BELIEVE AND BECOME

Posted on March 20, 2017 by randscallawayffm

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BELIEVE AND BECOME

Posted on March 20, 2017 by randscallawayffm

Matthew – Fulfilled

Whatever we are thinking about right now is what we believe to be true as we see it from our perspective. We know who Jesus is. We know He is the Son of God. We know He died for our sins and redeemed us forever. We know He left us with the gift of Himself in the form of His Holy Spirit who lives in us. With all this knowledge in our minds, are we becoming what we believe? Do we really believe? Or are we living blindly, being impressed with Jesus without believing in Jesus and the power that He has over evil? Do we really believe? Our intimate, growing relationship with our Lord depends on our answer. The question begs a response from us this morning and every morning before we begin a new day.

Matthew 9, The Message
Become What You Believe
27-28 As Jesus left the house, he was followed by two blind men crying out, “Mercy, Son of David! Mercy on us!” When Jesus got home, the blind men went in with him. Jesus said to them, “Do you really believe I can do this?” They said, “Why, yes, Master!”

29-31 He touched their eyes and said, “Become what you believe.” It happened. They saw. Then Jesus became very stern. “Don’t let a soul know how this happened.” But they were hardly out the door before they started blabbing it to everyone they met.

Matthew 9 become what you believe

The blind men gave Jesus the response THEY needed to understand before he healed their blind eyes. Do you believe I can do this? Their faith in Jesus was in question, however they called out, “Mercy, Son of David” identifying who Jesus was. That probably got Jesus’ attention.

Jesus didn’t heal them instantly. Notice Jesus left the house where he brought a little girl back from the dead, then walked back home. These men followed Jesus in the walk home, so a discussion begins and is overheard by other followers. (Teachable moment about believing?) Jesus then opens their blinded eyes.

Jesus told them not to tell anyone how it happened. But they couldn’t wait to tell others of the Good News. Opened eyes saw the Truth in the Person of Jesus Christ. They were told to become what they say they believe. Jesus is Truth, whether we believe it or not. Believe and “become what you believe” is a profound question for us all. Are we becoming what we believe? Do WE believe Jesus can do this and everything else as Lord of our lives? Do we live our belief in Him out loud?

Dear Heavenly Father, In a few words, You get our attention to evaluate our own path of becoming what we believe. Thank you, Holy Spirit for guiding us and helping us in this work to become all God intended for us to be…before doing anything of value for the Kingdom. In Jesus Name, Amen. I believe.

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THE TOUCH

Posted on March 19, 2017 by randscallawayffm

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THE TOUCH

Posted on March 19, 2017 by randscallawayffm

Matthew – Fulfilled

God is amazing. This is an understatement. He listens to every one of our intentional and unintentional thoughts in prayer! It happened to me more than once or twice that I know and recognized this week! There was one intentional prayer that was cried out yesterday and was answered by evening. There was another unintentional, almost by the way if you could, if it’s in your will, kind of prayer uttered on the way to work that was answered. Many small, help me, Holy Spirit prayers were answered in the best way, not my way, this week as well.

Is my prayer life perfect? Is there some special connection that I have uncovered? Am I more blessed than anyone else who is praying? No, but I am focusing more on the God of my prayers and less on how He should answer them. What I am finding out and staking my life on is that my prayer discussions with Him are heard. I am also believing that He will do what is best even though it may be answered in a different way than what was asked. I also believe that God is already at work before the prayer is uttered.

THEN, here’s the difference for me, I am listening, watching and recognizing God at work in a more intentional way. I am running with all my might after God, seeking His face, thankful for salvation through Jesus, our Lord and Savior and leaning heavily these days into the help of the Holy Spirit to enrich my prayer communion with God. I have not arrived, but I am closer than I was a year ago, closer to the healing touch of the Savior on my life.

Matthew 9, The Message

Just a Touch
18-19 As he finished saying this, a local official appeared, bowed politely, and said, “My daughter has just now died. If you come and touch her, she will live.” Jesus got up and went with him, his disciples following along.

20-22 Just then a woman who had hemorrhaged for twelve years slipped in from behind and lightly touched his robe. She was thinking to herself, “If I can just put a finger on his robe, I’ll get well.” Jesus turned—caught her at it. Then he reassured her: “Courage, daughter. You took a risk of faith, and now you’re well.” The woman was well from then on.

23-26 By now they had arrived at the house of the town official, and pushed their way through the gossips looking for a story and the neighbors bringing in casseroles. Jesus was abrupt: “Clear out! This girl isn’t dead. She’s sleeping.” They told him he didn’t know what he was talking about. But when Jesus had gotten rid of the crowd, he went in, took the girl’s hand, and pulled her to her feet—alive. The news was soon out, and traveled throughout the region.

Matthew 9 faith in the touch

 

Can you hear Jesus say to you and to me, “Courage, daughter (or son). You took a risk of faith, and now you’re well.”?

 

 

 

Dear Heavenly Father, Your touches on our daily lives are recognized! We praise you for Your Work in our lives. You are God and we are not. We need You every hour. Thank You for Jesus who died for our sins and rose again to prepare a place for us where You are. Thank you for your Holy Spirit living in us to comfort, guide, correct, lead and fill us. Continue to teach us how to pray, how to listen and watch faithfully. In Jesus Name, Amen

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MAY YOUR KINGDOM COME…

Posted on March 18, 2017 by randscallawayffm

Matthew – Fulfilled

When something you have waited and longed for finally happens do you nonchalantly keep doing life as it is and not celebrate? Do you stay quiet about it? Not on your life! We celebrate, we feast with food that is tasty, we invite our friends over and tell them the good news!

Jesus is asked by John’s followers (who are probably a little lost without him because of his horrible execution), why don’t you and your disciples fast and follow the religious practices we have all been taught? Jesus’ response was as valuable and poignant then as it is for us now! Let us back track to yesterday’s passage where Jesus tells the Pharisees, “I’m after mercy, not religion. I’m HERE to invite the outsiders, not coddle insiders.” The real message in this quote and the next we will read is…I’M HERE…KINGDOM COME…IS HERE WITH YOU RIGHT NOW. What you have waited for…is HERE.

Matthew 9, The Message
Kingdom Come
14 A little later John’s followers approached, asking, “Why is it that we and the Pharisees rigorously discipline body and spirit by fasting, but your followers don’t?”

15 Jesus told them, “When you’re celebrating a wedding, you don’t skimp on the cake and wine. You feast. Later you may need to pull in your belt, but not now. No one throws cold water on a friendly bonfire. This is Kingdom Come!”

16-17 He went on, “No one cuts up a fine silk scarf to patch old work clothes; you want fabrics that match. And you don’t put your wine in cracked bottles.”

Matthew 9 kingdom come

Think about it…
Jesus is the long awaited Messiah and those who have formed a religion out of the wait are not recognizing that the wait is over. The Kingdom of God is sitting right in front of them in the Person of Jesus Christ, His Son. The Messiah is showing them the intent of the Law, the joys of salvation and demonstrating mercy and grace to all people. Love God, Love each other is the message and intent of the original Law. This is Kingdom come! This is relationship.

When we pray, “May Your Kingdom come” as Jesus taught us to pray, do we recognize Him when He works in our lives? Do we celebrate Kingdom Come when we do recognize Him? Do we spread the news of Kingdom Come to others? Does Kingdom Come show on our faces? Kingdom Come is not some far off wait in heaven. Kingdom Come is living in us now! We are redeemed, set free. We are not striving to satisfy a religion. Because of Kingdom Come, we are celebrating a relationship that is forever! Let’s eat cake and celebrate!

Dear Heavenly Father, Hallowed is Your Name. May Your Kingdom Come into our hearts, minds and souls and reign supremely! May Your Will be done in our walk and talk. Give us this day our daily manna from your Word that will nourish and feed us. And forgive us our sins of doubt and self seeking as we forgive others who merely offend us. Lead us not into temptations but deliver us from evil and evil’s schemes to distract us from Kingdom Come. For Your have all power, to You be all glory, honor and praise today and forever more.
In Jesus Name, Amen

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FOLLOW

Posted on March 17, 2017 by randscallawayffm

Matthew – Fulfilled

I heard an interesting perspective about who we are as the people of God yesterday on Christian radio as I drove to work. “If we read God’s Word closely we see that Jesus did not call us to be church leaders, He called us to be followers. He taught us to grow and mature as followers of Him.” This is profound and wise. It deserves our consideration and thought as we read our next passage as told by Matthew, the tax collector, a despised leader in the community because of the position he held, to simply follow. “Come along with me” says Jesus. Matthew got up from the business at hand and followed.

Matthew 9, The Message
9 Passing along, Jesus saw a man at his work collecting taxes. His name was Matthew. Jesus said, “Come along with me.” Matthew stood up and followed him.

10-11 Later when Jesus was eating supper at Matthew’s house with his close followers, a lot of disreputable characters came and joined them. When the Pharisees saw him keeping this kind of company, they had a fit, and lit into Jesus’ followers. “What kind of example is this from your Teacher, acting cozy with crooks and riffraff?”

12-13 Jesus, overhearing, shot back, “Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? Go figure out what this Scripture means: ‘I’m after mercy, not religion.’ I’m here to invite outsiders, not coddle insiders.”

Matthew 9 follow

Thinking a little deeper…
In my past work as a “church leader” I was sent to many seminars about being a better church leader. There was some talk of being a servant leader in seminary, but very little about being a follower in the true sense of the Word. Even when God has calls us to a building with a gathering of people to teach His Word, we have followed Him there. HE was already there. Jesus is the Head of the Gathering. We are not their leader, we are servants, in the same position as those we serve. We are all sinners, saved by grace, learning to follow Jesus. The people who meet there are in God’s Hands, not ours.

Jesus came to seek and to save lost people. Those that got in His way, criticized and ridiculed Him and later responsible for crucifying Him were…church leaders. Yikes.

Jesus followed God, His Father. He only did what the Father told him to do and said only what the Father told Him to say. Jesus taught us to follow. He also came to serve and was the perfect example of laying down all rights to position and glory…to serve us.

We have been commissioned by Jesus, not to train more leaders but to train and teach more FOLLOWERS of Jesus! (Look ahead to Matthew 28.)

Dear Heavenly Father, Matthew got up and followed. I repent as a “leader” of anything and have the same desire to simply get up, leave the world behind, and follow You. Save us from this world thinking of leadership and power. Help us to simply follow. Teach us to follow. Transform us to serve.
In Jesus Name, Amen

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CHURCH LEADERS MISS THE POINT

Posted on March 16, 2017 by randscallawayffm

Matthew – Fulfilled

Sometimes church leaders can miserable miss the point while in the midst of MEnistry. MEnistry versus ministry is when we have a strong need to control, make all the rules, do or say anything to retain power. MEnistry leaders promote programs with a passion for bigger is better. MEinstry stems from the root of self promotion. MEinstry “reports” numbers, buildings built, and money saved. MEinstry is miserable because of the consistent need for approval and recognition from others. MEinstry misses the point when God steps in and shows real ministry in the healing of souls and bodies. MEinstry leaders are the first to criticize.

Matthew 9, The Message
1-3 Back in the boat, Jesus and the disciples recrossed the sea to Jesus’ hometown. They were hardly out of the boat when some men carried a paraplegic on a stretcher and set him down in front of them. Jesus, impressed by their bold belief, said to the paraplegic, “Cheer up, son. I forgive your sins.” Some religion scholars whispered, “Why, that’s blasphemy!”

4-8 Jesus knew what they were thinking, and said, “Why this gossipy whispering? Which do you think is simpler: to say, ‘I forgive your sins,’ or, ‘Get up and walk’? Well, just so it’s clear that I’m the Son of Man and authorized to do either, or both. . . .” At this he turned to the paraplegic and said, “Get up. Take your bed and go home.” And the man did it. The crowd was awestruck, amazed and pleased that God had authorized Jesus to work among them this way.

Matthew 9 authority of Jesus

What do we learn?
–BE the amazed crowd, not the critical church leader when Jesus does something incredible!
–Look for God first. Look for where He is working. Join Him there.
–Lay down gossip, criticisms and sarcastic words and look for God in every hymn, gossip song, chorus or testimony. Look for God in the words that are proclaimed by God’s speaker standing before us.
–Look for God at work in all the people around us.
–Lay down self. Ask God to speak to our hearts. Repent.
–Walk into Life with a new attitude and graciousness.
–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s help in the stewardship of our lives. He will help us transform to a people who will not miss the point.

I don’t want to miss out on what God is doing and praise Him, do you? I didn’t think so…Do we impress Jesus with OUR bold belief?

Dear Heavenly Father, Help us to focus and stay alert to Your power, Your work in and around us, and your salvation that comes to others in unique ways. Don’t let me miss what you are doing in my life and in the lives of others and give you praise!
In Jesus Name, Amen

And I’m singing…

Leaving this place getting ready to go
Gotta get moving cause there’s something I know
God’s got a plan, got a blessing in store
So put me in the middle of the will of the Lord

Having my fill of the pushing away
It was me who was running, it was Him who stayed
Now I want it bad and I know what this means
Lining up with him, sure don’t wanna miss a thing

Don’t wanna miss the joy, don’t wanna miss the peace
Don’t wanna miss the power, don’t wanna miss a thing
I’m gonna get while the gettin’s good
Follow His heart like I know I should
No I don’t want, don’t wanna miss a thing
No I don’t want, don’t wanna miss a thing

Setting my sights on the heavenly prize
Seeing my life through spiritual eyes
I’m breaking out of a worldly mode
Heading on down a less traveled road

I’ll walk through the fire just to see His face
Won’t trade my freedom for a temporal place
He may be moving in mysterious ways
But I’m moving with Him for the rest of my days

Don’t wanna miss the joy, don’t wanna miss the peace
Don’t wanna miss the power, don’t wanna miss a thing
I’m gonna get while the gettin’s good
Follow His heart like I know I should
No I don’t want, don’t wanna miss a thing
No I don’t want, don’t wanna miss a thing

Don’t want to miss the mark (no no no)
Don’t want to go astray
Don’t want to waste the chance
Don’t want to lose the way

Don’t wanna miss the joy, don’t wanna miss the peace
Don’t wanna miss the power, don’t wanna miss a thing
Well, I’m gonna get while the gettin’s good
Follow His heart like I know I should
No I don’t want, don’t wanna miss a thing
No I don’t want, don’t wanna miss a thing
No No No, I don’t want, don’t wanna miss a thing
No No, I don’t want….don’t want to miss a thing

I do not want to miss a single thing

(By the Martins)

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MISSING THE POINT

Posted on March 15, 2017 by randscallawayffm

Matthew – Fulfilled

People flocked to a grand event of great worship of God, with musicians giving their best back to God. It was a time of testimonies and praise of our Lord for what He had done, is doing and will do in our lives. Spirit-led speakers came to encourage us and give us Biblical perspective so that we would look to God to continue the transformation of our lives. The Holy Spirit was there, in us, working through us, leading us and filling us to the brim, overflowing with love for each other. After the week was over, as a leader of this event, I read the evaluations. The evaluations were not a way to praise the event, but a way to see how people were touched by God, a reflection through this avenue of written testimony.

One evaluation deeply saddens my heart to this day as I remember it well. In big, bold, all capital letters, a person wrote of the discrimination that the event had against, wait for it, TEA DRINKERS! Apparently, the break time tables of coffee and cookies for the grown ups of the event did not include tea bags and hot water. This angry person used up the entire page telling us of our horrible oversite and that it should not ever happen again. Wow! I actually cried the first time I read it. The first thing that came to my mind was complete sadness for this person who missed the point…she missed JESUS! In all that happened, how in the world did she miss JESUS and what His Holy Spirit did in all of us?

You can pray, problem solve, and minister alongside folks with the best intentions and motivations of heart and still make someone mad. Jesus had the same issue one day as he solved a community problem of harassment by evil in men. Did that stop Him from completing what God had sent Him to do?

Matthew 8, The Message
The Madmen and the Pigs
28-31 They landed in the country of the Gadarenes and were met by two madmen, victims of demons, coming out of the cemetery. The men had terrorized the region for so long that no one considered it safe to walk down that stretch of road anymore. Seeing Jesus, the madmen screamed out, “What business do you have giving us a hard time? You’re the Son of God! You weren’t supposed to show up here yet!” Off in the distance a herd of pigs was browsing and rooting. The evil spirits begged Jesus, “If you kick us out of these men, let us live in the pigs.”

32-34 Jesus said, “Go ahead, but get out of here!” Crazed, the pigs stampeded over a cliff into the sea and drowned. Scared to death, the swineherds bolted. They told everyone back in town what had happened to the madmen and the pigs. Those who heard about it were angry about the drowned pigs. A mob formed and demanded that Jesus get out and not come back.

Matthew 8 pigs and faith

What do we learn?
–Jesus solves a community problem of terror.
–Evil recognized Jesus.
–The community didn’t see Jesus, the Son of God…only the drowned livestock. (I’m thinking of salted pork! They could have made money on that!)
–The next time we gather as God’s own, look for Jesus! Ask the Holy Spirit to teach us. God answers prayers such as this, allowing us to be blind to all that is around us, such as the lack of teabags on the fellowship cart, and see only Him.
–Set your minds on Christ and see what He will do in and through us!
–Don’t miss the point! Leaders, keep moving forward, with the Holy Spirit leading you.

Dear Heavenly Father, What silly humans we can be when we look around at our environment instead of looking up to You. You are our only Hope, Our Deliverer from evil and evil’s schemes to distract us. We pray to be focused only on YOU as we worship you with our very lives. Help us to never miss the point! YOU are the only Way, the Truth and the Life.
In Jesus Name, Amen

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WHO IS THIS?

Posted on March 14, 2017 by randscallawayffm

Matthew – Fulfilled

The Oklahoma winds were beating against the house one night. The wind was howling and blowing so hard that it woke up a little girl living there. She stumbled through the dark to her parent’s bedroom. She woke up her daddy to tell him about the wind. Her daddy, a hard working man who cherished his sleep, rose half awake. He opened his eyes and said, “Honey, it’s okay. The wind might be blowing but the air is still there.” Confused enough to be less scared, the little girl went back to sleep. She trusted her daddy even though she didn’t understand what he just said.

This is a true story. This was Randy’s dad. The little girl was his sister. The half awake man never remembered saying what he did. This has been an inside family joke for years…and still is. What is good to understand about this story is the trust my sister in law had in her daddy. Even when she didn’t understand, she was calmed in the storm. Mm.

Jesus, exhausted from doing the will of the Father who sent Him, is sound asleep in the back of a boat on the sea. His disciples, drawn to follow this man, are with him. Some are fishermen, so they know the sea well. They know the danger when the wind kicks up waves they cannot handle. But do they really know the man they are following? How much faith and trust do they have in Him? How quickly do we obey his commands when he speaks to us?

Matthew 8 who

Matthew 8, The Message

23-25 Then he got in the boat, his disciples with him. The next thing they knew, they were in a severe storm. Waves were crashing into the boat—and he was sound asleep! They roused him, pleading, “Master, save us! We’re going down!”

26 Jesus reprimanded them. “Why are you such cowards, such faint-hearts?” Then he stood up and told the wind to be silent, the sea to quiet down: “Silence!” The sea became smooth as glass.

27 The men rubbed their eyes, astonished. “What’s going on here? Wind and sea come to heel at his command!”

Reflection…
WHO do we think WE are following? We are following The Creator of all, the God of the Universe, the Savior of the World, Our Guide, Protector, Provider, Sustainer, Healer, Our Hope and Deliverer. We call Him Father. He calls us his children. We call Him, Lord of all, over all and in all and listen to Him. There is NO ONE like our God. There is NOTHING too hard for our God! That is WHO this is and that is WHO we are following! “What’s going on here?” JESUS!

Dear Heavenly Father, Hallowed be Your Name! Blessed be Your Name. We praise You and lean into the knowledge of You. We trust in You alone. Thank you for reminding us that You are Creator and You compassionately care for Your created! Help us, Holy Spirit to think on this all day long and into the night. May we obey your commands as quickly as the wind and the sea!
In Jesus Name, Amen

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THE PURSUIT OF LIFE

Posted on March 13, 2017 by randscallawayffm

Matthew – Fulfilled

As I write this, a family member is fighting an illness that might take his life. His wife is sitting with him, watching over him. The doctors are doing everything they can. These people are precious to us. We are praying God’s best for this situation. We know He will help bring them through this with comfort and peace. My thoughts return to the recent passing of my dad after a few years of caring for him in our home. I also know what it is like to watch an illness of your spouse take away the physical strength they once had. All of Life is precious and is in God’s hands. Always. Jesus is Life. He came to show us real Life. Pursue Him first and we will have Life here now and later with Him in our forever home.

This next passage is tough for us today. Or is it? What Jesus is telling the follower who would like to go bury his father BEFORE following Jesus is that NOTHING comes before God. FIRST things first. God is first. Jesus is Life. Your business, your livelihood, is LIFE in the Person of Jesus Christ. Do we think He will not take care of the rest?

I once heard Elizabeth Eliott, a well-known missionary dedicated to follow God first. Her husband was killed on the field, yet she remained on the field. She had children to think about and prayed over them. She relates, “God spoke to my aching heart and said to me, ‘Keep pursuing what is precious to Me and I will take care of what is precious to you.'” I have never forgotten that message from God to this missionary who was torn between Life and death. Pursue Life with Jesus FIRST and He will take care of you, your loved ones and all that is precious to you better than you could have done it yourself. Pursue LIFE.

Follow Jesus

Matthew 8, The Message
Your Business Is Life, Not Death
18-19 When Jesus saw that a curious crowd was growing by the minute, he told his disciples to get him out of there to the other side of the lake. As they left, a religion scholar asked if he could go along. “I’ll go with you, wherever,” he said.

20 Jesus was curt: “Are you ready to rough it? We’re not staying in the best inns, you know.”

21 Another follower said, “Master, excuse me for a couple of days, please. I have my father’s funeral to take care of.”

22 Jesus refused. “First things first. Your business is life, not death. Follow me. Pursue life.”

Dear Heavenly Father, We are yours. We will go where and when you call. We will stay when we are told to stay. Our desire to follow you. Our desire is Life with You, in You. Holy Spirit you are welcome to lead our hearts, minds and souls and guide our every thought and action. Help us to know Life, pursue Life and live it to the full. In Jesus Name, Amen

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33 KJV

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