Brothers will be brothers! 9-29-15

Live and die for Jesus

When we are followers of Jesus life and death are all about Jesus not us or anything else.

Romans 14:7-9

7 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. 9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.

Remember Jesus bought us upon that cross and we belong to Him:

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

I especially want you to catch verse 9 today. Jesus died and rose again so that He can be Lord of those who are presently living in Him and those who have died in Him! So every aspect of our lives are to be about Him.

Is your life all about Jesus? For those of us who call Him Lord there is no option, He is Life and He is Death, we win either way!!!! 

Like Paul said:

Philippians 1:21

21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

Tom

Seen their sin. 9-28-15

What will you give for your soul?

So what is your soul worth? Ever though about that? Jesus did!
 

Matthew 16:26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?
 

Everyday we make a choice...follow Jesus or follow my selfish desires. Something to seriously keep in mind. For Jesus also said about our walk with Him:
 

Luke 9:23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
 

So if you are to be a follower of Jesus, whom is the one who saves our soul, it takes a full surrender of your life to follow Jesus. Hmmmm think about that. Is Jesus Lord of your life or are you?
 

Is your soul worth any sin that we think brings us pleasure? heck will not make any sin worth while I can promise you that!! On the other hand obedience to God and heaven will make denial of self a pleasure when we see God face to face! Oh what a day that will be!
 

Tom

Honest men? 9-25-15

All guilty!

To keep us all grounded and humble this morning a few verses to keep us in check:

Psalm 130:3

If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
O Lord, who could stand?

Romans 3:23

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

but the good news is:

John 3:16-18

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

Romans 6:22

But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.

I was guilty but now I am free!!! All by the shed blood of Jesus! May I serve Him faithfully till I die! Thank you Jesus! Glory to your name!

Tom

Dreams coming true! 9-24-15

Fact of eternal life.

Many times you just let scripture speak for its self, this is one of those times:

Acts 16:31

And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

One clarification note...when it says "you and your household", this does not mean if mom believes the whole house hold is saved, each person must believe for self!

Tom

Even in times of grief we can be fruitful. 9-23-15

Get in shape!!!

Exercise is great! We need to stay fit and keep our bodies in the best shape we can for healthy living but here is something even more important to keep in good shape that that....our spiritual lives. What shape are you in there?

1 Timothy 4:7-10

7 Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; 8 for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. 9 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. 10 For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.

Honestly answer this question to yourself, how much training do I do in godliness? How much time do you spend in prayer, bible study, meditating on the things of God, talking with other believers about your faith, etc. 

To see where you are at in this....how much time do you spend in other activities and see where the things of God compare in time and energy spent!

Oh God help us to dig deep and train for godliness and be the servants you have called us to be.

Tom

Second in command! 9-22-15

So thankful for my sharpeners!

From my church family, to my friends, to my relatives, to my family, and even some people I do not know all that well, I am so thankful to God for all the people who are in or have come through my life and took the time to sharpen me especially in my walk with the Lord. I am forever grateful!!! Can you say the same???

Proverbs 27:17
As iron sharpens iron,
So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.

I can't wait to get to heaven one day and see all the folks that I did not take time to thank for all they poured into my life. If we have folks on this side of heaven we can thank now, we should take the time to do so. 

This verse also reminds me of how much of a difference we can make in peoples lives by purposely getting involved in peoples lives with the overwhelming purpose of sharing Jesus with them and loving them like Jesus would. Everyone needs a friend and everyone needs Jesus, are we brings these to others?

Thank you my friends for loving and sharing Jesus with me! I love you!

Tom

Moving on up! 9-21-15

God is talking!

Have you ever been in a worship service and you had a sin lingering over you and it seemed the preacher knew although he did not! His message was point on and it seemed He kept looking right at you!!! I sure have and as a pastor have had people come and ask if I was specifically preaching at them which I wasn't but apparently God was! It makes me think of this verse:

Isaiah 55:11

11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

Just sit and think about that. God's Word accomplishes exactly what He wants it too. Then it becomes out responsibility to make the right choices. Are we making the right choices? Are we listening or getting mad at the preacher thinking he is in my business??? Better think again!

Another way to think about this verse is in our walk with the Lord and sharing the gospel with others. When we tell of Jesus, it accomplishes God's purpose of the world hearing about Jesus. From God's mouth to our mouth to the world. As followers of Jesus, it is our responsibility to tell the good news of Jesus!

So, God is talking are we listening? Are we telling what He has to say? Both are of utmost importance!

Tom

You never know how God may use you! 9-17-15

God picks us up!

September 17, 2015 at 8:34am

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It is such a relief to know that even when followers of Jesus fall, He is right there to pick us up and not let us go!

Psalm 37:24

Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down;
For the Lord upholds him with His hand.

Psalms 145:14

The LORD sustains all who fall And raises up all who are bowed down.

Psalms 27:5

For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; In the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock.


John 10:28-29

28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.

Thank you Jesus for picking up this sinner and never letting me go!!!

Tom

Gods plan probably isn't yours! 9-16-15

Drop the weights!

What is weighing you down this morning? Slowing your service to King Jesus down? Get rid of it! Now!


Hebrews 12:1
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

Seriously, take some time and think about your life. What is keeping you from being fully sold out to Jesus? Is it a relationship, a sin, a job, or maybe just plain laziness. What ever God reveals to you, He will give you the power to overcome. Do it! We are on this earth to worship and serve King Jesus. He is our number one priority. If He is not we need to dump the weight holding us down till He is! We sure don't want to hear these words in the end because we help onto the weight:

Matthew 7:23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

Tom

I know where my help comes from, do you???

I have 100% faith without any hesitation or doubt of where my help comes from every second of everyday:

Psalm 121:1-2

1 I will lift up my eyes to the hills—
From whence comes my help?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.

My help is from God, the only ONE who can truly help me in all situations and will never fail! Now that's what I call a friend, and that in whom I am blessed to call my God!

How about you?

*If you want to know more about God I am always available to talk to you, just shoot me a message!

Tom

Run Joseph run! 9-15-15

God is with you in all situations. 9-14-15

Same Power!!!

Kati P. one of my former students in the youth group sent me a song to listen to and wow oh wow is it a great way to kick off a Monday! To be reminded that we have the power of the Holy Spirit (God) living inside us as followers of Jesus! Think about that as you jump into this Monday morning! You can overcome anything! Listen to the words carefully and praise the Lord this morning!



Acts 1:8
But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Romans 15:13
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Tom

We won't forget 9-11 but we must forgive,pray, and love our enemies. What???

None of us will ever forget the attacks on our country 14 years ago today. It still is painful as we watch the loss of innocent life because of peoples hatred of our country. We must look to God's Word for guidance and what to do. Here are two things:

1. We won't forget but we must forgive:

Matthew 6:15
But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

2. We must also pray for our enemies:

Matthew 5:44
But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,

You see as bad as the enemies of the USA hurt us we must remember they are lost souls. On their way to hell if they do not come into a relationship with Jesus. We must pray for them.

We are also told to love them....wow! We can only do this through the power of God, the Holy Spirit. Yes it can be done and for followers of Jesus we don't have a choice!

So this day while we remember 9-11 let us also forgive, pray, and love our enemies all the way to Jesus!

Tom

We won't forget but God is in control. 9-11-15

Love today!

As I start our another day of following my King Jesus, I need this reminder today:

Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant -1 Corinthians 13:4

I don't know what is going on in other peoples lives many times be patient with others. I often need folks to be patient with me! Thank God He was and is patient with me!

I need to be kind, even when others are not kind to me. When we are kind to others, it shows the Jesus in us!

I need not be jealous of anything. God has given me all I need and I will be content in that! 

I have no need to brag because I am nothing when I compare myself to Jesus, but He has made me everything in dying for me!

I have no need to be arrogant as Jesus has paid it all not me. God tells us in His Word He hates pride, we are to be humbles servants of King Jesus.

I need to be reminded of these things often, as the world is constantly trying to creep into my life, but with the power of the Holy Spirit I can overcome the world!!!

Tom

Hard times are often used by God! 9-10-15

Brothers will bow! 9-9-15

Don't trust your eyes.

Our eyes can fool us....think about Eve in the garden of Eden. That fruit and it's temptation got the best of her. On the other hand think what faith in God can do. We can't see God but our faith in Him can do powerful things, most importantly give us eternal life to spend with Him. That is powerful! Listen to what Jesus said about faith:

Matthew 17:20 
So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.

So do you trust what you can see or are you going to trust in your faith in the Almighty God. Not as easy as it sounds but honestly followers of Jesus have only one option....faith in Him!


2 Corinthians 5:7

7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.

Tom

No favorites parents! 9-8-15

Something to chew on today.

I was reading and came across this verse in the bible, it is from the song of Mary who had just learned of her pregnancy of Jesus and was visiting Elisabeth who was carrying John the Baptist, Mary sings:

Luke 1:50

50 And His mercy is on those who fear Him
From generation to generation.

God's mercy is on those who fear Him. Those who put God in His proper place....above all! Those who have awe and reverence for Him. Those who know He is God and can do as He pleases and it is right! Those who know God gives and takes life at any time He choses. 

Chew on this today, meditate on it. The ask yourself a few questions:

1. Do I fear God?
2. Does my family fear God?
3. Do my close friends fear God?
4. Does my church fear God?
5. Doe my nation fear God?

If yes, AWESOME! If no, what are you gonna do about it?

From the verse we read, His mercy depends on it!

Tom

Get to where God tells you to go! 9-4-15

Can only be love!

When I read this verse I can come to only one conclusion:

Psalm 8:3-4

3 When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,
4 What is man that You are mindful of him,
And the son of man that You visit him?

God loves us. Think about it...how we sin and dishonor God so many times in each of our lives but He still sent Jesus to die for us thus providing a way for us to spend eternity with Him! Who does that? God does! Of all of His creation He created us in His image! Look around and then remember of everything created YOU are created in God's image! WOW! 

God is mindful of you today! Are you mindful of Him and giving Him praise and living a godly life? I think He is worthy don't you?

Oh God we praise you with all our hearts this morning, thank you, thank you, thank you for your mercy, grace, and love. We love you!

Tom

Not about ME!

This one sacks me in the face this morning. It seems most of us have a little look out for self first in us. That is not what the Word tells us though:

Philippians 2:3
3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.

We are taught and we teach our kids they are above all, number one, not like so and so. This is the teaching of the world! We are to teach we are all equal and that we are to serve others. To humble ourselves before others and put them first, just like Jesus did! Hmmmm do we do this? Not on occasions but everyday??? As followers of Christ it is not an option it is to be out lifestyle. 

I got work to do on this, how about you?

Tom

Clean your households! 9-3-15

Get to where God has told you to Go! 9-2-15

Worthy???

Wow you talk about a smack in the face when I read this verse!!! Am I ever worthy?

Philippians 1:27
27 Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel,

Jesus died for us and He deserves our all for Him. We are only worthy because His shed blood made us worthy. Nothing on our own makes us worthy. That being said we should strive every day to give our all for him...sharing the gospel, loving others, meeting needs, unity among God's people, and being obedient in every area of our lives. 

So I ask this morning, is your conduct worthy of the gospel of Christ? Very heavy question!

Tom