Pastor Mary Haley

June 25, 2019

Matthew 11:29-30 The Message (MSG)

I like to take our small dog, Gracie, with me when I head out for a kayak ride.  She loves being with me, but in order to go she must put on a special life-jacket.  When I first put the jacket on her, she lays down like it weighs a ton, but actually it is very lightweight.  So, within a few minutes, she is up and moving freely. The jacket is the perfect size for her and provides protection while we are making the journey; she is required to put it on.

Gracie’s life-jacket symbolically reminds me a little bit of Christ’s yoke of grace for believers; how we learn to live by faith and through grace. God does not weigh us down with an ill-fitting yoke; rather, God’s grace is a perfect fit for our salvation.  Christ knows we need freedom to move about, but we also need the protection grace provides.  Christ’s yoke is a blessing; we do not need to worry about anything while we are learning the rhythms of grace.  The Holy Spirit guides us along and will one day deliver us to our journey’s end.  In the meantime, grace protects us and allows us to enter a confident rest in God’s love.  So, don’t resist the work of the Spirit.  Instead, thank the Lord for his yoke of grace and learn from him.

Read more

June 24, 2019

1 Corinthians 1:18-31 The Message (MSG)

On this amazing Monday morning, isn’t it great to be on the way of salvation?  Doesn’t hope in God’s love for you make every day exciting?  We are following the Savior into new territory each day.  We can share about the love of Jesus for the world and the salvation that is offered every seeking heart.  Salvation calls us to invite the Spirit to bring change and renewal to our souls.  Are you daily inviting God into every area of your life?

Listening to the Word being taught is wisdom that opens the eyes of the spiritually blind and teaches the spiritually hungry how to please God.  When we gather for worship, it is not for entertainment purposes; sadly, that would be making worship about us.  Rather, worship is filled with expressions in the Spirit  as each of us exalts God.  Worship leads us into thriving and life-filled opportunities beyond our gatherings; to help us grow in our love and trust of God.  Take a minute today and think about how God has connected you to abundant opportunities. 

Read more

June 21, 2019

Proverbs 8:11-13

In this week’s Bible study time, we looked at Luke 18:35-43.  In the biblical lesson, Jesus is walking down the Jericho Road.  A blind beggar who is sitting beside the road begins to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”  Jesus comes close to the man and asks, “What do you want me to do for you?”  The man says, “I want to see!” And Jesus says, “All right, receive your sight!  Your faith has healed you.”  Instantly, the man could see and he begins to follow Jesus.

Whether we accept it or not, every human being is spiritually blind unless he or she connects to Christ—the Light of the world.  There is no sight unless there is Light; because Light is our stimulus.  Faith is walked out with Jesus who goes before us and lights our Way.

In our Scripture passage for this morning, Lady Wisdom is talking.  She is reminding us the best thing we can ever ask for is wisdom and spiritual eyesight. When we have wisdom, we have the fullness of God’s knowledge and insight. If we are going to ask God for wisdom, we need to be willing to step away from the things God hates; the things the enemy has used to cause and keep us in spiritual blindness.  Pray for wisdom and spiritual eyesight.

Read more

June 20, 2019

Proverbs 7:1-4 Good News Translation (GNT)

When I was in my forties, it became necessary to wear corrective eye glasses.  I tried contacts, but I struggled putting them into place.  Every time I got the contact close to my eye, the lid would instinctively clamped shut.  Something within my response system saw that little piece of plastic as a tremendous threat. 

In our wisdom passage for today, we are reminded to carefully follow the Lord’s teaching; we must protect God’s Word and care for its well-being against all the destructive intrusions of evil.  We are told the enemy comes for the Seed of the Word in our souls; he seeks to rob, steal, and destroy (John 10:10).

Everyone needs to protect his or her eyes in the physical realm; we need to make sure nothing destroys our sight.  We also need to protect our spiritual eyes, the enemy does not want us to receive wisdom and hear from the Lord; the enemy works against the growth of our faith because the Word causes that growth.  When we are tempted by the enemy to be disobedient to God’s Word, the threat to our spiritual eye sight is substantial. So, treasure wisdom and follow the Word; by doing so you will clamp your soul shut at the right time against the destructive work of evil.

Read more

June 19, 2019

Matthew 9:27-31 The Message (MSG)

Faith is many times a misunderstood concept by people; it is more than loving God or witnessing about him.  Faith is certainly more than attending a worship service.  It is more than memorizing Scripture or reading the Bible.  Those things are wonderful to teach us about God and his character.  However, believers live by exercising faith to connect with God and receive from the abundance of his love when human senses seem to be ignorant of the potential.  According to Hebrews 11:1, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not yet seen.” 

Everything we could ever need to walk out our lives for the glory of God exists in his eternal realm. We cannot please God without faith; we must believe that God exists and that he is a Rewarder of those who diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).  It is why Jesus commanded us to pray and follow him into salvation and answers.  That’s why the Apostle Paul assures his readers by sharing the vision of glory he experienced, “No Eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Cor. 2:9). In the spiritual realm, faith is connecting power to the realities of God; there is nothing missing or broken in eternity and faith connects us with the Righteous Ruler of that realm who loves us.  Get that in your spirit, today.  Become what you believe!

Read more

June 18, 2019

Ephesians 5:15-20 New Living Translation (NLT)

This morning I had to ask myself, “Mary, do you make the most of every opportunity?”  Then, I had to answer myself honestly, “Yes” and “Not always.” “Yes,” I do a lot in the natural to get things done, because I wear so many hats of responsibility.  “Not always” because it has only been in recent years that I have looked at everything I do in the natural with a spiritual eye to discern a way to bless God and further his Kingdom.  I want everything about me and what I do to reveal to God and the world whom I worship and adore.  I want to exalt my God with my life.  I believe, if I lift up and exalt Jesus in my life, he will draw others to himself through me.  With every aspect of my day, I seek to view it as a way to live as Christ. Yet, honestly, some days I do that better than others.  

Always remember, everything you do has a spiritual opportunity attached to it, because we must choose to serve one of two masters:  Wisdom—the Christ or Foolishness—the World.  Every moment counts in a race; we are in a faith race with Christ to overcome evil in this world.  When we lay our hands to any task or responsibility, we either glorify God, self, or the enemy.  So, do you make the most of every opportunity?  Press in to the Spirit who gives us the victory.

Read more

June 17, 2019

Ephesians 4:7-16 New Living Translation (NLT)

The standard for Christian maturity is Christ, so the Holy Spirit brings supernatural transforming work to make us like Christ in our character.  The Spirit works through all of us in order to bring us to unity in the faith.  In other words, we help one another grow up.  Every member has a part to play; Christian service to the body is everyone’s calling.  Each of us needs to be operating in wisdom, so our faith is not shaken and we are not vulnerable to the work of the enemy.  Wise Christians know better than to allow themselves to be isolated from the body, because spiritual strength comes in numbers and together we identify and stand against the work of evil.

In our passage today, the Apostle Paul teaches the early church at Ephesus about the gracious gifts of Christ and the need to help other believers grow in love, truth, and wisdom.

Read more

June 14, 2019

Proverbs 3:19-26 Good News Translation (GNT)

Do you spend time reading God’s Word and enjoying his presence each morning?  Is it a priority that cannot be displaced?  If everyday we will allow the Word to remind us of God’s infinite wisdom, greatness, power, and love for us, it will change how we view life and, therefore, how we process our feelings and circumstances. We will not allow negative situations or emotions to dictate our lives, because Almighty God already has that place in our thoughts and hearts; we have made him Lord.  If the Lord, who loves you, created the earth by his wisdom, does fear or worry deserve your time or energy?  When we know the Truth, we will not allow those fleeting or hiding negative occupants of fear or worry to displace our loyalty to our Primary Resident—Messiah.  Why would we take our focus off from the Savior and Creator of all good things in order to entertain the unwelcome guests of fear and worry?  Maybe the reason we struggle with life is because we are not spending time allowing God’s Word of wisdom to become the foundation of everything we think and believe. 

In our reading this morning, the Psalmist reminds us to remain focused on Almighty God; it is wisdom. Christ is returning soon for those who call him Lord.  Scripture teaches the Last Days will be difficult (1 Timothy 3:1). “People will faint from fear as they wait for what is coming over the whole earth, for the powers in space will be driven from their courses. Then the Son of Man will appear, coming in a cloud with great power and glory. When these things begin to happen, stand up and raise your heads, because your salvation is near” (Luke 21:26-28).   Be ready for the Lord’s return.  Read and obey the Word—make the Lord at home in your heart—so the Spirit of wisdom will rule your life.

Read more

June 13, 2019

Proverbs 3:13-18 New Living Translation (NLT)

Charles Dickens once said, “There is a wisdom of the head and a wisdom of the heart.”  Wisdom is to be valued, because wisdom comes from God.  When we begin to understand the Source of wisdom, as well as the work of the Word and life experiences to reveal wisdom, we will begin to recognize God’s blessing and favor over our lives.  Listening to God is the first key to gaining wisdom, because it is His desire to take care of us.  Wisdom is a tremendously valuable gift the Holy Spirit cultivates in us; the profitable, precious, and prosperous gift from God for his children. 

Scripture teaches in the last days, people will live for themselves and what they think will make them happy, but that is not wisdom.  God’s sons and daughters will live by heart wisdom and in so doing the blessing and favor of God will radiate in those lives guided by the Word.  Live today in the wisdom of God and be joyful!

Read more

June 12, 2019

Luke 1:26-38 New Life Version (NLV)

Our Scripture this week is drawing our attention to the work of the Holy Spirit.  It is the Spirit who brings us into the realm of God when our minds, wills, and emotions are actually willing to stop fighting the reality of Truth.  We fight to understand everything with our natural senses and God’s mystery of salvation is only received and revealed by the Holy Spirit.  How powerful is the Holy Spirit?  

Well, in our passage today, the Spirit comes upon Mary and the power of the Most High covers her and she becomes pregnant with Messiah; no man involved.  Pretty powerful, right?  The kind of news the angel delivered from God to Mary cannot be receive in the natural, because it makes no sense to us.  But, it is nonetheless Truth about the power of God over the natural realm. We must surrender our limited human understanding in order to receive his unlimited divine wisdom and provision. 

Read more