The Pastors Pen - Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
10/9/2024

WHO AM I?

The German philosopher, Immanuel Kant, used to love to take long walks of a summer evening, meditating and thinking. On one occasion he was seated in a park when a suspicious policeman noticed that he had been there for several hours. The policeman came up to him and said, “What are you doing?” The philosopher replied, “I’m thinking.”
The policeman said, “Who are you?” Kant said, “That’s precisely the problem I’ve been thinking about. ‘Who am I?'”

It was this same philosopher who proposed that life could be reduced to four basic questions: What can I know? What ought I do? What may I hope? What is man, or who am I? We must wonder, in view of the vastness and majesty of His creation, why God would be mindful of and care for man. “What is man” in God’s eyes?

Psalm 8:4 “What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?” What is man that You think about him, the son of man that You look after him? Why does God care about us? The Bible tells us that God is love. The Bible tells us that God so loved the world. God loves us because that’s what He does. God loves. God cares. God watches us with loving care.

Who am I? Every person could ask that question. Ask yourself this question, who am I? First of all let this be settled I am created by God. Loved by God. Cared for by God. Watched over by God.

Who am I? Unfortunately I am a sinner. I have inherited sin through Adam. Romans 5:12. I am loved by God but condemned by a Just and Holy God because my sin has separated me from Him.

Who am I? I am someone of infinite worth to God. I am someone that God loved so much that He saw my sinful condition and with loving care did something about it. He sent His Son who knew no sin to pay the debt for my sin.

Who am I? Without Christ I am nothing, can be nothing, and will come to nothing, but with Jesus is everything that leads to life and life more abundant.

Who am I? If I am trusting in Christ. He is in me and I am in Him. He is life. He is my life.

Who am I? It depends upon who you trust. If I trust in what I think and what I feel then I will never have answers to my questions. If I trust in Jesus He is the answer to all of my questions. Then question then is not “who am I” but “who is He?“ Through Him, Jesus Christ, I will know who am I and in turn will know Who He is.

Watch sermons and read sermon text and other articles by going to www.tomahawkmbc.com. Listen to Pastor Jack’s sermons on WSIP FM 98.9 every Sunday morning at 10:30 Am. Watch his sermons on his Facebook page. He also can be seen on Rumble, Bitchute and Brighteon video platforms.

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church

10/2/2024

Our Greatest treasure.

Peter Schmidt says If you’ve ever bought a used car, you have illustrated this truth. Someone got rid of that car for whatever reason: they got a new one, they wanted something bigger, or they simply just got tired of it. But that old car that they wanted to get rid of was just what you were looking for. It was trash to them, it was treasure to you.

Or you’ve been on the other side of it if you ever had a garage sale. As you’re going through the stuff in your house that you are preparing to sell, you run into dozens of things where you say to yourself, “well, I’ll try to sell this, and if no one wants it, I’ll just throw it out.” That item is trash to you, but you are hoping that it will be treasure to someone else.

That’s exactly how the cross of Jesus is treated. To some, it is trash. To others, it is treasure. Sometimes we treat the cross as if it is the greatest treasure. But sadly, too often we act as if the cross is trash, compared to other things. So that’s what we will do this morning, we will compare the cross to a couple of things and see how it stands up. Let’s compare the cross to intelligence, and let’s compare it to power, and see where the trash is and where the treasure is.

The world might think the Bible is just another book, just common trash. They may even say that Jesus is just junk. A nobody, worthless. But we who know Him know that Jesus is our greatest treasure. He is ours for the brightest of days to the darkest of days.
Isaiah 33:…. the fear of the Lord is his treasure. The Lord is our treasure. The Lord is our riches. Do you wan to be rich? Be rich in Christ. Be rich in the joy of having your sins forgiven, in the peace of knowing the truth. Be rich in the love that Christ has for you and in the blessed future that you have in Him.

In Revelation Heaven is described as having walls made of treasure, precious jewels. Revelation 21:19 And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald. Isn’t it wonderful that Peter describes Jesus as being precious to us. 1 Peter 2:7 Unto you therefore which believe he is precious.

Jesus is a treasure given to us by God the Father. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. Jesus is so precious to us. Is He precious to you? Is Jesus your treasure?

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
9/25/2024

THE RED BARON AND TEMPTATION

Manfred, Freiherr von Richthofen was a famous German First World War fighter pilot.
He was better known as the Red Baron because he flew a distinctive a red Fokker aircraft.
He shot down more combat planes than any one else on either side in the first World war
His known kill tally was 80.

On 21st April 1918, he began chasing a Canadian plane – that was trying to escape the battle over the Mor-lan-court Ridge, near the river Somme. As the Red Baron pursued his prey, he strayed behind Allied lines. He dived too low into the enemy lines

And he also he missed a Canadian pilot (Arthur) “Roy” Brown coming up on his tail to help his comrade. We will never know whether it was a shot from the ground – or a shot from Brown that killed Richthofen. But what we do know is that the “Red Baron” came to his end because he made the mistake of pursuing that Allied ‘plane too long, too far, and too low into enemy territory.

Many committed Christians have been shot down because they have followed temptation for too long, too far, and too low into enemy territory. And as with Richthofen — they are then caught unawares and then have to deal with the consequences.

Understand that as Christians we will sin. We are not perfect. Thank the Lord that we have 1 John1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” But we are not to “stay” in a sin. We are not to have a sin that is habitual. We are not to have a sin or sins that we cannot control or sin that we become trapped in.

Romans 6:12 “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.” Sin has no right to reign and we are not to obey it. Because the Holy Spirit dwells in me sin should not control me….through the power of the Holy Spirit I control it.

Proverbs 7:22 “He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter…” Romans 6:14 “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.” Simply put: We are not to follow sin like we are hypnotized, a puppet or a robot who has no control over himself or like a ox to the slaughter. We are not to let sin get that kind of power over us. Sin is not our master.

God’s grace places the believer in Christ, and the Holy Spirit in the believer. Therefore a Christian does not have to sin, because the Holy Spirit dwells in me I can resist temptation and do what is right.

It’s up to me! Am I going to be controlled by sin or is sin going to be controlled by me?
Please help me Lord to say NO to sin and control the situation so that sin won’t control me. Don’t be like the Red Baron. Beware! Guard your heart and your mind with the word of God because sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer that you want to stay.

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
9/18/2024

Dirt or Glory

One morning a little girl, dressed in spotless white, with a lovely bouquet of flowers in her hands, passed by a boy who was playing in the dusty street. The sight of this pretty girl stirred the spirit of mischief in the boy’s heart and in no time a handful of dirt struck clean white dress and spattered on her shining shoes.

The girl stopped still. Her face flushed pink. Her lips trembled as if she would cry. But instead, a smile broke on her face and taking a flower from her bouquet, she handed it to the boy who stood waiting to see what she was going to do.

A more surprised boy no one ever saw or one more heartily ashamed! He hung his head and his cheeks reddened under the tan and freckles. His unkind fun was quite spoiled because in return for a handful of dirt someone had handed him a flower. He gave her dirt she gave him a glorious little flower.

When God sent His Son to this earth all Jesus did was love people, heal people and feed them. How did we repay Him? We yelled “crucify Him, crucify Him!” Instead of sending ten thousand angels to free Him, God simply allowed His Son to fall into the hands of sinful man. God knew that to save this world of sinners it would require a perfect sacrifice and that would have to be His Son. We gave God dirt, He gave us His glorious Son.

So now we have this great salvation given to us by a loving God, by the free gift of His Son. Yet many today still throw dirt at Jesus. They curse Him still. They still say “crucify Him” by their rejection of Him. Most don’t want anything to do with Jesus. Even his name is dirt to them.

How does God react? 1 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Oh the depth and height of the mercy of our loving and patient God!

Even those who claim to know Him are throwing dirt at Him today. We go through the motions of living the Christian life. We don’t read our Bibles to allow our loving Lord to speak to us. We neglect to pray and talk to the one who yearns to hear from us. We don’t go to church to worship to know that God is with us. We never tell anyone about Him and the salvation He has provided for us. Christians today have a the 11th commandment…..we will make no sacrifice in our lives for Jesus! Isn’t that throwing dirt on Him?

Despite all of this He loves us still. Here I must quote the greatest Bible verse of all time…..John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. We gave Jesus dirt, He gave us His glorious Son!

One day all will praise Him and give glory to His name. Then He will get what He deserves and those who have rejected the King of Kings and Lord of Lords will get what they deserve. The question for you is are you going to give Jesus dirt or glory?

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
9/11/2024

Church Is A Treasure Hunt

Don Chapman writes,

“Recently I visited a church where I had to jump over a few unnecessary hurdles before I finally took my seat in their worship service. There was no sign out front. I drove to the church’s location and was surprised not to see a sign. Was I in the right place? I’ve probably driven by the church building 100 times, and since it’s in an old warehouse, I never knew it was a church! I suspected I was in the right place because of all the cars in the adjacent parking lot.

“Then as I parked my car I saw a sign on the side of the building facing a side road (but no sign BY the road.) Then we tried several doors and all of them were locked. We finally found an unlocked door on our fourth try! Then there were no greeters. I walked into the church and stood in the lobby, spinning around with a blank look on my face as I tried to figure out which door led to the sanctuary. It was like the old game show “Let’s Make a Deal” where you pick one of three mystery doors. Nobody was around to help me find my way, no signs, nothing. A bunch of kids were entering door #1 so I guessed that wasn’t right… then I saw adults going in door #2 so I followed them down a hallway to the sanctuary entrance. After all this, I expected to enter a room with 10 people…To my complete shock I entered a large auditorium that was literally packed with about 500 people!”

And then he writes, “I felt like I was on a treasure hunt! You really have to want to go to this place since they put so many obstacles in your way.”

I agree with Mr. Chapman going to church is a challenge because we put so many obstacles in our own way. We want to sleep, we are tired, we have worked all week, we have to take time to get ready, we have to wear good clothes, we have to get everyone else ready, we have to find a place to park, and we have to find the car keys. Then the devil puts many obstacles in our way also. He tells us that “it’s not that important.” “They don’t care about you at that church.” “You don’t have anything in common with those people at church.” “The preacher is boring.” “The service is too long.” And he goes on and on.

It’s a tough task but only those who truly want to worship God will get there. You really have to want to be at church to get there. You must really want this treasure to get there.

And what a treasure church is! The church is the only institution established by God. The church is the only place where we are told to gather by God. The church is the only place God promised to bless us even if two or three are there. The church is the only place where a group of people glorify Jesus Christ. The church has now become the only place where can gather to hear the Bible read. The church is the only place now where people can go and hear someone pray in Jesus name. The church is now the only place where we can call sin what God calls it and get away with it. What a treasure church is!

How long before this great treasure is taken away from us. You think it can’t happen? Many countries in the world have outlawed Christian public gatherings today.

This Sunday think about church as a treasure hunt. How much is the treasure worth? A hundred years from now you will have already found out!

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
9/4/2024

MAKE YOUR RESERVATION

Is your name written in the book of life?

Ruthanna Metzgar, a professional singer, tells a story that illustrates the importance of having our names written in the book of life. Several years ago, she was asked to sing at the wedding of a very wealthy man. According to the invitation, the reception would be held on the top two floors of Seattle’s Columbia Tower, the Northwest’s tallest skyscraper. She and her husband, Roy, were excited about attending.

At the reception, waiters in tuxedos offered luscious hors d’oevres and fancy foods. The bride and groom approached a beautiful glass and brass staircase that led to the top floor. Someone ceremoniously cut a satin ribbon draped across the bottom of the stairs. They announced the wedding feast was about to begin. Bride and groom ascended the stairs, followed by their guests.

At the top of the stairs, a maitre d’ with a bound book greeted the guests outside the doors. “May I have your name please?”

“I am Ruthanna Metzgar and this is my husband, Roy.”
He searched the M’s. “I’m not finding it, would you spell it please?”

Ruthanna spelled her name slowly. After searching the book, the maitre d’ looked up and said, I’m sorry, but your name isn’t here.”

“There must be some mistake,” Ruthanna replied. “I am the singer. I sang for this wedding ceremony.”

The gentleman answered, “It doesn’t matter who you are or what you did. Without your name in the book you cannot attend the banquet.”

He motioned to a waiter and said, “Show these people to the service elevator, please.”

The Metzgars followed the waiter past the beautifully dedorated tables laden with shrimp, whole smoked salmon and magnificent carved ice sculptures. Adjacent to the banquet area, an orchestra was prepared to perform, the musicians all dressed in dazzling white tuxedos. The waiter led Ruthanna and Roy to the service elevator, ushered them in, and pushed G for the parking garage.

After locating their car and driving several miles in silence, Roy reached over and put his hand on Ruthanna’s arm. “Sweetheart, what happened?”

“When the invitation arrived, I was busy,” Ruthanna replied. “I never bothered to RSVP. Besides, I was the singer. Surely, I could go the reception without returning the RSVP.”

Ruthanna started to cry. — not only because she had missed the most lavish banquet she’d ever been invited to, but also because she happened to get a small taste of what it will be like someday for people as they stand before Christ and find their names are not written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.”

For heaven’s sake, have you made your reservation?

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
8/28/2024

WHEN TO SAVE A DROWNING MAN

Watchman Nee tells the story of his stay in China with twenty other Christians. The bathing accommodations were inadequate in the home where they were lodging, so they went for a daily dip in the river.

On one occasion, one of the men got a cramp in his leg and began sinking fast. Mr. Nee motioned to one of the other men, who was an excellent swimmer, about the drowning man. To his astonishment, however, the man did not move. He just stood there and watched the drowning man.

Mr. Nee was agitated, but the swimmer was calm and collected. Meanwhile, the voice of the drowning man grew fainter and more desperate. Mr. Nee hated the swimmer who just stood and watched on the shore when he could have jumped into the river and rescued the drowning man. As the drowning man went under for what looked like the last time, the swimmer was there in a moment, and both were soon safely on shore.

After the rescue, Mr. Nee chewed out the swimmer, accusing him of loving his life too much and being selfish. The response of the swimmer revealed, however, he knew what he was doing. He told Watchman that if he had gone too soon, the drowning man would have put a death grip on him and they would have both drowned in the river, and he was right. He told Mr. Nee that a drowning man cannot be saved until he is utterly exhausted and ceases to make the slightest effort to save himself.

Such is the case with our salvation. When we stop trying to save ourselves, then the Lord can step in and save us when we yield to Him.

It was a cold winter’s night. The wind was howling and a bone chilling rain was falling when the telephone rang at the home of a doctor. The man that was calling said that his wife needed urgent medical attention. The doctor was very understanding and said, “Sir, I’ll be glad to come and see what I can do for your wife, but my car is being repaired, could you come and get me?” There was indignation on the other end of the phone the man angrily shouted, “What, in this weather?” One of the characteristics of someone that is lost is that they are self-centered. Self can never cast out self, even in the regenerate man. Praise God The death of Jesus, once and forever, is the death to self.

We were or are like this man. We want God to save us but in our way not His. We don’t want to have to repent, turn from our sin and follow Jesus. We want to take Jesus in to our hearts but our hearts have not been regenerated. We want to accept Jesus into our lives but our lives have not been born again by His Spirit. We are all drowning men. Drowning in the sin of self effort. Some of us have given up and let Jesus save us.
Most of us are still struggling, still fighting to save our lives and we are doomed to fail to in the attempt. That’s the paradox of Matthew 10:39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

Find your life by losing it. Give your life to Jesus. All of it. Keep nothing for yourself. And you will find life, life that is in Christ, for Christ and because of Christ.

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
8/21/2024

Do You Want to be Famous?

English evangelist George Whitefield (1714-1770) learned that it was more important to please God than to please men. Knowing that he was doing what was honoring to the Lord kept him from discouragement when he was falsely accused by his enemies. At one point in his ministry, Whitefield received a vicious letter accusing him of wrongdoing. His reply was brief and courteous: “I thank you heartily for your letter. As for what you and my other enemies are saying against me, I know worse things about myself than you will ever say about me. With love in Christ, George Whitefield.” He didn’t try to defend himself. He was much more concerned about pleasing the Lord.

In a speech made in 1863, Abraham Lincoln said, “We have been the receipients of the choicest bounties of heaven; we have been preserved these many years in peace and prospertiy; we have grown in numbers, wealth, and power as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us.”

That sounds like our world today doesn’t it? We have plenty of worship but not of God. We worship our sports hero‘s. We worship movie stars. We worship famous people. At one time the most popular TV show in history was American Idol. America Idol’s goal is to make someone famous. The young contestants who range from the age of 15 to 28 years of age will say that their whole goal in life is to become “famous.” People believe that it is okay to lie, cheat, steal, even kill to become famous.

Where is God in all of this? What has happened to God? Has He gotten smaller? Has God changed? MalachI 3:6 says “I am the Lord, I change not.” Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today and forever.” God has not changed. But we have changed God. We have put self before God. We have become a Nation of self serving, self seeking people. What happened to Matthew 6:33? “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

Christian….God has not called us to become famous. The desire to become famous is not a God given trait. The desire to become famous is a result of the original sin of pride. Pride is seeking what we want rather than what God knows is best for us. Pride is the root of all selfishness and sinfulness. 1 John 2:16 “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”

What then is the proper attitude for the Christian to have? Micah 6:8 “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.”

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
8/14/2024

True Disciples

When I was a teenager we had a revival in 1971 at Inez First Baptist Church. There were so many people saved that it seemed like the whole town had turned to Christ. The revival lasted for almost three weeks. Over 100 people made decisions. It seemed that just about every young person at Inez High school had accepted Christ. We thought our community was changed forever. My father was one of the first ones to come to Christ at that revival.

Two years later only my dad and less than a handful of others were still going to church somewhere. What happened? Many will get excited and emotional about Christ but not many will follow Him. Jesus describes His true sheep in John 10:27 “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”

When the excitement and emotion of the revival meeting goes away so do most of the people. In fact one lady told our pastor “I don’t like regular church I only like the big meetings.”

Revivals are good to encourage and fire up the flock and yes sometimes people get saved…and if it’s only ONE it’s worth it….but we need to make sure that people are truly saved. We must not lean on too much excitement, emotionalism, long invitations, trigger stories and begging people. (trigger stories are stories preachers tell to trigger an emotional response during an altar call.)

Of course we sometimes get excited and emotional about what Jesus has done for us….but excitement and emotion can’t save you…..only Trusting in Jesus Christ and His death burial and resurrection can save you. That is a decision that is made by reasoning and faith. “Come let us reason together” the Bible tells us.

People left Jesus at the height of His popularity when He began to talk about betrayal and bad times ahead. John 6:66 “From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.” (interesting it’s John 666. Is this a veiled reference to the mark of the Beast, the Anti-Christ for whom people will leave the true Christ.) There was a fatal flaw from the first in the profession of faith of those who left Jesus. People get excited about Jesus but they do not trust in Him. Therefore they do not follow Him. They will start by not showing up for church much and after a while they are back to their old life.

Jesus true disciples will follow Him no matter what! Ordinary days, Bad days, and even fearful days are when faithful followers of Jesus shine! But false disciples will drop out during days like that.

Faith cometh by Hearing and Hearing by the word of God. People are saved when they hear the gospel and respond in faith and trust in Jesus Christ. The church is then commanded to make disciples of them. I’ve heard people say….“Well the church didn’t disciple them! It’s the churches fault!” How can the church make disciples of those who are not really disciples…..who have not truly trusted in Jesus Christ? You can’t make disciples of people who don’t show up to be discipled! I hope it is different with you.

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
7/31/2024

Proper Worship

Let the one who would worship God open his mouth in praise, his heart in receptivity, his mind in contemplation, his purse in dedication, and his hand in fellowship.

Song writer and worship leader Graham Kendrick said, “Worship is first and foremost for His benefit, not ours, though it is marvelous to discover that in giving Him pleasure, we ourselves enter into what can become our richest and most wholesome experience in life”

In May of 1846, 187 men, women and children left from Missouri in a wagon train headed to California. There was nothing exceptional about the group or this journey and we would have never known about them had they not made the decision to try a shortcut. The “Hastings Cutoff”, as it was known, was indeed a shorter route to their destination but it had only been tried on horseback. No wagon had made the journey. This group, now known as “The Donner Party”, would not complete their journey.

This group is famous because of allegations of cannibalism that occurred within the group while waiting for rescue. We find the thought repugnant and disgusting. We like to believe that, no matter what, we would never do such a thing. It would be more accurate to say, “I have not been that hungry yet” than to say “I would never eat that.” The survivors were high in the Sierra Madre for three months with no food at all.

I have heard people make the observation that, “I wasn’t fed at church.” I assume they mean that they didn’t learn anything useful or that they didn’t feel the presence of God. I also have heard the charge that, “I don’t like doing it this way.” I compare this to kids complaining that there is nothing to eat in the house. When we point out various options, they exclaim, “I don’t like that.” My response is always the same. Then they aren’t truly hungry yet.

You know who doesn’t like what is spread on God’s table? The one that isn’t hungry. The one seeking self satisfaction and validation. Who wants to pick and choose the ways they will worship? The one that doesn’t think they need God. They are full… of themselves.

In Matthew 5:6, Jesus commends the one that “hungers and thirsts” for righteousness. Desperate. Without pride or will. With one goal and one goal only, to be fed. To eat readily from whatever it is God lays on the table. To accept whatever condition, correction or assignment He throws at us without hesitation. When we come to Church and worship in such a way, according to Jesus, we will leave filled and content. So when we leave still hungry and discontent, whose fault is it?

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
7/24/2024

THE TRUTH OF THE BOOK

“It’s a strange thing: the book has never been so accessible. According to Guinness Book of Records, L. Ron Hubbard’s writings of scientology have been translated into 65 languages; the Koran is supposed to be read in Arabic so it hasn’t been translated as much; the Book of Mormon is in about 100 languages. But 2,656 languages have all or some of the Bible. Some 65 million copies of the Bible are brought or distributed in the U.S. every year–nothing else is a close second. The average house has at least three. People cheer the Bible, buy the Bible, give the Bible, own the Bible-they just don’t actually read the Bible. According to George Gallup: One Third of those surveyed know who delivered the Sermon on the Mount. Fewer than half can name the first book of the Bible; 80 percent of born-again Christians believe the phrase Go helps those who help themselves is in the Bible (it’s Ben Franklin, if you’re curious).” –John Ortberg.

There is a tale told of that great English actor Macready. An eminent preacher once said to him: “I wish you would explain to me something.” “Well, what is it? I don’t know that I can explain anything to a preacher.”

“What is the reason for the difference between you and me? You are appearing before crowds night after night with fiction, and the crowds come wherever you go. I am preaching the essential and unchangeable truth, and I am not getting any crowd at all.”
Macready’s answer was this: “This is quite simple. I tell fictional stories but I act like I believe it…you are preaching the truth but do you don’t act like you believe it.”

The bottom line is this…..Is the Bible the word of God or not? If the Bible is the mere words of men then it would be the greatest work of men that has ever been written. It’s prose, it’s drama, it’s tragedy and it’s triumph shows that it is a masterfully written work. If the Bible were just the words of men it should at least be standard reading for everyone just like the works of Mark Twain, J. R. R. Tolkien, Charles Dickens, CS Lewis, Shakespeare, and others.

One point to consider here. The Bible is 66 books written by 40 authors over 1600 years. Even if it were the works of men it would be the most unique and unusual book ever written. No other book but the Bible has had that many writers over such a long span of time that contains such a consolidated, consistent message. Not only that but the Bible is one third prophetic and its prophecies are one hundred percent accurate. There is no question among all scholars that the Bible is the most fascinating of all books.

If the Bible is the word of God then we shouldn’t we carefully, fearfully, reverently pour over every word, discover every page and search out each precept as though it contains the most important information we could know and treat is as though it were the most precious possession we could attain?

The Bible claims to be the word of God. The Bible claims to contain the truth. Jesus said “thy word is truth.” Jesus declared the Bible’s truth. Shouldn’t that be enough encouragement for us?

Since most all of us own a Bible we must believe it is very important…..but since we don’t read it what is that saying? Are we treating the Bible as the words of men rather than the words of God? Why don’t we cherish its words, desire its contents or care about its message? Our hearts are not right with the word of God because our hearts are not right with God.

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
7/17/2024

NO REPLACEMENT REFS

Way back in October 2012, sports fans across the United States are howling foul. Officiating calls in the final week of replacement referees in an NFL game and in Major League baseball’s National League Wildcard game have turned the sports world into a finger-pointing circus.

On September 24, 2012 Monday Night Football game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Green Bay Packers, as the clock wound down, two players, Green Bay’s M. D. Jennings and Seattle’s Golden Tate, went up for a hail Mary pass. Although Jennings had the ball secured in his chest as the two fall to the ground, Tate was ruled to have “dual possession”, having his hands around the ball at the same time.

The NFL rule states that if two players of opposite teams have simultaneous dual possession, the catch will be given to the offensive player.

The officials said that Tate’s possession, according to the rules, gave Seattle the winning touchdown and set off such a fan uproar, NFL officials hurriedly completed the negotiation with the regular refs, hoping to move on.

On October 5th, 2012 in the first Wild Card Playoff game in Major League History, a pop up to shallow left field has become the talk of injustice.

The Atlanta Braves were trailing by three with runners at first and second base with Andrelton Simmons at the plate. Simmons hits the infamous popup, and Saint Louis Cardinal short stop Pete Kozma apparently drifts under the ball with little effort, waving his arms to call off left fielder Matt Holiday. The officials dutifully called the “infield fly rule”, which states that if an infielder can easily play a pop up with runners at first and second base, with less than two outs in the inning, the batter will be out and the base runners can advance at their own risk.

However, as the call is signaled by official Sam Holbrook (a Louisville Ky native by the way), Kozma runs away from the ball and it lands on the ground without being caught. The results? The call had already been made, and the Cardinals go on to win the game.

In both situations, the fan debate has drifted from whether the rule should have been applied, and if it should, is the rule flawed?

Someday, we will all stand before the Head Referee, the Eternal Judge. The rule for Eternity is clear: “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.” The key to victory in this life and in the life to come is simple, believe and trust in Jesus Christ alone.

Many will bring up a list the reasons why there should be exceptions to the rules, and even claim that it is ridiculous to put so much importance on one issue or rule. But to them, God the eternal judge will say, “I will hear no arguments, you cannot make any appeals, there is no debate. Depart from me. Because I never knew you.”

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
7/10/2024

They Will Not Prevail

Psalm 22:6-8 But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people. All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head…….

When Susan Boyle stepped out on the stage of “Britain’s Got Talent,” years ago people laughed at her…like the scoffers in this Psalm. They made fun of her because her outward appearance wasn’t the glitz and glamour they’d come to expect. Members of the audience could be seen rolling their eyes.

But when she began to sing, her voice was like that of the angels. People’s initial attitudes about her were changed. She had an amazing voice that was perfection to their ears. The rolling eyes changed to looks of shock at the incredible talent this woman had to offer.
The resounding applause proved she had what it took to be a star.

But her talent was on the inside. God looks at what we’re all about; by what’s on the inside. God doesn’t care if we have lustrous hair that shines or dingy grey, or no hair at all. God loves us just the way we are.

God doesn’t care if our eye lashes are long and full of volume. God loves us just the way we are. God doesn’t care if we own a limousine and driver to go with it or if we walk to church or take the bus.

God loves us just the way we are with the resources we have on the inside. And our biggest resource is our heart. It’s a heart that has a right relationship with God. It’s a heart that desires to live by God’s standards, not human beings. That is where true happiness is found.

It’s no secret formula that comes in a bottle or that you have to purchase in an exclusive limited time TV offer. No! The price has already been paid for you to be in a right relationship with God. Jesus Christ paid the price…with His life…for you! Amen! Contributed by Margaret Unger.

Those who laughed at Susan Boyle were certainly surprised. She prevailed over their scorn. Those that laugh and scorn you for your faith in Christ will one day be laughed at themselves. Psalm 59:8-9 But thou, O Lord, shalt laugh at them; thou shalt have all the heathen in derision.

Romans 8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? The answer is if God is for us it doesn’t matter if anyone is against you or not. They will not prevail over you!

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church

7/3/2024

The Hands of Christ

This is from Justin Jackson a postmaster friend of mine from Ohio.

I am an avid WW II Buff. My family, many of them from Austria and Holland barley escaped before the Nazi’s occupied both countries, they fled to England.

My brother and I started traveling many years ago to trace our families heritage and it’s taken me to many Holocaust sites and death camps.
While visiting a small Austrian sleepy village near Innsbruck Austria with my brother a few years back we came up on this beautiful old church dated back to the 17th century and the stained glass in the church was absolutely the finest in all of Europe. That being said, it was the pride of the village !!!! People would come from all over to see the stained glass. So naturally, we like so many other when into view the stained glass panels.

When the NAZIS began shelling the village during WW II, the locals all ran to the hillsides taking cover in the forests as the bombs were being dropped on the little hamlet. After the bombings and shelling was over the towns folk began to return to the town and found homes and shops destroyed the village was in utter ruin but much to their surprise there stood their church with the famous stained glass all INTACT ! As the towns people began to assemble at and in the church they discovered that the roof had not been spared as part of it was struck from a near by structure and the roof collapsed. At the front of the church there stood a 12 foot high marble statue of Christ with out stretched arms and hands welcoming his flock into the church. The collapsed roof had sheared off both the hands of the immaculate statue and the towns folk were crushed. They quickly repaired the roof and then began looking for a master craftsman that could repair and restore the hands.. A famous sculptor “who’s name I can’t remember” offered after the war to come and repair the statue for free.

After much thought about the subject the village priest declined the offer. The Sculptor was of course offended and asked why… The Priest had told the sculptor and his people that the statue would stay as it was, as a constant reminded that Christ has NO hands here on earth but OURS, he challenged his parishioners with a message, “What have your hands done for Christ today ??”

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
6/26/2024

I Thought You Were Jesus

When Wycliffe Bible translator Doug Meland and his wife moved into a village of Brazil’s Fulnio Indians, he was referred to simply as “the white man.” The term was by no means complimentary since other white men had exploited them, burned their homes, and robbed them of their lands.

But after the Melands learned the Fulnio language and began to help the people with medicine and in other ways, they began calling Doug “the respectable white man.” When the Melands began adopting the customs of the people, the Fulnio gave them greater acceptance and spoke of Doug as “the white Indian.”

Then one day, as Doug was washing the dirty, bloodcaked foot of an injured Fulnio boy, he overheard a bystander say to another, “Whoever heard of a white man washing an Indian’s foot before? Certainly this man is from God!”

From that day on, whenever Doug would go into an Indian home, it would be announced, “Here comes the man God sent us.”

Later on Doug was caring for a sick baby holding the child in his arms all night as the baby cried with fever. In the morning the baby recovered and began to sleep. Later it was announced “Here is the man that God sent us….this man must be Jesus.“ Later after baptizing a young family who trusted in Jesus Christ and spending many days teaching them about Jesus…. it was then announced “this man is not Jesus. This is the man who is just like Jesus.”

There was a hospice chaplain named Larry, and how he became friends with an 80-year-old lady named Mary. Mary was a hospice patient. Larry visited with her many times, and was greatly impressed by her faith. One day, he got a call that Mary had taken a turn for the worse. And that if he wanted to see her alive, he’d better go that day.

Larry went to visit his friend, and found her in a very deep sleep. Larry didn’t wake her up, because he knew Mary had been in a lot of pain. But just as he turned to go, she opened her eyes wide and stared right at him. Mary looked intently and then said to him, “Oh, for a minute, I thought you were Jesus.”

They laughed about it for a moment and had a good visit together. Just two hours later Mary did see Jesus face to face. But Mary’s comment really hit a note with Larry. He later wrote: “I believe we all ought to be mistaken for Jesus, every once in a while. God has given you a mission, just as God gave a mission to Jesus. If you’re living it out, if you’re showing his unconditional love, if you’re treating other people with care and compassion; if you’re bringing good news to the poor, freedom to those whose lives are being torn apart by sin and if you are preaching the grace of God and forgiveness of sins through Jesus Christ and Him alone….then maybe someone will look at your life and say, ’Oh, for a minute I thought you were Jesus.’” No we are NOT Jesus. But we are to be like Him. Jesus told us many times that we are His representatives in this world. Think about this…..if we represent Him, if we bear His name, then shouldn’t we be like Him?

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
6/19/2024

The Word Of God

Maybe you’ve heard about the gorilla in a zoo holding a Bible in one hand & a book about evolution in the other. He was looking confused, so someone asked, “What are you doing?” The gorilla answered, “Well, I’m trying to decide if I’m my brother’s keeper or my keeper’s brother.”

There’s a story I heard once, about an man who was trying to cut costs, so he began to gradually substitute sawdust in the oats of his mule. Everything was fine for a period, and the animal was satisfied with sawdust. Then he died. We see the same in spiritual life. Some people exchange truth with error in the believer’s lives and it’s great for awhile…. but before you know it they are dead spiritually.

Pastor Vsevolod Lytkin from Siberia, recently spoke at a church in Minneapolis, Minnesota during a US visit. He described his personal journey to faith in Jesus Christ. Listen to his struggle:

His parents were atheistic university professors at a local university who raised their son to “think for himself”. During his teen years, he struggled with many spiritual questions. When the communists told him there was no god, he reasoned that their might be a God and so began a search for reading material where he might find the answers.

The only books of religion available at his local library were atheistic, but they often quoted verses from the Bible to mock or refute them. His greatest discovery was a set of encyclopedias on atheism from which he copied every Bible verse by hand from. It was not very long before he began to pray to God and ask Him to forgive his sins. II Timothy 2:9 “… “the word of God is not bound.”

I happened on an interview with Dr. Adrian Roger’s long time Pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis Tennessee. Dr. Rogers is summing up what made his years of ministry there possible:

“If you were to put Johnny Carson, Jay Leno, anybody else out there and let them speak to the same people three times a week for 27 years they would be climbing the walls to get out if you are drawing from your own well; I don’t care who you are. The reason I preach the Bible is: first, I’m not smart enough to preach anything else. The Bible is a bottomless well. So I’m not smart enough to preach anything else. The other reason is I am smart enough not to preach anything else, because I know that the Bible has the staying power. Our Church is packed, we have run out of room. It is not a testimony to me but to the Bible. If I stop preaching the Bible, these folks will saturate this place with absence. They come for the Word of God. They want it to be warm, they want it to be understandable and applicable. But I have learned that there is power in the preaching of the Word of God.” The Bible is called the Word of God because it is the Word of God. That alone should cause us to come to the Bible for our every need, our every hope and our every desire.

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
6/12/2024

JUST WATCH!

A young boy looked up at his grandfather and wondered aloud, “Grandpa, how do you live for Jesus?” The respected grandfather stooped down and quietly told the boy, “Just watch.”

As the years went by the grandfather was an example to the boy of how to follow Jesus. He stayed rock-steady in living for Him. Yet the grandson often lived in a way that was not pleasing to God.

One day the young man visited his grandfather for what both knew would be the last time. As the older man lay dying, his grandson leaned over the bed and heard his grandpa whisper, “Did you watch?”

That was the turning point in the boy’s life. He understood that when his grandpa had said, “Just watch,” he meant, “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.” He vowed that from then on he would live as his grandfather did – striving to please Jesus. He had watched, and now he knew how to live.

Can your grandchildren watch you and know how to live for Jesus? Can your children watch you and know how to live for Jesus? Can co-workers watch you and know how to live for Jesus? Can the public watch you and know how to live for Jesus? This is your legacy. What are you leaving behind for others? Are you leaving money, fame, fortune, good times, or things…or are you leaving behind the legacy of a life well lived for Jesus?

Paul said in 1 Corinthians 4:16 16 Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.
He said it again in Philippians 3:17 Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample. Paul told them to follow his example. In other words imitate me and the way I follow Christ.

We must have examples to follow in the Christian life. That’s one reason we have the Bible. We read about people who lived the life of faith and trust in God in the Bible and they are our examples. They encourage us greatly. But we also need living examples of faith in Christ. We need to know that people are really living for Christ in the here and now. We need people that we can watch and observe and yes even imitate for Christ’s sake so that we will be encouraged and strengthened in our own walk with Christ.

I know that there are many of you that people can watch and know how to live for Christ. I encourage you to keep walking with Him, keep walking in His strength and power. You never know who is watching you. But I guarantee you this…someone is watching!

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
6/4/2024

APPROACHING STORM

“Isaac’s Storm” is a very interesting book about the hurricane that wiped out Galveston in 1900. One of the main plot lines of the book is about how everyone was convinced that a hurricane could never strike Galveston, even as one approached. The author vividly describes how as the streets began to flood people went about their business as if nothing was wrong. Children played in the water, men gathered for breakfast at the local diner, and no one fled from the storm that was about to strike.

Some didn’t worry because Issac Cline, the national weather service officer in Galveston, assured them it would not be a severe storm. Other’s simply believed that Galveston was invincible. Some thought that since they had never seen a hurricane strike Galveston one never would. So for a number of reasons, people assured themselves nothing bad would happen. And as a result over 6,000 people died one September day in 1900.

Today we can see storm clouds forming on the horizon. There is a moral and spiritual decline that continues to erode our national life. The warning signs are there for us to see–the signs that Jesus is coming soon. They beckon us to return to the Lord and seek refuge in Him. How will history look back on what we did as the storm approached? Will most of us be like Issac Cline? Not taking the return of the Lord seriously? Just passing it off and living life as normal.

If you knew that Jesus was returning this Sunday….how different would your life be today? If your life would be different that Sunday….then you are not ready for His return today! Matthew 24:44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

The storm of judgment of this world is approaching. The Bible tells us about it. The world witnesses to it. Our own conscience warns us of it. Something has to give! We just can’t keep going on thumbing our noses at God and thinking life will just go on.

No one need to have died at Galveston on that September day. The warning was out there but no one took it seriously. 1Thessalonians 5:2-4 “For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.”

The church should not be in darkness about this approaching storm. We have the word of God. We have preachers and teachers of the word of God. But today not many preachers are warning about the approaching storm, sadly because many don’t believe it. And those who do preach about it are not being heeded by very many.
Church attendance today is at its lowest point ever for many churches. As a pastor I used to spend most of my time trying to get church members to come to church. I warned them time and time again that Jesus return is upon us. My warnings were ignored so I have shaken their dust off my feet and have left them to the Lord.

I pray that we all be able to say with what the apostle Paul said in 2 Timothy 4:6-8 “For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
5/29/2024

Truly Hungry

I have heard people make the observation that, “I wasn’t fed at church.” I assume they mean that they didn’t learn anything useful or that they didn’t feel the presence of God. I also have heard the charge that, “I don’t like doing it this way” or “I don’t like that version of the Bible.” Compare this to your kids coming to you complaining that there is nothing to eat in the house. When you point out various options, they exclaim, “I don’t like that.” Your response is…… then you aren’t truly hungry yet.

In Matthew 5:6, Jesus commends the one that “hungers and thirsts” for righteousness. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
Think hungry. Desperate. Without pride or will. With one goal and one goal only, to be fed. To eat readily from whatever it is God lays on the table. To accept whatever condition, correction or assignment He throws at us without hesitation. When we come to Church and worship Jesus, we should leave filled and content. So when we leave still hungry and discontent, whose fault is it?

Whose fault is it when we are never satisfied with the one who promised to fill us? When Jesus said that “they shall be filled.” He meant that we would be filled with His presence, His power, His mercy, His forgiveness, His guidance, His word, His truth, His desires, His wisdom and His love. That my friends is a 10 course meal. We will be filled to overflowing! Righteousness, faith and truth come only from Jesus Christ. Our hunger for righteousness is filled only by Jesus Christ who is our righteousness.
As a matter of fact Jesus Christ is the only righteous person who ever lived. The Bible says that 2 Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. How truly hungry are you?

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
5/22/2024

TEN DOLLARS IS TEN DOLLARS

A man named Stumpy and his wife Martha went to the state fair every year and every year when Stumpy saw the antique bi-plane he would say, “Martha, I’d like to ride in that airplane.” Martha always replied, “I know Stumpy, but that airplane ride costs 10 dollars, and 10 dollars is 10 dollars.” One year Stumpy said, “Martha, I’m 81 years old. If I don’t ride that airplane I might never get another chance.” Martha replied, “Stumpy, that airplane ride cost 10 dollars, and 10 dollars is 10 dollars.”

The pilot overheard them and said, “Folks, I’ll make you a deal. I’ll take you both up for a ride. If you can stay quiet for the entire ride and not say one word, I won’t charge you: but if you say one word its 10 dollars.” Stumpy and Martha agreed and up they went. The pilot did all kinds of twists and turns, rolls and dives, but not a word was heard. He did all his tricks over again, but still not a word.

When they landed, the pilot turned to Stumpy and said, “By golly, I did everything I could think of to get you to yell out, but you didn’t.” Stumpy replied, “Well, I was gonna say something when Martha fell out, but 10 dollars is 10 dollars.”

Marriage is defined by one word…commitment! Our Christian life is defined by that same word. It’s not always easy being married. It’s not always easy being a Christian. Marriage has great joys. So does the Christian life. We give our lives for our spouse. We give our lives to our Lord Jesus Christ. When married couples are separated for a time they long to be with each other again. Christ is in a sense separated from His church. We have the Holy Spirit of course, but Christ promised to come back for His bride, the church. The reunion between the bride and the bridegroom was so much anticipated that in ancient Israel it was shouted in the streets. Matthew 25:6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Are you anticipating your Lord’s return?

Do you long to be with Him? Have you been faithful to Him while He is away? One day we will all stand before Him. Sadly most of us are as unprepared as the 5 virgins in Matthew 25 who did not buy oil for their lamps and when the bridegroom came at midnight they did not have oil for their lamps and could not see. Matthew 25:11-13 says. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

I talk to many people about coming to church each week. I have gotten this answer many times. “I stay up too late on Saturday night.” or “Sunday is my only day to rest.” They will be like those 5 virgins who when the bridegroom came had no oil. (the oil is the Holy Spirit which means they were not prepared to meet the Lord. The had not trusted in Christ as their Savior.) Those unprepared virgins were locked out. The saddest words in the Bible. “I know you not.” They will be left out forever. Left behind for eternity all because they regarded sleep more than God. The regarded rest more than worshipping the God who made them. They cared more for their time than time spent serving God in worship and praise. They were more concerned with their plans than God’s plan of salvation.

Isaiah 30:1 Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin.

10 dollars maybe 10 dollars. But God’s mercy is worth more than all the money the world could give. But God asks for no money. God doesn‘t require oil…. only for us to turn from our sins and trust in Jesus Christ as our Savior.

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
5/15/2024

RUBY’S PRAYER

Ruby Hamilton, a businesswoman in her fifties, was stunned at the loss of her husband of 32 years in a car accident. She had become a follower of Christ in her late twenties, but her husband didn’t share her newfound interest in spiritual things. Nonetheless, she had set about praying for him feverishly and unceasingly that he would come to know the Lord. And one day when she was praying, she felt a wave of peace wash over her, and that still small voice assuring her that her husband would be okay. She eagerly awaited the day when her husband surrender his life to Jesus. And now this.

What do you do when faith doesn’t make sense? When God doesn’t seem to be answering? Ruby Hamilton stopped living for God.

Roger Simmons was hitchhiking his way home. He would never forget the date – May 7th. His heavy suitcase was making him tired and he was anxious to take off that army uniform once and for all. Flashing the thumb to the oncoming car, he lost hope when he saw it was a black, sleek new Cadillac. To his surprise the car stopped.

The passenger door swung open. He ran toward the car, tossed his suitcase in the back and thanked the handsome, well-dressed man as he slid into the front seat. “Going home for keeps?” “Sure am.” “Well, you’re in luck if you’re going to Chicago.” “Not quite that far – do you live in Chicago?” “I have a business there, the driver said. My name is Hamilton.”

They chatted for a while, and then Roger, a Christian, felt a compulsion to share his faith with this fiftyish, apparently successful business man. But he kept putting it off, till he realized that he was now just 30 minutes from his home. It was now or never.

“Mr. Hamilton, I would like to talk to you about something very important.” Then he simply told Mr. Hamilton about the plan of salvation and ultimately asked him if he would like to receive Jesus as his savior and Lord.

The Cadillac pulled over to the side of the road. Roger expected that he was about to get thrown out of the car. Instead, the businessman bowed his head and received Christ, then thanked Roger “This is the greatest thing that has ever happened to me.”

Five years went by. Roger married, had a couple of kids and a business of his own. Packing his suitcase for a trip to Chicago he found a small white business card that had been given to him by Hamilton five years previous. In Chicago, he looked up Hamilton enterprises. The receptionist told him that it was impossible to see Mr. Hamilton, but he could see Mrs. Hamilton. A little confused, he was ushered into a beautiful office where he found himself facing a keen-eyed woman in her fifties. She extended her hand “You knew my husband?” Roger told her about how Hamilton had picked him up while he was hitchhiking home after the war. “Can you tell me what day that was?”

“Sure it was May 7th, five years ago, the day I was discharged from the army.” “Anything special about that day,” she asked. He hesitated, not knowing if he should mention how he shared the message of Jesus with her husband. “Mrs. Hamilton, I explained the gospel to your husband that day. He pulled over to the side of the road and wept against the steering wheel. He gave his life to Christ that day.”

Explosive sobs shook her body. Finally getting a grip on herself, she sobbed, “I had prayed for my husband’s salvation for years. I believed God would save him.” “Where is your husband, Ruby?” “He’s dead. He was in a car crash after he let you out of the car. He never got home. You see, I thought God had not kept his promise. I stopped living for God five years ago because I thought God had not kept his word!”

Galatians 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
Matthew 7:7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
5/8/2024

$3.00 WORTH OF GOD, PLEASE

Tim Hansel in his book “When I Relax I feel Guilty,” writes some insights of what most people want from God. “I would like to buy $3.00 worth of God, please. Not enough to explode my soul or disturb my sleep, but just enough to equal a cup of warm milk or a snooze in the sunshine. I don’t want enough of Him to make me love a drunk man or pick up someone out of the gutter of life. I want ecstasy, not transformation; I want the warmth of the womb, not a new birth. I want a pound of the Eternal in a paper sack. I would like to buy $3.00 worth of God, please.”

Along this line of thinking did you hear about the college students who wanted to form a new organization on their campus? They called it the “Apathy Club”? Their “Apathy Club” wasn’t going to be like any other student group. Where most organizations have a purpose or goal — or some common interest to unify and motivate them — this club was advertised as “believing in nothing, pursuing nothing.” They simply didn’t care about anything, and they were going to demonstrate their apathy in an organized fashion!

Just one problem…the self-appointed officers of the Apathy Club advertised the first meeting — and not a single person showed up — because anybody who might have been interested didn’t care enough to attend.

That’s funny until you realize that there’s an apathy epidemic raging in American Christianity. Apathy. The dictionary says it’s “a lack of feeling or emotion” — it’s defined as “passivity and indifference” — or an “absence of concern or interest.” Apathy has a close cousin — complacency — and complacency brings the added component of self-satisfaction.

Again I use one of my favorite verses John 10:27 Jesus said “My sheep here My voice and I know them and they follow me.” Many who become Christians only want the fire insurance but don’t want to pay the premium. I would say on any given Sunday in your community there are by far more Christians at home than in church! Why is this? Apathy. They know about Jesus but they don’t really know Jesus.

I thank God for those of you who tell me you enjoy this article every week. I thank God for your encouragement to me. But more than that I thank God for what that really tells me…that there are many of you who are following Jesus every day. That there are many of you that are not apathetic about the Lord’s work. You want more than $3.00 worth of God. You want all of Him. You talk to God in prayer, you read your Bibles to hear what God is saying to you. You are faithful to your church where you meet to worship, to serve God and to encourage to fellowship and teach one another. I know that they are many of you out there. Let me urge you to stay with Him, stand by Him, and Go for Him.

But beware of the wiles of the devil for we also can fall prey to the devil’s tool of apathy and unconcern. Remember these words from the apostle Paul and hide them in your heart. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. 1 Corinthians 15:58

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
5/1/2024

Can You Be Defeated?

1 John 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

It’s a scene from one of the Star Trek TV series. Worf, the Klingon, is captured by the evil Dominion. They intend to use him as a practice dummy in hand-to-hand combat for their lethal ground troops, and so they do. They bring out soldier after soldier to take Worf on and they go at it. It’s never very long before the bad guys get tired of getting beat up, and they “tap out” and quit. So, after Worf’s been taking on all comers for most of the day, they finally bring out their biggest and baddest, the one warrior they know will be able to win. They begin to battle, and Worf is just too weak from the day’s struggles. He is little more than a punching bag for the bad guy to work out on. But Worf will not “tap out” like all the other beaten soldiers. He keeps getting up, no matter how many times he is knocked down, no matter how injured he is. He simply will not quit. It is obvious that this valiant warrior has won the respect and admiration of all the Dominion troops, including the one now beating him up. They all begin to beg him to tap out and quit, but he will not. Finally, out of sheer exasperation, the warrior who is beating him stops and “taps out” himself. When asked by his enraged commander why he has done this, he says, resigned, “I cannot defeat this man. I can only kill him.”

Think about that for a moment. I cannot defeat this man. I can only kill him.

They could not defeat Jesus they could only kill Him. He was unstoppable and unflappable in His pursuit of the cross. He was betrayed, He was beaten, He was bruised, He was downcast and He was down trodden but He was not defeated in His goal of obtaining salvation for you and for me. And because of the cross He lives today for God’s glory and for our good.

How about you? You have an enemy. The forces of Satan are seeking to defeat you. Can you be deflated, discouraged, destroyed and even defeated by the devil? Are you an easy target for him and his forces? Let me give you a spiritual strength test….How much weight can the devil put on you before you collapse? How much pain can he give you before you quit? How much discouragement can he give you before you lay down and give up?

Let it be said as you move forward in life that no one can stop you in your pursuit of the cross and Christ. Let the enemy know that no matter how many times life knocks you down…….by the grace of God and the power of His might you are going to get right back up. The devil can discourage you, deflate you, and even destroy you but because of the cross he can never defeat you. Yes, they may kill you, as many have given their lives for our Savior down through the centuries, but they will never defeat our Savior and so they will never defeat you. 1 Corinthians 15:57-58 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
4/24/2024
THE MEANEST MAN IN TEXAS

Clyde’s father was a Bible salesman, but when he was old enough to stay home alone, he began refusing to go to church with the rest of the family. Most Sundays, while his family was in church, Clyde was hunting.

One Sunday afternoon in 1929, when he was 17 years old, he met some men in the woods, and for some reason Clyde killed the men. So at the age of 17, he was the youngest man in Texas history to be sentenced to death in the electric chair. Two years later, he became the youngest man on death row at Huntsville Penitentiary.

As the date of his execution neared, Clyde listened to a radio preacher and asked for the man to come to the prison and baptize him. The preacher came and Clyde was baptized as a matter of formality and not true repentance.

Legal complications kept him from being executed. Unfortunately, things began to go very badly for him and he was worked extremely hard at the prison work farm.

He began trying to escape and a number of prisoners were killed while trying to escape with Clyde. Clyde was shot through the shoulder in one of the attempts. While on death row he got into a fight and killed two other prisoners, making a total of four people he had killed.

As the years passed, Clyde Thompson was tagged by his own prison mates as the meanest man in the State of Texas. He developed such a terrible reputation inside death row that they put him in isolation. Clyde was put in an old building that used to be the morgue. A steel door was put in place and the only opening was about a foot square with bars. There was no running water and no electricity. Because this morgue sat between two very tall buildings inside the prison, daylight could only enter for six hours each day.

After being in the isolation for 2 or 3 months, Clyde asked a guard to bring him a Bible. He knew they wouldn’t give him anything else to read, but he was bored. He just wanted something to read. He decided he would try to prove the Bible wasn’t from God because it was full of contradictions–at least that’s what he had heard. But the more he studied it, the more he became convinced it was God’s truth. He came to realize that Christianity was man’s only hope and he repented in tears on his knees day and night for months. Clyde kept reading the Bible and asking God if He could forgive a wretch like him.

A change began to come over Clyde Thompson. The guards noticed it. Later, he was released from the morgue to return to death row. There, on death row, he taught and baptized by immersion eight other prisoners. He made such an impression on prison administration that they finally released him from death row and let him go among the general population.

Clyde continued to study his Bible and he took a two-year Bible course from a college in TN. He became the chaplain’s right-hand man, his assistant. Eventually, after more than 28 years in prison, the State of Texas gave him a life-time parole.

On the outside, Clyde went straight to the Lubbock County Jail, one of the largest county jails in Texas and he began a chaplaincy program there. Clyde died of a heart attack in July of 1979.

It was Clyde Thompson who will go down in God’s record book as one of the greatest soul winners his present generation had ever known. It was Clyde Thompson, the meanest man in the State of Texas, who literally led hundreds of men, women, boys and girls out of the streets of alcoholism, out of the streets of drugs, and to the foot of the cross of Jesus Christ. It was this man, Clyde Thompson, the meanest man in the State of Texas, who was transformed when he allowed the Word of God and the love of God to take hold of his life. Isaiah 55:11 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. Isaiah 40:8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
4/17/2024

THE PRAYER OF GRANDMA JONES

I’d like to tell you the story about an old lady that everybody called “Grandma Jones.” She had a close relationship with Jesus. And she knew that Jesus wanted her to be a soul-winner. She wanted to lead others to Christ.

However, Grandma Jones was pretty much home bound. She didn’t drive. She had no family to take her places. But she had a desire to tell others about the love of Jesus.

Every day, Grandma Jones sat in her rocking chair, looking out the living room window at all the people walking by her house. She knew that many of them did not know Jesus Christ, and they would face an eternity in hell. Grandma Jones had what it took to be a missionary.

Grandma Jones looked out her window on the fields. She prayed that somehow she’d be able to win somebody to Christ. But she didn’t know exactly how to do that. She had no way to get out much. Very few people came to visit her. But she made up her mind that if the Lord would open a door, she’d have the courage to walk through it.

Grandma Jones began to pray that the Lord would bring her someone to speak to about Jesus. After a couple of days of praying and no answer, she was up one morning at 4:00. She couldn’t sleep. She knew her days on earth were few and she desperately wanted to lead just one person to Christ. Would the Lord never grant her prayer?

Grandma Jones cared! She wanted to do something for Jesus. So as she prayed at 4:00 in the morning, she heard a knock on her door. She looked out the window… And saw that it was a Deputy from the Sheriff’s Department. She opened the door. The Deputy asked if anything was wrong. He had seen her light saw her sitting in her chair.

“I was just praying that Jesus would let me lead somebody to Him before I die.” She explained.

The Deputy sat down with Grandma Jones… And they began to talk. The Deputy talked about all the problems he faces in his job. He talked about the problems he and his wife were having. After listening to the Deputy for several minutes… Grandma Jones said: “You need Jesus in your life!” The Deputy asked, “What do I need to do?” And Grandma Jones led that Deputy to faith in Jesus right there in her living room at 4:00 in the morning! Grandma Jones was used by Jesus in his fields white unto harvest.

That Deputy’s soul was saved… because Grandma Jones was #1 Aware of the need, #2 Bold enough to seize the moment. And #3 Concerned for the lost. Psalm 37:4 Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
Matthew 7:7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. Have you prayed like grandma Jones? If you tell someone each week about Jesus that would be 52 people each year. 260 people in 5 years. Most of them may not respond…..but maybe one will. And that one might be the next great missionary or evangelist or Christian Author or a mother or father that might touch many others for Christ.

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
4/10/2024

THE MASTER AND THE CHILD

The folklore surrounding Poland’s famous concert pianist and prime minister, Ignace Paderewski, includes a story, which though fictional, provides a true picture of what God can do with us:

A mother, wishing to encourage her young son’s progress at the piano, bought tickets for a Paderewski performance. When the night arrived, they found their seats near the front of the concert hall and eyed the majestic Steinway waiting on stage. Soon the mother found a friend to talk to, and the boy slipped away. When eight o’clock arrived, the spotlights came on, the audience quieted, and only then did they notice the boy up on the bench, innocently picking out “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.”

His mother gasped, but before she could retrieve her son, the master appeared on the stage and quickly moved to the keyboard. “Don’t quit — keep playing,” he whispered to the boy. Leaning over, Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began filling in a bass part. Soon his right arm reached around the other side, encircling the child, to add a counter melody. Together, the old master and the young novice held the crowd mesmerized. (Darrel L. Anderson, Leadership, Vol. 4, no. 2)

That’s the way it is with those of us who have trusted Christ as our Savior. Christ, the Master, puts His arms around us, especially in difficult times, and He whispers in our ear, “Don’t quit — keep playing.” And as we do, He uses our simple, childish efforts to create a masterpiece that is absolutely amazing.

Mark 10:13-14 And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them. But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.

To Jesus, those who trust in Him are His children. He loves us. In fact we have been adopted by Him. Romans 8:15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

He is the master, we are His children, His peculiar possession. He being the master molds us and makes us to be like Himself. It is by His grace that He does this. For our good and His glory. Trust the Master to mold your life for your good and for His glory. So I urge you, I plead with you, don’t give up when the going gets bad. Just let the Master play the keys of your life into a glorious masterpiece.

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
4/3/2024

What makes us Attractive?

What makes us attractive? Young girls in many countries have standards of beauty and appearance that are according to their national customs. Like most of us people aren’t like runway models or movie stars. Most people in the world are like you and me. Just people. We may be a bit over weight, some of us a lot over weight. Some are short, some are tall. Some are fat, some are skinny. Not many of us would be considered Hollywood material. I always say that I’m not overweight, I’m just under tall.

But as American television has made it to many countries the last few years those countries have found bulimia an ever increasing problem as girls try to look “American.”
Suicides are common because young men and women can’t get that “American” look. Because of American television these young people now have come under the spell that they must look like “Americans” to make them attractive.

But the problem is that the Television version of “Americans” is not true at all. The television characters portrayed are not the ideal American. But not only foreign countries but our own young people have fallen prey to the Television look.

Being attractive in appearance has become the most powerful religion of the present day, vastly surpassing the church in amount of time, money and effort spent. I’m not saying that we shouldn’t care about our appearance. You should as the Bible says, be moderate in appearance, chaste in taste. It’s doesn’t say that you have to be boring, there is no one who is boring in appearance. We are all made in the image of God. We are all unique. So be happy with how God has made you and don’t worry about it. It’s what inside that counts. 1 Peter 3:3-4 3 Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;4 But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.

Not only is the world looking to be the “ideal” American but the world is becoming obsessed with living longer healthier lives. Now I believe in moderate exercise because it makes you feel better. I don’t believe you should smoke or drink because you will feel better if you don’t. Dr Oz has many life extending remedies. But if we did all the things he suggests you would be spending a lot of time and money and for what? We sometimes are just making ourselves prettier corpses. I hate to be so blunt. But you can be the healthiest person in the world and die. If anyone I thought would live to a 100 it was Jack Lalane. He didn’t make it. My grandfather Ward lived to be 92 on bacon grease and lard. My grandfather started a church. He was an elder in the church. He was a godly man. Dr Ron Carlson was a missionary, teacher and preacher. His ministry extended all over the world, he was the picture of health, he laid down on his couch one afternoon and died at the age of 59. Know that your days are numbered by the Lord. You only get so much time so I would live life for the glory of God not for the glory of the body. Rejoice and be glad in the Lord. Our happiness is in Jesus Christ not on these dying, decaying bodies.

Matthew 6:25, 32-33 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Seek first the Lord Jesus Christ and follow Him. Be modest, be clean, and don’t dress to seek be attractive to the world, to draw attention to yourself. Seek to have the sweet spirit of Christ that dwells within you be seen by others. That’s what will make you truly attractive to the world.

The Pastor’s Pen

Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church

3/27/2024

There Is Someone Beyond The Grave

UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO DIVINITY SCHOOL each years has what is called ’BAPTIST DAY’. On this day each one is to bring a lunch to an outdoor picnic area and the school invites one of the popular lecturers to speak at the theological education center. One year DR. PAUL TILLICH came and spent 2 1/2 hours attempting to prove that the resurrection of Jesus was a lie. He quoted liberal books and scholars to prove his point and then asked for questions.

A older man near the back of the auditorium spoke, ’Dr. Tillich(took apple out and began to eat) Crunch, crunch….I have a simple question….munch munch….I haven’t read any of those books you talk about….crunch crunch….I can’t recite the Scriptures in Greek….munch munch…I don’t know anything about Neibuhr and Heidegger….crunch..crunch…(he held up the core of his eaten apple) All I want to know is, ’This apple I just ate, was it bitter or sweet?’

Dr. Tillich paused and then responded, ’I cannot possibly answer that question, I haven’t tasted your apple sir’….The old man dropped the apple core into his sack and said, ’Neither have you tasted my Jesus’. The audience of over 1,000 erupted into applause and cheers to which Dr. Tillech left the platform.

For many centuries innumerable people stood beside the dark hole that we call a grave and watched the remains of their loved ones lowered into the earth, and they wondered: Beyond the dark waters of death, is there anything beyond?

But on the Resurrection morning, as the sun arose in the east, the Son of God stepped forth from a grave and declared, “There is something beyond. There is a paradise beyond your greatest expectations. And there awaits a heavenly Father, waiting with outstretched arms to wipe away all the fear of death and every tear from your cheek.” Not only is there something beyond….but there is SOMEONE beyond the grave. That someone is Jesus Christ!

I have heard that possums are smart animals. You wouldn’t think so because you hardly ever see one except when it’s dead on the road. There’s a joke that goes, “why did the chicken cross the road? To prove to the possum that it could be done!” But possums, it turns out, are smart. They won’t enter a hole if there’s just one set of tracks going into it. They know there’s something in there. But if there are two sets of tracks. The possum will enter and not be afraid.

The message of Easter is that we can enter the grave – we don’t have to fear death because there are tracks leading out of the tomb. Paul preached the proclamation of Easter – I Corinthians 15:55-57 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

56The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.

57But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

This is the only message that we need to hear this Easter! Jesus is risen!

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
3/20/2024

Come To Him

Helen Rosavere is an English woman who had interests in becoming a doctor and serving God. Upon completion of her medical training at Cambridge University, Helen began to ask God where he would want her to serve. Before long, God directed Helen to an area in the Congo (Africa) which had a population of over 200,000 people and not one doctor in the whole area. This meant that she would be working seven days a week, always on call, no time off, and when a medical emergency arose, she would have to take care of it.

Soon a hospital and training center was needed. It was a great need and there was just no way Helen could build it. Helen then cried out to God, “Surely, Lord, there is at least one man in England who could come and build a hospital!” But Helen heard nothing. Later, Helen wrote a letter to her parents and asked them to send her a book on how to build a hospital!” But Helen heard nothing. Later, Helen wrote a letter to her parents and asked them to send her a book on how to build a hospital. Her parents couldn’t find a book on how to build a hospital, but they did send a book on how to build bricks. When Helen received the book, she cried out to God again, “Surely, Lord, there is at least one man from England who could come and build bricks for the hospital.”

No man arrived. So, in the midst of Helen’s busy schedule, she followed the instructions. She made the bricks to be put in the kiln to be fired. After the bricks were dried, the rough edges had to be sanded down. One day, as she was sanding, she noticed a wet substance on the brick and realized it was her own blood. “Surely, Lord, there is a man somewhere in England who could come and make these bricks.” At that time a man came running up to Helen and told her of an emergency at the dispensary. With her fingers still bleeding, Helen went to take care of the man. When she entered the scrub room, she began to take a wire brush and scrub her raw fingers. The pain made her more irate. She began to yell at God in her spirit, “Surely, Lord, there is at least one man in all of England who could come and make bricks for the hospital.”The attendant began to pour alcohol over her fingers. The pain was excruciating. The Helen put on her gloves and did what she had to do. Following the surgery, Helen went back out to begin working on the bricks. While out there, one of the nationals approached her and began to talk to her. He said, “Doc, we no know that you love and care for us. When you enter the operating room wearing your mask and gown, and use your ability to heal the sick, you frighten us. But when you come out here and work with the rest of us and bleed the same as we do, we realize that you are one of us.”

Helen, for the first time, realized why there was no man from England who could come to help. God said to her, “I didn’t have you come here just to heal the sick, Helen. I brought you here to befriend these people in order that they may see me through you.” Helen thanked the Lord. She then realized that God didn’t call her to be a medical missionary, but he called her to himself. I must first come to Him before I can go for Him.

God calls us to Himself. Before you can teach others His word, before you can sing to others about His grace, before you can preach to others about His cross, before you can tell others about His love, you must say like Paul said in Philippians 3:10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death. To know Him in His power, to know Him in fellowship and to know Him in death to self, self ambition and self righteousness.

If you want to serve this Jesus and be effective for Him then you are going to have to first come to Him and only then can you go for Him.

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
3/13/2024

Follow The Son

What is the will of God for your life? Have you heard the Story of the Doctor who comes to a split in the road on a Vermont back country lane. The road sign at the fork points both directions for the same town. Seeing a farmer beside the road he asked him, “does it matter which road I take to get to town?” The Farmer replies, “Not to me it don’t.”
God’s direction for you may not matter to others but it is very important to you.

A story is told of two men who worked in the audit department of a large bank. They made an overnight trip to a distant branch of the bank, and were dining in a local restaurant. The chief auditor told the other man, “First we’ll hit the tellers, and then get the vault.” They arrived at the bank the next morning, only to be promptly arrested by the state police. Upon inquiry, they discovered that a police captain had eaten at the same restaurant and had overheard the conversation about “hitting the tellers and getting the vault.” The police captain had made a very good assumption about the situation, based on the information as he had overheard it, but his assumption was also very wrong. So how can we avoid making false assumptions when we seek the mind of the Lord?

We must understand that knowing God’s will is not a road map, it not a direction, it‘s not an assumption. Knowing God’s will is very simple. If you are going to know God’s will for your life you have to do two things.

First of all to know God’s will you have to know God. You have to have a relationship with Him. We cannot know God’s will if you don’t know God. You cannot see the kingdom of God working in your life if you don’t know the King. You cannot understand the things of God if you don’t trust in Jesus Christ whom God has sent. If you aren’t willing to accept Jesus Christ’s payment for your sins, it is impossible for you to know Him and the know His will.

Secondly if you want to know God’s will you have to follow the Son. The Beatles wrote a song entitled “I’ll Follow The Sun.” One line is ….”for tomorrow may rain so I’ll follow the sun…” Meaning….I’ll follow the bright path and leave the dreary way behind then I will find my way. That’s what Jesus wants us to do. Leave the dark path and follow the SON and you will find THE WAY. The way is a person. The will of God is found in a person. If you follow Jesus you have found the will of God. The will of God is a journey not a destination. You will discover the will of God as you discover Jesus Christ by walking with Him each day.

If you have been married for awhile you know what makes your spouse happy, you know what makes them sad, you know what makes them anxious and you know what makes them mad. Why is that? Because being together for so many years brings a close, personal relationship. In a sense you are following your spouse. That means you take care to observe them so you will better know how to please them. You know without asking what your spouse will have you do in almost every situation because you know your spouse.

Because you follow your spouse, you observe your spouse, you know the will of your spouse. Knowing God’s will works the same way. John 10:27-28 My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me. I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish. Follow the Son and you will know the will of God for your life.

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
3/5/24

I Must Tell Jesus

One of the loneliest times we can have comes when we face a time of need without having a loving friend to talk to about it. Everyone needs at least one trusted friend in whom to confide. Elisha A. Hoffman, author and composer of more than 2,000 gospel songs, was pastor of a church in Lebanon Pennsylvania. He visited a woman who had experienced many moments of emotional pain in her life. She told Rev. Hoffman of the many burdens on her heart and concluded with the question, “Brother Hoffinan, what shall I do? What shall I do?” He replied, “You cannot do better than to take all of your sorrows to Jesus. You must tell Jesus.” For a moment, the lady seemed lost in meditation. Then her eyes brightened and she exclaimed, “Yes, I must tell Jesus.”

From that experience Elisha Hoffman wrote a hymn which we still sing today: “I Must Tell Jesus.” The beauty of this hymn is its honesty. The Christian life is not always happiness, but God always hears us.

This is the chorus of this beloved hymn. I must tell Jesus, I must tell Jesus, I cannot bear these burdens alone; I must tell Jesus, I must tell Jesus, Jesus can help me, Jesus alone.

There is hardship in life. There are burdens in life. There are many things that happen in life that are unexplainable. The other day I was told about a person that seemed to face insurmountable problems. I was asked by the person who knew her….”what do I tell her?” I went through all the possible answers. When I was finished they all seemed so useless. All my advice seemed to just come back to the same thing. She needed help greater than any advice from man…she needed help from God and Him alone! She needed to tell Jesus.

Our problems is that we don’t tell Jesus, we tell each other. Our lack of peace of mind is that we don’t tell Jesus we tell ourselves. Take this scripture and write it down and look at it every morning and every evening. Isaiah 26:3-4 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength.

God will keep us in perfect peace if we trust in Him and think about Him and come to Him in every situation. Matthew 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. I must tell Jesus. I must tell Jesus for my own strength and peace. I must tell Jesus for only He can truly help me.

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
2/28/2024

SPIRITUAL BABY FOOD

Have you ever tasted baby food? I have. It’s terribly bland. But babies have no other choice without teeth. They certainly can’t eat a nice, juicy steak!

Sadly, some Christians are content with spiritual baby food. They are happy to go over and over the simple truths of the Scriptures and don’t move beyond the basics of the gospel. Hebrews 5:12-14 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

By not sinking their teeth into deeper truths and more difficult Bible passages, they lack biblical understanding and convictions to make right choices. They may have been Christians for many years, but their spiritual abilities remain underdeveloped. They remain babies.

As children grow physically, they learn to eat solid food that gives them strength and vitality. In the same way, every believer needs to take on the responsibility to feed themselves on solid spiritual food. To fail to do this is to remain spiritually weak and undernourished.

You can roughly tell the physical age of people by how they look. Their spiritual age is revealed by their ability to distinguish good from evil and by their personal character that’s shown day by day.

One of the most popular aquarium fish is the shark. Did you know that if you catch a small shark and confine it, it will stay a size proportionate to the aquarium you put it in? Sharks can be six inches long yet fully matured. But if you turn them loose in the ocean, they grow to their normal length of eight feet. If Sharks are fed properly they will grow. Sharks were meant to feed on big fish and swim in a big ocean.

That also happens to some Christians. I’ve seen some of the cutest little six-inch Christians who swim around in their little fish tank of selfishness. They can’t see beyond themselves. They think they are doing so well. But if you can feed them properly. Get them daily into the word of God and into daily prayer and then let them swim in fellowship with a good church they become all that God wants them to be.

God meant for us to touch our world, our family, our friends, our neighbors, the people we work with, go to school with and worship with. God doesn’t want fish tank Christians. God doesn’t want us on spiritual baby food. We must step out and become great in our faith and strong in Lord. Like the shark there is an ocean of opportunity waiting for us to do great things for our Lord and Savior and our God. It’s up to us. Are you tired of spiritual baby food?

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
2/21/2024

Two Pennies

We live in a fallen, sin cursed world. A world where our Lord warned us that it would rain on the just and the unjust. There is no escape for anyone from the tragedies of this world. These events remind us that our anchor and our hope is not in this world…but in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The salvation He gives us no one can destroy. The love that He has for us no one can take away. There is a world to come that He has promised us that will have no more sorrow or suffering. Until then we occupy this earth and we endure many things as His faithful followers until He comes to fulfill all things and make all things right.

But this is the here and now and in the aftermath of these events we are left with the seeming insurmountable task of rebuilding our lives. How do we do it? Where do we start?

Have you ever thought about starting with prayer? As believers we know that we shouldn’t start any task until we have first started with prayer. Prayer is like a meeting with an old friend each day. No, I say more than just a friend but our heavenly Father, our Savior, our Lord and Master and the one who has only our best interest at heart.

Have you ever heard of George Mueller? One day he looked down the streets of Bristol, England, & saw 100’s of homeless children. He was so moved with concern for them that he decided that something had to be done.

He had only two pence in his pocket. That’s two cents. Two pennies. But he decided to start an orphanage. In 60 years, beginning with two pennies, George Mueller took care of 10,000 orphans. He looked out and saw homeless kids. He could have said, “But, I don’t have any money. But, there is no way to care for them, to meet their needs, to buy the food.”

Instead, he looked at them and said, “Therefore, I will reach out and help them.” And God blessed his efforts in a mighty way. He told amazing stories of answered prayers. He kept a record of his prayers, and his prayer records filled more than 3,000 pages. His notes show that more than 30,000 prayers were answered.

One night there was no food in the orphanage to give to the children for breakfast. But at 3:00 in the morning a baker called him up and said, “I just can’t sleep. I’m going down to the bakery to bake some bread. Would it be all right for me to bring some over to you this morning?”

One time a milk truck just happened to break down in front of the orphanage on a day when they had no milk. The truck driver came in and said, “This milk is all going to spoil. Would you like some of it?” And their need was met. Time and time again, 30,000 times in 60 years, God answered George Mueller’s prayers.

Romans 8:28 is still true And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior then you are the “called according to His purpose.” He is yours and you are His. He is responsible for you. Let Him work in your life. Trust Him in everything even when everything looks hopeless. Pray even when you don’t feel like praying. Pray the hardest when its hardest to pray.

One thing I know from over 54 years of following Him…….you CAN trust God! God is all powerful, God is all good and God will bring everything to a good purpose. Therefore I can say from the authority of God’s word that in the days to come your storm will turn out to be a blessing to many.

Remember George Meuller changed the lives of 10,000 children with only two pennies! What little you have left is all God needs to begin to change your life and the lives of many in your lifetime. Give it to Him through faith and prayer.

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
2/14/2024

IGNORING THE BARRIERS OF THE PAST

Every four years, the world’s attention turns to the summer Olympic games. For a few days, men and women from around the globe gather to compete against the best. Amazing records are broken and new ones are set at these games.

The Four-Minute-Mile:
Just a few decades ago, track-and-field experts proudly declared that no runner could break the four-minute-mile barrier. It was said that a human being couldn’t run that distance that fast. “Experts” conducted all sorts of profound studies to show it was impossible to beat the four-minute barrier. And for years, they were right. Nobody ever ran a mile in less than four minutes.

Roger Bannister:
But one day a young man came along who didn’t believe the experts’ opinions. He didn’t dwell on the impossibilities. He refused to let all those negative words form a stronghold in his mind. He began to train, believing he was going to break that record. Sure enough, he went out one day and broke the four-minute-mile barrier. He did what the experts said couldn’t be done. His name was Roger Bannister, and he made sports history.

Other Runners:
Now, here is what is so interesting about the Roger Bannister story… Within a month, the Australian runner John Landy had broken Bannister’s record, but Bannister had the satisfaction of beating Landy at that summer’s British Empire Games in Vancouver. In a race billed as “The Mile of the Century,” both runners beat the four minute time, but Bannister came in first at 3:58.8 to Landy’s 3:59.6…..Within ten years after Roger Bannister broke that record, 336 other runners had broken the four-minute-mile record as well! Think about that. For hundreds of years, as far back as statisticians kept track-and-field records, nobody ran a mile in less than four minutes; then, within a decade, more than three hundred people from various geographic locations were able to do it.

What happened? Simple. The barrier to running a four-minute mile was in the athletes’ minds. For all those years, runners believed what the experts were saying. They were convinced that it was impossible to run a mile in less than four minutes.

ROBER BANNISTER IGNORED THE BARRIERS … You Too Can Break The Barriers Of The Past !!!

Philippians 3:13-14 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Don’t let your past failures hinder you in your service for the Lord. All of us have failed from time to time. Some of us have failed many times. Abraham Lincoln was a failure at many things but he overcame the barrier of failure and kept pressing on. Moses failed at first. King David had great failures. The Apostle Peter failed the Lord at a most crucial point. One thing they all knew. The Lord is gracious and forgiving and will help us overcome the barrier of failure and give us another chance. So forget your past failures and press on for the Lord Jesus. Keep focused on Christ and you will overcome the barriers of your faith. Determine to finishing your life well for Him.

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
2/7/24

How Do You Measure A Christian?

A boy had been disobedient. His mother sent him to the corner and said, “You sit there,” to which he responded with folded arms slumped in his chair, “I might be sitting on the outside, but I’m standing on the inside.”

That’s the way we are sometimes. Our hearts are full of willful stubbornness to the will of God. We are full of hate and resentment toward others at times. Someone asked me once “how do you measure a Christian?’ I thought about that. I stumbled across Matthew 5:43-44 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you. I thought what better way to measure one’s devotion to Christ than the way he treats those who hate him.

A Baptist pastor named Peter Miller was from a small town in Pennsylvania who lived during the American Revolution. And there was another man who lived there named Michael Wittmann, an evil-minded sort who did all that he could to oppose and humiliate the pastor. He made his life miserable.

One day Michael Wittman was arrested for treason and sentenced to die. At first, Peter Miller thought, “Well, thank goodness the Lord took care of that guy. I didn’t know how much more I could take!” But then he remembered the part of the Bible from Matthew 5, which said, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” And he was like, “Oops! I guess I blew that one, Lord.” And he decided to travel seventy miles on foot to Philadelphia to plead for the life of the traitor.

He approached General George Washington with the request. And Washington said, “No, Peter. I cannot grant you the life of your friend.”

The old preacher said, “My friend? This guy’s not my friend. He’s the bitterest enemy I have!”

Washington said, “What? You’ve walked seventy miles to save the life of an enemy? That puts things in a different light. I’ll grant your pardon.” And he did. Peter Miller took Michael Wittman back home, no longer an enemy, but a friend. By his act of love, Rev. Peter Miller showed us the difference between merely hearing the word of God and doing the Word of God. The true measure of a Christian is not how much he does but how much he loves.

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
1/31/24

The Main Thing

Norman Cates shared the humorous story of a guy who prayed this prayer every morning: “Lord, if you want me to witness to someone today, please give me a sign to show me who it is.” One day he found himself on a bus when a big, burly man sat next to him. The bus was nearly empty but this guy sat next to our praying friend. The timid Christian anxiously waited for his stop so he could exit the bus. But before he could get very nervous about the man next to him, the big guy burst into tears and began to weep. He then cried out with a loud voice, “I need to be saved. I’m a lost sinner and I need the Lord. Won’t somebody tell me how to be saved?” He turned to the Christian and pleaded, “Can you show me how to be saved?” The believer immediately bowed his head and prayed, “Lord, is this a sign?” Are you looking for a “sign” to start witnessing?

Someone correctly said “The longer a church has been in existence, the more its resources go toward its own preservation rather than toward outreach and evangelism. Our tendency is to design ministries that meet our own needs as opposed to the needs of those who have not yet entered the kingdom.”

But the church has been given this mandate by our Lord Jesus Himself. Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

It is our imperative, our duty given by our Lord to tell others about Jesus not just in our words but in our actions, in the places we go, the places where we live, work and shop, in all that we do we should glorify Jesus Christ our Lord.

For a business to be a success they must “keep the main thing the main thing.” Jesus has given the church the “main thing.” That “thing” is to preach the gospel, the good news of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ to save man from his biggest problem.

Man’s biggest problem is not the economy, terrorist threats, natural disasters, lack of education, drugs, sickness or death. Man’s greatest problem is that his sins have separated him from his God.

Until each one of us who make up the church sees that person in the grocery line, that neighbor next door or down the road, that person in the doctors office, or sitting next to you in a classroom……. as a person that might be in grave danger of slipping into eternity without Jesus Christ……we will continue to waste our time and bring dishonor to our Savior.
The young salesman was disappointed about losing a big sale, and as he talked with his sales manager he lamented, “I guess it just proves you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink.” The manager replied, “Son, take my advice: your job is not to make him drink. Your job is to make him thirsty.” So it is with evangelism. Our lives should be so filled with Christ that they create a thirst for the Gospel.

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
1/24/2024

YOU’LL FIND JESUS THERE

Do you have hope for tomorrow if the doctor gave you bad news today? Did you know that unless you die in an accident or suddenly of a heart attack or stroke everyone of us is going to hear bad news from a doctor one day. Are you prepared for that day?

The important thing is not that you have a healthy heart…. but is Jesus in your heart! Not your physical beating heart, but the heart of you, your inmost being, is Jesus there? Is He welcome there?

“Tomorrow morning I’ll open up your heart” the surgeon said to the 8 year-old-boy.
“You’ll find Jesus there,” the boy said. The surgeon continued, “I’ll open your heart and check the damage.” “You’ll find Jesus there,” the boy said. “When I see the damage, I will suture you back up and then think about the next step,” said the surgeon. “You will find Jesus in my heart because my Sunday school teacher told me so. She said it says so in the Bible. Besides that, our Sunday school songs say He lives there,” said the boy.

The surgery took place the next day. After the surgery the surgeon began to make notes of what he found. In his mind there was no hope and no cure. The little boy would die within a matter of months.

The thought began to get to the doctor and all of a sudden the doctor shouted to God, “Why did you do this to the boy? Why can’t he live a normal life?”

As the doctor picked up a Bible seeking answers, he turned to the book of Psalms for there he thought he might find comfort. He found this passage Psalm 22:26 The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever. God spoke to the surgeon’s own heart and said, “The boy is a part of my flock and will be satisfied. When he is with me there will be no more suffering and pain. He will have comfort and peace. One day his parents as well as you will join him and my flock will continue to grow.”

The next day the surgeon went to the boy’s room and sat down with the parents beside the bed. In a moment or two, the boy opened his eyes and asked very quietly, “What did you find in my heart?” With tears flowing down his cheeks, the surgeon said, “I found Jesus there.”

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
1/17/2024

Happy, Happy, Happy

“I want to be pretty.” This is the title of a popular tv program that was airing in Poland last year. It was a reality tv show in which in every episode you follow the changes of two women who are the heroes of the program. Each of these women work with a team of specialists for six weeks. During that time they are cut off from contact with their friends and relatives as they undergo major changes in their physical appearance and also their self-image. Finally friends and family are invited to the studio where they meet them face to face with great drama.

An example was Gosia who said: “I was good looking all my life but I’m not able to accept how I look now….It’s not about being older. But it’s simply that I look different. Now I feel like an old used-up slipper. I’m ashamed of myself in front of my husband. This has gone on for nearly a year. How long can he stand it?”

Does our life and happiness depend on our appearance? Was Gosia really happier after her transformation? Is she a better person? Is she a better wife and mother? Does the change of appearance change our character and make us better people?

Losing weight and getting a new wardrobe will change your life. Getting a new haircut will change your life. Moving to a new city will change your life. Getting a new job will change your life. Quitting smoking and drinking will change your life. But the odd thing is God doesn’t want to change your life. He doesn’t want you to turn over a new leaf. He doesn’t even want you to become a better person. He wants to make you a totally new! 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” John 3:3 says “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

We live in an unhappy, unfulfilled world. Everybody is looking for that “thing” that will make them happy. Sadly most of us think that “thing” is a change to the outside that will make us truly happy and content on the inside. George Muller, who established many orphanages throughout England in the 1800’s, once said… “I believe that the one chief reason that I have been kept in happy useful service is that I have been a lover of Holy Scripture. It has been my habit to read the Bible through four times a year; in a prayerful spirit, to apply it to my heart, and practice what I find there. I have been for sixty-nine years a happy man; happy, happy, happy. Psalm 144:15 …“happy is that people, whose God is the LORD”

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
1/10/24

Trust Your King!

From a great chess player of Cincinnati, we learn that in the early part of the last century an artist who was also a great chess player painted a picture of a chess game. The players were a young man and Satan. The young man manipulated the white pieces; Satan the black pieces. The issue of the game was this: should the young man win, he was to be forever free from the power of evil; should the devil win, the young man was to be his slave forever. The artist evidently believed in the supreme power of evil, for his picture presented the devil as victor.

In the conception of the artist, the devil had just moved his queen and had announced a checkmate in four moves. The young man’s hand hovered over his rook; his face paled with amazement–there was no hope. The devil wins! He was to be a slave forever.

For years, this picture hung in a great art gallery. Chess players from all over the world viewed the picture. They acquiesced in the thought of the artist. The devil wins! After several years a chess doubter arose; he studied the picture and became convinced that there was but one chess player upon the earth who could give him assurance that the artist of this picture was right in his conception of the winner. The chess player was the aged Paul Morphy, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana. Morphy was a supreme master of chess in his day, an undefeated champion. A scheme was arranged through which Morphy was brought to Cincinnati to view the chess picture.

Morphy stood before the picture, five minutes, ten minutes, twenty minutes, thirty minutes. He was all concentration; he lifted and lowered his hands as, in imagination, he made and eliminated moves. Suddenly, his hand paused, his eyes burned with the vision of an unthought-of combination. Suddenly, he shouted, “Young man, make that move. That’s the move!”

To the amazement of all, the old master, the supreme chess personality, has discovered a combination that the creating artist had not considered. Trust the King. Let the King attack. If the young man had trusted the King from the start he could have defeated the Devil very quickly.

Isn’t that true in our lives? If we would trust the King, Jesus Christ our Lord, it would be no contest. The devil is already defeated. If we trust the King we would be at peace with God and have peace in our own lives. We would defeat our greatest of all enemies. This enemy is not the devil, but death and eternal separation from God, because the King has defeated death by His resurrection from the dead we too shall live. John 14:19 Because I live you shall live also.

But something aggravates me about the church today. We in the Church have quit trusting in the King but instead are trusting in our feelings, our emotions, our vision and have turned from the word of God to the experience of man. We trust in extra-biblical revelations from men. “God told me“…..No God didn’t tell you anything! He has already said all He is going to say through the King! Hebrews 1:2-3 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high:
Christ is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Trust your King!

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
1/3/2024

FREEDOM “FOR”

Robert Youngs gives this illustration: I have on my table a violin string… it is free. I twist one end of it and it responds. It is free. But it is not free to do what a violin string is supposed to do–produce music. So I take it, fix it in my violin and tighten it until it is taut. Only then is it free to be a violin string. By the same token, we are free when our lives are uncommitted, but not to be what we were intended to be. Real freedom is not freedom “from,” but freedom “for.”

That’s a great illustration by Mr.Youngs. I would go further and say that we are not free if we are not free in Christ. You are not free if you are not fulfilling your purpose. What is the purpose of man? To know the purpose of every person on this earth we have to see what our creator says about it. Micah 6:8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

God has shown us what is good. The right way to live. God has shown us the way we should direct our lives in order to be free to be what we are meant to be. In fact God requires this of us if we are to do what is good for our lives and the greater good for those around us. The best thing we can do for those we love and care about is to find our freedom for our purpose.

Micah 6:8 tells us that God wants to do justly. To do what is right. That of course makes perfect sense. If we are going to be free we must not encumber ourselves with the burden of being a lawbreaker. Then God then says we should “Love mercy.” To be free we must always be merciful to others. We don’t want to treat others with unkindness and make enemies of them. We cannot be truly free if we have an enemy. We never know when our enemy will strike back. And not only that but God wants us to show mercy for God knows that we need mercy ourselves. In order to be free we need mercy from time to time. We make mistakes. We say the wrong things. We do the wrong things. We need mercy in order to be free for our purpose.

Then God requires that we “walk humbly with thy God?’ We cannot be free until we are walking with the one who made us. The violin is just wood and horse hair sitting in a box until it is picked up by the master and music is made. It’s purpose is fulfilled.

That why during this Christmas season consider fulfilling your purpose in life. You weren’t made to sit in a box. You aren’t just skin and bones taking up space. God sent Jesus Christ to be born so that He might die for our sins. When we trust in Jesus Christ as our Savior we are free to walk humbly with our God and fulfill our purpose in this life.

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
12/27/2023

ALLOW THE WORD OF GOD TO SPEAK TO YOU

The Bible is God’s word. The Bible is the way God speaks to us today. If the Bible is God’s word then we must adhere to every word and read it as if a letter from a dear friend. In fact the Bible is much more important to you than a personal letter from the President of the United States!

We must let the Bible change us. Instead many times we try to change the Bible. Have you heard someone say “The Lord told me……or “The Lord spoke to me and told me to tell you…..” This is very dangerous for someone to say. Why? Doesn’t God speak today? Doesn’t God reveal to us things today?

When you say “The Lord told me….” you are saying that God has given you a revelation. The problem is that your revelation is SUBJECTIVE. That means your revelation only means what YOU interpret it to mean. I can look at the stars and say “wow God’s creation is wonderful.” Another person might say “How can you possibly believe in God.” We see the same thing but we interpret it a different way.

How do you know that God spoke to you? How do you know it was God? How do you know you have interpreted it correctly? How do you know that someone else wouldn’t interpret it differently than you? We are told not to add to scripture and warned about it. If you say “God told me…” you are actually making your revelation from God on par with scripture. Not only are you confused but you may cause others to begin listening for God’s voice and stray from the scriptures.

Wait a minute Jesus said “My sheep hear my voice.” But what voice? Jesus is called the “word” in John 1:1 and 1:14. The “voice” of Jesus is the “word” of God. The Bible. Jesus sheep follow the word of God in all areas of life.

God word’s is OBJECTIVE. The object is God and He has plainly told us all we need to know about Him and how to live our lives in the Bible. The Bible is OBJECTIVE in that the object of the Bible is the redemption of man and how to follow Jesus Christ each day of our lives. There is no adding to it or extra revelation. God has revealed all He is going to reveal to us in the word of God. Hebrews 1:2 In these last day God has spoken to us through His Son.

Didn’t the apostles and prophets hear from God? Of course. When God starts a work among His people he always used signs and wonders through spokesmen. He called a people Israel and God used miracles and sign and wonders to display His power to the world and to reveal Himself through a people. When God was getting ready to save the world through a person, Jesus Christ He displayed His power through signs and wonders and miracles through His Son and the apostles. Once Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to us and the church was established there was no longer a need for signs and wonders. They have ceased because we have the word of God. 1 Corinthians 13:10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

I believe among people groups that have never heard the gospel God is doing signs and wonders today. Missionaries have told stories of miraculous healings and other miracles. These poor people don’t have the word of God. They haven’t even heard of Jesus. But where the gospel has already been established there is no need for this. We have the word of God. We have preachers and teachers.

Our problem is that we don’t let the word of God speak to us. We always want something more. If you want to talk to God pray. If you want to hear from God read the Bible. If you want to hear God’s voice read the Bible out loud!

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
12/20/2023

What is Christmas to you?
I wonder what Christmas means to a mother who has lost her husband, who must take care of 3 or 4 children, working every day, never quite getting everything done, never making ends meet? What does Christmas mean to her?

I wonder what Christmas means to the little man in Zimbabwe, 80 years old, living in a hut, who knows nothing of shopping malls or Christmas trees? What does Christmas mean to him?

I wonder what it means to little Korean children with smudges on their cheeks, & sparkling eyes that look up in wonder as you walk past? What does Christmas mean to them?

I wonder what it means to missionaries who are half a world away from families & friends, who are sacrificing so much to take the precious gospel message to others who have never heard? What does it mean to them?

I’m sure that it means different things to different people.

To merchants it is the busiest time of the year. Stores stay open longer, & hire extra people to accommodate all the shoppers. It means more profit, hopefully enough profit to see them through lean times ahead.

For some employees it means a Christmas bonus, a little more money in their pockets to do things that they want to do.

For many teen-agers & adults it is a time of fun & parties. For children it is a time of impatience, with time seeming to pass so slowly, as they wait for Christmas morning.

What is Christmas to you? Christmas should be about family and friends and of course giving, but far above all else Christmas is about our Lord Jesus Christ and His miraculous birth.

But think about Christmas without Jesus. Without Jesus birth there would of course be no Christmas and without Christmas there would be no Cross. Without Christmas there would be no resurrection. Without Christmas there would be no salvation, there would be no forgiveness for our sins; there would be no hope for heaven. Without Christmas there would be no Bible, there would be no churches, there would be no pastors. Without Christmas there would be no deacons, no Christmas carols, no Christmas trees, decorations or presents. Without Christmas there would b no choirs, no Christian Colleges or hospitals. No missionaries or Christian missions.

What is Christmas then…It is everything because He is everything to us. John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
John 1:3-4 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
12/13/2023

GOD’S HEARTBEAT IN US
The great paradoxes of the Bible. To live you must die, to be free you must serve, to know the truth you must see the lie. God is not trying to confuse us but to show us that His ways are not our ways nor are His thoughts our thoughts. Isaiah 55:8. Here is another one. Jesus was born to die so that we might live. This life is in Him. The great miracle of the word of God is that through the Holy Spirit Jesus Christ lives in us. But in order for Him to live in us we must die to self, selfishness and self righteousness. It’s all about Him from the day we trusted Him as our Savior.

For 72 years Gordon and Norma Yeager shared their lives together as husband and wife. On October 12, 2011, while on a morning drive Gordon came to a stop sign and failed to yield to oncoming traffic. The elderly couple was taken to the Marshalltown Hospital near Des Moines, Iowa and placed in the same ICU room. Their beds were moved close together so that they could hold one another’s hand. At 3.38pm, Gordon quietly passed away. But to the surprise of the family, the monitor continued to show a heartbeat. Upon closer examination by the attending nurses, it was discovered that the heartbeat belonged to his wife who was still holding his hand. The monitor was picking up Norma’s heart through Gordon. Within 70 minutes, Norma also died, holding the hand on the one she loved so dearly.

Wouldn’t it be great if we held so close to our Heavenly Father that His heartbeat could be felt in us? That we would truly reckon ourselves dead to self so that all outward appearances of life were actually Christ living through us?

Romans 6:5 and 8 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him.

This old heart in our bodies might quit one day but the life we have in the Lord Jesus Christ will never end. When we know Christ as our Savior, when we trust in Jesus Christ God’s heartbeat resides in us. Can people feel the heartbeat of God in your life? Do others feel the presence of God around you?

Lord Jesus may our heartbeat and yours be one so that the world might see you in me, that the world may know you through me and that the world might feel your presence in me. Amen and Amen

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
12/5/2023

Devils

Two 6 year olds struggled with the problem of the existence of the devil. One boy said, “Oh, there isn’t any devil.” The other, rather upset, said, “What do you mean, there isn’t any devil? It talks about him all the way through the Bible!” the first replied, “Oh that’s not true, you know. It’s just like Santa Claus, the devil turns out to be your dad.”

I wish that were true but the truth is the devil is real. Demons are real. They are among us. They seek to confuse us and to tell us lies. As a matter of fact the Bible teaches that the origin of false doctrines is demonic. 1 Timothy 4:1Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils. The devil will always try to get us away from the word of God or try to discount the word of God. The devil will always tell you some truth but it’s all wrapped in a lie. Remember rat poison is 99% nutritious. It has just enough poison to kill rats. A false doctrine has some truth but just enough error to kill a church!

Not only that but the origin of all false religions is demonic. 1 Corinthians 10:19-20 What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing? But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. This explains the frequency of demon possession among people of false religions and the strong demonic opposition of missionary work in so many places throughout the world. Missionaries have told stories of demon possessed people who have tried to put curses upon them. Natives have told things about the lives of missionaries that there is no way they could have known but for demons were speaking through them.

Demons try to keep the missionaries from preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. They will try to keep you from getting serious about your walk with the Lord. Devils love Christians who aren’t going to church, who don’t read the Bible or pray. They aren’t satisfied with that though, they want to totally defeat a Christian so that they won’t ever turn back to Christ. That’s their goal for every believer to defeat them through discouragement and lack of discernment.

Jesus is the light and life of the world. Devils hate the light of God that is why much of evil is symbolized by darkness and death. Theologians tell a story to illustrate how Christ’s triumph presently benefits our lives: Imagine a city under siege. The enemy that surrounds they city will not let anyone or anything leave. Supplies are running low, and the citizens are fearful. But in the dark of the night, a spy sneaks through the enemy lines. He has rushed to the city to tell the people that in another place the main enemy force has been defeated; the leaders have already surrendered. The people do not need to be afraid. It is only a matter of time until the besieging troops receive the news and lay down their weapons. Similarly, we may seem now to be surrounded by the forces of evil — disease, injustice, oppression, death. But the enemy has actually been defeated at Calvary. Things are not the way they seem to be. It is only a matter of time until it becomes clear to all that the battle is really over.

Satan is already defeated. If you know Jesus Christ you need not fear him or his army of devilish fallen angels. Don’t be defeated by these devils. Don’t be lured into their pit of discouragement. Don’t be led astray by their false doctrines. Be faithful to your church. Be in the word of God daily. Be in prayer daily. It has been said the devil mocks at our wisdom, laughs at our labor, but trembles when we read the Bible and pray!

Devils will try to make life tough on you but remember they are done for. The victory is ours because of Christ’s victory on the cross. It’s only a matter of time until we emerge victorious!

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
11/29/23

THE MIND IS LIKE SILLY PUTTY

“The peace of God which passes understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4.7)

Our minds are wonderful creations of God. But did you know they need to be guarded? When I was a boy I used to play with Silly Putty. You could do a lot of neat things with it. You could make shapes, and you could even bounce it like a ball. But the best thing to do was to flatten it out, press it on the Sunday comics, and pull up a copy of the comic on the Silly Putty.

Our minds are like that too! They are made by God to pick up everything. If we constantly expose our minds to bad things, they will get filled with bad thoughts and desires.

Prayer points our minds toward God, cleanses our hearts and minds, and fills them with good things. All of this helps to control anxiety.

Prayer is the most powerful tool and least used of any in the history of man. The God who made the heavens and the earth, the stars and the planets wants us to ask Him for help in time of need. He wants us to talk to Him each day.

I offer these excuses people make for not praying…..We don’t pray because we don’t want to.
We don’t pray because we don’t feel the need to.
We don’t pray because we don’t have to.
We don’t pray because we don’t believe in it.
We don’t pray because we forget to.
We don’t pray because “it” doesn’t work.
We don’t pray because we don’t have time.
We don’t pray because we have too much worry and stress.

Stress, anxiety and worry are the leading causes of stress, anxiety and worry! That may sound funny but it’s true. Most of the things we worry about could never happen. Most of the things we have anxiety about could happen but not likely. And most of the things we have stress about have already happened.

So that leaves us with now. What you can do now is trust in God and pray to Him. Prayer is not an “it”……prayer is praying to a person who loves you, who understands you. Prayer is praying to a person who is all powerful and is all good. Therefore you are praying to someone who will work everything you pray about to a good purpose.

The problems and stress of life may seem bad but the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

In other words ….Do not focus on your problems but always keep your focus on the Lord Jesus Christ and your problems will become “light affliction.” The stress of life is but for a short time…try to think about where you will be 100 years from now…a thousand years from now where God will give you blessings you cannot even imagine and peace that you cannot describe and peace you can experience now!

Jesus said “my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Prayer renews you day by day. The Lord through prayer gives you strength and wisdom for the stress of life. We you can do nothing the first thing to do is pray! We you can do something the first thing to do is pray! We you can do everything the first thing to do is pray!

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
11/22/2023

Thanks Be To God

On Sept 16, 1620 two ships set sail from Plymouth England, The Speedwell and the Mayflower. The Speedwell encountered much difficulty as they began their journey springing many leaks in the ship. So when the two ships went to Port in Plymouth England, the Speedwell decided to go no further and 42 passengers from the Speedwell joined the 60 passengers and 30 crew members aboard the Mayflower..

Of the 102 passengers on board the Mayflower the majority were devout Christians. They were coming to America to shake lose from the bonds of the church of England so they could worship God as they believed scriptures taught.

And with great excitement and expectations that set sail for a new land… It wasn’t long before the trip became difficult for several reasons. The nights were cold, damp and dark.
They encountered many fierce storms which shook the ship with tremendous force. These 100 people; cold, wet — on wooden ship in the middle of the ocean — put their hope, trust and lives into the hands of God. The battered ship finally came within sight of Cape Cod on November 19, 1620. The Pilgrims scanned the shoreline just to the west of them.

Before going ashore they decided to write a document know as the Mayflower Compact.
At the heart of the compact lay an undisputed conviction that God must be at the center of all law and order and the law without a moral base is really no law at all.

Then according to William Bradford who later became the first governor of the new land, “they came to anchor in the Bay, which was a good harbor…and they blessed the God of Heaven, who brought them over the fast and furious ocean… and a sea of trouble.”

We usually picture the first thanksgiving in America, as the time when the Pilgrims and the Indians got together for a great feast. But I tend to look at that time when on the sea battered Mayflower anchored in the bay at Cape Cod, a group of weary and worn men and women were on their knees praising their God in heaven for bringing them safely through the treacherous sea to this new land, as the real first thanksgiving.

What has God brought you through in your life? You have gone through some rough times in the journey of life. You may not have the best that this world has to offer….but you certainly have the best that the Lord our God has to offer…Jesus Christ! We should be ever thankful to the Lord our God for the precious gift of His Son who gave His life to pay the sin debt that we could never pay so that He could give us something that we could never earn, life eternal! Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift! 2 Corinthians 9:15

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
11/15/2023

MOODY’S DYING WORDS

Dwight L Moody was an evangelist, soul winner, Sunday School organizer and founder of the Moody Bible Institute in and the great Moody church in Chicago. He was an uneducated man but his life’s purpose was to see what God could do through a man totally surrendered to him.

Moody died at the age of 62. As he lay dying he said these words. “Earth recedes. Heaven opens before me. If this is death, it is sweet! There is no valley here. God is calling me, and I must go.” “No, no, Father,” said Moody’s son, “You are dreaming.”
“I am not dreaming,” replied Moody. “I have been within the gates. I have seen the children’s faces.” His last words were, “This is my triumph; this is my coronation day! It is glorious!”

Moody died gloriously. He lived his life for Christ fully Knowing at death where he was going. He lived for Christ and he died with Christ. What about you? I have been to many funerals and funeral homes. I know for a fact that people die. I know for a fact that people I know die. I know for a fact that people in my family die. Now, I am not trying to be morbid here…..but I am concerned that people are not preparing for the most certain thing in life…..death! They know it’s coming. They know it’s out there in their future. But besides buying a life insurance policy, we don’t prepare for death.

Most people believe in God. Most people believe in heaven. And most people believe they are going to heaven. But they really have no idea how to get there. We get there by confessing our sinfulness to God and having faith in Jesus Christ as the atonement for our sins. That’s the Bible’s message of salvation, in Christ alone!

Moody death was a triumph. Paul said “O death where is thy sting, O grave where is they victory.” Many people believe that to die is horrible. To die is awful. To face death is totally depressing and sad. Death is tragic. We do everything we can to avoid it, to delay it. We exercise, take vitamins, go to every doctor we can find, read every book we can about how to live longer and anything else to increase our life span.

Moody didn’t sound very sad about death did he? The apostle Paul didn’t sound very upset about his impending death. Death didn’t seem tragic to them did it? Read the stories of great men and women of God and how they died. I personally have been at the death bed of many people and I can testify that those who know Christ die in quiet peace. Those who don’t know Christ die in abject horror, unsure, afraid, unsettled. I know, I have seen it myself!

Moody had wonderful dying words. What will your last words be? Will you see the angels of God preparing for your grand entrance into heaven as a faithful servant…..or will you go kicking and screaming, unsure and unsettled, and with many regrets?

If you are reading this you can change things. It is never too late to be ready to die. Live the days you have left for the glory of God. Trust in Jesus Christ as your Savior and then live for Him. The hope of all mankind is Jesus Christ and faith in Him and service to Him through His church! The Bible says in John 11:26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.

I am 67 years old now. I have maybe 10-15 years left If I don‘t get hit by a bus or get a disease. I don’t know. But you know what…I don’t care….that’s God’s business. My job is to be faithful to Him everyday. I am near the finish line. I must determine that I will finish strong this race of life that the Lord has given to me. Moody’s dying words…..Your dying words…..are they going to be similar?

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
11/8/2023

FACING DOWN A MOUNTAIN LION

Did you know that in the United States, mountain lions are the number one predator of human beings? So says author and naturalist, Craig Childs. On one occasion, he was doing research on the lions in Arizona’s Blue Range Wilderness. As he approached a water hole from downwind, he spotted a mountain lion drinking water, but the lion did not know he was there. When it finished drinking, it walked slowly away into a cluster of junipers.

After a few minutes, Childs walked to the water hole to identify tracks in the mud and record notes. Just before he bent down to look closer, he scanned the perimeter, and there among the shadows of the junipers, 30 feet away, he saw a pair of eyes. He expected the lion to run away, but it walked into the sunlight toward him. Childs pulled his knife and stared into the eyes of the lion. He knew what he had to do. More importantly, he also knew what he must not do. He writes:

“Mountain lions are known to take down animals six, seven, and eight times their size. Their method: attack from behind, clamp onto the spine at the base of the prey’s skull, snap the spine. The top few vertebrae are the target, housing respiratory and motor skills that cease instantly when the cord is cut…Mountain lions have stalked people for miles. One woman survived an attack and escaped by foot on a road. The lion shortcut the road several miles farther and killed her from behind…”

About the incident in Arizona’s Blue Ranger Wilderness, Childs says, “I hold firm to my ground and do not even intimate that I will back off. If I run, it is certain. I will have a mountain lion all over me. If I give it my back, I will only briefly feel its weight on me against the ground. The canine teeth will open my vertebrae without breaking a single bone…

“The mountain lion begins to move to my left, and I turn, keeping my face on it, my knife at my right side. It paces to my right, trying to get around on my other side, to get behind me. I turn right, staring at it…My stare is about the only defense I have.”

The amazing thing is Childs actually maintained that defense as the mountain lion continued to try to provoke him to run, turning left, then right, back and forth again and again, until it came to just ten feet away. Finally, the standoff ended. The lion turned and walked away – defeated by a man who knew what never to do in its presence.

Whenever anything threatens to destroy us there is a time to run and there is a time to stand firm. In the church there are false teaching that threatens to destroy the church. False teaching is cunning, it is crafty, it is waiting for a opening. A Christian who does not pray, read to Bible or attend church is easy prey for false teachers. A Church that relies more on personal experience and activity more than the word of God is in danger of attack. A church that runs from the word of God and puts more stock in personal testimonies and personal “words” from the Lord are in grave danger of a deadly attack.

2 Thessalonians 2:15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.

Stand firm on the word of God! The word of God is our sword. We don’t have to back down to anyone or anything. We don’t have to give up or give in to false teaching and ideas! Stare down the enemy and the temptation to run to something that seems to be the work of God. Check it out! Read your Bible! Ask questions. Is this biblical? Is this something that agrees with the word of God? If not…stand fast and face down the anti-biblical Mountain Lion that will come your way.

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
11/1/2023

Two Million Dollar Mistake

John D. Rockefeller built the great Standard Oil empire. Not surprisingly, Rockefeller was a man who demanded high performance from his executives. One day, one of those executives made a two million dollar mistake. Word of the man’s enormous error quickly spread throughout the executive offices, and the other men began to make themselves scarce, not wanting to cross his path. One man didn’t have any choice, however, since he had an appointment with the boss. So he straightened his shoulders and walked into Rockefeller’s office. As he approached Rockefeller’s desk, he looked up from the piece of paper on which he was writing. “I guess you’ve heard about the two million dollar mistake our friend made,” he said abruptly. “Yes,” the executive said, expecting Rockefeller to explode. “Well, I’ve been sitting here listing all of our friend’s good qualities, and I’ve discovered that in the past he has made us many more times the amount he lost for us today by his one mistake. His good points far outweigh this one human error. So I think we ought to forgive him, don’t you?” That’s Grace.

Bruce Goodrich was being initiated into the cadet corps at Texas A & M University. One night, Bruce was forced to run until he dropped — but he never got up. Bruce Goodrich died before he even entered college.

A short time after the tragedy, Bruce’s father wrote this letter to the administration, faculty, student body, and the corps of cadets: “I would like to take this opportunity to express the appreciation of my family for the great outpouring of concern and sympathy from Texas A & M University and the college community over the loss of our son Bruce. We were deeply touched by the tribute paid to him in the battalion. We were particularly pleased to note that his Christian witness did not go unnoticed during his brief time on campus.”

Mr. Goodrich went on: “I hope it will be some comfort to know that we harbor no ill will in the matter. We know our God makes no mistakes. Bruce had an appointment with his Lord and is now secure in his celestial home. When the question is asked, ‘Why did this happen?’ perhaps one answer will be, ‘So that many will consider where they will spend eternity.'” That’s the grace of God.

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
10/25/2023

Forgiveness Written in Stone

Stephen Felker, How Often Should I Forgive?
A story is told of two friends who were walking through the desert. During some point of the journey they had an argument, and one friend slapped the other one in the face. The one who got slapped was hurt, but without saying anything, wrote in the sand, “Today my best friends slapped me in the face.”

They kept on walking until they found an oasis, where they decided to take a bath. The one who had been slapped got stuck in the mire and started drowning, but the friend saved him. After he recovered from nearly drowning, he wrote on a stone, “Today my best friend saved my life.”

His friend asked him, “After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand and now, you write on a stone, why?” The other friend replied “When someone hurts us we should write it down in sand where winds of forgiveness can erase it away. But, when someone does something good for us, we must engrave it in stone where no wind can ever erase it.”
So real forgiveness keeps on leaving the sins of others and our hurts in the past. Yet Jesus understands the difficulty of such forgiveness. To keep on forgiving is a God-like characteristic. It is contrary to human nature. So He gives a parable beginning in v.23 which will help us obey His commandment to keep on forgiving.

Some while back I visited an online greeting card website to send an electronic anniversary card to some friends. As I was glancing through this website’s menu of choices, I noticed they had a separate category of cards devoted to “Forgiveness.” Since that is a pretty vital theological category, I naturally was drawn to check out those cards. Mostly they were humorous intended to be used for relatively minor hurts. “Forget about it,” “Don’t worry about it” were the sentiments of two cards. Another expressed forgiveness by saying, “Everybody is a work in progress.”

Scott Hoezee, Comments and Observations
Strikingly, however, on this website, as probably in most Hallmark stores, forgiveness cards were categorized right along with birthday and get well cards. That is, they were what could be called “Occasional Cards.” You don’t send a “Get Well” card just any old time, but occasionally you need such a sentiment and that’s when you purchase and send just such a card. So also you may not need a forgiveness card very often, but once in a while such a thing may be handy. Seen this way, forgiveness becomes a “now and then” matter. No doubt this reflects the way a lot of people think. But it cuts against the grain of the New Testament and of a passage like Matthew 18 where the assumption of Jesus seems to be that forgiveness is an ongoing, daily reality for each one of us. Not only are we ourselves forgiven on a regular basis by God and by others, we must then turn around and forgive those who have hurt us. It’s not an occasional reality. It’s every day.

Watch sermons and read sermon text and other articles by going to www.tomahawkmbc.com. Listen to Pastor Jack’s sermons on WSIP FM 98.9 every Sunday morning at 10:30 Am. Watch Jack Ward on Facebook.

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
10/18/2023

Maranatha
1 Corinthians 16:22 22If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha.
Revelation 22:20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

The word “maranatha” is a Syriac expression that means: “our Lord comes.” It was used as a greeting in the early church. When believers gathered or parted, they didn’t say “hello” or “goodbye” but “Maranatha!” If we had the same upward look today, it would revolutionize the church. O that God’s people had a deepening awareness of the imminent return of the Savior!

While on a South Pole expedition, British explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton left a few men on Elephant Island, promising that he would return. Later, when he tried to go back, huge icebergs blocked the way. But suddenly, as if by a miracle, an avenue opened in the ice and Shackleton was able to get through. His men, ready and waiting, quickly scrambled aboard. No sooner had the ship cleared the island than the ice crashed together behind them. Contemplating their narrow escape, the explorer said to his men, “It was fortunate you were all packed and ready to go!” They replied, “We never gave up hope. Whenever the sea was clear of ice, we rolled up our sleeping bags and reminded each other, ‘The boss may come today.'”

The hymn writer Horatius Bonar exhorted us “to be ready for the last moment by being ready at every moment…so attending to every duty that, let Him come when He may, He finds the house in perfect order, awaiting His return.” The trump may sound anytime. How important for us as Christians to be “packed and ready to go!”

The Bible has many passages about the return of Christ. He is going to return first of all secretly for His church. 1 Cor 15:51-53 1 Thess 4:16-17 John 14:3 Titus 2:13

Then after seven years of what the Bible calls “the great tribulation” Matthew 24:21 Revelation 2:22 Revelation 7:14
Then He is going to return to set up His kingdom on this earth. Matthew 24:30 Revelation 20 and 21 describe this kingdom the Lord will set up on the earth at that time.

Jesus is going to return. This is repeated over and over in the word of God. His word is going to be fulfilled. How should we live in these days?

At the height of WWII, Protestant theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer was imprisoned for taking a stand against Hitler. Yet he continued to urge fellow believers to resist Nazi tyranny. A group of Christians, believing that Hitler was the Antichrist, asked Bonhoeffer, “Why do you expose yourself to all this danger? Jesus will return any day, and all your work and suffering will be for nothing.” Bonhoeffer replied,
“If Jesus returns tomorrow, then tomorrow I’ll rest from my labor. But today I have work to do. I must continue the struggle until it’s finished.”

This is going to be a time of great joy for those who know Christ. A time of complete fulfillment of every thing you could possible dream of and those you couldn’t possibly imagine.

As you leave home today, don’t say goodbye — say “Maranatha!”

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
10/11/2023

What Is A Christian?

I read an article in the newspaper a couple of weeks ago that had one of the leading apologists for the Mormon faith defending their position that Mormon’s are Christians.

She gave two main reasons. First of all Mormon’s read the stories of Jesus from the Bible and follow His teachings. And secondly they believe in Jesus.

On the surface then it would seem that Mormon’s are Christians. They read the Bible. Christians read the Bible. They believe in Jesus. Christians believe in Jesus.

But in order to find out what a Christians is we have to we have to define terms here. I could claim to be a Chevrolet truck. I move on rubber, I can go 55 miles per hour, and I must have fuel. But a closer examination reveals that I move about on shoes that have rubber soles, I can go 55 miles an hour when in a car and yes I must have fuel but it is not gasoline but food. So upon closer examination and after defining of terms we find out quickly that I am definitely not a Chevrolet truck.

Are Mormon’s Christians? Mormon’s claim to read the Bible. Yes they do read the Bible but their real “bible” is the book of Mormon. Written by one man Joseph Smith in one year. It claims to be another revelation or additional words of Jesus who came to America to preach to the lost tribe of Israel a few hundred years ago and establish the Mormon faith. They study and revere the book of Mormon and get their doctrines from it. Yes, they do teach on practical living from the teachings of Jesus in the Bible. But when a Mormon says they read the Bible that is true but they believe in, follow and adhere to the teachings and doctrines of the book of Mormon.

The Bible is 66 books written by 40 authors over 1600 years and claims to be the FINAL and ONLY word of God and is the story of God’s redemption of man through Jesus Christ and faith in Him alone. The Bible warns us against adding to the final word of God. It tells us how to become a Christian by faith in trust in Jesus Christ alone. Christians believe the Bible is sufficient for all of man’s needs and for his salvation and redemption.

Mormon’s claim to believe in Jesus. We must define what Jesus they are talking about. The Jesus of the Mormon’s is the brother of Satan. The Jesus of the Mormon’s is a created being. The Jesus of the Mormon’s died on a cross but it was not for man’s redemption. The Jesus of the Mormon’s came back to American and preached a new revelation to the lost tribe of Israel. The Jesus of the Mormon’s has become what each Mormon can become if they are a good enough Mormon. Mormon’s do not believe that Jesus is God revealed in flesh. Mormon’s do not believe in the trinity. God as revealed as the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Christians believe that Jesus is the one and ONLY unique Son of God. He is the creator and sustainer of all things. He is the Alpha and the Omega the beginning and no ending. He is Lord of all creation. He is the Savior of the world. He is the light of the world. He is our life. He died on the cross to redeem us from our sins and He rose from the dead as the proof of who He is because He loved us. Christians believe that Jesus lives at the right hand of God ever making intercession for us. Christians believe in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit with these three being one. Christians believe that God is revealed in the Father who dwells above us, the Son who dwelt among us and the Holy Spirit who dwells within us.

So we must conclude that once we define the terms……Mormon’s are not Christians because they do not follow the doctrines and teachings of the Bible alone and have added to the word of God. We must conclude even though Mormon’s believe in Jesus the Jesus of the Mormon’s is not the Jesus of Christianity. Therefore we conclude without a doubt that Mormon’s are not in any sense Christian…but a false religion preaching another Jesus that the apostle Paul warned us about.

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
10/4/2023

ACTION OR TALK

All great enterprises begin at a critical moment–a moment when a decision is made and someone launches himself into a never-to-be-forgotten enterprise.

PIZARRO, the noted Spanish explorer, faced such a moment. He languished with his men on a small island awaiting new supplies before moving on to Peru. When the supply ships arrived, they brought a message that he should abandon his expedition–considered by the governor to be foolhardy–and return to Panama.

Pizarro assembled his men on the beach. He drew his sword and made a line from east to west in the sand, then turning to the south he said, “Friends and comrades! On that side are toil, hunger, nakedness, the drenching storm, desertion, and death; on this side, ease and pleasure. But there lies Peru with its riches; here, Panama and its poverty. Choose, each man, what best becomes a brave Castellan. For my part, I go to the south.”

So saying, he stepped across the line. The pilot Ruiz was first to respond, then twelve other men stepped across to join the leader and the pilot. Of Pizarro, the famous historian Prescott says he was “…a man more accustomed to act than to talk.”

One such a man was named Bruce Olson who went to Colombia many years ago as a missionary to the headhunters in the far southern jungle, near the border with Brazil. The book that tells his story is Bruchko, the name the Indians called him since they couldn’t wrap their tongues around “Bruce.” It’s an incredible tale of danger and grace, adventure and miracles. He wasn’t trained, had no denominational or organizational backup, just a profound sense that he had been called to this work by God.

He showed up one day unexpectedly among a tribe of Indians. One of the hardest things he had to do was communicate with them before they decided to have him for dinner. Literally. The process of learning their language was also extremely difficult, as many of the words and concepts he needed to explain who Jesus was and what he had done simply didn’t appear to exist in their culture. But despite the lack of communication they began to trust Bruce because of his actions of love and service to the tribe. This trust led Bruce to use his own actions as a bridge of understanding so the tribe began to understand that God acted in sending His Son to die for our sins when we didn’t expect it or deserve it. God didn’t just tell us what to do…He acted upon our need by sending us a Savior.

Pizzaro and Bruce Olson. Men who believed in action. Actions speak louder than words we have always been told. We can say a lot of words and words are important but it’s the actions that follow those words that are most important. What sets successful people apart from others is that successful people act….the rest of us talk.

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
9/27/2023

In Defense Of God

Many in this world are quick to point out that “if there is a good God why is their evil and suffering in the world?” Why can’t God just get rid of evil? Why does God allow innocent to suffer? Dr Norm Geisler make this defense of God.

First of all God is all powerful. God is the creator. He made everything perfectly. We have order in the universe. If God is not all powerful then we could not set our clocks, we could not build anything, we could not breathe each day, we would not have consistency in the atmosphere, temperature, seasons, water, gravity and even mathematics. If God is not all powerful then we would not have any real hope that the sun would come up tomorrow. God is all powerful.

Secondly God is all good. God created everything good. God created man good. But God in His goodness gave man freedom and choice. God won’t force man to follow Him nor will He force man to make good choices. That’s up to each individual. No person ever says “down with freedom. I hate freedom. I will do everything my mother and father says.” No one wants that…. so freedom and choice is a good thing from God.

But unfortunately God kicked man out of the garden of Eden because of His choice to do evil. Therefore all of creation has been placed in a fallen state. That’s why we have tornado’s, hurricanes, earthquakes and floods. The Bible says that the world is in upheaval because of sin, man’s choice to do evil.

But even in man’s fallen state God allows a person to choose to follow Him or thumb his nose at him. God loves mankind….but forced love is not love. If a young man says to a young lady…..”I love you and I want to marry you.” She says…”I like you but I don’t love you and I don’t want to marry you.” The young man says…”I will make you love me!” Is that love? No, that is forced love and forced love is rape. God loves us and offers His love to us, but He will not force anyone to love Him or serve Him.

Remember when Jesus said “oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem, How I would have gathered you as a Hen gathers her chicks but you would not.” It’s not God’s fault that men won’t turn to Him and have chosen evil.

It’s this fallen world that gives us murderers, terrorists, wars and fighting among people. People choose evil. We have children and adults suffering tragedies and disease because we are in a fallen world. If you are suffering right now….. know that God, the divine architect of the universe…..doesn’t build a staircase that goes to no where. Your life and your suffering are not going unnoticed by a loving God. God is using your suffering and pain to bring everything to good purpose.

God allows the rain to fall upon the just and the unjust. God allows the events of this world to unfold as they will. That’s the freedom that God gives to his creation and to each of us because He is good and He loves us.

In defense of God…… we know that God is all powerful and that God is all good and since He is these two things….. we know that He will bring all things to a good purpose. Therefore this is the best possible world to bring about a totally perfect world one day, where no one will choose evil and where every man will get what he has chosen in this life. Choose wisely my friend!
www.normgeilser.com

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
9/20/2023

The Destiny of Man

Man has long wondered why he is here. What is the destiny of man? In each of our heart of hearts we know that there is God who made us. The Bible says that creation is all the evidence we need to know that God is. The Bible also tells us that He has put His moral law upon each heart. But how can we know Him? How can we know what He wants of us?

Most people believe that if you do your best and have a good heart that you will go to heaven. But they have not counted on the moral law of God. They haven’t counted on the justice and righteousness of God. You see God is loving and forgiving but He is also a God of justice. He is holy, taking vengeance upon those who have sinned against Him. The Bible says that there is none good but one and that is God. So then God, by being the creator and being righteous is qualified to judge all mankind.

But if I believe in God but how do I know which god is the right god? Which religion is the right one?

You are asking the wrong question. It’s not who is the right god? But who is the creator? Obviously someone created everything. That someone must be God. The Bible introduces Him..…“in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

Then if the God of the Bible is the creator how do we know what He wants of us? We know exactly what He expects of us because He told us so in the Bible. He gave us His moral law or we call them the ten commandments. He clearly and completely made clear to us how to live and how please Him.

But we have a problem here….One of the commandments is “thou shalt not lie.” We have all told a lie in our lives. Another one is “thou shalt not steal.” We have all stolen something in our lives…a pencil from our sister, a borrowed object we never returned. Another one is “thou shalt not kill.” Well most of us are good on that one right? We have never killed anyone. But Jesus said that “anyone who hates his brother is a murderer.” uh oh. We are busted again!

The Bible says that if you have broken one of the least of the commandments you have broken them all. We are in big trouble! The Bible says that the soul that sinneth it shall die? The wages of sin is death! We are in grave danger! What do we do?

That’s where Jesus Christ comes in. The Old Testament was written to tell us that we have broken God’s moral law. The New Testament was written to tell us that we have a Savior. God sent Jesus who did not sin (because He was God’s Son) to become sin for us, to take our sin upon Himself…..to take the wrath of God that was meant for us upon Himself. For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

“Believe or trust” in Christ is mentioned 185 times in the New Testament. We trust in Him when we believe that He died on the cross for our own personal sins. We receive Him as our Savior… we turn to Him for forgiveness for all of our sins, past present and future. Jesus rose from the dead to prove that God accepted His payment for our sins and that we too shall rise again one day.

What is the destiny of man? That choice is up to you. You can receive Christ as your Savior and receive His forgiveness and be with Him in heaven forever…… or you can receive the wrath of God and be in the lake of fire forever! What will you decide?

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
9/13/2023

Live in a Way That Glorifies God

Dan Blocker was my favorite character, Hoss, on the TV series Bonanza. When he died unexpectedly of complications after gall bladder surgery, Hoss died. The producers knew they could not replace him. The producers decided that the story of his death would be that a woman was caught in a flood. Hoss held her above the water with one hand and held a branch with the other to keep them from being washed away. He died, but he never let go. He died, but she lived. Fans mourned for the fictional character, but they agreed it was a fitting way for Hoss to die.

In the 80’s, producers were ready to restart the story of the Cartwright’s in a new TV series, Bonanza, the Next Generation. The story was that the original Cartwright’s were dead. Ben’s brother ran the Ponderosa. For various reasons, Adam’s son, little Joe’s son, and Hoss’ son were coming there to live.

Hoss died without marrying. The new series said he had a illegitimate son and died before bringing the mother to the Ponderosa. Test audiences were scheduled with fans of the original series. They were furious. Adam, sometimes a scholar and sometimes a Casanova, may have had an illegitimate son. If Joe had an illegitimate son, no one would be surprised. But Hoss? HOSS??? NOOOOOOO!!! Fans refused to believe it. Test audiences were so angry that producers cancelled the series before the pilot even aired.

Fans refused to believe Hoss’ immorality. If a fictional character can inspire such belief in his character, how much more should we, “live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse [us] of doing wrong, they may see [our] good deeds and glorify God…” 1 Peter 2:12

We have heard that….. “character is what you are when no one is watching.” What do your eyes see when no one is watching? Where do your feet go when no one is watching? What does your mouth say when no one can hear? What do your ears listen to when no one can hear? Have you so lived that people refuse to believe any flaw in your character? Is what you are when no one is watching what you really are?

I like to read about the lives of famous people. I have discovered 99 % of the people that are famous are nothing like the people we think they are. Their personal lives are a mess. They have no consistency, no loyalty, no devotion, and no strength of character. It is such a disappointment to discover what they are really like.

We who know Jesus Christ have one who is steadfast, consistent, loyal, devoted, and strong. We will never be disappointed in Him. He will never let us down. We know that He will never change in His own character. He is the same yesterday, today and forever! And I believe that God wants us to be steadfast and consistent in our own character and behavior.

If you have a problem with character and behavior let me suggest that you quit trying! Quit struggling to be what you ought to be. Follow Christ each day and let Him mold you and make you into a person like Himself….a person of consistency, faithfulness and strong character. That’s the only way you will live a life that glorifies God!

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
9/6/2023

Go Into All The World

Matthew 28:19-20 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

One of the things that drive us as Christians and is in the heart of every believer is to tell others about Jesus. But all of us have been called to be witnesses for our Lord. And all of us have been called to our own personal Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria. For us that is the neighbor next door, the person in the office or someone in our family or classroom, or the stranger at Walmart or the person that is the outcast and unloved and unwanted in our community.

But a few of us God has called to the uttermost part of the world. I have noticed today that the world is coming to us. The illegal aliens, the Hispanics, Asian and Arabic groups have come to America by the millions in the last decade. God is truly sending the world to us to evangelize. Almost half of all foreigners who come to this nation will be exposed to the gospel within one year and thousands of them are trusting in Christ as their Savior. Every denomination in this nation has a ministry to Hispanics and thousands of Hispanic churches have sprung up all over the United States. There are also many ministries to Asian and Arabic people in this nation. We are fulfilling the great commission right here in America!

But still God is calling those to go to the uttermost part of the world. Of course we have foreign missionaries are called of God to go and be witnesses unto Him. Now we have amazing opportunities with the thing called the “internet.” My little church is reaching almost a thousand people each week all over the world with social media, video platforms like Rumble, Bitchute and Brigteon and radio broadcasts on WSIP FM and iTunes, Spotify, and many more. All from a tiny iPhone (that we all have) a tiny digital recorder and an internet connection. Your church can be a missionary reaching people all over the world!

How do we do it? PodPoint.com is an amazing Christian audio platform that for only $24 a month will take your pastors sermons and put them on a dozen podcast platforms! It is simple to use and very effective. All you need is your iPhone or a small digital recorder. We use a digital recorder at my church because we use my iPhone to record sermons on FaceBook live. Then we take that recording from FaceBook live and put it on media platforms Rumble, Bitchute and Brighteon…..and the video platforms are all FREE!
We are reaching hundreds each week all over the world on these. (You can use YouTube but they will ban you if you say things they don’t like and they don’t like the Bible.)

A radio ministry is simple as well. We use that same digital recorder and send our recordings to WSIP radio in Paintsville. Radio is not cheap but it’s less than you think. Find a station somewhere that will broadcast your church services. You may be surprised. There are hundreds of internet radio stations that will broadcast your church. And it is very effective. Hardly a week goes by that someone doesn’t tell me that they heard my sermon on the radio!

Your church should have a website and/or at least a FaceBook page. And keep it updated every day! It’s easier than you think and very effective outreach. We put sermon text, articles and past “Pastor’s Pens” and links to all of our sermon platforms on our website. It doesn’t take that long either. We spend about an hour a week uploading sermons.

What wonderful opportunities we have! We all can reach the world with the technology that God has given us. The devil is certainly using it for evil….so we shouldn’t we use it to spread the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ?

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
8/30/2023

WHAT A WASTE…?

A pastor told this story of when he lived in another city, he became acquainted with an organization called the Wycliffe Bible Translators. In fact, he had a man come speak to his church. He would never forget the impression he had made on him. The speaker had a PhD in linguistics. He was an incredibly well-educated and gifted man. He could have taught in any university in the country. He could have had a comfortable life. But what did he do instead? He spent twenty-five years with an obscure tribe that didn’t even have a written language. He first had to learn to speak their language. Then he developed a way to put it into writing. He created an alphabet and grammar for it. Then he taught the people how to read their own language. And then he translated the New Testament into that language. And he did all that just so that they could learn about Jesus. Some would say, “What a waste!”

Another pastor told of a young man who grew up just down the block from his wife. He never met him; He couldn’t even remember his name. But he knew about him. He thinks about him every time he is in the neighborhood.

This boy didn’t attract much notice as he was growing up. He studied mostly. He went to college, then applied to medical school. He was accepted. He completed his training to be a doctor, did a residency in surgery. And then what? He moved to some third world country no one has ever heard of, and he’s been there ever since, treating people who can never pay him and will never quite understand what he went through to be there with them all just to tell some of them about Jesus. Some would say, “What a waste!”

During a church service a young man announced that he had surrendered to the call to preach. After the service a wealthy and influential businessman spoke to the young man…”you are a brilliant student, you could become a doctor or a lawyer, and make a lot of money…..why do you want to waste your life being a preacher?” The young man said…”sir, my only regret is that I only have but one life to waste for Christ, for sir I wish I had a thousand lives to waste for Jesus Christ!” That young man was Adrian Rogers who would pastor Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis and touch the world through his powerful preaching.

How much of your life have you “wasted” for Jesus? Matthew 16:24-26 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

Mark 10:29-31 And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s, But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life. But many that are first shall be last; and the last first.

To “waste” this life for Christ is to gain a satisfying, meaningful and purposeful life for eternity. Will you do something wasteful for Christ today!

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
8/23/2023

The Devastation of Sin

Robert Louis Stevenson, in “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” set forth the irrevocable nature of every act we perform. Mr. Jekyll discovered a drug that would transform him into a man devoid of any conscience and therefore able to enjoy any vice or sin. Jekyll named this monster Mr. Hyde. Any time Jekyll wanted to become this monster, he would simply take the drug. Then when he wanted to return to being Jekyll, he took the drug again. But after a time, the desire to be Mr. Hyde overruled the desire to be Mr. Jekyll, and he could not recover himself.

Similarly, our sin progresses, gains power over us, and then one day there is no turning back. Just read the headlines or listen to the newscasts and hear of the consequences of sin. As a nation, we have progressed deeper and deeper into the monster Mr. Hyde. Socially, economically, and morally we are more filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed, and depravity than ever before. But the sad thing is that we think we are getting better as a people. It is true that we may know more, have greater technology and greater communication…but we have not gotten any better as people and as a matter of fact we are so bad that we are accepting wickedness and evil in the world and actually calling it good. The Bible says ….But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. 2 Timothy 3:13

Oh that we as a nation would begin to understand what sin is and the devastating effect it has had on all of us. We have been deceived into thinking and believing that sin has no consequences. Everybody is basically good and we are all going to heaven. This is deception at its worst! Romans 3:10-12 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

I read a story this week of a young girl who accepted Christ as her Savior and wanted to be baptized. An old deacon in the Church wanted to find out where this girl was really at in regards to her relationship with the Lord asked a few questions. “Were you a sinner before you received the Lord Jesus into your life?”

“Yes, sir,” she replied. “Well, are you still a sinner?” “To tell you the truth, I feel I’m a greater sinner than ever.” “Then what real change have you experienced?” “I don’t quite know how to explain it,” she said, “except I used to be a sinner running AFTER sin, but now that I am saved, I’m a sinner running FROM sin!”

Only Jesus Christ can save us from our sin and the devastating destruction that sin will bring to us as individuals. A nation is made up of individuals. We can’t change our nation but as individuals understand that they are sinners in need of a Savior and in response to that knowledge, turn from their wicked ways and then the Lord will forgive their sin and heal our land.

Watch sermons and read sermon text and other articles by going to www.tomahawkmbc.com. Listen to Pastor Jack’s sermons on WSIP FM 98.9 every Sunday morning at 10:30 Am. Watch Facebook live by going to Jack Ward’s Facebook page.

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
8/16/2023

Mystery Solved!

Death has been around a long time and it is still a mystery to us. Everyone who is reading this has not experienced death yet but know it’s out there! There is no sadder but at the same time dignified tune than “taps.” It is the final honor for one who has given the ultimate for his country. Taps was found in the pocket of a dead confederate soldier who was studying music before the war broke out. Taps in it’s basic meaning sounds the finality of death. The Bible has a verse that tells us the finality of death. Hebrews 9:27 It is appointed unto man once to die….. Death of the body is final for this life. But Hebrews 9:27 doesn’t end there…. it goes on to say….and after that the judgment. Mystery solved! We only die once then judgment awaits those in Christ for their service and those not in Christ for their sins. No reincarnation and no coming back as ghosts.

The Bible tells us in many passages that there is life after death. But….. the Bible gives no hint or even one passage that tells us that we hang around as ghosts after we die. King Saul and a medium conjured up the image of the prophet Samuel but that was in reality a message from God and not a ghost.

I believe that there are spiritual creatures that dwell among us. And for that reason I warn that ghost hunting and ghost seeking are very dangerous things to do.

According to the Bible humans do not become ghosts. So that means that these images and sounds that ghost hunters hear are in actuality demons imitating people. Mystery solved! Demons have been assigned to this earth and await their final disposal into the lake of fire prepared for the devil and his angels. They are active and very alive. I hear these ghost hunters challenge the ghosts to appear and give them a message. This is very dangerous especially for those who are not Christians. Christians are indwelt by the Holy Spirit and therefore light can have no part with darkness. So Christians cannot be possessed but they can be oppressed by demons. But those who are not Christians who challenge demons are actually opening themselves up for demonic possession. Possession is real and Biblical and dangerous!

In the book of Jude verses 9-10 the angel Michael did not dare rebuke the devil. Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee. But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.

We must have respect for the powers of darkness and leave them to the Lord and His rebuke. To put it simply we are not to be preoccupied with the devil, demons, ghosts and haunted places. They are of no consequence to us. Who cares if demons occupy a house in Pheonix, Arizona or Salem, Massachusetts. Leave them alone because they are there for a reason awaiting their final judgment.

We must focus on the Lord and His glory and our service to Him and not preoccupy ourselves with the things of this world. Because of the cross and the shed blood of Jesus Christ the devil and his minions have lost and are awaiting their final judgment.

We are all fascinated by things that go bump in the night. We all love ghost stories and love to be scared. Why? We have a dark nature called sin. Sin leads to death which is our greatest enemy and our greatest fear. This fear of death leads us to endlessly seek the answer to the question…… what is out there? The Bible has made it clear what is out there. One day we will be free from the power of sin and death and hell and the grave and we will no longer be afraid of the dark but we will step into that glorious light of Jesus Christ and His endless glory. Ghost stories are interesting but obviously we know that the Biblical reality is there is no fear for those who are in Christ Jesus. Mystery solved!

Watch sermons and read sermon text and other articles by going to www.tomahawkmbc.com. Listen to Pastor Jack’s sermons on WSIP FM 98.9 every Sunday morning at 10:30 Am. Watch sermons on Facebook by going to Jack Ward’s page.

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
8/9/2023

What must I do?

Over 185 times in the New Testament the sole condition given for salvation is belief, having faith or trust in Jesus Christ. The gospel is that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose on the third day. All those who place their trust in Jesus for salvation will be saved from the coming judgment. To add any other condition to faith for salvation is to make justification a matter of works.

During one of his great campaigns, D L Moody was approached by a man who had been to a number of the services and who, although convicted of his need for Christ, had kept on postponing a decision. Now the last night had come. The appeal was over, the people were going home, the work crew was busy folding up the chairs and dismantling the platform, and Mr Moody was preparing to leave. The man finally plucked up his courage. He came to the evangelist and blurted out, “Mr Moody, what must I do to be saved?” Moody looked at him. “I’m sorry sir,” he said, “but you’re too late.” “Too late, Mr Moody?” The man was desperate now. “Surely I’m not too late!” “Yes, sir,” said Moody. “You’re too late. As a matter of fact, you’re two thousand years too late if you want to DO something to be saved. All the DOING has been DONE. But if you would like to accept Christ by faith as your personal Savior, you’re just in time. You can do that right here, right now.”

I read about an instant cake mix that was a big flop. The instructions said all you had to do was add water and bake. The company couldn’t understand why it didn’t sell — until their research discovered that the buying public felt uneasy about a mix that required only water. Apparently people thought it was too easy. So the company altered the formula and changed the directions to call for adding an egg to the mix in addition to the water. The idea worked and sales jumped dramatically.

That story reminds me of how some people react to the plan of salvation. To them it sounds too easy and simple to be true, even though the Bible says, “By grace you have been saved through faith…; it is the gift of God, not of works” (Eph. 2:8-9). They feel that there is something more they must do, something they must add to God’s “recipe” for salvation. They think they must perform good works to gain God’s favor and earn eternal life. But the Bible is clear — we are saved, “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy” (Titus 3:5). Unlike the cake-mix manufacturer, God has not changed His “formula” to make salvation more marketable. The gospel we proclaim must be free of works, even though it may sound too easy. It must be free of “Do” even though that seems to be right. It is all of grace, for the gift of God is eternal life and it is received only by faith and trust in Jesus Christ.

What must I do to be saved? Nothing can be done. There is no work good enough but to trust in Christ. Faith is the only work for God that we can do. Hebrews 11:6 Without faith it is impossible to please God.

Watch sermons and read sermon text and other articles by going to http://www.tomahawkmbc.com. Listen to Pastor Jack’s sermons on WSIP FM 98.9 every Sunday morning at 10:30 Am. Watch Facebook live by going to Jack Ward’s page.

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
8/2/2023

Rebellion

Author Phillip Yancy tells the story of a friend of his he called Daniel. Daniel was about to leave his wife of 15 years for another woman, someone younger and prettier. He knew the personal and moral consequences of what he was about to do. But he had a larger concern – and he asked Yancey “Do you think God can forgive something as awful as I am about to do?” Yancey pondered, “How can I dissuade my friend from committing a terrible mistake if he knows forgiveness lies just around the corner?”

C.S. Lewis noted that a man whose hands are full of parcels can’t receive a gift. Then Yancey wrote: “To condone an evil is simply to ignore it, to treat it as if it were good. But forgiveness needs to be accepted and then applied, if it is to be complete…and a man who admits no guilt, who continues in sin can accept no forgiveness.”

Ultimately, Yancey told his friend that, yes, of course, God could forgive him. but he also challenged him with these thoughts: What we have to go through to commit sin distances us from God. We change in the very act of rebellion, and there is no guarantee we will ever come back. He said to his friend, “You ask me about forgiveness now, but will your rebellious heart even want it later, especially if it involves repentance, humility and submission to God and His will?”

Why do the virtues of humility and submission that first led us to Christ, somehow disappear in so many? The fruits of the Spirit are found in Galatians 5: 22 and 23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. How much gentleness and meekness do we find among Christians today?

1 Samuel 15:23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. The exact opposite of the fruits of the Spirit is the fruit of rebellion. God compares rebellion to witchcraft. Witchcraft is the attempt to get everything in life to work out for you and your wants and desires. God also puts stubbornness in the same category as rebellion. He compares stubbornness to idolatry. Idolatry is the worship of self. Rebellion caused Satan to leave his appointed place and become the devil. Rebellion caused Adam and Eve to eat the forbidden fruit. Rebellion and stubbornness is nothing more than seeking to get your will done instead of God’s. You are number one….not God. To put it simply you want what you want no matter what God thinks about it! This must never be in the life of a believer!

Colossians 3:12-14 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. Christian if you have God’s Spirit within you, you will not be rebellious but instead practice humility, love, patience and forgiveness.

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
7/26/2023

Priorities

There was this man and a woman who got married. But they shared the same birthday and they decided to get married on the same day. So they got married, had a few kids, and lived the lives they dreamed. But 20 years passed. They were celebrating their 40th anniversary and their 63rd birthday. And while the party was going on, a fairy came to them. “You have a wish. Ask whatever you want and it shall be yours,” said the fairy.
The wife smiled. “I want a diamond. But not just any diamond. I want a diamond bigger than what Elizabeth Taylor has ever seen.” So a diamond showed up on her finger. It was huge. The husband was anxious. “I want a wife that is 30 years younger than me. Then I will be happy.” He smiled and laughed. Suddenly he turned 93.

A group of friends went deer hunting and paired off in two’s for the day. That night one of the hunters returned alone, staggering under an eight point buck.
“Where’s Harry?”
“Harry had a stroke of some kind. He’s a couple of miles back up the trail.”
“You left Harry laying there, and carried the deer back?”
“A tough call,” nodded the hunter, “but I figured no one is going to steal Harry.”

Victor Borge told about a couple going on vacation, standing in line waiting to check their bags at the airline counter.
The husband said to the wife, “I wish I had brought my red jacket.”
The wife said, “Why? you’ve brought sixteen coats and jackets already!”
The husband said, “Yes, I know– but the tickets are in my red jacket!”

God told us what are number one priority should be. But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Matthew 6:33. In your own life if you make the things of God your first priority…daily prayer, Bible reading, weekly church attendance then the light of Christ in your life will reflect on others….and you and those around you will be blessed, and you will enriched, full of joy and peace.

There is an old legend of a swan and a crane. A beautiful swan alighted by the banks of the water in which a crane was wading about seeking snails. For a few moments the crane viewed the swan in stupid wonder and then inquired: “Where do you come from?”
“I come from heaven!” replied the swan.
“And where is heaven?” asked the crane.
“Heaven!” said the swan, “Heaven! have you never heard of heaven?” And the beautiful bird went on to describe the grandeur of the Eternal City. She told of streets of gold, and the gates and walls made of precious stones; of the river of life, pure as crystal, upon whose banks is the tree whose leaves shall be for the healing of the nations. In eloquent terms the swan sought to describe the hosts who live in the other world, but without arousing the slightest interest on the part of the crane.
Finally the crane asked: “Are there any snails there?”
“Snails!” repeated the swan; “no! Of course there are not.”
“Then,” said the crane, as it continued its search along the slimy banks of the pool, “you can have your heaven. I want snails!”

Do you want snails or heaven? Do you want the junk of this world or the eternal joy of heaven? Philippians 3:8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ. Get your priorities straight!

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
7/19/2023

Do you consider yourself a good person?

To determine that we need a guide. Let’s let the guide of all guides the Ten commandments check us out.

One of the ten commandments is “thou shalt not lie.” Have you ever told a lie? Well then you are guilty of breaking God’s law.
Another one is “thou shalt not steal.” Have you ever stolen anything no matter how small? You are guilty again of breaking God’s law.
Another one is “thou shalt not kill.” You say now wait a minute, I know I have never done that one! Have you ever hated anyone? Then the Bible says you are a murderer. John 3:15 “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.” You are guilty again of breaking God’s law!

James 2:10 tells us “That whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” Still think you are a good person? The Bible says “There is none righteous, no not one.“ Jesus said “Why callest thou me good? there is none good but God.”

Here is something very important to remember: God cannot forgive you just because He wants to! Let me explain: Every good and righteous judge in our courtrooms cannot let a thief and a murderer go free. He has no choice but to bring forth judgment upon the guilty. The Bible says that “without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins.” The price for sin must be paid. The law has to be fulfilled.

God, who is a good and righteous judge, has found us guilty of breaking His law. Romans 1:20-21 says “….so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” We are without excuse. We are guilty before God. We must suffer the penalty for sin, for breaking God’s laws. The punishment is everlasting separation from God and torment in the Lake of Fire!

You might say, “my good deeds out weigh my bad, doesn’t that count with God?” That’s like telling a judge, “I only robbed one bank judge, there are more banks I didn’t rob than those that I did, doesn‘t that count for something!” Sorry, you are a bank robber if you only rob one bank, therefore you are a sinner if you only commit one sin.

God cannot forgive sinners unless someone pays the sin debt, the price for sin. Without the shedding of blood there is no remisson of sin. So God did something unheard of. “While we were yet sinners Christ died for us. “ Christ died paid our sin debt. Why did He do that? “ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosover believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

You might say, “I don’t believe it’s going to be that way. My god would not condemn anyone, God is all good and loves us.” Well, the god you describe is not the God of the Bible. God is all good and does love us, but He is also righteous and just. Even though He is not willing that anyone should perish, many will perish because they have made the choice to reject God’s forgiveness through Jesus Christ.

Did you know that there won’t be any good people in heaven! Only saved sinners will be in heaven! You can only be in heaven by accepting Christ’s payment for your sin debt. If you have never done so……ask God to forgive you right now and trust in Jesus Christ as your Savior.

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
7/12/2023

Genuine or a Copy

The Apostles were the foundation of the Christian faith. But they built upon the chief cornerstone Jesus Christ. Without the cornerstone there could be no sound foundation and without the foundation there can be no building.

Acts 4:10-12 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Haddon Robinson tells the story of young Chinese boy who wanted to learn all about jade. He went to an old teacher who specialized in the beautiful gem and asked him to teach him. The old man agreed. In lesson 1 the old man placed a piece of the precious stone into the young man’s hand and told him to hold it tight. Then the old teacher began to talk of philosophy, men, women, the sun and almost everything under it. After an hour, the teacher took the stone from the boy and sent him home, telling him to return the next day. The boy was confused but thought surely the next day would be different. But the procedure was repeated the next day and then for several weeks, each time with a different piece of jade. He wanted to be polite to his venerable teacher but finally after weeks of this he was going to quit. He came into the lesson, sat down and the old man put a strange stone into his hand and instinctively the boy said, “Hey, that’s not jade!” To which the teacher replied.. “Now, you are ready to work with the precious stone, for now, you recognize the genuine.” Do you? Or are you trying to base your contentment on all the counterfeit things this world offers? If you want to live a satisfied life than you must recognize the genuine… the cornerstone.. Jesus Christ.

The people of Jesus day did not recognize the true cornerstone and chose to build their religion with inferior materials of the law and the works of man. The religion they built did not have the approval of the master builder and creator….God Himself! Christ is what we must build our lives upon or we will never know the God who made us.

Today copies are made so well that it is hard to recognize the genuine article. We have generic medicines that are just like the real medicine. We have Dr cola and Dr Pepper. We have Lee jeans and Rustler jeans. How can you tell the real from the copy?

While in most things the copy is just as good as the original…. there are some things that cannot be copied or faked. For instance in the word of God there is no generic salvation, there is no alternative way of salvation. We must recognize the false ways of man and the true way that God has approved and made available to us. God’s way is not in any religion…it is not a set of rules….it is not in the government…..God’s way is not a change in the way we think or feel. God’s way is not in a new book on the Oprah Winfrey’s show.

God’s way is in a person…a Savior….Jesus Christ our Lord! God didn’t send His Son to teach us a new way. God sent Jesus to be the way! Jesus is genuine, He is real, He is the cornerstone upon all that God wants us to build our lives upon. He is everything!

A seminary president told his students. “We are taught not to put all of our eggs into one basket. …but I say to you that you MUST put all of your eggs in one basket and then mind that basket! That basket is the only genuine and true thing worth living and dying for …..Jesus Christ the way, the truth, the life and the cornerstone of God.”

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
7/5/2023

God Can Save Anyone!

What happens when we learn about a really bad guy repenting? It happens all the time in prison ministry, yet many of us think those people aren’t worth saving. They had more chances than most of us are willing to give them, yet God hasn’t given up on them.

Jeffrey Dahmer was a convicted murderer and cannibal who cooked and ate his victims. You don’t really get much more heinous than that. He was awarded 16 life sentences. While in prison, Dahmer met with Roy Ratcliff, a minister with the Church of Christ in Madison, Wisconsin, and turned his life over to Jesus Christ. He was baptized in prison, knowing that he would never leave prison alive. He had nothing to gain in this life, but everything to gain in the next.

We may scoff at jailhouse conversions, but within months of Dahmer’s baptism, people noticed a Christian spirit in him. His father and pen pals noticed the difference, and his father, who had left the church, has since been restored as a faithful member. Dahmer’s younger brother also had a conversion experience of his own.

Dahmer was killed in prison by a fellow inmate a few months after his baptism. At his memorial service, along with his own family and several Christians, two sisters of one of his victims attended, having grown close to Dahmer’s family after their brother’s death.

That may have been Dahmer’s last chance for repentance, and he took it. But many of us think he shouldn’t have been given another chance. He didn’t deserve it. And that’s true. He didn’t deserve another chance. But neither do we. Jeffrey Dahmer was like that fig tree that provided no fruit during his life. But he was given one more last chance to repent, and he took it.

The fruit of Dahmer’s repentance included bringing at least two people to Jesus and helping to heal the painful wounds left by his transgressions. How many of us can claim the same? God chose to work through him.

God chose to work through David Berkowitz as well. The Son of Sam killer who murdered six people in New York City in the late 1970s was involved in the occult and Satan worship. Ten years into his prison sentence, Berkowitz met a man named Rick in the prison yard who told him about Jesus. He explained that no matter what a person did, Christ was ready to forgive him if he would turn away from the wrong things he was doing and put his faith in Jesus. Rick gave him a Gideon’s Pocket Testament and Berkowitz prayed to Jesus later in his cell, pouring out his heart to Jesus. This was in 1987. Since then, Berkowitz has refused to be considered for parole but would rather serve the Lord among the inmates in prison.

God can save anyone. He wants to save everyone. If man was the judge then the David Berkowitz’s and Jeffrey Dahmer’s of the world would go to hell. But thanks be to God that He is not like us! He loves us despite our sin and will forgive even the unforgivable.

We were unforgivable once. We were on the way to hell. But God so loved me and you and the whole world that He gave His only begotten Son, that who ever believeth (trusts) in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. God can save anyone. He saved you and me didn’t He?

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
6/28/2023

Missing Church

One fine Spring Sunday morning, the Baptist preacher was gazing out of his office window at a nearby Trout Stream. “Today would be a good day to sneak off and go fishing”, he thought. The weather was perfect, his fly rod had new string, he had very recently heard reports of a good Trout run, and the Associate pastor was more than ready to handle the service. So, within minutes, the service was underway and the preacher was quietly sneaking out the backdoor, rod, net and creel in hand, heading upstream. But he didn’t go unobserved. An Angel was watching his every move and went straight to God.

“That preacher lied so he could sneak away and go fishing”, the Angel reported to God. Smiling, God said, “So he finally gave in to temptation”. The Angel nodded, “Should I alert the congregation, Sir, and allow him to be caught?” “No, give him complete privacy”, God said. “Should I command the fishes to avoid him, so he gets skunked and catches nothing?”, the Angel asked. “No”, God said, calmly, “We want the preacher to catch something. In fact, command the largest Trout in the stream to take the bait and give the preacher the fight of his life”.

Confused, but loyal, the Angel did as God instructed and within minutes, the preacher had hooked a massive Trout. The fight was spectacular. The preacher was using every trick in the book to successfully land the fish. He loosened the drag so the giant fish could run and not snap the line. He slowly walked the bank, up one end and down the other, allowing the huge fish freedom and time to tire out. Finally, after an exhausting ten minute ordeal, the massive Trout cruised into the shore and the preacher proudly scooped him up in the waiting net. The Angel quickly turned to God, “Should I make a hole in the net so the fish is released?” “No”, God said, calmly, “The preacher will release the fish”. “What?”, the Angel said, shocked, “This preacher lands the biggest fish in the stream, by far the biggest catch of his life and, forgive me God, but you actually expect him to release it?” Smiling knowingly, God assures the Angel, “The preacher is supposed to be in Church. He can’t carry the giant fish into the service and he certainly can’t talk about it to anyone”.

Missing church isn’t the end of the world. Sometimes we get sick. Sometimes someone needs our help and sometimes we are just plain tired. And sometimes we are just plain determined to do something else that day.

One time a pastor took a rare Sunday off. He and his wife drove to the local mall….. not that they needed anything but they were just curious to see what the world outside of church looked like on Sunday morning. The mall was fairly busy. People were running to and fro. The pastor wondered how many of those people were Christians who skipped church today? He also wondered how many could care less about going to church? Then he shuddered….. “I wonder how many were thinking the same thing about me?”

They didn’t buy anything that day. They ate dinner and came home. They had seen the world outside of church and in that world there was no special blessing from God. They didn’t fellowship with any of God’s people and it didn’t make them feel any better for having been there!

In my life I have never gone to a church service and wished that I done something else. God always gives you a special blessing when come to worship Him and fellowship with His people and you always feel better for having been there!
Psalm 92:13 Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. Psalm 122:1 I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
6/21/2023

ANGER ON THE GOLF COURSE

There were times when golf course etiquette was completely traded in for the ever popular “lose control and act like a madman” routine. There’s something intriguing about watching a full grown man crumble to pieces over a tiny ball that’s 1½ inches in diameter. I’ve seen guys thrown their club farther than they hit their ball out of sheer frustration and anger. I’ve seen them break their club over their knee. I’ve even seen people get so angry that they thrown their golf bag (clubs and all) into the nearest water hazard they can find.

This reminds me of a story of a group of golfers watching a fellow who was having some difficulty on this particular course. The frustration became too much by the 13th hole as this poor guy placed shot after shot into the pond that lay between him and the green that, finally in exasperation, he picked up his golf bag, spun around like a discus thrower, heaved the whole thing into the middle of the lake, and stormed off the course, apparently forever.

Moments later, however, he returned, and in complete embarrassment waded into the pond. He had ‘come to his senses.’ He fished out the dripping bag, unzipped a pocket on the side, took out his car keys, and flung the bag once again, this time even further than before. Then he went home.

Anger can make us do some of the most stupid things. Like dismissing God because we are angry because of something happened to us that we don‘t like.

One day many of Jesus early followers got mad at Him and decided to leave. They didn’t like the message Jesus was preaching. It was about Jesus being the bread of life and about commitment and sacrifice on the part of the those who would follow Him. John 6: 66-69 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.

It is interesting that John 6:66 is the verse where the disciples decided to leave Jesus and walk no more with Him. 666? Anyway….Many things happen to us in this world that we don’t understand. The death of a loved one…the suffering of children….the tragedies of innocent people. People who get angry at God are like the golfer who threw away his clubs then realized his car keys were in the bag….for without the car keys he couldn’t go anywhere….so it is for us if we if we throw away God because of anger and misunderstanding. For without God we are not going anywhere in this life or certainly in the life to come.

Jesus asked the question, “will ye also go away?“ And as Peter contemplated his decision the words “Where else can we go?” came to his lips. Where else can we go? God is still God no matter what happens to us isn’t He? Will you turn to yourself for the answer? Will you go to the devil and his crowd for the answer? Will you turn to alcohol and drugs for the answer? Will you turn to the government for the answer? Peter didn’t understand very much…. but he knew Jesus.

Then Peter said “We believe and are SURE.” This was one of Peter’s greatest moments. He realized that it didn’t matter to him how many people hated Jesus or deserted Jesus. Despite all the pressure to leave…. Peter stayed with Jesus.

Peter had found in Jesus is all he needed. He is all we need. He is our rock when our world is crumbling. He is our defender against the hounds of hell. He is our strength in our times of weakness. He is our wisdom when nothing else makes sense. Where else can you go? No where but to Jesus!

Listen to Pastor Jack’s sermons on WSIP FM 98.9 every Sunday morning at 10:30 Am. Watch Facebook live by going to Jack Ward’s page at 11:25 AM and 6:10 PM every Sunday. Watch past sermons and read sermon text and other articles by going to www.tomahawkmbc.com

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
6/14/2023

A SECOND CHANCE

Some years ago, two teenagers with a long history of crime and misbehavior robbed a YMCA on the lowest East Side of New York City. On the way out they saw a young man at the telephone switchboard. They were frightened and assumed that the man must be calling the police. They held and beat him violently with brass knuckles and a black jack. They thought he was dead; they hid him behind the swimming pool and escaped.

Later that evening, a woman who came to swim was walking by the pool. She slipped in the man’s blood, screamed, and then found Donald Tippet’s body. He lived, but one eye was so badly damaged that it could not be saved.

Meanwhile, the two teenagers were seized and brought to trial. Their past records assured that both would get long sentences. Donald Tippet did an amazing thing when he called for the judge to allow the two young men to be paroled to his charge. He wanted to give them another chance. He believed they could change. One of the boys committed another crime, was caught, and sent to jail. The other boy was receptive to Tippet’s kindness. He went to college and then to medical school. He became one of our nation’s leading eye surgeons. A reporter, writing about Donald Tippet’s amazing story of forgiveness, said of the surgeon’s deeds: “I wonder if he ever performs one of those delicate eye operations without thinking of that night in the YMCA and the young man whose forgiveness changed his life!”

We know that God is the God of second changes, not only that but He is the God of third changes, fourth changes and on and on. We believe and know that He never gives up on us. He will always love us and His desire is to draw all men unto Himself. We all know and believe that about God.

But what about you? Are you willing to forgive and give people a second chance? I’ve heard people say “I’ll forgive but I won’t forget!” But I ask you…. is that really forgiveness? God said in Hebrews 8:12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. I believe that the greatest sin that we as God’s people commit is our lack of forgiveness for others. We love to hold grudges. We are happy to keep resentment. We enjoy our revenge. What if God forgave like we do? How would we like that? If God forgave like we do I’m afraid that not many of us would stand a chance of making it to heaven.

Jesus expects us to forgive. In fact He demands it. Jesus said in Luke 17:3-4 Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. 4And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him. Matthew 6:14-15 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: 15But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. That’s pretty serious isn’t it?

Jesus takes this matter of forgiveness and second changes very seriously. We should and we must forgive others. It not only helps the person who is forgiven but it helps us in our relationship to Christ. For how can we hope to truly know Him if we are not like Him in His forgiveness, His mercy and His willingness to give people another chance.

Listen to Pastor Jack’s sermons on WSIP FM 98.9 every Sunday morning at 10:30 Am. Watch sermons on by going to www.tomahawkmbc.com or go to Facebook live (Jack Ward) at 11:25 Am every Sunday.

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
5/24/2023

Pray!

Gen. Douglas MacArthur wrote this prayer for his son. He prayed: “Build me a son, O Lord, who will be strong enough to know when he is weak, & brave enough to face himself when he is afraid. One who will be proud & unbending in honest defeat, & humble & gentle in victory.

“Build me a son whose wishes will not take the place of deeds – a son who will know Thee, who is the foundation stone of knowledge. Lead him, I pray, not in the path of ease & comfort, but under the stress & spur of difficulties & challenge.

“Here let him learn to stand up to the storm. Here let him learn compassion for those who fail. Build me a son whose heart will be clear, whose goal will be high, a son who will master himself before he seeks to master other men, one who will reach into the future, yet never forget the past.

“And after all these things are his, add, I pray, enough of a sense of humor so that he may always be serious but never take himself too seriously. Give him humility so that he may always remember the simplicity of true greatness, & an open mind of true wisdom, & the meekness of true strength. “Then I, his father, will dare to whisper, `I have not lived in vain.’”

That is a great prayer. May we all pray this for our children. Paul prayed for the church at Ephesus. Ephesians 3:16-21 “That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 17That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God. 20Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, 21Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end.

That is a great prayer that we should pray for ourselves and our church each day. But… it is not just the contents of the prayer that matters with God…but what matter to God is that Paul prayed! Is daily prayer a part of your life?

The Bible says “ye have not because ye ask not.” Are you asking God? If you haven’t turned to God in prayer where are you turning to? God has set the stars in the heavens and hangs the moon on nothing…and we don’t ask Him for anything? How foolish that is. There are many great prayers in the Bible…..but the bottom line is people who do great things for God in this world have this one thing in common…..they pray!!!
Hear Pastor Jack’s sermons and find sermon text and outlines and much more at www.tomahawkmbc.com and listen each Sunday at 10:30 Am on WSIP FM 98.9 for his weekly sermon from the pulpit of Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church.

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
5/10/2023

Breaking the Barrier

Chuck Yeager was the first man to ever break the sound barrier in an aircraft. Planes like the British Meteor jets that approached the speed of sound (760MPH at sea level, 660 MPH at 40,000 feet) had encountered severe buffeting of the controls. At that time, no one knew for sure whether an airplane could exceed “Mach 1”, the speed of sound. The U.S. Army was determined to find out first.

The Army had developed a small, bullet-shaped aircraft, the Bell X-1, to challenge the sound barrier. A civilian pilot, Slick Goodlin, had taken the Bell X-1 to .7 Mach, when Yeager started to fly it. He pushed the small plane up to .8, .85, and then to .9 Mach, but backed off when the plane began to shake uncontrollably. The date of Oct. 14, 1947 was set for the attempt to do Mach 1.

As he approached Mach 1, that plane began to shake and rattle and be buffeted from side to side, so much so that he was not sure that he would not explode in mid-air.

But on this day Chuck said, “I refuse to turn back now! If I die, I die trying but I am not going to back down! I’ve been close before, but no matter what happens today, I am going for it!” And with that he shoved the controls forward and headed for the sonic wall!

In the account of this momentous event recorded in the book “The Right Stuff” the author records: The X-1 went through “the sonic wall” without so much as a bump. As the speed topped out at Mach 1.05, Yeager had the sensation of shooting straight through the top of the sky.

In our Christian lives we have many barriers to serving our Lord. We need to have the attitude of Chuck Yeager. Refuse to turn back! “If I die, I die trying but I am not going to back down!” We have much more at stake than just the sound barrier…we have as our goal the will of God. We have as our purpose to glorify the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. How much more should we refuse to turn back or slow down or even God forbid…. quit!

Just like Chuck Yeager made it through the sound barrier and saw the top of the sky…we shall behold our Lord one day. We shall see Him that we have served so faithfully. We shall behold His glory. Our small troubles we go through here on this earth will be worth it all when we see Him! We must press on for our Lord, and He will help us to break through all our lives barriers.

Philippians 3:14-15 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

My brothers and sisters in Christ…keep pressing on. Sooner than you think we will break through the top of the sky and then be in His glorious presence where there is joy forever and ever.

Hear Pastor Jack’s Sermons and read sermon text and more at www.tomahawkmbc.com

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
5/3/2023

Thank God Anyhow!

Habbakkuk 3:17-19 Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.

102 Pilgrims in landed in America in 1620. 56 died due to starvation, disease and the cold winter. In 1621, 46 Pilgrims and 91 Indians met to give thanks for a bountiful harvest and for the preservation of their lives. Those folks had every reason to be depressed and discouraged, but they were thankful anyhow!

The book of Habakkuk was written against a backdrop of apostasy, judgment and unbelievable hardship. It was written during a time when Jehoiakim the king of Judah led the people back into idolatry and away from the Lord. As a result, God is preparing to judge the nation. Habakkuk is having trouble understanding why God would use a heathen nation like Babylon to punish His people. He cannot understand why God doesn’t just purge their sins and draw them back to Himself and to righteousness.

Habakkuk is a lot like Job. He argues his case, but in the end, he realizes that God is not to be worshiped merely because of the temporal, material and physical blessings of life, but simply for Who He is. Thus, he ends his words with a song of thanksgiving to God for Who He is and for the unchanging benefits that belong to those who know Him! Habakkuk had reason to fret, but he chose to be thankful instead!

The keywords of these verses are “although” and “yet”. Habakkuk is saying, “I sure don’t understand all that is happening, but I am going to thank God anyhow!” Circumstances change, God never does – Malachi 3:6 I am the Lord I change not. Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today and forever. I may not be able to rejoice in my situation, but I can always rejoice in my Sovereign Lord. Sovereign means supreme power or authority. No one is greater, no one has more power, no one compare to our God.

A recent counseling magazine had an article that said ….“It is good for people to go to church.” It went on to say that “there is nothing that helps people more than to go to church and realize that God that loves them and can help them. What 12 step programs and counseling cannot do …..going to church can do….. by helping people to realize that they belong to a just and loving creator God who welcomes them into His arms. Going to church never harms anyone but can only help.”

WOW! Isn’t that what the Bible has been telling us….Jesus said…..“Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavily laden and I will give you rest.” When life is tough. When life gets hard, thank God anyhow!

Hear Pastor Jack’s sermons and get sermon outlines and other articles at www.tomahawkmbc.com

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
4/26/2023

Confess Our Sins
When we sin we try to justify it, rectify it, and ignore it. But the thing is that God knows all about it. God hates sin but fortunately He loves the sinner. As long as we are alive though we will try to sin and get away with it. That’s just the way we are.

When a man has his sin revealed, he can come up with some pretty creative way to try and justify his sins. Several years ago, the House of Representatives voted 426-0 to reveal the names of all past and present members who have bounced checks at the House bank, an act that one commentator likened to committing “mass political suicide.”

They tell us that when the list was finally released it contained 355 names. Some of our elected officials evidently never bothered to balance their checkbooks. One wrote 972 bad checks; another wrote 716. The man who wrote 716 rubber checks is from the Chicago area. He held an indignant press conference at which he loudly proclaimed that since no public money was involved, it was nobody else’s business. With an air of extreme anger, he proclaimed, “It’s personal.”

But he wasn’t the best one. The best performer so far is a man named Charles Wilson from Texas. As I took notes, he seemed to be making five different excuses for his overdrawn checks.
1. “It’s not a crime like child abuse.” (Translation: “It’s not so bad.”)
2. “My people knew I was sloppy when they elected me.” (Translation: “They knew I was stupid when they elected me.”)
3. “If you’ve ever bounced a check, vote for me. If not, vote for my opponent.” (Translation: “Everybody does it.”)
4. “The system was all fouled up.” (Translation: “It’s not my fault.”)
5. “It’s no big deal.” (Translation: “It’s no big deal.”)

We need to stop trying to justify our sins and do exactly what the Lord Himself said to do with them. Simply, confess them. 1 John 1:9; 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. The word “confess” is a word that means “to say the same thing about something.” The word “repentance” means about the same thing. Repentance means to change your mind about something and go a different direction. God says that my sins are wretched and filthy. He says that they harm His Kingdom and rob Him of His glory. He says that my sins hurt me in ways that I have never even thought about. He wants me to say the same thing about my sins that He is saying about them. He just wants me to come clean, and when I do, He has promised to make me clean and give me the strength to turn from sin and follow Jesus.

Are there some who need to come and confess some sin to the Lord? Folks, being religious will not save your soul and it will not buy you favor with the Lord. The only thing that brings us near to Him is when we put our sins behind us. Do you need to confess the sins in your life?

Hear Pastor Jack’s sermons, get sermon outlines and sermon texts and more at www.tomahawkmbc.com

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
4/19/2023

Rights or Responsibility?

1 Corinthians 9:12 If others be partakers of this power over you are not we rather? Nevertheless, we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ.” What Paul says is that I’m not standing up for my rights. I want to be a soul-winner. And he says, “I’ll be a soul-winner even if it means that my rights are trampled on. The most important thing to me is getting out the gospel of Jesus Christ.” I tried to apply that to my own life and I tried to say, “Jack, are you more interested in your rights or are you more interested in getting the gospel out?” I thought about that and I came to the conclusion that I pray that I will always be more interested in getting the gospel out than I am in my rights.

Adrian Rogers tells this story: Joyce and I went out to lunch and, while we were having lunch in this particular restaurant, I began to witness to the waitress. We had a wonderful witness to this waitress, and she had a lot of difficulty, a lot of problems. It was not only a witness, but it turned into a counseling session and I spent much time with this waitress, telling her about the love of Jesus. She finally had to go, and she was off, so she left the restaurant. Well, when I got the check, she had overcharged me – she had overcharged me several dollars more than what she should have charged me. I didn’t have enough money with me and didn’t have a credit card. I only had some cash, and I had just enough money to pay the bill and to leave her a tip, but now I’m on the horns of a dilemma. If I go up there and, after all of this witness and testimony, tell the employer this woman has overcharged me, even though that would be the normal and natural thing to do, but after I had witnessed to her and talked to her, I knew it would just embarrass her to pieces. I knew that because she was a woman who was already so unsure of herself, a woman already who felt that she was such a failure – that’s part of what we were talking about. I knew it would devastate her if I had to go to her employer and he were to say to her, You overcharged this man.

So I said, “Well, I’ll suffer the wrong, I’ll pay the overcharge.” But then I thought, “If I pay the overcharge, I won’t have enough money to leave her a tip.” So I had to tip the woman who overcharged me. And so I wondered, “Now what am I gonna do? I can’t tell him and leave her a tip, but I can’t leave her a tip if I don’t tell him.” You know, the crazy thing I had to do was this: I had to say, “Joyce, you sit here in the restaurant; I’m going out to car, drive all the way home, get some more money, and come back here, so I can (a) give a tip to the woman who overcharged me, and (b) pay the overcharge and not say anything about it. Unless she’s here tonight, she doesn’t know anything about it.”

I thought about that. I had a right to say I was overcharged or I had a right not to leave a tip, necessarily, to a person who overcharged me. But that didn’t make any difference to me. I’d far rather be overcharged, and far rather her not know about it, and no one else would’ve known about it, had I not told you, than to fail to get the gospel of Jesus Christ out. We shouldn’t always stand up for our rights. I think Bill Gothard has well said, “When we stand up for our rights, we have a revolution. When we stand up for our responsibilities, we have a revival.” It’s not all about us…for us It’s all about Christ.

Hear Pastor Jack’s sermons and get sermon outlines and more at www.tomahawkmbc.com

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
4/12/2023

Are You Getting Enough Training?

If I decided to join the US Army and depending on whether or not I could pass the physical…. I figure it should only take me about one week of training and I’ll be ready. We all know better than that don’t we? One week of training would never prepare anyone for going to war, not even Superman.

What makes us think a minimal amount of church attendance will get the job done in the Lord’s army, fighting against Satan and the world of evil? It should be obvious that it will take a lot more training once a month church attendance or even once a week!

A woman approached the minister after the sermon, and thanked him for his message. “I found it so helpful,” she said. The minister replied: “I hope it will not prove as helpful as the last sermon you heard me preach.” “Why, what do you mean?” asked the astonished woman. “Well,” said the minister, “that sermon lasted you three months.”

Church attendance among those who know claim to know Christ is…… just to put it honestly “shameful.” The average church has only 20 percent of its members present on Sunday morning and only 4 percent present for Sunday night service or Mid week services.

Growing up as a young Christian man I loved going to church. I attended Sunday School, Sunday morning, and Sunday Evening services faithfully. The most miserable times in my Christian life were the five years I only attended Sunday Morning worship and even then only a couple of times each month. At first I felt guilty about missing church…… then later on I rationalized that God didn’t expect me to be at every service…… and then later I felt that I was too busy and tired to go to church! Then finally I felt like those people at church don’t care about me anyway. Personal Bible reading, personal praying and sharing of my faith also had just about disappeared from my life.

One day I saw my pastor at the Post Office. He didn’t say anything particularly about church only that He hoped to see me Sunday. I thought…“have I gotten this far from the Lord that the pastor has to say he hoped to see me at church!“ I decided then and there that even though I may fail God everywhere else in my life there is one thing that I will not fail Him in and that is faithfulness to His church.

I can’t tell you the many ways that God has blessed me since that day. Now as a pastor I can tell you the disappointment in those who don’t come to all the services at our church. I don’t hurt for me. I have learned to be faithful to preach and teach the word and leave the results up to God. But I do hurt for the unfaithful and the fellowship they are missing…the blessing of God that they are missing…the word of God that they aren’t hearing….the training that they are not getting. And I hurt also because I know that those Christians who are not faithful to attend church we won’t be faithful in reading the Bible, spending time with the Lord in prayer or in sharing their faith with others.

It’s a tough world out there. We need the Lord Jesus Christ. He blesses us when we try to please Him. We need the each other’s encouragement, support and love. We need the word of God to guide us, to train us so that we will be a fully prepared soldier ready for anything this world might throw at us.

The Bible says in 2 Timothy 2:3-4 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. Are you a good and faithful soldier for the Lord Jesus Christ? Are you getting enough training?

Hear Pastor Jack’s sermons and read sermon outlines and much more at www.tomahawkmbc.com

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
4/5/2023

CONTENTMENT!

Philip Parham tells the story of a rich industrialist who was disturbed to find a fisherman sitting lazily beside his boat. “Why aren’t you out there fishing?” he asked.
“Because I’ve caught enough fish for today,” said the fisherman.
“Why don’t you catch more fish than you need?’ the rich man asked.
“What would I do with them?”
“You could earn more money,” came the impatient reply, “and buy a better boat so you could go deeper and catch more fish. You could purchase nylon nets, catch even more fish, and make more money. Soon you’d have a fleet of boats and be rich like me.”
The fisherman asked, “Then what would I do?”
“You could sit down and enjoy life,” said the industrialist.
“What do you think I’m doing now?” the fisherman replied as he looked placidly out to sea.
Hebrews 13: 5 Let you conversation be without covetousness; and content with such things as ye have…”
We live in an increasingly discontented world. People aren’t happy with what they have and they want more. That is they think that they want more. People think that something newer and better and more fancy will make them happier.

A man was dissatisfied with his wife and wanted to divorce her for a woman who would fulfill his life and dreams. But first he had to find this perfect woman. He put a description on one of those internet dating sites describing thee woman of his dreams. He excitedly went to the computer a week later and had a match. He was so excited….this woman will be everything I need and could hope for……The perfect woman! To his complete dismay and surprise the woman who replied was his own wife! She too had been looking for the perfect man! Needless to say they both had a wonderful chuckle and are now happily contented in their marriage.

God is contented with us. This means that we are worth all that He has done to save us from our sins. He is contented with Christ and therefore if you are in Christ He is contented with you. He is satisfied with being our Savior. But why do so many look elsewhere instead of Christ? Why are we not satisfied with Him?

Zephaniah 3:17 The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing. God rejoices over you with joy. God sings about us! Now I’m not saying that we are deserving of any of this…It is by God’s grace and love that He has chosen to redeem us…but there is no doubt that God has moved heaven and earth to bring us….. His most prized possession… back to Him.

This means that God doesn’t need you to DO MORE for Him…God just wants you to follow Jesus in faith and in trust. You can’t do anything for God….You can only have faith in God….and in that faith God will use you to accomplish His purposes.

Hebrews 13:5 for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”
God is committed to you. He will never, no not ever leave thee nor forsake thee.
If God is committed to you…what would change His mind? Malachi 3:6 I am the Lord I change not. Hebrews 13:6 Jesus Christ the same yesterday and forever. Nothing can change God’s mind about you! He is committed to you…He is content with all He has done to save you. He is content with you because of your faith in Jesus Christ. The question is…are you committed to Him? Are you content with Him?

Hear Pastor Jack’s sermons, sermon outlines and more at www.tomahawkmbc.com

The Pastor’s Pen
Jack Ward, Pastor, Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
3/29/2023

Pardon From Sin

The truth is we can’t please God on our terms. Nor does it do any good to try and hide our sin. Like Isaiah, we can only admit, “I am a person of unclean lips.”

It reminds me of the story of KING FREDERICK II, an eighteenth-century king in Prussia, what is today Germany. He was on a visit to a prison in Berlin when the inmates crowded around him to proclaim their innocence. All except one man. He sat quietly in the corner, head bowed.

Frederick walked over to him and said, “What are you here for?” “‘Armed robbery, your majesty,” the man replied. “Are you guilty?” the king asked. “Yes, sir. I deserve this punishment.” The king turned to the guard and ordered, “Set this guilty man free. I don’t want him corrupting all these other innocent people.”

Finding God’s pardon in our lives begins by admitting our guilt. To insist we are innocent when we are not leaves us in a prison of our own making because people who outwardly proclaim their innocence really in their heart of hearts know that they are guilty.

God’s pardon means that God does not hold our sin against us. He has carried our sins far away. I would guess that most all people wish they could just get the guilt and remorse of sin out of their minds and move on. But they cannot and you know why……it is because THEY are bearing the guilt of their sin.

In the old Testament there was a ritual of the scapegoat. The priest would gather the people together and lay hands on a goat and then someone in the congregation would lead the goat out into the wilderness and leave it there. The goat symbolically carried the sins of the people away. The goat bore the sins of the people and took them far away.

Jesus bore our sins for us on the cross. The Bible says that He hath removed our sins as far as the east is from the west. Christian are you burdened by the guilt of things you did 30 years ago? 5 years ago? Quit trying to carry your sins and instead know that He has already forgiven you for your sins and that He has already carried your sins far away! “Thy sins and iniquities I have remembered no more.” If God has forgotten them then you forget about them too! What gives you the right to condemn what God has forgotten and forgiven?

What about sins we committed yesterday and even today? Christian, every sin is very serious. We should not take any sin lightly. And let me also add that we cannot be perfect…we will sin. Paul said that I die daily. The Bible also says “how can two walk together except they agree.” Agree means two people are in fellowship. Each one is doing what makes the relationship work. We cannot walk in fellowship with Christ as long as we are carrying our sin. We weren’t designed to carry our own sin. It will slow us down. It will weaken us. Our Lord is master and we are His devoted servant. But in this relationship the master bears the burden not the servant. Our Lord is able and was made to carry our burden of sin for us so that we can walk together. Isn’t our God a great God and Savior! “The Lord hath laid upon Him the iniquity of us all.”

Christian confess your sin to Him… don’t proclaim your innocence….then you will be free to walk with Him. We are in perfect fellowship with Him. We are free from the burden and guilt of our sin. Whom the Son hath set free is free indeed.

Hear Pastor Jack’s sermons and get sermon outlines and text and more at www.tomahawkmbc.com