Pastor Mary Haley

From Sticky Souls to Transformed Hearts
God’s command—from the glorious clouds overshadowing the Transfiguration of Jesus in the gospels—reminds us: when we listen and do whatever the Son of God says he will lead us from barrenness due to selfish living into righteous fruit-producing living for the glory of God.  Self cannot satisfy self.  We must hunger for God.

This is basically our journey for Lent, because sinful attitudes and actions try to stick to our souls and destroy our Life with God.  Jesus wants us to produce righteous fruit that bring glory to our King’s rule and reign.

“No intellectual answer will solve suffering. Perhaps this is why God sent his own Son as one response to human pain, to experience it and absorb it into himself. The Incarnation did not ‘solve’ human suffering, but at least it was an active and personal response. In the truest sense, no words can speak more loudly than the Word.”
—Philip Yancey

Day 21: Fasting Alternative Routes

In our previous readings, the Word of God reveals to us the Holy One, Jesus, experiences all the emotions common to human beings; yet, he remains sinless before the Father. In spite of his inner emotions, Jesus stays the course toward his purpose— the cross. As people begin to gather for the Passover, Jesus begins to release words that connect his life with a soon arriving death. To his disciples, Jesus transparently speaks about the distress of his soul. Our souls understand the reality of inner turmoil and it is reassuring to know Jesus felt it, too. He understands.

Jesus handles the distress in his soul in an amazing way which teaches us the power of his holiness. He says to the disciples, “Should I pray, ’Father, save me from this hour’? But this is the very reason I came!” (John 12:27-28). This is Christ’s moment to bring glory to the Father’s name by offering redemption to the world. Please note, Jesus has a troubled soul, but he is not deficient in faith. When we make a choice to remain obedient to God’s Word, we can experience inner turmoil, because our souls try to stick to the things of earth. Obedience is a process of dealing with the issues before us and we must allow it to guide each step.

The Lord presses on in the process of obedience to do the will of the Father even when it means the distress of his soul. He does not try to interrupt God’s plan or take other action to avoid the cross that will lead the world toward eternal life. In the garden, Peter fights to change the outcome of Christ’s surrender, but finds himself rebuked and reminded that eternal life must be lived on God’s terms.

Today we fast the desire to take an alternative route in glorifying the Father. We accept even the distress of our souls, because we know God will be faithful to use it for his glory and to bring us greater spiritual transformation. Relationship with God brings wholeness; we are able to bear righteous fruit that reveals Christ’s holy presence in us. Our goal is to become more faithful partners with the Lord and his purposes for saving and redeeming more souls. Our obedience matters in that process.

John 18:1-11 NLT Jesus Is Betrayed and Arrested
1 After saying these things, Jesus crossed the Kidron Valley with his disciples and entered a grove of olive trees. 2 Judas, the betrayer, knew this place, because Jesus had often gone there with his disciples. 3 The leading priests and Pharisees had given Judas a contingent of Roman soldiers and Temple guards to accompany him. Now with blazing torches, lanterns, and weapons, they arrived at the olive grove.
4 Jesus fully realized all that was going to happen to him, so he stepped forward to meet them. “Who are you looking for?” he asked.
5 “Jesus the Nazarene,” they replied.
“I am he,” Jesus said. (Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them.) 6 As Jesus said “I am he,” they all drew back and fell to the ground! 7 Once more he asked them, “Who are you looking for?”
And again they replied, “Jesus the Nazarene.”
8 “I told you that I am he,” Jesus said. “And since I am the one you want, let these others go.” 9 He did this to fulfill his own statement: “I did not lose a single one of those you have given me.”
10 Then Simon Peter drew a sword and slashed off the right ear of Malchus, the high priest’s slave. 11 But Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword back into its sheath. Shall I not drink from the cup of suffering the Father has given me?”

Prayer: Lord, today we fast the desire to find alternative routes to the transformation you bring our souls. You alone know the way to bring us into Oneness with your mighty power and grace. We dare not try to rewrite what you have already written for our lives. You alone know how you will use even the biggest challenges to refine our souls and wash the world from us. Cleanse us, Lord. We accept your plan and purpose and know you do all things in love. Thank you, Lord, for the holy way of salvation that leads us in glorifying your name. In Jesus’ name. Amen.From Sticky Souls to Transformed Hearts
God’s command—from the glorious clouds overshadowing the Transfiguration of Jesus in the gospels—reminds us: when we listen and do whatever the Son of God says he will lead us from barrenness due to selfish living into righteous fruit-producing living for the glory of God.  Self cannot satisfy self.  We must hunger for God.

This is basically our journey for Lent, because sinful attitudes and actions try to stick to our souls and destroy our Life with God.  Jesus wants us to produce righteous fruit that bring glory to our King’s rule and reign.

“No intellectual answer will solve suffering. Perhaps this is why God sent his own Son as one response to human pain, to experience it and absorb it into himself. The Incarnation did not ‘solve’ human suffering, but at least it was an active and personal response. In the truest sense, no words can speak more loudly than the Word.”
—Philip Yancey

Day 21: Fasting Alternative Routes

In our previous readings, the Word of God reveals to us the Holy One, Jesus, experiences all the emotions common to human beings; yet, he remains sinless before the Father. In spite of his inner emotions, Jesus stays the course toward his purpose— the cross. As people begin to gather for the Passover, Jesus begins to release words that connect his life with a soon arriving death. To his disciples, Jesus transparently speaks about the distress of his soul. Our souls understand the reality of inner turmoil and it is reassuring to know Jesus felt it, too. He understands.

Jesus handles the distress in his soul in an amazing way which teaches us the power of his holiness. He says to the disciples, “Should I pray, ’Father, save me from this hour’? But this is the very reason I came!” (John 12:27-28). This is Christ’s moment to bring glory to the Father’s name by offering redemption to the world. Please note, Jesus has a troubled soul, but he is not deficient in faith. When we make a choice to remain obedient to God’s Word, we can experience inner turmoil, because our souls try to stick to the things of earth. Obedience is a process of dealing with the issues before us and we must allow it to guide each step.

The Lord presses on in the process of obedience to do the will of the Father even when it means the distress of his soul. He does not try to interrupt God’s plan or take other action to avoid the cross that will lead the world toward eternal life. In the garden, Peter fights to change the outcome of Christ’s surrender, but finds himself rebuked and reminded that eternal life must be lived on God’s terms.

Today we fast the desire to take an alternative route in glorifying the Father. We accept even the distress of our souls, because we know God will be faithful to use it for his glory and to bring us greater spiritual transformation. Relationship with God brings wholeness; we are able to bear righteous fruit that reveals Christ’s holy presence in us. Our goal is to become more faithful partners with the Lord and his purposes for saving and redeeming more souls. Our obedience matters in that process.

John 18:1-11 NLT Jesus Is Betrayed and Arrested
1 After saying these things, Jesus crossed the Kidron Valley with his disciples and entered a grove of olive trees. 2 Judas, the betrayer, knew this place, because Jesus had often gone there with his disciples. 3 The leading priests and Pharisees had given Judas a contingent of Roman soldiers and Temple guards to accompany him. Now with blazing torches, lanterns, and weapons, they arrived at the olive grove.
4 Jesus fully realized all that was going to happen to him, so he stepped forward to meet them. “Who are you looking for?” he asked.
5 “Jesus the Nazarene,” they replied.
“I am he,” Jesus said. (Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them.) 6 As Jesus said “I am he,” they all drew back and fell to the ground! 7 Once more he asked them, “Who are you looking for?”
And again they replied, “Jesus the Nazarene.”
8 “I told you that I am he,” Jesus said. “And since I am the one you want, let these others go.” 9 He did this to fulfill his own statement: “I did not lose a single one of those you have given me.”
10 Then Simon Peter drew a sword and slashed off the right ear of Malchus, the high priest’s slave. 11 But Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword back into its sheath. Shall I not drink from the cup of suffering the Father has given me?”

Prayer: Lord, today we fast the desire to find alternative routes to the transformation you bring our souls. You alone know the way to bring us into Oneness with your mighty power and grace. We dare not try to rewrite what you have already written for our lives. You alone know how you will use even the biggest challenges to refine our souls and wash the world from us. Cleanse us, Lord. We accept your plan and purpose and know you do all things in love. Thank you, Lord, for the holy way of salvation that leads us in glorifying your name. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

From Sticky Souls to Transformed Hearts
God’s command—from the glorious clouds overshadowing the Transfiguration of Jesus in the gospels—reminds us: when we listen and do whatever the Son of God says he will lead us from barrenness due to selfish living into righteous fruit-producing living for the glory of God.  Self cannot satisfy self.  We must hunger for God.

This is basically our journey for Lent, because sinful attitudes and actions try to stick to our souls and destroy our Life with God.  Jesus wants us to produce righteous fruit that bring glory to our King’s rule and reign.

“It seems that what St. Basil identified as danger lurking behind some of the practices of late antiquity, namely the dangers of isolationism, individualism, and self-pleasing, still remain. The temptation of our own time seems to be the same, a spirituality focused upon the self as its ultimate telos [purpose].” —George Kalentzis

Day 20: Fasting the Yeast of Hypocrisy

As human beings, we can act in ways that contradict what we say we believe—hypocrisy. Jesus referred to the sin of hypocrisy as having yeast infected hearts—in Scripture it is the sin corrupted practices of the world [Egypt] that must be left behind. Our lives are like gardens that have the potential to plant and grow both righteousness and unrighteousness. I pray for us to be mindful of what we are growing in thought, word, and deed. God is not mocked; we harvest what we plant (Gal 6:7).

We can practice hypocrisy by looking down at the sin of others, even when we know our hearts possess the yeast of sin. We can look at religious activities as righteous even when our hearts are filled with deceit. We can see ourselves as holy, but our actions actually reveal the Lord is not welcome on the throne of our hearts. We can say we wholeheartedly honor the commands of our Father, but never produce the fruit of integrity—wholeness. All of this is like putting on a religious mask and pretending to be righteous when we are actually focused on self.

Jesus told a variety of parables and many of them were pointed toward the religious leaders. Because these leaders could never see their own sin and repent, Jesus told them prostitutes and tax collectors who were willing to repent, would enter the Kingdom of God before them. After hearing several of Jesus’ parables about the sinful fruit of hypocrisy, the religious leaders eventually knew he was talking about them. Jesus ended with, “I tell you the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to the people who will produce fruit!” (Mat 21:43). To his disciples, Jesus said, “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy” (Luke 12:1).

Today, we will fast the yeast of hypocrisy, because Jesus makes it clear we will be judged by how we live and the fruit we are willing to produce. When we repent and turn toward God, the world just can’t stick to our souls. May God continue to transform us!

John 17:20-26 NLT
20 “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. 21 I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.

22 “I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. 23 I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me. 24 Father, I want these whom you have given me to be with me where I am. Then they can see all the glory you gave me because you loved me even before the world began!

25 “O righteous Father, the world doesn’t know you, but I do; and these disciples know you sent me. 26 I have revealed you to them, and I will continue to do so. Then your love for me will be in them, and I will be in them.”

Prayer: Lord, we pray for our hearts to be free from the hypocrisy, corruption, and the bondage of sin. We confess our sinful thoughts, words, and actions; we have failed to glorify you. It is so easy to say one thing and do another. May we seek to live in you—our sinless Bread of heaven—and the grace you provide to keep our souls cleansed. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

From Sticky Souls to Transformed Hearts
God’s command—from the glorious clouds overshadowing the Transfiguration of Jesus in the gospels—reminds us: when we listen and do whatever the Son of God says he will lead us from barrenness due to selfish living into righteous fruit-producing living for the glory of God.  Self cannot satisfy self.  We must hunger for God.

This is basically our journey for Lent, because sinful attitudes and actions try to stick to our souls and destroy our Life with God.  Jesus wants us to produce righteous fruit that bring glory to our King’s rule and reign.

“The question asked is not, ‘What should be happening in my life?’ but ‘What is happening in my life?’ The present moment, the present set of circumstances, the present relationships in our lives—this is where God lives. This is where God meets us and gives us life.” —-Alice Frying

Day 19: Fasting Dominance for Holiness

Our journey in life as worshipers of the Lord is to embrace his holiness; a holiness that begins to take dominion of our hearts and starts the transformation process that makes us holy in the Truth. The whole purpose of our Lenten reflections and repentance is to further our commitment to live in the Truth. Learning Scripture is purposeful and spending time in corporate worship and attending helpful Bible studies will open us up to experience more of God’s faithful love and guidance in the Truth, but if we do nothing to apply the Word to the life we live each day, we have missed where God lives. Remember brothers and sisters, today, God lives in you!

From the beginning, God instructed humanity to take ‘dominion,’ but we must remember in Hebrew the deeper meaning of that word [radah] reflects ‘partnership or stewardship.’ Jesus is the embodiment of all that is holy and he instructs us to follow him—take part in his dominion—because he is the Truth that brings salvation to sinful hearts. The Lord did not surrender his role of dominion; rather, he loaned it to us for the purpose of bringing transformation into our very lives and revelation of the Kingdom to the world. When we are faithful stewards of the Truth, we understand we are not called to a spirit of dominance but to a posture of faithful surrender and partnership. We live every aspect of our lives each day in worship—e.g. waking, sleeping, working, playing, exercising, and resting—knowing we are to be responsible stewards of the Truth.

For this reason, the Church—those who connect to Christ—are given the Holy Spirit of Truth and the gifts we all need for the journey. Jesus has the authority to pass out these spiritual gifts so we can all keep the Word; live in the Truth. Believers do NOT serve the Lord by demonstrating dominance—control. We serve the Lord through his dominion and authority—stewardship and holy care-taking of all creation.

Remember, the authority of Christ was always questioned by the religious leaders (Mat 21:23). Jesus’ response was to answer these leaders’ questions with yet another question, because he knew their hearts were deceitful and found their outward religious facade repulsive. Believers operate within the loaned authority of Christ—Truth—so the world has the opportunity through our care-taking in holiness to receive salvation and submit to the Holy One.

Today, we will fast dominance and feast on holiness. Like the Pharisees, when believers are driven by the world’s way to live in dominance or control, we will miss the beautiful gift of taking dominion through partnership in Christ’s holiness. We must take his yoke upon us (Mat 11:29-20). Jesus prays for us, because each day he sends and goes with us. We are so blessed!

John 17:6-19 NLT
6 “I have revealed you to the ones you gave me from this world. They were always yours. You gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7 Now they know that everything I have is a gift from you, 8 for I have passed on to them the message you gave me. They accepted it and know that I came from you, and they believe you sent me.

9 “My prayer is not for the world, but for those you have given me, because they belong to you. 10 All who are mine belong to you, and you have given them to me, so they bring me glory. 11 Now I am departing from the world; they are staying in this world, but I am coming to you. Holy Father, you have given me your name; now protect them by the power of your name so that they will be united just as we are. 12 During my time here, I protected them by the power of the name you gave me. I guarded them so that not one was lost, except the one headed for destruction, as the Scriptures foretold.

13 “Now I am coming to you. I told them many things while I was with them in this world so they would be filled with my joy. 14 I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. 15 I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. 16 They do not belong to this world any more than I do. 17 Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. 18 Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. 19 And I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth.

Prayer: Father, please help us fast an attitude of dominance in order to feast on your holiness. We must fight the desire to control or protect our self-perceived need for power, because it is deception at work. We desire spiritual intimacy in the Truth, so we bow and surrender to take dominion with you. Thank you for the yoke that guides us toward transformation and daily salvation. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

From Sticky Souls to Transformed Hearts
God’s command—from the glorious clouds overshadowing the Transfiguration of Jesus in the gospels—reminds us: when we listen and do whatever the Son of God says he will lead us from barrenness due to selfish living into righteous fruit-producing living for the glory of God.  Self cannot satisfy self.  We must hunger for God.

This is basically our journey for Lent, because sinful attitudes and actions try to stick to our souls and destroy our Life with God.  Jesus wants us to produce righteous fruit that bring glory to our King’s rule and reign.

“Early in the morning, as he was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, ‘May you never bear fruit again!’ Immediately the tree withered.”
—Matthew 21:18-19

“In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. Peter remember and said to Jesus, ‘Rabbi, look!’ The fig tree you cursed has withered!”
—Mark 11:20-21

Day 18: Fasting Fruitless Faith

Jesus curses a fig tree. It’s strange because all of his miracles are of a healing nature, yet he curses this tree and it dies. In the text, the Greek word for “curse” is ‘kataraomai’ and it is used only four other times in the New Testament: 1) the goats are cursed in a parable found in Matthew 25:41; 2) we are taught the necessity of loving those who curse us in Luke 6:28; 3) we must bless and not curse those who persecute us; and 4) we need to address the sin of a tongue that blesses and curses in James 3:9-10.

Jesus makes a point of a bad thing—receiving the curse of God for living a fruitless life. The withering fig tree demonstrates Christ’s authority and is symbolic of Israel and the fate that awaits a fruitless nation and lifeless or barren religious leaders. Jesus was looking at the tree with expectation and it was green and lush, but it had absolutely no fruit: No ripe, no unripe, no budding….nothing.

Today we will fast a fruitless faith, because we know God desires that his image bearers reveal the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal 5:22-23). Jesus is not looking for lip service, he is looking for fruit in his worshipers. The religious leaders in Israel were teaching human rules and their hearts were far from God; they had the appearance of faith but were barren. We do not need to pretend to love God. We need to open our hearts up and make ourselves vulnerable to his love. Before we know it, the Spirit will begin producing in us the beautiful eternal character of our Christ.

John 17:1-5 NLT The Prayer of Jesus
1 After saying all these things, Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son so he can give glory back to you. 2 For you have given him authority over everyone. He gives eternal life to each one you have given him. 3 And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth. 4 I brought glory to you here on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. 5 Now, Father, bring me into the glory we shared before the world began.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for praying for us and giving us eternal life. We want to know you and serve you in sincerity of heart. Please work within us and help us to bear the righteous fruit of the Spirit. We know it is possible, because you cannot lie. If we are not producing fruit it is a problem in us. So bring the conviction, correction, and revelation we need to bring you glory. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

From Sticky Souls to Transformed Hearts
God’s command—from the glorious clouds overshadowing the Transfiguration of Jesus in the gospels—reminds us: when we listen and do whatever the Son of God says he will lead us from barrenness due to selfish living into righteous fruit-producing living for the glory of God.  Self cannot satisfy self.  We must hunger for God.

This is basically our journey for Lent, because sinful attitudes and actions try to stick to our souls and destroy our Life with God.  Jesus wants us to produce righteous fruit that bring glory to our King’s rule and reign.

“Joy and sadness are born at the same time, both arising from such deep places in your heart that you can’t find words to capture your complex emotions. But this intimate experience in which every bit of life is touched by a bit of death can point us beyond the limits of our existence.” —Henri Nouwen

Day 17: Fasting Spiritual Desensitization

A biblical way to describe ‘apathy’ is indifference or spiritual desensitization. Apathy involves an “I don’t care” attitude of response and that is not a good spiritual practice. That attitude may have developed based on weariness or personal suffering; it is a self-protecting tendency. Yet, if we persist in focusing on self rather than God, we can find ourselves stepping into an emotional realm of apathy where we find a lack of motivation to lovingly serve and prioritize others. A pre-occupation on self will produce the rotten fruit of apathy; spiritual matters of righteousness will cease to be a passion or a priority. Denying self is the only way toward God’s righteousness.

The Bible warns against a spiritual desensitization that tries to creep into human life through the avenues of stress and suffering. A passionate Christian will experience some form of persecution; Jesus told us it would be a part of our lives, but his grace would be sufficient (2 Cor 12:9). When we first come to Jesus and taste his goodness we passionately jump into service, but life will eventually require patient endurance that can make us weary in the battle for doing good (Gal 6:9). Conviction may lose its hold and indifference may run to take its place.

When Jesus cleared the Temple of the moneychangers, he was filled with righteous indignation based on the spiritual desensitization of the religious leaders. How did they allow this corruption to enter God’s house? The moneychangers were robbing the people and all these worshipers wanted to do was bring a sacrifice to the Lord. Did these religious leaders no longer care about the will and purposes of God? Or, did they become indifferent based on their own desires and opinions and over time stooped to the ways of the world? Whatever the answer, Jesus was angry at their apathy which caused them to disrespect Father God.

The Apostle John shares a warning from the Lord about apathy in his letter to the Ephesian and Laodicean churches. The Ephesians were abandoning their first Love—the Lord—which was causing a decline in their passion for the work of the Kingdom (Rev 2:2-5). The Laodiceans had become “lukewarm” in their commitment to the Lord (Rev 3:15-16). The answer for spiritual desensitization is prayer, the study and application of Scripture, and serving others; these things will rekindle our love for Christ’s Kingdom purpose.

Today, we will fast spiritual desensitization and will instead choose to feast on passion for our Christ. In John’s gospel today, Jesus contrasts the different emotions his disciples and the world will experience at his death. Apathy will lead the world. Believers will face the spiritual tension present in the world committed to sin. “For there is going to come a time when people won’t listen to the truth but will go around looking for teachers who will tell them just what they want to hear. They won’t listen to what the Bible says but will blithely follow their own misguided ideas (2 Tim 4:3-4). We must take courage, because Jesus never leaves us—always present and powerful.

John 16:17-33 NLT

17 Some of the disciples asked each other, “What does he mean when he says, ‘In a little while you won’t see me, but then you will see me,’ and ‘I am going to the Father’? 18 And what does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand.”

19 Jesus realized they wanted to ask him about it, so he said, “Are you asking yourselves what I meant? I said in a little while you won’t see me, but a little while after that you will see me again. 20 I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn over what is going to happen to me, but the world will rejoice. You will grieve, but your grief will suddenly turn to wonderful joy. 21 It will be like a woman suffering the pains of labor. When her child is born, her anguish gives way to joy because she has brought a new baby into the world. 22 So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again; then you will rejoice, and no one can rob you of that joy. 23 At that time you won’t need to ask me for anything. I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and he will grant your request because you use my name. 24 You haven’t done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy.

25 “I have spoken of these matters in figures of speech, but soon I will stop speaking figuratively and will tell you plainly all about the Father. 26 Then you will ask in my name. I’m not saying I will ask the Father on your behalf, 27 for the Father himself loves you dearly because you love me and believe that I came from God. 28 Yes, I came from the Father into the world, and now I will leave the world and return to the Father.”
29 Then his disciples said, “At last you are speaking plainly and not figuratively. 30 Now we understand that you know everything, and there’s no need to question you. From this we believe that you came from God.”

31 Jesus asked, “Do you finally believe? 32 But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when you will be scattered, each one going his own way, leaving me alone. Yet I am not alone because the Father is with me. 33 I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your passionate response to the sin that can hinder even your believers. The world puts pressure on us and the tension is hard to endure over time. Thank you for helping us grab ahold of courage and continue to fight the battle against spiritual desensitization. We want to radiate your passion and are willing to display your holy indignation when a choice must be made. In your holiness, you got angry with an apathetic attitude and spirit by demonstrating a passion for the Truth. Keep us grounded and living in the Truth, Holy Spirit! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

From Sticky Souls to Transformed Hearts
God’s command—from the glorious clouds overshadowing the Transfiguration of Jesus in the gospels—reminds us: when we listen and do whatever the Son of God says he will lead us from barrenness due to selfish living into righteous fruit-producing living for the glory of God.  Self cannot satisfy self.  We must hunger for God.

This is basically our journey for Lent, because sinful attitudes and actions try to stick to our souls and destroy our Life with God.  Jesus wants us to produce righteous fruit that bring glory to our King’s rule and reign.

“[Jesus cries,] ‘Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.’ God holds back; he hides himself; he weeps. Why? Because he desires what power can never win. He is a king who wants not subservience, but love. Thus, rather than mowing down Jerusalem, Rome, and every other worldly power, he chose the slow, hard way of Incarnation, love, and death. A conquest from within.” —Philip Yancey

Day 16: Fasting False Ideas about Jesus

The Hebrew definition for the word ‘holy’ [kadosh] refers to something “other” and means to be set apart, dedicated, or distinct from the rest—set apart for the Lord God who is the ultimate Source of holiness. To be holy is to be “uncommon.” Although our Lord was sinless and morally pure, to be holy is to take on the full nature of God, so if we understand the weight of that dedication, holiness is really more about our “commitment.” Only God is holy and only a commitment we make to God will give him permission to make us holy. For God said, “You must be holy because I am holy” (1 Pet 1:16). We are called to make a commitment to God and to let him nurture his character and nature within us.

Jesus, our holy example, was entirely committed to the will of Father God. We see his holy character while he grieves and weeps for Jerusalem, while he clears the temple of the money-changers, as he curses the fig tree for not bearing fruit, in every rebuke of the religious leaders, and even in his prayerful distress as he looked at his future. Jesus was not void of emotion, but those feelings were governed by his commitment to the Father. The commitment for every disciple of Jesus is this: a willingness to be set apart from the world as a ‘holy other’ for the glory of God.

I love the renaissance art paintings of the saints with their sweet halos, but friends I don’t imagine in this lifetime we will have that circle of Light above our heads. However, we can have the Light of the World shining in and through our whole lives by the measure of commitment we bring to our relationship with God. Let’s remember the word ‘renaissance’ means “rebirth.” We have been born again so we can be holy as God is holy—be committed to God as he is committed to us! It is all about abiding, friends.

So today we will fast our false ideals of what it means to be holy and press in for the Truth. As the reborn, we are to make such a commitment to the Lord that we allow him: 1) To form us in his character and pure nature, 2) To remove from us immorality and worldly living, and 3) To make us distinct as God’s sons and daughters who are led by the Spirit.

John 16:5-16 NLT The Work of the Holy Spirit
5 “But now I am going away to the one who sent me, and not one of you is asking where I am going. 6 Instead, you grieve because of what I’ve told you. 7 But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate [Comforter, Encourager, Counselor] won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. 9 The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me. 10 Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more. 11 Judgment will come because the ruler of this world has already been judged.

12 “There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t bear it now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. 14 He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.’

Sadness Will Be Turned to Joy
16 “In a little while you won’t see me anymore. But a little while after that, you will see me again.”

Prayer: Lord, we thank you for salvation. As well, we thank you for judging the devil—the ruler of this world. Since this judgment has taken place, we must get into agreement with you for salvation. Thank you for the work of the Holy Spirit and for the righteousness we may manifest and enjoy. You fill us with great joy, Lord, so we pray our lives will bring you glory. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

From Sticky Souls to Transformed Hearts
God’s command—from the glorious clouds overshadowing the Transfiguration of Jesus in the gospels—reminds us: when we listen and do whatever the Son of God says he will lead us from barrenness due to selfish living into righteous fruit-producing living for the glory of God.  Self cannot satisfy self.  We must hunger for God.

This is basically our journey for Lent, because sinful attitudes and actions try to stick to our souls and destroy our Life with God.  Jesus wants us to produce righteous fruit that bring glory to our King’s rule and reign.

“A direct experience of union or deep intimacy may be beautiful beyond words, but it also requires a certain sacrifice of our self-image as separate and distinct. We become vulnerable, less in control. We can no longer maintain the illusion that we are the master of our destiny.” —Gerald G. May

Day 15: Fasting Spiritual Self-Shielding

Do you ever think about the emotions Jesus must have been feeling as he rode through the crowds toward Jerusalem where he would die for you and me? We should never dismiss the emotional realm and reality of our Savior, because he was both fully human and fully divine. Jesus, as our Creator, would know all thing, yet as our brother he would feel all the things we would feel. Those real feelings did not stop Jesus from pressing on to bring well-being or wholeness to others.

As finite human beings, we may try social isolation from people around us who we know have and may continue to emotionally misuse, abuse, or reject us. A time of isolation may be necessary for our emotional well-being. We may try to shield ourselves from further emotional upheaval, but is that method of self-shielding going to be effective for long? I believe the answer is “no,” because the world hates believers. The people who are not led by the Spirit can knowingly and unknowingly become spiritual hosts who follow the lies of Satan to destroy others (Jo 10:10). We cannot control such things, but God can, so it must become his battle.

Jesus looked across the crowds of people cheering and celebrating his arrival and salvation and he knew all too soon they would act based on feelings of hatred toward him. The world hates Jesus, because he is the Truth of Life with God. He knew if not this crowd another crowd would act the same, because he came to defeat the work of our enemy, Satan.

The disciples scattered as a way to isolate themselves from the looming hate. The world will hate us as disciples, because we are carriers of Jesus. So, we will never really be able to insulate or shield ourselves from everyone who will emotionally drain our tanks. For this reason, Jesus sent the Spirit to keep us filled and moving toward the Kingdom goal—righteousness, peace, and joy in the Spirit.

Today, we will fast the habit of self-shielding that is unhealthy. If we spend all our energy isolating ourselves from people who cause us emotional suffering, we will never grow and develop the spiritual strength of Christ. In the midst of some suffering, we must learn to stay in a place of hope and love. May the Spirit of God convict us when we shrink away from reaching for Christ’s strength to trust when we actually feel vulnerable, because no weapon formed against us will prosper.

John 15:18-16:4 NLT The World’s Hatred
18 “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. 19 The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you. 20 Do you remember what I told you? ‘A slave is not greater than the master.’ Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you. 21 They will do all this to you because of me, for they have rejected the one who sent me. 22 They would not be guilty if I had not come and spoken to them. But now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Anyone who hates me also hates my Father. 24 If I hadn’t done such miraculous signs among them that no one else could do, they would not be guilty. But as it is, they have seen everything I did, yet they still hate me and my Father. 25 This fulfills what is written in their Scriptures [laws]: ‘They hated me without cause.’

26 “But I will send you the Advocate [Comforter, Counselor, Encourager]—the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me. 27 And you must also testify about me because you have been with me from the beginning of my ministry.
John 16:1-4 NLT  1“I have told you these things so that you won’t abandon your faith. 2 For you will be expelled from the synagogues, and the time is coming when those who kill you will think they are doing a holy service for God. 3 This is because they have never known the Father or me. 4 Yes, I’m telling you these things now, so that when they happen, you will remember my warning. I didn’t tell you earlier because I was going to be with you for a while longer.

Prayer: Lord, please help us to hold onto our faith when it comes to loving people who despitefully use, persecute, even plan evil against us, because your strength and grace will always be enough to endure no matter what comes our way. We know the very people who hurt us are the people who need you. Help us remember you are our Strength and our Shield when we are tempted to fixate on shielding ourselves. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

From Sticky Souls to Transformed Hearts
God’s command—from the glorious clouds overshadowing the Transfiguration of Jesus in the gospels—reminds us: when we listen and do whatever the Son of God says he will lead us from barrenness due to selfish living into righteous fruit-producing living for the glory of God.  Self cannot satisfy self.  We must hunger for God.

This is basically our journey for Lent, because sinful attitudes and actions try to stick to our souls and destroy our Life with God.  Jesus wants us to produce righteous fruit that bring glory to our King’s rule and reign.

“Come, let us go up together to the Mount of Olives to meet Christ who is returning today from Bethany and going on His own accord to that holy and blessed Passion to complete the mystery of our salvation. Let us imitate those who have gone out to meet Him, not scattering olive branches or garments or palms to His path, but spreading ourselves before Him as best we can, with humility of soul and upright purpose. So may we welcome the Word as He comes, so may God, who cannot be constrained within any bounds, be contained within us.” —Andrew of Crete

Day 14: Fasting Spiritual Spectatorship

Five hundred and fifty years before Jesus made his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the prophet Zechariah told the people their righteous Messiah would be riding on the colt of a donkey (9:9). Jesus is the fulfillment of biblical prophecy; so when he made his way into Jerusalem [humbly on a donkey’s colt], he did not rebuke or stop the people’s praise and shouts of hosanna [meaning God saves] at his arrival—joy filled the air. The Lord had come just as he promised! “Hosanna!”

Because we do not always understand a revelation or put all the pieces of faith into knowledge right away, the very people who covered the road with palm branches, shouted praise, and jumped for joy at the arrival of Jesus to Jerusalem, were the very same people who shouted for his crucifixion days later [fickle souls]. They just did not understand the full measure and revelation of Truth. Jesus knew all of this rejection would happen, yet he came anyway. It was God’s plan for Jesus to die in our place.

A gathering of God’s people should always be filled with praise; in fact, the exuberant praise of the people for their Savior should fill the atmosphere. Joy is found in God’s presence. It is a proper response to everything our King has done for us. Yet, when Jesus bids us to come and die to our wills and ways [deny ourselves], so that we might live for him…what is our response? Are we still shouting praise? Or, do we want Jesus to die for us and we just keep living as sinners? Warning: It does not work this way.

For the most part, the Pharisees and religious leaders did not participate in any of the actions of the crowds. They did not enter in; rather, they stood on the sidelines and criticized—[sticky souls] they became bystanders and spectators. Everything they witnessed seemed out-of-control or an inappropriate response to Jesus. Yet, praising and worshiping the Lord is what we were created to do, so how can we take an inactive posture when the King who laid down his life seeks to fill the atmosphere of our gatherings, today? After all, he is the Living Lord.

We can certainly get excited about some of the things the world offers, yet when the Spirit of the Creator himself begins to reveal his presence to us in our gatherings, we can become either superficial emotional time-bombs or rigid bystanders. Isn’t there a place in our hearts where we know we must participate in the move of the Spirit, but never lose a reverent awareness of his holiness or majesty? Neither jumping up and down on a Sunday morning or standing stoically on the sidelines is worship. Worship is saying, “yes” to the work of the Spirit to make us whole—be a participant.

Today, we will fast spiritual spectatorship. We are not going to make spiritual things about us; rather, we are going to make our action about exalting our royal King with our lives. We will bow under his rule, we will reach for his goodness, and we will allow the work of the Spirit to produce the righteous fruit of his character which transforms us. Without him, we can do absolutely nothing to make ourselves holy or acceptable to God! With him, “Hosanna!”

John 15:1-17 NLT
15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17 This is my command: Love each other.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for helping us be participants in your mighty work to save. We are fasting spiritual spectatorship, because all that does is make faith about us rather than placing our trust in you. Cause us to grow and develop the courage to exuberantly praise you from the heart. We cast down a spirit of judgment and criticism in order to lift up our voices of gratitude and jubilant praise. Hosanna in the Highest! Transform us, oh Lord. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

From Sticky Souls to Transformed Hearts
God’s command—from the glorious clouds overshadowing the Transfiguration of Jesus in the gospels—reminds us: when we listen and do whatever the Son of God says he will lead us from barrenness due to selfish living into righteous fruit-producing living for the glory of God.  Self cannot satisfy self.  We must hunger for God.

This is basically our journey for Lent, because sinful attitudes and actions try to stick to our souls and destroy our Life with God.  Jesus wants us to produce righteous fruit that bring glory to our King’s rule and reign.

A Call to Repentance: “That is why the Lord says,
    “Turn to me now, while there is time.
Give me your hearts.
    Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning. —Joel 2:12 NLT

Day 13: Fasting Ungenerosity

Love does not keep score; love is generous. The Bible defines generosity as ‘an attitude of sharing gladly whatever we might have regardless of wealth.’ God desires to nurture an attitude of generosity within believers; no selfish stinginess allowed. I know a lot of generous people; in fact, it is difficult to get the upper hand regarding generosity when I am with them! lol! However, there is no one more generous than the Lord; he gives the most priceless gifts and they come down from heaven so they are pure (Ja 1:17). Jesus loves lavishly and fully; he wants to bless us with spiritual vitality and abundance. In fact, he gave us the gift of enteral life at great suffering to himself in order to be with us. He is the epitome of generosity.

Today, we will fast ungenerosity because Jesus is so generous and we are being made in his perfect image. There is no room for stinginess in the posture of believing hearts. Believers should be the most generous people on earth, because we have been made recipients of amazing grace. Generosity involves a lot more than money. Our generosity may involve gestures of love, kindness, compassion, patience, making peace with others, or believing the best of others. Generosity calls for greater humility. A generous spirit is beautiful and pleasing before the Lord (2 Cor 9:7).

Obviously, Jesus loved spending time eating with his family, friends [both new and old], and disciples. He was generous with his time and found pleasure around the dinner table where he shared life with others. I love the lesson from John about how Jesus moved on from Jericho where he enjoyed dinner with Zacchaeus to find himself at another dinner table in Bethany—the home of Simon the Leper. John tells us a woman, Mary, breaks a precious alabaster box filled with expensive perfumed oil and anoints Jesus’ feet (Jo 12:3). Judas has a problem with this woman’s expression of generosity. He sees this gesture as a “waste.” Judas is simply self-seeking, inwardly calculating, and greedy. Mary knows she has been a recipient of the priceless things of heaven and there is nothing she prizes more than the Lord. Loving the Lord with our whole being and loving others is what we do as believers.

John 14:23-31 NLT
23 Jesus replied, “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them. 24 Anyone who doesn’t love me will not obey me. And remember, my words are not my own. What I am telling you is from the Father who sent me. 25 I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. 26 But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.

27 “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. 28 Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will come back to you again. If you really loved me, you would be happy that I am going to the Father, who is greater than I am. 29 I have told you these things before they happen so that when they do happen, you will believe.

30 “I don’t have much more time to talk to you, because the ruler of this world approaches. He has no power over me, 31 but I will do what the Father requires of me, so that the world will know that I love the Father. Come, let’s be going.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for modeling pure generosity for us; you do love us lavishly and thoroughly. In fact, you love us enough that you are unwilling to leave us in our sin and inclination to be stingy and self-serving. Instead, you have thought of everything necessary to help us with the transformation process. You help us trust in your promises to provide for us to be generous. Today, we feast on pure generosity; may we be generous with others in every possible way. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

From Sticky Souls to Transformed Hearts
God’s command—from the glorious clouds overshadowing the Transfiguration of Jesus in the gospels—reminds us: when we listen and do whatever the Son of God says he will lead us from barrenness due to selfish living into righteous fruit-producing living for the glory of God.  Self cannot satisfy self.  We must hunger for God.

This is basically our journey for Lent, because sinful attitudes and actions try to stick to our souls and destroy our Life with God.  Jesus wants us to produce righteous fruit that bring glory to our King’s rule and reign.

“It really boils down to this: that all life is interrelated. We are all caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied into a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. We are made to live together because of the interrelated structure of reality.” —Martin Luther King, Jr.

Day 12: Fasting Isolation

“It’s a small world”—a familiar phrase I hear quite frequently when talking with people. It is not unusual to meet someone at an unexpected place or find out that one shares a friend or an acquaintance with another person. Just yesterday, I met for the first time and spoke with someone who knew a mutual friend and actually worked with this person for over a decade. It was just a very fun conversation and journey of discovery. How good of God to connect us and help us see how we have in some ways shared an interrelated life without realizing it until down the road.

Yesterday, in our devotional, we briefly pondered the lives of blind Bartimaeus and the tax collector, Zacchaeus. Let’s consider these two social outcasts—who were dismissed by their culture—just a bit longer. Both Bartimaeus and Zacchaeus were from the same town. Perhaps they silently encountered one another every day: maybe wealthy Zacchaeus walked by the blind beggar Bartimaeus on his way to work. One thing we know, these men were isolated from successfully integrating into the joy of the communal gatherings. Yet, an encounter with Jesus changed all of that for these two.

As Bartimaeus is praising God for his sight, the people witnessing the miracle praise the Lord. Zacchaeus wants to see what is going on in the streets, climbs up into a tree where he gains an invitation to dinner from Jesus, and all of them gather in wholeness. No longer are they isolated even though their faith in Jesus is a very personal experience. Their individual response to faith in Christ brings them into a communal life with many, many others. They are restored.

Today, we will fast isolation, because the enemy tends to be very active in that realm where he keeps people as emotional prisoners. Human beings were never created to live completely alone; it’s unhealthy. Not only does the Holy Spirit live in believers, we live and move and have our being in our Christ. Obviously, we are connected by and through God’s love; so, let’s share it.

Take time to call a friend, meet someone new when you stop for coffee, take a walk and enjoy a conversation with a neighbor you meet but rarely see; nurture what it means to live as a whole in Christ. Share your love of Jesus! Perhaps today you will hear yourself say, “It’s a small world!” We are connected and until we are purposeful about engaging with others, we will fall short of God’s revelation of Truth. We are a part of a beautiful love story written by our holy Creator.

John 14:15-22 NLTJesus Promises the Holy Spirit
15 “If you love me, obey my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate,[Counselor, Encourager, Comforter] who will never leave you. 17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. 18 No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. 19 Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live. 20 When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”
t the other disciple with that name) said to him, “Lord, why are you going to reveal yourself only to us and not to the world at large?”

Prayer: Lord, thank you for helping us spiritually see how we are all interrelated in life. Every person is valuable and needs to be gathered into your love. We can help one another, because our weaknesses and strengths are different. Help us grab ahold of love and share life, together. Create in us a longing to share love, speak Truth, and join in a communal mindset of living each day in Christ. In Jesus’ name. Amen.