Pastor Mary Haley

 

Daily Reading 1-24-17

Philippians 2:12-18 New Living Translation (NLT)

 

Constant complaining seems to be a way of life for many people these days. Every time I turn on the news someone is complaining about something or someone.  It is sad because according to Scripture it is choosing to live with a dark attitude rather than a Light spirit.   Why are we expecting that other people must please us?

 

A sign of our salvation is desiring to please and trust God to bring things about for our good. Maybe we need to grow in the understanding that to actually trust God means we accept this natural world is not always going to give us what we want; so God will find a way to get a better blessing to us.  Life is not always fair, but God is Good!  Can you be joyful and peaceful even when things are not going the way you want them to go?  The Father loves us; we are his children who are to shine in the darkness.

 

Philippians 2:12-18 Shine Brightly for Christ

12 Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. 13 For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.

 

14 Do everything without complaining and arguing, 15 so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. 16 Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless. 17 But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God,[a] just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy. 18 Yes, you should rejoice, and I will share your joy.

 

Prayer:  Father, please help me to watch my attitude and avoid a complaining spirit, today.  Help me to trust you with gratitude.  This world may disappoint me, but you never will.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Daily Reading 1-19-17

Galatians 1:11-24  New Living Translation (NLT)

 

It is interesting to me how the Lord can turn our passions and inclinations for thinking and living around.  I can certainly testify how the Lord has changed me by renewing my mind and thoughts and imparting His will.  I have faced many a turn around once the Lord imparted Truth. The Apostle Paul was driven to destroy the Christian movement until the Lord help him see the error of his reasoning, his wrong inclinations, and the lack of love in his heart.  

 

Galatians 1:11-24 Paul’s Message Comes from Christ

11 Dear brothers and sisters, I want you to understand that the gospel message I preach is not based on mere human reasoning. 12 I received my message from no human source, and no one taught me. Instead, I received it by direct revelation from Jesus Christ.[a]

 

13 You know what I was like when I followed the Jewish religion—how I violently persecuted God’s church. I did my best to destroy it. 14 I was far ahead of my fellow Jews in my zeal for the traditions of my ancestors.

 

15 But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace. Then it pleased him 16 to reveal his Son to me[b] so that I would proclaim the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles.

 

When this happened, I did not rush out to consult with any human being.[c] 17 Nor did I go up to Jerusalem to consult with those who were apostles before I was. Instead, I went away into Arabia, and later I returned to the city of Damascus.

 

18 Then three years later I went to Jerusalem to get to know Peter,[d] and I stayed with him for fifteen days. 19 The only other apostle I met at that time was James, the Lord’s brother. 20 I declare before God that what I am writing to you is not a lie.

 

21 After that visit I went north into the provinces of Syria and Cilicia. 22 And still the churches in Christ that are in Judea didn’t know me personally. 23 All they knew was that people were saying, “The one who used to persecute us is now preaching the very faith he tried to destroy!” 24 And they praised God because of me.

 

Prayer:  Lord, thank you for having a plan for my life that exists apart from my performance and understanding.  May you be glorified in what I am called to share by grace.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Daily Reading 1-13-17

Acts 1:1-5 New Living Translation (NLT)

 

In a world where so many people want to dismiss the reality of a loving Savior or reject a relationship with this living holy Friend, today’s passage made me smile.  Especially verse 3; for 40 days Jesus demonstrated to the apostles he was actually alive.  Jesus told the apostles what to expect and they still had difficulty receiving it as truth.  Hallelujah!  There is hope for us!  Even though it is truth that Jesus lives and moves and has his being through willing hearts, we still find it hard to believe he is really alive, don’t we? Well, maybe the more difficult thing is not just believing, but humbly surrendering our lives to him and allowing him to live through us. That’s really the toughest part; it is the reason the Father sent the Spirit.

 

Acts 1:1-5 The Promise of the Holy Spirit

1 In my first book I told you, Theophilus, about everything Jesus began to do and teach 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven after giving his chosen apostles further instructions through the Holy Spirit. 3 During the forty days after he suffered and died, he appeared to the apostles from time to time, and he proved to them in many ways that he was actually alive. And he talked to them about the Kingdom of God.

4 Once when he was eating with them, he commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. 5 John baptized with[b] water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

 

Prayer:  I believe you are alive Jesus and that you desire to save me daily from the effects of this evil world.  Help me to cooperate as you make me the daughter you planned from the beginning of time.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Daily Reading 1-11-17

Matthew 12:15-21 Living Translation (NLT)

 

Intentions matter to God; He desires that we come to him not out of an act of obligation, but out of longing to be with Him.  Love must be our motivation; relationship our goal.   Jesus wants us to be as excited about the little things he is doing for us in the quietness of the heart as much as the big or outwardly obvious things he is doing to bring wholeness to our lives.  He is Good and is the Author of all Good in our lives.

 

In our passage today, Jesus has many people following him.  He heals the sick ones and instructs them not to tell others.  He wants people to come for relationship reasons not just for physical healing.  Jesus wants a forever relationship and the ways he desires to heal us are endless.

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Daily Reading 1-3-17

Hebrews 11:13-22 The Message (MSG)

 

To be a Christ follower is to be a person who lives, moves, and has his/her being by faith in the love of God.  It is easy to have faith that God loves us when everything in our life is going well.  We confidently tell others we are blessed!  But, what happens to our faith when we face things we never thought would happen?  What happens to our trust in God when we find ourselves pressed by life or attacked by evil?  Are we still blessed? According to Scripture, it is during the most difficult of times that our faith is tested.  During those times will we stand obedient to the Word of God and trust Him to work things together for our good?

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Daily Reading 1-2-17

Psalm 20 New Living Translation (NLT)

 

The true might of any nation is found not in weaponry, but in the level of that nation’s worship.  Therefore, let us place our trust and confidence in the Lord!  Let us bow down and worship the Great I Am, because he rescues us by his power and might. 

 

Our passage this morning is a song of David.  It is his testimony to the love and care of God.

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Daily Reading 12-29-16

John 8:12-19 New Living Translation (NLT)

 

The Messiah is the Light of the World; he was sent by the Father so we could walk in the light of God’s love.  In God’s love there is Life and it is his desire that we experience abundant life.  Another way to describe abundant is rich with blessing.  God desires that we experience the riches of heaven while on earth; we are to share our blessings with others. If at the end of the day, after sharing our lives with those around us, we find we are still filled with hope, peace, joy, and love we have tasted abundant life!

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Daily Reading 12-28-16

Matthew 18:1-7,10 New Living Translation (NLT)

 

Learning to be submissive to authority always calls for humility; a state of being humble begins with respect and submission.  Father God calls us to respect Him and submit ourselves to what He speaks over our lives. This is the process for entering His Kingdom.  Jesus uses the example of a child to teach his disciples about this state of being humble, because some of his followers had become self-centered and competitive.

 

Think about the Christ child.  Jesus said to welcome a humble child with a sincere heart is to welcome Him.  May we open our hearts to others around us who demonstrate a sincere heart toward God, because to do so is to welcome and connect to Christ.

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Daily Reading 12-19-16

Galatians 4:8-20 New Living Translation (NLT)

 

It is the calling of spiritual guides and leaders to teach the truth of God’s Word to receiving hearts until Christ is fully developed in their lives.  Humans can get sidetracked and lose focus on the most important things.  That is why we must follow Christ.  As we place our faith in the work of the Word, spiritual maturity is developed and we become more like Jesus.  Because of the Light Christ brings, we can love God and others in a purer way.  We can be filled with joy!

 

As we are learning, we may not like everything spiritual leaders say about our attitudes or actions.  However, we need to receive correction and allow a time to examine our hearts.  Then, we can invite the Spirit to bring the necessary change.  In our passage today, we realize the Apostle Paul is not real popular with some of the people in the early church at Galatia because he has corrected them, but he is going to tell them the truth, anyway.

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Daily Reading 12-13-16

Jude 17-25  Living Bible (TLB)

 

Many of you know John and I have adopted a new puppy named Gracie.  Gracie is now 5 months old and is full of energy ready to experience each day.  We are trying to teach Gracie about boundaries; training her not to bolt out of an open door, stopping at the edge of the grass without going into the road, listening to our commands for her safety.  She is learning there are limits and obedience is necessary.  We are spending time speaking these commands because we love Gracie.  She needs to stay within the reach of our love and care.

 

Through His Word, Father God teaches us about boundaries for our safety, as well.  In today’s reading, Jude (brother of Jesus) reminds God’s family to listen in order to stay strong in the faith entrusted to every believer, because danger awaits those who are not paying attention.  The Word is a guard for our lives that protects us as we explore and experience life; it’s a boundary that seeks to keep us within the reach of God’s love and shelter.

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