Pastor Mary Haley

From Sticky Souls to Transformed Hearts
God’s command—from the glorious clouds overshadowing the Transfiguration of Jesus in the gospels—reminds us: when we listen and do whatever the Son of God says he will lead us from barrenness due to selfish living into righteous fruit-producing living for the glory of God.  Self cannot satisfy self.  We must hunger for God.

This is basically our journey for Lent, because sinful attitudes and actions try to stick to our souls and destroy our Life with God.  Jesus wants us to produce righteous fruit that bring glory to our King’s rule and reign.

“We have never reaped such a harvest from any seed as from that which fell from our hands while tears were falling from our eyes.” —Charles H. Spurgeon

Day 6: Fasting the Inefficiency of Grief
Jesus understood and felt grief. He cried and wept. Let that soak in for a minute. John the Baptist, a precious person and part of Jesus’ family—someone who recognized the Lord’s purpose even before he was born—has been unjustly beheaded by Herod in order to satisfy corrupt unbelieving people. What does Jesus do when he gets the news? He goes to a solitary place to grieve the loss; he takes the necessary time to mourn and pray. Then, he shifts his focus back on the plan of his Father and sets his emotions toward acts of compassion for the salvation of others.

This world is temporal and we will face loss and death, but God’s Kingdom is eternal and the true home of hope for believers. The Kingdom of our Lord can be difficult to understand, because it is always about finding a place of surrender to the righteous plans and will of Father God in order to remain in peace and joy. Jesus is such an amazing example of this reality, because although his human side is dealing with wounded emotions and loss, he spends the necessary time in prayer-filled grief and then presses on to be the divine Light of salvation for others. He sticks close to the Father and remains fruitful during every level of transformation that will deliver him to the cross of God’s glorious plan.

Today, please remember God does not spare us grief. Therefore, we must give it time to do the necessary work in us. Jesus took time to grieve John’s death; to experience the release of what was in order to press on to what laid before him.

We have all experienced the grief of a loss. Sometimes we face grief by: The death of a loved one, a loss of relationship, loss of a job, a financial loss, and sometimes it is a loss through geographical distance. It is wise to honor the losses in our lives; death and grief transforms us. We are learning to look at life through Kingdom eyes.

Whatever loss you have faced, please remain focused on the lovely gathering of memories God has given you. There is no real timeline for grief; but, true healing comes through quiet reflective time and prayer. So, during this Lenten season, allow the Lord to help you “sit” with your sorrow, release your emotions, and then move you through it and into more of your precious future…because the Kingdom is before us and Jesus leads the Way.

John 12:44-50 NLT
44 Jesus shouted to the crowds, “If you trust me, you are trusting not only me, but also God who sent me. 45 For when you see me, you are seeing the one who sent me. 46 I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark. 47 I will not judge those who hear me but don’t obey me, for I have come to save the world and not to judge it. 48 But all who reject me and my message will be judged on the day of judgment by the truth I have spoken. 49 I don’t speak on my own authority. The Father who sent me has commanded me what to say and how to say it. 50 And I know his commands lead to eternal life; so I say whatever the Father tells me to say.”

Prayer: Lord, thank you for allowing us to experience time for our grief. Help us to look to you, Jesus, as the Author of our faith. May we invite the work of the Spirit to bring the necessary healing we need to and for our emotions. Please don’t allow us to let grief destroy our futures, but let it be a step to transform us and help see the temporal nature of this world and the many ways we can sow more seeds for the eternal salvation of those around us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

From Sticky Souls to Transformed Hearts
God’s command—from the glorious clouds overshadowing the Transfiguration of Jesus in the gospels—reminds us: when we listen and do whatever the Son of God says he will lead us from barrenness due to selfish living into righteous fruit-producing living for the glory of God.  Self cannot satisfy self.  We must hunger for God.

This is basically our journey for Lent, because sinful attitudes and actions try to stick to our souls and destroy our Life with God.  Jesus wants us to produce righteous fruit that bring glory to our King’s rule and reign.

We are not necessarily doubting that God will do the best for us; we are wondering how painful the best will turn out to be.” —C.S. Lewis

Day 5: Fasting Skepticism

Having questions about faith and our relationship with God is natural; believers are learning to walk in the ways of our Lord. We are going to have questions that need answers, so faith and love lead the way. Doubt is not being certain about something—a lack of knowledge so we ask questions—often with an emotional element involved. Skepticism is doubt but with a slightly belligerent attitude—unwillingness to believe—it demands proof backed up by much evidence.

In the Jewish culture, it is respectful to ask questions about faith; they believe God’s testimony [Word] is strong enough to be tried and tested. When we are talking about God, our questions can be as sacred as the answers. So ask your questions, God can and desires to bring revelation to you. Ask, seek, and knock and the door of understanding will be open (Mat 7:7-8).

Biblical faith requires muscles and we gain them through trials and testing. Sometimes when the Word of God hits our souls, we may need deeper understanding of how to apply it. Now, when we go through dark times of testing, we can definitely find ourselves questioning faith and how it is working in our lives. Faith is messy and sometimes at first glance it can seem confusing. Faith is acting like we believe the Word of God is Truth, so for our answers we need more of Jesus.

Today, we are going to fast skepticism, because our faith may just need more information to believe. Let’s acknowledge our faith is less than perfect. It’s ok. I am always reminded about the father who came to Jesus with his demon-possessed son looking for the healing the disciples could not bring him (Mark 9:18-22). Jesus replied to the man, “Anything is possible if a person believes” to which the man responds, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief” (Mark 23:23-24).

John 12:37-43 NLT The Unbelief of the People
37 But despite all the miraculous signs Jesus had done, most of the people still did not believe in him. 38 This is exactly what Isaiah the prophet had predicted:
“Lord, who has believed our message?
    To whom has the Lord revealed his powerful arm?”
39 But the people couldn’t believe, for as Isaiah also said,
40 
“The Lord has blinded their eyes
    and hardened their hearts—
so that their eyes cannot see,
    and their hearts cannot understand,
and they cannot turn to me
    and have me heal them.”

41 Isaiah was referring to Jesus when he said this, because he saw the future and spoke of the Messiah’s glory. 42 Many people did believe in him, however, including some of the Jewish leaders. But they wouldn’t admit it for fear that the Pharisees would expel them from the synagogue. 43 For they loved human praise more than the praise of God.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for helping us, today, with our questions about faith and how you want us to live. We need clarity much of the time and because your holy Word is so deep and life changing it can overwhelm our present level of faith. Thank you for always being willing to help our unbelief; to listen to our sincere questions and requests for guidance. We love you, Jesus, and we need the Truth. We choose to fast skepticism. Continue to speak Truth to us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

From Sticky Souls to Transformed Hearts
God’s command—from the glorious clouds overshadowing the Transfiguration of Jesus in the gospels—reminds us: when we listen and do whatever the Son of God says he will lead us from barrenness due to selfish living into righteous fruit-producing living for the glory of God.  Self cannot satisfy self.  We must hunger for God.

This is basically our journey for Lent, because sinful attitudes and actions try to stick to our souls and destroy our Life with God.  Jesus wants us to produce righteous fruit that bring glory to our King’s rule and reign.

You can’t blame things for being dark if the light bulbs aren’t working. So we’re complaining about the darkness when the bulbs aren’t working, and the Bible says that we are the light of the world. —Tony Evans

Day 4: Fasting Uncertainty

We tend to run from the unexpected or uncertain things in life; both the known and the unknown can tempt us to fear. When the way seems dark, we turn to the light, because we want to know and see what is coming. Yet, the ways of our Savior are always rather unexpected aren’t they? I mean think about all of the biblical characters who initially struggled with uncertainty as they made a journey with God. These were godly men and women who moved beyond the fear of the unknown by trusting God.

Sometimes the things we go through feels like Jesus is indifferent to our pain; this can lead us into the dark realm of uncertainty. We know God loves us, but our pain of loss screams for relief. Maybe our image of Jesus becomes a bit blurred when the Lord doesn’t conform to our expectations. We must resist the temptation to put the Lord in a box of our human understanding or we will lose our way. We cannot fully comprehend the supernatural with our natural minds, so God lovingly takes us, by the Spirit, one step at a time.

How good of God to bring us revelation, so we can grow in our knowledge of him. Keep in mind our transformation is God’s motivation; he will allow us to taste uncertainty so we will grow and mature. Believers can always engage in the Spirit and welcome the light or revelation of truth; we should be shining the Light and helping each other stay on the path all the time.

In our passage today, Jesus declares himself as the Light of the world and if we know him we will not need to walk in darkness and uncertainty. Jesus is not artificial light; he is the True Light and revelation of God who never leaves us or forsakes us. Because he lives in believers, we can walk confidently in the Light even in the dark.

So, let’s fast uncertainty by keeping our allegiance to God’s Word, maintaining our hunger for righteousness, and treasuring our true spiritual family who cares about all of our relationships with God. Blessings for your weekend!

John 12:29-36 NLT
29 When the crowd heard the voice, some thought it was thunder, while others declared an angel had spoken to him.

30 Then Jesus told them, “The voice was for your benefit, not mine. 31 The time for judging this world has come, when Satan, the ruler of this world, will be cast out. 32 And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.” 33 He said this to indicate how he was going to die.

34 The crowd responded, “We understood from Scripture that the Messiah would live forever. How can you say the Son of Man will die? Just who is this Son of Man, anyway?”

35 Jesus replied, “My light will shine for you just a little longer. Walk in the light while you can, so the darkness will not overtake you. Those who walk in the darkness cannot see where they are going. 36 Put your trust in the light while there is still time; then you will become children of the light.”

After saying these things, Jesus went away and was hidden from them.

Prayer: Lord, when we struggle with uncertainty, we will cling to your Word because you have promised to lead us into victory. Help us eat from the Tree of Life and be satisfied with the fruit we are given. As we walk in obedience we have the Light we need. We look to you for grace. Please help us move beyond uncertainty and find we have stepped into a new level of our trust in the Truth. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

From Sticky Souls to Transformed Hearts
God’s command—from the glorious clouds overshadowing the Transfiguration of Jesus in the gospels—reminds us: when we listen and do whatever the Son of God says he will lead us from barrenness due to selfish living into righteous fruit-producing living for the glory of God.  Self cannot satisfy self.  We must hunger for God.

This is basically our journey for Lent, because sinful attitudes and actions try to stick to our souls and destroy our Life with God.  Jesus wants us to produce righteous fruit that bring glory to our King’s rule and reign.

When Corrie Ten Boom was asked about her fame, she pointed to God’s plans. Her way of handling adulation was to take each compliment as a flower, and then gather them all in a bouquet and give them back to Jesus by saying,
“Here Lord, they belong to you.”

Day 3: Fasting Praise

Our human nature loves the attention of praise. Praise is like a warm hug for our emotions. However, we must remember the insatiable need for praise can become evil when we use it to exalt self—make it self-serving. The proper way to steward praise and the attention we gain is to remember all gifts come from God. When we receive praise, it is an opportunity to turn the attention back to God for his glory. In this way, we participate in increasing more people’s view of Jesus.

Corrie Ten Boom was a WWII holocaust surviver who never set her devotion for the Lord aside. Corrie, her father, and her sister Betsy lived in Holland where they hid and sheltered many Jews. Eventually, the Nazi’s captured them and they were taken to a concentration camp. Only Corrie survived the camp. She authored the book “The Hiding Place” and received great praise for her work and endurance on behalf of the Jews. She served as a great inspiration for many people during challenging times. She graciously accepted the praise, but continually redirected the praise back to the Lord knowing his love had kept her strong in the midst of her darkest days.

In our passage from the Gospel of John, Jesus told his disciples he would lay down his life in order to reveal God’s power over death, as well as his supernatural ability to give eternal life to all who would humble self and call upon his name. Jesus denied his desire for self and obeyed the plan of God for the praise and glory of the Father. His life was like a bouquet of praise that he handed to Father God. Now, we live, move, and have our being in Christ (Acts 17:28). So, each praise we receive can be gathered like a flower, and placed into a bouquet of praise for our precious Savior, Jesus.

Today, we will make an effort to fast praise by receiving it graciously and then redirecting it. We are not rejecting praise we are simply pointing to Jesus who is the One who genuinely deserves it. This world we live in needs to hear our heartfelt praise of the Lord.

John 12:20-28 NLT Jesus Predicts His Death
20 Some Greeks who had come to Jerusalem for the Passover celebration 21 paid a visit to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee. They said, “Sir, we want to meet Jesus.” 22 Philip told Andrew about it, and they went together to ask Jesus.

23 Jesus replied, “Now the time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory. 24 I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives. 25 Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity. 26 Anyone who wants to serve me must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me.

27 “Now my soul is deeply troubled. Should I pray, ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But this is the very reason I came! 28 Father, bring glory to your name.” [redirected praise]
Then a voice spoke from heaven, saying, “I have already brought glory to my name, and I will do so again.”

Prayer: Lord, we praise you, today. You are the Source of every good and perfect gift we have ever received; you have generously placed each gift within us. So today, we give you the praise you alone deserve. With every praise we receive, we will redirect it to you for your honor and glory. May the praise we redirect transform us and make us more like you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

From Sticky Souls to Transformed Hearts
God’s command—from the glorious clouds overshadowing the Transfiguration of Jesus in the gospels—reminds us: when we listen and do whatever the Son of God says he will lead us from barrenness due to selfish living into righteous fruit-producing living for the glory of God.  Self cannot satisfy self.  We must hunger for God.

This is basically our journey for Lent, because sinful attitudes and actions try to stick to our souls and destroy our Life with God.  Jesus wants us to produce righteous fruit that bring glory to our King’s rule and reign.

Christian spirituality, the contemplative life, is not about us. It is about God. The great weakness of American spirituality is that it is all about us: fulfilling our potential, getting the blessings of God, expanding our influence, finding our gifts, getting a handle on principles by which we can get an edge over the competition. The more there is of us, the less there is of God.
—Eugene Peterson

Yesterday, our fast involved letting go of a wrong mindset that Lent is some kind of a project to make us better people. It is not. Salvation is a supernatural work that is not accomplished based on our efforts to make ourselves better people. Lent is about choosing to make a journey with Christ; to come into a place of devotion and communion based on our hunger for more of God. Different!

Day 2: Fasting Regrets
We are invited to walk with Jesus and His disciples through even the dark seasons of life. These are seasons we would rather avoid: grief, conflict, misunderstanding, betrayal, rejection, and pain. Our culture celebrates increase, but to enjoy a triumphal walk with Jesus means we must embrace decrease. Some stuff hiding in our souls has to be cut away by our skillful and righteous divine Surgeon. John the Baptist reminds us it is Jesus who must increase; therefore, as his disciples we must decrease (Jo 3:30). Decrease is about letting go. Regret is a bad root that will produce no righteous fruit. Decrease by giving Jesus your regrets.

Today, we will fast regrets. What steals your strength? Regrets can suffocate hope and dreams, because it is a type of self-punishment. We must stop feeding regrets, because God’s mercies are “new every morning (Lam 3:23). Jesus is in the process of making everything new, even while we learn from the mistakes of our past (Rev 21:5).

When we first come to Christ, life is new while at the same time being all together mysterious. We are instantaneously engrafted into the righteous Branch of Christ in order to partake and feast from the roots of his righteousness to produce fruit. Yet, we still have this sinful nature that is learning to decrease. Hindsight helps us learn from the poor endings of our past. Regret is destructive, injures our souls, and works to stop our journey. Do not give regret space. Let it go…and feast on the new beginnings Jesus died to give you.

Jesus’ triumphant entry is about a new beginning in the glorious salvation of God. Receive it and proclaim, “Praise God!”

John 12:12-19 NLT Jesus’ Triumphant Entry
12 The next day, the news that Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem swept through the city. A large crowd of Passover visitors 13 took palm branches and went down the road to meet him. They shouted,

“Praise God!
Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hail to the King of Israel!”
14 Jesus found a young donkey and rode on it, fulfilling the prophecy that said:
15 
“Don’t be afraid, people of Jerusalem.
Look, your King is coming,
    riding on a donkey’s colt.”

16 His disciples didn’t understand at the time that this was a fulfillment of prophecy. But after Jesus entered into his glory, they remembered what had happened and realized that these things had been written about him.
17 Many in the crowd had seen Jesus call Lazarus from the tomb, raising him from the dead, and they were telling others about it. 18 That was the reason so many went out to meet him—because they had heard about this miraculous sign. 19 Then the Pharisees said to each other, “There’s nothing we can do. Look, everyone has gone after him!”

Prayer: Lord, when it comes to your love, we must love ourselves the way you love us. You desire to spiritually and surgically rescue us from the darkness of our past that tries to suffocate our souls. Otherwise, we will focus inward, loose our strength, and worship self. In recognizing our weakness in this area, we ask you to radiate your Light of Truth as we worship you. Help us see this fast of regret as a way to follow you into our best life walking by the Spirit and into your amazing Grace. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

From Sticky Souls to Transformed Hearts

God’s command—from the glorious clouds overshadowing the Transfiguration of Jesus in the gospels—reminds us: when we listen and do whatever the Son of God says he will lead us from barrenness due to selfish living into righteous fruit-producing living for the glory of God.  Self cannot satisfy self.  We must hunger for God.

This is basically our journey for Lent, because sinful attitudes and actions try to stick to our souls and destroy our Life with God.  Jesus wants us to produce righteous fruit that bring glory to our King’s rule and reign.

Day 1: Ash Wednesday

“Christian spirituality is not a life project for becoming a better person.”
Eugene Peterson

As a culture, we are suffocating in self, so giving up chocolate or social media for Lent is not going to lead us into awe over Christ’s death and resurrection. God desires for us to grow and develop in spiritual maturity. He cares about what we are becoming as his sons and daughters. Faith is about the surrender of our souls—and our souls can be sticky with selfishness that crave the gratification of ungodly desires, indifference toward unhealthy attitudes or actions, and the greedy acquisition of unlimited possessions. None of these things will grow and intensify our communion with God. So, we are going to set aside the next forty days to honor the Lord our Savior.

Lent is not a project, it is an experiential journey with the Savior. So, in our reading today from the Gospel of John please put yourself as an observer in the story. Note there is Judas sitting in the presence of Christ—a selfish and greedy thief with a sticky soul who pretends to be a disciple of Christ who cares for the poor. Now contrast the deceptive Judas with Mary the worshiper who comes to the Savior with selfless devotion and an extravagant gift of perfume with which to bless him. Your senses are alive with the fragrance of Mary’s worship. She pushes through the veil into the holy place with the Lord. She is determined to remain in this place with her Christ. Will you remain in his presence today?

John 12:1-11 Jesus Anointed at Bethany
1 Six days before the Passover celebration began, Jesus arrived in Bethany, the home of Lazarus—the man he had raised from the dead. 2 A dinner was prepared in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, and Lazarus was among those who ate with him. 3 Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance.

4 But Judas Iscariot, the disciple who would soon betray him, said, 5 “That perfume was worth a year’s wages. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor.” 6 Not that he cared for the poor—he was a thief, and since he was in charge of the disciples’ money, he often stole some for himself.

7 Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. She did this in preparation for my burial. 8 You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”

9 When all the people heard of Jesus’ arrival, they flocked to see him and also to see Lazarus, the man Jesus had raised from the dead. 10 Then the leading priests decided to kill Lazarus, too, 11 for it was because of him that many of the people had deserted them and believed in Jesus.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your generous love and grace. Please forgive our greedy inclinations and lead us into worship. Help us remain with you, today.

Caesarea [Judea] is located on the Mediterranean seacoast and during the 1st-5th centuries, it served as a base for Roman governance. Caesarea Maritime provided a port—a base for the Herodian navy—and scripture teaches Jesus, Peter, Philip, and Paul traveled there. Paul sailed to and from Caesarea during his missionary travels.

When I was in Israel in 2012, I was able to see the remains of Caesarea: a Roman temple and its mosaic floor, an amphitheater, the hippodrome, and the amazing ruins of the aqueduct. The port is mostly hidden underwater due to rough winter gales, earthquakes, and an occasional tsunami. The winter day I was there the waves of the Mediterranean Sea were very high outside the outer harbor and breakwaters. I plan to show you some pictures of this area and more of Israel on Wednesday during Holy Week, so I hope you are planning to join me.

Our passage is a continuation from Friday, as well as Monday and takes place in Caesarea; the home of Cornelius—a Roman centurion. Our lesson continues with Peter and the prejudice God is working to remove from his heart, because it was God’s plan to bring Jews and Gentiles [non-Jews] together to make one new man in the Messiah.

In the passage, Cornelius is waiting for Peter’s arrival; he has notified all his family and friends. This Roman man wants to hear the Good News that saves a person from sin and death; he wants everyone he knows to hear this news, too. Peter knows it is God’s will for him to enter this centurion’s house, but he does not like it and struggles a bit with his personal feelings and perspective of safety. It is hard to break certain mindsets and traditions, but the angel makes it clear based on the sacrifice of Christ, no one is unclean who worships the Lord.

Cornelius honors Peter by bowing when he arrives and by grace Peter points this Gentile to Jesus who alone deserves our worship. Peter enters the house and finds a group of people—probably family, friends, and more Roman soldiers—who may have never worship the Jewish God, but are about to do so! Think about the faith of Cornelius and Peter. God got a message to them both, set up a divine appointment for them to meet, and arranged a receptive audience to receive the Good News of Jesus. Can you imagine inviting a group of people to your home—people who have never heard the Gospel—and telling them about Jesus? That’s what Cornelius did; this is the first time the Gospel is preached to gathered Gentiles and it is just the beginning
.
Acts 10:23-33 NLT Peter Visits Cornelius
23 So Peter invited the men to stay for the night. The next day he went with them, accompanied by some of the brothers from Joppa.

24 They arrived in Caesarea the following day. Cornelius was waiting for them and had called together his relatives and close friends. 25 As Peter entered his home, Cornelius fell at his feet and worshiped him. 26 But Peter pulled him up and said, “Stand up! I’m a human being just like you!” 27 So they talked together and went inside, where many others were assembled.

28 Peter told them, “You know it is against our laws for a Jewish man to enter a Gentile home like this or to associate with you. But God has shown me that I should no longer think of anyone as impure or unclean. 29 So I came without objection as soon as I was sent for. Now tell me why you sent for me.”

30 Cornelius replied, “Four days ago I was praying in my house about this same time, three o’clock in the afternoon. Suddenly, a man in dazzling clothes was standing in front of me. 31 He told me, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your gifts to the poor have been noticed by God! 32 Now send messengers to Joppa, and summon a man named Simon Peter. He is staying in the home of Simon, a tanner who lives near the seashore.’ 33 So I sent for you at once, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here, waiting before God to hear the message the Lord has given you.”

Prayer: Lord, this is such a beautiful lesson about how the work of the Spirit orchestrates salvation when we join in. Please continue to show us and lead us to reach out to all people who need to know you. We cannot hold such Good News within ourselves; it must be shared. Give us courage and vision to witness to the power of your redeeming love. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

I have been amazed at the number of times God has orchestrated situations to position me in the right place to receive the right information at the right time. It is almost comical at times, because I know God has arranged things for a purpose [which I may not identify immediately]. Keep in mind, these encounters may involve a distraction, detour, or even a dramatic twist to my personal plans. So, these changes escort a temptation to feel a bit frustrated as my plans get set aside. lol! Yet, God knows how to set up divine encounters and we need to be constantly aware of it, because recognizing these moments will become an ongoing part of our preparation and transformation as Christ’s disciples. We must always remember God’s ways are not our ways; God’s ways are higher (Is 55:8). The Lord has a plan and he finishes what he starts! (Phil 1:6).

In our passage today, God orchestrates a divine encounter with Cornelius—a gentile or non-Jew. Cornelius is a good and generous man who believers there is a God, but does not know he needs Jesus as his High Priest and Savior. The Lord sends an angel to guide Cornelius, so a meeting could be set up with a stranger who would share about the saving work of Jesus. How did Cornelius respond to this odd request? Obediently. We must do likewise. Be ready to participate in God’s plan of salvation!

Acts 10:1-8 NLT Cornelius Calls for Peter
1 In Caesarea there lived a Roman army officer[centurion] named Cornelius, who was a captain of the Italian Regiment. 2 He was a devout, God-fearing man, as was everyone in his household. He gave generously to the poor and prayed regularly to God. 3 One afternoon about three o’clock, he had a vision in which he saw an angel of God coming toward him. “Cornelius!” the angel said.

4 Cornelius stared at him in terror. “What is it, sir?” he asked the angel.
And the angel replied, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have been received by God as an offering! 5 Now send some men to Joppa, and summon a man named Simon Peter. 6 He is staying with Simon, a tanner who lives near the seashore.”

7 As soon as the angel was gone, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier, one of his personal attendants. 8 He told them what had happened and sent them off to Joppa.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for this reminder from your Word about your miraculous work of salvation. In this way, you pursued Cornelius, so he could meet Peter and receive the Holy Spirit. Your divine encounters are precious and reveal the depth of your love for your creation. Holy Spirit, help us to hear and quickly obey, because it is an honor to be led by you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

When the Gospels teach there is power in Jesus’ name, it means great things are accomplished by the ‘authority’ of our Christ and his Spirit. Before Jesus ascended, he told his disciples he had been given all authority over heaven and earth (Mat 28:18). The Lord has authority over both the spiritual and natural realms. There is nothing the power and authority of Christ cannot do; he is the Creator and Almighty God. Period.

God is working in human lives and in this world all the time through Jesus. Whatever we encounter, as his disciples, is an opportunity to reveal his presence as Truth and power. When something is beyond our power to change or control, it is an opportunity for the miraculous authority of Jesus. We need to call upon the Lord and give him the authority to move and act through us; we partner with him and do whatever he asks. I love our reading for today, because I want and desperately need the authority of Jesus operating in my life, how about you?

Preceding the passage for today, the Spirit has been poured out on the disciples. As an eyewitness, Peter preaches a powerful message about the resurrected Christ and thousands of people become believers. These men and women form a community focused on the agape love of God and begin seeing signs and wonderful miracles happen through and around them.

In today’s passage, Dr. Luke shares his eyewitness story of Peter and John and Christ’s healing of a lame man who has spent his life on a mat at the Temple gate surviving on the generosity of others. To be ‘lame’ in Scripture brings the meaning of flawed, impaired, or unable to heal self. Spiritually and physically, this man is impaired and cannot walk in the Truth so, he sits outside the Temple and begs for help. The man is expecting money from the disciples, but instead he meets the authority of Jesus operating in and through Peter and John; he is instantly physically healed and his spiritual eyes are now open to follow the Truth. People watching were amazed.

Peter stands up and becomes the spokesperson. He rebukes the unbelieving crowd for crucifying their Christ (Messiah). He calls for their repentance. Peter speaks with passion, because he knows all too well his early suffering with lameness when he denies being Christ’s disciple (Lu 22:54-62). So, out of pure love for the Lord and in the power of Jesus’ name, Peter tells the people the Truth of what they have just seen…the miraculous power of Jesus to heal spiritually lame faith and physically sick lives! May God continue to heal our souls each day and use us to proclaim the Truth of the love that is transforming us!

Acts 3:11-16 NLT
11 They all rushed out in amazement to Solomon’s Colonnade, where the man was holding tightly to Peter and John.

Peter Preaches in the Temple
12 Peter saw his opportunity and addressed the crowd. “People of Israel,” he said, “what is so surprising about this? And why stare at us as though we had made this man walk by our own power or godliness? 13 For it is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—the God of all our ancestors—who has brought glory to his servant Jesus by doing this. This is the same Jesus whom you handed over and rejected before Pilate, despite Pilate’s decision to release him. 14 You rejected this holy, righteous one and instead demanded the release of a murderer. 15 You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. And we are witnesses of this fact!

16 “Through faith in the name of Jesus, this man was healed—and you know how crippled he was before. Faith in Jesus’ name has healed him before your very eyes.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the wholeness Truth brings to life. Believers are so blessed to be able to enjoy a thriving relationship with you and live for you—being a mouthpiece, arms and legs that go outside the church and share the Truth that heals the lame. May we desire everything you came and died to provide us. We were the lame, but through agape we can walk in the Spirit. We praise you, Lord, for what you alone have done in believers. May we trust you more each day and see the abundant increase in the authority you bring to touch lives through us. In Jesus’ name! Amen.

Every day, believers live before the face of Father God. As well, every day the believer faces temptation to sin. When we try to hide from the Lord, he finds us and disciplines or corrects us. Scripture teaches this holy rebuke leads us on a transformational journey; in this way God loves our souls into wholeness (Heb. 12:6).

The word, ‘rebuke’ in Scripture involves a corrective action; it encourages repentance of sin, a turn toward the Truth, and welcoming the work of the Spirit for transformation. It does not involve tearing down a person or heaping a load of guilt on him or her. The goal of rebuke is restoration. It is accomplished by exposing sin and how it is seeking to destroy souls. When a person turns back to God, forgiveness is given and the work of faith to pursue righteousness is restored.

Believers are called to rebuke one another or speak the Truth in love, as well. This is how we support and encourage one another to press on toward God’s call from heaven through Christ Jesus (Phil 3:14). Because of the constant temptation before us, we can get terribly distracted and wander off course. The world tempts us with a lot of bright shiny objects—something visually appealing but temporal—that draws our attention away from the most important or eternal things in life.

In our passage today, Luke teaches a rebuke must reveal the big picture, because we are not called to point out every sin we may see in a person. We do bring sin to a person’s attention in order to restore him or her to God and many times to others. Forgiveness is the purpose and rebuke helps to accomplish that godly goal. Who needs forgiveness? The answer is everyone! We may not like being confronted with our wrong attitudes or actions, but we all need forgiveness and by the grace of God we can find the Way.

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

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

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the tremendous work of the Truth to bring the necessary rebuke to our lives. We need the Truth spoken to us in love, because that is how you raise us as your children. Becoming offended by the Truth causes us to wander longer and experience more suffering. May we be quick to listen to the rebuke of the Spirit, as well as the love motivating our brothers and sisters to get our attention. We can certainly be blind to our own issues and we need your love to save us. Thank you, Lord, for your faithful love and forgiveness. In Jesus’ name. Amen.