April 26, 2020

April 26

Running with Jesus

Luke 19:28-29a  And when he had thus spoken, he went before, ascending up to Jerusalem.  And it came to pass, when he was come nigh to Bethphage and Bethany…

     Well running with Jesus has been an exciting journey! Along the way we have seen miracle after miracle and been taught kingdom living! Jesus has been so busy revealing Who He is; the Son of God, the Lamb, the Light, and the Door to heaven. 

      I couldn't help but notice the line in this verse "And when he had thus spoken", Jesus is just about to make His entry into Jerusalem for Palm Sunday! He is on His way to die and what did Dr. Luke say after telling a story! We cannot imagine what it would be like sitting among our friends talking and teaching but also knowing the cross was set before Him! He could already see Himself hanging. He never lost sight of His mission! Saving us! Helping hurting people and revealing the truth of salvation! 

      Makes me sad to think how much I ignore opportunities to help some soul. We often lose our focus and mission because we have put "SELF" interest above our mission! Do we have a mission or a vision?   I was reminded of a sermon I heard one time and they ask us "who are you discipling?" We are all disciples of Christ and we should be discipling. Sheep produce sheep! Shepherds don't do the producing, the sheep do! So where is your ministry? If you are not involved in ministry of some sort you are not growing in Christ! It is time to do something. Anyone can volunteer for nursery! That would be helping others go study so you would be helping disciple from a different angle. In Awana you can help a child learn a Bible verse. These are a couple of easy ways to start. We have a meal on Wednesdays to help people be free to come straight from work, another way to help by doing some discipleship in the background! This is where you get your blessings from ministering to others and entering in the work of the Lord! Don't you get it, Jesus died for us! Don't you understand you were bought with a high price! God forbid we sit on the sidelines watching and have no desire to work in the kingdom! I am sorry but if you have no desire for kingdom work you better check and make sure you are born again! Our lives get regenerated when the Holy Spirit comes into our hearts! That heart loves God and the things of God. Jesus was always about His Father's business and we should be!

      Jesus kept a clear vision of His purpose-death on the cross! We are to run with Him to the cross and die to self and be alive to God! 

Father, help us be about Your mission work! Helping others come to know You! Help that one who is afraid to get involved! You did not give that fear! You gave peace and a sound mind! You gave us a gift and the mind of Christ to use them. Help them find someone to disciple! 

Stop sitting, get involved! Watch your life change! Focus on your mission reaching souls for the kingdom and helping others along the way! 

Riding on a colt, tomorrow!

Judy Hollaway

Originally penned 2015

April 25, 2020

April 25

Running with Jesus  

Luke 19:24 And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds.

     Use it or lose it! We have all heard this! When you are born again God has given you a talent and you should be using it. We are not to be sitting on a shelf looking like a pretty tea cup no one uses. God tells us in His Word that each is given a gift to build up the body and does His kingdom work. I am reminded of a song I here on the radio. It talks about a person looking around and disturbed by what he sees going on and ask God why He doesn't do something!  God responds by saying, "I did, I made you!" Now let's think about that! 

      If you read the whole text today you see that a rich man hired some servants to manage some of his money! (Oops there is money again!) The rich man returns to see what they did in managing the money. The first two yield a return as they invested theirs. The third was fearful and just hid his! What happened? The man took this man’s away and gave it to one of the others to manage it! He told him you could have at least put it in the bank and let it earn interest!  He lost what had been given to be used!  

     You know there have been so many times I have let fear rob me from moving forward in my walk with Christ! But I have experienced first-hand how when we move forward and obey His call He is right there providing and helping me! I have grown in so many areas in serving God! But I do know we have to learn our gift and then find ways to cause it to grow. That requires stepping out of your comfort zone. 

      Let's think about Moses who had a speech problem and God used him to lead thousands, Zaccheaus had a bad reputation, David was an adulterer and a murderer, Mephibosheth had crippled legs, the disciples had no college degree's mostly fishermen. The list could go on and on and God even used a donkey to talk and save a life. 

      So just start where you are, step out by faith and watch God do amazing things in your life. Watch your gift develop and grow! The body needs you! Don't let God take your talent and give to another. You will miss out running close to Him and that is robbing you of the greatest blessing in life!

Father, help that one afraid to step out by faith to do what You have ask them to do and watch You work! 

Have a blessed day. Oh remember meditation is now a big part of your life. So keep chewing the scriptures - meditate!

Tomorrow: Who are you disciplining?

Judy Hollaway

Originally penned 2015

April 24, 2020

April 24

Running with Jesus

Luke 19:1-3 And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.  And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature.

      Here is that wee little man! Ask almost anyone that goes to church who that wee little man in the Bible is and they can tell you quickly, Zaccheaus!  That is the about the depth of Biblical knowledge most Christians have in the church today! 

      I have to plug this in sorry "the Church focus should not be on music but the Word of God!"

      We need to start teaching meditation upon the Word of God. Meditating is a lost art in our churches. I have heard it is expressed like a cow chewing her cud, it goes down and back up into their mouth. When a cow first takes a bite, it chews just enough to moisten the food. It is swallowed, then food goes into the first section of its digestion system where it mixes with other acids and liquids that softened the food. This softened food is called cud, small balls of food.  Cud chewing is indicator of a healthy, happy cow and they will produce more milk or have a higher production of muscle. Animals who do not chew their cud properly may be scared or have digestive issues in the fourth section of their stomach. Supplying high quality feed will help to ensure the cows are digesting and chewing their cud properly.

      For us Christians to be healthy, happy, and content we must learn to meditate!  Meditation brings new insights to text. It has been proven we are healthier with prayer and meditation.

      This story is about a sinner coming to know Jesus.  An amazing man up in a tree looking for Jesus was the one who Jesus walked up to! Come down, I am going home with you! Zaccheaus and his wife and family were never the same! Someone else despised got saved! Does it not make you want to shout! Wasn't it good he was a wee little man!

       Until we become wee little men we will not be able to see Jesus! What is crowding out your view of Jesus? You say nothing, I say there is something! Why, because you are not climbing up trees and going the extra mile to bring Jesus home with you. I played that game for years! Jesus was left at the church building. I didn't meditate at home so He could not change my soul’s thinking process, which is needed every day!! Moment by moment at times! 

       When a cow loses its cud the digestive system gets all messed up. It is very dangerous to her health! So it is with us when we don't take time to meditate on scripture. Meditating brings it home and you will learn how to live the abundant life that will change you forever. So don't lose your spiritual cud! It is dangerous to your spiritual life. 

 If the cow loses her cud one is made and she is forced to swallow it, so I am forcing one on you today. Read the whole Zaccheaus story and meditate and see if you can look at different things going on in the story. Write it down: who are the people in the story; where are each standing (get up in the tree and look at the story from Zaccheaus view!); turn off your radio or TV and think on the text and see what God will reveal to you. You will be amazed! Meditate!

Use it or lose it. tomorrow!

Judy Hollaway

Originally penned 2015

April 23, 2020

April 23

Running with Jesus

Luke 18:42-43 And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee.

 And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God.

     Like Paul Harvey use to say,” Here is the rest of the story." (You young ones will not appreciate that statement.) lol…..   I couldn't leave the blind man; I had to come back for the results of all that happened to him after his days of being blind. Let's peep in! 

     Immediately he received his sight, followed Jesus, glorified God and when they saw it they gave God the glory. It was no accident this man was on the side of the road blind! His blindness had purpose! Jesus was using this man’s blindness to do a miracle that others might believe and receive spiritual eyesight! 

     I heard a phrase this weekend, “as Christians we are Jesus with skin on, moving around on earth and we are the visible way for others to find Jesus.” Our blindness can be a way for others to see God.  Our days of being blind in circumstances, usually come to do a work in us that God turns into a miracle and gives us more witnessing material! 

     Think about it, what if there was no book of Job, where we find out about Satan asking God to test him! How many would not be able to have knowledge or comfort! What about Joseph's life to teach us how to handle all his ups and downs and for sure, how about Daniel in the lion’s den and his 3 young friends who were in the fire walking around with Jesus! 

     We are people just like each of these in the Bible! We walk with the same God and He is still using our circumstances to help us be a light to others.  When those days of blindness and all are dark, Satan will be sitting on your shoulder shouting in your ear. "Where is your God now, singing "Why Me Lord!".  He will do a number on us if we let Him! Turn to God's Word and praise Him and tell the devil to get behind you in the name of Jesus and watch and wait for Jesus! There is a purpose and even if your blind eyes never open, internally your spiritual eyes are and somehow remember God is giving you an opportunity to witness one of  the greatest miracles of all, letting Him use us with skin on to open blind eyes of others and that brings Him more glory and honor! 

     To be a runner with Jesus we must be serious and allow Him to lead us down the path we run on! It is not about comfort and ease it is about winning souls and helping others! 

Jesus, we don't know where our path leads us but we will run with You. We know that we will be tough at times but because You redeemed us and bought us with a price we give You our all! Use our lives to glorify Yourself and lead others to salvation! Save some soul today!

A wee little man, tomorrow!

Judy Hollaway

Originally penned 2015

April 22, 2020

April 22
Running with Jesus

Luke 18:35-42 And it came to pass, that as he was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way side begging: And hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant.  And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by.  And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me.  And they which went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried so much the more, Thou son of David, have mercy on me.  And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought unto him: and when he was come near, he asked him,  Saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight. And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee.

      _{Lord, "I want to see again!" This phrase caught my eye. Evidently something had happened to this man that}

_{caused him to be blind.
      As I was meditating on this verse I couldn't help but think about the times in our lives when things were so clear for us to be running through life then all of a sudden it was though everything around us was dark and we can't seem to know which way to go or where this would lead us. Notice the position of the man, sitting. He hears a commotion and asks what's happening. They tell him Jesus is coming and he starts yelling for help. "Son of David, help me!" He is told to be quiet but, He keeps crying out to Jesus. The leaders didn't think Jesus had time for this man. But with the crowd all around Jesus heard the man and stopped to help the man. Why did Jesus heal him? Jesus said, "You can see now, because you believe!"
     In the dark times in our lives, we need to use our faith to believe God has this! Believing in whom He is and that He will do what He says is the test! I don't know where you are in seeing today but I do know Jesus is light and we must focus on Him. This man got his physical sight back, but more important for us is that we get spiritual sight. Spiritual sight can see even when we are in the dark. God will make a way when there seems to be no way, God Is all we need when we need someone to talk to, God walks around in fires, God rains manna from heaven, God turns water into wine, walks on water and can put coins in the mouth of a fish. Oh yes, he can feed five thousand with a little boys lunch! If you feel blinded today by circumstance sit, call out to Jesus and wait upon Him to get there! Keep the faith and believe He is able! He may say yes, no or wait! He will answer in His way and time! We must keep on trusting! Keep looking with spiritual eye sight.}
               

_{Father, help that one crying out this morning. Let them know You have this and help them keep their eyes focused upon You. Even though it is darkness surrounding help them rest in You! You can enable us to sit in the dark and wait!}

Tomorrow: The rest of the story!

 
Judy Hollaway

Originally penned 2015