Renegade Radio with Jackson (2024)

20/06/2022

This Father’s Day,
May you be blessed
With the tools you need
Light to see clearly
Time with your loved ones
All you need to sharpen your skills

Happy Father’s Day!
Blessings on you and yours!
-JDF

30/05/2022

For the longest time, I confused the military holidays.

Perhaps it is because my generation, though it has seen some conflict and war, has rarely been touched by it.

Perhaps it is because we don’t really study history and repeat much of it even in our every day lives.

Perhaps it is because we strive so hard to “move forward” we forget who and what is left behind.

Perhaps we just don’t like thinking about death or loss.

But what if we focused on remembering the lives and the stories?

What if we focused on ways to honor the sacrifices made through our actions, our words and our reactions?

What if we paused to remember the “why” of sacrifice?

So many have given over generations for us to have freedoms and options and opportunities.

It also includes the freedom to disagree.

As you may spend time with family or friends or even if you are just taking a pause, I pray you would find rest, encouragement, care, at least the option of people to spend time with, and safety where you are.

If you are remembering loved ones lost, I pray peace and comfort and memories that would restore your joy.

If you are battling with all that comes with losing a loved one, I pray strength and fortitude and hope for you.

May blessings find you and yours this Memorial Day!

26/05/2022

To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory.
Isaiah 61:3

With all that is going on
With so much hurt
With so much wounding
With so much pain

It is tempting to get stuck there

There is a promise of a way out

A promise for a future and a hope.

May you be able to simply just rest in that.
May you find encouragement to breathe.
May you find peace in promise.
May you fine hope in future.
May you be able to claim it for yourself.
May you be able to pass it on to those in your circle.
May you be able to bless those you connect with.

26/05/2022

When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.
Psalm 94:19

19/05/2022

Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. 2 Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. 3 Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. 4 For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.
Ephesians 4:1-4

There are a great number of things I love about this.
-The reminder of the life we are called to
-The outline of how we treat each other
-The unity we are called to

When we struggle and fall we don’t have to stay there.
We can get up and move.
We don’t have to do it alone.
We can help people in their struggles.

In helping others, we may not always get it right. We may fail spectacularly. In those failures, there is temptation to stop. There is temptation to give up.
Don’t.
We can learn from our failures, move on and do better.

Who might you show some patience and grace to?
What does gentleness look like in your interactions?
Who might you need to walk with?

18/05/2022

“May integrity and honesty protect me, for I put my hope in you.”
Psalm 25:21

For many years I did not think this truly apply to me as I had lost track of the number of times I failed, but I had to reread this.

I think that perhaps I assumed that one had to have integrity and honesty in order to do or be anything worthy or to connect with God.

In rereading the passage though, that’s backwards.

The focus is about putting one’s hope in God.

In putting my hope in God, the focus is less on me.

My attention is more on God
My focus is more on God
My care is reliant on God

If the focus is on God, Then it is God who carries the weight, the pressure and the stress.

Alone, I am flawed, I fail and even with good “intentions”, some days my communication is lacking.

In striving to move forward
In striving to connect closer to God

Integrity will grow
Consistency will happen
Character will be developed
Honesty becomes a natural byproduct

Less of me
More of Christ

I can put my hope in GOD
God is stronger
More capable
More caring
More loving
More thoughtful
More intentional
More consistent

I have to hold on to that more.
When I can’t, I need to let God lead.
I need to let God carry.
I need to watch for God to move.

10/05/2022

Psalm 25:5
Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you.

As I need leading and understanding, I need to be connected to something greater than myself.
In the midst of this, I need saving more than I would like to admit, often from myself.

Praise God for his grace, provision, and salvation.

Where am I being led?
What do I need to learn today?
Who am I putting my hope in?

06/05/2022

Lord, you know the hopes of the helpless. Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them.
- Psalm 10:17

Sometimes it is tough to see positive.
Sometimes one might not know what to do or to say.

Perhaps with all that is going on in the world today you feel like that.

David has all sorts of ups and downs in his life. Sometimes due to his own actions, sometimes due to others.

You can see a lot of extreme emotions and reactions in his life.

It is good to be reminded that in going to God I don’t have to have all the right words.

It is also good to be reminded that God does know our hopes and our needs.

It is good to know God hears.

Sometimes it is tough to remember when God seems quiet.

Sometimes I would prefer to get an answer quick and the way I would want.

I don’t really get excited about feeling helpless or hopeless.

Sometimes it is then that it is important to be proactive in going to God.

Sometimes I need to be reminded the the story is bigger and wider and deeper and goes far beyond me. (I may not always like those reminders at the time.)

What hopes are on your heart now?

02/05/2022

Hope

What do you hope in?
What do you hope for?
Who do you hope in?

Having hope will give you courage. You will be protected and will rest in safety.
- Job11:18

Where do you need Courage?
Where do you need protection?
Where do you need Safety?
What do those around you need?
What do your loved ones need?

20/04/2022

Family.

I was able to get a little time with my mother in law yesterday.

I was able to get a little time with my parents today.

I was able to snag lunch with my dad.

Time flies fast.

We’ve never agreed 100% of the time, but it never really mattered.

Some days we communicate well, some days ... not so much.

Regardless, the focus is on caring for each other and helping to grow the family well.

There were times where that was the focus in other places as well, Country, School, and Church.

It may not feel like that some days.
We as people tend to get distracted and sometimes we focus more on what makes us comfortable or what we are used to or our personal preferences.

But the world is bigger than we think.

There are still people seeking to to good, to grow, to become better, to connect better, to reflect better.

Much is revealed by who our closest friends are.
Much is revealed by how we respond to things.
Much is revealed by how we handle the people who annoy us and who we disagree with.

Living the family member that keeps taking your stuff, returning the car in empty, never does their dishes, leaves dirty laundry out and makes a mess not thinking about others can be aggravating, even infuriating, but then we tend to ignore all that when it’s us.

Love and Grace

They don’t stop when it’s not convenient.
They don’t stop when things become difficult.
They don’t stop in times of need.
They don’t stop in grief, frustration, irritation or aggravation.

Love and Grace
Digs in
Braces for the impact
Redirects
Refocuses
Redeems
Reimagines
Refines

They probably don’t think they have recently shown all of that, but they impress much on me.

I’m working on listening and learning better.

May you find, encounter and embrace those who will show you Love and Grace as well as those who you can shower that on to as well.

17/04/2022

In the silence and darkness

You do not have to be overtaken or overwhelmed.

The breath you take is a gift.

You do not have to throw away the gift you have been given.

In shame, remorse and despair, Judas threw it away.

In shame, remorse and despair, Peter grieved and wept.

In grief and in mourning, the women who had followed Jesus prepared and rested.

Sometimes the silence is deafening.

Sometimes the voices we listen to in our times of silence affects our trajectory.

If you are in a dark place
If it is a little too quiet for you
If you are overwhelmed
If you have hit a wall
If you have dug yourself a pit

It is ok to mourn and grieve

You still have the gift of breath

You can still have great possibilities
(Peter is a great example of a comeback.)

You can take time to prepare.

The simple act of rest may do wonders.

Know you are loved
Know you are priceless
Know that you are not abandoned

16/04/2022

When Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
John 19:30

“It Is Finished”
Jesus gave up His spirit
The veil torn from top to bottom

Darkness

Silence

A time where people were
Quiet
Grieving
Shocked
In awe
Hiding
Shamed
Overwhelmed
Broken

A time where there seemed to be no hope

A loved and revered one buried, under guard by a group of elites.

No way visible

But God was working in the background.
A way was already made.

On this day “in between”
take a moment

Remember
The price paid

What would have been like to have been the crowd on the day in between?

What would it have been like for the Roman leaders on the day in between?

What would it have been like for the Religious leaders on the day in between?

What would it have been like for the disciples on the day in between?

What would it have been like for the crowd of women who followed Jesus to his burial on the day in between?

What would it have been like for Judas on the day in between?

What would it have been like for Peter on the day in between?

How dark may it have felt like?

How broken were people’s spirits?

In the darkness you may be in the thick of ...

Know that Sunday is on the way

15/04/2022

Good Friday

In general, I think that there are lots of reasons why people love Fridays.
End of the week
Beginning of the weekend
Time to connect with friends
Time to connect with loved ones
Time to rest

Today, we pause to remember all Christ did to sacrifice.
All he suffered
All he sacrificed
Why he sacrificed

For humanity
For me
For you

May you be able to take time to explore and pause to remember

A heavy price was paid
Because you are loved
Because you are worth it

15/04/2022

The Last Supper

Jesus told them, “In this world the kings and great men lord it over their people, yet they are called ‘friends of the people.’ 26 But among you it will be different. Those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant. 27 Who is more important, the one who sits at the table or the one who serves? The one who sits at the table, of course. But not here! For I am among you as one who serves.

Luke 22

A miracle of a provision of a room
The introduction of Communion
Praying over the meal
Sharing a meal
Judas leaves to betray
Arguing over the greatest
Singing a hymn
Calling out the denials
Watching and praying

So much to happen in one night.
So much history.
So much change.
So many stories that overlap back then.
So many stories overlap today.

So many lessons given in such a short time.
So many of those lessons had been taught over the three years before.

I have thought over the various characters mentioned over the years. I have found myself relating to each of them at one time or another.

So many mixed feelings.

I wish I had a stronger grasp on it all.
As the years pass, the story gets wider and deeper.

It’s pretty amazing.

May you find redirection
May you find redefinition
May you find refinement
May you find reconciliation
May you find redemption
May you remember

May we be changed for the better.

14/04/2022

Vine

Jesus, the True Vine
15 “I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. 3 You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.
5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.

From fruit to flowers, there are so many things to take into consideration. When to water/prune/harvest.

So much time and thought and care.

How much was taken for that final week before the cross?

How much is taken every day?

In thinking about production, in business people push for “producers “

It is common practice to “let people go” when they are not productive.
At first glance, it might seem the same in the church.
But it’s not supposed to be that.

Branches get their nourishment from the vine in order to produce fruit.

The focus of the passage is to stay connected to Christ in order to bear fruit.

From my words/actions/interactions/relationships, what kind of fruit is being produced?

If I need to be connected to Christ in order to be more fruitful/ as much as I need to be?

If others are connected to me, am I helpful for their growth? Am I drawing people closer to Christ or am I driving people away?

As the weather gets warmer, it is easier to see when plants need water and when they are hurting.

In the heat of today, I think it is easier to see when there are needs.

In the thick of the pressure I face, am I connected enough so I get all I need?

Under the pressures others face, am I being helpful or am I being a hinderance?

13/04/2022

Light of the world

Jesus, the Light of the World
12 Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”

John 8

There seems to be a lot of darkness in the world today

Darkness of war
Darkness of poverty
Darkness of wounding
Darkness of illness
Darkness of death
Darkness of loneliness

The list could go on.

The darkness could be overwhelming

But Christ promises light

In truly following Christ, one will reflect light.

To reflect light, actions must be taken

To house the homeless
To feed the hungry
To defend those in danger
To speak for those who have no voice
To comfort the grieving
To visit the loneliness
To meet with the abandoned
To bring healing to the hurting

To bring hope to the hopeless.

In the darkness,
Do I seek the light?
How much time am I spending in the light?
Am I connected to the light?
Am I sharing the light?

I am grateful it does not all depend on me.
I am grateful I have the option to be a part of the process.

In the midst of darkness, when we listen and pay attention, there are great numbers of people who shine bright, sometimes in big ways, sometimes in small ways, but every spark brings light.

13/04/2022

Spy Wednesday

Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus
14 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the leading priests 15 and asked, “How much will you pay me to betray Jesus to you?” And they gave him thirty pieces of silver. 16 From that time on, Judas began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus.

He had walked with Christ for three years.
He had seen the miracles
He had been a part of the story
He was a part of the 12

He had settled for a price

How much was based upon how much he was offended?
How much was based on how he didn’t like priorities/processes/methods?

What are my thirty pieces?

Even though Judas did this and Jesus knew it, he still ate with him.

Who have I tossed out/away that I need to reach out to/be open to?

How much did it pain Jesus to be betrayed like that?

How much does it hurt when we betray today?

It’s sobering to think about.

But God
Continued to love
Continued to give
Continued to sacrifice
Continued to make a way

12/04/2022

Holy Tuesday

“ Later, Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives. His disciples came to him privately and said, “Tell us, when will all this happen? What sign will signal your return and the end of the world?”
4 Jesus told them, “Don’t let anyone mislead you, 5 for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah.’ They will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately. 7 Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. 8 But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come.”
Matthew 24:3 - 8

As Jesus talks to the disciples on the mount of Olives, they cover a great number of topics.
The end times
The second coming
Paying attention
Serving
Bridesmaids
Talents
Sheep and Goats

With all the crazy things in the world today, I think it could get easy to be discouraged or depressed.

But Christ gives both hope in the midst of that as well as hope for the future.

For the disciples, at this time they probably were not thinking about not having time with Jesus, but they made time.

We aren’t promised a ton of time with anything or anyone. Choosing what to prioritize might change if you know you don’t have much time left.

What should I spend a little more time on?

Who should I spend more time with?

If we are going to only have one more conversation, what should it be about?

When it comes to a person in need, hungry, hurting, alone, sick, imprisoned, who comes to mind? What are some things I can do?

12/04/2022

John 6:35
Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

A running joke for me throughout life is that I was always hungry and could always eat some more. (As I have gotten older, it’s less than when I was younger, which is not just healthier, it’s smarter. Which my waistline is pretty vocal about it.)

Regardless of the food type, taste, preparation, there is always the desire for more.

Bread is a simple picture of what fills and sustains.

God laid out the option to be filled and sustained.

The promise of fulfillment from God
Won’t rot
Won’t be affected by inflation
Won’t be affected by whoever is in power

What am I trying to sustain myself with?

How much time do I actually make for God?

Am I actually making the most out of what God promises?

12/04/2022

Holy Monday

In taking a breather I was reminded of a ton I have forgotten, poked about things I had overlooked pausing to ponder the things I think I know and in awe of stuff I didn’t know before.

Here’s a small sampling:
The Monday before Easter is known as Holy Monday

Jesus curses a fig tree

Jesus tosses out a bunch of people from the temple who are abusing it.
(This is usually the passage where people talk about Jesus getting mad and flipping over tables, but it’s also usually only partially looked at as this was not the norm of how Christ dealt with things.)
Jesus then focused on healing - Matt 21)
Jesus gets his authority questioned.
Some people focus on the Jesus’ anointing at Bethany (would I be more like Judas or Mary? Am I more concerned about policy, tradition, finances, logistics and appearance? How close am I really looking at myself? How broken am I willing to admit I am?)

I want to reexamine what do I do, how do I lead, how do I give, how do I serve and how do I deal with people I have issue with. What am I producing?

11/04/2022

Palm Sunday

Jesus’ Triumphant Entry
12 The next day, the news that Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem swept through the city. A large crowd of Passover visitors 13 took palm branches and went down the road to meet him. They shouted,
“Praise God!
Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hail to the King of Israel!”
14 Jesus found a young donkey and rode on it, fulfilling the prophecy that said:
15
“Don’t be afraid, people of Jerusalem.
Look, your King is coming,
riding on a donkey’s colt.”
John 12:12-15

One day there are celebrations and acclamations and cheers of joy.

Less than a week later it is totally the opposite.

Human nature hasn’t changed much.

I can say I want to do/be/become good

And then there is a struggle
Struggle to get out of bed
Struggle with wake up early
Struggle to get to church
Struggle to get up early enough to get the family to church
Struggle to find a Bible
Struggle to open it an read it.
Struggle to pause and think about practical applications

Struggle in dealing with a nagging family member
Struggle in leaving with a sibling/child taking my clothes

Struggle in speaking positive
Struggle in speaking love

Struggle in countless other ways.

But God knew that ahead of time

It is not a surprise

And God still sent Jesus

And Jesus knew what was coming

And He still gave anyways

Love and sacrifice

In taking more time to think about that
The struggle isn’t so bad.

Where/How is it easy to praise/walk with God?

What distracts me from that?

What might help me keep my focus?

11/04/2022

Ransom -
Purchased
Paid for

1 Timothy 2:6
He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone.
This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time.

Redeemer -
Isaiah 41:14
Though you are a lowly worm, O Jacob,
don’t be afraid, people of Israel, for I will help you.
I am the Lord, your Redeemer.
I am the Holy One of Israel.’

When I think about Ransom, the only thing that really comes to mind is that is what has to be paid in regard to kidnapping (or hostile takeover). Payment to restore a relationship.

Payment for freedom.

When it comes to redemption, I used to just think about coupons and covering a missing amount to both save money (that I probably didn’t have) as well as to help in Purchasing something I wanted.

Sin (that whole mess throughout humanity we don’t like and all of that we fail to measure up in) tends to cost. The cost is beyond what we can pay for. (And honestly, often we don’t want to.)

But God covers that.

Jesus sacrificed for that.

Just the idea of that is pretty overwhelming.

Generally, we do things because we want to.
Sacrificing and sacrificing for others is not a typical lifestyle.
We may sacrifice time or moments or a portion of finances, but not as an all encompassing way of living.

But Christ did that.

So we could have freedom.

So we might have restored relationships
With God
With each other

Where do I think of others before myself?
When was the last time I did that?

As freedom costs, when was the last time I thought of how much it cost?

When was the last time I thought about how much my own freedom costs?

What am I doing with that freedom?

08/04/2022

Rabbi
Teacher

- John 1:49
Then Nathanael exclaimed, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God—the King of Israel!”

I think back to teachers in my life.
I have had some that were a little rough, perhaps some that should not have been teachers.

But the majority of them have been sharp, wise, thoughtful, creative, well educated and would give above and beyond.

I look at how Christ is pictured, how often he taught creatively, how often he would communicate where people were at and how much patience, care and grace he showed.

The bar is set pretty high.

How might I learn better from the teachers in my life?

How might I support them better?

In times I teach, how might I communicate better?
What are some things I may be overlooking in talking to them?
How might I make my points better, clearer, more applicable?

How much more do I need to rest in my own time under Christ’s teaching for working more on me?

07/04/2022

Purifier
Refiner
Cleaner

Malachi 3:3
He will sit like a refiner of silver, burning away the dross. He will purify the Levites, refining them like gold and silver, so that they may once again offer acceptable sacrifices to the Lord.

This picture brings me a lot of hope as well as a fair amount of relief.

I think how certain foods are cleaned, how cotton is cleaned for cloth, how diamonds, glass and silver and steel and gold all have to go through intensive processing.

Pressure
Heat
Abrasions

Life is like that too.

There are lots of things I would like to fix in my life.
I would like to be better in many different places.

All that is required to become better is tough, sometimes painful.

Trying to figure things out on one’s own, sometimes takes longer.

It is good to know I can get instruction, encouragement and help in the process.
I don’t have to fave it alone.

It is better to know that the Refiner is one who is a master of it.

It means even more to know that the one who purifies and refines cares about the process, but even more about me.

What areas do I need refining?

What personality and character traits do I need refining?

What areas in my actions, speech, thoughts and interactions need purifying?

What might need to be removed or distanced to help in the purifying process?

What are some of the things and who are some of people that being pure for is important to me?

05/04/2022

Prophet -
Acts 3:22
Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from among your own people. Listen carefully to everything he tells you.’

Mark 6:4
Then Jesus told them, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his relatives and his own family.”

Luke 18:31
Jesus Again Predicts His Death
Taking the twelve disciples aside, Jesus said, “Listen, we’re going up to Jerusalem, where all the predictions of the prophets concerning the Son of Man will come true.

Luke 24:27
Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

A prophet would speak on behalf of God, often in regard to the future and future events, but also in either giving direction or sometimes, even correction.

In the Gospels, we can see that Christ does both.
However, His choice of words and perhaps even his tone is often different than others.

Sometimes people need intense and firm conversations.

Sometimes, perhaps even most times, people respond better to the softer tone. Perhaps that is why Christ did that so often.

In thinking about the future and what I am told about the future, who am I listening to? How much thought am I giving to what is said? How am I responding?

If something is urgent, am I speaking like it is? Am I listening like it is?

In speaking to others, how often do I talk about the future? How often am I speaking truth?
What kind of tone do I communicate in?

01/04/2022

High Priest
Hebrews 4:15

This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.

Growing up, the general picture of a Priest was foreign to me.

There were some light discussions at Sunday school with pictures (flannel-graph) of what a Priest looked like and what they did, but I heard and saw way more in tv and movies.

They made sacrifices to God
They killed sacrifices
They spoke for God
They led people groups

There were many not so good examples of priests
They abused their power
They were brutal
They were abusive
They led poorly
They may not have been connected at all to God

The idea of a High Priest is one that oversaw or led over all the priests
One who is wiser
One who is more capable
One who is more respected
One who has greater authority

What do I think of when I think of Christ?

Do I appreciate the path He created?

Do I live/speak/lead in a way that reflects Christ?

Am I submitting to His lead?

When I can’t, do I turn to/rest on Christ as High Priest?

What does that actually look like in living day to day?

When was the last time I connected to Christ as High Priest?

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