Eyes to See (A Fictional Story)

Andrew Willis has struggled for years to survive in a world where sight is taken for granted. Blindness has been his unwelcome guest since birth. He's prayed for eyes to see, but the darkness continues. As a teenager, He heard a preacher on the radio, who spoke of the free gift of salvation. The Lord opened his heart to the reality of heaven and to the mystery of God's grace. Ever since Jesus knocked on his door, he's ached for them. He prays daily for light to shine into their darkened hearts - those that haven't met the Savior. He knows that only God's light can bring repentance. Only He can bring understanding to those lost in sin.

Because of his disability, Andrew is unable to work; he receives money from the government to help him pay his bills. He also plays his guitar, sings gospel songs, and preaches on the street corner. He is not eloquent or scholarly. He holds no degrees, but Andrew has a heart for God. This one who cannot see the sun or the trees sees so much more than most people. His pursuit for the eternal pales in comparison to the average churchgoer.

I heard him preach one day on the street corner, dressed in tattered rags. He urged anyone listening to give their heart to the Lord and receive His forgiveness. Then he played his guitar and sang, “Amazing grace how sweet the sound, who saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now I'm found was blind, but now I see...” I realized that this man truly understood those words.

There was something beautiful about him. He reflected Christ with stark simplicity and devotion. Conviction drew me closer. My perceptions about a life of faith and ministry were being challenged. I slowly walked over to Andrew and then asked him, “Would you pray for me that I would have a heart like yours. A heart that is focused and single minded in pursuing the things of God?” He smiled and said, “I will pray for you. Dear Lord, give my brother eyes to see the depth of his sin as well as the majesty of Your grace. And give him a burden for those that don't know you. In Jesus name I pray. Amen!”

Unexpected tears fell from my eyes. I thanked Andrew and then caught a bus to go to school. I was working toward my doctorate in Theology. While on the bus, I silently prayed, Dear Father help me to have a soul that simply longs for you and that yearns to see others know you as well. In Your Name I pray. Something changed in my heart that day. Sophistication was transformed to childlike humility and faith. Perhaps for the first time I began to see - thanks to a poor blind man sold out to Jesus.

© Copyright 2009 by Tom Toya. All rights reserved.

My Gift from God

Houses and riches are an inheritance from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the Lord. (Proverbs 19:14)

When I look at my wife Lou, I understand that the Lord has been kind to me. He has given me a wise and discerning woman who spurs me on to do the Lord's will. Though she is not perfect, she enables me to strive for excellence in all I do. She is beautiful inside and out, and I am so very grateful to God for giving her to me. She is my precious treasure.

To those that are single who long for a mate, I would say a few things. First make the Lord your greatest priority. Draw your significance from your relationship with Him and learn to appreciate and understand His grace. Second, pray - and pray specifically. Ask the Lord for the qualities you desire to see in your future spouse. Make sure that these attributes are not only physical, but encompass the entire person – spirit, soul, and body. Listen to the Lord and let Him guide you in this process.

Third, wait on the Lord. Let the Lord lead you and guide you to the right person in His time. Finally, while your waiting, get to know Christians who love the Lord and who are of the opposite sex. Create healthy friendships with them. Don't rush into anything. Take it slow. As you continue to pursue your walk with the Lord, God will bless you with that special someone.

I am glad I waited for my wife. When I married Lou, I was 36 and she was 40, and we were both virgins. We waited to find sexual fulfillment until after we were married. We wanted to honor the Lord in our relationship. I understand that there maybe those that read this who have made mistakes in this area. Christ's forgiveness is for you. You can be cleansed of your sin, and the Lord can still help you find a marriage partner. God is the God of a second chance.

Now that I am married, my day-to-day life has its ups and downs. Lou and I don't always get along in everything we do. We are very different from each other. These differences drew us together, but they can also cause us to argue. The great thing about having a Christian marriage is that the Lord is between us, and He helps us to love each other. He is the glue that always brings us back together.

All in all, I am grateful to Jesus for a woman of excellence - my gift from God. If you are single and believe that the Lord wants you to marry, then my prayer for you is that He will bring someone special to you in His perfect time, just as He did for me.

Earthen Vessels

“For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.”
1 Corinthians 4:11

During a Sunday worship service, the Lord gave me a symbolic picture. I viewed myself as a large block of hardened clay. The surface had many holes in it and bright light pierced through each hole. I thought of 2 Corinthians 4:7-8, which states, “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.”

The scripture goes on to say that we carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may be revealed in our body. In my mini-vision I believe the holes in my body represented the times I experienced persecution and suffering. As we respond positively to the trials of this life, our character is transformed to be more like Christ. This gives the Lord the opportunity to shine through our weaknesses. His life is displayed through our frail bodies for the world to see. And it is in the difficult times of life that Jesus has the opportunity to shine
through us in the brightest way.

Dear Father,

When I struggle through the hard realities of life, help me to remember you are working out your character in me. Use the tough times to shape me and then shine your glory through me to a world that needs to know you. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

© Copyright 2008 by Tom Toya. All rights reserved.

A Symphony of One

You are our Father
Mighty and limitless
You are the Son
The very Word of God
You are the precious Holy Spirit
Whisperer of Dreams

The three are One
Their love for each other
Rises like a cosmic symphony
Each plays the notes Masterfully
Ebbing and flowing with sweet harmonies

God calls us in to receive from Him
He is the lover of our souls
How can we love such a one who is Love personified ?
The Lord of Glory loves us as we are

Let's sing to Him a song of praise
Our song not measured by its musical quality
But by the genuine gratitude that fills our hearts
Let's remember that because of what He did for us
We are one with Him

© Copyright 2009 by Tom Toya. All rights reserved.

Preparing for the Future

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16

Eternity waits for those who know the Savior. Those that have embraced the free gift of God have the Lord's promise. In God's good time the believer is translated to that glorious place, where there is no crying, no pain, but only joy in the Master's presence. Death becomes the doorway to glory. When we lose someone we love, the experience is bitter-sweet. We are glad our loved one has gone on to be with the Lord, but we fervently desire to be with him or her once again.

It's important for us to plan for the future. We labor to make sure we have enough savings for our retirement. Those that have children desire to offer assistance towards their life and education. It's important to plan. But it is even more important to make sure we're ready for the next life. Every one of us will one day die.

But how do we secure for ourselves a home in heaven. Living a moral life does not guarantee us a place in heaven and neither does faithful church attendance. Eternal life is gift and it can only be received by placing our trust in Jesus. God the Father gave his one and only Son so that we would not perish, but so that we could have eternal life. When we accept Christ's death on the cross as payment for our sins, we become heirs of heaven. We must believe that salvation comes to us through the grace of God alone. We cannot earn our way to heaven. When we receive God's gift of grace, He changes our hearts. Then we begin to reflect Him in our actions out of gratitude for all He's done for us.

Just recently my father-in-law passed away. My wife Lou has so many good memories of him. Her father loved Lou very much, and she loved him. He will be greatly missed. The wonderful news is that Lou's father accepted Jesus as His Lord and Savior. Because of this we know he is in heaven. One day we will see him, and our days together will never end. You too can own this promise. Jesus offers all of us a relationship with Him and the sure hope of an eternal home in heaven.

It is God's will for everyone to go to heaven, but not everyone will live there when they die. We can choose to receive God's gift of salvation or we can choose to live apart from God for all eternity in a place called hell. This is not pleasant to think about, but it is a reality. We all have been given a choice. Let's surrender our lives to the one who truly loves us. If you would like to receive God's wonderful gift of salvation, please pray a prayer like the one below and prepare for your future...

Dear Lord of Heaven,

Thank you for dying for me on the cross. Thank you for offering me your gift of eternal life. I believe you rose from the dead to give me new life. I recognize that I am a sinner and that I need your saving grace. Thank you for forgiving me of my sins. I accept your gift of salvation and I choose to follow you all my days here on earth. You are my Lord and Savior. I believe that you have change me and will help me to develop a relationship with you. Lord I thank you that one day I will see you face to face in heaven. In Jesus Name I pray. Amen.

The Master's Workmanship

“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
2 Corinthians 5:17

God displayed the worth of every individual on earth by sending his Son to die in our place. The Father in essence was saying, “You are worth the life of my Son.” He loves us that much! The Lord wants us to know that we are precious to him and that we have inherent significance - we truly matter to God.

He has fashioned us with his masterful hand. We have been given special gifts and abilities. We are crafted in his image. 1 John 4:17 gives us a picture of how God sees us in Christ: “As he (Jesus) is so are we in this world.” We can cultivate a sense of confidence in knowing God views us through the blood of Jesus.

The Bible calls those that are born again the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21). We have been made right with Him, and we are more than conquerors through Christ who loved us (Romans 8:37). In Christ we are strong, and we can do all things through him. We can accomplish anything he asks of us.

God not only values us, he has made us each his masterpiece and has provided for us all we will ever need to fulfill his will for us in the earth.

Dear Lord,

Thank you for making me your masterpiece. Help me to draw my strength from you. I thank you that I can do all things through you who empower me. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

© Copyright 2008 by Tom Toya. All rights reserved.

The Gift of Christ's Righteousness

“He who knew no sin became sin so that we could become the righteousness of God in Christ.” 2 Corinthians 5:17

Those who have accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior have stepped out of darkness and into the kingdom of light (Col 1:13). The Bible says we have been made righteous through Christ’s atoning sacrifice. He took upon himself our sin and exchanged it with the gift of his righteousness. We are righteous not by our own holiness, but by the blood of Christ. We are clothed in him and have right-standing with the Father.

Our place in him is secure. Because of this, we can come boldly to the throne of grace to obtain mercy in our time of need (Heb 4:16). As we rest in the truth that we have been made righteous through the blood of Christ, the Lord will begin to cause his righteousness to affect our behavior. The work he has done within our hearts will progressively manifest in our outward behavior as we pursue our relationship with the Lord. This change will be wrought not through the sweat of self-effort, but through an ongoing faith in the Lord Our Righteousness.

Thank you Lord that you see me as righteous. Thank you for cleansing me of all my sin stains and thank you that I can now come boldly to your throne to worship you and to bring my requests to you my King. Lord, let me stand strong in the reality that I have been given the gift of your righteousness. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

© Copyright 2008 by Tom Toya. All rights reserved.