Pastor Mary Haley

Intro: The other day I was watching our one year old granddaughter, Amana, mimic her father as they were playing in the kiddie pool. When our son, Jimmy, would spin or splash in the water, she would watch him and then try to do the same. When he would laughed or make faces in the spraying water, Amana would followed right along. It was such fun to see them playing together. Jimmy is an amazing man of God; a father filled with love. Amana loves and trusts her daddy, so she is very quick to imitate him.

In our passage today, the Apostle Paul encourages believers to be imitators of our Father. That seems like an impossible thing to accomplish, doesn’t it? God is so holy and just; his love is perfect and his compassion never fails. However, we know through the life, nature, and character of Christ we are to mimic him, because in following him we are pleasing to the Father. So, in the power of the Spirit, we need to approach life with that desire and obediently seek to mimic the One we confess to wholeheartedly and sacrificially love.

It is a tendency for believers to condemn unbelievers for their lifestyles, but I do not believe it is our place to do so even though we must never condone sin. Jesus did not model that action for us. With that said, I do believe it is our responsibility to pray and share the love of Christ with unbelievers so they will come to know the Lord. It is right for us to live the Word of God and to be ready to give our testimony. However, we are encouraged to help each other, as believers, stay the course in imitating Christ and allow the Light of Truth to shine through our transformed lives. Every believer is to mimic Christ—imitate God with his or her life. When we practice sin, we are children of disobedience—we are not imitating or following Christ. Let’s not pretend to be believers; instead, out of gratitude let’s challenge one another to live in the Light of God’s love.

Ephesians 5:1-6 NLT Living in the Light
1 Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. 2 Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.

3 Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. 4 Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. 5 You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.

6 Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him [children of disobedience].

Prayer: Lord, thank you for leaving such an amazing example for us to follow. It can be an overwhelming challenge to stay the course while in this world, Lord, but thank you Holy Spirit for always being there as our Helper. Thank you for surrounding us with other believers so we can help and challenge one another toward victorious living. We praise you for being our Shelter during the hurricane and we ask for ways to bless others while we all go through the cleanup process. For those hardest hit by the hurricane, we pray grace and provision for them. Please continue to guide and direct our lives. Lead us forward in your love. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: It is easy to praise the Lord when everything around us is going smoothly and we feel secure. In those times, we have an awareness of the presence of God with us based on our feelings and our positive circumstances. However, it is not near so easy to praise the Lord when we face the storms of uncertainty, pressure, or feel distanced from the Lord due to negative or overwhelming circumstances.

Right now, the residents of much of Florida are scrambling to know what to do to protect themselves and their homes, as well as make the decisions on where to go with the mandatory evacuations imposed. We might be tempted to feel anxious, agitated, or fearful, because that is a natural and human response to our situation. And yet, the same God who was with us in the beautiful day we experienced yesterday, is the same God who is with us in the approaching storm, today.

In our passage from Matthew, we need to take a lesson from a woman of praise; Mary the sister of Martha and Lazarus—is a woman devoted in faith to her Lord. Mary pours out spikenard and anoints her King. She does not understand everything Jesus is saying or even why she is inspired to such a place of sacrificial worship, but she is “all in” with her praise. Her actions of praise are so loud it unsettles the other disciples who are present. Therefore, Jesus pours out praise and blessing for his daughter, because he desires for others [into the future] to know the value of her praise and choice to exalt him.

Your praise is important, too. So, wherever you find yourself today, please take time to praise the Lord for his presence with you and look around you to see how your loud acts of praise can be instrumental in touching the lives of others who have yet to meet and praise the King for themselves. May God keep us safe in his Mighty Strength and Righteous Love, today.

Matthew 26:6-13 NLT Jesus Anointed at Bethany
6 Meanwhile, Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon, a man who had previously had leprosy [considered an outcast]. 7 While he was eating, a woman came in with a beautiful alabaster jar of expensive perfume [worth a year’s wages] and poured it over his head.

8 The disciples were indignant when they saw this. “What a waste!” they said. 9 “It could have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor.”

10 But Jesus, aware of this, replied, “Why criticize this woman for doing such a good thing to me? 11 You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me. 12 She has poured this perfume on me to prepare my body for burial. 13 I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed.”

Prayer: Lord, thank you for inspiring praise within us each day. May your praise be continually on our lips and may our loud acts of praise to exalt you be noticed by the world. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: Sometimes as we think about God, we may confess his involvement in creation is perplexing and quite the mystery for our human minds. The one thing we should believe and understand is that God is sovereign and therefore, always in control of his creation. He wisely directs the course of the universe, the world, and all creation, and he justly determines the way to salvation. He has put everything into place in order to connect himself with human beings and provide for victorious living. Therefore, the proper response to God should always be praise.

Praise (Heb: shabach—shaw-bakh’) means to loudly commend or glorify God in a voice of triumph. We can praise God through prayer, singing, writing, serving others, evangelizing, and much more. Obviously, singing is a very popular way to praise the Lord. In fact, a doxology is a short hymn of praise; a way to verbalize the glory of the Lord who brings us spiritual victory.

In our passage today, the Apostle Paul uses verses from the Book of Job to write a doxology and exhorts God’s people to “shabach” praise and glorify the Lord (36:22). As believers, we serve the King of Glory—the Lord strong and mighty in our lives (Ps 24:8). The Lord is the revealed glory of God and one day he will reveal a whole new level of that glory when he returns to set up his Kingdom. Then, we will know as fact what has been a mystery. So, let’s choose to praise the Lord, today, and tell someone about him!

Romans 11:33-36 NLT
33 Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!
34 
For who can know the Lord’s thoughts?    Who knows enough to give him advice?
35 
And who has given him so much    that he needs to pay it back?
36 For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen.

Prayer: Lord, we praise your name in all the world and proclaim our victory in you. How wonderful to serve you—the One who has absolute power and wisdom. We trust you to take care of us, Lord, no matter what storms come our way. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: Faith in God is essential for human life, because only God can save us in our individual times of need. We all face different needs; therefore, our faith has to rise and reach for God knowing he desire to meet us in that place. Maybe some of us are struggling to find a job, deal with health issues, cope with the loss of a loved one, rid ourselves of sinful desires and addictions, or stumbling to walk in obedience with the Spirit. We must use faith to triumph over the things evil is using on a steady basis to destroy our confident trust in God.

Quite honestly, as believers we know an active faith is what pleases God, but at times we are just spiritually “tired” and may struggle to understand how to use our faith in order to bring victory. Have you ever found yourself spiritually fatigued? It’s a real thing! Therefore, spending time in the Word of God sets us up to receive the help we need whether we understand how or why it works or not. Jesus said, “People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes form the mouth of God” (Mat 4:4). Faith is strengthened by our belief in the Living Word of God—Jesus. For this reason, we must draw near to God and his righteousness, place our trust in his love, and ask for him to strengthen and increase our faith.

In our passage today, once again faith is an issue for the disciples because of the past erroneous teaching of the self-righteous religious leaders. They know nothing about the dependance required by Christ’s followers. The disciples have watched Jesus do miracle after miracle and they are strong when they can “see” the evidence of his power with them, but each challenge must be faced with fresh faith and the disciples fail to understand the true Source of the power they need before it manifests.

With every challenge we face, we must apply fresh faith knowing God will accomplish his purposes one way or another. Unfortunately, a little bit of evil can grow and destroy the believer’s trust in Christ. Light and dark cannot co-exist; so, we must choose to live in the Truth, serve the Lord with gladness, and look for the Spirit of Christ to move in our behalf. God is worth trusting and that is the faith we use each day. Blessings for your weekend…

Matthew 16:5-12 NLT Yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees
5 Later, after they crossed to the other side of the lake, the disciples discovered they had forgotten to bring any bread. 6 “Watch out!” Jesus warned them. “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

7 At this they began to argue with each other because they hadn’t brought any bread. 8 Jesus knew what they were saying, so he said, “You have so little faith! Why are you arguing with each other about having no bread? 9 Don’t you understand even yet? Don’t you remember the 5,000 I fed with five loaves, and the baskets of leftovers you picked up? 10 Or the 4,000 I fed with seven loaves, and the large baskets of leftovers you picked up? 11 Why can’t you understand that I’m not talking about bread? So again I say, ‘Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.’”

12 Then at last they understood that he wasn’t speaking about the yeast in bread, but about the deceptive teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for sharing your love with us by warning us about evil. May we cling to you, Jesus, because you are the living Word who alone can help us please the Father. Help us to remain in the Truth and handle each challenging circumstance in life with fresh faith and trust. We know you are with us! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: Several years ago, John and I took a trip with our family to California. We flew into San Fransisco, rented an RV, and camped in Napa Valley, Tahoe, and Yosemite. Although once we started on the trip we had some concerns about the RV company, we did not have a clue just how corrupt it was until the end of the trip when they stole our sizable security deposit. Truly, it was despicable how they lied, cheated, and treated us.

The experience taught us a great deal about sinful human nature and what it felt like to do business with a company that has zero integrity and is driven by dishonesty and greed. It also taught us about sacrificial love; to accept the financial sacrifice, forgive them, and trust Jesus to use it for our good. The world may accept dishonest and corrupt people and companies, but Jesus does not and he will have the final say as the world’s Judge. The Lord has blessed us beyond measure since that time; so, that sacrifice was well worth it!

In our passage today, the Apostle Paul teaches about lawsuits that can arise between believers. We can all experience disagreements, but what should set Christ followers apart from the world’s system is that we have the wisdom of God to settle our disputes with love and integrity. We are not following Christ if we cheat others or do not fulfill our word or promise to them. We are disobedient to the integrity of God when we act like the world and live for self and money—which according to Scripture will fill the world in the last days (2 Tim 3:1-2). Our passage reminds us we may live in an unjust world, but we serve a just and righteous God who is not blind to how we—as his children—are treating one another or being treated by the world. Hold onto your Hope in Christ and live for the Kingdom!

1 Corinthians 6:1-9a NLT Avoiding Lawsuits with Christians
1 When one of you has a dispute with another believer, how dare you file a lawsuit and ask a secular court to decide the matter instead of taking it to other believers! 2 Don’t you realize that someday we believers will judge the world? And since you are going to judge the world, can’t you decide even these little things among yourselves? 3 Don’t you realize that we will judge angels? So you should surely be able to resolve ordinary disputes in this life. 4 If you have legal disputes about such matters, why go to outside judges who are not respected by the church? 5 I am saying this to shame you. Isn’t there anyone in all the church who is wise enough to decide these issues? 6 But instead, one believer sues another—right in front of unbelievers!

7 Even to have such lawsuits with one another is a defeat for you. Why not just accept the injustice and leave it at that? Why not let yourselves be cheated? 8 Instead, you yourselves are the ones who do wrong and cheat even your fellow believers.

9 Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God?

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for using even the unjust things we suffer in life in a way that brings blessings back to us. Help us to always remember you are experientially molding us into your image. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: Last weekend John and I took a short camping trip to Salt Springs Recreation Area in the Ocala National Forest. When we arrived, we saw a large sign upon entering the campground which read, “Under Boil Water Advisory.” Therefore, the water hook-up to the RV would not be delivering pure water for our drinking, cooking, dishwashing, or bathing. Hey, the advisory was a surprise to us, but we were focused on enjoying our time. We did not allow potentially contaminated water to stop us from having a safe trip, because, by faith in Christ, we chose to adhere to the advisory and for two days boil water! Besides, in spite of the inconvenience, Jesus used the springs to cool, sooth, and refresh our souls—AMAZING!

In our passage for today, Jesus uses the faith of a Gentile—a Roman Centurion—as an advisory for the action to be taken if a person wants to emulate a pure faith. This Gentile was considered contaminated and unclean by the Jews; but, Jesus uses the faith of this man as an example to be modeled. Christ moves on the faith of everyone who calls on his name and brings the refreshment of his presence to those in need. The faith of the Jews had become stagnant—inactive and impure. Can you imagine their surprise when Jesus admonished them instead of the Centurion?

Genuine faith is never stagnant—we should have a constant flow of revelation moving us forward in the work and purpose of Christ for saving the world. Opportunities to minister to people surround us every day, we just need to think differently about faith and be willing to adapt to the advisory of the Spirit. Never lay down your JOY. It is the work of the Spirit to be with us and help us enjoy the love of God even in troubled times (John 14:16). The world is watching…

Matthew 8:5-13 NLT The Faith of a Roman Officer
5 When Jesus returned to Capernaum, a Roman officer [centurion] came and pleaded with him, 6 “Lord, my young servant [child] lies in bed, paralyzed and in terrible pain.”

7 Jesus said, “I will come and heal him.”

8 But the officer said, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed. 9 I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers [100 men]. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.”

10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to those who were following him, he said, “I tell you the truth, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel!

Prayer: Lord, thank you for helping us stay in the flow of the Spirit and live out pure faith. May we be willing to move beyond the inconvenient in order to enjoy the beauty of life with you. Holy Spirit, refresh our souls in the River, today. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: God created His people to be successful and to approach work knowing He has placed us in His world to steward the gifts and resources He has given us for His mission. So, to be successful in life is to believe God has created us, gifted us, allows certain events, and will provide everything we need to fulfill His plan for us. Everything about us and the events of the world have been designed and directed by God to lead humanity into godliness. Therefore, two things are essential for us to reap what Christ has sown in our behalf: 1) belief and 2) honor.

“True Honor is an outflow from a heart that fears God.” (John Bevere)

Belief is based on recognizing and trusting God as Creator, Savior, Helper, and the promised Provider of grace. Honor is about committing every aspect of our lives to love God and His Word and to work to enhance His reputation in the world. When we honor God, He honors us (1 Sam 2:30). As well, we must choose to honor others (Rom 12:10). Certainly, new life in Christ is not given for our own selfish ambitions (Phil 2:3). Success is about overcoming an evil world in the power of God (1 John 5:4). Belief + Honor = Successful Living.

In our passage today, the Apostle Paul shares about Israel’s unbelief—God temporarily hardened their hearts, because they chose disobedience and rejected belief and honor. Disobedience brings judgment; but, because of God’s promise to Abraham and his descendants—those of belief who would honor God’s guidance—will have the ability to come to God and overcome evil through godliness. God has not forgotten his people; He knows those who place their belief in Him and honor Him with how they live.

For believers—Jews and Gentiles—we are blessed by Christ who is our Vine. To be connected to Christ is to be connected to the Father who has decided to make us One with Himself. Now, as the branches, we can by faith drink in the holy nourishment God has provided and live our saved lives as an offering to Him.

Romans 11:13-24 NLT 13 I am saying all this especially for you Gentiles [Non-Jews]. God has appointed me as the apostle to the Gentiles. I stress this, 14 for I want somehow to make the people of Israel jealous of what you Gentiles have, so I might save some of them. 15 For since their rejection meant that God offered salvation to the rest of the world, their acceptance will be even more wonderful. It will be life for those who were dead! 16 And since Abraham and the other patriarchs were holy, their descendants will also be holy—just as the entire batch of dough is holy because the portion given as an offering is holy. For if the roots of the tree are holy, the branches will be, too.

17 But some of these branches from Abraham’s tree—some of the people of Israel—have been broken off. And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in. So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment from the root of God’s special olive tree.

Prayer: Lord, thank You for being so faithful to Your people. Help believers worldwide to live with such passion and love for You that others cannot help but take notice and become hungry for Your nourishment, as well. We pray for the nation of Israel and for the Jewish people to turn to You for salvation in Christ. As well, we pray for the Gentile nations of the world who do not know and serve You. May they turn toward You, today. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: News—both good and bad—comes at us from every direction. Seems these days bad news travels the fastest. In other words, reports of misfortune or adversity get the most time on network news. In getting your news, do you prefer hearing the bad news first followed by the good news or the other way around?

Personally, I want the good news first because it fills me with Hope! Over the past fews weeks in worship we have spent quite a bit of time in the Book of Matthew reading the good news—gospel. This good news is what traveled fastest and as it came it filled the towns around the Sea of Galilee with excitement and anticipation of more and more good news. Jesus was the focus of this good news and it was touching the lives of people near and far! He was performing miracles—healing all kinds of infirmities—and he began to teach his apostles he would one day be sending them to the north, south, east, and west—the four corners of the earth.

As the good news spread, crowds followed Jesus as he traveled to different locations around the Sea of Galilee, because people were determined to bring loved ones and friends to be touched by Jesus. With such large crowds, it was difficult for people to get close enough to Jesus for him to touch them individually. So, the people reached out to grab the fringe [tzitzit] of Jesus’ robe and when they did they were healed. Why the fringe?

According to the Old Testament Book of Deuteronomy, God instructed the Jewish men, “You must put four tassels on the hem of the cloak [outer garment] with which you cover yourself—on the front, back, and sides” (22:12). This was to help men remember they were servants of God who were committed to keeping the commands [mitzvah] by sharing in acts of compassion and kindness. Reaching for the tzitzit on Jesus’ robe was like reaching for the Holy Creator who came to bring wholeness to broken lives on earth by fulfilling God’s instructions or commands (Num 15:37-40).

Matthew 14:34-36 NLT
34 After they had crossed the lake, they landed at Gennesaret. 35 When the people recognized Jesus, the news of his arrival spread quickly throughout the whole area, and soon people were bringing all their sick to be healed. 36 They begged him to let the sick touch at least the fringe of his robe, and all who touched him were healed.
Prayer: Jesus, you are the Lord of Salvation. Whether we call on you in English, Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, or any other language or dialect, you are the same Person—the Holy One we must know for salvation. When we cry out to you, with one touch you heal and make us whole; you lift us from death into life eternal, from ignorance about your nature into Oneness by grace, from fruitless to fruit-bearing living, and from sinful to godly desires by filling us with your Holy Spirit. You mark us as your own when we come to you for salvation and you know everything about us. You call us Beloved because we connect to your Life; we call you Lord and Master by how we live. Thank you for making your nature known in all languages to all people who seek salvation in you. Be exalted in our hearts and lives in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: Some things are always true in this life, because when God speaks and declares a thing it always happens. For example, Adam and Eve were tempted by Satan and sinned in the Garden of Eden; their sin was to exalt their flesh or will over God’s command. Because God had already spoken the truth about the consequences they would face before they sinned—the curse of separation, suffering, and death—it most assuredly came to pass when they did not heed God’s word. So, one minute Adam and Eve are “genuine” [Heb. meaning belonging to the original stock/God’s glorious image] and the next minute they are stripped naked and “barren” [Heb. meaning to be torn away from the family stock]. And time rolls on…

In our passage today from Isaiah—perhaps 3500 years later—God promises to provide forgiveness for the world’s sin against him. Some 700 years following, God provides salvation in Messiah. God wants the return of his “genuine” creation. Since we cannot redeem ourselves because of a sin nature, we must declare allegiance to God. Humanity must now seek the Lord who offers “genuine” salvation.

Humanity is still struggling with allegiance to the Creator; I see it in every direction. God is the only One who can offer us righteousness—which we need in order to receive eternal life once again. Yet, there is a battle all the time with the human will. We cannot have it all; a sacrifice of self and a rejection of evil is the Way; it has always been the Way.

“Genuine” believers are the carriers of God’s righteousness, models of his love, and boasters of his glorious presence for salvation. So, take time today to thank God for his faithfulness to an unfaithful creation and praise him as he takes you on a journey to reveal his glorious righteousness living in you!

Isaiah 45:20-25 NLT
22 
Let all the world look to me for salvation!
    For I am God; there is no other.
23 
I have sworn by my own name;
    I have spoken the truth,
    and I will never go back on my word:
Every knee will bend to me,
    and every tongue will declare allegiance to me.”
24 
The people will declare,
    “The Lord is the source of all my righteousness and strength.”
And all who were angry with him
    will come to him and be ashamed.
25 
In the Lord all the generations of Israel will be justified,
    and in him they will boast.

Prayer: Lord, we pray for all of your creation to bow in allegiance to your Word and Way of salvation. Forgive our stubborn attempts to rule ourselves; we continually ask for your merciful hand to strengthen our commitment to live as the genuine. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: Some things in life have the ability to send us quickly into a state of panic—a sense of terror, danger, and body-numbing fear. Life can be so unpredictable and that leaves human emotions susceptible to fear. In fact, only those who have a relationship with Christ can cast down that kind of fear when it rises up in human emotions. Jesus is the Prince of Peace we all need as we live in this chaotic world!

When I think about the people of Lahaina, Hawaii, as they dealt with the wildfires ravaging the island and coastline last week, it must have been so terrifying for everyone. I read that many people tried to use their garden hoses to fight back the flames, but with very little water pressure they had no chance of subduing or extinguishing the fiery flames approaching their homes. In praying for them and their recovery, I pray the people reach for the Peace and Comfort of Almighty God to get them through this long and emotionally painful process.

I saw a photo in the Washington Post of the charred remains of Lahaina and above the Pu’u Kukui mountains there was a rainbow in the sky—God’s sign and promise. According to Genesis 9:16, after the flood of judgment, God said to Noah, “I am giving you a sign of my covenant with you and with all living creatures, for all generations to come. I have placed my rainbow in the clouds. I will remember my promise…” Fear [awe and respect] of God is the way into successful living while we are in this shakable world.

In our passage today from the Gospel of Matthew, the disciples find themselves in a state of panic and terror; they fear death. Jesus and the disciples are in a boat [powered by sails and oars] when a terrible storm rolls across the Sea of Galilee. Twelve disciples with oars have no chance to outrun any storm. Jesus is in the boat sleeping peacefully; however, the disciples are filled with fear. What do they do? They wake up Messiah and they learn a whole more about his power to protect!

Matthew 8:23-27 NLT Jesus Calms the Storm
23 Then Jesus got into the boat and started across the lake with his disciples. 24 Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25 The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”

26 Jesus responded, “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!” Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm.

27 The disciples were amazed. “Who is this man?” they asked. “Even the winds and waves obey him!”

Prayer: Lord, thank you for being the calm for our storms, because life is unpredictable and you are the only One who can protect us and help us prepare for each day. Be our Peace. Be our Comfort. And, Lord, help us to share who you are in our lives, so others will choose to call for your protection and salvation, as well. In Jesus’ name. Amen.