14. December 6, 2014

Saturday, December 6, 2014

I have not written to this blog in some time. I am not sure why I haven't. I am am sitting here watching the movie “Into The wild” and a desire to start writing again comes over me. I stop the movie and begin writing these words.

A few days ago, I moved from Plano, TX to Forest City, Iowa 856 miles due North. I am sure those I left behind don't fully understand why I would make this move. I am not sure if I do either. I just know it was time. I am here in my nephews apartment.

My nephew has been asking me to move up for a few years now. Steven, over the years, has become like a son to me. Many years ago my daughter died before she was born. That marriage failed shortly afterward. My second marriage failed about six years ago. I have no children, no woman in my life, and a only handful of friends. I am the youngest of eight adopted children. I have several nephews and nieces. The grand nephews and grand nieces are increasing in number. I have no idea how many there are. I believe the number in the clan has grown to fifty or more. The only ones I have had any contact with in the last six years are my Dad, my sister Ann Marie, my brother Joe, and my nephew Steven.

My dad celebrated his ninety-fifth birthday right before Thanksgiving. I haven't seen him since my mother passed away in 2008. I have wanted to visit him in California but have never had the money to go. I was thinking about driving there before heading to Iowa, but once again I found I only had enough to move North.

Since I made the decision to move, my car had several issues. I spent a lot of money on repairs and parts. Every time the money ran out, more money came to me. My church gave me more than enough to cover tires and an oil change. I needed another hundred to replace my front shocks. I was walking to work one day and the wind blew a hundred dollar bill right in front of me. I heard God tell me to get my shocks fixed. That was awesome. A friend gave me Walt-Mart gift cards. That paid for new wiper blades and some winter clothes. A family friend gave more than enough to cover the gas. Every time I had a need, money showed up. I think of the Gospel of Matthew where Jesus tells us not to worry. Our Father in heaven provides for the lilies of the field and the birds of the air. How much more will he proved for those who seek him. Yet there was not enough to make the trip to California first. I have to believe it was not the path God set before me.

Back here in my nephews living room, I take stock of where I now find myself. I ask God why he has me here. What purpose am I to fulfill? Why does Christ in me want me to be in this place? I am telling you... it is freaking cold here and from what I am told its has not yet become cold. That will be in January. Yikes! Yet I have now doubt that I was led here by the Holy Spirit. I am where I am supposed to be at this time.

Steven lives with his girlfriend who is eight years older and has three children. Two live here. Her son is around 19 years old and her youngest daughter at 16 is here also. The daughter I had met when she was around 13-14. Since then she has given birth to a son who is in the apartment too. This family is all messed up. I mean really messed up. The son goes out drinking all the time and the daughter abandons her son to go party and get high on who knows what. She doesn't bother going to school.

So I ask myself, what am I doing here? I know the answer is 'Jesus loves them'. I am here for Jesus to love them through me. There is no judgment in my heart for all the “sinful” things going on in this apartment. The Christ in me has already gone to the cross and paid the ultimate price for the life they are living. They have been forgiven, they just don't know it yet. I feel blessed to be here to watch the transformation that is about to happen to this “family”. I don't see myself doing anything. Paul writes, “it is no longer I that live, but Christ in me”. This is where the lesson of the “Brown Sofa” comes in. My carnal mind has decided to believe the one who is in me. My carnal mind is patiently waiting to see what my Spirit-Man has already seen come to pass. My carnal mind is allowing Christ to do the work and expects to see miracle after miracle in these peoples lives as they are drawn to the Fathers Love.

In the meantime, my flesh has to deal with the realities of this life. I need to find a job. I need a lot more warm clothes, a lot more. The trailer my nephew is giving me to live in needs lots of repairs to be inhabitable. Christ has brought me here and He will provide for me as I continue to seek him first in all things. I know this to be true. My carnal mind has come to the place to believe the truth in me and no longer listens to “sin living in me”. At lease most of the time.

I encourage all who read this to consider their own journey to become the image and likeness of Christ. All who believe in Jesus are on this journey. Take an honest look where you stand. Do you seek Him first in all you do? Do you see how Father provides your daily needs. Are you even looking to see Fathers provision for you? If you are not seeking Him, you are not going to find Him. He remains in your face, right smack dab in front of you, waiting for you to see all he does for you and around you. He desires for you to find Him. He desires for you to know Him deeply and intimately as much as He knows you. Keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking. He will reveal Himself to you.

Blessings,

Tom

13. July 23, 2014 The Word of God

I was reading a devotional in “God's Best Secrets” by Andrew Murray this morning. The scripture being referenced was Matthew 4:4. “Man shall not live on bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”

The gist of the devotional was to encourage the reader to read the “Word” daily.

Murray makes the statement “... the Lord Jesus learned, loved and obeyed the Word of the Father.” He capitalized the word “Word” making it a noun or a person. For some reason something didn't seem right about the statement. It seemed a little schizophrenic to me.

First of all, scripture clearly teaches us that Christ Jesus is the Word. Now if Jesus is the Word, then the bible cannot be the “Word” as so many preachers preach. Jesus is the Word. Nothing else is. Jesus is not a book. He is God incarnate.

Somewhere in the New Testament it is written that all scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching righteousness. Think about this. When that was written, The New Testaments had not been compiled into a book, so the writer could not have been referencing the NT. The Old Testament was not even called that back then either. It was just Scripture. When Jesus quoted scripture he never gave the name of the book, he just said, “It is written...” and then paraphrased the scripture.

Try this. Find where Jesus quoted scripture and then go back and look at the text in the OT. I have never found it to match word for word. Scholars can give all kinds of reasons for this but it doesn't change the fact that Jesus didn't quote scripture with name of book, chapter and verse. If Jesus finds it NOT necessary to quote scripture exactly or even say where it was quoted from, then neither do I. I will give the references most of the time but I don't feel obligated.

Don't get me wrong, We should all study scripture - both the NT and OT. But it is not mandatory to maintain our salvation. Believing in the one whom the Father sent is the only requirement for salvation.

When we receive Jesus as our savior and invite Him in, we have everything we need. We don't need to “read the Word of God daily” because we have the Word of God living in us. We are now a new life-form that is both human and spirit. This new life is sustained not only by physical food, but also by the presence of our Lord living in us. “Man shall not live on bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” is not an order to read the bible, but a statement of fact that Christ is our life. Do you remember where Paul wrote that he no longer lives, but Christ in him is his life?

We have to live this life in the flesh, but because Christ is eternal and our life is hidden in him, we have and are now living an eternal life.

Blessings,

Tom

12. June 1, 2014 - Extremists

I got up early this morning preparing to go on a long walk. As I was still waking up to my cup of coffee, I turned on Fox News. One thing they talked about was President Obama likening Catholics and Evangelical Christians to “Extremists”. The first thing that came to mind is how Muslim terrorists are also labeled “Extremist” . The truth is that both of those ideas are absolutely false.

Ages ago, back when I was a Catholic in High School, one of the required courses was “Comparative Religions” where we studied the doctrines of several religions around the world and compared them to Christianity. One absolute belief in the Muslim faith is that it is good to kill a Christian and in doing so one obtains a certainty of going to heaven. This cannot be taken out of the Muslim Doctrine as it is a pillar of the Muslim religion.

In calling a Muslim terrorist an extremist is like calling a football player who refuses to break any of the rules of the game an extremist. They are not extremist in any way. They just believe what their book tells them. They follow the rules. Very simple. As far as all the other Muslims who do not agree with the idea of killing Christians, they are not practicing their faith. It is like calling a football player a great player who feels that clipping, pass interference, or unnecessary roughness are OK to do in a game because everybody knows that all the rules of football are old fashion or more simply, they just don't like the rules. They take the fun out of it.

Now to the Christian faith. Here are a few basic teachings from the Bible:

• Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again. "
  
• Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
  
• All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness
  
  
• "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
  
  
• Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.
  
  
• But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person--such a man is an idolater--has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
  
  
• In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.
  
  
• Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

So are the scriptures referring to sexual immorality or homosexuality just old fashion? Are churches who intentionally elevate outwardly sexually immoral people to high places in their church really practicing the Christian Faith? Is how our society says that living together and having sex outside of marriage is an archaic idea?

I tell you the truth, millions of people who call themselves Christian practice those things daily without any feeling whatsoever of how sinful they are. They believe that what they are doing is perfectly fine and they encourage others who call themselves Christian to do the same because “We all know that the Bible is old fashioned” when it comes to sexual morality.

Let me remind you “Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”

So what if you are caught up in these things and cant seem to find a way to stop yourself. You wish you could change your lifestyle but find you continue to return to your old ways time and time again? Let me encourage you. Non of us are perfect. I can say that about myself. We all struggle with old sins. Remember this - the battle to change your life into one of holiness is not your job. A scripture somewhere says that the battle belongs to the Lord. It also says that God began the good work in you, transforming you, and it is God who will do the work until He determines it to be completed. How many times did Israel turn circles in the desert before they were allowed in the promised land? God eventually said they were ready and led them in.

So what must you do? The apostles asked the same thing:

Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?" Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent."

That is it. Believe. Very simple. If you have a problem with believing then ask for Jesus' help:

Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief !”

Because we believe what the Bible says should we be called “extremist”? I say not. We are nothing more than followers of Christ. Those “Christians” who don't believe everything in the bible are not believers. Its all or nothing. If you don't believe me, well – that is not my problem. Let me remind you again:

“Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”

What is the will of our Father in heaven – to believe in the one He has sent. And that means to believe every word He said.

As followers of Christ, should we go around pointing out other peoples sin? Should we proclaim that homosexuals are sinners and going to Hell? My answer is absolutely not! Christ died for their sins too. Gods love for them has never changed. It is the responsibility of the Holy Spirit to convict them and draw them to Christ. Jesus gave us these commands:

“He asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."

Whether or not our neighbor is an enemy of God, we are to love them. This unconditional love may be what opens their heart to be drawn to our Fathers love. How many times in the bible did Jesus forgive those who sinned? How many times did He go to their homes and dine with them. Don't forget, we were once active in many of the same practices. How many times in our Christian walk have we sinned and have been forgiven? Christ found us and has not stopped forming us into His image. Let's love our neighbors, include them in our activities, and leave the work of drawing them to God up to God.

This is not extremism. It is simply loving God and loving others.

Blessings,

Tom

11. May 19, 2014 Karma

I hear “Christians” use the term “Karma” every day and it makes me want to hit them on the side of their head and knock some sense into them.

The website www.religionfacts.com has this article on Karma;

What is Karma?

The Sanskrit word karma means "actions" or "deeds." As a religious term, karma refers to intentional (usually moral) actions that affect one's fortunes in this life and the next. Karma (or kamma in Pali) is a concept common to Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism, but interpreted in different ways. This article focuses specifically on Hindu beliefs about karma.

The concept of karma or "law of karma" is the broader principle that all of life is governed by a system of cause and effect, action and reaction, in which one's deeds have corresponding effects on the future. Karma is thus a way of explaining evil and misfortune in the world, even for those who do not appear to deserve it - their misfortune must be due to wrong actions in their previous life.

In Hindu texts, the word karma first appears in the ancient Rig Veda, but there it simply means religious action and animal sacrifice. There is some hint of the later meaning of karma in the Brahmanas, but it is not until the Upanishads that karma is expressed as a principle of cause and effect based on actions. One example is in Brhadaranyaka Upanishad 4.4.5.

Karma is regarded as a fundamental law of nature that is automatic and mechanical. It is not something that is imposed by God or a god as a system of punishment or reward, nor something that the gods can interfere with.

The word karma refers primarily to "bad karma" - that which is accumulated as a result of wrong actions. Bad karma binds a person's soul (atman) to the cycle of rebirth (samsara) and leads to misfortune in this life and poor conditions in the next. The moral energy of a particular moral act bears fruit automatically in the next life, manifested in one's class, disposition, and character.

Hindu texts also prescribe a number of activities, such as pilgrimages to holy places and acts of devotion, that can wipe out the effects of bad karma. Such positive actions are sometimes referred to as "good karma." Some versions of the theory of karma also say that morally good acts have positive consequences (as opposed to simply neutral).

In Vedanta and Yoga teachings, there are three types of karma:

1. Prarabdha karma - karma experienced during the present lifetime
2. Sancita karma - the store of karma that has not yet reached fruition
3. Agamin or sanciyama karma - karma sown in the present life that will come to fruition in a future life
   

The process by which karma is understood to work through various rebirths is as follows:

1. Good or bad actions create impressions (samskaras) or tendencies (vasanas) in the mind, which in time will come to fruition in further action (more karma).
2. The seeds of karma are carried in the subtle body (linga), in which the soul transmigrates.
3. The physical body (sthula sarira) is the field in which the fruit of karma is experienced and more karma is created.
   

The purpose of life in Hinduism is thus to minimize bad karma in order to enjoy better fortune in this life and achieve a better rebirth in the next. The ultimate spiritual goal is to achieve release (moksha) from the cycle of samsara altogether. It may take hundreds or thousands of rebirths to get rid of all of one's accumulated karma and achieve moksha. The person who has become liberated (attained moksha) creates no more new karma during the present lifetime and is not reborn after death.

Various methods to attain moksha are taught by different schools, but most include avoiding attachment to impermanent things, carrying out one's duties, and realizing the ultimate unity between one's soul or self (atman) and ultimate reality (Brahman).

As a follower of Christ, we have the following scriptures:

Proverbs11:18 The wicked man earns deceptive wages, but he who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward.

Luke 6: 37-38 "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

2Corinthians 9:6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.

Job 4:8 As I have observed, those who plow evil and those who sow trouble reap it.

Hosea 10:12 Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the LORD, until he comes and showers righteousness on you.

Galatians 6:7-8 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.

We refer to this natural law of “What goes around, comes around” as the Law of Sowing and Reaping. Hinduism calls this a natural law but does recognize the one law giver. It revolves around their belief in reincarnation. Eventually one can get out of the cycle of reincarnation after several thousand times around if they master being a good person.

Here is a warning to those who call themselves “Christian”. If you accept and use the term “Karma” you are in fact stating that you believe that the practice of a false religion is true. And by using that term you are in fact practicing that false religion yourself.

Here is what scripture says to the people of God who practice false religions;

Psalm 4: 2 How long, O men, will you turn my glory into shame ? How long will you love delusions and seek false gods ?

Psalm 24: 3-4 Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false.

Jeremiah 13: 24-25 "I will scatter you like chaff driven by the desert wind. This is your lot, the portion I have decreed for you," declares the LORD, "because you have forgotten me and trusted in false gods.”

Amos 2: 4-5 This is what the LORD says: "For three sins of Judah, even for four, I will not turn back [my wrath]. Because they have rejected the law of the LORD and have not kept his decrees, because they have been led astray by false gods, the gods their ancestors followed, I will send fire upon Judah that will consume the fortresses of Jerusalem."

Deuteronomy 32: 16 They made him jealous with their foreign gods and angered him with their detestable idols.

Matthew 7: 15-23 "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'

Matthew 12:34 You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.

Luke 6:45 The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.

If you are one that uses the term “karma” and refer to yourself as “Christian”, I suggest you take inventory of your heart and seek the Holy Spirits direction as to what “beliefs” need to be removed. A true follower of Christ will seek to purge, with Gods help, those things that do not reflect Christ. I have had to do this many times. I am certain that I have more to purge. A follower of Christ is not one who is perfect (in the flesh or mind) but one being made perfect into the image and likeness of Christ, not by his own efforts but by the working of the Holy Spirit in him. We cannot do this in our own effort. Philippians 1:6 “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Blessings, Tom


By the way, Yoga is another practice by the false Hindu religion. If you choose to practice Yoga, do so at your own risk.

10. May 2, 2014

I was sitting here playing solitaire thinking if there was something I should be writing instead. Nothing came to mind.

I started to think more on Holiness. And then several other thoughts came to mind. All of them were related in that it all goes back to Jesus.

In an earlier blog I wrote that we are Holy already. That is, if we believe in Christ.

Please forgive me if my writing is jumping around and my written thoughts seem to go all over the place. If I don’t write down what comes to mind when it does I usually forget it soon afterward. Writing this apology has given me what I call a “Brain Fart”. The several things I wanted to write have since turned into thin air and floated off and are no more. But I am absolutely certain the Holy Spirit has anticipated this and will soon put me back on track. That is what I believe and I am sticking to it.

Here we go...

You all know that we are saved by Grace. I capitalize Grace because I believe Grace is a person, and that is Jesus. When Jesus gave us Himself, He gave if Grace, Peace, Hope, Love. The list goes on because those things are Christ. Have you read Norman Grubb's book “The Key to Everything”. I highly recommend it. If you click the picture on the right it will take you to a website that has the book available to read online.

Here is what Norman said:

“... my first discovery came as I read one famous verse in the first letter of John: "God is love."

Suddenly the is stuck out. What dawned on me went something like this: It doesn't say God has love, but God is love. If some body has a thing, it isn't he himself. It's something just attached to him, as if you've got a coat on or something in your pocket. You just have it, and you can share it. But the Bible doesn't say God has love, but God is love.

Love, therefore, must not be a thing I can have. Love is exclusively a Person. God is love. Therefore, there is no other pure, self-giving love in the universe beyond Him Himself. Love is exclusively a characteristic of one Person only — and that's not Norman Grubb.

That was a deflation for me. I had thought I could have love imparted to me, channeled into me, and I'd be more loving. But I suddenly found God saying, "You'll never have one iota of love. I am love, and that's the end of it."

Love is a Person; one Person only loving — and that's not I, and that's not you. God is love and, therefore, love is God loving.”

Does that not get you thinking? It did me. Now lets look at the famous “Love” verse:

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”

Here is a little sidebar – if you cant or don’t quote chapter and verse when quoting the Bible, don’t be concerned. Jesus never did when he quoted scripture. Check it out, He usually only said “It is written” or something along that line.

If you think of the phrase “God is love” and put it in a mathematical formula it would read: God = Love. Mathematically that means you can exchange “God” for “Love” and not change the value of the computation. Lets take the above verse and do the math on it.

God is patient, God is kind. God does not envy, God does not boast, God is not proud. God is not rude, God is not self-seeking, God is not easily angered, God keeps no record of wrongs. God does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. God always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. God never fails.

That should change the way you think. That is what is meant to repent. I literally means to change the way you have previously thought and think about it differently.

Earlier I stated that we are already Holy if we believe in Jesus. Here is the math on that.

"And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!""

Here is states that God = Holy. So how can we say that we are Holy?

God = Father, Son, Holy Spirit (as one being)

God = Father

God = Jesus

God = Holy Spirit

Paul writes:

“I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me...”

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.”

“For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”

Here is another quote from Norman Grubb:

“The other verse …. is perhaps my favorite in the Bible. It is Galatians 2:20, where Paul says, "I am crucified with Christ

That's the old Paul out.

Then he says, "..... nevertheless, I live."

That's the new Paul in Christ: a living, thinking, willing, feeling, battling human. A real person.

But listen: then he corrects himself and adds, "Yet not I, but Christ liveth in me."

He could very easily have said, "Nevertheless I live and Christ lives in me"—as if Christ lived near him or close by him.

But you see, he replaced self by Christ.

That's the point.

He said, "Nevertheless, I live—excuse me, the real I isn't I at all, it is Christ."

In other words, your other self is Christ. It is not you, it's Christ. There are two selves joined in one; and the other self is Christ.

That's why it's indivisible. That's why it's ridiculous to look around or above and try to find Christ.

You don't try to find yourself, do you? Wherever you go, you are there, aren't you?

However you feel about it, you can't escape your self.

And your other self is Christ; you can't escape Him either!

I'm sorry if Christ has to go where you go! But that's His business!

In the grace of God, Jesus Christ tied Himself to us.

Isn't that amazing? You can't escape Him.

Where you go, He goes. He's your other self; He's not you.

You're you; He's He.

You contain Him; He motivates you. And you learn the habits of this abiding life.

He is the one who lives it.

You are His means of expressing Himself.”

Because we are inseparable from Christ we can say Us = Christ, and therefore Us = Holy. This has nothing to do with us but only because of Christ Himself. We are nothing, He is everything.

Repent. Open your mind and allow Gods thoughts be your thoughts.

09 April 30, 2014

I have escaped death several times in my life. The first time was before I was born. My mother could have opted for an abortion. She chose to allow me to live and put me up for adoption. I have never met my birth mother but I do know I will see her in heaven.

I am the youngest of eight children. All of us were adopted. Non of us are related. In 1970 when I was nine, my parents took our family on a camping trip through Europe.

The first time I almost got creamed by a car was at the bus stop outside our campground in Florence, Italy. All my family had crossed the street ahead of me as I straggled behind several yards. I started to cross the street when all my family started screaming something at me. I stopped in my tracks because I had no idea what they were yelling at me. Suddenly there was a red flash, a loud roar and a rush of wind just inches in front of me. I quickly looked up and down the street and there was nothing there. The car had gone by so quickly I never saw it coming or going. Just the red flash, roar, and wind. I was in shock as my mom grabbed me in her arms and didn’t let go for what seemed like ages.



Trevi Fountain, Rome

The second time I almost got crushed was in Rome. We had camped outside of the city and took the city bus (it was a VW bus) into see the ruins and St Peters Basilica over a few day period. On one day we were going to see the Trevi Fountains. I was crossing the street behind my dad when I heard a screech of brakes. A VW bug had come to a stop less than six inches from my right leg. My mom had gone ahead of us and was already at the fountains so my dad and I both agreed that was a close one and continued on to catch up with the rest of the family.

Another time I almost committed suicide. I was in college in Southern California. During one of the summer breaks I had a job at a gas station back in the days when full service was still popular and gas prices had increased to whopping 75¢ a gallon. Full service was 80¢. I partied a lot and did as much drinking as I could for a twenty year old. I met some girls at the gas station and they invited me to a party not far from where I lived. That evening as I got plastered drunk, I met the sister of one of the girls. She just got back home from college in Massachusetts. Her name was Jenny Winslow. There was something really different about her. She had a calm spirit. There was a peace about her that I had never experienced before. I also noticed that she was nursing one beer all night long. I don’t think she ever finished it.

A few days later I saw Jenny again at the gas station. I asked her if she wanted to see this new movie called Star Wars. She agreed and that began a summer that was a life changer. You see, we went out all the time except for Wednesday night or Sunday morning. She was active in a church and would not compromise on those times. I never drank when we were together.

Summer passed and we went back to our universities. We wrote each other every so often. My grades in school were horrible. I could not pass a class no matter how hard I studied. I didn’t know until my late 40's that I was full blown ADHD. As far as my parents were concerned I was lazy and not doing any studying. They were going to stop paying for my college unless my grades improved. Although I learned the material, the pressure from my parents to do well caused my brain to shut down when taking a test. I became very depressed. In my anatomy class I figured out what part of my brain I would have to blow out if I wanted to make certain I died when I shot myself. That is the only class I did well in. I felt alone and had nobody to talk to. I had almost saved enough money to buy a gun. That was when I heard Gods voice audibly for the second time in my life. I was calling out to God for help when I heard Him say out loud to me, “Write Jenny”.

I wrote a letter to Jenny. I didn’t know how much good the letter would do, but I did know that she was in good standing with God. There was a purity about her when we hung out all summer. I told her I was about to kill myself. I didn’t know what she could do but she was the only person I could tell about it. A few days later I notice the depression was lifting. Something in me was different. About ten days after writing I received her reply. She said she had her prayer group at her school start praying for me immediately. She also passed the urgent request to every one she knew. She said God had a plan for my life and I should trust Him. The prayers she initiated changed the course of my life. I saw her once the following summer but she was too busy to spend any time with me. Her family moved from the town we grew up in and I never saw or heard from her again. She doesn't know that a few years later I received Christ into my life. It was her unconditional acceptance that started my walk towards my Fathers home.




Lake Arrowhead, CA

Shortly after accepting Jesus was the next time I almost got killed. My dad had a cabin at Lake Arrowhead and I was taking some vacation time to soak up some sun and do some fishing. I drove over to Green Valley Lake where it was next to impossible to not catch your limit on trout. It was stocked often.

 The day I went fishing it rained most of the day. I caught more trout in the rain than any other time. However, that day I caught nothing and was soaked to the bone. On my way back to Lake Arrowhead I got caught behind a slow motor home. The road was narrow and had many blind turns. I got fed up because my Honda CVCC could hug the curves at 60 miles an hour and I was only going about 15. I was the fourth car behind and nobody was passing. I decided to go for it. I passed all the cars with ease. As I passed the motor home I gave the driver the finger and cussed loud enough for him to hear me. As soon as I got back in the lane the road took a sharp turn.

 

I was doing close to 50 at that time when I heard a bang in the back of my car. My right rear tire just blew out. I lost control as it began to spin around heading for the edge of the road. Time slowed dramatically and I was able to count the spins that only took a few moments. I heard a calm voice in the back seat of my car. It said “You're not going to die”. It was weird but the terror suddenly turned to peace. I took my hands off the steering wheel and my foot off the brake. As the car completed the third spin it was heading directly off the cliff. I was at 5500 feet in elevation and it was 3000 feet to the bottom. In those days there were no guard rails. Just as my front wheels were about to go off the edge the car stopped without a sound. It didn't hit any thing. It just stopped. If I had gone off I could have easily rolled for more than 1000 feet before stopping. My only explanation for why it stopped is that an angel grabbed my car and stopped it.

A few days later my roommate came to spend the weekend at the cabin and do some fishing. On the way to Green Valley Lake I showed him the place where it happened. He looked at the skid marks on the road and I showed him where the car finally stopped. He could tell by the skid marks that I was telling the truth about my speed and the fact that the car stopped at all was impossible. The next week he went to church with me and asked Jesus into his heart.

 

I don’t know why I write what I do. I just follow my heart. I believe the message here is for us to love those around us. Don't judge people as Jenny did not judge me. She was willing to hang out with me. She never preached at me or even asked if I wanted to go to bible study with her. When I had a life and death crisis in my life, she made herself available in the only way possible for her at the time. I am sure if she were in Southern California she would have been at my side. She couldn’t be. All she could do was pray. And that is what changed the course of my life.

 

Don't compromise who you are in Christ. Love others like Jesus loved others. Hang out with the sinners as Jesus did. Don't join in with their sin. When a crisis comes, they will have no doubt they can trust you and lean on you. Who they really are leaning on and trusting is Christ in you, they just don’t know it yet. You don’t know the call God has on their lives. It's not your business what their call is. It is your business to love God with all your heart, and to love your neighbors as yourself.

Blessings,

Tom

08. April 27, 2014 Deep Waters

Walking at the Park

I take walks in the park on a regular basis. Often I find myself talking to myself out loud. It is in these times I have found God teaching me with my own voice. By the time I get back to my car I can't remember what the message was.

I decided to take my voice recorder along so I can share these messages on my Blog

You can listen to the audio by playing the video. I did my best to transcribe it below.

We cant belittle or lessen what God wants to do.

 

Gods desire is for everyone to be with him in heaven. That is why He sent Jesus. He paid the price for their sins. He just wants them to believe.

 

If we are not born of the spirit and born again we cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.

 

We must believe in Jesus, it is in this belief that we are given a new spirit life because we have asked Jesus to be a part of us. Our new birth isn't us, the new birth is Christ in us. His life is the new life in us. He gives us everything. It's all Him. Nothing else, NOTHING else.

 

Paul preached Christ, and Christ alone. All of our salvation is nothing more than Christ alone, nothing else. Our life is nothing more than Christ. This life in the flesh counts for nothing.

 

Over the years God has spoken to men and women to bring His story of redemption to all who would listen and believe from the prophets of old to the prophets of today.

 

Those who truly truly seek God, seek His presence, find a place out of the flesh and find a place in the Heavenlies where they reside with their heavenly Father. He touches them and talks to them and holds them close. “This is my Son, tell this to others, they need to hear this.”

 

It's not me writing these messages, it's not me writing this blog, its Christ in me. Christ in me. Nothing more, I am nothing.

 

For those who followed me over from my YouTube and have watched my videos, I have no talent in producing videos, yet I got 1,100,000 hits on my channel in a few years. How is that possible? I don’t know, it's not me. I just go on and trust my heart. The photos I choose, the transitions I choose, I don’t know what I am doing. When I finish a video I look at and say “My God! How did that happen?” I am just amazed about how these videos I produce are so good. Their Holy. Not because of me. Yes, my friends, I have no talent. It's Christ in me. He is the one editing the videos through me. It's not me at all.

 

Not everything in your life is about you. Its not about your wife, your children, your brothers or sisters, your mothers and fathers.

 

When you receive Christ, when you seek Him, will you go into the deep waters? Or are you going to go into puddles ankle deep? Only little children stay in the ankle deep water. Toddlers will go waist deep. When you grow up in Christ, when you grow up, you go to the deepest part of the waters trusting. Will you walk on those waters with Christ in faith? Peter stepped out in the deep water. I marvel at his faith. It wasn’t about that he sunk in the physical water, the H2O. He stepped out and said “Jesus. You said so, I believe”. Yes his flesh looked around and his flesh sank down, his spirit had no doubts. Christ attributed that to Peter as faith and on him He built His church because he was willing to step into the deep waters. Are you willing to step in deep waters? Are you willing to love your neighbor for who he is and nothing more? Not trying to preach the Gospel at him, not trying to change him, because it's not your job. It is Christ in them. And without Christ in them, I don’t know. I really don’t know. I am not the judge. I'm not the one who determines who goes to heaven and who doesn't. That is Christ and Christ alone. It is not my place to say “Oh! You don’t believe? Your going to hell.” I don’t know the mans heart. Christ does.

 

We all think the bible is it. The bible is all that there is. There is nothing else. God is such a puny god if we can put Him in a tiny little book with ink on paper. God, our Heavenly Father, is so much more infinite that that. There is so much more. Yet we so called “Christians” try to limit Him. Why? So we don't have to, so we feel we are not accountable, to live the life He has called us to live. To walk in Holiness.

 

Walking in Holiness does not mean that your flesh in sin-free. Walking in holiness is understanding who you are. Who God says you are. Knowing that He began the work in you. He did. He's the one changing you. Forming you, molding you into Christ. He is the one who made you into flesh. All you have to do, all you are supposed to do is believe. Nothing more than that. Nothing more than that.

7. April 22, 2014 Majesty!

I just posted the blog for today April 22.

The song Here I Am(Majesty) by Delirious playing in the background.

Sitting here in my room I started to think about how I have no life what so ever. I am not looking for a girlfriend but it would be nice to have a female friend to go with me as I do my walk in the park. It would be nice to have more money so I could enjoy some of the things I see others doing. I have nothing.

Those thoughts lasted but a moment when I hear a voice inside say, “You have a life, you cant see it because it has been hidden. Remember, you have died your life is now hidden in me.” Once again I find myself enveloped by peace. All my needs have been met. The things I need to sustain this life in the flesh have been provided. And there is much more. I have Christ. I have everything.

The song playing brings memories back to when I was four or five. One of my sisters reads the the childrens version of Samuel.

1 Samuel 3

1 The boy Samuel ministered before the LORD under Eli. In those days the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions. 2 One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was. 4 Then the LORD called Samuel. Samuel answered, "Here I am." 5 And he ran to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me." But Eli said, "I did not call; go back and lie down." So he went and lay down. 6 Again the LORD called, "Samuel!" And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me." "My son," Eli said, "I did not call; go back and lie down." 7 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD: The word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him. 8 The LORD called Samuel a third time, and Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me." Then Eli realized that the LORD was calling the boy. 9 So Eli told Samuel, "Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, 'Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.' " So Samuel went and lay down in his place. 10 The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" Then Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening."

For several nights as I went to bed, I remember saying “Lord, here I am.” As far back as I can remember, I believed in God. I have always felt I was called into ministry. As a young teenage Catholic I even considered being a priest. I heard God speak to me audibly late one night and He pretty much told me I would not be a priest.

 

The song playing is on a loop. “Majesty, Majesty, your grace has found me just as I am, empty handed but alive in your hands.”

I am brought to tears. I am remembering my mother who passed away five years ago.

My mom was a die hard catholic. She believed that only Catholics were going to make it to heaven and I was constantly reminded to return to the “True Church”. She didn’t know she could have a personal relationship with her creator.

In January of 2009 I got a call that she had a major stroke. Both my father and mother had decided if anything happened to them they would not try to resuscitate or use feeding tubes. My mom was 87 and about to die. The sister who called told me emphatically that I was not to talk about God, Jesus, or the Bible and she would be watching me.

This was war. My mom would have an opportunity to hear about and receive Christ. I didn’t have a problem if she refused, that would be her choice. But she would hear the Gospel before she died. I was living on the East Coast and arrived in Newport Beach, CA a few days later. Hospice had set up a bed for her in the living room of their home. Several family members were there including the sister who was going to keep her eye on me. I spent some time with my mom but could not get any time alone without being under a watchful eye.

Also there was my Aunt, my moms only surviving sibling, along with her was my cousin Kathy. Back in my High School days I stayed away from Kathy because she was one of those “Jesus Freaks”. I don’t call her that anymore because I am one now and I don’t think I am a freak. Anyway, as my aunt and cousin were about to leave I got a few moments alone with Kathy. She told me she really wanted to talk to my mom about Jesus but she knew that my family would throw her out of the house if she tried. She tried several times but could not get any time alone with her. She prayed and asked God for help. Suddenly everybody got up and left the house. And I mean everybody including my dad. She had no idea why but she took the chance to talk to my mom. She asked my mom if she knew Jesus and my mom replied with a “yes”. Then my mom was asked if she knew Jesus as her Lord and Savior. She said “no”. My mom then prayed and asked Jesus to be her Savior.

A few hours after my cousin left, the sister who was keeping her eye on me came into the kitchen where I was and said:

“The weirdest thing happened today, Tom. The doorbell started ringing and wouldn't stop. There was nobody outside. We all tried to fix it but couldn’t get it to stop. We checked the button and it wasn't stuck. It just kept on ringing. We all gave up and finally it just stopped on its own.”

I heard a voice say to me, “Behold, I stand at the door and ring.” Where there was no way, Jesus made the way.

The next morning I was able to spend some time alone with my mom. She told me she talked to Jesus that night and she knew what her job was once she got to heaven. I was excited to hear what that was and with a smile she told me she was not allowed to tell me. She went home to be with her Lord and Savior a few days later.

The song is still playing. I hear the words “Majesty” and the floodgates are opened and my shirt is soaked with tears. These are tears of Joy. How Majestic is Jesus. He provided the miracle needed so my mom would be in heaven with Him. I will see her again. And I know she is watching over me. I believe she has met my daughter. I cant wait to go home.

Do I believe in Jesus? Absolutely! No doubts! I am not saying this in faith, but from experience.

Blessings,
Tom

6. April 22, 2014 Who's job is it anyway?

If you have not read about the “BrownSofa” click here before continuing.

As I wrote before, I have been apart of many churches of various denominations. In almost all of them, we were told we had to work hard to not sin. We must continue to struggle to do what is right in Gods eyes.

Have you noticed how exhausting it is to be aware of every thing you do and say as not to go astray. Not just avoiding sin, but also making sure we do good. In reality, it is impossible to not screw up at some point. I may not have sinned today but I passed by that woman struggling with that heavy box. The book of James says in chapter 4 vs 17 that if you don't do the good you aught to do you commit a sin.

We keep trying and cant do it. Paul said “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

How do we do this? Jesus tells us “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

I doesn't seem so easy. It seams really hard at times. The problem lies in the churches teaching that we must strive to attain this level of holiness. But that is contrary to scripture. As believers in Jesus we all know that we are saved by his grace and nothing else. It even says we are not saved by our works. Striving to be better is the same as saying you can make yourself holy by your own working.

Our path to holiness is really simple. The bible puts it this way: “And I am sure of this: that the One who began a good work among you will keep it growing until it is completed on the Day of the Messiah Yeshua.” (CJB)

The day we believed in Jesus was the day God began to change us into the image of Christ. I have been at it since September 23, 1985 when I asked Christ into my life. I know I havent arrived yet. I keep looking forward, not looking back at my failures - especially those after I began following Him. Its His job to change me, its my job to believe He will do it.

Blessings,

Tom

This is from my YouTube Channel: ImLivn4Jesus