Live Life Abundantly

September 2018

Message from Pastor Tom,

The many pressures of this life can weigh a lot of us down. We run around busier and busier than ever, not knowing how to free ourselves up to live more abundantly. Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” John 10:10 (NIV). To the full means abundance, but what does abundance really mean?

Throughout Scripture we read of God’s many blessings to His people. The books of Joshua and Psalms tell us we can be prosperous and many Proverbs actually explain how we can prosper. Paul often spoke about life being exceedingly abundant, even in times of his own great suffering. Why? Because Paul found his life sufficient in Christ. Jesus warned there would be trouble in the life of all believers, and I’m sure every one of us has suffered, some more than others. Yet Scripture also promises God shall supply all our needs and will give us peace that surpasses all understanding. Faith should play a huge part in every aspect of our Christian life, because without faith there can be no hope, and without hope there is no life worth living. Every Believer can experience abundance when we allow the Holy Spirit indwelled within each one of us to renew our life.

It is this new life in Christ that allows us to become more aware of the incredible Kingdom of God within and around us by accepting Jesus’ offer of a fuller life. Let Him help you to move beyond a routine, fearful and limited existence, fully embracing each day for the gift it is, living a fuller, happier, more productive life discovering more of your spiritual potential. Family, we don’t have to wait for heaven, we can begin honoring God right now by living life abundantly. Ecclesiastes 5:19-20 stated, “Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil - this is a gift of God. They seldom reflect on the days of their life, because God keeps them occupied with gladness of heart.”  In other words, God has decided the best way for us to live is to take care of ourselves, have a good time, and make the most of whatever jobs we have for as long as He gives us life. It’s as simple as that. We should make the most of what God gives to us, not just the abundance, but also the capacity to enjoy it, accepting what He has given and delighting in the work, because it is God’s gift! God gives us joy in the present, so it’s useless to worry over how long we might live.

When I was being treated for throat cancer, the radiation destroyed my taste buds and for the longest time I no longer enjoyed food. I could smell of course and the aroma was wonderful, but when I went to eat, there was nothing. You see I lost the joy, the excitement, the anticipation of amazing flavors exploding in my mouth, savoring the taste of every morsel. All that was left was disappointment. I quickly lost my appetite and literally only ate to survive. But then months passed and by the Grace of God, slowly but surely almost all my taste returned, and I have never again taken this gift for granted. Once again I could delight in food, much to the detriment of my waistline (so remember, God also told us to take care of ourselves).

You see God doesn’t just give us food in order to sustain life. He delights in our enjoyment. He gave us the gift of taste so we could enjoy it. Much the same as He gave us the gifts of sight, hearing, feeling and smelling to enjoy and delight in our surroundings. All the beautiful and wondrous things around us we take for granted in our busy, busy lives… unless we lose one of them, and then suffer the frustration and pain of loss. We don’t want to have to lose something in order to appreciate the gifts God has lovingly and abundantly given us. We need to open our eyes to the miracle of the moment and to God. For when we do, we allow the Holy Spirit to bring about an inner spiritual awakening that alters our perception and lets us see with new eyes. God has provided abundantly for us and we need to find our life sufficient in Christ just as Paul did. The life God has given us is a precious gift and the message of Jesus will free us to live the hopes and dreams in our heart. “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father” John 14:12.

So what is and abundant life? It is not what we have or what we get or even what we claim, it’s ultimately about what we receive as a gift from God, realizing we are stewards of these blessings. It is about sharing these blessings and our life with others, sharing the light of Jesus and being rewarded with the fruit of the Holy Spirit, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law” Galatians 5:22-23. 

Heidi and I pray each of us are lifted out of our old way of thinking, to be transformed so each moment of our life will take on new meaning with an appreciation of the gifts God bestows on us every day. Praise God for abundant living!

Thank you for taking the time to read this, as always I hope it spiritually enriches you.

Blessings from a pastor and his wife,

So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 2 Corinthians 5:16-17

Jesus The Teacher

August 2018

Message from Pastor Tom,

Well parents… the new school supply lists are out. Your children will soon be back in school, college students will be driving to college, or flying to new adventures in learning. Our summer is coming to a close, and the 4^th of July fireworks are all but gone. However, our memories are still fresh from the sights, sounds and colors as we celebrated with friends and family and went on some great family vacations these past few months. And now onto the new sights, sounds and colors we will soon enjoy, the sound of ongoing sales and discounts from the likes of Amazon, the media, and of course our mailboxes stuffed full of back-to-school sale ads making the kids want the newest styles and colors for this fall school year. Heidi and I knew as our kids grew up, every year more often than not, they wanted anything and everything for the start of a new school year.

In this sense, the new school year and our Christian worship interconnect, because the very business of Christianity is fresh starts, much like the start of a new school year. Our symbol of fresh starts is the cross of Jesus Christ, and in the person of Jesus we find our new beginning. So I ask you this family, do you feel you have flunked out as they say, before you even had a chance to enroll? Well… that isn’t what Jesus wants for you. News flash folks, Jesus is more interested in our transformation than our transgressions. Our transformation is how Jesus teaches and how Jesus saves us. Jesus works from within as our Teacher. When people say Jesus changes lives, this is the kind of thing they are trying to describe. Jesus, not just a Teacher, but also a Savior, the One who can work on us from the inside out. He doesn’t just see things from our point of view; He knows what it means to be human because He is as much human as God. We, just like Jesus, need to teach justice coupled with compassion and mercy, with the knowledge Christ desires an abundant life for everyone.

Believe me I'm preaching to myself here, as no one is ever left out of Jesus' teachings. Always remember He came to call sinners and was more pleased when people showed mercy than sacrifice. We need to keep the faith, and our Faith should be our whole way of life, presented as a “living faith.” It was Jesus who described His message as “fresh water” that is never stagnant and quenches the thirst of all ages. This is the same as one's education. It is always going to be fresh in your mind when read or studied, and only goes stagnant when you close the book and do not use it. Don't let God's Word go stagnant. Open the Book of Knowledge and never close the Bible, as not only your journey through life, but also your eternal life depends upon it.

Heidi and I understand how stressful and hard it can be to getting our children ready for the school year with finances and so many choices to make. Rest assured Jesus Christ promises us hope for eternity, and this life as well. When we receive Jesus as Savior, through His sacrifice, we are redeemed, forgiven, justified, and reconciled to God. That is, Christ’s blood has brought us from death to life, and has let us enter into an eternal relationship with the Father. In doing so, our lives are less stress filled, and full of new beginnings. So our prayer for all of you is to experience a less stress-filled life, full of great new beginnings and for those headed back to school, may this year be the most successful yet.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, and as always I hope it spiritually enriches you.

Blessings from a pastor and his wife, 

Tom and Heidi

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV)

Let Freedom Ring

July 2018

Message from Pastor Tom,

As we find ourselves celebrating Independence Day with family and friends, enjoying fun and sun, barbecues, parades and lots of fireworks, I want to also share another side of the holiday. In doing some reading for this month's message, I found a speech given on July 4, 1946, by John F. Kennedy, 29 years old at the time and running for Congress in Massachusetts. JFK addressed the crowd at Boston’s Independence Day celebration stating, “The informing spirit of the American character has always been a deep religious sense. Throughout the years, down to the present, a devotion to fundamental religious principles has characterized American thought and action.” I am sure many of us are thinking this opinion most likely did not sit well with those who didn’t believe in God or identify with any religious tradition.

However, even now 72 years later the social norm is to adopt a culture of tolerance, basically lowering our Christian standards. I hate to say this, but all too often the same kind of tolerance and anything-goes attitude moves into the church. Our truths are based on fundamental Christian principles learned through Scripture, and it is our moral and ethical duty to lay this foundation for our families and the lost as well. One of our founding fathers John Adams said, "The general principles on which the Fathers achieved independence were the general principles of Christianity.” Preserving our American liberty depends first upon our understanding of the foundations on which this great country was built, and then it depends on preserving the principles on which it was founded. We as Christians do not have the luxury of compromising our morals and ethics to be all-inclusive and to believe anything goes.

However, that is what our world wants, which is owned and run by the great deceiver himself satan. This is evident as we look at the turmoil in other nations and even within our own country today. We should be devoted to the fundamental religious principles of God, and our character should be beyond reproach. Can you say you are running your life or your family's life on these same principles? I know the theology of this great country has gotten lost in the decades since it was founded, and even since JFK proclaimed this country's founding so strong and so proudly.

We need to hold our ground and be prepared, dressed in our battle gear every day. “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes” Ephesians 6:10-11. Remember that through His Word, God has entrusted to us the knowledge of who He is, what He is doing, and how the future will unfold for mankind. The Scriptures were intended to lead us into a growing personal relationship with our heavenly Father and to empower us for fruitful service as Christ’s Disciples. This life is just the beginning. One day we will see Jesus face to face, be perfected as the individuals He created us to be, and live with Him in our true home forever.

Heidi and I pray you will all have a joyous, safe and blessed 4th of July holiday, and remember to remain in God’s Word, for indeed it will draw us into a closer relationship with our Lord and Savior. Each of us can experience the blessings of true spiritual liberty. Thank you for taking the time to read this, and as always I hope it spiritually enriches you.

Blessings from a pastor and his wife, 

Tom and Heidi           

We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 2 Corinthians 5:20 (NIV)

Happy Father's Day

June 2018

Message from Pastor Tom,

I was sitting here thinking about writing this blog for Father's day and began reflecting on the last discipleship class I had just facilitated. Father’s day brought to mind how Dr. Tony Evans explained for a Christian to become Kingdom Disciples, we must surrender every area of our life and Abide in God the Father, which deepens our relationship with Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. We must also be totally committed to Him in order to receive God’s authority so we are able to do His work as Disciples for Christ. This is what all Christians should strive for no matter what our denomination. If you believe Jesus Christ died for your sins, then you need to get closer to HIM. As John 15:4-5 stated, “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. ‘I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing’” (NKJV). How humbling for us to remember, without our Father we can do nothing!

Is this not true with our earthly fathers as well? Your father is still part of you, whether you’re a blended family, or been adopted, his love is true even if you don’t think so. You have been abiding in his word and action since birth, or when God blessed you with him, and hopefully it has been a Christian walk.

Whether you are close or not, whether he was a constant part of your life or not, he has impacted who you are today. I know you love him, except maybe when you can’t stand him, yet for better or worse, he is still your dad.

Although our earthly dad is the head of the family by God's Grace and love, God is the Father of us all and as I know our Father God is on His throne, it is still depressing keeping up with current events these days. While the nightly news has never exactly been a great source of encouragement, it surely seems like the headlines are getting bleaker and bleaker. We are living in a day when it’s becoming increasingly difficult to lovingly speak the truth of God’s Word without being labeled as bigoted or narrow-minded. Believe me, I know, as I’m sure you have also experienced being a Christian in an unbelieving world. It’s true some Christians have unfortunately misrepresented Jesus Christ to the world through demeaning rhetoric and judgmental attitudes. As believers, we should model our Savior Jesus Christ who spent the vast majority of His time hanging out with sinners like you and I, loving those far from God. Sadly, many leading Christian voices don’t seem to model the compassion and tenderness the Lord Jesus demonstrated toward unbelievers while He walked the earth. Yet at the same time, God expects our earthy fathers, as well as His church to stand firmly on His Word, never compromising our convictions to appease the culture. Remember, the Church is to replicate God in our community for His glory. We need to be in unity for Christ, for if we do all this, we will receive God’s authority and the keys to His Kingdom.

Heidi and I understand all fathers, as well most grandfathers, are under a lot of pressure going through endless hours of work, striving to provide for and lead their families, being a father and just being a man in this sinful, fast-paced world. Our prayer is for you to enjoy the best of Father’s Day, as it is now your time to be a little pampered. Thank you for taking the time to read this, and as always I hope it spiritually enriches you.  Happy Father’s Day and may God richly bless you. 

Blessings from a Pastor and his wife,

Tom and Heidi

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. 
James 1:12 (NIV)