Knowing Tom

Knowing Tom

Jim, Travis, and Kelly were really excited that Tom was coming to town.  The three coworkers would often go during their lunch break to the coffee shop on the corner to grab a cup of coffee and talk about politics, current events, family happenings, and anything that would come up.

 

“I think it is really cool that our CEO would take the time to come visit us for a week to help streamline our operations,” said Kelly.  

 

“Yeah, he’s a really caring guy,” said Jim.

 

“Oh, I know,” said Travis, “I read all about him—his biography, his philosophy on business, and I have all of his books on my shelf!  Anything he has said, I’m sure I have read it.”

 

“Well, I have heard him speak,” Kelly grinned.  “You should have heard the way he spoke—so eloquently—and there was a real power to his inspirational message.  I’m sure I will never be the same after hearing him and just being in his presence.  I even got to shake his hand afterwards!  I am definitely going to the conference next month to hear his latest wisdom.  Maybe we can even have a conversation.”

 

After a minute of silence, Jim noticed Travis and Kelly looking at him expectantly.  He couldn’t help but smile.  “Well…?” Kelly said. 

 

Jim answered, “Well…he’s kind of my neighbor.  When my family and I hit some rough times, we had to sell our house.  Our CEO heard about it through the grapevine and offered to let us live in the other wing of his mansion.  I was apprehensive at first, but I saw given our situation that we had no other choice.  And it has really been great.  Tom and I take a walk every morning and we really get to talk.  He has such a heart to serve not only our clients but his employees and their families—he sees us all as his family.  I bet if he had his way, all of us would move in with him!” Jim chuckled, with a tear in his eye.  “I don’t know where I would be if it were not for Tom.  While it is definitely a blessing having a place to live, the most enjoyable part is my family living with Tom.”

 

At that moment, a man dressed in plain street clothes walked up to their table and sat down.  Kelly gasped.

“It’s…” said Travis.

“Hi Tom,” said Jim with a smile.  Tom returned the smile and looked at Travis and Kelly.

“Well you must be Travis and Kelly,” said Tom warmly, shaking each of their hands.  “You have a good friend here,” he said motioning towards Jim.  “I have made him my new branch manager.” Their jaws dropped.  “See, I have been looking for someone who is not afraid to go out on a limb, and who has a heart to help people, putting them before himself.  Someone who will continue my work.”  Jim nodded.  “Jim,” said Tom, putting his hand on Jim’s shoulder, “I am giving you the company.  And my mansion.”

“But Tom, I can’t handle that all by myself—I will need your help!  And the mansion—it is way too big for just me and my family!  There are so many people who could find a home there.”

“That is why I am giving it to you.”  Silence.  As they sat at the table, awestruck, it began to sink in to Jim and his friends just the magnitude of the gift given. “I’m glad we could all sit 

 here and talk. Now how about some coffee?” 

In this story, there are three friends who all claim to know Tom, their CEO.

Travis, has read all about Tom, having even read the books written by Tom.

Kelly, on the other hand, has heard Tom speak and has been in his presence

Jim is a little different in that He walks and talks with Tom on a personal and regular basis, having moved himself and his family into Tom’s mansion.

Who would you say knows Tom the best?

Most would of course agree that the answer to that question is Jim.

These three people represent three types of Christians.

The first type, like Travis, have read all about Jesus—both in the Bible and Christian literature.  Even then, it is mostly fact-based knowledge and not a relationship with a real, living person. 

The second type, like Kelly, have met Jesus—meaning they have had one or more personal encounters with the Lord—but they have not gone further than that.  It may seem like they have because they repeatedly seek out those spiritual encounters—and get them--but what lacks is a life of obedience in walking with the Lord daily. 

The third type, like Jim, are sincerely following Jesus, having recognized their desperate condition, which all humans are in.  They see His heart and make it their desire to have the same heart—meaning they desire what God desires, working cooperatively with Him in everything they do.  His character qualities begin to come theirs and what He has shared with them, they share with others.

The question that this story begs is, “How do I know the Lord?” What is my relationship with him like?  This is the most important thing we could know.

Let us walk with the Lord, and desire to please Him in everything.  He will do the rest.

Amen.

The Son and the Faithful Servant

There was a man who had a son.  This man owned the largest mansion that anyone had ever built, filled with insurmountable treasure and wealth.  He had promised this mansion, filled with all of the treasure, to his son--his heir.  The father loved the son more than any of his possessions and the son loved the father in the same way.  They simply enjoyed being with one another, taking daily walks together and talking about life.  You see, the father was very wise as well, and he wanted to son to share in his wisdom.  So the father and the son lived together, loving one another and all the servants in their mansion.

Then one day, the father sent the son on a journey to invite more people into his mansion, because he had much more room and was planning to expand it, allowing more servants to live and work with him.   The son encountered some evil men along the road and they robbed and killed him. The father heard of this and was grieved, and he decided to have an auction where he would sell all of the treasure and the mansion.
So people from all over gathered at this mansion on the day of the auction to see what beautiful, valuable stuff would be sold.  People were so curious about what was in this mansion and were really itching to get their hands on the riches that were in it.

The auctioneer made an announcement that the auction would now begin, so everybody sat down on the edge of their seats, in eager expectation.

The first item was brought out and unveiled and a collective groan could be heard across the whole audience.  What was under the sheet was a painting--it seemed older and somewhat faded.  It was a portrait of the son, though not even that great of a portrait.  One could tell that it was the son, but it was not the best likeness.

The people began to sneer and complain saying, "Bring out the good stuff!",  " We want to see the REAL treasures," and " What is this?!"

"Let's start the bidding," the auctioneer announced.  As the audience continued to complain, there was a man in the back of the crowd who quietly looked on, sheepishly reaching into the depths of his pocket.  This man was a servant in the mansion, and he loved the son--he wanted that painting.  He pulled out a crumpled $10 bill--all he had-- and raised his hand.

"Yes!  The man in the back!" the auctioneer belted.  Everyone looked at the servant questioning his resolve in wanting the crummy old painting.  "Going once, going twice...sold!"  The auctioneer's gavel hammered.
The auction workers then began to pack up the auction equipment, and the crowd began to shuffle and eventually everyone was in an uproar.

The auctioneer hammered the gavel again to quiet the crowd, then he spoke.  "I was under strict instruction," said the auctioneer, "by the order of the owner of the mansion, whoever bought this portrait was to be given the mansion and everything it contains."  Silence fell over the crowd.  The servant looked at the painting and a tear fell from his eyes, though the memory of the son gave him great joy.
~~
The father had been looking for who trully loved his son.  Are we looking to the Lord because we love His son and want to know Him, or are we looking to the Lord because we want His stuff?

Eager Expectations

Right now, with Sarah’s birth being 81 days off, Allison and I are getting really excited.  I want so much to hold her and hug and kiss her, and to see Allison with her.  We’re both wondering what she is going to look like, what kind of likes and interests she’ll have, and what kind of personality she will have.  Sometimes when I start talking to her, she will start kicking, as if to say, “I love you too, daddy!”  Granted, it may just be coincidental, but I like to think she can already discern my voice.  I have heard about research where they found that infants recognize their parents’ voices from the get-go.  And our biggest prayer for her is that she would know her Heavenly Father’s voice, even while she is in the womb.   In thinking about how Allison and I are “expecting,”  it got me thinking about expectations, and I was reminded about a devotion I had about a year and a half ago when Ally and I were engaged. 
One of the clearest messages from God to me that I can remember came when I was thinking about and making plans for mine and Allison’s marriage.  I was crying out to God, saying something like, “I don’t know what to expect, God—there is so much unknown and uncertain about what our life here is going to look like.”  He said something very simple, unforgettable, and unmistakable to me:

“Tyler, expect to see My Glory.”

I can expect to see His glory.  I thought I had a pretty good idea of what that meant.  Then yesterday, I was reading in Psalms and was reminded of this word of the Lord to me.

“They [God’s creations] all wait for You to give them their food in due season.

You give to them, they gather it up;
You open Your hand, they are satisfied with good.
You hide Your face, they are dismayed;
You take away their spirit, they expire and return to their dust.
You send forth Your Spirit, they are created;
And You renew the face of the ground.
Let the glory of the Lord endure forever;
Let the Lord be glad in His works;
He looks at the earth, and it trembles;
He touches the mountains, and they smoke.
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
Let my meditation be pleasing to Him;
As for me, I shall be glad in the Lord.
Let sinners be consumed from the earth and let the wicked be no more.
Bless the Lord, O my soul.
Praise the Lord!”  ~~Psalm 104:27-35
 

Verse 31 says, “Let the glory of the Lord endure forever.”  The psalmist is having a realization that the Lord’s glory is something that will endure forever.  But what about everything else?  These verses point out that everything is at the Lord’s mercy.  Unless He provides for each thing, it “expires [or dies] and returns to their dust.”   But is that the Lord’s desire for what He has created?   I don’t think so.  God is one who loves what He has created.  In verse 30, it says that God sends forth his Spirit and things are created—but this is a new creation.  This new creation is one that is not temporary, but is in accordance with God’s glory, enduring forever.  This is what He would have me expect: that I would be a new creation, living forever in His glory.  Paul writes to the Corinthian church in 2 Corinthians chapter 5 about how they now recognize nobody according to the flesh because, in Christ, those who believe are new creatures.  This is the work that God has been doing from the beginning—that He would have children to live with Him and be like him.

 In Genesis, God says, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness…”  So it was the plan from the beginning that we would display God’s personage and demonstrate His character, being the “image and glory of God” (1 Corinthians 11:7).

 When Sarah is born, she may look more like Allison, or more like me (Lord help us), but people will be able to tell that she is our child; if not by how she looks, then by how she talks or behaves. 

 The question that has come to my mind is, “Can others tell that I am a child of God Almighty?”  As I believe and walk in faith, I can be sure that I will see what God has promised.

 One of these days, Sarah will be born—it may be 81 days, or it may be longer or shorter.

 We as believers can be sure of what Jesus promised us.  We may not know exactly when or how or in what manner, but it is coming any day now. 

 Can you feel the birth pangs?