Pastor Mary Haley

Joshua 10:12-14
12-13 The Lord was helping the Israelites defeat the Amorites that day. So about noon, Joshua prayed to the Lord loud enough for the Israelites to hear:
“Our Lord, make the sun stop
in the sky over Gibeon,
and the moon stand still
over Aijalon Valley.”
So the sun and the moon
stopped and stood still
until Israel defeated its enemies.
This poem can be found in The Book of Jashar. The sun stood still and didn’t go down for about a whole day.

14 Never before and never since has the Lord done anything like that for someone who prayed. The Lord was really fighting for Israel.

Since crossing over the Jordan, God has been partnering with Israel to defeat her spiritual enemies. A confederation of five Canaanite kings and their armies are coming to make war against the Israelites. They have heard about Israel’s God who brings freedom, as well as fights for them and delivers them. In partnership with the Lord, Israel will face and fight this Canaanite rebellion against Yahweh and His ways. The Lord commands Joshua, “Fear not!” And then God gives Joshua a promise, “I have given you victory over them. Not a single one of them will be able to stand up to you.” So, Joshua responds with faith and calls his men to march all night (20 miles) towards Gibeon; the location of the spiritual battle. God causes the enemy to retreat away from Israel and He sends a hailstorm from heaven that rains upon the enemy and destroys many of them. Joshua wants to fight for the Lord, so he continues in faith.

The Canaanites worshiped pagan gods associated with nature. When God begins to destroy evil with the hailstorm, Joshua is so filled with gratitude and love for the Lord—the commander of heaven’s armies—he prays a very bold prayer. He asks God to make the sun stand still over Gibeon and the moon over Aijalon, so Israel can accomplish a complete victory against the sin, wickedness, and demonic spirits that have been ruling the Canaanites. God answers Joshua’s courageous prayer. No one really knows how God caused the sun and moon to remain still in the sky, but it did. Maybe it was an eclipse; definitely it was a miracle God used to provide time. Everyone looked up and no one missed the message that Gibeon would now be under the command of Almighty God—Yahweh—the Lord of heaven and earth!

Prayer: Lord, you are the God of all miracles and we come and bow before you today. You love us and care for us. You do not tolerate evil; you never will. We, too, should be intolerant of the evil that tries to rob us; the work of evil to dishonor your leadership in our lives and in your world. Help us to have the faith of Joshua and to pray boldly to partner with you in taking down the sin in our lives, as well as the wickedness and demonic spirits that occupy this land. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Joshua 6:1-5 The Fall of Jericho
6 Now the gates of Jericho were tightly shut because the people were afraid of the Israelites. No one was allowed to go out or in. 2 But the Lord said to Joshua, “I have given you Jericho, its king, and all its strong warriors. 3 You and your fighting men should march around the town once a day for six days. 4 Seven priests will walk ahead of the Ark, each carrying a ram’s horn. On the seventh day you are to march around the town seven times, with the priests blowing the horns. 5 When you hear the priests give one long blast on the rams’ horns, have all the people shout as loud as they can. Then the walls of the town will collapse, and the people can charge straight into the town.”

In this passage, God’s method of warfare is very different from how typical military intelligence would come against the fortified city of Jericho! It is obvious to us that Israel would have to totally depend upon and trust God for the victory. Can you imagine being Joshua, a military strategist and leader, telling his leadership team and the nation of Israel their “marching orders?” I imagine it messed with their heads, because it would mess with ours. God’s ways are not our ways and we have to accept it. However, a constant remains for Joshua and for us today: our focus must be on the Lord (the Ark of salvation) if we are going to gain spiritual victories.

The Lord told Joshua right up front that He had already given Israel the victory, but Joshua still had to obediently walk through the process with God’s people. That is our message for today. God has promised us the victory over our spiritual enemies; He is doing battle on our behalf. Our part is to follow the lead of our Lord—to be in sync with His instructions. God did not need the Israelites to take down the walls of Jericho, but he wanted to reveal His power and manifest His promise to love Israel. This lesson is about laying hold of a true relationship with God; for Israel and for all of us as believers.

Prayer: Lord, today is a very important election day for the United States. We face many spiritual enemies that have come against the form of government you put into place, as well as your Wisdom for legislation, so we humbly bow to your lead. As you did with Joshua, please go before us Lord. Our focus is upon you and your will for this country. Our country is spiritually sick because we have rebelled against your Word and righteous commands of love. Therefore, we must repent. Holy Spirit, please draw us into repentance. We pray for an elected commander-in-chief to take office who will obediently bow to your authority. We pray for elected representatives and senators to take office who will also obediently bow to your authority. We stand against the spiritual enemies of division and we call for a wave of humility and collaboration to overtake our leaders. We pray for the people of this land to bow and honor your righteous rule. This election is a test and will reveal the spiritual future of this country. Bring revival to this land, Lord. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Joshua 4:1-6 Memorials to the Jordan Crossing
1 When all the people had crossed the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, 2 “Now choose twelve men, one from each tribe. 3 Tell them, ‘Take twelve stones from the very place where the priests are standing in the middle of the Jordan. Carry them out and pile them up at the place where you will camp tonight.’”

4 So Joshua called together the twelve men he had chosen—one from each of the tribes of Israel. 5 He told them, “Go into the middle of the Jordan, in front of the Ark of the Lord your God. Each of you must pick up one stone and carry it out on your shoulder—twelve stones in all, one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. 6 We will use these stones to build a memorial. In the future your children will ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 7 Then you can tell them, ‘They remind us that the Jordan River stopped flowing when the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant went across.’ These stones will stand as a memorial among the people of Israel forever.”

In our passage today, these stones that made up the memorial would remind the children of Israel that their God was a miracle-working God to whom nothing was impossible. Stones represent Truth and the people would need to remember the true power of God working in their behalf. God was with them, but it did not mean an easy life. For Israel, the Promised Land would require a great deal of trust, because it would also be a place of spiritual battle. God’s people would need to remember the truth of His love, trust He was with them and opening up opportunities for growth, and have faith that beyond the challenge they would find the promised blessing. We, too, must allow God to conquer our spiritual enemies within before we can lay hold of His many blessings. Don’t allow yourself to forget the great things God has done in your life to make you more like Christ.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for helping me spiritually cross the Jordan River to be led by your Spirit. I will remember you as Truth; you are my Cornerstone. As well, I will remember the many great things you have done in my life to bring me closer to my Father. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Matthew 23:23-24
23 “Woe to you, [self-righteous] scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you give a tenth (tithe) of your mint and dill and cumin [focusing on minor matters], and have neglected the weightier [more important moral and spiritual] provisions of the Law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the [primary] things you ought to have done without neglecting the others. 24 You [spiritually] blind guides, who strain out a gnat [consuming yourselves with minuscule matters] and swallow a camel [ignoring and violating God’s precepts]!

Relationships are absolutely key to a fruitful spiritual life. In order to honor God’s precepts or commands, we need a vibrant and growing relationship with the Father through the Son and in the Holy Spirit. This is how we can love and obey God with our whole heart, soul, and mind (Mat. 22:37). Loving God in a proper way is the only way we can turn to love our “neighbors” which is also a part of God’s precepts or commands we must honor. We need to cultivate our relationships with family, friends, and extend compassion to everyone else including those with whom we would rather not (because we don’t like them!)

I frequently remind people it is easy to love those who agree with you and never unsettle or mistreat you. Yet, you don’t need a “heap of amazing grace” for the easy relationships. The times we need a miraculous “heap of amazing grace” is when we find ourselves cornered, disliked, maligned, condemned, etc., because God says we have only loved others the way he loves us when we offer justice to the unjust, mercy to the unmerciful, and faithfulness to the unfaithful.

God expects his children—believers who are being made in his image—to reflect his character in relationships. We should be especially kind and compassionate to other believers. So, the next time someone treats you unjustly, remember you must live righteously with God, neighbors, as well as natural creation. When someone refuses to extend you mercy, remember God spilled his mercy and compassion over you even when you rejected him. And, faithfulness is all about adhering to the truth of God’s love. Every day we would be wise to pray and welcome God into every moment, because sure enough at some point you will need that miraculous “heap of amazing grace” in order to reflect the character of our Father to someone else. If we fail to extend justice, mercy, and faithfulness to others, we have ignored and violated God’s precepts and commands.

Prayer: Lord, sometimes the people who think they are the most righteous are really the most unkind. Please help me to be an example of the justice, mercy, and faithfulness you always extend to me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Psalm 107:33-37 TPT
33 
Whenever he (the Lord) chooses he can dry up a river
and turn the land into a desert.
34 
Or he can take a fruitful land and make it into a saltwater swamp,
all because of the wickedness of those who dwell there.
35 
But he also can turn a barren wilderness into an oasis with water!
He can make springs flow into desert lands
36 
and turn them into fertile valleys so that cities spring up,
and he gives it all to those who are hungry.
37 
They can plant their fields and vineyards there
and reap a bumper crop and gather a fruitful harvest.

God is guiding me to a greater understanding and revelation of his grace and how it operates in his world and in the lives of his human creation. Christ brought us grace and truth; we are delivered as we make him Lord. Grace is unmerited favor; we don’t deserve it nor can we earn it. Grace is a gift from God bought and paid for with the life of the Messiah (Eph. 2:8). The Lord smears his grace over his children who are called by his name. God is our Father and he is more loving, kind, and faithful than anyone could ever imagine. When we cry out, he rescues us from spiritual darkness and delivers us into the eternal Kingdom of light and Truth (Col. 1:13). He leads us through the dry wilderness of earthly life, so we will learn to follow his voice as he helps us cross over into the land of eternal promise and blessing.

Jesus teaches the last days on earth—before his second coming—will be difficult; no one will be able to endure unless God limits the time (Mat. 24:22). Even now we experience the effects on creation caused by wickedness in the human heart. Politicians think they can stop the cataclysmic advancement of the environmental melt down, but Creator God is actually calling for the events and only repentance can sway God’s judgment. In the meantime, God’s grace will be covering his children and there will be great courage and power emanating from every one of his sons and daughters who are led not by human might, but by God’s Spirit! Assuredly, wickedness and sin will rise up, but Grace will defeat it (Ro. 5:20). Be strong and courageous, because God’s grace is sufficient for anything we face and his power is made perfect in our weakness (2 Cor. 12:9).

Prayer: Lord, I come to your throne hungry and thirsty. Fill me from the oasis of your eternal life. I thank you for the promise of blessing and a fruitful harvest. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Proverbs 16:1-6
1
Go ahead and make all the plans you want,
but it’s the Lord who will ultimately direct your steps.
2 
We are all in love with our own opinions,
convinced they’re correct.
But the Lord is in the midst of us,[in the midst of spirits]
testing and probing our every motive.
3 
Before you do anything,
put your trust totally in God and not in yourself.
Then every plan you make will succeed.
4 
The Lord works everything together to accomplish his purpose.
Even the wicked are included in his plans—
he sets them aside for the day of disaster.

Are you in love with your own opinions? We are welcome to have them and most assuredly many times we feel we are right, but let us not forget the Lord is in the midst of our opinions and he tests our motives. God knows the truth and he wants us to face it. According to the Bible Study Tools dictionary, motives pose at least a twofold dilemma: (1) the status of a good deed done for the wrong reason or an evil deed done with good (or even without) intent; and (2) the effect of a motive (good or bad) that never has opportunity to find fulfillment. The fundamental issue prompting the dilemma is that there is not a one-to-one correspondence between a given action and the motive of its agent: the same action may be either censored or defended depending upon one’s motive.

We have recently witnessed how motives can cause people to suppress contrasting information based on their own biased opinions; social media has been found guilty of this censorship. Many times I have wanted to explore a different research or political perspective on a topic—viewing something a friend posted—only to find the content taken down by social media before I could read it. Never fear, God already knows the motives behind the actions and has a plan for the wicked. Put your trust totally in God and ask him to direct your steps, today!

Prayer: Lord, my opinions means very little to me anymore. I hunger for the Truth, because so many want to suppress it. Therefore, I will stay in your Word and remain in fellowship with the Spirit of Truth to guide my path. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Deuteronomy 10:12-13
A Call to Love and Obedience
12 “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you? He requires only that you fear the Lord your God, and live in a way that pleases him, and love him and serve him with all your heart and soul. 13 And you must always obey the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good.

In our passage today, as Moses calls to Israel—God’s chosen people of faith—the Spirit of God calls each of our hearts to fear and reverence the Lord with our very lives. As humans, we are all inclined to demand our own way—to live in a fashion that pleases our flesh and innate demands. Humans always want the power to make the rules; therefore, foolishly we can actually find ourselves fighting God for power. Study God’s Word and you will see nothing has changed with people over time. Unless Christ changes the heart, people use their power to champion what God calls sin—an evil act against God’s nature and character. Sin is evil, because humans are made in God’s image.

There is a cultural clash over such demands right now in our country. Abortion is only one example of demanding our own way. It is a choice but it is a very dangerous one, because the Lord commands we must not commit murder or shed innocent (blameless) blood (Ex. 20:13; Prov. 6:17). So, when humans demand such things, we are setting ourselves against Creator God and all creation responds and groans looking for the children of God to speak Truth (Ro. 8:22). Yet, that very example and issue divides family, friends, and has become a cultural clash in our nation. That is what sin does; it exalts human flesh rather than God and brings division.

Sin causes our hearts and souls—minds, wills, emotions—to become hardened to God’s authority, because we are more focused on pleasing ourselves and controlling our own lives. Knowing and understanding this about our human conditions is not a bad thing; in fact, it is actually a great blessing to know the Truth. Then, when we apply that understanding to our lives and choose to deny our flesh and instead obey the Lord, we step into godly wisdom. We have all sinned and fallen short of God’s glorious image; however, after repentance, grace brings forgiveness and a new way to look at life. Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it (James 4:17).

Prayer: Lord, help me to serve you with my heart and soul, today. I know my obedience to your commands is for my own good. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Psalm 119:41-48 TPT
Trust in the Lord
41 
May your tender love overwhelm me, O Lord,
for you are my Savior and you keep your promises.
42 
I’ll always have an answer for those who mock me
because I trust in your word.
43 
May I never forget your truth, for I rely upon your precepts.
44 
I will observe your laws every moment of the day
and will never forget the words you say.
45 
I will walk with you in complete freedom,
for I seek to follow your every command.
46 
When I stand before kings, I will tell them the truth
and will never be ashamed.
47 
My passion and delight is in your word,
for I love what you say to me!
48 
I long for more revelation of your truth,
for I love the light of your word as I meditate on your decrees.

In our passage today, the psalmist reminds us that honoring God’s commands of love frees us to live and be who God has designed us to be. When we honor God’s Word and allow it to be establish in our lives, our hearts and minds are changed by his love. Divine salvation and mercy comes to humanity from God through his Word and brings liberty: forgiveness from sin. The Holy Spirit destroys the power of sin over us so we can choose righteousness and godliness. When we really have an understanding of how much God has done for us and within us, we will care very little what the world says about us. We can know freedom from that fear, because we have fellowship with the Savior. Don’t allow the enemy to cause you to live in fear. Fear will hold you back from God. Live in the power and presence of God and make fear bow.

Prayer: Father, thank you for your Word and commands of love. May your Word be established in my life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Psalm 1, cont. TPT
4 
But how different are the wicked.
All they are is dust in the wind—
driven away to destruction!
5 
The wicked will not endure the day of judgment,
for God will not defend them.
Nothing they do will succeed or endure for long,
for they have no part with those who walk in truth.
6 
But how different it is for the righteous!
The Lord embraces their paths as they move forward
while the way of the wicked leads only to doom.

With all the outrageous accusations and condemnations being presented by the media as truth there is Someone, according to Scripture, who actually is the Truth and stands ready to be the Defender rising up in the righteous. The Lord always defends the righteous—those acting morally right according to divine law—but he never commits to defending the wicked or their actions. In fact, the Word of the Lord warns the wicked to turn from the path they are on, so they can walk in Truth. Jesus who is Truth says, “Everyone who denies me on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven” (Matt 10:33).

What else does the Bible say about wickedness and the practice of it? Wickedness reveals the corrupt disposition of the human soul—mind, will, emotions—infected by sin. In Hebrew, the word wickedness is about taking what God created as morally good and destroying it by profaning it and making it evil—disregarding justice, righteousness, truth, honor, virtue, depravity, sinfulness, and criminality. Those who do not honor God’s purpose for their lives will judge and destroy themselves as Truth is revealed. That’s why God’s Word warns humanity over and over again to live in his righteousness so he can defend us. Know and apply the righteous Word of God to your life, because this wicked world—infected with Satan’s deception—wants you to believe lies that are actually twisted truth and use it to destroy you (John 10:10).

Prayer: Lord, continue to teach me Truth according to your created plan. I want to be in harmony with your will. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Psalm Book 1
The Genesis Psalms The Tree of Life
1 
What delight comes to the one who follows God’s ways! [we choose]
He won’t walk in step with the wicked,
nor share the sinner’s way,
nor be found sitting in the scorner’s seat.
2 
His pleasure and passion is remaining true to the Word of “I Am,”
meditating day and night in the true revelation of light. [the Torah]
3 
He will be standing firm like a flourishing tree
planted by God’s design,[transplanted in Christ]
deeply rooted by the brooks of bliss,
bearing fruit in every season of his life.
He is never dry, never fainting,
ever blessed, ever prosperous.[a victorious conclusion]

Years ago, Charles Spurgeon preached a sermon on Jesus as our Tree of Life; our Life-giving Presence. Jesus—the Tree of Life—offered humanity eternal life in the Garden, but we chose sin and death and found ourselves banned from the very Tree that was created to nourish and satisfy us according to God’s righteous design. Sin does not belong in eternity, so eating further from the enteral Tree of Life was forbidden. Years later, Jesus—the Tree of Life—once again offered humanity his Life-giving Presence, but this time on the hill of Calvary. He died for our sins, so we could come to the Tree and be nourished and satisfied. This offer is still available, today. All it takes is for us to ask Jesus to forgive our sins, be willing to leave the world’s ways behind, and connect to the Tree of Life so we can flourish in righteousness.

In our passage today, the psalmist reminds us to follow God’s ways; the true revelation of light. I pray for human hearts to connect to Jesus Christ—the Word of I Am—because according to Scripture when Jesus returns for believers, those who have remained faithful to his Word and commands are given the right to eat from the Tree of Life located in the New Jerusalem (Rev. 22:14).

Prayer: Lord, help me to put down deep roots into your righteousness, so I can flourish with the fruit that brings you glory no matter what my season of life. Only you can bring the victory. In Jesus’ name. Amen.