WHO’S IN CHARGE HERE?

Posted on April 4, 2015 by randscallawayffm

Luke and the Lost

Confession: I really do not like mosquitoes! I think they came shortly after or with the weeds after the fall in the garden of Eden. So, I blame Adam and Eve. Every time I want to do a good work of cleaning my yard or working in my garden (to pull out the weeds…because of Adam’s sin), getting rid of all that does not belong there so that it is beautiful again, here they come.

They come, a few at a time, then suddenly in a swarm it seems. They get right in your face, so you can’t just ignore them. They sneak up on you and lightly land on you in places that are not nice and slowly suck the blood of life from you in sheer delight. They leave lastly impressions with red bumps that itch like crazy. Yes, I have used all kinds of repellents, but there are always a few who seem stronger than the repellents. I really do not like mosquitoes! They are a curse to good times in the yard of good works. My desire is a beautiful garden free of mosquitoes!

Time to take a leap in our thinking. Now, let’s talk about the mosquitoes in Jesus ministry. Yes, we are talking about the pesky Pharisees. Read on…

Luke 6, The Message

In Charge of the Sabbath
6 1-2 On a certain Sabbath Jesus was walking through a field of ripe grain. His disciples were pulling off heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands to get rid of the chaff, and eating them. Some Pharisees said, “Why are you doing that, breaking a Sabbath rule?”

3-4 But Jesus stood up for them. “Have you never read what David and those with him did when they were hungry? How he entered the sanctuary and ate fresh bread off the altar, bread that no one but priests were allowed to eat? He also handed it out to his companions.”

5 Then he said, “The Son of Man is no slave to the Sabbath; he’s in charge.”

6-8 On another Sabbath he went to the meeting place and taught. There was a man there with a crippled right hand. The religion scholars and Pharisees had their eye on Jesus to see if he would heal the man, hoping to catch him in a Sabbath infraction. He knew what they were up to and spoke to the man with the crippled hand: “Get up and stand here before us.” He did.

9 Then Jesus addressed them, “Let me ask you something: What kind of action suits the Sabbath best? Doing good or doing evil? Helping people or leaving them helpless?”

10-11 He looked around, looked each one in the eye. He said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” He held it out—it was as good as new! They were beside themselves with anger, and started plotting how they might get even with him.

Those hovering, pesky Pharisees were no match for the Son of God, Jesus, our Savior and Lord. God created mosquitoes and He created the humans called Pharisees. Only Jesus, the One in charge of the Sabbath, the One who is KING of kings and LORD of lords could look them in the eye (can we just stop and imagine being looked at right in our eyes by the Master?) and tell them the Truth of God’s commands. Good works were completed.

The mosquitoes, I mean the Pharisees angrily went packing, knowing that Jesus got the best of them once again. But they will be back. It doesn’t matter. Jesus wins and Jesus lives! Remember that and be blessed by knowing and living like we know. With our words and actions, we either give life or suck it dry from others. Choose well. Joy and peace follows choosing well.

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Dear Heavenly Father, As we celebrate this weekend, knowing that YOU are in charge of all, knowing that You came, died and rose again to pay our debt of sin in full, don’t let us be pesky mosquitoes that tear down other’s good works, but let us live a life that lifts others up. Help us to do good with a pure heart that follows Your lead, no matter what day of the week it is. Be with us. Direct us. Be our wisdom, insight and understanding for this is the repellent to all that might stop our growth in You.

In Jesus Name and by Your Power, Amen. I believe.

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YOU HAVE BEEN SELECTED!

Posted on April 3, 2015 by randscallawayffm

Luke and the Lost

Wow! There is nothing more exhilarating than to know you have been selected among all the others for the opportunity or prize of a lifetime! Right? You have been picked, among all the others, to be on the team of players for the most important game to be played. You are the one they want to join them in completing a project at work that will change lives. You are chosen to come and experience life like never before or that you could imagine in your wildest dreams! Wow, are you with me, now? Are you ready to be selected, too?

As we read the next passage of Luke, watch the reaction and feel the attitude of all the people around Jesus, looking on, judging and wondering, surmising as He chooses the most unlikely to join His team.

Luke 5, The Message
27-28 After this he went out and saw a man named Levi at his work collecting taxes. Jesus said, “Come along with me.” And he did—walked away from everything and went with him.

29-30 Levi gave a large dinner at his home for Jesus. Everybody was there, tax men and other disreputable characters as guests at the dinner. The Pharisees and their religion scholars came to his disciples greatly offended. “What is he doing eating and drinking with crooks and ‘sinners’?”

31-32 Jesus heard about it and spoke up, “Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? I’m here inviting outsiders, not insiders—an invitation to a changed life, changed inside and out.”

Jesus saw something in Levi that no one else saw. Jesus sees that same something in you and I.

Read as the judgement goes on because the church leaders missed the point…again. (Uh, oh, I think someone’s angry because they were not invited to the party.)

33 They asked him, “John’s disciples are well-known for keeping fasts and saying prayers. Also the Pharisees. But you seem to spend most of your time at parties. Why?”

34-35 Jesus said, “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 this isn’t the time. As long as the bride and groom are with you, you have a good time. When the groom is gone, the fasting can begin. No one throws cold water on a friendly bonfire. This is Kingdom Come!

36-39 “No one cuts up a fine silk scarf to patch old work clothes; you want fabrics that match. And you don’t put wine in old, cracked bottles; you get strong, clean bottles for your fresh vintage wine. And no one who has ever tasted fine aged wine prefers unaged wine.”

There will always be humans who will throw a wet blanket on our fire and joy of being chosen to walk with Jesus as we choose to follow Him wherever He asks us to go. Don’t allow others to govern your life and steal your joy. Pray for them. Let God take care of them in His own way, for they might be on the list to be chosen, too, later as they surrender to HIm.

On this day, this chosen Good Friday, as we call it in the church world, be still and know God. Revel in what He has gone through for us. Know that He lives indeed. Know that He loves you and I with more love than we can imagine! We are not only chosen but redeemed! Meditate on this.

My prayer goes deep for all of you who take the time to read this every day as we listen to God speak with us. I pray that you may have joy and peace knowing that YOU have been selected by the KING of kings and LORD of lords to be completely His. How great is that? How GREAT is our GOD? Sing with me…How Great is Our God…

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Dear Heavenly Father, My heart is so full of peace and joy at this moment as I lift up my family, friends and even our bullies to you. Bless these readers who join with me each morning to enter into Your Presence to learn from You, be guided by You and to gain strength from You. Continue to be with us as we meditate on what You have done for us, are still doing and will do when You come back again for us. Thank you, Lord.
In Jesus Name, Amen

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WHY DO WE COME? THE SHOW OR THE SAVIOR?

Posted on April 2, 2015 by randscallawayffm

Luke and the Lost

Sometimes it is good to examine our hearts before coming to church. No, we must ALWAYS examine our human hearts before coming to church each time the doors open. WHY do we go?

Something happened to me yesterday that stirred my heart. I had prayed for God to use me as I visited a person at her place of business yesterday who I don’t see often. I was hoping to just share life and my love for Jesus with her. I enjoy our time together. Another person was there who talked the entire time about herself, her church, her participation in church, and then more about herself and her family…at church Ugh. Not once did she talk of Jesus, His Power, His Glory, His saving grace, His Love, His Mercy, His healing and His blessings.

I read this passage today while recalling yesterday’s situation and I am troubled. We want to desperately bring our friends to Jesus, but sometimes our talk of “our church”, which is not perfect in any way, (there is no perfect church because the church is made from imperfect humans!) actually gets in the way! What would happen if we spent more time talking about Jesus, who IS perfect, and less time talking about the church, who they already know is not perfect because of our over share and their idea of church, how many more might come to know Jesus as their Savior and Lord?

The Pharisees and religion teachers of Jesus’ day didn’t get it, either. They came because of all the talk. They came from all over the country side to watch Him for He had become very popular. They came for the show but missed the Savior.

Luke 5, The Message
17 One day as he was teaching, Pharisees and religion teachers were sitting around. They had come from nearly every village in Galilee and Judea, even as far away as Jerusalem, to be there. The healing power of God was on him.

18-20 Some men arrived carrying a paraplegic on a stretcher. They were looking for a way to get into the house and set him before Jesus. When they couldn’t find a way in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof, removed some tiles, and let him down in the middle of everyone, right in front of Jesus. Impressed by their bold belief, he said, “Friend, I forgive your sins.”

21 That set the religion scholars and Pharisees buzzing. “Who does he think he is? That’s blasphemous talk! God and only God can forgive sins.”

22-26 Jesus knew exactly what they were thinking and said, “Why all this gossipy whispering? Which is simpler: to say ‘I forgive your sins,’ or to say ‘Get up and start walking’? Well, just so it’s clear that I’m the Son of Man and authorized to do either, or both. . . .” He now spoke directly to the paraplegic: “Get up. Take your bedroll and go home.” Without a moment’s hesitation, he did it—got up, took his blanket, and left for home, giving glory to God all the way. The people rubbed their eyes, incredulous—and then also gave glory to God. Awestruck, they said, “We’ve never seen anything like that!”

As I read, I feel the struggle of the men, trying desperately to get their friend to Jesus. They risked it all, in front of the “important” church leaders, who came to check out the ministry of Jesus and for the show he might perform for them. These stretcher bearers could have been taken to task, beaten or at least sent away, but somehow they were drawn to the Healer, the Savior, Jesus, the Son of God. So it was worth every risk, even removing a few roof tiles in order to lower their sick friend at the feet of Jesus. The friend left with healing AND forgiveness of his sins. (“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” Rom 3:23) Awestruck, they said, “We’ve never seen anything like that!”

As we prepare for the biggest attended church event, Easter Sunday, may we prepare our hearts for Jesus, not the show, although many will be knocking themselves out to provide their very best for us. I can appreciate that, but we must come with hearts seeking Jesus, our minds wrapped around how He saved us and our souls exclaiming as we go back to work Monday morning, “We’ve never seen anything like Him!” “We’ve never known anyone like HIM!” Jesus lives and He loves you, me and everyone else who simply believes that He is Lord!

roof tiles

Dear Heavenly Father, We could go on and on about how You have saved us and continue to be with us. Don’t allow us to go for the show but to come with contrite, repentant hearts. May we lower ourselves through the roof of our selfishness, removing every brick of bitterness and sin and focus completely on You, our Savior and our Lord. Every. Day. Forever.
In Jesus Name, Amen

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INSIDE FOCUS

Posted on April 1, 2015 by randscallawayffm

Luke and the Lost

How often does does Scripture tell us about God’s desire for us to change from the inside out? “Man looks at the outside, but God looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). How often does God tell us what He is really after in our walk with Him?

Luke 16:15
He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight.

John 8:15
You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one.

Acts 1:24
Then they prayed, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen

1 Chronicles 28:9
“And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.

Job 10:4
“Do you have eyes of flesh? Do you see as a mortal sees?”

2 Chronicles 16:9
“For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.”

This is only a few choice passages that remind us the God is after the pureness of our hearts turned completely over to Him. A changed heart requires inward focus toward repentance, remorseful change. Outward “fixes” will occur when the inside is first washed clean and pure.

Jesus is approached by a man with leprosy in our next passage of Luke’s account of lost and found people. Leprosy, a contagious disease that affects the skin, mucous membranes, and nerves, causing discoloration and lumps on the skin and, in severe cases, disfigurement and deformities has plagued the outside of a man. A man with this bacteria that has taken over his inside physical system, affecting his outside appearance. He falls at the feet of Jesus for relief through ultimate healing. Jesus gives him an invitation to a changed life, from the inside out.

Luke 5, The Message
12 One day in one of the villages there was a man covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus he fell down before him in prayer and said, “If you want to, you can cleanse me.”

13 Jesus put out his hand, touched him, and said, “I want to. Be clean.” Then and there his skin was smooth, the leprosy gone.

14-16 Jesus instructed him, “Don’t talk about this all over town. Just quietly present your healed self to the priest, along with the offering ordered by Moses. Your cleansed and obedient life, not your words, will bear witness to what I have done.” But the man couldn’t keep it to himself, and the word got out. Soon a large crowd of people had gathered to listen and be healed of their ailments. As often as possible Jesus withdrew to out-of-the-way places for prayer.

The afflicted man fell down before Jesus in prayer…”if you want to, you can cleanse me.” Did Jesus see through the leprosy to a sincere heart of repentance and the need for a Savior?

Jesus healed the man by the mere touch of His Hand…”I want to. Be clean.” The leprosy left his ravaged body immediately.

The following instructions to the man makes us wonder if this episode goes beyond the words of a miraculous healing to what God is after in the first place…a humbled, contrite, changed heart. He tells the healed, happy man to not tell anyone. Jesus specifically tells the man to prove to the priest by showing him your changed outward appearance, that you are fit to walk the streets again, AND give an offering according to the law of Moses. Don’t talk about it (the healing) all over town. Be obedient, in other words.

The POINT Jesus was trying to make to the man: “Your cleansed and obedient life, not your words, will bear witness to what I have done.”

The healed man missed the point. He talked about his outward change all over town, causing crowds to gather around The Healer to be rid of their own aliments.

No wonder, “As often as possible Jesus withdrew to out-of-the-way places for prayer.”

Do we miss the point? Do we talk more about our outward stuff more than our inward change, giving God all the glory and praise for our transformation of heart, mind and soul? Are we sometimes a bit boastful of our outward changes? What is our focus? In or out? Some of the strongest people of faith I know live quiet, unassuming lives of obedience to God. You just know it. And you know God more by being near them.

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Dear Heavenly Father, You have such long suffering patience with us until we figure out what you want in our hearts. My heart belongs to You, but I repent of those times when I was not as humble as I should be about what You have done in me, for me and through me. Inside my heart, that’s where it counts in Your eyes. Help me live a quiet, obedient life that has been cleansed by You. Help us all, Lord.
In Jesus Name and by His Power, Amen

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IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO OUT GIVE GOD

Posted on March 31, 2015 by randscallawayffm

Luke and the Lost

My husband and I are “old-school” when it comes to giving. We were taught at an early age (we both grew up in the same church) that whatever comes to us as income, ten percent automatically goes back to God and His church. “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse” was sung often and accepted as much as our salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ. When I started receiving my first allowance from my parents, ten percent of that fifty cents went into the offering Sunday. But it wasn’t about the amount.

Please don’t think I am lifting ourselves up! This act was just a small part of the legacy of trained obedience to God. We know God doesn’t need our small tithes and offerings nor does He depend on them to fulfill His purpose. We knew we had to be disciplined enough to give back, cheerfully and expectantly, knowing full well we can never out give our gracious Father, God. To this day, I cannot imagine doing anything else. We are just ordinary people serving an extraordinary God.

This long term giving habit leads to other giving behaviors that become automatic, or “second nature”, without thinking. When God presents an opportunity to help someone with an immediate need, we don’t necessarily stop to count the cost of our labor and resources, we just quickly help. It occurs to me that I am blessed with this legacy of learning that leads to this “second nature”, this habit of doing, without thinking of what you will get in return. When we give, there are no strings attached. We trust God.

Maybe it is odd that the passage that I read today makes me think about giving and how God gives back to us. Read His Word for yourself. “Go out into the deeper waters of your own thoughts and see what God will say to you through His Holy Spirit. You will be blessed either way.

Luke 5, The Message
Push Out into Deep Water
5 1-3 Once when he was standing on the shore of Lake Gennesaret, the crowd was pushing in on him to better hear the Word of God. He noticed two boats tied up. The fishermen had just left them and were out scrubbing their nets. He climbed into the boat that was Simon’s and asked him to put out a little from the shore. Sitting there, using the boat for a pulpit, he taught the crowd.

4 When he finished teaching, he said to Simon, “Push out into deep water and let your nets out for a catch.”

5-7 Simon said, “Master, we’ve been fishing hard all night and haven’t caught even a minnow. But if you say so, I’ll let out the nets.” It was no sooner said than done—a huge haul of fish, straining the nets past capacity. They waved to their partners in the other boat to come help them. They filled both boats, nearly swamping them with the catch.

8-10 Simon Peter, when he saw it, fell to his knees before Jesus. “Master, leave. I’m a sinner and can’t handle this holiness. Leave me to myself.” When they pulled in that catch of fish, awe overwhelmed Simon and everyone with him. It was the same with James and John, Zebedee’s sons, coworkers with Simon.

10-11 Jesus said to Simon, “There is nothing to fear. From now on you’ll be fishing for men and women.” They pulled their boats up on the beach, left them, nets and all, and followed him.

Simon’s boat, along with other fishermen’s boats, had been pulled in for the day. They were in the cleaning process, ready to go home and rest from a long day’s work. Jesus, Son of God, asks for a small favor after climbing into Simon’s boat. I want to use your boat as a pulpit so I can speak to the people. Push it out a little from shore. Simon seems to do this automatically. Was Simon listening to Jesus as He cleaned his nets and tools? Did He hear the teachings from Him? He had not caught “even a minnow” all night. He was probably exhausted, and yet, he instinctively obeys the Master Teacher by pushing his boat, the tool of his trade, out a little from the shore, so Jesus could speak to the crowd.

This small act of kindness (Simon could have said, no.) led to a miraculous, loving act of God. Go back out there, into deeper waters. I am about to bless your socks off! Simon whines because of his weariness and frustration of not catching anything the night before but does it anyway. (Have we ever been at this place in life?) And then God acts in miraculous ways, blessing them with more fish than they need! Peter falls down, knee deep in a mess of fish, perhaps ashamed of his lack of faith and humbled by Who was before Him. He believed. He repented. He was overwhelmed by the gracious, giving Son of God who was standing before him.

The whole family was provided for with this catch of fish. Now the Son of God, Jesus Christ, invites whiny, impetuous Simon, who obeyed with one small act of kindness, to follow Him on His journey to seek and to save lost people, to “fish” for men and women.

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Yes, you can never out give God. You can never go where God is not already there. God is God and we are not. His giving overwhelms us as much as it did Simon, (later Peter)! Our small habitual acts of kindnesses only come second nature, without thinking, when our lives totally belong to Him. Our obedient ten percent is very small compared to giving Him back our entire lives. ALL of it belongs to Him. Know that. Live obediently and expectantly…for God, with God. Enjoy His peace. May it be well with your soul.

Dear Heavenly Father,
I Offer My Life
All that I am, all that I have
I lay them down before You, oh Lord
All my regrets, all my acclaims
The joy and the pain, I’m making them Yours

Lord, I offer my life to You
Everything I’ve been through, use it for Your glory
Lord I offer my days to You
Lifting my praise to You as a pleasing sacrifice
Lord I offer You my life

Things in the past, things yet unseen
Wishes and dreams that are yet to come true
All of my heart, all of my praise
My heart and my hands are lifted to You

Lord, I offer my life to You
Everything I’ve been through, use it for Your glory
Lord I offer my days to You
Lifting my praise to You as a pleasing sacrifice
Lord I offer You my life

What can we give that You have not given?
And what do we have that is not already Yours?
All we possess are these lives we’re living
That’s what we give to You, Lord

Lord, I offer my life to You
Everything I’ve been through, use it for Your glory
Lord I offer my days to You
Lifting my praise to You as a pleasing sacrifice
Lord I offer You my life

Lord, I offer my life to You
Everything I’ve been through, use it for Your glory
Lord I offer my days to You
Lifting my praise to You as a pleasing sacrifice
Lord I offer You my life
Lord I offer You my life
Songwriters: CLONINGER, CLAIRE D./MOEN, DON
I Offer My Life lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.

In Jesus Name, Amen

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THE TALK OF THE TOWN

Posted on March 30, 2015 by randscallawayffm

Luke and the Lost

The talk of the town happens on our news station each morning as we get ready for another work day. We see who did what to whom, where to buy the best for less, what leader is in trouble, and then, maybe a bit of good news at the end to round out the rest of the negativity that is proclaimed over the airwaves to our homes. What or Who is the “talk of the town” in your area?

Who is the talk of the town in your life? What monopolizes our own thoughts, “news” we tell others, and how do we behave accordingly?

Luke shows us the popularity of Jesus, who went from an alone time of tempting to being the talk of the town. Jesus spoke of his mission clearly. He offended the “church” gathered there because of his words of Truth. Forced out of his home town he carries on the mission of seeking the lost with teaching, healing and encouragement for all who heard and listened by faith. Even the demons knew Who He was and what He could accomplish.

Luke 4, The Message
To Set the Burdened Free
14-15 Jesus returned to Galilee powerful in the Spirit. News that he was back spread through the countryside. He taught in their meeting places to everyone’s acclaim and pleasure.

16-21 He came to Nazareth where he had been reared. As he always did on the Sabbath, he went to the meeting place. When he stood up to read, he was handed the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. Unrolling the scroll, he found the place where it was written,

God’s Spirit is on me;
He’s chosen me to preach the Message of good news to the poor,
Sent me to announce pardon to prisoners and
recovery of sight to the blind,
To set the burdened and battered free,
to announce, “This is God’s year to act!”

He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the assistant, and sat down. Every eye in the place was on him, intent. Then he started in, “You’ve just heard Scripture make history. It came true just now in this place.”

22 All who were there, watching and listening, were surprised at how well he spoke. But they also said, “Isn’t this Joseph’s son, the one we’ve known since he was a youngster?”

23-27 He answered, “I suppose you’re going to quote the proverb, ‘Doctor, go heal yourself. Do here in your hometown what we heard you did in Capernaum.’ Well, let me tell you something: No prophet is ever welcomed in his hometown. Isn’t it a fact that there were many widows in Israel at the time of Elijah during that three and a half years of drought when famine devastated the land, but the only widow to whom Elijah was sent was in Sarepta in Sidon? And there were many lepers in Israel at the time of the prophet Elisha but the only one cleansed was Naaman the Syrian.”

28-30 That set everyone in the meeting place seething with anger. They threw him out, banishing him from the village, then took him to a mountain cliff at the edge of the village to throw him to his doom, but he gave them the slip and was on his way.

31-32 He went down to Capernaum, a village in Galilee. He was teaching the people on the Sabbath. They were surprised and impressed—his teaching was so forthright, so confident, so authoritative, not the quibbling and quoting they were used to.

33-34 In the meeting place that day there was a man demonically disturbed. He screamed, “Ho! What business do you have here with us, Jesus? Nazarene! I know what you’re up to. You’re the Holy One of God and you’ve come to destroy us!”

35 Jesus shut him up: “Quiet! Get out of him!” The demonic spirit threw the man down in front of them all and left. The demon didn’t hurt him.

36-37 That set everyone back on their heels, whispering and wondering, “What’s going on here? Someone whose words make things happen? Someone who orders demonic spirits to get out and they go?” Jesus was the talk of the town.

He Healed Them All
38-39 He left the meeting place and went to Simon’s house. Simon’s mother-in-law was running a high fever and they asked him to do something for her. He stood over her, told the fever to leave—and it left. Before they knew it, she was up getting dinner for them.

40-41 When the sun went down, everyone who had anyone sick with some ailment or other brought them to him. One by one he placed his hands on them and healed them. Demons left in droves, screaming, “Son of God! You’re the Son of God!” But he shut them up, refusing to let them speak because they knew too much, knew him to be the Messiah.

42-44 He left the next day for open country. But the crowds went looking and, when they found him, clung to him so he couldn’t go on. He told them, “Don’t you realize that there are yet other villages where I have to tell the Message of God’s kingdom, that this is the work God sent me to do?” Meanwhile he continued preaching in the meeting places of Galilee.

After Jesus returned from the dessert of temptation and defeating the foolishness of the devil, He comes back into town “powerful in the Spirit”! Imagine the populous spreading the news of his return…”He’s back!”

Jesus coming back

Now, imagine our own heart cry of salvation and restoration. Yes, indeed, He lives AND He’s coming back! Now, THAT should be the “talk of the town”!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for your Word that gives life, encouragement, hope, salvation, and renewal. You lift our hearts that are saddened by the “talk” of the day and inspire and excite us to remember the real news…You are Savior and Lord…AND You are coming back! Continue to be with us. Fill us with the power of Your Holy Spirit. May others know you more by our “talk” and our walk.
In Jesus Name, Amen

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LYING IN WAIT..

Posted on March 29, 2015 by randscallawayffm

LYING IN WAIT...

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LYING IN WAIT..

Posted on March 29, 2015 by randscallawayffm

Luke and the Lost

My grandma Lacquement raised Siamese cats to sell to an adoring cat-loving public. She loved her cats and kittens and cared for them with great affection. If it was too cold in the barn, she would bring a new litter of kittens into the house to stay warm through their weaning process until they were ready for sale. As they grew, they would playfully, lie in wait, and pounce on you at any given moment, when you least expected it.

As a child, I did not like the “surprise” attacks. And to this day, I confess, I do not like this about cats. I do not like cats. You always know where your dog is. They do not leave your side. In fact, they refuse to leave your side. There I have just divided our readership of cat vs dog lovers.

I’m not sure why this flashback occurs as I read about the temptation of Christ in the wilderness, and I am not comparing cats to the devil, but I am realizing that maybe it is the surprise attacks that I am most fearful. That is the devil’s most useful tool…to catch us off guard in a weak moment. How do we combat it? Know Jesus. Know His Word. Know Your Enemy. Know the power of the Holy Spirit living in You and together the battle is won against all temptations in this life.

The Perfect Example Resists With Truth

Luke 4, The Message
Tested by the Devil
4 1-2 Now Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wild. For forty wilderness days and nights he was tested by the Devil. He ate nothing during those days, and when the time was up he was hungry.

3 The Devil, playing on his hunger, gave the first test: “Since you’re God’s Son, command this stone to turn into a loaf of bread.”

4 Jesus answered by quoting Deuteronomy: “It takes more than bread to really live.”

5-7 For the second test he led him up and spread out all the kingdoms of the earth on display at once. Then the Devil said, “They’re yours in all their splendor to serve your pleasure. I’m in charge of them all and can turn them over to whomever I wish. Worship me and they’re yours, the whole works.”

8 Jesus refused, again backing his refusal with Deuteronomy: “Worship the Lord your God and only the Lord your God. Serve him with absolute single-heartedness.”

9-11 For the third test the Devil took him to Jerusalem and put him on top of the Temple. He said, “If you are God’s Son, jump. It’s written, isn’t it, that ‘he has placed you in the care of angels to protect you; they will catch you; you won’t so much as stub your toe on a stone’?”

12 “Yes,” said Jesus, “and it’s also written, ‘Don’t you dare tempt the Lord your God.’”

13 That completed the testing. The Devil retreated temporarily, lying in wait for another opportunity.

Lessons Learned from the Tempting of Jesus:

Focused Life…”Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit”

Focused Scripture…”Jesus answered by quoting Deuteronomy”

Focused Worship…“Worship the Lord your God and only the Lord your God. Serve him with absolute single-heartedness.”

Focused Use of Power…”Don’t you dare tempt the Lord your God.”

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Wow, Truth in the Person of Jesus Christ, sets the tone and shows us how to conquer temptations that lie in wait for us. Combat “surprise attacks” by allowing God to speak through us, remain full of His Holy Spirit, and speak His Truth at just the right time, in the right Spirit, with the right Scripture. And the devil will retreat, momentarily.

Dear Heavenly Father, At first, I ask why did You allow Your Son to be tempted? Why was this necessary? And then I am overwhelmed with the perfect lessons that teach us how to combat temptations. This also tells us that Your Son when through everything we might face so that we will know how to live more wisely. Thank you, Lord. Continue to fill us with Your Holy Spirit, Your Word and Your power.
In Jesus Name, Amen

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ONE MESSAGE!

Posted on March 28, 2015 by randscallawayffm

Luke and the Lost

What is the one message you would like to tell others? What is the one thing that is the most important thing you what your family and friends to know? What is our ONE Message?

John, the one who came to prepare the way of the Lord, was given ONE Message while in the dessert. John stays in the dessert and immediately proclaims the One Message he is given. John, an extremely focused individual, obeys, not turning to glance at anything else or consider other options. He was born for this opportunity and he knows it.

He preaches boldly, without fear of how the words will be accepted. It’s not about acceptance of him who speaks, but about the acceptance of the One Message of God for those who he has been assigned to preach. It is about salvation for the world before it is too late. He cries out to those who come to him to hear the One Message like no one they have ever heard before. It is time, God’s time, to speak to His people once more. He speaks as though he is working against a ticking clock, without any time to waste!

The One Message draws people from everywhere to come and hear…and be baptized to signify a change of heart. They come to him…IN the middle of nowhere, in the dessert! For most, It is an all day’s journey from the surrounding towns to see and hear John for themselves. But they don’t care, even if John’s words sting and cut to the core of their being, they must come. They can’t stay away. Even some of the “important” religious leaders come to here this One Message everyone is talking about. The leaders are appalled at his words. But it does not stop John from preaching the One Message God has given him.

What is the One Message? CHANGE YOUR LIFE, GET READY FOR JESUS!

Luke 3, The Message
A Baptism of Life-Change
3 1-6 In the fifteenth year of the rule of Caesar Tiberius—it was while Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea; Herod, ruler of Galilee; his brother Philip, ruler of Iturea and Trachonitis; Lysanias, ruler of Abilene; during the Chief-Priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas—John, Zachariah’s son, out in the desert at the time, received a message from God. He went all through the country around the Jordan River preaching a baptism of life-change leading to forgiveness of sins, as described in the words of Isaiah the prophet:

Thunder in the desert!
“Prepare God’s arrival!
Make the road smooth and straight!
Every ditch will be filled in,
Every bump smoothed out,
The detours straightened out,
All the ruts paved over.
Everyone will be there to see
The parade of God’s salvation.”
7-9 When crowds of people came out for baptism because it was the popular thing to do, John exploded: “Brood of snakes! What do you think you’re doing slithering down here to the river? Do you think a little water on your snakeskins is going to deflect God’s judgment? It’s your life that must change, not your skin. And don’t think you can pull rank by claiming Abraham as ‘father.’ Being a child of Abraham is neither here nor there—children of Abraham are a dime a dozen. God can make children from stones if he wants. What counts is your life. Is it green and blossoming? Because if it’s deadwood, it goes on the fire.”

10 The crowd asked him, “Then what are we supposed to do?”

11 “If you have two coats, give one away,” he said. “Do the same with your food.”

12 Tax men also came to be baptized and said, “Teacher, what should we do?”

13 He told them, “No more extortion—collect only what is required by law.”

14 Soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?”

He told them, “No shakedowns, no blackmail—and be content with your rations.”

15 The interest of the people by now was building. They were all beginning to wonder, “Could this John be the Messiah?”

16-17 But John intervened: “I’m baptizing you here in the river. The main character in this drama, to whom I’m a mere stagehand, will ignite the kingdom life, a fire, the Holy Spirit within you, changing you from the inside out. He’s going to clean house—make a clean sweep of your lives. He’ll place everything true in its proper place before God; everything false he’ll put out with the trash to be burned.”

18-20 There was a lot more of this—words that gave strength to the people, words that put heart in them. The Message! But Herod, the ruler, stung by John’s rebuke in the matter of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, capped his long string of evil deeds with this outrage: He put John in jail.

21-22 After all the people were baptized, Jesus was baptized. As he was praying, the sky opened up and the Holy Spirit, like a dove descending, came down on him. And along with the Spirit, a voice: “You are my Son, chosen and marked by my love, pride of my life.”

John, cousin to Jesus, born only a few month before Jesus, prepared the people for the ONE AND ONLY who would take the One Message that was given to John to even greater, eternal heights…to the Cross of Salvation for ALL. The baton is passed from John to Jesus. The One John told the people about is now going to tell the world what the Father in Heaven has told him. He will do nothing but what the Father tells him to do. He will explain God’s true intentions of how much He loves us and how we should love others. Then ultimately, He will take my sin, your sin and the sins of the world onto his body and bear the punishment we all deserve. He will defeat the enemy, once and for all. He will rise up from death, go back to the Father and prepare places in heaven for all of us who believe. The outcome of the One Message is the complete forgiveness of our sin…our debt paid in full.

Tears. No more words. Breath this all in. Be grateful.

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In Jesus Name, Amen. I believe.

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OH YEAH, YOU’RE GOD’S SON!

Posted on March 27, 2015 by randscallawayffm

Luke and the Lost

In the midst of our busy, very earthly lives, do we get so caught up in the rush that we forget that Jesus is God’s Son? Do we forget that He should be leading and we should be following? Do we lose track in the loud noises and grow deaf to His Spirit speaking to us? Do we spend more time worrying and less time in worship? Do we spend to much time at church instead of being the church? Even good things go sour if we forget Who we love most.

As a the baby grew in a child, strong in body and wise in spirit, Jesus seemed like any other human. Joseph and Mary may have settled into a new “normal” and seemed to live life like everyone else around them. Did this normal cause them to forget that they were raising the Son of God?

We get a glimpse in the next small passage which gives us only a few words about the childhood of Jesus, the Son of God. But as moms and dads we relate to the story.

Luke 2, The Message
They Found Him in the Temple
41-45 Every year Jesus’ parents traveled to Jerusalem for the Feast of Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up as they always did for the Feast. When it was over and they left for home, the child Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents didn’t know it. Thinking he was somewhere in the company of pilgrims, they journeyed for a whole day and then began looking for him among relatives and neighbors. When they didn’t find him, they went back to Jerusalem looking for him.

46-48 The next day they found him in the Temple seated among the teachers, listening to them and asking questions. The teachers were all quite taken with him, impressed with the sharpness of his answers. But his parents were not impressed; they were upset and hurt.

His mother said, “Young man, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been half out of our minds looking for you.”

49-50 He said, “Why were you looking for me? Didn’t you know that I had to be here, dealing with the things of my Father?” But they had no idea what he was talking about.

51-52 So he went back to Nazareth with them, and lived obediently with them. His mother held these things dearly, deep within herself. And Jesus matured, growing up in both body and spirit, blessed by both God and people.

It was human to be fearful for their son who they thought was lost in the crowd. Have you ever lost one of you own for a time? It seemed like eternity until you found them, right? Fear led to hurt…”why did you do this to us?” Then Mary and probably Joseph realized just as quickly as those words tumbled from their lips, Who they were raising. Oh yeah, YOU’RE GOD’S SON! The boy belongs to and is the Son of God. They took him to the temple for Passover…a remembrance of what God had done for His people. Now, they remember more. The memories of his birth come flooded back to mind. And Mary, who would later watch the boy grow to manhood and become her Savior, “held these things dearly, deep within herself.” I have a feeling, that after this episode, she never forgot Who was entrusted in her care, even for a little while.

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Dear Heavenly Father,
May we never forget Who died for our sins, rose from the grave, defeating death, and Who will come back again. May we never forget Who walks and talks with us today…if we listen.
In Jesus Name, we pray, Amen. I believe.

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