Pastor Mary Haley

As much as I anticipate and enjoy a beautiful sunrise every morning, there is something equally awe-inspiring about a color-filled sky at sunset [especially as it momentarily reclines over the sparkling waters of the Gulf of Mexico]. “The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known!” (Ps 19:1-2).

God displays his presence, nature, and character throughout all his creation. With the rising and setting sun, we should give thanks for God’s merciful nature and faithful promises. In fact, as his human creation, we should humble our rebelliously prideful souls, bow in worship, and turn from evil to live for God, because faith in our Creator’s plans and promises, through his glorious Son, is the only acceptable response to our merciful and gracious Maker. Presently, I pray you can see the faith of believers—in the Son’s power to save, deliver, and guide lives into righteousness—is being tested by God.

In our passage today from the writer of Hebrews, it is clear obedience to God is what brings blessings. Now, in order to walk in the obedience that pleases God, we need to know how God designed us to live and what pleases him, right? Well, these heroes of the faith—listed in Hebrews chapter 11—based their trust and decisions on the Word of God to their hearts. They were convinced that God would do as he promised, even though following him called for sacrifice on their parts. These heroes knew allowing God to reveal their individual life paths—who they were created to be and how they were created to live in his character despite their human strengths and/or weaknesses—was the only way to live in the glory of the Son.

God has promised to bless those who place their faith in him, so we can be a blessing in the world. Blessings come from an intimate relationship between God and human beings resulting in favor, provision, and protection. Believers are to be channels of those blessings. In fact, God established religious and government institutions, in order to help fellow human beings recognize the righteous authority of God’s rule over ALL creation and to lead the world by example into a life of faith in our Creator (Ro 13:1). However, it seems clear every day the sun rises and sets, the eternal Son is being diminished in the eyes of the people by the very groups of leaders designed to help them cling to God’s authority and promises found in his Living Word. We cannot displace and dishonor our Creator’s rule and anticipate being able to appropriate the power or blessings of God for lives and lands—such a notion is deception-led and irrational at its core.

Scripture teaches us about the blessings of God and how to appropriate his power for living. By faith, we need to anticipate the power and blessing of God by living according to his planned design for us. By faith, we need to acknowledge it is only through obedience to God we enjoy the blessing and peace or well-being he offers. Lastly, by faith, we need to accept and follow the true Source of eternal power over hearts and lands. Otherwise, we are on the wrong side of an all-presence, all-knowing, and all-powerful eternal Ruler.

May we return to the fear the Lord and quickly gain some wisdom before it is too late. “Fear [holy awe/respect] of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment” (Prov 9:10). “Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant” (Gal 6:9). The Wisdom writer proclaims, “There’s a way of life that looks harmless enough; look again—it leads straight to hell. Sure, those people appear to be having a good time, but all that laughter will end in heartbreak” (Prov 12-13). Pause and Ponder!

Hebrews 11:17-22 NLT
17 It was by faith that Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice when God was testing him. Abraham, who had received God’s promises, was ready to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, 18 even though God had told him, “Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted.” 19 Abraham reasoned that if Isaac died, God was able to bring him back to life again. And in a sense, Abraham did receive his son back from the dead.

20 It was by faith that Isaac promised blessings for the future to his sons, Jacob and Esau.

21 It was by faith that Jacob, when he was old and dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons and bowed in worship as he leaned on his staff.

22 It was by faith that Joseph, when he was about to die, said confidently that the people of Israel would leave Egypt. He even commanded them to take his bones with them when they left.

Prayer: Lord, please make your glorious Son shine in our hearts today and help us to live by placing our faith in you. We accept the testing of our faith; it is such an honor to serve you as you have so mercifully saved the faithful from the penalties of sin and death. We pray for our hearts and our lands to return to your Righteous rule. You are the Giver of miraculous blessings and perfect justice, so may the leaders of our religious and government institutions wake up to proclaim the Truth. Then, send your Spirit to bear witness to the Truth. Your Word teaches there is a way that seems right to the human soul [mind, will, emotions], but it ends in destruction. We know you said it and your Word will fulfill it. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Christian message is about faith in God’s power and compassion to touch and restore lives. Surrendering to the will of God is the purpose of genuine faith. Certainly, we must remember it is the power of God that actually performs a miracle, not the faith of human beings. Only God can do the supernatural and impossible. However, we do have a responsibility to use faith in cooperation with God’s power and aligned with his will to be done.

Preceding our passage for today, Jesus, Peter, James, and John are returning from the Mount of Transfiguration. It has been a miraculous time on the mountain with the glory of the Christ, but it is time to descend to the valley of human need. At the base of the mountain they meet up with the other disciples, a crowd, and a desperate father asking for mercy and a healing touch for his demon-possessed son. I can only imagine how awful it was for this father to watch his son suffer for years with such injuries and seizures.

We need to remember the disciples had been given the power in the past to cast out demons (Matt 10:1). In our passage, their failure was brought to the forefront and we can surmise the disciple’s faith was not in appropriating the power of Christ; rather, their failure came from misdirected or vacillating faith. Interestingly, this father does not waiver in his faith. Sure the disciples fail to cast out the demon, but this man’s faith is in Christ not the disciples. So, this father goes to the source of the power—Jesus—and the miraculous happens. At the rebuke of Jesus, the demon leaves and this boy receives a new life.

This passage begs us to look at our faith and where we place our trust. When things take time and the results we pray for are not immediately obvious, where do we find our faith? Is it still in Christ’s power? Or is our faith resting primarily in our natural ability, skills, or plan to get things done in human strength? We can be powerful when we draw on Christ’s powerful anointing, but he must send us. So, we need to rebuke the temptation to do things in our own strength apart from God.

Matthew 17:14-20 Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Boy
14 At the foot of the mountain, a large crowd was waiting for them. A man came and knelt before Jesus and said, 15 “Lord, have mercy on my son. He has seizures and suffers terribly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. 16 So I brought him to your disciples, but they couldn’t heal him.”

17 Jesus said, “You faithless and corrupt people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” 18 Then Jesus rebuked the demon in the boy, and it left him. From that moment the boy was well.

19 Afterward the disciples asked Jesus privately, “Why couldn’t we cast out that demon?”
20 “You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for providing your powerful grace as you send us to touch the lives around us. We are so grateful for your power in working salvation and deliverance. Only you can bring the miraculous. Our faith is in you alone. We pray for our country, today, as we remember the precious lives lost in the terrorist attack twenty-three years ago.  Evil is always seeking to rob, kill, and destroy lives. May we hunger for righteousness, humble ourselves before your throne of grace, and pray for your power to rebuke evil across this land! We know evil masquerades as light, but actually brings death through deception. Help us to be alert and wise. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

For many reasons and in many circumstances, anger is present; evil is actively crouching at the door of the human soul (Gen 4:7). Even the people who rarely find themselves getting angry, are facing the temptation to lose the righteous battle for love and self-control. Yet, the Lord has told us we must subdue that which is unrighteous and be its master; otherwise, it will master us (Gen 4:7). In the midst of hostility, we do get weary in doing what is righteous, don’t we? (Gal 6:9).

In our passage today, the writer of Hebrews wants us to know even in the midst of hostility and feelings of rejection, God is present and lovingly using these things to transform us. So, let’s look at two words in our passage this morning that are commonly misunderstood: discipline and punishment. Now, most of the time we use human images and perspectives [e.g. as parents, children, bosses, employees, law enforcement, etc] to be our guide for understanding these two words, but we really need to press in for discernment in the wisdom of God. Human thinking will fail us.

It is by faith, we belong to the Lord and are learning to live under his authority. Our heavenly Father actually has perfect love for us and knows how to get our attention. It would be a sin to see ourselves other than sons and daughters of God following Christ for the purpose of being made in his holy image. So, if life brings discipline or punishment, it is for our good to move us toward righteousness and his glory (Ro 8:28).

God disciplines his children. The Hebrew root of the word ‘discipline’ translates instruction or training in obedience. God disciplines his disciples by helping us learn holiness. Jesus guides us by his humble example and submission to the Father. The work of the Holy Spirit bears witness to the Truth of the Word in our spirits and helps us to subdue all unrighteousness that seeks to master our souls. We can never be separated from the love of God, so let’s not forget we are being faithfully guided toward the narrow and righteous Door leading to eternal Life. Therefore, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us (Ro 8:37).

God also punishes his children. The Hebrew root of the word ‘punishment’ translates attending to. We receive equal consequences for our righteous or unrighteous attitudes and actions. We learn by the consequences we face. When we sin against God or others, God attends to it by letting us face the consequences of our unrighteous action. When we choose righteous actions, God attends to it by welcoming us to experience his blessing and glorious presence.

Judgement will come in the future, when those who have chosen to live in unrighteousness and death will be held accountable for their actions—the ones whose names are not written in the Book of Life (Rev 20:13). But, for those who call upon the name of the Lord and live in the Life Christ provides, we are assured of a heavenly home in the glory of God. Oh, the JOY that floods my soul at the thought!

Hebrews 12:3-13 NLT
3 Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. 4 After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin.

5 And have you forgotten the encouraging words [proverbs] God spoke to you as his children? He said,
“My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline,
    and don’t give up when he corrects you.

6 
For the Lord disciplines those he loves,
    and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.”

7 As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? 8 If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all. 9 Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever?
10 For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. 11 No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.

12 So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. 13 Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the discipline you lovingly bring to our lives. As your sons and daughters, we know you want to teach us the Truth about your holy nature, so we will leave our sinful one behind. Thank you for your patience when you must punish us for selfish living. We were not born again to remain selfish; love does not demand its own way. So, we ask for your holy presence to protect us as you continue to form us in the loving image of your Son; the Righteous One. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

When we invest our time learning Scripture and what it teaches about God, as well as what it means as it transforms our lives, it prompts the reader to notice a striking contrast between the world’s way of striving [struggling to reach what is temporarily perceived as good but elusive] and God’s Kingdom way of thriving [resting and trusting in the eternal goodness and sufficiency of the ever-present Christ]. These are two very different viewpoints; yet, both having the potential to steer or direct our lives. Jesus came to offer human beings spiritual life and the opportunity to thrive [breaking forth and growing stronger] (John 10:10). Our perspective makes all the difference. Are we striving or thriving?

For the believer, it is in Christ we live, move, and exist (Acts 17:28). Therefore, we should not only notice these striking opposites, but actually experience the physical, emotional, and spiritual difference Christ makes in our lives. We belong to Christ and we commit ourselves to feed on the truth, walk in his integrity, and radiate his character as we trust in God. He is “Jehovah Jireh”—the LORD will provide!

Jesus is God’s finest provision for us; our Father has promised to meet our needs, as well as bring the resources for growing and thriving. According to God’s Word, the righteous [those who place their faith in Christ’s righteousness] can thrive in every season because God is faithful even in times of adversity (Ps 92:12-13). We are saved by grace through faith for the glory of our God! (Eph 2:8). The Apostle Paul announces to the church in Philippi, “I have learned the secret of living in every situation…I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil 4:12-13). Paul is thriving!

In our passage today, Jesus encounters a non-jewish woman and mother of a young girl striving to overcome a demon—evil spirit. Even in her present unbelieving state, this mother recognizes that Jesus is the promised Christ and, by faith, she presses in for the grace [Bread or spiritual sustenance] his presence provides to bring her daughter from striving to thriving, “Lord, help me!” (Mat 15:25). Jesus is moved with compassion to feed—just as he was with Israel in the wilderness—even though his disciples are weary. Faith in Christ heals, blesses, and grows lives. Christ wants his followers to learn the secret of living strong in every situation…

Matthew 15:21-31 NLT The Faith of a Gentile Woman
21 Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 A Gentile woman who lived there came to him, pleading, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! For my daughter is possessed by a demon that torments her severely.”

23 But Jesus gave her no reply, not even a word. Then his disciples urged him to send her away. “Tell her to go away,” they said. “She is bothering us with all her begging.”

24 Then Jesus said to the woman, “I was sent only to help God’s lost sheep—the people of Israel.”
25 But she came and worshiped him, pleading again, “Lord, help me!”

26 Jesus responded, “It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.”

27 She replied, “That’s true, Lord, but even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their masters’ table.”

28 “Dear woman,” Jesus said to her, “your faith is great. Your request is granted.” And her daughter was instantly healed.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for healing our souls from the work of evil by bringing new life to our spirits. You are so compassionate; you never turn a worshiper away. You offer refreshing relief in order to help us thrive in a world that seeks to diminish and destroy the truth. Develop within us great faith and help us to discover the secret of living and thriving in every situation. We believe truth leads the way to Kingdom life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Concentrated flavors and food items line the grocery shelves and coolers. More than just removing a significant amount of water, many concentrated foods have a higher density of flavors and or nutrients. For example, I just recently purchased a package of very tasty concentrated beef protein sticks—filled with dense protein and good fats that I can grab on the go. It was a wise purchase as sometimes I need to eat something that will give me the fuel to keep going until I can eat a meal.

Moving beyond concentrated physical food, truth is concentrated fuel for our souls and the Book of Proverbs many times provides profound and nourishing wisdom in a simple concentrated sentence. Essentially, a proverb is a statement of truth that wraps up an enormous amount of wisdom which has the potential to change a person’s life for the good. Solomon wrote the Book of Proverbs which is filled with principles for wise living. Within the sentences, we will recognize problems common to humanity, our need for wise counsel, and the call of God for correction.

Jesus is Wisdom incarnate, so we must read the wisdom writings with Jesus in mind who emulated them perfectly (1 Cor 1:30). We are being made in the image of Christ (1 Cor 15:49). Did you know there are thirty-one chapters in the Book of Proverbs? One chapter a day for most months; then it’s time to start over. If we truly desire to apply the Word of God, Solomon’s wisdom literature is packed with highly concentrated truth nuggets to sustain spiritual life. So, dig in…

Proverbs 1:1-7 NLT The Purpose of Proverbs
1 These are the proverbs of Solomon, David’s son, king of Israel.
2 
Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline,
    to help them understand the insights of the wise.
3 
Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives,
    to help them do what is right, just, and fair.
4 
These proverbs will give insight to the simple,
    knowledge and discernment to the young.
5 
Let the wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser.
    Let those with understanding receive guidance
6 
by exploring the meaning in these proverbs and parables,
    the words of the wise and their riddles.
7 
Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge,
    but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

Prayer: Every day we need you, Lord; your wisdom sustains us and helps us navigate in this menacing and sinful world. In reverence and deference to you and the way you get truth to our hearts, we submit to the work of the Living Word and ask for you to keep us moving forward in spite of the obstacles we may face each day. Allow Wisdom to rise up within us and helps us radiate your glorious image, Lord. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

It is a constant battle to separate the petty in life from the holy. The Bible defines pettiness as “small trivial matters that cause division and start arguments.” We can all be petty at times, but Jesus is never involved in it. That comes from our flesh; a sinful attitude and behavior that surfaces when we have to prove we are “right!” Some stuff in life we try to champion can be really petty and useless. There are much more valuable ways to spend our time and efforts. Little foxes can spoil the vine; can cause damage to our relationships, hinder our personal growth, and set us up for negative consequences in life.

In our passage today from the gospel of Mark, Jesus is dealing with the petty when he wants to share the holy. The Pharisees rewrite God’s Word, because they champion their teachings over the mitzvahs or commandments of God. They miss the valuable lessons from God, because they are focused on minutiae. Think about how petty the Pharisees focus is in this moment. These leaders want to be right and are willing to take a stand and prove to the Living Word of God their interpretation of God’s Word is biblical. Jesus sets them straight.

When a prideful ego and pettiness become inseparable friends, disaster is sure to follow. Jesus tells the Pharisees they are using their teachings to mislead and manipulate the people causing them to neglect their responsibilities to care for their aging parents. The Pharisees care about petty things; Jesus cares about the heart being filled with holiness.

We do not take care of our families, friends, or those in need, because they deserve it. We take care of each other, because God commands it. We love each other the way God loves us. If we stayed focused on the holy love of God, our sin would have no room to grow or gain power through our actions. Never forget, sin starts as a thought in the mind and soon develops into messy and miserable lives.

Mark 7:9-23 NLV 9 Jesus said to them, “You put away laws of God but keep your own teaching. 10 Moses said, ‘Respect your father and mother.’ ‘He who curses his father and mother will be put to death!’ 11 But you say that it is right if a man does not help his father and mother because he says he has given to God what he could have given to them. 12 You are not making him do anything for his father and mother. 13 You are putting away the Word of God to keep your own teaching. You are doing many other things like this.”

14 Jesus called the people to Him again. He said, “Listen to Me, all of you, and understand this. 15 It is not what goes into a man’s mouth from the outside that makes his mind and heart sinful. It is what comes out from the inside that makes him sinful. 16 You have ears, then listen!”

17 He went into the house away from all the people. His followers began to ask about the picture-story. 18 He said to them, “Do you not understand yet? Do you not understand that whatever goes into a man cannot make him sinful? 19 It does not go into his heart, but into his stomach and then on out of his body.” In this way, He was saying that all food is clean. 20 He said, “Whatever comes out of a man is what makes the man sinful. 21 From the inside, out of the heart of men come bad thoughts, sex sins of a married person, sex sins of a person not married, killing other people, 22 stealing, wanting something that belongs to someone else, doing wrong, lying, having a desire for sex sins, having a mind that is always looking for sin, speaking against God, thinking you are better than you are and doing foolish things. 23 All these bad things come from the inside and make the man sinful.”

Prayer: Lord, thank you for helping us understand the power of the petty that leads to sin and rebellion against your holiness. We need help with our thoughts, so please continue to renew our minds with the Word. Fill us with your love, so we have no room to wander into sin and selfishness. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Everyday we must remember believers are like temporary residents in this world; we actually belong to Father God as citizens of the Kingdom of heaven and we are learning to live as sons and daughters in Christ (1 Pet 2:11). Once Jesus came to live in our hearts, we shifted our greatest allegiance to our eternal King, his Kingdom, and his care; a Kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy in the power of the Spirit (Ro 14:17). The way we live becomes very different as our Father writes our lives anew in the Truth. Honestly, we find ourselves denying self as we travel against cultural norms.

Yesterday, Jen laid before us Paul’s charge to Timothy encouraging him to live as a servant of Jesus Christ—the Truth. To live as an example of the Truth is about following the narrow and difficult path of our Savior; we pick up our cross and allow him to lead us into Kingdom living. As Christ’s servants, we are to live in his integrity by holding fast to God’s principles; in this way we advance God’s will for humanity. While the world’s human leaders fight for power and authority and culture demands allegiance, Christ teaches loyalty to God and respect for others as we entrust ourselves to God’s hands.

In the midst of everything that is happening across the globe, servants must carefully choose their master. Surely, we are becoming aware we cannot serve both God and man, because man has chosen a whole other set of self-enthroned principles. To take a stand in Christ is to act differently than the world when presented with choices each day; those choices can bring pressure to conform which results in suffering.

Today in our passage from Peter, we are reminded Jesus is our example when we experience suffering. Suffering was a part of Christ’s life; unjust suffering occupied much of his ministry. Jesus could be terribly misunderstood by others in every area of his life: family, friends, disciples, religious leaders, government officials, culture, etc. Yet, he chose to serve the Father perfectly [in integrity] every time, because he trusted God. And, friends, Jesus has promised any distress we face actually leads to the pathway of joy; the joy of our salvation because Jesus shows up with his strength in exchange for our weakness (2 Cor 12:10).

So, retaliating against others who unjustly mistreat us is not an option. Instead, we are to trust God’s wisdom that he will make everything work for our good (Ro 8:28). We are to endure patiently while we wait for the good to arrive. So, if you have been suffering loss or mistreatment, take time to pray and keep entrusting yourself to Jesus. As believers seeking to live in the integrity of Christ, we may find ourselves weeping. We may struggle. We may experience pressure and stress. But, God is good and his goodness will prevail.

1 Peter 2:19-25 VOICE 19 For grace is clearly at work when a person accepts undeserved pain and suffering and does so because he is mindful of God. 20 For what credit is there in enduring punishment you deserve? But if you do what is right and yet are punished and endure it patiently, God will be pleased with you. 21-22 For you were called to this kind of life, as Isaiah said,

He did no wrong deed,
    and no evil word came from His mouth.

The Anointed One suffered for us and left us His example so that we could follow in His steps. 23 When He was verbally abused, He didn’t return the abuse; when He suffered, He didn’t make threats to cause suffering in return; instead, He trusted that all would be put right by the One who is just when He judges. 24 He took on our sins in His body when He died on the cross so that we, being dead to sin, can live for righteousness. As the Scripture says, “Through His wounds, you were healed.” 25 For there was a time when you were like sheep that wandered from the fold, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your lives.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for helping us live in your righteousness as we live in a fallen world. We cannot be a proper example of your integrity in our strength, Lord, so we entrust ourselves to you and call for the promise of grace in our weakness. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Whether or not humanity actually understands the Truth and embraces it, the purpose of life is to discover and know God and His infinite love for us, as well as love Him in return and be known as God’s children. Paul reiterates this for the believers in Corinth, “But if anyone loves God [with awe-filled reverence, obedience and gratitude], he is known by Him [as His very own and is greatly loved] (1 Cor 8:3 AMP). And, here is the cherry on God’s infinite love sundae; God created humanity and gave us the ability to recognize and know Him through everything He has done in creation (Ro 1:19-20). Everyone has the ability to take in the creative work of God, as it speaks love to human our souls, and know it was no accident.

Years ago, one of my seminary professors at Asbury said in a lecture, “Scripture is God’s self-revelation to His creatures.” It stuck with me. Our minds cannot comprehend the living God of all creation; we will never be able to grasp a comprehensive knowledge of God on our own. So, God uses natural and supernatural ways to help us make the journey of discovering the Truth about Himself and ourselves. Of course, the greatest self-revelation we have ever received of God is Jesus and His work of salvation to save us from sin, death, and eternal separation from our loving Creator’s presence.

Because of Jesus, God reveals and illumines Truth in the hearts of believers to bring infinite [unlimited] understanding to finite [limited] human beings. We will never be god, but my goodness it always amazing me that this mysterious and incomprehensible God lives in believing hearts! If you believe in the work of Jesus Christ to save you from sin, death, and separation, then this is the God who lives in you.

In our passage today, James wants us to remember this life of revelation with God requires the use of faith and endurance. If we never face things we cannot handle in our human strength, we will never know and recognize the power of God working from within. One of two things will happen: 1) We [our flesh] will take credit for it, or 2) We will run from every hard place and miss an opportunity to know God’s saving love for us. The testing of our faith is how God brings greater revelation to us. Grow in loyalty and trust, because there are no limits to what God wants to do in and through you. Receive this love from God, today…

James 1:1-8 NLT Greetings from James
1 This letter is from James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.
I am writing to the “twelve tribes”—Jewish believers scattered abroad.
Greetings!

Faith and Endurance
2 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

5 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. 6 But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. 7 Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the self-revelation of your Word to our hearts. We need to take the blinders off that hinder our ability to see you in unlimited ways. We want to be people of faith and we know it means we endure the testing that reveals you in greater ways. Holy Spirit, develop endurance within us and help us hold onto our joy! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

God’s purpose is to save the world through Christ and, if we honestly allow the Word of God to read our hearts, we know we all need the work of the Righteous One in us. How deep in selfishness can humanity go and still have an awareness of God’s perspective? How far can human beings distance themselves from the principles and standards of God and still say they know him? Satan’s lies have flooded human thought; some have grown roots making the Truth difficult to discern. We cannot serve two masters; we must choose and align our lives with One (Mat 6:24). Jesus did addressed this fallen pattern of human thinking with one sentence, “Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me” (Mat 12:30).

If we are willing to come to the Truth and allow it to read us, we will see humanity has consistently exalted created man above Creator God. Actually, throughout time human beings have demanded their own way and dishonored the Word of the Lord; we have all exchanged the Truth for a lie at some point. This sin has been costly. Yet, God continues to be patient and compassionate with humanity as he desires to redeem creation and recreate human beings in his image once again; this time from the inside out. As we shared in a devotion last week, this is the believer’s day to day journey…

In our passage for today, I want you to focus on the first five words of Truth from the mouth of Christ, “You did not choose Me.” Now, pause to consider the magnitude of these words coming from God who has chosen the temple of your heart as the dwelling place for his eternal living Word. He wants to speak Truth to our hearts and minds, shape our understanding of the spirit world and the battle for power, as well as help us take dominion over our sin nature. He wants us to bear the fruit of his character!

Now, pause to consider how the world hated Jesus for speaking the truth while he ministered about human sin, the redemption God offers, the existence of hell, and the need for a Savior. Some times people want to claim God and live in sin simultaneously…it will never work. Therefore, when as believers we live humbly in the love of God, bear righteous fruit while loving others, and cling to the standards of God, the world will hate us too. We must do it anyway! Glory be to God…we have been chosen for such a time as this!

John 15:16-25 VOICE
16 You did not choose Me. I chose you, and I orchestrated all of this so that you would be sent out and bear great and perpetual fruit. As you do this, anything you ask the Father in My name will be done. 17 This is My command to you: love one another.

18 If you find that the world despises you, remember that before it despised you, it first despised Me. 19 If you were a product of the world order, then it would love you. But you are not a product of the world because I have taken you out of it, and it despises you for that very reason. 20 Don’t forget what I have spoken to you: “a servant is not greater than the master.” If I was mistreated, you should expect nothing less. If they accepted what I have spoken, they will also hear you. 21 Everything they do to you they will do on My account because they do not know the One who has sent Me. 22 If I had not spoken within their hearing, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for ignoring My voice.

23 If someone despises Me, he also despises My Father. 24 If I had not demonstrated things for them that have never been done, they would not be guilty of sin. But the reality is they have stared Me in the face, and they have despised Me and the Father nonetheless. 25 Yet their law, which says, “They despised Me without any cause,” has again been proven true.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for choosing our hearts for your miraculous work of redemption. Help us to grow in your character. Continue to use us in bringing healing and reconciliation to others. We are your grateful servants. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

According to Scripture, it is in Christ we as believers live, move, and have our being; so, at no time are we separated from the grace and power of God for taking the indwelling Spirit of Christ into the world (Acts 17:28). In fact, by the Spirit, Christ should be influencing every area of life through his sons and daughters (Ro 8:14). I frequently hear folks say they want to stay away from political topics with others—certainly it is a challenge to navigate some topics without a battle—but when we are concerned about supporting an accurate vision of justice—one from God’s perspective—someone has to be willing to share the Truth in love, because justice is rooted in the character of God (Is. 40:14). Justice is defined as the quality of being just; righteousness, equitableness, or moral rightness. Who would guide and fulfill justice better than God?

The Bible clearly reveals God’s perspective of justice: in the Old Testament Pentateuch, Book of Psalms, writings of the Prophets, as well as in the New Testament Gospels and Epistles. God’s justice involves the efforts to help all people flourish through the right order of power. Chaos and a lack of order—subsequent to the laws of the land not being enforced—is NEVER from God or associated with true justice. Actually, a “just” law is a law that reflects God’s standards. In the United States we pledge our allegiance to be One Nation Under God. To me that means we were established as a nation to recognize and honor God’s standards. So, we need to remember our foundation at voting time and research the stand of justice taken by our representatives and leaders.

In our passage today, David reminds us everyone can count on God’s standards of justice because it is righteous, fair, and moral. David writes this song as wickedness brings vicious attacks, as well as a collapse of law and order to Israel. He prays and encourages himself and others to trust God to bring justice even if it must come in the form of judgment.

God’s justice becomes a refuge or shelter for everyone living in the righteousness of God even when the foundations of the world’s justice systems collapse. In this world, we can face all kinds of challenges to our health, joblessness, family feuds, injustice, economic instability, and government corruption, but never forget God will always have the last Word. Creation began with his Word and will end with his Word (Gen 1:3; Rev 22:12). So, whether or not justice mirrors God’s standards, you and I can still take our refuge in God who remains the Standard for eternity! Amen!

Psalm 11 For the choir director: A psalm of David.
1 
I trust in the Lord for protection.
So why do you say to me,
    “Fly like a bird to the mountains for safety!
2 
The wicked are stringing their bows
    and fitting their arrows on the bowstrings.
They shoot from the shadows
    at those whose hearts are right.
3 
The foundations of law and order have collapsed.
    What can the righteous do?”
4 
But the Lord is in his holy Temple;
    the Lord still rules from heaven.
He watches everyone closely,
    examining every person on earth.
5 
The Lord examines both the righteous and the wicked.
    He hates those who love violence.
6 
He will rain down blazing coals and burning sulfur on the wicked,
    punishing them with scorching winds.
7 
For the righteous Lord loves justice.
    The virtuous will see his face.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for being our perfect justice and for leading your sons and daughters to understand your standards; we hunger for your righteousness! We pray, Lord, for our country and every elected official; we ask for your justice to overshadow the corruption and wickedness of this fallen world. We know you see everything and we trust your plan to bring redemption. Protect and deliver us from evil. In Jesus’ name. Amen.