JUST THAT KID…

Posted on February 5, 2015 by randscallawayffm

The Good News

What is the first thing you hear at a family reunion from older folks who haven’t seen you in years? They might mean well…or not…but the “Captain Obvious” comment is always the same, “My, how you’ve grown!” Even if you are 30 or 40 years old, that comment is followed by, I remember when you were this high (gestured with hands) and just a kid.

All of us do it, or at least think it when we haven’t seen someone in awhile. It seems to be human nature to “freeze frame” friends and relatives and their kids in the moment we last saw them. We also do not consider how they have grown, matured and transformed on the inside either. “You can’t go home” is a saying that stems from this “freeze framing” thing we do with our minds.

Jesus went home, back to the place where he grew up from toddler to man. He not only got the “treatment” as above, but they even ridiculed him! He knows how we feel when it is done to us!

Mark 6, The Message
Just a Carpenter
6 1-2 He left there and returned to his hometown. His disciples came along. On the Sabbath, he gave a lecture in the meeting place. He made a real hit, impressing everyone. “We had no idea he was this good!” they said. “How did he get so wise all of a sudden, get such ability?”

3 But in the next breath they were cutting him down: “He’s just a carpenter—Mary’s boy. We’ve known him since he was a kid. We know his brothers, James, Justus, Jude, and Simon, and his sisters. Who does he think he is?” They tripped over what little they knew about him and fell, sprawling. And they never got any further.

4-6 Jesus told them, “A prophet has little honor in his hometown, among his relatives, on the streets he played in as a child.” Jesus wasn’t able to do much of anything there—he laid hands on a few sick people and healed them, that’s all. He couldn’t get over their stubbornness. He left and made a circuit of the other villages, teaching.

What do we learn from this seemingly small detail of Jesus’ life and ministry? Maybe it’s to teach US not to do this to others. Allow people to grow and change in your mind. Assume brilliance and positive growth in others. Stop freeze framing! Listen to their journey and praise God for their testimony of what God has done in and through them! They will be blessed AND you will be blessed by them!

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Dear Heavenly Father, We learn more about you and your brief journey on earth. You had brothers and sisters! You dealt with family relationships! You had hometown people you grew up with and remembered you. YOU knew their hearts and minds. It saddens me to think You couldn’t “do much of anything” in your own hometown because of your homey’s ridicule and attitudes about you.
Go with us, help us to be different with our friends and family when we meet. Help us to talk less and listen more. Make us a blessing to someone today! In Jesus Name, Amen

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GIVE HER SOMETHING TO EAT!

Posted on February 4, 2015 by randscallawayffm

The Good News

We never like it when our kids are sick. We feel so helpless. Kids seem to get sick quickly, but fortunately they can recover just as quickly if the sickness isn’t too bad. Since their bodies are smaller, maybe it takes less time for the virus to work it’s way through as well as the meds to make them better. This is not sound medical advice, just what I observe in kids. We DO know when they are better though, when they want something to eat! That seems to be the sign of health…eating normally again.

We skipped over a miracle in Mark, knowing we would come back to it today. This is a beautiful story of a dad’s love for his daughter who is ill to the point of dying. He is beside himself. He runs to Jesus, falls to his knees crying out to the One Who Heals to save his daughter. We can relate. We would do the very same as parents and grandparents.

On the way, however, Jesus is stopped by a woman who needs him, too. He heals her, While encouraging her, the desperate dad and Jesus are met by people who tell him the worst words anyone can hear, “Your daughter is dead.” Followed by, “Why bother the Teacher any more?” Can you imagine the look in the man’s eyes as he looks to Jesus?

Is all lost and hopeless? NO!

Mark 5, The Message
35 While he was still talking, some people came from the leader’s house and told him, “Your daughter is dead. Why bother the Teacher any more?”

36 Jesus overheard what they were talking about and said to the leader, “Don’t listen to them; just trust me.”

37-40 He permitted no one to go in with him except Peter, James, and John. They entered the leader’s house and pushed their way through the gossips looking for a story and neighbors bringing in casseroles. Jesus was abrupt: “Why all this busybody grief and gossip? This child isn’t dead; she’s sleeping.” Provoked to sarcasm, they told him he didn’t know what he was talking about.

40-43 But when he had sent them all out, he took the child’s father and mother, along with his companions, and entered the child’s room. He clasped the girl’s hand and said, “Talitha koum,” which means, “Little girl, get up.” At that, she was up and walking around! This girl was twelve years of age. They, of course, were all beside themselves with joy. He gave them strict orders that no one was to know what had taken place in that room. Then he said, “Give her something to eat.”

The same faith in the One Who Heals followed Him on to his home, in spite of the news. Jarius trusted Him to come into His home, clasp his daughter’s hand and bring her back to good health. Get her something to eat! Back to normalcy. Hope is restored and faith is built on nothing less than Jesus Christ the Son of God!

Never lose hope. This healing was more about bringing glory to God the Father, to show the world WHO is really in control of His Creation. He gets to decide the outcome of our situations. He knows what is best. Let Him have His Way for His Way is always the best for us. No matter what. In the good times praise His Name! In the bad times, praise His Name! He will make a way.

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Dear Heavenly Father, May an old hymn, that is ringing in my ears, be our prayer this morning for this is what you have brought to mind..”My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus’ Name. On Christ the Solid Rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand.”
In Jesus Name, Amen

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RISKY FAITH!

Posted on February 3, 2015 by randscallawayffm

The Good News!

Randy and I dreamed of becoming teachers of kids. We knew before entering college that’s what we were meant to do. We met those goals, doing it the hard way sometimes by getting married in the middle of our college years and having three kids along the way, but the goals were met by the grace of God helping us. We were teachers! We enjoyed teaching, raising our family with summers to explore the country teaching our own kids. We volunteered extensively at church and in church camps.

Then it happened. Our local church needed a pastor. Randy told me he felt called to step forward and take on this role. RISKY FAITH didn’t seem risky at the time. It didn’t occur to us that if God called, He would not provide. We cut our salary in half to do this as a family. Maybe that was the risky part of faith. Things did get financially tight sometimes, and our kids didn’t have name brand clothing to wear, but they survived.

We took on some risky faith pastorates three times in Randy’s ministry lifetime. We both left public school teaching for a time to accomplish some of what God asked us to do. But risky? Maybe what we are doing now is more risky than what we did in the past OR maybe everything God brings you through prepares you for the next thing and you don’t realize the risk as much as first timers?

Today is Randy’s birthday. I take a brief look back for awhile to realize all the adventures God has taken us on and I thank God for Randy, for ministry in all forms and for a God who risks HIs pouring out of mercy and grace for us…all because of His dying and rising love for us. Wow!

The woman in today’s passage took a risk. She was a woman, first of all. Then she was a woman with an unclean blood disease who probably should not have even been on the street with the crowd. But she took a risk. She had heard of The One Who Heals, Jesus, and she took a risk of secretly mixing in with the crowd to just touch his robe. That’s risky faith! This dying woman knew that if she could just get close enough to touch Jesus, she would be well. But then she was brought forward for all the world to see…the risky part!

Mark 5, The Message
A Risk of Faith
25-29 A woman who had suffered a condition of hemorrhaging for twelve years—a long succession of physicians had treated her, and treated her badly, taking all her money and leaving her worse off than before—had heard about Jesus. She slipped in from behind and touched his robe. She was thinking to herself, “If I can put a finger on his robe, I can get well.” The moment she did it, the flow of blood dried up. She could feel the change and knew her plague was over and done with.

30 At the same moment, Jesus felt energy discharging from him. He turned around to the crowd and asked, “Who touched my robe?”

31 His disciples said, “What are you talking about? With this crowd pushing and jostling you, you’re asking, ‘Who touched me?’ Dozens have touched you!”

32-33 But he went on asking, looking around to see who had done it. The woman, knowing what had happened, knowing she was the one, stepped up in fear and trembling, knelt before him, and gave him the whole story.

34 Jesus said to her, “Daughter, you took a risk of faith, and now you’re healed and whole. Live well, live blessed! Be healed of your plague.”

The faith to know that if we just come near enough to Jesus to touch Him IS faith. It’s a beginning! It’s what God is looking for in us. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. This first baby step our faith and love for Him grows as God heals our past and we rely on Him to guide our future. Our risky faith is met with God’s “living well and living blessed”. Yes, living well in God’s unrestrained rhythm and flow of life is having complete healing of heart, mind and soul! It is living expectantly for what Abba Father has for you next! (And going for it!)

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Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for always turning our risky faith to living blessed! We trust in You alone! We praise You. We love You! We stand in awe of what You have done, are doing and will do! Continue to be with us. You are God and we are not.
In Jesus Name, Amen

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OUR TURN TO TELL THE STORY!

Posted on February 2, 2015 by randscallawayffm

The Good News!

“My turn, my turn!”, little ones shout at show and tell in first grade. Young children are not afraid to tell ANYTHING to their friends and teacher when given the opportunity. In fact, I had a “rule of thumb” for parents at our first orientations: “I won’t believe everything your child tells me about home, if you won’t believe everything your child tells about school.”

This does not mean I will not listen but there is a discernment of facts versus fabrication that must be applied. Kids love to tell stories…the bigger the better! One of my first graders was a phenomenal storyteller. The kids eyes would grow big as he would tell them about how he got to school via his dad’s jet. His dad brought him every day in his jet, landed it on the playground and then took off for another country. “You can’t see it, because his jet is invisible.” (Said with rolling eyes to the ceiling.) Well, sure. This little boy began with a small kernel of truth. His dad was a pilot, stationed at Tinker Air Base, which was a mile from our school. But that was all the truth there was to his story.

When we tell our story, there is no need to exaggerate what God has done IN us and how He saved us. The story is about HIM not us. If we keep that as our focus, then His story in us can be used to point the way to Him for others God puts in our path! We need to get the story right! Only Truth…as the Person of Jesus Christ!

In today’s passage a man is possessed by a mob of demons. (We talked about this last month as Matthew told us the story.) The demons KNOW Who they are dealing with when Jesus comes to the man. They asked to be put into nearby pigs grazing and rooting around in a field. Jesus does just that. Later the healed man begs to go with Jesus and be a follower. Jesus would not let him! Here’s where we pick up Jesus story through the man…

Mark 5, The Message

18-20 As Jesus was getting into the boat, the demon-delivered man begged to go along, but he wouldn’t let him. Jesus said, “Go home to your own people. Tell them your story—what the Master did, how he had mercy on you.” The man went back and began to preach in the Ten Towns area about what Jesus had done for him. He was the talk of the town.

I’m impressed this morning by “Go home” and “Tell them your story–what the Master did, how he had mercy on you.” Am I telling the right story, O Lord? Are the facts right? Do I exaggerate any parts? Is my story centered on YOU? Our life stories need to be less about our sin and more about HIS MERCY! That’s the place to begin to tell the story of Jesus Christ and His Love.

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Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for teaching us through Your Word about Your story in us because of what You have done in each of us. Your mercy and grace are indescribable, but we keep trying. Help us to stick to the Truth, to the facts, and help someone else know you more because of Your story of mercy in us. In Jesus Name, Amen

And I’m singing…”to tell the old, old story of Jesus and HIs love…”

I love to tell the story
of unseen things above,
of Jesus and his glory,
of Jesus and his love.
I love to tell the story,
because I know ’tis true;
it satisfies my longings
as nothing else can do.
Refrain:
I love to tell the story,
’twill be my theme in glory,
to tell the old, old story
of Jesus and his love.

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JESUS HAS YOUR BACK!

Posted on February 1, 2015 by randscallawayffm

The Good News!

We sit here in a snowstorm, all safe and hunkered down, waiting for it to pass and be calm again. The snow is coming in waves. It is beautiful…until you have to navigate through it in your vehicle. Ah, but we do not want to think about that, we just want to sit and watch. This too will pass. The sun will come out, (wait for it), tomorrow, and all will be well. This attitude comes to me because this is Sunday and I don’t have to think about going to work like some do. But I am not as peaceful as I appear on the outside, for my mind is on loved ones who are struggling with all kinds of physical issues this day. Do I have a cowardly faith? I think about this as I read the next passage that is used extensively as a basis for many sermons on faith and trust.

We come to the marvelous magnificent miracle of Jesus calming the rough sea. But where does this all begin? It begins with Jesus simply directing his disciples to go the other side of the lake. Other boats followed His boat full of followers. It is not just Jesus’ crew who is caught in a storm not predicted. Is Jesus tired, getting a power nap between miracles and teaching?

Where he is resting peacefully is interesting to me today. He is at the BACK of the boat. All the others are wrestling with the storm in the front. Panic sets in as they bail out the water rushing over the sides of the boat. But panic does not make the situation better. Bailing the never ending, powerful sea water that is gushing in quicker than they can bail is useless. Jesus, the Son of God, is awakened, not by the rushing wind and waves, not by the panicked shouts of men but by a few who come to Him, touch Him, and cry out to Him..”Teacher, is it nothing to you that we’re going down?”

I wonder if Jesus waited for them to come to Him, admit their lack of faith through their panicked actions and reactions to the situation at hand? Was Jesus watching from the back of the boat (stern) waiting for the right time for yet another lesson in complete faith and trust in Him? Yes, they are reprimanded with “Why are you such cowards?” Ouch.

Waves of physical illnesses are happening right now to people I love…even the family dog is ill. “Don’t you have any faith at all?”
Ouch. Again. Yes, dear Jesus, I do. I cannot heal. You do. I cannot bail out these waves any faster than your followers tried to do in their storm. So I call on you, wait to listen to your command and will, and believe. I trust in You alone for you are God and i am not.

And I am in awe, too. “Who is this, anyway?” they asked then…I will shout it out, You are the Son of God who died and rose again, defeating evil, saving us from all sin. You are in control and we are not. Thank you for Your Word that brings peace to my overwhelmed heart, my tossed around by the waves mind and calms the sea of my tired soul. ONLY YOU can do that!

Mark 4, The Message

The Wind Ran Out of Breath
35-38 Late that day he said to them, “Let’s go across to the other side.” They took him in the boat as he was. Other boats came along. A huge storm came up. Waves poured into the boat, threatening to sink it. And Jesus was in the stern, head on a pillow, sleeping! They roused him, saying, “Teacher, is it nothing to you that we’re going down?”

39-40 Awake now, he told the wind to pipe down and said to the sea, “Quiet! Settle down!” The wind ran out of breath; the sea became smooth as glass. Jesus reprimanded the disciples: “Why are you such cowards? Don’t you have any faith at all?”

41 They were in absolute awe, staggered. “Who is this, anyway?” they asked. “Wind and sea at his beck and call!”

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Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for this lesson and assurance. Thank you for all You are and all You do. Continue to go with us. We cry out again today for wisdom, insight and understanding. We trust in Your peace.

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NEVER WITHOUT A STORY!

Posted on January 31, 2015 by randscallawayffm

The Good News

Are you the person who breaks into song…whatever the situation…you recall a song first? I am that person. Usually the song is ironic and humorous for the circumstance. It’s just how I was built. Apparently, I have passed that ability on to my daughters. (And maybe my son, although he doesn’t sing it out loud.) I am also that person, much to the dismay of my kids, who is never without a story. I choose to think Jesus passed that down to me! Jesus was NEVER without a story to fit the teaching of right ways to live, how to love, serve, and give honorable sacrifice for others, so others may know God, too.

It begins with a lesson on giving not getting…and finishes today on a “picture” of God’s kingdom…WITH explanation! For a story without a lesson is just, well, a story with no meat. Jesus uses stories to engage his listeners, make a point, showing and telling how the lessons apply to our behavior. So, a story without a point is well, pointless. And he obviously entertains the crowd while engaging their thought process. Jesus, The Master Teacher!

story-time-jesus

Mark 4, The Message

Giving, Not Getting
21-22 Jesus went on: “Does anyone bring a lamp home and put it under a washtub or beneath the bed? Don’t you put it up on a table or on the mantel? We’re not keeping secrets, we’re telling them; we’re not hiding things, we’re bringing them out into the open.

23 “Are you listening to this? Really listening?

24-25 “Listen carefully to what I am saying—and be wary of the shrewd advice that tells you how to get ahead in the world on your own. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity. Stinginess impoverishes.”

Never Without a Story
26-29 Then Jesus said, “God’s kingdom is like seed thrown on a field by a man who then goes to bed and forgets about it. The seed sprouts and grows—he has no idea how it happens. The earth does it all without his help: first a green stem of grass, then a bud, then the ripened grain. When the grain is fully formed, he reaps—harvest time!

30-32 “How can we picture God’s kingdom? What kind of story can we use? It’s like a pine nut. When it lands on the ground it is quite small as seeds go, yet once it is planted it grows into a huge pine tree with thick branches. Eagles nest in it.”

33-34 With many stories like these, he presented his message to them, fitting the stories to their experience and maturity. He was never without a story when he spoke. When he was alone with his disciples, he went over everything, sorting out the tangles, untying the knots.

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for “untying the knots” of our misunderstandings and teaching us to fill our hearts, minds and souls with your righteousness. We cry out, like the Psalmist, for wisdom, insight and understanding each day as we navigate our brief journey here on earth. Continue to be with us, guiding us, and filling us. Thank you, Lord, for Your stories that engage, entertain, enlighten and challenge us to be more and more like You as Your power works through us. And by the way, I LOVE your stories. They are Truth and Life! In Jesus Name, Amen

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STORYTELLING…PART TWO

Posted on January 30, 2015 by randscallawayffm

The Good News

Not only does Jesus, the Master Teacher tell the best stories to relate Truth to the world, He EXPLAINS His narratives in ways we cannot fail to understand. Yes, there are some things we “just don’t get” at times, but if we will work on what we DO understand, that is more than enough for our Lord, God, the Creator of all. Read on…Mark gets right to it…

THE EXPLANATION OF THE FARMER AND THE SEED
Commentary by Jesus, Himself!

Mark 4, The Message

14-15 “The farmer plants the Word. Some people are like the seed that falls on the hardened soil of the road. No sooner do they hear the Word than Satan snatches away what has been planted in them.

16-17 “And some are like the seed that lands in the gravel. When they first hear the Word, they respond with great enthusiasm. But there is such shallow soil of character that when the emotions wear off and some difficulty arrives, there is nothing to show for it.

18-19 “The seed cast in the weeds represents the ones who hear the kingdom news but are overwhelmed with worries about all the things they have to do and all the things they want to get. The stress strangles what they heard, and nothing comes of it.

20 “But the seed planted in the good earth represents those who hear the Word, embrace it, and produce a harvest beyond their wildest dreams.”

Wow! “Beyond our wildest dreams”…a harvest of God working in us while we are embedded in the soil of His love, mercy and grace. Yes!

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Dear Heavenly Father, Nourish our souls wherever we are with all of You in us. You have us. You know us. You grow us. All our trust is in You alone. We hear Your Word and embrace it. We go out today with Your love in our hearts, ready to grow and thrive..all for Your glory and praise! Help us, Lord. In Jesus Name, Amen

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Posted on January 29, 2015 by randscallawayffm

STORYTELLING

The Good News!

Mark is now to the point in his testimony of the Good News of Jesus where stories are told to explain the mission, motive of heart and righteous behavior of God’s people.

Mark 4, The Message

1-2 He went back to teaching by the sea. A crowd built up to such a great size that he had to get into an offshore boat, using the boat as a pulpit as the people pushed to the water’s edge. He taught by using stories, many stories.

Yes! Jesus taught using stories…MANY stories! My kids tell me I am a storyteller! But they don’t always mean it as a compliment…”you have SO many words”. Early in my ministry, I was advised once by a well-meaning pastor to not tell so many stories. So, I became more aware of my stories meant to motivate others to love the Lord and pared them down to get to the point as quickly as possible. In this world, TIME is of the essence and highly guarded. Stories are still the key to unlock hearts and bring minds to thoughts of Jesus, but we have to be quick, slick to make words stick, with Jesus at the center and love in our own hearts for the people we are telling.

Mark, our “just the facts” man, gets to the point, paring down what Jesus said compared to the other gospel writers, but the message is still the same…

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Mark 4, The Message

Jesus tells and explains to the Few…
3-8 “Listen. What do you make of this? A farmer planted seed. As he scattered the seed, some of it fell on the road and birds ate it. Some fell in the gravel; it sprouted quickly but didn’t put down roots, so when the sun came up it withered just as quickly. Some fell in the weeds; as it came up, it was strangled among the weeds and nothing came of it. Some fell on good earth and came up with a flourish, producing a harvest exceeding his wildest dreams.

9 “Are you listening to this? Really listening?”

10-12 When they were off by themselves, those who were close to him, along with the Twelve, asked about the stories. He told them, “You’ve been given insight into God’s kingdom—you know how it works. But to those who can’t see it yet, everything comes in stories, creating readiness, nudging them toward receptive insight. These are people—

Whose eyes are open but don’t see a thing,
Whose ears are open but don’t understand a word,
Who avoid making an about-face and getting forgiven.”

13 He continued, “Do you see how this story works? All my stories work this way.

JESUS! THE MASTER STORYTELLING TEACHER!
We can learn a lot from His storytelling that creates readiness (examples of everyday living) the follow through nudging hearts, minds and souls toward receptive insight with how to live! WOW! Just wow! Always present a “how” with a “should” or behavior will not change.

The story is important and worth the effort to get it right. The story must be Truth. The Story is Jesus!

Dear Heavenly Father, You know what makes us tick, for you created us! Thank you for coming to save us and show us how You work through the stories of Jesus! Thank you, thank you, thank you for your example and teaching that still works today. Give us the wisdom to use storytelling in your most excellent way that brings others to knowledge and acceptance of you!  In Jesus Name, Amen!

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OF THE DEVIL? Seriously?

Posted on January 28, 2015 by randscallawayffm

The Good News!

I can’t help but recall a true story from my ministry days with a former organization. I was the director, the one who had to pull off an event for around a thousand people from all kinds of ministry departments. To make the event run smoother and for the youth to get more focused on the mission, a few well thought out changes were made. As soon as the vote was taken to make this move, gossip spread, the mission poorly expressed, the disjointed, self-promoting bad communication of the change hampered the original motive to help not hurt the mission.

Phone calls by “the church” called me “of the devil” and that I “must hate kids” to make this change. Wow! Have you ever experienced that in your ministry efforts? Well, Jesus did. And this is how He explains what happens when the family of God squabbles with slanderous talk instead of coming together in love and unity.

Mark 3, The Message

Satan Fighting Satan?
20-21 Jesus came home and, as usual, a crowd gathered—so many making demands on him that there wasn’t even time to eat. His friends heard what was going on and went to rescue him, by force if necessary. They suspected he was getting carried away with himself.

22-27 The religion scholars from Jerusalem came down spreading rumors that he was working black magic, using devil tricks to impress them with spiritual power. Jesus confronted their slander with a story: “Does it make sense to send a devil to catch a devil, to use Satan to get rid of Satan? A constantly squabbling family disintegrates. If Satan were fighting Satan, there soon wouldn’t be any Satan left. Do you think it’s possible in broad daylight to enter the house of an awake, able-bodied man, and walk off with his possessions unless you tie him up first? Tie him up, though, and you can clean him out.

28-30 “Listen to this carefully. I’m warning you. There’s nothing done or said that can’t be forgiven. But if you persist in your slanders against God’s Holy Spirit, you are repudiating the very One who forgives, sawing off the branch on which you’re sitting, severing by your own perversity all connection with the One who forgives.” He gave this warning because they were accusing him of being in league with Evil.

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Dear Heavenly Father, Jesus was sent to save with a transforming new lifestyle. The “church” at that time would not accept and did not want to believe this could be from You and tried to prove otherwise. They were too set in their ways. They were comfortable with the false power they thought they had. Don’t allow us to fall for that way of life. Ever. For that is exactly where satan wants us to remain. So, we choose this day to remain in You, grafted into The Vine, to forever be nourished by You. Thank you, Lord for saving us. In Jesus Name, Amen

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THEY CLIMBED TOGETHER

Posted on January 27, 2015 by randscallawayffm

The Good News

Mark 3, The Message

13-19 He climbed a mountain and invited those he wanted with him. They climbed together. He settled on twelve, and designated them apostles. The plan was that they would be with him, and he would send them out to proclaim the Word and give them authority to banish demons. These are the Twelve:

Simon (Jesus later named him Peter, meaning “Rock”),
James, son of Zebedee,
John, brother of James (Jesus nicknamed the Zebedee brothers Boanerges, meaning “Sons of Thunder”),
Andrew,
Philip,
Bartholomew,
Matthew,
Thomas,
James, son of Alphaeus,
Thaddaeus,
Simon the Canaanite,
Judas Iscariot (who betrayed him).

What strike me this morning about this short passage is the climb with the chosen and the plan. Jesus, after praying, gets direction from the Father, God and then chooses who he will spend three important years pouring his life into The Twelve. He will leave them to do what He did to even more people than He reached while he was in human form on earth. That was the plan, that they “would be with Him” and then He “would send them out”.

As we study God’s Word and listen to what God is saying to us the message is clear. BE with me, CLIMB the mountain and LEARN from me. Then I will SEND you out to tell others what I have told you. The authority to do so comes from Jesus.

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Dear Heavenly Father, We like to jump ahead of you, thinking we have the answers, and then we discover that we don’t. We must climb the mountain with You, be with you ourselves and be nourished and filled by You. We will make much better tellers of YOUR story if we do so. Do not ever let us forget to BE so you can then send us out. In Jesus Name, Amen

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