Pastor Mary Haley

If we really pay attention, we can sense the darkness of anxiety trying to have dominion in our daily lives.  We wrestle anxiety in our minds and our emotions; anxiety affects our faith.  Jacob testified to that “wrestling” thing!  “And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day” (Gen. 32:24).   Anxiety is a thief; it robs us of our strength.  Why do we give anxiety any power in our lives?  This lesson about Jacob reveals his reasons for anxiety; the power of loneliness, past sin and guilt, judgment, and fear of the unknown.

Loneliness keeps us isolated and makes it much easier to develop or even intensify self-pity.  We are to be confident in Christ and remain in a community of loving believers.  Don’t let yourself remain lonely; get into a fellowship where others can love and appreciate you.  They will help guard your peace.

Guilt will bring anxiety.  Poor Jacob never forgot what he did to his brother, Esau, whom he was to love.  He robbed him; mistreated him.  Therefore, he saw everything else in the light of his own guilt.  When you and I are guilty of sinning against another by not following the love instruction from God, we set ourselves up to think everyone is going to treat us like we treated others; we fear exposure.  Take the initiative and expose your sin to the Savior and receive forgiveness.  As well, if you have not walked in the love of Christ with someone whom God gave you to love, tell them you are sorry.  God will restore your peace.

The threat of judgment will cause us to have anxiety.  When Jacob heard that Esau was coming towards him with four hundred men, he knew he deserved whatever judgment came for his grievous actions against his brother.   He would be overpowered.  When you and I live right before God, we do not have to fear the judgment of others.  We need to trust that God forgives us and will soften the hearts of those whom we have mistreated. We cannot live in the fear of the past.  Choose to stay in peace.

The unknown is a tough place and can cause great anxiety in most people.  It is a time for faith.  Jacob wrestled all night, because he worried about what would happen in the morning.  You and I should not fear the past or the future; we should pray instead and leave it with God.  Our focus must be to learn from the past, make the decisions that make for a healthy present (today), and know that is our part.  Trust and guard your peace.

Jacob wrestled with the angel; a picture of persistent faith. The future is in the hands of Hope–Jesus.  Put your confidence in Christ and allow His peace to guard your thoughts and ways.  Allow me to share some words from Charles Albert Tindley;

If the world from you withhold

Of its silver and gold,

And you have to get along with meager fare,

Just remember, in His Word,

How He feeds the little bird–

Take your burden to the Lord

And leave it there.

If your body suffers pain

And your health you can’t regain,

And your soul is almost sinking in despair,

Jesus knows the pain you feel,

He can save and He can heal–

Take your burden to the Lord

And leave it there.

When your enemies assail

And your heart begins to fail,

Don’t forget that God in heaven answers prayer;

He will make a way for you

And will lead you safely through;

Take your burden to the Lord

And leave it there.

When your youthful days are gone

And old age is stealing on,

And your body bends beneath the weight of care,

He will never leave you then,

He’ll go with you to the end–

Take your burden to the Lord

And leave it there.

Today’s reading:  Genesis 32:24-30 

I love talking about happy places, times, and endings.  You know; abundant living in connection to Christ.   But, God’s Word reminds us that around the Light of His love, darkness can be found.  We are so used to the sunlight that follows the nighttime that we forget God’s Word talks about a darkness that is eternal.  The life of Judas can tell us about the darkness.  Picture the story.  Jesus is sharing a final meal with his disciples.  Judas, who is choosing to remain in the darkness, acts like he really cares about Jesus.  Oh, he might care about him, but make no mistake, Judas cares more about himself than anyone else.  It’s a dark process of thinking; selfishness.  The pressure of being near the Christ (the selfless One) is putting too much pressure on poor Judas.  He has to leave the presence of Love; “So Judas left at once, going out into the night” (John 13:30).  Yes, it is much more comfortable in the darkness when you’re selfish.  

Judas progressed into the darkness; one selfish step at a time.   His next move would be a deeper level of darkness; total resistance and betrayal of True Life.  Jesus came to teach us how to live as humans; to be our role model. He is the Rabbi and we are the disciples.  Christ longs to bring conviction and warn us of dark places so we will avoid them.  We need to heed his warnings.  You and I know when we do wrong things.  Those things condemn us; our conscience bears witness.  Those are little steps into darkness.  Judas’ life warns us that Christ can be with us and we can still choose the darkness; even eternal darkness.

Every day we must choose to dwell in the power of the Spirit to love and light the lives of others.  That’s the heart of Christ, isn’t it?  God has given us a life with a certain number of days.  Will we invite the light of Christ to help us connect in love to others each day?  We must make the choice. If we are honest, we know our selfish ambitions are empty and dark wells.  Or, will we sneak into the darkness like Judas, dwell on self, and loose our many opportunities to serve the King with our lives.  Here’s a poem for you to ponder:

The clock of life is wound but once

and no man has the power

To tell just where the hands will stop

At late or early hour.

To lose one’s wealth is sad indeed,

To lose one’s health is more,

To lose one’s soul is such a loss

As no man can restore.

So do not wait until tomorrow

To do His blessed will,

The clock of life may then be stopped—

The hands may then be still.

–Author Unknown–

There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee.  After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus.  “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us.  Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.  Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”  (John 3:1-3).  Nicodemus pursued Jesus as he just had to know more about the mystery of salvation; the mystery of God’s love that offered “new life.”  His finite rational mind wanted to know the infinite work of God and gain some Light.  Nicodemus was a very knowledgeable man, a ruler of the Jews, who understood sin and separation from God meant death.  Jesus told him that salvation was for everyone because all of us have sinned (1 John 1:8). No one has ever lived a sinless life apart from Christ.  Since we are accountable to God, we need a way to be free from the penalty of sin. 

Why did Nicodemus come to Jesus at night?  Was it pride; because he didn’t want others to see?  Was it fear?  Maybe Jesus was leaving town the next day; certainly Christ moved from place to place.  Regardless of the reason, here is an example of a learned man in Greek, Roman, and Hebrew cultures who was compelled to find a greater truth.   Each one of the cultures, in which he lived, brought a piece of truth.  For the Greeks, truth could be found in the arts and philosophy.  In Roman culture, the government enforced their version of truth.  The Hebrews sought to fulfill truth with rituals and laws.  But all of these ways, left people empty, frustrated, and needs unmet; even Nicodemus. 

Only God can provide what we need through grace–to be spiritually born anew.  Jesus tells Nicodemus that this new life is experiential; so don’t try to grab hold of salvation with your rational mind.  God’s love for humans is truly a mystery; can you understand the love that would come from heaven, take on human form, and die on the cross for the sins of others?  We really don’t love that way, but God does.  When you and I accept the love of God found in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, we can enjoy a “new life” connection that lasts for eternity.  The Light of Christ is not a one time experience; it’s much, much more.  Actually, Truth’s (Jesus) invitation is to be spiritually renewed in God’s power and to live in the Light of love every day. Do you need some Light?  Connect to Christ and live for the glory of God. 

Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  No one can come to the Father except through me.”  John 14:6       

The world is full of potential and grateful hearts know the power of a positive attitude.  With so much negativity around us each day via the TV, radio, and newspaper, it is a challenge to keep that optimistic attitude up.  In those times, we must respond by dwelling on “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable” (Philippians 4:8).  To dwell on these things is to dwell with God.

If we remain optimistic and look carefully as we go throughout our day, we will experience the miracles that God has provided for us along the way.  We can miss them if we are not paying attention with a positive attitude; to see the beauty of a sunrise, to hear the songs of the birds, to smell the fragrant flowers, to taste the food that nourishes and comforts, and to feel the embrace of a loved one.  Yes, we serve a God who longs to interact with us, not only in our spirits, but through our senses.  Please don’t miss the miracles God has for you, today; stay positively focused.

“I could go through this day oblivious to the miracles all around me, or I could tune in and enjoy.” Gloria Gaither

Do you feel like you live each day to the fullest?  A day lived for the glory of God?  If you do, I imagine your day is filled with joy.  Joy is great, because it is not based on our circumstances.  Joy is a positive inward attitude; fruit of the Spirit and a gift from God.  People who live with this attitude live life with a capital L.  If you are a joy-filled person you have a grateful heart.  According to Bill Bright,“The joy of the Holy Spirit is experienced by giving thanks in all situations.”

Everyday brings a blend of blessings and challenges.  If we are going to live each day to the fullest, we will need to find joy regardless of the challenges.  Our attitude will be our sustainer when we feel the pressure or stress of a day closing in; we need to send Joy to the rescue.  Joy involves the recognition of the abiding presence of God in us; we focus on our connection to Christ.  If God is with us we can handle anything!  So, call for the Joy of the Lord and begin looking at each day differently.  If the invitation from God is to experience more of His love and presence when things get tough, then what have we to fear?  Don’t bow down to negativity; lift up Joy instead!

“Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!”  Nehemiah 8:10

 

A spirit of kindness is a great gift; a fruit of God’s Spirit.  Do you value kindness and make it a goal to share some everyday?  Barbara Johnson reminds us, “the attitude of kindness is everyday stuff like a great pair of sneakers.  Not frilly.  Not fancy.  Just plain and comfortable.”  We need to put on kindness each day and get comfortable sharing it. 

Grateful hearts know the value of kindness; therefore, they are generous with their time and praise.  Smiles and thoughtful deeds are a part of each day.  It is important that we realize our relationships suffer when we do not use kindness.  Making others feel important is a great step towards making strong connections; sincere appreciation can move relational mountains.  Christ is our “kindness” role model; kindness is an expression of love.  So, let’s imitate the kindness of Christ and touch some lives, today.

“And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all.”  I Thessalonians 3:12

    

I love to laugh; I believe our laughter pleases God.  God, afterall, created laughter, right?  Some folks are pretty serious; and there are times to be serious. We don’t always feel like laughing.  Yet, laughter is good for the soul.  Think of it as exercise.  Is that a stretch? 

Barbara Johnson said, “Laughter is jogging for the insides.  It increases heart rate and circulation, stimulates the immune system, and improves the muscle tone of the abdomen.”  Sounds like exercise to me.  

 

A boy was sitting on a park bench with one hand resting on an open Bible. He was loudly exclaiming his praise to God. “Hallelujah! Hallelujah! God is great!” he yelled without worrying whether anyone heard him or not.
      
      Shortly after, along came a man who had recently completed some studies at a local university. Feeling himself very enlightened in the ways of truth and very eager to show this enlightenment, he asked the boy about the source of his joy.
      
      “Hey” asked the boy in return with a bright laugh, “Don’t you have any idea what God is able to do? I just read that God opened up the waves of the Red Sea and led the whole nation of Israel right through the middle.”
      
      The enlightened man laughed lightly, sat down next to the boy and began to try to open his eyes to the “realities” of the miracles of the Bible. “That can all be very easily explained. Modern scholarship has shown that the Red Sea in that area was only 10-inches deep at that time. It was no problem for the Israelites to wade across.”
      
      The boy was stumped. His eyes wandered from the man back to the Bible laying open in his lap. The man, content that he had enlightened a poor, naive young person to the finer points of scientific insight, turned to go. Scarcely had he taken two steps when the boy began to rejoice and praise louder than before. The man turned to ask the reason for this resumed jubilation.
      
      “Wow!” exclaimed the boy happily, “God is greater than I thought! Not only did He lead the whole nation of Israel through the Red Sea, He topped it off by drowning the whole Egyptian army in 10 inches of water!”

I have noticed that learning to laugh at ourselves takes a little longer than learning to laugh with others.  Maybe that is an indication that we are taking ourselves too serious.  Let laughter lift your heart.  Be grateful for God’s gift and give yourself a workout; laugh!

“It is often just as sacred to laugh as it is to pray.” Charles Swindoll

 

Have you ever had one of those days when you just had to have a nice long talk with God or you wouldn’t make it?  Well, God would like you to have one of those “talks” everyday.  In fact, it is a perfect way to start the day. Mornings with God…

Dietrich Bonhoeffer stated, “Wasted time of which we are later ashamed, temptations we yield to, weaknesses, lethargy in our work, disorder and lack of discipline in our thoughts and in our interaction with others–all these frequently have their root in neglecting prayer in the morning.”  We serve a God of order; our God desires that we order our lives.  The best way to get things in order is to spend time in the morning with God; gain a vision for your day that includes the love and provision of God.  Our vision is limited; God sees eternity.  Our understanding is finite; God in omniscient.  Jesus brings us the ability to connect with heaven; so, express your gratitude and make a connection by starting your day with prayer.  And while you are at it, thank God for the people who rise in the morning and pray for you!

“Rejoice always! Pray constantly.  Give thanks in everything, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”  (I Thes. 5:16-18)

Life is just packed with lessons; some of those lessons are whoppers, aren’t they?  “Life is simply hard.  That ‘s all there is to it.  Thank goodness, the intensity of difficulty rises and falls.  Some seasons are far more bearable than others, but none is without challenge.”   Beth Moore

We need to pay attention to these life lessons; times when Jesus calls us to use our faith and ascend the Mount of God for help.  Wisdom is gained and developed in the difficult places.  We need to invite the Holy Spirit to bring revelation and understanding so we can grab hold of that wisdom and apply it to the next season of our lives.  As we each go around, over, or tunnel through life’s many mountains, let’s make sure we are learning some valuable lessons and principles in the midst. That wisdom will continue to bring deliverance into our lives and the lives of those around us.  Thank God for the Wisdom He makes available to us by His grace.

“Teach us to number our days carefully so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts.”  Psalm 90:12

Everyone would like to think he or she have a corner on truth, but that is only possible when we connect with Jesus because truth is a person.  The way we gain truth is through a personal and loving relationship with Christ, as well as in community with others who have a connection to Christ.  Truth is revealed and shared in the love of Christ.  Do you know the truth?  Do you know someone whose life testifies to the truth?  People who know the truth are great examples of love.

We all bring a biased filter to our thinking, so it is difficult to remain free in our perception of the truth.  That is why it is so important to spend time in the Scriptures, because it helps us remove that biased filter to find the loving reality of God.  Remember the Word of God is alive; living and revealing truth.  I want you to really think for a minute about the people around you.  Does someone come to mind who models “selfless” love? These folks are not perfect by any stretch–we all need grace–but, the motive of these folks is to apply the Word to every day life and give the love of God to others.  Truth is love that is “other” focused. Christ came to connect and save others not himself.  Take time, today, to thank the people around you who seek to live in the truth of God’s love.  He or she are role models of the truth and, therefore, treasures in your life.  Pick up the phone, drop them an email, or send them a note and tell them how grateful you are for the truth he or she models for you.

Anne Graham Lotz said it this way, “Only Jesus Christ is the truth for everyone who has ever been born into the human race, regardless of culture, age, nationality, generation, heritage, gender, color, or language.”  Truth–Jesus–is love that is universal.  Live and proclaim the truth of God’s love in Christ!