The Marks of the Lord Jesus Christ

Galatians 6:17

I recently had the privilege of attending the Our Generation Summit in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. The theme for this year's conference was "Equip for Battle". As part of the decor, the Our Generation team had included a piece of a U.S. Army dress uniform, a jacket. Although the jacket really didn't figure in the program, as a former G.I. it caught my attention. After looking it over for a while, I turned to my wife and told her, "The guy that owns that coat is a man!"

You see, that coat belonged to a soldier. You knew it was a soldier because of the way it was arranged. A civilian would never have gotten the all that stuff right. It took a soldier to put everything in its proper place, and believe me, everything was in its proper place.

Not only was everything in place, the things that were on that coat told you a great deal about the man. First, he was a staff sergeant. That alone is significant. Soldiers don't make staff sergeant on their first enlistment. This guy had been around a little while. Given the opportunity to opt out, having served his time, he chose to go around again, at least one more time and maybe more. The hash marks on his sleeve indicated he had been a soldier for at least twelve years. A man that would re-up in wartime is a man that can be counted on when it gets hard, the kind of guy I want beside me, a man.

Next, the blue cord wrapped around his shoulder and the crossed rifles on the collar belonged to an infantryman. Combat arms, ground pounder, line doggie. The most inglorious position in the whole army, and the most indispensable. No matter how many planes, artillery pieces or tanks you've got, eventually an infantryman is going to have to take the ground. Theirs is the dirty work, house to house and room to room, face to face with an enemy that knows it's kill or be killed, live or die. They call them grunts in derision, but you can't fight a war without them. By the way, our staff sergeant was not only a grunt, he was a good one. On his left pocket he wore an expert marksman badge along with one showing he had finished air assault school.

Our staff sergeant was also a decorated soldier. I've been out too long to recognize all the ribbons, and some of them were unit citations. But not all. On one sleeve, the hash marks witnessed to at least three combat tours. Our boy had certainly seen enough combat to earn a Combat Infantry Badge along with the other ribbons. They give those to soldiers who have served in wartime. This man knows what it means to dodge bullets.

I could go on, but I think you get the picture. I could see enough on the uniform to know I would have been proud to meet this man and shake his hand. His qualifications were written all over him. He was a soldier. In 2 Timothy 2:3-4, the Bible talks of the Christian as chosen to be a soldier. The Holy Spirit wrote those words through the Apostle Paul, one who knew what it meant to be a soldier of Jesus Christ. And it was Paul, the combat weary infantryman, who wrote the words at the beginning of this text, "From henceforth let no man trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus Christ (Gal. 6:17)." Anyone who met Paul could tell he had served his time. The marks on his body, like the uniform on that soldier, told the tale.

Christian friend of mine, do you bear the marks of the Lord Jesus Christ? Is the impact of living for Him clearly recognizable in your life? The thought brings to mind a dear pastor friend who has labored long and hard in the battle for the Lord. He carries his testimony everywhere, a patient and gentle warrior, truly humble, quick to tears. It doesn't require much time in his presence to see that he is a soldier who has spent much in the service of His Lord Jesus. One day, I hope it will be just as evident in me and you.

Just a servant,

Bro. Tom

How Far Will You Go?

March 1

Read: 2 Corinthians 11:16-33

In 2 Corinthians 11 the apostle Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, began to list some of his qualifications for ministry. It is interesting to note the progression here, as he begins by giving his Jewish heritage in verse 22. He then goes on to list as his qualifications some of the obstacles he had overcome in the course of his ministry for Christ. Winding through a long list of imprisonments, stonings, beatings, shipwrecks, and physical discomforts, he displays them as credentials for ministry. In effect, he tells them how far he was willing to go in the service of their faith.

The restatement of his personal qualifications had been required because questions had arisen in Corinth concerning Paul’s apostleship. Even though he had been used of God to bring the gospel to Corinth and had doubtless been instrumental in building the church there, there were some who began to chafe under Paul’s authority and teaching and desired to follow a different path. They began to question his qualifications for ministry in hopes of undermining that authority.

Paul’s response was simple. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he simply described the lengths he had gone to minister to them. The unasked question then became, “Can you really doubt the ministry and love of a man who has gone this far for your sake?” Paul went far, far beyond everyone else, and as a result he could point to a ministry in which the power of God was clearly visible even in Corinth.

If someone asks us to describe our qualifications for ministry, how would we answer? Would we point to our Bible college or seminary degree, or our twenty-plus years on the church roll, or maybe to our children who are faithfully serving God? Or could we, like Paul, simply point back to a life given over in sacrifice for the good of others? Would we fall back on theological arguments, such as the sufficiency of Christ or the work of the Holy Spirit in every believer, or would we point to the changed lives of our family, friends, neighbors and others?

How far will we go on behalf of Christ and others? Are we willing to sacrifice our standard of living to send the gospel to the world? Or is our giving simply out of our abundance (leftovers after the bass boat and the vacation in Disneyworld)? Can we give ten minutes out of our day to share Christ with the store clerk? Are we willing to drop late night television for the sake of leading our family in daily devotions? Is my neighbor’s spiritual welfare important to me at all?

We in the church talk a good game. We come to church, partake of the activities (as long as they aren’t too spiritual), and go home feeling good about ourselves. But for many, many, many of us that is as far as we will go. Any discussion of going to the mission field, getting involved in discipleship or using my gifts for the service of others falls on deaf ears. There is a line drawn which we will not cross.

Christian, Jesus intended for each generation to reach each generation. Even the most casual observer would be forced to conclude this generation is not getting it done. Our commitment to Christ and to the lost simply doesn’t go far enough.

Just a servant,

Bro. Tom

A Plea for Holiness

February 27

Read:2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1

2 Corinthians 6:14 is a verse often quoted which has been applied to everything from marriage to business partnerships (rightfully so, I believe). The Holy Spirit directs us to avoid an unequal yoke with an unbeliever, then proceeds to give a number of analogies to demonstrate why this is unhealthy or unnatural. Why, He asks, would you mix unrighteousness with righteousness (v. 14), or light with darkness (v. 14), or Christ with Belial (v. 15), or an infidel with a believer (v. 15), or even the temple of God with an idol (v. 16)? He continues that because God dwells in us, we are the temple of God (v. 16).

Given all of these obvious truths, we are to separate ourselves from things unholy or unclean (v. 17). If we do so, God has promised to receive us, to be our Father, and to make us His sons and daughters (v. 17-18). Chapter 7:1 then puts the conclusion on the passage, “Having therefore these promises (v. 17-18 above), dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

The New Testament, in removing us from under the curse and demands of the law, never permits us to slack off in the area of personal holiness. Time and again the New Testament believer is called to strive for the holiness of God. We are given the New Testament as our guide, the Holy Spirit as interpreter, and Jesus Himself as our standard. Moment by moment, day by day, year by year, we are to be conformed to the image of Christ. It is an image not only of a loving Savior but of a holy God. We who are His followers must strive to be like Him in all aspects of His character. To strive to love our neighbor as ourselves, yet to dabble in the sins of the flesh, is to have a unbalanced view of God the Son.

The Bible tells us that Jesus, “was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” His holiness was perfect, ours will never be this side of heaven. Yet we must be always aware of our deficiencies and working toward change. Like most of God’s work, there is His part, and there is our part. His part is expressed in Philippians 1:6, “Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” Our part is expressed in 2 Corinthians 7:1, where the Bible says, “...let us cleanse ourselves...”

Today, let’s make an extra effort to be clean and holy, as He is clean and holy.

Just a servant,

Bro. Tom

Spiritual Schizophrenia

February 16

Read: James 3:1-18

In context, the discussion in James chapter three concerns our tongues. After lamenting the power of an uncontrollable tongue, in verse 8 James starts to give some examples of things that simply should not be. In verse 10, he writes, “Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.” He follows with examples of a fig tree bearing olives and a fountain yielding both fresh water and salt water. He gets to the point beginning in verses 14-18, when he compares the fruit of a righteous (saved) man to what comes out of a natural (lost) man.

What James is describing here is spiritual schizophrenia. There really should be no such thing as a carnal or worldly Christian. It makes no sense that one who is bought by the blood, indwelt by the Spirit and fed on the Word of God should manifest the same manner of living as one who is lost without God. It is schizophrenic for a man to exhibit the character of both the saved and the lost. It is indicative of a split personality, or, as James writes in chapter one, a man who is double-minded.

But didn’t Paul in Romans chapter seven describe a war between the flesh and spirit, such that sometimes the flesh is in control? Indeed he did, and that conflict is something that Christians deal with until the day we are called home. We all have such a conflict within. The problem is when we begin to see walking in the flesh as normal.

We are incredibly good at rationalizing almost any behavior. The one who has an anger problem will simply decide, “That’s just the way I am” and accept it as something he cannot change. The pornography addict will conclude that “God made the opposite gender attractive, and besides, I’m not hurting anybody.” And he makes no effort to alter his practices. We have become a spiritual schizophrenic when we can claim to be Christian, know there is sin in our lives, and accept it as normal. Such a Christian is destined to live a powerless and frustrating life, dangerous not only to himself but to all around him.

Brethren, these things ought not so to be.

Just a servant,

Bro. Tom

Every Joint

February 12

Read: Numbers 4:1-15

Numbers chapter 4 describes the division of labor among the Levites in relation to the tabernacle. Each of the families of the sons of Levi was given specific responsibilities for part of the work. In our text, we see the portions assigned to Aaron and to the sons of Kohath.

To Aaron and his sons belonged the task of caring for the items associated with worship within the tabernacle. Essentially, they were responsible for everything within the inner sanctuary. When it was time to move, they covered and prepared the table of showbread and the golden altar, cleaned up the ashes and gathered and wrapped all the utensils. When everything was ready, the Kohathites were to come and carry it to the next location.

Continuing in chapter 4, we find that God gave similar instructions to the Gershonites and the Merarites. In each case, God was very specific about what each was to do.

It took everyone doing their part to get the tabernacle pulled down and moved. If any family had neglected or left its work undone, the whole nation would have been delayed. They would have been unable to do what God was directing them to do at the time He intended for them to do it. As a result of a few unwilling to perform their roles, God’s work would be hindered and God’s people denied a blessing.

According to the New Testament, the same thing can be said of the local church. God has gifted every church member for a specific task, and it is one of the Holy Spirit’s functions to guide them to their appointed ministry. In Ephesians 4:16, the Bible says Jesus is the head, “From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.“ The body referenced is the church, and every joint is every member. Jesus has put us together and given every member a gift and a task. We must prayerfully seek out our place and then faithfully perform the assigned ministry. If we do not, then we, like the Levites, would be guilty of hindering the work of God and the progress of God’s people.

Are you busy about the Lord’s work? Are you doing the things you should be doing? Are you still wondering what your job might be? James writes, “If any of you lack wisdom, let Him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.”

Let’s find our spot and get in it.

Just a servant,

Bro. Tom

He Shall Be Blessed!

February 11

Read: Genesis 27:1-33

Genesis 27 is the story of the stolen blessing. Isaac had grown old and half-blind, and he recognized the time of his death was near. So he called his oldest son, Esau, and instructed him to go and kill a deer and prepare a meal for his old father, that Isaac might bless his son before he died. Jacob’s mother, Rebekah, overheard Isaac’s instructions and conspired with Jacob to steal the blessing. Preparing a goat stew and wrapping the skins around Jacob’s wrists and neck, she sent Jacob in to his father. Jacob told Isaac a pack of lies and walked out with a blessing.

The tent flap was still waving from Jacob’s exit when Esau came in with his stew. It didn’t take too long for the two of them to figure out what happened, with the result that Isaac trembled and Esau threatened. In spite of the fact the blessing had been stolen, Isaac lamented in verse 33, “…yea, and he shall be blessed.”

Isaac’s faith was strong; strong enough to be certain that a blessing pronounced, stolen or not, would be honored by God. He didn’t try to talk God out of it, and he refused to try to give Esau what he had already given Jacob. He knew he had asked God in good faith to bless Jacob, and that God would answer his prayer.

Many of us have problems with our prayer life. We ask wavering, even though we know that James said a double-minded man would receive nothing. We often pray as though we’re just reciting a liturgy, our prayers essentially no different than the Catholic’s rosary or the Episcopalian’s Book of Common Prayer. Isaac prayed with faith! He had so much faith that having asked God to bless Jacob he could not bring himself to ask the same things for Esau.

In Matthew chapter 17, a young man possessed of a demon is brought to the disciples. They were unable to help the young man, and his father appealed to Jesus directly. After Jesus cast out the demon, the disciples asked Jesus why they had been unable to do so. Jesus answered thus: “Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.”

Today, pray in faith.

Just a servant,

Bro. Tom

He must increase...

February 6

Read: John 20:30-31; John 21:20-25

Most Bible scholars put the writing of John’s Gospel at about 90 AD. Placing Jesus’ death on the cross at about 33 AD, and John as the son of Zebedee and a member of Jesus’ original twelve disciples, that makes John a pretty old man by the time the book was written. Beginning life as the son of a fisherman, John was called by Jesus at a relatively young age and discipled three years by the Lord Himself. For approximately sixty years he served the Lord and His church in various capacities, and tradition places him in the city of Ephesus at the time the Gospel was penned. There, the Holy Spirit inspired John to record the life of his Lord, and the aged apostle was used by God to give us one of the most moving and personal accounts in the whole Bible.

It’s clear when we study John’s life that God used an amazing man to record an amazing story. Labled the “Sons of Thunder” by Jesus, John and his brother began their walk with the Lord as anything but the apostles of love. They thundered, they threatened, and they connived, even enlisting their mother in their attempts to gain the highest place. They, with Peter, were privileged to be Jesus’ inner circle. And like Peter, to the mortal eye it looks as though they were born to failure. But God can see where we can’t. And gradually, patiently, marvelously, the “Son of Thunder” became the “Apostle of Love.”

It is in the gospel of John that we see the distance the apostle had traversed. First, from seeking the top spot he had progressed to the point where he would not even include his own name in the book that he wrote. Whenever you see the name John in the Gospel of John, it is a reference to John the Baptist. If the Holy Spirit in divine inspiration forced him to speak of himself, he identified himself simply as the disciple whom Jesus loved. John was very quick to dispel any rumors of his own superiority, making sure that Jesus was accurately quoted, and that he, John, was not exalted. For a signature, he very simply described himself as a witness giving a testimony. And his last words in the gospel concern the things that Jesus did that were not recorded. The aged apostle had come to the point that every wise disciple will someday reach, that it is not about him, but about Jesus. To borrow a phrase, “He must increase, and I must decrease.”

Just a servant,

Bro. Tom

Wow and Double Wow!

February 5

Read: John 17:1-26

It is always instructive to read the prayers of Jesus. The when, what and how of Jesus’ personal communications with the Father provide wonderful insights into the purpose and mechanics of prayer. Jesus’ prayer in John 17, though, should be special to every believer, as it is the one identifiable point in Scripture where Jesus prayed for each of us personally.

In John 17:20, Jesus says, “Neither pray I for these (the disciples) alone, but for them which shall believe on me through their word:” When Jesus said, “them which shall believe on me through their word” He meant me and you! We are each and every one of us begotten of the Word of God passed through the disciples. They told someone, who told someone, who told someone, who, two thousand years and only God knows how many generations later, told me. When Jesus prayed that prayer, He prayed for me! So, realizing that this is the Son of God doing the praying, and that it’s highly unlikely that His prayer will not be answered, what did He ask for?

First, He prayed that we might be one with Him and the Father. He prayed that we might enjoy the same relationship that He enjoyed with His Father. Imagine having the same understanding and empathy with God the Father that Jesus had. And Jesus prayed for it!

Second, He prayed that we would ultimately be with Him, and that we might see His glory. Jesus asked the Father that we be permitted to be with Him where He was, and that we might behold Him in the glory He had before the universe was created.

Now, seriously, do you think those prayers are not going to be answered? What an incredible eternity we have in front of us. We will one day be with Him, beholding His glory, and sharing the same relationship with the heavenly Father that Jesus himself has. Wow and double wow! Or as Paul says, Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21)

Just a servant,

Bro. Tom

On Holy Ground

February 3

Read: John 13:1-20

Every time I reach John 13 in my Bible reading, I always feel as though I have stepped onto holy ground. The ever burning bush of Jesus’ last night with the disciples prior to the cross always makes me want to take off my shoes, bow down, and worship. Here in the Gospel of John is the record of the last Passover, when Jesus washed the feet of the disciples and left them explicit instructions to follow His example. Here, in John 13:34-35, we receive the royal command to love one another and a description of the distinctiveness it would bring us as His disciples.

Going on, we see Judas leaving to accomplish the betrayal, then in chapter 14, the wonderful words, “Let not your heart be troubled...” Jesus proclaims the exclusivity of the gospel in John 14:6, then gives the wonderful promise of the Spirit. He leaves His peace and gives us the wonderful analogy of the vine and the branches. This section, from John 13 to John 17, is what He told the disciples at the last supper, and includes wonderful promises of prayer and comfort and even the high priestly prayer of Christ, when He prayed for each of us.

Has your Bible reading ever brought you to a point where you sit hushed, savoring each word and breathing out praise with every verse? I’m afraid that too often I come to the Word as a duty rather than a temple, and I rush through my daily chapters, mostly missing the blessings my wonderful heavenly Father intended me to receive.

Today, let’s try to pray our way through the Scriptures. It really doesn’t matter where you’re reading. God’s Word has something special for you each and every day. No matter which way you look, it’s holy ground.

Just a servant,

Bro. Tom

Is Satan Your Enemy?

February 3

Read: John 12:1-11

In this passage, the Pharisees, already intent on killing Jesus, add Lazarus to the hit list. And why were they so upset with Lazarus? John 12:11 says, “because that by reason of him (Lazarus) many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus.”

Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead. A number of people had witnessed the miracle, and word had spread throughout the region. Can you imagine how many people must have asked Lazarus, “Is it true? Did Jesus really bring you back from the dead?” In every case, Lazarus must have answered with enthusiasm, “He did indeed.” Then they asked other witnesses. And no matter who they asked, the answer came back the same. This Lazarus, who was dead, is now alive. And many believed on Jesus.

Ephesians 2:1 says “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins:”. To quicken means to “make alive”. We who were dead are made alive. Just as Lazarus was raised physically, so Jesus has made us alive spiritually. And just as Lazarus’s everyday life was a testimony to the grace and power of God, so should our lives be also.

The Scribes and Pharisees saw their kingdoms crumbling, and they held both Jesus and Lazarus responsible. Does Satan hold you responsible for the crumbling of his kingdom? Is the strength of your testimony such that God can use it to rip souls from Satan and his minions? Do you have an enemy determined to destroy you?

Let’s hope so.

Just a servant,

Bro. Tom

What a Testimony!

February 2

Read: John 9:1-41

John chapter 9 is the story of a man healed by Jesus and the controversy that resulted. Although subject to ridicule and slander, the man adamantly maintained that Jesus had healed him, and that Jesus was from God. In v. 25 he proclaims to the Pharisees, “Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.”

Later, in vs. 30-33, his confidence grown, the man marvels that the Pharisees cannot see the simple truth that since Jesus did things that no man has ever done, He must be from God. In v. 33, he sums it up, saying, “If this man were not of God, he could do nothing.”

Although the Pharisees rejected the testimony of the healed blind man, I tend to believe there were many others who did not. His testimony was simple and powerful. I was blind, and now I see. As simple as it is, there is power in it. So too is there power in the testimony of any life touched by Jesus. Recently, we have begun some of our services by asking one of our brothers or sisters to give his or her personal testimony. In every case, it is evident that there is great spiritual power in the testimony of a changed life. In every case, we can say with the blind man, I was blind, and now I see.

God wants to use the testimony of our changed lives to change others. We should pray for opportunities to share the work God has done in our lives with those who do not know Him. Some will reject and ridicule, but some will hear with a heart prepared to receive Him. That’s what Jesus meant when He said that we would be His witnesses.

Just a servant,

Bro. Tom

Right Hand, Left hand

February 1

Read: Matthew 6:1-8

When I arrived at church this evening, I noticed immediately someone had repaired a broken swing in the playground. It has been broken for about five weeks, and I intended to get to it, but it just hadn’t happened yet.

Well, apparently I was not the only one concerned, and sometime today a very kind and caring person took the initiative to buy a part and repair the chain. I praise the Lord for their diligence and their faithfulness, and I thank the Lord for caring church members. In our next service, if I remember it, I may mention it. I will say I don’t know who did the repair, but God does, and He never forgets a cold drink of water given in His name. I will not mention Matthew 6:1-8, but I’ll be thinking about it.

In this passage, the Bible talks about doing alms. Alms are good works of any kind. They almost always include giving of some sort but the subject is not limited to giving. The Word says, “...when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.” Jesus’ teaching here is that we can do the right thing for the wrong reason. If we do what we do to be seen of and receive glory from men, we will get what we want. But...that’s all the reward we can expect. In the other hand, in verses 3 and 4, we are told: “...when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: that thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.” If no one knows who did the deed, then who gets the glory? God alone. And that’s the point. We have nothing that He did not provide, and why should we be rewarded for using God’s stuff?

It will be interesting to see if the person who did the repairs makes sure that others know it. If they do, then they will have gotten what they seek. How much better to receive our reward of our Father which seeth in secret?

Just a servant,

Bro. Tom

Truth is Eternal - Balthasar Hubmaier

More Than Enough

January 31

Read: Exodus 36:1-7

“For the stuff they had was sufficient for all the work to make it, and too much.” - Exodus 36:7

Sometimes, the cultural, time, and language distances between us and the Bible are almost too far to span. As residents in an incredibly materialistic society, Biblical statements on riches and money seem to bounce off us like Styrofoam pellets off plexiglass. We read about how God’s people gave, allow any principles involved to be diluted by our cultural filters, and learn nothing. In an effort to make some of it stick, let’s dig a little deeper.

First, notice who is doing the giving. This is the nation of Israel, fresh out of Egypt, wandering from place to place with no more than they could carry on their backs or on pack animals. Yes, they had spoiled the Egyptians (Exodus 12:35-36), but they still couldn’t have had much. In spite of it, when it came time to build the tabernacle and its furnishings, God simply told Moses to ask the people to give. Exodus 25:1-8 tells what they are to give, and how they are to give. Notice also, God was only interested in the one who would give “willingly of his heart” (v. 2).

Moses repeated God’s command in Exodus 35:5, “Take ye from among you an offering unto the Lord: whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering of the Lord: gold, and silver, and brass...” In verse 21, we see the response, “And they came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing, and they brought the Lord’s offering to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation, and for all his service, and for the holy garments.” Wow. No strident pleas, no offers of special prizes or blessings, no slick advertising campaigns, just a simple appeal to the Lord’s people. Notice there was no compulsion involved. You simply had to have a willing heart and something to give.

And the people gave. By our standards, these people had nothing. Most of us have enough clothes in our closets to cloth 100 of these people. We spend more on our pets than they ever saw in their entire lives. And still, the word of God says, “they gave.” And how they gave. In chapter 36 and verse 3 it says they gave, and they gave, and they gave, until, in verses 4 and 5, we read:

“And all the wise men, that wrought all the work of the sanctuary, came every man from his work which they made; and they spake unto Moses, saying, The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work, which the Lord commanded to make. And Moses gave commandment and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, Let neither man nor woman make any more work for the offering of the sanctuary. So the people were restrained from bringing. For the stuff they had was sufficient for all the work to make it, and too much.”

The people gave, and gave, and gave. They dug through all the saddlebags, they searched the chests and purses. They dug through the jewelry boxes, and they gave. They gave so much that the workers came to Moses and said, “Tell them to stop.”

I look forward to the day when I hear a Christian worker stand up and say to God’s people, “Stop giving, it is more than enough.”

God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supply. - Hudson Taylor

Just a servant,

Bro. Tom


Truth is Eternal - Balthasar Hubmaier

Look Up!

January 29

Read: Luke 21:25-28

I’m not sure exactly how the thought process began, but recently I was struck by something that may or may not have real significance. My wife came home from the store recently and had purchased several boxes of a particular product. She explained how she had trouble finding it in the store, and that when she did find it she felt like she should buy extra. Shortly afterwards, I tried to replenish my coffee supply, only to discover that the store was out (temporarily, I hope). My immediate thought was that when it came in, I would buy several cans. And then last week, while traveling, I found a product my mother had been looking for literally for years. Of course I bought more than one.

Realizing that we are not hoarders by nature, I was struck by the similarity between these incidents and what we had experienced while on the foreign mission field. Everywhere we went, we carried a shopping list in our heads and a net bag in our pocket. One never knew when one might run across such delicacies as toilet paper and peanut butter, and it paid to be prepared. The thought crossed my mind, “Is it possible that we as a country are sliding toward third-world status?” As an untrained observer, I’m not sure any conclusions I might draw about the matter will hold water, but the idea makes me a little uneasy, and puts me on guard watching for other signs.

In Luke 21, Jesus instructed the disciples concerning some signs they should be watching for. He lists a number of things that will occur prior to His return, and then He warns them to be watching. “When these things begin to come to pass,” He says, “then look up, and lift your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh.”

Brothers and sisters, Jesus is coming again. The world situation and the biblical signs are so aligned as to convince most of us that it could happen at any moment. The Bible pronounces a special blessing on those who are watching and waiting when He does come (Luke 12:35-38). Similar to the situation in the grocery store, what we see about us is no guarantee that what we are expecting will occur. But it certainly should have us on guard.

Listening for the shout.

Bro. Tom



Truth is Eternal - Balthasar Hubmaier

Where am I?

January 28

Read: Luke 17:11-19

In the book “The Disciple-Making Pastor”, Bill Hull makes a sad statement. On page 222, he writes:

While 50% of the congregation never leaves the come-and-see phase, the happy focus is that the other half will. The psychopathology of not moving from “come and see” I will leave to the analytical.

This is not to say that he advocates abandoning the 50% of the congregation that will not move down the road to discipleship. Earlier, he states very clearly that they are God’s children and part of our ministry. The sadness is that, unfortunately, there is a relatively large number of professed Christians who will never get beyond the Sunday morning church stage.

The story in Luke 17 gives us a similar picture. Jesus, encountering ten lepers standing outside of a village, was moved by their cries to heal them of the dread disease. The Bible says Jesus told them to go and show themselves to the priests. As they went, they were cleansed. Imagine the joy and excitement among the group as they realized that each of them was being freed from their awful condition. One of them, a Samaritan, recognizing the wonderful blessing could only have come from God, begins to glorify Him with a loud voice. He turns and comes back to Jesus, throws himself at His feet and begins to thank Him. The other nine walk on.

Jesus asks the rhetorical questions, “Were not ten cleansed? But where are the nine?” Sadly, only one, and he a stranger and heathen, returned to give glory to God.

If you are a Christian today, a born-again believer, you have been healed of a disease far more serious than leprosy. God’s purpose in doing so is much bigger than simply providing an escape hatch for eternity. He wants to make you a disciple of Jesus, one who shares His mission and His character. It baffles me than anyone can be a child of God, born of the Spirit and the blood of Christ, an inheritor of eternal life and the glories of heaven, a partaker of the divine nature, and yet be unwilling to be used of God for His glory. God forbid that I should find myself among the 50% who only take.

Just a servant,

Bro. Tom
Phil 1:6

Truth is Eternal - Balthasar Hubmaier

A Blank Check

January 26

TEXT: Exodus 19:1-8

In the third month of the exodus from Egypt, God stops His people at the entrance to the wilderness and has a brief discussion with them. In v. 4, He reminds them of what He had done in Egypt, how He had conquered Pharaoh and brought them out of bondage. Then, in a brief if-then statement, God lays a blank check before the nation. “If you will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people (for all the earth is mine) and ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and a holy people.” God had not yet told them what He would demand of them, in effect laying before them a blank check and giving them the option, sign here.

The people, having seen God’s great deliverance and awed by His presence and holy power, signed the check in v. 8, “All that the Lord hath spoken we will do.” To sign the check was an act of faith in a moment of strength. To deliver on it was another matter indeed. Israel failed God in every way, falling into such idolatry and rebellion that it resulted in the destruction of Jerusalem and the captivity of the people. Kind of gives teeth to the warning “When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay (Ecc. 5:4-5).

As believers, we have put our trust in Christ. We have experienced the forgiveness of sins and the new birth. We have come to know God on a new and personal level. Now comes the next stage, the “follow me” stage. God wants you to move beyond deliverance into growth and service. He has adopted you into His family, now He wants to involve you in the family business. Many of us, realizing the call to discipleship is as urgent and necessary as the call to salvation, have written God a blank check, only to be dismayed and delayed by the apparent cost. Our case does differ from Israel, in that Jesus was very clear what the cost would be, telling us in Matthew 16:25, “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.” Knowing this, how often have we, at the moment of testing, said to the Lord, “just a minute, Lord, I don’t know if I’m ready for that.”

In Psalm 15, David described those who would abide in the tabernacle of God, saying, “He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not.” You see, brothers and sisters. God is not as much interested in our signing a blank check as in what we do after He fills in the amount. You trusted Him enough to give your life to Him, can you trust Him enough not to take it back, no matter what?

Just a servant,

Bro. Tom