Asking God to do what only he can do.

Honesty is one of the reasons to love the psalms. The psalm writers share their hearts, bare their hearts, and know their hearts like nobody else. I was reading Psalm 119 this morning and was impressed with how well the psalmist knows his own heart deficiencies and calls out to the Lord to do what only the Lord can do:

I will run in the way of your commandments when you enlarge my heart! (Psalms 119:32)

He wants to “run with the Lord” but he knows he lacks the capacity. So he cries out for a greater heart for the Lord!

Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain! (Psalms 119:36)

He knows his heart is inclined to selfish gain, so he pleads for a new inclination!

Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law. (Psalms 119:18)

He knows his eyes grow dull and dim to God’s word, so he calls on the Lord to open them!

So, do you get discouraged with your own heart? Do you despair of every overcomcoming your own spiritual inertia? I’ve got good news for you. You can’t! You can’t change your own heart.

But that’s exactly what God does through the Gospel! He is in the business of doing what we can’t do.

So ask God to do what only he can do – change you from the inside out through the power of the cross!

The well wisher of your soul’s happiness,
Pastor Tom

When Christians disappoint.

Who do you look up to? Who do you put on a pedestal? Parents? Pastors? Missionaries? Friends? What happens when you get up close and see all the warts and blemishes? What happens when you see more of the “old man” than you do of Christ in them?

We often say, “don’t trust in people, people will always disappoint you”. But when it actually happens we are shocked and disillusioned.

What do I do with that discouragement?

You can let it remind you of the steadfast constancy and unchangeableness of God.

Thomas Watson, the great puritan theologian, contrasts the unchangeableness of God with the frailty of man:

See the vanity of the creature. There are changes in everything but in God. 'Men of high degree are vanity, and men of low degree are a lie.’ Psa 62: 9. We look for more from the creature than God has put in it.

Sometimes we just “look for more in the creature than God has put in it”. At the core we are broken, troubled people whom God is graciously redeeming, re-molding, and restoring to the image of Christ. Nothing is going to get in the way of that work (Romans 8:26-39).

But the process is long and hard and we are all at different places on the journey. And consider; could it be that you may have actually disappointed someone along the way? But please see the grace and patience of God with you as you stumble down the path. And pray for grace and patience for those who disappoint you.

The well wisher of your soul’s happiness,
Pastor Tom

“We had to celebrate and be glad” – Luke 15:32

The parables in Luke 15 follow a similar pattern: Something is lost. That something is found. So somebody throws a party. Pretty simple.

But how do we wrap our minds around the idea that God likes to celebrate? We are used to thinking of God sitting austere, disinterested, and disconnected from our emotions. A God that parties is not in our mental filing cabinet.

Yet it is clear from Luke 15 (and a bunch of other scriptures) that God truly celebrates. But what does God celebrate? What makes him throw parties?

We celebrate victories (championships, setting records), occasions (birthdays, weddings), and achievements (retirements, graduations). We want to celebrate, we feel the need to celebrate, I suppose you could say we have to celebrate!

So does God celebrate our victories, occasions, and achievements?

Nope. He celebrates our repentance. That’s right, repentance. He celebrates when a sinner (like me and you) first comes to Christ in repentance. But who’s to say he doesn’t celebrate every time we repent? Every time we turn from sin and believe his superior promises. Every time we choose faithfulness to Christ over compromise and ease. Every time we kill the selfish flesh and lay our lives down for Christ’s sake. Every day we live repentance as a way of life.

So, let make heaven happy. Not by offering our victories and achievements, but by offering our repentance. And then listen for the party!

The well wisher of your soul’s happiness,

Pastor Tom

Deal or No Deal?

Okay, a name for a TV show (anybody remember Howie Mandel with big hair?), but also a way of describing ways we try to reconcile with God.

Deal: I bring a bargaining chip to offer God in return for his acceptance of me: a life devoid of “big sins” (bank robbing, murder, etc…), regular religious practices, being a “nice person”, promising to try harder, playing the sympathy card with my abusive past, tearful repentance, etc…

The younger brother in Luke 15 tried to bring his father a “deal”; “Treat me as one of your hired servants”, he said. Even after Plan A had failed (“party boy”), and Plan B had failed (“Swineherd”), he still wanted to bring something in his hand to offer his father. He was trying to make a deal.

Yes, he was truly repentant. But be careful here. Some view repentance as a meritorious act that unlocks God’s favor, something we bring to offer God.

But the father will have none of this.

No Deal: Before the son has a chance to say anything the father runs to him, embraces him, and covers him with kisses. And before the son has a chance to bring his “chip” to the table, the father says; “Bring the best robe, the ring, and sandals too!” Why?

Because the Father will allow nothing but His free grace at the table. Our reconciliation with God must cost us nothing, but must cost Him everything. At the cross all our “chips” fall to the ground in light of our overwhelming sin and His overwhelming grace. The Father will not “deal”! He will only freely love.

So, what are you trying to bring to the table? What deals are you making with God?*

Take the words of the hymn writer to heart”

“Nothing in my hands I bring
Only to the cross I cling”

The Father’s “No Deal” is better than any “Deal” you can imagine!

The well wisher of your soul’s happiness,
Pastor Tom

*you can find out by what you get mad about when the deal doesn’t go your way!

Questions of the Heart

After I had settled down from the distress of a blown torque converter on I-75 last Saturday, I wondered what the Lord was doing in all of this. Okay, so I was not considering this trial “all joy” at the time, as James instructs us. But I was trying.

Our tattooed tow truck driver, Tony, gave me my answer. As we began to talk on our long drive from Ocala to Orlando, spiritual things became the focus. We talked the whole trip about the spiritual questions he had always had, but never talked to a “preacher” one on one about. And I discovered something I should have known: we all ask the same questions and struggle with the same issues, whether we are university intellectuals or guys on the “blue collar tour”. Tony and I talked about where God was when we suffer, why did He allow sin and evil in the world, where do we find meaning in life, and what is our destiny. Pretty heady stuff.

We wrestled through those issues (and more!), and I hope I was a helpful signpost (Tony said I was). I was reminded of our need to face these issues ourselves (with the help of C.S. Lewis, Tim Keller, Peter Kreeft, and others). But when all is said and done it boils down to a simple affirmation:

I may not have all the answers, but I know someone who does! When we arrived at our destination, I shared with Tony my hope that he would fall in love with Jesus, the one who knows suffering, defeats evil, gives meaning, and assures destiny!

I hope you too are drawing close and getting to know that someone!

The well wisher of your soul’s happiness,
Tom

A prayer...

Colossians 1:15-20
"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross."

I was praying through this passage this morning, having entered prayer feeling particularly disconnected and dishoveled. So many needs, so many concerns, it was hard to know where to begin. Then this passage broke over me like the dawn. In the midst of reminders of my humanity, frailty, and finitude the glory and supremacy of Christ has a way of clearing the clouds and reorienting me to "the big picture". It's all about Jesus - his supremacy, his preeminence, his glory.

There is a lot here, but just a couple of notes:

"in him all things hold together." This is true on an atomic as well as galactic level. Jesus holds planets and planeria, stars and starfish together. But also, something really amazing, he holds me together! When I feel like my world is coming apart and I am unraveling, Jesus is the one who holds me together. And sometimes he simply holds me. So I pray, "Jesus, in the midst of times of chaos and confusion, hold me together! Hold onto me - don't let me go! You promised you would, and so I rest in that promise!"

"...that in everything he might be preeminent." The bottom line to all life's pursuits is the supremacy of Christ. The fuel for all that we do is the supremacy of Christ. The end toward which all our prayers are ultimately directed is the supremacy of Christ. And if this is end to which the Lord is directing all of human and cosmic history - what confidence does this give my prayers! And so I pray, "Jesus, be preeminent in my work, get all the glory in your church, be supreme in my marriage, captivate my children with your glory, open the eyes of my lost friends to your supremacy! Lord, let nothing thwart this awesome goal in my life and in the lives of those around me!"

I would highly commend praying though this passage yourself. And when you do, remember to pray for me...

The well wisher of your soul's happiness,
Pastor Tom

Hmm...

“And Jesus said to [the Pharisees], "I ask you, is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to destroy it?" Luke 6:9

You might be a Pharisee if (stolen from TreyMorgan.net)
1. If you consider the church roll the Lamb’s book of Life.
2. If you're disgusted by the moral filth that is playing out of your own DVD player.
3. If you think Christianity is about rules rather than relationship.
4. If you think any church that has experienced growth must be watering down the Gospel.
5. If you won't let your kids watch "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe" because there's a witch in the movie.
6. If you only see what is wrong in others and never what is right.
7. If you feel it's your spiritual job to "fix" other people, because you only see what's wrong in others and never what's right.
8. If you're so obsessed with traditions and religion that you miss that it's all about Jesus.
9. If you accept only the KJV as authorized because it's the version that Paul & Silas carried.

How to avoid being a Pharisee:
1. Be aware of how prone you are to being a Pharisee
2. Seek humility. Right now
3. Look for evidences of grace in other’s lives
4. Do good. Save life. Especially if it is on a Sunday!
5. Repent deeply and daily
6. Cultivate compassion on the less fortunate
7. Spend time at the foot of the cross
8. Identify and tear down the idols of your heart
9. Don’t take yourself so seriously
10. Drink deeply from the wells of grace.

The Mission on the Move

If you want a quick guilt trip, compare your last 24 hours with Jesus first 24 hours in Luke 4:31-44. Let’s see: preach the good news – check! Deliver from demons – check! Heal the sick – check! Jesus was definitely a man on a mission!

Okay – so our productivity won’t match up with Jesus productivity*, we can still join him on mission. Remember, Jesus’ mission was to go with authority, power, and compassion. Let’s see how we follow him.

1. Go: Jesus went. He didn’t wait for people to come to him. He went to where the people were. He took the initiative. We are on mission with Jesus when we “live sent” and go to our friends, neighbors, and co-workers with the words and the works of Jesus. Look for the Outreach Idea of the Week for ways to “live sent”.

2. Authority: People were amazed at Jesus teaching because he spoke with authority. He had authority because he is king of the kingdom. We aren’t kings of the kingdom, but we carry the King’s message! We join Christ on his mission when we share with confidence (but not cockiness or condescension!) because of the authority of the gospel.

3. Power: Jesus didn’t shy from power encounters with demonic forces. He knew that we are in a cosmic conflict. The kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan come to a collision when the gospel is being spread. We join Christ on his mission when we pray against the powers of darkness that blind men’s eyes to the glory of Christ in the gospel!

4. Compassion: Jesus could have looked and the crowd and pronounced a “blanket healing” over all of them and called it a day and grabbed the remote. But rather he took the time to touch every single person that was brought to him. And it took him all night! We join Christ on his mission when we live sent lives of indiscriminate compassion. We must love first, ask questions later! “Ready, Fire, Aim”

“Jesus, empower us to join you as you go with authority, power, and compassion!”

The well wisher of your soul’s happiness,
Pastor Tom

*(Hmm, is “Christ’s productivity” part of our “imputed righteousness”? Let’s hope so!)

The Mission of Jesus

Jesus has a great mission statement:

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." (Luke 4:18-19)

You’ve got it all here – preaching, healing, liberating. This is enough to unite the Right and Left on a common mission to all those “out there” who need it! We immediately think of the homeless, disaster victims, welfare recipients, and the like.

The only thing is, this mission is not for those “out there”. It is for those “in here”. We forget that when Jesus targets the poor, the captives, the blind, and the downtrodden, he is targeting us.

Jesus is saying that all of us, rich or poor, healthy or sick, are “poor, captive, blind, and oppressed”. In our fallen sinfulness and brokenness those are our defining characteristics. And until we see ourselves in those terms, the gospel does not have much to offer us.

Think about when Jesus said that he had come, “to seek and save the lost” (Luke 19:10). Who is he talking about? You and Me! If you want to be sought and saved by Jesus, you have to see yourself as lost.

That means we must stop pretending (minimizing our sin and need) or performing (justifying ourselves in a plethora of ways) and come to grips with our brokenness.

And as painful as this may be, consider what you get – “Good News”, “liberty”, “recovery of sight”, and “the year of the Lord’s favor”! In other words, all that God is for us in Christ!

Sound like just what this poor, captive, blind, and oppressed sinner needs!

The well wisher of your soul’s happiness,
Pastor Tom

In Your Corner

“Star Wars” had one. “True Grit” had one. Even “Avatar” has one.

What?

An epic one on one battle where the protagonist faces off with his enemies in a last climactic fight for victory. And as we watch we get emotionally sucked in to the drama and pathos. We feel that the battle is our own.

It makes for good drama. But it makes for even better reality.

When Jesus faced off with the devil in the wilderness (Luke 4:1-13), he wasn’t just providing us with great theater. He was fighting for our souls. In a very real way our destiny is tied to Jesus’ victory. If Jesus had failed, we would still be in our sins, destined for hell, and hopeless in the world.

And his battle wasn’t just the climax of the story. Jesus’ ministry began with a battle and ends with a battle (the cross). And he fought daily battles against Satan’s assaults every day of his (earthly) life.

And he fought them for us!

Sure, there is much to learn from Jesus on how we can fight temptation our selves (Christos Exemplar). But we must first stand and cheer our champion who fought the battle for us and emerged victorious (Christos Victor!).

And our conquering King is in our corner every day of our lives, strengthen us, helping us, and assuring us of the ultimate victory, which has already been won for us!.

So when you become “battle weary”, Look to your champion! Your destiny is assured because of His victory!

The well wisher of your soul’s happiness,
Pastor Tom

The Father’s Heart

What we all crave, deep within our souls is the blessing of our father. The Bible makes much of the importance of a father’s blessing and the heartbreak when that blessing is withheld. Many adults pursue their father’s blessing years after their dads have passed away. That sense of approval, respect, and love is what our heart’s long for,

What does the father’s blessing sound like? Well, Jesus heard it. It sounds like this:

"You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased." (Luke 3:22)

Think about this: how would it affect your life if you heard this from your father? Now take it to the ultimate level: what would the impact be if you heard it from God Almighty?!

Here’s the truth: If you are united to Christ by faith, the blessing of the Father to Jesus is the blessing of the Father to you! Because of all that Christ has done by his life and by his death his blessing is your blessing. It’s as if Jesus puts his arm over your shoulder and says, “Come here, there’s something I want you to hear…”

"You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased."

And then Jesus says, “That’s for you!”

We really cannot make too much of our sonship. Being children of God is, perhaps, the greatest gift the gospel offers us. In his book Knowing God, J.I. Packer says this:

“If you want to judge how well a person understands Christianity, find out how much he makes of the thought of being God’s child, and having God as his Father. If this is not the thought that prompts and controls his worship and prayers and his whole outlook on life, it means that he does not understand Christianity very well at all… 'Father' is the Christian name for God. Our understanding of Christianity cannot be better than our grasp of adoption.”

I pray that the Father would pour out the Spirit of his Son into your heart until you cry out, “Abba! Father!” (Galatians 4:6)

The well wisher of your soul’s happiness,
Pastor Tom

Trusting God

An insightful observation was given at our "pot-luck" service last week. Why is it easier to trust and depend on God during hard times than in times of abundance? As I reflect on this observation I am struck at the need we have to put ourselves in places where we must trust in God. In times of hardship, we must trust in God – we have no other option! In times of plenty we must step outside of our comfort zone and trust God for things only he can do.

I am reminded of a great man of faith - George Mueller. In his lifetime Mueller established 5 orphanages and cared for over 10,000 orphans. And this he did to glorify God for His faithfulness. In Mueller's words:

"The three chief reasons for establishing an Orphan-House are: 1. That God may be glorified, should He be pleased to furnish me with the means, in its being seen that it is not a vain thing to trust in Him; and that thus the faith of His children may be strengthened. 2. The spiritual welfare of fatherless and motherless children. 3. Their temporal welfare."

John Piper, in his autobiographical sermon on George Mueller, brings the point out:

"That was the chief passion and unifying aim of Mueller's ministry: live a life and lead a ministry in a way that proves God is real, God is trustworthy, God answers prayer. He built orphanages the way he did to help Christians trust God. He says it over and over again"

This is a challenge for our church and for each of us to be willing to do hard things and go to hard places that we may experience the faithfulness and dependability of God. And in doing so, we commend His faithfulness and dependability to a world that is both cynical and searching!

So – where will that journey take you?

The well wisher of your soul's happiness,

Pastor Tom

Faith in God’s Faithfulness

"There are seasons in the lives of all when it is not easy, no not even for Christians, to believe that God is faithful. Our faith is sorely tried, our eyes bedimmed with tears, and we can no longer trace the outworkings of His love. Our ears are distracted with the noises of the world, harassed by the atheistic whisperings of Satan, and we can no longer hear the sweet accents of His still small voice. Cherished plans have been thwarted, friends on whom we relied have failed us, a professed brother or sister in Christ has betrayed us. We are staggered. We sought to be faithful to God, and now a dark cloud hides Him from us. We find it difficult, yea, impossible, for carnal reason to harmonize His frowning providence with His gracious promises. Ah, faltering soul, severely-tried fellow-pilgrim, seek grace to heed Isaiah 50:10, "Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of His servant, that walketh in darkness and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God." A.W. Pink

God’s Faithfulness and Dependability

In John Bunyan's classic book, "Pilgrim's Progress", our heros depart from the path and become prisoners, locked in the dungeon of Doubting Castle which was ruled by the merciless Giant Despair. Pilgrim and his companion are beaten daily and deprived of all sustenance. When they are at their wits end, suddenly Pilgrim remembers that in his pocket he has a key called "promise" that will open any lock! Sure enough, the key opens the cell door, the dungeon door, and the castle door. Pilgrim and his companion run to freedom!

Nice story- what's the point?

God's faithfulness can be defined as his commitment to be 100% faithful to his word. God's faithfulness and his Word are linked together in scripture. That means God's faithfulness is seen in his promises. God gives us many promises – things he pledges to do or be for his people. And God is absolutely faithful to keep his word!

But those promises do us no good if they stay in our pocket. God has given us promises for eternal life, for help in trouble, for guidance and wisdom, for protection and refuge. But they don't do us any good if they stay in our pocket. When we are trapped in doubting castle, abused by a giant despair (ever been there?) we've got to take the promise out of our pocket!

We glorify God when we take him at his word. Let's lean on him and lean into him. He is faithful, we can depend on him. Let's honor him like little children who trust and rely on their father (fathers really dig that!)

"The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold." Psalms 18:2

The well wisher of your soul's happiness,

Pastor Tom

(Click here for passages to meditate upon this week)

God’s Grace and Sufficiency

"This is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it" 1 Peter 5:12

A lie has entered the hearts of many sincere believers. It goes like this, "Yes, you are saved by grace alone, but now it is your turn. You begin the Christian live by grace, but staying 'in' and moving forward is up to you". This lie, which contains a kernel of truth, inevitably leads to disease and despair. From this lie springs legalism, self sufficiency, performance based religion, spiritual pride and presumption, as well as spiritual depression.

The truth that sets us free is this: we not only begin our Christian lives by grace (saving grace) – we live our Christian lives by grace (sustaining grace). It may seem counter intuitive, but the way to stay connected to the grace of God is to stay connected to your sin and weakness. As my awareness of the depth of my sin and the frailty of my weakness increases, so also increases my need for and dependence on the grace of God.

Happy is the man, despairing of his own efforts, finds himself shipwrecked on the shores of grace! He needs saving grace, sustaining grace, empowering grace, forgiving grace, consoling grace, restoring grace, encouraging grace, helping grace, and, well, you get the idea.

Q: To whom do we turn for such grace? Who would give stumbling, faltering, stubborn, weak children the grace they need?

A: "The God of all grace" 1 Peter 5:10

The well wisher of your soul's happiness,

Pastor Tom

(Click here for passages to meditate upon this week)

(Click here for "Grace by Which I stand" by Keith Green)

God’s Sovereignty

Sometimes we may think of God's sovereignty as an "in-over-our-heads" bit of theology best left to the theologians to hammer out. But every promise, grace, and consolation given to us is based on the sovereignty of God. Consider what might be the best promise of them all:

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28)

Paul assures us that God is a worker with a purpose. And his purpose is to work all things for the good of his beloved. And the foundation that makes this promise secure is the sovereignty of God.

Sovereignty is God's ability to do all that he will. It is God's power, purpose, and will all coming together. Without a sovereign God, this promise is hollow. Only a God in control of all things can assure us that he is working all things for our good.

That is especially precious when "all things" don't look so rosy. Colds, car wrecks, congress, conflicts, and even cancer are part of "all things". And God is at work in "all things." No, I won't even try to sort that all out, I'm not that smart.

All I know is that God is great and God is good. And he is working all things according to the counsel of His will (Eph 1:11). There is not even a rogue molecule in the universe outside of God's sovereignty. And He can bring even the horrendous evil of the crucifixion of Christ to become the greatest good of mankind.

Rather than theologize, I will (try!) to honor Him as king, submit to His Lordship, and rest in his care.

"When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul." (Psalms 94:19)

The well wisher of your soul's happiness,

Pastor Tom

(Click here for passages to meditate upon this week)

God’s Holiness and Moral Perfection

Is God just a case of "wish fulfillment? It is fashionable in atheist circles to suggest that mankind "invented" the concept of God to give them comfort in times of peril. Do dangers from nature, weather, or natural disasters drive us to create a god who will take care of us? In light of the tenuousness of our lives, have we fabricated a "sky daddy" who can hold us and comfort us?

While this seems plausible, here's the rub: if mankind dreamed up the concept of God, it would not be the God we encounter in the Bible. Yes, the Lord God Almighty is a refuge and a help to us. But he is also awesome in his holiness! This God causes more fear than he resolves! As we saw last Sunday, the universal response to an encounter with the holiness of God is awesome fear and stunned silence, and a crushing sense of our sinfulness.

"Herein we find proof for the Divine inspiration of the Scriptures. The unregenerate do not really believe in the holiness of God. Their conception of His character is altogether one-sided. They fondly hope that His mercy will override everything else. "Thou thoughtest that I was altogether as thyself" (Ps. 50:21) is God's charge against them. They think only of a "god" patterned after their own evil hearts. Hence their continuance in a course of mad folly. Such is the holiness ascribed to the Divine nature and character in Scripture that it clearly demonstrates their superhuman origin. The character attributed to the "gods" of the ancients and of modern heathendom are the very reverse of that immaculate purity which pertains to the true God. An ineffably holy God, who has the utmost abhorrence of all sin, was never invented by any of Adam's fallen descendants." A.W. Pink

Our God is perfect in his holiness – something mankind would never have invented! That is why we are never so grateful for the mercy and compassion of the Lord as when we are wholly aware of his holiness. Against the backdrop of his Holiness (and justice!), the cross of Christ shines as a lighthouse of refuge!

"The Lord reigns. Let the peoples tremble!" Ps. 99

(Click here for passages to meditate upon this week)

The well wisher of your soul's happiness,

Pastor Tom

God’s Love and Compassion: a prayer

"…Pour out your heart before him, God is a refuge for us"

Psalm 62:8

"O Lord, you call me to pour out my heart before you, and I will pour. I ask of you, Lord, reveal my own heart to me. It has been so long since I poured out my heart to you. My heart has become backlogged, stagnant from the debris that has clogged it.

O Lord, to pour out my heart I have to know my hearts needs. I also have to know, without question, your willingness to be "poured upon". And yet who would ask another to "pour out your heart to me", but one filled with love and compassion?

O Lord, so pour I will! I pour out my yearning for you. I want so much to experience spiritual renewal, but it alludes me. The mire of distractions and responsibilities squeezes me.

So I pour out my heart for your help, O Lord. Bring me to a place of intimacy with you – to bask in your love, to experience your pleasure. I would seek you with all my heart!

I also pour out my heart in confession. Not the "big sins" but the small compromises have bogged me in the way. So help me to break out, to reignite the flame to burn again. You can change things in an instant! O lord, change my heart, change my focus. Great God of love and compassion – hear the "pourings" of my heart!

(Click here for passages to meditate upon this week)

The well wisher of your soul's happiness,

Pastor Tom

God’s Ability and Power

Brute strength may be intimidating. Sheer power may be impressive. A show of force may inspire awe. But power and ability are impotent if not directed toward our needs.

That God has all power and ability is awesome news precisely because he uses his power on behalf of his people! God brings all the omnipotent power he used in creating the cosmos to bear on our weakness and need. So well does David personally know God's power that he can call God "My Strength":

"O my Strength, I will sing praises to you,

for you, O God, are my fortress,

the God who shows me steadfast love."

(Psalms 59:17)

Do you know God as "My Strength"? Only those who are humble enough to admit weakness and call out to the Lord will know him as "My Strength".

So, let's make the rubber meet the road. What battles are you facing that overwhelm and fatigue you? What enemies (within or outside) are assailing you? Take a moment to list them…

Now, look to the God of all power and might and say, "Alright Lord, I give up. This is too difficult for me, but not for you! I am weak but you are strong! Be my fortress! Show me your steadfast love! Display your power! Be 'My Strength'!"

Now, rest in his power and ability for you – that's what trust is. And sing praises to "My Strength" for what he does!

(Click here for passages to meditate upon this week)

The well wisher of your soul's happiness,

Pastor Tom

God’s Knowability: Knowing and Being Known.

Spirituality is "stock-up" while religion is "stock-down" in our culture. For many this means that we can seek after God, but never make any definitive statements about who he is. And that would be true – if God had not revealed himself to us so clearly!

God can be known! In fact he delights in being known! And one of the reasons is that our God delights in relationships. The Trinitarian nature of God shows that God exists in and for relationships. God calls us into relationship with himself so we can know him and so that we can know that he knows us.

Paul talks about this two-way relationship like this: "…now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God…"
Galatians 4:9

Being known by God is as crucial as knowing God himself. J.I. Packer in his "must read" book, Knowing God, makes this amazing affirmation about being known by God:

"I am graven on the palms of his hands. I am never out of his mind. All my knowledge of him depends on his sustained initiative in knowing me. I know him because he first knew me, and continues to know me. He knows me as a friend, one who loves me; and there is no moment when his eye is off me, or his attention distracted from me, and no moment, therefore, when his cares falters."

"This is momentous knowledge… There is tremendous relief in knowing that his love to me is utterly realistic, based at every point on prior knowledge of the worst about me, so that no discovery now can disillusion him about me, in the way I am so disillusioned about myself, and quench his determination to bless me."

As you meditate on the privilege of knowing God, think also on his knowing you!

(Click here for passages to meditate upon this week)

The well wisher of your soul's happiness,

Pastor Tom