June 15, 2020

June 15

Running with Jesus  

Luke 19:36-37 And as he went, they spread their clothes in the way. And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen;

     What a glorious sight this is to see!  We can see the palm leaves waving in the dry air, coats lining the street as a red carpet and shouting, “Blessing on the King who comes in the name of the Lord”!  What they were really shouting was, “Our national liberator is here”.  Here we see prophesy being fulfilled and Jerusalem was full of travelers in town for the Passover celebration.  They were looking with those physical eyes and missing the most wonderful time in history since creation.  Jesus was on the way to not liberate the nation from physical bondage but from the bondage of sin.  Many thought he was the King who would deliver them from Roman bondage.

     So many people want liberation from the physical conditions they are in or some circumstance and are not looking for the most important liberation man needs.  Mans soul is doomed for eternity without true liberation from the bondage of sin. Sin has brought death upon us and as Mike says, “You can count on it!”  We are always looking at life from a physical perspective.  Man needed to be restored to a relationship with God our Father so when death comes we can have eternal life. He needs to be born again spiritually and restored to a right relationship with the Father. 

     Many today just want the miracles and what feels good and are getting caught up in all the shouting and get their conscience soothed.  Going to church looking for a feeling that only anesthetizes the conscience and have not realized after they leave they only have bandaged and medicated their sickness. Many have never removed the spiritual disease in the body and that is eternal death separation from God.  We must be careful when we get in this state because, just like many of these shouting and singing were feeling liberated but in a few days we will see they had not truly understood.  Their lives were never changed.

Father, help us to discern what true liberation is all about.  It is found in a person who walks with you, which comes through Christ to restore us spiritually and deliver us from the bondage of sin.  Don’t let us become medicated instead of regenerated and liberated.

Tomorrow: Jesus will weep, let’s see why!

Judy Hollaway

Originally penned 2015

June 14, 2020

June 14

Running with Jesus

Luke 19:30-31 Saying, Go ye into the village over against you; in the which at your entering ye shall find a colt tied, whereon yet never man sat: loose him, and bring him hither. And if any man ask you, Why do ye loose him? thus shall ye say unto him, Because the Lord hath need of him.

     Well, here is a case that once again proves Jesus was God in the flesh.  He was all knowing.  They went and found the colt tied and sure enough they ask why and they told them, “The Lord needs it.” 

     They say by this time Jesus was well known in this area and I guess so! I mean healing lepers, opening blind eyes and doing so many miracles. He gave them all the signs.  The Jews looked for signs. They got them but they still did not accept Jesus. 

      I think today people are still looking for a sign, however, God has chosen the preaching of the gospel to share eternal life.  The Bible says a person cannot be saved without the preaching of the Word and how can they hear without a preacher. Hmmm. Let’s have a think.

     “The Lord needs it!”  The Lord needs souls who are willing to give Him their life to be used to carry the gospel.  Jesus chose a donkey for the King of Kings to ride into Jerusalem.  I have always said if He can use a donkey He can surely use me.

     Most of the problems people have in serving are getting untied.  We are not supposed to be entangled with the world. 2 Tim. 2:4  No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.( “Soldiers don’t get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them.”)  I think this is one area the church is suffering from in this church age.  Pleasures and materialism has entangled us so much we barely have time to breathe.  We live our lives like a book with words with no margins.  Our calendars are so full we run to and fro and have no time to think.  Has this helped our society?  Has this helped our families? We ask,”Why is our land and world in this shape?”  Jesus has not changed and as usual man is one who does. Just like in the beginning God told man what not to do and we are still doubting the Word of God.  We don’t believe or teach we shouldn’t be entangled and if you do we get mad or don’t listen.  We want to gouge Eve for biting the fruit.  Are we any better?  We just like to pick and choose verses to obey.

 Father, have mercy on us, help us examine areas we have become tied that we need to untie so we can be useful in Your kingdom work.

Tomorrow: We will be running beside Jesus as He enters Jerusalem!

Judy Hollaway

Originally penned 2015

June 13, 2020

June 13

Running with Jesus

Luke 19:12-13,26 He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him.

     When we accept Christ as Savior the Holy Spirit enters our hearts and brings us a gift that is to be used to build up the kingdom of God.  Just like in the story today this king gave his servants money to be used to grow his kingdom.  The first nine were faithful and earned a return for the king.  The one servant just buried it and did nothing to increase it and did not even put it in the bank to draw.

     We have so many in the body who are just burying their gifts.  They have no concern for kingdom work and they are self focused and as a result lose the blessing of serving.  They do not grow in Christ. One of the reasons the church is suffering and not moving forward.  

     We have a spiritual growth inventory that helps people discover their gifts. You have to do a graph and it will show you where your strong areas are.  Over the years I will take this inventory and I can see where my dominate gift is, however, I can see the progress of other gifts rising as I mature in Christ and learn from others.  We have always heard,” if you don’t use it you will lose it”! This is true, ask someone who took piano lessons and didn’t continue to practice.

     In order to grow you will have to step out in faith and be led by the spirit to find where God wants to use you.  At first you may feel uncomfortable but, like taking a new job you have to become uncomfortable to become comfortable.  On the other side of uncomfortable is a blessing waiting for you.  I remember early days in teaching older women after leaving children, I shook and trembled and poured sweat.  I found in teaching others was when my life changed.  Someone told me recently God will bless those who love on His children.  God is looking for those someone’s!  So let me encourage you today get involved in kingdom work, don’t let Christ return and find you with your gift buried.  Use it or lose it!

Father, help us grow in wisdom, knowledge, and understanding of our gifts.  Give us the strength to take that step of faith and get involved and show us that place. 

Tomorrow: The Lord needs it.

Judy Hollaway

Originally penned 2015

June 12, 2020

June 12

Running with Jesus  

Luke 19:7,10 “And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.”  “For the son of man is come to seek and to save that which is lost.”

     Sometimes as Christians I think we forget “all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God”   Romans 3:23. Those Pharisees are still running right along beside us as we are running with Jesus.  When they saw Jesus going home with Zacchaeus they started murmuring.  He is a guest at a sinner’s house. We must watch out and remember we become like those who we run with.  Today, we often have to remind ourselves of where we come from and only by grace, God kept us from going down a wrong path. Praise God!  Our run through life should be on mission with Jesus and we need not to be too quick to judge people.  It is so sad that we live in a world that many do not know who Jesus is and therefore don’t even know they are lost and dying and will spend eternity in hell.  It is our job to share the love of Christ with them. We are to never participate in their sin but, we are to find a way to share the gospel with them. 

     Jesus is our image of compassion and mercy.  We tend to not be merciful. Mercy is giving unmerited, (undeserved) favor.  God was merciful to us as sinners and we are to be merciful to others who are sinners.  When Jesus looked at the lost He saw their soul needing help.  He died to redeem them.

     A sinner can be born again and his heart changed and we see the effects of Zacchaeus life when Jesus came home with him.  Zacchaeus told Jesus he would give half his goods to the poor and any false accusation, I will restore fourfold.  Sinners with Jesus can change, never right a person off.  Pray for the lost souls running around you and ask God to open doors for you to witness to them.  Never have a Pharisee attitude that you are better because only by God’s grace have you been kept from some ungodly life style. We are all sinners and sin daily saved by grace through Jesus Christ.

Father, forgive us from any judgmental spirit and help us to be moved with compassion when dealing with lost souls.  Lead us today to someone we can share Christ with.  Father, restore our land, keep the freedom to worship and talk about You so lost souls can know You love them.  Help us be lost soul seekers, like You. 

     Stay focused as you run today, sinners are running beside you; use the run as an opportunity to share.

Tomorrow: Are you using your gifts and talents?

Judy Hollaway

Originally penned 2015

June 11, 2020

June 11

Running with Jesus

 Luke 19: 3-4 And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way.

     Here is our wee little man, Zacchaeus, the most famous and hated Jewish tax collector. Being too short he had to climb a tree to see Jesus because of the crowd.  Now, we may not be too short physically but we may be too short spiritually to see Jesus. Our usual crowd that blocks our view is our life circumstances that are caused by people, places, and things that block and crowd out Jesus.  We become desperate during our circumstances and forget in order to see we have to run ahead of them and climb up high so we can see Jesus.  We will never overcome running around in the crowd of life’s circumstances.  

     Isn’t it amazing that in this huge crowd out of all Jesus could have picked to go home with, he chose Zacchaeus.  Zacchaeus made a great effort to see Jesus.  We have to do the same when we live in daily circumstances.  Jesus asks to let Him come to be a guest at our home every day.  Do you run to see Him coming down your dusty road? If only I could get a glimpse, we cry out.  Friend climb your tree today, don’t live life short and allow those crowded circumstances to block your view. It is the one who climbs above the circumstance that He is looking for.  Jesus dumb founded this crowd when He chose Zacchaeus to come down and take Him home to be his guest.  When he took Him home his whole life circumstance changed.  Until we bring Jesus home to stay with us, our circumstance will never change. We will always live as a short person whose vision is blocked and cannot see. 

      Zacchaeus was a changed man because Jesus came to his house.  Jesus also used his life to try to get those around Him to see He was the long awaited Messiah.  If Zacchaeus was here today he would share how his heart changed and what joy he had that caused him to turn his life around.  Jesus wants to turn our lives around but we have to stop living under our circumstances, we must climb up high over them in order to see Jesus. So stop a moment today because Jesus is passing by, don’t think you are blocked by the crowd, climb up out of your situation.  Hear Jesus say, "Come I must be a guest at your home today".  Let’s invite Him to come every day because every day has a view blocking circumstance.  Begin right now to praise Jesus Holy name. It will lift you up high.

Lord, we thank You for wanting to come home with us and help us.  We praise You for coming down our road and help us today not focus on our crowd blockers but on You the glory and lifter of our heads.

Tomorrow: Sinners run with Jesus!

Judy Hollaway

Originally penned 2015