Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church

Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church
174 Rockhouse Rd
Tomahawk , KY 41262
alt: 606-477-4076
sterlingj1956@gmail.com

The Pastors Pen

The Pastors Pen is published each Wednesday in the Mountain Citizen weekly newspaper of Inez, Kentucky.

Pastors Pen 5/27/2020

Itching Ears
Now that many of us are sort of back in church I thought I would give you this article today. 2 Timothy 4:3 but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears. John Macarthur wrote…..“There are a lot of people who look for a church that will preach what they want to hear, rather than what they need to hear. Every church has the "itchy ear" syndrome.” “There are so many church members today who are more concerned about the length of the sermon than they are the depth of the sermon.” “One preacher expressed his own distaste for long sermons. January the first was coming, and so he made up his mind that he would do better in the coming year. He said, "That means wasting less time listening to long sermons, and spending much more time preparing short ones." People, I've discovered, will forgive even poor theology as long as they get out before noon.”
"Unfortunately, that perfectly sums up the predominate attitude behind much of modern ministry. Bad doctrine is tolerable, a long sermon most certainly is not. The timing of the benediction is of far more concern to the average church-goer than the content of the sermon. Sunday dinner and the feeding of our mouth take precedence over Sunday School and the nourishment of our souls. Long-windedness has become a greater sin than heresy.
There are churches who even base their calling of a pastor on how long his sermons are. I heard about a church who wanted a man that wouldn't preach very long, and they heard about a certain man who had this reputation. They went to hear him, and he preached for fifteen minutes. They said, "That's the man we want." Well, they invited him to come and be their preacher, and the first Sunday he preached for half an hour. They said, "We are going to have to keep an eye on him."
The next Sunday he preached for three hours. They had a deacon's meeting and asked him to come and explain himself, as to why he was preaching so long. He said, "Well, it's like this. The first Sunday you heard me, I had just had all my teeth pulled, and my gums were very sore, and I could only preach for fifteen minutes." He said, "The second time I just got my new dentures, and they didn't fit very well and they hurt. So I could only preach for half an hour."
They said, "Yes, but we want to know about this time you preached for three hours." He said, "Well, I'm sorry about that. I got my wife's teeth in by mistake."
The fact is, for many church members today, tact is more important than truth. Diplomacy is more important than doctrine. Being polite is more important than being profound.
I urge you to pray for your pastor that he might preach God’s word without fear or compromise.
Pastors Pen 5/20/20

Believe In or Believe on
John 6:28-29 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe ON him whom he hath sent.
If you have ever flown they never demonstrate the use of a parachute, because they usually don't have any. But let's say that this flight has parachutes. Everyone has one available. Suddenly the wings fall off of the plane. One man puts on His parachute and pleads with the others to do likewise. Some of the passengers ignore the parachute, some just look at the parachute, some hold it, and only a very few actually put it on. Those that put it on have committed their lives to that parachute. That have put it ON signifying their complete faith and trust in the parachute.
The waters are raging all around you…A helicopter comes to get you, they lower a harness. Do you ignore the harness? I don’t think so… do you just grab the harness and hold on? No, to be saved you must put the harness ON. Then you can safely get into the helicopter.
Let me give you another illustration. A building was on fire. A brave group of firefighters made a narrow metal bridge from one roof to the roof of the burning building. Almost 20 children were on the burning roof. The firefighters told the children “One at a time I want you to get on our backs and we will take you to safety.” No one stepped forward for it was 60 stories straight down and 50 feet across. The fireman told the children…. “Do you believe we can do it?” The children said “yes, we believe you can do it.“ “Then what are you waiting for?“ The fireman asked. “I believe you can do it but you might fall with me.” One young boy said. The firemen replied “we promise, we will not drop you.“ Finally one brave young boy jumped on. And one by one they were all carried on the backs of the firemen to safety.
The point is many believe IN someone or something, but believing enough to get on is entirely a different matter. Believing on means you have to put your complete faith and trust in something.
Many people believe in Jesus as a person, they believe that He lived and died on the cross and all that Bible stuff but they haven’t believed ON Him. Just believing in Jesus won’t be enough. We have to take that step of faith and get on board. We have to be just like the boy who stepped out and put his entire faith and trust in that fireman.
You might one day have to put on a lifesaving parachute, you might have to put on a lifesaving harness, you might have to jump on the back of a fireman. But to escape a fate worse than falling or drowning, burning in an everlasting hell, we must put ON the person that hung on that lifesaving cross .…Jesus Christ . We must put our complete faith and trust in Jesus Christ and trust Him alone for our salvation.
Again, when the Bible talks about faith it doesn't mean believing IN something; it means believing ON someone. We believe ON Jesus Christ! Do you see the difference? It’s the difference between life and death.
Pastors Pen 5/13/2020

Victory In Such A Time As This

by Lane Palmer
Point #1 - In the aftermath of the worst devastation, God does his biggest miracles
In the pages of the Bible, human tragedy, pestilence, disease and natural disasters is almost always followed by miraculous transformation. Consider the story of the world-wide flood. When everything on the planet and everyone on it were destroyed by a flood, God brought about a new existence for mankind through Noah and his family. He wiped the slate clean through destruction and gave mankind a fresh start. Every rainbow is a reminder of this. This may be the biggest example, but there are countless more in the Bible...
Through the ten plagues in Egypt God delivered his people from slavery
Through the destruction of Jericho came the birth of a new nation in a promised land
Through the death of Christ came the salvation of all mankind
Through the horrific judgments in Revelation will come the Eternal Kingdom.
Focus on the fact that the God who accomplished all these things is the same God who somehow, some way, will accomplish good in the midst of evil.

Point #2 - Every human tragedy has its root in humanity’s fall, but evil will one day be eradicated.
I believe it is important to highlight the Biblical worldview tenet that when Adam sinned, he planted the seed that will continue to produce the weeds of sin in society. As the Bible states in Romans 5:12:Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
Think about that last phrase, "death passed upon all men, for all have sinned." The real catastrophe is not the corona virus but the chain reaction of transgression that Adam unleashed on this planet when he ate of the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. Up until then there was no death or tragedy. Yet someday God will contain the disastrous presence of sin in the darkness of hell. Every particle of evil will be compressed into the Lake of Fire where every sinner (apart from the grace of God go I) and every fallen angel will suffer the ultimate, eternal catastrophe. Your congregation needs to know that we cannot expect the ‘not yet’ in the ‘now’. Until that day, there will continue to be disease and tragedies, but praise God—there will be an ultimate end to the result of sin.

Point #3 - True hope can only be found in Jesus Christ.
God offers eternal life for those who trust in Christ for salvation. While there is no guarantee of safety in this life, there is a guarantee of salvation in the life to come, in Christ. Jesus Christ left his place of safety in heaven and entered into this dangerous world of wars, disease, earthquakes, hurricane, floods, violence, pestilences and death to give us hope by subjecting himself, and being the victim of a tragedy. The only innocent man to ever live died the most undeserved death - and the Father knows the pain of the loss of a son. While there is no guarantee of safety in this life, there is a guarantee of salvation in the life to come.

The bottom line in all this is that, while we cannot change the events of the Coronavirus, we can be used by God to bring about a Kingdom victory in such a time as this! Ephesians 3:20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, 21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
Pastors Pen 5/6/2020

Who Is The Anti-Christ?

Thessalonians 2:3 “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.”

This rebellious falling away from the truth of the word of God would prepare the way for the Antichrist. That is to say, the man of sin cannot be revealed and as far as the word itself is concerned, it could refer to a spiritual departure (falling away), or it could refer to a physical departure (the Rapture). Whichever way one understands it, it is an event that occurs before the man of sin is revealed.

Interestingly Paul does not use the title Antichrist for this man, but his description of him parallels John’s description of the Antichrist. “1 John 2:18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.” In Revelation 13 has a detailed description of the Anti-Christ calling him the “beast.” This man of sin will lead the world into rebellion against God (v. 10), perform wonders through Satan’s power (v. 9), and finally will present himself as a god to be worshiped (v. 4).

We do not know where he will come from. Some think he must be from Europe. Some think he will be a Muslim. I think Muslim nations are too anti-semitic. They would never go into the Jewish temple but to the mosque. Muslims are too factional. They can’t get along with each other enough to get a great world-wide leader.

Some think he will be Jewish. He cannot be a Jew because he would not defame the temple and there is so much Anti-semitism in the world today. I believe he will be from Europe or that area because of the ten-headed dragon federation and Rome.

I think He will be someone like Emmanuel Macron of France in that he will have charm, personality and charisma. Right now, the European Union has the potential to be a leading economic power again and it was in 2018. But today it is falling apart and it needs a leader. They have 32 members now but many are going to drop out and follow Great Britain. I believe it will then get down to either ten nations or ten elite world leaders. Bill Gates, George Soros, etc…..

The UN is falling apart and needs a leader. The world is falling apart and it needs a leader. He could be from Russia. Some say Putin might be the anti-Christ. But I think he is Gog and will be killed in the Gog-Magog war that will happen just after the rapture or in the first of the tribulation. Of the Anti-Christ, the Bible says he will be the god of forces. So, it has to be Putin or a Muslim leader or even President Trump or an American. But Macron has a military to command and he can gather forces to battle.

The UN Security council has recently asked Emmanuel Macron to lead them. Pope Francis, who I believe is The False Prophet, and Emmanuel Macron are calling for the G7 and the G20 nations to get together. He is calling for Peace among the nations. 1 Thessalonians 5:3 “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.” I think right now Emmanuel Macron is leading the way of the applicants. But I can be totally wrong also.

Bottom line is that I believe that definitely whoever he is, he is alive today. I believe he is leader today that we know very well.

The anti-christ will appear before Jesus returns for His church. He will sign a peace treaty with Israel to guarantee their safety. That is the beginning of the Tribulation period of seven years. The Tribulation is coming to bring sin to its full measure so that God can judge Israel and bring an end to their sin and full restitution for their sin and to judge this world once and for all and pave the way for the Lord Jesus to come and rule and reign in peace and prosperity. ARE YOU READY? The King Of Kings and Lord Of Lord Jesus Christ coming soon for His church!
The Pastors Pen 4/29/2020

The Blessed Hope—By Chad Thomas

Throughout the Bible, God tells us very clearly to be watchful for His soon return. In fact, He tells us that if we are watchful and sober, that day will not catch us off guard, but unfortunately, for most of the world it will catch them off guard:

1 Thessalonians 5:1-3 KJV – “But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 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.”

We are also instructed to look for the ‘Blessed Hope’: Titus 2:13 KJV – “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.”

Why are we told to look for that ‘Blessed Hope’? What is so ‘blessed,’ and why should our ‘hope’ be in it? I’ll tell you why, because it is an event where the Lord will remove Christians that are truly His before the coming judgement of God on this Christ-rejecting world. This judgment period is called ‘the Tribulation’ and will take place for seven-years. Those that have Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior are NOT appointed to this coming wrath:

1 Thessalonians 5:9 KJV – “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.” Revelation 3:10-11 KJV – “Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the Earth. Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.”

We are told very clearly that we (Christians) are kept from the hour of temptation that shall come upon the whole world.

The word ‘Rapture’ is actually not in the Bible. The Rapture is very much in the Bible, you just have to know where to look. So, let’s look for it! 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18: 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 KJV – “For the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”

So literally, you will be here one second, and the next, you will be transformed into your glorified body and meet Jesus in the air to go to Heaven! Wow!

In verse 17, the phrase “Caught Up” is translated from the Greek word ‘Harpazo’ and the Latin ‘Rapturo.’ That is the word from which we get ‘Rapture.’

So, when you summarize 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 literally, Jesus Christ himself is going to descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and the trumpet of God. The dead in Christ are going to rise first (referring to those who are in Christ that are in the graves. They must rise from the ground to meet their spirits in the air for their glorified body). Then we which are alive and remain will be caught up (snatched away, plucked away) to meet Jesus in the air to be with Him in Heaven.

1 Corinthians 15:51-53 KJV – “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.” How fast will this translation into our glorified bodies occur? You just read it in 1 Corinthians 15:52… “In a moment, in the twinkiling of an eye”.

After this, the Tribulation period occurs on Earth. The purpose of the Tribulation is for the salvation of the Jewish nation. It is the time of Jacob’s trouble… not the time of the Church’s trouble.

Think about it like this: If your child was on train tracks and you saw a train moving full speed toward them, you would snatch your kid out of harm’s way before that train hits. Likewise, Jesus is going to snatch us out of harm’s way before the seven-year Tribulation hits.

Why else should we be looking for that blessed hope, besides the fact that we will escape the wrath to come and be with Jesus forever? Well, because we will be getting brand new glorified bodies! No more death, no more pain, no more sorrow! I have met many that are in wheelchairs or disabled in other ways that say they can’t wait until the day they will get their new bodies! A day they can walk again! A day they can see again! A day they can move their arms again! Who is excited for this event to occur? It should encourage each and every one of us

John 14:1-3 KJV –” Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”

Keep watching with me… the King of Kings and Lord of Lords Jesus Christ is coming soon! –Chad Thomas
Pastors Pen 4/22/2020

Sick Of Yourself

We have a real sickness in the world. Covid 19 is real. But we have another serious sickness in America….it’s called being sick of yourself. How do you know if you have it? What are the warning signs? Are you more concerned with your needs and your wants than you are of the people around you? Then it gets worse; soon you will become so completely self absorbed and self concerned that you will become depressed, worried, and anxious. If it continues it will lead to drug or alcohol abuse, sexual perversion and abuse of yourself and others, and finally you will stop at nothing to satisfy self, even to harming yourself and others.

99.9 percent of the crimes committed today are committed by people who have this sickness.   They don’t care about anyone but themselves. Society once said that a lack of self esteem makes people commit crimes. Today they have discovered that most all criminals have a very high self-esteem. They believe the whole world revolves around them and they only care about getting what they want any way they can get it.

Christian, you are not immune from this sickness! When you begin to focus on your needs, your wants, your problems you too can become sick of yourself.    But it is not really a sickness, it’s just plain old sin.

The Bible gives us the cure for this sinful sickness.   According to the New American Standard Bible Galatians 5:13 says "For you, dear friends, have been called to live in freedom—not freedom to satisfy your fleshly pleasures, but freedom to serve one another in love." My freedom in Christ was not given to enable me to pursue pleasures from others, but rather to SERVE others by loving them. The focus is not to be on ME and my gratification, but on the good of the other person. Instead of serving myself, I should use every opportunity to serve others. Then the great throne of self is toppled and we are finally free of the sin of self and cured of being sick of self and begin to serve God and others. 1 John 2:10 He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.

When a person begins to focus on Jesus Christ and not on themselves then they become happy and fulfilled. Psalm 84:5 Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them. Psalm 119:2 Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart. Psalm 37:3-5 Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.   Christian, it’s not all about you, It’s about those around you who need to see Jesus in you.
The Pastors Pen 4/15/2020

The Numbers That Do Not Lie
Since January 1^st, 2020, through April 5^th 2020 these are the world deaths PER DAY due to....

Abortion--91,063
Smoking--10,704
Working on the job--6,000
Alcohol--5,361
HIV/AIDS--3,598
Transportation accidents (driving or flying)--2,900
Suicides--2,297
Malaria--2,100
Seasonal Flu--1,305
Covid 19—1221*
*The Covid 19 Corona Virus as of May 5^th was killing 806 per day. If the total deaths by April 15^th are at 116,000 which is a high estimate, the Covid 19 Corona Virus will be killing an estimated—1221 per day since January 10^th when the first deaths occurred..

As you look at all these numbers, the Covid 19 results don’t add up to the fear and the shut down of our economies world wide. We don’t stop driving cars or flying in planes due to fear of death. The mobility and economic gain is well worth the risk to the population. We try to limit, but we don’t stop drinking alcohol or outlaw smoking. The economic gain and personal need makes it absolutely worth the risk to addicted people.

You know that 50% of the people die going into an Abortion clinic and we don’t close them. People still have unprotected and dangerous sex because the risk of getting HIV to them is worth it. 6,000 people die every day at the work place. But the financial gain is worth the risk. People die from the Flu in great numbers. We have vaccines and medicines to combat it but we know that the only real way to limit deaths from the Flu is quarantining but we have never done that. It’s not worth the cost to our economy…. so we live with it.

Numbers don’t lie. We are all going to die someday unless Jesus comes first. But we cannot live in fear of death. Of course, we have to use caution and wisdom. And Quarantining is necessary at times —-when the cure is better than the disease.

As dangerous as driving and working is, we don’t quarantine it because the alternative will cause more suffering due to economic disaster. Will the cure for Corona virus, quarantining the world, be worse than the disease? Hmmm. Corona Virus…. 1,221 deaths per day and it may wind up killing 200,000 world-wide. The Flu already kills between 290,000 to 650,000 every year. Hmmm.

Every week the government experts tell us more inflated virus numbers that they keep revising down. Remember the 2.2 million deaths predicted? Then the 1.2 million deaths predicted? It will double every two days they said! Then it was 250,000 deaths, then it was 25,000. Last week it was the next Pearl Harbor! None of this happened!!

Is the cure worse than the disease? Well numbers don’t lie. We now know that more will suffer from a crashed economy than from this particular virus. Economists say the crash of 2020 could dwarf the crash of 1929 in bank failures, unemployment, stock losses, despair and suicide. They are predicting forty percent unemployment in our country!

Some feel you should never let a good crisis go to waste. I believe some are using this crisis for their own nefarious intentions. To unknowingly or knowingly set this world up for the anti-Christ world leader to come. How easy it was to control people they have discovered. How easy it will be now to get them to take a mark if we guarantee them safety. Peace and safety the Bible says will be the cry in the last days. We are already there. The numbers do not lie.

Numbers don’t lie in the Bible either. It rained forty days and forty nights. Israel roamed the desert for forty years. Jesus was forty days tempted in the wilderness. One Lord, One Faith, and One Baptism. Jesus rose on the Third day. Jesus will rule this earth for one thousand years. Psalms 34:4 – “I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from ALL my fears.” The sum of all these numbers…..Jesus Christ is ALL and in ALL!
Pastors Pen 4/8/2020

Getting Even

After 17 years of marriage, a man dumped his wife for a younger woman. The downtown luxury apartment was in his name and he wanted to remain there with his new love so he asked the wife to move out and then he would buy her another place.

The wife agreed to this, but asked that she be given 3 days on her own there, to pack up her things. While he was gone, the first day she lovingly put her personal belongings into boxes and crates and suitcases. On the second day, she had the movers come and collect her things.

On the third day, she sat down for the last time at their candlelit dining table, soft music playing in the background, and feasted on a pound of shrimp and a bottle of Chardonnay. When she had finished, she went into each room and deposited a few of the resulting shrimp shells into the hollow of the curtain rods. She then cleaned up the kitchen and left.

The husband came back, with his new girl, and all was bliss for the first few days. Then it started; slowly but surely. Clueless, the man could not explain why the place smelled so bad. They tried everything; cleaned & mopped and aired the place out. Vents were checked for dead rodents, carpets were steam cleaned, air fresheners were hung everywhere. Exterminators were brought in, the carpets were replaced, and on it went.

Finally, they could take it no more and decided to move. The moving company arrived and did a very professional packing job, taking everything to their new home...including the curtain rods!

You cannot escape the judgment of God no matter how much you try to escape or how far you go. No matter how you clean up or how hard you try to make everything new you cannot get away from the stench of sin. You may think a new job, a new spouse, a new location, a new toy will make you happy. But the stench of sin will follow you everywhere and it stinks up everything you have!

God will get even with you. No matter how far you go or how much you cover up..... God’s judgment is waiting on you. There is only one way to get rid of it the stench of sin. We give our sin to Jesus Christ and let Him make us brand new, cleansed from sin and smelling fresh as a daisy to God! Christian, is sin, disobedience, and laziness stinking up your life? Then repent and Jesus will restore you and clean you up. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9.
Pastors Pen 4/1/2020

Grace
Dr. William Power, a professor at Southern Methodist University, describes an experience he had in Sunday school when he was a boy. His teacher was trying to explain to him and his rowdy friends the meaning of grace, but wasn't getting very far. She tried definitions and abstractions, to no avail. Finally, she realized something the boys had known from the start. She was not connecting. She was not getting through to them. They didn't have the foggiest notion what she was talking about.
So she took a deep breath and tried again: "Look boys, grace is the break you get when you don't deserve it. That's the simple explanation. But you won't really understand it till you experience it."
A husband and wife didn't really love each other. The man was very demanding, so much so that he prepared a list of rules and regulations for his wife to follow. He insisted that she read them over every day and obey them to the letter. Among other things, his "do's and don'ts" indicated such details as what time she had to get up in the morning, when his breakfast should be served, and how the housework should be done.
After several long years, the husband died. As time passed, the woman fell in love with another man, one who dearly loved her. Soon they were married. This husband did everything he could to make his new wife happy, continually showering her with tokens of his appreciation. One day as he was cleaning house, she found tucked away in a drawer the list of commands her first husband had drawn up for her. As she looked it over, it dawned on her that even though her present husband hadn't given her any kind of list, she was doing everything her first husband's list required anyway. She realized she was so devoted to this man that her deepest desire was to please him out of love, not obligation.
Grace is God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense. Christ paid our sin debt to God so that we can freely have all the blessings as God children. Have you experienced the grace of God? If you have trusted in Christ as Savior you now understand grace and you have experienced grace in it‘s fullest!
The Pastors Pen 3/25/2020
Fire on One End, Fool on the Other

A physician came to talk to a high school about the dangers of smoking. He scared us with his grim pictures of smokers' lungs and tales of death from lung cancer. The doctor finished his speech by saying, "Remember, fire on one end, fool on the other."

They were all impressed, especially those boys who would sneak out behind the shop building at lunch to light one up. But a couple of the guys saw the doctor himself lighting up when he got back in his car after the lecture. And his credibility was shot. He was the talk of the campus. It would have been better for the no-smoking campaign if he had never come to speak. Saying one thing and doing another is something nobody respects.

The Bible tells us just who a fool is. Psalm 53:1 The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good. This verse is a repeat of Psalm 14:1.   A fool is someone who ignores the obvious to his own peril.   Like ignoring traffic signs and lights. Ignoring the obvious. It is obvious that God exists. Atheists do not really exist. Most people just ignore God. Some call it atheism or just plain old lack of interest in God. But it’s all the same. I’ve always wondered why do people who are atheists have to prove God doesn’t exist? That is illogical. If you believe something doesn’t exist then why try to prove it?

I’ll tell you why, because their evil hearts won’t let them rest or have any peace about their stance.   God’s witness is there with every person. They have to constantly fight that. Romans 1:20-21   For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; 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.

It would be foolish to ignore the warnings about Covid 19. But we can’t go crazy about it either. 2 Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.   A balance is needed. I don’t think our media has encouraged any balance and the result has caused a panic.

We are not all going to die. This will pass. Why? Because the church is still here! When the church is raptured then those left behind better know it’s the tribulation and then that pestilence will kill millions! But for now Jesus said that we would have pestilence as the beginning of sorrows or “birth pangs.”

God is getting the world ready for judgment. “Fire on one end, fool on the other.” He wants us turn from the foolishness of unbelief and the coming fire of His judgment that is coming. God wants us all to repent and turn to Jesus. He is giving forewarnings! Do not be a fool and ignore the warning signs!
Pastors Pen 3/20/2020

Availability

A man applied for a job as a handyman. The prospective employer asked, "Can
you do carpentry?" The man answered in the negative.

"How about bricklaying?" Again the man answered, "No."

The employer asked, "Well, what about electrical work?" The man said "No, I
don't know anything about that either." Finally the employer said, "Well,
tell me then what is handy about you." The man replied, "I live just around
the corner."

Sometimes the greatest ability we can have is availability. To be where God
can call us, to be within whisper range of his summons, that is the
beginning of a life of meaningful discipleship.

Well done thou good and faithful servant. God didn’t ask us to do anything for Him. God didn’t ask us to be anything for Him. God didn’t ask us to succeed in anything for Him.

Then what did He ask us to do? Follow Me….and I will make you to become fishers of men. Just follow Jesus and He will help you to become….whatever He needs you to be to His glory and for your joy.

Pretty simple isn’t it? Why do we make it so complicated? Why do we make is so hard? Why do we give up so easily when Christ only expects us to know Him and walk with Him each day?

We are performance oriented. We want to DO something. It’s hard for most of us to let someone do anything for us. We want to be in control. We want to be in charge. But we must let God do His work IN us and THROUGH us.

Be available to Christ by following Him each day. How do we do that?

Everyday read the Bible and take time to pray and you will find that from His path you will never stray. Amen to that!
Pastors Pen 3/11/2020

David Beckett, wrote an article entitled “Wouldn’t It Be Great?”

Wouldn't it be great if I won a million dollars? Well, maybe it wouldn't be so great. Not everyone has the same idea of a great time. One person's wish may be another's nightmare. Take, for example, the story of three men who were sailing together in the Pacific Ocean. Their vessel was wrecked and they found themselves on an island. They had plenty of food, but their existence was in every way different from what their lives had been in the past. The men were walking by the seashore one day after they had been there for some months and found an ancient lantern. One man picked it up. As he began to rub it and clean it, a genie popped out and said, "Well, since you have been good enough to release me, I will give each of you one wish."

The first man said, "Oh, that's perfectly marvelous. I'm a cattleman from Wyoming and I wish I were back on my ranch." Poof! He was back on his ranch.

The second man said, "Well, I'm a stockbroker from New York, and I wish that I were back in Manhattan." Poof! He was back in Manhattan with his papers, his telephones, his clients and his computers.

The third fellow was somewhat more relaxed about life and actually had rather enjoyed life there on the island. He said, "Well, I am quite happy here. I just wish my two friends were back." Poof! Poof!

Everybody's idea of a "great time" isn't the same!

So is it true? Are many Americans sitting around wishing, "Now wouldn't it be great ...if I won the lottery...if I had my dream house...if I was famous...." As Christians...as the people of God...what if instead of wishing for money or fame or success or more "things," we could just as earnestly wish with all our hearts and souls and minds and strength that we could love the Lord our God and love our neighbor as ourselves?

In the days of the circuit riders a minister was out riding one afternoon and came upon a man out working in his field. "Fine day isn't it?" the minister called out.
"Its fine for you", the man replied, "All you have to do is ride around on that horse thinking about God all day long, while I have to sweat here in this field and then walk home afterward. I don't think its right you should have things so easy while I have to work so hard."

"On the contrary", the minister answered, "thinking about God is one of the most difficult things you can do. And to prove it, I'll give you this horse if you can think about God and nothing else for one minute."

Wouldn’t It Be Great?
"You're on,” said the man and immediately he sat down in silence. Thirty seconds later he looked up at the minister, and said, "Does that include the saddle?"
Pastors Pen 3/4/20

Have Faith Anyway.

And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. 23But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. 24But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 25Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. 26But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. 27And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table. 28Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour. Matthew 15:22-28
The place was a suburb of Detroit. The speaker was Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel. The subject: "After Auschwitz, Can We Still Believe!" Jews and Gentiles alike filled the great synagogue to listen to the recollections of one who survived the furnaces of Dachau. Thin and fragile, Wiesel stood at the podium for nearly an hour telling one story after another of the horror and despair of those bleak days in the '30s. His stories were of people confused with their imprisonment and sometimes destroyed with their release.
Painfully, silently, the audience relived the events of Wiesel's young life when he was the only surviving member of his family. Finally the stories ceased. His eyes dropped to the floor. There was no sound at all in that mammoth room for what seemed an agonizing eternity. Then he repeated the question, "After Auschwitz, can we still believe?" He shook his head slowly, sadly, "No, no..." before concluding powerfully, "but we must!"
Concerning whether or not to have faith, there is no choice. There was none for that Canaanite mom, none for Elie Wiesel, there is none for you and me. The message of this wonderful mother is "Chose to believe anyway!" You may not feel you are allowed to have faith, have it anyway. You may not feel God loves you, believe it anyway. You may come to understand that you are not included, include yourself anyway. Even the dogs get the crumbs that fall from the master's table. Rev. Dr. David E. Leininger, from his article “Hang In There!”
We can only experience God by faith. We can only have a personal relationship with Him by faith. One day the Bible promises that while now we see through a glass darkly, one day we will see Him face to face. That means that those who know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior will no longer experience Him by faith but will experience Him in His presence! What a wonderful day that will be. Faith now, face to face later. I cannot grab hold of faith, I cannot show you faith. I can only demonstrate faith. Faith is the only evidence we have of things not seen yet seen. So have faith any way, soon you will see.
The Pastors Pen
2/26/2020

We Must Pray For Those Who Do Not Know Jesus
Augustine's mother, Monica, was a fervent believer who prayed constantly for her son's salvation. She devoted her whole life to praying for Augustine's conversion. At one point, when Augustine was becoming devoted to the Manichaean philosophy, Monica begged a holy man to speak to Augustine, and show him why their beliefs were not true. The holy man refused because Augustine was known to have a great intellect, and would likely try to savage the holy man's arguments. The holy man assured Monica that he, too, had once been a Manichaean, and that Augustine was too smart to deceive himself much longer. At this, Monica began to cry. The holy man sent her away, saying, "Go, go! Leave me alone. Live on as you are living. It is not possible that the son of such tears should be lost."
The holy man was right. After many years and a fierce inner struggle, Augustine was touched by a revelation in Scripture, and became a Christian. When Monica learned of her son's salvation, she remarked that she had nothing left to live for, for the greatest desire of her heart had been fulfilled. Nine days later, Monica died. And the son she had spent her life praying for, went on to affect the whole world.
Monica never quit asking. "Live on as you are living," said the holy man. "It is not possible that the son of such tears should be lost." You are concerned about someone you love? Keep on asking God for help. Don't let your tears quench the flame of your faith in God. It may seem like God is ignoring you, but I assure you that is not the case. Don't give up. Keep asking. And keep on trusting. This is from King Duncan‘s, "When You Need Help," adapted from Ruth Bell Graham, Prodigals and Those Who Love Them.
Jesus said in Matthew “Ask, and it shall be given you, seek and ye shall find.” We must keep on asking. Day after day. Just like a child will keep asking their parents for a toy. They keep asking until their parents finally give an answer. It may not be the answer they want but it is an answer.
We must keep on seeking. The idea here is someone who keeps knocking door to door until he finds what he is searching for. He doesn’t exactly know what it is he is looking for, but he will know when he finds it. It’s like the old game show “Lets Make a Deal.” When the contestant isn’t sure what is behind door number 2, they sure like it when they see what it is.
When we keep on asking, and keep on seeking, we will find! What will we find? The perfect will of God for our lives. The will of God that will satisfy us and give us perfect peace. Isn’t that what you want? More than that, isn’t that what we need? Ask, keep on asking. Seek, keep on seeking, and then you will find the will of God.
The Pastors Pen 2/19/2020
I Am the One Who Jesus Loves
1 John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
Berlin -- Jesse Owens seemed sure to win the long jump at the 1936 games. The year before he had jumped 26 feet, 8 1/4 inches -- a record that would stand for 25 years. As he walked to the long-jump pit, however, Owens saw a tall, blue eyed, blond German taking practice jumps in the 26-foot range. Owens felt nervous. He was acutely aware of the Nazis' desire to prove "Aryan superiority," especially over blacks. At this point, the tall German introduced himself as Luz Long. "You should be able to qualify with your eyes closed!" he said to Owens, referring to his two jumps. For the next few moments the black son of a sharecropper and the white model of Nazi manhood chatted. Then Long made a suggestion. Since the qualifying distance was only 23 feet, 5 1/2 inches, why not make a mark several inches before the takeoff board and jump from there, just to play it safe? Owens did and qualified easily.
In the finals Owens set an Olympic record and earned the second of four golds. The first person to congratulate him was Luz Long -- in full view of Adolf Hitler. Owens never again saw Long, who was killed in World War II. "You could melt down all the medals and cups I have," Owens later wrote, "and they wouldn't be a platting on the 24-carat friendship and love I felt for Luz Long."
Jesus' closest friend on earth, the disciple named John, is identified in the Gospels as "the one Jesus loved." If John were to be asked, 'What is your primary identity in life?' he would not reply, 'I am a disciple, an apostle, an evangelist, an author of one of the four Gospels,' but rather, 'I am the one Jesus loves.'"
What would it mean, I ask myself, if I too came to the place where I saw my primary identity in life as "the one Jesus loves"? How differently would I view myself at the end of a day? Sociologists have a theory of the looking-glass self: you become what the most important person in your life (wife, father, boss, etc.) thinks you are. How would my life change if I truly believed the Bible's astounding words about God's love for me, if I looked in the mirror and saw what God sees?
There is the story of an old saint who, on a walking tour of a rural village, sees an old peasant kneeling by the side of the road, praying. Impressed, he says to the peasant man, "You must be very close to God." The peasant looks up from his prayers, thinks a moment, and then smiles, "Yes, he's very fond of me."
Pastor Jack Ward is on facebook under the name “Jack Ward” and iTunes under “Tomahawk Missionary Baptist.” Hear Pastor Jack each Sunday Morning at 10:30 Am on WSIP FM 98.9. Check out the website tomahawkmbc.com
Pastors Pen 2/12/2020
The Cracked Pot

A water bearer in India had two large pots, each hung on each end of a pole which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, and while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the master’s house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.
For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a
half pots full of water in his master’s house. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its
accomplishments, perfect to the end for which it was made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do. After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter
failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. "I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you." "Why?" asked the bearer. "What are you ashamed of?" "I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your master’s house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don’t get full value from your efforts," the pot said. The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion he said," As we return to the master’s house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path.
Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it some. But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again it apologized to the bearer for its failure. The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of your path, but not on the other pot’s side? That’s because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you’ve watered them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master’s table. Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house." Each of us has our own unique flaws. We re all cracked pots. But if we will allow it, the Lord will use our flaws to grace His Father’s table.
The Bible tells us in Romans 5:8 “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” We were unlovely, undeserving, unwilling to turn to God. Yet He still loved us despite ourselves. And then after He saves us He gives us the privilege of serving Him. Luke 1:74 says “That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear.”
We all have our short comings and our flaws. But thanks be unto God that He looks past our flaws and sees our need. We all need Jesus because without Him we are just cracked pots. But then He takes our cracked pot and uses it for His glory as He takes us as we are and turns us into what He wants us to be.
The bottom line is God can and will use you. Will you let Him use you? Will let Him be the Lord and Savior of your life?
Pastors Pen 2/5/2020
Taking Care of the Crowd
“Too often, we think that giving our lives to God is like taking a $1,000 bill and laying it on the altar, saying, "Here's my life, Lord. I'm giving it all to you." But the truth of the matter is that God sends us to the bank and tells us to cash that $1,000 bill in for quarters. And then we go through life giving away twenty-five cents here, fifty cents there, and so on. Instead of watching a ball game, we spend some time visiting a lonely person in a nursing home who has no family. Instead of sipping coffee and reading the newspaper, we get dressed and go to teach Sunday school. Instead of playing games on the computer, we listen to a friend tell us about her problems, even though we're tired and have problems of our own to deal with.
These are the moments in which the grace of God can work through us to help another human being, to feed the hunger of the heart and spirit. They may not be spectacular miracles, but these are the things we can do to bring meaning and significance to our lives.” Johnny Dean from his sermon “How Much Is Enough?”
About 60 times in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John Jesus was taking care of the “multitudes” or as we would call them today the crowds. Matthew 14:14 “And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick. “ Jesus was moved to care for all those people who followed Him. He fed them, He healed their sick, He preached to them, He even walked with them.
The part of Matthew 14:14 that touches my heart is that Jesus was “moved with compassion toward them…” Jesus had compassion and that compassion moved Him or in other words they touched His heart. He loved them. And from that love and compassion He did something. He healed them.
Do you have compassion for the multitudes, for the crowds, for the people? And does that compassion move you? Does it touch you enough to cause you to do something? Does it cause you to take care of the crowd? I’m not saying that you can do what Jesus did and go and heal them miraculously. But you can touch the crowd, one person at a time!
Is there a person that needs a friend? Is there a person who needs a kind word today? Is there a person who needs to hear about Jesus from you? Is there a church member who needs to be encouraged? Is there someone who is mourning who needs to be comforted? Is there someone who is hungry who needs to be fed? We are to take care of the multitudes, the crowds. But we must do it one person at a time. Will you do that today?
Pastors Pen 1/29/2020

God Could Have Destroyed Us
Ernie Pyle was a WWII Correspondent. Pyle was known for writing about the average GI. He didn't write about the strategy and the campaigns. He wrote about the guy slogging through the mud and dodging bullets to get back home. He knew the GI's because he lived with them, and eventually died with them.
In one of his books, he tells the story of a German soldier who had been taken prisoner. This German soldier had been told horrible stories about what the Americans would do to POW's, and so he was scared. The German was wounded and was taken to the medical station. The medics tried to give him a shot of morphine so they could tend to his wounds; but, the German objected furiously, afraid that he was going to be tortured. After some time, after observing the attention given to the other wounded, and the other POW's, this soldier finally started to figure out that he was being treated like everyone else and his amazement grew. Finally, the chaplain, making his morning rounds, gave the German soldier cigarettes, candy, tooth powder, and soap just like everyone else. The German soldier started to grin and sat up playing with his new possessions like a little boy with new toys.
That reminds me of the power of the love of God. We are in the hands of a power that we think should destroy us. Instead, God meets us with an offer of salvation. He offers us resurrection power and glory with His only Son.
During a heated argument a young warrior struck and killed a friend of his. Knowing the ancient, inflexible customs of his people, the young man fled, running across the desert under the cover of darkness, seeking safety.
He went to the black tent of the tribal chief in order to seek his protection. The old chief took the young man in. The chief assured him that he would be safe until the matter could be settled legally.
The next day, the young man's pursuers arrived, demanding the murderer be turned over to them. They would see that justice would prevail in their own way. "But I have given my word," protested the chief. "But you don't know whom he killed!" they countered.
"I have given my word," the chief repeated. "But he killed your son!" one of them blurted out. The chief was deeply and visibly shaken with his news. He stood speechless with his head bowed for a long time. The accused and the accusers as well as curious onlookers waited breathlessly. What would happen to the young man? Finally the old man raised his head. "Then he shall become my son," he informed them, "and everything I have will one day be his. He need only accept my offer.”
The chief could have destroyed that man, but instead he offered Him life. And more that just life, adoption into His family. That’s what God does for us. Not only does He not destroy us but He offers pardon to all who will receive it. No one in their right mind would turn that down.
Pastors Pen 1/22/2020

Do You Believe In Miracles?
Charles Swindol tells a funny story about a nine-year-old named Danny who came bursting out of Sunday school like a wild stallion. His eyes were darting in every direction as he tried to locate either mom or dad. Finally, after a quick search, he grabbed his Daddy by the leg and yelled, "Man, that story of Moses and all those people crossing the Red Sea was great!" His father looked down, smiled, and asked the boy to tell him about it.
"Well, the Israelites got out of Egypt, but Pharaoh and his army chased after them. So the Jews ran as fast as they could until they got to the Red Sea. The Egyptian Army was gettin' closer and closer. So Moses got on his walkie-talkie and told the Israeli Air Force to bomb the Egyptians. While that was happening, the Israeli Navy built a pontoon bridge so the people could cross over. They made it!
By now old dad was shocked. "Is THAT the way they taught you the story?" Well, no, not exactly," Danny admitted, "but if I told you the way they told it to us, you'd never believe it, Dad."
With childlike innocence the little guy put his finger on the pulse of our sophisticated adult world where cool skepticism reigns supreme. It's more popular to operate in the black-and-white world of facts. . .and, of course, to leave no space for the miraculous.
Matthew 13:58 says “And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.” Many people wish and hope for miracles. But not many people really believe in miracles. But miracles in and of themselves do not produce faith. John 12:37 “But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him.” Only faith in and belief in Christ, not miracles, produces faith and that faith produces “mighty works” that Christ does in individuals.
Jesus did miracles not to prove His power, but to prove who He was! John 3:2 “The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.” Only God can do miracles, therefore I believe miracles do happen today. I believe in miracles because I believe in Him, Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God! And the greatest miracle is to take a vile, wicked sinner, on his way to hell, and by a simple act of faith in Jesus Christ to change him into something holy, righteous and bound for glory! Have you experienced this miracle in your own life?
Pastors Pen 1/15/2020
Opening the Door to Jesus
Is there any parallel between the experience of the followers on the road to Emmaus and our lives? Yes, there are times when each of us fails to recognize the presence of Christ or the Holy Spirit. Remember that the Scriptures promise us that Christ is with us-at least potentially-not just as an occasional, miraculous event but at all times. In Revelation 3:20, he tells us, "Behold! I stand at the door and knock. If any-one hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and sup with him, and he with me." So an experience like that of the disciples, who recognized Jesus in the breaking of the bread, is always available to all of us.
So it's easy, even for dedicated Christians, to put off opening the door to Jesus. We want to be good Christians, but when it's more convenient, at least not today. "Just wait," we say, "until we reach retirement age-or our kids get out of college-or we make the last house payment. Then we'll try to put into our lives the kinds of things we would want to do if Christ were here."
But Christ is here, right now. And when we open our hearts to other people, particularly those who are different from us, we are opening the door to him. This is a practical way that Christians can take a major step toward realizing the constant presence of our Savior. He says so specifically: "As ye have done it unto one of the least of these, my brethren, ye have done it unto me" (Matthew 2 5:40).
When we take such a step, our eyes are opened, as were those of the disciples; we expand our lives, escape from the cages we build around ourselves, and enter a new environment of surprises, adventure, and real gratification. This is some of what Cleopas and his brother learned on the way to Emmaus. Imagine their elation and excitement! I wonder how long it took them to get back to Jerusalem, to share what they'd seen and heard with their friends? They might have set a 10,000-meter speed record!
We are thankful that the miracle they experienced isn't a mystery or a secret any longer. It's a truth all of us can share. Our Savior lives, and if we let it happen-if we accept his presence-our lives will be changed forever.

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