From Pastor Tom - God Is Looking For Holy People

God is looking for people He can use.  He is looking for people He can bless.  He is looking for people He can trust.  He is looking for holy people and holy people are looking for Him.  Look at what the Bible says: 

                “Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness—without it no one will see the Lord.”  Hebrews 12:14 (HCSB)

Why won’t we see God if we don’t pursue peace and holiness?  Because God dwells in a place that is holy and He wants holy people around Him.  What does it mean to be holy?  Look at what the Bible says in Psalm twenty four:

“Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord?  Who may stand in His holy place?  The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not set his mind on what is false, and who has not sworn deceitfully.”  Psalms 24:3-4 (HCSB) 

In this passage we find four characteristics of holy people:

1. They have clean hands.  “Clean hands” simply means that their conscious is clear.  Does it mean that they are perfect?  No!  None of us are perfect but – “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  1 John 1:9 (HCSB)  Our conscious can be clean because we have taken our sins to God.  

2.  They have pure hearts.  “Pure hearts” simply means living with pure motives.  In our private time we need to be saying, “God, examine my heart, clear off the impure and make my motives pure before You.”  The Bible says, “Cursed is the one who does the Lord’s business deceitfully.” Jeremiah 48:10 (HCSB)  We don’t have a pure heart when our motives are mixed.

3.  Their minds are set on what is true.  If we are not setting our minds on that which is false – we are setting our minds on what is true.  The Bible tells us to, “Set your minds on what is above, not on what is on the earth.” Colossians 3:2 (HCSB)  Those things that are above are pure, holy and true.

4.  They are honest.  Those who do not “swear deceitfully” are honest in their dealings.  When they give their word – they keep it.  The Bible says, “Blessings accrue on a good and honest life, but the mouth of the wicked is a dark cave of abuse.”  Proverbs 10:6 (MSG) 

God loves those who are holy – who are seeking a holy life – who desire to be holy because He is holy.  How about you – are you seeking a holy life?  God is looking for Holy people.

May God Bless

Pastor Tom

From Pastor Tom - Sensible Spiritual Growth

Did you know spiritual maturity is within reach of all of us?  Spiritual growth is very practical and gradual.  Every person can become spiritually mature regardless of their current spiritual level.  To take the mystery out of spiritual growth all we need to do is break down spiritual growth into three practical components for everyday life. 

1.  Form Good Habits

Paul compared training for the spiritual life to the way athletes prepare themselves and stay in shape.  1 Corinthians 9:26 says, “I don’t know about you, but I’m running hard for the finish line.  I’m going to give it everything I’ve got.  No sloppy living for me!  I’m staying alert and in top condition.” (Msg)  The path to spiritual fitness is as practical as the way you become physically fit.  It involves training and personal discipline.

Anyone can become physically fit if he or she will regularly do certain exercise and practice good health habits.  Likewise, spiritual fitness is no mystery.  It is a simple matter of learning certain spiritual exercise and being disciplined to do them until they become habits.

These habits include:  prayer, quite time with God, Bible reading and obedience to what God reveals to you.  Forming good habits and sticking with them is a key element of spiritual growth.

2.  Allow for Time

There is no instant spiritual maturity.  Some books lead you to believe the myth that a person can have instant maturity – but it just is not true.  There is not one book, a tape, a revival or a conference that will instantly transform a person into spiritually mature Christian.  The truth is; spiritual growth is a gradual process of development.  Just as it takes time for a baby to grow into an adult – it take time for one to grow spiritually mature.

“Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”  2 Peter 3:18 (ESV)

Although God could instantly and miraculously change us into a mature believer, He has chosen to develop us slowly and teach us one lesson at a time. 

3.  Maintain a Daily Relationship with God

The most important thing to remember is that spiritual growth is based on the relationship God.  Here is what Jesus said in Luke 9:23 “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”   You can not grow spiritually without growing closer to Christ.     

There is no instant spiritual maturity but there is a life development process that can lead to a spiritual mature person.

Blessings,

Pastor Tom

From Pastor Tom - Frogs

Did you know that . . .

 FROGS drink through their skin?  Instead of swallowing water with their mouths, frogs absorb moisture through their skin.  Frogs can also take in oxygen through their skin, which helps them breathe better in the water.

 FROGS eat with their eyes closed?  The eyes help the frog swallow by lowering into its head and pushing the food down its throat.

FROGS can jump 20 times their own length?  That’s like a human jumping past four school buses in one leap!

FROGS have sticky tongues?  Frogs don’t use their hands to catch food . . . they just stick out their tongues!  Flies, mosquitoes, and other yummy bugs stick to the tip and get pulled into the frog’s mouth for dinner.

SOME FROGS wear camouflage?  Stripes and spots help frogs blend into their natural surroundings.  Some frogs can even change color depending on their location or the weather.

FROGS recycle?  Frogs shed their skin about once a week.  Then they eat the old skin to reuse the nutrients stored inside.

FROGS can live to be 40 years old?  Most frogs live from 4 to 15 years.

A FROG wasn’t always a frog?  Every frog starts as a tiny egg that hatches into a tadpole.  All a tadpole has is a round head and a tail and lives in the water like a fish.  The tadpole body changes and grows new parts.  After three to four months, the tad­pole has four legs and no tail and can live on land—it has become a frog!

Isn't this amazing!

Did you know that you can become a new creature, too?  God can give you a new life.  We have all done bad things - we have all sinned.  But God, who loves us, can change us.  He can give us new life.  He can give us a second chance.  God wants us to be like Him—loving, kind, and good.  Just as a tadpole changes into a frog, God can help you become more like Jesus. The Bible says;

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." Rom 12:2  

The Bible also tells us what we are being transformed into:

"But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit." 2 Cor 3:18 

God sent His only Son, Jesus, to earth to be a human, just like us, except Jesus never sinned. Even so, He chose to die so that He could pay the death penalty for our sins.  Three days after He died, God raised Him back to life again!

Do you want to have a clean, new life?  Then just believe in what Je­sus did for you. Tell God that you are sorry for your sins and thank Him for sending Jesus to save you.  The Bible says,

“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” 2 Cor 5:17

God will change you and make you a totally new creature.

Blessings,

Pastor Tom

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