Pastor Tom's Journal

Psalm 16:1 - Keep me safe, O God, for in you I take refuge.   Never separate the two parts of this prayer or you will diffuse its power. The first part is a request made in faith. The second is a declaration of faith upon which every request is made and in which our confidence resides. Safety, in and of itself, is of limited value. We are safe from what and for what?   The end and the means are the same here. We are made safe by abiding that we might safely abide in Christ. If God is our refuge, that is enough to say. It is an end in itself. To be in Christ is the end that brings every new beginning. Where is your principal residence in this life? Every anxiety and discomfort is addressed by the answer of faith. If you reside in God and take refuge in Him, then rest in Him and abandon all concern for safety from that which you cannot control. God is in charge.   Psalm 16:2 - I said to the Lord, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.” This is so very importan

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Dig in, view the art, hear the music, and read the transcript at: https://pastortomsims.typepad.com/the_dream_factory/2023/03/born-of-the-spirit.html

Read More about one of my days: https://medium.com/@tomsims/a-stroke-of-genius-6fa48b66e257 Get Coaching https://calendly.com/pastortomsims

Art by Laura James, LauraJamesArt.com Big questions keep us awake at night. The answers define where we stand in relation to ultimate truth. They either cloud our view or take us to new vistas of awareness. The psalmist asks a question. Who can live close to God? Who does God invite into proximity with the divine presence. Psalm 15:1 - Lord, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill ? The grand question introduces the next set of lessons from the psalms and sparks the imagination of all earnest seekers. As believers in Christ, we have the answer in the gospel, but the very asking of the question is a matter of opening to God for all that He desires to teach us. Do not take truth for granted or treat it as if it were not ever new and renewing. Allow the question to move you to the next level of seeking as you go before the Father in prayer today. Psalm 15:2 - … He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart… Here

  It Is Proper Art Credit: Valente, Liz. Baptism of Jesus, Original source: Liz Valente,  https://www.instagram.com/donalizvalente/ . Preparing the Way “For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” – Matthew 3:3 Every prophetic function with its fulfillment has its counterpart in our lives and it is up to us to seek it. What does it mean for us, as the people of God, to prepare the way for the Lord? How have those who have gone before us prepared a straight path for Him in our lives? How have events and people shaped us so that we could be ready to receive His Word? God’s ways always involve preparation. He does nothing haphazardly or without thought and planning. When He desires to speak, He prepares the message, the messenger, and the hearer. When He is about to act, He informs His servants the prophets. He is a God of precision and perfect order. He does all thing

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Readings for Today on Readiness Isaiah. 5:8-12,18-23 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 Luke 21:20-28 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah.+5%3A8-12%2C18-23+1+Thessalonians+5%3A1-11+Luke+21%3A20-28&version=NRSVUE Stay in Touch https://linktr.ee/tomsims

Starting a new entrepreneurial venture, like a business, a social enterprise, a congregation, or a non-profit organization is like learning to ride a bike or a horse. It is a new set of skills, but it can be done. People do it every day. https://pastortomsims.typepad.com/the_dream_factory/2022/11/get-on-the-entrepreneurial-horse.html

  Revealed with Fire — The Crucible “Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.” — — 1 Corinthians 3:13 Believers welcome the revealing fire of God’s judgment with an odd sort of anticipation. Knowing that we have already passed from death unto life, we do not fear death, but embrace the joy of Heaven. We yearn to have the old dross of fleshly choices burned away so that what is of God can be refined for the enjoyment of eternity. There is going to be some loss. And there will be some disappointment. But all that is lost will be worthless and the disappointment will be over the wasted time, energy, and emotion that were invested in the mess that was doomed for destruction. There will be tears for Jesus to wipe from our eyes in Heaven. Some will be the tears of regret for what we could have been and done for the Master if we had been completely “sold out” to Him.

Babette's Feast - The General's Speech This was a delicious film that shared the gospel through all the senses. It was the secular general, the most worldly man in the midst, who, along with Babette herself, fully understood what the feast was all about. the general says it so well. Happy Thanksgiving. May you enjoy a feast of love today. --------------------------------------------------- "Mercy and truth have met together. Righteousness and bliss shall kiss one another. Man, in his weakness and shortsightedness... believes he must make choices in this life. He trembles at the risks he takes. We do know fear. But no. Our choice is of no importance. There comes a time when your eyes are opened. And we come to realize... that mercy is infinite. We need only await it with confidence... and receive it with gratitude. Mercy imposes no conditions. And, lo! Everything we have chosen... has been granted to us. And everything... we rejected... has also been granted. Yes, we even g

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Move Mountain Move This is my first editing project. It is a start and it was my mountain to move today. https://youtu.be/oYHV5H0bIvo via @YouTube

Time changed overnight. Did you adjust your clocks? Actually, it was not time that changed, but our timing, our tracking of chonos time. Photo by Aron Visuals on Unsplash Another time matters more - KAIROS time. Our God is the God of the living. God is the Master of the eternal now and the infinite moment. God's time is measured in unmeasurable kairos time in the midst of chronos time. Life matters. Now matters. Moments matter. The God who dwells among us in temples not made with hands is ever-present and always relevant. Excuses, distractions, and apprehensions aside, God is now. Haggai 1:15-2:9 New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition On the twenty-fourth day of the month, in the sixth month. In the second year of King Darius, in the seventh month, on the twenty-first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by the prophet Haggai, saying: “Speak now to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant

  There are messages today for two kinds of people: For those who are humble - God's mercy is for you and God will justify you. For those who are prideful-  Do not trust your own righteousness and look on others with contempt.   YouTube Version of the same message: The Jesus Prayer Chanted All The Scriptures for Today Read with Comment on II Timothy 4 The Prophetic Word Spoken Through Joel Joel 2:23-32 New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition O children of Zion, be glad, and rejoice in the Lord your God, for he has given the early rain for your vindication; he has poured down for you abundant rain, the early and the later rain, as before. The threshing floors shall be full of grain; the vats shall overflow with wine and oil. I will repay you for the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army that I sent against you. You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied and praise the name of the Lord your God, who