January 15, 2020

January 15
Running with Jesus

Luke 4:33 "And in the synagogue there was a man, which had a spirit of an unclean devil, and cried out with a loud voice,"

      Jesus has moved from Nazareth to Capernaum, a city in Galilee and He is back at the synagogue teaching and astonishing them with wisdom and power. Look who shows up at church, a man with an unclean spirit of the devil. 
I don't think people realize when you run with Jesus the devil and his demons go right along with us. They run to church too! Sometimes they are in people influencing others to believe lies. Sometimes they interject lies and preconceived ideas to confuse and divide the body. The body needs to realize we are not each other's enemy. Satan is our enemy. The church is asleep when it comes to discerning evil spirits.  The demonic man was TRYING TO STIR UP THE CROWD in an effort to kill Jesus. Church wake up to demonic devises and resist the enemy who conquers and divides 

Father, help us discern lies from truth. Go before us and remind us that we don't wrestle with flesh and blood but principalities and powers in heavenly places. Father let Your Spirit help to seek truth and understanding of how to love each other and live in unconditional love. Help us not allow the enemy to divide us. 

     Don't run with the devil run with Jesus!!!

Tomorrow: Letting Jesus step into our lives.

Judy Hollaway

Originally penned 2015

January 14, 2020

January 14
Running with Jesus  

Luke 4:24 “And he said, Verily, I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country.

      The people in Jesus home town were so familiar with Jesus they missed the Messiah and rejected him. They saw Him as Joseph son. Running with Jesus will cause us to be rejected too. I know from being in the ministry often  times it is hardest to lead people you grew up with to the Lord.  Also, it is hard to lead family members to Christ. 
We can deal with the rejection by keeping in mind it will happen to us and it happened to Jesus. How sad we feel when often we can help other people but cannot seem to help loved ones like close family members, especially our own children. We have to place these loved ones into the Lords hands and trust Him to work in their lives. 
Reject in the Greek means annul or make of no effect. Now that sounds like America we have rejected Him so we see Jesus has begun to be of no effect in our land. That is why we see evil so prevalent in our land. Anytime we reject God there will be severe consequences. 

Oh Father, take our love ones and draw them back to You. Father we desperately need a revival in America, please have mercy upon us and help the world receive You and not reject You. Help us when we feel rejected to remember You were and You understand. No matter what, help us not give up and stay in the race. 

The devil goes to church in the morning so grab your coffee or coke and join me!

Judy Hollaway

Originally penned 2015

January 13, 2020

January 13
Running with Jesus

Luke 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised.

      Do we have any poor, broken-hearted, captives, blinded or bruised with us today? Yes, our world is filled with hurting people! Jesus came to heal and set us free. When we receive the gift of salvation, we secure our destination and many of us walk around holding our gift but never open up the gift to find out what is inside. Because we don't we continue to run our race with weights that are holding us down, fears, condemnation, unforgiving, bitterness all sorts of negative emotions holding us. We have to open this gift of healing given to us. We do this by hearing, studying, and running through the pages of God's Word allowing the Word to wash and detox our souls. This is what we were talking about the bread that nourishes our spirit. It is like taking an antibiotic to heal the infection in our body. Jesus wants to heal our souls.
      It may not always be a physical healing. It may just be mental and emotional healing or a broken spirit. So get into the Word of God and let the healing begin. Find out who and what this gift given to you is all about. You will find liberty and the weights will fall off one by one. 

Father, thank You that You want to heal our soul so we can run with You and I know when the healing takes place they we begin to enlist other runners. Just like me they will want to help others open up their gift and all the benefits they have in Christ. 

Rejection, coming in the morning!

Judy Hollaway

Originally penned 2015

January 12, 2020

January 12 
Running with Jesus

Luke 4:1a And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit.....
Luke 4:18a The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, ...
 

          Sometimes runners will fall but get back up and continue to run. I am doing that because I missed out on noticing this important part of how Jesus was running His race "full of the Holy Spirit"! What does full of the Spirit mean? To be filled means to be controlled by the Spirit. We are commanded in Ephesians 5:18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
          Have you noticed liquor stores are often called spirits? Rightly so, because liquor takes control of the body. God is telling us to allow the spirit access to our control center as we run through life. We find in God's Word how we are supposed to live and act. God reveals how we are to respond to life's situations. When we say ok Father, I don't feel like this or enjoy this action but because you tell me to respond in this manner I will do it. It is the battle of 'the wills" yielding our rights to His rights. Can we be filled with the Spirit? Sure have you ever seen anyone filled with rage, jealousy, lust, greed, anger, self-pity?  Now when we are filled with the Spirit of God we have the fruit of the spirit present, which is love, joy, peace, patience, long suffering, gentleness, temperance and self control. 
When we receive Christ the Spirit of God comes to dwell in us. We just have to let Him have all of us to be filled.

Father, to run with You we must let You have full control or we will never complete our race! Help our weaknesses and strengthen us as we race. Thank You for Your sweet , sweet spirit indwelling us, guiding and leading us as we run forward. 

Tomorrow: We can expect rejection in our home town!

Judy Hollaway

Originally penned 2015

January 10, 2020

January 10
Running with Jesus

Luke 4:16 "And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read."

     Here we go again, back at the synagogue with Jesus. Notice what Luke said', “as His custom was on the Sabbath day". Jesus custom was to go to worship on the Sabbath.  ( I love Dr. Luke's writing because being a physician he always gives us the fine details. )Then He stood up to read and verse seventeen says "And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias."
     Jesus was about to began His time of public ministry revealing He was the Messiah. Where was Jesus, at the synagogue regularly reading scriptures. We found Him there remember at twelve years old. That was where His Father's business was.
      Friends it is so important to be consistent in regular attendance, worship and Bible study. You cannot go to any work place and expect to get anywhere without learning the ins and outs. Today one of the things the body of believers lack is commitment to their worship and study of the Word. Most don't want to go to Sunday School because they are not students of the Word and fearful they will be asked a question they can't answer. That is from the pit of Satan to hinder your growth and connection to the body of Christ. That is where they need to be to become a student.
      I'll never forget when God told me from John 14:23 ..."If a man love me, he will keep my words and my Father will love him, and we will come into him, and make our abode with Him." We wonder why we don't see God more in our lives. We have to be in His Word loving it and aligning our lives with His commands.  Most of us are not serious about running with Jesus because we will have to give up something or it is not the thing anymore and we will be called a "Jesus freak". Well this is true however we must never forget the benefits. Usually the places and things we don't line up with God's principles will always lead to bondage and destruction. Pay day will come sooner or later.
      If you have left the body and not reconnected with a family let this be your year to restart your race. Just like Jesus who regularly went and read the scriptures let this be a trait found in your life.
 

Father, help those who have stopped going to church have strength to return. Help them understand this is about obedience and loving You because You died for the body of believers and the body is where Your heart is. Our hearts should be there too because that is Your business. You have chosen to work through the body of believers. You ordained and instituted the church. Help us love and care for the body.
 

Tomorrow: Removing weights that slow our running down!

Judy Hollaway

Originally penned 2015