THE WITNESS OF THE PRISONER

Posted on December 2, 2021 by randscallawayffm

“And we know 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 (NIV) The Living Bible translation words it this way: “And we know that all that happens to us is working for our good if we love God and are fitting into his plans.” 

No one knows this Truth better than Paul, who penned these inspired words.  We believers quote this verse often while walking through a personal battle with challenging troubles that are not understood while we are going through them.  Let’s backtrack a bit.  Paul, led by God’s Holy Spirit, but warned of the dangers, has come to Jerusalem.  He brough offerings to the poor.  He went to the Temple to pray.  As soon as he is spotted by the religious leaders, a riot occurs.  They want blood.  He is hated by the Jewish zealots who do not believe in Jesus.  He knows that full well and enters Jerusalem anyway.  He is shouted down by those who want to kill him.  However, because he is a Roman citizen, he is protected! 

Friends, think about it…God is so amazing!  By transforming Saul, a former zealot enemy of God’s new believers to Paul the now completely devoted follower of Jesus, Paul’s witness is all the more powerful!  Paul is an “insider” citizen of Rome, protected from being murdered, who can tell God’s story, even in prison!  What a plan!  “And we know that all that happens to us is working for our good if we love God and are fitting into his plans.”  Paul “gets it” and gratefully continues in the work God gave him to do.  Paul makes the most of EVERY opportunity and teaches others to do the same.  (See Colossians 4:2-6) Paul, describes himself in his letters to the churches, as a “prisoner for the Lord”.  Now we understand why.  All is done in Jesus Name for the glory of God!  ALL things work together for the good of those who love God and called by God to finish what God gave them to be and do—His purpose for us.

“Paul the prisoner” (Acts 23:18) was the name the Roman soldiers used for the apostle, a designation he himself often used (Eph. 3:1; 4:1; 2 Tim. 1:8; Philem. 1, 9). Paul was under “military custody,” which meant he was bound to a Roman soldier who was responsible for him. Prisoners under “public custody” were put in the common jail, a horrible place for any human being to suffer (Acts 16:19–24). Paul’s friends could visit him and help meet his personal needs. It is sad that we don’t read, “And prayer was made fervently by the church for Paul” (see Acts 12:5). There is no record that the Jerusalem church took any steps to assist him, either in Jerusalem or during his two years in Caesarea. This is an exciting chapter…read, led by God’s Spirit.

ACTS—God’s Actions through His Disciples

Acts 23, The Message

Before the High Council

23 1-3 Paul surveyed the members of the council with a steady gaze, and then said his piece: “Friends, I’ve lived with a clear conscience before God all my life, up to this very moment.” That set the Chief Priest Ananias off. He ordered his aides to slap Paul in the face. Paul shot back, “God will slap you down! What a fake you are! You sit there and judge me by the Law and then break the Law by ordering me slapped around!”

4 The aides were scandalized: “How dare you talk to God’s Chief Priest like that!”

5 Paul acted surprised. “How was I to know he was Chief Priest? He doesn’t act like a Chief Priest. You’re right, the Scripture does say, ‘Don’t speak abusively to a ruler of the people.’ Sorry.”

6 Paul, knowing some of the council was made up of Sadducees and others of Pharisees and how they hated each other, decided to exploit their antagonism: “Friends, I am a stalwart Pharisee from a long line of Pharisees. It’s because of my Pharisee convictions—the hope and resurrection of the dead—that I’ve been hauled into this court.”

7-9 The moment he said this, the council split right down the middle, Pharisees and Sadducees going at each other in heated argument. Sadducees have nothing to do with a resurrection or angels or even a spirit. If they can’t see it, they don’t believe it. Pharisees believe it all. And so a huge and noisy quarrel broke out. Then some of the religion scholars on the Pharisee side shouted down the others: “We don’t find anything wrong with this man! And what if a spirit has spoken to him? Or maybe an angel? What if it turns out we’re fighting against God?”

10 That was fuel on the fire. The quarrel flamed up and became so violent the captain was afraid they would tear Paul apart, limb from limb. He ordered the soldiers to get him out of there and escort him back to the safety of the barracks.

A Plot Against Paul

11 That night the Master appeared to Paul: “It’s going to be all right. Everything is going to turn out for the best. You’ve been a good witness for me here in Jerusalem. Now you’re going to be my witness in Rome!”

12-15 Next day the Jews worked up a plot against Paul. They took a solemn oath that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed him. Over forty of them ritually bound themselves to this murder pact and presented themselves to the high priests and religious leaders. “We’ve bound ourselves by a solemn oath to eat nothing until we have killed Paul. But we need your help. Send a request from the council to the captain to bring Paul back so that you can investigate the charges in more detail. We’ll do the rest. Before he gets anywhere near you, we’ll have killed him. You won’t be involved.”

16-17 Paul’s nephew, his sister’s son, overheard them plotting the ambush. He went immediately to the barracks and told Paul. Paul called over one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the captain. He has something important to tell him.”

18 The centurion brought him to the captain and said, “The prisoner Paul asked me to bring this young man to you. He said he has something urgent to tell you.”

19 The captain took him by the arm and led him aside privately. “What is it? What do you have to tell me?”

20-21 Paul’s nephew said, “The Jews have worked up a plot against Paul. They’re going to ask you to bring Paul to the council first thing in the morning on the pretext that they want to investigate the charges against him in more detail. But it’s a trick to get him out of your safekeeping so they can murder him. Right now there are more than forty men lying in ambush for him. They’ve all taken a vow to neither eat nor drink until they’ve killed him. The ambush is set—all they’re waiting for is for you to send him over.”

22 The captain dismissed the nephew with a warning: “Don’t breathe a word of this to a soul.”

23-24 The captain called up two centurions. “Get two hundred soldiers ready to go immediately to Caesarea. Also seventy cavalry and two hundred light infantry. I want them ready to march by nine o’clock tonight. And you’ll need a couple of mules for Paul and his gear. We’re going to present this man safe and sound to Governor Felix.”

25-30 Then he wrote this letter:

From Claudius Lysias, to the Most Honorable Governor Felix:

Greetings!

I rescued this man from a Jewish mob. They had seized him and were about to kill him when I learned that he was a Roman citizen. So I sent in my soldiers. Wanting to know what he had done wrong, I had him brought before their council. It turned out to be a squabble turned vicious over some of their religious differences, but nothing remotely criminal.

The next thing I knew, they had cooked up a plot to murder him. I decided that for his own safety I’d better get him out of here in a hurry. So I’m sending him to you. I’m informing his accusers that he’s now under your jurisdiction.

31-33 The soldiers, following orders, took Paul that same night to safety in Antipatris. In the morning the soldiers returned to their barracks in Jerusalem, sending Paul on to Caesarea under guard of the cavalry. The cavalry entered Caesarea and handed Paul and the letter over to the governor.

34-35 After reading the letter, the governor asked Paul what province he came from and was told “Cilicia.” Then he said, “I’ll take up your case when your accusers show up.” He ordered him locked up for the meantime in King Herod’s official quarters.

WHAT DO WE LEARN?

Paul, the Prisoner, is encouraged by Jesus.  “That night the Master appeared to Paul: “It’s going to be all right. Everything is going to turn out for the best. You’ve been a good witness for me here in Jerusalem. Now you’re going to be my witness in Rome!” 

Warren Wiersbe, Commentator, relates, “A few years after Paul’s conversion, when Paul’s life was in danger in Jerusalem, Jesus appeared to him in the temple and told him what to do (Acts 22:17–21). When Paul was discouraged in Corinth and contemplated going elsewhere, Jesus appeared to him and encouraged him to stay (Acts 18:9–10). Now, when Paul was certainly at “low ebb” in his ministry, Jesus appeared once again to encourage and instruct him. Paul would later receive encouragement during the storm (Acts 27:22–25) and during his trial in Rome (2 Tim. 4:16–17). “Lo, I am with you always” is a great assurance for every situation (Matt. 28:20).”

The Lord’s message to Paul was one of courage. “Be of good cheer!” simply means “Take courage!” Jesus often spoke these words during His earthly ministry. He spoke them to the palsied man (Matt. 9:2) and to the woman who suffered with the hemorrhage (Matt. 9:22). He shouted them to the disciples in the storm (Matt. 14:27) and repeated them in the Upper Room (John 16:33). As God’s people, we can always take courage in times of difficulty because the Lord is with us and will see us through.

Paul the Prisoner isn’t perfect, but is perfectly forgiven.  Paul lives, speaks and acts as a repentant, fully devoted follower of Jesus.  When we read the account of Paul’s days in Jerusalem, we get the impression that everything Paul did failed miserably. His attempt to win over the legalistic Jews only helped cause a riot in the temple, and his witness before the Sanhedrin left the council in confusion. But the Lord was pleased with Paul’s testimony, and that’s what really counts.

Paul’s confidence comes from Jesus, His Lord and Savior.  Paul would go to Rome! This had been Paul’s desire for months (Acts 19:21; Rom. 15:22–29), but events in Jerusalem had made it look as though that desire would not be fulfilled. What encouragement this promise gave to Paul in the weeks that followed, difficult weeks when leaders lied about him, when fanatics tried to kill him, and when government officials ignored him. In all of this, the Lord was with him and fulfilling His perfect plan to get His faithful servant to Rome.

“And we know that all that happens to us is working for our good if we love God and are fitting into his plans.”  Romans 8:28

“Lo, I am with you always” –Jesus  Matthew 28:20

I don’t know what you are going through right now, but for me, I’m clinging to this truth and Paul’s witness as a prisoner.  God knows who we are, knows our name, what we have or have not done, and loves us completely.  He will not fail us.  He will see us through it all.  And somehow, all will work for good as we love, trust and obey.  We plan, but God decides what is best.  Because of His unending love for us, He is with us, always. 

In Jesus Name, For God’s Glory, Amen

Thank you, Lord.

And I’m singing…(Resurrecting by Elevation worship)

By Your spirit I will rise
From the ashes of defeat
The resurrected King, is resurrecting me
In Your name I come alive
To declare Your victory
The resurrected King, is resurrecting me…

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GOD’S STORY—PAUL’S STORY—OUR STORY

Posted on December 1, 2021 by randscallawayffm

We are either with and for God or against God.  There is no middle ground.  We have been taught this Truth way of Life in Jesus through God’s Word.  God is a jealous God, not the way we think of jealousy in our human way.  God is the One who wants us for His own so He can give us His best.  It breaks the heart of God when we seek after all that is not God. 

Saul/Paul was a learned, traditional Jewish man who was zealous for God’s Law but had no real relationship with God, much like his accusers in the passage we are about to read.  He was the one who dragged new believers in Jesus out into the streets, ordered them to be beaten and then put them in jail.  His zealousness led him to seek permission to go to surrounding communities to torment more new believers with an evil thirst for blood.

Then Jesus came and changed everything about Saul.  Jesus blinded his eyes so Saul could hear what He was about to say to him. (Haven’t you ever turned down the radio so you could find which road to turn on when driving?  This makes perfect sense to me!)  Jesus stopped Saul cold in his tracks, spoke to his heart of hearts, and ask, “Saul, what do you persecute Me”.  After three days, sight returned to Saul’s blinded eyes through a Jesus’ disciples and life would never be the same.

That’s how it is with Jesus.  When we fully commit with the decision to believe and follow Jesus with all that is in us, Life is never the same as it was before, it is gloriously better!  We will still have problems and earthly troubles to deal with but we have the Victor over death and sin, Jesus Christ, to take our hand and lead us through it all.  Jesus changes everything.

Imagine Paul rising up to his full short stature, in chains, to tell his testimony of what Jesus did in His life.  Paul put his life on the line, as Jesus did for him, knowing that “to die is gain”. To live with Jesus, forever, is Paul’s new life goal. 

ACTS—God’s Actions through His Disciples

Acts 22

1-2 “My dear brothers and fathers, listen carefully to what I have to say before you jump to conclusions about me.” When they heard him speaking Hebrew, they grew even quieter. No one wanted to miss a word of this.

2-3 He continued, “I am a good Jew, born in Tarsus in the province of Cilicia, but educated here in Jerusalem under the exacting eye of Rabbi Gamaliel, thoroughly instructed in our religious traditions. And I’ve always been passionately on God’s side, just as you are right now.

4-5 “I went after anyone connected with this ‘Way,’ went at them with all my might, ready to kill for God. I rounded up men and women right and left and had them thrown in prison. You can ask the Chief Priest or anyone in the High Council to verify this; they all knew me well. Then I went off to our brothers in Damascus, armed with official documents authorizing me to hunt down the followers of Jesus there, arrest them, and bring them back to Jerusalem for sentencing.

6-7 “As I arrived on the outskirts of Damascus about noon, a blinding light blazed out of the skies and I fell to the ground, dazed. I heard a voice: ‘Saul, Saul, why are you out to get me?’

8-9 “‘Who are you, Master?’ I asked.

“He said, ‘I am Jesus the Nazarene, the One you’re hunting down.’ My companions saw the light, but they didn’t hear the conversation.

10-11 “Then I said, ‘What do I do now, Master?’

“He said, ‘Get to your feet and enter Damascus. There you’ll be told everything that’s been set out for you to do.’ And so we entered Damascus, but nothing like the entrance I had planned—I was blind as a bat and my companions had to lead me in by the hand.

12-13 “And that’s when I met Ananias, a man with a sterling reputation in observing our laws—the Jewish community in Damascus is unanimous on that score. He came and put his arm on my shoulder. ‘Look up,’ he said. I looked, and found myself looking right into his eyes—I could see again!

14-16 “Then he said, ‘The God of our ancestors has handpicked you to be briefed on his plan of action. You’ve actually seen the Righteous Innocent and heard him speak. You are to be a key witness to everyone you meet of what you’ve seen and heard. So what are you waiting for? Get up and get yourself baptized, scrubbed clean of those sins and personally acquainted with God.’

17-18 “Well, it happened just as Ananias said. After I was back in Jerusalem and praying one day in the Temple, lost in the presence of God, I saw him, saw God’s Righteous Innocent, and heard him say to me, ‘Hurry up! Get out of here as quickly as you can. None of the Jews here in Jerusalem are going to accept what you say about me.’

19-20 “At first I objected: ‘Who has better credentials? They all know how obsessed I was with hunting out those who believed in you, beating them up in the meeting places and throwing them in jail. And when your witness Stephen was murdered, I was right there, holding the coats of the murderers and cheering them on. And now they see me totally converted. What better qualification could I have?’

21 “But he said, ‘Don’t argue. Go. I’m sending you on a long journey to outsider non-Jews.’”

A Roman Citizen

22-25 The people in the crowd had listened attentively up to this point, but now they broke loose, shouting out, “Kill him! He’s an insect! Stomp on him!” They shook their fists. They filled the air with curses. That’s when the captain intervened and ordered Paul taken into the barracks. By now the captain was thoroughly exasperated. He decided to interrogate Paul under torture in order to get to the bottom of this, to find out what he had done that provoked this outraged violence. As they spread-eagled him with strips of leather, getting him ready for the whip, Paul said to the centurion standing there, “Is this legal: torturing a Roman citizen without a fair trial?”

26 When the centurion heard that, he went directly to the captain. “Do you realize what you’ve done? This man is a Roman citizen!”

27 The captain came back and took charge. “Is what I hear right? You’re a Roman citizen?”

Paul said, “I certainly am.”

28 The captain was impressed. “I paid a huge sum for my citizenship. How much did it cost you?”

“Nothing,” said Paul. “It cost me nothing. I was free from the day of my birth.”

29 That put a stop to the interrogation. And it put the fear of God into the captain. He had put a Roman citizen in chains and come within a whisker of putting him under torture!

30 The next day, determined to get to the root of the trouble and know for sure what was behind the Jewish accusation, the captain released Paul and ordered a meeting of the high priests and the High Council to see what they could make of it. Paul was led in and took his place before them.

Whew, Paul narrowly escapes torture!  Tomorrow we will read the continuing the true story after the story of testimony of what Jesus did in Saul who is now named Paul.  Paul stood firm on his salvation through Jesus Christ.  For Paul, he was “all in” for Jesus, no matter what.

Are we all in for Jesus?  Take a moment to think, reflect and wonder if we were pushed into proclaiming who we believe, would we be found guilty of following the King of kings and Lord of lords?  Would our lives reflect what we say we believe?  Take all the time you need, I am.

Lord,

I repent of passiveness, avoiding conversations that declare my allegiance to you, for that is no allegiance at all.  Help me stand like Paul when push comes shove, to lift up Your Name above all Names and declare You as my Redeemer!  You are God.  You are my Savior and Lord of my Life.  Help me to live it out loud in respective, persuasive, peaceful ways like you have taught us today.  Help us to make the most of every opportunity to testify about how You changed our lives.

In Jesus Name, Amen 

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MOB MENTALITY:  ASSUMPTIONS AND CONCLUSIONS WITHOUT EVIDENCE

Posted on November 30, 2021 by randscallawayffm

The unbelieving world, who essentially stand for nothing but themselves and daily survival, will fall for anything or anyone who comes along with something else that will break up the boredom of their meaningless lives.  When they gather in one place, these purposeless humans become a mob that excel in the high jump:  They jump to assumptions and conclusions driven by hate, doubt, fear, prejudice and divisiveness in their hearts, minds and souls. 

These high jumpers are being easily led by the evil one whose only goal is to use them for his purposes and then throw them away.  Divisiveness is the only trick Satan has but he uses it well.  He used it in the life of Paul, Peter, John, James and all the other apostles, disciples and followers who were spreading the Good News of Jesus.  Jesus, who saved the world of all sins by paying our debt on the cross, taking our punishment, all because of the amazing love God has for His created.  Jesus is Truth. 

The fallen angel, Satan, forms mob mentality to try to overcome God’s work of spreading the Truth.  Satan didn’t win and doesn’t win.  He still tries today with skirmishes on the battlefield for our souls, but ultimately Jesus has already won this war.  Once we realize the Victor and the Victory, it is much easier to avoid the skirmishes for our souls set before us by the limited power of Satan.  Don’t fall for his schemes.  Stand for Jesus. 

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

In the temple, separating the court of the Gentiles from the other courts, stood a wall beyond which no Gentile was allowed to go (note Eph. 2:14). On the wall was this solemn inscription: “No foreigner may enter within the barricade which surrounds the sanctuary and enclosure. Anyone who is caught so doing will have himself to blame for his ensuing death.”

The Romans had granted the Jewish religious leaders authority to deal with anybody who broke this law, and this included the right of execution. This law plays an important role in what happened to Paul a week after he and the four Nazarites began their purification ceremonies.

Some Jews from Asia saw Paul in the temple and jumped to the conclusion that he had polluted their sacred building by bringing Gentiles past the barricade. It is likely that these Jews came from Ephesus, because they recognized Paul’s friend Trophimus, who came from Ephesus. With their emotions running at full speed, and their brains in neutral, these men argued:

(1) wherever Paul went, his Gentile friends went;

(2) Paul was seen in the temple; therefore, his friends had been in the temple too!

Such is the logic of prejudice. They seized Paul and would have killed him had the Roman guards not intervened in the nick of time. (At least one thousand soldiers were stationed in the Antonia Fortress at the northwest corner of the temple area.) The temple crowd was in an uproar, completely ignorant of what was going on.

Mobs miss the Message.

Friends, have you ever been caught up in mob mentality, assuming the worse while avoiding listening to truth?

ACTS—God’s Actions through His Disciples

Acts 21:27-40, The Message

Paul Under Arrest

27-29 When the seven days of their purification were nearly up, some Jews from around Ephesus spotted him in the Temple. At once they turned the place upside-down. They grabbed Paul and started yelling at the top of their lungs, “Help! You Israelites, help! This is the man who is going all over the world telling lies against us and our religion and this place. He’s even brought Greeks in here and defiled this holy place.” (What had happened was that they had seen Paul and Trophimus, the Ephesian Greek, walking together in the city and had just assumed that he had also taken him to the Temple and shown him around.)

30 Soon the whole city was in an uproar, people running from everywhere to the Temple to get in on the action. They grabbed Paul, dragged him outside, and locked the Temple gates so he couldn’t get back in and gain sanctuary.

31-32 As they were trying to kill him, word came to the captain of the guard, “A riot! The whole city’s boiling over!” He acted swiftly. His soldiers and centurions ran to the scene at once. As soon as the mob saw the captain and his soldiers, they quit beating Paul.

33-36 The captain came up and put Paul under arrest. He first ordered him handcuffed, and then asked who he was and what he had done. All he got from the crowd were shouts, one yelling this, another that. It was impossible to tell one word from another in the mob hysteria, so the captain ordered Paul taken to the military barracks. But when they got to the Temple steps, the mob became so violent that the soldiers had to carry Paul. As they carried him away, the crowd followed, shouting, “Kill him! Kill him!”

37-38 When they got to the barracks and were about to go in, Paul said to the captain, “Can I say something to you?”

He answered, “Oh, I didn’t know you spoke Greek. I thought you were the Egyptian who not long ago started a riot here, and then hid out in the desert with his four thousand thugs.”

39 Paul said, “No, I’m a Jew, born in Tarsus. And I’m a citizen still of that influential city. I have a simple request: Let me speak to the crowd.”

Paul Tells His Story

40 Standing on the barracks steps, Paul turned and held his arms up. A hush fell over the crowd as Paul began to speak. He spoke in Hebrew.

THINK ABOUT IT…

God intervened and saved Paul so He could tell the Truth by telling His Story. 

God will still intervene in our lives.  He is on our side.

God seeks those whose hearts are completely His, who know Truth and are willing to tell His story.

God’s Holy Spirit will give us exactly the right words to say, when to say it and how to say it to those willing to make the most of every opportunity.

Are we willing?

Lord,

You are amazing in all ways.  There is no one like you, none at all.  Why would I listen to anyone else but you?  You are God, Creator of all, who desires to love us beyond our wildest dreams, who cares about us and is willing to stoop low to hear us when we pray.  Lord, how beautiful this thought alone is to me in a world who rarely listens. 

Thank you for saving my soul, lifting my Spirit, guiding my thought life, growing your character in me with loving forgiveness, mercy and grace.  There are not enough words of gratitude that I can give you.  But one thing is for sure.  I will run from the mobs of assumptions and always seek Truth.  You are Truth.  Help me to make the most of every opportunity to tell The Truth of You.

In Jesus Name, Amen

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TRUST JESUS

Posted on November 29, 2021 by randscallawayffm

When we walk with the Lord, in the Light of His Word,                                   What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

I am hearing and singing this old hymn as it plays in the background of my mind today.  In our previous passage, Paul had been woefully warned of the impending dangers that he would experience if he went to Jerusalem, a large city with mixed, diverse religious views.  Thousands were believing in Jesus which angered zealous religious leaders and those who still followed tradition.  Those who were instrumental in setting the stage for the killing of Jesus are now pulling out all the stops of religious tradition to stop the spread of believers who follow Jesus.

The leaders know their religion well and have even added their detailed laws to clarify who is in power over the people who do not comply.  They have no relationship with God, only in tradition and religion.  Jesus did not come to destroy God’s Law but to fulfil it and provide a way back to a relationship with God who made us in His image.  But traditionalist have lived this life too long to change their hearts.  They prefer religion over relationship—at all costs.

PAUL WALKS IN WITH TRUST AND OBEDIENCE IN JESUS

Remember, Paul’s dear friends misunderstood his plans (21:1–17) to go to Jerusalem knowing that it would be dangerous. Paul had to tear himself away from the Ephesian elders, so great was his love for them.  Now, the Jerusalem church misunderstood his message.  The first meeting was devoted primarily to fellowship and personal matters, because the second meeting was given over to Paul’s personal report of his ministry to the Gentiles. The Jerusalem leaders had agreed years before that Paul should minister to the Gentiles (Gal. 2:7–10), and the elders rejoiced at what they heard. Paul gave a full and accurate account, not of what he had done, but of what the Lord had done through his ministry.

You get the impression that the legalists had been working behind the scenes. No sooner had Paul finished his report than the elders brought up the rumors that were then being circulated about Paul among the Jewish Christians. What were his enemies saying about Paul? Almost the same things they said about Jesus and Stephen: he was teaching the Jews to forsake the laws and customs given by Moses and the fathers. They were not worried about what Paul taught the Gentile believers, because the relationship of the Gentiles to the law had been settled at the Jerusalem Conference (Acts 15). In fact, the elders carefully rehearsed the matter (Acts 21:25), probably for the sake of Paul’s Gentile companions.

SEASON OF CHANGE – THE BAD NEWS FOR LEGALISTIC TRADITIONALISTS

Old customs are difficult to change. In fact, one day God would have to send a special letter to the Jews, the epistle to the Hebrews, to explain the relationship between the old and new covenants. As Dr. Donald Grey Barnhouse used to say, “The book of Hebrews was written to the Hebrews to tell them to stop being Hebrews!” It was not until the city and the temple were destroyed in AD 70 that traditional Jewish worship ceased.

Warren Wiersbe, Commentator, explains:

“Paul did warn the Gentiles not to get involved in the old Jewish religion (Gal. 4:1–11), but he nowhere told the Jews that it was wrong for them to practice their customs, so long as they did not trust in ceremony or make their customs a test of fellowship (Rom. 14:1— 15:7). There was freedom to observe special days and diets, and believers were not to judge or condemn one another. The same grace that gave the Gentiles freedom to abstain also gave the Jews freedom to observe. All God asked was that they receive one another and not create problems or divisions.”

Wait a second, friends.  How do we cope with change?  I must stop and ask myself this question while judging the awful actions of the hard-hearted legalists of Paul’s day.  Am I a legalist in my traditions?  Am I wholeheartedly following Jesus, not matter what He asks of me to do?  Or following a list of manmade rules that keep people out instead of inviting them into a relationship with God?

We have to learn to trust God with change.  There is a tension that happens when we are in the midst of change. Living in the middle of what was and the hope of what is yet to come is challenging. We have to LEARN that we can trust God with change, even when we don’t see the end. We are told in Psalm 37:34, “Don’t be impatient for the Lord to act! Keep traveling steadily along his pathway and in due season he will honor you with every blessing.” (TLB) As we navigate the tumultuous waters of learning to trust God with change, we have to decide where we are going to place our trust or anchor our soul. We can look at Saul who changed to Paul to see how he navigated change from legalism to relationship with God through Jesus who is now Lord of his life after Savior from his sins!  Heroes of the Bible like Paul made it through trials as they put their trust in God, while others got lost on the path to their destination.

Now I realize why Paul often warned believer to fix their eyes on Jesus! We must, like Paul, keep our eyes fixed on the author and finisher of our faith. Change is simply God’s means for bringing us closer to our destiny, but in order to stay the course, it is important to know the beauty of destiny:

  • We have a destiny of becoming more of a reflection of Him. (2 Cor. 2:18)
  • We have a destiny of bringing His Kingdom here on earth. (Matt. 6:10)
  • We have a destiny of producing GOOD FRUIT that represents His character. (John 15:5)
  • We have a destiny of beauty coming from ashes. (Isaiah 61)

The Word of God is FULL of promises for our destiny in Christ Jesus.

Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies,
But His smile quickly drives it away;
Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear,
Can abide while we trust and obey.

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

ACTS—God’s actions through His Disciples

Acts 21:17-26, The Message

 Jerusalem

17-19 In Jerusalem, our friends, glad to see us, received us with open arms. The first thing next morning, we took Paul to see James. All the church leaders were there. After a time of greeting and small talk, Paul told the story, detail by detail, of what God had done among the non-Jewish people through his ministry. They listened with delight and gave God the glory.

20-21 They had a story to tell, too: “And just look at what’s been happening here—thousands upon thousands of God-fearing Jews have become believers in Jesus! But there’s also a problem because they are more zealous than ever in observing the laws of Moses. They’ve been told that you advise believing Jews who live surrounded by unbelieving outsiders to go light on Moses, telling them that they don’t need to circumcise their children or keep up the old traditions. This isn’t sitting at all well with them.

22-24 “We’re worried about what will happen when they discover you’re in town. There’s bound to be trouble. So here is what we want you to do: There are four men from our company who have taken a vow involving ritual purification, but have no money to pay the expenses. Join these men in their vows and pay their expenses. Then it will become obvious to everyone that there is nothing to the rumors going around about you and that you are in fact scrupulous in your reverence for the laws of Moses.

25 “In asking you to do this, we’re not going back on our agreement regarding non-Jews who have become believers. We continue to hold fast to what we wrote in that letter, namely, to be careful not to get involved in activities connected with idols; to avoid serving food offensive to Jewish Christians; to guard the morality of sex and marriage.”

26 So Paul did it—took the men, joined them in their vows, and paid their way. The next day he went to the Temple to make it official and stay there until the proper sacrifices had been offered and completed for each of them.

GOD’S STORY DOES NOT END HERE…

Paul’s actions did not appease the legalists who refuse change.  It seems incredible that Paul’s enemies would accuse him of these things, for all the evidence was against them.  However, rumors are not usually based on fact, but thrive on half-truths, prejudices, and outright lies.  The whole plan appeared to be safe and wise, but it did not work. Instead of bringing peace, it caused an uproar, and Paul ended up a prisoner.

The Jews misunderstood Paul’s ministry in riotous proportions.  We will explore this tomorrow.

Lord,

Change is hard but inevitable.  Change happens whether we “approve” or not.  We must fix our eyes on you for the Way, Truth and real Life to follow.  You have already won!  You are the Victor!  We must consider what does not change—Your love, mercy and grace!  So, help us to remember to trust in You, Our Redeemer, Savior and Lord, always and forevermore!

In Jesus Name, Amen

Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet.
Or we’ll walk by His side in the way.
What He says we will do, where He sends we will go;
Never fear, only trust and obey.

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

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MASTER, YOU HANDLE IT!

Posted on November 27, 2021 by randscallawayffm

There will be many times in our lives when we will hear the Holy Spirit’s caution but still be led to continually move in the direction of known danger and challenge.  Those who know God and the teaching and actions of His Son, Jesus, know that every led direction in life is filled with possible challenges.  When we live for God, expect it.  But also expect God to be with us.

Paul is warned of the dangers of his determined trip to Jerusalem.  Jerusalem, the city of God, filled with His people, but also filled with people who no longer know God.  The Romans hate God and His people.  Factions of Jewish leaders are no longer led of God but by selfish motives of promotion and still fight the teachings of our Master, Jesus.  They do not believe in Jesus as Savior or Lord.  They want to stop the new believers, growing in numbers, spreading the Good News of salvation for all.  This is where Paul is traveling to in hopes of changing their minds.

Visions and dreams of others who love Paul warn Him of the danger.  Some “see” what will happen if he goes.  Paul knows the danger.  But his mind is determined to go to Jerusalem.  Can we stop for a minute and recall the words of Luke (who also penned the inspired by God book of Acts) as he tells of Jesus resolute, determination to go to Jerusalem?  Jesus knows exactly what will happen but “his eyes were fixed on Jerusalem.”  (Luke 9:51-56)

“When the days drew near for him to be received up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.” To set his face towards Jerusalem meant something very different for Jesus than it did for the disciples. You can see the visions of greatness that danced in their heads in verse 46: “An argument arose among them as to which of them was the greatest.” Jerusalem and glory were just around the corner. O what it would mean when Jesus took the throne!

But Jesus had another vision in his head. One wonders how he carried it all alone and so long. Here’s what Jerusalem meant for Jesus: “I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the day following; for it cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem”(Luke 13:33). Jerusalem meant one thing for Jesus: certain death. Nor was he under any illusions of a quick and heroic death. He predicted in Luke 18:31, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written of the Son of man by the prophets will be accomplished. For he will be delivered to the Gentiles, and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon; they will scourge him and kill him.” When Jesus set his face to go to Jerusalem, he set his face to die, so that we who believe could live!

Paul, devoted to his Master, Jesus Christ, also “sees” what others do not.  He tries to explain to those worried about him, “Why all this hysteria? Why do you insist on making a scene and making it even harder for me? You’re looking at this backward. The issue in Jerusalem is not what they do to me, whether arrest or murder, but what the Master Jesus does through my obedience. Can’t you see that?”

ACTS—God’s Action through His Disciples

Acts 21:1-16, The Message

Tyre and Caesarea

1-4 And so, with the tearful good-byes behind us, we were on our way. We made a straight run to Cos, the next day reached Rhodes, and then Patara. There we found a ship going direct to Phoenicia, got on board, and set sail. Cyprus came into view on our left, but was soon out of sight as we kept on course for Syria, and eventually docked in the port of Tyre. While the cargo was being unloaded, we looked up the local disciples and stayed with them seven days. Their message to Paul, from insight given by the Spirit, was “Don’t go to Jerusalem.”

5-6 When our time was up, they escorted us out of the city to the docks. Everyone came along—men, women, children. They made a farewell party of the occasion! We all kneeled together on the beach and prayed. Then, after another round of saying good-bye, we climbed on board the ship while they drifted back to their homes.

7-9 A short run from Tyre to Ptolemais completed the voyage. We greeted our Christian friends there and stayed with them a day. In the morning we went on to Caesarea and stayed with Philip the Evangelist, one of “the Seven.” Philip had four virgin daughters who prophesied.

10-11 After several days of visiting, a prophet from Judea by the name of Agabus came down to see us. He went right up to Paul, took Paul’s belt, and, in a dramatic gesture, tied himself up, hands and feet. He said, “This is what the Holy Spirit says: The Jews in Jerusalem are going to tie up the man who owns this belt just like this and hand him over to godless unbelievers.”

12-13 When we heard that, we and everyone there that day begged Paul not to be stubborn and persist in going to Jerusalem. But Paul wouldn’t budge: “Why all this hysteria? Why do you insist on making a scene and making it even harder for me? You’re looking at this backward. The issue in Jerusalem is not what they do to me, whether arrest or murder, but what the Master Jesus does through my obedience. Can’t you see that?”

14 We saw that we weren’t making even a dent in his resolve, and gave up. “It’s in God’s hands now,” we said. “Master, you handle it.”

15-16 It wasn’t long before we had our luggage together and were on our way to Jerusalem. Some of the disciples from Caesarea went with us and took us to the home of Mnason, who received us warmly as his guests. A native of Cyprus, he had been among the earliest disciples.

THINK ABOUT IT…

When we don’t understand—Leave it in God’s hands. 

We don’t always need to know the mission motivation and vision of each other.  But we can always trust God to direct, guide and provide for those He leads.  “We saw that we weren’t making even a dent in his resolve, and gave up. It’s in God’s hands now, we said. Master, you handle it. 

Great friends, supportive family members who love, trust and obey God, do exactly what those who loved Paul did.  They prayed, “Master, you handle it”, believing that He will.  He is God and we are not.  We pray.  God works.  God calls.  We obey. 

Following Jesus is not a rose garden without thorns.  “In this world, you will have troubles…”, Jesus promised, with thorns of danger and opposition from the enemy they will tear at our flesh but will not destroy our soul!  Jesus has overcome!  We are overcomers with Him!

When Randy and I answered God’s call to leave our home state and travel a thousand miles away, our friends and family warned us of all kinds of pitfalls in this decision.  Looking back, I understood their concerns but knew that obedience to God was the only option for us.  It’s still the only option for us.  We have no regrets in following where God leads.  The lessons God wanted to teach us through good, hard, challenging times will live in us forever.  Teaching others what God does in us and His people who really believe He is really real comes from the lessons God taught us in responding to His call with trusting, loving obedience. 

To whom do you “set your eyes” and “fixed your gaze” upon? 

This is the question we must answer daily.  See Romans 12:1-2.

Lord,

You have been with us through good times and challenging times, teaching us that we are always under your protective care.  You have provided faithfully, teaching us to have even stronger faith from within our souls.  We decided to follow you as children, we are not turning back now.  Our relationship is too deep and intimate.  Our love for you has gone to depths of resolve of knowing there is no love like the love you have for us.  There is no one like you.  There is no one we can fully trust and be assured of continual love and care.  Thank for guiding us in marriage, in parenting, in grandparenting and in ministry of helping others find and follow you.  Continue to teach us for I’m sure you are not finished with our education yet.  School us, Lord.  We are yours.  Our eyes are fixed on you.

In Jesus Name, Amen

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WHAT MATTERS MOST

Posted on November 26, 2021 by randscallawayffm

Goodbyes to people you love and love to be with in good times and through bad times are hard.  Tears come and flow freely with long hugs.  Loving words are whispered in ears.  What matters most is what is said.

This next passage is all about what matters most in loving God and loving His people.  Paul is leaving Asia and is Spirit-led to go on to Jerusalem.  We can learn much from Paul’s affirming and encouraging words at his departure.  The love of God, the love and devotion to Jesus in Paul drenches every word with care through the tears for the people he leaves behind.  Spirit-led, passionate words encourages leaders he developed over the past three years to now carry on the work God began through Paul and his associates.  These are God’s actions through His apostles and disciples, followers and leaders.

God still acts through us today as believing followers, shepherds, leaders, servers–passionate lovers of Jesus for what He has done in and for us.  Our obedience to God reflects the depth of our love for God.

ACTS—God’s Actions through His Disciples

Acts 20:17-38, The Message

On to Jerusalem

17-21 From Miletus he sent to Ephesus for the leaders of the congregation. When they arrived, he said, “You know that from day one of my arrival in Asia I was with you totally—laying my life on the line, serving the Master no matter what, putting up with no end of scheming by Jews who wanted to do me in. I didn’t skimp or trim in any way. Every truth and encouragement that could have made a difference to you, you got. I taught you out in public and I taught you in your homes, urging Jews and Greeks alike to a radical life-change before God and an equally radical trust in our Master Jesus.

22-24 “But there is another urgency before me now. I feel compelled to go to Jerusalem. I’m completely in the dark about what will happen when I get there. I do know that it won’t be any picnic, for the Holy Spirit has let me know repeatedly and clearly that there are hard times and imprisonment ahead. But that matters little. What matters most to me is to finish what God started: the job the Master Jesus gave me of letting everyone I meet know all about this incredibly extravagant generosity of God.

25-27 “And so this is good-bye. You’re not going to see me again, nor I you, you whom I have gone among for so long proclaiming the news of God’s inaugurated kingdom. I’ve done my best for you, given you my all, held back nothing of God’s will for you.

28 “Now it’s up to you. Be on your toes—both for yourselves and your congregation of sheep. The Holy Spirit has put you in charge of these people—God’s people they are—to guard and protect them. God himself thought they were worth dying for.

29-31 “I know that as soon as I’m gone, vicious wolves are going to show up and rip into this flock, men from your very own ranks twisting words so as to seduce disciples into following them instead of Jesus. So stay awake and keep up your guard. Remember those three years I kept at it with you, never letting up, pouring my heart out with you, one after another.

32 “Now I’m turning you over to God, our marvelous God whose gracious Word can make you into what he wants you to be and give you everything you could possibly need in this community of holy friends.

33-35 “I’ve never, as you so well know, had any taste for wealth or fashion. With these bare hands I took care of my own basic needs and those who worked with me. In everything I’ve done, I have demonstrated to you how necessary it is to work on behalf of the weak and not exploit them. You’ll not likely go wrong here if you keep remembering that our Master said, ‘You’re far happier giving than getting.’”

36-38 Then Paul went down on his knees, all of them kneeling with him, and prayed. And then a river of tears. Much clinging to Paul, not wanting to let him go. They knew they would never see him again—he had told them quite plainly. The pain cut deep. Then, bravely, they walked him down to the ship.

WHAT WE LEARN…

Paul reminds servant leaders what matters most:

  • Jesus saves us.  God leads us through His Holy Spirit. We love, trust and obey.
  • No matter what—Preach the Truth of Jesus Christ.
  • Laying our lives on the line, as Jesus did for us, is the cost of discipleship and our blessed privilege.
  • Radical life-change before God with an equally radical trust in our Master Jesus is living with eternal purpose in the Kingdom of God.
  • “What matters most to me is to finish what God started: the job the Master Jesus gave me of letting everyone I meet know all about this incredibly extravagant generosity of God.”
  • Give your best to the Master Jesus, holding nothing back of God’s will.
  • Leaders, “Be on your toes—both for yourselves and your congregation of sheep. The Holy Spirit has put you in charge of these people—God’s people they are—to guard and protect them. God himself thought they were worth dying for.”
  • Vicious wolves of evil will come to draw the sheep away.  “So, stay awake and keep up your guard.”
  • Life is ALL about God!  “God, whose gracious Word can make you into what he wants you to be and give you everything you could possibly need in this community of holy friends.”
  • “Work on behalf of the weak and do not exploit them.” 
  • Don’t worry about wealth or fashion, God will take care of our basic needs. “You’ll not likely go wrong here if you keep remembering that our Master said, ‘You’re far happier giving than getting.’”
  • PRAY – Pray to God for each other.  Pray when life hurts.  Pray in goodbyes and hellos.  Pray for God’s leading.  Pray through the tears. 
  • Pray for God’s will for this is who matters most in life.

Lord,

Goodbyes are hard when you send us to other places to share your Truth.  Paul’s example of passionate serving leadership is not only inspiring but necessary for our own maturing in your work of grace and mercy in us.  Thank you, Jesus for being the Perfect example.  Thank you for teaching Paul how to be fully devoted to You and the Truth of salvation with eternal life.  May we always remember Who and What matters most in this life as we prepare for eternity with you.  May we live passionately and truthfully.  May our authenticity, because of You in us, speak volumes to those seeking what is real and what matters most to them.

In Jesus Name, Amen

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BE A GIVER

Posted on November 24, 2021 by randscallawayffm

Tomorrow is thanksgiving in our world.  Most families will gather to give thanks to God, praising Him for all He has given to us and done in us over the past year.  Most of us will gather over a huge meal. But some will be alone.  Some of the human race will line up for a meal at a local mission.  Some will gather to heavily drink, judge, assume and fight with each other and call it day of endurance. 

Some will be grateful for life in hospitals across the nation as they live another day fighting diseases of all kinds.  Some will plan for getting the meal over with so they can shop for all the things they think people want so they can spend more than they’ve got to please those in their inner circle and to please themselves with the “bargains” they will find.  Some will just pause to be truly grateful for another day on earth. 

Some will give life, hope, joy and peace.  Some will extract life, deflating the lungs of breath from those around them with words that maim, tear down, discourage, with devaluation of others’ character and very being.  Some are merely takers with “give me” as the mantra of their lives.

Are we givers?  Who is a giver?  I have learned that the best givers are grateful to God.  Extreme givers, who give without thinking about it, seem to be those who have lost everything this world has to offer it is okay.  They are soulfully grateful because of losing the world.  The best givers have turned all their attention to seek, find and follow Jesus, the Giver of Life.  The best givers have seen troubles most of us cannot imagine and have lived through it all with the Giver of Life by their side.  The deeper the pain, the more grateful they are, it seems.

Paul is a giver.  He loves and is tenaciously devoted to Jesus.  Saul/Paul used to be the taker of life until Jesus changed his life.  Saul took life by harassing, maiming, beating, and jailing those who believed in Jesus until Jesus stepped in and transformed a radical Saul to a determined Paul.  Paul went from Taker to Giver almost overnight.  Being a Giver in the truest sense is being like Jesus who gave His life for ours.  Jesus was obedient to God, His Father, giving life to all who 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)

Why are my thoughts going in this direction?  What readily leaps from the page is giving life.  Paul, because of Christ in Him, is consistently giving encouragement and fresh perspectives of hope in Jesus.  He lifts their spirits everywhere he goes.  He walks the “less traveled road” to give encouragement along the way.  Traveling through the country, passing from one gathering to another, he gave constant encouragement, lifting their spirits and charging them with fresh hope.

Who wants to be like Paul…who wants to live like Jesus?

ACTS—God’s Actions through His Disciples

Acts 20:1-16, The Message

Macedonia and Greece

1-2 With things back to normal, Paul called the disciples together and encouraged them to keep up the good work in Ephesus. Then, saying his good-byes, he left for Macedonia. Traveling through the country, passing from one gathering to another, he gave constant encouragement, lifting their spirits and charging them with fresh hope.

2-4 Then he came to Greece and stayed on for three months. Just as he was about to sail for Syria, the Jews cooked up a plot against him. So he went the other way, by land back through Macedonia, and gave them the slip. His companions for the journey were Sopater, son of Pyrrhus, from Berea; Aristarchus and Secundus, both Thessalonians; Gaius from Derbe; Timothy; and the two from western Asia, Tychicus and Trophimus.

5-6 They went on ahead and waited for us in Troas. Meanwhile, we stayed in Philippi for Passover Week, and then set sail. Within five days we were again in Troas and stayed a week.

7-9 We met on Sunday to worship and celebrate the Master’s Supper. Paul addressed the congregation. Our plan was to leave first thing in the morning, but Paul talked on, way past midnight. We were meeting in a well-lighted upper room. A young man named Eutychus was sitting in an open window. As Paul went on and on, Eutychus fell sound asleep and toppled out the third-story window. When they picked him up, he was dead.

10-12 Paul went down, stretched himself on him, and hugged him hard. “No more crying,” he said. “There’s life in him yet.” Then Paul got up and served the Master’s Supper. And went on telling stories of the faith until dawn! On that note, they left—Paul going one way, the congregation another, leading the boy off alive, and full of life themselves.

13-16 In the meantime, the rest of us had gone on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we planned to pick up Paul. Paul wanted to walk there, and so had made these arrangements earlier. Things went according to plan: We met him in Assos, took him on board, and sailed to Mitylene. The next day we put in opposite Chios, Samos a day later, and then Miletus. Paul had decided to bypass Ephesus so that he wouldn’t be held up in Asia province. He was in a hurry to get to Jerusalem in time for the Feast of Pentecost, if at all possible.

THINK ABOUT IT…

Dear Friends, I don’t know about you, but encouragement from anyone breathes new life in me, causing me to work all the harder to help others know Life.  I love hanging around encouraging people, don’t you?  It’s refreshing, life-giving, soul lifting and heart strengthening. 

God’s actions in and through Paul give life and encouragement spiritually and literally to all the believers he meets.  Read on!

Yes, that’s not all!  Did the boy falling out the window amuse you a bit like it did me?  Paul is a preacher who, given a willing audience, will preach Jesus until…someone falls asleep and tumbles from the upper room window.  Who knows exactly if the breathe of life was knocked from him or if he literally died but what we do know is that it was Paul who stopped immediately, laid his body on the young man, hugged him and prayed life and breath back into the boy’s lungs.  Yes, Paul is a giver.

“No more crying,” he said. “There’s life in him yet.” Then Paul got up and served the Master’s Supper. And went on telling stories of the faith until dawn! On that note, they left—Paul going one way, the congregation another, leading the boy off alive, and full of life themselves.

Pause to reflect and pray…

How do we leave people when we walk away?  Full of life and hope?  Or less than hopeful and discouraged about themselves?

Lord,

You are the Giver of Life for eternity.  You are coming back again someday.  In the meantime, we must learn to be givers like you.  We must learn to give up ourselves and what we think we need, lay our lives before you in grateful obedience for what you have done for us and receive all you want to give us.  Lead us not from the temptations of discouragement, wanting to tear others down in hopes that would lift us up, but instead lead us to grow in your character of giving life to others through the encouraging words you consistently give to us.  Your work in Paul is a constant reminder that words and actions of encouragement and hope gives life to the those who think there is no hope.  Thank you for teaching us truth this morning.  Now, help us live it so well it becomes our habit of giving back to you by giving hope to others.

In Jesus Name, Amen

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THE GODDESS OF MAKING A BUCK

Posted on November 23, 2021 by randscallawayffm

Our next passage brings to mind several implications for life.  How far will we go to protect our business?  Who or what do we really believe to be really real?  Who guides our daily lives?  Who do we call on for decision making and problem solving?  How low will we stoop in making a buck, protecting our business, along with who will be used and abused who get in our way?   

Who is God and who is not?  Our lives will always reflect who we believe and follow.

As I read our passage for today, I would guess that Demetrius didn’t believe in any god or goddess but the making-a-swift-buck god.  He didn’t really believe in the local goddess, Artemis.  He believed in gaining wealth through making hand craved images to sell to those who did believe.  He shamelessly incited a riot only to save his business with hopes that the disciples work could be stopped…so God would be stopped.  But God is unstoppable.  Read on…and watch God at work.

ACTS—God’s Actions through His Disciples

Acts 19:21-41, The Message

The Goddess Artemis

21-22 After all this had reached its peak, Paul decided it was time to move on to Macedonia and Achaia provinces, and from there to Jerusalem. “Then,” he said, “I’m off to Rome. I’ve got to see Rome!” He sent two of his assistants, Timothy and Erastus, on to Macedonia and then stayed for a while and wrapped things up in Asia.

23-26 But before he got away, a huge ruckus occurred over what was now being referred to as “the Way.” A certain silversmith, Demetrius, conducted a brisk trade in the manufacture of shrines to the goddess Artemis, employing a number of artisans in his business. He rounded up his workers and others similarly employed and said, “Men, you well know that we have a good thing going here—and you’ve seen how Paul has barged in and discredited what we’re doing by telling people that there’s no such thing as a god made with hands. A lot of people are going along with him, not only here in Ephesus but all through Asia province.

27 “Not only is our little business in danger of falling apart, but the temple of our famous goddess Artemis will certainly end up a pile of rubble as her glorious reputation fades to nothing. And this is no mere local matter—the whole world worships our Artemis!”

28-31 That set them off in a frenzy. They ran into the street yelling, “Great Artemis of the Ephesians! Great Artemis of the Ephesians!” They put the whole city in an uproar, stampeding into the stadium, and grabbing two of Paul’s associates on the way, the Macedonians Gaius and Aristarchus. Paul wanted to go in, too, but the disciples wouldn’t let him. Prominent religious leaders in the city who had become friendly to Paul concurred: “By no means go near that mob!”

32-34 Some were yelling one thing, some another. Most of them had no idea what was going on or why they were there. As the Jews pushed Alexander to the front to try to gain control, different factions clamored to get him on their side. But he brushed them off and quieted the mob with an impressive sweep of his arms. But the moment he opened his mouth and they knew he was a Jew, they shouted him down: “Great Artemis of the Ephesians! Great Artemis of the Ephesians!”—on and on and on, for over two hours.

35-37 Finally, the town clerk got the mob quieted down and said, “Fellow citizens, is there anyone anywhere who doesn’t know that our dear city Ephesus is protector of glorious Artemis and her sacred stone image that fell straight out of heaven? Since this is beyond contradiction, you had better get hold of yourselves. This is conduct unworthy of Artemis. These men you’ve dragged in here have done nothing to harm either our temple or our goddess.

38-41 “So if Demetrius and his guild of artisans have a complaint, they can take it to court and make all the accusations they want. If anything else is bothering you, bring it to the regularly scheduled town meeting and let it be settled there. There is no excuse for what’s happened today. We’re putting our city in serious danger. Rome, remember, does not look kindly on rioters.” With that, he sent them home.

WHAT DO WE LEARN?

Inciting a riot for personal gain does not get solve problems.

Truth always will rise to the top.  Cowards lie when threatened by Truth.

God is unstoppable.  He worked through a town clerk who did not believe in Him to protect His work and calm the rioting to protect His people. 

We are reminded of the Ten Commandments, written by God upon two tablets of stone and then given to Moses on Mount Sinai. (The record of the Ten Commandments can be found in the Bible, both in Exodus 20:2-17 and Deuteronomy 5:6-21.)  Number One is:  “You shall have no other gods before Me.”  The second one clarifies God Alone: “You shall make no idols”—no hand-graven images of any kind to be exact.  (Read Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5) The commandments of God have not changed.  God has not changed in His love and care for us.

As believers we know that God was, is, and always will be God.  His Son, Jesus is alpha and omega—beginning and the end—the One and Only who reconciles us to God in a holy relationship that is eternal.  This is real life.  This is who we really believe to be really real. 

CONSIDER THIS…

The story of our favorite place of business to fill our tummies is relevant to consider. 

Chick-fil-A franchises are closed on Sundays. The founder, Truett Cathy opened his first restaurant on a Tuesday, and he found that by Sunday he was “just worn out.” He noted that, like himself, many of his customers preferred to observe the Christian Sabbath and not eat out on Sunday. He’s kept his restaurants closed on Sundays ever since, as much to honor the religious beliefs of his customer base, the evangelical Southern U.S., as his own. Truett put his day off to good use, teaching Sunday school for over 50 years.

Did closing on Sundays to honor the Sabbath, (another commandment), hurt his business?

Have you ever waited in line lately at your local Chick-fil-A?  Truett Cathy’s chain continues to thrive with consistently opening new locations. The Chick-fil-A restaurant, for example, on the Auburn University campus set a record in June 2017 with $3 million in sales, at this location alone, earning an award.  So, there you have it.  God honors those who honor Him.

Lord,

Thank you for reminding us who is always in control.  You are God, the One and Only God—and we are not.  I worship You with all that is in me with grateful praise for all you are, all you have done and will do.  There is no other like you!  I believe. 

When I am afraid, dissolve my fears with ever developing trust in you.  When I am perplexed, lead me to your wisdom.  When I take a few steps from under your protective wing, draw me back in.  When filled with confusion, calm my soul with your truth.  I’m yours, Lord—imperfections and all, I’m yours.  Continue to grow and mature your character in me.  I’m not there yet. 

In Jesus Name, Amen

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BUT WHO ARE YOU?

Posted on November 22, 2021 by randscallawayffm

Why and how we serve brings evidence into the light of day of whom we serve.  Who are we, really?  Do we love and serve Jesus as our Master and Lord of our lives?  Do we allow Him to enter into our thinking, walking around ordinary lives and give Him free reign to do the extraordinary in and through us?  Or do we love and serve Jesus because of what it does for us?  Do we serve to get the “feel good” feeling? 

How can we tell the difference?  The difference is in the consistency of obedience in serving God alone, not ourselves, by loving and serving tirelessly, led by His Holy Spirit, even when we don’t feel up to the task on any given day, or when we are attached by the enemy, or when we feel less than adequate.  It is serving and loving like Jesus loved—knowing our love might not be reciprocated but loving just the same. 

Yes friends, sometimes (daily, actually) we need to pause and evaluate who we are and why we do what we do.  Who am I?

God did amazing acts of healing, loving, protecting along with leading people to open their hearts to hear Him through Paul and his associates.  GOD did those acts, not Paul.  Paul was the vessel through which God worked.  Paul would be the first to tell you this truth.  Paul wrote this truth throughout his writings to the churches.   Paul’s “game”, as the pretenders called it, is being fully devoted to His Master, Jesus, preaching that the One and Only is who brings us into a right and holy relationship with God!  Let us not get confused.  Paul is human, imperfect with flaws who was perfectly forgiven by Jesus.  Jesus changed everything for Paul.  Now Paul is preaching Jesus to everyone he meets, led by God’s Holy Spirit.  Paul is on a journey with Jesus, the one who heals, restores, renews and reconciles us to God.

“But, who are you?”, says the evil spirits who have possessed a man and have free reign over his heart, mind and soul.  People come along and think they can play what they think is Paul’s “game”.  They want to be popular like Paul, gain notoriety like Paul for personal gain without knowing where Paul’s power comes from or who Paul serves with all his heart, mind and soul.  They don’t know how Paul thinks or how he begins each day.  But we do.  Paul later writes to the churches in Rome about how to begin each day fully devoted to Jesus allowing God’s Holy Spirit to work in each of us.  

Place Your Life Before God, Romans 12:1-2, The Message

So, here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.”  (Emphasis mine)

So, friends, we must ask with prayerful thought, who are we?  Pause, reflect, pray, repent, love more and more like Jesus loves us.  We are not perfect but we are surely perfectly forgiven by Jesus who loves us still.

ACTS—God’s Actions through His Disciples

Acts 19:11-20, The Message

Witches Came out of the Woodwork

11-12 God did powerful things through Paul, things quite out of the ordinary. The word got around and people started taking pieces of clothing—handkerchiefs and scarves and the like—that had touched Paul’s skin and then touching the sick with them. The touch did it—they were healed and whole.

13-16 Some itinerant Jewish exorcists who happened to be in town at the time tried their hand at what they assumed to be Paul’s “game.” They pronounced the name of the Master Jesus over victims of evil spirits, saying, “I command you by the Jesus preached by Paul!” The seven sons of a certain Sceva, a Jewish high priest, were trying to do this on a man when the evil spirit talked back: “I know Jesus and I’ve heard of Paul, but who are you?” Then the possessed man went berserk—jumped the exorcists, beat them up, and tore off their clothes. Naked and bloody, they got away as best they could.

17-20 It was soon news all over Ephesus among both Jews and Greeks. The realization spread that God was in and behind this. Curiosity about Paul developed into reverence for the Master Jesus. Many of those who thus believed stepped out into the light and made a clean break with their secret sorceries. All kinds of witches and warlocks came out of the woodwork with their books of spells and incantations and made a huge bonfire of them. Someone estimated their worth at fifty thousand silver coins. In such ways it became evident that the Word of the Master was now sovereign and prevailed in Ephesus.  (Emphasis mine)

Lord,

You are Lord and Savior to me.  You give life and you give purpose to each one of us.  You are who we are.  May all I think, say or do be evidence of you living in me, showing me what you want with where, when, and how to do it.  Work out your salvation in me.  Mature and grow me into all you created me to be.  I am your child.  That’s who I am.

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, Amen.

Playing in the background is the song, “Way Maker” by Leeland

You are here, moving in our midst
I worship You
I worship You

You are here, working in this place
I worship You
I worship You

You are here, moving in our midst
I worship You
I worship You

You are here, working in this place
I worship You
I worship You

You are
Way maker, miracle worker, promise keeper
Light in the darkness, my God
That is who You are

You are
Way maker, miracle worker, promise keeper
Light in the darkness, my God
That is who You are

You are here, touching every heart
I worship You
I worship You

You are here, healing every heart
I worship You, Jesus
I worship, you turning lives around

You are here, oh, turning lives around
I worship You
I worship, You mended every heart

You are here, mending every heart
I worship You
I worship You

And You are
Way maker, miracle worker, promise keeper
Light in the darkness, my God
That is who You are

That is who You are
And that is who You are
And that is who You are
(That is who You are) my Jesus

Way maker, miracle worker, promise keeper
(Light in the darkness, my God) hey
(That is who You are)

Even when I don’t see it, You’re working
Even when I don’t feel it, You’re working
You never stop, You never stop working
You never stop, You never stop working, c’mon

Way maker, miracle worker, promise keeper
Light in the darkness, my God
That is who You are, eh, yeah

Light in the darkness, my God
That is… Sing “That is who you are”, ohh

You are
Way maker (miracle worker, promise keeper)
Light in the darkness, my God
(That is who You are)

Oh, I know that is who You are
(That is who You are)

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GOOD FOR GOODNESS’ SAKE?

Posted on November 20, 2021 by randscallawayffm

Learning about God and the relationship God has with His Son coupled with the realization of God’s Holy Spirit can get muddled in living an ordinary life in this world of anything goes.  We want to be “good for goodness’s sake” as the Santa song goes, but we need to “watch out”, not for Santa, but for Truth.  God’s Word holds His Truth—all of it—from Genesis to Revelation, God’s Word leads us to know and worship the Author, God Himself.  God is our creator.  God’s Son is the Way, Truth and Life to a holy relationship with our Creator.  God’s Holy Spirit lives with us to build God’s character within us.  The Three-In-One—Truth and Life!  Ooh, this is good!

Paul was schooled in God’s Word.  He knew what the prophets said.  Paul became so zealous in knowing all the details of The Law and man’s additions to that law, that he rose to leadership as the persecutor of anyone who did not adhere to The Law.  He had a relationship with The Law, but no relationship to God who wrote the original Law.   He didn’t have the full picture until he met Jesus.  Jesus changed everything about Saul who is now Paul.  A repentant, now saved by grace, Paul is driven, just as strongly, but now with a relationship with God, through Jesus Christ, His Son.  His heart, mind and soul have a new commander, God’s Holy Spirit, who lives in Paul. 

Paul is now compelled to teach others of the saving grace of the Master, Jesus Christ with the joy of a new relationship mankind can have with God because of what Jesus did—just as the prophets foretold!  Paul now sees the big picture.  His mission is to make sure others see it, too.  God’s Holy Spirit guides every step Paul makes.  As Jesus only did what the Father did and told him to do, Paul works hard to say and do what God’s Holy Spirit says to do, where to go, and how long to stay. Paul admits he is not perfect, but he is perfectly forgiven.

What a great example of how to live our lives!  We are not “good” on our own.  We never will be “good” no matter how hard we try.  No one is good.  Only Jesus.  Jesus is the One and Only who is good for goodness’s sake.  Believe and be saved from the pretense of being good alone and grow in a relationship with Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord of our lives.  This is good.  Very good.  Jesus sent a helper from God—His Holy Spirit, who guides and helps us to see what is good with how to live good lives in relationship with the Three-In-One.

This is the Paul who is traveling about the province of Asia with REAL Truth—Jesus!

ACTS—God’s Actions through His Disciples

Acts 19:1-10, The Message

1-2 Now, it happened that while Apollos was away in Corinth, Paul made his way down through the mountains, came to Ephesus, and happened on some disciples there. The first thing he said was, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed? Did you take God into your mind only, or did you also embrace him with your heart? Did he get inside you?”

“We’ve never even heard of that—a Holy Spirit? God within us?”

3 “How were you baptized, then?” asked Paul.

“In John’s baptism.”

4 “That explains it,” said Paul. “John preached a baptism of radical life-change so that people would be ready to receive the One coming after him, who turned out to be Jesus. If you’ve been baptized in John’s baptism, you’re ready now for the real thing, for Jesus.”

5-7 And they were. As soon as they heard of it, they were baptized in the name of the Master Jesus. Paul put his hands on their heads and the Holy Spirit entered them. From that moment on, they were praising God in tongues and talking about God’s actions. Altogether there were about twelve people there that day.

8-10 Paul then went straight to the meeting place. He had the run of the place for three months, doing his best to make the things of the kingdom of God real and convincing to them. But then resistance began to form as some of them began spreading evil rumors through the congregation about the Christian way of life. So Paul left, taking the disciples with him, and set up shop in the school of Tyrannus, holding class there daily. He did this for two years, giving everyone in the province of Asia, Jews as well as Greeks, ample opportunity to hear the Message of the Master.

EPILOGUE

Paul, knows when to “hold them, fold them and walk away” from resistance.  Choose your battles and know that God will take care of those who believe. 

Led by the Holy Spirit, Paul sets of a “seminary” of clarification in the school of Tyrannus for TWO YEARS, “giving everyone in the province of Asia, Jews as well as Greeks, ample opportunity to hear the Message of the Master.”  Paul taught who was REAL.  Paul introduced all people to a real relationship with the Master, Jesus Christ!

Friends, aren’t we glad Paul, Peter, John and the other apostles and disciples obeyed the Holy Spirit?  I am convinced that God’s actions in His disciples brought generations into a growing relationship with Him through Jesus Christ, His Son.  The Holy Spirit assures me of this truth.  God is STILL on the move among His created.

Lord,

Thank you for this message of hope today.  Thank you for saving my soul.  Thank you for teaching me daily, letting me see more of the bigger picture.  Thank you for forgiving this imperfect soul with your ever perfect forgiveness.  When I am down, you pick me up and set me right to what is real and who is good.  Thank you, Lord.

In Jesus Name, Amen

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