Daily Manna (Coffee with Jesus)

MIRACULOUS SCRAPS

Posted on May 1, 2019 by randscallawayffm

Matthew – God’s Purposes

Leftovers. Do you like leftovers? It depends on how good the meal was the first time around, right? If it was a fantastic meal at a favorite restaurant but I can’t eat it all, then you better believe, I asking for a box to take home what I didn’t eat the first time. However, many times, I leave the box full of a future lunch of leftovers on the table, forgetting what I loved so much.

The Jews were served the Bread of Life and Living Water in the Person of Jesus Christ, but many of God’s Chosen people refused to eat or drink. A Gentile woman comes and asks for just the scraps of what Jesus has to offer from His table of mercy and grace. He blesses her for her faith by healing her demon possessed daughter. “Your faith is great.” Can you imagine our Lord saying that to us? Susan, you’re faith is great. I am getting emotional just thinking about it now.

The key to this woman’s faith in Jesus is HOW she asked for Jesus’ help. She came to Jesus in humble worship of the One who she knew could heal her daughter. Her persistent faith in Jesus got His attention and He saw her heart. I relate to the woman. I am not worthy of all that God has done for me but I will continue to ask for His help, mercy, love and grace because I know He will deliver me when I am going through troubled times as he does all people who believe in Him with all that is in them. He knows my name. He knows my heart.

John 3:16 New Living Translation…

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that EVERYONE who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” (Emphasis mine.)

Matthew 15, NLT

The Faith of a Gentile Woman

21 Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 A Gentile woman who lived there came to him, pleading, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! For my daughter is possessed by a demon that torments her severely.”

23 But Jesus gave her no reply, not even a word. Then his disciples urged him to send her away. “Tell her to go away,” they said. “She is bothering us with all her begging.”

24 Then Jesus said to the woman, “I was sent only to help God’s lost sheep—the people of Israel.”

25 But she came and worshiped him, pleading again, “Lord, help me!”

26 Jesus responded, “It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.”

27 She replied, “That’s true, Lord, but even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their masters’ table.”

28 “Dear woman,” Jesus said to her, “your faith is great. Your request is granted.” And her daughter was instantly healed.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for sending Jesus. Jesus, Lord and Savior, thank you for saving my soul and making me whole again this morning. Thank you, Holy Spirit, for your guidance, comfort, conviction and encouragement. Thank you, Father, for loving us first and always. Thank you for all you have done, are doing and will do in and through us for your glory. Thank you for blessings on top!

In Jesus Name, Amen

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PURITY OF HEART

Posted on April 30, 2019 by randscallawayffm

Matthew – God’s Purposes

What is purity? What does it mean to be pure? What is holy? What is right? What does it mean to be righteous? People whose hearts have been broken and scarred are seeking a better way to live. Seekers really want to know. People living on the “outside” are seeking answers from the “insiders” of churches by watching the lives of those who attend. They are looking for who is real and what is real. They are seeking Truth in all the confusion and lies the world offers them.

New attenders to our churches are wondering what they have to do to be more like those seem to be “living right”. What do we tell them? The better question is Who do we point to for Truth? Ourselves? Our way of life? Our rules? Our unwritten rules of church life? What songs to sing, clothes to wear, what organizations to join, how to raise our hands or not raise our hands in worship, etc.? OR do we point them to Jesus? Do we guide them to God’s Word, teaching them to obey HIS commandments? Are we confusing the seekers as God’s church? Are we becoming a bit like the Pharisees with our unwritten “laws” of church going behavior?

These are all questions of reflections that are vitally important as we examine our own hearts. What goes into our hearts stays in our hearts and makes its way out in our speech and behavior like Jesus teaches here in this passage. Pure is undiluted. How pure is my heart is the question I must ask myself. Is my heart polluted by man-made traditions that have little to do with God’s “greatest” commandments (as Jesus called them) to love Him first and then love others like Jesus loves us? Is it time for me to ask for His Holy Spirit to cleanse my heart and make it pure once more?

Matthew 15, NLT

Jesus Teaches about Inner Purity

15 Some Pharisees and teachers of religious law now arrived from Jerusalem to see Jesus. They asked him, 2 “Why do your disciples disobey our age-old tradition? For they ignore our tradition of ceremonial hand washing before they eat.”

3 Jesus replied, “And why do you, by your traditions, violate the direct commandments of God? 4 For instance, God says, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and ‘Anyone who speaks disrespectfully of father or mother must be put to death.’ 5 But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, ‘Sorry, I can’t help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.’ 6 In this way, you say they don’t need to honor their parents. And so you cancel the word of God for the sake of your own tradition. 7 You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote,

8 ‘These people honor me with their lips,

but their hearts are far from me.

9 Their worship is a farce,

for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’”

10 Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. “Listen,” he said, “and try to understand. 11 It’s not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth.”

12 Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you realize you offended the Pharisees by what you just said?”

13 Jesus replied, “Every plant not planted by my heavenly Father will be uprooted, 14 so ignore them. They are blind guides leading the blind, and if one blind person guides another, they will both fall into a ditch.”

15 Then Peter said to Jesus, “Explain to us the parable that says people aren’t defiled by what they eat.”

16 “Don’t you understand yet?” Jesus asked. 17 “Anything you eat passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer. 18 But the words you speak come from the heart—that’s what defiles you. 19 For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander. 20 These are what defile you. Eating with unwashed hands will never defile you.”

GOING DEEPER…The tradition behind the accusations.

Their accusation about “washing hands” had nothing to do with cleanliness. They were referring to the ceremonial washings of the rigidly orthodox Jews. It was bad enough that Jesus and His disciples mingled with outcasts, but they did not even seek to be purified!

Of course, in making this accusation, these religious leaders were forcing Jesus to deal with the very foundation of their religious faith. If Jesus rejected the sacred traditions of the nation, then He was a heretic!

Where did these traditions come from? They were handed down from the teachers of previous generations. These traditions were originally the “oral law” that (said the rabbis) Moses gave to the elders, and they passed down to the nation. This oral law was finally written down and became the Mishnah. Unfortunately, the Mishnah became more important and more authoritative than the original law of Moses.

Our Lord’s reply to their charge began with an accusation (Matt. 15:3). It was they who were breaking God’s law by practicing their traditions! He then proceeded with an illustration (Matt. 15:4–6), their practice of “Corban” (see Mark 7:11). The Hebrew word Corban means “a gift.” If a Jew wanted to escape some financial responsibilities, he would declare his goods to be “Corban—a gift to God.” This meant he was free from other obligations, such as caring for his parents. But in so doing, the person was losing the power of God’s Word in his life, and thus hurting his character and missing God’s blessing.

Jesus concluded His reply with an application (Matt. 15:7–11), quoting Isaiah 29:13. Jesus made it clear that obedience to tradition made a person disobedient to the Word of God, and this proved the tradition to be false. Exodus 20:12 taught a man to “honor” father and mother. But the “Corban” rule would make a person dishonor his parents, and, at the same time, disobey God. Tradition is something external,while God’s truth is internal, in the heart. People obey tradition to please men and gain status (Gal. 1:14), but we obey the Word to please God.

Tradition deals with ritual, while God’s truth deals with reality. Tradition brings empty words to the lips, but truth penetrates the heart and changes the life. Actually, tradition robs a person of the power of the Word of God.

Unfortunately, there are many “evangelical traditions” in churches today, man-made teachings that are often considered as authoritative as the Word of God— even though they contradict His Word. By obeying these traditions, Christians rob themselves of the power of God’s Word.

God wants us to give Him our hearts, and not just our lip service. We believe in the heart (Rom, 10:9–10), love from the heart (Matt. 22:37), sing from the heart (Col. 3:16), obey from the heart (Rom. 6:17; Eph. 6:6), and give from the heart (2 Cor. 9:7). No wonder David prayed, “Create in me a clean heart, O God” (Ps. 51:10). Jesus declared boldly to the multitudes that sin comes from the heart, not from the diet. It is what comes out of the mouth that defiles us, not what goes in.

Dear Heavenly Father,

We have to watch all that goes into our hearts. We need to think about all that goes into our minds and be selective about what nourishes our soul. When you tell us to be alert, watchful, to spot pollutants, this is the warning we must always heed. Cleanse my heart, O Lord, of all that is dark, musty, that grows infections of sin that hinders and tangles my walk with You. Be the filter of my heart. Don’t let anything in that makes me less than pure. Make me pure and holy before you. I need you every hour. Every hour I need your help. Thank you for your Holy Spirit.

In Jesus Name, Amen

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TELL ME TO COME TO YOU

Posted on April 29, 2019 by randscallawayffm

Matthew – God’s Purposes

In my lifetime I have heard many sermons on this passage. Some speakers will tell us that Peter should have had more faith so we should have more faith. Some will tell us that Peter was so impetuous and unpredictable in his actions and that’s why he began to sink on his walk. Others will say Peter was wrong to ask to be like Jesus and walk with him on the water. A few sermonaters will applaud Peter and tell us, “At least he got out of the sinking boat on the troubled sea to come to Jesus!” So, you see there are a lot of ways you can go with this passage. Let us stop and pray right now and see what God wants to say to our hearts.

As we serve as fill in teachers on the field in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, impetuously with our whole hearts, we are tenaciously focused on Jesus and His purpose for us here. God called. We jumped from the boat that was called home, family, church family and friends. We made the decision to not only come for a month but four months after hearing God speak through our pastor’s sermon one Sunday afternoon. In minutes after making that decision, two weeks before leaving, we had a list of 36 items that would have to be dealt with before leaving. God took care of every item, including raising support that was increased times four. But our Jesus walks on water, He can do this.

On the first night we arrived, we calculated the support that was pouring in by YOU who believed in the One who walks on water and believed in us who believed in Jesus. God asked you to give and you did. ALL of our support was provided by the first evening of being here in Bolivia. We got out of the boat, God provided, and you joined us! We cried tears of joy and praised God all night long that first night. Amazement and wonder are very small words to describe how God works and how we felt.

As we finish month three, I will be honest. Rough waters pulled our eyes off the One who walks on water for a bit because of challenging circumstances, but fortunately not for long. We called out to Jesus to help us, for like Peter, the waves pulled our eyes from the One who said to “Come.” We wanted what Peter asked of Christ.

“Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”

What we were really asking for was needed affirmation that are here because HE called and invited us here, not that we just jumped from the “boat” to see if we could make it on the mission field for more than a month. Are You with us in this? Are we doing what you asked? How strong is our faith and hope in You? Are we willing to go the distance and finish well because You are walking beside us? “Lord, if it’s really you…tell me to come…”

All our questions were answered before we sank…just like Peter who was taken by the Hand of Jesus and pulled up to walk with Him again…back to the boat that was bobbing around like a cork on the troubled sea. Can you imagine the other disciples as they watched this whole episode while trying to handle the boat Peter jumped from?

As we read with understanding, we remember that the boat was in trouble, too! Do we stay or do we jump?

Matthew 14, NLT

Jesus Walks on Water

22 Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while he sent the people home. 23 After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone.

24 Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. 25 About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!”

27 But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!”

28 Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”

29 “Yes, come,” Jesus said.

So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted.

31 Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?”

32 When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. 33 Then the disciples worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed.

34 After they had crossed the lake, they landed at Gennesaret. 35 When the people recognized Jesus, the news of his arrival spread quickly throughout the whole area, and soon people were bringing all their sick to be healed. 36 They begged him to let the sick touch at least the fringe of his robe, and all who touched him were healed.

DIGGING DEEPER STILL…

“JESUS INSISTED THE DISCIPLES GET INTO THE BOAT…” After the feeding of the 5000, the multitudes wanted to make Jesus King, but for the wrong reasons and at the wrong time. Jesus did not want his disciples caught up in all the talk. His time was not right.

This experience of the disciples in the storm can be an encouragement to us when we go through the storms of life. When we find ourselves in the storm, we can rest on several assurances.

“He brought me here.”

The storm came because they were in the will of God and not (like Jonah) out of the will of God. Did Jesus know that the storm was coming? Certainly! Did He deliberately direct them into the storm? Yes! They were safer in the storm in God’s will than on land with the crowds out of God’s will. We must never judge our security on the basis of circumstances alone.

“As we read our Bibles, we discover that there are two kinds of storms: storms of correction, when God disciplines us, and storms of perfection, when God helps us to grow. Jonah was in a storm because he disobeyed God and had to be corrected. The disciples were in a storm because they obeyed Christ and had to be perfected. Jesus had tested them in a storm before, when He was in the boat with them (Matt. 8:23–27). But now He tested them by being out of the boat.”

“Many Christians have the mistaken idea that obedience to God’s will produces “smooth sailing.” But this is not true. “In the world ye shall have tribulation,” Jesus promised (John 16:33). When we find ourselves in the storm because we have obeyed the Lord, we must remember that He brought us here and He can care for us.” (Warren Wiersbe Commentary).

Are you not crying with tears of joy over these words of assurance?

“He is praying for me.”

This entire scene is a dramatic picture of the church and the Lord today. God’s people are on the sea, in the midst of a storm. Yet Jesus Christ is in heaven “making intercession for us” (Rom. 8:34). He saw the disciples and knew their plight (Mark 6:48), just as He sees us and knows our needs. He feels the burdens that we feel and knows what we are going through (Heb. 4:14–16). Jesus was praying for His disciples, that their faith would not fail.

If you knew that Jesus Christ was in the next room, praying for you, would it not give you new courage to endure the storm and do His will? Of course it would. He is not in the next room, but He is in heaven interceding for you. He sees your need, He knows your fears, and He is in control of the situation.

“He will come to me.”

Often we feel like Jesus has deserted us when we are going through the hard times of life. Jesus always comes to us in the storms of life. “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you” (Isa. 43:2). He may not come at the time we think He should come, because He knows when we need Him the most. He waited until the ship was as far from land as possible, so that all human hope was gone.

He was testing the disciples’ faith, and this meant removing every human prop. Why did Jesus walk on the water? To show His disciples that the very thing they feared (the sea) was only a staircase for Him to come to them. Often we fear the difficult experiences of life (such as surgery or bereavement), only to discover that these experiences bring Jesus Christ closer to us.

“He will help me grow.”

This was the whole purpose of the storm, to help the disciples grow in their faith. After all, Jesus would one day leave them, and they would face many storms in their ministries.

“He will see me through.”

If Jesus says, “Come,” then that word is going to accomplish its intended purpose. Since He is the “author and finisher of our faith” (Heb. 12:2), whatever He starts, He completes. We may fail along the way, but in the end, God will succeed. Jesus and Peter walked on the water together and went to the ship.

Oh, brothers and sisters in faith…listen to what God is telling this day.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for your love, care, protection, provision and a million blessings on top…far more than we can think or imagine! Thank you for coming to us. Thank you for rescuing us. Thank you for affirming us and being our strength, wisdom and clarity of the mission you invited us to join you in service to you for your glory! Thank you for telling us to come to you. You are our everything.

In Jesus Name, Amen

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YOU DO IT

Posted on April 28, 2019 by randscallawayffm

Matthew – God’s Purposes

When I was young my parents did many life skills for me. They tied my shoes, showed me how to use a fork but cut my meat, and what clothes to wear in all situations. They taught me that flip flops were not appropriate to wear at all times…so I went barefoot. Yeah, I was that kid.

All joking aside, I had parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts close by that taught me how to do life. I was very fortunate to have all these advisers in my life, although I wasn’t as appreciative as I should have been at the time. As I matured, they began to turn over some of those life skills to me to do myself. “I showed you how to do it, now you do it” was the investment my family made in me. This was how I learned to pass on life skills to my kids and grandkids. This was also how I learned to teach in all kinds of situations, both in public school and in ministry. This became the basic strategy of teaching for me:

Watch me while I do it.

Do it with me.

You do it while I watch you.

Now you do it.

Jesus, the Master Teacher, taught His disciples this method of passing on the knowledge and wisdom for living life according to God’s Word in His ways. Great teachers and parents still use this method today for optimal learning and maturing by those they teach. However, Jesus took his disciples deeper than this method as He taught them the power of God that produces miracles when we trust and obey!

Remember yesterday we learned and realized that Jesus dealt with three distinct people groups as he ministered here on earth: His enemies, the needy multitudes and His disciples. Although, fully human as well as fully God, tired physically, He never stopped teaching, healing, seeking out the lost in order to save them. When he heard the news of John the Baptist, he withdrew from these people groups to be alone. But they followed him.

Jesus often withdrew from the crowds and spent time alone with His disciples (see Matt. 14:13; 15:21, 29; 16:13; 17:1–8). There were several reasons for these withdrawals: the growing hostility of His enemies, the need for physical rest, and the need to prepare His disciples for His future death on the cross. However, we must not think that these withdrawals, or periods of retirement from the crowds, were periods of inactivity. Often the crowds followed Jesus and He was unable to remain alone. He would unselfishly minister to their needs in spite of His own need for rest and solitude.

Jesus and His disciples desperately needed rest (Mark 6:31), yet the needs of the multitudes touched His heart. The word translated “moved with compassion” literally means “to have one’s inner being (viscera) stirred.” It is stronger than sympathy. The word is used twelve times in the Gospels, and eight of these references are to Jesus Christ.

Jesus was “moved with compassion” when He saw the needy multitudes (Matt. 9:36). They were like sheep that had been lacerated from brutal fleecing— torn, exhausted, and wandering. Twice He was “moved with compassion” when He beheld the hungry multitudes without food (Matt. 14:14; 15:32). The miracle of the feeding of the five thousand is recorded in all four gospels (Matt. 14:13–21; Mark 6:35–44; Luke 9:12–17; John 6:4–13). It was definitely a miracle.

Matthew 14, NLT

Jesus Feeds Five Thousand

13 As soon as Jesus heard the news, he left in a boat to a remote area to be alone. But the crowds heard where he was headed and followed on foot from many towns. 14 Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

15 That evening the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away so they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves.”

16 But Jesus said, “That isn’t necessary—you feed them.”

17 “But we have only five loaves of bread and two fish!” they answered.

18 “Bring them here,” he said. 19 Then he told the people to sit down on the grass. Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he gave the bread to the disciples, who distributed it to the people. 20 They all ate as much as they wanted, and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftovers. 21 About 5,000 men were fed that day, in addition to all the women and children!

DIGGING DEEPER…

It takes little imagination to picture the embarrassing plight of the disciples. Here were more than five thousand hungry people, and they had nothing to feed them! Certainly the disciples knew that Jesus was powerful enough to meet the need, yet they did not turn to Him for help. Instead, they took inventory of their own food supply (a lad had five barley loaves and two fish) and their limited treasury. When they considered the time (evening) and the place (a desolate place), they came to the conclusion that nothing could be done to solve the problem. Their counsel to the Lord was: “Send them away!”

How like many of God’s people today. For some reason, it is never the right time or place for God to work. Jesus watched His frustrated disciples as they tried to solve the problem, but “He Himself knew what He was intending to do” (John 6:6). He wanted to teach them a lesson in faith and surrender.

You do it. “You do it” became a teachable moment in the lives of Jesus’ disciples with the following steps:

1. Start with what you have. Andrew found a lad who had a small lunch, and he brought the lad to Jesus. Was the boy willing to give up his lunch? Yes, he was! God begins where we are and uses what we have.

2. Give what you have to Jesus. Jesus took the simple lunch, blessed it, and shared it. The miracle of multiplication was in His hands! “Little is much if God is in it.” Jesus broke the bread and gave the pieces to the disciples, and they, in turn, fed the multitudes.

3. Obey what He commands. The disciples had the people sit down as Jesus ordered. They took the broken pieces and distributed them, and discovered that there was plenty for everybody. As His servants, we are “distributors,” not “manufacturers.” If we give what we have to Him, He will bless it and give it back to us for use in feeding others.

4. Conserve the results. There were twelve baskets filled with pieces of bread and fish after the people had eaten all they wanted. But these pieces were carefully collected so that nothing was wasted (Mark 6:43; John 6:12). I wonder how many of the pieces the lad took back home with him? Imagine his mother’s amazement when the boy told her the story!

The miracle of the feeding of the five thousand was actually a sermon in action. Jesus is the Bread of Life, and only He can satisfy the spiritual hunger in man’s heart. The tragedy is, men waste their time and money on “that which is not bread” (Isa. 55:1–7).

People today are making the same mistake. Jesus still has compassion on the hungry multitudes, and He still says to His church: “Give them something to eat.” How easy it is for us to send people away, to make excuses, to plead a lack of resources. Jesus asks that we give Him all that we have and let Him use it as He sees fit. A hungry world is feeding on empty substitutes while we deprive them of the Bread of Life. When we give Christ what we have, we never lose. We always end up with more blessing than when we started. Always. You do it.

QUESTIONS FOR THOUGHT:

Have you tried to out give the Giver of life? What did you discover?

What happens when we give God all we have?

How does obedience to God lead to miraculous outcomes?

Nothing that we do for God, in Jesus Name, for His glory, honor and praise is wasted.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for this lesson on life done well. Thank you for guiding us to Truth and helping us each day to live it. But, we have not arrived. We still need your help, your wisdom, and guidance. Give us courage to do what you have taught us to do. Continue to transform us to be all you want us to be.

In Jesus Name, Amen. I believe.

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GUILTY CONSCIENCE

Posted on April 27, 2019 by randscallawayffm

Matthew – God’s Purposes

JUMPING RIGHT IN TO MATTHEW…

In Matthew 14—20, we will see three groups of people: Christ’s enemies, the needy multitudes, and the disciples. Our passage this morning describes some of Christ’s enemies in the line of Herod. Evil works through and has permeated this leadership over the Jewish nation. This Herod, in the Edomite hereditary line from Esau, beheads John the Baptist at a party at the whim of his wife’s manipulation all because John told the Truth and called them out on the evil of their relationship.

One of my favorite commentators, Warren Wierwbe, gives us a history so we can wrap our heads around the world Jesus has come down to save. Jesus, the Messiah, sent from God, to reconcile the world back to God faces the Jewish nation of God’s chosen as misguided, misled, and very lost…without a shepherd.

Warren Wiersbe:

“The Herod family looms large in the four gospels and the book of Acts, and it is easy to confuse the various rulers. Herod the Great founded the dynasty and ruled from 37 BC to 4 BC. He was not a true Jew by birth, but was an Edomite, a descendant of Esau. He was a heathen in practice, and a monster in character. He had nine wives (some say ten), and he thought nothing of slaying his own sons or wives if they got in the way of his plans. It was he who had the infants slain in Bethlehem (Matt. 2:13–18).”

“Herod Antipas, the Herod of this chapter, was a son of Herod the Great. His title was “tetrarch,” which means “ruler over the fourth part of the kingdom.” He ruled from 4 BC to AD 39, and his rule was deceptive and selfish. He loved luxury and was very ambitious to become a great ruler. Herod Agrippa is the Herod who imprisoned Peter and killed James (Acts 12). He was a grandson of Herod the Great.”

“Herod Agrippa II was the Herod who tried Paul (Acts 25:13ff.). He was a son of Agrippa I. All of the Herods had Edomite blood in them, and, like their ancestor Esau, they were hostile to the Jews (Gen. 25:19.). They practiced the Jewish religion when it helped fulfill their plans for gaining more power and wealth.”

“Herod Antipas was guilty of gross sin: He had eloped with Herodias, the wife of his half-brother Philip I, divorcing his own wife and sending her back to her father, the king of Petra (Lev. 18:16; 20:21). Herod listened to the voice of temptation and plunged himself into terrible sin.”

God, the Father knew the evil of this leadership over his people. He created John with one purpose and mission. God gave John, his prophet, the words to say boldly and truthfully, pointing out what evil is and how to repent from it as he “prepared the way” for our Messiah, who would save all people from all sin forever by his sacrifice. This is the world Jesus has come to save.

Matthew 14, NLT

The Death of John the Baptist

14 When Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee, heard about Jesus, 2 he said to his advisers, “This must be John the Baptist raised from the dead! That is why he can do such miracles.”

3 For Herod had arrested and imprisoned John as a favor to his wife Herodias (the former wife of Herod’s brother Philip). 4 John had been telling Herod, “It is against God’s law for you to marry her.” 5 Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of a riot, because all the people believed John was a prophet.

6 But at a birthday party for Herod, Herodias’s daughter performed a dance that greatly pleased him, 7 so he promised with a vow to give her anything she wanted. 8 At her mother’s urging, the girl said, “I want the head of John the Baptist on a tray!” 9 Then the king regretted what he had said; but because of the vow he had made in front of his guests, he issued the necessary orders. 10 So John was beheaded in the prison, 11 and his head was brought on a tray and given to the girl, who took it to her mother. 12 Later, John’s disciples came for his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus what had happened.

THOUGHTS FOR REFLECTION:

Evil is present in Herod but there is still a conscience that rises to the top of his thoughts as he fearfully says, “This must be John the Baptist raised from the dead! That is why he can do such miracles.” Amazing that a conscience is bothering such an evil man, but the fear of what he has done is coming back to haunt his thoughts.

Are there some past sins, bad deeds, or words that sent mixed messages to a friend that are unresolved in our lives?

All sin within us can be resolved by remorsefully, humbly repenting of what was said or done to Jesus. Restoring relationships with others begins with repenting to Jesus first. Then He will give you the power and courage to make things right with our friends and family. If they do not accept our request for forgiveness, we have done what we need to do, in Jesus, to make peace. (Romans 12:18)

Herod’s conscience was troubling him, and neither his wife nor his friends could console him. The voice of conscience is a powerful voice, and it can be the voice of God to those who will listen. Instead of heeding his conscience, Herod determined to kill Jesus just as he had killed John. Some Pharisees (probably in on the plot) warned Jesus that Herod wanted to kill Him (Luke 13:31–32). But Jesus was not disturbed by the report.

Do we hear God but avoid doing what God wants and choose to live with a troubling conscience?

EPILOGUE – What happens to Herod because of his unrepentant heart?

Herod should have known that he could not get away with his sin. History records that Herod lost prestige and power. His armies were defeated by the Arabs, and his appeals to be made a king (urged by his wife) were refused by Emperor Caligula. Herod was banished to Gaul (France) and then Spain, where he died.

Herod is remembered as a weak ruler whose only concern was his own pleasure and position. He did not serve the people, he served himself. He has the dubious honor of being the man who killed the greatest prophet ever sent to proclaim God’s Word.

How do we want to be remembered?

JESUS RESPONSE TO THE NEWS OF JOHN

One word…CAUTION: He quietly withdrew from that area and went to a “lonely place.” He lived according to a divine timetable (see John 2:4; 7:6, 30; 8:20; 12:23, 27; 13:1; 17:1), and He did not want to deliberately provoke trouble with Herod. Because Herod’s agents were all around, the Lord had to exercise wisdom and caution.

Certainly Jesus was deeply moved when He heard that John had been killed. The Jewish nation permitted John to be slain because they did nothing to assist him. But these same leaders would ask for Jesus to be slain! Jesus would never permit the Jewish rulers to forget the witness of John (Matt. 21:23.). Because they rejected John’s witness, they rejected their own Messiah and King.

Jesus knows our need for repentance and restoration. We are not perfect. We are always in need of Jesus each day. Our focus is so easily distracted by the world’s way of thinking only of ourselves and what we immediately want. We are a selfish lot in need of a Savior and Lord. We need no one else. We need nothing else. Only Jesus.

Dear Lord,

Thank you for centering our thoughts on You this morning. That you, by Your Holy Spirit, for calling us out on our own sin that entangles and trips us up until we repent of it. You do, indeed, cut away all that hinders our walk with you. Please continue your work of salvation in and though me. Continue to call me out for my own sin. Restore the joy of my salvation. Renew a right Spirit in me. Save me from my selfish self.

In Jesus Name, Amen

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REJECTION

Posted on April 26, 2019 by randscallawayffm

Matthew – God’s Purposes

No one on earth likes rejection. We avoid it at all costs in many ways. One way is to avoid those you know don’t like you because you love God. Another way is avoid “pesky sinners” who will mock you for your faith. Yet another way is to stay in the background of life at school, work, church, avoiding all social interaction with other human beings. We avoid applying for job promotions because we might be rejected. We avoid expressing our faith openly because of the rejection we know will come in this world. As believers, we hunker down in our churches, avoiding challenging invitations from God to His work…because of rejection by those who judge us for stepping out in faith in such a big way. Whoa!….

Believers, brothers and sisters! It’s not about us! It’s about the God who created us, loved us, found us, saved us and wants to teach us more about Him by sending us to the front lines. Rejection is part of the package. GOD’S OWN SON was rejected by family and the friends he grew up with on this earth. He was rejected because of His powerful, full of wisdom, teaching about God in the synagogues. He was rejected, mocked, ridiculed at every step, every turn, every miracle, every healing, and every time he loved the unlovable.

His final rejection nailed Him to a cruel cross of torture which the religious leaders thought would be his final humiliation and death by their human hands. But death would not be victorious. The religious elite and the mocking crowd of unbelievers would not have the final say. Satan, himself, thinking he would deliver the final blow to end it all found himself to be wrong once more. Only God is God and we are not…God.

What is more painful than being rejected? It is rejecting the One and Only who suffered pain, agony, and excruciating pain so that we can be redeemed, accepted and loved forever by the God who created us. THAT is what really matters. So when we are rejected, expect it, and learn from it. When we are mocked and ridiculed for our faith in Christ, we are in great company! We are given the power of Christ, extreme power that raised Him from death, to overcome any rejection that this world dishes out. Consider the source of worldly rejection and move on. That’s what Jesus did.

Matthew 13, NLT

Jesus Rejected at Nazareth

53 When Jesus had finished telling these stories and illustrations, he left that part of the country. 54 He returned to Nazareth, his hometown. When he taught there in the synagogue, everyone was amazed and said, “Where does he get this wisdom and the power to do miracles?”

55 Then they scoffed, “He’s just the carpenter’s son, and we know Mary, his mother, and his brothers—James, Joseph,[ Simon, and Judas. 56 All his sisters live right here among us. Where did he learn all these things?” 57 And they were deeply offended and refused to believe in him.

Then Jesus told them, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his own family.” 58 And so he did only a few miracles there because of their unbelief.

GOOD TO KNOW…

After Jesus was raised from the dead and appeared to many to prove his resurrection, his family did believe and became devout proclaimers of Truth in the Person of Jesus Christ, their now Savior AND Lord. James was one of them.

Don’t let failure or rejection stop us from doing what God has led us to be and do. Finish well.

The work God calls us to do is harder at times and more challenging than we thought it would be. This morning I am listening to God’s encouragement to me and I am overwhelmed by His teaching. I hope and pray this has been a blessing and encouragement to you, too, as you follow Christ and obey His teaching wherever you are. No matter what, God is still in control. Jesus will help us do what He invited us to do for His glory. AND He will deliver all the power, wisdom, strength, love, mercy and grace we will need and more. Finish well.

We may never see the results of the seed of faith planted. What matters is that we sowed the seed of God’s Word and stood faithfully and firmly on the rock, the cornerstone of salvation, Jesus Christ.

Dear Heavenly Father,

I needed EXACTLY this for this day. Thank you for your daily Manna from your Word that encourages, heals, convicts, comforts, and challenges us to keep going and not give up. Be our strength, wisdom and power for this day. We lay our fear of rejection by this world at your feet and look up to You with total and complete focus on You. I love you with all my heart, mind and soul.

In Jesus Name, Amen

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HAVE I GOT A STORY FOR YOU!

Posted on April 25, 2019 by randscallawayffm

Matthew – God’s Purposes

Have I got a story for you! These are typically my opening words as I teach each day. It doesn’t matter what the topic of the day is, there is nearly always a story attached to illustrate the facts that they need to know so they can keep learning. Teachers know that we get our students attention quicker with a story rather than just dishing out facts. We also know it explains the facts. AND it’s more fun to tell stories that relate to the explanation of truth. Where do we get this skill? Who invented this way of teaching? From the Master Teacher, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord!

We learn from the commentary of Warren Weirsbe this morning the reason Jesus taught with “alongside” story illustrations called parables:

“Why did Jesus teach in parables? Two reasons were given: because of the sluggishness of the people (Matt. 3:10–17) and because it was prophesied in Psalm 78:2 (Matt. 13:34–35). Jesus did not teach in parables to confuse or condemn the people. Rather, He sought to excite their interest and arouse their curiosity. These

parables would give light to those with trusting, searching hearts. But they would bring darkness to the unconcerned and unrepentant.”

Wiersbe goes on to give us the key to spiritual development in Christ through the “come alongside” parables:

“They must be disciples who do the truth. Therefore every scribe who becomes a disciple of the kingdom of heaven” is a more accurate translation of Matthew 13:52. The scribe emphasizes learning, but the disciple emphasizes living. Disciples are doers of the Word (James 1:22ff.), and they learn by doing.”

“It is difficult to keep our lives balanced. We often emphasize learning at the expense of living. Or, we may get so busy serving God that we do not take time to listen to His Word. Every scribe must be a disciple, and every disciple must be a scribe.”

“They must be stewards who dispense the truth. The scribes preserved the law but did not invest it in the lives of the people. The treasure of the law was encrusted by man’s traditions. The seed was not planted so it could bear fruit. The “spiritual gold and silver” was not put to work so it could produce dividends. As Christians we should be conservative but not preservative.”

Matthew 13, NLT

Parable of the Fishing Net

47 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a fishing net that was thrown into the water and caught fish of every kind. 48 When the net was full, they dragged it up onto the shore, sat down, and sorted the good fish into crates, but threw the bad ones away. 49 That is the way it will be at the end of the world. The angels will come and separate the wicked people from the righteous, 50 throwing the wicked into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 51 Do you understand all these things?”

“Yes,” they said, “we do.”

52 Then he added, “Every teacher of religious law who becomes a disciple in the Kingdom of Heaven is like a homeowner who brings from his storeroom new gems of truth as well as old.”

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER:

The professing church today has in it both true and false believers (the parable of the tares) and good and bad. At the end of the age, God will separate the true believers from the false and the good from the bad.

Do we know the Truth? Does our behavior show that we know what we know? Do live the Truth? Do we get so busy serving that we feel we do not need to learn more? How balanced are we?

Who do we follow? Jesus came to seek and to save the lost. Jesus is not hidden. He is in plain view of all who open their hearts, minds and souls and allow Him to enter in. Do we hide what we know by keeping our knowledge of Jesus to ourselves?

As believers, we do not search after truth, because we have truth in God’s Son (John 14:6) and God’s Word (John 17:17). We are taught by the Spirit of Truth (John 16:13) who is truth (1 John 5:6). We search into truth that we might discover more truth.

We are scribes—students—who sit at the feet of Jesus and listen to His words. One joy of the Christian life is the privilege of learning God’s truth from God’s Word.

But we must not stop there. We must LIVE Truth.

Dear Lord,

Thank you for teaching us Truth. Thank you for your unchanging Truth, relentless love, full of grace and mercy for your created. We know there will be a reckoning when all the false fish will be cast aside. Cleanse me. Don’t let anything dwell in me that offends you. Continue to teach me and help me to grow. Give me boldness to stand firm in Truth and live it according to Your Word.

In Jesus Name, Amen

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WHAT IS WORTH ALL YOU HAVE?

Posted on April 24, 2019 by randscallawayffm

Matthew – God’s Purposes

Matthew 13, NLT

Parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl

44 “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field.

45 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. 46 When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!

My Grandma Kellerby gave me a ring for my birthday that meant a lot to her. Because it had meaning for her, it had meaning for me. The ring had three small, fiery opals. At a grand youth event, I lost one of the opals during a concert. After everyone left, we searched under the bleachers in the gymnasium where the event was held. We swept the whole gym floor then searched in the dirt and debris for this small opal that was lost. We never found it. I was so disappointed. I blamed myself for clapping too hard at the event. Maybe, when I washed my hands, I lost it. Who knows? All I knew was that it was lost.

This feeling of losing something of value is the opposite result of the story Jesus has for us this morning. When you find something of great value you will do anything and everything to get it and keep it! He is talking about the Kingdom of heaven” who is the Person of Jesus Christ living in us! Jesus is worth selling all you have because all you have was given to you by Him in the first place! Jesus is worth giving all your heart, mind, and soul to because He knows what is in your heart, mind and soul and wants His best for you. He is worth giving all our love to Him because He first loved us with all that is in Him.

When you seek Jesus, “the pearl of great value”, He promises you will find Him. When you find Him, accept, believe and follow Him, you will discover that Jesus is all you will ever need. We cannot, no matter how hard we try, we CAN NOT out give God. It will never happen.

Later, Jesus drives the point home with, “What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?” Answer? Absolutely nothing on earth.

By giving all we are and what we think we own to the One and Only who created us, who took our punishment by dying for our sin, paying all our debt of sin for eternity, guiding us daily by His Holy Spirit AND giving us His power to overcome this world, I would say Jesus is the pearl of great price we seek, wouldn’t you? This is “Kingdom come, Kingdom of Heaven”, Jesus Christ, who has come to live inside the hearts of those who believe and have given all to seek Him, find and follow Him.

Epilogue of the Lost Opal

Being a woman of great faith to me, I wanted to fix the ring Grandma Kellerby had given to me as a symbol of the legacy of faith she instilled in me. Because I finally had the money to do it, I recently took it out of safe keeping and found a master jeweler who I trusted to fix it after all these years. I gave him the broken pieces. It took him a year to find just the right stone but he did. He restored it to it’s original beauty. Mm….Jesus does that for us!

QUESTIONS FOR THOUGHT:

Does my heart, mind and soul need restoration from the things of this world that have distracted and broken me?

Is my faith in safe keeping, hidden away? Do I need to bring it out in the open to be used as the Master guides and invites?

Am I at a point in my life where it is easy to give up what is not mine in the first place or do I still hang on to stuff?

Do I still hang on to the past that God has already forgiven me and has forgotten as he promised? Am I allowing my brokenness to be healed?

Who is in control? Who has ALL my heart, mind and soul? WHO has all my broken pieces and longs to bring beauty from the ashes?

AND what will I profit or gain to make a mark in this world but miss out on a forever life with God who wants more for me than I can dream or imagine?

Have I found what I am seeking? Is the Kingdom of Heaven, Jesus, truly living in me for all to see in ways that draw them to Jesus?

Dear Heavenly Father,

You truly are the treasure that I seek, like the chorus I sing to you often. You are the One and Only God. You are my Savior and my Lord. Thank you for saving my soul and making me whole again. Thank you for inviting me to your work. Thank you for consistently transforming me to be all you intended for me to be. And you aren’t finished yet! Thank you for your love, mercy and grace.

In Jesus Name, Amen. I believe. I found the “pearl” of great price!

And I’m singing…

Resurrecting…Elevation Worship

The head that once was crowned with thorns

Is crowned with glory now

The Savior knelt to wash our feet

Now at His feet we bow

The One who wore our sin and shame

Now robed in majesty

The radiance of perfect love

Now shines for all to see

Your name, Your name

Is victory

All praise, will rise

To Christ, our king

Your name, Your name

Is victory

All praise, will rise

To Christ, our king

The fear that held us now gives way

To Him who is our peace

His final breath upon the cross

Is now alive in me

Your name, Your name

Is victory

All praise, will rise

To Christ, our king

Your name, Your name

Is victory

All praise, will rise

To Christ, our king

By Your spirit I will rise

From the ashes of defeat