LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS

Posted on September 4, 2021 by randscallawayffm

“Ah, now I get it”, we say when confusion is cleared up with true facts that make sense and bring clarity to any given circumstance.  We humans love for questions to be answered.  We want “closure” to any give situation that arises that we don’t understand.  We humans are famous for trying to explain every detail that happens to us or to our family members because of our insistent need to know why.  Even in sickness that leads to death, as pastoral leaders, we hear people standing nearby explaining why they probably got sick and why it led to death.  We seem driven to give reasons and explanations to what is happening because we seek peace.  Human peace alludes us. Our self-made peace is a false sense of security doesn’t last long.  So, we create more explanations to life stuff we don’t understand.  Peace is fleeting, comes and goes, when we do this.

Then, the Light “dawns” on us–we’re missing God in all of this human thinking.  Jesus clears up our thinking. 

Jesus begins with WHO He really is and leads us back to the One who sent Him—God. Jesus is the Light that dispels all darkness brought on by evil.  Jesus is the Light of the entire created World.  Satan is the Prince of Darkness who leads us to destructive thinking and behaving which leads us ultimately to death.  Following Jesus illuminates our path as boldly as a flight runway with plenty of light to navigate our earthly journey.  Trusting His well-lit path, following without needing to know why, brings clarity in the end. Knowing the Father—God is with us, in control of all we don’t understand, has our best interest at heart—brings peace that is not of this world.  Jesus in the Prince of Peace in a confused world.  Jesus provides “plenty of light to live”.   He said so.

John—God’s Love

John 8:12-30, The Message

You’re Missing God in All This

12 Jesus once again addressed them: “I am the world’s Light. No one who follows me stumbles around in the darkness. I provide plenty of light to live in.”

13 The Pharisees objected, “All we have is your word on this. We need more than this to go on.”

14-18 Jesus replied, “You’re right that you only have my word. But you can depend on it being true. I know where I’ve come from and where I go next. You don’t know where I’m from or where I’m headed. You decide according to what you can see and touch. I don’t make judgments like that. But even if I did, my judgment would be true because I wouldn’t make it out of the narrowness of my experience but in the largeness of the One who sent me, the Father. That fulfills the conditions set down in God’s Law: that you can count on the testimony of two witnesses. And that is what you have: You have my word and you have the word of the Father who sent me.”

19 They said, “Where is this so-called Father of yours?”

Jesus said, “You’re looking right at me and you don’t see me. How do you expect to see the Father? If you knew me, you would at the same time know the Father.”

20 He gave this speech in the Treasury while teaching in the Temple. No one arrested him because his time wasn’t yet up.

21 Then he went over the same ground again. “I’m leaving and you are going to look for me, but you’re missing God in this and are headed for a dead end. There is no way you can come with me.”

22 The Jews said, “So, is he going to kill himself? Is that what he means by ‘You can’t come with me’?”

23-24 Jesus said, “You’re tied down to the mundane; I’m in touch with what is beyond your horizons. You live in terms of what you see and touch. I’m living on other terms. I told you that you were missing God in all this. You’re at a dead end. If you won’t believe I am who I say I am, you’re at the dead end of sins. You’re missing God in your lives.”

25-26 They said to him, “Just who are you anyway?”

Jesus said, “What I’ve said from the start. I have so many things to say that concern you, judgments to make that affect you, but if you don’t accept the trustworthiness of the One who commanded my words and acts, none of it matters. That is who you are questioning—not me but the One who sent me.”

27-29 They still didn’t get it, didn’t realize that he was referring to the Father. So Jesus tried again. “When you raise up the Son of Man, then you will know who I am—that I’m not making this up, but speaking only what the Father taught me. The One who sent me stays with me. He doesn’t abandon me. He sees how much joy I take in pleasing him.”

30 When he put it in these terms, many people decided to believe.

THINK ABOUT IT

Let’s read those last few words one more time, “The One who sent me stays with me. He doesn’t abandon me. He sees how much joy I take in pleasing him.” When he put it in these terms, many people decided to believe.

Do we really believe what we believe about God really real?  If yes, we have plenty of Light to navigate this world. So, leave worry behind and trust in Him.  No matter what.

Lord,

You bring clarity this morning to all the things of this world that try to distract us from knowing and following you.  I love how you do that!  Continue to help us all to lay down our own opinions and explanations of what is happening around us so we don’t miss out on You.  You are the Light that leads to Life everlasting.  You are God and we are not.  You will see us through all troubles of this world while preparing the best for us with you forever.  I repent of wanting to know why.  I trust you with all of my life.  The final victory has already been won.  These earthly battles are mere skirmishes to get to where you are as the Victor as we trust and obey.  Thank you, Lord for fighting my battles with evil’s roadblocks and distractions by lighting the way to Truth.  Your light has dawned on me!  Continue your transformation in me.

In Jesus Name, Amen

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

FROM NOW ON…

Posted on September 3, 2021 by randscallawayffm

I saw the sun begin to dim
And felt that winter wind blow cold
A man learns who is there for him
When the glitter fades and the walls won’t hold

‘Cause from then, rubble
What remains
Can only be what’s true
If all was lost
There’s more I gained
‘Cause it led me back
To you

From now on
These eyes will not be blinded by the lights
From now on
What’s waited ’til tomorrow starts tonight
Tonight

Let this promise in me start
Like an anthem in my heart
From now on
From now on

I drank champagne with kings and queens
The politicians praised my name
But those are someone else’s dreams
The pitfalls of the man I became

For years and years
I chased their cheers
The crazy speed of always needing more
But when I stop
And see you here
I remember who all this was for

And from now on
These eyes will not be blinded by the lights
From now on
What’s waited ’til tomorrow starts tonight
It starts tonight
And let this promise in me start
Like an anthem in my heart
From now on
From now on
From now on

And we will come back home
And we will come back home
Home, again!
From now on!

These are the lyrics ringing in my head as I read our next passage in John.  The song is from the musical “The Greatest Showman”.  “The Greatest Showman” is billed as a musical-drama inspired by the story of P.T. Barnum and the creation of the Barnum & Bailey Circus. At its core, the film is a parable about belonging. Hugh Jackman shines as Barnum, whose character journeys from orphaned pauper to upstart entrepreneur to media magnate to wizened family man. For much of the film, Barnum nobly seeks security and prosperity for the sake of his wife and daughters, only to succumb to the siren song of fame. 

Barnum’s ploy for commercial success involves the marketing of a group of misfits and oddities into a “freakshow” of sorts, complete with trapeze artists, giants, albinos, a bearded lady and General Tom Thumb. Barnum helps turn these grotesqueries into showbiz stars, but he also builds a financial empire in the process. In the film, Barnum’s true genius is his monetizing the human fascination with the strange.

When a newspaper critic dubs him a hack, Barnum develops an obsession with being recognized as a legitimate entertainer, fueled in part by his insecurity about his humble beginnings. Inevitably, Barnum’s quest for critical adulation leads him to neglect the gang of misfits upon which he built his earlier fortune and very nearly costs him his family.

In the film’s most pivotal scene, Barnum is reeling from a devastating fire that has destroyed his circus building when he finds himself surrounded by his family of fellow performers. Estranged from his wife and children, it is the encouragement of these “misfits” that brings clarity to Barnum. He finally sees himself fully and truly as a fellow outsider, and in embracing this reality, Barnum resolves to give up the chase for praise from the masses and moves to reconcile with his family. And the scene is carried by this song, “From Now On”.

It is a prodigal moment, an epiphany of pure repentance that paves the way not only for the film’s final scenes, but more importantly, for the true belonging we all desire. “From Now On” is a mantra of resolve and transformation.

The central message of “The Greatest Showman” hits like a flash of Good News. We will come back home! Theologians speak of this as eschatological hope — our longing for eternity that was set in our hearts long ago (Ecclesiastes 3:11). This isn’t typically the stuff of Hollywood musicals, I’ll grant you. But this is the substance of our deepest hopes. Everyone wants to go home. And I suspect that one of the primary reasons for the success of the film and the soundtrack is the resonance of this core message. As the ensemble quietly fades out, this “someday vision” lingers as a whispered hope, the reality toward which we are oriented.

“The Greatest Showman” points us to a “someday reunion”, an in-gathering of universal belonging to God that is the hope of misfits, oddballs, and grotesqueries.  And, as it turns out…like me, too.  We are all misfits in this world accepted and loved by Jesus.

As it turns out, we are only a stone’s throw away from complete, unadulterated forgiveness.  We when accept Jesus and receive his forgiveness we are on a journey called “from now on…don’t sin”.  Leave it behind and come home to Jesus who has our backs and who will be with us always until we meet Him face to face in glory.

Yes, we are only a stone’s throw away…Believe and be saved.  Come home.

As you read about this woman caught (or trapped) in the sin of adultery.  Watch closely how Jesus handles the situation.  The stones drop one by one, the woman is not judged but saved from death. 

Meditate on Jesus’ final words of hope to the frantic, fearful woman;

“Does no one condemn you?”

“No one, Master.”

“Neither do I,” said Jesus. “Go on your way. From now on, don’t sin.”

John—God’s Love

John 8:1-11, The Message

To Throw the Stone

1-2 Jesus went across to Mount Olives, but he was soon back in the Temple again. Swarms of people came to him. He sat down and taught them.

3-6 The religion scholars and Pharisees led in a woman who had been caught in an act of adultery. They stood her in plain sight of everyone and said, “Teacher, this woman was caught red-handed in the act of adultery. Moses, in the Law, gives orders to stone such persons. What do you say?” They were trying to trap him into saying something incriminating so they could bring charges against him.

6-8 Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger in the dirt. They kept at him, badgering him. He straightened up and said, “The sinless one among you, go first: Throw the stone.” Bending down again, he wrote some more in the dirt.

9-10 Hearing that, they walked away, one after another, beginning with the oldest. The woman was left alone. Jesus stood up and spoke to her. “Woman, where are they? Does no one condemn you?”

11 “No one, Master.”

“Neither do I,” said Jesus. “Go on your way. From now on, don’t sin.”

Lord,

I repent of all my sins that keep me from fully following you.  Thank you for your forgiveness and your promise to forget our sins.  We DO remember and learn from our sins so we won’t go back to where we were before you entered our lives.  Thank you for teaching us.  From now on, I want no one but You as Savior and Lord.  Where else would I go, but to You?  You made me and know me better than I know myself.  Thank you for your continued transformation of my life.

In Jesus Name, Amen

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

USE YOUR HEAD! —AND YOUR HEART

Posted on September 2, 2021 by randscallawayffm

We humans are a judgmental lot.  Admit it.  We size people we don’t know up the minute they walk into a room.  Our “first impressions” seem to rule everything.  What we see first is what we believe about a person.  We carry on our assumption of their lives as soon as they answer our halfhearted question, “So, where you from?” When we learn where, we mindlessly evaluate who they are.  In our heads, we think, ah, that side of town or that part of the country.  We even assume their political posture after knowing from where they come.  We take our presumptuous judgements farther with each question we ask.  Yes, we humans are a judgmental lot who are “hypercritical” to the unknown.  We use our simple-minded heads without using our hearts. Admit it.

Let’s judge ourselves.  The next time someone we don’t know enters a room, what do we think first?  How do we treat that person based only on our first impression, hypercritical judgement?

Jesus has been sent by God.  Many have varied presumptuous judgements about Him.  How can He teach like this?  We know where he comes from, many say.  Who is He, really?  The leaders are trained to judge so they do so explicably.  They pick apart every action Jesus takes, every word He says and even assume what He is thinking. 

Wow, imagine judging the One who created us and saved us.  But we know the end of the story, right?

Jesus responds to the leaders judgements with the most profound words, “Don’t be hypercritical; use your head—and heart! —to discern what is right, to test what is authentically right.”  This is wisdom for all of us now!  In a world that easily presumes, assumes and judges accordingly, we must use our heads (what we know about God) AND our hearts (who we are with God) for he will give us discernment in knowing what is right and what is wrong.  God will guide our decisions if we invite Him to do so. 

Some of the best advice I was given as a child—after doing what I knew to be wrong—was, “when in doubt, don’t.”  That simple advice along with “ask God first before doing anything” has guided my life well.  When I go against what my heart is saying and only follow what looks good to my thinking, I get into trouble.  When we couple heads with our hearts, asking God to show us truth, He will.  Jesus spends time explaining how this works in our next passage.

John—God’s Love

John 7:14-53, The Message

Could It Be the Messiah?

14-15 With the Feast already half over, Jesus showed up in the Temple, teaching. The Jews were impressed, but puzzled: “How does he know so much without being schooled?”

16-19 Jesus said, “I didn’t make this up. What I teach comes from the One who sent me. Anyone who wants to do his will can test this teaching and know whether it’s from God or whether I’m making it up. A person making things up tries to make himself look good. But someone trying to honor the one who sent him sticks to the facts and doesn’t tamper with reality. It was Moses, wasn’t it, who gave you God’s Law? But none of you are living it. So why are you trying to kill me?”

20 The crowd said, “You’re crazy! Who’s trying to kill you? You’re demon-possessed.”

21-24 Jesus said, “I did one miraculous thing a few months ago, and you’re still standing around getting all upset, wondering what I’m up to. Moses prescribed circumcision—originally it came not from Moses but from his ancestors—and so you circumcise a man, dealing with one part of his body, even if it’s the Sabbath. You do this in order to preserve one item in the Law of Moses. So why are you upset with me because I made a man’s whole body well on the Sabbath? Don’t be hypercritical; use your head—and heart!—to discern what is right, to test what is authentically right.”

25-27 That’s when some of the people of Jerusalem said, “Isn’t this the one they were out to kill? And here he is out in the open, saying whatever he pleases, and no one is stopping him. Could it be that the rulers know that he is, in fact, the Messiah? And yet we know where this man came from. The Messiah is going to come out of nowhere. Nobody is going to know where he comes from.”

28-29 That provoked Jesus, who was teaching in the Temple, to cry out, “Yes, you think you know me and where I’m from, but that’s not where I’m from. I didn’t set myself up in business. My true origin is in the One who sent me, and you don’t know him at all. I come from him—that’s how I know him. He sent me here.”

30-31 They were looking for a way to arrest him, but not a hand was laid on him because it wasn’t yet God’s time. Many from the crowd committed themselves in faith to him, saying, “Will the Messiah, when he comes, provide better or more convincing evidence than this?”

32-34 The Pharisees, alarmed at this seditious undertow going through the crowd, teamed up with the high priests and sent their police to arrest him. Jesus rebuffed them: “I am with you only a short time. Then I go on to the One who sent me. You will look for me, but you won’t find me. Where I am, you can’t come.”

35-36 The Jews put their heads together. “Where do you think he is going that we won’t be able to find him? Do you think he is about to travel to the Greek world to teach the Jews? What is he talking about, anyway: ‘You will look for me, but you won’t find me,’ and ‘Where I am, you can’t come’?”

37-39 On the final and climactic day of the Feast, Jesus took his stand. He cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Rivers of living water will brim and spill out of the depths of anyone who believes in me this way, just as the Scripture says.” (He said this in regard to the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were about to receive. The Spirit had not yet been given because Jesus had not yet been glorified.)

40-44 Those in the crowd who heard these words were saying, “This has to be the Prophet.” Others said, “He is the Messiah!” But others were saying, “The Messiah doesn’t come from Galilee, does he? Don’t the Scriptures tell us that the Messiah comes from David’s line and from Bethlehem, David’s village?” So there was a split in the crowd over him. Some went so far as wanting to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him.

45 That’s when the Temple police reported back to the high priests and Pharisees, who demanded, “Why didn’t you bring him with you?”

46 The police answered, “Have you heard the way he talks? We’ve never heard anyone speak like this man.”

47-49 The Pharisees said, “Are you carried away like the rest of the rabble? You don’t see any of the leaders believing in him, do you? Or any from the Pharisees? It’s only this crowd, ignorant of God’s Law, that is taken in by him—and damned.”

50-51 Nicodemus, the man who had come to Jesus earlier and was both a ruler and a Pharisee, spoke up. “Does our Law decide about a man’s guilt without first listening to him and finding out what he is doing?”

52-53 But they cut him off. “Are you also campaigning for the Galilean? Examine the evidence. See if any prophet ever comes from Galilee.”

Then they all went home.

TRUTH BE TOLD—RECAP

  1. “What I teach comes from the One who sent me”. –Jesus
  2. “Anyone who wants to do his will can test this teaching and know whether it’s from God or whether I’m making it up. A person making things up tries to make himself look good. But someone trying to honor the one who sent him sticks to the facts and doesn’t tamper with reality.” –Jesus
  3. “Don’t be hypercritical; use your head—and heart!—to discern what is right, to test what is authentically right.” –Jesus

“If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Rivers of living water will brim and spill out of the depths of anyone who believes in me this way, just as the Scripture says.”  –Jesus

Lord,

I believe.  I thirst no more for I am filled with all of you in me.  I believe what you say and what you do in my life to be true.  You are Truth.  You are my Savior and you are my Lord.  Continue to teach me, grow and mature your character in me.  Transform my thinking.  Give me your wisdom of discernment.  Help me to know, without doubt, what is wrong and what is right in your eyes.  Give me boldness to be different, to be the only one in the crowd if that is what is required to walk counter to this culture of lies.  Yes, I really believe you are the Savior of the world.  Thank you for loving us the way you do.

In Jesus Name, Amen.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

BELIEVE JESUS OR NOT

Posted on August 30, 2021 by randscallawayffm

Randy and I grew up in Midwest City, Oklahoma.  We worked as school teachers then we were called by God to leave what we had worked so hard to accomplish to go into full time ministry.  Randy first, then me.  This eventually took us to Ohio for seminary education and working for our denomination while taking on a small, rural church.  My parents were not happy with this decision and made our move from Oklahoma to Ohio especially difficult. 

My parents laid the guilt of leaving them as thick as jelly on a peanut butter sandwich though not as sweet.  (Oklahoma roots just popped out in that last statement.)  I knew they loved us dearly which was the reason for all the emotional angry words.  But it was very hard on us to follow God’s will in His time for His purposes.  I even heard my mom say, which she regretted later, “God may have called you but he didn’t tell me so therefore it’s not right”.  Yes, those words still linger deep in the files of my mind. Family, who loved and raised you in believing Jesus can be the very ones who try to hold you back most when you give your all to Jesus.  Just ask Jesus!

Jesus’ brothers tried very hard to get Jesus to merely perform for the people.  They didn’t believe in their brother as Son of God.  They didn’t believe why He was sent to earth as a baby to a virgin, their mother.  They didn’t believe in what He said—yet.  How did Jesus feel when His own family of brothers were not with Him?  Jesus must have felt the pressure and guilt heaped upon Him to do what they did and be more like them.  It shows in His response.  Jesus loved His family but was not deterred from God’s will and timing. Jesus is our perfect example of following God’s will, even when it hurts.

Jesus knew what He was doing—The will of His Father, God.  John’s gospel writings relate the many times Jesus reminds his followers and those who do not yet believe, by saying in different ways, I only say and do what the Father tells me.  Jesus is Messiah, Son of God, who has come to lay down his life for all, that includes his earthly brothers, mom and sisters in his family as well as his followers and the rest of the world…if they believe.

“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, NIV

“Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does.”  John 5 19-20, NIV

“Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live”.  John 5:24-25, NIV

“Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned. By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.”  John 5:28-30, NIV

Even when it hurts…trust God’s will, His timing, His ways and believe in Jesus, His Son who died to save us and lives to abide in us.  This is the mystery made known to living abundant and free from sin’s hold on us!  Paul, full of passion, tells the church, “And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.”  Colossians 1:27, NLT

There will be times when we have to make the hard decision to follow God or the world.  Choose wisely.  It’s a matter of life or death for not only us but for those we are called to help to find and follow Jesus, too.

John—God’s Love

John 7:1-13, The Message

1-2 Later Jesus was going about his business in Galilee. He didn’t want to travel in Judea because the Jews there were looking for a chance to kill him. It was near the time of Tabernacles, a feast observed annually by the Jews.

3-5 His brothers said, “Why don’t you leave here and go up to the Feast so your disciples can get a good look at the works you do? No one who intends to be publicly known does everything behind the scenes. If you’re serious about what you are doing, come out in the open and show the world.” His brothers were pushing him like this because they didn’t believe in him either.

6-8 Jesus came back at them, “Don’t pressure me. This isn’t my time. It’s your time—it’s always your time; you have nothing to lose. The world has nothing against you, but it’s up in arms against me. It’s against me because I expose the evil behind its pretensions. You go ahead, go up to the Feast. Don’t wait for me. I’m not ready. It’s not the right time for me.”

9-11 He said this and stayed on in Galilee. But later, after his family had gone up to the Feast, he also went. But he kept out of the way, careful not to draw attention to himself. The Jews were already out looking for him, asking around, “Where is that man?”

12-13 There was a lot of contentious talk about him circulating through the crowds. Some were saying, “He’s a good man.” But others said, “Not so. He’s selling snake oil.” This kind of talk went on in guarded whispers because of the intimidating Jewish leaders.

WHAT DO WE LEARN? 

Gossip hinders God’s work in us and through us—if we allow it.

Even when it hurts…trust God’s will, His timing, His ways and believe in Jesus, His Son who died to save us and lives to abide in us. 

Lord,

When we have made decisions to follow you, even when it hurt at the time, you provided for us, protected us and encouraged our walk even more.  Yes, you are always there with us, we can do nothing without you.  Thank you for inviting us to join you in your work.  You are God.  We are not.  I love you, Lord with all my heart, mind and soul.  I have no regrets in choosing You because I know you chose me as you have chosen all of us to help others know you.  Thank you for being with us, telling us what to say and do in your time, in your Spirit, for all the right reasons…that they may know and believe in You.  Continue your work of salvation in me.

In Jesus Name, Amen

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , | Leave a comment

TOO TOUGH TO SWALLOW?

Posted on August 28, 2021 by randscallawayffm

When we think we might understand God’s Word, we don’t.  Have you ever felt that way?  We read the Bible only to find out that the more we read, the more we do not know or understand, but does that stop us from questioning God as we read? 

I have discovered that God loves our questions!  He wants us to think about His Word to us, ponder and meditate on it, while committing the precious words to memory.  Jesus, God’s Son, loves great questions that lead to more learning.  Like a letter from someone we love, the words are cherished because from whom the words were written! 

Just look how he helped his disciples, most of whom were poor fishermen, trying to understand what the Son of God was trying to explain to the Teachers of The Law.  Imagine these disciples standing behind Jesus, watching Him debate the Teachers about who He is, who God is and what God wants in deep spiritual terminology that is a bit beyond their thinking.  (And I would be one of them!)  I can imagine the quizzical looks with a bit of fear and awkwardness thrown in while watching Jesus make the Teachers a bit perturbed.  They were wondering themselves what all this means.  Imagine the looks they give each other while murmuring, “Are you getting this?  Do you understand?  “Should we stay, run or hide?” “Did they teach us this in school?”

It doesn’t matter how educated or learned we are, Jesus takes time to explain with compassion to those who have a hard time understanding.  But, the Word says we will never understand all the mysteries of God…yet.

To those who throw up their hands because Jesus’ teaching offends, challenges or changes what they have been previously taught He cannot help because those who think they know all they need to know are unteachable and unwilling to believe the Son of God, the Messiah, standing right in front of them.

Ah, but we cannot judge.  Friends, at times we are unteachable, unwilling to understand what is hard to follow because of wanting to stay comfortable in where we reside in our thinking.  Some days we don’t want to be challenged to seek God in a deeper relationship and discover His best for us when we are just trying to survive the day’s activities.  On those days we are unteachable, missing out on what God wants to give us.  The teaching is “hard to swallow” when we refuse to pick up a fork to take a bite, to “taste and see” as the Psalmist penned, to take in all that God has to offer those who really believe.

I repent of those days.  In Jesus Name.

John—God’s Love

John 6:60-71, The Message

60 Many among his disciples heard this and said, “This is tough teaching, too tough to swallow.”

61-65 Jesus sensed that his disciples were having a hard time with this and said, “Does this rattle you completely? What would happen if you saw the Son of Man ascending to where he came from? The Spirit can make life. Sheer muscle and willpower don’t make anything happen. Every word I’ve spoken to you is a Spirit-word, and so it is life-making. But some of you are resisting, refusing to have any part in this.” (Jesus knew from the start that some weren’t going to risk themselves with him. He knew also who would betray him.) He went on to say, “This is why I told you earlier that no one is capable of coming to me on his own. You get to me only as a gift from the Father.”

66-67 After this, many of his disciples left. They no longer wanted to be associated with him. Then Jesus gave the Twelve their chance: “Do you also want to leave?”

68-69 Peter replied, “Master, to whom would we go? You have the words of real life, eternal life. We’ve already committed ourselves, confident that you are the Holy One of God.”

70-71 Jesus responded, “Haven’t I handpicked you, the Twelve? Still, one of you is a devil!” He was referring to Judas, son of Simon Iscariot. This man—one from the Twelve!—was even then getting ready to betray him.

HERE’S A THOUGHT…

Among the called, infamous, motely crew called The Twelve, one will betray Him.  And Jesus still loves Judas, allowed him to stay in the group, taught him, fed him and on the night Jesus before He was arrested, Jesus washed his feet—just like He did all the others.  Wow.  The love of God, expressed through His Son, Jesus Christ is pure Love, relentless and extremely counter to the way the world loves.

Too hard to swallow? Then chew on this–Peter responded perfectly (this time), “Master, to whom would we go? You have the words of real life, eternal life. We’ve already committed ourselves, confident that you are the Holy One of God.”

Lord,

I commit myself to you with all I am because you first loved me and sacrificed your life for mine.  Where else would I go but to you?  You are life.  I believe.  THIS is what I understand and knowing this saves my soul for eternity.

In Jesus Name, Amen

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged | Leave a comment

TEMPORARY MANNA—BREAD OF LIFE FOREVER

Posted on August 27, 2021 by randscallawayffm

Remember our history lessons of the search for the Fountain of Youth by Ponce de Leon?  The Fountain of Youth, a mythical spring, allegedly restores the youth of anyone who drinks or bathes in its waters. Tales of such a fountain have been recounted around the world for thousands of years, appearing in the writings of Herodotus (5th century BC), in the Alexander romance (3rd century AD), and in the stories of Prester John (early Crusades, 11th/12th centuries AD).

Stories of similar waters also featured prominently among the people of the Caribbean during the Age of Exploration (early 16th century); they spoke of the restorative powers of the water in the mythical land of Bimini. Based on these many legends, explorers and adventurers looked for the elusive Fountain of Youth or some other remedy to aging, generally associated with magic waters. These waters might have been a river, a spring, or any other water-source said to reverse the aging process and to cure sickness when swallowed or bathed in.

The legend became particularly prominent in the 16th century, when it became associated with the Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León, the first Governor of Puerto Rico. Ponce de León was supposedly searching for the Fountain of Youth when he traveled to Florida in 1513. Legend has it that Native Americans told Ponce de León that the Fountain of Youth was in Bimini.

Researchers today spend millions of dollars trying to find the right “potion” that will help us “live” longer, feel better with promises to stay looking young.  Admit it, friends, we at least try some of the creams, masks, oils and even tonics to peel away and restore our aging skin to reverse the aging process.  We have an innate passion to live forever.  So, we work to eat the right foods and drink lots of water while singing, “stayin’ alive, stayin’ alive, ooh, ooh, ooh.  What if those dollars, time focused on ourselves with all that effort to slather ourselves with product was spent on knowing and learning more about our Creator who has the right stuff that we are seeking to live forever?

Jesus knows us well.  Jesus has exactly what we have been searching for to live forever!  He explains it to the Jews who find this news a little bit hard to swallow….   

John—God’s Love

John 6:27-59, The Message

The Bread of Life

27 “Don’t waste your energy striving for perishable food like that. Work for the food that sticks with you, food that nourishes your lasting life, food the Son of Man provides. He and what he does are guaranteed by God the Father to last.”

28 To that they said, “Well, what do we do then to get in on God’s works?”

29 Jesus said, “Sign on with the One that God has sent. That kind of a commitment gets you in on God’s works.”

30-31 They waffled: “Why don’t you give us a clue about who you are, just a hint of what’s going on? When we see what’s up, we’ll commit ourselves. Show us what you can do. Moses fed our ancestors with bread in the desert. It says so in the Scriptures: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”

32-33 Jesus responded, “The real significance of that Scripture is not that Moses gave you bread from heaven but that my Father is right now offering you bread from heaven, the real bread. The Bread of God came down out of heaven and is giving life to the world.”

34 They jumped at that: “Master, give us this bread, now and forever!”

35-38 Jesus said, “I am the Bread of Life. The person who aligns with me hungers no more and thirsts no more, ever. I have told you this explicitly because even though you have seen me in action, you don’t really believe me. Every person the Father gives me eventually comes running to me. And once that person is with me, I hold on and don’t let go. I came down from heaven not to follow my own agenda but to accomplish the will of the One who sent me.

39-40 “This, in a nutshell, is that will: that everything handed over to me by the Father be completed—not a single detail missed—and at the wrap-up of time I have everything and everyone put together, upright and whole. This is what my Father wants: that anyone who sees the Son and trusts who he is and what he does and then aligns with him will enter real life, eternal life. My part is to put them on their feet alive and whole at the completion of time.”

41-42 At this, because he said, “I am the Bread that came down from heaven,” the Jews started arguing over him: “Isn’t this the son of Joseph? Don’t we know his father? Don’t we know his mother? How can he now say, ‘I came down out of heaven’ and expect anyone to believe him?”

43-46 Jesus said, “Don’t bicker among yourselves over me. You’re not in charge here. The Father who sent me is in charge. He draws people to me—that’s the only way you’ll ever come. Only then do I do my work, putting people together, setting them on their feet, ready for the End. This is what the prophets meant when they wrote, ‘And then they will all be personally taught by God.’ Anyone who has spent any time at all listening to the Father, really listening and therefore learning, comes to me to be taught personally—to see it with his own eyes, hear it with his own ears, from me, since I have it firsthand from the Father. No one has seen the Father except the One who has his Being alongside the Father—and you can see me.

47-51 “I’m telling you the most solemn and sober truth now: Whoever believes in me has real life, eternal life. I am the Bread of Life. Your ancestors ate the manna bread in the desert and died. But now here is Bread that truly comes down out of heaven. Anyone eating this Bread will not die, ever. I am the Bread—living Bread!—who came down out of heaven. Anyone who eats this Bread will live—and forever! The Bread that I present to the world so that it can eat and live is myself, this flesh-and-blood self.”

52 At this, the Jews started fighting among themselves: “How can this man serve up his flesh for a meal?”

53-58 But Jesus didn’t give an inch. “Only insofar as you eat and drink flesh and blood, the flesh and blood of the Son of Man, do you have life within you. The one who brings a hearty appetite to this eating and drinking has eternal life and will be fit and ready for the Final Day. My flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. By eating my flesh and drinking my blood you enter into me and I into you. In the same way that the fully alive Father sent me here and I live because of him, so the one who makes a meal of me lives because of me. This is the Bread from heaven. Your ancestors ate bread and later died. Whoever eats this Bread will live always.”

59 He said these things while teaching in the meeting place in Capernaum.

WHAT DO WE LEARN?

  1. Jesus is the Bread of Life.  Seek, believe, follow Him.  He is all the nourishment you need to live forever. 
  2. Bread that is guaranteed to last: “Work for the food that sticks with you, food that nourishes your lasting life, food the Son of Man provides. He and what he does are guaranteed by God the Father to last.”
  3. Commit.  “Sign on with the One that God has sent. That kind of a commitment gets you in on God’s works.”
  4. Think Beyond the Manna: “The real significance of that Scripture is not that Moses gave you bread from heaven but that my Father is right now offering you bread from heaven, the real bread. The Bread of God came down out of heaven and is giving life to the world.”
  5. Let’s go over this again: “The person who aligns with me hungers no more and thirsts no more, ever.”—Jesus
  6. In a Nutshell: “This is what my Father wants: that anyone who sees the Son and trusts who he is and what he does and then aligns with him will enter real life, eternal life. My part is to put them on their feet alive and whole at the completion of time.”—Jesus
  7. This “Bread” news is hard to swallow because the Jews cannot get passed physical thinking to spiritual thinking.  Jesus explains his relationship with God that borders blasphemy in the Jewish tradition.  Jesus attempts to take them from “seeing is believing” small thinking to higher thinking, taking them back to what the prophets said.  “This is what the prophets meant when they wrote, ‘And then they will all be personally taught by God.’ Anyone who has spent any time at all listening to the Father, really listening and therefore learning, comes to me to be taught personally—to see it with his own eyes, hear it with his own ears, from me, since I have it firsthand from the Father. No one has seen the Father except the One who has his Being alongside the Father—and you can see me.”

LET’S GO A BIT DEEPER…

This was basically the same message Jesus gave after He had healed the paralytic (see John 5:37–40). The crowd wanted to see something, but their real need was to learn something. It is by the Word that we “see” God and receive the faith to come to Christ and trust Him (Rom. 10:17).

When Jesus called Himself “the Living Bread,” He was not claiming to be exactly like the manna. He was claiming to be even greater! The manna only sustained life for the Jews, but Jesus gives life to the whole world. The Jews ate the daily manna and eventually died, but when you receive Jesus Christ within, you live forever. When God gave the manna, He gave only a gift, but when Jesus came, He gave Himself. There was no cost to God in sending the manna each day, but He gave His Son at great cost. The Jews had to eat the manna every day, but the sinner who trusts Christ once is given eternal life.

Jesus’ words recorded in the gospel of John are filled with symbolism and imagery. To take them literally is to make the same mistake the people made who first heard them.

“I’m telling you the most solemn and sober truth now: Whoever believes in me has real life, eternal life. I am the Bread of Life.”—Jesus THIS is the Good News!  “I AM the Bread of Life”—Jesus  

Come sit at the Table of the Lord.  “Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see—how good God is.  Blessed are you who run to him.”  Psalm 34:8, MSG

Lord,

Thank you for your saving grace because of your love for us.  Thank you for your sacrifice.  You give, we receive.  You call, we follow.  You are real life that we seek.  Thank you, Lord.

In Jesus Name, Amen

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

JESUS ALREADY KNEW

Posted on August 26, 2021 by randscallawayffm

The first time I went to Haiti on assignment to develop a teaching/ministry plan for bringing college students into this culture, it was daunting.  I didn’t know what I would face and need to know and understand.  I knew some of the people, had seen pictures but to be there was beyond my thinking.  After praying about this venture, I was excited and a bit nervous until I knew who I was going to be with in Haiti.  I was with a leader who already knew what he was doing and knew the people I needed to meet.  All fears dissipated as we traveled around this little country to plan a ministry with Haitians who became good friends.  God put us together and led us with a plan that would change the hearts and minds of college students while providing help to the Haitian churches and schools. 

Yes, indeed!  It was helpful and assuring to be with people who already knew what they were doing.  It was extremely helpful to realize God already knew what He was going to do in us, in Jesus Name, for His glory!

After many mission trips with students, I came to realize these truths about God:

  1. God is always at work. 
  2. God loves to bring us into His work to grow and stretch us beyond current abilities and thinking.
  3. God goes before us.  He already knows what He is going to do in us and through us.
  4. God knows our doubts and fears along with our mess-ups and missteps.  Our assurance is knowing “…that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.  (Romans 8:28)
  5. God teaches us and builds our faith in our failures and successes when we say yes to His work invitation.  Failure is just another way to learn. 
  6. God will give us all we need to do what He has asked us to be and do.  He puts the right people in the right place.  He supplies all we need.  He provides and protects in the work.  Those who have said yes can testify to this Truth about God!
  7. He already knows what joining Him and doing what He says will do in our lives.

I also came to realize over the years since this short-term missionary work that all of life is a mission.  We are all called to help others find and follow Jesus daily.  And that’s not all, God equips who He calls!  Bonus!

In our passage today Jesus already knew He would feed thousands with a few fish and small loaves of bread.  He already knew that His disciples would wrestle with world logic versus the power of God.  He knew the outcomes of this feeding miracle as they collected 12 baskets of leftovers—one basket for each of the Twelve.  Coincidence? I don’t think so.

Jesus also knew there would be a skirmish on the sea on route to Capernaum where many needed to know God.  Jesus also knew that He would use His “walking on the sea” opportunity to prove to His disciples that He was in control.  That had to be great fun for Jesus, as well! Seriously, Jesus is the Son of God, who was with the Creator when the seas and land were separated to form earth!  I love Jesus!  What a sense of humor!

Jesus also knew the hearts who longed to be near Him because of their love for Him and those who just wanted another free meal.  Jesus knows our hearts today. 

PAUSE TO PRAY

Ask God what He sees in our hearts.  Then hear His response.  If repentance is necessary then do it so His voice is heard with clarity above all other voices.  Then follow Jesus, wherever His Holy Spirit asks us to go, what to say and do.  Say yes to the One and Only who already knows. 

John—God’s Love

John 6:1-26, The Message

Bread and Fish for All

After this, Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee (some call it Tiberias). A huge crowd followed him, attracted by the miracles they had seen him do among the sick. When he got to the other side, he climbed a hill and sat down, surrounded by his disciples. It was nearly time for the Feast of Passover, kept annually by the Jews.

5-6 When Jesus looked out and saw that a large crowd had arrived, he said to Philip, “Where can we buy bread to feed these people?” He said this to stretch Philip’s faith. He already knew what he was going to do.

7 Philip answered, “Two hundred silver pieces wouldn’t be enough to buy bread for each person to get a piece.”

8-9 One of the disciples—it was Andrew, brother to Simon Peter—said, “There’s a little boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But that’s a drop in the bucket for a crowd like this.”

10-11 Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” There was a nice carpet of green grass in this place. They sat down, about five thousand of them. Then Jesus took the bread and, having given thanks, gave it to those who were seated. He did the same with the fish. All ate as much as they wanted.

12-13 When the people had eaten their fill, he said to his disciples, “Gather the leftovers so nothing is wasted.” They went to work and filled twelve large baskets with leftovers from the five barley loaves.

14-15 The people realized that God was at work among them in what Jesus had just done. They said, “This is the Prophet for sure, God’s Prophet right here in Galilee!” Jesus saw that in their enthusiasm, they were about to grab him and make him king, so he slipped off and went back up the mountain to be by himself.

16-21 In the evening his disciples went down to the sea, got in the boat, and headed back across the water to Capernaum. It had grown quite dark and Jesus had not yet returned. A huge wind blew up, churning the sea. They were maybe three or four miles out when they saw Jesus walking on the sea, quite near the boat. They were scared senseless, but he reassured them, “It’s me. It’s all right. Don’t be afraid.” So they took him on board. In no time they reached land—the exact spot they were headed to.

22-24 The next day the crowd that was left behind realized that there had been only one boat, and that Jesus had not gotten into it with his disciples. They had seen them go off without him. By now boats from Tiberias had pulled up near where they had eaten the bread blessed by the Master. So when the crowd realized he was gone and wasn’t coming back, they piled into the Tiberias boats and headed for Capernaum, looking for Jesus.

25 When they found him back across the sea, they said, “Rabbi, when did you get here?”

26 Jesus answered, “You’ve come looking for me not because you saw God in my actions but because I fed you, filled your stomachs—and for free.

Lord,

Yes!  I say yes to you knowing that my yes will be blessed with times of growing and maturing that may be painful at times as I shed my ways of thinking to acquire your ways of thinking.  Transform me to be all you know I can be.  I’m not out for a free meal, Lord, just freedom from my sins.  I know you and I know I am redeemed.  Thank you, Lord!

In Jesus Name, Amen

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged | Leave a comment

JUST MISSED HIM

Posted on August 25, 2021 by randscallawayffm

Over the years we have seen influential religious leaders gain popularity, become prideful and then fall.  We can predict it.  Leaders headed to a great fall first develop an attitude of thinking that includes; “there is no one like me” along with “there is nothing I can’t do”.  When this occurs, the trap of pride and arrogance is set and the evil one snaps the trap by inviting this leader into temptations not unlike Adam and Eve, the first fallen.  “This is okay for you to do because look who you are!”  “Take a bite of pleasure…”  And then the fall.  These leaders came so close then they missed it!  Religious leaders are Satan’s top prize.  To get leaders AND their family to follow him into sins that destroy their influence of helping people find and follow Jesus is a major coup for Satan.  Satan knows what it is like to fall.  He is the fallen angel who wants others to fall with him.  He missed it and he wants us to miss it, too. 

What is it?  A holy, intimate, growing, loving relationship with God through Jesus Christ, His Son.

Friends, Satan only has a few tools to entice God’s created into self-indulgent activities that lead us away from God.  In fact, he uses these tools so well he can even make good activities such as reading your Bible be a tool to lead you away from God!  Wait, what?!  Jesus explains this phenomenon in our next passage.  Religious leaders and Teachers of God’s Law had their noses in “the book” like a boss.  They studied each word, debated it’s meaning, gained power from knowing and reciting the word, judged and punished others with the words and totally missed The Word made flesh, the Messiah and His Mission to bring people back to God!  They missed the One and Only, Jesus Christ who would save the world from all sin.  The Messiah they read about, was standing right in front of them!  And they missed it, missed Him!

ALL scripture points to Jesus.  Old and New Testament (Covenant) words from God to us point to Jesus.  If we read bits of scripture, taken out of context, only to prove our point of personal, social belief, stand as judges who “jockey” for power and position based on some of the word, then we fall into the same trap as these leaders Jesus is talking to and reprimanding. Let’s read carefully and prayerfully.    

John—God’s Love

John 5:39-47, The Message

39-40 “You have your heads in your Bibles constantly because you think you’ll find eternal life there. But you miss the forest for the trees. These Scriptures are all about me! And here I am, standing right before you, and you aren’t willing to receive from me the life you say you want.

41-44 “I’m not interested in crowd approval. And do you know why? Because I know you and your crowds. I know that love, especially God’s love, is not on your working agenda. I came with the authority of my Father, and you either dismiss me or avoid me. If another came, acting self-important, you would welcome him with open arms. How do you expect to get anywhere with God when you spend all your time jockeying for position with each other, ranking your rivals and ignoring God?

45-47 “But don’t think I’m going to accuse you before my Father. Moses, in whom you put so much stock, is your accuser. If you believed, really believed, what Moses said, you would believe me. He wrote of me. If you won’t take seriously what he wrote, how can I expect you to take seriously what I speak?”

WHAT DO WE LEARN?

  1. Eternal life is found only in accepting, believing, and following Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord of our lives.
  2. God’s Word points to Jesus.  Jesus shows us who God is and what He has done for us to save us.  God’s Word needs no defense.
  3. Worship God alone.  We do not worship our Bible.  We worship the AUTHOR of the Word.
  4. Jesus is the Word made flesh.  Jesus is the walking and talking word who moved into the neighborhood of humanity to bring us back to God.  This is HIS story for His glory. 
  5. Take Jesus seriously.  Jesus is our perfect example of humility, kindness, goodness, patience, gentleness, love, mercy and grace.  Jesus loves all who believe. 
  6. God loves us.  “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
  7. The Word, read with the power of the Holy Spirit in us, leads us to salvation.  But it is Jesus who saves us when we believe in Him.  The Word tells us how to live like Jesus.  Jesus is the One who brings us to a right, growing, intimate relationship with God.  It is Jesus who sacrificed Himself for us.  It is and always will be all about Jesus.

“These Scriptures are all about me! And here I am, standing right before you, and you aren’t willing to receive from me the life you say you want.”

Don’t miss Him!

Lord,

Life is all about you, indeed.  Thank you for saving us, bringing us out of self-indulgence thinking and behaving that only leads to death into life everlasting with you.  Thank you for keeping us alert so we don’t miss you at work in us and all around us.  To you be all glory, honor and praise for all that is good, right and pleasing to you.  Continue to transform us with your Word and the power of your Holy Spirit, along with your love, mercy and grace.  I will forever be grateful to you for cleaning up my messy spirituality and setting back on your road to real life.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  I’m not there yet, but you never give up on me. 

In Jesus Name, Amen

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

LISTEN, THEN DECIDE

Posted on August 24, 2021 by randscallawayffm

We have many decisions to make in one solitary day.  We decide to get up or sleep in.  If we are expected at work that pays our bills, then the responsible decision is clear.  We must get up, repair what sleep did to us, shower, put on some decent clothes and get to work.  But there are many decisions to make as we perform the tasks to get to work!  Will we eat breakfast or grab something later? Will we wear the shoes that hurt our feet or go with the ugly but comfy shoes?  Will we talk to our spouse or kids about what needs to be done today, hope they remember or just do it ourselves? 

Will we take the dog out or hope that one of the other family members will take care of that chore?   Will we fix breakfast for all or just ourselves because we have to leave before they do?   Will we take the vehicle that has the most gas or hope we can get there with the one we normally drive?  Will we take the road that is less traveled or take the way that is shorter with high traffic?  These are but a few decisions that we make each morning BEFORE we even get to work!  Some we do from habit, without thinking.  We wonder how we got to work some days!  Sometimes, we stop, pause and think!  How did I get here?  Whew, where’s my coffee!!

Yes, just living life on earth includes decision making—about a million decisions a day! 

Jesus came to earth to teach us how He decides what He will do.  John gives us all the details of decision making in this passage, penning the words of Jesus that explain how to live real life, in true, intimate relationship with His Father, our Father in Heaven.  Read slowly and prayerfully.  This is amazing truth!

John—God’s Love

John 5:19-38, The Message

What the Father Does, the Son Does

19-20 So Jesus explained himself at length. “I’m telling you this straight. The Son can’t independently do a thing, only what he sees the Father doing. What the Father does, the Son does. The Father loves the Son and includes him in everything he is doing.

20-23 “But you haven’t seen the half of it yet, for in the same way that the Father raises the dead and creates life, so does the Son. The Son gives life to anyone he chooses. Neither he nor the Father shuts anyone out. The Father handed all authority to judge over to the Son so that the Son will be honored equally with the Father. Anyone who dishonors the Son, dishonors the Father, for it was the Father’s decision to put the Son in the place of honor.

24 “It’s urgent that you listen carefully to this: Anyone here who believes what I am saying right now and aligns himself with the Father, who has in fact put me in charge, has at this very moment the real, lasting life and is no longer condemned to be an outsider. This person has taken a giant step from the world of the dead to the world of the living.

25-27 “It’s urgent that you get this right: The time has arrived—I mean right now!—when dead men and women will hear the voice of the Son of God and, hearing, will come alive. Just as the Father has life in himself, he has conferred on the Son life in himself. And he has given him the authority, simply because he is the Son of Man, to decide and carry out matters of Judgment.

28-29 “Don’t act so surprised at all this. The time is coming when everyone dead and buried will hear his voice. Those who have lived the right way will walk out into a resurrection Life; those who have lived the wrong way, into a resurrection Judgment.

30-33 “I can’t do a solitary thing on my own: I listen, then I decide. You can trust my decision because I’m not out to get my own way but only to carry out orders. If I were simply speaking on my own account, it would be an empty, self-serving witness. But an independent witness confirms me, the most reliable Witness of all. Furthermore, you all saw and heard John, and he gave expert and reliable testimony about me, didn’t he?

34-38 “But my purpose is not to get your vote, and not to appeal to mere human testimony. I’m speaking to you this way so that you will be saved. John was a torch, blazing and bright, and you were glad enough to dance for an hour or so in his bright light. But the witness that really confirms me far exceeds John’s witness. It’s the work the Father gave me to complete. These very tasks, as I go about completing them, confirm that the Father, in fact, sent me. The Father who sent me, confirmed me. And you missed it. You never heard his voice, you never saw his appearance. There is nothing left in your memory of his Message because you do not take his Messenger seriously.

WHAT DO LEARN?  DISCIPLESHIP 101

  1. Jesus does nothing until he checks with the Father who tells Him what to do, where to go, who to speak to with what words to say.  “The Son can’t independently do a thing, only what he sees the Father doing. What the Father does, the Son does.”
  2. Jesus and God have a perfect relationship of perfect love that binds them together as one.  “The Father loves the Son and includes him in everything he is doing.”  Jesus was with God when He created the world. God wants the same love relationship with us!  “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, NIV
  3. Jesus, Son of Man and Son of God, has God’s power with God’s love in Him.  “…in the same way that the Father raises the dead and creates life, so does the Son. The Son gives life to anyone he chooses. Neither he nor the Father shuts anyone out.” 
  4. Jesus’ power is equal to God because of God in Him.  “The Father handed all authority to judge over to the Son so that the Son will be honored equally with the Father.”  Jesus has the power to judge the world, power to heal, power to endure the cross and rise again from the dead.  Jesus basically as the power to do what God sent Him to do as God’s Son.
  5. Jesus teaches us the urgency of getting what He says right!  “It’s urgent that you listen carefully to this: Anyone here who believes what I am saying right now and aligns himself with the Father, who has in fact put me in charge, has at this very moment the real, lasting life and is no longer condemned to be an outsider. This person has taken a giant step from the world of the dead to the world of the living.”  We Listen; We Decide.
  6. God gave Jesus the authority to judge.  “The time is coming when everyone dead and buried will hear his voice. Those who have lived the right way will walk out into a resurrection Life; those who have lived the wrong way, into a resurrection Judgment.”  Two choices that demand a wise decision.
  7. “I can’t do a solitary thing on my own: I listen, then I decide. You can trust my decision because I’m not out to get my own way but only to carry out orders.”—Jesus  

PAUSE and take this in, dear Friends!  Who are we to DECIDE to ignore checking in with God each new day to ask what He wants in every detail of our coming and going, our witness to His Truth, with family relationships, work relationships, with all that we encounter in this life?  God’s Word tells us that He truly delights in all the details of our lives because of His extreme, relentless love for us.  Why, then aren’t the first thoughts we have as we wake of Him who has a perfect plan, a beautiful purpose and knows the way we should go that is the best way.  God is for us, not against us.  He knows us and equips us with what we need.  He knows the amount of the hairs we have left on our heads.  He knows us by name!  Listen; Decide.  Who has your best interest at heart?  Jesus knew.  Jesus knows.  He died and rose again for ALL of us!  Jesus is our perfect example of how to check in with the Father, BE with Him before DOING anything.

  • Jesus stayed focused on His purpose by checking in with God.  “…my purpose is not to get your vote, and not to appeal to mere human testimony. I’m speaking to you this way so that you will be saved.”  Purpose?  “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”Luke 19:10, NIV
  • Jesus is confirmed, not by the world, but by God, His Father.  “…the witness that really confirms me far exceeds John’s witness. It’s the work the Father gave me to complete. These very tasks, as I go about completing them, confirm that the Father, in fact, sent me. The Father who sent me, confirmed me.”
  • Many listened and decided not to believe and follow Jesus.  They “missed it”.  They missed truth, love, joy, peace, help and restoration between God and man.  “And you missed it. You never heard his voice, you never saw his appearance. There is nothing left in your memory of his Message because you do not take his Messenger seriously.”—Jesus

Listen.  Then decide.  What we decide is a matter of life or death.

Ask God what HE wants, then decide to do what He says.

In Jesus Name, Amen.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , | Leave a comment

RISING ABOVE THE RULES

Posted on August 23, 2021 by randscallawayffm

When we humans forget why we do what we do we begin to lose sight of what is most important in life—relationship.  If obeying the rules gets to be of more importance that the reason behind the rules that keep us safe and secure, we get lost in rule-keeping.  We will find that those who have risen to power develop high estimations of themselves.  They relish being the ultimate judge and jury.  They love creating more rules with harsher consequences to add to the fun of executing those addendums.  It’s all about who’s in charge or who they think is in charge.

Rules can be frivolous.  Kids do it all the time.  Watch them play any game.  One of the players will seem to be in charge.  When the “leader” is losing, he/she will persuade and manipulate the other players with presenting a new rule while convincing the other players that it always was a rule.  Yes, sometimes rules are made because someone didn’t get their way so they make up a new rule to win in the game of life. 

God gave his people The Law to help them care and manage themselves in His ways that were best for all people.  Over time, His people remembered all the words of The Law, but they forgot the Rule-Maker—God.  The religious leaders and teachers of The Law studied, read, debated, judged, and implemented The Law.  Then they added their own laws.  And this is where the trouble begins.

These creative additions to The Law will make you laugh at first, but these additions were very oppressive and burdensome to God’s people trying to live life.  For example, you could not drag a chair across the dirt floor of your humble home on the Sabbath.  Why?  Because that would be “furrowing”, as if planting, so that would be “work” resulting in punishment.  I know, right?!  There were many add-ons to God’s Law that were ridiculous but the people didn’t dare oppose because the leaders used God as a way to make them feel consistently guilty.  What kind of a relationship is that?  Not one that God wants.

Jesus came to fulfill The Law, God’s Law, not the man-made add-ons.  Jesus reintroduced God to His people.  The leaders and teachers of The Law did not like this “intrusion” of their power nor the interpretation by Jesus of what God’s true intentions for the Law really were.  They had forgotten the One who gave them The Law along with the reasons behind The Law.  Jesus came to earth to seek and save, to heal and restore and to teach and reteach God’s intention behind His Law while revealing God to all who listened. 

John—God’s Love

John 5:1-18, The Message

Even on the Sabbath

1-6 Soon another Feast came around and Jesus was back in Jerusalem. Near the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem there was a pool, in Hebrew called Bethesda, with five alcoves. Hundreds of sick people—blind, crippled, paralyzed—were in these alcoves. One man had been an invalid there for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him stretched out by the pool and knew how long he had been there, he said, “Do you want to get well?”

7 The sick man said, “Sir, when the water is stirred, I don’t have anybody to put me in the pool. By the time I get there, somebody else is already in.”

8-9 Jesus said, “Get up, take your bedroll, start walking.” The man was healed on the spot. He picked up his bedroll and walked off.

9-10 That day happened to be the Sabbath. The Jews stopped the healed man and said, “It’s the Sabbath. You can’t carry your bedroll around. It’s against the rules.”

11 But he told them, “The man who made me well told me to. He said, ‘Take your bedroll and start walking.’”

12-13 They asked, “Who gave you the order to take it up and start walking?” But the healed man didn’t know, for Jesus had slipped away into the crowd.

14 A little later Jesus found him in the Temple and said, “You look wonderful! You’re well! Don’t return to a sinning life or something worse might happen.”

15-16 The man went back and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. That is why the Jews were out to get Jesus—because he did this kind of thing on the Sabbath.

17 But Jesus defended himself. “My Father is working straight through, even on the Sabbath. So am I.”

18 That really set them off. The Jews were now not only out to expose him; they were out to kill him. Not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was calling God his own Father, putting himself on a level with God.

THINK ABOUT IT…

The Jewish leaders were so lost, so far from God, they could not see, (much less celebrate) the healing, forgiveness and restoration of a man who spent 38 years by a pool, hoping to be well again, trusting only in stirring waters.  This man was of no value to them.  Their first and only thought:  Jesus broke the rule of working on the Sabbath.  Jesus also caused the healed man to break the rule.  “The Jews stopped the healed man and said, “It’s the Sabbath. You can’t carry your bedroll around. It’s against the rules.”  Seem ridiculous? 

I have to ask myself…

Do we have weird, man-made rules in our own places of worship and in our homes that have nothing to do with our relationship to God?  Ooh, pause and reflect.  Take all the time you need–I am.  Then repent after thinking of these things that are not God but merely our preference.

Back to the story…

At this point, the healed man was not concerned about rules.  He found the One and Only who gave hope, healing, forgiveness and restored life!  He now had a relationship with Jesus, Son of God!  The first encounter he had as a healed man was with the Jewish leaders who reprimanded him for carrying his bedroll on the Sabbath!  Wait, what?!  This is a new level of lost for the leaders.  Blinded by arrogance, they didn’t see God revealed in power and might right in front of them.

Jesus finds and encourages the healed man after the attack of the leaders, “You look wonderful! You’re well! Don’t return to a sinning life or something worse might happen.”  I can see Jesus and the man in relational conversation, can’t you?  I can hear him say, “You’re a new man with a new plan.  Don’t go back to where you were.  You don’t live there anymore.”  Friends, isn’t that just like Jesus?  Jesus knows just what we need when we need it most.  Rest in that thought for a minute. 

“My Father is working straight through, even on the Sabbath. So am I.”  To believers who know God, this is a grand assurance of knowing God is always at work on our behalf.  Right?  To those who do not know God, the statement is beyond their reality.  John says of the leaders, “That really set them off. The Jews were now not only out to expose him; they were out to kill him. Not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was calling God his own Father, putting himself on a level with God.”  Now the story of Jesus, our Savior, the One and Only, sent to restore our relationship with God, will heat up.  Stay tuned.

Lord and Savior,

Thank you for coming to save us, restore and make us whole.  Thank you for writing down your story of redemption that leads to relationship with you through your servants and beloved friends.  Thank you for forgiveness which leads to internal joy with the promise of life forever with you.  Thank you for always being at work for us.  Thank you for being with us.  Continue to teach us and transform our thinking.  I love you, Lord with all that is in me.

In Jesus Name, Amen

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , | Leave a comment