Pastor Mary Haley

If I am going to drink a hot beverage, I do not want lukewarm. If I am going to drink a cold beverage, I do not want lukewarm. Frankly, lukewarm liquids, food, and baths are somethings I do not enjoy. Interestingly, God does not care for lukewarm either.
In our passage today, Jesus addresses the church of lukewarm faith—Laodicea. Jesus describes himself as the faithful and true witness; this is in contrast with the people of the Laodicean church who are neither faithful or true. Their perception of themselves is very different from the perception God has of them. Pride is the issue. They cannot see properly and the reason is their arrogance, as well as indifference to know the Truth. Rather than being all in—hot—they choose the middle of the road—compromise—and find themselves being described by the Lord as lukewarm. They think they have enough of Jesus until the Lord serves up a heaping helping of their lukewarm faith and tepid witness and basically says, “Yuck! You are offering up an empty religion!”

The Church will need the discipline of the Lord, but the reason is not judgment it is love. God wants to stir the passion and faith back into his people. He will do it for them by refining them in the power of the Spirit—to set human hearts on fire as his witnesses. Otherwise, the church is spiritually bankrupt.

Jesus is knocking on the door of our hearts and we must invite him to come in and prepare us for our journey as witnesses of the Faithful and True One. Passion for God must consume us, because this is the fiery faith and power God calls us to share.

Revelation 3:14-22 NLT The Message to the Church in Laodicea
14 “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Laodicea. This is the message from the one who is the Amen—the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s new creation:
15 “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! 16 But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth! 17 You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. 18 So I advise you to buy gold from me—gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. Also buy white garments from me so you will not be shamed by your nakedness, and ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see. 19 I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference.
20 “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends. 21 Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne.
22 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.”

Prayer: Lord, you are the faithful and true witness and we desire to emulate your genuine and energized faith as we witness about you to others. Forgive us for the times we have not brought that passion or reflected our gratitude for your beautiful salvation. Continue to open our eyes and discipline us in your love. Set us on fire, Lord. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

On Wednesday evening during our LIFE Lessons Bible Study, we explored Matthew Chapter fifteen. Throughout all of the preceding lessons we have studied [Chapters 1-14], Matthew has reminded us Jesus came to fulfill the Father’s plan to rescue humanity from sin and death by defeating the enemy and rising in power to set up his divine rule again on earth. All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to the resurrected Christ (Mat 29:19). No greater power exists; and that power lives in you! Therefore, as believers in Christ, we operate in his authority and power as we join him in the Father’s rescue mission to provide salvation and eternal life.

In our passage from the Apostle Paul, today, we catch a glimpse of his letter to the church at Ephesus. Paul loves his spiritual family and wants the very best and most abundant life for them, so he writes to explain to them how Jesus changes the earth’s playing field by making his children masterpieces of grace. The Spirit impregnates believers with eternal life, provides divine wisdom for us, renews our minds, reorients our motives toward righteousness, transforms our lives from the inside out, and prepares our souls to fulfill the Father’s rescue mission. Those who connect to Christ become carriers [arks/temples] of the presence of Almighty God, as well as recipients of the treasure of heaven [the wealth of his grace].

Living out each day with this mindset changes how those who have been made alive in Christ view and practice earthly living. Through the Living Word, revelation comes to help us abide/remain under Christ’s authority. First, because Jesus is the Truth, we recognize when our minds are being fed lies or our thoughts are being tempted by evil. Second, because Jesus has been made wisdom for us, we wisely discern the places where we should or should not go to avoid the traps of evil. Third, we desire to boldly profess life in Christ, so we are careful to guard our tongues from speaking evil. Lastly, we protect our spiritual eyes by seeking the eternal things of God with our whole hearts and resisting evil’s earthly and temporal gratification. This reminds me of a song I learned as a child:

O Be Careful Little Eyes
O be careful little eyes what you see
O be careful little eyes what you see
For the Father up above
Is looking down in love
So, be careful little eyes what you see

O be careful little ears what you hear
O be careful little ears what you hear
For the Father up above
Is looking down in love
So, be careful little ears what you hear

O be careful little tongue what you say
O be careful little tongue what you say
For the Father up above
Is looking down in love
So, be careful little tongue what you say

O be careful little hands what you do
O be careful little hands what you do
For the Father up above
Is looking down in love
So, be careful little hands what you do

O be careful little feet where you go
O be careful little feet where you go
For the Father up above
Is looking down in love
So, be careful little feet where you go

O be careful little heart whom you trust
O be careful little heart whom you trust
For the Father up above
Is looking down in love
So, be careful little heart whom you trust

O be careful little mind what you think
O be careful little mind what you think
For the Father up above
Is looking down in love
So, be careful little mind what you think
So, be careful little mind what you think

Ephesians 2:1-10 NLT Made Alive with Christ
2 Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. 2 You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. 3 All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.
4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) 6 For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. 7 So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.

8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Prayer: Father, thank you for setting forth your rescue mission in Christ your Son and making it available by faith through grace. Now, we can do the good things you have planned for us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Every Tuesday, we have been enjoying The Chosen Season five. Each episode has planted deep nuggets of Truth within me. Last week, I was touched by the diverse conversation made between the disciples about Jesus. We have read about this happening in Scripture, but it is acted out in such a real way. Because Jesus brought a holy perspective—the will of the Father—the human minds and attitudes of the disciples were irritatedly at odds. The high priests, Pharisees, Sadducees, disciples, and the crowds gathered all professed a belief in God, but individually they were not seeing the Messiah do what they expected him to do. It is the same in our world, today. Why is it that human minds wrestle with God and his thoughts and ways?

I believe the answer is because every human mind MUST be renewed by the Spirit of Truth or the ways of the world will turn our thoughts toward what we WANT to believe (Ro 12:2). No one has absolute Truth except God. However, sometimes we will verbally fight with every bit of our energy over one passage from Scripture that we do not like or with which we refuse to agree. And, we stand there saying THIS is how God sees things. Sadly, I believe we are in for a huge revelation when Christ returns, because he alone knows individual hearts and whether or not a person has allowed Jesus to be Lord. Jesus must be Lord of the heart—we must die to self and the world in order to live for Christ. This is the sanctifying work of the Spirit; genuine faith in God’s salvation.

In our passage today, the Sadducees become irritated once again with Peter and John because these men are teaching about the resurrection of Christ—the Sadducees do not believe in the resurrection of the body. Not only did they heal a lame beggar, they are teaching heresy (Acts 3:1-7). Even though many of the people seeing the miracle and listening to the disciples’ teaching believe the message, the Sadducees see the disciples’ teaching as an offense against priestly authority. So the disciples are brought in for questioning; they continue to proclaim their authority comes from the name of Jesus—the One these leaders rejected as their Messiah.

Life is racing by and we have many decisions to make each day. However, the most important decision any of us may make is to choose to connect to Jesus the Christ who died for the sins of the world. Don’t let your individual interpretation of God’s Word cause you to get detoured. Allow Jesus to be Lord of your life. Invite the Spirit to bring Truth to your heart and renewed thoughts for your mind. We serve a supernatural God and nothing is impossible for him.

Acts 4:1-12 NLT Peter and John before the Council
1 While Peter and John were speaking to the people, they were confronted by the priests, the captain of the Temple guard, and some of the Sadducees. 2 These leaders were very disturbed that Peter and John were teaching the people that through Jesus there is a resurrection of the dead. 3 They arrested them and, since it was already evening, put them in jail until morning. 4 But many of the people who heard their message believed it, so the number of men who believed now totaled about 5,000.
5 The next day the council of all the rulers and elders and teachers of religious law met in Jerusalem. 6 Annas the high priest was there, along with Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and other relatives of the high priest. 7 They brought in the two disciples and demanded, “By what power, or in whose name, have you done this?”

8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of our people, 9 are we being questioned today because we’ve done a good deed for a crippled man? Do you want to know how he was healed? 10 Let me clearly state to all of you and to all the people of Israel that he was healed by the powerful name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, the man you crucified but whom God raised from the dead. 11 For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says,
‘The stone that you builders rejected
    has now become the cornerstone.’[quoting OT Ps 118:22]]

12 There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”
Prayer: Lord, thank you for the assurance of salvation we can have in Jesus the Christ. Holy Spirit, please put a watch over our minds and help us guard our hearts, because the enemy is busy trying to lie to us all the time. Help us examine every thought—taking captive each one that tries to pridefully exalt itself above the knowledge of God—and making those thoughts obey Christ. Love must rule; yet, the Word teaches your love comes with boundaries. Help us stay focused on what is eternal and keep moving forward. Lead us by the Spirit and revelation. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Christ has made us free. Christians are free from the power of sin as we resist and choose righteousness. We are free from trying to prove anything by releasing and sharing the love of Christ with others. We are free from fear, guilt, condemnation, and from anything trying to restrain us from a thriving relationship with our Holy God. The mature Christian life is about living in Christ’s image and with his desire to fulfill God’s purpose: to build a rapport with people through love, discipline, empathy, humility, and by making a connection based on common ground—our humanity that needs a godly overhaul.

In our passage today, Paul is sharing with the early believers in Corinth. They have spent their time living inward and arguing among themselves rather than allowing God to make them effective for sharing the gospel message. Paul reminds these believers: 1) It is Christ’s church and we are his servants; 2) To create opportunities for building a Bridge of love; 3) To be flexible, in the Spirit, by not demanding our own way, but by pointing to the righteousness of Christ’s way; and 4) The ongoing need for repeating and demonstrating the message that salvation comes by faith and surrendering one’s life to Christ. Jesus must be Lord of every heart—this brings eternal life.

We are all human beings living a temporal journey and we must choose to live that life for Jesus. Otherwise, the enemy will twist our lives up with sin, fill us with pride and selfishness, deceive our minds, make us hate one another, and cause us to self-slaughter. Therefore, the only winner in that game is Satan. Christ is righteous, humble, selfless, truth, love, and eternal life. Find freedom in Jesus the Christ and you will find a treasured life worth living.

1 Corinthians 9:19-23 NLT
19 Even though I am a free man with no master, I have become a slave to all people to bring many to Christ. 20 When I was with the Jews, I lived like a Jew to bring the Jews to Christ. When I was with those who follow the Jewish law, I too lived under that law. Even though I am not subject to the law, I did this so I could bring to Christ those who are under the law. 21 When I am with the Gentiles who do not follow the Jewish law,[Greeks] I too live apart from that law so I can bring them to Christ. But I do not ignore the law of God; I obey the law of Christ.

22 When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some. 23 I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings.

Prayer: Lord, we cling to the freedom you have given us, but we know it must be partnered with discipline and direction. Help us identify the common ground we have with others around us and give us the courage to share your Life and Love with them. Salvation of your world must become our motivation and the message of salvation is that Christ alone can save our human souls. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

It seems like everyday there are more and more spam or scam emails in my electronic mailbox than legitimate communication notices. Recently, I have received emails from a variety of scammers parading as: the IRS, energy company, state toll agency, bank loan applications, credit card applications, and emails wanting verification for purchases. They start off with “Mary” and then wrap their scams around something that actually could apply to me in order to impersonate me elsewhere.

These scammers—real people who many times work in “scam farms”—find a way to hide their identity while invading every aspect of other people’s private lives in order to rob, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). They are the greedy and willing hosts of Satan who prey upon the innocent with malicious intent. Jesus teaches there will be a special place in hell waiting for them. Please be careful and don’t be a victim of Satan’s schemes.

In our passage from Luke, today, Jesus is also teaching about a parade of deceived, prideful, selfish, and uncaring people. However, Jesus is referring to the arrogant religious leaders who will glean the worst eternal punishment, because they are unwilling to demonstrate mercy; they portray no revelation of God’s heart for his creation. To act in such a fashion is to neglect God’s law. They were not living examples of his love even though they enjoyed parading as such.

In contrast, today, Jesus wants his disciples/us to meet the poor widow who gives a sacrificial gift; she must trust God to take care of her as she has very few resources. Yet, Almighty God notices her heart and generosity. Jesus cares about how his children treat others and what motivates our actions. He is not impressed with religious deeds when human hearts are filled with selfishness and pride. Love must move us…if we are going to please God.

Luke 20:45-21:4 NLT
45 Then, with the crowds listening, he turned to his disciples and said, 46 “Beware of these teachers of religious law! For they like to parade around in flowing robes and love to receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces. And how they love the seats of honor in the synagogues and the head table at banquets. 47 Yet they shamelessly cheat widows out of their property and then pretend to be pious by making long prayers in public. Because of this, they will be severely punished.”

The Widow’s Offering
21 While Jesus was in the Temple, he watched the rich people dropping their gifts in the collection box. 2 Then a poor widow came by and dropped in two small coins.
3 “I tell you the truth,” Jesus said, “this poor widow has given more than all the rest of them. 4 For they have given a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she has.”

Prayer: Lord, thank you for giving this truth to our hearts. May we put on mercy each day while at the same time speaking the truth in love. Only you can help us accomplish these pure actions, Holy Spirit. So, we surrender to you and invite you to lead us on a journey of mercy and generosity, today. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

I am going to start with a praise today, because there are many on which to focus. God’s children can live in a special place in his love and care. Pause to think about that for a minute. It does not mean we do not face challenges or even spiritual attacks. Jesus himself warns his disciples about the persecution that comes with professing Christ.
It does mean God is our safe place. Oh, how I need a safe place each day for my soul—mind/will/emotions. The Lord provides that shelter for me—overshadowing me—so I can live without fear. Not only does the Lord shelter my inner being, he commands his angels—ministering spirits—around me to protect my way as I surrender to the discipline of the Lord. Although I have never seen the angels God has placed around me, I have been aware of them protecting me many times.

In our passage today from the psalter, let’s focus on praising the Lord. When the Word of the Lord teaches us we are overcomers, it is because God is ready to be the Truth operating in our lives. Our hidden enemies abide in the darkness looking for hosts willing to work for evil. Therefore, we cannot fight on a human level, because we want no part of evil’s advancement.

God offers his sons and daughters peace, righteousness, security, and triumph over opposition, when we allow the Lord to make us servants who accurately represent his heart of love. So, put on God’s armor for your salvation—suit up, pray up, speak up, and wrap yourself in God’s power, today! (Eph. 6:13-17). If God is on our side, then tell me: whom should we fear? (Ro 8:31).
Psalm 91:1-6, 11, 14-16 NLT
1 
Those who live in the shelter of the Most High
    will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 
This I declare about the Lord:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
    he is my God, and I trust him.
3 
For he will rescue you from every trap
    and protect you from deadly disease.
4 
He will cover you with his feathers.
    He will shelter you with his wings.
    His faithful promises are your armor and protection.
5 
Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night,
    nor the arrow that flies in the day.
6 
Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness,
    nor the disaster that strikes at midday.

11 
For he will order his angels
    to protect you wherever you go.

14 The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me.
    I will protect those who trust in my name.
15 
When they call on me, I will answer;
    I will be with them in trouble.
    I will rescue and honor them.
16 
I will reward them with a long life
    and give them my salvation.”

Prayer: Lord, you have not chosen to take your children out of the evil permeating your world. Instead, you have chosen to fill us and surround us with your protective grace. We have a part to do, Lord, and we are going to rise up and suit up, today. No weapon formed against us will prosper In Jesus’ name. Amen.

There are many things that can bring separation in life and divide people from other people. We may experience a form of physical or geographical separation, emotional separation based on self-preservation, social separation based on conviction, and so on. Human beings are born into this fallen world with different ideas, desires, and inclinations. Not everyone will like us or agree with how we think or act. We were not created to be a people-pleaser; we were created to be God-pleasers. To please God, we are invited to bring every idea, every desire, and every inclination and lay them at the feet of Jesus for his examination.

If we come to Jesus, he will take each one of us on a journey toward his righteous standard; he begins with a spiritual separation from the sins of the world. Because we belong to Jesus, he has the authority to separate us from the things operating in our flesh—ideas, desires, and inclinations—that may not reflect his character. This is a positive separation from negative things that harm our union with God.

In our passage today, the Apostle Paul reminds the early believers in Rome that although God is separating us from the world and our flesh in order to draw near to us, we can never be separated from God’s love by anything. Satan is the accuser and the thief and when he comes to rob, kill, or destroy, our loving Lord is there advocating for us and protecting us. And let’s not lose sight of a great spiritual truth: God the Father is loving us into eternity and is committed to conforming us to the glorious image of His Son.

Romans 8:31-39 NLT Nothing Can Separate Us from God’s Love
31 What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? 33 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. 34 Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.

35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36 (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep” (Ps. 44:22). 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[rulers] neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for loving us the way you do; conforming us to the image of the Son. We want to cooperate with your plan in making us new creations in Christ Jesus. No matter what we face each day, help us learn to rejoice and praise you. Everything will work together for good for those who love you and are called according to your purpose. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Figuratively, what negatively gets under your skin? We all have things that irritate, bother, or annoy us. Sometimes those things are worries that won’t leave our minds or feelings we just cannot shake off so we obsess about them. Now, let me ask what positively gets under your skin? For example, what deeply affects your feelings or grows on you causing you in time to treasure it? Well, faith must get under your skin—irritate your conscience or give you an amazing experience with God—because only then will you actually faithfully practice what you say you believe.

In our passage today, the Apostle Paul reminds the early Christians in Rome—as well as his readers throughout the many generations—that all the world is guilty of sin before God, but God is faithful. Humanity is condemned by its own actions, because God gave us his standard of living; his commands of love. Therefore, since we cannot stop the existence of sin [unbelief], we need a Savior who knows how to guide us into righteous living.

God is faithful to forgive when we seek to live surrendered to the Lordship of Christ; but, we must NEVER take grace for granted. We will all give an account to God for how we have used this life he has given us. There is no excuse for practicing sin when we belong to the Lord as his covenant people. Traditions can’t save us. Church attendance can’t save us. Attending worship and listening to the Word of God is valuable, but our faith must be put into practice and demonstrate our allegiance to Christ and his work of salvation. This is what pleases God (Heb. 11:6).

Romans 3:1-8 NLT God Remains Faithful
1Then what’s the advantage of being a Jew? Is there any value in the ceremony of circumcision? 2 Yes, there are great benefits! First of all, the Jews were entrusted with the whole revelation of God.
3 True, some of them were unfaithful; but just because they were unfaithful, does that mean God will be unfaithful? 4 Of course not! Even if everyone else is a liar, God is true. As the Scriptures say about him,
“You will be proved right in what you say,
    and you will win your case in court.”

5 “But,” some might say, “our sinfulness serves a good purpose, for it helps people see how righteous God is. Isn’t it unfair, then, for him to punish us?” (This is merely a human point of view.) 6 Of course not! If God were not entirely fair, how would he be qualified to judge the world? 7 “But,” someone might still argue, “how can God condemn me as a sinner if my dishonesty highlights his truthfulness and brings him more glory?” 8 And some people even slander us by claiming that we say, “The more we sin, the better it is!” Those who say such things deserve to be condemned

Prayer: Lord, we pray for our lives to reflect your beautiful presence and reputation. Forgive us when we make excuses for sin rather than confess it and leave it behind. Holy Spirit, help us practice righteousness by running away from sinful and selfish living and into your faithful and loving arms. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

In our relationship with the Lord, we are being taught all the time about two realities: 1) God has no limitations, so we must stop confining him by our human thinking; and 2) As human beings, we are loaded with limitations and we must ‘come to the end of ourselves.’ We cannot save ourselves even though people try to face life in their own human understanding and strength daily! (Job 40:14). In light of this human inclination brought about by sin, people will wrestle with God until worn out! But, that is part of God’s plan too; we must come to the end of ourselves! Jesus says it this way, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me” (Mat. 16:24).

We like to make sense of life; it’s part of our comfort zone. However, we will never be able to encompass the thoughts, ways, and plans of God through human analytics. It does not matter how much we try to analyze things or try to explain them, we are lost in our understanding of life without the Creator who is Life itself. Therefore, we must learn to humbly follow the Spirit of God into the Truth and learn to understand as the Lord releases his Wisdom into us.

In our passage today, Job is coming to the end of his argument with God. He is humble and exhausted, so he puts his hand over his mouth, sits down, and listens to his Maker. Job realizes to move forward with God, he must relinquish self-control, surrender his limited understanding of God, and trust divine Wisdom to spiritually guide him into an environment of grace and a meaningful life. Because God loves Job so much, he speaks the Truth to him in order to set him up for success. Basically, Job learns life is about God and not him. Let’s take just a peak at God’s response to Job.

Job 40:6-14 NLT
The Lord Challenges Job Again
6 Then the Lord answered Job from the whirlwind:
7 
“Brace yourself like a man,
    because I have some questions for you,
    and you must answer them.
8 
“Will you discredit my justice
    and condemn me just to prove you are right?
9 
Are you as strong as God?
    Can you thunder with a voice like his?
10 
All right, put on your glory and splendor,
    your honor and majesty.
11 
Give vent to your anger.
    Let it overflow against the proud.
12 
Humiliate the proud with a glance;
    walk on the wicked where they stand.
13 
Bury them in the dust.
    Imprison them in the world of the dead.
14 
Then even I would praise you,
    for your own strength would save you.

Prayer: Lord, we get weary trying to make sense of life; so, help us dig deeper in faith and ask for the grace to trust your guidance and plan. Thank you for this lesson from Job, because we must also come to the end of ourselves if we are going to walk with you in this life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

I have this inner quickening in my soul that “time” for repentance is soon coming to an end—God’s plan is closer to being fulfilled with each passing day. Humanity must repent from sin [unbelief] and turn to God for salvation. We presently have a divine delay provided by what Scripture refers to as a time of grace. We are witnessing the goodness of God providing a Way to salvation in real time. A time to graciously and willfully respond to Jesus; because the time for salvation he offers will someday cease to exist.

Keep in mind, I am not predicting a timeline, I am simply reminding us all that God is not bound by our ideas of time and eternity is forever. In my spirit, I know we must be ready. Therefore, we must get our hearts [souls] right before Almighty God and cling to his grace every single day. Something that I have always known is God’s thoughts are very different, but when Jesus says, “You must be ready all the time for the Son of Man will come when least expected,” we can stand there—on solid ground—and know that is the Truth (Mat. 24:44). Jesus gives the example of some folks not being ready to meet him, “Two men will be working together in the field; one will be taken, the other left. Two women will be grinding flour at the mill; one will be taken, the other left,” so, again that is the Truth upon which we can solidly stand (Mat. 24:40-41). Therefore, whenever the time of Christ’s return for his chosen is decided by the Father, we must be dressed in Christ’s righteousness and ready (Mat. 24:36).

In our passage today, Peter picks up the banner of Truth to remind readers that on earth some things are clearly stated in Scripture and are absolutely certain even when other things remain vague and uncertain. It is certain that sin is real, the penalty of death is sure, the ability to live in righteousness is available, witnessing in God’s strength is the believer’s commission, heaven and hell are real places, every human being will stand before Almighty God and give an account for his or her life, and the resurrection into eternal life with God will happen for those who respond in faith to the work of Jesus. For the things that remain uncertain like the exact time of Christ’s return or what it will look like at his coming is never worth an argument. He is coming and, if we are wise, we will think according to eternity and just live and prioritize each day out of that beautiful and certain Gift as we love God and one another.

2 Peter 3:8-13 NLT
8 But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. 9 The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. 10 But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment.

11 Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, 12 looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, he will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames. 13 But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for getting to us the things you want us to know and boldly proclaim. There are no guessing games when it comes to what you have already revealed in your Word about life. If we are honest, we know what is most important—the need for humanity to have a relationship with you. So, fill us with the Spirit, produce righteous fruit in our lives, build our faith strong, take us out into the world with purpose to share the Truth, and empower us to be your representatives of love each day. In Jesus’ name. Amen.