Pastor Mary Haley

Intro: For our Advent season this year, I have chosen to enjoy the Jesse Tree by sharing a 24-day practice to prepare us for the celebration of Christ’s birth; the event we celebrate and honor at Christmas. From the root of Jesse’s stump, we will discover or rediscover the people in the family Tree of Jesus Messiah who were instrumental in bringing the presence of God near to us in order to revive the Spirit-led family of faith. With each day’s reading, we will add a new symbol—an ornament—to our family tree.

Today, we begin our journey and our symbol is the world.

It is important to remember God created all things in heaven and on earth through the Word, breathed the Spirit of life into creation, and declared his workmanship “good.” Therefore, from the beginning it has been God’s story to reveal and, by faith in our Creator, our story now to live. Depending upon our vantage point, the earth can appear huge or very small all at the same time. For example, glimpses of the earth from space reveals the grandness of continents and oceans, yet it also becomes clear from that same vantage point the earth is small in comparison to the universe around us. Such is our God. He is up close and personal and at the same time beyond our ability to comprehend or encompass.

From the beginning of Scripture, we note God’s desire was to be present and a part of everything He created. He brought order and life to that which was void and lifeless. I can only imagine how excited the Creator must have been as he looked around at what His Word and Spirit made: day, night, waters above/below, creating land, seas, trees, seed-bearing plants, sun, moon, sea life, animals, and then the crowning achievement—a man and a woman to reveal His image [nature and character] in the world. Everything created would then take root, multiply, and procreate life.

Creation is truly a wonder; it speaks to my heart and allows me to follow the love of God for me. Creation is a personal gift for each of God’s children; we are to take good care of the world and one another because in doing so, we are acknowledging our Creator and sharing our gratitude for designing such a beautiful place. Every part of our world is unique and we have been uniquely designed to enjoy life in our place of the world. Yet, we must realize there are tangible things we see around us and understand and, because we are made by the Almighty invisible God, there are things around us we cannot see but are nonetheless still true and waiting to be discovered. Therefore, faith must lead the way for all our journeys.

OT Testament Reading
Genesis 1:1-2, 27-30 NLT The Account of Creation
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.
27
So God created human beings [Heb. ha-adam] in his own image.
    In the image of God he created them;
    male and female he created them.

28 Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.”

29 Then God said, “Look! I have given you every seed-bearing plant throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food. 30 And I have given every green plant as food for all the wild animals, the birds in the sky, and the small animals that scurry along the ground—everything that has life.” And that is what happened.

New Testament Readings
John 1:1-3 NLT Christ, the Eternal Word
1 
In the beginning the Word already existed.
    The Word was with God,
    and the Word was God.
2 
He existed in the beginning with God.
3 
God created everything through him,
    and nothing was created except through him.

Colossians 1:16 NLT Christ Is Supreme
15 
Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.
    He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,
16 
for through him God created everything
    in the heavenly realms and on earth.
He made the things we can see
    and the things we can’t see—
such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.
    Everything was created through him and for him.

Prayer: Lord, we thank you for making this beautiful world and for drawing near to us through relationship. We know you are supreme in authority and power over heaven and earth. Please open our eyes to see the creative ways you have chosen to renew our souls through nature, the work of your Living Word, and to trust your care for us in the Spirit for the things we cannot see. Because you are compassionate, creative, and entirely good, please continue to mold and shape us as we enjoy life with you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: When I was a small child, the expression on my father’s face told me whether he was please or displeased with my actions. Dad was very transparent that way and all it took was one look…”the look”…and I knew how he felt. Honestly, if Dad looked at me in a certain way, it was always enough to stop whatever I was doing before discipline commenced.

In our passage today, the psalmist wants God to face him. It is not unusual for a psalmist to speak of God’s face as a way of inviting His presence. To seek God’s shining face is to experience His blessing, provision, and protection. It is welcoming God into every aspect of life and asking to be led by love and guided in God’s will where salvation is promised. The shining face of God brings acceptance and an invitation to experience His glory. However, when God hides His face, it leads to chaos and shame.

Psalm 80:7 NLT
Turn us again to yourself, O God of Heaven’s Armies.
    Make your face shine down upon us.
    Only then will we be saved.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the favor and grace we find as you make your face shine down upon us. We desire your presence, provision, and protection for our lives. We long for a stronger relationship with you so we can display your glory. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: This morning very early I decided to turn on the news so I could get caught up on the very latest things happening in our nation and the world. I spend very little time reading the news online or watching it on cable, but I do try to stay informed. Today, I saw more about: 1) the innocent hostages released by hamas, 2) the innocent Jewish teacher in NYC (Queens) who was harassed and threatened by pro-Palestinian high school student protesters, and lastly 3) the “crash and carry” robberies violating innocent business owners. I prayed, Lord, please bring an end to the evil aimed at the innocent in your world. Shortly thereafter I read Psalm 7 and God’s principle of retribution presented itself before me. How would you define “retribution?”

Sometimes we compare retribution with vengeance, but they are really not the same thing. Retribution is about seeking justice but it is not personal; it is about taking issue with unrighteousness or wrong doing. Retribution takes no pleasure in the suffering of others, its goal is simply to mete out justice and remove the danger from society by deterring other criminals. In the Old Testament Law, retribution was to be proportional to the crime committed. Think about the phrase “an eye for an eye or a tooth for a tooth” (Ex 21:23-25). Jesus taught, “Don’t resist one who is evil” (Mat5:38). So, how are we to view retribution, today?

I believe God made it very clear that the judicial system was established to take issue with evil actions against the innocent (Ro 13:1, 6). So, it is the duty of government and those in authority to protect the innocent by enacting retribution on those who perform acts of evil. Yet, more and more it becomes apparent that our system of protecting the innocent is failing miserably. In fact, I believe this apathy to take issue with evil actions/criminal and violent behavior is being orchestrated by Satan in order to lull wicked people into thinking they will face no retributive action for the injustice they perpetuate against innocent people. But, Satan is a liar! (John 8:44).

In our passage today, David reminds us about the law of divine retribution. In other words, how God will take issue with humans who choose to do evil and thinking they will get away with it. God maintains moral order in the world by meting out justice. When a person or group of people are determined to rob, steal, or destroy the innocent, they position themselves for their own destruction (Mat 26:52). This is called sowing and reaping.

Psalm 7:14-16 CEV
14
An evil person is like a woman
    about to give birth
to a hateful, deceitful,
    and rebellious child.
15 
Such people dig a deep hole,
    then fall in it themselves.
16 
The trouble they cause
    comes back on them,
and their heads are crushed
    by their own evil deeds.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for providing a greater understanding of retribution and the importance of godly justice. I pray for you to deliver people from evil; I pray for them to want to be saved from their own self-destruction. Thank you for loving us enough to discipline us, so we do not face this kind of reaping or harvest. We place our hope in Jesus who has promised to one day usher in a just world as the Spirit transforms the world into a place of righteousness and peace. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: God has generously poured within us [grace] everything we will ever need as worshipers of the Most High. There is nothing we lack if we are focused on worshiping the Lord. In our passage today, the psalmist—worship leader—instructs us to serve and worship the Lord with gladness. Did you know gladness is the sign of a servant heart?

It is alway a blessing to worship with my spiritual family; I feel secure and joyful. Therefore, I exuberantly express my gratitude and joy when we sing praises and when we open the Word of God. I cannot contain the excitement and joy I feel in worship; it just spills out because I know I am His!

When we know we belong to God, that knowledge permeates how we think and marks our actions and words. We are not worshiping others around us; people do not deserve our worship. Instead, we are joyfully focused on exalting the Lord for his goodness and grace extended to us. Joy is a choice and worshipers should be joyful people.
Psalm 100 A psalm of thanksgiving
1 
Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth!
2 
    Worship the Lord with gladness.
    Come before him, singing with joy.
3 
Acknowledge that the Lord is God!
    He made us, and we are his.
    We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 
Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
    go into his courts with praise.
    Give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 
For the Lord is good.
    His unfailing love continues forever,
    and his faithfulness continues to each generation.

Prayer: Lord I will enter your presence with joy and thanksgiving, because I recognize your sovereign right to rule your world. You made me; I am yours. So, hear my praise and receive my love today in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: Today we celebrate Thanksgiving; a time to give thanks to God for His many blessings. As the early settlers in America bowed to thank God for an abundant harvest that sustained them even during the hardest of times, we should take time today to bow and thank the Lord for sustaining us, as well. To be filled with thanksgiving is to recognize the goodness of God.

Generosity is a big deal with God, because He is the Master of pure generosity. Therefore, the believer’s life should be marked by a generous Spirit. When we are generous, we are sharing the unselfish kindness of the Savior extended to us. In this greedy and selfish culture, followers of Christ should be magnanimous!

In our passage today, the Apostle Paul reminds us about the spiritual principle of sowing and reaping; an attitude that leads us into ever-increasing generosity. True thanksgiving exudes an attitude of contentment for what God has provided. When we have a thankful spirit, we will look for ways to be generous to others with our time, talent, or treasure.

So today, thank God for his goodness toward you. Put a watch over your mouth, so you do not complain about anything; it dishonors God. Finally, be content with what you have been given and resist the temptation to compare yourself or your life with others. Sow the seeds of kindness and goodness into the lives of those around you and look for the harvest only God can bring. Blessings and Happy Thanksgiving!

2 Corinthians 9:6-11 NLT
6 Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. 7 You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” 8 And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.

“They share freely and give generously to the poor.
    Their good deeds will be remembered forever.”

10 For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity [righteousness] in you.
11 Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous.

Prayer: Lord, I pray for your Spirit to make all of your children across the globe magnanimous in generosity. Thank you, Lord, for life and all you have provided to sustain us even during the hardest of times. Thank you for Jesus who came to save us and bring forgiveness of sin. Thank you for the work of your liberating Spirit who brings the truth to our souls and leads us in righteousness. Thank you for generously empowering us to be ministers of reconciliation, so others can experience the contentment in their souls only you can give. We give you thanks, Lord. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: There are times in life when we all need a vindicator; someone to represent our hearts and clear us of unjust criticism or condemnation. We were created to be accepted, affirmed, and adored by God, so criticism and condemnation works diligently to destroy us. Injustice is part of living in a fallen world, so until Jesus returns, we will face times of being falsely accused.

Criticism can be a traumatic and painful place that destroys trust and self-confidence. Being condemned without a vindicator leaves a person feeling abandoned and alone [think about Jesus on the cross]. Believers must remember we all have a spiritual enemy called Satan, the Accuser, who fights to gain control of our souls [mind/will/emotions]. Many people do not realize they can actually be a host for spiritual evil to pour condemnation and unjust criticism from their lips into the lives of others. The tongue can be very hard to tame (James 3:1-12). Sadly, we have all been a spewing host, as well as an innocent recipient of the Accuser’s handiwork. Thank you, Lord, for your merciful work of love and grace to change us!

In our passage today, David knew all about this unjust criticism and condemnation from the Accuser through other human beings. Yet, David knew God would uphold his just cause in time. God is not ignorant to the mistreatment of His children. The Lord took care of David and He will do the same for you and me. We are tenderly loved by the Giver of perfect Love; He does not miss a tear we shed (Ps 56:8).

When believers face injustice [falsely accused or misunderstood, unappreciated for the genuine love we offer, or working with integrity but criticized instead of rewarded] we must look Higher and focus on our Savior—Jesus the Christ—who will sit as Judge of the world. When we do not wait for Christ to vindicate us, we sit in hatred, self-pity, and make everyone around us pay for our pain. When we do wait for Christ to vindicate us, we rest in supernatural peace and are liberated from the false opinions and wrongful treatment of others. We must choose wisely and allow praise and thanksgiving to rise up to our Vindicator, because justice will come.

Psalm 9: 3-6 NLT
3 
When my enemies face you,
they run away and stumble
    and are destroyed.
4 
You take your seat as judge,
and your fair decisions prove
    that I was in the right.
5 
You warn the nations
    and destroy evil people;
you wipe out their names
    forever and ever.
6 
Our enemies are destroyed
    completely for all time.
Their cities are torn down,
and they will never
    be remembered again.

Prayer: Thank You, Lord, for Your mercy, as well as being the Light of Truth for our lives. Please continue to liberate us from evil and transform us by Your love. Thank You for the promise that one day evil will be destroyed forever. We will wait for You to vindicate us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

NOTE: Please join us at 7PM tonight for our Thanksgiving Eve service at Connect2Christ Church 9398 Oakhurst Road in Seminole FL. We will be praising God and sharing our gratitude for all He has done and continues to do for us in Christ. Light refreshments will follow. Happy Thanksgiving!

Intro: “Thank you” are just two small words, but they pack a lot of power. Gratitude brings health benefits. In fact, research reveals being thankful reduces depression, lessens anxiety, supports heart health, relieves stress, and improves sleep. Who would have thought being thankful and expressing gratitude could be so beneficial?

In our passage today, David calls his whole being to a place of praise; nothing half-hearted about David’s praise. David makes a decision to expand his awareness of God as he proclaims, “I will praise!” He praises the goodness, character, and the wonderful nature of God.

When we praise God, we are expressing our gratitude to Him and acknowledging His worth. So, practice gladness and speak this sentence often, “Thank you, Lord!” Knock yourself out by saying “thank you” and you will actually be helping yourself!

Psalm 9:1-2 NLT
1 
I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart;
    I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done.
2 
I will be filled with joy because of you.
    I will sing praises to your name, O Most High.

Prayer: Lord, I will praise you with all my heart. Thank you for the amazing way you shower your goodness and redemptive love upon me and my loved ones. Fill me with joy, today! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: Every day in our devotional time we have an opportunity to respond to Christ’s Kingdom message and Word. I say, “opportunity,” because the gospel is an invitation to enjoy Kingdom living through a relationship with Almighty God—to be filled with real life by welcoming God to live, move, and have His being in and through us—and rule over our lives (Acts 17:28). Yet, instead of responding to God’s invitation and promise to make us in His image by the work of His righteous Hand, we sometimes, by our own will and human strength, try to clean up our behaviors a bit and think that is enough to withstand evil or what God is wanting from us as a response to His Word. Is that attitude really the gospel Truth?

In our passage today, Jesus wants to stress the point that a human being cannot become a vessel that is clean or protected without the indwelling Christ. Religion cannot make us righteous; we cannot make ourselves righteous. Therefore, we are left vulnerable to evil without Christ.

Satan knows the difference between what we can do on the outside to clean ourselves up and what only God can do on the inside to overpower evil. So, evil has no place to enter when we accept Christ’s invitation to live in and rule over us unless, of course, we open the door to evil. The gospel is God’s perfect rescue plan for humanity from evil and eternal judgment! Jesus wants the religious leaders, disciples, and all of creation throughout time to wake up to the Truth about avoiding the works of evil through God’s plan of salvation.

Matthew 12:43-45 NLT
43 “When an evil [unclean] spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert [dry place], seeking rest but finding none. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to the person I came from.’ So it returns and finds its former home empty, swept, and in order [but vacant and unprepared with the Word]. 45 Then the spirit finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all enter the person and live there. And so that person is worse off than before. That will be the experience of this evil generation.”

Prayer: Lord, I pray for our hearts to be prepared, pure, and protected from evil; therefore, we must accept your invitation to have your way in our souls. Rule and reign in us and bring the necessary cleanup to our fallen natures. We are to be new creations in Christ and that means we must reject evil’s temptation so we will not be mastered by it. We proclaim you as our Master, Lord. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: These past two weeks have been jammed-full of tasks for me. It is a busy time of the year for the church; many areas that need planning and organizing. I am surrounded by amazing servants, so I am greatly blessed of the Lord! But, honestly, every morning as I look at the calendar readout on my watch I think, “How can it be Thursday [whatever day] already? And, how can Thanksgiving be next week?” Time flies…

In our passage today, we come to the Psalter and a prayer of Moses. Moses helps us put time into perspective when thinking about God. Our Creator God not only knows all about matters of time, He dwells in eternity. We may try to contrast our human nature and time with God’s divine nature and eternity, but the best posture for us in which to think and serve, as finite beings in search of answers, is that of submission to the Greater One who is never bound by time. For example, we pray and expect answers in time, but God answers from eternity—and those answers may take awhile to arrive! So we patiently wait, right?

While we wait for answers, seeking wisdom should be our goal. Moses learned how to release his expectations of how God will answer. The exodus out of Egypt and the pilgrimage into the Promised Land should have taken less than two weeks…but, because God wanted the whole group of people to understand they were making a journey into his rule by submitting to his way of doing things, they ended up in the wilderness forty years. They struggled with submission. No big deal from the perspective of eternity because it goes on forever, but a BIG deal from the human measure of time.

Time is brief here on earth and we need to gather others to the heart of God—the Home of Followers—and be faithful to return and share his love. Right now, God is graciously giving humanity a time to repent and turn back to his rule. May we do our part to tell others so they can return to life with God.
Psalm 90:1-8, 12 A prayer of Moses, the man of God.
1 
Lord, through all the generations
    you have been our home!
2 
Before the mountains were born,
    before you gave birth to the earth and the world,
    from beginning to end, you are God.
3 
You turn people back to dust, saying,
    “Return to dust, you mortals!”
4 
For you, a thousand years are as a passing day,
    as brief as a few night hours.
5 
You sweep people away like dreams that disappear.
    They are like grass that springs up in the morning.
6 
In the morning it blooms and flourishes,
    but by evening it is dry and withered.
7 
We wither beneath your anger;
    we are overwhelmed by your fury.
8 
You spread out our sins before you—
    our secret sins—and you see them all.
12
Teach us to realize the brevity of life,
    so that we may grow in wisdom.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for Moses’ prayer this morning and the reminder that you are our true Home. Life with you is the only way we will be able to navigate this life wisely. Continue to teach us and lead us in eternal realities in Jesus’ name.

Intro: When looking at objects in the night sky that are far away, a telescope is a pretty amazing instrument. It collects and gathers light, bends the light to focus, and magnifies to help us observe things in greater detail. Wouldn’t it be great if a telescope could help us see and understand heaven and heavenly things?

Our passage today is part of the Olivet Discourse. Jesus is sitting with his disciples on the Mount of Olives and they are firing questions at him. Sure, Jesus is with them in person, but he is talking to them about heavenly things and angelic missions that are distant and in the future. They don’t know how to make sense of it all. So, the disciples ask Jesus to identify the harbinger [precursor] that will signal future events and his return. They want a spiritual telescope and Jesus is making them and us use FAITH!

Jesus begins by warning the disciples about the deception that will come from false prophets who will preach what people want to hear vs. preaching faith in the Word of God (Mat 24:4). This deception will diminish godly love. When we allow ourselves to fixate on signs rather than focus on Christ and his commands, we can open ourselves up to deception that leads to a lukewarm love and a dying faith. Let us never forget faith is the assurance of things HOPED for and the evidence of things not yet seen (Heb 11:1).

Then, Jesus tells the disciples [all Christ’s followers] they will be persecuted, hated, and put to death all over the world because they loyally follow him (Mat 24:9-13). As well, Christ shares about the end time tribulation and how the heavenly sky will tell a part of the story. Endurance is essential to go the distance in Christ. We may be tempted by evil to reject Christ’s standard and teachings on loving God and our neighbors, but we must stand strong in the strength of God through the Spirit. We must keep in mind our commission to represent Christ and release his LOVE—hold on to Christ and his words. This is what it means to live in Christ. “But now faith, hope, and love remain; these three virtues must characterize our lives. The greatest of these is love (1 Cor 13:13).

The climax of the Discourse is the fact that Jesus’ return is unmistakable! All of heaven and earth will see it close up! No telescope necessary. Heaven and earth will pass away and the Word of God will be left standing magnified and in perfect focus, because all the LIGHT has been gathered.

Matthew 24:29-35 NLT
29 “Immediately after the anguish of those days,
the sun will be darkened,
    the moon will give no light,
the stars will fall from the sky,
    and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.

30 And then at last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the peoples of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.31 And he will send out his angels with the mighty blast of a trumpet, and they will gather his chosen ones from all over the world—from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven.

32 “Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near. 33 In the same way, when you see all these things, you can know his return is very near, right at the door. 34 I tell you the truth, this generation will not pass from the scene until all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the Lamp of your Word that helps us better understanding how to manage our lives in these times in which we live. Continue to be the Light we need and help us hang on to our faith, hope, and love in Christ! In Jesus’ name. Amen.