Pastor Mary Haley

Matthew 10:5-10 The Message (MSG)

We certainly have become a culture built on “technology.” When you think of ministry, does technology play a roll? It does for me. Technology helps us carry the news of the Kingdom; we can connect to an extended group of people beyond the gathered congregation. Our teaching can spread the Word and grow disciples through our videos and devotionals. With that being said, I see technology as an asset, but every Christian is really the most valuable piece of equipment to be used by God. If you are led by the Spirit, you carry the anointing of Christ and no technology can take your place. Technology may serve to draw a person’s attention to spiritual things and even feed them, but a vibrant Christ-filled disciple moves in the anointing to bring a harvest heart and hands to the work of the Kingdom. We are to be “doers of the Word” not just “hearers” (James 1:22).

In our passage today, Jesus sends out his apostles to extend harvest hands in their local community. They are to walk by faith and trust God to work through them. Christ has promised the Spirit will make them—the equipment—powerful to heal the sick, raise the dead, touch the infected, and take authority over evil spirits. It’s the anointing of Christ and no technology can duplicate it. Be the equipment God uses, today.

Matthew 10:5-15
5-8 Jesus sent his twelve harvest hands out with this charge:
“Don’t begin by traveling to some far-off place to convert unbelievers. And don’t try to be dramatic by tackling some public enemy. Go to the lost, confused people right here in the neighborhood. Tell them that the kingdom is here. Bring health to the sick. Raise the dead. Touch the untouchables. Kick out the demons. You have been treated generously, so live generously.

9-10 “Don’t think you have to put on a fund-raising campaign before you start. You don’t need a lot of equipment. You are the equipment, and all you need to keep that going is three meals a day. Travel light.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for making me the equipment you wish to use for your anointing, today, in my realm of influence. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Ephesians 6:10-18 The Message (MSG)

When I was quite young, my family used to go to my grandfather’s cottage on a freshwater lake in Michigan. Dad would take the boat out away from the shore—away from the leeches—so we could swim. I was frightened because the water was deep and way over my head, but I would resist the help of a life preserver. I would bounce like a bobber trying to keep my head above water. Sometimes life feels like we are treading water; we can’t stop because we are in way over our heads, right?

Well, Jesus knows we are in over our heads in a fight against the things the Devil throws at us. We cannot handle the circumstances in our own strength; we need the life Preserver—Jesus. He supplies the help and weapons we need: Truth, righteousness, peace, and faith are all part of your salvation in Christ. Never let the enemy have your weapons.

Ephesians 6:10-18 A Fight to the Finish
10-12 And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.

13-18 Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.

Prayer: Lord, help me hold onto truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and the joy of my salvation. Then, I will outlast the enemy. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Psalm 66:1-3 The Message (MSG)

Every now and then we can all feel overwhelmed by the tenacity of evil and the immense burden of sin influencing our world. Justice—the ways of God—is under attack all the time. Issues and temptations can rise up to confront our lives at any moment and we must be ready to respond in the love of Christ. In those times, we must grab a hold of our courage and confidence in Christ and invite God to occupy the issues facing us.

We need to receive wisdom in our time of need; so we ask God for wisdom. God is always merciful and ready to help when we call upon his name for salvation. In Christ, you have access to God every day and any time you need him. Always remember, God’s character is perfect, you can trust him, and he will faithfully conquer his enemies. Since God has enemies, don’t be surprised you do, too. Rather than focus on the work of the enemy, keep your gaze upon Jesus and the work of Truth.

Psalm 66:1-3
1-4 All together now—applause for God!
Sing songs to the tune of his glory,
set glory to the rhythms of his praise.
Say of God, “We’ve never seen anything like him!”
When your enemies see you in action,
they slink off like scolded dogs.

Prayer: Father, I praise you for your goodness and seek to live for your glory. Thank you for keeping me strong to deal with every enemy that tries to rise up and steal my peace and joy. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Psalm 111 Amplified Bible (AMP)

When is the right time to praise the Lord? Is it when everything in our lives is going well and we are soaring above turbulent moments? Is it when we are in desperate need of divine help on the verge of weariness? Or, do you have the revelation that no matter what is going on in a day, God is good, ready to bring justice and help, and worthy to be praised every moment?

How we view God in our lives, will be revealed in our praise life. When praise remains on our lips, gratitude, grace, and mercy fills our hearts. May God’s children lift up a mighty shout of praise, today, because he is good all the time!

Psalm 111 The Lord Praised for His Goodness.
1 Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)
I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart,
In the company of the upright and in the congregation.

2 Great are the works of the Lord,
Studied by all those who delight in them.

3 Splendid and majestic is His work,
And His righteousness endures forever.

4 He has made His wonderful acts to be remembered;
The Lord is gracious and merciful and full of loving compassion.

5 He has given food to those who fear Him [with awe-inspired reverence];
He will remember His covenant forever.

6 He has declared and made known to His people the power of His works,
In giving them the heritage of the nations.

7 The works of His hands are truth and [absolute] justice;
All His precepts are sure (established, reliable, trustworthy).

8 They are upheld forever and ever;
They are done in [absolute] truth and uprightness.

9 He has sent redemption to His people;
He has ordained His covenant forever;
Holy and awesome is His name—[inspiring reverence and godly fear].

10 The [reverent] fear of the Lord is the beginning (the prerequisite, the absolute essential, the alphabet) of wisdom;

A good understanding and a teachable heart are possessed by all those who do the will of the Lord;
His praise endures forever.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your goodness! I love and respect you and your wisdom! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

2 Timothy 1:8-11, 13-14 New Living Translation (NLT)

The Holy Spirit has entrusted you with a priceless Gift; a hidden treasure in your heart. This is a treasure the father of lies—Satan—hates and hopes we will be careless to guard. In fact, Jesus warns us Satan wants to rob, steal, and destroy the Truth in us. He wants to hinder us from living in spiritual abundance (John 10:10). My friends, guard the Truth in your hearts diligently; God trusts you to guard the Truth and live out his message of love.

In our passage today, the Apostle Paul is giving his spiritual son, Timothy, some essential instruction to live in the power of God. Let’s take it to heart, as well.

2 Timothy 1:8-11, 13-14
Never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord. For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus. He broke the power of death and illuminated the way to life and immortality through the Good News. Hold on to the pattern of wholesome teaching you learned from me—a pattern shaped by the faith and love that you have in Christ Jesus. Through the power of the Holy Spirit who lives within us, carefully guard the precious truth that has been entrusted to you.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for entrusting me with the indwelling Truth. Continue to lead me in the paths of righteousness and bear the fruit that exalts the Truth. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Mark 11:12-14, 20-24 Amplified Bible (AMP)

Most of us work hard at taking care of our outward appearances; we represent the Lord so it is right to be clean and neat. However, we are wise if we remember that God looks at the inward motives of our hearts; he is looking deep in our souls for fertile ground and the evidence of budding fruit. He knows if we are ever going to bear the fruit of righteousness outwardly as a testimony of salvation to the world, we are going to need a healthy root system. We need to be rooted in Christ if we are going to bear fruit.

In our lesson today, Jesus sees a fig tree off in the distance and he is hungry, so he goes over to the tree to look for the first fruit of the harvest. You see a fig tree produces some figs before it produces leaves. This fig tree has lots of leaves, but is barren of fruit. The tree looks good on the outside, but will feed no one. Much the same way Christian lives can go through the religious motions, but be absent of producing the fruit of the Spirit that will spiritually feed others.

Our lives, as followers of Christ, are to bring glory to God. We were created to live for God’s glory. Jesus said, “I am the Vine and you are the branches. When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. For apart from me you can do nothing. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. This brings great glory to my Father” (John 15:5, 8). When you pray to ask the Spirit to produce much fruit in your life, you are praying by faith for the will of God and it will be given to you.

Mark 11:12-14, 20-24
12 On the next day, when they had left Bethany, He was hungry. 13 Seeing at a distance a fig tree in leaf, He went to see if He would find anything on it. But He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14 He said to it, “No one will ever eat fruit from you again!” And His disciples were listening [to what He said].

20 In the morning, as they were passing by, the disciples saw that the fig tree had withered away from the roots up. 21 And remembering, Peter said to Him, “Rabbi (Master), look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered!” 22 Jesus replied, “Have faith in God [constantly]. 23 I assure you and most solemnly say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea!’ and [a]does not doubt in his heart [in God’s unlimited power], but believes that what he says is going to take place, it will be done for him [in accordance with God’s will]. 24 For this reason I am telling you, whatever things you ask for in prayer [in accordance with God’s will], believe [with confident trust] that you have received them, and they will be given to you.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the power to bear fruit as I remain in you. Heavenly Father, may my life bring you glory as I yield to the work of your Spirit. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

1 John 5:1-5 Contemporary English Version (CEV)

If you believe Jesus is the Son of God—the Messiah who brings salvation from sin—you are a world conqueror. It is true! You overcome the world’s ways through your faith in the Anointed One who lives in you. We have the power to defeat sin, because we love God, obey his Word, and ask Jesus to help us. I cannot speak for you, but I need the help of Jesus everyday. I am so grateful he delights in being my Helper and Deliverer.

In our passage today, the Apostle John sends us a great reminder. Sure, each day we may be handed a fight—doing battle with the sin in the world that tries to gain access to our hearts—but Jesus is the Door and no evil can come near when he is Lord of our lives. Make Jesus your Master and Lord and use your faith in Christ to defeat sin.

1 John 5:1-5 Victory over the World
5 If we believe that Jesus is truly Christ, we are God’s children. Everyone who loves the Father will also love his children. 2 If we love and obey God, we know that we will love his children. 3 We show our love for God by obeying his commandments, and they are not hard to follow.

4 Every child of God can defeat the world, and our faith is what gives us this victory. 5 No one can defeat the world without having faith in Jesus as the Son of God.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for making me your child and for helping me defeat the sin that tries to destroy my faith in your love. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

James 1:2-8 Contemporary English Version (CEV)

The testing of our faith through experiential learning is what helps us to grow toward spiritual maturity. Peace governs us as we mature in our faith. Peace or shalom is a realm where we are whole and resting in the love of God. We trust God to love us and care for us and we refuse to worry, because we know the resources of heaven will see us through.

We need a Guide as we embark on this journey, so we need to boldly ask the Spirit of Christ to guide us in wisdom. Otherwise, we will struggle with double-mindedness; our flesh will war against righteousness. We must believe the Lord desires to give wisdom to us when we ask and that Christ will see that we lack nothing for our journey. “Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel” (Philippians 4:7).

James 1:2-8 Faith and Wisdom
2 My friends, be glad, even if you have a lot of trouble. 3 You know that you learn to endure by having your faith tested. 4 But you must learn to endure everything, so that you will be completely mature and not lacking in anything.

5 If any of you need wisdom, you should ask God, and it will be given to you. God is generous and won’t correct you for asking. 6 But when you ask for something, you must have faith and not doubt. Anyone who doubts is like an ocean wave tossed around in a storm. 7-8 If you are that kind of person, you can’t make up your mind, and you surely can’t be trusted. So don’t expect the Lord to give you anything at all.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for guiding me toward spiritual maturity. You are so faithful to teach me each day how to emulate your love. Thank you for your wisdom and your patience. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Matthew 20:29-34 New Living Translation (NLT)

I find the work of gaining spiritual understanding absolutely amazing; the Holy Spirit is such an incredible Giver of insight and revelation. For example, how is it that we may know something in the Spirit—by revelation—and not really have thought about it, spent time analyzing it, or visually seen the evidence of it manifest? It’s because God weaves threads of spiritual understanding throughout Scripture and it is up to every child of God to use faith to see the whole picture and how he or she fits into it. When we apply wisdom and understanding to our lives, we can find the truth revealed and we know how to please God with our lives.

When Scripture teaches Christ opens the eyes of the blind, it is both a literal action, as well as a spiritual figure of speech. During Christ’s time, it was perceived that blind eyes were closed to spiritual things and seeing eyes were open to spiritual things. In our passage today, Jesus comes near two blind men. Based on the promises of God through the prophets to send a Savior, these blind men cry out to Jesus to heal them; they have spiritual understanding of who Jesus is because they have put prophetic Scripture together with the news of Christ’s miracles. Therefore, they know the healing Messiah (the one who will come to open the eyes of the blind) will be a descendant of David. It is interesting that these blind men have spiritual understanding of Christ’s identity and power before he heals their eyesight, but the Pharisees and religious leaders who have seeing eyes cannot put the pieces together in order to understand the very miracles they have witnessed Jesus perform is because he is the promised Messiah.

Christ is the Wisdom we need to understand Scripture; the work of the Spirit bears witness when we have heard the Truth of God’s heart, love, and salvation. May we call on the name of Jesus and invite the Holy Spirit to help us every day with spiritual understanding.

Matthew 20:29-34 Jesus Heals Two Blind Men
29 As Jesus and the disciples left the town of Jericho, a large crowd followed behind. 30 Two blind men were sitting beside the road. When they heard that Jesus was coming that way, they began shouting, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”

31 “Be quiet!” the crowd yelled at them.
But they only shouted louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”

32 When Jesus heard them, he stopped and called, “What do you want me to do for you?”
33 “Lord,” they said, “we want to see!” 34 Jesus felt sorry for them and touched their eyes. Instantly they could see! Then they followed him.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for helping me gain spiritual understanding as I read Scripture and make the necessary connections in Christ. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Psalm 37 New Living Translation

Trust is a very important piece in all relationships. When we lose our trust in someone, it is a struggle to regain it (although it can be done). Jesus teaches we are to forgive those who sin against us; those who violate our trust. In fact, being a follower of Christ involves forgiving others; giving the offending person and issue to God. The battle to bring justice then belongs to the Lord. Forgiveness is a matter of redirecting our focus off from the offender and onto the Lord who is the God of perfect Justice.

In our passage today, David reminds us about trust; we must trust God to care for us in the midst of injustice, disappointment, or challenging times. If we place more trust in people, knowledge, and the world than we do in God, we have displaced the One in whom we can always trust. Our hearts were created to believe every Word that flows from the mouth of God, but sin has caused us to doubt the very one in whom we alone can trust with our hearts. So, trust the Lord above all, delight yourself in his perfect love, and commit your life to his care. He wants more for you than you want for yourself. Others may violate your trust and you will need to forgive them; God will help you with forgiveness. Yet, here is a great Truth you should never forget… You can trust the Lord completely to bring only good to your life!

Psalm 37 A psalm of David.
1
Don’t worry about the wicked
or envy those who do wrong.
2
For like grass, they soon fade away.
Like spring flowers, they soon wither.
3
Trust in the Lord and do good.
Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.
4
Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you your heart’s desires.
5
Commit everything you do to the Lord.
Trust him, and he will help you.
6
He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn,
and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun.
7
Be still in the presence of the Lord,
and wait patiently for him to act.
Don’t worry about evil people who prosper
or fret about their wicked schemes.
8
Stop being angry!
Turn from your rage!
Do not lose your temper—
it only leads to harm.
9
For the wicked will be destroyed,
but those who trust in the Lord will possess the land.

Prayer: Lord, I never want to place my trust in anyone or anything more than you. Holy Spirit, please continue to guide my commitment to trust my all to you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.