Daily Manna (Coffee with Jesus)

MIRACLES

Posted on September 17, 2025 by randscallawayffm

“Wait, what just happened?” “How did that happen?” “Who made it happen?” When humans have no explanation with a human response; you can be sure God did it. God is doing it now. And God is doing it again! God still makes a Way through it all for people to see Him, love Him, call on His Name, and then trust and obey Him. Our part is to pray with believing, humbled, committed hearts and God works “in mysterious ways” to accomplish His will that was planned long before the time of desperation was on our radar! God’s glory is seen and His faithful goodness saves us when we call on Him!

God delights in all the details of our lives. Nothing escapes God’s notice. The prophet Zephania prophecies this truth about God; “For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” Zephania 3:17 Read the whole chapter for more understanding of God’s love and character.

Truth: When we come with a broken heart, confessing our sins, God will receive us the way a loving mother receives a disobedient child. He will love us and even sing to us! He will bring peace to our hearts and quiet us in His love. Yes, we suffer for our disobedience, and sometimes we carry the scars of that disobedience for the rest of our lives. But the Lord will forgive us (1 John 1:9), forget our sins, and restore us into His loving fellowship. Redemption, Resurrection, and Restoration are supreme miracles of God given to us through Jesus Christ, His Son!

God miraculously shows up when we are at our lowest and don’t know what to do next in desperate times. God provides a Way out that we could never think or imagine. This is who our God is—the God of miracles who never fails in His compassionate love for us! When we get to the other side of the miracles God provides, we realize that He was with us all along.

He won’t fail
He won’t fail
No, He won’t leave you
He won’t fail

I’ve seen it with my own eyes
I’ve seen it in my own life
He keeps every promise
I’ll never be forsaken
He keeps every promise
I’ll never be forsaken

(He Won’t Fail, by Todd Galberth)

In fact, God has a plan to rescue us before we know we need saving. I know, right?!

2 Kings 4

The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the Lord. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.”

²Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?”

“Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a small jar of olive oil.”

³Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few. ⁴Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.”

⁵She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. ⁶When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another one.”

But he replied, “There is not a jar left.” Then the oil stopped flowing.

⁷She went and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.”

The Shunammite’s Son Restored to Life

⁸One day Elisha went to Shunem. And a well-to-do woman was there, who urged him to stay for a meal. So whenever he came by, he stopped there to eat. ⁹She said to her husband, “I know that this man who often comes our way is a holy man of God. ¹⁰Let’s make a small room on the roof and put in it a bed and a table, a chair and a lamp for him. Then he can stay there whenever he comes to us.”

¹¹One day when Elisha came, he went up to his room and lay down there. ¹²He said to his servant Gehazi, “Call the Shunammite.” So he called her, and she stood before him. ¹³Elisha said to him, “Tell her, ‘You have gone to all this trouble for us. Now what can be done for you? Can we speak on your behalf to the king or the commander of the army?’”

She replied, “I have a home among my own people.”

¹⁴“What can be done for her?” Elisha asked.

Gehazi said, “She has no son, and her husband is old.”

¹⁵Then Elisha said, “Call her.” So he called her, and she stood in the doorway. ¹⁶“About this time next year,” Elisha said, “you will hold a son in your arms.”

“No, my lord!” she objected. “Please, man of God, don’t mislead your servant!”

¹⁷But the woman became pregnant, and the next year about that same time she gave birth to a son, just as Elisha had told her.

¹⁸The child grew, and one day he went out to his father, who was with the reapers. ¹⁹He said to his father, “My head! My head!”

His father told a servant, “Carry him to his mother.” ²⁰After the servant had lifted him up and carried him to his mother, the boy sat on her lap until noon, and then he died. ²¹She went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, then shut the door and went out.

²²She called her husband and said, “Please send me one of the servants and a donkey so I can go to the man of God quickly and return.”

²³“Why go to him today?” he asked. “It’s not the New Moon or the Sabbath.”

“That’s all right,” she said.

²⁴She saddled the donkey and said to her servant, “Lead on; don’t slow down for me unless I tell you.” ²⁵So she set out and came to the man of God at Mount Carmel.

“Everything is all right,” she said.

When he saw her in the distance, the man of God said to his servant Gehazi, “Look! There’s the Shunammite! ²⁶Run to meet her and ask her, ‘Are you all right? Is your husband all right? Is your child all right?’”

²⁷When she reached the man of God at the mountain, she took hold of his feet. Gehazi came over to push her away, but the man of God said, “Leave her alone! She is in bitter distress, but the Lord has hidden it from me and has not told me why.”

²⁸“Did I ask you for a son, my lord?” she said. “Didn’t I tell you, ‘Don’t raise my hopes’?”

²⁹Elisha said to Gehazi, “Tuck your cloak into your belt, take my staff in your hand and run. Don’t greet anyone you meet, and if anyone greets you, do not answer. Lay my staff on the boy’s face.”

³⁰But the child’s mother said, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So he got up and followed her.

³¹Gehazi went on ahead and laid the staff on the boy’s face, but there was no sound or response. So Gehazi went back to meet Elisha and told him, “The boy has not awakened.”

³²When Elisha reached the house, there was the boy lying dead on his couch. ³³He went in, shut the door on the two of them and prayed to the Lord. ³⁴Then he got on the bed and lay on the boy, mouth to mouth, eyes to eyes, hands to hands. As he stretched himself out on him, the boy’s body grew warm. ³⁵Elisha turned away and walked back and forth in the room and then got on the bed and stretched out on him once more. The boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes.

³⁶Elisha summoned Gehazi and said, “Call the Shunammite.” And he did. When she came, he said, “Take your son.” ³⁷She came in, fell at his feet and bowed to the ground. Then she took her son and went out.

Death in the Pot

³⁸Elisha returned to Gilgal and there was a famine in that region. While the company of the prophets was meeting with him, he said to his servant, “Put on the large pot and cook some stew for these prophets.”

³⁹One of them went out into the fields to gather herbs and found a wild vine and picked as many of its gourds as his garment could hold. When he returned, he cut them up into the pot of stew, though no one knew what they were. ⁴⁰The stew was poured out for the men, but as they began to eat it, they cried out, “Man of God, there is death in the pot!” And they could not eat it.

⁴¹Elisha said, “Get some flour.” He put it into the pot and said, “Serve it to the people to eat.” And there was nothing harmful in the pot.

Feeding of a Hundred

⁴²A man came from Baal Shalishah, bringing the man of God twenty loaves of barley bread baked from the first ripe grain, along with some heads of new grain. “Give it to the people to eat,” Elisha said.

⁴³“How can I set this before a hundred men?” his servant asked.

But Elisha answered, “Give it to the people to eat. For this is what the Lord says: ‘They will eat and have some left over.’” ⁴⁴Then he set it before them, and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the Lord.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Come to God. Believe in His Son’s redemption work. Repent and be saved. Trust and obey, even when you don’t understand it. Live daily with expectant hope that God is in all the details of this life while preparing us for eternal life with Him! Yes, God and miracles go together like pie and ice cream! Waking up to a brand new day this morning is a miracle! Thank God continually for His miraculous blessings!

All of your problems
All of your pain
All of your trouble
You can give it to Jesus
All of your burdens
All of your cares
Even your struggles
You can give it to Jesus

He won’t fail
He won’t fail
No, He won’t leave you
He won’t fail

God loves all and is in all He has created. Consider this—God used Elisha to express divine power and concern by working wonders through this faithful servant. The miracles in this passage not only benefited the Israelites but also helped people whom the Israelites considered ungodly and unworthy of God’s attention. Why? Because God so loved the world! Jesus IS the Way, Truth, and Life now:

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16-17

Trust in God, Jesus urges, and trust in Me. “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me” (John 14:1). Jesus is God’s miracle of eternal life for us! What is the measure of our gratitude for this miracle by God through Jesus where our sins are forgiven and forgotten? How grateful are we to be restored to an intimate loving relationship with God who loved us first? This is huge—take all the time you need.

“Therefore, Go and make disciples…” God’s authority with Jesus’ command to all who believe and follow. We who have been reconciled to God must show the Way for others to be reconciled. (2 Corinthians 5)

There’s a “world of people” that God loves who need to know who God has given to rescue them from darkness and death. Only God’s grace can impart life, whether to a barren womb or to a dead boy, and only God’s grace can impart spiritual life to the dead sinner (John 5:24; 17:1–3; Eph. 2:1–10).

God is the one who gave the boy life, but He used Elisha as the means to do it. So it is with raising sinners from the dead: God needs witnesses, prayer warriors, and concerned believers to point the Way to Truth who brings Life eternal to all who believe! If that miracle wasn’t enough, God/Jesus/Holy Spirit promises to be with us always!

Lord,

You indeed never fail in your love and faithfulness to us—even when we are not as faithful to you as we should. Thank you for your salvation—the first of many miracles in my own life. I’ve seen, heard, and felt you with my own heart, mind, and soul. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

In Jesus Name, Amen

And we’re singing…

He won’t fail
He won’t fail
No, He won’t leave you
He won’t fail

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Bible, elisha, Faith, God, Jesus | Leave a comment

HOW ABOUT ASKING GOD?

Posted on September 16, 2025 by randscallawayffm

Three kings set out to war against an enemy of all three of them. All three decide it’s a great idea. Not one stops the plan to invade and conquer Moab with “how about inquiring of the Lord?”—until they are in trouble. “Who knows a prophet who is reliable?” The King of Judah is the only one asking but even he jumped into this war plan without first asking God about it so he, too is stuck in the desert with his comrades. King Jehoshaphat, King of Judah maybe less sinful than the other two kings but sins are not ranked in God’s eyes. A sin in a sin. Not asking God first what He wants for His People is a sin which lands all of them in the middle of the desert with NO water in sight while leads to no hope on the horizon of surviving. The King of Judah remembers who he worships and asks; what about asking God? The other two kings just sit in the dust wondering when they will die while blaming God for their current situation.

Have you ever been in a challenging situation when all hope has seemed to vanish and you do not know what to do next? Is God our last resort or the first call we make?

2 Kings 3

Moab Revolts

Joram son of Ahab became king of Israel in Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned twelve years. ²He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, but not as his father and mother had done. He got rid of the sacred stone of Baal that his father had made. ³Nevertheless he clung to the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit; he did not turn away from them.

⁴Now Mesha king of Moab raised sheep, and he had to pay the king of Israel a tribute of a hundred thousand lambs and the wool of a hundred thousand rams. ⁵But after Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. ⁶So at that time King Joram set out from Samaria and mobilized all Israel. ⁷He also sent this message to Jehoshaphat king of Judah: “The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me to fight against Moab?”

“I will go with you,” he replied. “I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.”

⁸“By what route shall we attack?” he asked.

“Through the Desert of Edom,” he answered.

⁹So the king of Israel set out with the king of Judah and the king of Edom. After a roundabout march of seven days, the army had no more water for themselves or for the animals with them.

¹⁰“What!” exclaimed the king of Israel. “Has the Lord called us three kings together only to deliver us into the hands of Moab?”

¹¹But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no prophet of the Lord here, through whom we may inquire of the Lord?”

An officer of the king of Israel answered, “Elisha son of Shaphat is here. He used to pour water on the hands of Elijah.”

¹²Jehoshaphat said, “The word of the Lord is with him.” So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him.

¹³Elisha said to the king of Israel, “Why do you want to involve me? Go to the prophets of your father and the prophets of your mother.”

“No,” the king of Israel answered, “because it was the Lord who called us three kings together to deliver us into the hands of Moab.”

¹⁴Elisha said, “As surely as the Lord Almighty lives, whom I serve, if I did not have respect for the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not pay any attention to you. ¹⁵But now bring me a harpist.”

While the harpist was playing, the hand of the Lord came on Elisha ¹⁶and he said, “This is what the Lord says: I will fill this valley with pools of water. ¹⁷For this is what the Lord says: You will see neither wind nor rain, yet this valley will be filled with water, and you, your cattle and your other animals will drink. ¹⁸This is an easy thing in the eyes of the Lord; he will also deliver Moab into your hands. ¹⁹You will overthrow every fortified city and every major town. You will cut down every good tree, stop up all the springs, and ruin every good field with stones.”

²⁰The next morning, about the time for offering the sacrifice, there it was—water flowing from the direction of Edom! And the land was filled with water.

²¹Now all the Moabites had heard that the kings had come to fight against them; so every man, young and old, who could bear arms was called up and stationed on the border. ²²When they got up early in the morning, the sun was shining on the water. To the Moabites across the way, the water looked red—like blood. ²³“That’s blood!” they said. “Those kings must have fought and slaughtered each other. Now to the plunder, Moab!”

²⁴But when the Moabites came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and fought them until they fled. And the Israelites invaded the land and slaughtered the Moabites. ²⁵They destroyed the towns, and each man threw a stone on every good field until it was covered. They stopped up all the springs and cut down every good tree. Only Kir Hareseth was left with its stones in place, but men armed with slings surrounded it and attacked it.

²⁶When the king of Moab saw that the battle had gone against him, he took with him seven hundred swordsmen to break through to the king of Edom, but they failed. ²⁷Then he took his firstborn son, who was to succeed him as king, and offered him as a sacrifice on the city wall. The fury against Israel was great; they withdrew and returned to their own land.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Elisha shows fearless faith! As a prophet, Elisha knew and believed God. He trusted and obeyed all that God said and told him to say. He is called up into the presence of not one, but three kings and asked for his help to “inquire of the Lord”. We see Jehoshaphat’s respect for the Lord’s prophet Elisha which demonstrates the continuation of God’s gracious covenant with David.

Elisha’s greeting to all the kings was a challenge to the kings’ faithfulness, but Joram’s reply still smacked of unbelief: “No, for the LORD has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab!” When we don’t know God and His best and don’t inquire of what God wants; we assume the worst. This is a human response who does not revere God. When it came to confronting kings, we see that Elisha was as fearless as his mentor, Elijah.

God’s Story is woven into all who trust and obey Him!

“Elisha’s abrupt call for music in the face of a military crisis reminds us of God’s unorthodox approach to the defeat of Jericho (Joshua 6:1–17). The music highlighted God’s participation. The music of the harpist also quieted the prophet’s mind and heart and helped to facilitate his communion with the Lord. Then Elisha revealed God’s plan. The miracles recorded in the next few chapters are primarily revelations that magnify God’s grace and mercy.” –Warren Wiersbe, Wiersbe Study Bible

Finding ourselves in the Story of God begins with our humility before God. We acknowledge who He is with who we are not—God. Only God was, is, and always will be God! We are not God. We are not all knowing, all seeing, or all powerful. We are made in His image, but we are not God, the Maker of all things. All we are or ever hope to be comes from God who molds and shapes willing believers who have become His children. God is our Father; we are His sons and daughters, joint heirs with Christ! Even the demons know God and His Son, Jesus—and they tremble at His Name!

When we humble ourselves before God, repent of our sins to God, with a willingness to trust with a joyful attitude of obedience—God blesses us with His wisdom, insight, with more understanding of life here as we prepare for eternal life with them there in heaven.

God also sees us in the desert of our mistakes and messes with a glorious way to walk through it to the other side. There is nothing we have done that God will not forgive. The King of Moab pitifully sacrificed his first-born son as a sign of losing. He knew he was losing the war with Israel and Judah. God sacrificed His One and Only Son as the Way for all the world to win the war over sin! Jesus took our place for the punishment of sin we deserved! Jesus gives us the victory with a new life!

So, the next time, before doing anything of significance, do what Jesus, our Savior, Lord, King of kings, and Lord of lords did while he walked on earth to teach us how to live through it all—Ask God first what HE wants us to be and then do. God will answer a humbled heart who desires Him and wants to know His will.

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”—Jesus, Matthew 6:33

“Inquire of the Lord” before our daily war with the Enemy whose goal is to distract, deceive, and destroy our faith in God. Satan and his demons pounce on our challenging circumstances to draw us away from God. On the other hand, God uses our circumstances in our imperfect world to build our faith with lessons that turn our messes into messages of His love, mercy, and grace that assures our hope of eternity with Him. So, who do you choose as your first call as your first line of defense? I pray it is God!

Lord,

I love you because you first loved me. I am forever grateful for your love. I choose you because you chose me to be your daughter made possible by the King of kings, Jesus! You are the Source of love, power, wisdom, and grace that gives real Life to my soul. Why would I call on anyone else but you? Here I am. I’m yours. And I’m listening.

In Jesus Name, Amen

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Bible, Faith, God, jehoshaphat, Jesus | Leave a comment

PASSING THE POWER

Posted on September 15, 2025 by randscallawayffm

“And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.” Paul—Timothy, 2 Timothy 2:2

It has always been God’s design to pass on “all the things” God gives to us to others who love Him and to those who do not yet know Him. God leads people to us to teach us. God leads us to pass on to others in our lives who need what we have learned through God’s Word along with our “trial and error” experiences. We do not have to be perfect to pass on the lessons God has given to us in our lives.

God calls, equips, and sends us to declare His glory, share what His Word says, and point the way to eternal life through Jesus, His Son. We don’t need to know it all to pass on what we do know! If we waited to know it all; someone stays lost in the wait! Truth: We will never know all there is to know about God. That’s okay! Know who does know! One of our goals in life is to consistently “be still and know God” by letting go of what we think we know to what is true. We do that be seeking Him first, believing all He says in His Word, trusting the leading of His Holy Spirit—even if we don’t understand it all, with a holy “loving Hm back” attitude of cheerful obedience. God will fill in the rest! How great is our God!?!

Pause to Ponder the Beauty of God’s Design: When we really think about this truth, we learn that there will generally be people who need to know from us what we have learned from God along with those God sends into our lives to teach us what they have learned and what we need to know. All these things and people of all ages and stages in life come from Almighty God who builds the faith of His created. We must be alert to all people God puts in our lives! All people have purpose—some of these people might be the very ones God has sent to teach us!

As we read God’s story of the relationship between Mentor and Apprentice, look between the lines for the beautiful demonstration and evidence of God’s love between Elijah and Elisha. Elijah taught by example. He didn’t tell Elisha to do anything he wouldn’t do himself or had already done. There are many principles of being a Godly Mentor at play in this passage.

2 Kings 2

Elijah Taken Up to Heaven

When the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. ²Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here; the Lord has sent me to Bethel.”

But Elisha said, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel.

³The company of the prophets at Bethel came out to Elisha and asked, “Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master from you today?”

“Yes, I know,” Elisha replied, “so be quiet.”

⁴Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here, Elisha; the Lord has sent me to Jericho.”

And he replied, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went to Jericho.

⁵The company of the prophets at Jericho went up to Elisha and asked him, “Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master from you today?”

“Yes, I know,” he replied, “so be quiet.”

⁶Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here; the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.”

And he replied, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them walked on.

⁷Fifty men from the company of the prophets went and stood at a distance, facing the place where Elijah and Elisha had stopped at the Jordan. ⁸Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up and struck the water with it. The water divided to the right and to the left, and the two of them crossed over on dry ground.

⁹When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?”

“Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,” Elisha replied.

¹⁰“You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah said, “yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise, it will not.”

¹¹As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. ¹²Elisha saw this and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his garment and tore it in two.

¹³Elisha then picked up Elijah’s cloak that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. ¹⁴He took the cloak that had fallen from Elijah and struck the water with it. “Where now is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” he asked. When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over.

¹⁵The company of the prophets from Jericho, who were watching, said, “The spirit of Elijah is resting on Elisha.” And they went to meet him and bowed to the ground before him. ¹⁶“Look,” they said, “we your servants have fifty able men. Let them go and look for your master. Perhaps the Spirit of the Lord has picked him up and set him down on some mountain or in some valley.”

“No,” Elisha replied, “do not send them.”

¹⁷But they persisted until he was too embarrassed to refuse. So he said, “Send them.” And they sent fifty men, who searched for three days but did not find him. ¹⁸When they returned to Elisha, who was staying in Jericho, he said to them, “Didn’t I tell you not to go?”

Healing of the Water

¹⁹The people of the city said to Elisha, “Look, our lord, this town is well situated, as you can see, but the water is bad and the land is unproductive.”

²⁰“Bring me a new bowl,” he said, “and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him.

²¹Then he went out to the spring and threw the salt into it, saying, “This is what the Lord says: ‘I have healed this water. Never again will it cause death or make the land unproductive.’” ²²And the water has remained pure to this day, according to the word Elisha had spoken.

Elisha Is Jeered

²³From there Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, some boys came out of the town and jeered at him. “Get out of here, baldy!” they said. “Get out of here, baldy!” ²⁴He turned around, looked at them and called down a curse on them in the name of the Lord. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys. ²⁵And he went on to Mount Carmel and from there returned to Samaria.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

In our reading today, it is time for the Mentor to pass the mantle of responsibility to the Faithful Apprentice, according to the Lord. We learn that God will always tell us the time and place of the passing of His power and responsibilities from one leader to another in His Kingdom work. Centuries later, God’s design of passing the power was demonstrated perfectly by Jesus to His disciples then and now;

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”—Jesus, Matthew 28:18-20

And God is still passing on His power so others will know Him, know the power of Jesus Name who died to save us, and know the power of His Holy Spirit who leads us to Truth. Yes, God is still doing it, again and again, until the whole world knows and comes to Him for redemption—all because of His love, mercy, and grace! We who believe now were led to this power that resurrected Jesus from the grave by those who knew Him before we did! Praise God for these people and thank God for His design of passing the powerful knowledge of His saving grace so “no one perish but have eternal life! It is indeed a matter of life or death!

As Elijah’s ministry came to a close, Elisha requested a double portion of the Holy Spirit that rested upon Elijah. Elisha had seen the power of God’s Holy Spirit flow through Elijah. Elisha’s request demonstrated his willingness to be God’s prophet, no matter the cost, but he knew he would need God’s power working through him as well. God knew Elisha’s heart. The request was granted as Elijah’s blessing fell on Elisha. From then on Elisha would wear Elijah’s coat and serve with the authority and power it symbolized. However, with Power comes great responsibility. The first and greatest responsibility for all prophets are to “inquire of the Lord,” seeking God first, before doing anything of significance for the good His people, in His Name, by His power, for His glory.

OUR POWER COMES FROM GOD’S HOLY SPIRIT

God’s Holy Spirit is our super personal connection with God. The Holy Spirit is the third part of God—The Three-in-One. Therefore, The Holy Spirit is God within us to help us. John calls the Holy Spirit the Advocate or Helper. Max Lucado explains;

“He comforts the saved. ‘Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you’ (John 16:7). Jesus to His disciples.

He convicts the lost. “When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment” (Jn 16:8).

He conveys the truth. ‘I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come’ (John 16:12–13).” –Lucado, Encouraging Word Bible

God’s Holy Spirit compels to worship Him alone. “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth”—Jesus, God’s Son (John 4:24).

Identifying and hearing the Holy Spirit is simpler than we think:

Has God ever brought you a surprising peace when the world brought you extensive pain? That’s God’s Holy Spirit at work to comfort us in our sorrow!

Have you ever been convicted of uneasiness and even felt a stab of sorrow for your actions? That’s God’s Holy Spirit convicting, not condemning, but convicting us for the purpose of correcting our behavior.

Have you ever read a familiar passage in God’s Word and a “light comes on” in your mind with an “ah,hah” moment? That’s God’s Holy Spirit guiding us to Truth. “You have heard it said,” says Jesus to all who would listen to Him, “but I say to you…” It’s these teachable moments God uses by the power of His Holy Spirit to all Truth, “all the things” that are God. God’s Holy Spirit is God in us helping us discern between good and evil.

PAUSE TO THANK GOD!

Thank God for creating us with purpose. Thank God for sending a part of Himself, His One and Only Son, Jesus to redeem us of our sins by sacrificing His life for ours! Thank God for sending us a Helper to comfort, convict, correct, and compel us to be more like Jesus who is the Way, Truth, and Life. Thank God for the mentors who He sent into our lives at just the right time to pass on the power of encouragement with knowledge of God. Thank God for the people we have mentored in His Name for His glory. I thank God most of all for all He has done in my life, leading me from falls and failures to finding His beauty of Truth from the ashes of defeat. If we give ourselves to God each day; everything in life serves to lead us to grow intimately and intentionally closer to God in ways that build our trust, faith, and enduring love for Him.

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:1-2

Lord,

I offer all of me to all of You as an offering to you. Make me a vessel of your love and grace to others. Help me to love others like you love me. Help me to discern your perfect will by cleansing my heart and removing all that is not You. Renew my mind so that I will think more like You, dear Jesus. Refresh and reset my soul. Restore the joy of you in me and me in you in perfect harmony.

In Jesus Name, Amen

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FIRE FROM HEAVEN? WOW!

Posted on September 13, 2025 by randscallawayffm

Jesus’ disciples James and John asked, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?”. (Luke 9:54) James and John’s frustrated hearts with tainted revengeful minds thought this would the right thing to do after a Samaritan village refused to welcome Jesus and his group. After all, Elijah did it! But Jesus rebuked them, explaining that the Son of Man came to save lives, not destroy them. Jesus changed everything. God sent Jesus to earth as the Son of Man/Son of God to seek and to save the lost who over centuries had walked in darkness without really knowing God. Keep this in mind as we continue God’s Story.

2 Kings will not be easy reading for every king of Israel “did evil in the eyes of the Lord” and then knew they were defying God but didn’t care. Point taken and proven as we open with King Ahaziah falling through the lattice roofing which landed him in bed and who does he go to for help—Baal. Not God Almighty, but Baal-Zebub first! This will be the theme throughout this book. The episodes are not for the faint of heart as evil drives Israel’s kings to sins that will hurt themselves and everyone around them with evil deeds. But notice also, in our first reading today, how the humbled captain is given immunity from the fire of heaven by God through His spokesperson Elijah. God knows our hearts and loves our humbled attitudes of respect for who He is.

“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, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14

2 Kings 1

The Lord’s Judgment on Ahaziah

After Ahab’s death, Moab rebelled against Israel. ²Now Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria and injured himself. So he sent messengers, saying to them, “Go and consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, to see if I will recover from this injury.”

³But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, “Go up and meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and ask them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going off to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron?’ ⁴Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘You will not leave the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!’” So Elijah went.

⁵When the messengers returned to the king, he asked them, “Why have you come back?”

⁶“A man came to meet us,” they replied. “And he said to us, ‘Go back to the king who sent you and tell him, “This is what the Lord says: Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending messengers to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you will not leave the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!”’”

⁷The king asked them, “What kind of man was it who came to meet you and told you this?”

⁸They replied, “He had a garment of hair and had a leather belt around his waist.”

The king said, “That was Elijah the Tishbite.”

⁹Then he sent to Elijah a captain with his company of fifty men. The captain went up to Elijah, who was sitting on the top of a hill, and said to him, “Man of God, the king says, ‘Come down!’”

¹⁰Elijah answered the captain, “If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men!” Then fire fell from heaven and consumed the captain and his men.

¹¹At this the king sent to Elijah another captain with his fifty men. The captain said to him, “Man of God, this is what the king says, ‘Come down at once!’”

¹²“If I am a man of God,” Elijah replied, “may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men!” Then the fire of God fell from heaven and consumed him and his fifty men.

¹³So the king sent a third captain with his fifty men. This third captain went up and fell on his knees before Elijah. “Man of God,” he begged, “please have respect for my life and the lives of these fifty men, your servants! ¹⁴See, fire has fallen from heaven and consumed the first two captains and all their men. But now have respect for my life!”

¹⁵The angel of the Lord said to Elijah, “Go down with him; do not be afraid of him.” So Elijah got up and went down with him to the king.

¹⁶He told the king, “This is what the Lord says: Is it because there is no God in Israel for you to consult that you have sent messengers to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron? Because you have done this, you will never leave the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!” ¹⁷So he died, according to the word of the Lord that Elijah had spoken.

Because Ahaziah had no son, Joram succeeded him as king in the second year of Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah. ¹⁸As for all the other events of Ahaziah’s reign, and what he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

This is a reading for the serious disciple of Jesus who knows that sin makes life so much harder, darker, and sicker and wants instead to walk humbly with God in the Light of His glorious ways. Walking in the Light is so much better than walking in the darkness which causes painful falls and stumbles…sometimes deadly falls as in the case of King Ahaziah!

We learn we must run to God first when troubles, trials, with challenging circumstances present themselves daily on our walk. We cannot avoid trouble but we can overcome them by the power of God’s Holy Spirit living in us! Jesus said we would have troubles in this imperfect, tainted by evil, world with a promise!

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”—Jesus, John 16:33

Jesus’ disciples, apostles and followers picked up the Truth and ran with it, telling everyone the Good News of salvation from sin with a solution— “seek justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.” (Micah 6:8) Truth became their DNA of being a committed people who identified themselves as brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ who brought us into the family of God. Our identity is in Jesus, the only way to connect with God. Need more backup proof?

“You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.” 1 John 4:4
“But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.” Romans 8:37
“Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” 1 John 5:5
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.” Revelation 2:7
“For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” 1 John 5:4-5

There’s much more; but you are probably getting the picture of God’s love for us that completes us, gives us peace, and makes us overcomers with Him. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16-17

“The northern kingdom, Israel, was headquartered in Samaria. Nineteen kings led this nation. Not one was godly. Not one! In spite of strong prophets like Jonah, Amos, Hosea, Elijah, and Elisha, the kings didn’t listen.

The southern kingdom, Judah, used Jerusalem as its capital. Of its twenty sovereigns, only eight walked with God. Again, powerful prophets challenged them. Obadiah, Joel, Isaiah, and Jeremiah were just a few of the men who proclaimed God’s message. But the people didn’t listen. They slipped from conviction to compromise into captivity.

It took these people several decades to get the point. I hope we are better listeners.” —Max Lucado, The Encouraging Word Bible

It is not God’s desire to call down the fire but to save and forgive His created in His own image. It IS the desire of the Enemy of God for us to fall into his fire forever.

Fire or Paradise? —Two choices. I choose God who gave us His Son to save, forgive, and set us free from our sins. How about you?

Lord,

Make me a vessel, make me an offering, make me whatever you want me to be.

In Jesus Name, Amen

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TRUTH OR WHAT PLEASES YOU AS TRUTH?

Posted on September 12, 2025 by randscallawayffm

When we are making choices between good, better, or best in this crazy world of offered opinions galore, who do we go to most often? Those who agree with us and tell us what we want to hear? Or to those who consistently tell the truth based on God’s leading and His Word for us? Above all—Do we seek the Lord’s counsel first?

King of Israel and the King of Judah get together to solve a problem of conquered land. Jehoshaphat, King of Judah, want to inquire of the Lord first. Ahab, King of Isreal, seeks prophets trained to tell him what He wants to hear. We will learn how that turns out for King Ahab.

1 Kings 22

Micaiah Prophesies Against Ahab

For three years there was no war between Aram and Israel. ²But in the third year Jehoshaphat king of Judah went down to see the king of Israel. ³The king of Israel had said to his officials, “Don’t you know that Ramoth Gilead belongs to us and yet we are doing nothing to retake it from the king of Aram?”

⁴So he asked Jehoshaphat, “Will you go with me to fight against Ramoth Gilead?”

Jehoshaphat replied to the king of Israel, “I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.” ⁵But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, “First seek the counsel of the Lord.”

⁶So the king of Israel brought together the prophets—about four hundred men—and asked them, “Shall I go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain?”

“Go,” they answered, “for the Lord will give it into the king’s hand.”

⁷But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no longer a prophet of the Lord here whom we can inquire of?”

⁸The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, “There is still one prophet through whom we can inquire of the Lord, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me, but always bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.”

“The king should not say such a thing,” Jehoshaphat replied.

⁹So the king of Israel called one of his officials and said, “Bring Micaiah son of Imlah at once.”

¹⁰Dressed in their royal robes, the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were sitting on their thrones at the threshing floor by the entrance of the gate of Samaria, with all the prophets prophesying before them. ¹¹Now Zedekiah son of Kenaanah had made iron horns and he declared, “This is what the Lord says: ‘With these you will gore the Arameans until they are destroyed.’”

¹²All the other prophets were prophesying the same thing. “Attack Ramoth Gilead and be victorious,” they said, “for the Lord will give it into the king’s hand.”

¹³The messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah said to him, “Look, the other prophets without exception are predicting success for the king. Let your word agree with theirs, and speak favorably.”

¹⁴But Micaiah said, “As surely as the Lord lives, I can tell him only what the Lord tells me.”

¹⁵When he arrived, the king asked him, “Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or not?”

“Attack and be victorious,” he answered, “for the Lord will give it into the king’s hand.”

¹⁶The king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?”

¹⁷Then Micaiah answered, “I saw all Israel scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd, and the Lord said, ‘These people have no master. Let each one go home in peace.’”

¹⁸The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you that he never prophesies anything good about me, but only bad?”

¹⁹Micaiah continued, “Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne with all the multitudes of heaven standing around him on his right and on his left. ²⁰And the Lord said, ‘Who will entice Ahab into attacking Ramoth Gilead and going to his death there?’

“One suggested this, and another that. ²¹Finally, a spirit came forward, stood before the Lord and said, ‘I will entice him.’

²²“‘By what means?’ the Lord asked.

“‘I will go out and be a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all his prophets,’ he said.

“‘You will succeed in enticing him,’ said the Lord. ‘Go and do it.’

²³“So now the Lord has put a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours. The Lord has decreed disaster for you.”

²⁴Then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah went up and slapped Micaiah in the face. “Which way did the spirit from the Lord go when he went from me to speak to you?” he asked.

²⁵Micaiah replied, “You will find out on the day you go to hide in an inner room.”

²⁶The king of Israel then ordered, “Take Micaiah and send him back to Amon the ruler of the city and to Joash the king’s son ²⁷and say, ‘This is what the king says: Put this fellow in prison and give him nothing but bread and water until I return safely.’”

²⁸Micaiah declared, “If you ever return safely, the Lord has not spoken through me.” Then he added, “Mark my words, all you people!”

Ahab Killed at Ramoth Gilead

²⁹So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up to Ramoth Gilead. ³⁰The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will enter the battle in disguise, but you wear your royal robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle.

³¹Now the king of Aram had ordered his thirty-two chariot commanders, “Do not fight with anyone, small or great, except the king of Israel.” ³²When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they thought, “Surely this is the king of Israel.” So they turned to attack him, but when Jehoshaphat cried out, ³³the chariot commanders saw that he was not the king of Israel and stopped pursuing him.

³⁴But someone drew his bow at random and hit the king of Israel between the sections of his armor. The king told his chariot driver, “Wheel around and get me out of the fighting. I’ve been wounded.” ³⁵All day long the battle raged, and the king was propped up in his chariot facing the Arameans. The blood from his wound ran onto the floor of the chariot, and that evening he died. ³⁶As the sun was setting, a cry spread through the army: “Every man to his town. Every man to his land!”

³⁷So the king died and was brought to Samaria, and they buried him there. ³⁸They washed the chariot at a pool in Samaria (where the prostitutes bathed), and the dogs licked up his blood, as the word of the Lord had declared.

³⁹As for the other events of Ahab’s reign, including all he did, the palace he built and adorned with ivory, and the cities he fortified, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? ⁴⁰Ahab rested with his ancestors. And Ahaziah his son succeeded him as king.

Jehoshaphat King of Judah

⁴¹Jehoshaphat son of Asa became king of Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel. ⁴²Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-five years. His mother’s name was Azubah daughter of Shilhi. ⁴³In everything he followed the ways of his father Asa and did not stray from them; he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. The high places, however, were not removed, and the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there. ⁴⁴Jehoshaphat was also at peace with the king of Israel.

⁴⁵As for the other events of Jehoshaphat’s reign, the things he achieved and his military exploits, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? ⁴⁶He rid the land of the rest of the male shrine prostitutes who remained there even after the reign of his father Asa. ⁴⁷There was then no king in Edom; a provincial governor ruled.

⁴⁸Now Jehoshaphat built a fleet of trading ships to go to Ophir for gold, but they never set sail—they were wrecked at Ezion Geber. ⁴⁹At that time Ahaziah son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “Let my men sail with yours,” but Jehoshaphat refused.

⁵⁰Then Jehoshaphat rested with his ancestors and was buried with them in the city of David his father. And Jehoram his son succeeded him as king.

Ahaziah King of Israel

⁵¹Ahaziah son of Ahab became king of Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel two years. ⁵²He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, because he followed the ways of his father and mother and of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin. ⁵³He served and worshiped Baal and aroused the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, just as his father had done.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Background:

King Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, had different goals than King Ahab of Israel. Jehoshaphat followed in the ways of David and “sought to please the Lord” (2 Chr. 17:1–6). That’s way his comment to King Ahab was, “First seek the counsel of the Lord.”

King Jehoshaphat sent teaching priests throughout the land of Judah to explain God’s Law to the people (2 Chr. 17:7–9) and assigned the other priests to serve as faithful judges to whom the people could bring their disputes. God gave Judah peace, and Jehoshaphat took advantage of this opportunity to fortify the land (2 Chr. 17:10–19). This is why he is coming to King Ahab to take back seized land that belongs to God’s people.

However, one compromise often leads to another. As the descendant of David, Jehoshaphat should have kept his distance from Ahab and never allowed the Davidic line to mingle with that of Ahab. Jehoshaphat soon discovered that all Ahab’s court appointed prophets were paid to agree with the king, so they assured Ahab that he would win the battle. But Jehoshaphat was wise enough to ask Ahab for some word from the Lord. Is there anyone? Anyone who hears God?

Isn’t there a prophet who speaks the truth of God?” inquires Jehoshaphat.

“Yes, but he doesn’t like me” replies King Ahab.

God does not lie—it’s not in His nature or character. God will always tell the truth because He is Truth. Here’s proof:

“God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?” Numbers 23:19
“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” James 1:17

God will always tell us the truth. Jesus is the Truth who is part of God. The Holy Spirit guides us to all truth. God/Jesus/Holy Spirit—God in Three Persons is Truth.

Truth assures believers that God’s promises are reliable and that His character is consistent. His love is unfailing and His compassions that fail not!

“It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23

God didn’t lie to Ahab; quite the contrary, through the lips of Micaiah He told the truth and gave Ahab fair warning of what was going to happen in battle.

God is sovereign in all things. Ahab had freed the king of Aram when he should have destroyed him, and true to God’s word, Ahab died at the hands of the Arameans. Though Ahab had disguised himself for battle, God allowed a random arrow to hit an opening in Ahab’s armor and kill him. At the same time, God protected Jehoshaphat, in his royal robes, from even a wound.

Two more kings will follow in their fathers’ footsteps. One follows God as his father did. One did not. Stay tuned!

Lord,

Thank you for teaching us to fully rely on what you say for you are the Truth we seek in a fallen world. Because you deliver truth with your relentless love for us; we believe. Cleanse our hearts, renew our minds, refresh our souls with your new mercies for today, and restore the joy of you in us and us in you. May our lives declare your glory and lead others to share in your love as they seek redemption.

In Jesus Name, Amen

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Bible, Bible Study, Faith, God, jehoshaphat | Leave a comment

THE PRICE OF A SOUL

Posted on September 10, 2025 by randscallawayffm

“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?” –Jesus Mark 8:34-37

King Ahab lost himself in greed as a satisfier of his heart, mind, and soul. Getting more was the goal of his existence no matter who it hurt or destroyed. We ended yesterday’s reading, (1 Kings 20), with an “angry and sullen” King Ahab returning to his palace in Samaria after the battle with evil nations. Instead of giving God glory for victory; He is mad because God reminds Ahab that he didn’t follow all the instructions given to him. Ahab’s arrogant pride turned to anger at God who did what was good for His people in glorious ways that would lead people to know Him for who He was—their God! God said to eradicate the problem with evil nations but instead Ahab let the main king of evil run free!

So, now King Ahab sits and stews in his palace looking for more ways to add to his wealth in ways to satisfy his need for greed. His soul is empty without God.

1 Kings 21

Naboth’s Vineyard

Some time later there was an incident involving a vineyard belonging to Naboth the Jezreelite. The vineyard was in Jezreel, close to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. ²Ahab said to Naboth, “Let me have your vineyard to use for a vegetable garden, since it is close to my palace. In exchange I will give you a better vineyard or, if you prefer, I will pay you whatever it is worth.”

³But Naboth replied, “The Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my ancestors.”

⁴So Ahab went home, sullen and angry because Naboth the Jezreelite had said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my ancestors.” He lay on his bed sulking and refused to eat.

⁵His wife Jezebel came in and asked him, “Why are you so sullen? Why won’t you eat?”

⁶He answered her, “Because I said to Naboth the Jezreelite, ‘Sell me your vineyard; or if you prefer, I will give you another vineyard in its place.’ But he said, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’”

⁷Jezebel his wife said, “Is this how you act as king over Israel? Get up and eat! Cheer up. I’ll get you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”

⁸So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, placed his seal on them, and sent them to the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth’s city with him. ⁹In those letters she wrote:

“Proclaim a day of fasting and seat Naboth in a prominent place among the people. ¹⁰But seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them bring charges that he has cursed both God and the king. Then take him out and stone him to death.”

¹¹So the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth’s city did as Jezebel directed in the letters she had written to them. ¹²They proclaimed a fast and seated Naboth in a prominent place among the people. ¹³Then two scoundrels came and sat opposite him and brought charges against Naboth before the people, saying, “Naboth has cursed both God and the king.” So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death. ¹⁴Then they sent word to Jezebel: “Naboth has been stoned to death.”

¹⁵As soon as Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, she said to Ahab, “Get up and take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite that he refused to sell you. He is no longer alive, but dead.” ¹⁶When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up and went down to take possession of Naboth’s vineyard.

¹⁷Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite: ¹⁸“Go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who rules in Samaria. He is now in Naboth’s vineyard, where he has gone to take possession of it. ¹⁹Say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Have you not murdered a man and seized his property?’ Then say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: In the place where dogs licked up Naboth’s blood, dogs will lick up your blood—yes, yours!’”

²⁰Ahab said to Elijah, “So you have found me, my enemy!”

“I have found you,” he answered, “because you have sold yourself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord. ²¹He says, ‘I am going to bring disaster on you. I will wipe out your descendants and cut off from Ahab every last male in Israel—slave or free. ²²I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat and that of Baasha son of Ahijah, because you have aroused my anger and have caused Israel to sin.’

²³“And also concerning Jezebel the Lord says: ‘Dogs will devour Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.’

²⁴“Dogs will eat those belonging to Ahab who die in the city, and the birds will feed on those who die in the country.”

²⁵(There was never anyone like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, urged on by Jezebel his wife. ²⁶He behaved in the vilest manner by going after idols, like the Amorites the Lord drove out before Israel.)

²⁷When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and fasted. He lay in sackcloth and went around meekly.

²⁸Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite: ²⁹“Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself, I will not bring this disaster in his day, but I will bring it on his house in the days of his son.”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Ahab is lost and soul searching. His outward human emotions of being lost are on display for all to see! His “toddler-like” moods display anger, sullenness, pouting, and depression until he gets what he wants. Jezebel, his idol worshiping wife came to him lost. Together, they are two lost souls who seek everything on earth to satisfy their true and real need. Ahab knows of God but He doesn’t KNOW God.

Only the One True God can refresh and cleanse our souls with living water that fully satisfies makes us whole. No one but God will do because there is no one like our God!

King Ahab was not content with what he already had. In partnership with his wicked wife, Jezebel, he killed the owner of a choice vineyard, and they took it for themselves. God promised to bring them to justice.

King Ahab relied on a wicked wife to soothe all his desires. We must always be on alert: Jealousy may creep into life and lead us to more sin. Surrounding ourselves with bad relationships during these vulnerable times of discontent can lead to more sin. Bad company can corrupt good character. And bad company can lead to bad choices. Where do you go for guidance in those times when you feel depressed and confused?

We might pause to ask ourselves; Is prayer our first reaction—or our last resort?

God’s prophet Elijah finally gets through to King Ahab

Ahab said to Elijah, “So you have found me, my enemy!”

“I have found you,” he answered. Then Elijah tells Ahab how God will discipline him, “because you have aroused my anger and have caused Israel to sin.”

God’s Word also included… (There was never anyone like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, urged on by Jezebel his wife. He behaved in the vilest manner by going after idols, like the Amorites the Lord drove out before Israel.) What a character description! Yikes!

Ahab’s immediate response was to humble himself before God.

“When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and fasted. He lay in sackcloth and went around meekly.”

God saw his heart begin to change and responded in Elijah’s presence;

“Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself, I will not bring this disaster in his day, but I will bring it on his house in the days of his son.”

“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, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14

Jesus taught the what the soul of a true discipleship must be and do

We must surrender ourselves completely to him;
We must identify with Him in suffering and death
We must follow Him obediently, wherever He leads.

If we live for ourselves, we will lose ourselves, but if we lose ourselves for His sake and the gospel’s, we will find ourselves.

Lord,

Thank you for teaching us and reminding us of what soul on fire looks like to you. Cleanse our hearts, renew our minds, refresh our souls with your new mercies, and restore the joy of your salvation at work within all who seek a humble walk with you. I’m yours. I’m listening. Help us to lose to find.

In Jesus Name, Amen

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged ahab, Bible, Faith, God, jezebel | Leave a comment

GOD’S FAITHFULNESS AND LOVE ENDURES FOREVER!

Posted on September 9, 2025 by randscallawayffm

“For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” Psalm 100:5

God is faithful even when we are not. God loves us even we do not feel love or feel lovable. God’s compassionate kindness—not condemnation—leads us to repentance. But it occurs to me that it is not our human repentance that secures our salvation; it is by His grace alone that we are forgiven completely and set free from the punishment we deserve for our sin. “So, no one can boast”, says Paul. We are, by nature an arrogant people who sometimes think that a quick “I’m sorry” will fix our mess that we created. Christ alone redeems us; not we ourselves. True repentance means turning our backs on the sins that created the mess and turning to Jesus who gives us a new life to live! Will we fall back? Yes, but each time we are quicker to run to the One who, by His power living in us, helps us rise up again. Our pastor has a phrase that touches my heart each time he prays it out loud; “Holy Spirit do in us what you do best. Convict, correct, comfort, and compel us to live in Truth.”

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:8-10

Before I spoke a word, You were singing over me
You have been so, so good to me
Before I took a breath, You breathed Your life in me
You have been so, so kind to me

… Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God
Oh, it chases me down, fights ’til I’m found, leaves the 99
And I couldn’t earn it, and I don’t deserve it, still, You give Yourself away
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God

(Artist: Bethel Music & Cory Asbury)

God’s salvation from sin that lead to death, is a great gift of unmerited grace all because of His merciful, relentless love for us. It is not God’s desire for anyone to perish but to have Life eternal with Him. So God sent His Son. The greater we grow to realize the depth, width, and breadth of His relentless love for us; the more we appreciate the gift by loving Him back with all that is in us; by loving others like He loves us; and by trusting in His will that leads to His best for us in all circumstances of life here.

As we grow our relationship with Jesus, God’s Holy Spirit guides our behaviors. His ways become more our ways the more time we spend with Him. His language of love, his gracious ways, and His compassion for others becomes a part of our being. After a while, we revel in the difference of how we responded to life then with how we respond to life now—all because of God working in us! We look back and might say; “Wow, all I know is, now I am different. I am not who I was but know that I’m not completely who God wants me to be.” We are all a “work in progress” until we see Jesus face to face!

Those who don’t stand for something fall for anything! In opposing Ben-Hadad, Ahab assumed he had nothing to stand on, but God in His grace sent him a message of hope: The Lord would give Ahab the victory. The Lord wasn’t doing this because Ahab deserved it but because God wanted to honor His own name before the wavering king of Israel and His people. It’s not about you. It’s not about me. It’s always about God! When troubles come; look to God first and watch what He does—all for our good and for His glory.

1 Kings 20

Ben-Hadad Attacks Samaria

Now Ben-Hadad king of Aram mustered his entire army. Accompanied by thirty-two kings with their horses and chariots, he went up and besieged Samaria and attacked it. ²He sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel, saying, “This is what Ben-Hadad says: ³‘Your silver and gold are mine, and the best of your wives and children are mine.’”

⁴The king of Israel answered, “Just as you say, my lord the king. I and all I have are yours.”

⁵The messengers came again and said, “This is what Ben-Hadad says: ‘I sent to demand your silver and gold, your wives and your children. ⁶But about this time tomorrow I am going to send my officials to search your palace and the houses of your officials. They will seize everything you value and carry it away.’”

⁷The king of Israel summoned all the elders of the land and said to them, “See how this man is looking for trouble! When he sent for my wives and my children, my silver and my gold, I did not refuse him.”

⁸The elders and the people all answered, “Don’t listen to him or agree to his demands.”

⁹So he replied to Ben-Hadad’s messengers, “Tell my lord the king, ‘Your servant will do all you demanded the first time, but this demand I cannot meet.’” They left and took the answer back to Ben-Hadad.

¹⁰Then Ben-Hadad sent another message to Ahab: “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if enough dust remains in Samaria to give each of my men a handful.”

¹¹The king of Israel answered, “Tell him: ‘One who puts on his armor should not boast like one who takes it off.’”

¹²Ben-Hadad heard this message while he and the kings were drinking in their tents, and he ordered his men: “Prepare to attack.” So they prepared to attack the city.

Ahab Defeats Ben-Hadad

¹³Meanwhile a prophet came to Ahab king of Israel and announced, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Do you see this vast army? I will give it into your hand today, and then you will know that I am the Lord.’”

¹⁴“But who will do this?” asked Ahab.

The prophet replied, “This is what the Lord says: ‘The junior officers under the provincial commanders will do it.’”

“And who will start the battle?” he asked.

The prophet answered, “You will.”

¹⁵So Ahab summoned the 232 junior officers under the provincial commanders. Then he assembled the rest of the Israelites, 7,000 in all. ¹⁶They set out at noon while Ben-Hadad and the 32 kings allied with him were in their tents getting drunk. ¹⁷The junior officers under the provincial commanders went out first.

Now Ben-Hadad had dispatched scouts, who reported, “Men are advancing from Samaria.”

¹⁸He said, “If they have come out for peace, take them alive; if they have come out for war, take them alive.”

¹⁹The junior officers under the provincial commanders marched out of the city with the army behind them ²⁰and each one struck down his opponent. At that, the Arameans fled, with the Israelites in pursuit. But Ben-Hadad king of Aram escaped on horseback with some of his horsemen. ²¹The king of Israel advanced and overpowered the horses and chariots and inflicted heavy losses on the Arameans.

²²Afterward, the prophet came to the king of Israel and said, “Strengthen your position and see what must be done, because next spring the king of Aram will attack you again.”

²³Meanwhile, the officials of the king of Aram advised him, “Their gods are gods of the hills. That is why they were too strong for us. But if we fight them on the plains, surely we will be stronger than they. ²⁴Do this: Remove all the kings from their commands and replace them with other officers. ²⁵You must also raise an army like the one you lost—horse for horse and chariot for chariot—so we can fight Israel on the plains. Then surely we will be stronger than they.” He agreed with them and acted accordingly.

²⁶The next spring Ben-Hadad mustered the Arameans and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel. ²⁷When the Israelites were also mustered and given provisions, they marched out to meet them. The Israelites camped opposite them like two small flocks of goats, while the Arameans covered the countryside.

²⁸The man of God came up and told the king of Israel, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Because the Arameans think the Lord is a god of the hills and not a god of the valleys, I will deliver this vast army into your hands, and you will know that I am the Lord.’”

²⁹For seven days they camped opposite each other, and on the seventh day the battle was joined. The Israelites inflicted a hundred thousand casualties on the Aramean foot soldiers in one day. ³⁰The rest of them escaped to the city of Aphek, where the wall collapsed on twenty-seven thousand of them. And Ben-Hadad fled to the city and hid in an inner room.

³¹His officials said to him, “Look, we have heard that the kings of Israel are merciful. Let us go to the king of Israel with sackcloth around our waists and ropes around our heads. Perhaps he will spare your life.”

³²Wearing sackcloth around their waists and ropes around their heads, they went to the king of Israel and said, “Your servant Ben-Hadad says: ‘Please let me live.’”

The king answered, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.”

³³The men took this as a good sign and were quick to pick up his word. “Yes, your brother Ben-Hadad!” they said.

“Go and get him,” the king said. When Ben-Hadad came out, Ahab had him come up into his chariot.

³⁴“I will return the cities my father took from your father,” Ben-Hadad offered. “You may set up your own market areas in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria.”

Ahab said, “On the basis of a treaty I will set you free.” So he made a treaty with him, and let him go.

A Prophet Condemns Ahab

³⁵By the word of the Lord one of the company of the prophets said to his companion, “Strike me with your weapon,” but he refused.

³⁶So the prophet said, “Because you have not obeyed the Lord, as soon as you leave me a lion will kill you.” And after the man went away, a lion found him and killed him.

³⁷The prophet found another man and said, “Strike me, please.” So the man struck him and wounded him. ³⁸Then the prophet went and stood by the road waiting for the king. He disguised himself with his headband down over his eyes. ³⁹As the king passed by, the prophet called out to him, “Your servant went into the thick of the battle, and someone came to me with a captive and said, ‘Guard this man. If he is missing, it will be your life for his life, or you must pay a talent of silver.’ ⁴⁰While your servant was busy here and there, the man disappeared.”

“That is your sentence,” the king of Israel said. “You have pronounced it yourself.”

⁴¹Then the prophet quickly removed the headband from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets. ⁴²He said to the king, “This is what the Lord says: ‘You have set free a man I had determined should die. Therefore it is your life for his life, your people for his people.’” ⁴³Sullen and angry, the king of Israel went to his palace in Samaria.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

If God is not sought before going to battle against evil; then we fight without strength, wisdom and power. As we read this morning, Ahab, King of Israel, could not have won the war against Ben-Hadad and the 32 other kings who gathered a great army with horses and chariots without God’s intervention. Trust God. Completely obey what He says! Just as King Saul held back doing all that God said to do to rid Israel of her enemies; King Ahab let the enemy king go free. This will cause problems later.

Not only was the enemy challenging God’s people, he was challenging God Himself! This was the Mount Carmel contest all over again, and the Lord wouldn’t let it go unchallenged. This battle belonged to the Lord, once again! King Ahab was merely a participant who must trust and obey God. God’s endgame was for EVERYONE to know that He alone was indeed the Lord, God of all!

“For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.” Isaiah 41:13

At the end of God’s story, the man that Ahab judged now became Ahab’s judge and announced that one day the Arameans would slay Ahab because of his disobedience to God in not slaying the warring King Ben-Hadad. Instead of repenting and seeking the Lord’s forgiveness, however, Ahab went home and pouted like a child! (Sigh.)

Oh Lord,

Cleanse my heart, remove all that does not belong. Renew my mind, refresh my soul with your new mercies for today. Restore the joy of you in me and me in you. I trust you with all my life for you are Life! Help me to obey all that you tell me to be and do.

In Jesus Name, Amen

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged ahab, Bible, Bible Study, Faith, God | 1 Comment

GOD’S WHISPER

Posted on September 8, 2025 by randscallawayffm

“Lord, I’ve done all you asked of me. But now the leader over me wants me to stop.” “I am perplexed, heartbroken for the people you sent me to serve.” “Lies have been told about me as his close advisors tell him that the progress made according to your leading me has become a threat to him.” “Lord, a person of influence in the organization related to me that I was asked to come here to make the leader look good.”

He was not expecting all this mentoring, training and empowering of new leaders while encouraging the current leaders. He did not like my openness to share goals with the people I was serving and helping or to be open with all the details of ministry—which was my habit. “So, Lord, what now? From the nursery, to children, to youth and adult discipleship a groundwork was laid. I had to work fast for I felt in my heart that time was fleeting. Then came the overwhelming feeling caused by the stress of pleasing the will of God that did not please the leader. I called out to God, “I no longer want to be here for I do not a fit this model of ministry, please help me.” Then the whisper came, “You time is finished; I am sending you to another place with a new plan.” “Know that I will be with you and take care of you”.

A new hours later, I was called into the leader’s office with two of his people standing on either side of him. “You do not seem to fit here,” were his first words which actually affirmed me! Never being fired in my life, I smiled because God was still calling the shots and in control of this awkward situation. I responded, “You are right, and praise God I do not fit here.” “So, never being fired before what’s next? Can I get what I brought and go home now and just leave asap? All the while I knew without a doubt that God was in control and orchestrating every move. Within 36 hours our purchased home was sold, to a couple in our small group cash in hand—along with a donation to the new ministry that God was newly forming our minds! How did they know? Only God. Nobody but God does the miraculous like this! There were many people who came to help us load the truck and move back home.

At first, I questioned why God sent us to a place where the people smiled but the leaders frowned. But pondering the great challenge that it was, lessons were learned, leaders got a glimpse of the power of God who works in all kinds of ways—perfect ways. I have no regrets in following God’s leading even when it’s hard. I fully relied on God then and I still do. I’ve been “under the broom tree” more than once wondering what will happen next—then I hear the still, small voice of God. He cares for me while I trust and obey. There is no God like our God!

Religious leaders of Jesus’ day thought they had gotten rid of him as he certainly did not fit their lifestyle of oppressing people who God wanted to rescue. But after manipulating the Romans to crucify Jesus on a cross of humiliation—three days later…everything changed for the world who believed! It all fit into God’s Plan to redeem the world, once and for all, all the sins of the world. The Way, Truth, Life who is now Hope rose from the grave with the promise of life eternal! What God promises; He delivers and fulfills in every detail—Jesus is the proof!

Elijah, prophet of God, speaks the WORD of the Lord, God to leaders still worshiping Baal. Here’s how God took care of his beloved.

1 Kings 19

Elijah Flees to Horeb

Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. ²So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.”

³Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, ⁴while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” ⁵Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.

All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” ⁶He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.

⁷The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” ⁸So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. ⁹There he went into a cave and spent the night.

The Lord Appears to Elijah

And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

¹⁰He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”

¹¹The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. ¹²After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. ¹³When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.

Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

¹⁴He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”

¹⁵The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. ¹⁶Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. ¹⁷Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. ¹⁸Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.”

The Call of Elisha

¹⁹So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. ²⁰Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,” he said, “and then I will come with you.”

“Go back,” Elijah replied. “What have I done to you?”

²¹So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his servant.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Ministry is marching right into enemy territory and declaring who God is with how great He is! Ministry in entering the frontlines with the power of God leading us so that His created can be rescued from the Enemy by Jesus’ act of redemption! We see how real ministry must be led by the heart of God. In the middle of it all we are blessed to see how God works! In one moment God displayed his power, and Elijah triumphed over the prophets of Baal. In the next, God’s prophet ran for his life from Jezebel who sought revenge. He hid in the desert. A natural human response!

But we also learn of the compassion of God who cares for the ones he calls, equips, and sends. God cares for his servants in both moments of triumph and defeat. He remains ever-present with those who trust him. This is the central lesson we learn today!

Are you facing a life challenge? Are you discouraged and wondering why circumstances have suddenly taken a turn for the worse? Where is God? Run to God to help you! Everywhere, anytime, God has resources to help you. May our first response to troubles, perplexing situations, and trials of judgement by others be God.

Get alone with God, cry out to Him, for He has heard it all. There is nothing we cannot say to God! If fact, God already knows us by name, knows what we are going through, but he requires us to call out to Him by our own free will and choice to do so. Then God responds—in a million different ways—until our need of Him is met by Him. This response from God begins with our surrender to God.

Two Psalms of David guide me to God who puts me back in tune to hear and feel the harmonies of His will and purpose. The first Psalm tells me what to do—Be still. Probably the hardest response in my life is to first be still! This is a discipline required to acquire, however! Why? Because radical overthinking can close our inner hearing to the whispers of God. But God does not give up on us. He beckons us to come and be still and know that He is God.

“He says, “Be still, and; know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”

The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Psalm 46:10-11

This response of being still precedes the holiness we seek from God. Be still means to let go of our thoughts over the current situation, the people involved, our judgmental assumptions and presumptions and surrender to Almighty God who is with us and knows exactly what we need when we need it most.

Psalm 143 bathes my troubled soul in the truth of who God is and what He does to rescues us as a demonstration of His love for us.

“Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you.
Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.
Rescue me from my enemies, Lord, for I hide myself in you.

Teach me to do your will, for you are my God;
may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.

For your name’s sake, Lord, preserve my life; in your righteousness, bring me out of trouble. In your unfailing love, silence my enemies; destroy all my foes,
for I am your servant. Psalm 143:8;12

God is our sovereign authority. Our response to our God is to trust and obey Him.

Lord,

Thank you for the broom tree story that once again reminds us your provision through good times and challenging times that teach us to know you more. From ashes to beauty, we see how our story fits into your story of redemption and restoration. Thank you for being with us always! I’m yours. And yes, I’m listening.

In Jesus Name, Amen

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Bible, elijah, Faith, God, Jesus | Leave a comment

UNDER THE RADAR OR BOLD—BOTH WORK FOR GOD!

Posted on September 7, 2025 by randscallawayffm

Many times, we don’t see, much less appreciate, the real heroes in our lives who help and rescue others by who they are and what they do without any thought for themselves. It is not in their nature to advertise, take pictures, or proclaim their good works, they merely do what God says as they way of life. As people who fully believe and trust God; they are unusably humble and think it a pure privilege to be able to do good works to please God as a habit. These people live just under the radar of everyone’s attention—even to those who oppose their goodness—and can accomplish as much or more than those who live in the limelight of notice and admiration of others. Obadiah is one of those living under the radar who rescues and saves God’s prophets who are ordered to be slain by an evil king.

We appreciate heroes like Obadiah but when the known world’s leaders are insanely evil, God also sends His “big guns” to declare His power, authority and sovereignty over all He has created. Elijah is that man whose heart is fully committed to God, the Lord God, who created all and knows us better than we know ourselves. God intervenes in a mighty and powerful way that humbles kings and false prophets who worship Baal.

“BRING IT ON!” God seems to say to the king and prophets of Baal—the mere statue. Elijah, who walks with God, talks with God, hears God. He obeys God by doing exactly as He says with an expectant joy because Elijah knows and trusts that God will prevail over the idol Baal. Look for the bonus—rain comes after years of drought! Look also for the awesome humor God displays in and through Elijah!

1 Kings 18

Elijah and Obadiah

After a long time, in the third year, the word of the Lord came to Elijah: “Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the land.” ²So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab.

Now the famine was severe in Samaria, ³and Ahab had summoned Obadiah, his palace administrator. (Obadiah was a devout believer in the Lord. ⁴While Jezebel was killing off the Lord’s prophets, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them in two caves, fifty in each, and had supplied them with food and water.) ⁵Ahab had said to Obadiah, “Go through the land to all the springs and valleys. Maybe we can find some grass to keep the horses and mules alive so we will not have to kill any of our animals.” ⁶So they divided the land they were to cover, Ahab going in one direction and Obadiah in another.

⁷As Obadiah was walking along, Elijah met him. Obadiah recognized him, bowed down to the ground, and said, “Is it really you, my lord Elijah?”

⁸“Yes,” he replied. “Go tell your master, ‘Elijah is here.’”

⁹“What have I done wrong,” asked Obadiah, “that you are handing your servant over to Ahab to be put to death? ¹⁰As surely as the Lord your God lives, there is not a nation or kingdom where my master has not sent someone to look for you. And whenever a nation or kingdom claimed you were not there, he made them swear they could not find you. ¹¹But now you tell me to go to my master and say, ‘Elijah is here.’ ¹²I don’t know where the Spirit of the Lord may carry you when I leave you. If I go and tell Ahab and he doesn’t find you, he will kill me. Yet I your servant have worshiped the Lord since my youth. ¹³Haven’t you heard, my lord, what I did while Jezebel was killing the prophets of the Lord? I hid a hundred of the Lord’s prophets in two caves, fifty in each, and supplied them with food and water. ¹⁴And now you tell me to go to my master and say, ‘Elijah is here.’ He will kill me!”

¹⁵Elijah said, “As the Lord Almighty lives, whom I serve, I will surely present myself to Ahab today.”

Elijah on Mount Carmel

¹⁶So Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him, and Ahab went to meet Elijah. ¹⁷When he saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is that you, you troubler of Israel?”

¹⁸“I have not made trouble for Israel,” Elijah replied. “But you and your father’s family have. You have abandoned the Lord’s commands and have followed the Baals. ¹⁹Now summon the people from all over Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel. And bring the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.”

²⁰So Ahab sent word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel. ²¹Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.”

But the people said nothing.

²²Then Elijah said to them, “I am the only one of the Lord’s prophets left, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets. ²³Get two bulls for us. Let Baal’s prophets choose one for themselves, and let them cut it into pieces and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. ²⁴Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The god who answers by fire—he is God.”

Then all the people said, “What you say is good.”

²⁵Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one of the bulls and prepare it first, since there are so many of you. Call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire.” ²⁶So they took the bull given them and prepared it.

Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. “Baal, answer us!” they shouted. But there was no response; no one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made.

²⁷At noon Elijah began to taunt them. “Shout louder!” he said. “Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened.” ²⁸So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed. ²⁹Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention.

³⁰Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come here to me.” They came to him, and he repaired the altar of the Lord, which had been torn down. ³¹Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes descended from Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, “Your name shall be Israel.” ³²With the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord, and he dug a trench around it large enough to hold two seahs of seed. ³³He arranged the wood, cut the bull into pieces and laid it on the wood. Then he said to them, “Fill four large jars with water and pour it on the offering and on the wood.”

³⁴“Do it again,” he said, and they did it again.

“Do it a third time,” he ordered, and they did it the third time. ³⁵The water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench.

³⁶At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: “Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. ³⁷Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.”

³⁸Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.

³⁹When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The Lord—he is God! The Lord—he is God!”

⁴⁰Then Elijah commanded them, “Seize the prophets of Baal. Don’t let anyone get away!” They seized them, and Elijah had them brought down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered there.

⁴¹And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain.” ⁴²So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees.

⁴³“Go and look toward the sea,” he told his servant. And he went up and looked.

“There is nothing there,” he said.

Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.”

⁴⁴The seventh time the servant reported, “A cloud as small as a man’s hand is rising from the sea.”

So Elijah said, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.’”

⁴⁵Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain started falling and Ahab rode off to Jezreel. ⁴⁶The power of the Lord came on Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

God puts all kinds of people in the right place at the right time for our good but ultimately for His glory to be seen and praised for who He is. Obadiah, a believer in God, was an administrator to an evil king. Elijah was a prophet who is walking the countryside, with God leading, declaring the Word of the Lord! Both are valuable and significant to God! God provided for both in miraculous ways as they trusted and obeyed His will. Both are heroes of the faith!

We all are called to be disciples who listen to God with expectant hearts, asking “what’s next, Papa” with a surrendered readiness to do God’s will. His ways are perfect. God’s ways are always perfect. The sooner we realize this truth about God the healthier of lives will be spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally as we grow in our intimate loving relationship with God. It begins with what is in our hearts.

Jesus provided this relationship. Jesus, was “the Word made flesh” who moved into the neighborhood of humanity to seek and to save the lost. Many who knew of God even called Jesus, Elijah! But they would soon learn that Jesus was much more than a prophet, Master Teacher, Healer, Miracle Worker—Jesus was, is and always will be King Jesus, our Savior—the Promise Kept and fulfilled! We worship God through Jesus Christ our Lord who reconciled us to God through His sacrifice for our sins. Pause to dwell in this thought. Take all they time you need—I am.

Not all of God’s servants are supposed to be in the public eye like Elijah and the other prophets. God has His servants in many places, doing the work He has called them to do. Over the centuries, countless thousands of believers have kept a low profile and yet made great contributions to the cause of Christ and the advancement of His kingdom. I’m thinking of all my beloved missionary friends who surrendered all for the cause of God—

“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16-17

Lord,

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

In Jesus Name, for Your glory, Amen

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Bible, elijah, Faith, God, Jesus | Leave a comment

NOW I KNOW THE TRUTH!

Posted on September 6, 2025 by randscallawayffm

These are the days of Elijah, Declaring the Word of the Lord

And these are the days of Your servant, Moses

Righteousness being restored

And though these are days of great trials, Of famine and darkness and sword

Still we are the voice in the desert crying, Prepare ye the way of the Lord!

(Composer Robin Mark 1995)

Imagine living in the days of Elijah where civil war between God’s chosen was the constant theme with the kings of both Israel and Judah making the choice to “do evil in the sight of the Lord” or to trust and obey God. Those who suffered most were the people caught in the crossfire, who lived without, poor and needy, with no way to make a living because of the fallout of war. Their daily lives were lived precariously “on alert,” not knowing who to believe and trust. Who will tell us the truth?, Was their heartcry.

Even now, I am reminded of the war going on now between Russia and Ukraine as well as the war in Israel today. This is not a political thought; only of the sadness over moms, dad, and children just trying to survive it all and maintain a living. At times, we might think God does not see what is going on, hear the cries for help, or simply does not care but realize this is exactly what the Enemy of God wants us to think. God has not given up His supreme authority over all He has created. God is always at work among a people He has bestowed free will to choose Him or the Enemy.

And these are the days of Ezekiel, The dry bones becoming as flesh

And these are the days of Your servant, David

Rebuilding a temple of praise

And these are the days of the harvest, The fields are as white in the world

And we are the laborers in Your vineyard, Declaring the Word of the Lord

In the days of Elijah, warring, arrogant kings have decided to worship idols. They will sacrifice all they have, even their own children, to Baal’s statue and to other godless idols of the day. The spoils of war by the kings and commanders are squandered on evil, detestable practices in dark places while the common people go hungry. But God has a plan—THE PLAN—Jesus who is the Way, Truth, and Life! The plan was in place since Adam and Eve, the first to fall from their pure relationship with God. Jesus is on His way.

Behold He comes, riding on the clouds, Shining like the sun, at the trumpet call

Lift your voice, it’s the year of Jubilee, And out of Zion’s hill salvation comes!

Keep this in mind as we read of “kings and kingdoms who will all pass away.” Focus in to magnify the works of God through His prophets who are sent to herald the coming of Christ who will redeem a repentant people! Miracles will happen to and through His prophets who boldly and relentlessly speak for God!

1 Kings 17

Elijah Announces a Great Drought

Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.”

Elijah Fed by Ravens

²Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah: ³“Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. ⁴You will drink from the brook, and I have directed the ravens to supply you with food there.”

⁵So he did what the Lord had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. ⁶The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.

Elijah and the Widow at Zarephath

⁷Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. ⁸Then the word of the Lord came to him: ⁹“Go at once to Zarephath in the region of Sidon and stay there. I have directed a widow there to supply you with food.” ¹⁰So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, “Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?” ¹¹As she was going to get it, he called, “And bring me, please, a piece of bread.”

¹²“As surely as the Lord your God lives,” she replied, “I don’t have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die.”

¹³Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. ¹⁴For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the land.’”

¹⁵She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. ¹⁶For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah.

¹⁷Some time later the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. He grew worse and worse, and finally stopped breathing. ¹⁸She said to Elijah, “What do you have against me, man of God? Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?”

¹⁹“Give me your son,” Elijah replied. He took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his bed. ²⁰Then he cried out to the Lord, “Lord my God, have you brought tragedy even on this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die?” ²¹Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried out to the Lord, “Lord my God, let this boy’s life return to him!”

²²The Lord heard Elijah’s cry, and the boy’s life returned to him, and he lived. ²³Elijah picked up the child and carried him down from the room into the house. He gave him to his mother and said, “Look, your son is alive!”

²⁴Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord from your mouth is the truth.”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW WILL WE RESPOND?

Elijah was the first of many important prophets God sent to warn Israel and Judah as the two kingdoms fell away from God. Israel especially needed these prophets because of an evil king and unfaithful priests. But there was remnant of faithful people, (there’s always a few), who still believe in the Living God who hears them. The poor widow was one of them. The widow demonstrated her faith by feeding the prophet with her last meal. Not only, we noticed that she gave Elijah a place, an upper room, to stay! Her devotion would later lead to her son being restored to life! After all, they had enough to eat! Yes, there’s no one like Jehovah!

It was the same in the days when Jesus walked the earth, many were tired, poor, oppressed by government and religious rule makers and breakers. They, too probably were wondering if God was hearing their cries for help. God heard before their prayers were fully formed and had an answer for whoever believed. God sent His Son to come and to seek the lost, tell them the Truth, redeem, and save all who would believe in Him. Their answer would be the same as the widow’s, “now, I know…” To all who believed, God gave the gift of eternal Life with Him! All repentant sins gone forever! That same Jesus sets us free when we bring all we are and all we have to Him for forgiveness and healing of all that is broken within us.

Surrender. Pray in faith believing that His will be done will always be His best for us. There’s no one like Jehovah God!

If you are still asking, but does God really care…read this story again! We serve the God who designed the universe and set our world in motion. But those hands that created all, even us in His own image, knows us by name, also bends down to wipe away the tears of the widow. And those hands will wipe away our tears as well. Tears come to me now, remembering how God healed my broken heart, removed my sins, turning my mess into a Message to proclaim His glorious works! He works continuously to shape me in ways to be used to help others who are searching for Truth! There’s no one like Jehovah!

Jesus Christ is not only bore our sins he still bears our sorrows. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted,” our Savior proclaims! (Matthew 5:4) He still wipes away the tears of all who are hurting. So, run to God, who calls us Friend, who sticks closer than a brother. Allow His gift of His Holy Spirit living in us to guide us to all that is truth!

In our “days of Elijah” of seeking Truth; we discover that the most important relationship we will ever have and must cling to is with Jesus Christ who is Truth. It is Jesus who demonstrated the love God has for us by dying for us, even before we repented. He is the One, the Only One, who gives us full access to the throne of God. His sacrifice was for the redemption of all the sins of the world! He took our place so that our debt of sin could be paid in full. It is not God’s desire to leave anyone left behind…to all who believe the gift of eternal life is given. There’s no god like Jehovah, indeed! Soon He’s coming back to claim His own!

“Behold He comes, riding on the clouds, Shining like the sun, at the trumpet call

Lift your voice, it’s the year of Jubilee, And out of Zion’s hill salvation comes!”

“He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:4

Come, Lord Jesus, Come…Now and forever, You are Jesus, King of kings and Lord of lords! Thank you, Father God. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Holy Spirit!

In Jesus Name, Yes, and Amen

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Bible, elijah, Faith, God, Jesus | Leave a comment

Daily Manna (Coffee with Jesus)

MIRACLES

HOW ABOUT ASKING GOD?

PASSING THE POWER

FIRE FROM HEAVEN? WOW!

TRUTH OR WHAT PLEASES YOU AS TRUTH?

THE PRICE OF A SOUL

GOD’S FAITHFULNESS AND LOVE ENDURES FOREVER!

GOD’S WHISPER

UNDER THE RADAR OR BOLD—BOTH WORK FOR GOD!

NOW I KNOW THE TRUTH!

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