Pastor Mary Haley

Intro: God values everyone; he desires for all of humanity to humbly enter into a personal relationship with him so he can express his healing love for them; all things are made whole in God’s presence. God is the Creator, Provider, Savior, and Sustainer of Life and humanity is called to enter into his godly presence and plan for our well-being/wholeness. Every believer has been gifted and equipped by and through God to be a blessing within creation, so we certainly have something to add to the whole picture as we love God and one another. This world was never created to function without God filling our hearts and directing our paths (Pro 3:5-6). I want to remind you, today, God loves you!

If we are going to succeed as a human race, we are going to need to lose our arrogance and pride, because it is a form of self-worship or idolatry. No person is better than another; we are all sinners who need God’s love and salvation. So, may we gain some wisdom and reject prideful arrogance, because God resists the proud (Pro 3:34). Having godly aspirations for our lives is good, but selfish ambitions that are only focused on our personal advantage is prideful and will rob us of the contentment God offers his children.

In our passage today, David reminds us to have a proper vision of the chain of command put in place by God. Some things only God knows; therefore, his standard should not be questioned. When humanity goes too far into sin, biblical history reminds us God will wean us from our self-sufficiency and self-focus and help us see things from a higher perspective. This is called discipline and it is painful, but necessary if we are going to learn dependence upon God. May we all choose to be weaned from self, because only then will we truly value others and see life more clearly. Trusting in God’s plan is required.
Psalm 131 GNT A Prayer of Humble Trust
1 
Lord, I have given up my pride
    and turned away from my arrogance.
I am not concerned with great matters
    or with subjects too difficult for me.
2 
Instead, I am content and at peace.
As a child lies quietly in its mother’s arms,
    so my heart is quiet within me.
3 
Israel, trust in the Lord
    now and forever!

Prayer: Lord, please continue to help me assume a humble posture before you and others. Please help us as your children to put on grace and reflect your righteous attitude and conduct. We know contentment is only found in living out your plan. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: When we have a right relationship with God through Christ and are seeking to be led by the Spirit, every day brings along little spiritual victories even if we are not aware of them. Our faith is active and moving. God is good and with Christ as Lord of our lives, we are filled with his presence and that makes believers more than conquerors in the world.

Believers are on the same page when it comes to Christ’s authority and victorious Kingdom living; we all must come with childlike faith and trust. Every victory, whether small or large, is important to God and makes a difference for the Kingdom. The only thing that can stand in our way of experiencing miraculous victories is spiritual pride. Do you have childlike faith?

Leading up to our passage today, seventy-two disciples return from a mission directed by the Lord. The disciples had been sent out to other towns in pairs—as lambs among wolves—to heal the sick and tell them, ‘The Kingdom of God is near you now’ (Luke 10:8). They followed Jesus’ instructions. The disciples return filled with joy over the victories they had over demons, because Jesus had given them authority over all the power of the enemy (Luke 10:18). Although Jesus rejoices with them, he wants them to focus on what should fill them with the greatest joy: their names are registered in heaven” (Luke 10:17-18).

In our passage today, Jesus takes time to pray and thank the Father for allowing the childlike to experience the power of the Kingdom. Jesus thanks the Father for his plan, because everyone who knows the Son can be victorious. Truly, if we did not have childlike faith, we would never go out and mingle with wolves, would we?

Luke 10:21-24 NLT Jesus’ Prayer of Thanksgiving
21 At that same time Jesus was filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit, and he said, “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way.
22 “My Father has entrusted everything to me. No one truly knows the Son except the Father, and no one truly knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”
23 Then when they were alone, he turned to the disciples and said, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you have seen. 24 I tell you, many prophets and kings longed to see what you see, but they didn’t see it. And they longed to hear what you hear, but they didn’t hear it.”

Prayer: Lord, thank you for giving believers the privilege of joining you in ministry to the world. Help us live each day with childlike faith, knowing every day can bring the Kingdom closer to earth. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: The burdens many people face in life can really be heavy and too much for them to carry alone. I minister to people all the time who are standing in the merging intersection of those weighty challenges and they are trying to decide which way to turn or what to do to bring healthy change. Although I seek to help in spiritual and tangible ways, my greatest responsibility is to help people connect with the God to whom nothing is impossible. God is able and we must, by faith, stand in that place of belief and know the Lord will provide a way of salvation. He has given us his promise that nothing can separate us from his love; therefore, victory is ours through Christ (Rom 8:35-37).

In our passage today, David stands in the midst of challenges and proclaims the sufficiency of God. David wants God’s people to remember, the Lord is great and righteous, he acts on behalf of his children doing wonderful works, his glory reaches the heavens, he is filled with patience and compassion, and he is all we need each day to flourish as we seek his kingdom (Mat 6:33). Developing a thriving relationship with the Lord is the wisest action a human being can take, because the Helper (Spirit) moves through that relationship.

In the Old Testament prayers and praises, David tells us the Lord is the Lifter of our hearts, as well as the Helper we need for every burden. In the New Testament Jesus tells us something very similar, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light” (Mat 11:28-30). Jesus offers his followers spiritual rest and an opportunity to come to him (yield) for learning and refreshment, because we must stop trying to carry the load of life alone.

Psalm 145:8-14 NLT
8
The Lord is merciful and compassionate,    slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
9 
The Lord is good to everyone.    He showers compassion on all his creation.
10 
All of your works will thank you, Lord,    and your faithful followers will praise you.
11 
They will speak of the glory of your kingdom;    they will give examples of your power.
12 
They will tell about your mighty deeds    and about the majesty and glory of your reign.
13 
For your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom.    You rule throughout all generations.
The Lord always keeps his promises;    he is gracious in all he does.
14 
The Lord helps the fallen    and lifts those bent beneath their loads.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for pouring your goodness into our lives and providing the strength we need while you bring salvation. Thank you for the spiritual rest and the glorious help of the Spirit who leads our lives forward into good things. Like David, may we be a witness to others of your faithfulness to walk through life with us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: For my 65th birthday, my daughters (in love) and a dear friend took me to a pottery wheel class. I learned quite a bit about the work of a potter with clay while I was there; first thing to remember is the whole process is MESSY! When clay is mixed with water as a lubricant, it causes the particles to slide past one another. Wedging gets the bubbles out and smooths out the clay making it workable. Then it’s time to dampen the wheel with water so the clay sticks when you throw it in the middle of the wheel. With wet hands you cone the clay by bringing your hands together; the clay moves upward through your hands. Then, the challenge of shaping takes place. As long as one keeps the clay and hands wet while on the wheel, reshaping is possible if the end product is undesirable.

In our passage for today, Jeremiah gets a visual object lesson from God when he is taken to the potter’s shop. This process and lesson allowed Jeremiah to understand what God was planning to do to Judah unless they repented. Like a divine Potter, God planned to shape and form Judah like a clay jar according to his standards. If God was not happy with the finished wet clay jar, he would simply smash it down and start all over again until he was satisfied with the final product. In other words, Judah would experience painful times until they turned their hearts toward the Lord.

God’s plan for his children is to shape us (as clay mixed with the water of the Spirit) into the image of Christ. This means our hearts must be pure (quick to repent) and our lives humble and obedient to the work of God’s Holy Spirit. Now, we can fight the process or we can welcome it. However, if we claim Christ the process has been established and Jesus is the standard. So, may the Spirit make us workable clay by providing the wedging we need, centering us in Christ, moving us upward in his character, and shaping us according to his standard, so we can be witnesses to the glorious transformation process. The unredeemed world needs to pay attention, because one day God will allow human clay to dry (remove the water of the Spirit and grace)…shattered lives will be the result. He has spoken. May we listen.

Jeremiah 18:1-11 NLT The Potter and the Clay
1 The Lord gave another message to Jeremiah. He said, 2 “Go down to the potter’s shop, and I will speak to you there.” 3 So I did as he told me and found the potter working at his wheel. 4 But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so he crushed it into a lump of clay again and started over.

5 Then the Lord gave me this message: 6 “O Israel, can I not do to you as this potter has done to his clay? As the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand. 7 If I announce that a certain nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down, and destroyed, 8 but then that nation renounces its evil ways, I will not destroy it as I had planned. 9 And if I announce that I will plant and build up a certain nation or kingdom, 10 but then that nation turns to evil and refuses to obey me, I will not bless it as I said I would.

11 “Therefore, Jeremiah, go and warn all Judah and Jerusalem. Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am planning disaster for you instead of good. So turn from your evil ways, each of you, and do what is right.’”

Prayer: Lord, thank you for our object lesson from Jeremiah. Have your way in our human hearts and lives; otherwise, we will be filled with worldly filth and impurities. Help us to listen to the Spirit and cooperate with the shaping that comes through ongoing conviction, repentance, and transformation. Open us up to the truth about our lives and the plans you have for us in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: Today, many citizens in the United States will celebrate the 4th of July—Independence Day. Approximately two hundred and forty-seven years ago the Declaration of Independence was adopted and signed by the Second Continental Congress. Today, all over the country, there will be celebratory parades, cookouts, family gatherings, and awe-inspiring fireworks. For the patriot, today is a day of celebrating freedom and to remember the preamble to our Declaration: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

While in Boston, during a recent vacation with dear friends, we walked the Freedom Trail. I was inspired once again by the history of our country, as well as the patriotism and courage demonstrated by many of our founding fathers and leaders. For example, we visited the Granary Burying Ground where we honored the gravesites of three signers of the Declaration of Independence: Samuel Adams, John Hancock, and Robert Treat Paine. Our founding fathers sought to secure freedom from English rule and create a government that would honor the God-given freedom of those they governed.

In our passage today from the Psalter, we continue to recognize our unalienable rights that must be protected by our allegiance to our Creator. The Lord rules over his creation and every nation who acknowledges his right to influence governance and order will experience his life, love, wisdom, and power. I praise God for the measure of freedom we have in this country; a freedom many in other parts of the world lack. I praise God for our military, law enforcement, and border security who maintain our freedom and safety. However, I encourage us to pray more fervently for our nation’s leaders, because they have failed to acknowledge to “We the People” that every right of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness is from the Creator and Giver and not the government. Please take time, today, to praise and pray…

Psalm 33:8-18 NLT
8
Let the whole world fear the Lord,    and let everyone stand in awe of him.
9 
For when he spoke, the world began!    It appeared at his command.
10 
The Lord frustrates the plans of the nations    and thwarts all their schemes.
11 
But the Lord’s plans stand firm forever;    his intentions can never be shaken.
12
What joy for the nation whose God is the Lord,    whose people he has chosen as his inheritance.
13 
The Lord looks down from heaven    and sees the whole human race.
14 
From his throne he observes    all who live on the earth.
15 
He made their hearts,    so he understands everything they do.
16 
The best-equipped army cannot save a king,    nor is great strength enough to save a warrior.
17 
Don’t count on your warhorse to give you victory—    for all its strength, it cannot save you.
18 
But the Lord watches over those who fear him,    those who rely on his unfailing love.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for life, liberty, and the ability to pursue the happiness that is found only in you. We praise you for our freedom to worship and serve you and one another. We pray for our country to bow to your authority and to point the people toward you as the true Giver of our rights. May our leaders turn from an unholy arrogance to honor you and appreciate those who protect the freedom we have been given. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: This past Wednesday evening during our Chosen Bible Study, we watched a video about meekness—defined as controlled strength under pressure. Meekness is the inner attitude of the heart—of our mind/will/emotions—which expresses itself outwardly as strong, active, courageous, restrained and never self-aggrandizing. Evil and sin will always arrive to disrupt our meekness, because Satan wants to move us away from a posture of humility, trust, forgiveness, and a fear of the Lord.

In our passage from Luke today, Jesus is teaching about perpetuating evil—those who encourage others to sin against God. Certainly, we all sin and fall short of Christ’s glorious standard; sin is the spiritual malady of the human heart that seeks to live without the fear of the Lord. We all need to take a meek position with each other. The temptation to sin against God, others, or ourselves will exist until Jesus returns; so, forgiveness is essential.

When someone is living with the spiritual illness of the heart, he or she tends to want others to join him or her in that sickness. Misery loves company and many times Jesus addresses the Pharisees about how they are leading God’s people to join them in their spiritual malady rather than living to please God. For this reason, Jesus casts a very vivid picture of what will happen to those who are given spiritual authority but mislead God’s family away from the truth. Sorrow awaits.

So, let’s just think for a moment about how our faith must lead us toward forgiveness, because we are commanded to forgive. In the Body of Christ, we will need to forgive one another over and over again. That means we must be quick to repent, apologize, and recognize our own sin before fixating on the sin of others. So, before we get upset with a fellow brother or sister in Christ and try to point out their sin, let’s make sure our action is based on meekness and our purpose is to restore another in relationship to God.

Luke 17:1-4 NLT Teachings about Forgiveness and Faith
1 One day Jesus said to his disciples, “There will always be temptations to sin, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting! 2 It would be better to be thrown into the sea with a millstone hung around your neck than to cause one of these little ones to fall into sin. 3 So watch yourselves!

“If another believer sins, rebuke that person; then if there is repentance, forgive. 4 Even if that person wrongs you seven times a day and each time turns again and asks forgiveness, you must forgive.”

Prayer: Lord, thank you for this lesson on meekness. Help your children to be bathed in quiet strength and to have the right attitude about our personal sin, as well as the sin of others. Sin is wrong and we must help one another rise above it. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: The other day I witnessed the most beautiful sunset and what rose up in my heart was the amazing power of God to create, maintain order, and sustain all of nature. Oh, and beyond that piece of truth, I felt the assurance this same wonderful God occupies my heart, your heart, and all of genuine life is found in him. So, it was with great joy that I praised him for the love that fills my life with amazing experiences and wonderful family and friends! Watching this sunset became an inspiring place of worship.

In our passage today, we learn the same power that reveals the light of God’s glorious presence in nature—all of creation—and keeps it in order is the same God who protects the lives of his children and makes us strong. Some days we may feel weak and unable to bear the darkness that presses in, but we must look beyond our limits to see the God of perfect love who knows no darkness or limits. His grace is sufficient and his strength is made perfect in our weakness (2 Cor 12:8-10).

In our weakness, God is strong; this is the beauty of God’s favor and salvation in Christ. We can know the power of the Creator who is our personal Hero; Christ prevails in strength and power to lead us forward into abundant life in his glorious and shining character. If we never find ourselves “unable,” we will never know the One by faith who says, “I AM!”

Psalm 89:15-18 NLT
15
How happy are those who have learned how to praise You;
    those who journey through life by the light of Your face.
16 
Every hour of the day, they rejoice at the sound of Your name.
    They are lifted up and encouraged by Your righteousness.
17 
For You are the beauty of their strength.
    On account of Your favor, our strength, our horn [power], is increased.
18 
For our shield of protection comes from the Eternal,
    and the Holy One of Israel has given us our king.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for placing your beautiful glory before us each day. In spite of the darkness, we see your shinning perfection and experience your strong protection. Continue to be our shield, Lord. In Jesus’ name Amen.

Intro: According to Merriam-Webster, favor involves gracious kindness. However, the biblical definition of favor is a bit different: a “demonstrated delight” which reveals the faithful outpouring of love and blessing from the Lord. God’s favor is connected to grace and we are encouraged to seek the Lord’s favor, because it ushers us into his glorious presence. In God’s presence we can enjoy security, wisdom, righteousness, and the fullness of joy (Ps 16:11). For this reason, God commands us to love him wholeheartedly; he wants to shower us with favor. What do you think your day-to-day experience would be like if you positioned everything in your life around loving God wholeheartedly?

Today, we continue our passage from Psalm 86. David finally shares about how he is affected by negative, hateful, and arrogant people. We can probably all testify to the influence of negativity; it’s all around if we look closely. However, believers are not to focus on negativity because God does not inhabit it. Instead, we are to seek the Kingdom of God and his way of being favored and righteous, then everything else we need to enjoy more of life in God’s presence will be given to us.

It sounds to me like wisdom is leading us to a new way of handling negativity. We are to focus on the glorious character of God: his compassion, mercy, patience, love, and loyalty. These are the ways God demonstrates his delight for us. Believers are to be looking for God’s character in action as a sign of his presence with us. That means we should actually be looking for God’s character on display through the support of our families, friends, and fellow worshipers, because we are focused on growing in righteousness. Ponder this thought, today: What if God allows us to experience negativity in others, so instead of participating in that darkness we choose to release righteousness as a sign of God’s favor operating in our lives?

Psalm 86:14-17 NLT
14 
O God, insolent people rise up against me;
    a violent gang is trying to kill me.
    You mean nothing to them.
15 
But you, O Lord,
    are a God of compassion and mercy,
slow to get angry
    and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.
16 
Look down and have mercy on me.
    Give your strength to your servant;
    save me, the son of your servant.
17 
Send me a sign of your favor.
    Then those who hate me will be put to shame,
    for you, O Lord, help and comfort me.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for sending us signs every day of your beautiful favor and character. If we look carefully, we will see your demonstration of delight for us as your children. Not every person we meet will understand the joy we experience; but maybe our joy will positively influence the negativity others are tempted to unleash. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: According to Scripture, purity of heart is necessary when connecting to God. I am reminded in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus spends time talking about inner purity, because the Pharisees talk a lot about God, but Jesus tells them they actually violate the direct commands from God for honoring their parents. Jesus tells these religious leaders without purity of heart they are cancelling the Word of God for the sake of their own selfish ways. Jesus uses a quote from Isaiah to challenge the Pharisees, “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me” (Mat 15:8). Ouch! This is certainly an example of how the Word comes to bring correction (2 Tim 3:16).

The word heart in Hebrew is lev or levav [sounds like: labe] and, in Scripture, most often refers to the inner life [mind/will/emotions] of a person rather than the physical organ. The lev is the core of one’s being from which a person gains direction for his or her life. This word is used more than 800 times in the Old Testament alone. Solomon teaches, “Guard your heart [lev] above all else, for it determines the course of your life” (Pro 4:23). The lev is the first part of us that lives and is the seat of our spiritual lives. Human beings must guard the heart; otherwise, it can easily become the possession of Satan. If our lev is not reborn from above through Christ, we will live for selfish endeavors—committed only to ourselves which of course leads to destruction. Only a pure lev produces righteous fruit; because Jesus comes to be enthroned in human hearts. “God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God” (Mat 5:8).

In our passage today, David sings a prayer and asks God to give him a pure heart [lev]. David is facing some very distressful situations, but instead of asking God to change the tangible things, he prays and asks God to first change his heart. Once he finishes that portion of the prayer, David moves on to confess his brokenness in this temporal life (we will look at the continuation of David’s song tomorrow). No wonder David is referred to in Scripture as a man after God’s heart. That prayer demonstrates a godly desire for the purity of heart only God can provide.

The issues we are facing in our culture and world are certainly distressful, but these issues are manifestations of unredeemed hearts. Satan is the deceiver and influencer and he will run to take dominion of unguarded hearts. God’s commands are to be upon our lev and only Jesus can fulfill them (Due 6:6). Today, I pray for more human hearts to reach for the only One who can bring inner purity—because people who desire purity of heart will continue to leave God’s mark on this rebellious or sinful world.

Psalm 86:11-17
11
Teach me your ways, O Lord,
    that I may live according to your truth!
Grant me purity of heart,
    so that I may honor you.
12 
With all my heart I will praise you, O Lord my God.
    I will give glory to your name forever,
13 
for your love for me is very great.
    You have rescued me from the depths of death.

Prayer: Lord, please help us guard our hearts. May we refuse to let down our guard for even a moment, because we desire to see you operate in our lives. Grant us purity of heart in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: Luke’s writings in the Book of Acts picks up—with life in the Spirit—where the Gospels [highlighting Christ’s life, death, and resurrection] leave off. Luke shares about the establishment and the expansion of the Church—believers and lovers of God through Christ. Because of the power of the Spirit released to these believers, they must learn to obey Christ as their Supreme authority and live for his redemptive purposes (Mat 28:18-20). This was true for the early Church and it is true for us as God’s children led by the Spirit, today. No matter what the world or religious organizations proclaim to be acceptable to God, our obedience to Christ—the Living Word of Truth—must be the foundation for the decisions and obedience that guides our lives.

In our passage this morning, the apostle’s passionate proclamation of the Gospel provokes the religious counsel members [powerful and wealthy Sadducees who are in control of the Temple] to take action against them. The Sadducees do not believe in the resurrection or want to hear anything that would diminish their authority over the people, so they rise up to silence and destroy God’s messengers of Truth.

The Sadducees demand respect and honor for their teaching and authority, but due to their sin of omission [failure to honor Christ], they do not receive what they expect. These religious leaders are driven by jealousy and greed. The honor the apostles give to God, the religious leaders want for themselves. Therefore, these leaders have the apostles arrested by the Temple guards and placed in jail.

However, just as Jesus promised, persecution does bring blessings and an opportunity to conform more closely to the life and character of Jesus. God’s purpose will always prevail and we see how God sends his angels to dispense grace in order to rescue and release his Christlike apostles from jail. As well, the Spirit sends these apostles back to the Temple to courageously continue sharing the message of Christ, so they obey. It would have been tempting to run away rather than to return to the Temple again to proclaim an unwelcome Truth, wouldn’t it? May we boldly proclaim what Christ has placed in our hearts, today!

Acts 5:17-26 NLT The Apostles Meet Opposition
17 The high priest and his officials, who were Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. 18 They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. 19 But an angel of the Lord came at night, opened the gates of the jail, and brought them out. Then he told them, 20 “Go to the Temple and give the people this message of life!”
21 So at daybreak the apostles entered the Temple, as they were told, and immediately began teaching.

When the high priest and his officials arrived, they convened the high council[a]—the full assembly of the elders of Israel. Then they sent for the apostles to be brought from the jail for trial. 22 But when the Temple guards went to the jail, the men were gone. So they returned to the council and reported, 23 “The jail was securely locked, with the guards standing outside, but when we opened the gates, no one was there!”

24 When the captain of the Temple guard and the leading priests heard this, they were perplexed, wondering where it would all end. 25 Then someone arrived with startling news: “The men you put in jail are standing in the Temple, teaching the people!”

26 The captain went with his Temple guards and arrested the apostles, but without violence, for they were afraid the people would stone them.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the courage we gain from reading about your apostles and how bravely they faced religious persecution. Whatever difficulties we may face, please help us to persevere and allow it to make us more like Jesus. As well, help us to be vocal with our convictions and be ready to give the reason we bow to the authority of the Living Word. In Jesus’ name. Amen.