From Pastor Tom - Transforming Power

Many years ago a man was selling small tracts of the Bible which contained portions of scriptures. He was stopped in Chicago and was robbed. The robber told him to set a fire and burn all the merchandise he was selling. After lighting a fire, the man asked the robber if he might read aloud from one of the tracts he had been selling before he sent it up in flames. The robber gave him permission and he read:

                      “The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures;

He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul;

He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I fear no evil, for You are with me;

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;

You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows.

Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”  (Psalm 23)

After the reading the robber said, “Don’t burn that one.”

 The salesman picked up another one and started reading,

 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven……” (Matt. 5:3)

 After reading that one the robber said, “Don’t burn that one either.”

The salesman picked up another one and started reading,

“If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal….”  (1 Cor. 13:1)

Again the robber said, “Don’t burn that one.” And so it went time after time until all the tracts were read and not one burnt. Finally the robber said, “Those are all good readings.” As the robber left he took not only the man’s money but all of the tracts with him. Some years later the salesman and the robber would meet again. But this time the robber was a minister who was faithfully preaching the Word of God.

The Word of God is powerful and can change lives – that is why God says:

“So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”  Isa 55:11 (KJV)

The Message Bible says it this way:

 “So will the words that come out of my mouth not come back empty-handed. They'll do the work I sent them to do, they'll complete the assignment I gave them.”  Isa 55:11 (Msg)

God has the power to transform lives. Do you want your life changed?  Then read the Bible – God can change your life through the reading, hearing and doing of His word.

Blessings,

Pastor Tom

From Pastor Tom - Vulnerability: A Forgotten Virtue

I don’t know it all just like you don’t know it all.  There are limits to our knowledge, ability, and energy.  And while the competitive nature of our culture would have us to hide all of our weaknesses in fear, there is tremendous power in becoming vulnerable with people.

Deciding to become vulnerable is risky.  Admitting that we have some flaws – is not popular.  But let’s be honest – we are human aren’t we?  At this point in my life I have never met a perfect human – have you?

Is admitting vulnerability worth the risk?  Absolutely!  Here are some important reasons why vulnerability is a forgotten virtue…

1. It is emotionally healthy.

    Maintaining an image of perfection requires enormous amounts of emotional energy.  One of the reasons we sometimes get so stressed out and depressed is because we’re working so hard to stay behind the facade and keep everyone convinced that we’re strong.

    If you are constantly worried about your image – you are heading for burnout.  Keeping people happy and impressing others is terribly exhausting, and it’s always temporary.  Eventually, people will see that you have flaws.

    James 5:16 says, “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” (NLT)  We need to confess our sins to God to be forgiven, but we also need to talk about our weaknesses with others to find healing.

2. It is spiritually empowering.

    James also says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6 NLT)

    Humility is another virtue that is neglected today.  But remember – pride prevents power! 

3. It is relationally attractive.

    Everybody is wearing a mask and it’s what we expect others to do as well.  When we choose to throw our masks away, we surprise people with our authenticity.  Being real is the fastest way to endear yourself to others.

    We tend to love people who are real, honest, humble, and vulnerable and we tend to despise people who are deceitful, arrogant, and hypocritical.  Paul told the Thessalonian believers, “We loved you so much that we shared with you not only God’s Good News, but our own lives, too.” (1 Thessalonians 2:8 NLT)

 When you share your strengths – you create competition.  But when you share your weaknesses – you create community.  We are all in this together.  Strive to be honest and open with others and see what happens.

 May God Bless,

Pastor Tom