Pastor Mary Haley

Exodus 3:1-12 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC)

1 Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian; and he led the flock to the back or west side [toward the Shekinah] of the wilderness and came to Horeb or Sinai, the mountain of God.

2 The Angel of the Lord [Lord himself] appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush burned with fire, yet was not consumed.

3 And Moses said, I will now turn aside [from the flock] and see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.

4 And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the midst of the bush and said, Moses, Moses! And he said, Here am I.

5 God said, Do not come near; put your shoes off your feet [barefoot], for the place on which you stand is holy ground.

In our passage today, Moses enjoys a fireside chat [a burning bush conversation] with his holy Maker. Curiosity takes Moses to encounter his destiny—to be a source of good to others. Before he gains his orders from the Lord, Moses has to meet God’s requirement for drawing near to his holiness; he must be barefoot [take off his sandals].

This reminds us of the Last Supper before Christ’s crucifixion and how the Lord washed the disciples feet. He said, “Unless I wash you, you will not be able to share life with me” (John 13:8). Like Moses, you and I want to share in life with God. Jesus washes us with the Spirit and makes us clean before God. To be washed is to be submitted to the will and way of Christ—to respect our holy God and to allow the Lord to bring good to us and cause us to be a source of good to others. So, run barefoot with Jesus, today. He has created and cleansed you to live in his holy presence [his Shekinah or glory].

Prayer: Lord, thank you for inviting me into your presence and equipping me each day to live for you. Be blessed and exalted in my life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Genesis 12:1-3 Abram Journeys to Egypt

12 Now [in Haran] the Lord had said to Abram,
“Go away from your country,
And from your relatives
And from your father’s house,
To the land which I will show you;

2 (basic outline of the Abrahamic Covenant follows)

And I will make you a great nation,
And I will bless you [abundantly],
And make your name great (exalted, distinguished);
And you shall be a blessing [a source of great good to others];
3 

And I will bless (do good for, benefit) those who bless you,
And I will curse [that is, subject to My wrath and judgment] the one who curses (despises, dishonors, has contempt for) you.
And in you all the families (nations) of the earth will be blessed.”

God made a covenant with Abraham to guide him into a land of spiritual abundance. Jesus offers spiritual abundance to whosoever will receive him and follow him into Kingdom living; the Lord promises to take us there, but we must be willing to leave our spiritual comfort zones or apathy. To follow Christ is to allow him to guide our thoughts, actions, and destiny through the tender yet convicting work of the Holy Spirit. Ponder this for just a minute. We have the ability to live spiritually guided and blessed to such a degree that others who watch our lives in the natural will crave a relationship with God, too. And it doesn’t stop there. When we face opposition or mistreatment—as we rest in that connected place with Christ—anyone or anything that tries to stop us must deal with the Eternal One. No one can stop your blessing [God bringing good to you] or your destiny [making you a source of good to others] in Christ but you; so, keep walking in the Spirit and praising God for his spiritual blessings, today.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the perfect covenant you have made with me in Christ Jesus. During these uncertain days, I rest in the assurance that you have all things in your hands. Even in the midst of challenging times, you still desire to lead me into spiritual abundance. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

John 8:45-48

Freedom is a precious gift from God; therefore, it is a great blessing to live in the USA. This country—one nation under God—protects freedom. As citizens of this country, along with amazing rights and privileges, we are promised the freedom of speech, religion, assembly, petition, and the freedom of the press. It would be so great if all those freedoms actually expressed TRUTH—the utterances or Word of the Lord reflective of God’s holy nature—and REALITY.

In our passage today, Jesus is telling those listening about spiritual freedom; however, he shares how Truth is liberating in every aspect of a person’s life. If we are going to live in real freedom, we will need to embrace and work out the divine process of spiritual maturity in our lives. Jesus gives us freedom and he is Lord of heaven and earth. As the Lord’s creation, may we make room in our hearts for Christ’s message—Truth!

John 8:31-37 (TPT) The Son Gives Freedom
31 Jesus said to those Jews who believed in him, “When you continue to embrace all that I teach, you prove that you are my true followers. 32 For if you embrace the truth, it will release more freedom into your lives.”

33 Surprised by this, the said, “But we’re the descendants of Abraham and we’re already free. We’ve never been in bondage to anyone. How could you say that we will be released into more freedom?”

34 “I speak eternal truth,” Jesus said. “When you sin (live opposed to the Truth) you are not free. You’ve become a slave in bondage to your sin. 35 And slaves have no permanent standing in a family, like a son does, for a son is a part of the family forever.

36 So if the Son sets you free from sin, then become a true son and be unquestionably free! 37 Even though you are descendants of Abraham, you desire to kill me because the message I bring has not found a home in your hearts.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for freedom. May I let that freedom be worked out in every area of my life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Hebrews 13:20-21 (TPT) Apostolic Blessing and Conclusion
20 Now may the God who brought us peace by raising from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ so that he would be the Great Shepherd of his flock; and by the power of the blood of the eternal covenant 21 may he work perfection [maturity] into every part of you giving you all that you need to fulfill your destiny. And may he express through you all that is excellent and pleasing [beautiful] to him through your life-union [connection] with Jesus the Anointed One who is to receive all glory forever! Amen!

God’s plan for salvation and work of grace is always mysteriously unveiling in purpose and power; it is solidly grounded and revealed in his Word. There are so many levels to the goodness, wisdom, and mission of God to save his world that we will never understand it all nor be able to flawlessly articulate it. We are invited to taste and know the width, height, and depths of his love; therefore, we must be grounded and willing to grow in obedience to the Word (Eph. 3:18). Salvation is more than saying, “Forgive me, Lord, for I am a sinner.” We can all say those words and continue to follow our own selfish inclinations for life; we see the struggles people have with their flesh every time we open the Bible. So, more precisely salvation is, “Save me, Lord, from my inclination to struggle and sin against your Word or Way of living. Be my Shepherd and lovingly lead me into obedience and spiritual abundance so I may live in your power for your glory.” This is the blessing of repentance; the work of grace for the salvation of every soul.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for being my Shepherd and helping me better understand the blessing of repentance on a daily basis. Help me live true to your work of grace so I may glorify the Anointed One, today. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Psalm 100 (TPT) Praise God
A poetic song for thanksgiving
1 
Lift up a great shout of joy to the Lord!
Go ahead and do it—everyone, everywhere!
2 
As you serve him, be glad and worship him.
Sing your way into his presence with joy!
3 
And realize what this really means—
we have the privilege of worshiping the Lord our God.
For he is our Creator and we belong to him.
We are the people of his pleasure.[the sheep of his pasture]
4 
You can pass through his open gates with the password of praise.
Come right into his presence with thanksgiving.
Come bring your thank offering to him
and affectionately bless his beautiful name!
5 
For the Lord is always good and ready to receive you.
He’s so loving that it will amaze you—
so kind that it will astound you!
And he is famous for his faithfulness toward all.
Everyone knows our God can be trusted,
for he keeps his promises to every generation!

Yesterday, in our worship time, the Word of God made the Good Shepherd—who never abandons us—alive to us. In our devotional and prayer time today, let us begin to thank the Lord for being our Gate; he opens our spiritual eyes and understanding so we connect with the Father. We must let go of an earthbound perspective and reach for the Kingdom reality. Thank the Lord for being the Shepherd who goes ahead and leads us along righteous paths; he protects us in our coming and going. Thank the Lord for being the Pasture we long for—the life of meaning and fulfillment, because we were created to be loved by him. When we open ourselves up to God, he fills us with HIMSELF! Talk about Abundance!!

Prayer: Lord, thank you for opening eternal life up to me and guiding me by the Spirit each day. Continue to help me understand how my spiritual life and natural life cross in your grace and position me for your glory. I choose life in abundance; pressed down, shaken together, and running over. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Luke 15:4-7 (TPT) The Parable of the Lost Lamb

4–5 “There once was a shepherd with a hundred lambs, but one of his lambs wandered away and was lost. So the shepherd left the ninety-nine lambs out in the open field and searched in the wilderness for that one lost lamb. He didn’t stop until he finally found it. With exuberant joy he raised it up and placed it on his shoulders, carrying it back with cheerful delight! 6 Returning home, he called all his friends and neighbors together and said, ‘Let’s have a party! Come and celebrate with me the return of my lost lamb. It wandered away, but I found it and brought it home.’”

7 Jesus continued, “In the same way, there will be a glorious celebration in heaven over the rescue of one lost sinner who repents, comes back home, and returns to the fold—more so than for all the righteous people who never strayed away.”

I love reading the gospel parables; the imagery helps with learning the lessons. In our passage today, the Lord shares a parable about the Good Shepherd who reveals his devotion to every individual lamb. Each lamb represents great worth and value. When the Shepherd notices one lamb has wandered into the wilderness, he goes to rescue the lost lamb. When he finds the lamb, the Shepherd doesn’t scold or beat the lamb; he does punish it. Instead, the Shepherd tenderly carries the lamb back and invites his friends to celebrate with him. He restores the lamb into the fellowship of the flock.

Jesus came to seek and save lost human souls; each soul is valuable to the Lord. Therefore, acting as the Good Shepherd, he came to search for and rescue the repentant wanderer and welcome him or her back into his loving care and into fellowship with his spiritual flock. Christ in you will be searching for those who need to be rescued. Are you looking to be a part of the Lord’s rescue mission for lost souls?

Prayer: Lord, your Word reveals your heart for people all the time. Help me to reflect your heart for the lost and wandering souls and celebrate each one who repents and returns. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

1 Peter 2:9-10 The Passion Translation (TPT)
9 But you are God’s chosen treasure [you are his guarded wealth]—priests who are kings, [you are part of the King’s household] a spiritual “nation” set apart as God’s devoted ones. He called you out of darkness to experience his marvelous light, and now he claims you as his very own. He did this so that you would broadcast his glorious wonders throughout the world. [you are to demonstrate your worship] 10 For at one time you were not God’s people, but now you are. At one time you knew nothing of God’s mercy, because you hadn’t received it yet, but now you are drenched with it! [you are showered with mercy]

Today, it is my greatest desire to join with the Apostle Peter and remind you, as a believer in Christ, just how blessed you are of the Lord! You are in a protected place with God, because of your great worth and importance as a carrier of Christ the Living Word. Mercy is the foundation of the love covenant God has made with humanity. So, because you have been showered with mercy, God claims you and protects you as if you were a precious jewel of extraordinary value.

The enemy wants you to devalue yourself, because he does not want you to embrace the Truth. In fact, Satan works at making all God’s children feel as if they are abandoned, vulnerable, and alone. You are none of those things and you must never allow those thoughts to enter your mind or those ideas to form words and exit your lips. You are of such value to God that he died in order to demonstrate his love for you. Please get the message! So, take a deep breath, lift your voice in praise to God, and say aloud, “I am a precious treasure in God’s hands and today I will demonstrate my devotion and worship of the Lord who loves and protects me!”

Prayer: Lord, I will not look at the world or my life situations to interpret your love for me. I refuse to listen to the lies of Satan—the father of this world. Instead, I will stand on your Word and proclaim the Truth! I will demonstrate my devotion to you. Thank you for choosing me and showering me with your mercy, because I need the love you alone can impart to my soul. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

John 21:1-14 (TPT) Jesus Appears at Lake Galilee
1 Later, Jesus appeared once again to a group of his disciples by Lake Galilee. 2 It happened one day while Peter, Thomas (the Twin), Nathanael (from Cana in Galilee), Jacob, John, and two other disciples were all together. 3 Peter told them, “I’m going fishing.” And they all replied, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and fished through the night, but caught nothing.

4 Then at dawn, Jesus was standing there on the shore, but the disciples didn’t realize that it was him! 5 He called out to them, saying, “Hey guys! Did you catch any fish?”
“Not a thing,” they replied.

6 Jesus shouted to them, “Throw your net over the starboard side, and you’ll catch some!” And so they did as he said, and they caught so many fish they couldn’t even pull in the net!

7 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It’s the Lord!” When Peter heard him say that, he quickly wrapped his outer garment around him, and because he was athletic, he dove right into the lake to go to Jesus!

In our lesson today, the resurrected Jesus initiates the third encounter with his disciples; this group has gone back to fishing for fish. Jesus calls out to several of his disciples, but only one makes the connection between the voice speaking to them from the shore and the abundance before them. John connects faith with past experience and proclaims, “It’s the Lord!” On the other hand, Peter may still have some inner turmoil going on, because he isn’t as quick to recognize the voice of the Savior. There is the lesson.

When you and I have inner turmoil, we cannot hear the voice of the Lord well, either. Jesus is going to speak into our lives and if we are expectantly waiting for him and willing to obey his word, then he will bring good out of what may even seem impossible. We serve the God—the Creator—of heaven and earth and he has promised to provide for us. Don’t be surprised by his love; be overwhelmed with gratitude as he begins to bring beauty from ashes in your life.

Prayer: Lord, for as long as I can remember, you have brought good things out of even the discouraging and difficult places in my life. You are always faithful and true to your love for me. I know your voice speaks into my spirit to give guidance and bring abundance. I want to be quick in my spirit to make the connection. So it is my responsibility to keep my soul in peace as I trust in your love. Like John, may I be quick to proclaim, “It’s the Lord!” In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Proverbs 8:32-9:6 TPT Wisdom Worth Waiting For
32 
“So listen, my sons and daughters, to everything I tell you,
for nothing will bring you more joy than following my ways.
33 
Listen to my counsel,
for my instruction will enlighten you.
You’ll be wise not to ignore it.
34 
If you wait at wisdom’s doorway,[enter into the Lord’s presence]
longing to hear a word for every day,
joy will break forth within you as you listen for what I’ll say.
35 
For the fountain of life pours into you every time that you find me,
and this is the secret of growing in the delight
and the favor of the Lord.
36 
But those who stumble and miss me will be sorry they did!
For ignoring what I have to say will bring harm to your own soul.
Those who hate me are simply flirting with death!”[depravity]

Wisdom is such an amazing gift from God for his people and we can all receive it. Christ has been made wisdom for us and as we grow in Christ—the Word—we grow in the favor of the Lord. Lingering and waiting in the presence of God for a higher perspective brings the power to guide our paths in the ways of God. Each day you can gain more direction; so, we need to ask God to help us receive it. I can tell you from experience, sometimes we resist the wisdom of God, because we do not want to take the action he has required. In fact, sometimes we are simply waiting on God to give us direction in the way we most desire to go rather than in the plan he has for us. We don’t have to guess or stumble aimlessly. Feast at the table of the Lord; partake of his Word and he will cause you to walk in wisdom. Jesus is the Way!

Prayer: Lord, please direct my paths during this challenging time in life. I will stay in the Word and linger in your presence. Help me receive the guidance you desire to bring. Then, please cause me to turn and be a blessing to others. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

1 Peter 1:23-25 (TPT)
23 For through the eternal and living Word of God you have been born again. And this “seed” that he planted within you can never be destroyed but will live and grow inside of you forever. For:
24 
Human beings are frail and temporary, like grass,
    and the glory of man fleeting
    like blossoms of the field.
    The grass dries and withers and the flowers fall off,
25 
but the Word of the Lord endures forever!
And this is the Word [Good New of Jesus] that was announced to you!

Yesterday afternoon John and I planted some vegetables in pots outside on our screened-in porch. As I was watering them I was praying, “Lord help me to take care of these plants so they grow and produce a harvest.” Did you know God does that in our lives? The Word is the seed the Lord plants inside you and it can never die; rather, the Lord promises our lives will produce eternal righteousness. Our part is to invite the life of Christ into the core of our being and give the Word authority over our lives. Jesus—Immanuel—God with us is eternal and enduring through every season of life.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for planting righteous seeds within me and assuring they grow and produce. As my life bears fruit, you deserve all the glory. In Jesus’ name. Amen.