Living Like We Believe

April 2019

Message from Pastor Tom, 

This month we are celebrating Christ's resurrection, the defining event of our Christian faith, the Gospel message, and the defining moment in our history. It demonstrates Jesus' power over death confirms His divinity and provides a powerful example of the Lord's ability to keep His word. “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” John 14:1-3 NKJV.

Yet the resurrection Jesus experienced is much more than just a one-time event that happened in history. Part of this Good News is the very same resurrection power bringing Jesus from death to life can be experienced in our own life every day if we choose to tap into it. Our hope of the resurrection isn’t just for the future when we physically die and go to heaven; it’s also for now while we’re still here living and struggling with sin. Each of us needs to make use of the God-given power to help us overcome sin each day we’re alive. As we regularly confess our sins and repent of them, we can embrace the forgiveness and grace God offers us to keep growing and maturing in our relationship with Him. We can then place our hope in this dynamic relationship with Jesus, start living for Him and relying on His resurrection power to work in our life. This is when we begin experiencing the fulfillment of all the good purposes God has chosen for us, focusing on what God can do through each one of us.

So this April, let’s concentrate on celebrating Easter in remembrance of the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, looking upon the blood Christ shed for us as the forgiveness, removing our sins so we can grow in our spiritual walk, becoming like Him, just as 1 John 2:6 stated, "Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did." As Christians we are not of this world, and yet we let the ways of the world enter into our thinking. This is when the evil one can get a foothold, giving us doubt, making things confusing and difficult. Let's not forget, when we focus on Jesus, remembering to keep Christ at the center of our lives and as the foundation of our belief system, we can endure. God’s love and grace gave us His Son to be sacrificed in atonement for our sins, and the Holy Spirit to be our Constant Companion and Helper. Jesus did for us what we could never do for ourselves, as He suffered and died on the cross in order to save us from the darkness and torments of hell that are depicted in Revelation. So you see, nothing is ever wasted in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. We need only to walk the path God has set for us with our eyes keenly upon the cross, living as obedient children of God, making a favorable impression on the unbelieving world by our holy conduct and loving nature.

Yes we live in a broken world, but we can live as if we believe Jesus is Risen and draw upon the resurrection power available to us. We have our heavenly Father who is faithful to keep every one of His promises and know when we trust in Jesus Christ as our personal Savior, God will save us from our sin and welcome us into His family without regard to merit or worth on our part. Eternal life is a promise, and He offers this gift freely to all who believe in His Son. Will you receive it today, or are you secure in your own salvation? For our God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, please Lord, come quickly. "And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you" Romans 8:11.

Happy Easter to you and your family as we celebrate our Father’s greatest sacrifice through His Son, Jesus Christ. Heidi and I pray this Easter you receive God's Love, Grace, and His never-ending peace. Thank you for taking the time to read this, and as always, I hope it spiritually enriches you. Have a most blessed Easter.

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him” 1 Corinthians 2:9.

March's Battleground

March 2019

Message from Pastor Tom,                                                                                         

All of us know the old saying, in like a lion, out like a lamb, or vise versa. With the crazy weather we have experienced across the country it is definitely a wait and see game. Yet each of us can weather the storms or welcome an early spring if we are prepared for whatever happens. We can bask in the sun and good times, but we can also weather any storm that comes our way if we go in prepared for battle. Even if the beast of a lion is waiting to devour at every turn, trying to leave us in the wake of his destruction, we can still overcome. How? If we know our enemy and put on the full armor of God, we can trust and have no worries because we will always be prepared for the spiritual battle raging around us.

We know this teaching not only through the Scriptures, but also from our own studies, and our pastors’ sermons on Sundays, which all help equip us and help lift the scales from our eyes. As Christians we are aware the world today is full of followers who prefer to go with the flow and let the culture and world around them influence and form their belief system. Unfortunately, our society has become very tolerant of all styles of teachings. It has become the social norm to adopt a culture of tolerance, allowing for the lowering of our own ethical standards. All too often the same kind of tolerance and anything-goes attitude moves into the church. As Christians we can never lower our moral and ethical standards. Our truths are based on fundamental Christian principles, which are learned through Scripture and it is our moral and ethical duty to lay this foundation for our children. Christians do not have the luxury of compromising our morals and ethics to be all-inclusive and believe anything goes. We are as soldiers in God’s army and are engaged daily in the fierce and very real spiritual warfare around us. We need to hold our ground and be prepared, dressed in our battle gear every day. We need to 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 NIV).

We need to remember this is not our world and we must stand strong against the evil one that wants to destroy our life with Jesus Christ. God’s love is immense, extensive and unconditional. There is no doubt we are in the war, and we need to be the voice of Jesus. The world we live in forces us to walk a fine line between good and evil. Decisions must be made daily, and those decisions will invariably be either wise, or foolish. A foolish decision according to Proverbs 1:7, is one made with a firm resistance to any type of counseling or instruction. Fortunately, we have the book of Proverbs to follow, a loving God, a supportive church body, and our Pastors with a loving heart chosen by God to lead his flock. We have everything necessary to guide us through any type of life situation.

Therefore, know and trust we can defeat this beast as God has equipped each one of us with unique and specific gifts to use for the purpose of advancing His kingdom. These gifts, when put to use, might look something like: a small act of kindness, a silent prayer, a charitable donation, or a lending hand. I know none of these things are particularly heroic by human standards, but by God’s standard they are. God also gave to each of us the “free will” to choose, and a voice to teach. In Matthew 5:19, God tells us those who faithfully practice His commands, and teaches them to others, will be called “great in the kingdom of heaven.” So in this world where self-gratification is highly valued, and the Christian lifestyle we live isn’t exactly appealing, in order to be great Christians, we simply need to obey and share the Word of God. The word of God implores us to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus and bring everything to the foot of the cross so that through the most trying of times we will find the faith we need to press forward, and keep advancing the Kingdom of God.

Heidi and I pray for the Lamb of God to richly bless and keep you safe from harm. Thank you for taking the time to read this. I hope as always it spiritually enriches you.

Blessings from a pastor and his wife.

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! John 1-29

Happy Valentines Day

February 2019

Message from Pastor Tom:

While we are still trying to hang onto our New Year's Resolutions, Valentine's Day is fast approaching. Many are starting to feel the pressure of living up to the high expectations this single holiday brings. While many of the men out there are trying to conjure up a romantic evening, many of the ladies are trying to figure out just what will please them so it does not turn to disappointment. Valentine's Day can bring out many of our insecurities, all the while setting high standards for our spouses and loved ones. When they fail to meet our high expectations, we become dissatisfied and are often disappointed with them. So how about this Valentine's Day we give our spouse, girlfriend or boyfriend the true gift of a relationship centered in God's love? One that acknowledges the Lord as our personal source of significance, security and satisfaction. When we do this, there will be no disappointment, or a dissatisfied loved one.

I know this sounds easy as we are trying to fill our lives with the spiritual information and activities which are all good and so needed. However, I believe where we fall short is in completely developing that close relationship with the Lord. To start making this happen, let's take a quick inventory of our life to see if this might be true. Do you attend church only out of a sense of duty? Do you pray with lofty or repetitive words instead of speaking to God from the heart? Do you serve solely out of obligation? These are only a few questions, and I’m sure you have thought of others. In ourselves, there is no way we can muster contentment in every situation. But once we understand God works through our trials to make us more like His Son, and our union with Christ strengthens us to endure and even rejoice, we have a strong foundation for contentment no matter what is going on around us. When we place our focus on Christ, our own insecurities and problems become small and even disappear.

Think of it like this. God won’t provide us an open door to His Love and Grace unless He intends for us to go through it. Stopping on the threshold is defiance in God's eyes. I know sometimes what little we can see on the other side may look frightening, but if the Lord is calling, we need to do whatever He asks. Instead of hesitating in the doorway, we need to trust God and just walk through it. God assumes full responsibility for properly equipping and guiding all of us to complete our life’s tasks. We do this by letting God fill that place in our life instead of expecting our “Valentine” to fill it. It can truly be a gift to both of you!

This Valentine's Day, rather than ramping up expectations for love and romance from your Valentine, you could instead celebrate the love God has lavished on you. For it is when we are plugged into God's love, His love flows freely into our marriages and relationships. Always remember Jesus’ promises. We have our Lord’s assurance we will spend eternity with Him. He promised we can never be separated from Him, and no one can snatch us from His hand (John 10:28). He has gone ahead to prepare a place for us and will return to bring us there (John 14:2-3). As God's love spills over, it sparks the fireworks we all hope for in a great Valentine's Day.

Heidi and I pray you have a very joyous Valentine's Day filled with God’s love, finding it spiritually enriching. There is no way we can muster contentment in every situation. But once we understand God works through our trials to make us more like His Son, and our union with Christ strengthens us so we can endure and even rejoice, we will have a strong foundation for contentment no matter what is going on around us. 

Blessings from a pastor and his wife.

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33 NIV

Blessings for 2019

January 2019

Message from Pastor Tom:

Happy New Year everyone. I hope this message finds you rested in the Lord, that all your new hopes are set in motion for this new year, and all the new Christmas goodies you received are being put to good use. As our journey of faith continues in this New Year, we can look upon it as our Father giving us a second chance to walk in Christ (although in some cases, perhaps our third or fourth chance). His grace is so extensive He offers us countless opportunities to hear the Gospel and receive His Son Jesus Christ as Savior. Rest assured our Father does not take second chances lightly. Read the passages in Romans 3 very carefully. It is a look at humanity through divine eyes. On our own, no matter how much we try to be good, we are often foolish, useless and even at times evil. Thankfully, God’s grace is immeasurably greater than our sin. God has implemented a simple rescue plan for each person on earth, Whoever believes in Jesus Christ as Savior is forgiven. We are justified by faith and at peace with God (Romans 5:1). So there you have it. Our sins are washed from our heart. In fact from God’s perspective, His children look as if they have never done wrong. Jesus is our only chance. Apart from Him, there is no salvation, no justification and no grace.

Look again at the passage from Romans 3, it’s not possible to clean up one’s own heart, each one of us must take advantage of the purity Christ purchased with His sacrifice on the cross. We must all make sure it is Christ who will be the center of our celebration of another year. Each of us has a limited number of days on this earth, for it is an inescapable fact our time here is only temporary. Remember, we will all experience tribulations; sudden changes in health or finances, the unexpected death of a loved one, the abandonment of a good friend. Any of these can bring us into a dark season. We often don't understand why the Lord has allowed the trial or lets the pain continue. Joseph probably wondered the same things throughout his trails, but he managed to hold fast to his faith. Even as a slave in a foreign land, he experienced the blessing of God’s presence. And recognizing that the Lord was with this young captive, his Egyptian master showed him favor (Genesis 39:2-3). 

One of the keys to walking through dark valleys during the times when life seems to be crumbling around us and the future is looking grim, is to embrace the reality of the Lord’s presence with us through every moment of our life. Not just the highs, but also the lows, when we place our trust in Him and know without a doubt He will see us through all things. It would be foolish not to prepare for something inevitable. How can you best live so you are ready when God decides our life on earth is complete? By remembering our life is a gift from God, and we do best when we honor Him by doing His work here on earth. So how will you utilize your time? How best can you serve our Lord in this brand new year?

Heidi and I wish you and yours a joyous and prosperous New Year full of God's many blessings. Our prayer as the New Year commences is you and your Church family will join hands to pray for one another and also promise to be by each other’s side supporting one another in all things Holy. May you be able to forgive all those who hurt you in the past erasing all the bruises from your heart, filling it with happiness and peace. May the Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26). I thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope it spiritually enriches you.

Blessings from a pastor and his wife.

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV)

Happy Birthday Jesus

December 2018

Message from Pastor Tom:

The fall harvest is gone for another year, the trees are bare and we have stuffed ourselves at Thanksgiving. Hopefully we took the time to give proper thanks to the Lord for not only what He has done in our lives, but also the love and hope He gives to all His children throughout the world.

We now turn our attention to Christmas in hopes of celebrating our Lords birth by exchanging gifts, or by giving that special Christmas card to show Gods love for one another. The days seem to fly by and with Christmas coming so quickly, I find the world makes it very challenging to keep Christ in Christmas. Anyone else notice that? Don’t get me wrong I love this season, such a special feeling with all the lights and festivities. I find this time of year truly magical by knowing the real reason for the season. Yet more than anything, I want to make it meaningful. I pray for Jesus to be the focus. I want all children to know what the day and all the celebrating is really about. They won’t hear it at school, nor will they see it in the sales advertisements. They will know only the truth we teach and show them, so we must make a special effort to show what Christmas is all about.

Lets do beautiful things together this month Christians. Things like serving and sharing and spending time with one another. Let's invite the loneliest people we know into our homes, and show them Jesus. How about we make lovely food together and then share it. Parents and grandparents, talk to your children and anyone who will listen about Jesus' impending birthday like it is the most precious, thrilling, miraculous moment you have ever heard in your life. Can we be brave enough to say "enough" to any further ruination of Jesus' day? Can we risk difficult conversations with family and friends, understanding Jesus called it the narrow way for a reason? Jesus truly wasn't kidding when He said few would find it. Let us instead listen to fellow Christians and spiritual leaders who courageously lead us in the ways of Jesus this December, helping us resist consumerism and selfishness, helping us to release our inner tension. We celebrate Christ our Savior being born this and every Christmas because He is indeed the reason for the season and our love and hope for everyone.

Don’t ever forget God has a purpose for everything that comes into our lives, including friendships, jobs, situations and conversations. Nothing is trivial and nothing is by accident. If you want to experience God in action, you don’t have to wait for Him to do something big in your life. Be attentive to even the littlest of things because every day, not just Christmas, is another opportunity to see Him at work. Get into His Word so you can understand how He has acted in the lives of others. Then watch for His involvement in your own life, as this is the biggest and brightest Christmas gift you could ever give yourself. So I challenge you to intentionally put on your spiritual armor every day and not just during the holidays. Put on one piece at a time: the helmet of salvation, the breastplate of righteousness, the belt of truth, the sandals of peace, the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit. Just try it as you meditate daily on Ephesians 6:10-18, and watch what God will do. 

Heidi and I wish you a very Merry Christmas filled with the wonder of the birth of Christ, the warmth of the Holiday Spirit and the love of family and friends. May your heart be lifted in praise this Christmas for the wonderful gift of Jesus and the joy He brings to our life. I pray that together we have the opportunity to show a watching world something truly hopeful and sincerely beautiful this Christmas. We can live alternative rhythms in front of people, showing them something better than stress and spending and tension and exhaustion.

Have a wonderful Christmas and a blessed New Year! I thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope it spiritually enriches you.

Blessings from a pastor and his wife.

Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. 1 Timothy 1:15-17 (NIV)

Happy Thanksgiving

November 2018

Message from Pastor Tom,

Now that harvest is complete and the fruit of the Holy Spirit is living within our hearts, it is now time to be thankful for the many blessings God has bestowed on us during our harvest time with the Lord. I love the fall when the leaves are changing colors and are falling, the kids will soon have eaten all their Halloween candy and everyone begins looking forward to family and friend get-togethers for Thanksgiving. The question on my mind however, will we be too busy preparing for the Thanksgiving holiday, making travel arrangements, or planning our dinner menu to be truly thankful? Will we still take the time to talk with God in our quiet place and remember to let Him know just how thankful we are for His Son and the precious blood He shed for us?

As we read our Bibles, we are reminded giving thanks is very biblical. The book of Psalms alone reminds us nearly 50 times to give thanks. The New Testament also reminds nearly 50 times, including the all-inclusive “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Yet even when Scripture tells us to “be thankful” (Colossians 3:15), we can often turn it into an obligatory expression of spiritual courtesy toward God, rather than an expression of an astounded, overwhelmed realization we have received mind-blowing grace from Him. We’ve learned to say thank you without really feeling thankful and to think it’s okay. But truly it’s not okay. Thankless gratitude is like affectionless love. It’s like joyless happiness. It’s like the form of godliness without its power. It’s just not okay. It’s not the real thing at all, and as long as we practice it, we are missing out on the joy God intends to give us through thanksgiving. When God commands us to “give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:18), He does not want some mere spiritual courtesy from us. It’s not like He needs our meager words of thanks or He’ll feel bad like grandma might have. I believe God does feel bad if we don’t express gratitude, but what He feels is not self-pity because we didn’t make Him feel good for doing something nice for us. He feels grieved for us because we are missing the point and therefore missing true joy.

God’s command for us to be thankful is a prescription of healing for the disease of our soul-crippling selfishness. It is an invitation for us to see the glory of God’s grace that is everywhere and, for the Christian, is infused into everything (Romans 8:28). It’s an invitation for us to leave behind the spiritual poverty of our sin and selfishness and receive, through the cross, “the immeasurable riches of God’s grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:7). The command for us to be thankful is God commanding us to experience the deep joy of true gratitude for all God promises to be for us in Christ forever. It is a profoundly kind and loving command. Christian thanksgiving is a feast of joy for the soul. It is savoring what is most satisfying to us. It is eating “the food that endures to eternal life” (John 6:27). So remember, in the words of the old table blessing, “For what we are about to receive, may the Lord make us truly thankful.”

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 productive service as Christ’s ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20). In this position, we are called to follow Jesus’ example in glorifying God (Matthew 5:16), our Savior focused not on Himself, but on the heavenly Father whose plan is to reach the entire world with His saving grace.

Heidi and I pray this will be your most thankful Thanksgiving ever. May you and yours enjoy happiness, peace, love and joy with God, family and friends. I thank you for taking the time to read this and hope it spiritually enriches you.

Blessings from a pastor and his wife.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. 1 Chronicles 16:34 (NIV)