The Blog of Tom Dale

Happy Thanksgiving y'all! Have you counted your blessings today? I know I have, and here are some that I am thankful for: Samaritan Ministries International I first heard about this organization a year ago, but back then I had no idea I would become hired in this health care ministry. For more information, go to samaritanministries.org. It is easily the best job I have ever had (and I've enjoyed all my past jobs!) Every day I get the chance to serve alongside other individuals who love Jesus and have become like a second family to me, which leads me to my next blessing. My Family Unfortunately, I was unable to spend time with my family today. Despite our flaws and sins and imperfections, God has kept us together by His grace in spirit and love. Although I do not see them frequently, as on Earth we are all limited by time and space, I hope to spend the rest of eternity with them. It will certainly make up for my Thanksgiving absence.  The Local Church ...

The default attitude of mankind toward God is one of rebellion. We follow God only when it is convenient or He caters to our whims. But if God doesn’t do what we want Him to do or He doesn’t fulfill our desires, then we are quick to turn our backs to Him. This attitude is not pleasing to God. However, there is an attitude that pleases God, according to the Apostle Paul in Romans 8.5-8: “Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires;but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.” The attitude that pleases God is one of submission and faith. When we allow our hearts to follow the Spirit’s leading, then good actions will follow and we can l...

God’s laws are good. Do not murder, do not steal, etc. We would do well to follow them. The problem is, we can’t. At least, not 100 percent of the time. But Jesus can, and did. Paul writes in Romans 8.3: “For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh.” Jesus Christ came to Earth, perfectly fulfilled God’s requirements for godly living, and died on a cross as a sin offering. This means he “made it up” for our lack of following God’s laws. He paid our debt. If we trust and believe that Jesus did this, then as a result God will view us as He viewed His Son Jesus: perfect and righteous. Christ’s death happened “in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:4). This truly is mind-boggling! How can we be viewed by God as g...

Why You Should Not Be Afraid of God's Judgment As a sinner, I sometimes fear God’s wrath. I ask myself, what if I’m not good enough for God? What if I say or do something that really pisses him off (like saying “pisses” on a public blog)? But one of the amazing truths of Christianity is this: “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” The Apostle Paul writes these words in the Book of Romans, chapter eight and verse one. What he is saying is that for those who trust in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, they do not have to be afraid of being condemned to Hell or falling under God’s wrath. Why? Verses 2: “...because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.” Elsewhere in the Bible, human beings are said to be in bondage to sin and death. Because we willfully disobey God, we deserve His judgment. But “the law of the Spirit” has set us free from sin and death, and there...

Romans 8 is about a God who is exceedingly and eternally good to believers in Jesus Christ. This is the central theme of one of the most beloved chapters in the Bible. God’s goodness is manifested in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the gift of His Holy Spirit, and the future hope of eternal life. For the next couple of weeks we will explore this theme and seek to understand how we can apply this truth to our lives. I will try to post a blog each day. Each blog post will contain the Apostle Paul’s own words on the goodness of God. But they are not just his words; they are God’s words. They are a testimony to the character of God. And “God never lies” (Titus 1:2). As you read the postings, feel free to comment. More importantly, meditate on the words of Scriptures and ask the Spirit of God to reveal His truth to you- the truth of Jesus Christ.

At my church today, the worship leader told us, if we were able and "comfortable", to kneel before God. Throughout much of history, people would bow down before the king of the land to show Him honor and respect.  How much more should we bow down to the KING of kings! But as I was kneeling before God, this Scripture popped into my head: Who can be compared with the L ord our God, who is enthroned on high? He stoops to look down on heaven and on earth. He lifts the poor from the dust and the needy from the garbage dump. He sets them among princes, even the princes of his own people! Psalm 113:5-8  New Living Translation The Holy Spirit reminded me that yes, God is to be honored and respected above all. But even unbelievers will bow before Jesus when He returns in glory and power. To truly honor God, we must not only acknowledge Him as our King, but as our Father who loves us and has done so much for us. He saved us through the Gospel, and one day ...

We all want our lives to matter. We want to live life to the fullest. We want to look back on our deathbeds with no regrets.  But we all have those moments where we wonder if we are spending our lives well. We question whether our day to day activities are meaningful. We wonder if we are truly leaving behind a good legacy.  There is a story in the Gospel of Luke that tells of a man who, by all appearances, wasted his life. We don't know his name, only that Luke simply calls him a criminal. We don't know what crimes he committed, but we do know they were bad enough to warrant the death penalty. Anyone who deserves the death penalty clearly has wasted his life. This criminal was crucified right next to Jesus and one other criminal. The other criminal was mocking Jesus, claiming that if He were truly the Son of God He could save himself from death. The Gospel Author Luke writes,  "But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been se...