For anyone who may be interested my book "Every Nation Under Heaven" is now available.

 Have you ever wondered how you fit into God's great plan for the ages?

Every Nation Under Heaven explains the overarching plan of God and His relationship to the nations and kingdoms of this world. Ultimately, EVERY believer has a roll to play in God's great plan of redemption. This book will help you understand your place in that plan, and if you are a church teacher in search of lesson material, this will make a great Discipleship Class or Sunday School Class teaching series.

For more information you can visit my website https://tonywthomas.com/ or purchase from the publisher at Pathway Bookstore.

Be blessed,

Tony Thomas

Confronting the New face of Evil

As Christians and other non-Muslim Iraqis flee their homes in the face of ISIS terror, I am deeply saddened by the unapologetic barbaric blood-lust that is engulfing our world.

While I do grieve the deaths of my Christian brothers and sisters in Iraq, Sudan, Syria, Egypt and other places, I do not mourn them without hope. I am quite confident that those who remain loyal to Jesus to the point of exile, crucifixion and/or beheading will certainly be received into heaven with open arms.

My real sorrow is of another sort. You may not realize it yet, but those lofty ideas of “peace” and “freedom” (which we too often take for granted) are on life support. For too many people, I think, peace and freedom are not really concepts at all. They are just words that they vaguely remember from a ninth grade American History class. These words are so common to us that they are a part of the wall paper of our lives. Sadly, there is a darkness creeping over our world that is the antithesis of those enlightened concepts.

I know that many people (many much smarter than me) are trying to parse out the cause of the current creeping darkness. Why are ISIS and their ilk so brutal, so oppressive? Is it economic in origin? Is it anger over some (real or perceived) injustice in history? Is it just another manifestation of Islamic sectarian violence? Has the world simply gone crazy?

Here is what I think. I think that this is not a new war. It is simply a new front in a very, very, very old war. This is a part of the same war that started millennia ago in a garden called Eden. You see, whether you believe it or not, there is a very real conflict that exists between evil and good (or to be more specific, between evil and God).

Evil does exist.

And Satan exists as its champion. The Bible clearly and repeatedly reveals to us that Satan (or the “devil” if you prefer) is a very real and very conscious entity, active in this world. From his first appearance in Genesis his objective has been to inflict death on the human race. He desperately wants us to defy God. He also wants us to follow the ways of Cain by turning on one another in fratricidal rage. His objective is to steal, kill, and destroy that which is good. Too often he succeeds.

Now before I carry this train of thought any further, I want to challenge your sensibilities just a bit. The reason the atrocities of ISIS are so horrifying to many people is because the images of beheading and torture are inescapable. Genocide is evil in and of itself, but usually the perpetrators make some effort to hide and deny their crimes. ISIS, on the other hand, places the heads of their victims on sticks in the front yard in a macabre spectacle.

The evil of this genocide has become impossible to ignore. How inconvenient.

In the “civilized” world, I think, we fancy ourselves as children of light. We are lovers of “life” in all its forms. We will spend gazillions of dollars to save the whales (or the dolphins, or polar bears, or trees, or owls, or to rescue pets from the crazy-cat-lady-down-the-street.)  Yet despite all of our purported “goodness” a legal genocide takes place daily within our own borders as thousands of babies are prematurely torn from their mother’s womb and discarded as so much trash.

But, hey, at least we don’t have to see the pictures.

My point is this: the deadly influence of evil is present throughout our world. Evil is starving people in North Korea. Evil is oppressing people in China. It is running drugs in Central America. Regions of Africa that I do not pretend to understand still reel in genocidal conflict. Flash points of hatred, theft and murder are erupting around the world. Evil, it seems, is gaining traction all around us. Even in “civilized” Europe and other parts of the Western world young men are abandoning their native lands and joining forces with unabashed Evil.

Evil is and always has been a formidable enemy. In fact Evil is so strong, so overwhelmingly insidious that you or I cannot overcome it with schemes of human design. The problem is that our “morals” aren't good enough to do the job. Waving old glory and singing patriotic songs isn't going to cut it. We cannot (nor could we ever) defeat Evil by being smart, prosperous, patriotic or moral.

It seems to me that if we are going to be the children of light, we’d best get to being just that. The only force in this world with the strength to overcome Evil is the gospel of Jesus Christ. Here is the deal; Jesus is, and always has been, on a collision course with Evil. Remember, it was Jesus who said, “I come not to send peace, but a sword.” Either those who possess the gospel will take it to the Evil, or the Evil will come to those who have the gospel.

The gospel does not exist to make us wealthy. It does not exist to form a culture or make the world “civilized” and “moral”. The gospel does not even exist to give us an excuse to build palatial church buildings, or quibble about the minutia of ecclesiastical life. The gospel exists to free oppressed men, women and children from the ravages of sin and reconcile them to a Holy God who loves them.

Make no mistake, sin is deadly. Sure, sometimes sin dresses itself in respectable clothes and parades around with sophisticated education and impeccable manners. It is deceptive that way, but in the end sin will be revealed for what it really is, rebellion against God.

You see, Evil has always had a three-fold mission; it steals, it kills, and it destroys. The problem with the fight we face is that the war against Evil cannot be won with physical means. If you bomb it out of existence in one place, it will pop up in another.  Evil is spiritual in origin, not physical. Ultimately, if we are going to overcome this Evil it will be because the Church returns to its mandate, sacrifices itself in prayer and surrenders its treasure to takes the gospel to the world.

May God help us to have the courage, to do his will.

Concerning the imprisonment of Pastor Saeed Abedini

It seems to me that today there is a great deal of hand wringing going on among evangelicals concerning the imprisonment on Pastor Saeed Abedini. 

By all accounts he is a good man on a mission of mercy to help orphans. He has been accused of Christian evangelism and sentenced to eight years in an Iranian prison. He had to have known the risks when he went to Iran. I understand that this is a fearful time for his family and those close to him. I get all of that, and for that reason I write this with a great deal of somberness. 

We as Christians need to take a step back for a little "Kingdom" perspective.

This is not the first time a Christian preacher has been put in prison for the sake of the gospel. In fact Jesus told us these things would happen. As much as we love religious liberty, we should not forget that great revivals can happen in prison.

Do I want Pastor Abedini to be freed? Yes, but my hope is not in a rescue by the U.S. Government. My prayer is that he will bear such a witness to the saving power of Jesus Christ, that prisoners and guards alike will believe on Jesus Christ as their Savior. I want his freedom to come in a way that brings glory to Jesus Christ. 

As I understand it, he is being held in a notorious Iranian prison called "Evin Prison". It seems that in addition to hardened criminals, this prison holds many Iranian intellectuals who are incarcerated for political reasons. 


It is unlikely that any missions organization would be able to penetrate this Iranian prison, but now there is an evangelical pastor of Iranian descent, in this Iranian prison filled with potential national leaders. The Lord Jesus now has a light in a very dark place.

"Our Father in heaven, please grant Pastor Saeed Abedini courage and wisdom and favor and confirm you word in amazing ways!"

Pastor Saeed Abedini

Now what?

This Presidential election, the election of 2012, posed  the clearest choice between two opposing world views that I have seen in my lifetime. 

My side lost. 

I'm not sure that anyone will even care what I think, but I offer you my postmortem.


This election, I believe, was lost decades ago. I used to think that the Republicans could have won in '92, '96 and '08 if they had ran more conservative candidates. Now I'm not so sure. In each of those races the Democrats ran a likeable candidate. The Republicans ran G.H.W. Bush, Bob Dole and John McCain. All were older white guys with honorable war records, but none of them were particularly likeable. They didn't make anyone feel good. 

I think we believed that the era of President Reagan was a national turn toward conservatism. Maybe it was to some extent, but it was also inspiring to listen to him speak. We liked him. As more history accumulates behind the Reagan era, it now appears to be more of a cultural anomaly than a cultural redirection. From early in the twentieth century, the trend has been toward a larger and more centralized government. That trend continues. 

It may well be that George W. Bush won in 2000 and 2004 simply because he was more likeable than either Vice President Al Gore or Sen. John Kerry.

For most of us on the "right" the election was more about voting for an ideology than a candidate.  I am a Christian conservative with a flavoring of libertarian ideas. From where I stand, my vote is cast on the basis of ideology.  I presume that those on the far left (socialists, communists, liberation theology adherents, etc.) also vote on the basis of their ideology. I get that. Now, clearly they will never get my vote for their candidate, but I can plot the course they are taking as they make the case for their world view.

 It is the true American liberal/self-styled progressive world view that baffles me. To me, it is random reasoning wrapped in anarchy. It appears irrational, void of  overarching principles and fixed points of truth. I have trouble imagining what the world looks like through the eyes of an American liberal. Do they understand the principles of cause and effect? Action and reaction? Do they see the "big picture" or is each event and topic an island unto itself? I don't know. 

I understand why some of those on the left voted the way they did. Although I think they are misguided, they have reasons to believe that they were making the best choice for their families and themselves.  Left of center ideologues really do not worry me that much, nor do thinking people who make decisions based on faulty information. 

It is the "undecided" crowd in the middle that concerns me. They have more than enough information from which to draw a conclusion, yet it seems that they lack the critical thinking skills to do so. Fiscal policy is beyond them. The ramifications of various social issues apparently penetrate no deeper than a sound byte. To some it seems, the Constitution is just is some nebulous idea on a fading ancient document. Yet, their collective votes forever alter the direction of the nation. They determine who receives those votes often with the shallowest of reasons. 

Why do so many of those around us lack the ability to think? I don't know.

•  Perhaps it is the by product of increasing technology and perpetual entertainment.
• Maybe it is a failure of the public school systems to teach thinking skills.
• It may very well stem from a systemic failure within America's Christian churches to evangelize and disciple the individuals in their communities.
• Or it may be a combination of some or all of the above.

Regardless of the cause, I realize it is possible we are going to be here (socially) for a very long time, perhaps for decades. Among other things,

• It is now unlikely the Roe v. Wade will ever be overturned. 
• Socialized medicine will be implemented.
• The combination of high energy prices, crippling regulation, and high taxation will prevent a robust economy.
• Division (or even the perception of division) between the U.S. and Israel increases the likelihood of an all out Middle Eastern war.  
• The great ideological divide between the urban and rural areas of our nation will most likely deepen. 
• There is little chance that Social Security (perhaps even other retirement programs) will survive in any recognizable form.

So where does that leave us? 

Well, first of all, it leaves us in God's hands. It will do us well to remember that nothing catches him by surprise, and nothing cripples his ability to act on our behalf. God does not have an express covenant with the United States of America. He does have a covenant with his Church. 

It will also serve us well to remember that no place on this earth provides us with our true identity. For the Christian, that identity comes from Jesus Christ.

Although we are reluctant to admit it, we Americans like our stuff, Christians included. The bad news is that the consequences of this election may in fact cost you your stuff, and there isn't much you can do about it. 

For decades the Church as been able to exert its influence on society by voting as a bloc. Nationally, it seems, we no longer have that power. 

It is time for the Church in America to do some serious soul searching, and refocus on the things of eternal weight.  Quite simply, it is our job in this world to present the Gospel to those who don't know Jesus Christ as Savior, and to disciple those who turn to him. Everything else is secondary. Everything else we place in the hands of God.

Secondly, we have got to accept the fact that there are no quick fixes. This trend has been decades in the making. It will not be fixed by a mass conversion of people turning to our ideals. It will only be fixed if we do what we should have been doing all along, that is reaching the hearts of individuals with the gospel of Jesus Christ. 


So where do we start? Well, here is an idea: 

Start with a child. Teach that child about sin and redemption. Cause him or her to understand the relationship between behavior and consequences. Provide a fixed point of reference, of identity from which he or she can navigate life. Teach them to think. Teach them the Bible.

Reenter the cities. We cannot evangelize the world and avoid our own cities. We must learn to see our own urban areas as a mission field.

Be patient. The road back is a tedious and long and painful one. I realize I may not see my country make an about face in my lifetime. Even so, we can still present the gospel of Jesus Christ to those around us. 

Ultimately that has been our purpose all along anyway.

Smokey Eyed Christians

The presents are open. The "oohs" and "ahhs" have subsided. Toys are sitting abandoned and kids are playing with boxes. Dad decides to clear the room by taking the wrapping paper out back to burn. Then, just as the flames begin to catch in earnest, he sees that $20 bill from grandma lying  in the wrapping paper. Heroically, Dad charges in and saves the twenty.

Now that I have that image in your mind, take a look at this verse:

"And of some have compassion, making a difference:  And others save with fear, pulling [them] out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh." Jude 22,23

Pulling them out of the fire!  The hard truth is that many of those we are called to reach with the Gospel are living within the grasp of hell's flames. All around us are people simmering with bitter memories, igniting in dysfunction, and engulfed in addictions. I suspect that more children than any of us realize are growing up in truly awful situations.

As Christians we become comfortable in our own universe. We go to church with nice people. We may work with nice people. When we go to the grocery store we habitually checkout in the aisle where the nice Christian lady runs the register, and we are quick to invite those nice middle class neighbors to church.

I get it. Part of being "saved from my sins" means that I should, by virtue of a new nature, recoil from sin. I'm not a drug addict, and have no desire to be around addicts. I am not trapped by some perverse immorality and really do not want to deal with the aftermath of someone else's perversion.  It isn't that we hate sinners. We love them, really... but we are busy, and dealing with all that baggage is going to take a lot of time and effort. I get the reasoning. The problem is that Jesus didn't operate that way.

To be like Jesus, we have to go where we do not want to go, in order to save those who need to be saved.

The fear of falling (especially where fire is concerned) is both natural and good.The miracle is that in this fire we can reach into the fire and pull someone out without falling in ourselves. Look at the next verse. Jesus is "able to keep you from falling" and to "present you faultless".  In fact, he even does it with "exceeding joy". How about that!

So the question isn't whether or not we should reach in those flames to rescue a soul. We know we should. There isn't even a question about the danger of the fire. Sin is dangerous. Period. The question is, do we trust Jesus to "have our back"? Do we trust him to "keep us from falling" and "present us faultless"?

If you get close enough to the fire to rescue a soul, you are going to get smoke in your eyes, and this smoke will make you cry. I can promise you that. The challenge is this: will you get out of your comfort zone?  Will you rescue someone who needs rescuing? Will you be like Jesus?