IF EVER I FORGET YOU

Posted on March 29, 2021 by randscallawayffm

In the middle of life’s really tough, nearly debilitating, suffering battles of life we can forget about the God who saves us and the One who is always at work within us who believe.  Through tears we can forget that God stands ready to lift us up from the ashes of brokenness when we call out to Him for help.  We can forget to look up from what has been dumped on us for whatever reason and only cast our eyes at the mess instead of the Message.  We can forget what we believe as we hear words of worldview thinking that only satisfies self and fall for sin and resulting destructive behaviors.  We can forget all the blessings God has given to us, grown in us and delivered to us by His grace and mercy for us.  We can forget what love is when we forget about God who is Love.

If ever I forget you, Lord…Remind me!  I know you won’t let me wander too far without bringing back my memory of You and all You and Your Son have done for me.  I know you will remind me of the glory of your relentless love.  I know you have redeemed and saved me from self and all the sins that surround selfish thinking.  I know you will deliver me each day from the thinking and resulting behavior that the enemy tries to present to me.  I know you and I want to know more.  I love you and I want to love like you love me.  So, I remember to turn to Your Word and meditate on each word while Your Holy Spirit teaches me.  I remember to be a willing, humble student who adores her Teacher.

Yes, if ever I forget you when the sea of doubt overwhelms me, help me.  I know you will.  Just as you parted the Red Sea when your people took the first step forward, you will make a way for me and for all who believe, trust and hope in You and walk toward You. 

If EVER I forget, may my first thought be of You and my first words be “Thank you!”

Worship and Wisdom, Psalms and Proverbs

Psalm 137, The Message


1-3 Alongside Babylon’s rivers
    we sat on the banks; we cried and cried,
    remembering the good old days in Zion.
Alongside the quaking aspens
    we stacked our unplayed harps;
That’s where our captors demanded songs,
    sarcastic and mocking:
    “Sing us a happy Zion song!”

4-6 Oh, how could we ever sing God’s song
    in this wasteland?
If I ever forget you, Jerusalem,
    let my fingers wither and fall off like leaves.
Let my tongue swell and turn black
    if I fail to remember you,
If I fail, O dear Jerusalem,
    to honor you as my greatest.

7-9 God, remember those Edomites,
    and remember the ruin of Jerusalem,
That day they yelled out,
    “Wreck it, smash it to bits!”
And you, Babylonians—ravagers!
    A reward to whoever gets back at you
    for all you’ve done to us;
Yes, a reward to the one who grabs your babies
    and smashes their heads on the rocks!

TRUTH:  God remembers us. God is always at work within us and around us. God delivers us.  God loves us through it all.  Believe and be saved by the One who loves you most.

Proverb 16:1-7, The Message

Mortals make elaborate plans,
    but God has the last word.

2 Humans are satisfied with whatever looks good;
    God probes for what is good.

3 Put God in charge of your work,
    then what you’ve planned will take place.

4 God made everything with a place and purpose;
    even the wicked are included—but for judgment.

5 God can’t stomach arrogance or pretense;
    believe me, he’ll put those braggarts in their place.

6 Guilt is banished through love and truth;
    Fear-of-God deflects evil.

7 When God approves of your life,
    even your enemies will end up shaking your hand.

WISDOM:  God is in control. God made everything and everyone with purpose.  Don’t forget God has the last word!  God is The Word.

Abba, Father in Heaven,

Hallowed be Your Name.  May Your Kingdom come, Your will be done in every detail of our lives here on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day great memories of all you have done for us and in us that will drive us forward in your way of thinking and behaving.  And forgive us our sins of selfishness as we forgive those who hurt, malign or mock us.  Lead us not into temptations to strike back but deliver us from evil and evil’s schemes to distract us and destroy us.  We know you won’t let that happen.  All good comes from you.  To You be all glory!  Help us to love like you do by allowing your power to flow through us. 

In Jesus Name, Amen.  I believe.

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GOD NEVER QUITS

Posted on March 28, 2021 by randscallawayffm

Worship and Wisdom, Psalms and Proverbs

Psalm 136, The Message

1-3 Thank God! He deserves your thanks.
    His love never quits.
Thank the God of all gods,
    His love never quits.
Thank the Lord of all lords.
    His love never quits.

4-22 Thank the miracle-working God,
    His love never quits.
The God whose skill formed the cosmos,
    His love never quits.
The God who laid out earth on ocean foundations,
    His love never quits.
The God who filled the skies with light,
    His love never quits.
The sun to watch over the day,
    His love never quits.
Moon and stars as guardians of the night,
    His love never quits.
The God who struck down the Egyptian firstborn,
    His love never quits.
And rescued Israel from Egypt’s oppression,
    His love never quits.
Took Israel in hand with his powerful hand,
    His love never quits.
Split the Red Sea right in half,
    His love never quits.
Led Israel right through the middle,
    His love never quits.
Dumped Pharaoh and his army in the sea,
    His love never quits.
The God who marched his people through the desert,
    His love never quits.
Smashed huge kingdoms right and left,
    His love never quits.
Struck down the famous kings,
    His love never quits.
Struck Sihon the Amorite king,
    His love never quits.
Struck Og the Bashanite king,
    His love never quits.
Then distributed their land as booty,
    His love never quits.
Handed the land over to Israel.
    His love never quits.

23-26 God remembered us when we were down,
    His love never quits.
Rescued us from the trampling boot,
    His love never quits.
Takes care of everyone in time of need.
    His love never quits.
Thank God, who did it all!
    His love never quits!

TRUTH:  GOD NEVER QUITS and neither will I.

God, I do thank you that when I sleep, you do not. Thank you for working on my concerns, answering my prayers, sustaining my world, and doing your work while I sleep as well as when I’m awake. I cannot comprehend it, but I am truly thankful that you are the God who does not tire or grow weary in doing what is good and what is a blessing. I recognize that all the good things I have in my life have come because of your blessing. I praise you for your mercy and grace that sustain me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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Raise a Hallelujah!

Posted on March 25, 2021 by randscallawayffm

I raise a hallelujah, with everything inside of me
I raise a hallelujah, I will watch the darkness flee
I raise a hallelujah, in the middle of the mystery
I raise a hallelujah, fear you lost your hold on me!

I’m gonna sing, in the middle of the storm
Louder and louder, you’re gonna hear my praises roar
Up from the ashes, hope will arise
Death is defeated, the King is alive!

Sing a little louder (In the presence of my enemies)
Sing a little louder (Louder than the unbelief)
Sing a little louder (My weapon is a melody)
Sing a little louder (Heaven comes to fight for me)
Sing a little louder (In the presence of my enemies)
Sing a little louder (Louder than the unbelief)
Sing a little louder (My weapon is a melody)
Sing a little louder (Heaven comes to fight for me)
Sing a little louder!

I’m gonna sing, in the middle of the storm
Louder and louder, you’re gonna hear my praises roar
Up from the ashes, hope will arise
Death is defeated, the King is alive!

Worship and Wisdom, Psalms and Proverbs

Psalm 135, The Message


1-4 Hallelujah!
Praise the name of God,
    praise the works of God.
All you priests on duty in God’s temple,
    serving in the sacred halls of our God,
Shout “Hallelujah!” because God’s so good,
    sing anthems to his beautiful name.
And why? Because God chose Jacob,
    embraced Israel as a prize possession.

5-12 I, too, give witness to the greatness of God,
    our Lord, high above all other gods.
He does just as he pleases—
    however, wherever, whenever.
He makes the weather—clouds and thunder,
    lightning and rain, wind pouring out of the north.
He struck down the Egyptian firstborn,
    both human and animal firstborn.
He made Egypt sit up and take notice,
    confronted Pharaoh and his servants with miracles.
Yes, he struck down great nations,
    he slew mighty kings—
Sihon king of the Amorites, also Og of Bashan—
    every last one of the Canaanite kings!
Then he turned their land over to Israel,
    a gift of good land to his people.

13-18 God, your name is eternal,
    God, you’ll never be out-of-date.
God stands up for his people,
    God holds the hands of his people.
The gods of the godless nations are mere trinkets,
    made for quick sale in the markets:
Chiseled mouths that can’t talk,
    painted eyes that can’t see,
Carved ears that can’t hear—
    dead wood! cold metal!
Those who make and trust them
    become like them.

19-21 Family of Israel, bless God!
    Family of Aaron, bless God!
Family of Levi, bless God!
    You who fear God, bless God!
Oh, blessed be God of Zion,
    First Citizen of Jerusalem!
Hallelujah!

TRUTH:  Bless God, honor God, give ALL credit to God for all He has done, is doing and will do!  First bless God before asking Him to bless us.  God created all, is in all and above all.  God does the impossible and man cannot.  Hallelujah, God is, was and always will be—God!

Proverb 3:5-12, The Message

Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
    don’t try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
    he’s the one who will keep you on track.
Don’t assume that you know it all.
    Run to God! Run from evil!
Your body will glow with health,
    your very bones will vibrate with life!
Honor God with everything you own;
    give him the first and the best.
Your barns will burst,
    your wine vats will brim over.
But don’t, dear friend, resent God’s discipline;
    don’t sulk under his loving correction.
It’s the child he loves that God corrects;
    a father’s delight is behind all this.

WISDOM:  Always God first.  Always.

Abba, Father in Heaven,

I wake each day with you on my mind.  I run to you with all my concerns while thanking you for bringing me this far in life.  I run to you with problems and disappointments, troubles and confusion and you set me straight.  I love you, Lord.  Thank you for discipling me to be all you created me to be.  I know I’m still not arrived but thank you for continuing your work of salvation in me, from the inside out.  You are God and I am not.  I need you every hour.

In Jesus Name, Amen

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BENEFITS OF PRAISE!

Posted on March 24, 2021 by randscallawayffm

Some days when we can’t think of the words to pray, we can ask God’s Holy Spirit in us to pray for us. AND HE WILL!  God’s Word promises…” In certain ways we are weak, but the Spirit is here to help us. For example, when we don’t know what to pray for, the Spirit prays for us in ways that cannot be put into words.”  Romans 8:26, CEV

When it comes to praise, we can praise God morning, noon and night with raised hands, a joyful heart, a knowing, grateful mind, with a soul fill of humility and honor for God, Our Father in Heaven.  We can get help to praise God from God, too!  There are many benefits to praise!

Because of Jesus, we who believe in Him, we can walk right up to the throne of God!  We can praise Him and thank God for His Son.  We can humble ourselves before him and give honor to His Son, King of kings and Lord of lords for saving us.  We can thank God for all the times He protected us and provided for our needs before we knew we needed it.  Are you breathing?  Praise God right now for being alive! 

Never stop praising God!  Bless the Lord, O my soul! With all that is in me, Bless His holy Name!  In praise we recognize who God is and our place in His Kingdom which gives us even more motivation to praise Him more and more!  Don’t wait for Sunday, praise God daily…hourly for God is with us always. 

AND DID YOU KNOW…that the more we praise God, the more we seem to encourage and give honor to each other, building each other up?  There are always those around us who need encouragement. While we are praising God with thanksgiving in our hearts, He helps us to recognize people who need some of what we have which is encouragement through our joy and peace.  YES, God turns our praise to HIM to gifts of encouragement to others–exponentially benefitting others who help others! This is a recent discovery for me as a result of being in a very encouraging ladies online Bible Study.  The more we praise God, the more we encourage each other.  Don’t you love that!

Worship and Wisdom, Psalms and Proverbs

Psalm 134, The Message

1-3 Come, bless God,
    all you servants of God!
You priests of God, posted to the nightwatch
    in God’s shrine,
Lift your praising hands to the Holy Place,
    and bless God.
In turn, may God of Zion bless you—
    God who made heaven and earth!

TRUTH:  Praise God; in turn God blesses us!

Proverb 1:7, The Message

Start with God—the first step in learning is bowing down to God;
    only fools thumb their noses at such wisdom and learning.

WISDOM:  Humble ourselves before God.  Then look up to the God of Creation, our Father in heaven for all wisdom and knowledge that will go with us to eternity and not fail us in crisis.  The Hebrew words rendered fool in Proverbs, and often elsewhere in the Old Testament, denote a person who is morally deficient.  A fool refuses to give honor and praise to God, learn from God or live for God.

Abba, Father in Heaven,

Thank you for all you have done, are doing and will do in my life.  To you be the glory for all that is good in my life.  Thank you for life.  Thank you for saving my soul, dear Jesus.  Thank you for protecting us and leading us to all that is right and good.  Thank you for providing for all we need to fulfil the responsibilities of what you have invited us to be and do.  Thank you for being with us.  Thank you for picking us up when we fall.  Thank you for helping rise above our circumstances and see you for who you really are…Our Father.

In Jesus Name, Amen

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WHEN WE “GET IT”

Posted on March 23, 2021 by randscallawayffm

When we really love each other, assume brilliance in each other’s giftedness and talents given to each of us by God himself, God pours out blessings on us.  When we can love our brothers and sisters without thinking about what we can get in return, God blesses us.  When we help out our brothers and sisters, not thinking about how much they deserve our help, God provides blessings on all of us.  When we love others without ANY thought of who they are, what they done, or where they been in life, we begin to love like Jesus loves us.  When justice is truly for all without thinking of the color of our skin, the status of our station in life or the position we hold in our community, we begin to “get it”.  “IT” is what God’s Word is trying to tell us—He loves it when His kids get along.  Unity makes God smile.

Worship and Wisdom, Psalms and Proverbs

Psalm 133, The Message


1-3 How wonderful, how beautiful,
    when brothers and sisters get along!
It’s like costly anointing oil
    flowing down head and beard,
Flowing down Aaron’s beard,
    flowing down the collar of his priestly robes.
It’s like the dew on Mount Hermon
    flowing down the slopes of Zion.
Yes, that’s where God commands the blessing, ordains eternal life.

TRUTH:  God commands blessings upon those who get along! 

UNITY is not an event; it is a lifestyle of oneness.  Jesus is the One who made us brothers and sisters.

Proverb 24:1-22, ESV

WISDOM:  Live and love in the unity of God’s Holy Spirit

Be not envious of evil men,
    nor desire to be with them,
2 for their hearts devise violence,
    and their lips talk of trouble.

3 By wisdom a house is built,
    and by understanding it is established;
4 by knowledge the rooms are filled
    with all precious and pleasant riches.
5 A wise man is full of strength,
    and a man of knowledge enhances his might,
6 for by wise guidance you can wage your war,
    and in abundance of counselors there is victory.
7 Wisdom is too high for a fool;
    in the gate he does not open his mouth.

8 Whoever plans to do evil
    will be called a schemer.
9 The devising[a] of folly is sin,
    and the scoffer is an abomination to mankind.

10 If you faint in the day of adversity,
    your strength is small.
11 Rescue those who are being taken away to death;
    hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter.
12 If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,”
    does not he who weighs the heart perceive it?
Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it,
    and will he not repay man according to his work?

13 My son, eat honey, for it is good,
    and the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste.
14 Know that wisdom is such to your soul;
    if you find it, there will be a future,
    and your hope will not be cut off.

15 Lie not in wait as a wicked man against the dwelling of the righteous;
    do no violence to his home;
16 for the righteous falls seven times and rises again,
    but the wicked stumble in times of calamity.

17 Do not rejoice when your enemy falls,
    and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles,
18 lest the Lord see it and be displeased,
    and turn away his anger from him.

19 Fret not yourself because of evildoers,
    and be not envious of the wicked,
20 for the evil man has no future;
    the lamp of the wicked will be put out.

21 My son, fear the Lord and the king,
    and do not join with those who do otherwise,
22 for disaster will arise suddenly from them,
    and who knows the ruin that will come from them both?

“Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”           Ephesians 5:1-2

Abba, Father in Heaven,

Hallowed be Your Name.  May Your Kingdom come and reign in us and all around us.  May Your Will of unity be done in all areas of life here while we grow in your character.  Make us holy before you.  Give us this day your word then help us to quickly obey.  Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.  Lead us not into temptations of selfishness, but deliver us from all evil and evil’s schemes to bring us down.  Fill us with Your Holy Spirit.  For You have all power.  To you be all glory!  Forever.

In Jesus Name, Amen

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OUR DETERMINATION MUST LINE UP WITH GOD’S WILL

Posted on March 22, 2021 by randscallawayffm

Yes, David vowed to build a Temple for God.  He wanted to honor God for all God had done for him.  David was determined but God had other plans for the completion of the work.  That’s the way life should be lived.  Our courage and determination must come from God and line up with His purposes and will.  His plan is always perfect.  His will is for our best and helps correct our missteps in life called sin.  Our ultimate purpose is to bring Him glory so that all His created will understand that God is God and we are not. 

David had a dream and with a plan for the Temple but it would be Solomon, his son, who would execute the plan and bring the vision to completion. The lesson we learn is that our work is to do what God says when He says it.  We need to fulfill our responsibilities given to us by God’s invitation with God’s help in His timing for the best results, leaving nothing undone with everything done well.

The completion of the temple was no assurance of God’s blessing on Israel, for the important thing was that the people fulfill their responsibilities toward the Lord.  Our present responsibilities to God, as in the days of David and Solomon, include:

Giving God His Rightful Place

The ark represented God’s throne on earth and its rightful place was in the Holy of Holies of God’s sanctuary. Unless God is on the throne of our lives, no enterprise we attempt can be really successful.

Expressing to God Our Joyful Worship

When Solomon put the ark into the Holy of Holies, the glory of God moved in, just as when Moses dedicated the tabernacle. This psalm refers to Numbers 10:33-36 and reminded the worshippers of God’s guidance and power exhibited in the days of Moses. The prayer for the priests in verse 9 is answered in verse 16. “I’ll dress my priests in salvation clothes; the holy people will sing their hearts out!”  A holy priesthood was important to the prosperity of Israel, but so was a nation dedicated to the Lord.  Our worship to God is our determination to hear Him and obey Him all because of our love and adoration of Him.

Reminding God of His Faithful Covenant 

The psalmist reminded the Lord of His covenant, because he wanted someone from the Davidic dynasty to sit on the throne of Israel. Ultimately, this promise was fulfilled in Jesus Christ, the Son of David, whose throne and kingdom are forever!  By reminding God of His Covenant, we are reminding ourselves of God’s Promises! 

If David’s successors wanted the blessing of God, they needed to obey the law of God, but many of them did not. Believers today are united with the Lord in a new covenant that Jesus made in His own blood and He will never break that covenant. The psalmist used David’s name when he prayed to the Lord, but we pray in the name of Jesus (John 14:13-14). The Father is faithful to His Son, and the Son is faithful to the covenant He made in His own blood.  Remember.

Trusting God for His Beautiful Blessings and Promises

God chose Israel to be His people.  God also chose Zion as the building site of His Temple.  David had desperately wanted to build God a house but was forbidden to do so, but he gathered the wealth needed, received the plans from the Lord, and bought the property on which the temple would stand. 

Other nations had temples, but none of those temples had the glory of the true and living God dwelling in them.  God promised to dwell with Israel, provide their food, bless their worship, and defeat their enemies. Jesus’ seven I AM statements are our promises from God’s New Covenant with all believers today and reveals our God who desires a personal relationship with us! 

It is no surprise that social psychology says that actually knowing someone requires personal and private knowledge coming from being with someone over time and building up a level of trust so that they let you in. Knowing about someone is just the first step toward actually knowing them.

It is the same way with God. Thankfully, God has gone to the extreme to make himself known to us. He does this through nature, personal spiritual interactions, and (most importantly) the revelation of himself through his Son, Jesus Christ that we get to read about in God’s Word to us.

The Seven–

1. I Am the Bread of Life: Jesus alone can sustain us, who are but starving beggars looking for food (John 6).

2. I Am the Light of the World: Jesus is the original and eternal source of light in the universe for us who are spiritually blind by birth (John 8).

3. I Am the Gate of the Sheepfold: Jesus is the only door to life for us who are lost outside God’s will (John 10).

4. I Am the Good Shepherd: Jesus knows and cares for us who are orphaned, wandering sheep without a shepherd (John 10).

5. I Am the Resurrection and the Life: Jesus is the key to escaping spiritual death for us who are hopelessly doomed to death because of our sin (John 11).

6. I Am the Way, Truth, and Life: Jesus is the accessible path, the illuminating truth, and the giver of life for us who are lost, ignorant, and dead without Him (John 14).

7. I Am the True Vine: Jesus is the source of eternal life for us who are dead and useless branches apart from him (John 15).

Robert Hampshire, Christianity.com Contributing Writer states, “Jesus was especially self-revealing in his “I Am” statements found in the gospels (specifically in the Book of John). These descriptive statements explain the character and nature of God through significant phrases that all begin with “I Am.” These are not Jesus’ only statements about himself, but they stand out in a unique way.”

“Although we cannot comprehend the complexities of what God is (as in all-powerful, always present, and all-knowing), the great thing is that we can know who he is because he has revealed Himself to us through His Son, Jesus Christ.”

“The God of the universe is not just some mysterious voice behind a curtain. He is a relational being that we can know personally. He is Immanuel, which means “God with us.” Really, Jesus’ coming was the culmination of God already revealing Himself to us in so many ways.”

Worship and Wisdom, Psalms and Proverbs

Psalm 132, The Message

1-5 O God, remember David,
    remember all his troubles!
And remember how he promised God,
    made a vow to the Strong God of Jacob,
“I’m not going home,
    and I’m not going to bed,
I’m not going to sleep,
    not even take time to rest,
Until I find a home for God,
    a house for the Strong God of Jacob.”

6-7 Remember how we got the news in Ephrathah,
    learned all about it at Jaar Meadows?
We shouted, “Let’s go to the shrine dedication!
    Let’s worship at God’s own footstool!”

8-10 Up, God, enjoy your new place of quiet repose,
    you and your mighty covenant ark;
Get your priests all dressed up in justice;
    prompt your worshipers to sing this prayer:
“Honor your servant David;
    don’t disdain your anointed one.”

11-18 God gave David his word,
    he won’t back out on this promise:
“One of your sons
    I will set on your throne;
If your sons stay true to my Covenant
    and learn to live the way I teach them,
Their sons will continue the line—
    always a son to sit on your throne.
Yes—I, God, chose Zion,
    the place I wanted for my shrine;
This will always be my home;
    this is what I want, and I’m here for good.
I’ll shower blessings on the pilgrims who come here,
    and give supper to those who arrive hungry;
I’ll dress my priests in salvation clothes;
    the holy people will sing their hearts out!
Oh, I’ll make the place radiant for David!
    I’ll fill it with light for my anointed!
I’ll dress his enemies in dirty rags,
    but I’ll make his crown sparkle with splendor.”

TRUTH:  God always wanted His people to know Him ever since sin separated humanity from Him in the Garden of Eden. God promised His people through the prophet Jeremiah: “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you…” (Jeremiah 29:13-14, ESV).

Proverb 18:10, The Message

WISDOM: “God’s name is a place of protection—good people can run there and be safe.”

Abba, Father in Heaven,

I run to you daily, seeking you and I’m never disappointed.  Thank you for desiring a relationship with me that is loving and kind.  Yes, your love never quits and never runs out on me, no matter what.  I worship you for your love and care alone.  I love you back with all that is in me.  Continue to teach me, I’m listening. 

In Jesus Name, Amen

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HOPE

Posted on March 21, 2021 by randscallawayffm

Hope was on my mind with I got up this morning.  I hope this is a good day at church for our all our serving volunteers!  I hope it will be a good weather day for us.  I hope we can find rest while taking a few days off.  I hope we can take a good long walk to think and decompress.  I hope all is well at home with our kids and grandkids.  I hope those drivers who were reckless on the highways we traveled yesterday made it home safely.  I hope our family and friends in Oklahoma mourning the loss of our dear brother, friend, church leader…the one everyone depended on for help, are blessed by God’s help through it all.

We hope about a lot of stuff of life, don’t we?  We are helped most when we know, love and trust in Hope, who is a Person.

Worship and Wisdom, Psalms and Proverbs

Psalm 131, The Message

God, I’m not trying to rule the roost,
    I don’t want to be king of the mountain.
I haven’t meddled where I have no business
    or fantasized grandiose plans.

2 I’ve kept my feet on the ground,
    I’ve cultivated a quiet heart.
Like a baby content in its mother’s arms,
    my soul is a baby content.

3 Wait, Israel, for God. Wait with hope.
    Hope now; hope always!

TRUTH:  God is Hope.  To believers in God, all our Hope is in the One and Only.  It is in God, through Jesus His Son, our Hope who brings contentment, peace and joy right in the middle of troubles, chaos and pressing circumstances of life stuff.  When God is our Life, God is our Hope.  He is Hope.

Do we really believe in what we say we believe about God is really real?  If yes, then we know Hope.  Be still and know Hope.  Rest in Hope.  “Hope now; Hope always!

Proverb 14:32, NIV

WISDOM: “When calamity comes, the wicked are brought down, but even in death the righteous seek refuge in God”—Our Hope.

Abba, Father God in Heaven,

We seek Hope daily and learn you ARE Hope!  My Hope is in You, Lord daily.  To live for you is to live in Hope that we will be together after leaving this earthly tent for our forever heavenly home with you someday.  Hope guides our thoughts and behavior.  Hope brings contentment and peace with internal joy indescribable through mourning, troubles and challenging circumstances.  I live for Hope.  I live for You.  Thank you for defining Hope for me today.  Just knowing you are Hope brings a renewed sense of calm this morning.  Thank you, Lord.

In Jesus Name, Amen.  I believe.

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FORGIVENESS IS YOUR HABIT

Posted on March 18, 2021 by randscallawayffm

Psalm 130 : 3-4 As it turns out, forgiveness is your habit, and that’s why you’re worshiped.

Is forgiveness our habit, our mantra in life no matter what anyone says or does against us?  Is forgiveness our habit when that certain “extra grace required” family member or coworker digs at you, judging and maligning your character, putting you down for your life choices while assuming the worst about you every time you see them? 

“If God kept records on wrongdoings, who would stand a chance?” cries out the Psalmist!  No one.  Absolutely no one.

Paul reiterates this forgiveness later to new churches (groups of believers in Jesus) that were forming all over the world.  Forgiveness begins with the love of God in us.  This “love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres”, says Paul. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, NIV

Love never fails.  Love is the key to forming a habit of forgiveness like God has.  We will never fully reach this level of forgiveness but God expects us to forgive each other as He has forgiven us.

“Make a clean break with all cutting, backbiting, profane talk. Be gentle with one another, sensitive. Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you.”  Ephesians 4:32, The Message

“As Christ forgave you”…commands that to receive forgiveness we must forgive each other.  One can’t be without the other.  We are commanded to be like Christ in every way.  Forgiveness is God’s habit and should be our habit that forms to the level of forgiving as our second nature, without thinking about the ramifications.  First love, then forgive.  No matter what.  Love well.  Without love it is impossible to completely forgive.

Worship and Wisdom, Psalms and Proverbs

Psalm 130, The Message

1-2 Help, God—I’ve hit rock bottom!
    Master, hear my cry for help!
Listen hard! Open your ears!
    Listen to my cries for mercy.

3-4 If you, God, kept records on wrongdoings,
    who would stand a chance?
As it turns out, forgiveness is your habit,
    and that’s why you’re worshiped.

5-6 I pray to God—my life a prayer—
    and wait for what he’ll say and do.
My life’s on the line before God, my Lord,
    waiting and watching till morning,
    waiting and watching till morning.

7-8 O Israel, wait and watch for God—
    with God’s arrival comes love,
    with God’s arrival comes generous redemption.
No doubt about it—he’ll redeem Israel,
    buy back Israel from captivity to sin.

TRUTH:  Wait and watch for God.  With God’s arrival comes love and generous redemption.  “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. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”           John 3:16-17, NIV

Forgiveness is God’s habit because of His unchanging, relentless love.  And that’s why we worship and praise Him!

WISDOM:  Proverb 17:9 “Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends.”

We have all been in situations where we have done wrong and desire forgiveness—from a spouse, family member, friend, or even a co-worker. Sometimes the person we most need forgiveness from is ourselves. And then there are the times when someone is asking us for forgiveness, and we have to look deeply in ourselves to offer it, no strings attached. It’s hard! Whether you are giving or receiving forgiveness, it’s a very powerful thing.

We are blessed to have God’s Word that give us tons of guidance on His love and healing which can go hand in hand with forgiveness. After all, to forgive is to show love, and love is the most important thing we can give to our friends, family, neighbors, and even strangers. If you’re in need of forgiveness right now, or if you need some motivation to forgive someone in your life, look to God.  God is love and forgiveness defined.  Forgiveness is His habit!

Abba, Father in Heaven,

Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who malign and hurt us in all kinds of ways.  Lead us not into the temptations to fight back, judge, hold grudges or assume the worst; but to merely love and forgive like you love and forgive us.

In Jesus Name, Amen

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KICKED AROUND? NOT FOR LONG!

Posted on March 17, 2021 by randscallawayffm

“The blessing of the Lord be on you; we bless you in the name of the Lord.” The Psalmist was saying that the enemy had plowed and planted seeds of an evil plan in the lives of God’s people. But the LORD, in is His loving-kindness, did not allow those plans to come to full bloom.

The song playing in the background of our reading today is “Do It Again” by Mack Donald Brock / Christopher Joel Brown / Steven Furtick / Matt Redman

Walking around these walls
I thought by now they’d fall
But You have never failed me yet

Waiting for change to come
Knowing the battle’s won
For You have never failed me yet

Your promise still stands
Great is Your faithfulness, faithfulness
I’m still in Your hands
This is my confidence
You’ve never failed me yet

I know the night won’t last
Your word will come to pass
My heart will sing Your praise again

Jesus You’re still enough
Keep me within Your love, oh
My heart will sing Your praise again
(Oh, yes, it will)

Your promise still stands
Great is Your faithfulness, faithfulness
I’m still in Your hands
This is my confidence
You’ve never failed

Worship and Wisdom, Psalms and Proverbs

Psalm 129, The Message

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1-4 “They’ve kicked me around ever since I was young”
    —this is how Israel tells it—
“They’ve kicked me around ever since I was young,
    but they never could keep me down.
Their plowmen plowed long furrows
    up and down my back;
But God wouldn’t put up with it,
    he sticks with us.
Then God ripped the harnesses
    of the evil plowmen to shreds.”

5-8 Oh, let all those who hate Zion
    grovel in humiliation;
Let them be like grass in shallow ground
    that withers before the harvest,
Before the farmhands can gather it in,
    the harvesters get in the crop,
Before the neighbors have a chance to call out,
    “Congratulations on your wonderful crop!
    We bless you in God’s name!”

TRUTH:  God doesn’t put up with evil and evil’s schemes working through mankind for very long.  God wins in the end and blesses those who believe and stay close to Him with eternal life.  “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.

Your promise still stands
Great is Your faithfulness, faithfulness
I’m still in Your hands
This is my confidence
You’ve never failed me yet
Never failed me yet
Oh, oh-oh

I’ve seen You move, You move the mountains
And I believe I’ll see You do it again
You made a way, where there was no way
And I believe I’ll see You do it again

Your promise still stands
Great is Your faithfulness, faithfulness
I’m still in Your hands
This is my confidence
You’ve never failed me yet…

Proverb 28:1, The Message

WISDOM: “The wicked are edgy with guilt, ready to run off even when no one’s after them; Honest people are relaxed and confident, bold as lions.”

Abba, Father in Heaven,

You ARE my confidence!  Without you I am but easy prey to the enemy.  With you I am as bold as lion.  Thank you for being with us always.  Great IS your faithfulness to all who believe and follow the sound of your voice.  Holy are you, Lord.  Great are You, Lord and worthy of all our praise and thanksgiving.  Help us to keep working faithfully, wisely and diligently, leaving nothing undone but done well until you come for your own.

In Jesus Name, Amen

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STANDING IN AWE

Posted on March 16, 2021 by randscallawayffm

You are beautiful
You are beautiful beyond description
Too marvelous for words
Too wonderful for comprehension
Like nothing ever seen or heard
Who can grasp Your infinite wisdom?
Who can fathom the depth of Your love?
You are beautiful beyond description
Majesty, enthroned above

And I stand, I stand in awe of You
I stand, I stand in awe of You
Holy God, to whom all praise is due
I stand in awe of You

This is the song of praise playing in the background of my mind as I read our psalm this morning in the quiet of this hour.  Yes, it is quiet for we have just returned from a long trip that required many hours on the road because of the death of another family member who we loved greatly.  God protected us in travel, gave us words of comfort to say and feel.  Now we are back.  I am in awe of God who grows and matures us inside and out through the dynamic called “family”.  Let’s explore that a little more with the help of Warren Wiersbe.

“Because families traveled together to the annual feasts in Jerusalem, it is only right that another psalm be devoted to parents and their offspring. The previous psalm pictured children as a rich heritage and as arrows for defeating the enemy. This psalm uses agricultural images for both the wife and the children. In one form or another, the word bless is used four times, but it is the translation of two different Hebrew words. In verses 1-2, it is the word asher, which is often translated “happy” (Gen. 30:12-13), and in verses 4-5, it is barak, which means “blessed of the Lord.” The latter word is used by the Lord when He blesses people; the former word is used to describe the good that comes when people do that which pleases the Lord. Like 127, this psalm deals with protection, working, the family, and God’s blessing on Jerusalem. While the writer includes all who fear the Lord (believers), the psalm is addressed especially to the man of the house. We see a happy man and woman as they go through several stages in life.”  –Wiersbe

It is fitting that this psalm of praise and blessing comes up this morning upon our return.  Randy’s brother, the “head of the house”, left earth in the “twinkling of an eye” to meet Jesus face to face.  There was no warning or long sickness.  One minute he was on earth getting ready to go on vacation and in the next minute of earth time, his soul left his earthly tent to spend eternity with Jesus because he was a true believer in Jesus.

I hear Jesus saying to Bob some of the words of this psalm, “You worked hard and deserve all you’ve got coming. Enjoy the blessing! Soak in the goodness!” What a blessing of the Lord for Bob!  Because God chose family life to grow, comfort and mature us in His love, mercy and grace, Bob’s family gathered to help each other through the pain of his departure.  But at the same time, we stand in awe of our God who received Bob into his Kingdom home for eternity!  “All who fear (believe) God, how blessed you are!”  As many of Bob’s family as possible gathered to celebrate the life he lived with joy and laughter at the memories of a life well lived.  This, too, is God’s way to “bless” us.

Worship and Wisdom, Psalms and Proverbs

Psalm 128, The Message

1-2 All you who fear God, how blessed you are!
    how happily you walk on his smooth straight road!
You worked hard and deserve all you’ve got coming.
    Enjoy the blessing! Soak in the goodness!

3-4 Your wife will bear children as a vine bears grapes,
    your household lush as a vineyard,
The children around your table
    as fresh and promising as young olive shoots.
Stand in awe of God’s Yes.
    Oh, how he blesses the one who fears God!

5-6 Enjoy the good life in Jerusalem
    every day of your life.
And enjoy your grandchildren.
    Peace to Israel!

TRUTH:  Enjoy your wife, kids, and grandkids all the days of our lives here on earth for they are blessings from God.  “Stand in awe of God’s YES!”  Enjoy EVERY day of your life as if it were your last and give God thanks.  He is IN every day here if we stop to listen and He is in all the days of eternity. Jesus, God’s Son, opened the door to eternity living for all who believe.  Believe and be saved.

Proverb 22:6, The Message

WISDOM: “Point your kids in the right direction—when they’re old they won’t be lost.”

Abba, Father in Heaven,

Hallowed be Your Name.  May Your Kingdom come and reign supremely in us and all around us today and may we recognize your glory at work!  May Your will be done in every detail of our lives here on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day knowledge and wisdom for living well as your servants.  And forgive us our sins as we forgive those who hurt and malign us.  Lead us not into temptations but deliver us from all evil.  For you have all power, to you be all glory now and forevermore!

In Jesus Name, Amen

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