AND THE CHURCH PRAYED…

Posted on November 4, 2021 by randscallawayffm

We pray.  God acts.  If we as the “church” could really wrap our heads around this amazing way God acts in the lives of His beloved, we could, by God’s power in us, revolutionize the world’s thinking bent on everything but God.  When we pray as the church, united with each other and to God in whom we say we fully trust and believe, God acts in ways that are beyond our ask, beyond our thinking, beyond our wildest dreams and aspirations!  He is God!  We are not.

Paul, who also spent a lot of time in jail for preaching Christ writes to the church about how to pray while he prays for the church!

“…I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” (Ephesians 3:16-21, NIV)

Meanwhile back to God’s story…

The church gathered to pray for Peter at Mary’s house.  They were united in purposeful prayer…asking God to save Peter from death planned after the Passover holiday by King Herod.  Murder is power and popularity to Herod’s small-minded thinking.  But Peter, jailed and heavily guarded, slept like a baby before the day he was to die.  Peter, full of Jesus and His Holy Spirit living in him, has profound peace while he waits for execution.  And the church continued to pray…

“I can’t believe it—this really happened! The Master sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s vicious little production and the spectacle the Jewish mob was looking forward to.”  –Peter

Because the church is praying, God, who is able, does more than Peter and the church dream or imagine!  God sent an angel to break Peter out of jail quietly and peacefully.  Peter thought he was dreaming until he realized he was on the street!  Friends, don’t you love how God works?  I love this story of God’s actions! 

WHILE the church is praying, Peter knocks on the door of the church.  They don’t believe in the answer they have been praying for so they keep on praying and wondering. 

Oh Friends, do we do that sometimes?  While praying for the impossible to us, God is already at work answering but we don’t trust enough to realize that He is ALWAYS at work for us, not against us, and has already gone before us to answer?  There are times we need to look up from praying and see what God is doing!

Peter keeps knocking at Mary’s door, the answer to their prayers has arrived!  Finally, they let him in.  God acted on their behalf and the behalf of the growing church.  With God, nothing is impossible.  God has done more than they dreamed in ways that actually started their thinking.  God loves doing that, I think.  Yes, I KNOW He does!

Peter’s first words to the church are “settle down and go tell the brothers”.  In other words, get back to doing what God has assigned us to accomplish.  (Great Commission—Matthew 28)

Herod discovers the jailbreak and blames the guards.  “Off with their heads!” is his way of saving face.  Herod is so overwhelmed with it all, he goes on vacation.  That’s what humans do who do not know God or His power.  God had enough of Herod when he took all the credit for the food supplies from Judea.  As soon as the people praised Herod, God took over and struck him dead on his throne of lies and arrogance.  (Yes, quoting Elf and smiling.)  We do not and cannot, should not and could not take the place of God.  Only God is God and we are not—ever!

AND THE BEST PART OF ALL?

“Meanwhile, the ministry of God’s Word grew by leaps and bounds.”

And the church continued to pray and obey. God acted on behalf of His believing church built on the foundation of Jesus Christ, His Son.  Yes, and Amen! 

ACTS—God’s Acts through His Disciples

Acts 12, The Message

Peter Under Heavy Guard

1-4 That’s when King Herod got it into his head to go after some of the church members. He murdered James, John’s brother. When he saw how much it raised his popularity ratings with the Jews, he arrested Peter—all this during Passover Week, mind you—and had him thrown in jail, putting four squads of four soldiers each to guard him. He was planning a public lynching after Passover.

5 All the time that Peter was under heavy guard in the jailhouse, the church prayed for him most strenuously.

6 Then the time came for Herod to bring him out for the kill. That night, even though shackled to two soldiers, one on either side, Peter slept like a baby. And there were guards at the door keeping their eyes on the place. Herod was taking no chances!

7-9 Suddenly there was an angel at his side and light flooding the room. The angel shook Peter and got him up: “Hurry!” The handcuffs fell off his wrists. The angel said, “Get dressed. Put on your shoes.” Peter did it. Then, “Grab your coat and let’s get out of here.” Peter followed him, but didn’t believe it was really an angel—he thought he was dreaming.

10-11 Past the first guard and then the second, they came to the iron gate that led into the city. It swung open before them on its own, and they were out on the street, free as the breeze. At the first intersection the angel left him, going his own way. That’s when Peter realized it was no dream. “I can’t believe it—this really happened! The Master sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s vicious little production and the spectacle the Jewish mob was looking forward to.”

12-14 Still shaking his head, amazed, he went to Mary’s house, the Mary who was John Mark’s mother. The house was packed with praying friends. When he knocked on the door to the courtyard, a young woman named Rhoda came to see who it was. But when she recognized his voice—Peter’s voice!—she was so excited and eager to tell everyone Peter was there that she forgot to open the door and left him standing in the street.

15-16 But they wouldn’t believe her, dismissing her, dismissing her report. “You’re crazy,” they said. She stuck by her story, insisting. They still wouldn’t believe her and said, “It must be his angel.” All this time poor Peter was standing out in the street, knocking away.

16-17 Finally they opened up and saw him—and went wild! Peter put his hands up and calmed them down. He described how the Master had gotten him out of jail, then said, “Tell James and the brothers what’s happened.” He left them and went off to another place.

18-19 At daybreak the jail was in an uproar. “Where is Peter? What’s happened to Peter?” When Herod sent for him and they could neither produce him nor explain why not, he ordered their execution: “Off with their heads!” Fed up with Judea and Jews, he went for a vacation to Caesarea.

The Death of Herod

20-22 But things went from bad to worse for Herod. Now people from Tyre and Sidon put him on the warpath. But they got Blastus, King Herod’s right-hand man, to put in a good word for them and got a delegation together to iron things out. Because they were dependent on Judea for food supplies, they couldn’t afford to let this go on too long. On the day set for their meeting, Herod, robed in pomposity, took his place on the throne and regaled them with a lot of hot air. The people played their part to the hilt and shouted flatteries: “The voice of God! The voice of God!”

23 That was the last straw. God had had enough of Herod’s arrogance and sent an angel to strike him down. Herod had given God no credit for anything. Down he went. Rotten to the core, a maggoty old man if there ever was one, he died.

24 Meanwhile, the ministry of God’s Word grew by leaps and bounds.

25 Barnabas and Saul, once they had delivered the relief offering to the church in Jerusalem, went back to Antioch. This time they took John with them, the one they called Mark.

Oh Lord,

Thank you for this true story of your provisions and protection!  Thank you for allowing us to see your glory at work in the lives of the early church of believers in You.  Thank you never changing through the centuries in your power, love, mercy and grace.  Thank you for saving my soul and making me whole.  Thank you for all you have done, are doing and will do when your people pray in unity.  Help us to love like you love as we help people find and follow you.  To YOU be all the glory, honor and praise forevermore!

In Jesus Name, Amen

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IF GOD SAYS…

Posted on November 3, 2021 by randscallawayffm

God does not change in His love and mission for all who He has created.  It is we who must change to match what God wants in order to live a life of obedience to God.  It is even more than loving Him back, it is having a daily session of conversation where He talks and we listen.  We pray asking for wisdom and God gives it.  We confess and Jesus forgives us.  We speak words of praise and thanksgiving and God sees our hearts’ devotion for Him.  We ask in Jesus Name and God responds with more than we ask, more than we could hope, or imagine.  If God says—do it!  We will never regret the decision of following Him.

But Friends, WE must do the changing of our thinking and behaving in order to hear and obey quickly.  In our tradition of religion, we much change and be ready to rise above religious tradition to a deeper, wider, higher relationship with the One and Only who died and rose again for us, Our Master, Savior and Lord, Jesus. 

Our example is Jesus.  To be “Christ-like”, as believers in Christ which is what the original term, “Christian” meant, we much follow in what Jesus did and spoke. Jesus went to God before doing anything of significance.  Jesus asked God what He wanted then Jesus said it or did it.  He did nothing on earth without God’s direction.  (See John 5)  Who are we to think we can bypass God and assume our religion and tradition will carry us through this world unscathed?  We don’t stand a chance with the enemy, if at first, we do not go to God, praying in Jesus Name, listening to hear God ready to obey.  When God says to do or say something…do it!  God will give us the words at the right time in the right Spirit to those led by His Holy Spirit.  It is nothing short of amazing to live and walk in His Holy Spirit.

Peter, born and raised a Jew, is now faced with a dilemma.  God knew what He needed to do IN Peter so that those outside the Jewish religion and tradition could be brought to experience Jesus’ saving grace.  “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.” (John 3:16) God pointed out that if He said it, it’s okay to depart tradition to help others find and follow Jesus in relationship bringing all His creation back to Him.  Remember, Peter was trained by Jesus, Himself and is now more pliable to hear when God’s Spirit speaks. 

What must always be in Peter’s driven mind is Jesus’ last commissioning words of continuing the mission to “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.” (Matthew 28:19-20, NIV) Peter knew from Jesus that if God says…do it, it’s okay. 

Did Peter have an “ah-ha” moment in the vision remembering the “all nations” part of the commission?

It is important for us to stay in step with God’s Holy Spirit for when we do, amazing acts of God happen!  God broke through the barriers of religion, race, gender, and traditions to bring the “outsiders” into a loving relationship with Him, through His Son, Jesus, powered by His Holy Spirit.  Wow! 

Believe and be saved with all sins forgiven AND forgotten!  God’s powerful Holy Spirit comes to live in us, guide us, protect us, convict us of right and wrong ways to go (wisdom) and comforts and strengthens us.  Live a courageous life of “If God says…do it” kind of life.  This is a life of no regrets now and forever in relationship with the Father, God.  This is why Jesus died and rose again…so we could boldly come into the throne room of God and talk with Him daily.  This is the most important relationship we will ever have.  AND it is forever!

The news that Jesus is for all nations is spreading like wildfire!  Friends, take note of Barnabas, I love him.  I want to be like him.  He is so positive, encouraging and loving in His relationships with others.  Outsiders are readily welcomed as insiders…part of the whole Body of Christ!  THIS is the “church”.  A group of people with only one mission—to help all people find and follow Jesus.  The outsiders should only remain in that condition for seconds, guided to the inside of God’s love forever! 

It all began here…enjoy reading this passage as much as I did. If God says…, do it and be the church who follows His Holy Spirit’s direction!

ACTS—God’s acts through His Disciples

Acts 11, The Message

God Has Broken Through

1-3 The news traveled fast and in no time the leaders and friends back in Jerusalem heard about it—heard that the non-Jewish “outsiders” were now “in.” When Peter got back to Jerusalem, some of his old associates, concerned about circumcision, called him on the carpet: “What do you think you’re doing rubbing shoulders with that crowd, eating what is prohibited and ruining our good name?”

4-6 So Peter, starting from the beginning, laid it out for them step-by-step: “Recently I was in the town of Joppa praying. I fell into a trance and saw a vision: Something like a huge blanket, lowered by ropes at its four corners, came down out of heaven and settled on the ground in front of me. Milling around on the blanket were farm animals, wild animals, reptiles, birds—you name it, it was there. Fascinated, I took it all in.

7-10 “Then I heard a voice: ‘Go to it, Peter—kill and eat.’ I said, ‘Oh, no, Master. I’ve never so much as tasted food that wasn’t kosher.’ The voice spoke again: ‘If God says it’s okay, it’s okay.’ This happened three times, and then the blanket was pulled back up into the sky.

11-14 “Just then three men showed up at the house where I was staying, sent from Caesarea to get me. The Spirit told me to go with them, no questions asked. So I went with them, I and six friends, to the man who had sent for me. He told us how he had seen an angel right in his own house, real as his next-door neighbor, saying, ‘Send to Joppa and get Simon, the one they call Peter. He’ll tell you something that will save your life—in fact, you and everyone you care for.’

15-17 “So I started in, talking. Before I’d spoken half a dozen sentences, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as he did on us the first time. I remembered Jesus’ words: ‘John baptized with water; you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ So I ask you: If God gave the same exact gift to them as to us when we believed in the Master Jesus Christ, how could I object to God?”

18 Hearing it all laid out like that, they quieted down. And then, as it sank in, they started praising God. “It’s really happened! God has broken through to the other nations, opened them up to Life!”

19-21 Those who had been scattered by the persecution triggered by Stephen’s death traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, but they were still only speaking and dealing with their fellow Jews. Then some of the men from Cyprus and Cyrene who had come to Antioch started talking to Greeks, giving them the Message of the Master Jesus. God was pleased with what they were doing and put his stamp of approval on it—quite a number of the Greeks believed and turned to the Master.

22-24 When the church in Jerusalem got wind of this, they sent Barnabas to Antioch to check on things. As soon as he arrived, he saw that God was behind and in it all. He threw himself in with them, got behind them, urging them to stay with it the rest of their lives. He was a good man that way, enthusiastic and confident in the Holy Spirit’s ways. The community grew large and strong in the Master.

25-26 Then Barnabas went on to Tarsus to look for Saul. He found him and brought him back to Antioch. They were there a whole year, meeting with the church and teaching a lot of people. It was in Antioch that the disciples were for the first time called Christians.

27-30 It was about this same time that some prophets came to Antioch from Jerusalem. One of them named Agabus stood up one day and, prompted by the Spirit, warned that a severe famine was about to devastate the country. (The famine eventually came during the rule of Claudius.) So the disciples decided that each of them would send whatever they could to their fellow Christians in Judea to help out. They sent Barnabas and Saul to deliver the collection to the leaders in Jerusalem.

Lord,

I love you with all my heart, mind and soul.  I love how you love us back.  I love how you put us together to grow as the Body of Christ.  Thank you for changing our minds from the very beginnings of your church.  Help us to always remember that you play no favorites.  All you created are IN to receive your love, mercy and grace.  Help us to love like you love us.  Help us to help all people find and follow you.

In Jesus Name, Amen

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ALL WHO BELIEVE ARE SAVED—ALL!

Posted on November 1, 2021 by randscallawayffm

In any group of people in the corporate work world, among family members, among friends on a mission, when ALL people come together in unity, life changes.  It’s a better day when a mission is accomplished in unity of purpose.  Imagine pouring into this unity the power of the Holy Spirit!  When we live life for God, like Cornelius, we get God’s attention. 

I’m reminded of 2 Chronicles 16:9, (NLT) that shows what God is doing before He gives His assignments to people who love Him, “The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.”  God saw the Cornelius, focused on his heart and observed His behavior then gave him a specific assignment.  Bring Peter to your neighborhood.  Cornelius did just that.

Peter was listening to God, too when a vision came to prepare Peter’s heart to match God’s heart.  God plays no favorites.  “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.” (John 3:16) 

God is for all.  God created all.  God is in all who believe.  Jesus saves all who believe and repent of their sins.  God’s Holy Spirit enters into all who believe, respond and obey. 

Friends, I don’t know about you, but I’m praising God right now in tears because I am included in the “all”, what about you?

ACTS—God’s Acts through His Disciples

Acts 10, The Message (Emphasis in bold mine)

Peter’s Vision

1-3 There was a man named Cornelius who lived in Caesarea, captain of the Italian Guard stationed there. He was a thoroughly good man. He had led everyone in his house to live worshipfully before God, was always helping people in need, and had the habit of prayer. One day about three o’clock in the afternoon he had a vision. An angel of God, as real as his next-door neighbor, came in and said, “Cornelius.”

4-6 Cornelius stared hard, wondering if he was seeing things. Then he said, “What do you want, sir?”

The angel said, “Your prayers and neighborly acts have brought you to God’s attention. Here’s what you are to do. Send men to Joppa to get Simon, the one everyone calls Peter. He is staying with Simon the Tanner, whose house is down by the sea.”

7-8 As soon as the angel was gone, Cornelius called two servants and one particularly devout soldier from the guard. He went over with them in great detail everything that had just happened, and then sent them off to Joppa.

9-13 The next day as the three travelers were approaching the town, Peter went out on the balcony to pray. It was about noon. Peter got hungry and started thinking about lunch. While lunch was being prepared, he fell into a trance. He saw the skies open up. Something that looked like a huge blanket lowered by ropes at its four corners settled on the ground. Every kind of animal and reptile and bird you could think of was on it. Then a voice came: “Go to it, Peter—kill and eat.”

14 Peter said, “Oh, no, Lord. I’ve never so much as tasted food that was not kosher.”

15 The voice came a second time: “If God says it’s okay, it’s okay.”

16 This happened three times, and then the blanket was pulled back up into the skies.

17-20 As Peter, puzzled, sat there trying to figure out what it all meant, the men sent by Cornelius showed up at Simon’s front door. They called in, asking if there was a Simon, also called Peter, staying there. Peter, lost in thought, didn’t hear them, so the Spirit whispered to him, “Three men are knocking at the door looking for you. Get down there and go with them. Don’t ask any questions. I sent them to get you.”

21 Peter went down and said to the men, “I think I’m the man you’re looking for. What’s up?”

22-23 They said, “Captain Cornelius, a God-fearing man well-known for his fair play—ask any Jew in this part of the country—was commanded by a holy angel to get you and bring you to his house so he could hear what you had to say.” Peter invited them in and made them feel at home.

God Plays No Favorites

23-26 The next morning he got up and went with them. Some of his friends from Joppa went along. A day later they entered Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had his relatives and close friends waiting with him. The minute Peter came through the door, Cornelius was up on his feet greeting him—and then down on his face worshiping him! Peter pulled him up and said, “None of that—I’m a man and only a man, no different from you.”

27-29 Talking things over, they went on into the house, where Cornelius introduced Peter to everyone who had come. Peter addressed them, “You know, I’m sure that this is highly irregular. Jews just don’t do this—visit and relax with people of another race. But God has just shown me that no race is better than any other. So the minute I was sent for, I came, no questions asked. But now I’d like to know why you sent for me.”

30-32 Cornelius said, “Four days ago at about this time, midafternoon, I was home praying. Suddenly there was a man right in front of me, flooding the room with light. He said, ‘Cornelius, your daily prayers and neighborly acts have brought you to God’s attention. I want you to send to Joppa to get Simon, the one they call Peter. He’s staying with Simon the Tanner down by the sea.’

33 “So I did it—I sent for you. And you’ve been good enough to come. And now we’re all here in God’s presence, ready to listen to whatever the Master put in your heart to tell us.”

34-36 Peter fairly exploded with his good news: “It’s God’s own truth, nothing could be plainer: God plays no favorites! It makes no difference who you are or where you’re from—if you want God and are ready to do as he says, the door is open. The Message he sent to the children of Israel—that through Jesus Christ everything is being put together again—well, he’s doing it everywhere, among everyone.

37-38 “You know the story of what happened in Judea. It began in Galilee after John preached a total life-change. Then Jesus arrived from Nazareth, anointed by God with the Holy Spirit, ready for action. He went through the country helping people and healing everyone who was beaten down by the Devil. He was able to do all this because God was with him.

39-43 “And we saw it, saw it all, everything he did in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem where they killed him, hung him from a cross. But in three days God had him up, alive, and out where he could be seen. Not everyone saw him—he wasn’t put on public display. Witnesses had been carefully handpicked by God beforehand—us! We were the ones, there to eat and drink with him after he came back from the dead. He commissioned us to announce this in public, to bear solemn witness that he is in fact the One whom God destined as Judge of the living and dead. But we’re not alone in this. Our witness that he is the means to forgiveness of sins is backed up by the witness of all the prophets.”

44-46 No sooner were these words out of Peter’s mouth than the Holy Spirit came on the listeners. The believing Jews who had come with Peter couldn’t believe it, couldn’t believe that the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out on “outsider” non-Jews, but there it was—they heard them speaking in tongues, heard them praising God.

46-48 Then Peter said, “Do I hear any objections to baptizing these friends with water? They’ve received the Holy Spirit exactly as we did.” Hearing no objections, he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.

Then they asked Peter to stay on for a few days.

Lord,

Thank you for saving my soul and making me whole.  Thank you for your consistent teaching of who you are to all you created.  Thank you, dear Jesus.  Thank you, Holy Spirit, for correcting, nudging, helping, guiding and comforting me as you deem best for me at the right time and place.

In Jesus Name, Amen

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ALL BECAUSE OF GOD

Posted on October 30, 2021 by randscallawayffm

When all is done in the name of Jesus, with compassion for wanting the God’s best for others, with a pure, driven heart to do what Jesus taught while being led by His Holy Spirit—Miracles happen.  God acts in the lives whose hearts are completely His.  God does great and mighty works in the lives who believe in Him heart, mind and soul.  Focused hearts and minds are God’s tools through which He brings life.  This is what is happening through a fully dedicated Peter.

I am asking myself, how dedicated am I?  Do others believe in Jesus because of who we are and what we do in the Name of Jesus?  How driven and compassionate are we?  If we want God to act through us, and He still does, what is required of us?  I am reminded of what God told Micah.  God used Micah to explain to His people exactly what is required of us:

“O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” 

(Micah 6:8, NLT)

Peter, the one who was arrogant, impulsive, and shot from the hip before knowing and learning from Jesus is now the “rock” upon whom Jesus is building his church.  Peter walks humbly with God because of Jesus in Him.  God does amazing acts of mercy and grace through Peter.  Peter gives all glory to God and points people to Jesus, His Master.  Peter’s past selfish acts are gone so now God can act through him.  Jesus changes everything.  “When this became known all over Joppa, many put their trust in the Master.”

ACTS—God Acts through His Disciples

Acts 9:32-43, The Message

Tabitha

32-35 Peter went off on a mission to visit all the churches. In the course of his travels he arrived in Lydda and met with the believers there. He came across a man—his name was Aeneas—who had been in bed eight years paralyzed. Peter said, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and make your bed!” And he did it—jumped right out of bed. Everybody who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him walking around and woke up to the fact that God was alive and active among them.

36-37 Down the road a way in Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha, “Gazelle” in our language. She was well-known for doing good and helping out. During the time Peter was in the area she became sick and died. Her friends prepared her body for burial and put her in a cool room.

38-40 Some of the disciples had heard that Peter was visiting in nearby Lydda and sent two men to ask if he would be so kind as to come over. Peter got right up and went with them. They took him into the room where Tabitha’s body was laid out. Her old friends, most of them widows, were in the room mourning. They showed Peter pieces of clothing the Gazelle had made while she was with them. Peter put the widows all out of the room. He knelt and prayed. Then he spoke directly to the body: “Tabitha, get up.”

40-41 She opened her eyes. When she saw Peter, she sat up. He took her hand and helped her up. Then he called in the believers and widows, and presented her to them alive.

42-43 When this became known all over Joppa, many put their trust in the Master. Peter stayed on a long time in Joppa as a guest of Simon the Tanner.

THINK ABOUT IT

God is searching for those who hearts are completely His today…He always has and always will.  AND He will always be with those who love and walk with Him. 

“God is always on the alert, constantly on the lookout for people who are totally committed to him.”  2 Chronicles 16:9, The Message

How many hands are going up right now?

Lord,

Thank you for all you have done, are doing currently and all you will do in my life.  Thank you for how you act through me.  You are so amazing!  All glory, honor and praise to you.  May my life always point people to you.

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, Amen.  I believe.

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THE BASKET CASE

Posted on October 29, 2021 by randscallawayffm

If you work with any gathering or group of people, there will be one who seems different than the rest of the group.  You know the one.  Maybe you are the one.  The one who is different is deemed a “basket case”, someone to stay away from, gossip about, while not listening to them.  There is truth to what the basket case has done in their past that keeps you from going to near them.  But then Jesus changes everything in the one.  How is the changed life treated now?  Pretty much the same, because we are “don’t believe it ‘til we see it” kind of people.  We humanly judge and mistrust people by their past mistakes, not by their new transformational beginnings.  We people are funny like that.  Maybe we are all basket cases until Jesus comes along to change our minds, hearts and souls.  Jesus changes everything.

Saul, known as the zealous persecutor of the new believers in Jesus, who held the coats of those who stoned the beloved Stephen, has been changed by Jesus Christ.  Jesus met him on the way to inflicting more terrorism in Damascus.  Jesus stopped him cold with blindness, but with keen hearing Jesus sent him to his knees with, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?” Jesus changed everything in Saul’s thinking and believing.  This strong, driven, Jewish scholar who thought he was working for God, met His Son.  The Son, Jesus changes everything. 

God then acts through His Holy Spirit and sent Saul to be healed.  The healing happened through the hands of the Spirit-led believer, Ananias.  To be sure, Ananias was skeptic, no doubt, but Jesus changed him so he believed Jesus could change Saul, so he obeyed.  Saul came right into the “enemy’s camp” of believers he was charged with persecuting!  Instead, he found healing and salvation.  Jesus changes everything.

But, because of Saul’s past life of being a warlord of sorts with his gang of thugs who maimed and threw believers into jail, the “church”, the group who had also been changed by Jesus, were apprehensive to take him in as one of their own.  Can you blame them?  But, Jesus changes everything!  If it were not for Ananias, and later Barnabas, standing up for Saul, testifying about how Jesus changed Saul, he would not have a chance to fulfill his new mission to preach Jesus.  Saul became a basket case.

The new believers were afraid of Saul because of his past but most soon warmed up to him because they began to see what Jesus saw in Saul—drive, passion for the mission, untiring tenacity, and a never quit attitude.  Complacency was not in Saul’s vocabulary or DNA before or after salvation.  Take note, Jesus used Saul’s same abilities for persecution and used them to point people to Him, Jesus, Savior and Lord.  Yep, Jesus changes everything—even basket cases!

The heat was on in the community of believers.  There was one group who refused to accept Saul and his preaching, even though the preaching was about the One who saved them!  This group wanted to get rid of Saul as much as Saul, before Jesus, had wanted to get rid of them.  So, in the dark of night, those who now loved Saul and believed in what Jesus had done in him, put him in a basket and lowered him over the wall of the city.  This basket case was sent back to Jerusalem but the Hellenists didn’t believe the changes in Saul either.  So, the disciples, led by God’s Holy Spirit, got him out of town and shipped this basket case off to Tarsus. 

Yes, Friends, Jesus changes everything.  This “basket case” become a missionary and a church planter, beginning in Tarsus where he was exiled!  Everywhere Saul/Paul goes, Jesus is preached to Gentiles and Jews alike—which was the original commission as we recall from Jesus to his disciples…

“Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”  Matthew 19-20, NIV

We basket cases, saved by grace, will face opposition because of our past, our drive and our passion to preach only Jesus who changed everything about us.  We need to remember, like Saul, what others think about us doesn’t ultimately matter.  God sees the hearts of His created.  We merely preach Jesus who saved us.  We tell our testimony whether people believe it or not.  We are not driven by fear but by the Name of Jesus who gives us fearless confidence.  This is the secret, Saul/Paul will later write to the believers of new churches:

“God has given me the responsibility of serving his church by proclaiming his entire message to you. This message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to God’s people. For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.

So we tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us. We want to present them to God, perfect in their relationship to Christ. That’s why I work and struggle so hard, depending on Christ’s mighty power that works within me.”  Colossians 1:25-29, NLT (Emphasis mine)

Saul, the basket case, became Paul, the Apostle.  Same drive.  Different mission.  Jesus changes everything.

ACTS—God’s Acts through His Disciples

Acts 9:19-31, The Message

Plots Against Saul

19-21 Saul spent a few days getting acquainted with the Damascus disciples, but then went right to work, wasting no time, preaching in the meeting places that this Jesus was the Son of God. They were caught off guard by this and, not at all sure they could trust him, they kept saying, “Isn’t this the man who wreaked havoc in Jerusalem among the believers? And didn’t he come here to do the same thing—arrest us and drag us off to jail in Jerusalem for sentencing by the high priests?”

22 But their suspicions didn’t slow Saul down for even a minute. His momentum was up now and he plowed straight into the opposition, disarming the Damascus Jews and trying to show them that this Jesus was the Messiah.

23-25 After this had gone on quite a long time, some Jews conspired to kill him, but Saul got wind of it. They were watching the city gates around the clock so they could kill him. Then one night the disciples engineered his escape by lowering him over the wall in a basket.

26-27 Back in Jerusalem he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him. They didn’t trust him one bit. Then Barnabas took him under his wing. He introduced him to the apostles and stood up for him, told them how Saul had seen and spoken to the Master on the Damascus Road and how in Damascus itself he had laid his life on the line with his bold preaching in Jesus’ name.

28-30 After that he was accepted as one of them, going in and out of Jerusalem with no questions asked, uninhibited as he preached in the Master’s name. But then he ran afoul of a group called Hellenists—he had been engaged in a running argument with them—who plotted his murder. When his friends learned of the plot, they got him out of town, took him to Caesarea, and then shipped him off to Tarsus.

31 Things calmed down after that and the church had smooth sailing for a while. All over the country—Judea, Samaria, Galilee—the church grew. They were permeated with a deep sense of reverence for God. The Holy Spirit was with them, strengthening them. They prospered wonderfully.

ONE LAST THOUGHT…

When we basket case believers follow the Holy Spirit of God and give all we have to Jesus, life changes for ALL of us.  The closer we get to Jesus we cannot help but get closer to each other.  It’s impossible not to—try it physically.  Put someone in the middle of the room and tell others to put their hands on that person who represents Jesus.  Then look around, you are closer to each other than ever before!

THIS is church growth!  Read the last words of this passage again—slowly, prayerfully and thoughtfully… “All over the country—Judea, Samaria, Galilee—the church grew. They were permeated with a deep sense of reverence for God. The Holy Spirit was with them, strengthening them. They prospered wonderfully.” 

Yes, Jesus changes everything.  God acts through us.  Everything grows!

Lord,

Thank you for saving my soul and changing my life and the lives around me.

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, Amen.  Yes, I believe.

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FROM TERRORISM TO TESTIMONY

Posted on October 27, 2021 by randscallawayffm

THIS IS MY TESTIMONY

I saw satan fall like lightning
I saw darkness run for cover
But the miracle that I just can’t get over
My name is registered in heaven

I believe in signs and wonders
I have resurrection power
Still the miracle that I just can’t get over
My name is registered in heaven
My praise belongs to you forever

This is my testimony from death to life
Cause grace rewrote my story, I’ll testify
By Jesus Christ the Righteous
I’m justified
This is my testimony
This is my testimony

Come together sons and daughters
Bought with blood
And washed in water
Sing the praises of the Spirit
Son and Father
Our God will finish what He started
Our God will finish what He started

If I’m not dead, You’re not done
Greater things are still to come
Oh I believe

This is my testimony from death to life
Cause grace rewrote my story, I’ll testify
By Jesus Christ the Righteous
I’m justified
This is my testimony
This is my testimony

(Songwriters: Brandon Lake/Christopher Joel Brown/Steven Furtick/Tiffany Hammer)

This song of praise that testifies of a changed life plays in the background of our passage today.  We now come back to Saul, the chief priests’ credentialed leader of terrorism.  Remember Saul?  Saul is the one who held the coats of the men who stoned Stephen, “a man full of God’s Holy Spirit” who helped the widows of the new church be helped.  Saul, so intent on destroying, led other self-righteous terrorists in pulling these new believers in Jesus from their homes, beating them and throwing them into prison. Saul is out for blood.  Once a terrorist tastes blood, they only want more.  So Saul get permission and paperwork to go to Damascus from more blood!

Saul, this blood thirsty terrorist of all new believers in Jesus, is stopped cold right in the middle of his mayhem.  He meets The Master, Jesus Christ.  Jesus speaks directly to Saul, “Why do you persecute Me?”  This question alone brings new perspective to Saul’s thinking.  I’m reminded of Jesus’ words to his disciples, “Whatever you did to the least of these, you did for me…” (Matthew 25:40) in the parable of the sheep and goats.  Direct correlation? 

Saul, who zealously and relentlessly worked to stop the Jesus movement from spreading is literally brought to His knees in front of the Lamb of God whose shed blood saved the world from sin.  He is humbled by blindness for three days.  Saul no longer has a thirst for the blood of men, women and children who believe.  Saul now has a new zeal for Christ, the One and Only who saved him by His blood and gave him new life! 

It took three days of blindness so Saul could see clearly the new mission before him. 

We can almost hear Saul singing, “This is My Testimony”—”Grace rewrote my story” … 

ACTS—God’s Acts through His Disciples

Acts 9:1-19, The Message 

The Blinding of Saul—Part One

1-2 All this time Saul was breathing down the necks of the Master’s disciples, out for the kill. He went to the Chief Priest and got arrest warrants to take to the meeting places in Damascus so that if he found anyone there belonging to the Way, whether men or women, he could arrest them and bring them to Jerusalem.

3-4 He set off. When he got to the outskirts of Damascus, he was suddenly dazed by a blinding flash of light. As he fell to the ground, he heard a voice: “Saul, Saul, why are you out to get me?”

5-6 He said, “Who are you, Master?”

“I am Jesus, the One you’re hunting down. I want you to get up and enter the city. In the city you’ll be told what to do next.”

7-9 His companions stood there dumbstruck—they could hear the sound, but couldn’t see anyone—while Saul, picking himself up off the ground, found himself stone-blind. They had to take him by the hand and lead him into Damascus. He continued blind for three days. He ate nothing, drank nothing.

10 There was a disciple in Damascus by the name of Ananias. The Master spoke to him in a vision: “Ananias.”

“Yes, Master?” he answered.

11-12 “Get up and go over to Straight Avenue. Ask at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus. His name is Saul. He’s there praying. He has just had a dream in which he saw a man named Ananias enter the house and lay hands on him so he could see again.”

13-14 Ananias protested, “Master, you can’t be serious. Everybody’s talking about this man and the terrible things he’s been doing, his reign of terror against your people in Jerusalem! And now he’s shown up here with papers from the Chief Priest that give him license to do the same to us.”

15-16 But the Master said, “Don’t argue. Go! I have picked him as my personal representative to non-Jews and kings and Jews. And now I’m about to show him what he’s in for—the hard suffering that goes with this job.”

17-19 So Ananias went and found the house, placed his hands on blind Saul, and said, “Brother Saul, the Master sent me, the same Jesus you saw on your way here. He sent me so you could see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” No sooner were the words out of his mouth than something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes—he could see again! He got to his feet, was baptized, and sat down with them to a hearty meal.

WHAT WE LEARN…

This is only the beginning of a hard, but heaven bound road for Saul.  Saul’s whole being was changed by Jesus.  Jesus changed his mind, his heart and filled his dark soul with His Light!  Saul even gets a name change to Paul later in the story. 

Don’t miss the continuing saga of the testimony of Saul to Paul.  It is amazing to read about the acts of God and His Holy Spirit working through Paul, now a servant of Jesus Christ!

One of my favorite “testimony” scripture passages, knowing what we knew about Saul, written later by Paul to the church, is found in Philippians…

“The very credentials these people are waving around as something special, I’m tearing up and throwing out with the trash—along with everything else I used to take credit for. And why? Because of Christ. Yes, all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant—dog dung. I’ve dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by him. I didn’t want some petty, inferior brand of righteousness that comes from keeping a list of rules when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Christ—God’s righteousness.

I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him to death itself. If there was any way to get in on the resurrection from the dead, I wanted to do it.

I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back.”  Philippians 3:7-14, The Message

“This is my testimony”, Paul shouts through the words!  “And I’m not turning back!”

What is your testimony?  

Lord,

You have changed me, rearranged me and loved me unconditionally through it all the seasons of my life.  I’m not there yet, but I’m daily gaining ground.  I’m not turning back, for life with you is life beyond my wildest dreams.  There is no one like you, dear Jesus.  Thank you for saving my soul and refusing to let me go.

In Jesus Name, Amen 

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GOD’S TIMING, OUR OBEDIENCE, IS THE LIFE OF A DISCIPLE

Posted on October 26, 2021 by randscallawayffm

Jesus saves.  We do not.  Jesus died for our sins, for all the sins of the world.  We did not.  Jesus defeated death and rose again to life forevermore.  We have not—yet.  Jesus is preparing our forever home for all who believe.  Until Jesus comes back again to claim His own, God’s Son was given all authority to pass on His power to his disciples to tell His Story of Redemption as He commissioned them to GO and make disciples.  And Jesus was with them in Spirit always.  Jesus is with us now.  Always.

Before we dive into our passage for today, let’s revisit the command and words of the great commission Jesus bestowed on his disciples before He ascended to heaven:

“Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”  Matthew 28:18-20

Philip was one of those disciples.  An angel comes to Philip with God’s specific message of direction.  What did Philip do?  “He got up and went.”  That is the life of a sold-out disciple whose mission is to help others find and follow Jesus.  There is no bargaining with the angel, no questions asked, Philip just got up and went.  Philip doesn’t even know who he is to meet but he does know he is willing, watching for opportunity and waiting for God’s timing. 

God’s Holy Spirit, left as a gift as promised by Jesus, leads Philip to jump into the carriage of an Ethiopian who was reading from Isaiah.  Friends, can you picture Philip running alongside the chariot, out of breath, but led by the Spirit to ask the man if he needs help understanding what he is reading?  Maybe this was Philip’s way of getting the driver to slow the chariot down long enough to do what the Spirit told him to do.  Either way, God led.  Philip obeyed.  Philip was INVITED into the chariot to explain the gospel of Jesus.  God led.  Philip obeyed.  A new follower of Jesus now understood the Message, repented of his sins, was saved by grace and then baptized in the nearest stream.  Now this new convert can go back to his home to go, tell and make more disciples of Jesus!

The great commission lived out in the life of a disciple, a follower, of Jesus Christ.

ACTS—God’s Acts through His Disciples

Acts 8:26-40, The Message

The Ethiopian Eunuch

26-28 Later God’s angel spoke to Philip: “At noon today I want you to walk over to that desolate road that goes from Jerusalem down to Gaza.” He got up and went. He met an Ethiopian eunuch coming down the road. The eunuch had been on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and was returning to Ethiopia, where he was minister in charge of all the finances of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. He was riding in a chariot and reading the prophet Isaiah.

29-30 The Spirit told Philip, “Climb into the chariot.” Running up alongside, Philip heard the eunuch reading Isaiah and asked, “Do you understand what you’re reading?”

31-33 He answered, “How can I without some help?” and invited Philip into the chariot with him. The passage he was reading was this:

As a sheep led to slaughter,
    and quiet as a lamb being sheared,
He was silent, saying nothing.
    He was mocked and put down, never got a fair trial.
But who now can count his kin
    since he’s been taken from the earth?

34-35 The eunuch said, “Tell me, who is the prophet talking about: himself or some other?” Philip grabbed his chance. Using this passage as his text, he preached Jesus to him.

36-39 As they continued down the road, they came to a stream of water. The eunuch said, “Here’s water. Why can’t I be baptized?” He ordered the chariot to stop. They both went down to the water, and Philip baptized him on the spot. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of God suddenly took Philip off, and that was the last the eunuch saw of him. But he didn’t mind. He had what he’d come for and went on down the road as happy as he could be.

40 Philip showed up in Azotus and continued north, preaching the Message in all the villages along that route until he arrived at Caesarea.

THINK ABOUT IT…

Life with Jesus is an adventure to be sure!  The Spirit of God whisks Philip off to his next assignment, leaving a happy converted man who got what he came for—Jesus!  It’s all about Jesus, not us.  Obedience is easier when we realize it’s all about Jesus.

Willing, watching and waiting for God to act through us while He works in us will always be an adventure!  Following Jesus is a life of no regret.

Lord,

There is no one like You.  There is no one else I would rather be with, be led by and follow.  We cherish all you do in us and how you act through us.  We are grateful for your salvation.  You turn our messes into messages that help others find and follow you.  Your power is amazing!  You work in ways that are beyond our wildest dreams.  You provide opportunity to tell Your story.  Then you give us the words to say humbly and honestly.  It’s really not about us but our obedience to you.  Life is all about you.  Thank you for saving my soul and making me whole.  Thank for growing my faith and hope on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. 

“I dare not trust the sweetest frame, But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.” 

In Jesus Name, Amen. I believe.

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GOD CAN’T BE BOUGHT…OR SOLD!

Posted on October 25, 2021 by randscallawayffm

When we think we know all there is to know—we don’t.  When we think we have finally arrived—we haven’t.  Learning, growing, and maturing in our faith and trust in God never stops as long as we are alive on earth, bound for heaven.  When we invite Jesus Christ to truly “take the wheel”, He drives us to places we have never been before.  His Holy Spirit goes with us on this new journey that is filled with side trips that challenge us to grow in His character in ways we never imagined!  We also discover that we are consistently getting closer to Jesus as we let Him do all the driving.  We also discover that we love and relate better to each other on this road trip of love, mercy and grace!  

When we give all we are and all we have to Jesus, while letting go of the baggage we desperately cling to, we discover that all we needed was Jesus.  The closer we grow in our love for Jesus, we pack lighter and carry less on our journey with Him.  When we learn and apply what Jesus taught His disciples about God and His ways, we begin living our best life with Him as followers.  As we live this best life, we desire it for others, so we begin to tell The Story of Jesus’ saving grace.  This telling comes from a heart yielded to Christ and Holy Spirit led.  This knowing and growing cannot be bought or sold.  It is a gift from God.

“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.”  –Jesus (John 3:16) 

“’If you love me, keep my commands’. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.”  –Jesus  (John 14:15-17)

“All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” –Jesus (John 14:25-26) 

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” –Jesus (John 14:27)

NOT OF THIS WORLD

The world led by the Prince of Darkness barters, buys and sells trinkets, tricks and treasures that only satisfy for seconds.  Eternity living is not of this world. Simon the wizard soon learns the difference and begs for mercy and help to overcome his need for trickery and giving dazzling performances.  God cannot be bought or sold.  God gives…

“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.”  –Jesus (John 3:16) 

The sooner we wrap our minds, hearts and souls around this Gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, our Lord, the more we grow in gratitude for all God has done, is doing and will do forever!

The stoning of Stephen lit a wild fire of persecution, led by a zealous man named Saul.  He stood by and held the coats of the stoners.  This only brought on a “missionary movement” to outlying towns and districts.  Wherever the disciples and followers went the story of Jesus, Messiah was told. 

Then there was Simon, a Wizard of Oz character, that caused Philip to call in the “big guns” of authority, Peter and John.  Read on…

ACTS—God’s Acts through His Disciples

Acts 8:1-25, The Message

Simon the Wizard

1-2 That set off a terrific persecution of the church in Jerusalem. The believers were all scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. All, that is, but the apostles. Good and brave men buried Stephen, giving him a solemn funeral—not many dry eyes that day!

3-8 And Saul just went wild, devastating the church, entering house after house after house, dragging men and women off to jail. Forced to leave home base, the followers of Jesus all became missionaries. Wherever they were scattered, they preached the Message about Jesus. Going down to a Samaritan city, Philip proclaimed the Message of the Messiah. When the people heard what he had to say and saw the miracles, the clear signs of God’s action, they hung on his every word. Many who could neither stand nor walk were healed that day. The evil spirits protested loudly as they were sent on their way. And what joy in the city!

9-11 Previous to Philip’s arrival, a certain Simon had practiced magic in the city, posing as a famous man and dazzling all the Samaritans with his wizardry. He had them all, from little children to old men, eating out of his hand. They all thought he had supernatural powers, and called him “the Great Wizard.” He had been around a long time and everyone was more or less in awe of him.

12-13 But when Philip came to town announcing the news of God’s kingdom and proclaiming the name of Jesus Christ, they forgot Simon and were baptized, becoming believers right and left! Even Simon himself believed and was baptized. From that moment he was like Philip’s shadow, so fascinated with all the God-signs and miracles that he wouldn’t leave Philip’s side.

14-17 When the apostles in Jerusalem received the report that Samaria had accepted God’s Message, they sent Peter and John down to pray for them to receive the Holy Spirit. Up to this point they had only been baptized in the name of the Master Jesus; the Holy Spirit hadn’t yet fallen on them. Then the apostles laid their hands on them and they did receive the Holy Spirit.

18-19 When Simon saw that the apostles by merely laying on hands conferred the Spirit, he pulled out his money, excited, and said, “Sell me your secret! Show me how you did that! How much do you want? Name your price!”

20-23 Peter said, “To hell with your money! And you along with it. Why, that’s unthinkable—trying to buy God’s gift! You’ll never be part of what God is doing by striking bargains and offering bribes. Change your ways—and now! Ask the Master to forgive you for trying to use God to make money. I can see this is an old habit with you; you reek with money-lust.”

24 “Oh!” said Simon, “pray for me! Pray to the Master that nothing like that will ever happen to me!”

25 And with that, the apostles were on their way, continuing to witness and spread the Message of God’s salvation, preaching in every Samaritan town they passed through on their return to Jerusalem.

THINK FOR A MOMENT…

What do we learn and must avoid in living our best life with Jesus? 

“You’ll never be part of what God is doing by striking bargains and offering bribes”, Peter responds to Simon who wants to buy the “secret sauce” of the devote disciples.  There’s more to Peter’s words, but we get the picture.  We are even appalled and irritated at Simon who can’t seem to leave world thinking. 

However, do we try to strike bargains with God at times? 

“God, if you will do this, I will do what you want.” 

“If you will fix my finances, I will serve you more.”

Yikes!  Do we find we are too close to the world of Simon?  We must stay alert to the pull of the world and be drawn even closer to Christ.

Lord,

We pray for repentance of chasing after what is not good for us.  We repent of bargaining with you as if we had anything to top your gift of grace.  Let us be on our way with You in the lead today, proclaiming who you are—the God of forgiveness through Jesus Christ, Your Son.  Thank you for saving our souls.  Thank you for your consistent and continual teaching and correcting on our journey to grow in your character.  We’re not there yet!  Thank you for your patience.

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, Amen.  I believe. 

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WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY FOR YOURSELF?

Posted on October 23, 2021 by randscallawayffm

How many times did we hear our parents or teachers ask this of us after misbehaving?  As children, most reprimands began with questions like, “What were you thinking?” These and other popular questions asked upon rude and weird misbehaving are asked of children who really do not have the answers.  The problem is they weren’t thinking.  Children see what others are doing and mimic it in their way or simply act first with no thought to consequences.  They don’t plan, they just act without really realizing what might come next after doing the deed. 

“What do you have to say for yourself” is a question of reprimand more than a probing for real answers. As parents, we don’t really want an answer from our child, we want them to know how wrong the act was.  If caught “red-handed”, we are not really wanting them to give us a summation of what they will say in their defense.  We are ready to act as judge, jury and executioner.  As a teacher I learned that asking “Why?” is not really productive either.  Asking why was merely amusing to me as a first grade teacher as the child would make up a story of why but in the process would forget what they did wrong.  But the stories were interesting to say the least.

Now we come to the story of God performing great acts through a man called Stephen.  Stephen was one of those chosen from the followers of Jesus to lead food distribution fairly among the widows.  (Read Acts 6:5-6).  He was described as a trusted man, “a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit”.  We read that he was one of the first chosen for this audacious task. 

But then trouble arose among the jealous and envious of Stephen.  Stephen did what God wanted, “brimming with God’s grace and energy”.  If I were to say this does not happen in our churches today, I would be lying.  Satan is still at work using the same tireless, limited tools of gossip.  Gossip can kill the church if we allow it.  Many hard working, God loving people, brimming with God’s grace and energy are still struck down by evil’s tools that tempt us to look inside ourselves causing the sin of selfishness that gives birth to jealousy that grows into gossip.  Gossip tears down what God is doing in and through other people.  Gossip hinders the work of God.  Gossip kills those who succumb to it.

Stephen, who “had the face of an angel”, was stoned with rocks of hate, jealousy, envy, selfishness with gossiping men and women who twisted his words and belittled God’s work through him.  Evil gossip killed Stephen.

Gossip stills maims and kills followers today in churches built upon Jesus, God’s Son who loved us enough to die for our sins.  Gossip is one of those sins. 

“What do we have to say for ourselves?”

ACTS—God’s Acts through His Disciples

The Story of Stephen

Acts 6:8-15 – Acts 7, The Message

8-10 Stephen, brimming with God’s grace and energy, was doing wonderful things among the people, unmistakable signs that God was among them. But then some men from the meeting place whose membership was made up of freed slaves, Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and some others from Cilicia and Asia, went up against him trying to argue him down. But they were no match for his wisdom and spirit when he spoke.

11 So in secret they bribed men to lie: “We heard him cursing Moses and God.”

12-14 That stirred up the people, the religious leaders, and religion scholars. They grabbed Stephen and took him before the High Council. They put forward their bribed witnesses to testify: “This man talks nonstop against this Holy Place and God’s Law. We even heard him say that Jesus of Nazareth would tear this place down and throw out all the customs Moses gave us.”

15 As all those who sat on the High Council looked at Stephen, they found they couldn’t take their eyes off him—his face was like the face of an angel!

Stephen, Full of the Holy Spirit

7 Then the Chief Priest said, “What do you have to say for yourself?”

2-3 Stephen replied, “Friends, fathers, and brothers, the God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was still in Mesopotamia, before the move to Haran, and told him, ‘Leave your country and family and go to the land I’ll show you.’

4-7 “So he left the country of the Chaldees and moved to Haran. After the death of his father, he immigrated to this country where you now live, but God gave him nothing, not so much as a foothold. He did promise to give the country to him and his son later on, even though Abraham had no son at the time. God let him know that his offspring would move to an alien country where they would be enslaved and brutalized for four hundred years. ‘But,’ God said, ‘I will step in and take care of those slaveholders and bring my people out so they can worship me in this place.’

8 “Then he made a covenant with him and signed it in Abraham’s flesh by circumcision. When Abraham had his son Isaac, within eight days he reproduced the sign of circumcision in him. Isaac became father of Jacob, and Jacob father of twelve ‘fathers,’ each faithfully passing on the covenant sign.

9-10 “But then those ‘fathers,’ burning up with jealousy, sent Joseph off to Egypt as a slave. God was right there with him, though—he not only rescued him from all his troubles but brought him to the attention of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. He was so impressed with Joseph that he put him in charge of the whole country, including his own personal affairs.

11-15 “Later a famine descended on that entire region, stretching from Egypt to Canaan, bringing terrific hardship. Our hungry fathers looked high and low for food, but the cupboard was bare. Jacob heard there was food in Egypt and sent our fathers to scout it out. Having confirmed the report, they went back to Egypt a second time to get food. On that visit, Joseph revealed his true identity to his brothers and introduced the Jacob family to Pharaoh. Then Joseph sent for his father, Jacob, and everyone else in the family, seventy-five in all. That’s how the Jacob family got to Egypt.

15-16 “Jacob died, and our fathers after him. They were taken to Shechem and buried in the tomb for which Abraham paid a good price to the sons of Hamor.

17-19 “When the four hundred years were nearly up, the time God promised Abraham for deliverance, the population of our people in Egypt had become very large. And there was now a king over Egypt who had never heard of Joseph. He exploited our race mercilessly. He went so far as forcing us to abandon our newborn infants, exposing them to the elements to die a cruel death.

20-22 “In just such a time Moses was born, a most beautiful baby. He was hidden at home for three months. When he could be hidden no longer, he was put outside—and immediately rescued by Pharaoh’s daughter, who mothered him as her own son. Moses was educated in the best schools in Egypt. He was equally impressive as a thinker and an athlete.

23-26 “When he was forty years old, he wondered how everything was going with his Hebrew kin and went out to look things over. He saw an Egyptian abusing one of them and stepped in, avenging his underdog brother by knocking the Egyptian flat. He thought his brothers would be glad that he was on their side, and even see him as an instrument of God to deliver them. But they didn’t see it that way. The next day two of them were fighting and he tried to break it up, told them to shake hands and get along with each other: ‘Friends, you are brothers, why are you beating up on each other?’

27-29 “The one who had started the fight said, ‘Who put you in charge of us? Are you going to kill me like you killed that Egyptian yesterday?’ When Moses heard that, realizing that the word was out, he ran for his life and lived in exile over in Midian. During the years of exile, two sons were born to him.

30-32 “Forty years later, in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, an angel appeared to him in the guise of flames of a burning bush. Moses, not believing his eyes, went up to take a closer look. He heard God’s voice: ‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’ Frightened nearly out of his skin, Moses shut his eyes and turned away.

33-34 “God said, ‘Kneel and pray. You are in a holy place, on holy ground. I’ve seen the agony of my people in Egypt. I’ve heard their groans. I’ve come to help them. So get yourself ready; I’m sending you back to Egypt.’

35-39 “This is the same Moses whom they earlier rejected, saying, ‘Who put you in charge of us?’ This is the Moses that God, using the angel flaming in the burning bush, sent back as ruler and redeemer. He led them out of their slavery. He did wonderful things, setting up God-signs all through Egypt, down at the Red Sea, and out in the wilderness for forty years. This is the Moses who said to his congregation, ‘God will raise up a prophet just like me from your descendants.’ This is the Moses who stood between the angel speaking at Sinai and your fathers assembled in the wilderness and took the life-giving words given to him and handed them over to us, words our fathers would have nothing to do with.

39-41 “They craved the old Egyptian ways, whining to Aaron, ‘Make us gods we can see and follow. This Moses who got us out here miles from nowhere—who knows what’s happened to him!’ That was the time when they made a calf-idol, brought sacrifices to it, and congratulated each other on the wonderful religious program they had put together.

42-43 “God wasn’t at all pleased; but he let them do it their way, worship every new god that came down the pike—and live with the consequences, consequences described by the prophet Amos:

Did you bring me offerings of animals and grains
    those forty wilderness years, O Israel?
Hardly. You were too busy building shrines
    to war gods, to sex goddesses,
Worshiping them with all your might.
    That’s why I put you in exile in Babylon.

44-47 “And all this time our ancestors had a tent shrine for true worship, made to the exact specifications God provided Moses. They had it with them as they followed Joshua, when God cleared the land of pagans, and still had it right down to the time of David. David asked God for a permanent place for worship. But Solomon built it.

48-50 “Yet that doesn’t mean that Most High God lives in a building made by carpenters and masons. The prophet Isaiah put it well when he wrote,

“Heaven is my throne room;
    I rest my feet on earth.
So what kind of house
    will you build me?” says God.
“Where I can get away and relax?
    It’s already built, and I built it.”

51-53 “And you continue, so bullheaded! Calluses on your hearts, flaps on your ears! Deliberately ignoring the Holy Spirit, you’re just like your ancestors. Was there ever a prophet who didn’t get the same treatment? Your ancestors killed anyone who dared talk about the coming of the Just One. And you’ve kept up the family tradition—traitors and murderers, all of you. You had God’s Law handed to you by angels—gift-wrapped!—and you squandered it!”

54-56 At that point they went wild, a rioting mob of catcalls and whistles and invective. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, hardly noticed—he only had eyes for God, whom he saw in all his glory with Jesus standing at his side. He said, “Oh! I see heaven wide open and the Son of Man standing at God’s side!”

57-58 Yelling and hissing, the mob drowned him out. Now in full stampede, they dragged him out of town and pelted him with rocks. The ringleaders took off their coats and asked a young man named Saul to watch them.

59-60 As the rocks rained down, Stephen prayed, “Master Jesus, take my life.” Then he knelt down, praying loud enough for everyone to hear, “Master, don’t blame them for this sin”—his last words. Then he died.

Saul was right there, congratulating the killers.

THINK ABOUT IT…

Stephen did not defend himself to the gossipers but stayed focused on the history of God’s acts to His people.  Staying focused on God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit, Stephen’s accusers “were no match for his wisdom and spirit when he spoke”.  Stay focused on God, not the gossip.

Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, told the council what he knew, Truth–not what he didn’t know, gossip.  “As all those who sat on the High Council looked at Stephen, they found they couldn’t take their eyes off him—his face was like the face of an angel!”  No doubt!

Stephen told Truth keeping his eyes on Jesus.  “At that point they went wild, a rioting mob of catcalls and whistles and invective. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, hardly noticed—he only had eyes for God, whom he saw in all his glory with Jesus standing at his side. He said, “Oh! I see heaven wide open and the Son of Man standing at God’s side!”  In the midst of gossip and ridicule, focus on God and the voices fade in the background.  God needs no defense.  Stick to the Truth.  God is with us when we do.

Like Jesus on the cross prayed, “Forgive them for the know not what they do”, Stephen prays for his enemies.  Stephen knew The Law, the Story of God, passed down through the generations well, as he recites it without skipping a beat.  He also knew Fulfillment and Completion of God’s Law—namely Jesus, Son of God, Savior and Lord. 

Gossip may have killed the body but did not take the soul of Stephen.  The acts of God were not stopped.  Evil has limited power; only want we allow.  God is all power.  Tapping into the power of God is beyond our wildest thinking. 

A man named Saul held Stephen’s coat as he watched the stoning.  We will learn more about this young man called Saul later.  God acts in Saul.

Lord,

We are appalled by the twisted minds of jealous people which led to the stoning of your precious Stephen.  We are even more appalled by the enemy’s tools that are still used today to divide people, cause wars, drive hatred to the end result of murder.

No one is perfect but You, Lord.  You are the only reason, the only answer, that sets us free of these sins because of your work on the cross.  Today, help us not to return to our sin that holds us in bondage while hurting others around us.  Help us to run from the temptations that rain down on us daily.  Keep us close to you in prayer conversation and communion with you that withstands the devil’s stones of his character meant to mislead us and eventually kill.  Grow and mature your character traits in us.

And Lord, help us to run from gossip.  Words of gossip hurt as deeply as physical pain.  Words of hate last in our memory bank forever, it seems.  May the hurt be reminders of avoiding gossip at all cost.  Thank you, Lord for this lesson today.  We’re not there yet, so continue your transforming work in us.

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, Amen.  I believe.

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CALLED OF GOD, LED BY HIS SPIRIT

Posted on October 22, 2021 by randscallawayffm

When any group grows in number, most humans automatically begin to organize in ways to work smarter, not harder.  Our perfect God who created orderly systems in His perfectly working universe in highly intelligent, beyond our thinking, ways put this need to organize in our DNA.  It happens in every group I’ve been a part of or observed.  It happens in the animal world, too.  A leader emerges.  The group figures out quickly who is good at what task and then the work is divided and assigned.  Remember those study groups in college?  Good ones organized in this manner.  Groups floundered if they did not organize.  The unorganized, individualistic thinking group’s presentation to the class immediately showed their lack of skill in working together.  Individuals worked harder, groups work smarter.

I’ve seen this phenomenon demonstrated over the years as I observed large families successfully operate.  I am amazed at their tenacity and regimen.  I didn’t come from a large family so it was fun to watch every person do their task without thinking.  Parents instinctively knew that to survive, they must assign.  Older siblings take care of the younger siblings.  Younger siblings have their tasks to do until they grow and mature to take on more complex tasks.  But for sure, everyone has their place, their work to do, in the family. Leaders were built with servant attitudes in believing families.  It is a great study in family relationships to watch and learn.

The early church became a large family, outgrowing their primary ways of doing life.  Something had to be done in order for life to grow and mature in helping others know and follow Jesus.  If a few leaders do all the work, how will others God is calling be given a chance to grow into leadership?  God is indeed leading the thousands who have given their all to Him, believing in His Son, Jesus Christ who died for their sins and rose again with the promise of life eternal.  The acts of God are amazing!

God acts in the lives of those He has ordained.  God gives the new life believers the gift of organization.  His Holy Spirit teaches them how to work smarter, wiser, not harder while raising up leaders who will teach other leaders.  

Sound familiar?  Paul speaks of this to Timothy, his young protégé in 2 Timothy 2:2.  Read it to get a clear understanding of what God is building into the lives of His church body with Jesus as the foundation and the Head of it all.  Paul writes, “You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.”  Read the entire chapter and we understand what is going on in today’s passage as God acts through His disciples.

ACTS—God’s Acts through His Disciples

Acts 6:1-7, The Message

The Word of God Prospered

1-4 During this time, as the disciples were increasing in numbers by leaps and bounds, hard feelings developed among the Greek-speaking believers—“Hellenists”—toward the Hebrew-speaking believers because their widows were being discriminated against in the daily food lines. So the Twelve called a meeting of the disciples. They said, “It wouldn’t be right for us to abandon our responsibilities for preaching and teaching the Word of God to help with the care of the poor. So, friends, choose seven men from among you whom everyone trusts, men full of the Holy Spirit and good sense, and we’ll assign them this task. Meanwhile, we’ll stick to our assigned tasks of prayer and speaking God’s Word.”

5-6 The congregation thought this was a great idea. They went ahead and chose—

Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit,

Philip,

Procorus,

Nicanor,

Timon,

Parmenas,

Nicolas, a convert from Antioch.

Then they presented them to the apostles. Praying, the apostles laid on hands and commissioned them for their task.

7 The Word of God prospered. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased dramatically. Not least, a great many priests submitted themselves to the faith.

Lord,

Even the priests who had forgotten about you and joined in the crucifixion, came to real faith in You!  You are God and we are not.  Your acts are amazing!  We pray and You always act in ways that are best for us.  You know what we need before we know we need it.  You love us beyond our human way of thinking.  Help us to love like you love us—unconditionally, forgiving, full of mercy and grace.  Thank you for your gift of organizing so that we grow from the inside out and outside in.  Grow and mature as individuals and as your Body.

In Jesus Name, Amen

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