You Choose

“But the good soil represents the hearts of those who truly accept God's message and produce a plentiful harvest for God – thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as was planted in their hearts.” Mark 4:20 The Living Bible

Jesus told a story about a farmer. This individual sowed seeds upon the ground. Some of the seeds were snatched up quickly by the birds of the air. Other seeds fell upon rocky soil. They quickly took root but then dried up in the scorching heat of the sun. Still others were choked by thorns. The last group of seeds fell upon good soil. These sprouted, flourished, and multiplied.

The seed in this story represents the word of God sown into the soil of men's hearts. The first group signifies individuals who hear the word, but allow Satan to immediately steal God's word from their hearts. Those who have hearts like rocky soil, receive the word with joy but when trouble or persecution comes, they withdraw. Those that have hearts overcome by thorns, allow the word of God sown into their hearts to be choked by a love for money and worldly desires.

But then there are those who have hearts that understand and obey the word. They allow the Lord to turn their hearts into gardens that bring forth a harvest within them. The truth is that we have a choice as to how we will respond to God's word. When we hear God's word we have a decision whether or not to accept it, whether or not to put it into practice.

We can choose, through the help of the Holy Spirit, to resist the devil when he tries to steal God's word from us. We can turn from shallow living and learn to endure. We can run from carnal desires and embrace Jesus' way of living. We can seek God for revelation knowledge and wisdom and choose to obey His every word. By doing these things, we decide to have an abundant harvest. We actually can choose our destiny in God.

Let's receive God's grace and ability. Let's live empowered lives and let's choose to receive and obey God's word. Then we will enjoy great spiritual success and the harvest within us will spread out to many. We will become sowers of the word ourselves.

Dear Father God,

I ask you to fill me afresh with Your Holy Spirit. I choose to turn from those things that hinder Your working in my life. I choose to read Your word and put it into practice.  I choose to follow hard after You. Thank you Lord for giving me the ability to do this. Then, enable me to spread Your word to others. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

A Christmas Conversation

Here is something the Lord spoke to me this morning.  I hope it is a blessing to you....

Dear Lord,

Good morning! Today we celebrate Your birth. Tom, I came for you and for your fellowman. I came for the children. I came for those lost in sin. I am Immanuel – God is with us. I was born of the virgin Mary. I was born to defeat death. I lived among the people of the world. I came to conquer sin, to defeat sin in you. I am your Champion, your Friend. I am love. Yes, I am love. I came to show the way to live. Live in My love. For love defeats the darkness. Love is the highest act of spiritual warfare. I defeated Satan at the cross, the place where My love was most fully displayed. Come shine My light this Christmas. Let others know about my love and about my story. Be bold, be strong for I am with you. Come and celebrate this Christmas. Receive My joy afresh and anew.

If You Will Only Come

Blessed are those who morn, for they will be comforted. Matthew 5:4

Christmas time is known as a joyous time of year, but for some it is a difficult season. Those who have lost loved ones either by death, divorce, or separation may find themselves grieving over their loss while the jingle bells are ringing. If you find yourself in this situation, my word to you is to draw near to the One who came as a baby, but who now is our Risen Lord. And if you haven't yet met Him, He is the most wondrous gift of Christmas.

He will hold you in His arms; He will bring you great comfort, if you'll only come to Him. He wants to heal the wounds on the inside that maybe you have not told anyone about. He is our Healer, our Restorer, and our Savior.

Jesus came as a baby, the sinless God-child. Fully human, fully divine. He grew to become a man and was nailed to a cross. His sacrifice paid for our sin-debt. Come to Him and be made whole. Come to Him and be comforted. If you come to Him in full surrender, you will be blessed and you will be comforted. The word blessed means to be happy. God will give you joy, if you will only come to Him.

If you desire to know the Savior, please pray this prayer from your heart.

Dear Father God,

Thank you for sending Jesus to be my Savior and Sin-Bearer. Jesus, thank you for suffering for my faults. I surrender to you. I ask you to forgive me of all my sins. I ask you to comfort me and be my Friend. I believe you love me. I want to have a relationship with you now. Thank you, Lord, for welcoming me into Your family. In Jesus Name I pray, Amen.

When Grief Visits

When grief visits a community

When evil prevails

When innocence is crushed

Through the pain

The Comforter holds us close

The Spirit wipes away the tears

Dispels fears

Gradually heals

The prayers of the saints

Unified, led by love

Streams of mercy

Cover the wounded like a warm coat

We ask why

When God is sovereign

Why did evil encamp among us?

Why did God not stay the hands of harm

But God allows each man

The freedom to choose

Though He pulls and tugs at the heart

Still we have the choice

And we have before us the decision to forgive

We can do our part to love

So let us pray

For the Comforter to come

To wipe away the tears

Dispel the fears

And slowly heal us all

In the Middle of it All

In the middle of the hurricane

In the center of the storm

In the midst of chaos

When all is crumbling

When the end looks near

When fear unmasks

Its dark face before you

Find your joy in Jesus

Lift up your voice

Shout to the Lord

Sing praises to the One

When all looks bleak

When death stares you in the face

Praise the Lord of Hosts

He holds victory for the upright

If your future is unsure

One thing remains for sure

God will work all things

Together for your good

For those who follow Him

Those who Trust Him

Those who praise His name

In the middle of it all

Let's Make Our Father Smile

And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel. And David said to Joab and to the rulers of the people, Go, number Israel from Beersheba even to Dan; and bring the number of them to me, that I may know it. 1 Chronicles 21:1-2

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. Psalm 20:7

God calls His children to a life of faith. He wants us to trust Him in the big and little things. King David allowed Satan to influence his thinking and consequently his actions. David asked Joab to number the people.

You might ask, “What's the harm in numbering the nation?” But God listens to the rhythm of our hearts. He peers into the center of our souls. We humans recognize some sins as serious, such as murder and adultery, but God saw David's actions as a lack of faith. He did not trust God to protect Israel. Instead he fell into Satan's trap. The sin may have been more in the heart attitude of David than in the actual act of counting the individuals. Romans 14:23 says that everything that does not come from faith is sin. The Lord punished David by sending a plague to the nation.

David did repent of his sin, and the plague was eventually stayed by God, but there were many casualties. What can we learn from this unusual story? Our lack of faith displeases our Father. It also can cause us to do things that affect others. A lack of trust on our part can have a rippling effect. It can bring negative things in our lives and the lives of those around us.

What is the cure? First we must repent or turn about face and ask for forgiveness. Next we need to feed our faith with God's word. Romans 10:17 says that faith comes by hearing God's word. It is also beneficial for us to speak God's word over our lives; this helps to build our faith. Finally, we must obey God, and expect Him to do what He says He will do in His word.

Faith is a choice. When we choose faith, we please God. The decision to walk by faith also has a rippling effect. Our faith not only blesses our lives, it blesses others as well. When we give in to fear, doubt, and worry, we can come to the Father and receive His love and forgiveness. Let's allow our Lord to build us up in faith. As we act on this faith by trusting Him, we make our Father smile.

Dear Father God,

I want to please You. I want to walk by faith. I want to make You smile. Forgive me for doubting You at times. Help me to feed daily on Your written word so that my faith can be established. Lord I love You and I choose to put my trust in You. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Thankful Thoughts

I am thankful for my God – faithful and true, loving and merciful. You were a Father to me when I lost my way. You will never leave me nor forsake me. You are my reason for breathing. I am nothing without You – my Source of life.

I am thankful for Lou, my wife, who is full of grace. She is beautiful like a diamond with many facets. She has taught me so much about life. I do not deserve her. She is a blessing through and through – a flower that never fades.

I am thankful for family and friends – all of you are precious gifts from our Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you for always being there for me.

Lord, thank you for Your many blessings temporal and eternal, large and small.

Thank You for always meeting our every need. For bringing us health and wholeness. Your love never fails. Thank you for living inside the hearts of those that know You. We can dwell in Your presence.

Thank you, Father, for sending Your Son to die for us. Thank You that He hung on a cross so we could be forgiven. He paid the penalty that we deserved because of our own failings. If you haven't received His forgiveness, His salvation is only a prayer away. Receive His gift of mercy; receive Him as your Friend and Burden-bearer. Surrender your life to Him. He will not disappoint you. Your life with Him will not be problem free, but You will experience the greatest love of all. And you will have much to be thankful for.

These are just some of my thankful thoughts...