A PATH OF BLESSING

 “Trust in the Lord, and do good, dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4). 

Here we have a pathway to blessing. Trust in the Lord is faith in God despite your circumstances. Doing good is obedience. Dwelling in the land is living for God where He has placed you, while you rest in Him and serve Him. Delighting in the Lord is finding your chief joy in life in God alone, above all else. The result is God giving you the desires of your heart. This is not what you would selfishly desire, but a desire created in you by God as the result of trusting, obeying, abiding in Him, feeding on His faithfulness in His Word and in your life, and delighting in sweet fellowship with your Savior and Lord. He will gently lead us down the path of greatest blessing.

Keep pressing on, Pastor Tom

WHAT GOD DESIRES!

People are by nature very religious. They think that by doing things for God they will obtain favor with Him. The Old Testament required many different sacrifices of those under the Mosaic Covenant. The aroma of those sacrifices often permeated the air surrounding the altar. Barring blatant hypocrisy, surely the participants must have walked away feeling good about what they had done, just as people today feel good about doing things for others. Not that it’s wrong to do good for others in the name of Jesus, the Bible is clear that the Christian life is a life of sacrificial service. But all that we do follows salvation, it doesn’t merit it. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:8-10). What we must always remember as believers is that even when our intentions are correct and we are busy doing things for others, we can still miss the most important matter of all. God desires us to know Him and have an intimate relationship with Him above all else. A husband can do many good things for his wife, but if he never spends time with her enjoying her presence and getting to know her, that hardly counts for much. Duty is not the same as devotion. The prophet Hosea told the people of Israel, “For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings” (Hosea 6:6). What can we learn from the prophets word? Genuine heartfelt, non-discriminatory mercy toward others in need is greater than sacrifice, and knowing God is better than burnt offerings. Both sacrifices and burnt offerings constitute things we offer up to God, which can include our regular giving. The word “better” draws the comparison. Something is better than our offerings. That something is mercy and the knowledge of God. Why is that so? It is because mercy and compassion stem from a heart connected closely in touch with the heart of God. When we really “know God”, we think and act in accordance with His character. To put it simply, we do what Jesus would do! To do what Jesus would do makes us his disciples in a very real way. We follow Him and show others the love of Jesus.

Take time out of your busy life daily to make it a priority to draw near to God in His Word and in prayer.  These are the means of obtaining the knowledge of God. It’s personal, not just intellectual or theological. The Pharisees and scribes of Jesus day had their heads filled with theology, but their hearts were far from God. Don’t be another religious man or woman showcasing your religion on Sunday.  Jesus said, “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” (John 15:1). Go forth and show the world what this really looks like!

Keep pressing on,

Pastor Tom

DO YOU NEED A COURSE CORRECTION?

 On the last Sunday of 2024 I preached a message which I titled, “Do You Need A Course Correction?” Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths”.  As we head out on old or new paths the Lord takes us on in 2025, will we stay on the path of righteousness (a godly path)?  Are you on that path right now? Do you need a course correction because you are deviating from the godly path? A slight deviation from the path can lead one astray and have serious negative consequences. How many hikers in the wilderness made fatal mistakes by heading down the wrong path?  Proverbs 14:12 sates, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” The course or destination that God expects every believer to be heading toward is Christlikeness. “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:29). While the Lord is at work in every Christian’s life, the Christian must not become complacent or apathetic. Paul reminded the young man Timothy to, “ .... refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness” (1 Timothy 4:17). May people will make a New Years’s resolution to go to a gym and start and exercise program which takes discipline. That is what Paul was telling Timothy, “discipline yourself to godliness.” Paul lived what he preached. His foremost desire was to please Jesus who gave His life for him. 2 Corinthians 5:6 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: 7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) 8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. 9 Wherefore we labor that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted (well pleasing) of him. Oswald Chambers wrote, "This requires a conscious decision and effort to keep our primary goal constantly in front of us. It means holding ourselves to the highest priority year in and year out.” If you do this, you will live in a way that is pleasing to God. In Colossians 3:10 this is described as “walking worthy of the Lord.” Are you willing to make a deliberate and consistent effort to do what it takes to stay on a godly path in 2025, and walk worthy of the Lord? If you do, you can be assured that God will bless you, and will never forsake you. In your pursuit of godliness you can expect obstacles. You can expect some falls and some bruises, but God will uphold you. Keep your eyes on the goal ahead and stay focused on the Word of God. Keep His Word in your heart and maintain fellowship with other Christians who are pursuing the same goal.

Keep pressing on,

Pastor Tom

THE PRAYER OF THE PSALMIST

" In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness. Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be thou my strong rock, for a house of defense to save me. For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name's sake lead me, and guide me. Make thy face to shine upon thy servant: save me for thy mercies' sake” ( Psalm 31:1-3:16). Listen to the heart of the Psalmist as he prays here in Psalm 31. He starts with full confidence in the Lord in whom he has placed his trust. He then asks God to deliver him. The word deliver means “ to lead to a place of safety”. That place is the Lord Himself, the strong rock and fortress against the enemies of life that the believer faces. The psalmist then prays for special guidance so that the light of God’s Divine countenance would shine upon him. That is drawing near to God. His prayer is also grounded not only in the power of God to help him, but in the mercies of God which the Lord delights in showing to those who love Him. Dear friends, look to the Lord as your only place of safety. Psalm 91:1 says, “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty”. I can’t think of a better place to be than under the protection of the eternal, omnipotent creator of heaven and earth.

 Keep pressing on,

Pastor Tom

KEEP SERVING THE LORD

 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ” (Colossians 3:24). 

We serve many people in the course of our lives who often show no gratitude for our service, or quickly forget it. That is not the case with our service to Jesus. He knows all that we have done by serving others in His name and serving Him with joyful hearts. He will reward our faithful service. While you wait for His rewards, don’t forget to thank the people who serve you. 

Keep pressing on, 

Pastor Tom

GOD'S DELIGHT

 

“He (the Lord) does not delight in the strength of the horse; He takes no pleasure in the legs of a man.
The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, In those who hope in His mercy.” (Psalm 147:10,11).

“In ancient times the strength of the horse and the legs of a man refer to an army of cavalry and infantry. A king might boast in his powerful army on horseback or his swift foot soldiers who  are well-trained for battle. What, or who, are you relying on for strength in the spiritual battles you fight? God wants us to be mindful that we cannot trust in the natural resources we have, we must continue to trust in God alone and the things He provides.  God takes delight in those who fear Him and hope in His mercy. These are the unseen weapons of our warfare.  

Keep pressing on! 

Pastor Tom

TRIED BY FIRE

  “Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.  For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another” (Isaiah 48:10-11).

If you are not going through a hard time now, you can be certain there is one coming your way. Life makes no exceptions when it comes to trials. God’s purpose in these trials is not to weary us, wear us out, or weaken us. His purpose is to help us grow spiritually stronger. Even when he was suffering great persecution for preaching the gospel, the apostle Paul came to realize this truth, “for when I am weak, then am I strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10). All trials serve to bring God glory as we continue to trust in Him, lean upon Him and know he is working for our good as in says in Romans 8:28. Meditate on this word from a preacher long ago who suffered many health trials and spiritual attacks. “The fire only refines; it does not destroy. We are to be brought through the fire, not left in it. The Lord values his people as silver, and therefore he is at pains to purge away their dross. If we are wise, we will welcome the refining process rather than decline it. Our prayer will be that our alloy may be taken from us rather than that we should be withdrawn from the crucible. Oh Lord, you test us indeed…still this is your way, and your way is best.” —Charles Spurgeon

Keep pressing on,

Pastor Tom