Pastor Mary Haley

Intro: Whether or not we realize it, we all have a reputation for how we treat other people, animals, and our earth. People are always watching other people and forming opinions. Obviously, we should be consistently taking care of all of these areas of God’s creation, but hypocrisy sneaks into our flesh and we can care a lot more for one and very little for the others.

For example, the Pharisees had a reputation of rescuing injured animals on the Sabbath, while at the same time neglecting the physical and healing needs of their fellow human beings because they believed it violated the Sabbath law. These leaders had a reverence for God, but they had neglected to allow God’s genuine love to connect them in compassionate service to others. These religious leaders fastidiously followed the law, but they failed to rise to the greatest and most important issue—Love.

In our passage today, we can clearly see the compassionate nature of Jesus and the justice he championed. Isaiah prophesied about Messiah’s loving nature. Jesus did not add to people’s burdens, he lightened them in God’s love by offering support, forgiveness, and kindness. Curiously, Jesus did not want the people he helped to tell others, because he did not want others coming to him for the wrong reason. Yes, he came to be humanity’s King; however, the reputation Jesus wanted ascribed to him was one of the Servant King of all creation. May we be mindful of our reputation.

Matthew 12:15-21 NLV Jesus Heals Many People
15 Jesus knew this and went away from there. Many people followed Him and He healed all of them. 16 He told them to tell no one of Him. 17 It happened as the early preacher Isaiah said it would happen, saying, 18 “See! My Servant Whom I have chosen! My much Loved, in Whom My soul is well pleased! I will put My Spirit in Him. He will say to the nations what is right from wrong. 19 He will not fight or speak with a loud voice. No man will hear His voice in the streets. 20 He will not break a broken branch. He will not put out a little fire until He makes things right. 21 In His name the nations will have hope.”

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the example you always provide about having a Servant’s heart. May we, as your children, be willing to have the same heart as we faithfully care for all of your creation. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: God never wastes the suffering of his people; many times he works powerfully through the most painful places. This process may not make sense to our natural minds, but we must always remember God’s power is made perfect in our weakness [2 Cor 12:9]. Sometimes, God is preparing us for a special work in his Kingdom, so he uses pressing situations to draw us closer to himself in order to gain the help we need.

Truthfully, many believers never pray or spend time in the presence of God until they have issues they cannot solve themselves. When we get really uncomfortable, we are more willing to listen, move, and follow Christ. Friends, this tendency to neglect our relationship with God flows from a very wrong perspective and has nothing to do with the Good News of Christ. We all need a SAVIOR!

In our passage today, the early Church believers had been forced from their homes and scattered throughout Jerusalem due to persecution. However, God used this persecution to expand the reach of the Church. Philip, a deacon [not the apostle] was in charge of food distribution while he shared the Good News. The Spirit of God empowered these displaced servants of Christ to accomplish many extraordinary miracles.

Acts 8:4-8 The Living Bible 4 But the believers [the Church] who had fled Jerusalem went everywhere preaching the Good News about Jesus! 5 Philip, for instance, went to the city of Samaria and told the people there about Christ. 6 Crowds listened intently to what he had to say because of the miracles he did. 7 Many evil spirits were cast out, screaming as they left their victims, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed, 8 so there was much joy in that city!

Prayer: Lord, thank you for using all things to benefit our lives and the work of your Kingdom. May amazing miracles begin to manifest according to our faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro:  As we enter into a new year, I am praying for the Spirit to help more people come to salvation and step into God’s family.   Wouldn’t it be amazing to experience God leading a revival by pouring his Spirit across the globe?  God longs for his human family to come back into fellowship with him; he loves us all so very much.  I believe a prayer for revival should cross our lips every day.

 It is the work of the gospel to bring all worshipers—Jews and non-Jews—together as One in God’s kingdom and family.  The Apostle Paul—a Jew—was imprisoned for proclaiming this Oneness to non-Jews [Gentiles].  God’s grace was on Paul to minister this truth and he knew that wherever he found himself and whatever situations came his way this was God’s purpose for him.  So whether free or imprisoned, he was a servant of Christ not a victim of his circumstances.  This is a truth each one of us who belong to Christ must accept. 

According to Paul, for the saved—those who believe in the work of Christ on the cross for the forgiveness of sin—there is to be no racial, social, or spiritual distinctions. In Christ, no one is beyond the work of restoration; all human beings require restoration and can be made whole in Christ.  Together we can all glorify God and display his power and wisdom.  But, we must be willing to step into God’s family in humility, repentance, obedience, and champion a heart for the world’s salvation.  That means things like pride, hatred, and greed for power must be left at the cross before crossing into Kingdom Living and the glorious presence of God.

Ephesians 3:1-12  NLT God’s Mysterious Plan Revealed

3 When I think of all this, I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus for the benefit of you Gentiles . . . 2 assuming, by the way, that you know God gave me the special responsibility of extending his grace to you Gentiles. 3 As I briefly wrote earlier, God himself revealed his mysterious plan to me. 4 As you read what I have written, you will understand my insight into this plan regarding Christ. 5 God did not reveal it to previous generations, but now by his Spirit he has revealed it to his holy apostles and prophets.

6 And this is God’s plan: Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children. Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus.  7 By God’s grace and mighty power, I have been given the privilege of serving him by spreading this Good News.

8 Though I am the least deserving of all God’s people, he graciously gave me the privilege of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ. 9 I was chosen to explain to everyone this mysterious plan that God, the Creator of all things, had kept secret from the beginning.

10 God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. 11 This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord.

12 Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence.

Prayer:  Father, thank you for calling all of humanity into your glorious presence.  May we let go of the petty attitudes and selfish actions that divide us, all bow to the Truth of your Word, and unite as One in Christ for your honor and glory.  Send a revival across the world we pray!  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Intro: Once in a great while, I will find myself tripping over someone else’s foot. It is always an odd accident, but in those times I have to catch myself from falling. Well, sin is the spiritual foot of Satan to trip us up and he places that foot strategically in front of us as we seek to walk confidently by faith. Satan is counting on us spiritually falling down [due to sin], finding ourselves in a mess we have created, and then turning to blame God for not loving and protecting us.

Here’s something mighty important to remember. Sin cannot co-exist with God, because God is holy. God hates sin, because holiness is his nature. As God’s children, we need to hate sin, too, because it separates us from our Creator Father. That’s why every follower of Christ—covenant disciple—knows sin must be removed from our lives. If we do not allow God to discipline us and help us rid ourselves of sin, we limit his presence and power operating in our lives. Besides, sin is a heavy burden that God never created for us to carry. We were created to walk in liberty and obedience to our good God (Mat 11:28-30).
In our passage, today, the writer of Hebrews reminds us faith is living what we believe about God (Heb 11:6). Let’s obey and follow Christ, then we will not be slowed down from running the race God has set before us.

Hebrews 12:1-2 God’s Discipline Proves His Love
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.

Prayer: Lord, help me to stay in your presence and Love, today, and to walk wisely by faith in the Light you shine on my path. Satan has no power to trip me if I am focused on Truth. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: In January 2012, I went to portions of the Middle East with a group of seminarians from Asbury Theological Seminary. We visited Greece, Egypt, Jordan, Israel, and Palestine. Egypt messed with my soul and grieved me more than any other place.
We visited the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. The museum is filled with a huge collection of Pharaonic antiquities, gold, jewelry/precious gems, and extremely rare artifacts. It certainly contains priceless history, but the museum holds unbelievable treasure and wealth. During the Mubarak uprising in 2011, a mass of people arrived ready to lay down their lives in order to protect the contents of the museum. They were very dedicated in protecting their “history” from being harmed. Yet, how well were they taking care of their people? Here’s an example…

We also visited the impoverished Coptic Christians in Garbage City [Manshiyat Naser], Cairo. You see these Christians have managed to survive in the slum only by recycling all the trash of the city. Cairo has a population of about 20 million people and it produces more than 15,000 tons of solid waste every day. Approximately 272,000 people live in Garbage City so that helps you understand the size. Yes, these folks live surrounded by garbage and they worship at a church located in the heart of the dump. Fifteen thousand Coptic Christians can gather at the Cave Cathedral at a time to praise and worship the goodness of the Lord Most High! When we went to the church, the leaders radiated faith in the love of God in spite of their circumstances; they encouraged their people to live likewise. One of their priests had been executed that year in Cairo, but they all kept praising and serving the Lord. Sadly, Egypt still does not know how to treat God’s children.

Today, we will look at Moses and the faith he required and used to fulfill God’s divine purpose in the land of Egypt.

Hebrews 11:23-29 Living Bible
23 Moses’ parents had faith too. When they saw that God had given them an unusual [grace-filled] child, they trusted that God would save him from the death the king commanded, and they hid him for three months and were not afraid.

24-25 It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be treated as the grandson of the king, but chose to share ill-treatment with God’s people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin.

26 He thought that it was better to suffer for the promised Christ than to own all the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking forward to the great reward that God would give him. 27 And it was because he trusted God that he left the land of Egypt and wasn’t afraid of the king’s anger. Moses kept right on going; it seemed as though he could see God right there with him. 28 And it was because he believed God would save his people that he commanded them to kill a lamb as God had told them to and sprinkle the blood on the doorposts of their homes so that God’s terrible Angel of Death could not touch the oldest child in those homes as he did among the Egyptians.

29 The people of Israel trusted God and went right through the Red Sea as though they were on dry ground. But when the Egyptians chasing them tried it, they all were drowned.

Prayer: Lord, we are so blessed living here in the United States, but we are also oblivious to how hard it is to live as a Christian in other countries. Help us to care about people. I praise you for this country. I praise you for the ability to gather and worship you without oppression or fear. I praise you, Jesus, for helping us to love. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: Faith is a journey we must take with God, because without it we cannot please Him (Heb 11:6). We need to remember, however, a faith journey with God can take us way beyond our comfort zones. Sometimes, God makes us prove our faith and our willingness to follow him into the unknown—not within the range of our knowledge, experience, or understanding. God can lead us into very strange places or speak a word to our hearts that makes no sense at all; according to Scripture, He calls these trials a valuable “test.” When God tests our faith, it makes us stronger, as well as reveals our devotion and spiritual maturity.

In our passage today, the writer of Hebrews reminds us of the extraordinary faith of Abraham—the father of true faith. God promised Abraham He would make him the father of innumerable descendants. So, when God tested Abraham by asking him to give back [sacrifice] his promised son, Isaac, Abraham trusted God. You see, Abraham believed God’s promise was unconditional, so he believed God would fulfill the promise even if he had to raise Isaac from the dead. Scripture teaches God never allows us to be tested beyond what we can handle in His power (2 Cor 12:9). I cannot imagine the faith this request and test required. Truly, Abraham is a hero of the faith!

Hebrews 11-17-19 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.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for bringing the grace and strength we need when we face the testing of our faith. We know every test fulfills more of your purpose for us to make us more like Jesus. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: Every day I take time to praise and celebrate Christ coming into my life. He brings the Wisdom and resources of heaven [grace] that I so desperately need moment by moment. Christ is my Champion; He guides my faith and helps me to understand the problems I face are all due to sin in the world—the world constantly wages war against the Light of Truth [John 1:5; Rev 17:14]. Truly, we wrestle with sin every day either in ourselves, in others, or in the rebellious and arrogant atmosphere of this fallen world. It requires a fight for the true faith—we must take hold of eternal life to experience victory [1 Timothy 6:12].

Christ is definitely the eternal Strength to endure difficult times. In his teaching, Jesus warned his followers there would be tribulation in the world, but he also promised to be our eternal Peace and Overcomer! [John 16:33]. When we recognize the eternal Christ is the One who brings our lives the greatest value, nothing this temporal world has to offer will compare and we will not lose heart or quit our journey of faith [Phil 3:7-11]. We will press on!

In our passage today, the Apostle Paul understands what it is like to face criticism, trials and suffering, but he teaches us not to look at the pain those things cause; rather, we must fix our focus on the goal of living by faith in Christ who is our Champion. Honestly, pain and suffering are hard to ignore. But, when we are weak, we can enjoy the resurrected strength and power of the enteral Christ. His power is made perfect in our weakness [2 Cor 12:10]. As you look at this coming new year, remember believers live in Christ and you are called to be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power [Eph 6:10]. Happy New Year!

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 NLT
16 That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits [our inner being] are being renewed every day. 17 For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for being my Champion. I want my faith in you to grow; so, when I am weak, please make me strong. Help me to be an overcomer in your Mighty Hand. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: Between November 27th and December 24th, we celebrated Advent—a season of anticipation leading up to Christmas when we celebrated the Birth of Christ. We have remembered and celebrated the Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love of God; all righteous blessings the first Advent provided for the salvation of our souls as God’s children.

We live in the last days—Jesus’ activity until the end of time—so now we live in anticipation and hunger for his second Advent. Dietrich Bonhoeffer [a German pastor and theologian] once said, ”The celebration of Advent is possible only to those who are troubled in soul, who know themselves to be poor and imperfect, and who look forward to something greater to come.” As believers, we crave transformational experiences with God; in Christ we are invited to encounter greater things to come.

In our passage today from the gospel of Luke, Jesus weeps because Israel is not looking for the very salvation and peace they asked the Father for and what Messiah came to provide. Jesus makes peace with God for us, but he is looking for us to follow him into righteousness and away from sin. We have been given choices and we must decide what we are willing to leave behind in order to follow Jesus.

The New Testament reminds us that every disciple must give up his or her life in order to enjoy divine encounters in the righteous life of Christ [Mat 16:24-25]. Matthew left behind illegal financial actions [Mat 9:9-13]; Martha left behind worry [Lu 10:38]; Brothers James and John left behind worldly ambition [Mark 10:35-45]; and Nicodemus left behind unbelief [Jo 3:1-21]. The religious leaders rejected their coming King; they did not want to leave behind their previous ideas about God in order to experience the peace of God that would bring them new and powerful encounters in Christ’s righteous life. Therefore, Jesus said their nation would suffer and it did in 70AD when the Romans destroyed their Temple and killed many of their people.

As believers, we now live and move and exist in Christ! He is the King of Peace and the King of Righteousness. May we willingly bow our knee to our King and live according to his standard of righteousness.

Luke 19:41-44 Jesus Weeps over Jerusalem
41 But as he came closer to Jerusalem and saw the city ahead, he began to weep. 42 “How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from your eyes. 43 Before long your enemies will build ramparts against your walls and encircle you and close in on you from every side. 44 They will crush you into the ground, and your children with you. Your enemies will not leave a single stone in place, because you did not recognize it when God visited you.

Prayer: Father, may the world accept the salvation you offer in Christ before it is too late. Help your children to follow you into righteous living. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: Humility [associated with meekness] is a very tough attitude to champion in this self-centered world. Everything about this world screams, “Think about yourself first!” If we lack spiritually humility, we are arrogant and prideful; things that are certainly not birthed of the Holy Spirit.
In our passage today, the disciples are intently focused on their status; they want important positions in God’s kingdom. Jesus quickly addresses the disciples question, by pointing to the importance of spiritual humility. He uses hyperbole [exaggerated statements not meant to be taken literally] to get the disciples’ attention and to convey how strongly God feels about an attitude of humility.

Sometimes we forget that Jesus humbled (emptied) himself of his divine standing and glory in order to take on flesh and come to earth as God’s Suffering Servant to save us [Phil 2:7]. It only makes sense that we must humble ourselves as Christ’s servants; we are not above our Master [Mat 10:24]. What happens to the spiritually arrogant people and false teachers who diminish God’s children [those who are actually trusting, humble, and forgiving] and tempt them to sin against the truth? Jesus states the fires of hell will be awaiting them [Mat 18:9; Rev 14:11]. I know many people do not want to believe hell is a real place, but when Jesus [Truth] refers to it as a place of eternal torment, we better pay attention!

As I was reading today, I noticed several articles about developing humility, so I invested time in pondering them. Some of the advice I decided to restate and compile for our consideration: 1) Spend time really listening to others; 2) ask for help when you need it; 3) seek to add value to others; 4) take responsibility for your actions and failures; 5) admit you don’t have all the answers or have your life all fixed. If there is anything that will stand in our way of spiritual victory, it is arrogance. So, may God help us think about Christ’s example and empower us to take a humble posture with others each day.

Matthew 18:1-9 The Greatest in the Kingdom
1 About that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?”

2 Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. 3 Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. 4 So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.

5 “And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me. 6 But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea.

7 “What sorrow awaits the world, because it tempts people to sin. Temptations are inevitable, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting. 8 So if your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one hand or one foot than to be thrown into eternal fire with both of your hands and feet. 9 And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your humble example and the power of the Spirit who helps us guard our hearts against spiritual pride. May we be trusting, humble, and forgiving children of God. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: Whether you were with family, friends, or by yourself, I trust you had a blessed and glorious time of celebrating the birth of the Christ. The first Advent of Jesus changed everything, because he came to bring humanity life from above; so we could enjoy God with us! Jesus makes us spiritually alive, so we can model his loving character with human action.

The Christian’s purpose is to live by faith in Christ and reveal the character of God, everyday. We now live to worship him each day by being conformed to his image and bringing glory to his name (Ro 8:29; Ro 12:1; Gal 2:20). Jesus gave us his Spirit, so we could be his redeemed flesh. God is the Life of believers, so no matter what we are doing we are to reveal our faith and trust in God through our faith-filled words and faith-driven actions.

In our passage today, the Apostle John teaches believers everywhere about being spiritual children of God. We are learning how to live by faith and empowered by the Spirit. This is how we overcome the influence of evil in the world; we live by faith in the Son of God. Some days our load may be heavy; perhaps we are not sure we are going to be able to carry on. However, we must remember God’s grace is sufficient for every need and he is working a greater measure of trust within us (Mat 11:28-30). We need to simply pray and ask for more grace and strength. May God’s strength fill you today for whatever comes your way.

1 John 5:1-12 Faith in the Son of God
1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too. 2 We know we love God’s children if we love God and obey his commandments. 3 Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome. 4 For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. 5 And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.

6 And Jesus Christ was revealed as God’s Son by his baptism in water and by shedding his blood on the cross—not by water only, but by water and blood. And the Spirit, who is truth, confirms it with his testimony. 7 So we have these three witnesses— 8 the Spirit, the water, and the blood—and all three agree. 9 Since we believe human testimony, surely we can believe the greater testimony that comes from God. And God has testified about his Son. 10 All who believe in the Son of God know in their hearts that this testimony is true. Those who don’t believe this are actually calling God a liar because they don’t believe what God has testified about his Son.

11 And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for being the spiritual Life I need each day. I have faith in your ability to help me overcome every obstacle. In Jesus’ name. Amen.