting in His unwavering love, His unending mercy, and His unrelenting grace. All the saints will enjoy the marriage supper of the Lamb.

Should we not, as disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ, imitate on earth what exists in heaven when it comes to the saint’s proximity to the Prince of Peace? Close and constant communion with Him must occupy the center and the circumference of our lives. Let us not allow anything to come between us and our Savior—not temptations to sin nor the trials of Satan nor the business of this life. We are more than conquerors through Jesus, who loved us so much that He took our place on a cross so that we might take our place at His table.

How near have you been to your Savior lately? Have you been spending time in the Word? Have you been in daily communion with Him through prayer? Has anything come between you and Jesus? If your answer is yes, I urge you to take the necessary steps to remove that obstruction as far as the east is from the west. Jesus will tolerate no rivals, nor should He. Keep close communion with Jesus on earth, as it in heaven, and you will experience the truth of John 15:5—“If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit.”

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

How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! (Psalm 139:17)

To be sure, there are many things in this life that we consider precious. Family is one of them. Friends are another. Health certainly would be high on the list. But there is something far more precious to ponder, and that is the Divine Omniscience that keeps us in His thoughts both day and night. In fact, from eternity past our God has thought about us in His covenant of grace, in which He secured our salvation by the blood of His precious Son.

Now if the Lord thought about us in the past, we can be assured that He is thinking about us in the present and that He will continue thinking about us throughout all eternity. Ponder for a moment today what is truly precious, and you will be greatly encouraged when you realize that God’s thoughts about you . . .

• Sought you
• Caught you
• Bought you
• Taught you

God sought you in His thoughts before you even existed (Jeremiah 31:3). God caught you when you were on the run from Him, intent on living the life you wanted to live for your own glory (Genesis 3:9). God bought you with the precious blood of His Son, shed on Calvary’s hill (Galatians 3:13). And God taught you the truths of His Gospel, and He continues teaching you those truths each day (John 16:13).

Is it not precious to consider that, regardless of what is going on in your life, God is working all of it for your good and His glory? Is it not precious to consider that God has promised to never leave nor forsake you, no matter how many times you leave and forsake Him? And is it not precious to ponder the truth that nothing—not Satan or your sins—can ever separate you from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus?

Never believe what the world tries to tell us about some impersonal force that exists in the world. Your God is not only deeply personal, He is personally thinking about you, moment by moment. Christian, remember that as the Lord lives, He lives with you on His mind. Even the very hairs of your head are all numbered! (Matthew 10:30). Let that truth set you free to be all God has called you to be, regardless of cost or circumstance.

Perhaps today is a good day for you to ponder what is precious.

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

Photo by Inzmam Khan on Pexels.com

This is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. To this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. (1 Peter 2:19, 21 ESV)

Suffering is a fact of life after the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden. But there is a special kind of suffering that Peter speaks about in today’s passage. This suffering is not the suffering that naturally results from living in a broken and sin-stained world; rather, the suffering that Peter had in mind comes from being a disciple of Christ and suffering for Christ’s sake.

The darkness hates the light, so we, as children of the light, must expect to suffer when we are living for the Light of the World. When Jesus came into the world as this Light, He suffered greatly, even unto death on a cross. And that is the reality of the relationship between darkness and light . . . evil and good . . . unrighteousness and righteousness. It is certain that to the degree we live out our calling as disciples of Christ, we will experience suffering.

When James said, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,” he was telling us that this was indeed the pattern of Christ in His suffering in this world, which He endured “for the joy set before him” (Hebrews 12:2). And what was the joy set before Him? It was you and me and all those who were His. He took the crown of thorns, the nine-inch nails, the agony of the cruel cross, and the utterly inconceivable wrath of God, all for the joy of bringing us into eternal relationship with Him.

After the Sanhedrin flogged the apostles for speaking in the name of Jesus, we read that “The apostles left . . . rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name” (Acts 5:41). The more the disciples spoke of Jesus, the more they suffered for it. And the more they suffered, the more they rejoiced, because in their suffering they were like their Savior.

Here is the stark question that confronts you and me: Have I suffered for Christ? As disciples of Jesus, suffering is certain, but only if the darkness knows we are the children of the light. Do those you come in contact with know this truth about you? Remember, whatever sufferings we go through for the glory of God are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us when we cross the Jordan. Let that truth strengthen you for the certainty of suffering, for it is a gracious thing to follow the example of our Lord.

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

Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? (1 Corinthians 6:19 KJV)

You can and should take great comfort from knowing that you are a host of the Holy Ghost. This means that the very same power that was at work in Jesus Christ throughout His ministry, the supernatural power that raised Him from death to life, is at work in you today.

Now, it is not enough to simply have the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in you. Just as Jesus did, you must depend upon Him. Jesus did not live on earth in the strength of His own power. Rather, He lived His life in the strength of the Spirit of God, and He was totally dependent upon the Holy Ghost. He depended on the power of the Holy Ghost when He was tempted by the devil. He depended on the power of the Holy Ghost as He went about doing good. He depended on the power of the Holy Ghost while He was being crucified on a cross. And He depended on the power of the Holy Ghost when He walked out of the grave on the third day.

Jesus was victorious because He knew He was a Holy Ghost Host, and He determined to depend upon the power of the Holy Spirit. He never tried to save and serve in His own strength; it was the strength of the Spirit of God flowing through Him that gave Him victory.

That same power is offered to you and me today. Every man, woman, and child who has, by grace through faith, trusted in Jesus Christ alone for their salvation is a Holy Ghost host, which means that we do not need to depend on our own gifts, talents, or abilities in order to be successful in this life. Rather, we simply need to depend completely on the One who is in us, and when we do, we can be assured that our lives will be like our Lord’s life: a life lived in a power and strength that can overcome anything.

Remember, as a Holy Ghost host, the power in you is greater than any power that can come against you. No weapon formed against you can prevail. Think about it this way: If the perfect Son of God needed to live His life on this earth in complete dependence on the power of the Holy Spirit, it is safe to assume that you and I must do the very same thing. When Paul, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, commanded us in Ephesians 5:18 to “Be filled with the Spirit,” he used the Greek verb pleroo in the present tense; that command could quite accurately be translated, “Continue to be filled with the Spirit.” Indeed, the Amplified Bible renders Ephesians 5:18 “Ever be filled and stimulated with the [Holy] Spirit.”

Christian, continue to be a Holy Ghost host, day in and day out, and you will find that God’s power will stimulate you to live a life that is truly and supernaturally extraordinary.

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

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes. . . (1 John 1:1)

As a pastor, one of my great joys is to encourage and train others in witnessing for our Lord. And I long ago lost count of how many times I’ve heard someone say, “Oh, I just can’t witness well at all.” To that I say, with all the love and kindness God has given me as a shepherd of God’s flock, “Nonsense!”

First, what is a witness? A witness is simply someone who has seen something. In our verse for today, John spoke of what “we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes.” Clearly, John was talking about hearing and seeing firsthand the works and wonders of our Lord Jesus Christ. But you and I, who were born almost two thousand years after that time, have also witnessed a wondrous work: the miracle of a new birth in our own lives (John 3:3) . . . and that is more than enough to bear witness to others about!

When Jesus restored a demon-possessed man to full health by rebuking and removing the demons that possessed him, Jesus told the man He had healed, “Return home and tell how much God has done for you” (Luke 8:39). The man begged to accompany Jesus on His journey, but Jesus simply sent him home to witness to the wondrous deeds of God. Luke concluded his account of this encounter this way: “The man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him” (Luke 8:39).

This man had experienced firsthand the miracle of receiving new life from Christ, and the Lord commanded him to go and witness to others about it. You and I are no different; we have experienced the miracle of a new birth, and we are now fully-qualified witnesses for Jesus Christ. We need simply to go forth and do what the formerly demon-possessed man did—tell everyone we meet how much God has done for us.

Let me ask you this: How much has God done for you? Have you experienced the miracle of new birth in your own life because you have, by grace through faith, placed your trust in Jesus Christ alone for eternal life? If your answer is yes, then Christian, you are a witness, and all that is left for you to do is to go forth and tell how much God has done for you. That takes no special skill or power of articulation . . . only a grateful heart.

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)

On Monday we took a brief “look back” to ponder the wonders that God had done throughout 2019. Today we will look ahead as we prepare to launch out into 2020.

A common greeting you will hear on New Year’s Day from those you come in contact with is “Happy New Year!” Yet if that was all we as believers had to propel us into a new year, it would be a meager portion indeed. Christians have much more than a “hopeful greeting” given to us by the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. In our verse for today, we have the promise given to Joshua by God: I will be with you wherever you go.

You may remember that Joshua was preparing to lead the people of Israel into the Promised Land after Moses had completed his ministry of service to God. Joshua knew quite well the challenges he would face in leading God’s people; as Moses’ protégé, he had seen just how difficult that task would be. But he also knew, just as Moses did, that he would not be alone in the work God had called him to do, for the Sovereign Lord had promised to be with him wherever he went.

And the same is true for you and me as we begin this new year. To be sure, 2020 brings both questions and concerns, doubts and fears, obstacles and opportunities. Will we receive a clean bill of health from the doctor . . . or a less than positive report on our health? Will we receive that promotion we’d hoped for . . . or find ourselves facing professional challenges? Will our marriage of many years march on for many more . . . or will it collapse? We will celebrate the birth of a child we’d prayed for . . . or suffer the loss of a loved one? The list of uncertainties is indeed endless. Yet we can hold on to something infinitely greater than a hopeful, “Happy New Year!” Why? Because we have God’s promise that wherever we go, He goes with us. This is a promise we have received time and time again in sacred Scripture.

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)

In that promise, I want you to remember something. This “going with God” is not a going by chance. It is not a random roll of the dice. God is guiding, governing, and directing your every step. He is in sovereign control of everything; nothing is left to chance. Your God is in charge and in control of all things, so do not be discouraged. This promise strengthens us to brush aside every fear as we “look ahead” into God perfect plan and purpose for our lives throughout the year ahead.

One final point. More than 3,000 years after God told Joshua that He would be with him wherever he went, Jesus reaffirmed that promise for all His followers when He said, “I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

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

I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. (Psalm 9:1)

Today we close out yet another year of discovering and celebrating all the grace that God gives us for our race. Today I want to encourage you to pause and look back over 2019 to remember and reflect on the multiplied “wonderful deeds” God has done in your life. On Wednesday we will look ahead as we start yet another year, and, if God is pleased to give us this year, let us live it for His glory and the good of all others.

Someone wisely said, “It is difficult to climb to the summit of the mountain when you are always looking over your shoulder.” In many respects that is true, but I maintain that looking back is beneficial for Christian believers, so that we will be reminded of all that God has done. To be sure, it must be a brief look if we are to make forward progress throughout 2020, but make no mistake; to forgo that look would be to ignore another year of blessings that God has graciously bestowed upon us.

A look back is not the same as walking back. We cannot go back, nor should we want to. God is moving us forward into His perfect plan and purpose for our lives, even though we live it out imperfectly. We should always treat the past as a school; we are to learn the lessons from our past but not live in our past. Far too many people, Christians and unbelievers alike, live in the past, and that prohibits any measurable forward progress. But this is not for you!

Take some time today to reflect on the past year and make sure your look back encompasses both your successes and your storms. There is much to glean from both life experiences, because God has delivered both to us in order to conform us into the image and likeness of His beloved Son, Jesus Christ. Let your look back bring to mind God’s . . .

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

Your brief look back should encourage you and strengthen you to set out on another year of life with Jesus sitting upon its throne, guiding you through every twist and turn, growing you through every up and down, walking with you every step of the way.

Let your look back fill your heart with wonder and love, and let it strengthen you to share that love with everyone you meet.

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

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only . . . (John 1:14)

For many people, the first few days following Christmas are spent taking all the gifts we don’t really want back to the stores. We breathe a sigh of relief that another Christmas day has come and gone . . . even though we feel a bit guilty for feeling this way. Soon we will begin packing up our Christmas decorations and putting them away, and, in some strange way, we may sense that we are setting aside the real Reason for the season until next year.

How do we keep this from happening? It’s simple, really; we must remember that the days after Christmas are just as important as Christmas.

A little more than 2000 years ago, Jesus came into this world as a baby on that first Christmas Day. He lived a sinless life, died a sacrificial death, and rose supernaturally from the grave. He paid the penalty for our sin and is now sitting at the right hand of God the Father. But when He ascended into heaven, He promised to send to us His Holy Spirit. All who claim the name of Christ now have the presence of Jesus in the person and work of the Holy Spirit. Millions celebrated Christmas without any thought about the Christ, but for the believer Christmas is just the beginning . . . a beginning that has no end.

Our Lord Jesus came the first time (First Advent) as a suffering Servant. He accomplished His mission and paved the way for our eternal life. But that is not the end of the story! He is coming back as the conquering King, and then every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. At that time, He will consummate His Kingdom of the new heavens and the new earth, the place where we will live with Jesus and all His people forever and ever.

Consider this truth as you are packing up your decorations this year: The meaning and message of Christmas lasts throughout the entire year. We do indeed put away our lights and decorations, but we never put away our Divine Savior. Jesus is available to you every moment of every hour of every day, and He will meet you in your deepest place of need over and over again. He is hope for the hopeless, rest for the weary, healing for the hurting, and a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Remember, whatever you end up going through this new year, you will never go through it alone. When John said, “We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only,” he was making it clear that what he saw was not something you could pack away. The glory of Jesus Christ was ever before John. May this be our truth every day until we stand before Jesus on the other side of the grave.

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