Pastor Mary Haley

Psalm 130
Out of the Depths
1
Lord, I cry out to you out of the depths of my despair!
2
Hear my voice, O God!
Answer this prayer and hear my plea for mercy.
3
Lord, if you measured us and marked us with our sins,
who would ever have their prayers answered?
4
But your forgiving love is what makes you so wonderful.
No wonder you are loved and worshiped!
5
This is why I wait upon you, expecting your breakthrough,
for your word brings me hope.
6
I long for you more than any watchman
would long for the morning light.
I will watch and wait for you, O God,
throughout the night.
7
O Israel, keep hoping, keep trusting,
and keep waiting on the Lord,
for he is tenderhearted, kind, and forgiving.
He has a thousand ways to set you free!
8
He himself will redeem you;
he will ransom you from the cruel slavery of your sins!

There are many things right now in life that may tempt us to feel emotionally overwhelmed or spiritually oppressed, but believers are cared for and guided by a faithful Savior. Therefore, we refuse to bow to the sin and fear that Christ promises to help us overcome. Believers are connected to true LIFE. In Christ, you can pray and talk to God about anything that is going on in your life and he will listen and respond in love. Believers are not marked by sin. God holds nothing against us when our hearts are humble and searching for his forgiveness and redemption. If you put your faith in the work of Christ on the cross, you are marked by Love; God has placed his special mark upon every believer. We belong to God and we know this is true, because he gave us his Spirit to occupy our beings. So, keep praying, trusting, and expecting your spiritual breakthrough. Sin has no power to stop you; so advance in the grace of Almighty God and reveal the mark of his honor and glory upon your life!

Prayer: Lord, thank you for redeeming me and setting me free from having to bow to sin and fear. Please continue to bring the breakthroughs I need. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Psalm 67:1-2 TPT
1 
God, keep us near your mercy-fountain and bless us!
And when you look down on us, may your face beam with joy! [may God smile on us]

Pause in his presence
2 
Send us out all over the world so that everyone everywhere
will discover your ways and know who you are and see your power to save.

Mercy is defined as “compassionate treatment for those in distress.” Sometimes people are in distress because of sin and guilt and sometimes because of physical and emotional illness or lack. Mercy is what the Lord has released to anyone who calls upon his name regardless of their distress. In fact, believers are given mercy and grace; Christ gives both at the same time to his own. Mercy is associated with forgiveness and the withholding of judgment. Grace has to do with receiving undeserved blessings. Mercy and Grace are like the arms of God coming together to hug the heart of the wounded soul in order to bring restoration; calling him or her into obedience, discipleship, and new life in Christ. I love God’s hugs, don’t you?

In our passage today, the psalmist prays for God to now use the people to whom he has extended mercy. He asks God to keep believers near by extending the flow of blessing. Then, the psalmist invites God to send his people out to be examples of this vibrant life with the Lord. For those who have invited Christ into their hearts, we have been hugged by Mercy and Grace; we are a new creation made to reveal the presence and power of God to save. The psalmist actually casts a future vision for the Great Commission of Jesus Christ. I want to challenge my readers to focus on Christ’s Commission, today. Jesus told us, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe [obey] everything I have command you. And remember I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Mat. 28:19-20). Jesus is the Spiritual King of the world who overcomes evil by ruling in the heart of every person. The believers commission is not to meet the cultural or social demands of the world, but to shine the life of Christ—be examples of discipleship and obedience—so others will come to the King for salvation and new life.

Prayer: Lord, I thank you for your mercy and grace, and the commission you have given believers. I am to reveal your presence in me to the world, because you are the only One who can save the human soul and meet the needs of the world you died to save. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Psalm 139:23-24 TPT
23 
God, I invite your searching gaze into my heart.
Examine me through and through;
find out everything that may be hidden within me.
Put me to the test and sift through all my anxious cares.
24 
See if there is any path of pain I’m walking on,
and lead me back to your glorious, everlasting ways—
the path that brings me back to you.

The verb “sift” is a word I rarely hear used, anymore. If something is sifted it is put through a sieve to remove particles that do not belong. Sifting is a very important word when we think about the work of the Spirit and our souls—minds, wills, and emotions. As believers, who belong to God, we are to invite the Lord to “sift” through our souls. That means we accept the spiritual reality that we do not know ourselves the way God knows us, so we trust him to take the things out of our souls that do not belong; not aligned with his character. Therefore, we ask God to examine thoroughly and “sift” or another word would be “isolate” within us that which is fruitful and useful for the Kingdom from that which is not and in time will cause us pain. When God sifts our souls he is loving us and helping us respond more like Jesus who completely trusted and followed the will of the Father. God wants to sift the fear out of our souls and deal with it, because perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18).

Prayer: Lord, I invite you to sift through my soul and remove anything that is hidden or hindering my growth in righteousness as I participate in the work of your Kingdom on earth. I want to remain on the righteous path with you, so fear that seeks to diminish your authority over my life has to go. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Matthew 8:23-27 TPT
Jesus Calms a Storm
23 They all got into a boat and began to cross over to the other side of the lake. And Jesus, exhausted, fell asleep. 24 Suddenly a violent storm developed, with waves so high the boat was about to be swamped. Yet Jesus continued to sleep soundly. 25 The disciples woke him up, saying, “Save us, Lord! We’re going to die!”

26 But Jesus reprimanded them. “Why are you gripped with fear? Where is your faith?” Then he stood up and rebuked the storm and said, “Be still!” And instantly it became perfectly calm.
27 The disciples were astonished by this miracle and said to one another, “Who is this Man? Even the wind and waves obey his Word.”

Storms have a way of unsettling human and animal creation. In Florida, we face all kinds of atmospheric disturbances; storms. Our sweet dog, Gracie, does not like thunder; she restlessly paces and wants to be held until the storm passes. As humans and believers, we are aware of the spiritual, emotional, and physical storms raging in our culture and world right now. These storms can be unsettling, but we must stay the course with God.

In our passage today, the disciples have Jesus (the God-man) with them in the boat, but they still fear the wind and waves will destroy them. Jesus reprimands his disciples’ intense fear of death and their lack of faith that his Word to save them is true. We are not to fear death, because we are promised eternal life. At times, we may feel unsettled, but we are not to be gripped with fear. Fear is a thief; it robs us of enjoying life. Instead of fear dominating us, we are to allow the life of Christ to have dominion as we pray and seek the Lord for help. We live our lives in wisdom and faith; trusting in the love of God for us and placing our confidence in his power to care for us in the midst of the storms. Fear is a beast that rises up like violent waves; a bully to beat down and overtake your faith. Don’t allow fear to gain a foothold in your life. Take Jesus to your storm!

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your love and power working in my life. The spiritual storms between good and evil may try to unsettle me, but I trust you to take me through every storm for your glory. I will hang onto eternal life and live each day with faith in your love. I will draw near to you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Psalm 28: 6-9
6 
But may your name be blessed and built up!
For you have answered my passionate cry for mercy.
7 
You are my strength and my shield from every danger.
When I fully trust in you, help is on the way.
I jump for joy and burst forth with ecstatic, passionate praise!
I will sing songs of what you mean to me!
8 
You will be the inner strength of all your people,
the mighty protector of all,
the saving strength for all your anointed ones.
9 
Keep protecting and cherishing your chosen ones;
in you they will never fall.
Like a shepherd going before us, keep leading us forward,
forever carrying us in your arms!

Every single day I ask the Lord for help of some kind. I have no trouble admitting that if I go into a day without asking for the Lord’s help, I will fall short of bringing him glory and honor. Sometimes I ask for the Lord to help me be courageous, strong, and resilient. Sometimes I ask for the Lord to help me forgive, be humble, believe the best of others, and grow in how I love all people. Sometimes I ask the Lord to help me trust his plan even though I may not see things clearly. We must stay the course and never give up, because the Lord is with us and has promised to lead us all the way to glory. He will lead us today and he will lead us into tomorrow, but we must take the necessary steps forward.

Our passage today, reminds me of the song lyrics by Doyle Dawson and Quicksilver, “Just hold on a little longer help is on the way. A better day is coming for those who believe and pray. Help won’t help tomorrow, if you give up today. Just hold on a little longer, help is on the way.”

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the power of prayer, your offer to be the Helper I need, and for the work of faith that causes me to take each step. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

2 Peter 2:4-10 TPT

4 Now, don’t forget, God had no pity for the angels when they sinned [rebelled against God] but threw them into the lowest, darkest dungeon of gloom [hell] and locked them in chains, where they are firmly held until the judgment of torment.

5 And he did not spare the former world in the days of Noah when he sent a flood to destroy a depraved world [devoid of awe for God] although he protected Noah, the preacher of righteousness, along with seven members of his family.

6 And don’t forget that he reduced to ashes the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, condemning them to ruin and destruction. God appointed them to be examples as to what is coming to the ungodly. 7 Yet he rescued a righteous man, Lot, suffering the indignity of the unbridled lusts of the lawless. 8 For righteous Lot lived among them day after day, distressed in his righteous soul by the rebellious deeds he saw and heard.

9 If the Lord Yahweh rescued Lot, he knows how to continually rescue the godly from their trials and to reserve the ungodly for punishment on the day of judgment. 10 And this especially applies to those who live their lives despising authorities and who abandon themselves to chasing the depraved lusts of their flesh.

History was written and preserved, so we “don’t forget.” The Bible is preserved to provide a history of God as he reveals himself as the Creator and establishes his authority within his creation. It is written so we “don’t forget” the ways of God and his expectations for the human race to receive his love, redemption, and salvation. God desires to have a relationship with his creation. In our passage today, we want to remember how God did not spare even the angels when they rebelled against his authority. Throughout biblical history, rebellious human beings have had to face the judgment of God for their lawless sin. According to Scripture, every human being must face the responsibility of his or her choices. If we choose to rebel against God and his authority to govern our lives, we will face judgment. We will either be examples to the world of righteousness (right standing with God) or wicked lawlessness (rebellion against God). While some in our culture would like to erase history, may those who are wise take this time to get right with God; “don’t forget!”

Prayer: Lord, thank you for loving your creation so much that you left us with your written Word so we do not forget your love, work of redemption, or righteous expectations for us. I will not forget. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Psalm 105: 1-6 CEV
The Lord Can Be Trusted
1
Praise the Lord
    and pray in his name!
    Tell everyone
    what he has done.
2 
Sing praises to the Lord!
    Tell about his miracles.
3 
Celebrate and worship
his holy name
    with all your heart.
4 
Trust the Lord
    and his mighty power.
5 
Remember his miracles
and all his wonders
    and his fair decisions.
6 
You belong to the family
    of Abraham, his servant;
    you are his chosen ones,
    the descendants of Jacob.

I am encouraging you to participate in a “praise-a-thon” that erupts from your mouth, is texted or penned through your hand, every single day that draws attention away from the world and casts it upon the Savior. What if we shared words of praise and images of abundant life instead of words or images of negativity or defeat? As believers and followers of the Word, we will never be defeated; we will always overcome in Christ. The Lord has done great miracles in my life; his power has been revealed over and over and over again and I am sure it is the same for you because he is no respecter of persons! The world is a mess, because it is feasting on an evil and destructive lawless spirit and not the Word of God. We belong to Christ—a Kingdom people fed truth—and you are his treasure—Beloved of the Lord. Let’s praise the one who is enthroned in our hearts! (Ps. 22:3)

Prayer: Lord, thank you for calling me into your family. Please let my praise-filled words and the worship of my heart bless you and be an example to others. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Psalm 85:8-12 Living Bible
8 I am listening carefully to all the Lord is saying—for he speaks peace to his people, his saints, if they will only stop their sinning. 9 Surely his salvation is near to those who reverence him; our land will be filled with his glory.

10 Mercy and truth have met together. Grim justice [righteousness] and peace have kissed! 11 Truth rises from the earth, and righteousness smiles down from heaven.

12 Yes, the Lord pours down his blessings on the land, and it yields its bountiful crops. 13 Justice goes before him to make a pathway for his steps. [we are set in the ways of his steps]

In our passage today, the psalmist reminds us that reverence (fear of the Lord) leads to divine forgiveness and the restoration of our love and joy for God and his presence in our lives. We need God to revive us by pouring his love over us as individuals and as a community of believers worldwide. God promises to care for his own—those who will listen carefully to the Spirit and walk in obedience to the Word. The quality of his care is seen in the love, truth, righteousness and peace we have been imparted for our new life in Christ. Believers are new creations in Christ; born from above. We are not born again so we can be tolerant of sin; our lives now reveal the presence of peace and the work of righteousness for his glory. We are not born again so we can listen to the lies of the enemy which leads to destruction; our lives now reveal the Truth of God’s Word transforming us from glory to glory. We need the blessings of the Lord in our land, so pray for righteousness to rise up in believers everywhere and pave the way for his steps—his glory and eternal reign. He is the King of Glory who is returning for his own and we serve him with our very lives!

Prayer: Come Lord, Jesus! Revive me in your love and help me to reveal truth, righteousness, and peace. May I be set in the ways of your steps! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Isaiah 43: 1-2
The Savior of Israel (People chosen by God for a purpose)
1
But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you.
    O Israel, the one who formed you says,
“Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you.
    I have called you by name; you are mine.
2 
When you go through deep waters,
    I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty,
    you will not drown.
When you walk through the fire of oppression,
    you will not be burned up;
    the flames will not consume you.

In our passage today, believers should recognize God’s faithfulness to protect us from the things that would normally destroy us. The strength of God is essential and all we need to do, as God’s children, is to humble ourselves and cry out for help. Fear is not the proper response of believers, because we belong to God and acknowledge his authority to govern our lives. Faith in his promise to love us is where we must stand, because he has chosen to stand with us and save us. If God be for us, who can be against us?

Prayer: Lord, thank you for saving me and being with me when I feel like the waters of life rush to knock me off my feet. Thank you for your promise to walk with me through difficult times, so I am not drained of spiritual focus and energy in serving your Kingdom. Thank you for the power of grace that deflects the oppression that exists in the world, so as you walk with me I do not find myself possessed by fear. You are GOOD to me Lord and I praise you! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Acts 2:42-47
The Community of Believers
42 Every believer was faithfully devoted to following the teachings of the apostles. Their hearts were mutually linked to one another,[connected in Christ] sharing communion and coming together regularly for prayer. 43 A deep sense of holy awe [fear or respect of the Lord] swept over everyone, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders.[in Jerusalem] 44 All the believers were in fellowship as one body, and they shared with one another whatever they had. 45 Out of generosity they even sold their assets to distribute the proceeds to those who were in need among them. 46 Daily they met together in the temple courts and in one another’s homes to celebrate communion. They shared meals together with joyful hearts and tender humility. 47 They were continually filled with praises to God, enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord kept adding to their number daily those who were coming to life.

The early Church or the Body of Christ understood the need to love and care for one another. These early believers needed to gather in order to gain a holy perspective and revelation of the life Christ died to provide. As believers, we need to understand the power of life together in Christ. The gathering of believers to strengthen one another is an act of obedience that leads to power, provision, and wholeness. It is why the enemy strategically works to hinder and halt spiritual assembly. We need the fellowship of one another; otherwise, the Body lacks all its parts and therefore lacks vitality. If God has called you to a Body of believers and you are not attending due to Covid 19, we understand, but you are going to be terribly missed and the whole will experience your absence. I know I am missing many members of my spiritual family right now.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for creating us to be a community of believers. We need you and we need one another. In Jesus’ name. Amen.