FOCUSED PRAYER

Posted on March 14, 2022 by randscallawayffm

We pray in thanks for the food, for our family, and rejoice for another day.  All prayers are heard but how are they received by God who knows our hearts?  Sometimes, like now, I wonder what God thinks when he hears our prayers said in the same way, with the same words, with a less than stellar attitude of expecting God to answer.  Are our words becoming routine and careless; words said “in vain with repetition”?  Jesus warned us about praying the same thing over and over without a lot of thought behind the words, not really expecting great revelations or responses from God, only words to say from memory and tradition.  Sometimes we pray and check Him off the list of to do’s for the day.  Yikes.

I’m reminded of the little girl who was asked to prayer at the table.  The room was in silence.  Everyone with heads bowed was wondering when the little girl would speak.  Finally, her father whispered to her, “we can’t hear you”, to which she replied, “I’m not talking to you.”  We laugh, but what if we really realized Who we are talking to?

Jesus told his curious disciples about praying when they asked Him.  Of course, this super teachable moment by the Master Teacher did not go unnoticed—as usual.  Jesus said;

“Here’s what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace.

“The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They’re full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don’t fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply. Like this:

Our Father in heaven,
Reveal who you are.
Set the world right;
Do what’s best—
    as above, so below.
Keep us alive with three square meals.
Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.
Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.
You’re in charge!
You can do anything you want!
You’re ablaze in beauty!
    Yes. Yes. Yes.

In prayer there is a connection between what God does and what you do.”–Jesus

Matthew 6:6-15, The Message

I am reminded of this passage in Matthew as we read Paul’s last words in his letter to the Colossian church.  He prays like Jesus taught.  He asks for others to join him in prayer in a very focused way.  Notice this prayer is not a litany of requests for physical wellness but a focused prayer for souls to be saved by Jesus! 

Focused prayer takes the attention from self to asking God for opportunities to tell His Story of Jesus who saves us from sins.  He prays specifically for help in three ways.  (Paul does this in all his letters, see Ephesians specifically).  If you want to get into a lost person’s life pray like Paul.  Lord, open the door, open their heart, and open my mouth. It is a prayer that God loves to answer!

COLOSSIANS—ONLY JESUS

Colossians 4, The Message

And masters, treat your servants considerately. Be fair with them. Don’t forget for a minute that you, too, serve a Master—God in heaven.

Pray for Open Doors

2-4 Pray diligently. Stay alert, with your eyes wide open in gratitude. Don’t forget to pray for us, that God will open doors for telling the mystery of Christ, even while I’m locked up in this jail. Pray that every time I open my mouth, I’ll be able to make Christ plain as day to them.

5-6 Use your heads as you live and work among outsiders. Don’t miss a trick. Make the most of every opportunity. Be gracious in your speech. The goal is to bring out the best in others in a conversation, not put them down, not cut them out.

7-9 My good friend Tychicus will tell you all about me. He’s a trusted minister and companion in the service of the Master. I’ve sent him to you so that you would know how things are with us, and so he could encourage you in your faith. And I’ve sent Onesimus with him. Onesimus is one of you, and has become such a trusted and dear brother! Together they’ll bring you up-to-date on everything that has been going on here.

10-11 Aristarchus, who is in jail here with me, sends greetings; also Mark, cousin of Barnabas (you received a letter regarding him; if he shows up, welcome him); and also Jesus, the one they call Justus. These are the only ones left from the old crowd who have stuck with me in working for God’s kingdom. Don’t think they haven’t been a big help!

12-13 Epaphras, who is one of you, says hello. What a trooper he has been! He’s been tireless in his prayers for you, praying that you’ll stand firm, mature and confident in everything God wants you to do. I’ve watched him closely, and can report on how hard he has worked for you and for those in Laodicea and Hierapolis.

14 Luke, good friend and physician, and Demas both send greetings.

15 Say hello to our friends in Laodicea; also to Nympha and the church that meets in her house.

16 After this letter has been read to you, make sure it gets read also in Laodicea. And get the letter that went to Laodicea and have it read to you.

17 And, oh, yes, tell Archippus, “Do your best in the job you received from the Master. Do your very best.”

18 I’m signing off in my own handwriting—Paul. Remember to pray for me in this jail. Grace be with you.

Lord,

I pray for open doors of opportunities to show your love and tell your story.  I pray for open hearts to hear your Truth. I pray that you open my mouth and speak your works of love, mercy and grace.  Help me to encourage today, not tear down another person who is seeking life to full. Help me to do my best for you.  I trust you, dear Jesus, to help us.

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, Amen

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JESUS GETS THE WHOLE PIE!

Posted on March 12, 2022 by randscallawayffm

It was a long time ago, deep in the woods, away from the world that we directed a youth camp for teens.  The guest speaker who delivered a message each evening was led by the Holy Spirit, followed His Word truthfully and delivered it in understandable ways.  But most of all, during the day, he displayed his love of Jesus in his behaviors while relating with the kids.  They loved him and were drawn to him because of his love for Jesus. Because of the love he had for them, he earned their attention to be heard.  That’s why I still remember this particular, blessed week.

I also remember a specific illustration he gave about pie!  Yes, PIE!  Do I have your attention now?  Who doesn’t love some kind of pie?  Pie is generally cut into enough pieces to be eaten and shared with others.  Moving on, the speaker talked about how each one of us is a pie.  He then took the students on a journey about how their pie is cut into many slices, given the daily activities of their existence.  He even used a chart to illustrate. 

One slice is waking up, hopefully cleaning up and eating breakfast.  One slice is going to school, then homework.  One slice might be an after-school job.  One slice is the relationship you might be building with someone that has your full attention at the moment.  One slice is what your parents give you to do.  One slice is church.  Some slices include extracurricular activities such as band, sports, music, etc.  Our lives are cut into many pieces, but we are only one pie.  So which piece of the pie do we give to Jesus?

Ah, the kids at camp thought they knew this answer and responded quickly with shouts of all kinds of answers such as, “when I wake up”, “the church piece—definitely the church piece.”  You’re all wrong, the speaker replied after they had exhausted all answers.  Jesus is your whole pie.  No matter what, Jesus gets the whole pie of our existence.  We serve Him ALL the slices of our pie for His pleasure.  He gets all of us, the best we can be, because HE lives in us who believe.  We please and delight Jesus when we do what He says, in His Name, for His glory, honor and praise.  Silence, then repentance followed.

Paul sums up what he said earlier in this chapter of Colossians to what the speaker told the students.  No matter who you are, what stage of life you are in, or what you do for a living, do ALL to honor the Master, Jesus Christ who died for our sins and rose again to give us life eternal.  Ultimately, we are serving Jesus Christ, who is our Savior AND The Lord of our lives.  Jesus is the whole pie of our existence!

COLOSSIANS—ONLY JESUS!

Colossians 3:18-25, The Message

18 Wives, understand and support your husbands by submitting to them in ways that honor the Master.

19 Husbands, go all out in love for your wives. Don’t take advantage of them.

20 Children, do what your parents tell you. This delights the Master no end.

21 Parents, don’t come down too hard on your children or you’ll crush their spirits.

22-25 Servants, do what you’re told by your earthly masters. And don’t just do the minimum that will get you by. Do your best. Work from the heart for your real Master, for God, confident that you’ll get paid in full when you come into your inheritance. Keep in mind always that the ultimate Master you’re serving is Christ. The sullen servant who does shoddy work will be held responsible. Being a follower of Jesus doesn’t cover up bad work.

Lord,

You remind us once more that you live in us to guide us in ALL the areas of our existence.  We have the opportunity and responsibility to respond by giving all our focus and attention to you.  Period.  You are my all in all.  You saved me and gave me life forever.  You desire your best in me as I give you all the pieces of my life.  Some of the pieces are broken, Lord, but you even take those and make something beautiful from them.  I’m grateful and humbled by all you are to me.  You alone deserve my whole pie.  Help me to please you in all I do every day of my life.

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, Amen

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IF YOU’RE SERIOUS …

Posted on March 11, 2022 by randscallawayffm

You have need of a painter.  What if you hired someone who advertised to be an expert painter because he told you he knew all there is to know about painting?  So, he comes to do exactly that—paint your house.  First of all, he doesn’t arrive at the time he says he will.  He pulls out what looks to be the right tools to do the work but he casts the tools aside and just grabs the first brush he sees and begins the work of painting your house.  You notice he is not painting with the color you ask for but he says not to worry because this will dry to the color you want.  Huh?

As he continues, you quickly realize that he seriously knows nothing about painting.  He didn’t clean the surface before painting, lay out drop cloths to protect other surfaces, or clean up spills.  Walking in the spilled paint, he tracks his footprints on your flooring.  You ask questions but he only responds with more lies about how he is the best you can find and how you won’t find anyone better than him.  He even begins to blame you for his mistakes saying your house was not meant to be painted in this way with this color.  What? 

You soon realize that he is not who he says he is.  He is not serious about doing the work and doesn’t care about who hired him.  He just wants to live and let live, eat his sandwiches and chips, cursing and grumbling about the work before him, while he slops paint all over your house, making your house look like a tornado of paint swept through and left a collage of gross colors in its path.

He was not a serious painter.  Question is, would you seriously hire him to come into your home and do a makeover?  Would you take any advice from him? Probably not.  His “cred” was destroyed because of his behavior.

Ooh, friends, Paul talks about our own “cred” and compels believers to seriously live this new resurrected life in Christ with Christ-like, approved behaviors.  He even tells us how to dress the part!  “… dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.”

SO, if we are serious—our behaviors (what we do) match our belief (who we are)!  As Jesus believers, our “cred”, who we say we are and belong to, is in Jesus alone.  “Your new life, which is your real life—even though invisible to spectators—is with Christ in God. He is your life.” 

Ah, I think I seriously get it!

COLOSSIANS—ONLY JESUS!

Colossians 3:  The Message

He Is Your Life

3 1-2 So if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that’s where the action is. See things from his perspective.

3-4 Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life—even though invisible to spectators—is with Christ in God. He is your life. When Christ (your real life, remember) shows up again on this earth, you’ll show up, too—the real you, the glorious you. Meanwhile, be content with obscurity, like Christ.

5-8 And that means killing off everything connected with that way of death: sexual promiscuity, impurity, lust, doing whatever you feel like whenever you feel like it, and grabbing whatever attracts your fancy. That’s a life shaped by things and feelings instead of by God. It’s because of this kind of thing that God is about to explode in anger. It wasn’t long ago that you were doing all that stuff and not knowing any better. But you know better now, so make sure it’s all gone for good: bad temper, irritability, meanness, profanity, dirty talk.

9-11 Don’t lie to one another. You’re done with that old life. It’s like a filthy set of ill-fitting clothes you’ve stripped off and put in the fire. Now you’re dressed in a new wardrobe. Every item of your new way of life is custom-made by the Creator, with his label on it. All the old fashions are now obsolete. Words like Jewish and non-Jewish, religious and irreligious, insider and outsider, uncivilized and uncouth, slave and free, mean nothing. From now on everyone is defined by Christ, everyone is included in Christ.

12-14 So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.

15-17 Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.

Seriously friends, let’s pause and give thanks to the One and Only who saved our souls, redeeming us from the punishment we deserve for our own sins. 

Now, let’s live it! 

Lord,

Thank you.  Help us not to return to the old life but to stay free from its grip on us.  Help us to live this Christ-in-us life, this new, slate clean, redeemed life with joy and peace!  God, grow us from the inside out and outside in so our behaviors, although not perfect, but perfectly forgiven, will be more and more in every way like Jesus who saved us.  We all still have a long way to go but you promised to be with us, helping us and for that we are grateful.  We live to please you.  We live to know you more.  May the depth of your love for us be our motivation to love others like you love us.  Love leads us.  You are Life.  You are Love.

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, Amen!

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LIVE JESUS!

Posted on March 10, 2022 by randscallawayffm

“I just love a good diet that restricts what I can eat and when I should eat it!”, said no one.  Ever.  We don’t like to be told what to do; but we catch ourselves listening and browsing social media with our easily distracted minds that tells us exactly what to do, what to be, when is best to do it, with where to do it.  Click bait news is consistently influencing us with what is best for us with opinions by the celebrity “experts”.  We are told we should do something about ourselves before someone finds out about all our imperfections and it’s too late to live life so others will be impressed and pleased.  At the same time, we are bombarded with the mixed messages of, “have it your own way”, “be in charge of your own life”.  Wait, what?  STOP these thoughts!  Get a grip!

It’s no wonder the world is confused with no point of reference from which to evaluate life with no guidance to what is real, relevant, and restorative for each of us.  Many fail, flounder and throw fits with no thought of healing. We cry out for a way out but we have been miserable so long it becomes our way of life.  Dear friends, this is exactly where the evil one wants us to be for, he can do his best work of destruction in us when we don’t know or live the Source of Life.

Paul is our counsel for today…read and be filled with the true Source of Life.  Then, Live Jesus!

COLOSSIANS—ONLY JESUS!

Colossians 2:6-23, The Message

From the Shadows to the Substance

6-7 My counsel for you is simple and straightforward: Just go ahead with what you’ve been given. You received Christ Jesus, the Master; now live him. You’re deeply rooted in him. You’re well constructed upon him. You know your way around the faith. Now do what you’ve been taught. School’s out; quit studying the subject and start living it! And let your living spill over into thanksgiving.

8-10 Watch out for people who try to dazzle you with big words and intellectual double-talk. They want to drag you off into endless arguments that never amount to anything. They spread their ideas through the empty traditions of human beings and the empty superstitions of spirit beings. But that’s not the way of Christ. Everything of God gets expressed in him, so you can see and hear him clearly. You don’t need a telescope, a microscope, or a horoscope to realize the fullness of Christ, and the emptiness of the universe without him. When you come to him, that fullness comes together for you, too. His power extends over everything.

11-15 Entering into this fullness is not something you figure out or achieve. It’s not a matter of being circumcised or keeping a long list of laws. No, you’re already in—insiders—not through some secretive initiation rite but rather through what Christ has already gone through for you, destroying the power of sin. If it’s an initiation ritual you’re after, you’ve already been through it by submitting to baptism. Going under the water was a burial of your old life; coming up out of it was a resurrection, God raising you from the dead as he did Christ. When you were stuck in your old sin-dead life, you were incapable of responding to God. God brought you alive—right along with Christ! Think of it! All sins forgiven, the slate wiped clean, that old arrest warrant canceled and nailed to Christ’s cross. He stripped all the spiritual tyrants in the universe of their sham authority at the Cross and marched them naked through the streets.

16-17 So don’t put up with anyone pressuring you in details of diet, worship services, or holy days. All those things are mere shadows cast before what was to come; the substance is Christ.

18-19 Don’t tolerate people who try to run your life, ordering you to bow and scrape, insisting that you join their obsession with angels and that you seek out visions. They’re a lot of hot air, that’s all they are. They’re completely out of touch with the source of life, Christ, who puts us together in one piece, whose very breath and blood flow through us. He is the Head and we are the body. We can grow up healthy in God only as he nourishes us.

20-23 So, then, if with Christ you’ve put all that puffed-up and childish religion behind you, why do you let yourselves be bullied by it? “Don’t touch this! Don’t taste that! Don’t go near this!” Do you think things that are here today and gone tomorrow are worth that kind of attention? Such things sound impressive if said in a deep enough voice. They even give the illusion of being pious and humble and austere. But they’re just another way of showing off, making yourselves look important.

WHAT DID WE JUST LEARN?

Jesus is THE Source of Life.  “…  the source of life, Christ, who puts us together in one piece, whose very breath and blood flow through us. He is the Head and we are the body. We can grow up healthy in God only as he nourishes us.

Jesus is The Way, Truth and Life forever.  (John 14:6) Our faith is rooted in His Truth.  LIVE like the redeemed in Christ—with joy, assurance, peace, abounding with His love in us—that NO ONE can take away from us!  No matter what is happening around us, live Jesus!

Jesus has redeemed us and there is no turning back.  We are saved forever with the hope of His return.  And he is coming back, you know!  “Think of it! All sins forgiven, the slate wiped clean, that old arrest warrant canceled and nailed to Christ’s cross.”

“School’s out; quit studying the subject and start living it!  Live Jesus!”

Lord,

Paul has given us good counsel, led by Your Holy Spirit in him.  The words are indeed simple and straightforward, not confusing like the world.  We know you, so we live in your ways.  We are saved by you so we now live with you in us.  Lord, help me to live you today in ways that bring others to your salvation.

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, Amen!

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TAPESTRY OF LOVE

Posted on March 9, 2022 by randscallawayffm

No matter how we live, we are woven into a tapestry of life with others. “No man is an island” is a famous quote used often in explaining isolationism as an unhealthy way to live and almost impossible.  But, where did this phrase originate?  “No man is an island” is taken from a 1642 sermon by the Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral. The Dean happened to be John Donne, a clergyman who now, almost four hundred years later, is regarded as one of the greatest English poets.

It is often assumed that “no man is an island” is from one of Donne’s poems: it’s ironic that though he is the author of some of the finest and most memorable verses in English poetry, this phrase, not from a poem, but a sermon, is the most famous quote from him.

Here is the full John Donne quote from his sermon:

“No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main; if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as any manner of thy friends or of thine own were; any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind. And therefore, never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.”

The words “No man is an island” were embedded in a deeply Christian sermon about how human beings are connected to each other, and how important that connection is for the wellbeing and survival of any individual. When you hear the church bell tolling for someone who has died, don’t ask who it is, Donne says, just know that it’s tolling for you too because you are part of the same society and the death of anyone takes a part of your own life away. 

The sermon is noted, not just for “no man is an island,” but also the phrase “for whom the bell tolls,” which was used by Ernest Hemingway as the title of his most famous novel.

Ah, now we get it—we’re all a part of the same tapestry, something much larger than ourselves alone. We are all woven into a one simple but yet complex and beautiful masterpiece.  But, what is most important to know and remember is WHO the weaver of this masterpiece is for only then will the tapestry make sense.

Paul explains… 

COLOSSIANS—ONLY JESUS!

Colossians 2:1-5, The Message

I want you to realize that I continue to work as hard as I know how for you, and also for the Christians over at Laodicea. Not many of you have met me face-to-face, but that doesn’t make any difference. Know that I’m on your side, right alongside you. You’re not in this alone.

2-4 I want you woven into a tapestry of love, in touch with everything there is to know of God. Then you will have minds confident and at rest, focused on Christ, God’s great mystery. All the richest treasures of wisdom and knowledge are embedded in that mystery and nowhere else. And we’ve been shown the mystery! I’m telling you this because I don’t want anyone leading you off on some wild-goose chase, after other so-called mysteries, or “the Secret.”

5 I’m a long way off, true, and you may never lay eyes on me, but believe me, I’m on your side, right beside you. I am delighted to hear of the careful and orderly ways you conduct your affairs, and impressed with the solid substance of your faith in Christ.

THINK ABOUT IT—

We are a part of a One masterpiece, woven into a tapestry of the love of Christ in us.

Each thread is tightly woven, coming alongside the other to form a work of art to be on display in God’s Kingdom.

Woven together we form the minds of the Weaver, Jesus Christ, who is creating the work. We are all a work in progress.  The work will not be complete until we see Him face to face.

“All the richest treasures of wisdom and knowledge” are embedded in the tapestry of knowing Jesus who is the source of unconditional love, mercy and grace. 

The tapestry begins and continues with faith in the Weaver, the solid substance of knowing, believing and following without seeing Him.  But we know He is there working in and through us to finish the work He started in all of us.

Lord,

Thank you. Thank you for saving my soul.  Thank you for saving the souls of all who come to you, confessing and repenting, believing and following, without seeing you now with the hope of seeing you later.  This tapestry you are weaving is indeed a masterpiece of everyone’s stories connected to Your Story of redemption!  How beautiful You are, Lord.  How beautiful is your work in us!  Continue your work in me. I will be flexible and pliable, listening and obeying, for I know your workr is best.  Help me to love others in the tapestry like you love me.  Thank you for weaving me into this great work of love forever with others.  Come alongside us as we come alongside each other.  I know you will.  I trust in you, dear Jesus.

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, Amen

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IT’S COMPLICATED?

Posted on March 8, 2022 by randscallawayffm

When asked about a new relationship, the young man replied, “It’s complicated.”  Then a lengthy explanation began with the details of this “complicated” relationship.  He did all he could, even putting his own agenda aside to gain her affection and attention.  He impressed her with unexpected gifts.  He focused on her every need because he loved her greatly.  But there were others who competed for her attention.  She was easily distracted and woefully needy.  When she felt he wasn’t paying enough attention, she would throw a fit until she got what she wanted.  But as soon as she received what she thought she wanted, she cast it aside as if it were filthy trash.  She saw what someone else had and demanded to have that, feeling that what they had would her happy.  It’s complicated.

Friends, we, as the church, the “bride of Christ”, are sometimes like the one being courted but never satisfied.  What should be very simple; we complicate because of our own selfishness.  We are easily distracted by a world who could care less about our real needs.  It this state of mind, the evil one has us right where he wants us—too busy, easily distracted, envious of others, jealous of others gifts and abilities, bitter when we don’t get our way which leads to being unkind, unloving and so very woefully needy and whiny.

Paul tells the Colossian church that they are a great example, “a case study”, of those who were once lost, without Christ, but now are found completely and relentlessly focused on the One and Only who died for their sins and rose again with resurrected power.  The secret?  Christ lives in them!  The believers now live for Him, accepting his love, abiding in His grace, joyfully expectant of what He will do in and through them! 

The relationship is no longer “complicated”, it is simple.  Jesus IN us, abiding in us and we in Him.  The relationship is deep and wide, expansive, more than we can imagine or think, and oh, so beautiful.  AND get this, the more our relationship grows and matures the less complicated it becomes!  Paul tells us;

“To be mature is to be basic. Christ! No more, no less. That’s what I’m working so hard at day after day, year after year, doing my best with the energy God so generously gives me.”

PAUSE, REFLECT AND PRAY—

Am I making my relationship complicated or keeping it simple? In what ways?

Is it really Christ alone or Christ fitting into what I have planned for my life?

“But now, by giving himself completely at the Cross, actually dying for you, Christ brought you over to God’s side and put your lives together, whole and holy in his presence. You don’t walk away from a gift like that! You stay grounded and steady in that bond of trust, constantly tuned in to the Message, careful not to be distracted or diverted. There is no other Message—just this one.

COLOSSIANS—ONLY JESUS!

Colossians 1:  The Message

Christ Holds It All Together

15-18 We look at this Son and see the God who cannot be seen. We look at this Son and see God’s original purpose in everything created. For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank after rank of angels—everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him. He was there before any of it came into existence and holds it all together right up to this moment.

And when it comes to the church, he organizes and holds it together, like a head does a body.

18-20 He was supreme in the beginning and—leading the resurrection parade—he is supreme in the end. From beginning to end he’s there, towering far above everything, everyone. So spacious is he, so expansive, that everything of God finds its proper place in him without crowding. Not only that, but all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe—people and things, animals and atoms—get properly fixed and fit together in vibrant harmonies, all because of his death, his blood that poured down from the cross.

21-23 You yourselves are a case study of what he does. At one time you all had your backs turned to God, thinking rebellious thoughts of him, giving him trouble every chance you got. But now, by giving himself completely at the Cross, actually dying for you, Christ brought you over to God’s side and put your lives together, whole and holy in his presence. You don’t walk away from a gift like that! You stay grounded and steady in that bond of trust, constantly tuned in to the Message, careful not to be distracted or diverted. There is no other Message—just this one. Every creature under heaven gets this same Message. I, Paul, am a messenger of this Message.

* * *

24-25 I want you to know how glad I am that it’s me sitting here in this jail and not you. There’s a lot of suffering to be entered into in this world—the kind of suffering Christ takes on. I welcome the chance to take my share in the church’s part of that suffering. When I became a servant in this church, I experienced this suffering as a sheer gift, God’s way of helping me serve you, laying out the whole truth.

26-29 This mystery has been kept in the dark for a long time, but now it’s out in the open. God wanted everyone, not just Jews, to know this rich and glorious secret inside and out, regardless of their background, regardless of their religious standing. The mystery in a nutshell is just this: Christ is in you, so therefore you can look forward to sharing in God’s glory. It’s that simple. That is the substance of our Message. We preach Christ, warning people not to add to the Message. We teach in a spirit of profound common sense so that we can bring each person to maturity. To be mature is to be basic. Christ! No more, no less. That’s what I’m working so hard at day after day, year after year, doing my best with the energy God so generously gives me.

Lord,

I repent of the complications I have thrown into our relationship.  I choose only You. Help me to mature even more in the simplicity of loving you with all my heart, mind and soul with loving others then like you love me.  Simple.  Keep it simple.  Lord, help me to keep it simple.  No more, no less, only You.  Undistracted.  You are my message of life.  You are Life to me.

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, Amen

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COLOSSIANS—ONLY JESUS!

Posted on March 7, 2022 by randscallawayffm

An introduction by Eugene Peterson—

“Hardly anyone who hears the full story of Jesus and learns the true facts of his life and teaching, crucifixion and resurrection, walks away with a shrug of the shoulders, dismissing him as unimportant.  People ignorant of the story or misinformed about it, of course, regularly dismiss him.  But with few exceptions, the others know instinctively that they are dealing with a most remarkable greatness.”

“But it is quite common for those who consider him truly important to include others who seem to be equally important in his company—Buddha, Moses, Socrates, and Muhammad for a historical start, along with some personal favorites.  For these people, Jesus is important, but not central, his prestige is considerable, but he is not preeminent.”

“The Christians in the town of Colosse, or at least some of them, seem to have been taking this line.  For them, cosmic forces of one sort or another were getting equal billing with Jesus.  Paul writes to them in an attempt to restore Jesus, the Messiah, to the CENTER of their lives.”

“The way he makes his argument is as significant as the argument he makes.  Claim for the uniqueness of Jesus are common enough.  But such claims about Jesus are frequently made with an arrogance that is completely incompatible with Jesus himself.  Sometimes the claims are enforced with violence.”

“But Paul, although unswervingly confident in the conviction that Christ occupies the center of creation and salvation without peers, is not arrogant.  And he is not violent.  He argues from a position of rooted humility.  He writes with the energies of most considerate love.  He exhibits again what Christians have come to appreciate so much in Paul—the wedding of a brilliant and uncompromising intellect with a heart that is warmly and wonderfully kind.”

As we read Paul’s letter to the Colossians, pray that Jesus Christ be the center of all our thinking.  If he is, we will learn and grow, maturing on his love because of his mercy and grace.  With Jesus in the center of our being, we will become more and more like Him in every way.  This is what is pleasing to God.

Colossians 1:1-14, The Message

1-2 I, Paul, have been sent on special assignment by Christ as part of God’s master plan. Together with my friend Timothy, I greet the Christians and stalwart followers of Christ who live in Colosse. May everything good from God our Father be yours!

Working in His Orchard

3-5 Our prayers for you are always spilling over into thanksgivings. We can’t quit thanking God our Father and Jesus our Messiah for you! We keep getting reports on your steady faith in Christ, our Jesus, and the love you continuously extend to all Christians. The lines of purpose in your lives never grow slack, tightly tied as they are to your future in heaven, kept taut by hope.

5-8 The Message is as true among you today as when you first heard it. It doesn’t diminish or weaken over time. It’s the same all over the world. The Message bears fruit and gets larger and stronger, just as it has in you. From the very first day you heard and recognized the truth of what God is doing, you’ve been hungry for more. It’s as vigorous in you now as when you learned it from our friend and close associate Epaphras. He is one reliable worker for Christ! I could always depend on him. He’s the one who told us how thoroughly love had been worked into your lives by the Spirit.

9-12 Be assured that from the first day we heard of you, we haven’t stopped praying for you, asking God to give you wise minds and spirits attuned to his will, and so acquire a thorough understanding of the ways in which God works. We pray that you’ll live well for the Master, making him proud of you as you work hard in his orchard. As you learn more and more how God works, you will learn how to do your work. We pray that you’ll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul—not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength God gives. It is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, thanking the Father who makes us strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful that he has for us.

13-14 God rescued us from dead-end alleys and dark dungeons. He’s set us up in the kingdom of the Son he loves so much, the Son who got us out of the pit we were in, got rid of the sins we were doomed to keep repeating.

Lord,

Be the center of my life.  I lay all of my life before you right now, at this hour, in worship to the One and Only who saved, rescued and redeemed me.  Because of your work on the cross, defeating death in the grave, going to hell and back again in victory defeating the enemy, I am free from my own sins and free from self.  I am free to love like you love me without conditions, worship with abandon, all while your holy Presence walks with me.  There is no better way but you, dear Jesus.  You are Life.  You are the center of my thoughts in the quiet of this hour.  You are at the center of my being.  Continue to mature me so I will be more and more in every way like you.

In Jesus Name, For your Glory, Amen!  Yes!

And I’m singing— “In Times Like These” (George Beverly Shea)

In times like these you need a Savior
In times like these you need an anchor
Be very sure, be very sure
Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock!

This Rock is Jesus, Yes He’s the One
This Rock is Jesus, the only One
Be very sure, be very sure
Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock!

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I CAN’T STOP SMILING!

Posted on March 5, 2022 by randscallawayffm

Challenging circumstance happen in our imperfect world to teach us one thing—One person is all you need and that One person is Jesus.  When all the things of this earth we hold tightly to slip through our fingers and fade away, Jesus stands waiting to take our hand and lead us to better thinking which leads to a higher, greater perspective of living.  This thinking and living produces a joy “unspeakable and full of glory” because the joy runs so deep, we just can’t explain it.  The smile on our glowing faces when we do realize it and find we have everything we really need and want, cannot be erased.  This joy is eternal.  This joy which drives us forward, trudging through circumstances we never dream we would have to face or walk through, is all we need and all we want. 

This powerful, eternal, unending deep joy is Jesus.  And I can’t stop smiling!

In the background of our reading and praising, childhood choruses flood my mind—

Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full, in his wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of his glory and grace

The joy of the Lord is my strength, the joy of the Lord is my strength, the joy of the Lord is my strength, the JOY of the Lord is my strength!

I’ve got the joy, joy, joy down in my heart (where?)

Down in my heart (where?) Down in my heart! 

(I can sing this one in Creole, too!)

This theology of Joy in Jesus, because of Jesus, settled deep in my heart long ago.  This Jesus Joy has lifted me out of scary pits of despair, saw me through challenging times that forced me to grow and mature more and more.  Jesus Joy and has taught me to say, “It is well, it is well, with my soul”!

So Paul, I see you there, sitting your jail cell, with your apprentice, penning these words of Jesus Joy as quickly as he can.  I see you kneeling in prayer and then standing in grateful praise to the heavens, telling Jesus, the One and Only Savior and Lord, that HE is all you need in this particular circumstance.  I hear you shouting, “Jesus, you are my strength and my song in the night.”  “Jesus, I can make through anything this world throws at me, because I know You!”  “And, I want to know you more!” 

Paul, you have learned your lessons well and now you are teaching us that Jesus is all we need and want in a life that is lived joyfully, expectantly, knowing that Jesus is coming back some day to claim His own.  Thank you for forgetting you are in jail, it doesn’t seem to even faze you!  What an example you are to us!  You continue to obey God, loving Jesus as Your Master, while being used by God as a mentor then and to generations of believers to come!  Wow!

He Who Began a Good Work in You (By Steve Green)

He who began a good work in you
He who began a good work in you
Will be faithful to complete it
He’ll be faithful to complete it
He who started the work
Will be faithful to complete it in you

If the struggle you’re facing
Is slowly replacing
Your hope with despair
Or the process is long
And you’re losing your song
In the night

You can be sure
That the Lord has His hand on you
Safe and secure
He will never abandon you
You are His treasure
And He finds His pleasure in you

He who began a good work in you
He who began a good work in you
Will be faithful to complete it
He’ll be faithful to complete it
He who started the work
Will be faithful to complete it in you…

PHILIPPIANS—PURE JOY!

Philippians 4:10-23, The Message

Content Whatever the Circumstances

10-14 I’m glad in God, far happier than you would ever guess—happy that you’re again showing such strong concern for me. Not that you ever quit praying and thinking about me. You just had no chance to show it. Actually, I don’t have a sense of needing anything personally. I’ve learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I’m just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I’ve found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am. I don’t mean that your help didn’t mean a lot to me—it did. It was a beautiful thing that you came alongside me in my troubles.

15-17 You Philippians well know, and you can be sure I’ll never forget it, that when I first left Macedonia province, venturing out with the Message, not one church helped out in the give-and-take of this work except you. You were the only one. Even while I was in Thessalonica, you helped out—and not only once, but twice. Not that I’m looking for handouts, but I do want you to experience the blessing that issues from generosity.

18-20 And now I have it all—and keep getting more! The gifts you sent with Epaphroditus were more than enough, like a sweet-smelling sacrifice roasting on the altar, filling the air with fragrance, pleasing God to no end. You can be sure that God will take care of everything you need, his generosity exceeding even yours in the glory that pours from Jesus. Our God and Father abounds in glory that just pours out into eternity. Yes.

21-22 Give our regards to every follower of Jesus you meet. Our friends here say hello. All the Christians here, especially the believers who work in the palace of Caesar, want to be remembered to you.

23 Receive and experience the amazing grace of the Master, Jesus Christ, deep, deep within yourselves.

Savior and Lord,

What a way to end our reading of Paul’s letter to the Philippians!  You ARE the joy of my life.  You are everything I need and want.  You are my hope.  You are Hope.  You are my Life.  You are Life.  And you are my Joy.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  Continue to grow me in all ways.  I know you are not finished with me, yet, and you are working to complete your work in me.  To YOU be all glory!

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, Amen!

I still can’t stop smiling!

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FILL IT UP!

Posted on March 4, 2022 by randscallawayffm

Do you look at a cup of water and say it is “half-filled” or “half-empty”?  Ah, the great question of life, right?  Wrong.  Our next passage sometimes gets reduced to secular interpretation:  positive thinking vs. negative thinking.  But there is a higher, better, deeper, more Christ-like perspective that Paul is trying to articulate for us.  How about going to the Source of Living Water and filling our cups (hearts, minds and souls) to overflow with Christ-like thinking which leads to joyful, abundant, through good times and bad, living in the wide-open spaces of His forever love, mercy and grace!  Mind blown?  Too much?  I think not!

Friends, fill your minds with Jesus!  Think Jesus thoughts.  The more we do the less we think of ourselves.  The less grudge holding, hateful revenge, jealousy, competitions and comparing attitudes that lead to empty, or half-empty living. 

Paul is adamant, while sitting in a jail cell, about filling our cups and clearly tells us how:

Trade worry for Christ.  For those of us who overthink, okay maybe this is just me, this is a daily task that must begin each new day.  Lay.  It.  All.  At. His.  Feet.  I did this an hour ago.  His Holy Spirit overwhelmed with peace and assurance.  Do I have resolution?  It doesn’t matter.  It all belongs to Jesus, now. 

Put Jesus at the Center of all thinking.  “It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.”

Jesus thinking is the best thinking: “… you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.”  In today’s language, to be clear; no gaslighting, narcissistic thinking and behaving, no put downs with sarcasm, no assumptions of what you think others think and judge them for it, and stop bullying because you are bullied.

CELEBRATE!  REJOICE!  “Revel in Him!”  “He could show up at any minute!”  Jesus is coming back, you know.  In what frame of mind will He find me?  (Oops, it just got personal, didn’t it?)  Pause, pray, think, pray again and then rejoice for God is a God of renewed minds, refreshed souls, and restored and mended hearts!

PHILIPPIANS—PURE JOY!

Philippians 4:1-9, The Message

My dear, dear friends! I love you so much. I do want the very best for you. You make me feel such joy, fill me with such pride. Don’t waver. Stay on track, steady in God.

Pray About Everything

2 I urge Euodia and Syntyche to iron out their differences and make up. God doesn’t want his children holding grudges.

3 And, oh, yes, Syzygus, since you’re right there to help them work things out, do your best with them. These women worked for the Message hand in hand with Clement and me, and with the other veterans—worked as hard as any of us. Remember, their names are also in the Book of Life.

4-5 Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you’re on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute!

6-7 Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down.

It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

8-9 Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.

Lord,

May I sing praises to you this morning as I did as a child:

Rejoice in the Lord always

And again, I say rejoice

Rejoice in the Lord always

And again, I say rejoice! 

Thank you for changing my mind, restoring the joy of your salvation in me and filling my soul with all of you in me.  No worries, here.  No “half-empty” thoughts, only praise!

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, Amen!  Yes!

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RELENTLESS FOCUS ON A RELENTLESS CHRIST!

Posted on March 3, 2022 by randscallawayffm

Lord, help me to stay focused!  How many times do we pray that pray each day, maybe even each hour, as we strive to do what God wants us to be and do?  Our thoughts are so easily distracted.  Staying busy isn’t the answer.  Busy people are perfect prey for the enemy who enjoys throwing shiny objects of all kinds in our path.  The enemy’s goal is planting thoughts in our mind, both good and bad, to throw us off track, derail the work given to us to lead, which often leads to the work being diminished in helping people find and follow Jesus.  The enemy hates focused followers of Jesus!

As a leader of volunteers, I watched this happen last week.  I gave a volunteer a specific, important task to do for an event.  But he lost focused in a matter of minutes.  He left his post to see what others were doing and joined them.  He not only joined them but he took over!  His clouded vision was more about looking good to others, so he went from station to station doing the work of other assigned volunteers as a way to “help” them.  His lack of focus caused other focused followers to wonder if they were doing the right thing. In other words, his lack of focus brought confusion to the work instead of doing his part for the whole. 

Dear friends, it happens all the time to all of us.  Paul teaches the church to relentlessly focus on the goal, working with others who are relentless focused and who are “running this same course”.  It is so much more enjoyable when focused people, with their eyes on God, desiring to work together, for the desired goal of helping others see, know and follow Christ.  You will know these people by their focused love for Jesus with no desire of turning back to confusion of worldly thinking and behaving!

PHILIPPIANS—PURE JOY

Philippians 3:12-21, The Message

Focused on the Goal

12-14 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.

15-16 So let’s keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision—you’ll see it yet! Now that we’re on the right track, let’s stay on it.

17-19 Stick with me, friends. Keep track of those you see running this same course, headed for this same goal. There are many out there taking other paths, choosing other goals, and trying to get you to go along with them. I’ve warned you of them many times; sadly, I’m having to do it again. All they want is easy street. They hate Christ’s Cross. But easy street is a dead-end street. Those who live there make their bellies their gods; belches are their praise; all they can think of is their appetites.

20-21 But there’s far more to life for us. We’re citizens of high heaven! We’re waiting the arrival of the Savior, the Master, Jesus Christ, who will transform our earthy bodies into glorious bodies like his own. He’ll make us beautiful and whole with the same powerful skill by which he is putting everything as it should be, under and around him.

Lord,

You know my heart.  I’m not saying I have it all together either, but this one thing I know, I love you with all my heart, mind and soul.  I also know you loved me first and forever.  I know I am redeemed of all sins.  I know you are still willing to work on me, deep inside me so I will grow steadily in your love because of your mercy and grace.  There IS far more to this life and that is preparing ourselves for your arrival!  You are my everything.  You are my relentless focus because of your relentless love for me.  I am a citizen of heaven, your Kingdom, forever!  Yes!

In Jesus Name, for Your Glory, Amen. 

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