LOVE AND GOD

Posted on May 6, 2022 by randscallawayffm

“The two most difficult things to get straight in life are love and God.  More often than not, the mess people make of their lives can be traced to failure or stupidity or meanness in one or both of these areas. 

The basic and biblical, believers in Jesus, conviction is that the two subjects are intricately related.  If we want to deal, (relate), with God the right way, we have to learn to love the right way.  If we want to love the right way, we have to deal with God the right ways.  God and love can’t be separated.  (Read that again.)

John’s three letters provide wonderfully explicit direction in how this works.  Jesus, the Messiah, is the focus:  Jesus provides the full and true understanding of God; Jesus shows us the mature working-out of love.  In Jesus, God and love are linked accurately, intricately and indissolubly.

But there are always people around who don’t want to be pinned down to the God Jesus reveals, to the love Jesus reveals.  They want to make up their own idea of God, make up their own style of love.  John was a pastor to a church (or churches) disrupted by some of these people.  In his letters we see him reestablishing the original and organic unity of God and love that comes to focus and becomes available to us in Jesus Christ.”  (Introduction by Eugene Peterson, The Message)

God IS Love.  Know God, talk and commune with Him, to begin to know and grow Love.  As we read, keep Jesus in focus as we look and recall all the actions of Jesus’ love as shown to people then and to us now.  I pray we grasp the pure love of God and hold on tight.  And let it begin today…

JOHN—LOVE AND GOD

1 John 1, The Message

1-2 From the very first day, we were there, taking it all in—we heard it with our own ears, saw it with our own eyes, verified it with our own hands. The Word of Life appeared right before our eyes; we saw it happen! And now we’re telling you in most sober prose that what we witnessed was, incredibly, this: The infinite Life of God himself took shape before us.

3-4 We saw it, we heard it, and now we’re telling you so you can experience it along with us, this experience of communion with the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ. Our motive for writing is simply this: We want you to enjoy this, too. Your joy will double our joy!

Walk in the Light

5 This, in essence, is the message we heard from Christ and are passing on to you: God is light, pure light; there’s not a trace of darkness in him.

6-7 If we claim that we experience a shared life with him and continue to stumble around in the dark, we’re obviously lying through our teeth—we’re not living what we claim. But if we walk in the light, God himself being the light, we also experience a shared life with one another, as the sacrificed blood of Jesus, God’s Son, purges all our sin.

8-10 If we claim that we’re free of sin, we’re only fooling ourselves. A claim like that is errant nonsense. On the other hand, if we admit our sins—simply come clean about them—he won’t let us down; he’ll be true to himself. He’ll forgive our sins and purge us of all wrongdoing. If we claim that we’ve never sinned, we out-and-out contradict God—make a liar out of him. A claim like that only shows off our ignorance of God.

STEPS TO TAKE WITH WHAT WE KNOW—

  • First, admit and confess our sins.
  • God loves us and forgives our sins because of Jesus who paid our debt of sin.  So, we love and forgive others who sin against us.
  • To know God is to know Love.  We love because He first loved us. 
  • God and Love cannot be separated.  To love like God, we cannot separate our lives in pieces by loving some and rejecting others with the love of God in us.  That is not His way to love.  That is human nature love which is fickle and unreliable.
  • To be in an intimate relationship with God, to be in communion with Him and His Son, we must love like He loves us—purely, holy, without conditions.
  • To walk with God is Love.  Love is the Light that guides us through the darkness of our world.  “…if we walk in the light, God himself being the light, we also experience a shared life with one another, as the sacrificed blood of Jesus, God’s Son, purges all our sin”. 

Lord,

You are indeed real, authentic Love.  You are the Love the world keeps searching for in all the wrong places.  But I found you.  You are my all in all.  My sins confessed gives new life just knowing your love for me.  Your Light and Love, Forgiveness and Grace, builds upon my belief and acceptance of what you did for me, dear Jesus.  You are my Hope.  You are Life.  You are Light in the dark and Love that is never ending.  Yes, help me to Love like you Love me.  A shared Love with You and others who believe in You is priceless.

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, Amen

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AND WE’RE WALKING…

Posted on May 5, 2022 by randscallawayffm

Tour guides crack me up!  As a former public school teacher who has experienced many field trips with students, the rehearsed prepared material given to tour guides, complete with lame jokes, that is embedded into their being is most times intriguing and educational.  But sometimes, if the person hasn’t really studied the script and goes off the script, the presentation is less than stellar.  I have experienced both.

I still enjoy a good tour with someone “in the know”.  I love the real stories of history—the struggles along with the achievements.  I love to walk where others walked and hear how they learned to live their lives as great contributors to our world’s needs. I also enjoy the tour guide who keeps us moving along so we don’t linger too long in one spot when there is so much to see and learn!  “And we’re walking…”

Peter is our tour guide of “The Last Days”.  I hear him moving us along in our faith and hope of Jesus’ return.  “And we’re walking…” in the knowledge of what we know now with spiritual hunger and thirst, deep in our souls, to know more.  Peter guides us through what he knows, from his point of reference…”as one who has been with Jesus”.  (See also Acts 4)

“When you least expect it, expect it” is what we tell others when playing a game of comeback.  But Peter is telling us no one will know, only God knows when Jesus will come back to claim His own.  But we do know this:  Jesus IS coming back.  Our tour guide of the last days is confident of this truth as told to him by Jesus, Himself.  Jesus is our hope of eternal life. Our Hope is coming when God says it is time. 

Why the wait?  Our tour guide has the answer: “He is restraining himself on account of you, holding back the End because he doesn’t want anyone lost. He’s giving everyone space and time to change.” 

And we’re walking…with God, in relationship with Him because of Jesus Christ, who brought us together, saving us from all sin. 

And we’re walking daily, “holding our minds in a state of undistracted attention” to Jesus.

And we’re walking, while “God is poised, ready to speak his word again, ready to give the signal for the judgment and destruction of the desecrating skeptics”.

And we’re walking until the unannounced announcement of Jesus’ return is announced!  We keep moving along in obedience to our Master Tour Guide.  Our tour on earth is brief and temporary.  This world is not our final destination.  Our walk with Jesus is forever.  And we’re walking…in the Light of His glory and grace!

“So, my dear friends, since this is what you have to look forward to, do your very best to be found living at your best, in purity and peace. Interpret our Master’s patient restraint for what it is: salvation. “

And we’re walking, growing in grace, watching for Jesus return!  Yes, and Amen!

PETER—THE ROCK

2 Peter 3, The Message

In the Last Days

3 1-2 My dear friends, this is now the second time I’ve written to you, both letters reminders to hold your minds in a state of undistracted attention. Keep in mind what the holy prophets said, and the command of our Master and Savior that was passed on by your apostles.

3-4 First off, you need to know that in the last days, mockers are going to have a heyday. Reducing everything to the level of their petty feelings, they’ll mock, “So what’s happened to the promise of his Coming? Our ancestors are dead and buried, and everything’s going on just as it has from the first day of creation. Nothing’s changed.”

5-7 They conveniently forget that long ago all the galaxies and this very planet were brought into existence out of watery chaos by God’s word. Then God’s word brought the chaos back in a flood that destroyed the world. The current galaxies and earth are fuel for the final fire. God is poised, ready to speak his word again, ready to give the signal for the judgment and destruction of the desecrating skeptics.

The Day the Sky Will Collapse

8-9 Don’t overlook the obvious here, friends. With God, one day is as good as a thousand years, a thousand years as a day. God isn’t late with his promise as some measure lateness. He is restraining himself on account of you, holding back the End because he doesn’t want anyone lost. He’s giving everyone space and time to change.

10 But when the Day of God’s Judgment does come, it will be unannounced, like a thief. The sky will collapse with a thunderous bang, everything disintegrating in a raging inferno, earth and all its works exposed to the scrutiny of Judgment.

11-13 Since everything here today might well be gone tomorrow, do you see how essential it is to live a holy life? Daily expect the Day of God, eager for its arrival. The galaxies will burn up and the elements melt down that day—but we’ll hardly notice. We’ll be looking the other way, ready for the promised new heavens and the promised new earth, all landscaped with righteousness.

* * *

14-16 So, my dear friends, since this is what you have to look forward to, do your very best to be found living at your best, in purity and peace. Interpret our Master’s patient restraint for what it is: salvation. Our good brother Paul, who was given much wisdom in these matters, refers to this in all his letters, and has written you essentially the same thing. Some things Paul writes are difficult to understand. Irresponsible people who don’t know what they are talking about twist them every which way. They do it to the rest of the Scriptures, too, destroying themselves as they do it.

17-18 But you, friends, are well-warned. Be on guard lest you lose your footing and get swept off your feet by these lawless and loose-talking teachers. Grow in grace and understanding of our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Glory to the Master, now and forever! Yes!

Thank you, Peter!  You are greatest tour guide of all! 

Lord,

Thank you for reminding us to keep walking, moving along, growing in our faith as we wait for you to come.  It is in the waiting that we are growing and learning.  It is in the waiting that we must be tour guides for others walking in wrong direction, away from the knowledge of You, the Truth.  Help us to point people to you! Keep me alert.  Help me to be on guard, recognizing and measuring your truth against all that is not.  Continue to teach and transform me.

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, Amen

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YOU GIVE LOVE A BAD NAME

Posted on May 4, 2022 by randscallawayffm

Shot through the heart
And you’re to blame
Darlin’, you give love a bad name

An angel’s smile is what you sell
You promise me Heaven, then put me through hell
Chains of love got a hold on me
When passion’s a prison, you can’t break free

Oh, you’re a loaded gun, yeah
Oh, there’s nowhere to run
No one can save me
The damage is done

Shot through the heart
And you’re to blame
You give love a bad name (bad name)
I play my part and you play your game
You give love a bad name (bad name)
Hey, you give love, a bad name …

This Bon Jovi song is playing in the background of my mind as I read our passage from Peter today!  You’ll understand as you read to the end…

As Peter describes leaders and “teachers” who are following their own desires for self-proclaimed power with real enjoyment in exploiting others to gain self-made riches, I am reeling at the frankness and passion in these words!  Peter pulls no punches and does not mince words!  He is warning us against those who would readily manipulate us, telling us what they think we want to hear, then coercing and provoking us to speak only to use our words, twisting the intent, while slandering us to others.  This egotistical power play is as old as creation.

When we work outside the home, in church, business, schools, trades and any other vocation you can think of, exploitation of others is used by many to get ahead.  It’s our sin nature from birth.  As believers, reborn to a new life, we need to watch out that we do not fall for it or fall into these practices.  If we do fall, we give Love and Truth a bad name to those who are seeking the Person of Truth, Jesus Christ.  The outcome of this behavior leads to hurt, disillusionment, broken hearts and troubled relationships.  The final outcome of manipulating, bullying and slandering each other breaks the heart of God and results in a broken relationship with him which leads to eventual death.  Yes, I know, it sounds harsh, but Peter tells us this is serious!

PETER—THE ROCK

2 Peter 2, The Message

Lying Religious Leaders

2 1-2 But there were also lying prophets among the people then, just as there will be lying religious teachers among you. They’ll smuggle in destructive divisions, pitting you against each other—biting the hand of the One who gave them a chance to have their lives back! They’ve put themselves on a fast downhill slide to destruction, but not before they recruit a crowd of mixed-up followers who can’t tell right from wrong.

2-3 They give the way of truth a bad name. They’re only out for themselves. They’ll say anything, anything, that sounds good to exploit you. They won’t, of course, get by with it. They’ll come to a bad end, for God has never just stood by and let that kind of thing go on.

4-5 God didn’t let the rebel angels off the hook, but jailed them in hell till Judgment Day. Neither did he let the ancient ungodly world off. He wiped it out with a flood, rescuing only eight people—Noah, the sole voice of righteousness, was one of them.

6-8 God decreed destruction for the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. A mound of ashes was all that was left—grim warning to anyone bent on an ungodly life. But that good man Lot, driven nearly out of his mind by the sexual filth and perversity, was rescued. Surrounded by moral rot day after day after day, that righteous man was in constant torment.

9 So God knows how to rescue the godly from evil trials. And he knows how to hold the feet of the wicked to the fire until Judgment Day.

Predators on the Prowl

10-11 God is especially incensed against these “teachers” who live by lust, addicted to a filthy existence. They despise interference from true authority, preferring to indulge in self-rule. Insolent egotists, they don’t hesitate to speak evil against the most splendid of creatures. Even angels, their superiors in every way, wouldn’t think of throwing their weight around like that, trying to slander others before God.

12-14 These people are nothing but brute beasts, born in the wild, predators on the prowl. In the very act of bringing down others with their ignorant blasphemies, they themselves will be brought down, losers in the end. Their evil will boomerang on them. They’re so despicable and addicted to pleasure that they indulge in wild parties, carousing in broad daylight. They’re obsessed with adultery, compulsive in sin, seducing every vulnerable soul they come upon. Their specialty is greed, and they’re experts at it. Dead souls!

15-16 They’ve left the main road and are directionless, having taken the way of Balaam, son of Beor, the prophet who turned profiteer, a connoisseur of evil. But Balaam was stopped in his wayward tracks: A dumb animal spoke in a human voice and prevented the prophet’s craziness.

17-19 There’s nothing to these people—they’re dried-up fountains, storm-scattered clouds, headed for a black hole in hell. They are loudmouths, full of hot air, but still they’re dangerous. Men and women who have recently escaped from a deviant life are most susceptible to their brand of seduction. They promise these newcomers freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption, for if they’re addicted to corruption—and they are—they’re enslaved.

20-22 If they’ve escaped from the slum of sin by experiencing our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ, and then slid back into that same old life again, they’re worse than if they had never left. Better not to have started out on the straight road to God than to start out and then turn back, repudiating the experience and the holy command. They prove the point of the proverbs, “A dog goes back to its own vomit” and “A scrubbed-up pig heads for the mud.”

Lord,

Thank you for opening my eyes and ears, keeping me alert to the seriousness of how we treat each other as leaders, teachers and followers as we profess to believe in you.  Never do I want to give Your Love and Truth a bad name!  Help me not to be a manipulator who twists words to suit the occasion or for my gain.  Help me to run from those who slander, lie, manipulate and use me for their evil game.  I have escaped from sin by your rescue more than once.  Thank you, thank you, thank you! There is no turning back from you, your love, mercy and grace.  Continue to keep me alert! 

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, Amen

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THE RELIABLE WITNESS

Posted on May 3, 2022 by randscallawayffm

In any event or scary happening, such as a car wreck or a robbery; most times, there are witnesses.  Some step forward and tell what they saw.  Some do not want to get involved for fear of personal safety.   Those in charge of our protection want to know what happened so they investigate. When I taught science, one of the teaching projects was learning to investigate crimes.  We learned that witnesses are not as reliable as one might think.  Physical evidence trumps witnesses in convicting a person for the crime—unless all the witnesses tell the same story.

The gospels are evidence of the Truth of Jesus Christ by their same story.  It might be told in ways that fit their unique personalities but the facts of who Jesus is and what He did on earth are the same.  The Prophets told what would happen before it happened.  Jesus fulfilled every detail of the prophets’ writings as written centuries before He came to earth on God’s mission to save us from sin.  So, the reliability rate for these witnesses is proven to be one hundred percent accurate.

Peter is an eye-witness.  He was called by Jesus to leave who and what he was behind to follow his new Master.  Peter then spent time walking and talking with Jesus daily for three years. He was educated with real life lessons that were amazing and miraculous to this once fisherman.  Peter had the distinct privilege of seeing Jesus be glorified on a mountain where Jesus was joined by two great men of the faith who came from heaven to encouraged Jesus in His mission.  If that wasn’t enough, Peter heard the Voice of God affirm Jesus to all who were standing or kneeling on that mountain that day! 

Peter was closer to Jesus than most disciples, requiring intense equipping by the Master.  Peter’s assignment as “the rock upon whom I will build my church” would be challenging but completely necessary to lead believers after Jesus ascended back to heaven.  Jesus saw Peter’s potential.  Peter saw, heard, felt the compassion of Christ, and learned from Him.

This eye-witness knew what he was talking about!  Peter passionately teaches what he learned from Jesus, while expectantly waiting on the Master’s return, with eternal joy, love and peace flowing from his heart along with the mind of Christ in him.  Nothing will stop what Peter was given to say and do from Jesus.  Aren’t we thankful for Peter?  This is a life changed by Jesus for our benefit generations later.

“So don’t lose a minute in building on what you’ve been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others. With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet…”  –Peter

PETER—THE ROCK

2 Peter 1, The Message

1-2 I, Simon Peter, am a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ. I write this to you whose experience with God is as life-changing as ours, all due to our God’s straight dealing and the intervention of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Grace and peace to you many times over as you deepen in your experience with God and Jesus, our Master.

Don’t Put It Off

3-4 Everything that goes into a life of pleasing God has been miraculously given to us by getting to know, personally and intimately, the One who invited us to God. The best invitation we ever received! We were also given absolutely terrific promises to pass on to you—your tickets to participation in the life of God after you turned your back on a world corrupted by lust.

5-9 So don’t lose a minute in building on what you’ve been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others. With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus. Without these qualities you can’t see what’s right before you, oblivious that your old sinful life has been wiped off the books.

10-11 So, friends, confirm God’s invitation to you, his choice of you. Don’t put it off; do it now. Do this, and you’ll have your life on a firm footing, the streets paved and the way wide open into the eternal kingdom of our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ.

The One Light in a Dark Time

12-15 Because the stakes are so high, even though you’re up-to-date on all this truth and practice it inside and out, I’m not going to let up for a minute in calling you to attention before it. This is the post to which I’ve been assigned—keeping you alert with frequent reminders—and I’m sticking to it as long as I live. I know that I’m to die soon; the Master has made that quite clear to me. And so I am especially eager that you have all this down in black and white so that after I die, you’ll have it for ready reference.

16-18 We weren’t, you know, just wishing on a star when we laid the facts out before you regarding the powerful return of our Master, Jesus Christ. We were there for the preview! We saw it with our own eyes: Jesus resplendent with light from God the Father as the voice of Majestic Glory spoke: “This is my Son, marked by my love, focus of all my delight.” We were there on the holy mountain with him. We heard the voice out of heaven with our very own ears.

19-21 We couldn’t be more sure of what we saw and heard—God’s glory, God’s voice. The prophetic Word was confirmed to us. You’ll do well to keep focusing on it. It’s the one light you have in a dark time as you wait for daybreak and the rising of the Morning Star in your hearts. The main thing to keep in mind here is that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of private opinion. And why? Because it’s not something concocted in the human heart. Prophecy resulted when the Holy Spirit prompted men and women to speak God’s Word.

Lord,

Focus my thoughts on you alone.  Help me to be a reliable witness to You!  I am sure, very sure, of who you are.  You have transformed my life.  You are indeed the ONE LIGHT in this dark world who guides us where we need to be.  I trust in You alone, dear Jesus.  Thank you for writing and speaking truth through me.  Your truth is all I seek.  May I be found in you as I wait for your return.  I love you, Lord with all my heart, mind and soul. Continue to grow your character traits in me.

In Jesus Name, Amen

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LEADERS AND FOLLOWERS

Posted on May 2, 2022 by randscallawayffm

“After breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?”

“Yes, Master, you know I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

He then asked a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?”

“Yes, Master, you know I love you.”

Jesus said, “Shepherd my sheep.”

Then he said it a third time: “Simon, son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was upset that he asked for the third time, “Do you love me?” so he answered, “Master, you know everything there is to know. You’ve got to know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. I’m telling you the very truth now: When you were young you dressed yourself and went wherever you wished, but when you get old you’ll have to stretch out your hands while someone else dresses you and takes you where you don’t want to go.” He said this to hint at the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. And then he commanded, “Follow me.”  John 21:15-19, The Message

Jesus showed up by the lake to make another appearance to His disciples after rising from death.  The disciples who knew how to fish where doing what they knew best—fishing.  Jesus appeared on the beach while they were out and had started a fire to cook some fish and bread for them.  Jesus served them breakfast after an early morning of fishing!  Jesus always knows what we need and when we need it!

From the boat, Peter is the one who recognizes him first and dives into the water to swim to His beloved Master.  After breakfast, Jesus takes Peter aside to “ordain” him into what Peter was created, molded, taught and shaped to be—a Shepherd of sheep—the “rock” upon whom Jesus would build the church.  But it begins with questioning Peter’s love.  “Do you love me”, asks Jesus.  He asks this question as many times as Peter once denied him.  Coincidence? 

He is being taught through the questioning so he knows the depth of his love for his Master, the One who has been his shepherd him for three years.  At the end of the “deep dive” by Jesus Himself with soul searching questioning, Jesus ended this time with simply “Follow Me.”  Jesus knows Peter’s heart.  But does Peter know his own heart?  Can Peter simply follow Jesus with all that is in him with his love for Jesus driving his behavior?

What a precious moment in time this must have been for Peter!  Although the questions perturbed Peter at first until he “caught on” to what Jesus was “fishing” for in the conversation, we know Peter caught the meaning because of his behavior displayed in his later leadership.  As Peter writes this letter to other Shepherds, we are sure he never forgot this private moment with His Master Shepherd who said, “Follow Me”.

Peter now teaches us how to follow Jesus with all that is in us with the love of Jesus guiding us.

PETER—THE ROCK

1 Peter 5, The Message  (Emphasis mine)

He’ll Promote You at the Right Time

1-3 I have a special concern for you church leaders. I know what it’s like to be a leader, in on Christ’s sufferings as well as the coming glory. Here’s my concern: that you care for God’s flock with all the diligence of a shepherd. Not because you have to, but because you want to please God. Not calculating what you can get out of it, but acting spontaneously. Not bossily telling others what to do, but tenderly showing them the way.

4-5 When God, who is the best shepherd of all, comes out in the open with his rule, he’ll see that you’ve done it right and commend you lavishly. And you who are younger must follow your leaders. But all of you, leaders and followers alike, are to be down to earth with each other, for—

God has had it with the proud,
But takes delight in just plain people.

6-7 So be content with who you are, and don’t put on airs. God’s strong hand is on you; he’ll promote you at the right time. Live carefree before God; he is most careful with you.

He Gets the Last Word

8-11 Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up. You’re not the only ones plunged into these hard times. It’s the same with Christians all over the world. So keep a firm grip on the faith. The suffering won’t last forever. It won’t be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ—eternal and glorious plans they are!—will have you put together and on your feet for good. He gets the last word; yes, he does.

12 I’m sending this brief letter to you by Silas, a most dependable brother. I have the highest regard for him.

I’ve written as urgently and accurately as I know how. This is God’s generous truth; embrace it with both arms!

13-14 The church in exile here with me—but not for a moment forgotten by God—wants to be remembered to you. Mark, who is like a son to me, says hello. Give holy hugs all around! Peace to you—to all who walk in Christ’s ways.

Jesus said, “Follow Me.”  Jesus taught Peter well.  The proof is in this letter. 

Lord,

Thank you for allowing us to see Peter’s story unfold as he grew in your love, mercy, and grace.  He messed up; you forgave.  You taught him how to shepherd by your example.  You taught him how to love like you.  Now he shows others how to keep it simple by simply following you.  You are our Master Shepherd who teaches us by gently leading us down the path that leads to Life everlasting.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  I will follow you.

In Jesus Name, Amen

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STOP THE NOISE—WE CAN’T THINK!

Posted on May 1, 2022 by randscallawayffm

When my cousins would come over for a family gathering, the level of noise from all of us talking at once, trying to get our own way in a game, or trying to imitate the wrestlers we saw on Saturday Night would cause our parents to finally shout, “Stop what you’re doing, be quiet for a while, we can’t hear ourselves think!”  I’m smiling and laughing recalling some of those times of “love” expressed.  As that precocious, onery child who had different thoughts and ideas than most people, I remember thinking; how can noise cause you to stop thinking?  I learned quickly not to always say my thoughts out loud for I had enough experience and training to know that would not go well for me.  Thinking and acting on that thinking was a learning process.

There was a man in Jesus group of followers who didn’t stop to think before blurting out whatever was on his mind.  When faced with a new situation, he thought he had all the answers and told everyone.  When faced with what could be trouble for the group, he “shot from the hip” which means to act first, think later.  His ego prompted rash behaviors and caused a lot of problems for the team as he walked with Jesus in all kinds of situations.  He even cut off the ear of a would-be attacker.  Once again, he did this without thinking through the consequences of his immediate response to trouble.  He got perturbed at Jesus’ questions when probed about the depth of his love for Jesus.  He said, “I will never leave you” to Jesus, then a few hours later, denied knowing Jesus not once, but three times! 

Why did Jesus keep this guy on the team?

Jesus knew that learning to be like Him is a process that does not happen overnight.  Jesus knew Peter’s heart.  Jesus also knew the potential in Peter to be the rock-solid leader of the entire group after He would ascend back to heaven after saving the world of sin—our sin and Peter’s sins.  So, Jesus was patient with Peter while He taught this man who needed extra grace.  Jesus forgave and restored Peter when Peter repented.  No one knows better than Peter, the writer in this very passage, that learning to think like Jesus is lifelong, committeed process. 

Stop listening to the noise of the world.  Listen to the Voice above all others clamoring for our attention and hear, really hear from the One and Only who loves us most and will forgive us of all sin.  Because of his relentless love for us, there is nothing that we have done that He will not forgive. Jesus will keep us on “his team” of followers while He teaches us to think more and more like Him. The peace of Christ dwells in us as we learn to think more like the One who saves us. 

Peter figured this out and became exactly who Jesus said he would be—all for God’s glory and for the building of his church—that would be us!

PETER—THE ROCK

1 Peter 4, The Message

Learn to Think Like Him

1-2 Since Jesus went through everything you’re going through and more, learn to think like him. Think of your sufferings as a weaning from that old sinful habit of always expecting to get your own way. Then you’ll be able to live out your days free to pursue what God wants instead of being tyrannized by what you want.

3-5 You’ve already put in your time in that God-ignorant way of life, partying night after night, a drunken and profligate life. Now it’s time to be done with it for good. Of course, your old friends don’t understand why you don’t join in with the old gang anymore. But you don’t have to give an account to them. They’re the ones who will be called on the carpet—and before God himself.

6 Listen to the Message. It was preached to those believers who are now dead, and yet even though they died (just as all people must), they will still get in on the life that God has given in Jesus.

7-11 Everything in the world is about to be wrapped up, so take nothing for granted. Stay wide-awake in prayer. Most of all, love each other as if your life depended on it. Love makes up for practically anything. Be quick to give a meal to the hungry, a bed to the homeless—cheerfully. Be generous with the different things God gave you, passing them around so all get in on it: if words, let it be God’s words; if help, let it be God’s hearty help. That way, God’s bright presence will be evident in everything through Jesus, and he’ll get all the credit as the One mighty in everything—encores to the end of time. Oh, yes!

Glory Just Around the Corner

12-13 Friends, when life gets really difficult, don’t jump to the conclusion that God isn’t on the job. Instead, be glad that you are in the very thick of what Christ experienced. This is a spiritual refining process, with glory just around the corner.

14-16 If you’re abused because of Christ, count yourself fortunate. It’s the Spirit of God and his glory in you that brought you to the notice of others. If they’re on you because you broke the law or disturbed the peace, that’s a different matter. But if it’s because you’re a Christian, don’t give it a second thought. Be proud of the distinguished status reflected in that name!

17-19 It’s judgment time for God’s own family. We’re first in line. If it starts with us, think what it’s going to be like for those who refuse God’s Message!

If good people barely make it,
What’s in store for the bad?

So if you find life difficult because you’re doing what God said, take it in stride. Trust him. He knows what he’s doing, and he’ll keep on doing it.

Be still and know that I am God.

Be still and know.

Be still.

Be.

Lord,

I trust in you alone for my salvation.  I trust in You to teach me to be all that you created me to be and then do.  I trust you to forgive me daily of lack of focus at times.  I trust you to love me forever.  Help me to think more and more like you so I will respond and act more and more like you in this world so people will see you in me.

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, Amen

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DELIGHTFUL DISPOSTION?

Posted on April 30, 2022 by randscallawayffm

Truth Bomb:  Who we are, what we do along with how we respond to difficulties matters to others who look to us in their efforts to do what is right and good. 

What a morning!!  My day as a mom, wife, teacher and coach began with the dog escaping from the backyard just before piling the kids into the car to get to our respective schools.  We chased down the dog, who was having great fun, and finally got him back to where he belonged.  I’m pretty sure he was laughing at us while getting all that attention.  But as for me, I was ticked.

Usually being early to school, I now rushed to my classroom to get all the materials ready and in place for the first graders who would soon come down the hallway.  What I didn’t prepare was my disposition.  I was still angry at the dog situation that occurred earlier.  My thoughts were making me disgruntled still.  The dog was to blame.  Running through the neighborhood yelling for the dog was to blame.  My own kids leaving the gate open were to blame.  It made my morning rushed not peaceful, stressful and full of dislike for the dog.

First graders came excitedly down the hallway expecting what they nearly always got—a smiling teacher who welcomed them with open arms at the door.  Because I was finishing the preparation for them, I was not at my “post” at the door.  Instead, they found me in the classroom.  They were met with a simple hello while my attention was on the resources. 

After a few minutes of settling in for the day, I noticed that snarly behavior was beginning to rise from my beloved first graders.  God told me why.  They were responding to what they saw and felt from me!  Ugh, I was ashamed at my own realization of a bad disposition.  I was corrected by God’s Holy Spirit in me.  Although humiliating, the correction was necessary.  A solution to the problem also came to me.

I stopped everything and shouted, “Do over!”  I told them that Mrs. Callaway had a bad morning before coming to school but they didn’t have to “catch” the illness of my own disappointment.  So, I told them we were going to begin this beautiful day all over again.  I told them to go out into the hallway and pretend that this never happened.  Surprised, but always up for something different, they dutifully went into the hallway.  I shut the door for a nano second and then opened it, stood in the doorway smiling and welcomed each student to a brand new day.  That changed everything! 

What a lesson I learned that day!  Who I am, my inner disposition, affects my behavior and the behavior of all those around me.  Do we want the best?  Then think and act the best!

So, what is best?  Ask this question:  Are my thoughts, attitudes, with resulting behavior beautiful, holy, humble, gracious and kind—or not?  If life isn’t going well around us, we must first look inside ourselves to examine what is radiating from our own being.

“Summing up: Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble. That goes for all of you, no exceptions. No retaliation. No sharp-tongued sarcasm. Instead, bless—that’s your job, to bless. You’ll be a blessing and also get a blessing.”  –Peter, the Rock

PETER—THE ROCK

1 Peter 3, The Message

Cultivate Inner Beauty

1-4 The same goes for you wives: Be good wives to your husbands, responsive to their needs. There are husbands who, indifferent as they are to any words about God, will be captivated by your life of holy beauty. What matters is not your outer appearance—the styling of your hair, the jewelry you wear, the cut of your clothes—but your inner disposition.

4-6 Cultivate inner beauty, the gentle, gracious kind that God delights in. The holy women of old were beautiful before God that way, and were good, loyal wives to their husbands. Sarah, for instance, taking care of Abraham, would address him as “my dear husband.” You’ll be true daughters of Sarah if you do the same, unanxious and unintimidated.

7 The same goes for you husbands: Be good husbands to your wives. Honor them, delight in them. As women they lack some of your advantages. But in the new life of God’s grace, you’re equals. Treat your wives, then, as equals so your prayers don’t run aground.

Suffering for Doing Good

8-12 Summing up: Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble. That goes for all of you, no exceptions. No retaliation. No sharp-tongued sarcasm. Instead, bless—that’s your job, to bless. You’ll be a blessing and also get a blessing.

Whoever wants to embrace life
    and see the day fill up with good,
Here’s what you do:
    Say nothing evil or hurtful;
Snub evil and cultivate good;
    run after peace for all you’re worth.
God looks on all this with approval,
    listening and responding well to what he’s asked;
But he turns his back
    on those who do evil things.

13-18 If with heart and soul you’re doing good, do you think you can be stopped? Even if you suffer for it, you’re still better off. Don’t give the opposition a second thought. Through thick and thin, keep your hearts at attention, in adoration before Christ, your Master. Be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks why you’re living the way you are, and always with the utmost courtesy. Keep a clear conscience before God so that when people throw mud at you, none of it will stick. They’ll end up realizing that they’re the ones who need a bath. It’s better to suffer for doing good, if that’s what God wants, than to be punished for doing bad. That’s what Christ did definitively: suffered because of others’ sins, the Righteous One for the unrighteous ones. He went through it all—was put to death and then made alive—to bring us to God.

19-22 He went and proclaimed God’s salvation to earlier generations who ended up in the prison of judgment because they wouldn’t listen. You know, even though God waited patiently all the days that Noah built his ship, only a few were saved then, eight to be exact—saved from the water by the water. The waters of baptism do that for you, not by washing away dirt from your skin but by presenting you through Jesus’ resurrection before God with a clear conscience. Jesus has the last word on everything and everyone, from angels to armies. He’s standing right alongside God, and what he says goes.

Lord,

Indeed, what you say goes for you have the last word on everything and everyone!  I’m not the judge, you are.  Thank you, Holy Spirit, for correcting me when my disposition reflects the opposite of who I really am in You.  Thank you for saving my soul, making me whole and holy before you.  Thank you for listening to me while I seek your voice above all other voices in this world.  Thank you for speaking to my heart.  Thank for being with me. Continue to teach and transform me, all of me, including my inner disposition, so nothing stands between our intimate relationship.

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, Amen

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BUILDING

Posted on April 29, 2022 by randscallawayffm

Randy and I enjoy creating new additions to our home and yard.  We love building new ways to display God’s beautiful creation of flowers and trees.  Our backyard has become a place of solace and peace when we finally take time to rest from the work.  When we can’t go outside, we plan what we can spruce up on the inside of our home.  In all of these projects we have learned many lessons of building details to achieve excellence in the outcome of what we dream and envision. 

We learn that all projects begin with measuring.  Measuring details are a must when trying to fit a new structure in an old place in an already established yard.  Will it fit?  Where is the best place to fit it in?  How will we line it up to be straight with the fence behind it?  Is the fence straight enough to use as a place to begin measuring?  How far out should it come?  All these questions and much more are part of the thought processes when constructing gardens or structures, right?

Last summer, we took on the challenge of erecting a new storage building. We wanted something to not merely store our yard stuff, but would be attractive enough to add to the yard’s beauty—not take away from it.  After studying how to do this, we learned that you must begin with a strong foundation before doing anything else.  That was the hardest work of all!  The foundation had to be dug deep into the ground beyond shifting dirt and mulch and be anchored to solid concrete corners to assure stability. 

The foundation had to be perfectly aligned or the rest of the pieces of this structure to be built would not fit into place.  Randy dug deep.  The foundation placement was measured many times to assure success.  He began by aligning the first corner.  Once the first corner is squared, we could line up the other corners to it.  When the foundation was set in place on solid ground, he began building one wall at time on the true measure of the solid foundation. 

We finished this project after a week of hard labor. Sometimes we had “do overs” and took apart what we thought was right but wasn’t.  That can be frustrating, but if you want it done right, you do it over.  All said and done, our building looks great and is attractive on the outside.  But will it withstand the high winds our Indiana storms can bring we wondered?  That was tested many times since then.  The building did not move.  In fact, we think it is more solid and trustworthy than our home!  We know what’s underneath and how the storage building was put together!

You can probably see where I’m going with this real story of hard work.  As we constructed the building, we were reminded of Peter’s teaching in this very passage we are reading and studying today.  (There’s a sermon in everything if you look for it!)  Peter gives us perfect, clearly stated directions for constructing lives built on Jesus.  Once we believe and follow Jesus, His Holy Spirit helps us build our lives as a place, a holy sanctuary, where God dwells.  This lifelong “project” of building our lives will take hard work and begins with a clean sweep of the old life, daily getting rid of all that is in us that is not God. 

Building Godly lives means aligning ourselves with Jesus Christ, the Cornerstone—the True Measure of structuring our lives into a holy place where we “grow up mature and whole in God”.  Jesus is Savior and Lord upon which all of life is measured excellently. Will there be “do-overs”?  Oh yes, friends, but God knows our imperfections and provides perfect forgiveness with ways to realign the construction.  These are the lessons we learn in the maturity process of building our lives for God.

PETER—THE ROCK

1 Peter 2, The Message

1-3 So clean house! Make a clean sweep of malice and pretense, envy and hurtful talk. You’ve had a taste of God. Now, like infants at the breast, drink deep of God’s pure kindness. Then you’ll grow up mature and whole in God.

The Stone

4-8 Welcome to the living Stone, the source of life. The workmen took one look and threw it out; God set it in the place of honor. Present yourselves as building stones for the construction of a sanctuary vibrant with life, in which you’ll serve as holy priests offering Christ-approved lives up to God. The Scriptures provide precedent:

Look! I’m setting a stone in Zion,
    a cornerstone in the place of honor.
Whoever trusts in this stone as a foundation
    will never have cause to regret it.

To you who trust him, he’s a Stone to be proud of, but to those who refuse to trust him,

The stone the workmen threw out
    is now the chief foundation stone.

For the untrusting it’s

. . . a stone to trip over,
    a boulder blocking the way.

They trip and fall because they refuse to obey, just as predicted.

9-10 But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God’s instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you—from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted.

* * *

11-12 Friends, this world is not your home, so don’t make yourselves cozy in it. Don’t indulge your ego at the expense of your soul. Live an exemplary life in your neighborhood so that your actions will refute their prejudices. Then they’ll be won over to God’s side and be there to join in the celebration when he arrives.

13-17 Make the Master proud of you by being good citizens. Respect the authorities, whatever their level; they are God’s emissaries for keeping order. It is God’s will that by doing good, you might cure the ignorance of the fools who think you’re a danger to society. Exercise your freedom by serving God, not by breaking the rules. Treat everyone you meet with dignity. Love your spiritual family. Revere God. Respect the government.

The Kind of Life He Lived

18-20 You who are servants, be good servants to your masters—not just to good masters, but also to bad ones. What counts is that you put up with it for God’s sake when you’re treated badly for no good reason. There’s no particular virtue in accepting punishment that you well deserve. But if you’re treated badly for good behavior and continue in spite of it to be a good servant, that is what counts with God.

21-25 This is the kind of life you’ve been invited into, the kind of life Christ lived. He suffered everything that came his way so you would know that it could be done, and also know how to do it, step-by-step.

He never did one thing wrong,
Not once said anything amiss.

They called him every name in the book and he said nothing back. He suffered in silence, content to let God set things right. He used his servant body to carry our sins to the Cross so we could be rid of sin, free to live the right way. His wounds became your healing. You were lost sheep with no idea who you were or where you were going. Now you’re named and kept for good by the Shepherd of your souls.

Lord,

I believe.  I want to build my life on the Solid Rock, aligned with the chief Cornerstone of my existence as a believer.  All my trust is in You.  All my hope is in You.  You are the True Measure of life with You.  I will measure my life against You alone and no one else.  I want to walk in your steps daily.  It is a harder, less traveled path, Lord, but I know whom I have believed.  I desire what you desire for me.  I want to walk in your ways, with your peace in all kinds of storms with your Light guiding my path.  You chose me.  I choose you.  You are God. Abide in me, for I know the paint is still wet on my construction!  You’re not finished with me yet!

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, Amen

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PETER—THE ROCK

Posted on April 28, 2022 by randscallawayffm

There was a huge ruckus in the church nursery caused by one little toddler who was telling all the other children what game they were going to play with how to play it.  If they didn’t comply, by command they had to go to the far corner of the room.  When this challenging child was picked up after services by the grandmother, the caregivers told of the child’s bad behavior.  Her reply was priceless.  “Yes, she has leadership potential all right!” 

There will always be someone in any group of gathered people, no matter what age, who will rise to the top with an inside motivation, good or bad, obnoxious or appealing, pushy or persuasive, that others in the group are drawn to and defer to as the “leader”. 

Peter, this rough and tumble fisherman, with little formal education, shoot from the hip problem solver, has leadership potential.  Jesus recognizes Peter for who he is and what this man can become.  Jesus knows his potential.  Jesus knows our potential.  When God formed us in the womb, Jesus was there.  Hold that thought as we begin a study of Peter through his letters to the church.  Read the gospels to explore the whole person of Peter, who gave up what he wanted to follow his leader, Jesus. There were many submissive lessons he had to learn before becoming who Jesus said he would be—The Rock.  Why The Rock?  Jesus told him where he was headed before he got there.

“Jesus came back, “God bless you, Simon, son of Jonah! You didn’t get that answer out of books or from teachers. My Father in heaven, God himself, let you in on this secret of who I really am. And now I’m going to tell you who you are, really are. You are Peter, a rock. This is the rock on which I will put together my church, a church so expansive with energy that not even the gates of hell will be able to keep it out.”  Matthew 17:17-18, Msg

Eugene Peterson helps us to understand even more about Peter in his introduction to Peter’s letters.  He writes;   

“Peter’s concise confession—“You are Messiah, the Christ”—focused  the faith of the disciples on Jesus as God among us, in person, carrying out the eternal work of salvation.  Peter seems to have been a natural leader, commanding the respect of his peers by sheer force of personality.  In every listing of Jesus’ disciples, Peter’s name is invariably first.”

“In the early church, his influence was enormous and acknowledge by all.  By virtue of his position, he was easily the most powerful figure in the Christian community.  And his energetic preaching, ardent prayer, bold healing, and wise direction confirmed the trust placed in him.”

“The way Peter handled himself in that position of power is even more impressive than the power itself.  He stayed out of the center, didn’t ‘wield’ power, maintained a scrupulous subordination to Jesus.  Given his charismatic personality and well-deserved position at the head, he could easily have taken over, using the prominence of his association with Jesus to promote himself.  That he didn’t do it, given the frequency with which spiritual leaders do exactly that, is impressive.  Peter is a breath of fresh air!”

“The two letters Peter wrote exhibit the qualities of Jesus that the Holy Spirit shaped in him:  a readiness to embrace suffering rather than prestige, a wisdom developed from experience and not imposed from a book, a humility that lacked nothing in vigor or imagination.  For what we know of the early stories of Peter, he had in him all the makings of a bully.  That he didn’t become a bully (and religious bullies are the worst kind) but rather the boldly confident and humbly self-effacing servant of Jesus Christ that we discern in theses letters, is a compelling witness to what he himself describes as ‘a brand-new life with everything to live for’.”

With brand new life thinking, breathe in a fresh breath of air provided by the Holy Spirit through the writings of Peter inspired by God, driven by Jesus in him.

PETER—THE ROCK

1 Peter 1, The Message

1-2 I, Peter, am an apostle on assignment by Jesus, the Messiah, writing to exiles scattered to the four winds. Not one is missing, not one forgotten. God the Father has his eye on each of you, and has determined by the work of the Spirit to keep you obedient through the sacrifice of Jesus. May everything good from God be yours!

A New Life

3-5 What a God we have! And how fortunate we are to have him, this Father of our Master Jesus! Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we’ve been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven—and the future starts now! God is keeping careful watch over us and the future. The Day is coming when you’ll have it all—life healed and whole.

6-7 I know how great this makes you feel, even though you have to put up with every kind of aggravation in the meantime. Pure gold put in the fire comes out of it proved pure; genuine faith put through this suffering comes out proved genuine. When Jesus wraps this all up, it’s your faith, not your gold, that God will have on display as evidence of his victory.

8-9 You never saw him, yet you love him. You still don’t see him, yet you trust him—with laughter and singing. Because you kept on believing, you’ll get what you’re looking forward to: total salvation.

10-12 The prophets who told us this was coming asked a lot of questions about this gift of life God was preparing. The Messiah’s Spirit let them in on some of it—that the Messiah would experience suffering, followed by glory. They clamored to know who and when. All they were told was that they were serving you, you who by orders from heaven have now heard for yourselves—through the Holy Spirit—the Message of those prophecies fulfilled. Do you realize how fortunate you are? Angels would have given anything to be in on this!

A Future in God

13-16 So roll up your sleeves, get your head in the game, be totally ready to receive the gift that’s coming when Jesus arrives. Don’t lazily slip back into those old grooves of evil, doing just what you feel like doing. You didn’t know any better then; you do now. As obedient children, let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God’s life, a life energetic and blazing with holiness. God said, “I am holy; you be holy.”

17 You call out to God for help and he helps—he’s a good Father that way. But don’t forget, he’s also a responsible Father, and won’t let you get by with sloppy living.

18-21 Your life is a journey you must travel with a deep consciousness of God. It cost God plenty to get you out of that dead-end, empty-headed life you grew up in. He paid with Christ’s sacred blood, you know. He died like an unblemished, sacrificial lamb. And this was no afterthought. Even though it has only lately—at the end of the ages—become public knowledge, God always knew he was going to do this for you. It’s because of this sacrificed Messiah, whom God then raised from the dead and glorified, that you trust God, that you know you have a future in God.

22-25 Now that you’ve cleaned up your lives by following the truth, love one another as if your lives depended on it. Your new life is not like your old life. Your old birth came from mortal sperm; your new birth comes from God’s living Word. Just think: a life conceived by God himself! That’s why the prophet said,

The old life is a grass life,
    its beauty as short-lived as wildflowers;
Grass dries up, flowers wilt,
    God’s Word goes on and on forever.

This is the Word that conceived the new life in you.

Lord,

I was that child that needed to be taught how to lay down what I want for what you want to do in and through me.  Continue to transform me to be all you created me to be.  You know me.  You see me better than I see myself.  Lead me—for I want to be led.  You are God. Only you are God.  I am not.  As long as I as live, here or there; I want to be led by You.  I worship You alone.  I trust in You alone.  You are the Rock I cling to in brand-new life living.

In Jesus Name, for Your Glory, Amen

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PANDEMIC WANDERINGS

Posted on April 27, 2022 by randscallawayffm

The world has experienced and is still experiencing a sickness of pandemic proportions.  Covid swept over the world like a sudden Tsunami, taking loved ones away from us.  No one seemed to be in control of it.  There was no end in sight for a long while.  It got political, as most things do, as men and women tried to “explain it”, jockey for position, seeking the image of power to profit from it.  But for those whose loved ones were dying in hospitals and couldn’t be with them while they were dying, most turned to God—finally.  Some waited until all hope was exhausted before turning to God.  Believers and non-believers questioned why God would allow this to happen.  Most true believers knew to go to God first and pray.  It was a “Job moment” in time when the pandemic was at it’s worst. 

As we read the last chapter of James, I am reflecting on this pandemic experience over the past couple of years and realize it isn’t quite over yet, but has been calmed down with medical solutions now available.  I observe how people have dealt with the this situation in their own lives.  I discover that all of our mental, emotional, spiritual, intellectual and physical abilities were tested.  And I ask, what did this pandemic reveal in us?  What needs to be healed so we can be made whole again from this experience? 

This last chapter of James has one verse that is most often quoted when teaching about prayer: “Are you hurting? Pray.” And we do pray.  But do we wait to pray until all human hope is lost, until something so great and so overwhelming happens that fear drives us to pray?  If we wait to pray until we are at the end of our human efforts, then we are missing out on God’s love, care, guidance and support for us that is available hourly, daily and forever! We are missing out on the most important, intimate, personal loving, real relationship we will ever have on this earth!    

When we read the book of Job, we learn that he was a very righteous man, but he had had to figure this out, too.  Job believed in God but he also believed he could handle life on his own.  Job’s lesson was that through good times and bad—God is God and we are not.  God is in control.  God loves us. God provides for us.  Good things do not elevate us to being God.  Bad things do always mean we are evil.  All things, good and bad, are in God’s hands to be used to grow and shape us, build us into all He created us to be.  At the end of Job’s lesson of testing He declared, “And yet will I trust Him”. 

Who do we fully trust?

The greatest pandemic of all has been going on since Adam and Eve fell to evil’s temptations to turn from God with evil’s suggestion for them to become God themselves.  These very thoughts and behaviors are what got Satan, the fallen angel, thrown out of heaven and banned from God’s presence.  We fall for evil when our own sin—unconfessed, separates us from God.  We think we can handle all of life on our own.  This futile effort is the sin of trying to be our own god. Being lost, turning from God to be our own god, is the real pandemic.  However, it is a sickness that can be healed.  “Are you sick? Pray”, writes James. 

The last verse, sometimes not emphasized, but of equal great importance tells us: “My dear friends, if you know people who have wandered off from God’s truth, don’t write them off. Go after them. Get them back and you will have rescued precious lives from destruction and prevented an epidemic of wandering away from God.” 

If our beloved family member had the symptoms of covid, we would rush them to the doctor to get help to heal them.  James tells us it is the same who those among our family and friends who have wandered off from God, “go after them”.  We will have rescued our precious loved ones from the pandemic of death and destruction forever. 

“Are you sick?  Pray.” 

Pray with ceasing.  Pray without giving up.  Yet, will I trust Him in my life to make me whole again.  Pray for your loved ones who are sick.

The rest of James outline clear symptoms of lives wandering away from God.  The prescription?  Jesus Christ.

JAMES—ACTIVE FAITH

James 5, The Message

Destroying Your Life from Within

1-3 And a final word to you arrogant rich: Take some lessons in lament. You’ll need buckets for the tears when the crash comes upon you. Your money is corrupt and your fine clothes stink. Your greedy luxuries are a cancer in your gut, destroying your life from within. You thought you were piling up wealth. What you’ve piled up is judgment.

4-6 All the workers you’ve exploited and cheated cry out for judgment. The groans of the workers you used and abused are a roar in the ears of the Master Avenger. You’ve looted the earth and lived it up. But all you’ll have to show for it is a fatter than usual corpse. In fact, what you’ve done is condemn and murder perfectly good persons, who stand there and take it.

* * *

7-8 Meanwhile, friends, wait patiently for the Master’s Arrival. You see farmers do this all the time, waiting for their valuable crops to mature, patiently letting the rain do its slow but sure work. Be patient like that. Stay steady and strong. The Master could arrive at any time.

9 Friends, don’t complain about each other. A far greater complaint could be lodged against you, you know. The Judge is standing just around the corner.

10-11 Take the old prophets as your mentors. They put up with anything, went through everything, and never once quit, all the time honoring God. What a gift life is to those who stay the course! You’ve heard, of course, of Job’s staying power, and you know how God brought it all together for him at the end. That’s because God cares, cares right down to the last detail.

12 And since you know that he cares, let your language show it. Don’t add words like “I swear to God” to your own words. Don’t show your impatience by concocting oaths to hurry up God. Just say yes or no. Just say what is true. That way, your language can’t be used against you.

Prayer to Be Reckoned With

13-15 Are you hurting? Pray. Do you feel great? Sing. Are you sick? Call the church leaders together to pray and anoint you with oil in the name of the Master. Believing-prayer will heal you, and Jesus will put you on your feet. And if you’ve sinned, you’ll be forgiven—healed inside and out.

16-18 Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed. The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with. Elijah, for instance, human just like us, prayed hard that it wouldn’t rain, and it didn’t—not a drop for three and a half years. Then he prayed that it would rain, and it did. The showers came and everything started growing again.

19-20 My dear friends, if you know people who have wandered off from God’s truth, don’t write them off. Go after them. Get them back and you will have rescued precious lives from destruction and prevented an epidemic of wandering away from God.

Lord,

You have used James writings to open my eyes to the real pandemic, the real hurt.  It is our own sins unconfessed.  We make excuses, seek riches and fame, wander away from you and complain and judge each other in the process.  When bad times come, we try everything in our power to avoid it instead of coming to you to grow us through it.  I confess of all my sin before you. I am not God.  All my trust in back where it needs to be—in You alone.  Only you are God.  I am not.  Grow me still, for yet will I trust and thank You.

In Jesus Name, Amen

And I’m singing…In Everything Give Him Thanks by Ron Kenoly

In everything give Him thanks, give Him thanks
In everything give Him thanks
In the good times praise His Name
In the bad times do the same
In everything give the King of Kings all the thanks

With all of the good things that came his way
It’s no wonder you could hear Job say
“The Lord giveth and He taketh away, so I’ll still give Him thanks”
But when the tables were all turned around
And all of Job’s wealth came crashing down
Job’s faith in God had taught him to say “I’ll still give Him thanks”

In the good times I’ll praise His name
In the bad times I’ll do the same
In everything I’ll give the King of Kings all the thanks


And in those dark hours when there’s no one around
And Satan tries to tell you that God has let you down
In every dark hour the best thing I have found
Is to give God the thanks
For He has never, He has never failed me yet
So why should I start now to worry or fret
In everything, in everything I won’t ever forget to give God the thanks
In everything give Him thanks, give Him thanks.
In everything give Him thanks. we’ve got to give Him thanks
In the good times praise His Name
In the bad times, church do the same
In everything give the King of Kings all the thanks

In my trials, and in my test
When I’ve tried and I know I’ve done my best
In everything I’ll give the King of Kings all the thanks

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