Friday, July 22, 2011

Mission Trip

Headed to Ecuador on a mission trip tomorrow...please pray for our team and for those we share Jesus with.

God bless....Tom

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Pray that Jesus doesn't say this about us!

As I read this it made me do some thinking:



John 8:44



44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.



Can Jesus say this about you or I this morning? He can if we have not asked Jesus to be our Savior! This verse can be a check on our salvation. Do you have the desires of Christ or the devil? Their is no middle road. This verse says the devil is a murderer. Maybe you have not physically killed someone but the Word of God also says if we have hate in our heart then we have committed murder! Are you a person of truth? Always telling the truth even when it hurts? Are you always fair in your dealings with other people? The devil is a liar, thief, murderer, and every other evil thing! And the Father of all these. We must make sure we are not a child of his, but a child of the King! A truth teller, giving, life protecting, kind, and loving person!



So again this morning...let us look at ourselves and see who we are a child of....Jesus or the devil! Remember there is no in between! You are one or the other!



Tom

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Hard to do......

Are you doing this????



2 Corinthians 10:5b



5b bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,



When I read this I think....is this really possible? Yes it is but it takes work. We must be in prayer and following the Holy Spirits lead at all times. Think for a moment about all the thoughts you have in a day. I believe many of the thoughts we have come and go so fast we don't even remember many of them! God tells us here in this verse we need to capture each thought we have. That takes a major effort to grab a hold of each thought. Then we must twist and turn that thought to get it under the command of our Lord Jesus. For example....lets say you get too much change back after a purchase. The thoughts that run through your mind are keep it, or return it. This is where you have to control your thoughts and do the right thing...return it! We must do that with every area of our lives....jobs, sex, kids, hobbies, vacation, tv, music, and the list goes on and on.



So this morning are you controlling your thoughts through Christ or are your thoughts controlling you???



Tom

Monday, July 18, 2011

Don't be a stumbling block.

We need to watch ourselves very closely as followers of Christ:



Romans 14:13



13 Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way.



First this verse warns us not to judge others. I have been thinking about this frequently as of late. Why is it so hard for us to keep from judging others? God's Word does tell us to inspect others fruit but not to judge. This is a very fine line when doing this to walk. When we try to correct others we must do it out of love and humbly. God is the judge not us. We must remember that. This verse goes on to say we must not be a stumbling block to others. The way we talk, the way we act, the way we dress, and many other things can be stumbling blocks to others and we must be very careful to live according to the Word of God and not to conform to what society sets as the standards!



So examine your life and make changes where needed!



Tom

Friday, July 8, 2011

Want to know if you are in Christ?

God reveals the answer to us here:



1 John 2:3-6



3 We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. 4 Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. 5 But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: 6 Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.



Are you keeping the commands of Christ? The Word tells us here that we can say we know Christ all we want but the proof is if we are obeying the Word of God. Think about that for a moment. I know many folks who say they are Christians but continually and willfully disobey the Word of God. According to what I see in the Bible this means they are not in Christ!!!



Are you trying to live like Christ? The Word says if we are then Jesus is in us!!!



Tom

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Pursue Righteousness

God's Word gives us some good teaching here:



2 Timothy 2:22-26



22 Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 23 But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. 24 And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, 25 in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, 26 and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.



Verse 22 says GROW UP! pursue the things of God not of the world. Get right with God and purify your heart with a relationship with Jesus. Verse 23 tells us to stay away from arguments that have no purpose because they just cause problems. Verse 24 says we need to avoid the arguments and be gentle, patient, that will help us to be able to teach the Word of God and folks will listen because we have shown love to them. Verse 25 says be humble when correcting the errors of those who don't agree with the Word, and in doing so maybe they will see the truth and repent! Verse 26 reminds us what we as believers are to be about....showing people the truth so folks can come to their senses and come to Jesus!!!



So are we first of all pursuing righteousness? And second are we doing all we can to be good examples and bring others to Jesus? Only you can answer that for yourself!



Tom

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Casey Anthony Trial

Well there has been much said about the innocent verdict in this trial. The majority feel she is guilty and should have been found guilty. Here is what we need to remember here from God's Word:



Matthew 7:1-5



1 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. 3 And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.



We have enough to keep up with in our own lives. If we look at our society right now as a whole, we are not doing a very good job according to the Word of God. Also let us remember this:



Psalm 58:9-10





10 The righteous shall rejoice when he sees the vengeance;

He shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked,

11 So that men will say,

“Surely there is a reward for the righteous;

Surely He is God who judges in the earth.”



Everyone will receive what they deserve in the end if they have not ask Jesus into their lives. What we need to be praying for is Jesus to come into Casey's life and to repent of her sins and follow after Christ. Matter of fact that is what we should be praying for all people and it is our job to tell them about Jesus!



Oh God help us not to judge but to share you love, mercy, forgiveness, and grace with others.



Also on a side not I have a friend post an interesting thought. If Casey has aborted Caylee how much outcry would there be????? Think on that!



Tom

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Run!

God gives us a very straight forward warning with this verse:



1 Corinthians 6:18

18 Flee sexual immorality.



While our society keeps turning up the pressure on sexual images such as movies, T.V. shows, internet, magazines, ect. Men and Women both use sex and their bodies for personal gain instead of what God intended in marriage alone. God tells us to flee these things. Flee doesn't mean get as close as you can and then try to get away. Flee means as soon as you notice anything even close to the hint of being wrong to RUN!!!! Get out of there. One of the best examples in the Bible of this is Joesph. Check this out!



Genesis 39:10-13





10 So it was, as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he did not heed her, to lie with her or to be with her.

11 But it happened about this time, when Joseph went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the house was inside, 12 that she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside. 13 And so it was, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and fled outside,



Joesph ran!!!! So we can take from his example this morning, when sexual temptation comes in any form....Run!



Tom

Monday, July 4, 2011

Free at last!

235 years ago we gained our independence from Brittan. Today is our nations birthday and we have so much to be thankful for. So many have given their lives over the years to protect our freedoms and we need to remember those who are protecting our freedoms right now. I found it pretty sad to see on the news that only 53% of Americans can tell you what July 4th is celebrated for. The freedom we celebrate on this day is awesome but there is a freedom we can gain through Christ that is much more important. There is only one way to truly be free in this life and it is through Jesus Christ.



John 8:36

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.



Jesus came to this earth leaving behind the glorious heaven to set us free from sin. The ONLY way to be set free and have eternity in heaven is through Jesus. Have you received that freedom from sin that Jesus offers? There is no better time than now! Life can not be lived to the fullest until you have Jesus as Lord of your life!



Free at last, free at last thank God almighty I am free at last!



Tom

Friday, July 1, 2011

Do you have love?

Think on the verse this morning:



1 Corinthians 13

1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.



We can accomplish many great things in life. We can say some great things to people in our life. All of this though is a waste if we do not have love in our motives. God makes it very clear in this verse that all of our efforts are just "noise" if we do not have love behind our motives. Where do we obtain this love? The only way we can truly love others is through a relationship with Jesus Christ. So many people we run across in our life are hard to get along with but when we have surrendered our lives to Christ we can love the unlovable with the help of the Holy Spirit. Let me also say there is a love for family and friends that folks have that can be done without a relationship with Jesus, we are born with that.



So this morning as we try to shine our light for Jesus let us ask ourselves....do we show love to others or are we just a "clanging symbol"????



Tom