Pastor Mary Haley

Intro: God offers every person the freedom to choose whom he or she will serve while in the world. Christ invites people from different backgrounds, personalities, and commitments, to make him Lord and Master by following his commands of love. So, the most important choice we will make each day is whether we will choose to abide in eternal life or worldly living. We cannot serve two masters (Mat 6:24). So, may we choose wisely.

The world has a sinful inclination to take all that belongs under God’s authority and bring it under the control of self-centered human beings; this is Satan’s handiwork and his purpose is to rob, steal, and destroy humanity’s peaceful relationship with God. Satan tempts people to walk away from the sacred; Christ leads people toward God’s holy heart. Satan lies to human beings in order to get them to reject God’s authority; Christ has been made divine wisdom for those who desire to obey God. Human wisdom will always be outmatched by God’s spiritual wisdom, insight and authority. It does not matter how many people converge against God’s authority, he will always have the last Word—which perfectly accomplishes its purpose (Is 55:11).

Jesus’ closest associate at the beginning of his ministry was John the Baptist—who also found himself on the wrong side of the religious leaders when, based on God’s authority, he called for repentance from sin. Humans do not innately want to accept God’s authority. The tangible world seems so much more real than the spiritual Kingdom, but is it? Both John and Jesus disregarded the world’s power, chose to serve the divine Kingdom, and walked in humility before Father God. Trust and honor God’s authority in your life and you will never be sorry. Have a blessed weekend.

Luke 20:1-8 NLT The Authority of Jesus Challenged
1 One day as Jesus was teaching the people and preaching the Good News in the Temple, the leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders came up to him. 2 They demanded, “By what authority are you doing all these things? Who gave you the right?”

3 “Let me ask you a question first,” he replied. 4 “Did John’s authority to baptize come from heaven, or was it merely human?”

5 They talked it over among themselves. “If we say it was from heaven, he will ask why we didn’t believe John. 6 But if we say it was merely human, the people will stone us because they are convinced John was a prophet.” 7 So they finally replied that they didn’t know.

8 And Jesus responded, “Then I won’t tell you by what authority I do these things.”

Prayer: Lord, I accept and honor your authoritative and trustworthy Word over my life. Continue to renew my mind and transform me for your glory. Have your way in me and through me in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: Most of the time, it is easy to love our family and friends. Even when they are challenging to our sense of peace, we choose to love them and keep them near. When they align with our values and add to our sense of well-being, we truly like spending time with them. As well, we deliberately choose our friends wisely, so they will be a good influence on us and vice versa. Conversely, most of the time we run from an enemy [one who hates], because he or she do not share our same values and being together puts “undo” pressure upon us. But, where is Jesus—the Living Word—in all of this?

Scripture teaches, as God’s children, we are to deeply care for and honor our brothers and sisters in the family of faith (Ro 12:10). However, Jesus also came to teach a new way to look at life: we are to love our enemies and those who persecute us for living the Truth. When we love our enemies, we are overcoming evil through self-sacrificing love for others (Ro 12:14-21). God sees and he deals with things according to his will.

In our passage today, The Jews despised the Romans because they oppressed God’s people. Jesus told them to love their enemies and that was a message they did not want to hear. As a result, many people left Jesus’ teaching. They missed the greater meaning of what Christ was saying; he was not telling his disciples to extend affection for their enemies. Jesus wanted his followers to pray for their enemies and help them see and know the God who is love. Every human being needs the love of God even though none of us deserve it.

As well, Jesus is not promoting injustice in verse 30, and he is not asking his disciples to let criminals take advantage of them. He is simply asking believers to reveal his moral character in the midst of injustice by acting in a way that leads them toward God. Treating others the way we would like to be treated is a fundamental ethic that governs the behavior of believers.

Luke 6:27-31 Love for Enemies
27 “But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. 28 Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. 29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, offer the other cheek also. If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also. 30 Give to anyone who asks; and when things are taken away from you, don’t try to get them back. 31 Do to others as you would like them to do to you.

Prayer: Lord, please continue to teach us how to be peacemakers in the midst of conflict and challenges. Help us to be examples by treating others the way we would want to be treated. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: I love that God has promised to pour blessings into the lives of his obedient children. Whatever God wants to pour into my life, I want it because God is so very good. In our devotion yesterday, we noticed the momentary suffering that comes when we humble ourselves to the righteous rule of God; we are compensated for our obedience with blessings. It’s like making a great exchange: experiencing suffering by letting go of something we have held onto in order to receive something better from God. However, if people are unwilling to humble themselves, then God does the humbling which brings greater suffering and even sorrow. It is much better to cooperate with the righteous work of God in our lives.

In our passage today, Jesus speaks to the religious leaders who have become prosperous in earthly riches at the cost of genuine eternal life. The spiritually oppressed and poor were being neglected while the prosperous enjoyed all their finery and proclaimed it was God’s favor. So, Jesus took issue with this behavior and turned the tables by promising blessings for the spiritually poor [humble] and sorrow for the rich and powerful. Mary sang a prophetic song about this corrective character of Jesus even before he was born, “He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty” (Luke 1:53).

Please keep in mind there were many false prophets in the Old Testament whose message continued to resonate with people in the New Testament and still does, today. The message predicted by this false gospel was prosperity of riches and victory in earthly war; a message the people wanted to hear. Even though people wanted to believe God would bring prosperity that would fulfill self, it did not result in truth. If we will face our condition apart from God—poverty in spirit—then spiritual blessings will be our reward. If we will face our commission, we will help to take care of one another knowing there is a River that flows into our lives and will continue to flow as we obey.

Luke 6:24-26 NLT Sorrows Foretold
24 
“What sorrow awaits you who are rich,    for you have your only happiness now.
25 
What sorrow awaits you who are fat and prosperous now,    for a time of awful hunger awaits you.What sorrow awaits you who laugh now,    for your laughing will turn to mourning and sorrow.
26 
What sorrow awaits you who are praised by the crowds,    for their ancestors also praised false prophets.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the blessings you bring into the lives of your humble children. Continue to teach us your ways and help us learn how to live each day bearing the fruit of your righteous Spirit. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: If we are going to profess Christ, we must choose to accept the invitation he offers to live in his righteousness. Otherwise, he does not know us through an intimate spiritual connection—because we have disregarded his commands on how to live righteously in the Spirit (Mat 7:23). Christ is righteous and we are invited to follow his righteous ways of eternal or abundant living—love God wholeheartedly and love others as much as we love ourselves (Mat 22:37-40). When we demand our own way, is God really in charge of our lives?

My friends, if we are going to remain devoted in our commitment to Christ, we will need to daily acknowledge our own sinfulness and repent (give our unrighteousness to Christ), we must pick up our cross of selfish inclination and personal ambition (take authority over anything unrighteous in us), and choose to be living sacrifices (by following Christ) into Father God’s will for righteous living. This is the way we worship him (Ro 12:1-2).

Christ carried the cross that caused suffering to his flesh and we are going to have to follow him by carrying our own (Mat 16:24). Our flesh—those areas within us that are still unrighteous, unrenewed, and opposed to God—suffers when we deny it. We will always try to avoid any kind of suffering, right? Well, our flesh will and must suffer if we are going to pursue Christ’s righteousness for our lives. This is what it means to live in Christ as a people called by his name (2 Chronicles 7:14).

In our passage today, Jesus reminds his disciples (then, now, and forever) that if they will humbly acknowledge their inadequacy to save themselves and accept their own weaknesses, God will be there to provide his power, strength, and resources. God values very different things than this world. Christ calls us to live obediently according to God’s standards and if we will follow him, we will have his power and strength to overcome our sinful flesh. Grace is not a way to get out of dealing with our sinful habits; it covers us while we learn to be Christ’s followers. The grace Jesus provided with his death, cost him everything. To follow Jesus, will cost us, too. We must say “no” to our sinful flesh and “yes” to the Spirit of righteousness.

Luke 6:20-23 NLT The Beatitudes
20 Then Jesus turned to his disciples and said,
“God blesses you who are poor,    for the Kingdom of God is yours.
21 
God blesses you who are hungry now,    for you will be satisfied.God blesses you who weep now,    for in due time you will laugh.

22 What blessings await you when people hate you and exclude you and mock you and curse you as evil because you follow the Son of Man. 23 When that happens, be happy! Yes, leap for joy! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, their ancestors treated the ancient prophets that same way.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the abundance of grace you provide to all the children called by your name. I thank you for my portion of grace, today. It will be exactly what I need in order to live for you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: We serve the God of all comfort; the One who surrounds us with encouragement in the midst of affliction—crushing pressure . Sometimes that encouragement comes through words, but sometimes it comes when someone graciously walks along side us to offer help when we need it most. Comfort is sent by God to strengthen us and to lift our souls [mind/will/emotions] out of a place of pressure, lack, or grief. Comfort brings us courage and the perseverance to press on in faith. When we are sent to comfort others, our mission is to pass on the relief we have experienced. Did you know the Holy Spirit is our divine Comforter—the One who comes along side to help—who brings us the ability to comfort others?

In our passage today, the Apostle Paul is filled with gratitude, because even though he has faced many challenges and struggles, God has covered him with mercy and brought him comfort. Because we are the children of God, we face things that reveal the power and presence of God with us. We are not alone—we have God and one another—so we experience the comfort of our salvation. God gives us grace and one another, so we will have a sense of well-being even in the midst of difficulties.

Are you in a place of lack or grief? If so, invite the Comforter to come and bring you relief. Look around you and reach for a spiritual brother or sister who is ready to help. Realize that God never wastes our suffering, but uses it to lift the next child of His who may need comfort, too.

2 Corinthians 1:3-7 NLT God Offers Comfort to All
3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. 4 He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. 5 For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. 6 Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer. 7 We are confident that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the comfort God gives us.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for being my Comforter, so that I may comfort others. If your children are determined to live in righteousness, we will need the comfort you alone can provide. Holy Spirit, please continue to build patience and endurance in me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: Preceding our passage for today, the religious elders and leaders once again reveal their spiritual blindness to Jesus when they demand to know by what authority Jesus clears the temple and performs his many miracles. Because they refuse to repent, the leaders cannot understand the Truth of God standing before them. To receive salvation, we must believe in God, repent of our sin, receive the sacrifice of Jesus, and through acts of our faith, welcome the Spirit who helps us become the children of God (John 1:12).

Jesus is the Word or authority of God; therefore, he offends these Jewish leaders when he boldly tells them God’s children are true to their word—they don’t say one thing and do another. To do so reveals hypocrisy. Therefore, these leaders lack integrity and the ability to be forthright. They deny the work of John the Baptist because he proclaims the need for repentance and the arrival of Messiah’s kingdom. These are Words they do not want to believe even though they proclaim to serve God. So, Jesus tells them a parable [a Word story] to help them understand their hearts better.

The authority of Jesus has always been under attack and remains as such, today. People love the idea of Jesus—the loving and indwelling Savior—but we do not necessarily like the way the Word instructs us to live. Most of the time our flesh demands its own way and we find ourselves with a spiritual battle raging within. If we ask God to save us, we need to follow his instructions. And, we need to care about the salvation of others around us.

Matthew 21:28-32 NLT Parable of the Two Sons
28 “But what do you think about this? A man with two sons told the older boy, ‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’ 29 The son answered, ‘No, I won’t go,’ but later he changed his mind and went anyway. 30 Then the father told the other son, ‘You go,’ and he said, ‘Yes, sir, I will.’ But he didn’t go.
31 “Which of the two obeyed his father?”
They replied, “The first.”

Then Jesus explained his meaning: “I tell you the truth, corrupt tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the Kingdom of God before you do. 32 For John the Baptist came and showed you the right way to live, but you didn’t believe him, while tax collectors and prostitutes did. And even when you saw this happening, you refused to believe him and repent of your sins.

Prayer: Lord, help us to be authentic to your Word and follow in your Way. We do not want to be phony Christians; we want to become the children made in your image. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: In our passage today, the psalmist along with God’s people express their joy as they ascend God’s holy mountain—Jerusalem—the City of Peace. They are making their way to the Temple so they can worship the Lord. The desire for God’s presence overwhelms them; they anticipate God’s goodness and love expressed toward them.
For the Old Testament saints, coming to the Temple is not only where they worshiped, it is how they would experience God’s presence. The journey in coming to God, was difficult and many became weary along the way, but the thought of experiencing God’s presence refreshed them, so they pressed on. Being in God’s house even one day was better than a thousand days living in a world filled with wickedness.

For New Testament believers, every day we can come boldly to God’s glorious throne and receive the mercy and grace we need (Heb 4:16). God’s presence brings great peace to our souls; we can handle life with our Helper. Let’s be real, life can be extremely difficult sometimes; even traumatic. To face those difficulties or trauma without God with us is unimaginable. In God’s presence we experience His goodness, grace, and glory; life from his perspective is unveiled before us. Our spirits are renewed and refreshed in God’s presence. He is ready to provide for us and protect us; the Lord is our Shield.

If you are feeling weary today and your soul needs refreshing, please go boldly to the throne of God, now. You do not need to remain dry or empty. God will never withhold anything good from you if your heart is seeking his righteousness [his way of being right]. Trust him and lean into his goodness.

Psalm 84:8-12 NLT
8
O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies, hear my prayer.    Listen, O God of Jacob. Interlude
9 
O God, look with favor upon the king, our shield!    Show favor to the one you have anointed.
10 
A single day in your courts    is better than a thousand anywhere else!I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God    than live the good life in the homes of the wicked.
11 
For the Lord God is our sun and our shield.    He gives us grace and glory.The Lord will withhold no good thing    from those who do what is right.
12 
O Lord of Heaven’s Armies,    what joy for those who trust in you.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the privilege of coming into your presence each day. We bow before your love and mercy and graciously receive the refreshing joy of the Spirit in our souls. Be glorified with how we use your grace, today. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: We live in what Scripture refers to as the last days—the age of grace following the resurrection of Christ and the impartation of the Holy Spirit. The last days and the times of difficulty involve the clash of two kingdoms—the world and heaven. The closer we come to the return of Christ, the more difficult and volatile times will become; sin will be rampant (Mat 24:12). However, we cannot give in to the world’s pressure to reject Christ’s righteous commands of love (Mat 22:37-38).

In our passage today, Paul is instructing Timothy to hold onto sound teaching and to give the Church—the redeemed people of God—a solid foundation to serve Christ and his kingdom. The appearance of godliness is not enough; God cares about the inner attitudes and beliefs of our hearts. Our daily behavior identifies the kingdom we serve. How we treat people matters greatly to God.

2 Timothy 3:1-5 NLT The Dangers of the Last Days
1 You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. 2 For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. 3 They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. 4 They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. 5 They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly.

Prayer: Lord, help us to set aside our selfish inclinations and genuinely care about people coming to know you. We reject the spirit of pride and look to please you in how we love and serve your kingdom. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: In 2012, I stood in the Garden of Gethsemane which is located near the foot of the Mount of Olives. I looked at the Olive Trees all gnarled—noticeably old and weathered. I wondered about the true age of these olive trees. Did you know the existing trees in the Garden might be 900 years old? Actually, research was done in 2012 to three of these trees; they were found to be among the oldest trees known to science. The carbon dating from these three trees reveal they could have been sprouts reviving from the roots of the trees that actually sheltered Jesus as he prayed [olive trees can grow back from roots after being cut down]. There’s a great message in the three olive trees! If God can revive the olive trees after trauma, God can revive us, too.

In our passage today, Luke does not tell us Jesus is in Gethsemane [Aramaic—meaning “oil press”], but Matthew and Mark tell us this Garden is the location for Christ’s agony— his intense struggle with evil (Mat 26:36; Mark 14:31). Christ agonized over the cup of suffering that lay ahead; he prayed for the Father’s will over his own and an angel of the Lord came and strengthened him. In contrast, the disciples fell asleep exhausted from grief even though Jesus warned them about the temptation they would face to deny God’s Word. What made the difference for Christ? Prayer. Prayer brought the Father’s provision—strength—to remain obedient. Whatever you are facing today, pray about it and let God bring you an angel of strength.

Luke 22:39-46 NLT Jesus Prays on the Mount of Olives
39 Then, accompanied by the disciples, Jesus left the upstairs room and went as usual to the Mount of Olives. 40 There he told them, “Pray that you will not give in to temptation.”

41 He walked away, about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, 42 “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” 43 Then an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened him. 44 He prayed more fervently, and he was in such agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood.

45 At last he stood up again and returned to the disciples, only to find them asleep, exhausted from grief. 46 “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation.”

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the wisdom we find in your Word, today. Help us to pray about everything and trust you will give us the strength to step into victory. In Jesus’ name. Amen.