From Pastor Tom - Hope for Hard Times

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing.” (Romans 15:13)

 For the family facing foreclosure... for the father diagnosed with terminal cancer... for the wife struggling to conceive... for the young girl considering abortion... for the thousands who lost jobs and life savings...there is hope.

 The Bible says that each of us has been created by God...that he loves us...and that he wants us to have a fulfilling life. Jesus said, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10) He meant a life that goes beyond “mere existence” to a fulfilling life lived in harmony with the Creator’s knowledge of us and his desires for us.

But there is something that separates us from this “abundant life” that God intended. The Bible says that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) It is because of this sin, this disobedience towards God, that every person is separated from him: “your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.” (Isaiah 59:2) And even worse is the consequence of sin, eternal separation from God—“the wages [cost] of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23)

However, in his love and mercy, God sent his sinless Son, Jesus, to pay the price of our sins’ debt. Almost 2000 years ago, Jesus Christ died on a cross, was buried, and then rose from the dead on the third day. (1 Corinthians 15:3-4) It is only through the death of Je­sus that we can be reconciled to God. And through his death, God offers the free gift of eternal life to all who believe in his name. (Romans 3:23, John 3:36)

There is no greater hope than this—the assurance of eternal life offered to us through Jesus Christ, and his promise to stay with us and sustain us in all circumstances:

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? ...For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor power, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:35,38-39)

God offers this hope to you today. To accept his offer, begin by admitting that you are a sinner separated from God and in need of his forgiveness. Then trust only in Christ to save you from the consequences of your sins.

Believe that Jesus died for your sins on the cross, and was raised from the dead in order to conquer death, bridging the gap caused by sin between you and God. Accept Jesus’ offer to come into your life as your Savior.

If you sincerely desire to have hope in Christ, tell God in words like these:

Dear God, I admit that I am a sinner and need your forgiveness. Thank you for sending Jesus to suffer the punishment that I deserve for my sins. Please help me every day to turn from my sin and live a life that pleases you. Thank you for your gift of eternal life and for the hope I now have in you. Amen.

Blessings,

Pastor Tom

From Pastor Tom - Someone Cares For You

He knows your present circumstances.  He knows your very thoughts. And He is calling to you now: “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

Rest—real rest—from the burdens of life, is what Jesus Christ offers you.  Rest from fear and guilt, from worry and frustration, from loneliness and disappointment.

If you are struggling under life’s pressures, He offers to bear your burdens with you: “Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.  For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:29-30).

If you are searching for peace of mind and soul, He offers you His peace: “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27).

Yes, Jesus cares for you.  He, God the Son, became a man to redeem you from the consequences of sin.  In His 33 years on earth He suffered rejection, abuse and cruelty.  He endured hunger, thirst and pain.  And He died upon the Cross of Calvary to fulfill God’s plan of salvation: “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).

When He arose from the grave He triumphed over sin and death, promising all who will receive Him: “Because I live, ye shall live also” (John 14:19).

You can be sure that this very moment Jesus cares for you and wants to meet your needs.  For the risen Savior is both God and man: being man He understands your every need; being God He is able to deliver you.

Because Jesus is the risen Son of God, He has power to forgive your sins and give you new, eternal life: “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus Christ, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Romans 10:9).

Because Jesus lived upon earth as a man, He understands your feelings and needs.  Through His Spirit He offers you inner peace and strength. Through His people He offers encouragement and companionship. Through His Word, the Bible, He reveals a new way of living in harmony with God and man.  And He Himself stands at the right hand of God in Heaven representing those who have put their trust in Him.  “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).

Yes, come to Jesus Christ today.  Receive Him as your Savior and Friend. Then you too can know that truth, power and sympathy are found in one glorious Person, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Blessings,

Pastor Tom

From Pastor Tom - Your Ticket to Heaven

May I offer you a ticket to heaven?  You don’t have to pay for it, and that’s a good thing, because you could never afford to buy it!  It’s free, but only because someone has already paid the ultimate price for it.

God loves you and not only wants you to have a fulfilling life on earth, he also wants you to live with him in heaven forever.  He’s the one who offers you a paid-in-full ticket.  No one wants to go to hell where there will be no joy and no pleasures whatsoever, and God doesn’t want anyone to go there either.  The Bible says that God is “not wishing that any should perish” (2 Peter 3:9).

But there is a problem with getting that free ticket.  We have all done wrong—we have all sinned, haven’t we?  God’s Word says “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves” (1 John 1:8).  Sin pol­lutes—it makes us unclean, unfit for God’s presence in that won­derful, perfect place called heaven.  Sin penalizes—it separates us from a sinless God, “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).

In short, our sinfulness blocks the delivery of the ticket that we need to get into heaven!

Wait!  There’s good news!  Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to earth to be born and to live his life without sin.  He “suffered once for [our] sins, the righteous [one] for the unrighteous [all of us!], that he might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18).  When God “laid on him the iniquity [sins] of us all” (Isaiah 53:6), Jesus cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34).

The answer is simple and profound: Jesus was separated from God because he took your place and mine on the cross, and by dying he paid in full the “wages” our sins had earned.

Then he rose from the dead, was seen by hundreds of people, and is alive today so you can know him and receive the gift of eternal life—your ticket to heaven.  That’s right!  The Bible says, “to all who did receive him [Jesus], who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12).

That is fantastic!  You can become a “new” person—born of God—to start a brand-new life that pleases God.  And, of course, all God’s children have a ticket to heaven!

It is no accident you were given this offer of a ticket to heaven.  God has made sure you can receive it.  The whole issue is, did Jesus pay for all your sins or didn’t he?  God said he did.  Trust God that it is so.  “Whoever believes in the Son [of God] has eternal life” (John 3:36).

God wants you to tell him, “Yes, I will take Jesus to be my Savior.  I believe that he is the only way to heaven.”  The Bible says, “Whoever has the Son [Jesus] has life” (1 John 5:12).

If you believe that God’s way to heaven is the only way, you can “claim your ticket” by telling God in words like these:

Dear God, I have sinned.  I know I have offended you in many ways.  I am so sorry.  I believe that Jesus suffered and died for my sins, paid my debt in full, and rose again.  Jesus, I believe in you and thank you for what you’ve done for me.  Please save me from the penalty of my sins, and give me a new birth and the power to live for you.  Thank you for this offer to spend eternity with you!

Remember what John 3:36 says: “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life.”  Do you now believe in Jesus as your Savior, your only “ticket to heaven”?  Do you have everlasting life, like God said?  This is a good question to consider.

Blessings,

Pastor Tom

From Pastor Tom - Can I Be Forgiven?

In an out-of-the-way cemetery an unmarked tombstone bears the single word, Forgiven.  A person can’t help wondering, who was forgiven and by whom?  What happened that caused someone to leave that message forever engraved upon his tombstone?

The secret of that tombstone has long been buried.  But one thing is certain, the need for forgiveness will always exist, since we all fail to live up to our word and others’ expectations of us at one time or another.

What is more serious is that we have failed to live up to what God expects of us!  No one is able to perfectly keep God’s command­ments.  The Bible states it simply, “all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).  “Your iniquities [sins] have made a separation between you and your God” (Isaiah 59:2).  Our disobe­dience separates us from our Creator.  We need his forgiveness.

But how can we know that God will forgive us?  How could a perfectly just and righteous God overlook our sin?

Our situation would be impossible if God had not settled the issue himself.  He sent his Son—Jesus Christ—to earth to become a man, live a per­fectly sinless life, and ultimately give his life for you and me.

On the cross where Jesus died, he took the punishment for sin that we deserved.  The Bible says God made Jesus to be sin for us, the One “who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).  Then Jesus rose from the tomb and came back to life three days later and was seen by hundreds of people (1 Corinthians 15:3-6).

Can I Know For Sure

Because of what Jesus has accomplished, it is possible to know that God will forgive you and one day receive you into heaven (John 14:1-3).  You can have the assurance of God’s forgiveness by mak­ing the following choices:

Recognize that your sins have separated you from God.  In honest re­pentance agree with God about your sinfulness and admit your need for forgiveness: “If we confess our sins, he [God] is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

Realize that God loves you, and believe that the sinless Jesus Christ died for your sins—taking the punishment you deserve:   

In response to your trust, God promises you eternity with him! Receive Jesus Christ into your life by faith as your Savior from sin’s consequences.  When you respond to God’s offer of forgiveness in faith, you can know that he has forgiven you.  God’s Book, the Bible, promises that “to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12).

If that is your heart’s desire, right where you are you can pray something like this:

Dear God, I know that I have sinned against many people and against you. I need your forgiveness.  I believe that Jesus Christ died for me and arose from the dead.  I invite him into my life to be my Savior.  Thank you for your gift of forgiveness and eternal life.

Are you forgiven?  Do you know for sure?

Blessings,

Pastor Tom

From Pastor Tom - You Are Special

“There are no ordinary people.  You have never talked to a mere mor­tal,” wrote C. S. Lewis.  It’s true—each one of us is a special creation of God.

Believe it or not—no one else is just like you.  Your physical ap­pearance, your voice and personality traits—your habits, intel­ligence, personal tastes—all these make you one of a kind.  Even your fingerprints distinguish you from every other human being—past, present, or future.  You are not the product of some cosmic assembly line; you are unique.

But the most important fact of your identity is that God created you in His own image (Genesis 1:27).  He made you so you could share in His creation, could love and laugh and know Him person to person.  You are special indeed!

The Bible reveals God’s total interest in you as an individual.  The psalmist wrote in one of his most beautiful prayers, “I will praise Thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14).  God knew you even before you were born.  Then, and now, He has plans just for you, plans conceived in love.

As we appreciate God’s constant concern for us, we really begin to grasp the awfulness of sin.  He loves you and me so much; yet how often we go our own way, turning our backs on Him.  God’s designs for our lives are then blocked; His mercies do not come to the unwilling.

But even here we are precious to God, for He continues to love us even when we pay Him no mind.  He still sees us as individuals with great value.  No wonder the psalmist declared, “How precious are Thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!  If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand” (Psalm 139:17-18). God is not an unfeeling, cold- hearted monarch of the heavens.  He feels our pains; He shares our sorrows.  He cares, and He considers each one of us important enough to love.

In fact, He loves us so much that He gave His only Son to die for our sins.  “Herein is love,” the Bible says, “not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation [full payment] for our sins” (1 John 4:10).

Because you and I are special to God, He wants to forgive us and give us a full, meaningful life.  When we trust in Jesus Christ and let Him put our lives together, the Bible says that we become “God’s masterpieces, created in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:10).  Can anyone be more special than that?

Yes, you are valuable to God! If you have never trusted Jesus Christ for your salvation, you can pray something like this today:

Lord, thank You for sending Jesus Christ to die for my sins and rise from the dead so that I can know Your forgiveness and live with You forever.  Right now I ask Him to be my Savior so that I can live as the special creation that You intended me to be.

Pastor Tom

From Pastor Tom - Finding Your Mission!

Did you know that Jesus has given us a mission?  He has!  It is not Mission Impossible but Mission Possible!  Who God calls – He empowers.  That means He empowers you and me for the mission He has for us.  The Mission Possible that God has given us is to tell those around us about Savior Jesus Christ!  This Mission Possible is called – Outreach.  Let me give you five urgencies of Outreach.

 1.  Jesus expects us to reach out!

“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20 (HCSB)

 Jesus has told us to make disciples – baptizing them and teaching them – as long as we are here on earth.

 2.  We were left here to share!

“How can people call for help if they don't know who to trust? And how can they know who to trust if they haven't heard of the One who can be trusted? And how can they hear if nobody tells them?” Romans 10:14 (MSG)

Somebody needs to tell the lost how to be found – that somebody is us!

3.  The lost are really lost!

“These will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." Matthew 25:46 (NKJV)

No matter how much we don’t want to think about it – there is a heaven and a hell.  People are lost if they don’t know Jesus as their Savior.

4.  Time is limited!

“Don't you say, ‘In four more months the harvest will be here'? I'm telling you to look and see that the fields are ready to be harvested {now}.” John 4:35 (GW)

There are people who are ready to hear the gospel today – if we would just tell them.

5.  Jesus is coming back!

For you yourselves have the knowledge that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 1 Thessalonians 5:2 (BBE)

Jesus will return someday and it will be a day of accountability.  He will ask, “What have done with what I have given you?”

Your mission is possible!  Who God calls – He has empowered.  Share the good news with some one today.

May God bless you,

Pastor Tom

From Pastor Tom - 4 Reasons Jesus Came to Die

Why did Jesus Christ suffer and die? I believe that is the most im­portant question of the twenty- first century. Here are ten answers from the Bible.

Jesus came to die...

#4) To show God’s love for us

The measure of God’s love is shown by the degree of his sacrifice in saving us from the penalty of our sins: “he gave his only Son” (John 3:16). When we add the horrific crucifixion that Christ endured, it becomes clear that the sacrifice the Father and the Son made to save us was indescribably great!

The measure of his love increases still more when we consider the degree of our unworthiness. “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Our debt is so great, only a divine sacrifice could pay it.

#3) To take away our condemnation

The great conclusion to the suffering and death of Christ is this: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). To be “in Christ” means to be in relationship to him by faith. Christ becomes our punishment (which we don’t have to bear) and our worth before God (which we cannot earn).

The death of Christ secures freedom from condemnation for those who believe that Christ has served their death sentence. It is as sure that they cannot be condemned as it is sure that Christ died!

#2) To bring us to God

“Gospel” means “good news,” and it all ends in one thing: God him­self. The gospel is the good news that at the cost of his Son’s life, God has done everything necessary to captivate us with what will make us eternally and ever-increasingly happy—namely, himself. “Christ...suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18).

#1) To give eternal life to all who believe on Him

Jesus made it plain that rejecting the eternal life he offered would result in the misery of eternity in hell: “Whoever does not believe is condemned already...” (John 3:18).

But for those who trust Christ, the best is yet to come. “No eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). We will see the all-satisfying glory of God. “This is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (John 17:3).

For all these reasons and more, Christ suffered and died. Why would you not embrace him as your Savior from sin and judg­ment, and live with God eternally?

If you are moved to embrace God’s Son in this way, tell God in words like these:

Dear God, I’m convinced that Jesus suffered and died for my sins. I trust in him now as my Lord and my Savior.  Please forgive me.  Amen.

From Pastor Tom - Assurance: The Certainty of Salvation

I have the most important subject in the universe that I want to talk to you about.  If you have it, you have everything that you need.  Without it, you don’t have anything you need, no matter how much you have.  It’s the reason Jesus came to earth.  It is what the Bible most frequently calls... salvation.

Do you have it?  Do you maybe think you do, but don’t know for sure?  Or maybe you are thinking, "Well, I think I had it at one point, but I lost it."  If you are thinking any of these things, by the time you are done reading, you should not just think you have salvation.  You should be sure.  You should have assurance.

HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU HAVE IT?

"In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit" (Ephesians 1:13).

God the Spirit applies salvation to us.  Everything that you’ve got in Christ comes by the power of the Spirit.  On papers of ownership in New Testament times the legitimate owner pressed his seal into the hot wax as proof the purchase was completed.  When we believe in Jesus and commit our lives to Him as our Lord and Savior, the Spirit "seals the deal" to make us God’s children for eternity.

So the question really is, "How do I know if I have the Holy Spirit?"  Well, there are seven main things the Spirit does in the lives of believers:

1) Fruit of the Spirit.  Apple trees have apples.  Christians have the fruit of the Spirit.  "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self- control" (Galatians 5:22-23).  If you’re saved, you’re more godly than you used to be, changing to be more like Christ.

2) Gifts of the Spirit.  Each of us has a different set of spiritual gifts, given to us by God through the Holy Spirit.  If you’re saved, you have a desire to use these gifts to honor God and further His Kingdom.  "So we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.  Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them" (Romans 12:5-6).

3) Conviction of sin.  The Spirit brings conviction of sin: "He will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment" (John 16:8).  Are you grieved when you sin?  That is a sign that you have true salvation.

4) Guidance into truth.  The Spirit guides us into truth.  John 16:13 says, "When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth."  Is that going on in your life?  Do you hunger for God’s truth?

5) Inner leading.  The Spirit prompts us to make things right, and to respond to what we learn from the Bible.  "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are Sons of God" (Romans 8:14).

6) Comfort.  The Spirit came to give comfort, and the Bible describes the Spirit as our "Helper" (John 14:16).  Could you testify that He gives you strength to handle situations that once drove you to defeat and despair?

7) Perseverance of faith.  "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us" (1 John 2:19).  Perseverance—enduring in the faith, even with it is hard even when the pressure is on.  Christ made it clear that if you are truly saved, then you will endure to the end.  The Spirit gives the strength and encouragement we need in order to persevere in the faith when life gets hard.

Are you seeing God at work in these areas of your life?  God doesn’t want His children wondering if they’re saved.  God wants you to know that you’re His child.  Romans 8:16 says that the Spirit of God "bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God."  If you’re wondering, "God, am I Your child?" get alone, get those Scriptures open in front of you and pray, "God, do I really know You?"  The Spirit will either bear witness of "Yes" or "No"—you don’t have to wonder.

Blessings,

Pastor Tom