February 18, 2019

February 18, 2019

Judy Hollaway

November 13

Running with Jesus

Acts 19:25  Whom he called together with the workmen of like occupation, and said, Sirs, ye know that by this craft we have our wealth.

     I decided to hang here with these men speaking to Demetrius and watch how he manipulated a whole town into a riot. It only takes one with a personal agenda to cause trouble. We learned yesterday his hidden agenda was the drop in sales, money. So he moves forward in the community and appeals to their business and religion, the mask, to get his agenda carried out. He wanted to run Paul and his Christian workers out of town. So he started a riot and got them on his side. 

     People do the same things today to cause confusion in the body of Christ. They have an issue and go person to person working their agendas. Satan loves this activity because he is the author of confusion not God. He will seek to destroy the work of God. He conquers us by division. God’s Word says to seek peace with all men. We have so many people seeking personal agendas and leave out our main goal, to restore relationships and bring healing, however we press our desires and wants until division occurs. We can have oneness by having the mind of Christ. He tells us to let this mind be in you that is in Christ Jesus. 

     In today's story it was lost men causing the division, which we can expect, their response, but we should expect the body of Christ to work in unity and harmony. There should be one agenda and that is to bring salvation to a lost and dying world. We must lay aside personal agendas to reach the lost. 

 Father, help us stay true to each other and seek to listen, know, and understand each other. Help us not solve our differences by dividing but seek to know the mind of Christ and show the world we can work together in harmony.  The world sees Christ by the way we show Your love to each other. 

Encouragement comes in the morning!

February 17, 2019

February 17, 2019

Judy Hollaway

November 12

Running with Jesus

Acts19:24-25  For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, which made silver shrines for Diana, brought no small gain unto the craftsmen; Whom he called together with the workmen of like occupation, and said, Sirs, ye know that by this craft we have our wealth.

         Paul was bringing people to know Christ and a church was born and people began to walk in The Way. But look what happened when idol sales went down, they formed a group and set out to stop the work and ministry of Paul.    These men were only concerned with their own pocketbooks rather than their own souls and the souls of man.

      Not any different today, there are so many other organizations and activist groups that have power and money given to them to form groups that do not want to hear the gospel preached because it destroys their million dollar businesses. Their lives are lived contrary to the Word of God. 

      As Christians in "The Way" we must press on and keep telling the story of God's love because we know the way, the truth, and the life. We must continue to remember souls are dying every second and entering hell. They want to destroy the Church. 

      To make matters even worse there are active people in churches who refuse to take a stand because their businesses need to increase their sales by joining the worlds ways to pad their purses by selling products contrary to the Word of God because tax money is needed in the town. Hog wash! God says, “Give and it shall be given to you,” a good measure pressed down shaken together. He says, “Test Me and I will open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing upon you!” Curses will come when we disobey God. God forbid! There needs to be some salvation check-ups. Go ahead and pad your pocket books, pay day will come! You may enjoy for a season but seasons always change.

Lord, help us! We are such needy people. Help us to discern the wiles of the devil who seeks to kill and destroy lives. Please, issue a wake-up call. Please, help us return to the Lord. We know Your return for us is so close. Help us live in preparation to meet You face to face and hear, "Well done My faithful servant."

Just takes one to cause confusion, see you tomorrow!

February 16, 2019

February 16, 2019

Judy Hollaway

November 11
Running with Jesus

Acts 19:19  "Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver."

     Paul moved on and formed a church in Ephesus and people who had heard the gospel believed and were baptized and God began doing a great work in this town. God gave Paul power to do many miracles and as a result some who were studying sorcery had a book burning. This was a million dollar industry.
      Do we not need a book burning in America?  News stands are filled with pornography and all sorts of evil materials. Book stores contain books on witchcraft and all sorts of materials on things that are contrary to the teachings of God's Word, The Bible. Millions of dollar industry ruining our nation!
     I studied about King Josiah the son of a wicked King. He became heir at age eight and at about age nineteen was given a copy of the scroll that had been hid for protection. He had it read to him from Deuteronomy about curses and judgment would come to Israel.  They had to choose between the paths of disobedience to God and receive curses and blessings for those who obeyed the law of God’s Word. He began a religious reformation in the land.
      Do we ever in our history need a reform and a book burning? We are headed for destruction if we do not repent and turn back to God. Josiah repented and tore his clothes over the state of his country. God heard his cry and promised he would have peace in Jerusalem during his life time. One man changed the course of history. One man brought blessings to his land instead of curses. We must choose the road to blessings, which is an obedient walk with the Word of God as our road map.
      Runners get set, ready, go! What needs to be burned in your household and what do you need to be reading? I pray you are reading the Bible so you can live close to God and receive blessings not curses. This is real America, repent and return to God! Judgment is coming!
   

Lord, help us burn books and remove anything that is hindering our fellowship and can lead our nation back to You. Hear our prayers Lord send a revival in our land that is in a spiritual famine and malnourished of Your Word.   

Watch out! Paul gets into some idol making crafts and men's pocket books, in the morning, they will not like it!

February 15, 2019

February 15, 2019

Judy Hollaway

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!

February 14, 2019

February 14, 2019

Judy Hollaway

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!

** Become One Of The Army's Most Specialized Soldiers. Special Forces (SF) Soldiers are the experts in unconventional warfare. They deploy on a variety of missions all over the world. They are the specialized 'minutemen' of today's Army — highly trained and ready to go anywhere at a moment's notice.