Month: July 2025

Posted in 1John, John

A World at Spiritual War

Posted on by Tom Flaherty

“I have given them Your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.” John 17:14

When Morpheus offers Neo the choice of two pills in The Matrix he explains that the blue pill will put him back in his bed and back under the deception the world lives under. The red pill will give him the truth and a life of discomfort because he will see “how deep the rabbit hole is in Wonderland.” Neo said earlier that he sensed deep within himself that something was wrong with the world, but the reality of how bad it is will be shocking to him.

When John says that “…the whole world lies in the power of the evil one,” (1John 5:19) he is only expounding on the worldview of Jesus. There is something deeply wrong in the world around us beyond what the eyes can see. The spirit of the world, “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life,” (1John 2:15) is being breathed on by spiritual darkness that is in opposition to God and His rule. Human beings have been born into this conflict and every one of us has to choose each day whether we will pretend all is well, or to embrace the truth. If Neo chooses the blue pill, Morpheus tells him he will find himself back in the comfort of his bed and then he can “believe whatever he wants to believe.” A lot of that is going on today, even in Christian circles.

It becomes us to embrace the worldview of Jesus so that we will live wisely in this present age, and be a light to those in darkness. The only way those under the world’s spirit will be able to see Jesus is if we look different than them yet continue to love them. This is the challenge in a world at spiritual war.

Posted in Job

The Untamable God

Posted on by Tom Flaherty

“No one is so fierce that he dares to arouse him; who then is he that can stand against Me? Who has given to Me that I should repay him? Whatever is under the whole heaven is Mine.” “I am angry at you and your two friends, because you have not spoken of Me what is right as My servant Job has.” Job 41:10-11; Job 42:7

The first passage quoted above is a comparison God makes between Himself and Leviathan, a sea monster He created. (This animal that Job was familiar with has clearly gone extinct as no living animal compares to all God says about this creature.) In His lengthy description of this animal God makes it clear that no one can tame the Leviathan, no one can put him on a leash for his girls, no one can frighten him with spears or arrows, and no one dares to rouse him. The point of the argument is that if this is true about a created animal, how much more is it true about the God who made it and everything else that exists.

The Lord is angry with Job’s three friends because they have sought to tame God by their theology. They were sure that they understood what was going on in this world and how God would act in any given situation. They were confident that what was happening to Job was brought on by something Job had done because surely God would never allow so much suffering to one who was innocent. Their theology put God in a box that ultimately was about their own protection. God was angry by their short-sighted, man-made beliefs which sought to limit His sovereignty, so we must be careful not to make God out to be something that He is not today.

“You have not spoken of Me what is right as My servant Job has.” What did Job say? That it’s not always fair in this life; that sometimes sin isn’t punished in this life; that sometimes righteousness doesn’t seem to pay off in this life; and that it often feels like God is indifferent to the injustices that are happening on His planet. 

Part of learning to be meek of heart, like Jesus, is to trust God’s heart even when you don’t understand His ways. He is accomplishing a good purpose in every judgment He brings, every circumstance He allows, and in every test that He orchestrates. He gets no pleasure from our pain, but He will use our pain to speak to us eternal truths that will in the long run save us from greater pain. God is good, but He won’t be tamed, and that’s one reason that it is an adventure being one of His children.

Posted in Matthew, Psalms

Mary’s Worship

Posted on by Tom Flaherty

“In Your Presence is fullness of joy…” Psalm 16:11

Have you ever had a one-way friendship?  Someone you genuinely like, but whenever they contact you it’s only because they need something?  They are so busy and focused on their own lives that they may not realize they treat you like a means to an end instead of like a true friend.  Once in a while, true friends just want to be with you with no other agenda except to be together.  In our weekly prayer meeting we begin by emptying our thoughts, worries, and desires at the cross and just worship for a half an hour.  The goal is not to get something but to just be with Him.

What does God do during this time of concentrated worship?  It doesn’t matter because it’s not about us, it’s about Him.  No doubt He will transform us and bless us with a new joy in His presence, but that’s His agenda, not ours.  We just want to be with Him and pour out our worship and thanksgiving for who He is.  Even the disciples said, “Why this waste?” (Matthew 26:8), when Mary poured out her costly perfume on Jesus.  The great temptation of the church today is to make God and our worship a means to an end instead of the main event.  Please listen to Jesus’ response to Mary’s worship: “Wherever the gospel is preached I want this story told.” (Matthew 26:13)

Finally, in this act of worship, Jesus saw the response God is looking for to the gospel.  Abandoned worship that isn’t looking at its watch or at the crowd for approval; someone who just wanted to spend herself on Jesus for His sake.  I want to join Mary’s worship, don’t you?

Posted in John

Free Indeed

Posted on by Tom Flaherty

“Jesus therefore was saying to those Jews who had believed in Him, ‘If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.’” John 8:31-32

All that believe in Jesus are promised forgiveness, but only disciples are promised freedom. “I thought all believers were disciples?” Apparently not, because Jesus said to believers that they would only be disciples if they abided or continued in His word. Just because someone believes in Jesus doesn’t mean they have disciplined their lives to learn and live out of His truth.

What is the truth that will make us free? Jesus first talks about the slavery of sin and then gives the plan for freedom: “The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. If therefore the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.” (John 8:35-36) A slave is only secure while he performs – his master uses him to get work done but makes no long term commitment. A son, on the other hand, is loved just because he was born. He is born into favor and has nothing to prove.

Jesus frees us by making us the very children of God. Knowing this in our heads may be the beginning of freedom, but it’s when we continue in this truth until the Father fills our hearts with it that we experience the “free indeed.” Are you living your Christianity from the privileged position of favored child, or are you still struggling to perform well enough to be accepted? Let’s persevere in the truth of our favored position until our hearts fully catch it and we become free indeed.

Posted in 2Corinthians, Hebrews, John

Honoring the Son 

Posted on by Tom Flaherty

“For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, so that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. Truly, truly I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.” John 5:22-24

Honor means to give esteem, respect, and to place a high value on someone. Do you honor the Son? Does your life bring honor to His Name? To truly honor Jesus we must honor His position as our Judge, honor His word as the final authority in our lives, and honor His work as the only way to eternal life.

All judgment has been given to the Son. This means that at the end of our lives only One opinion of our thoughts, words, and deeds will matter, and that is the Son’s. Paul defines living in view of Christ’s judgment of our lives as the fear of the Lord: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord…” (2Corinthians 5:10-11) We honor Him by acknowledging His right to judge us.

In our text Jesus talks about the importance of hearing and believing His word. In fact, in John 12:48 He says that He won’t personally judge us but will only judge us by the word He has spoken. He has made His sayings known to the human race through the Bible. We cannot honor the Son without honoring His word.

The One who sent Jesus, the Father, sent Him to die on the cross so that those who believed in Him would not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16) In fact, the reason the Father gave the Son the right to judge the human race was that He became a Son of man. (John 5:27) He is the only One worthy to open the scroll which brings the final day of the Lord because He was the Lamb who was slain. (Revelation 5:9) We honor His work on the cross when we put our trust in Christ for our salvation and trust Him for every need we have in this life. Because of His work, Hebrews 4:16 says we can come with confidence to a throne of grace whenever we have something we need help with. We aren’t bothering God when we ask, we’re actually honoring Christ’s work.

Posted in 1Corinthians, 2Corinthians, Psalms

Beholding the Glory of God

Posted on by Tom Flaherty

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.” 2Corinthians 3:17-18

Whatever we behold we eventually become. If you behold, or “keep before your eyes,” your worries, you will become anxious. If you keep anger before your eyes, you will become bitter. If you keep pornography before your eyes, you will become lustful. But if you and I keep the glory of the Lord before us, we will be transformed from one level of glory to the next. It sounds easy but there are a few problems.

“As in a mirror” is a problem. The mirrors back then were made of brass and the image they gave was very dim. Paul says earlier in Corinthians, “we see in a mirror dimly.” (1Corinthians 13:12) Even though we have nothing between us and God (unveiled faces), in this current time we live more by faith than sight. Yet even now a glimpse of His glory will transform us. Are we willing to behold Him even if it isn’t always powerful or instantly rewarding? Are we willing to spend time in His Word and prayer seeking to behold Him even when it seems like He’s hiding Himself? Will we prioritize church over a thousand other things we could do on the weekend even though it’s kind of boring to us? The more we behold Him, the more others will be able to behold Him through us.

The other problem is the abundance of other things to look at. Hollywood and the internet are filled with images that you can easily behold without doing any work at all; excitement and entertainment at the click of a button. We were made to behold and our hearts will always behold something. Even as a Christian, the only way you and I will behold the Lord is if we make it our priority. The man after God’s own heart said, “One thing have I desired and that I will seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to meditate in His temple.” (Psalm 27:4) It isn’t enough to desire, we must act on that desire by actively seeking or something else will easily creep in.

Am I saying that it’s wrong to enjoy a movie, a game, or other legitimate pleasures? Absolutely not. What I am saying is that when we make beholding the Lord our first priority, everything else takes its proper place and won’t become an idol.

Posted in Isaiah, James, Philippians, Psalms

Willing and Obedient

Posted on by Tom Flaherty

“So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” Philippians 2:12-13

What God has worked in us, we now need to work out in our everyday lives. By grace He is in us to create both the desire and the ability to do His will. When we cooperate with His grace by being willing and obedient, grace flows freely in and through us. Isaiah 1:19 says, “If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land.” I don’t know about you but I want God’s best. The key is to be willing and obedient.

Sometimes we are willing, but not obedient. We love God, we worship God, we say “yes” to God when someone’s preaching, but we don’t do what He says to do. We won’t forgive, we won’t throw the porn away, we won’t cut off the destructive relationship, we won’t give money He’s asked us to give, we won’t check our speech, we won’t lay down our judgments on others, etc. Being willing but not obedient leads to self deception which is why James said, “Prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.” (James 1:22) Worship must be more than a song or a prayer to touch God’s heart; it has to include costly obedience.

Others are obedient, but not willing. This person says, “I do the right things but have no joy or love in doing them any more.” If this applies, you need to return to your first love and ask God for a new grace to make you willing. Just going through the motions leaves you and I very vulnerable to sin and the schemes of the enemy. After David sinned horribly he prayed to God, “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” (Psalm 51:12) Notice he didn’t just ask for forgiveness, but prayed for a change of attitude so that it wouldn’t happen again.

Check your life right now. Are you willing, or do you spend most of your time complaining to God? Are you obedient, or has your life become one compromise after another? God wants His very best for you. If something is off ask Him now to pour out more grace, so you can make it right.

Posted in 2Chronicles, Revelation

Pray For America

Posted on by Tom Flaherty

“If My people who are called by My Name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2Chronicles 7:14

God tells us here that the future of our nation lies in the hands of His people. Sometimes as Christians we think that worldly people are the reason our nation is going down hill. We think God’s eyes are on the sins of the world and that He is planning judgment on America because of it.

The truth is that God’s eyes are on His church. Yes, if the church does nothing then America will receive the judgment of God because of all its sins. But what if the people who are called by God’s own name (Christians) humble themselves before God and repent on behalf of the church and the country? What if we sincerely ask Him for a revival in our country and welcome Him to start with us? Could God give, in this critical hour, undeserved mercy instead of deserved judgment and save this nation? Absolutely.

So let’s purpose to repent:

  1. For the pride in our hearts and the pride of the church that has said in its heart, “I need nothing.” (Revelation 3:17) Let’s humble ourselves and acknowledge our desperate need for God personally and corporately.
  2. For the prayerlessness that has come out of our pride. Let’s start praying more often and for longer times. Let’s ask Jesus like His disciples did, “Lord, teach us to pray.”
  3. For seeking God’s hand (what He can do for us) instead of His face (who He is and what ways bring Him pleasure). We’ve often wanted to use God for our ends instead of submitting to God for His ends. Dear Lord, forgive us.
  4. For our wicked ways. Everything that we do that God has already said is wrong in His word: immorality, lying, stealing, contentiousness, selfish ambition, slandering fellow human beings, etc. Ask for forgiveness for these things and then purpose to stop doing them.

Now as you pray for America, believe that He wants to hear from heaven, forgive our sins, and heal our land.

Posted in 2Chronicles, Ezekiel

America: Judgment or Mercy?

Posted on by Tom Flaherty

The people of the land have practiced oppression and committed robbery, and they have wronged the poor and needy and have oppressed the sojourner without justice. I searched for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, so that I would not destroy it; but I found no one. Thus I have poured out My indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath; their way I have brought upon their heads declares the Lord God.” Ezekiel 22:29-31

Because of failed leadership and a population that only sought its own interest, Israel was on the brink of judgment. Yet the wrath that eventually came on them was not only because of their sin; it came because God couldn’t find anyone to stand in the gap before Him. Even with Israel fully deserving wrath, God’s heart was still mercy, but He needed someone on earth to confess these sins; to agree with His right to judge; and then to ask for mercy instead. He actually searched for someone to do this for Him but couldn’t find anyone. What a tragedy!

America is in trouble today. We have many signs of present discipline and indications that things are going to get worse if something doesn’t change. Instead of trembling at His word we have often ignored it, and in some cases publicly contradicted it at the highest levels. Instead of caring for the poor, we have often made the rich, richer, and created a system where the gap between the “haves” and the “have-nots” is ever increasing.

When a nation gets in danger of judgment God doesn’t look for the heathen to change things, He looks to His own people. We are the key! “If My people, who are called by My Name, will humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.” (2Chronicles 7:14) Lord, let there be a revival and let it start with me.

Posted in Genesis, Hebrews

Shake To Wake

Posted on by Tom Flaherty

“’Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heaven.’ This expression, ‘Yet once more,’ denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe…” Hebrews 12:26-28

Have you ever been driving along and before you know it you realize that drowsiness is beginning to overtake you? Immediately you become awake and fear grips you because of the possible consequences of falling asleep at the wheel. Not only would you and anyone in your car be at risk, but also innocent people in other cars who hadn’t fallen asleep. When I know I’m a bit sleep deprived on a long trip I make sure that I’ve got caffeine and somebody to talk to who keeps me properly alert.

God is shaking America right now. We have gone our own way and done our own thing, yet He is calling out to us. I don’t believe He is shaking us to punish us as much as He is shaking us to wake us up. Some people feel like God would have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah if He didn’t send His wrath on America. I disagree. Scripture is clear that Sodom wasn’t destroyed because of how evil the worldly people were, but because God couldn’t find a remnant of His people to preserve it. As Abraham sought God’s face for mercy, the Lord promised him that if He could find a remnant of just ten, He would spare the whole city. (Genesis 18:32)

Well God has a huge remnant in America; people that love God, serve God, and seek God day in and day out. His heart is for this remnant to wake up from the spiritual sleeping pills this culture has given us through compromise and idolatry. As Hebrews says, “Let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:24-25)