Pastor Mary Haley

Psalm 139:1-4 King David’s song

1 
Lord, you know everything there is to know about me.
2 
You perceive every movement of my heart and soul,
and you understand my every thought before it even enters my mind.
3–4 
You are so intimately aware of me, Lord.
You read my heart like an open book
and you know all the words I’m about to speak
before I even start a sentence!

Whether we believe in the Lord’s love and salvation or not, God knows everything about every human being. No one can hide anything from the pure omnipresent Light of Truth. God always has a righteous plan for his human creation and he will not stop bringing it forward because he flawlessly works for our restoration and wholeness. We were made in his image, after all and he works to redeem the Truth. When we stoop to deception, painful or not, God raises up Truth to confront and correct us. As King David discovered in his own life, no matter how much power a person may have, Truth eventually comes out and prevails because even though others may be oblivious, God is not mocked (Gal 6:7).

God’s love is pure and he wants more for us than to live as liars. When humans lie, we look like the father of lies—Satan. So, God patiently makes arrangements for humans to have an encounter with Truth. If you find yourself discouraged because you feel Truth has been robbed by the evil work of Satan, rest assure whatever a person sows they will reap. When we build temples of deceit, Truth in time brings a wrecking ball. Your biggest challenge will be choosing to love and trust God in the meantime. Spend your time praying for Truth to rise, continue producing good fruit in your own life, and leave the harvest to God.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for knowing everything about your human creation. You alone know the Truth and motives of our hearts. We pray for our hearts to be in sync with your Spirit of Truth, and we pray for our country and world to not only hunger for the Truth, but for the One who is Truth—Jesus—to be revealed to the world. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Judges 2:13-15
13 The Israelites abandoned the worship of the Eternal One and turned to serve Baal and his consort the moon goddess, Ashtaroth. 14 So the Eternal’s anger burned hot against them, and He caused them to be overcome by those around them, using their enemies to plunder them so that the Israelites could no longer stand against their enemies. 15 Whenever they marched out to battle, the hand of the Eternal One was raised against them in evil, as He had warned and promised them, and they were in anguish.

After Joshua died, the Israelites moved once again toward idolatry. They left their first love—Yahweh—and worshiped idols with their neighbors. They sacrificed their relationship with God who had lovingly delivered them time and time again to align themselves with the world. So, the people ended up fighting against God who used their enemies to bring judgment upon them.

Scripture teaches “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). May we allow the Spirit to soften our hearts and may we hunger for more of God in the days ahead. May we be truly grateful for his goodness and his blessings that sustain us and help us to persevere. May we reach out to lift others up who are struggling around us. May the world wake up and connect to Christ!

Prayer: Lord, I know idolatry is a matter of the heart; help me to stay focused on you, put on humility, as well as be willing to serve and share my life and blessings with others. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Before we begin reading our passage for today, let’s put a few nuggets of biblical history into our thoughts. The gospel of John was written by the apostle John who served as one of the twelve disciples during Jesus’ earthly ministry. John the Baptist was Jesus’ cousin; his mother was Elizabeth whom Mary went to visit. In Chapter 1, John’s gospel tells us John the Baptist finds himself interrogated by some religious leaders; they want to know who he is because he has chosen not to follow the proper priestly path for leadership. In other words, he does not represent or take order from the establishment and they are not happy with him. So, John the Baptist answers them, “I am fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy: ‘I am an urgent, thundering voice shouting in the desert—clear the way and prepare your hearts for the coming of the Lord Yahweh!’” John the Baptist makes no apologies for usurping those in power; he simply does what the Lord sends him to do. He get’s people’s attention and warns them to turn from wickedness and seek the Truth—Yahweh.

John 1:29-34 The Lamb of God
29 The very next day John saw Jesus coming to him to be baptized, and John cried out, “Look! There he is—God’s Lamb! He will take away [lift off] the sins of the world! 30 I told you that a Mighty One would come who is far greater than I am, because he existed long before I was born! 31 My baptism was for the preparation of his appearing to Israel, even though I’ve yet to experience him.”

32 Then, as John baptized Jesus he spoke these words: “I see the Spirit of God appear like a dove descending from the heavenly realm and landing upon him—and it rested upon him from that moment forward! 33 And even though I’ve yet to experience him, when I was commissioned to baptize with water God spoke these words to me, ‘One day you will see the Spirit descend and remain upon a man. He will be the One I have sent to baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And now I have seen with discernment. I can tell you for sure that this man is the Son of God.”

Jesus is the Messiah; the Son of God and the Way of Truth who pleases the Father. He came and laid down his life, so humanity could choose to accept life in him; God’s plan for salvation from judgement. Believers—those who have laid their lives down to live in Christ—have been baptized with the Spirit of Holiness–now we, too, please the Father.

Friends, through the Holy Spirit, God is warning us again to get ready, but this time for his Second Coming. The apostle John writes about it in his prophetic vision from the Lord, “Then I witnessed another angel flying in the sky, carrying a message of eternal good news to announce to the earth—to every tribe, language, people, and nation. With a loud voice he shouted, “You must reverence God and glorify him, for the time has come for him to judge [the time of his deciding]. Worship at the feet of the Creator of heaven, earth, sea, and springs of water” (Rev 14:6-7).

Prayer: Lord, thank you for preparing our hearts through your Word and for the encouragement of the Spirit who supernaturally directs our paths. It is now the work of the Spirit to prepare us for your Second Coming. While I am waiting, help me to be an effective witness of the Truth for others. In Jesus’ name Amen.

Acts 22:3-15
3 I’ve been extremely passionate in my desire to please God, just as all of you are today. 4 I’ve hunted down and killed the followers of this Way. I have seized them and thrown them into prison, both men and women. 5 All of this can be verified by the high priest and the Supreme Council of Elders. For they even wrote letters to our fellow Jews of Damascus, authorizing me to arrest them and bring them back to Jerusalem as prisoners to be punished.
6 “As I was on the road approaching Damascus, about noon, a brilliant heavenly light suddenly appeared, flashing all around me. 7 As I fell to the ground I heard a voice say, ‘Saul, Saul . . . why are you persecuting me?’
8 “I answered, ‘Who are you, my Lord?’
“He said to me, ‘I am Jesus, the Victorious. I am the one you are persecuting.’
9 “Those who were with me saw the brilliant light, but they didn’t hear the voice of the one who spoke to me.
10 “So I asked, ‘Lord, what am I to do?’
“And the Lord said to me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told about all that you are destined to do.’
11 “Because of the dazzling glory of the light, I couldn’t see—I was left blind. So they had to lead me by the hand the rest of the way into Damascus.
12 “A Jewish man living there named Ananias came to see me. He was a godly man who lived according to the law of Moses and was highly esteemed by the Jewish community. 13 He stood beside me and said, ‘Saul! My brother, Saul—open your eyes and see again!’ At that very instant I opened my eyes and I could see! 14 Then he said to me, ‘The God of our ancestors has destined you[e] to know his plan and for you to see the Holy One and to hear his voice. 15 For you will be his witness to every race of people and will share with them everything that you’ve seen and heard.

In our passage today, Paul is giving his testimony at the Temple in Jerusalem. He is trying to get the men of Israel to pay attention to his story about Jesus. They falsely accuse him of teaching against the laws of Moses. A mob comes after Paul with the purpose of killing him; they beat him until a regiment of Roman soldiers come to break up the attack. Paul lets these religious zealots know he understands where they find themselves. He, too, was deceived by Satan into misinterpreting the Word of God, as well as harming the Lord and his servants.

Organized religion may or may not correctly represent the Truth of God’s Word or will. Be careful. Humans have an inclination to make God in their own image—based on their personal opinions, rather than conform to his image and his ways revealed in the Word. Jesus came to draw us into a relationship based on personal responsibility; he brings the power to live for God. We must read the Word of God, stay true to what is written and taught about living a life that pleases God, and listen to the Holy Spirit who bears witness to the Truth and brings the power to live as an obedient Christ follower. Otherwise, like Paul, some well-meaning folks may find themselves using a false religion to silence others who are actually standing on the Word and obeying the Lord who is Truth. In the last days, deceived government/world leaders and deceived religious teachers will partner with Satan for the purpose of trying one last time to silence Christ’s followers and dethrone and Lord of all (Rev. 13).

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the witness of the apostle Paul and his courage to speak Truth even when others did not want to hear it. I pray for Truth to rise up in me and in all your followers, so we will continue to speak honestly and accurately for your heart. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Luke 5:1-7

The Miracle Catch of Fish
5 On one occasion, Jesus was preaching to the crowds on the shore of Lake Galilee. There was a vast multitude of people pushing to get close to Jesus to hear the word of God. 2 He noticed two fishing boats at the water’s edge, with the fishermen nearby, rinsing their nets. 3 Jesus climbed into the boat belonging to Simon Peter and asked him, “Let me use your boat. Push it off a short distance away from the shore so I can speak to the crowds.”
4 Jesus sat down and taught the people from the boat. When he had finished, he said to Peter, “Now row out to deep water to cast your nets and you will have a great catch.”
5 “Master,” Peter replied, “we’ve just come back from fishing all night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you insist, we’ll go out again and let down our nets because of your word.”
6 When they pulled up their nets, they were shocked to see a huge catch of fish, so much that their nets were ready to burst! 7 They waved to their business partners in the other boat for help. They ended up completely filling both boats with fish until their boats began to sink!

In our passage today, Peter has to get beyond his own understanding and perspective in order to respond to Jesus’ request; Peter has to obey if he is going to receive grace. As Creator of heaven and earth, Jesus came to reveal the miracles coming to those willing to be born from above and filled with the Spirit of Holiness. We have a responsibility and an obligation to love and obey the One who brings us eternal life. Like Peter, when we are willing to obey and do the things Jesus asks of us, it opens us up to receive his blessings and promises, too.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for this lesson, today. Help me to be willing to head into deeper water in order to catch those blessings you have in store for me. I want to catch people in the net of your gospel and help them see you and experience your beautiful love. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

James 3:13, 17-18 Wisdom from Above
13 If you consider yourself to be wise and one who understands the ways of God, advertise it with a beautiful, fruitful life guided by wisdom’s gentleness. Never brag or boast about what you’ve done and you’ll prove that you’re truly wise.

17 But the wisdom from above is always pure,[holy] filled with peace, considerate and teachable.[easy to correct] It is filled with love[mercy] and never displays prejudice or hypocrisy[never wears a mask] in any form 18 and it always bears the beautiful harvest of righteousness! Good seeds of wisdom’s fruit will be planted with peaceful acts by those who cherish making peace.

How would you define wisdom from above? Scripture teaches true wisdom can be measured by the depth of a person’s character and cannot be connected with selfish demands. Wisdom from above first honors God; it starts with respect and reverence for God which leads to a holy life.

The highest goal of the wise is learning God’s Word; that is where Truth is revealed and wisdom is imparted. When we immerse our souls in God’s Word, the Holy Spirit begins to produce a harvest of thanksgiving within us and a lifestyle of worship through us as a witness for others. Christ has been made wisdom for us. Isn’t it clear when we find ourselves acting foolishly, we have simply demanded our own way.

Prayer: Father, you have asked us to make Jesus the Lord of our lives, so we can operate in your holy wisdom. Jesus, you deserve the final say over my life, so please be the wisdom I need. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Acts 9:10-16

Through his writings in the Book of Acts, Luke teaches us more about loving our enemies; how to listen to the Lord and act in the best interest of those who mistreat us. In our passage today, Ananias is sent to be a blessing to a great enemy of Christ’s followers: Saul from Tarsus. Ananias expresses some concerns, but obeys the Lord, anyway. His attitude, desire, and motive is to live as a new creation in Christ. This is an opportunity for Ananias to know God’s grace is sufficient.

10 There was a disciple in Damascus by the name of Ananias. The Master spoke to him in a vision: “Ananias.”
“Yes, Master?” he answered.

11-12 “Get up and go over to Straight Avenue. Ask at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus. His name is Saul. He’s there praying. He has just had a dream in which he saw a man named Ananias enter the house and lay hands on him so he could see again.”

13-14 Ananias protested, “Master, you can’t be serious. Everybody’s talking about this man and the terrible things he’s been doing, his reign of terror against your people in Jerusalem! And now he’s shown up here with papers from the Chief Priest that give him license to do the same to us.”

15-16 But the Master said, “Don’t argue. Go! I have picked him as my personal representative to non-Jews and kings and Jews. And now I’m about to show him what he’s in for—the hard suffering that goes with this job.”

Ananias listens to the voice of God and obediently acts in love toward his enemy, Saul. It is all a part of God’s redemptive plan to make this enemy of Christ turn from wickedness and work powerfully for the exaltation of Christ and his Kingdom. The Holy Spirit opens Saul’s eyes to make a new creature out of him; the Apostle Paul. This one-time enemy experiences a transformation in attitude, desire, and motive; he embraces oneness in Christ. In the power of the Spirit, this enemy becomes a passionate follower of Christ who goes on to write much of the New Testament. Was the obedient action of Ananias important? Indeed! Can the filling of the Spirit change an empty heart? You betcha!

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the work of your Spirit to connect us with opportunities that bring change. We need a great deal of change in our world, Lord, and it begins with one heart at a time. Please fill us with the Spirit and use your children for your glory. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Ephesians 3:1-2, 6, 7-8 TPT

In his letter to the church at Ephesus (and believers everywhere for all time), the Apostle Paul reminds his readers no matter what goes on in this world, God is directing his eternal purposes and plan for redemption. God has not lost control over anything; yet, redemption rests on a matter of divine timing and revelation.

The Divine Mystery
3 Beloved friends, because of my love for Jesus Christ, I am now his prisoner for the sake of all of you who are not Jews, 2 so that you will hear the gospel that God has entrusted to me to share with you.

6 Here’s the secret: The gospel of grace has made you, non-Jewish believers, into coheirs of his promise through your union with him. And you have now become members of his body—one with the Anointed One!

7–8 I have been made a messenger of this wonderful news by the gift of grace that works through me. Even though I am the least significant of all his holy believers, this grace-gift was imparted when the manifestation of his power came upon me. Grace alone empowers me so that I can boldly preach this wonderful message to non-Jewish people, sharing with them the unfading,[unquestionable] inexhaustible riches of Christ, which are beyond comprehension.

The great mystery is God’s plan to design a new creation in Messiah—Jews, Gentiles, males, and females all equal in the body of Christ committed to live for the glory of God. As believers in the recreative work of Messiah, we have a new purpose, new appetites, new motives, and new priorities with how we live our lives. Father God sees us all in Christ and he will give every son or daughter opportunities to share the revelation of Christ with others. We must not be overwhelmed by that thought, because he will also give us the ability, courage, and power to accomplish what he sends us to say and do.

Prayer: Father, thank you for equipping me with grace for every door of opportunity you open for me to share the gospel. I desire to experience the transformation you have made available to me in Christ. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Luke 6:27-29 Love Your Enemies
27 “But if you will listen, I say to you, love your enemies and do something wonderful for them in return for their hatred. 28 When someone curses you, bless that person in return. When you are mistreated and harassed by others, accept it as your mission to pray for them. 29 To those who despise you, continue to serve them and minister to them.

Yesterday, God’s Word left us thinking about the words of our mouths and how they can injure other believers. In our passage today, Jesus is teaching about loving our enemies. The biblical definition of “enemy” is one who hates another and attempts to discredit or injure in order to gratify his/her own malice or ill will. Hatred comes from Satan, the true enemy of the soul. People who find hatred in their hearts for another person is simply a pawn for Satan and the spirit of antichrist; Satan hates Christ’s love. Period. Hatred is a part of the end times taught in Scripture. Hatred proves to be a tangible measurement of evil in the world. Its ugliness may extend in any direction. Any aversion of humans to others expresses hatred. This type of emotional attitude has no place in Christ’s sons and daughters.

Jesus is not espousing that we have a deep affection for our enemies; rather, he is teaching that we must act toward our enemies in a way that is in their best interest. Sure we could choose to ignore our enemies and even walk away having nothing further to do with them. However, is that in their best interest when they are in bondage to hatred? We are to love them by an act of our will, pray for their deliverance, and ask the Lord to impart the wisdom we need to help them by revealing Christ’s love in us.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the wisdom you have given today about how to love my enemies. Because you live in me, I will surely face Satan’s hatred expressed through those who serve him. Help me to stay strong in your abiding love. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

James 4:11-12 TPT

11 Dear friends, as part of God’s family, never speak against another family member, for when you slander a brother or sister you violate God’s law of love. And your duty is not to make yourself a judge of the law of love by saying that it doesn’t apply to you, but your duty is to obey it! 12 There is only one true Lawgiver and Judge, the One who has the power to save and destroy—so who do you think you are to judge your neighbor?

Do you think you are always justified and right in your judgment of others? Our attitude and conversation about members of God’s family can reveal a great deal about the hidden sin in our own hearts. Our passage today teaches the only One who is flawlessly righteous in his judgment of people is the Lord. May we take this Word from James seriously for 2021 and never disobey God by sinning against members of his family. According to Jesus, one day people will give an account for every careless word spoken (Mat. 12:36). Our mouths have the ability to express wisdom (godliness) or foolishness (evil).

Prayer: Lord, thank you for putting truth before us today from James. I know it is never right to slander, judge, or criticize another believer. Help me to love others the way I want to be loved, then I will be successful in honoring and obeying your Word. In Jesus’ name. Amen.