IT’S NOT A COMPETITION

Posted on January 26, 2016 by randscallawayffm

Being and Becoming God’s Own

Years ago, we were having a conversation with an unbeliever about church. It the middle of it all, he asked, “WHY are all of you in such a great competition to be better than the other?” Ouch. That hurt a little bit. He went on to tell what he hears and sees from church people that makes him wonder why we are like we are. Why do you compete for people? “I don’t think Jesus did that.”, he stated. Why do you look down on smaller congregations while promoting larger churches. You advertise your programs but I’m missing the point of why you exist. Ouch, again. Are we still like that?

Paul speaks to the Corinthians about helping out other churches by giving the example of the Macedonians’ fervor in helping. It’s NOT a competition. We are all in this together. What are we showing the world today by our behavior as believers? Do we give from a heart motivated to love or to achieve greatness?

2 Corinthians 8, The Message
The Offering
8 1-4 Now, friends, I want to report on the surprising and generous ways in which God is working in the churches in Macedonia province. Fierce troubles came down on the people of those churches, pushing them to the very limit. The trial exposed their true colors: They were incredibly happy, though desperately poor. The pressure triggered something totally unexpected: an outpouring of pure and generous gifts. I was there and saw it for myself. They gave offerings of whatever they could—far more than they could afford!—pleading for the privilege of helping out in the relief of poor Christians.

5-7 This was totally spontaneous, entirely their own idea, and caught us completely off guard. What explains it was that they had first given themselves unreservedly to God and to us. The other giving simply flowed out of the purposes of God working in their lives. That’s what prompted us to ask Titus to bring the relief offering to your attention, so that what was so well begun could be finished up. You do so well in so many things—you trust God, you’re articulate, you’re insightful, you’re passionate, you love us—now, do your best in this, too.

8-9 I’m not trying to order you around against your will. But by bringing in the Macedonians’ enthusiasm as a stimulus to your love, I am hoping to bring the best out of you. You are familiar with the generosity of our Master, Jesus Christ. Rich as he was, he gave it all away for us—in one stroke he became poor and we became rich.

10-20 So here’s what I think: The best thing you can do right now is to finish what you started last year and not let those good intentions grow stale. Your heart’s been in the right place all along. You’ve got what it takes to finish it up, so go to it. Once the commitment is clear, you do what you can, not what you can’t. The heart regulates the hands. This isn’t so others can take it easy while you sweat it out. No, you’re shoulder to shoulder with them all the way, your surplus matching their deficit, their surplus matching your deficit. In the end you come out even. As it is written,

Nothing left over to the one with the most,
Nothing lacking to the one with the least.

What do we learn?
–Churches are NOT in competition with each other, we are on the front lines fighting the same battles. Sometimes we need to lead aid to those who need it now. They, in turn, will help us when we need it.
–Shoulder to shoulder, in battle, we are in this together!
–Our enemy is satan, not each other!
–Jesus gave his all for us. We give our all to Him and then to others in need.
–Our offerings are as much a part of our worship to God as anything else we might have to give.
–Look more carefully to see how we can give what others need and what they might have that we need. Mm.
–ALL our church name tags and treasures of church life are left behind when God calls us home. It all comes out even in the end.

Wow…a lot to consider in this passage. Meditate. Evaluate.

give of your best - hymn

Dear Heavenly Father, Wow. In being and becoming more like You, you convict us to repent once again of our human thoughts and allow your thoughts to cleanse us. Renew a right spirit in your church. Grow us up from the inside out, with hearts ready to give where needed. Thank you, Lord for teaching us and transforming us to be all you intended for us to be and do.
In Jesus Name, Amen

And I’m singing…”Give of your best to the Master…”

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GOOD DISTRESS

Posted on January 25, 2016 by randscallawayffm

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GOOD DISTRESS

Posted on January 25, 2016 by randscallawayffm

Being and Becoming God’s Own

Years ago my little brother, seven years younger than I, suddenly grew many inches taller than me, over a summer in our young lives. What was troubling to mom and dad were not only the clothes they now had to buy for the next school year, but the pain he was having in his body. They took him to a doctor because it was so troubling. It seems he was growing so fast that it caused real pain from the bones in this toes to the top of his shoulders. It’s painful to grow, apparently.

It is the same in our spiritual lives. Real and lasting growth in becoming more and more like Christ requires pain in losing what should not be apart of us any longer. That loss means the gain of knowing Christ more but it also brings on more responsibility and commitment as The Potter molds and shapes us, knocking off and throwing down all that is not what He intended for us to be and do. It brings on real and painful distress. This distress either brings us closer to God or drives us away. What have we chosen? To take it easy and stay the way we are or choose to grow and mature into all God wants us to be? Doing nothing is a decision, too. Growth is distressful but not to grow brings a lifetime of regrets.

Paul knows. His first letter to the Corinthians was about growing up, growing closer to God, growing closer to each other in faith, hope and love. He was wise, passionate and loving enough to confront God’s church with should’s and how to’s. Now he praises them for taking it well, making changes with the distress driving them even closer to God.

This is a beautiful letter in what true repentance and growth can do for God’s church. This is only an excerpt…read it in it’s entirety to get the full flavor of how God works in His people who repent, believe, trust and obey as they grow up in Him.

2 Corinthians 7, The Message
8-9 I know I distressed you greatly with my letter. Although I felt awful at the time, I don’t feel at all bad now that I see how it turned out. The letter upset you, but only for a while. Now I’m glad—not that you were upset, but that you were jarred into turning things around. You let the distress bring you to God, not drive you from him. The result was all gain, no loss.

10 Distress that drives us to God does that. It turns us around. It gets us back in the way of salvation. We never regret that kind of pain. But those who let distress drive them away from God are full of regrets, end up on a deathbed of regrets.

11-13 And now, isn’t it wonderful all the ways in which this distress has goaded you closer to God? You’re more alive, more concerned, more sensitive, more reverent, more human, more passionate, more responsible. Looked at from any angle, you’ve come out of this with purity of heart. And that is what I was hoping for in the first place when I wrote the letter. My primary concern was not for the one who did the wrong or even the one wronged, but for you—that you would realize and act upon the deep, deep ties between us before God. That’s what happened—and we felt just great.

What do we learn?
–Distress in life drives us closer to God…or away, it’s our choice to grow and mature or not.
–What we lose as we mature becomes great gain in knowing Christ more and sharing in His sufferings. (Phil 3:10)
–No pain, no gain. ; )
–We develop a childlike faith but we do not remain childish in our faith.

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Dear Heavenly Father, It is painful to grow because our human nature fights maturity and responsibility. We would rather be Your “children” without any responsibilities just as our children were when they were young. But as we grow closer, we realize that growing pains that drive us closer to You and to others is what You are after and what we need most as we journey here before living forever there with You. We get it. Help us to continue to grow…in all ways. In Jesus Name, Amen

Posted in Christian Living, Christian Perspective, Corinthians, Encouragement, Faith, heaven, Holy Spirit, hospitality, insight, Jesus, joy, Leadership, Macedonian Call, marriage, ministry, Prayer, Salvation, Teaching, Training, Truth, Uncategorized, Unconditional love, wisdom | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

MAKE A CLEAN BREAK!

Posted on January 24, 2016 by randscallawayffm

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MAKE A CLEAN BREAK!

Posted on January 24, 2016 by randscallawayffm

Being and Becoming God’s Own

Yesterday we learned that God wants us to pay attention to every detail of our lives. One of the greatest details, that is important to our growing relationship with Him, is “Don’t link up with those who will pollute you.” Why? “I want you all for myself.” says the God of all, who created us.

Our mission, purpose and reason to live is to tell others, to come alongside them and help them to see God, repent and have a relationship with Him, too. We do not want people to come to us, but to God. Our goal is to point people to Jesus, who died to save us, and lives again with plans for us to dwell with Him forever.

However, in our goal to bring friends to Christ, we may fall to becoming more like those needing Jesus, causing us to compromise what we believe and how we behave. We try so hard to be accepted by the sinner we are trying to help, that we become more like them, less like the Christ, instead of leading them to be more like Christ! It happens. That’s why we need to consistently evaluate our motives, our true desires, our belief along with our behavior. Who’s leading whom?

“Don’t link up with those who will pollute you.” Why? “I want you all for myself.” says the God of all, who created us.

I know, I am repeating myself. But it is an important detail to think about in our lives. We love and lead, but we do not compromise or we miss out on the very promises of God. “Does Christ go strolling with the Devil?”, Paul declared to the Corinthians who were compromising their faith and trust in Jesus. “Do trust and mistrust hold hands?” NO!

Here is God’s promise, “I’ll be a Father to you’ you’ll be sons and daughters to me. The Word of the Master, God.”

Which leads us to this next passage full of deep love and care for us who are being and becoming more like Christ and less like the world of our family and friends…

2 Corinthians 7, The Message

With promises like this to pull us on, dear friends, let’s make a clean break with everything that defiles or distracts us, both within and without. Let’s make our entire lives fit and holy temples for the worship of God.

What do we learn?
–We must make a clean break, with repentant hearts, not just remorse over missteps in judgement because we got caught, but truly repentant, never to link up with what pollutes our lives and draws us away from God. It’s time to clean house, our temple, making it fit for God to live there. If we do, His promise is to be with us, dwell with us forever! We will be called his sons and daughters!
–Go tell God’s story of repentance and relationship, without compromise! Look at the very word compromise…which means without promise. If we compromise, we are WITHOUT the promises of God! Yikes. We cannot risk that!

come alongside to help

Dear Heavenly Father, We repent of our selfish desires to be accepted by others who the devil uses to draw us away from You. Open our eyes and help us to see when it is happening wo we can quickly course adjustments in our journey. We repent of falling short of Your promises when we compromise. Cleanse our hearts, minds and souls. Wash us and make us white as snow, removing all the stains of our past. Take away all that offends You. Renew our Spirits. Restore the joy of our salvation. Thank you, dear Lord. Thank you.
In Jesus Name, Amen

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LIMITING A LIMITLESS GOD!

Posted on January 23, 2016 by randscallawayffm

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LIMITING A LIMITLESS GOD!

Posted on January 23, 2016 by randscallawayffm

Being and Becoming God’s own

They say (at least I’ve heard it all my life and experienced it) that “the devil is in the details”. Have you ever heard that phrase? Here is the meaning: The idiom “the devil is in the detail” refers to a catch or mysterious element hidden in the details, and derives from the earlier phrase “God is in the detail” expressing the idea that whatever one does should be done thoroughly; i.e. details are important.

In other words, if God is not in the details, the devil will be, to try to trip us up while we are working to accomplish God’s will in our lives. That’s why Paul reminds the Corinthians AND us to be diligent in all things. The devil’s only ammunition is to get into the smallest detail that will cause havoc later in the bigger picture while we are to busy to notice or turn our heads away from focus on God. God must be in every detail. His Word says He even “delights” in the details of our lives and His purpose for us!

2 Corinthians 6, The Message

6 1-10 Companions as we are in this work with you, we beg you, please don’t squander one bit of this marvelous life God has given us. God reminds us,

I heard your call in the nick of time;
The day you needed me, I was there to help.

Well, now is the right time to listen, the day to be helped. Don’t put it off; don’t frustrate God’s work by showing up late, throwing a question mark over everything we’re doing. Our work as God’s servants gets validated—or not—in the details. People are watching us as we stay at our post, alertly, unswervingly . . . in hard times, tough times, bad times; when we’re beaten up, jailed, and mobbed; working hard, working late, working without eating; with pure heart, clear head, steady hand; in gentleness, holiness, and honest love; when we’re telling the truth, and when God’s showing his power; when we’re doing our best setting things right; when we’re praised, and when we’re blamed; slandered, and honored; true to our word, though distrusted; ignored by the world, but recognized by God; terrifically alive, though rumored to be dead; beaten within an inch of our lives, but refusing to die; immersed in tears, yet always filled with deep joy; living on handouts, yet enriching many; having nothing, having it all.

11-13 Dear, dear Corinthians, I can’t tell you how much I long for you to enter this wide-open, spacious life. We didn’t fence you in. The smallness you feel comes from within you. Your lives aren’t small, but you’re living them in a small way. I’m speaking as plainly as I can and with great affection. Open up your lives. Live openly and expansively!

14-18 Don’t become partners with those who reject God. How can you make a partnership out of right and wrong? That’s not partnership; that’s war. Is light best friends with dark? Does Christ go strolling with the Devil? Do trust and mistrust hold hands? Who would think of setting up pagan idols in God’s holy Temple? But that is exactly what we are, each of us a temple in whom God lives. God himself put it this way:

“I’ll live in them, move into them;
I’ll be their God and they’ll be my people.
So leave the corruption and compromise;
leave it for good,” says God.
“Don’t link up with those who will pollute you.
I want you all for myself.
I’ll be a Father to you;
you’ll be sons and daughters to me.”
The Word of the Master, God.

What do we learn?
–Don’t frustrate God’s work by missing the smallest of details.
–Our work is validated in the details!
–Others are watching to see how we work, what we do when we mess up and how God works in and through us. What do they see?
–We are not fenced in by God. We limit our limitless God by our on thinking and behaving!
–To live expansively, in the wide open spaces of God’s territory, we must trust Him with every detail. “The smallness we feel comes from within us”…not from God.
–Of greatest importance while paying attention to every detail of our lives…“Don’t link up with those who will pollute you.
I want you all for myself.” says the God of all, who created us.

Limitless-in-God2

Dear Heavenly Father, What a mighty, holy God you are that You would delight in the details of our lives. May Your will be done, in all the details of today and all our tomorrows, on earth, as it is in heaven. Keep us alert and focused on You. We lift off the ceiling limit of our own making and long to live in the wide open spaces with You. I’m yours, Lord. Do what you must in my life to transform it, but be gentle. Thank you, Lord.
In Jesus Name, Amen

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MAKING THINGS RIGHT

Posted on January 22, 2016 by randscallawayffm

Being and Becoming God’s Own

Sometimes, in the midst of our hurried lives, we just want the bottom line given to us. Just give us the bottom line, no opinions, just the bottom line, we cry out. Paul does that for us in a couple of small paragraphs that center our focus once more. He actually does it in one sentence, “One man died for everyone.” That one sentence is a game changer for our thinking if we believe, really believe that ONE. MAN. Died. For. EVERY. One. Let it sink in.

This passage is worth reading a dozen times or more throughout the day, letting it seep into every crevice of our hearts, minds and souls, giving light where darkness might be dwelling causing a dank smell in our relationship building. If we do, we will experience the joy and peace of beginning again, “a new life burgeons!”, says Paul. Making things right with God causes us to want to make things right with each other. Enjoy the reason we live and breathe here until we are “there”.

2 Corinthians 5, The Message
A New Life
14-15 Our firm decision is to work from this focused center: One man died for everyone. That puts everyone in the same boat. He included everyone in his death so that everyone could also be included in his life, a resurrection life, a far better life than people ever lived on their own.

16-20 Because of this decision we don’t evaluate people by what they have or how they look. We looked at the Messiah that way once and got it all wrong, as you know. We certainly don’t look at him that way anymore. Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it! All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other. God put the world square with himself through the Messiah, giving the world a fresh start by offering forgiveness of sins. God has given us the task of telling everyone what he is doing. We’re Christ’s representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God’s work of making things right between them. We’re speaking for Christ himself now: Become friends with God; he’s already a friend with you.

21 How? you ask. In Christ. God put the wrong on him who never did anything wrong, so we could be put right with God.

Bottom line Truth?
–Christ died for everyone. We are all in the same boat.
–Make it right with God, through Jesus, then make it right with others.
–We are Christ’s representatives: God has given us the task of telling everyone to make it right with God and others, too.
–We can become friends with God.
–God is already a friend with us!
–Work from this focused center of Jesus Christ. Life begins with Christ.
–Christ is the reason we can be put right with God.

just a little talk with Jesus

Dear Heavenly Father, I was depressed and Your Word has restored my soul. I was weak and Your Word has reminded me that You will be my strength all day long. You have restored the joy of my salvation, of making it right with You. Now help me to make it right with others in my family, friends and all who will come alongside me in this journey here. Thank you, Lord.
In Jesus Name, Amen

And I’m singing…

“Just a Little Talk with Jesus Makes It Right”

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HEAVEN’S GREAT, BUT THE MAIN THING…

Posted on January 21, 2016 by randscallawayffm

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HEAVEN’S GREAT, BUT THE MAIN THING…

Posted on January 21, 2016 by randscallawayffm

Being and Becoming God’s own

We all look forward to “flying away” so the old song goes to heaven where our work here stops and our only work there is to praise God all day long. But do we just live here because of our great hope for heaven? If we believe and obey, we will be there. Good. But do we do in the meantime? Paul reminds us that to get there means pleasing God here…in everything we think, say or do. Ah, because of our hope, we cheerfully live here AND help others to know Him and do the same! His love is so amazing!

We talked about heaven as our final home yesterday, but that’s not all we should think about while preparing our hearts, minds and souls to be with Jesus. Jesus is living in us now. HE is the main thing. HE is the One we live for and want to please with our thoughts and actions right now. Today! Yes, please God is the main thing, the main reason we live and breathe. What if we all took this to heart. Love God. Love Others. It would be a world revolution as we make our way to the glory and splendor of the home Jesus is preparing.

2 Corinthians 5, The Message

The Spirit of God whets our appetite by giving us a taste of what’s ahead. He puts a little of heaven in our hearts so that we’ll never settle for less.

6-8 That’s why we live with such good cheer. You won’t see us drooping our heads or dragging our feet! Cramped conditions here don’t get us down. They only remind us of the spacious living conditions ahead. It’s what we trust in but don’t yet see that keeps us going. Do you suppose a few ruts in the road or rocks in the path are going to stop us? When the time comes, we’ll be plenty ready to exchange exile for homecoming.

9-10 But neither exile nor homecoming is the main thing. Cheerfully pleasing God is the main thing, and that’s what we aim to do, regardless of our conditions. Sooner or later we’ll all have to face God, regardless of our conditions. We will appear before Christ and take what’s coming to us as a result of our actions, either good or bad.

11-14 That keeps us vigilant, you can be sure. It’s no light thing to know that we’ll all one day stand in that place of Judgment. That’s why we work urgently with everyone we meet to get them ready to face God. God alone knows how well we do this, but I hope you realize how much and deeply we care. We’re not saying this to make ourselves look good to you. We just thought it would make you feel good, proud even, that we’re on your side and not just nice to your face as so many people are. If I acted crazy, I did it for God; if I acted overly serious, I did it for you. Christ’s love has moved me to such extremes. His love has the first and last word in everything we do.

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Dear Heavenly Father, It is our desire to please You in everything we think, do or say today.  Go with us, as promised, and guide us to make the right choices to do just that because we love you with all that is in us.  In Jesus Name, Amen

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