Pastor Mary Haley

As believers, we live in this ever-changing and many times unjust world; therefore, we must cling to our never-changing Lord. Because he is the same yesterday, today, and forever—he is Truth—we can drawn near him, form roots through our trust, and grow in his righteous character. The Spirit gives us the desire for spiritual growth. As this happens, the world begins to lose its attraction, the Kingdom compels us forward as witnesses, and our hearts begin to long for our eternal home. Our focus changes to the Changeless One!

In our passage today from the writer of Hebrews, we are challenged not to be attached to this temporary world. Only our relationship with Christ and our service to him as our King will last. Believers are in this race of faith together and it requires endurance (Heb 12:1-2). We must not stop praying for one another, because the effort of the enemy is focused on destroying the work of God’s leaders to form sons and daughters who are led by the Spirit (Ro 8:14).

Spiritual maturity is hard work, but we have been invited into the rest of God to receive grace when we need it (Heb 4:16). Never forget, with God all things are possible (Mat 19:26). Happy Labor Day…make sure you enter into the Rest of the Lord!

Hebrews 13:7-21 NLT
7 Remember your leaders who taught you the word of God. Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and follow the example of their faith.

8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 9 So do not be attracted by strange, new ideas. Your strength comes from God’s grace, not from rules about food, which don’t help those who follow them.

10 We have an altar from which the priests in the Tabernacle have no right to eat. 11 Under the old system, the high priest brought the blood of animals into the Holy Place as a sacrifice for sin, and the bodies of the animals were burned outside the camp. 12 So also Jesus suffered and died outside the city gates to make his people holy by means of his own blood. 13 So let us go out to him, outside the camp, and bear the disgrace he bore. 14 For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.

15 Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name. 16 And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God.

17 Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit.

18 Pray for us, for our conscience is clear and we want to live honorably in everything we do. 19 And especially pray that I will be able to come back to you soon.
20 
Now may the God of peace—
    who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus,
the great Shepherd of the sheep,
    and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood—
21 
may he equip you with all you need
    for doing his will.
May he produce in you,[us]
    through the power of Jesus Christ,
every good thing that is pleasing to him.
    All glory to him forever and ever! Amen.

Prayer: Lord, we desire for you to be the beginning and end of our faith, so we pray and ask for grace. Help us grow in spiritual maturity and in the beauty of your righteous character. May we produce the fruit of your love, today. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

In our LIFE lessons Bible study time on Wednesday, we dove into Matthew chapter 11 and it became clear the narrow way of the Lord is the path of endurance.  Life right now can be stressful and emotionally driven, so we must use healthy coping skills to successfully navigate each day. Certainly, getting plenty of sleep, eating healthy, exercising, enjoying a hobby or connecting with friends all help us gain a better balance to manage stress. 

All of these choices and actions are good tools, but don’t forget Jesus teaches love never fails and disciplined, grateful, and childlike prayer is essential to the believer’s endurance (Mat 6:5-8; 6:9-13; 11:25; 1 Cor 13:7).  The time between Jesus’ death/ascension and the time of his return are considered the “end times” or the “age of grace.”  We must stay focused on prayer and seeking the Kingdom way of living, because we must learn to remain in the peace and joy of the Spirit.  

Jesus told his disciples no one but the Father knows the time of Christ’s return (Acts1:7). During this stress infused end time, we must trust God to safely guide us around the traps of worldliness; Satan uses stress to destroy us. Therefore, Christ’s disciples are to live in anticipation of his return while they faithfully pray for God’s provision and strength and stay focused on witnessing to the world about the Kingdom of righteousness, peace and joy believers can enter and enjoy in the Spirit (Mat 21:22).

In our passage from Peter, today, we are encouraged to pray, love one another, share life, rely on God’s strength, and live for the glory of God.  If we are stressed, we will struggle to do these things.  If you find yourself burdened with stress…reach out in prayer to Jesus. He says, “Come all of you…” (Mat 11:28-30).  

Who is all of you?

• All of you who are struggling to find answers and peace
• All of you who are exhausted, overworked, overextended
• All of you who desire to know the truth and be set free
• All of you who are in need of hope to go on
• All of you who are concerned about the future
• All of you who are fighting or in the midst of conflict
• All of you who are bending under the weight of life’s problems
• All of you regardless of age, gender, race, past, present—all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens and the Lord will give you rest.

1 Peter 4:7-11 NLT

7 The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers. 8 Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay.

10 God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. 11 Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.

Prayer:  Lord, no one knows how to connect time with your return.  So, help us live anticipating your return, by actually fulfilling the work you have for us as your witnesses.  Holy Spirit, bring us people who need help coping with the pressures of life and we will tell them about you and how you help us.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

It may be acceptable in our world to verbally tear a person down or discredit him/her as a way to take some kind of revenge for a personal offense, but it is not what Jesus taught.  If we profess to be a follower of Christ, kindness and humility are to rule in our thoughts and actions.  For this reason, Paul teaches us to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, because if we are thinking ugly thoughts it is just a short period of time until ungodliness exits our mouths or is displayed through our actions (2 Cor 10:5).  The spiritual battle begins in the mind, so we must stop sin there.

Few biblical characters had a stronger or more impulsive personality than Peter—which frequently caused him to learn things the hard way.  He was strong-willed and struggled to recognize his own weaknesses.  Peter is not alone; most of us human beings fit in this category if we are honest. Yet, through the transforming work of the Holy Spirit, Peter learned to operate his life in humble Christlikeness.

In our passage today, Peter writes and encourages every believer to think like Jesus.   When we have the mind of Christ, we allow the Spirit to produce the fruit of his character within and subsequently through us.  As we read these words today, may we take an honest look at ourselves.  Every day we are given a choice of living for Christ [eternal Life and divine blessing] or living for the world [sin and death under a curse] (Deut 30:19).  Let’s learn the easy way and ask the Spirit to lead us into the blessing, today.  I am praying for us…

1 Peter 3:8-12 NLT  All Christians

8 Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. 9 Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing. 10 For the Scriptures say,

“If you want to enjoy life
    and see many happy days,
keep your tongue from speaking evil
    and your lips from telling lies.

11 

Turn away from evil and do good.
    Search for peace, and work to maintain it.

12 

The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right,
    and his ears are open to their prayers.
But the Lord turns his face
    against those who do evil.”

Prayer:  Lord, we bow with a humble posture and pray for the power to keep our hearts clean, our thoughts righteous, our mouths speaking blessings, and our actions Christlike.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Love is to be the fragrance of each believer’s life; love is the evidence that Christ’s work for salvation changes lives.  God is love…God is with us…God is good! (1 John 4:8; Mat 1:23; Ps 100:5).  Our self-centered lives are being transformed into God-centered living.  In Christ, we are now blessed to be a blessing in the salvation of the nations (Gen 22:18; Mat 28:18-20).  This is the plan of God to redeem his world—one heart at a time!

Yesterday, we read John’s Spirit-guided letter to the church in Philadelphia [Asia Minor]; the love of a spiritual family that permeated the community with the fragrance of the Lord.  Every true believer enjoys a personal relationship with God and identifies him or herself with divine Love based on the Word.  As well, believers join together as a spiritual Body or family to proclaim God’s Love and welcome redeeming Truth while worshiping God as One in the Spirit.

It is impossible to say we believe in Christ for salvation and not love the spiritual family.  It is also impossible to say we believe in Christ for salvation, love the spiritual family, and neglect caring about the burdens of those in the world that need a saving touch from God.  We are God’s ambassadors in the world; we represent his love.  So our actions must be ruled and directed by agape Love.

In our passage today, Dr. Luke writes about an encounter Jesus has with the Pharisees when Jesus stops to heal a man with a deformed right hand on the Sabbath.  The Jewish religious leaders believed healing was wrong on the Sabbath, because it was unlawful to practice medicine [or any other profession] on that day.  Dr. Luke concludes if God wants to miraculously heal on the Sabbath; it must be a holy time to do so. Amen! 

Luke 6:6-11 NLT  Jesus Heals on the Sabbath

6 On another Sabbath day, a man with a deformed right hand was in the synagogue while Jesus was teaching. 7 The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees watched Jesus closely. If he healed the man’s hand, they planned to accuse him of working on the Sabbath.

8 But Jesus knew their thoughts. He said to the man with the deformed hand, “Come and stand in front of everyone.” So the man came forward. 9 Then Jesus said to his critics, “I have a question for you. Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?”

10 He looked around at them one by one and then said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” So the man held out his hand, and it was restored! 11 At this, the enemies of Jesus were wild with rage and began to discuss what to do with him.

Prayer:  Lord, thank you for another wonderful lesson about your love and heart to heal those who are suffering.  We have so many people we are praying for right now who need a miracle.  You are Lord of the Sabbath and you are King of all Kings.  Power and glory are yours to give, so we pray for our loved ones today to be miraculously healed in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Every believer must use his or her faith when it comes to trusting God for the future. So much of God’s plan must be revealed over time. Still, we always have a foundation of Truth on which to stand, because Jesus is the Solid Rock and Word of Wisdom and he existed from the beginning of time and faithfully directs our paths (John 1:1; Pro 3:5-6). We must trust him and stay connected to the Word if we desire to grow in the Truth.

The Apostle John is the author of the Book of Revelation; written around 95 AD while John is exiled on the island of Patmos as a punishment for preaching the message of Christ in Asia Minor [modern day Turkey]. The word “revelation” actually comes from the Greek word “apokalypsis” and translates “unveiling.” God uses the apostle and his letters to begin to unveil what has been unknown about the future of the world and the heavenlies. John is issued a command from the Lord to write his Word to the seven churches is Asia Minor. Only two churches mentioned in those letters actually gain the Lord’s approval.

In his letter to the Church in Philadelphia [translates “brotherly love”], the Lord sends a Word of encouragement. Their wholehearted love for God and one another pleases the Lord; they emulate the characteristic of Christ. Because of their love, these believers are used by the Lord. This spiritual family in Philadelphia faces challenges; however, God also opens righteous doors of blessings and provision to face these difficulties. This church is the recipient of divinely “opened doors.”

Challenges come to those who please God, but with every hardship there will be an open door from God for provision and help. Righteous Love [agape/selfless] always leads the Way to victory! This was true from the beginning of time and it will be true at the end of time, as well.  “Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance” (1 Cor 13:7).

These letters from the Lord to the churches and especially this one today are tremendously important for believers across the globe. Before Christ returns for his Church Body [all believers seeking to walk in obedience to God’s Word through the Spirit], the world will be shaken and unsettled in order to give an occasion for every human to call upon the name of the Lord. God wants to save humanity and he will even allow challenges in order to provide witnesses [believers] to the rescuing Savior who opens the door to God’s mercy and care.

For the present day church, abundant courage and trust will be necessary if we are to fulfill our mission from God. The unveiling is happening over time. No one knows when Christ will return, but the Word of God has revealed some things to notice as we follow and obey him (Matthew 24–which we will explore in our LIFE Lessons soon). Our response should be positive and hope-filled when we begin to see more unveiling of Christ’s return for us.
This is not a time for fear, because the enemy will use fear to stop the blessing of God’s love (1 John 4:18). This is a time for great faith and love. God will protect his own and those obedient to his Word. Fear not! Instead, have ears to hear what the Spirit is saying. Rise Up; be filled with excitement, courageous faith, and see the salvation of the Lord. It’s a privilege for those who connect to Christ [the Living Word].

Revelation 3:7-13 NLT The Message to the Church in Philadelphia
7 “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Philadelphia.
This is the message from the one who is holy and true,
    the one who has the key of David.
What he opens, no one can close;
    and what he closes, no one can open:[quoting Isaiah 22:22]

8 “I know all the things you do, and I have opened a door for you that no one can close. You have little strength, yet you obeyed my word and did not deny me. 9 Look, I will force those who belong to Satan’s synagogue—those liars who say they are Jews but are not—to come and bow down at your feet. They will acknowledge that you are the ones I love.
10 “Because you have obeyed my command to persevere, I will protect you from the great time of testing that will come upon the whole world to test those who belong to this world. 11 I am coming soon [suddenly]. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take away your crown. 12 All who are victorious will become pillars in the Temple of my God, and they will never have to leave it. And I will write on them the name of my God, and they will be citizens in the city of my God—the new Jerusalem that comes down from heaven from my God. And I will also write on them my new name.

13 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.

Prayer: Lord, your commands are clear. We are to love you wholeheartedly and love our neighbors as we love ourselves. In our desire to fulfill your commands, we gather as a spiritual family and we help one another grow in all of these areas. We know our first love must be you, Lord. When we love you in a righteous and wholehearted way, we have the power and desire to love others into a place of wholeness with you. A preoccupation on self and selfish desires are always trying to gain power in our lives, but we cast down wrong spirits for the Holy Spirit who leads us in the Truth of your agape [selfless love]. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

In our Bible Study Wednesday night, we spent time in Matthew chapter 10 highlighting the courage of the apostles to Jesus’ commission of sending them out to share the gospel. Courage is not action in the absence of fear; it is righteous action despite fear. The apostles had every reason to withdraw from Christ’s instructions. There were so many areas that would require trust. Even the warnings Jesus gave these men—the negative responses from others they could expect—was enough for them to say, “No thank you, Lord.” But, instead these courageous ambassadors of Christ let faith for the Lord’s mission to save the world drive them further into the miraculous unknown.

Throughout Scripture, faith is confident trust that what God has said he will do. We each have a part in sharing the gospel and every part will require courage. God’s story must be shared according to God’s thoughts, by God’s power, for God’s glory…so there will always be a plethora of unknowns for our human mind that will required trust. God’s thoughts and ways are always higher than ours (Isa 55:8-9). It takes great faith to be conformed to the thoughts and ways of Christ (Ro 8:29).

Today, we continue with the writings of Dr. Luke in the Book of the Acts of the Apostles. Our lesson is focused on two Apostles, Paul and Silas, and the mighty work of grace upon them to draw people to Christ. The location of the reading is Thessalonica—a very wealthy city in Macedonia [northern Greece]—where God took Paul to plant a church. People were turning to God through salvation in Christ and the church was growing strong.

In our passage today, Paul goes to the synagogue to preach. He begins his teaching with what is known from the Old Testament Scriptures and he brings people’s attention to what is presently unknown to them—Jesus the Messiah. The religious leaders become jealous of the power of God on the apostles; they cannot refute the Truth but they can hate the messengers. And they do. As well, they try to punish Jason, a man honoring the Jewish command of hospitality. Jason gets very little attention for serving God, but by courageously sharing hospitality with the apostles he becomes a spiritual hero who proclaims the world’s true King.

Where do you need supernatural courage, today? Every believer has the commission to share the gospel and serve Christ. Our calls are all different, but every call is essential to share the rule of our King and the growth of his Kingdom. Whatever part you are called to offer in service to Jesus, do it with courage. Fear will always come to stop you. Remember, you never know what you can do in the power of the Holy Spirit until you step out. Have a blessed weekend.

Acts 17:1-9 NLT Paul Preaches in Thessalonica
1 Paul and Silas then traveled through the towns of Amphipolis and Apollonia and came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2 As was Paul’s custom, he went to the synagogue service, and for three Sabbaths in a row he used the Scriptures to reason with the people. 3 He explained the prophecies and proved that the Messiah must suffer and rise from the dead. He said, “This Jesus I’m telling you about is the Messiah.” 4 Some of the Jews who listened were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with many God-fearing Greek men and quite a few prominent women.

5 But some of the Jews were jealous, so they gathered some troublemakers from the marketplace to form a mob and start a riot. They attacked the home of Jason, searching for Paul and Silas so they could drag them out to the crowd [city council]. 6 Not finding them there, they dragged out Jason and some of the other believers instead and took them before the city council. “Paul and Silas have caused trouble all over the world,” they shouted, “and now they are here disturbing our city, too. 7 And Jason has welcomed them into his home. They are all guilty of treason against Caesar, for they profess allegiance to another king, named Jesus.”

8 The people of the city, as well as the city council, were thrown into turmoil by these reports. 9 So the officials forced Jason and the other believers to post bond, and then they released them.

Prayer: Lord, even though the forces of evil never seem to stop trying to draw us into a place of fear, we thank you for supernatural courage. We know you love us and we know your plans for us are holy. However, many times we need a gentle reminder about the measure of faith and trust that is essential to please you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

I read a statistic this morning that 25-30% of young people struggle with an unhealthy form of perfectionism—a personality trait that involves having unrealistic expectations for self and others.  Anxiety overwhelms these young people with the fear of failure or even simply making a mistake.  For them, flawless living is the perceived goal to success and many times striving to please other people consumes their individuality and creativity.   

Perfectionism may be prevalent in young people, but we all struggle with a taste of it.  Failure—not being able to fulfill the desired outcome—is emotionally unpleasant and it certainly leaves its mark on every soul.  Trauma can cause false perceptions of the truth. However, perfectionism is an impossible standard to achieve. Perfection is an illusion in this fallen world and it will never be achieved in our human strength. 

We must stop comparing ourselves to others. You are a unique creation of Almighty God; you are filled with wonder and awe (Ps 139:14). On top of that basic truth, we now need to invite Jesus to rule our lives. He is the only Perfect One. 

So, let’s connect to Christ and be grateful for his love, acceptance, forgiveness, and guidance.  We can grow way beyond our failures into that unique creation in Christ.  Our lives are designed to bring glory to God—the true goal to success.  On our own, pleasing God is impossible, but with God all things are possible (Mat 19:26).

In our passage today from the Book of Hebrews, the writer encourages us to run the race of life with endurance, because living for the glory of God is hard work.  If we lean into perfectionism, we will not want to run, because we will face disappointments, struggles, and perhaps even failure by the world’s standard.  But God NEVER gives up on us and he is laser-focused on our hearts, not our performance.

We cannot perform or earn our way into heaven; we need the Savior. Jesus certainly cares about righteous living and we are learning to please him; he transforms our motives and desires according to his glorious standard of Love.  Therefore, we must press on knowing Jesus is waiting at life’s finish line for us…inviting us to cross over to his complete and perfect image by grace through faith (Eph 2:8-9).  Hallelujah!

Hebrews 12:3-17 NLT  

3 Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people;[those who hurt themselves by opposing him] then you won’t become weary and give up. 4 After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin.

5 And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? [sons] He said,

“My child,[son] don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline,
    and don’t give up when he corrects you.

6 

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

7 As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? 

8 If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all. 9 Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever?[really live]

10 For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. 11 No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.

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

A Call to Listen to God

14 Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord. 15 Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many. 16 Make sure that no one is immoral or godless like Esau, who traded his birthright as the firstborn son for a single meal. 17 You know that afterward, when he wanted his father’s blessing, he was rejected. It was too late for repentance, even though he begged with bitter tears.

Prayer:  Lord, thank you for this encouragement today.  We need to honor you with our lives, but also rest in your work to bring righteousness to our souls.  As we yield to the work of the Holy Spirit, we are believers who are becoming more like you.  When we fall, you pick us up and help us continue in the race of faith.  Today, we cast down any worldly spirit of perfectionism for the truth that you are making us sons and daughters.  We are blessed to belong to you and to be disciplined by your love.  In Jesus’ name.

Every time I come to the gospels to read, I am amazed by the courage of our Lord as he demonstrates living in hostile earthly environments. He very carefully chooses where and when to reveal his righteous anger; he is patient yet focused. Surprisingly, it is not against the Roman ruling authorities or sinners. No friends, Jesus’ anger is focused on those who say they belong to God, but actually live in resistance to Him by disrespecting the Father and taking advantage of others.

In our passage from Dr. Luke, today, Jesus has made his triumphal entry. He has shed tears for Jerusalem [the Holy City of Peace], because she does not recognize the Lord of all creation in her midst. The people desperately need salvation from sin, but the leaders are fleecing people and turning saving grace into a commodity. So, Jesus comes to offer himself as the sacrifice for the sins of the world; he is right there before them and people are so entrenched in what they can do to maneuver salvation or extort it they feel no shame for how that reflects upon the holy reputation and character of God. This indifference to the holy makes Jesus angry. Nothing that is going on in God’s house reflects the heavenly Temple for which the earthly temple was to emulate.

Both the prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah prophesied to God’s intent for his house to be filled with prayer, but the religious leaders allowed evil and fleshly endeavors to fill it. “I will bring them to my holy mountain of Jerusalem and will fill them with joy in my house of prayer. I will accept their burnt offerings and sacrifices, because my Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations” (Isa 56:7). “Don’t you yourselves admit that this Temple, which bears my name, has become a den of thieves? Surely I see all the evil going on there. I, the Lord, have spoken! (Jer 7:11). God’s Word was given, so God was going to deal with the hypocrisy in his House.

To take it a step further, Jesus came to be the sacrificial Lamb to pay for our sins, forgive us, and make human hearts a holy temple for his presence. When we do not allow the purification process—the transformation of our souls—we are taking what has been purposed to make us a holy temple of grace and traded it for a hypocritical replica. Jesus weeps when we do not recognize the cost of salvation and we just want a “bit” of him—just enough to keep us out of hell.

“For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires (Heb 4:12). When we invest our time in reading the Word of God, we are actually saying, “I choose to put myself under your Physician’s knife, Lord, so you can cut away the things that make me a hypocrite to your Word!” Salvation is the most holy experience that will ever touch our lives, so we dare not treat it as an earthly exchange or transaction.

Luke 19:45-48 NLT Jesus Clears the Temple
45 Then Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the people selling animals for sacrifices. 46 He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be a house of prayer,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves.”

47 After that, he taught daily in the Temple, but the leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the other leaders of the people began planning how to kill him. 48 But they could think of nothing, because all the people hung on every word he said.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for salvation and for the work of the Word and Spirit to influence our hearts and desires with divine holiness. Help us remain focused like Jesus on prayer and the power of living righteously. May we have an awareness of your presence with us every day and may we press in to receive your strength and grace for the growth of our souls. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Sharing the gospel of Christ with the world is not just a good idea, it is a God-directed commission for believers. In other words, the people who are called according to the name of Christ—the Church—are instructed by the Lord to take his message of hope and salvation into all the world (Mat 28:19-20). According to Scripture, the Holy Spirit is sent at Pentecost to empower the Church’s commission and the Book of Acts chronicles the expansion of God’s Kingdom through the Apostles. It begins with Peter sharing faith in Christ with a Jewish audience and then moves through him to share the Gospel message with Gentiles. Paul carries the Good News further, because it is the goal of Christ’s passion to save “everyone” from sin (Mark 16:15).

In the midst of proclaiming the Gospel and sharing the Acts of the Apostles, we meet Stephen—“a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit” (Acts 6:5). Stephen has been “performing amazing miracles and signs” among the Greek-speaking people in the Church (Acts 6:8). Therefore, this amazing man of God meets tremendous opposition from Jewish religious leaders who truly hate him and have chosen to set up false testimonies against him in order to kill him.

In our passage today, we find Stephen’s last time to witness for Christ and it’s before this unjust religious council. He shares the truth about Jesus being the Messiah and how the Savior has changed his life. Stephen never disrespects the Jewish forefathers and prophets of old, the Law, or the work of the Temple. Instead, Stephen boldly shares his faith in Christ and confronts the sin of the leaders before him who prefer to honor a dead religion for salvation instead of running to the Living Lord of all creation who came to save them—the Promise of Messiah the forefathers actually believed. This moment with Stephen is a crossroad for these leaders; God wants them to know and be loved by Christ.
The Spirit uses the words of Stephen to convict the religious leaders; however, that conviction is turned into violence against Stephen rather than help the leaders run to the Savior. Religion can create self-righteous people who desire to silence what they do not want to hear. Remember, the Truth convicts, as well as affirms. As a result, Stephen becomes the first martyr of the Gospel and all he does to warrant this death is speak the truth.

When we are confronted by the Spirit with our sin [lack of trust and reliance on God/unbelief] how do we react? Do we bow humbly to allow Jesus to do what he knows is God’s best for us by leading us toward the truth? Or, do we defend ourselves, lash out at others, and try to silence the internal war building in our souls? Christ offers an unsettling path toward peace with God. Conviction is a gift from God; we must receive and empower the work of the Spirit. Otherwise, we too, will resist the Holy Spirit.

Acts 7:44-53 NLT
44 “Our ancestors carried the Tabernacle [tent of witness] with them through the wilderness. It was constructed according to the plan God had shown to Moses. 45 Years later, when Joshua led our ancestors in battle against the nations that God drove out of this land, the Tabernacle was taken with them into their new territory. And it stayed there until the time of King David.

46 “David found favor with God and asked for the privilege of building a permanent Temple for the God of Jacob. 47 But it was Solomon who actually built it. 48 However, the Most High doesn’t live in temples made by human hands. As the prophet says,
49 
‘Heaven is my throne,
    and the earth is my footstool.
Could you build me a temple as good as that?’
    asks the Lord.
‘Could you build me such a resting place?
50 
    Didn’t my hands make both heaven and earth?’[Is 66:1-2]

51 “You stubborn people! You are heathen [uncircumcised] at heart and deaf to the truth. Must you forever resist the Holy Spirit? That’s what your ancestors did, and so do you! 52 Name one prophet your ancestors didn’t persecute! They even killed the ones who predicted the coming of the Righteous One—the Messiah whom you betrayed and murdered. 53 You deliberately disobeyed God’s law, even though you received it from the hands of angels.”

Prayer: Lord, sometimes the Spirit pierces our souls with a Truth that can be hard to hear, but we ask for the strength to receive it. We desire to work with you in salvation and the renewing of our souls in the Truth. We need to hear it, so please continue what you have started in Messiah. We love you and trust you; yet, we pray for the power to believe for more opportunities to learn, grow, and witness to your passion for saving the world. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

In our world, there are many “sensitive, controversial, or even difficult” topics people avoid talking about; they are like “hot potatoes” because to discuss them is “risky.”  Yet, there are many topics we need to discuss, anyway; the most important being salvation in Christ.  The world needs Jesus and it is the work of believers to share the Truth. Without Jesus, humanity will face the consequence of sin (Romans 6:23). 

In the Old Testament Book of 1 Samuel Chapter 4, the Philistine army is at war with Israel and because of Israel’s apostasy the Lord allows Israel to be defeated.  But, instead of placing their faith in a relationship with God, the Hebrew elders decide to bring the Ark of the Lord into battle thinking the object will save them from their enemies.  All it does is cause the Philistines to fight harder; after all they had heard about the Ark of God and how the Egyptians were destroyed with plagues.  

So, the Philistines defeat Israel again and capture the Ark of God.  They are excited to get the Ark, because they practice the worship of many gods.  Adding one more god to their collection would make things better, right?

In our passage today from 1 Samuel Chapter 5, the Philistines place the Ark of God next to their chief pagan god, Dagon.  God does not share space with other gods, so Dagon takes a nosedive and the people in the vicinity of the Ark begin to get sick.  The people realize the power of the Ark of God and decide to shuffle it around to other capital cities, but no matter where they take the Ark it brings people chaos, pain, sickness, and tumors—perhaps the bubonic plague due to mice.

The Philistines struggle and ask, “What should we do with the Ark of the God of Israel?” It’s like a hot potato no one wants.  Instead of submitting their lives to God, the elders decide to get rid of the Ark…the shuffling continues.  If the Philistines would have submitted to God, the Ark would have become a beautiful blessing.  But, the people’s rejection of God made the Ark a curse that brought judgment.  The Old Testament foreshadows a deeper meaning in the New Testament.

The New Testament teaches the rejection of Christ will bring the consequence of judgment (Luke 10:16; John 12:48).  Jesus is the Messiah bringing the necessary salvation for people to be spared judgment. We need a relationship with Jesus. So, according to Scripture those in our world who reject Jesus will not experience the blessing.  That hot potato should bring a sobering thought and quick repentance…

1 Samuel 5 NLT  The Ark in Philistia

1 After the Philistines captured the Ark of God, they took it from the battleground at Ebenezer to the town of Ashdod. 2 They carried the Ark of God into the temple of Dagon and placed it beside an idol of Dagon. 3 But when the citizens of Ashdod went to see it the next morning, Dagon had fallen with his face to the ground in front of the Ark of the Lord! So they took Dagon and put him in his place again. 4 But the next morning the same thing happened—Dagon had fallen face down before the Ark of the Lord again. This time his head and hands had broken off and were lying in the doorway. Only the trunk of his body was left intact. 5 That is why to this day neither the priests of Dagon nor anyone who enters the temple of Dagon in Ashdod will step on its threshold.

6 Then the Lord’s heavy hand struck the people of Ashdod and the nearby villages with a plague of tumors.[a] 7 When the people realized what was happening, they cried out, “We can’t keep the Ark of the God of Israel here any longer! He is against us! We will all be destroyed along with Dagon, our god.” 8 So they called together the rulers of the Philistine towns and asked, “What should we do with the Ark of the God of Israel?”

The rulers discussed it and replied, “Move it to the town of Gath.” So they moved the Ark of the God of Israel to Gath. 9 But when the Ark arrived at Gath, the Lord’s heavy hand fell on its men, young and old; he struck them with a plague of tumors, and there was a great panic.

10 So they sent the Ark of God to the town of Ekron, but when the people of Ekron saw it coming they cried out, “They are bringing the Ark of the God of Israel here to kill us, too!” 11 The people summoned the Philistine rulers again and begged them, “Please send the Ark of the God of Israel back to its own country, or it will kill us all.” For the deadly plague from God had already begun, and great fear was sweeping across the town. 12 Those who didn’t die were afflicted with tumors; and the cry from the town rose to heaven.

Prayer: Lord, your gospel is a warning and message for the world.  It is Good News that is either accepted or rejected.  We pray for human hearts to be open and for the harvest of souls saved for your Kingdom to be multiplied exponentially.  You bless us all the time, Lord, and we want to be a blessing by sharing salvation in you.  Empower us, Lord.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.