admin – Jackie Calhoun

A New Tree

After a windy day, we had a large rotten limb to fall in our yard. My wife mentioned that we might burn it in the wood stove and make use of it. I agreed. With the first attempt of using the rotten wood, I noticed it didn’t seem to catch on very good. We nursed it and nursed it, trying to get it to burn freely. We just couldn’t get a hot fire going. Finally, I put some kindling and good solid wood in with it, and got it burning pretty decently. Then I noticed that even with the good wood burning, the rotten wood didn’t readily burn. Once there was a hot bed of coals by burning the good wood, then you could put the rotten stuff on it and get it burned up, but it was like it was being forced to burn. The Bible refers to people as trees. Those who have committed their lives to Jesus Christ as Lord are called “trees of righteousness” (Isaiah 61:3). These are those who have been born again by faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ and by total surrender to Him. We are born again when we understand Jesus’ completed work, and we come to Him, and call upon Him, and by faith we exchange our life for His righteous life. This is what supernaturally births us into His kingdom. When our trust is in His sacrifice for us instead of trusting in our own goodness and righteousness, we become a new, living tree. This tree can be used for God’s full purpose. This tree has its roots in the river of life. This tree bears fruits of righteousness to the glory of God. This tree will live forever, solely because of Jesus. It is impossible for us, in our own selves, to change ourselves from dead wood to a living tree. But God is a miracle-working God. God is faithful to His Word. When we believe His Word that tells the good news of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on our behalf, and we confess Jesus as Lord, God infuses His life in our dead spirit man. The life of God comes into us! We are changed! We are made new! When we then act on that Word by confession and water baptism, we identify before men and God that we are God’s child by the sacrifice and name of Jesus Christ. By water baptism we are confessing that we are supernaturally dead and resurrected with Jesus Christ into new, eternal life. This tree can be filled with the Spirit, joy, and power of God. This tree doesn’t have to be coerced to burn. This tree is easily ignited by the fire of the Spirit and the things of God. This tree burns for Jesus. What we could not do for ourselves, God did for us through our Lord Jesus Christ. Let’s get excited for what He’s done, is doing, and going to do in our lives!

Never Lay Your Gun Down

I never have been much of a hunter. My Dad gave me a Winchester pump 20 gauge at a young age. As a boy, I’ve hunted squirrel, rabbits, and some quail. That’s when you could step outside and hear the distinct “Bob white” whistle on most any day in the country. I haven’t heard one in a long time, now. I killed meadowlark just for the thrill. I never would shoot the Killdeer. I thought there wasn’t enough to those birds to even shoot them. Besides, I had seen too many little ones with their little heads bobbing along—cute as a button! They were spared. And, a lot of copperheads and water moccasins met their demise at the other end of that 20-gauge barrel. I wouldn’t kill the non-poisonous snakes. With all this, I did go deer hunting a few times. On one occasion, I think in the Turnmore bottoms, we had a little temporary camp set up. It had chairs, a firepit surrounded by rocks, and a horizontal “hitching post.” That was simply a small tree we cut, about two or three inches in diameter, and about eight feet long, tied to two trees. There was a pipeline some distance from the camp. I had been out on a stand near the pipe line, and ready to head back to camp. There was just a trail of a road parallel to the pipeline, so I quietly walked up and down the pipeline for a while, before going deeper into the woods back to camp. By the time I arrived back to camp, I was tired of carrying my gun, so I walked over to the hitching post and set the firearm on the ground and leaned it up against the hitching post. I walked a few feet over to a little clearing and stopped and stretched my shoulders, putting my hands up in the air and back behind my head. As I did this and looked down the clearing, twenty feet away, looking straight at me, was Mr. Big Buck, rack and all. With eyes locked together for a long moment or two, we watched to see who would make the first move. My shotgun was a few steps away. I made the slow, easy move first. He calmly eased away with his move. By the time I got to the gun, all I could do was watch the white flag disappear in the woods. Lesson: never lay your gun down. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God. Our weapon is faith. Faith connects us to all the power of God. Faith connects us to the good news of what Jesus has already accomplished for us. Aim at forgiveness, Aim for healing. Aim for the Holy Ghost and fire. Whatever you need in life—go for it! Everything we need is in Christ Jesus the Lord. Walk the hunt. Don’t lay it down. There it is. Aim your weapon. Pull the trigger. Bam!

Get the Rocks Out of Your Pockets

In one of my wife’s recent messages to the church, she used this point in an illustration of running the race: “If you are going to run a race, you don’t put a lot of rocks in your pockets.” She went on to explain that to run a race you get the lightest gear on to get to the finish line and win. Coming off that point, I had my own meditations. Sometimes we have a bunch of rocks in our pockets that hinder us in running our race of life in the Lord. There are rocks of past hurts, of seeing inconsistencies in people’s lives who profess to know the Lord. There are rocks of beliefs and teachings that have been passed down to us that are not according to the Word and Spirit of God. There are rocks of personal opinions that are contrary to the working and ways of God. All these things can hinder us, and need to be dealt with. You know, God wants to work in all our lives in a good and mighty way, but He will do it His way. He is God. He is the Boss. If our pockets are full of our way of doing things, we won’t be able to keep up with where God is walking and where He is going. We are all weighed down with our own rocks. God has one Rock. He is the Lord Jesus Christ. If we will empty our pockets of all those rocks we are carrying around with us, and just follow the living Rock that was in the wilderness with the Israelites (1 Corinthians 10:4), then we will be right in step with God. Where God goes, we will be there. Where God is, we will be there. At the end of our life, this is particularly important. To be trusting in the one Rock is the difference between being in hell or being with God in heaven. Rocks of religious tradition and doctrine can cause us to trust in our own efforts and goodness to please God. We might be a “good person” and don’t do “bad things,” but that won’t get us delivered from sin and get us into heaven. Only the sacrificial payment of Jesus on the cross is sufficient to deliver us from sin. Only the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ on the cross is what will get us into heaven. By seeing Him, and emptying our pockets of all our goodness and righteousness and holding only to the goodness and righteousness of Jesus Christ, can we have assurance that we are with God now and forever. The house built on this Rock will endure forever. With just Him, by faith in Him, the Living Rock, we can run this race in the power of the Spirit of God and finish the course with joy. The Spirit is the water to refresh us. Empty the rocks out, get a good drink, and let’s run with joy!

Alignment to the Assignment

The heat feels so good! A brightly blazing wood stove seems to warm you to the bone! It comforts and consoles. When you back up to it, and your jeans smell like they are being ironed—at that point, it feels like it, too. You have to ease away and let it cool a little. Burning wood is a lot of work, and it is a dirty operation, with dirt and debris falling off the wood as you handle it. At the moment of warming, it is all worth it. This round of ice and snow and winter weather took a big chunk out of the wood pile, but we are thankful we had it. Lord willing, we will have more for next winter. In the home setting, the fire provides warmth and comfort. Fire is used for many things in many arenas. In the industrial setting fire can provide the power to purify and solidify. Precious metal can be heated, melted, purified, and re-shaped into the purposes of the master craftsman. Pliable clay can be fired to become bricks with which to build a house, or it can be pots to carry life-giving water. With what comes out of the fire, the Master Craftsman can make the material to build the house in which He can dwell, and He can make the vessel for the water from the well. He takes the clay and aligns it toward the assignment, then with the fire, he sets it in its purpose. It is promised in the Word of God that Jesus will immerse believers in the Holy Ghost and fire. This is a promised operation of God that He, the Master Craftsman, will immerse us in His Spirit and fire. He will work in our lives to shape us and mold us. He will use the fire to permanently set us in the purpose for which He designed us. We are in a predicted time in our world (Malachi 3:16—4:6), in which there is a spiritual fire burning. This fire is working in our lives to show who we really are before the Lord. This fire will purify us, and prepare us for His purposes. As we turn from our pride and self-righteousness and receive the fire of God, we begin seeing God’s good purpose for our life. As we reverence the Son of God, Jesus Christ, as our Lord over all, then we receive the warmth and comfort of the fire. We receive healing and wholeness and peace and power in believing in Jesus. As we continue on to know the Lord, going from faith-to-faith, the same fire that purifies and comforts, will also work in our life to finish and “set” us in the purpose for which the Master Craftsman designed us. As we repent, as we turn from holding to our life and turn to receive His life and “fire,” we enjoy His assignment for us and all the benefits of His love and goodness toward us.

Rusty and the Rabbit

It can be said that some things are just bizarre. Sometimes things happen that just go beyond any expectation. I am thinking of Rusty Morris, a nephew of mine. When he was just a little tyke, somewhere in the range of five years old or so, he was out in his grandparent’s yard exploring and playing. Grandma’s favorite little “pet bunny,” a wild rabbit, but one which was accustomed to humans, and seen frequently, was also in the yard. There was a nearby brush pile that served as shelter and concealment for the little feller. As the story goes, the little bunny hopped over to the brush pile and stopped just inside the brush pile. Little Rusty, being the boy that he was, picked up a rock and threw it into the brush pile after the rabbit. The rock hit its mark dropping the rabbit dead in his tracks. The little hare was found just inside the brush pile right where the rock connected. One in a million! I had heard the story for years, and recently remembering it, I stopped by Rusty’s place and inquired of its validity. Sure enough, Snopes would have to agree with the truth of the story. Even in the natural realm, bizarre things happen. We’ve all heard of things similar, and many of us have experienced such things. And that’s just in the natural order of things. Then, there is a whole other order called the spiritual realm. Things beyond all expectation and explanation can happen in the spiritual realm. This is where the Bible comes in. The Bible talks about how God, who is Spirit, has revealed Himself through the ages. It has been a progressive revelation from the very beginning of time. Things have happened along the way that were bizarre. Certainly, if things can happen in the natural, with a five-year-old boy, a rock and a rabbit, you can be assured that bizarre things can happen beyond all-natural expectation and explanation in the realm of the Spirit. The crowning phenomenal occurrence was just over two thousand years ago when Jesus was resurrected from the dead. Scholars tell us there were over three hundred prophesies fulfilled with the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. These prophecies were given by about forty writers, all in harmony, pointing to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, authored by the inspiration of the Spirit of God. It might be “happenstance” for a rock to hit a rabbit, but there is no “happenstance” when the Spirit of God, in the Spirit realm, reveals the Son of God, Jesus Christ. God did this for a reason: to rescue mankind from sin, sickness, Satan, and eternal separation from God. God wants to fellowship with man. Sin separates man from God. Jesus gave Himself as the eternal sacrifice to make us one with God. We receive Him, His Spirit, His healing power, and His eternal life all as a gift, by faith. Let that Rock hit and live forever!

“You” Be Filled

You’ve asked, studied, fasted, sought, surrendered and committed.

You’ve observed others, to see how they have received from the Lord.

You’ve wondered, and suspicioned, “What is true? What is false?”

You’ve reverently trusted and waited for God to do it for you.

You’ve thanked Him for His goodness and faithfulness.

You’ve expressed your trust in Him.

You’ve told the Lord that you don’t want it to be you.

“You” have tried your best.

Now, one last thing.

Give that “you” to the Lord.

Say, “Lord, I commit that ‘you,’ to You.”

It’s holy exchange.

Now, change the “you” to “do.”

Do this:

Believe God’s Word of promise:

“He [the Lord Jesus Christ] shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and fire.” (Luke 3:16 brackets and italics mine)

With your faith in God’s Word, ask once more: “Lord, baptize me with the Holy Ghost and fire.”

Now. “Do” it.

Respond to Him in faith.

Raise your hands, throw your head back and look up to heaven.

Do it.

Speak.

God gives the utterance.

Don’t quit.

Believe God.

God is faithful to His Word.

Take action in the calm assurance of faith and thanksgiving.

God does it.

Continue to overflow to His glory.

Everything in the kingdom of God works by faith that takes action.

Hear-Believe-Ask-Act

The crying need for the church today is to be filled with and led by the Holy Spirit. We have lots of knowledge. We have lots of programs. We have lots of voices in and around us shouting this way and that way. But where is the manifest power of God? Where is the clarion voice of the Shepherd sounding out in and from the church of the Living God? Here is how we can have it.

If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? Luke 11:13

Jesus posed the above question after He had taught on prayer and had told the story of the man who went to his friend at midnight for some bread. Because of the man’s persistence, he got that for which he asked his friend.

Jesus paid the sacrificial price to give us all the good gifts, both physical and spiritual, needed to effectively operate in the kingdom of God. These gifts are on the table, spread before us, with our enemies looking on.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies: you anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Psalms 23:5

There are enemies within us and outside us to keep us from obtaining the gifts God has made available to us. There are thoughts and feelings within, and there are voices, opinions, and experiences outside that war against us, to prevent us from freely receiving the things of the kingdom as a child. But the table is spread. There is an abundance of gifts for us to have and operate in for an overflow of victory, praise, power and glory to God.

God’ way and God’s voice is simple and clear: Hear-Believe-Ask-Act.

Everything in the kingdom of God works by faith. True faith produces action. Everything in the kingdom works by God’s Word and God’s Spirit working together. When we work together with God’s Word and God’s Spirit by taking action, the Spirit moves to create that which needs to be created. When we take action on God’s Word, the Spirit imparts what needs to be imparted. God is faithful to His Word. God confirms His Word with signs following. When we are trusting God, we take action. When we take action, God shows up. God manifests.

This is the simplicity of receiving the fullness of the Holy Spirit, the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit has been sent from heaven for every believer to receive. He is “on the table.” Father God wants us all to have the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Jesus had it. The early church had it. And it is for us today. It was by the Spirit that they accomplished the assignments God had for them, and it is by the Spirit that we can accomplish the assignments God has for us today. We accomplish God’s assignments by the fruit and manifestations of the Holy Spirit, by being surrendered to the Holy Spirit.

God has not made it complicated. It is His good pleasure to give all His children all good things, both physical and spiritual.

Seek first the kingdom and righteousness of God; and all these [physical] things shall be added unto you. Fear not little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the [spiritual] kingdom. Matthew 6:33;Luke 12:30-31

This is God’s love for His children. He wants us to go through this life with good things, and anointed, and overflowing in the fullness of His life, peace, joy and power. Jesus said come unto me and find rest to your souls—not struggle. In Him there is rest and refreshing. Matthew 11:28-29; Isaiah 28:11-12

Jesus made it clear: “Ask, and it shall be given.” Simple. Luke 11:9-10

The promise is given—He will baptize, He will immerse believers in the Holy Ghost and with the fire of God’s enlightening and purifying presence. Hear and believe the promise that the loving Father has spoken. He has given His Word, and He does not go back on His Word! Luke 3:16

Hear and believe God’s Word. Ask the Father for the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Take action. Surrender everything of your life to Him. Surrender every thought, every feeling, and everything that has your focus. If you are holding on to something, then that is an area that cannot be filled. Focus on Him. Focus only on giving all to Him in faith and receiving from Him.

Now, take a deep breath and surrender your pride, your breath, and your tongue to God (the tongue which no man can tame—James 3:8). Keep going. Keep surrendering your pride, your breath, and your tongue to God. It does not matter what it feels like or sounds like. Surrender those thoughts about what it feels like or sounds like, and of what people think. Keep at it until you are freely and completely surrendered to Him.

Act in faith. Be persistent. Give expression of your surrender to God regardless of what you feel or think. Dive into the river and let the river fill and carry you! This is the whole point of being filled with the Holy Spirit. It is that you be completely surrendered to God to allow Him to be in your life without limits, and speak through you in any way He so desires. That is truly being filled. God wants to use you to speak and act on this earth by His Spirit.

God gives a supernatural language by which we can communicate with Him spirit-to-Spirit, and worship Him in Spirit and in truth. By the Spirit, we give thanks, praise and worship to God in an excellent way. By the Spirit, we also give expression to the groanings of the Spirit to bring about the perfect will of God in our life and in the lives of others. By praying in the Spirit, we build ourselves up strong in the Lord on our most holy faith and keep ourselves in the love of God. 1 Corinthians 14; Romans 8:26-27; Jude 20

We face enemies at the table who speak and operate in a supernatural way. God equips us to speak and operate in a supernatural way. The enemy is the prince of the power of the air. As we give breath to the Spirit of God, we invade the enemy’s territory and dismantle his strongholds and devices. This is why God wants to speak through us by His Spirit—so we can be the most effective vessels to set the captive free. This is God’s ultimate goal—to seek and save that which is lost and build up the saints strong in Jesus.

All this comes about by our total surrender to God so that it is not by our might or power, but by the Spirit of God in and through us. By us earnestly desiring the gifts of God, and by our surrender to God, God’s plans and purposes are accomplished by God’s power in and through us. Zechariah 4:6; 1 Corinthians 12:31; 14:1

As we humble ourself as a little child in total surrender and trust in God, we can become partakers of all the good things of the kingdom. There are many good things just waiting to be taken from the table. By hearing and believing God enough to ask and act on His Word, we can take those gifts and good things and enjoy and operate in the power of God’s Spirit to accomplish His work, all to the glory of God through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ (the anointed). Matthew 18:3-4

Alignment to the Assignment

The Satisfied Snowbird

The glistening white mixture of snow and ice fell about three to six inches deep. You could walk on top of it all without sinking down into it. My wife, Barbara, threw the Black Oil Sunflower Seeds out the back door to watch the birds freely enjoy the abundance of provision. The seeds lay right on top of the frozen mixture for all to partake freely. Several varieties of birds were gathered together feasting on the fare provided. When Barbara approached the full glass patio doors from inside the house, all the birds flew away except one little snow bird. His back was to the house. He did not see Barbara standing at the glass doors. He was not even aware of the “enemy.” He just kept right on pecking away, enjoying the feast set before him. His focus was just to enjoy what his heavenly Father had provided. A little later, after all the other birds had come back to the feeding station right outside our door, I approached the door. All the little birds flew away except this one little snowbird. Except this time, he was facing the house. He saw me approach the door. But this little fellow was secure in his Father’s love. He kept right on pecking, enjoying the provision before him. The lesson came to us clearly. When we are resting in the provisions of our Father that are given to us in the person of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, we need not have fear. We are free to just enjoy the feast set before us. If the enemy approaches from the back, our Father protects us. If we see the enemy coming, our Father protects us. What are these provisions so royally set before us by the King of kings? In Christ, we have His righteousness given to us that gives us right-standing and bold access with confidence to our Heavenly Father. By the blood sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ, we have all our sins taken away, nailed to the cross once, for all, and forever. In Christ we have His anointing, the fullness of the Holy Spirit with supernatural gifts and manifestations of the Spirit freely given to help us in daily life, and ministry to others. He even gives a supernatural means of communication so when we don’t know how to pray, we can pray by the Spirit and bring to pass the perfect will of God. In Christ, we have His voice and leadership. He is the Good Shepherd to lead us and take care of us so we are protected, fed, cleaned, and led each day into the green pastures He has created for us. In Christ, we have healing in our body, and health, and the promise of being satisfied with a long life filled with His power and glory, until our assignment in life is finished. Because of His love, we can rest, and rejoice, and live freely in the glory of His presence.

Regret

I put brand new tires and a brand-new battery on my 2008 Toyota Forerunner in December 2025. It only has 292,000 miles on it (not much for a one-owner Toyota). Now I’ve gone and let it get low on oil and damaged the motor! Now it’s knocking! I’m told if I drive it, it could freeze up. It’s a good-looking black vehicle that handles great, and now, what do I do with it! That’s the price of neglect! Yes, I’m still chapped that I messed my car up. Yes, I’m dealing with regret. Repentance deals with the sin of neglect and poor stewardship, but there are still consequences to our actions—or our inaction. If I was a shade-tree mechanic, I would already have that engine out and figuring out what to do with it. I like that car, but affections don’t always balance out with the hard cold facts of book value of the car, versus what needs to be invested in it to get it up and running. Thank God we have another vehicle. It’s a Toyota also, and you can know this, it got its oil checked this morning! So, what do I take from this experience for a spiritual lesson? Number one, be diligent. Jesus said watch and pray to be accounted worthy to escape what is coming on the earth. Make sure you have oil in your vessels with your lamps. Coasting along in casual business-as-usual American Christianity can leave you lacking. I can work something out with my transportation in time, but Jesus warned that lack of proper spiritual preparation and maintenance can leave you outside, knocking at the door—eternally! The five foolish virgins failed to gain access to the wedding party, and the Bible says they heard the words “I know you not” (Matthew 25:1-13). Number two, as Jesus said, pray. Open up the lines of communication with God. That’s something you do now, not when you are drugged unto lack of sensibilities, or if you are suddenly taken from this life. God invites you to do that; He does not do it for you. Start talking to God. Open up in complete honesty to Him. You are not accountable to your spouse, your significant other, your preacher, your church, or to the “hypocrites in the church.” We each are solely accountable to God. The good news is that if we are totally honest with God, He is faithful to show us the truth about ourself and about Him. If we take ownership of what God shows us about ourself, then we can truly see that what Jesus did for us on the cross is our salvation with God. What Jesus did for us is what makes us right with God. None of our goodness or good works makes it with God. We’ve got to see that first, then we can see Jesus as our salvation. Forgiveness, fullness of the Spirit, healing—all we need is found in abundance in Jesus Christ.