August 4, 2020

August 4

Running with Jesus

Acts 2:2-3 “And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all of the house where they were sitting.  And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.”

     We saw yesterday the town was flooded with Jews from all nations to celebrate the feast of Pentecost for the harvest and giving of thanks.  Assembled together in one accord praying at last God’s Spirit returned to earth to dwell in man.  Jesus came, defeated Satan by dying for the sin of man then returned to sit down at the right hand of the Father and then released the comforter, guide and teacher to abide with man.  We can have fellowship with God after all the years of being blocked from His presence when the curtain that separated us was torn away.

     All the celebrations and sacrifices of the Old Testament was a foreshadowing of the Messiah that would come.  Even the timing of Jesus death was Passover day, the day the Lamb was sacrificed one time a year in the Holy of Holies and that day He would be the last ultimate sacrifice. Fifty days later Peter preaches the first sermon on the life and purpose of Christ during the Pentecost feast and there would be the foreshadowing of the harvest celebration. The celebration would be over the gathering and the harvest of souls. The fire came down on many believers, symbolizing that God’s presence was now available to all who believe, and a worldwide harvest of new believers bringing the first converts to Christianity. The Church age began and would spread through the world, Jesus Saves and we can be restored to God and the guilt of sin can be taken from our lives. Man can now have peace with God.

Father, we come before You today giving You thanksgiving and praise for this great day when we were restored to You.  We are so thankful You love man and sent Your Son to die for sin and remove the death sentence on our lives. Thank You for sending Your Spirit to dwell and work among men.

     I ask you today, do you have that guilt removed and have you been restored to God.  Jesus made a way for you and the Spirit of Promise is waiting for you to receive Him that you might have eternal life. Just cry out to God today.  You can have your guilt and death sentence removed and you can enter heaven to live with God forever more.  Let’s all give out a praise for Pentecost and for this greatest harvest because it brought salvation to us and is still working today! Amen!!! feeling a shout coming on!

Going to be touched with fire in the morning, so get your running shoes laced up!

Judy Hollaway

Originally penned 2015

August 3, 2020

August 3

Running with Jesus  

Acts 2:1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

     Pentecost was held 50 days after Passover.  The festival was to celebrate the harvest and festival of thanksgiving.  Jesus died, arose 40 days after and the Holy Spirit would come 50 days after His ascension.  Notice that the disciples were gathered together in one place and in one accord.

     They were told to go to Jerusalem and tarry there and the Spirit of Promise would come.  A few verses earlier we saw they were continuing in prayer and supplications.  In order to know the mind and will of God in the life of the body, we must all be in prayer and supplication.  They were about to embark upon the greatest event in history.

     We say we want to see great things happen but we really don’t.  Now why would I say this, because we are not willing to tarry or spend the time it takes in prayer and supplication that it requires to see God work in and through us?  We barely can get people to sit for 30 minutes to 1 hour to hear a message and God forbid that we run over during the service.   Our minds are preoccupied with what we are going to do when we leave the service or some event that we have planned on the day that is supposed to be Holy and set apart for worship. We have to sing only 2 verses in an invitation and we must close, the altars are rarely filled with people praying over lost loved ones or a dying lost world.  So I must ask do we get mad at God.  Do we blame our Pastor? 

Father, help us today to think about what each of us can do to seek to be in one accord in the body of Christ.  Teach us how to be in one accord.  We truly want to see You do great and mighty things.  Give us a willing spirit to tarry with You as long as it takes to find Your mind and will.  Empower us to do the work You have called each body to do as we function in the ungodly world we are living in.

Please don’t miss out in the morning on the Harvest feast, meet me there!

Judy Hollaway

Originally penned 2015

August 2, 2020

August 2

Running with Jesus  

Acts 1: 18-19   Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out.  And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue, Aceldama, that is to say, The field of blood.

     What a sad day for Judas.  He took the money that he received for betraying our beloved Jesus and purchased a field and went out and killed himself.  What is even worse is the fact that we have thousands today who are betrayers of Christ. 

     Betray means in the Greek to hand over.  Our law makers are betraying the One who gave the laws to us to help us.  They too are giving in to the main enemy, Satan, who is using the evil desires and imaginations of men to rewrite and deny and betray God who sent His Son, Jesus Christ to die for the sins of the world.  Money has a powerful influence over man and will lead to their own self destruction. 

     We see so many who have bought into the lie and have a Judas spirit.  Many who attend church and read the Bible are betraying the very inspired Word of God to please men and to themselves for pleasures of lust and greed.  It was greed that led Judas to betray Christ.  Our culture is full of greedy people who deny the power of God and live life as though there will never be a day of judgment.

     Judas had made his choice and it was too late.  He could not live with himself and his choice.  He went out and killed himself. Today you have an opportunity to escape the life that is bound for Hell.  Ask yourself if you have a Judas spirit, are you betraying and handing Jesus over?  Better look close where his compromise with the religious leaders who rejected Jesus led him.  Religion will lead to death and destruction but regeneration will lead to life and peace.  Are you just religious? Regenerations enable us to have a change of heart and understand and act upon the truth’s of God’s Word.  When we accept Christ we’ll be born again.  We are renewed in heart and spirit.  It is not something you just decide to do.  I remember a friend wanting to be baptized thinking that would help her go to heaven.  After sharing the gospel with her she prayed and asked God to save her and she was born again.  So watch out, have you truly been born again.  The evidence you have true salvation is found in your works.  You are born again to work in God’s kingdom.  If you have no desire to grow and work in His kingdom you are having a false sense of security and Satan loves it.  Judas ran around with Jesus everyday and appeared to be religious but what was his outcome and his work revealed his soul was lost.  So don’t let Jesus return and find you with a Judas spirit.

Father, we pray for those around us to be able to discern they have a Judas spirit.  Help us all examine ourselves.  We don’t want to follow this destructive path of Satan. We ask You to raise up a regenerated men with the mind of Christ to rule our government, men who love Your Word and use it as their guide through life.  Lead us not into temptation and deliver us from the evil one.  Let us be real living in an ungodly nation.  We can’t go wrong with You but without You we will be led into deception and destruction.  Save my friends before it is too late.

Tomorrow: We run into one accord again.

Judy Hollaway

Originally penned 2015

August 1, 2020

August 1

Running with Jesus

Acts 1:15 “And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,)”

     We meet up with Peter this morning on our run and we had left him in Luke where he had been sifted by Satan, after he had denied Christ.  We know he had returned to fishing and Jesus went and called him to come out of the water and challenged him about his love for Him.  He told Peter if you love me feed my sheep.  Peter was restored that day to his relationship with Jesus and was about to be ready to become one of the greatest leaders in the life of the Church.

     Today Peter stands up among the brethren and begins to speak with wisdom and boldness and talk with authority.  He begins to expound upon prophesy about Judas, whom we will meet in the morning for the last time.

     Pentecost, the day God’s Spirit would return to dwell in men is just a few verses away and power will come upon the disciples and they will be empowered to  fulfill their mission to take the gospel to the world.  Peter will now be different. Before he was bold and arrogant and spoke before he thought and understood the plans God had for his life.  Now he would speak what the Spirit would reveal to him.

     How about you are you different since you came to know Christ?  I remember when God led me to analyze my life.  I was like Peter, had a lot of head knowledge but lacked a teachable spirit.  I had so much I needed to learn personally about Jesus before I could become a teacher.  Peter’s failure taught him to become a listener and how to examine his words before he spoke.  Do you need to sit back and have a one on one about your mouth and what comes out of it?

      I read this the other day in one of Beth Moore’s little booklets: We will always be a Child of God,   but when we cease to be teachable we cease to be a disciple.

Father, help us examine our hearts today and see if there is a character flaw in regard to speaking and not being filled and controlled by Your Spirit.  We desire to be true disciples and teachers of Your Word.  Help us to be teachable so we do not speak on our own authority.  Help us to be humble learners.  We know we don’t want to be wise in our own eyes that will lead us away from You.  Give us a Peter controlled life and fill us up with Your Spirit so we can be a Spirit filled leader.

Judas in the morning, going to be a sad day.

Judy Hollaway

Originally penned 2015

July 31, 2020

July 31

Running with Jesus  

Acts1:14 “These all continued with one accord prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.

     The disciples returned to Jerusalem and went back to the upper room just as Jesus had told them to do.  They were to go and wait on their next direction.  Did you notice that they were all in one accord and praying?  One accord In the Greek means one mind or one passion.  They were all on the same page!

     I remember on 9/11 for about a month we were all on the same page.  As the days passed and we got over the devastation that took place, we were once again back on our busy schedules.  I thought we might see a revival among our people, but look where we are years later.  Not better and that is for sure!  We are further away from God as a nation than in the history of the United States.  How sad! 

     We must get in one accord to receive from God insight and direction.  The body of Christ is in Satan’s cradle and is being rocked to sleep.  We are going to begin to see the changes that took place in the life of Peter, whom had been sifted and restored to Jesus, and all the disciples as they are filled and empowered by the Holy Spirit to begin the Church age to share the gospel.  America has played one of the greatest parts of sharing the gospel to the world.  Our forefathers were on the same page when they came and established this nation.  Even our laws were created from the Bible.

      If we are to become all Christ wants for us to be we must get in one accord.  Our minds must come together and the only way this can be done is for us to walk in obedience to His Word.  Romans 12:1-2 talks about us being transformed by the renewing of our minds,  the only way for us to become like minded is to become like Christ in our thinking is to meditate on scripture, hide it in our hearts and live out what we learn from the pages of His written Word.

Father, renew our mind and help us each to be transformed and like minded as we run on through life.  Help us not bend or bow down to the false teachings and doctrines of the world and their desires and standards of living.  Jesus, You were in the world but lived not of this world and as our example You only did the will and mind of the Father.  Make us to live in one accord being filled with Your wisdom, knowledge and understanding. Thank You for Your sweet Spirit our Helper, Comfort, and Teacher.  Let us remember that dreary day when America’s time stopped for a few moments to pray. As we seek God, we will find ourselves united and there is power in unity.  You want to empower us but we must stay focused.

      Do not let Satan get you off focus, stay in the race. We have read the back of the book and Jesus won the race and we have too!

Peter’s different let’s meet him in the morning!

Judy Hollaway

Originally penned 2015