Will You Be Part of the Joyful Ascent?
I can remember it very clearly, as if it were yesterday. I was seated in a room with nearly 500 elderly people, listening to a presentation of the significance of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. The man speaking was also drawing an elaborate picture with chalk pastels. I had heard many of the “facts” before, I had even heard some of the stories, but I had never really understood the significance of Jesus ascending into heaven.
Recently, on May 26th, was the celebration of what western church historians call Ascension Day; the celebration of Jesus being carried or taken up into heaven. (The story is recorded in the books of Mark, Luke and Acts.) I am reminded how on that evening many years ago I came to realize that when Jesus ascended into heaven, it opened the way for me to have a relationship with Him, the living God-man – and nothing has been the same ever since.
Do you believe that Jesus ascended into heaven 40 days after He was crucified and...
Are You Building Your Muscle?
Many people want to be healthier and in better shape. Today the number of popular diet program options is mind boggling. Keto. Paleo. Intermittent Fasting. Cleanses. Mediterranean, just to name a few.
Do you, too, want to get in better shape? If so, I have one question that I must ask; do you want a short-term or a long-term solution?
Many people want to look nice for an upcoming event or reunion, but fewer seek to sustain a life change that will make a difference for the long haul. Do you want to cut excess sugar for the next 10-20 years, or is this a short-term fancy? Are you willing to keep at your exercise plan for years and years, or is it related to some short-term goal?
Sometimes people address their faith-life in a similar way. They want to get in “spiritual shape;” they are hoping it will happen by magic, and they put their hope in a “crash-diet” of Sunday sermons and crisis prayers. Many of us hope that we...
Are You Holding Back?
Is there anyone who really knows you, who has experienced the big events of your life with you, who knows your feelings and perspectives? You may have a few people who have shared in some (or even most) of the significant happenings of your life, but no one has really been there with you through them all. Even the people who have been with you haven’t really seen and experienced what you have. They have seen things from their own unique perspective. They may have experienced many things with you, but not inside you. Only God knows you like that! Every memory that you have can be shared with God. He was there, not just with you but WITH you. He is the only One with whom you will ever really, really, really be able to share your life. He knows you inside out (literally and figuratively), and He wants to share your life with you.
So, why do we so often keep God at a distance, only sharing “our religious lives” with Him? Is it because we think that if...
Can We Talk?
Many people in our country believe that faith is a personal thing – that it’s not something to talk about or share with others. To believe this, however, is to believe that there is no real, solid, true faith that we must all consider.
The Bible uses the expression “the faith” to describe a solid belief in Jesus Christ that impacts and informs all aspects of life. People are to be strengthened in the faith, encouraged to stand strong in the faith, to examine themselves to make sure they are in the faith, to grow in the unity of the faith and to experience joy in the faith together. Faith is personal. Faith is also corporate. We need to be discuss it so we can grow and progress in our understanding, application and practice of “the faith.”
In Ephesians 4:15 we are instructed to “speak the truth in love” to each other. This is what we all need spiritually and relationally. We need to receive both...
Are You Prepared for What's Next?
When you consider your future, what do you think will happen?
Do you picture good things coming your way, or does the future feel somewhat bleak?
No one really knows the future. God rarely gives detailed insights into what is coming next. It seems that He wants us to rely on Him and not to become fixated on what will or won’t happen. This can feel disconcerting – and some become so concerned with knowing the future that they involve themselves in the occult, seeking dark powers for information about their future as if that will bring them security and comfort.
God’s Kingdom approach is quite different. He promises to be with us always; to never leave us or forsake us. His character is such that He can be trusted with our future, even though we don’t know what that future will hold.
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28 NIV)
Rather...
A Simple Step to Release God's Kingdom as you Go!
When Jesus walked the earth, He declared that the Kingdom of God was at hand. He could do this because He was living under the rule and reign of His Father in Heaven. He said,
“I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.” (John 5:19)
Jesus lived, died, rose from the dead and ascended into heaven. He purchased for us the same kind of relationship He had with His Father in heaven. He opened the door to life in the Holy Spirit in a way that had never been understood or experienced before. So now, wherever you go, you can also declare that the Kingdom is at hand – if you know Jesus. His rule, resources and insights are with you – God Himself is with you!
The next time you go to work, you can declare, “The Kingdom of God has arrived, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against its advance through me.” ...
An Invitation to God's Healing, Deepening and New Direction - Podcast
Click Here to Tune in to hear this astounding and inspiring story of redemption, healing and hope.
It was a delight to sit with Joe Fornear, a long-time friend of mine from high school days. I KNOW that you, too, will be encouraged to hear what he has to share.
In this podcast, you will hear some of Joe's honest reflections on
- life lived as a self-professed "racecar that needed a steering wheel".
- his own mental health struggles
- relational struggles with profound effects
- God's interventions and "glorious salvation"
- the impactful gifts of those who invested in him
- his diagnosis of Late Stage Metastatic Melanoma
- an oncologist's shocking "death sentence" when no more could be done
- God's MIRACULOUS healing
- how God is moving in and through him today in an amazing and inspiring ministry
Really...You do not want to miss this one!
~ Coach Tom
Are You Living Into Your Exchanged Life?
The Exchanged Life
How are you doing in your soul? What is the condition of your spirit – the deepest part of you? It may take a moment to access your inner state, but it is good to check-in with yourself from time-to-time.
The apostle Paul said the Kingdom of God is a matter of “Righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 14:17) This is what the Life of Christ looks like in us. Jesus described His life as restful, rightly fit for us and light. (Matthew 11:28-30) Deep down within yourself, do you sense righteousness, peace, joy, rest and lightness? Or do you feel cluttered and weighed down on the inside?
At the core of the Christian life is a death and resurrection. Jesus’ crucifixion is a payment for our sin-saturated lives and a release from sin’s strangle-hold. His resurrection demonstrates the power of the Holy Spirit and is a picture of new, supernatural life. This inner life...
What To Do When Life Gets Rough
He wants to break you out of the prison of a closed-system mindset, freeing you toperceive and rely upon the resources of heaven. This is often a painful and scaryprocess, and it seems new and insurmountable each time it occurs. The faith-fruit, however, that grows through such trials is incredible and expansive. Paul wanted the believers in Corinth to know just how stretching such an experience was for him, and how prayer and partnership play a crucial role in heavenly faith breakthrough. He wrote,“We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our...
