Grace – Thoughts from Pastor Toney

Sin sent the Shooter

Posted on June 13, 2016 by pastortoney

The world continues to have tragic things take place. I often hear why would your loving God allow things like this to happen. I would like to take a minute to talk about that in two different ways. First, God allows things to happen, He doesn’t cause them. Second, you and I are both free to make good choices just as we can make bad choices. Let’s tackle the first why would God allow tragic events to take place. This is going to be hard for all of us to stomach, but the Bible says that there is good to come out of everything Romans 8:28. You see God is sovereign and everything that takes place He knows about and will use to benefit those who love Him or draw people to his Son. I know that you are probably struggling with this right now. We have so called churches such as Westboro baptist saying that God sent the shooters to that nightclub in Orlando to kill those people. That is the furthest thing from the truth. You see why would a loving God want people to die in their sin and die and go to hell. Yes I said that. I can’t condemn people nor can I say what was in their heart toward Jesus. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. 1 John 3:9 God sent His only Son that no one would perish and go to hell. If God wanted something done He could do it much like Sodom. You see so to say that God would send shooters to kill people in the craziest thing that I have heard. Maybe those of you saying that should sue your brain for non support. So let’s talk about the free will that you and I posses. You see it is due to the first that you have free will. Because God is sovereign that you are not some mindless robot. You get to decide good or bad. Yes each choice carries with it consequences and rewards. What I want you to realize is that if you were a mindless robot God would have never sent Jesus to show His love for you and I. Don’t get caught up with the small picture. People are prone to evil. We are born with that tendency. It is easier to do that then the right thing. It doesn’t help when we are filled with other people feelings or attitudes. To briefly talk about the shooter and who sent him. This man was filled with hate from a religion that is all about hatred. He was taught and entrenched with false doctrines and false beliefs. He was sincere in his thoughts no doubt that he was doing god a favor and the public too. After all one of his cults main leaders said that you are doing them a favor by killing them. Now we have a so called baptist church spreading the same hate doctrine. I am not saying that God is ok with this lifestyle, what I am saying is that God would have wasted His time in sending Jesus if He was just going to send shooters to kill people who are lost in their sins. Sin sent the shooter.

Why aren’t you dressed like I said?

Posted on June 23, 2014 by pastortoney

Have you ever felt that you have to change to meet the expectations others have for you? People have set the rules for us, instead of God. Shouldn’t we be more concerned about what God says we should be, instead of what so and so says? When we get saved we tend to get put into the Christian mold. People tell us what should be in our lives or what shouldn’t be in them. Why do we try to impose our will upon new converts? Don’t we tell people how to dress and what they should do? We even expect people to quit everything that they were doing right away. I would submit that we have missed the boat. Our churches should be filled with people that look just like the world. I am not saying that they should continue to be like the world. They should give up sin lifestyles. But, who are we to tell people how they should look or what they should wear. Yeah I am one of those preachers that wear jeans and a button up shirt. I used to wear a suit and tie. I realize that God saved Toney, because He wanted Toney. I have tried to impose what I thought a Christian was supposed to look like. I realized that God wanted me to be me. That is why He saved me. Are you following? God new that who He made me to be was what He wanted to use. We all can’t be the hands; some of us have to be the feet. The Bible says we are all different parts of the same body. You see we aren’t supposed to look the same. So if that is really true, why do we have a dress code for the people joining our churches? God understands that we are all different, why can’t we? So if you have a three-piece suit or a pair of blue jeans it doesn’t really matter. God doesn’t look at the outside, but looks directly to the heart. So what is your heart dressed in? Quit imposing your standards on people and let God do what God can only do.

I Don’t Have To Follow Your Rules!!!!!!

Posted on June 12, 2014 by pastortoney

Why are there so many rules to this Christian walk? Why are we so concerned about making sure everyone follows the rules before the join the crowd? Where does Grace fall in to play? How about Mercy? Well let me start off by saying that man has placed the rules upon the Christian walk and that is why we struggle with them. You see God knows that we have to have a relationship with Him before we will even want to try and follow the rules. I heard a great preacher say Rules before Relationship always produces Rebellion. Don’t believe that. Look into your own life and see how that has played out for you and yours. We as the church have moved so far away from what Jesus did. We want people to look like us, act like us and talk like us before they can join us. Like what we have is controlled by us. Hey remember Jesus would simply ask people to follow Him. He just wanted to develop a relationship with them and then they would change. The congregations that are doing the work Jesus have instructed us to do have figured this out. They are having relationships with people of all walks of life so that they will have the chance to share Jesus with them. You see that is where grace and mercy step in. God gave you grace and mercy when you weren’t playing by the rules. When you were lost and wanted nothing to do with Him, it was extended to you. Even since you have begun your relationship, when you get off track, here comes grace and mercy again. We should sue our brains for non-support if we think we deserved that and other people don’t. So let me ask you, are you expecting people to be perfect right out of the gates? I mean you want them to speak christianese and dress christianese and act christianese. Build a relationship and leave the rest up to God.