|City on a Hill - Writings for Refuge

What is the fruit of my belief...the doctrine I have guarded for comfort? Does it draw me deeper into faith, knowledge, self control...perseverance?...godliness?...love?! II Peter 1:5-7 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. This is the point of being redeemed...reconnected to God as He made mankind to be: to allow Jesus to form HIS quality of life in MY heart. For years I took the name of Jesus without the life of Jesus becoming progressively more mine, too. I grew little in any of these areas, but i remained comfortable...dull. This is not what Jesus saved me for. He saved me to give me life in full...forever. To take His name and not His life is to miss the point! This would be like getting married, but never taking up residence with your spouse. You could change the name on t

There is a path to wholehearted love for God in the Bible. Wholehearted love is different than sincere love. There are many who sincerely love God, but they give Him a comfortable and small place in a part of their lives. Wholehearted is rare...it is different. Wholehearted is complete abandon to God...making Him the superior pleasure in your life. Everything else becomes negotiable when you are wholehearted for God. So how does a person end up wholehearted? Is it just that some are born that way? Read their Bible more than others? Journal more? No. Even Jesus said you can't read your way into this: John 5:39-40 “You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! Yet you refuse to come to me to receive this life. Okay, Tom....so where does it come from, this zeal for God...this wholeheartedness??? This is the best kept secret in the Bible and in the Church...although it is open and plain to see. It is so simple anyone can do it,

There are many false shepherds in the land. This is going to increase dramatically in the coming years, but it is already surprisingly common right now . Many of these leaders are very popular, because they sound "relevant." They can turn a phrase that makes them sound so anointed, but it is important to know the well you are drinking from. Relevant and witty is not always the same as true. Often, these popular teachers say things that appeal to the flesh...they are impatient and our impatient hearts respond with a "yes brother!" They teach that anyone can be great outside of the narrow road of greatness Jesus described, which is a commitment to holiness. They measure greatness here...like the rest of the world, where Jesus said secret obedience is the true measure of greatness. They are more interested in convincing you that you can write books, start public ministries, and change the world in a public way, rather than teaching you to overcome sin, draw near to Jes

Jesus said that wickedness and righteousness would be “side by side” at the end. God is not going to remove all the righteous people and rein judgment down on the wicked…because that is NOT His stated goal. He desires for people to turn and repent…that is why He sent a witness, Jonah, to Nineveh…and angels to rescue Lot from Sodom…and had Noah take 100 years to build a boat in front of mocking people…God desires to redeem…to save. He wants His Bride to agree with Him about that…to GLORY in the tribulation that is coming. She does this by worshipping and praying. Jesus said the Bride, the wheat, would do this right in the midst of the tares: Matthew 13:25-30 but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. (26) But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. (27) So the servants of the owner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?' (28) He said to the

There is an old plan in the Bible for judgment. The Book of revelation is really the prophetic description of the fulfillment of the promise of God to judge from the beginning of the covenant with Moses. The laws of the covenant are mostly described in the book of Leviticus. Leviticus 26 has the complete program of judgment outlined in Revelation: Leviticus 26:3-12 tell of what a geographic region can expect if they choose to “live in covenant with God”, as a community. Vs. 14-40 summarize the judgments that are prophesied in the Book of Revelation. This chapter of Leviticus tells us the “why” behind the judgments in Revelation: to turn hearts to God. God wants no one to die: 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord isn't really being slow about His promise, as some people think. No, He is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. This is what Leviticus 26 describes…the promise of God to increase the heat of punishment to turn people back to Hi

This passage is about the end-time luxurious world superpower, symbolically called the “Harlot Babylon” in the Bible. Isaiah 47:7-11 And you said, 'I shall be a lady forever,' So that you did not take these things to heart, Nor remember the latter end of them. (8) "Therefore hear this now, you who are given to pleasures, Who dwell securely, Who say in your heart, 'I am, and there is no one else besides me; I shall not sit as a widow, Nor shall I know the loss of children'; (9) But these two things shall come to you In a moment, in one day: The loss of children, and widowhood. They shall come upon you in their fullness Because of the multitude of your sorceries, For the great abundance of your enchantments. (10) "For you have trusted in your wickedness; You have said, 'No one sees me'; Your wisdom and your knowledge have warped you; And you have said in your heart, 'I am, and there is no one else besides me.' (11) Therefore evil shall come upon

This is what Jesus says will happen when antichrist invades Israel under the guise of keeping His promise to protect her (Daniel 11:40-45): Matthew 24:15-22 “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened. Jesus is describing the same thing Isaiah did...referring to the 7-year peace treaty

The Bible talks extensively about the last world superpower and its relationship to the anti-christ, Israel, and God. These are some of the most sobering passages in the Bible for our generation. Many believe the Bible does not ever specifically mention the United States and its role in the end times. I think those who believe that are mistaken. In fact, I believe the United States has a central role in the end times and is described to a "T". My opinion is not popular, but it is important to wrestle with what YOU believe God is trying to convey to the world through His word. Loyalty to Jesus is more important than any patriotic ideal that says "my country must always be right." In the modern American church, patriotism is often held up as a Christian ideal...this is ok if your country operates in agreement with Jesus, but if it doesn't...imagine patriotism in Nazi Germany, Stalinist Russia, or Mao's China...patriotism as a part of your religion can leave yo

God has a kingdom that includes all of creation. His kingdom spans both sides of the veil. The natural side is openly visible to me. The supernatural side has been temporarily hidden...withdrawn...separated, for love. God is an overflowing and infinite well of bright blazing transcendant beauty and holiness. The glory of His purity shines brighter and hotter than 10 million suns...no finite light can compare to infinite light. God is fiery, bright, and brilliant in light...a consuming and burning light too bright for fallen flesh to approach: I Timothy 6:16 who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen. When Adam and Eve were created, they were filled with the Holy Spirit, walking in divine connection with God face to face and in the Spirit...never lacking access to His heart and able to lay eyes on Him. They were made with an infinite capacity to encounter an infinitely bright God. At the time

When a well driller installs a well, they drill down deep into a water bearing layer of soil, and they set a screen at the bottom. The screen allows water to flow into the well, and is supposed to keep back the dirt. No one wants to drink mud! Once the screen is installed, the driller has to "develop" the well. All the parts are in place, but on their own, they will do a less than ideal job keeping sand out of the water. An improperly developed well will let sand right into your glass. To develop a well, the driller actually adds water to the well, they then "surge" the water back and forth. The in and out action on the screen locks the grains of sand on the outside of the screen. This makes natural barrier outside of the screen that filters out the fine particles. A properly developed well yields more pure water. Jesus said you are a well: John 7:38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” When you were s

In many ways the soon-to-be Bride has settled for a lower dream than her Groom. The fiancé by and large is looking for a “fresh experience,” while Jesus is readying to drive evil off the planet and establish an entirely new government centered in Jerusalem. This is the difference between mere “revival” and complete restoration. Jesus’ plan to accomplish restoration is intense, and it requires agreement from His Bride to accomplish it. By giving mankind dominion over the earth, God has willingly tethered Himself to us to accomplish this intense plan. The final culmination of this plan occurs over a very specific 7-year period called the “tribulation,” which the fiancé is supposed to “glory in.” Romans 5:3-4 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; (4) and perseverance, character; and character, hope. The 7-years begin with a peace covenant that impacts Israel and is “confirmed”…guaranteed…for 7 years by the world’s final genti

Spinning on the wheel, using time and pressure as his tools. Just the right amount pressure...just the right number of revolutions. Just the right amount molding, in just the right places. And the final preparation: just the right amount of heat and time in the kiln. This is how the craftsman makes a masterpiece...just right. Psalms 119:30-32 I have chosen the way of truth; Your judgments I have laid before me. I cling to Your testimonies; O Lord , do not put me to shame! I will run the course of Your commandments, For You shall enlarge my heart. This is the testimony of David: "I want all you have for me, God. But when I said yes, I knew I was saying yes to something that looks risky...even bad at times. Don't put me to shame! I believe the course you put before me will expand my capacity to be with you. Enlarge my heart!" I am living in a divine setup. Everyone is living in some sort of setup, either divine, one of their own making, or a snare they wandered into...there