November 10, 2019

November 10
Running with Jesus  

Acts 18:27  And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: who, when he was come, helped them much which had believed through grace:

     Apollos, a great Jewish speaker and teacher arrived from Alexandria in Egypt who was a convert who had only heard of John the Baptist baptism. Priscilla and Aquila took him aside and discipled him the way of God more accurately and then he moved on to Ephesus where he proved to be of great benefit!
      I guess we can challenge ourselves this morning by asking ourselves, "Am I of great benefit to the brothers, sisters in Christ and the gospel?"  Now this is a big question! Maybe we had better hit the floor and get on our knees. Our generation has dropped the ball and do not memorize and study the Bible. We do not witness because the majority does not know the Bible and how to use it. 2 Timothy 2:15 says "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." Is this you?
      Apollos knew the scriptures and was able to present the gospel to the Jews and another verse says he used powerful arguments in public debate and explained Jesus was the Messiah!
   

Let us pray! Father, we ask You to help us and empower us to be of great benefit to Your kingdom work. Help us be effective and help us to discipline ourselves in study of Your Word that we may be able to witness boldly.

Book burning, tomorrow!

Judy Hollaway

Originally penned 2015

November 9, 2019

November 9
Running with Jesus

Acts 18:23  And after he had spent some time there, he departed, and went over all the country of Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthening all the disciples

     Paul was a missionary and traveled all over the Roman Empire starting churches. At this point he is ending his second journey and this verse tells why he traveled back to all the churches, to visit and strengthen the disciples, believers.
     So many times we share the gospel and people are born again but we fail to strengthen and disciple them and they do not remain in the church!
     I know that was what happened to me I was told how to come to salvation, but I did not know how that was to help me daily with life. I was not aware of the spiritual battle that was surrounding me. I had no idea that Satan was roaming the earth seeking to devour and destroy our lives. I knew I was a sinner and needed to be saved in order to have eternal life. No one told me I was in an army and needed  **special ops training. More like Marine training! I walked around bound up in my grave clothes like Lazarus coming out of his tomb. I needed someone to take my grave clothes off. Fear had me wrapped up so tight. One day a Pastor's wife, Helen Curtis, came to our church and taught on a spirit of fear and how God had not given it to us in 2 Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. For the first time I recognized I was being tormented and controlled by that spirit of fear. I began to bind the powers of the enemy and learned about discerning the spirits around us. You see we are in a spiritual battle to control us. We have our old nature pulling to follow it’s desires and a new nature pulling to obey God. The one we yield to is the controller.
     That day my life was strengthened and I began to grow in wisdom and knowledge in the Lord. That was the beginning of deep Bible study and my life began to change because I knew how Satan was attacking my mind. I learned the battle of the mind.
               

 Father, I pray for my friends to grow in wisdom, knowledge, and understanding of Your Word. I pray they will get into Your Word and allow You to bind the powers of darkness that seek to destroy their lives. My prayer is for You to use me to unwrap their grave clothes and be strengthened.

Let's meet Apollos, in the morning!

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Judy Hollaway

Originally penned 2015

November 8, 2019

November 8

Running with Jesus  

Acts 18: 5-6  And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ. And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said unto them, your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean; from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles.

       Paul preached so hard to the Jews but they would not listen. After years of this mission he finally shakes the dust off after they blasphemed. Paul turns to the Gentiles. 

       We get frustrated when we try to reach a lost person. They refuse to listen over and over again, so what we learn from Paul is that we are responsible to go and tell them, after that their blood is not upon us. They will have to answer for the rejection themselves not us. We must continue to tell everyone Jesus saves.

       As a Christian we must share more than ever the gospel in America. It breaks my heart to see so many young people who have never heard about the love of God. One child at school was talking about the movie "The Ten Commandments" and another asked what that was and she had never heard of them! And they want to know what is wrong with our kids and society! Well, here it is my friend, a lawless society! There is no thermostat to control sinful man. When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden and rebelled they took upon them a lower nature then sin took control of them. That nature was passed to all man born after them. A promise was given to them that a seed, a child, would be born of man to restore our nature and bring back the Spirit of God to dwell in man. That seed was Jesus the son of God born to Mary. We are commanded to go and share the Messiah is Jesus. We cannot save anyone that is the Holy Spirit’s job. We are to share the gospel and then we are no longer responsible for their souls. 

Father, help us have the boldness to talk about You as we come and go through this day. Make us aware of opportunities that open daily. Help us to witness not only in word but our deeds too. Let others see Jesus in us. We take out self today and yield ourselves to be controlled by Your Spirit. Fill us as we face the run through life today. 

Tomorrow: Strengthen the believers

Judy Hollaway

Originally penned 2015

November 7, 2019

November 7

Running with Jesus  

Acts 18:2-3 "And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:) and came unto them.

 And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were tentmakers."

      Paul met Aquila and Pricilla a man and wife team, they were some of the dispersed Jews. They were believers who made a great team! They made a living as a tent maker and so did Paul so they worked together making and selling tents to make a living. This husband wife team later housed the Corinthian church.

     God puts couples together to form a team. So many of us do not understand men and women are geared differently. We don't think and feel alike. So unless you are born again and the Holy Spirit teaches and control us, we will not allow those differences to mold us but divide us. 

      I remember beginning like this and we were not good team players. After nine years of doing it our way and walking in diversity we finally got it right. We ask God to take over and use us. Life changed and we ended up in the ministry. It was so good to come to know God made us different for a purpose, to give us balance. Where I was strong, he was weak and where I was weak he was strong. With control of the Holy Spirit we formed a team. Then we began our Spiritual journey together helping people come to know truth! 

     Oh how America needs to see Christian team players. Never before have we seen such a crumbling of marriage. We need the glue of the Holy Spirit and a mission to live the fulfilled life as a couple. 

 Father, we pray for homes in America. Draw them to Yourself and help them find meaning and purpose as a couple. Help them realize You have great plans for their lives. Show them how to walk and run in the Spirit, the glue needed to bind them together. 

Tomorrow: Shake the dust off

Judy Hollaway

Originally penned 2015

November 6, 2019

November 6

Running with Jesus  

Acts 17:22 Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.

      The Greeks were religious people and their city was filled with all sorts of Greek gods and goddesses. Man was made to worship God and have fellowship with Him. It is our built in nature. When explorers find man in the remote areas of the world they will have some sort of god they worship.  Our society has a lot of religious people in it. They believe in a higher power and angels. 

      Dr. Rogers use to say 70% attending church are religious and attend regularly but have never been born again. You see religion will clean up the outside but never heal the inside. They know about God but have never let him transform them. They do not have a personal walk with Christ. The Jews had His written law and the Old Testament and studied, memorized it, taught it, attended worship but only had rituals!

      I’ve heard it said, we are a modern day Rome so we could say, Ye, men of America, if a soul is never regenerated, born again, it will not have eternal life in heaven."  Paul began to share with these religious people who had many gods and an unknown one. Let's get all the gods so we can have fire insurance, wrong! There is only one God and that is Jehovah and only one way to accept Him. That way is by His Son, Jesus, whom he gave to die on a cross for our sin, was buried and three days later was raised from the dead in order to be the pure undefiled sacrifice for sins of all men. 

      Being religious will do nothing for our soul,  being made right with God by the blood of Jesus will give us a relationship with God who will guide us through life and gives us eternal life after we die.

      So I ask you, my friend, are you religious and God is really unknown to you or do you have a relationship where God walks and talks with you?

 Father, today is the day of salvation; please help my friends know that they know You as Lord and Savior. Help them discern religious from righteous relationship. 

Paul meets Aquilla and Priscilla, tomorrow!

Judy Hollaway

Originally penned 2015