Pastor Mary Haley

Acts 6: 8-15 (VOICE)
8 Stephen continually overflowed with extraordinary grace and power, and he was able to perform a number of miraculous signs and wonders in public view. 9 But eventually a group arose to oppose Stephen and the message to which his signs and wonders pointed. (These men were from a group called the Free Synagogue and included Cyrenians, Alexandrians, Cilicians, and Asians.) 10 The Holy Spirit gave Stephen such wisdom in responding to their arguments that they were humiliated; 11 in retaliation, they spread a vicious rumor: “We heard Stephen speak blasphemies against Moses and God.”

12 Their rumor prompted an uprising that included common people, religious officials, and scholars. They surprised Stephen, grabbed him, and hauled him before the council. 13 They convinced some witnesses to give false testimony.

False Witnesses: This fellow constantly degrades the holy temple and mocks our holy law. 14 With our own ears, we’ve heard him say this Jesus fellow, this Nazarene he’s always talking about, will actually destroy the holy temple and will try to change the sacred customs we received from Moses.
15 The entire council turned its gaze on Stephen to see how he would respond. They were shocked to see his face radiant with peace—as if he were a heavenly messenger.

In our passage today, believers are being multiplied; therefore, the apostles are not able to keep up with the demands of serving, as well as teaching the Word of God. So, the apostles decide to recruit more help. Stephen is one of seven men filled with the Spirit, grace, and power who have been selected to serve and distribute food. These men love the Lord and are happy to serve in any way needed.

Like these servants, when we are deeply devoted to God, everything we do and say becomes a message revealing the goodness of Jesus that may draw more people in while, at the same time, offending and agitating others. In Stephen’s case, Christ in him humiliated some religious leaders. Like Jesus, Stephen is lied about and betrayed by the ones who think they know God. However, what they actually know is manmade traditions void of the Spirit.

Are you exercising the gifts Jesus has given you? Whatever gifts you have been imparted, you must use them with faith and in the power of the Holy Spirit. In God’s Kingdom, believers belong and serve in some capacity. Stephen’s life reminds us the holy presence of God covers us in our service and when people are agitated by God’s presence in us they will even lie to get rid of us. Shine for Christ, anyway!

Prayer: Lord, thank you for this lesson from Stephen’s life and the Wisdom you became for him. May the service I bring to the work of establishing your Kingdom on earth, be instigated and empowered by the Spirit. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Psalm 57: 9-11 (CEV)
9
I will praise you, Lord,
    for everyone to hear,
    and I will sing hymns to you
    in every nation.
10 
Your love reaches higher
    than the heavens;
    your loyalty extends
    beyond the clouds.
11 
May you, my God, be honored
    above the heavens;
    may your glory be seen
    everywhere on earth.

Every believer will continually be tasting the love and loyalty of the Father for them as his son or daughter. God picks the times and places to reveal his extravagant love; however, we must trust he is going to show how much he loves us. He is more than Words; God is love in miraculous and righteous evil-defeating action. No enemy we may face has the power to thwart God’s plan for our lives. The heavenly Father’s love for us is greater than anything we can imagine, yet sometimes we have to sing our praises for his great love while we are still in the valley of dark circumstances.

In our passage today, David sings a song of praise before he sees the light of change. Keep in mind David is innocent and hiding in a dark cave from those who want to destroy him. David does not let his circumstances rob him of joy. Faith is about our confident trust in God. David knows his heavenly Father will respond at the appointed time, because God is loyal to his Word and his love never fails. Therefore, in the midst of this dark cave, David begins to praise the Lord and exalt him with the confident hope of victory. David’s enemies no longer matter and have no power to destroy his life, because he knows God is with him and for him. Faith will lift you and me above the pain of our circumstances, too, as we praise the Lord for his loyal and steadfast love.

Prayer: Father, thank you for your love and loyalty to deliver your sons and daughters from evil. We praise you and honor you! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

2 Peter 3:14-16 Preparation for the Coming of the Lord
14 So, my beloved friends, with all that you have to look forward to, may you be eager to be found living pure lives when you come into his presence [before him], without blemish and filled with peace. 15 And keep in mind that our Lord’s extraordinary patience simply means more opportunity for salvation, just as our dear brother Paul wrote to you with the wisdom that God gave him. 16 He consistently speaks of these things in all of his letters, even though he writes some concepts that are overwhelming to our understanding, which the unlearned and unstable love to twist to their spiritual ruin, as they do to other Scriptures [twist it to fit human understanding].

Every time we open up Scripture and begin to read it, the Author is with us! Our Creator, our Lord, our Messiah, our Teacher, our Friend, and our Guide speaks salvation to our spirits as we read his Word. Scripture is one way God makes himself know to human beings; the Word is called God’s self-revelation. Since God’s thoughts and ways are higher than ours, sometimes there are passages in God’s Word that may be difficult to understand. When that happens, we need to invite the Author, as he sits with us, to open our spiritual understanding of the Truth and help us interpret his purpose in the text and how it relates to our lives.

When we understand what God wants to speak into our lives, we can move in humble obedience and apply it. Think about it this way, we can become One with the Word! Isn’t that what Jesus prayed for all believers while in the Garden just before he gave his life for us? (John 17:21). God provides grace to help us in every area of life—spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and physically. When Paul needed greater understanding for his life, God spoke to him saying, “My grace is always more than enough for you, and my power finds its full expression through your weakness” (2 Cor 12:9). So, please continue to read the Word with these things in mind.

Prayer: Father, thank you for helping me understand the fuller meaning of your Word as I dig in each day. Please continue to daily sit with me and be my Helper. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Ephesians 5:1-5
5 So imitate God. Follow Him like adored children, 2 and live in love as the Anointed One loved you—so much that He gave Himself as a fragrant sacrifice, pleasing God.

3 Listen, don’t let any kind of immorality be breathed among you. Any demoralizing behaviors (perverse sexual acts, uncleanliness, greediness, and the like) are inappropriate topics of conversation for those set apart as God’s people. 4 Don’t swear or spurt nonsense. Don’t make harsh jokes or clown around. Make proper use of your words, and offer them thankfully in praise. 5 This is what we know for certain: no one who engages in loose sex, impure actions, and greed—which is just a form of idolatry—has any inheritance in the kingdom of God and His Anointed.

Believers and followers of Jesus are called to imitate Christ with how we love and live. Our passage today teaches about choosing the practical actions that please God. We like the spiritual inner life with God: enjoying him, admiring him, praying to him, and praising him for his mercy and goodness. Yet, even though these things express a righteous priority, we are actually only expressing the inner life of our worship. In his letter to the Romans, the Apostle Paul clarifies what it means to worship God through outward practice: “I urge you to offer your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice to God, a sacred offering that brings Him pleasure; this is your reasonable, essential worship” (Rom12:10).

Jesus is much more than a role model in how to inwardly love and worship God; he is the Word of God for our daily salvation from sin. We are not saved because of how Christ lived his life. However, once we are saved we should follow his outward example of seeking to please the Father with our whole being. If the Kingdom of God is alive within us, we must sacrifice those things that are not aligned with God’s Word and plan for us as citizens of heaven still living on earth.

Prayer: Lord, help me to live my worship inwardly, as well as outwardly. May you be pleased with how I practice my faith each day. It is my desire to follow you as an adoring daughter. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Galatians 6:7-10 VOICE
7 Make no mistake: God can’t be mocked [made a fool of]. What you give is what you get. What you sow, you harvest [reap]. 8 Those who sow seeds into their flesh [sin] will only harvest destruction from their sinful nature. But those who sow seeds into the Spirit [to please God] shall harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. 9 May we never tire of doing what is good and right before our Lord because in His season [appointed time] we shall bring in a great harvest if we can just persist [don’t quit]. 10 So seize any opportunity the Lord gives you to do good things and be a blessing to everyone, especially those within our faithful family [believers who live by faith].

In our passage for today, the Apostle Paul encourages us to remember sowing into our selfish desires [those things that disobey the Word of God] means we must reap the consequences of that selfish living. Each day we make an investment [sow seeds] into our own future security and well-being. Every seed grows, because grace [undeserved favor from God] rains upon the unrighteous seeds, as well as the righteous seeds (Mat 5:45). That is why we need the Word (good seed) to fall on the fertile ground of a redeemed soul, because then we will produce something we truly want to harvest as opposed to harvesting what God opposes.

God has destined humanity for salvation in Christ [the Word]; he invites us to turn from unrighteous living so we do not face the wrath of God as the consequence of our own choosing. Grace causes whatever is sown to be multiplied. So, plant good seeds into your life by sowing prayer, Bible Study, speaking wisdom, generosity, love, and sharing Truth with others that lead them toward the Lord where they can find wholeness and well-being growing in their lives, too.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for sending grace to rain down upon the earth. Help every child created in your image to understand the power of patiently sowing and reaping. May believers everywhere sow seeds to the Spirit and begin to harvest your righteous life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Romans 15:1-6 (TPT) Love Is the Key to Unity
15 Now, those who are mature [powerful] in their faith can easily be recognized, for they don’t live to please themselves but have learned to patiently embrace others in their immaturity. 2 Our goal must be to empower others to do what is right and good for them, and to bring them into spiritual maturity. 3 For not even the most powerful one of all, the Anointed One [Christ], lived to please himself. His life fulfilled the Scripture that says: ‘All the insults of those who insulted you fall upon me.’

4 Whatever was written beforehand is meant to instruct us in how to live. The Scriptures impart to us encouragement and inspiration so that we can live in hope and endure all things.

5 Now may God, the source of great endurance and comfort, grace you with unity among yourselves, which flows from your relationship with Jesus, the Anointed One [that you may value one another equally in Jesus]. 6 Then, with a unanimous rush of passion, you will with one voice glorify God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

This morning’s passage presses me to ask myself, “Is how I am living my life today more about pleasing myself or pleasing my Lord?” Our greatest lesson in life, as the heavenly Father’s children, is to delight ourselves in the LORD, because he will respond by giving us the desires of our hearts; he knows what will bring us joy, so he sends grace to accomplish it (Ps. 37:4). If all believers are living for the delight of the Lord (loving him with our whole being) it will be a place of ongoing and ever expanding unity and victory for the Father’s glory.

Let’s just explore the power of unity for a minute. When believers come together in worship—as we delight ourselves in the Lord—the Spirit of the Lord is exalted, enthroned and empowered. If we come together and instead of delighting in the Lord we choose to serve a bickering, offended, and critical spirit in our flesh, we have not exalted, enthroned, or empowered anyone but ourselves.

This is why the Apostle Paul calls for believers to become spiritually mature, so we can know how to fight Satan at his accusing and destructive game. We must love and delight in the Lord, so we can ALL enjoy the worship gathering [communion] and feast at heaven’s table. Communion is really about love and humility before God, as well as love and service to one another. Therefore, we will have to extend patience and mercy to those who are spiritually immature, but live in an enduring way that empowers others toward delighting in the Lord. Through our enduring love, we will release a unanimous rush of passion and praise! My friends, like Christ, we must live to please the Father, by how we love one another.

Prayer: Father, thank you for today’s lesson about love and unity. Help me and all your children to know and experience the power of unity in Christ. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Mark 8:1-10 (TPT) Jesus Multiplies Food Again
1 During those days, another massive crowd gathered to hear Jesus, and again, there was no food and the people were hungry. So Jesus called his disciples to come near him and said to them, 2 “My heart goes out to this crowd, for they’ve already been here with me for three days with nothing to eat. 3 I’m concerned that if I send them home hungry, some may faint along the way, for many have come a long, long way just to be with me.”

4 His disciples replied, “But could anyone possibly get enough food to satisfy a crowd this size out here in this isolated place?”

5 He asked them, “How many loaves of flatbread do you have?”
“Seven,” they replied.

6 Jesus instructed the crowd to sit down on the grass. After he took the seven loaves, he gave thanks to God, broke them, and started handing them to his disciples. They kept distributing the bread until they had served the entire crowd.

7 They also had a few small fish, and after giving thanks for these, Jesus had his disciples serve them to the crowd. 8 Everyone ate until they were satisfied. Then the disciples gathered up the broken pieces and filled seven large baskets with the leftovers. 9 About four thousand people ate what had been multiplied! Then he dismissed the crowd [Jesus ended their fast].

10 Afterward, Jesus got into a boat and sailed to the vicinity of Dalmanutha.

Deja vu is the sense of having previously experienced something that really has been encountered before. The disciples are living in real time and surely they feel a sense of deja vu as Jesus, filled with compassion, once again expresses his concern over a crowd who hasn’t eaten in three days. Jesus does not want to send the crowd home fasting. Wouldn’t you think one of the disciples might have said, “Hey, Jesus, last time this happened you multiplied five loaves of bread and two fish and fed 5,000 men. What can you do now with our seven loaves of flatbread to feed this crowd?” Yet, according to Mark, no one brings up the memory of feeding the 5,000 or expresses outspoken faith in Christ to do a similar miracle this time. Jesus has to ask his disciples what they can contribute to the miracle he wants to do with the gentiles gathered with him. Do you think the disciples doubt Christ’s promise to save the world?

Before we are too hard on the disciples, let’s remember when we encounter problems that seem insurmountable doubt will also be banging on the door of our thought life. Our faith must press beyond every doubt, fear or indifference the enemy tries to send, because we serve a miracle-working God who is on a mission to save and redeem the world from spiritual starvation. Christ reveals the heart of God to invite the whole world to eat at heaven’s Table.

Prayer: Father, thank you for the miracle of salvation operating in this world that is suffering from spiritual starvation. You alone can bring the bread of life to us; continue to provide, sustain, and satisfy your family, so we can witness to the world. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Ephesians 4:17-24 The Old Way Has to Go
17-19 And so I insist—and God backs me up on this—that there be no going along with the crowd, the empty-headed, mindless crowd. They’ve refused for so long to deal with God that they’ve lost touch not only with God but with reality itself. They can’t think straight anymore. Feeling no pain, they let themselves go in sexual obsession, addicted to every sort of perversion.

20-24 But that’s no life for you. You learned Christ! My assumption is that you have paid careful attention to him, been well instructed in the truth precisely as we have it in Jesus. Since, then, we do not have the excuse of ignorance, everything—and I do mean everything—connected with that old way of life has to go. It’s rotten through and through. Get rid of it! And then take on an entirely new way of life—a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you.

In his letter to the Church at Ephesus, the Apostle Paul reminds God’s family about the necessity of “out with the old and in with the new.” Paul is talking about old ways, behaviors, and ideas that must be left behind now that Christ has made his home in our hearts. In Christ, we are born anew; it is time for new things and new ideas to be released in our lives. These new ideas bring new behaviors. Christ’s love changes how we view everything: deal with our feelings, how we handle our relationships, even how we view our sexuality, etc. As we bow to Christ, the new life grows. It really is a brand new way to live; a clean slate for a God-fashioned life.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for helping me let go of the old, so I can continually reach for the new you have planned for me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Psalm 50:16-23 (TPT)
16
And now I speak to the wicked. Listen to what I have to say to you!
What right do you have to presume to speak for me
and claim my covenant promises as yours?
17
For you have hated my instruction and disregarded my words,
throwing them away as worthless!
18
You forget to condemn the thief or adulterer.
You are their friend, running alongside them into darkness.
19–20
The sins of your mouth multiply evil.
You have a lifestyle of lies;
you are devoted to deceit as you speak against others,
even slandering those of your own household!
21
All this you have done and I kept silent,
so you thought that I was just like you, sanctioning evil.
But now I will bring you to my courtroom
and spell out clearly my charges before you.
22
This is your last chance, my final warning. Your time is up!
Turn away from all this evil, or the next time you hear from me
will be when I am coming to pass judgment upon you.
I will snatch you away, and no one will be there
to help you escape my judgment.
23
The life that pleases me is a life lived in the gratitude of grace,
always choosing to walk with me in what is right.
This is the sacrifice I desire from you.
If you do this, more of my salvation will unfold for you.”

Last week, we ended with a passage from the gospel of Matthew as Jesus is teaching his disciples about the hypocrisy of those leading Israel. Jesus offers another assessment of these same leaders later in this gospel, “They don’t take it into their hearts and live it out in their behavior. It’s all spit-and-polish veneer” (Mat 23:3 MSG). The practice of sin—in any proportion—will taint our thoughts and lead to disobedient actions against God. To be ignorant of what God says about sin is viewed through his eyes of mercy. However, when we know we are living in sin, we accuse ourselves before God (Rom 2:13-15). Obeying the Word is God’s Way.

Many people in this world may say they believe in Christ—God’s Living Word—but unless those people are living in the truth and obedient to the life to which Christ calls his followers, the Lord proclaims them wicked. It is hypocrisy. Grace is not some kind of an apology for our sin; grace is the power of Christ to guide us into holiness so we can live for the glory of God.

In our Old Testament passage today, God is actually addressing those engaged in the ongoing practice of what the Word calls evil or sin. The people are viewing their good standing with God based on outward acts of piety alone. This is not the message of Christ and the proof that we are desperate for a Savior. We need salvation from sin and its death penalty. In the New Testament, Jesus always condemned the leaders for this action, “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me” (Mat 15:8). Jesus is the Truth. So, to say one thing and live another is to live in delusion; it is an abuse of God’s mercy and grace. Sin that is fed grows in the soul of every willing host; but, God’s grace has the power to overcome all sin. We must, however, obediently align our whole being with God’s Word—this puts grace and faith into action.

“May your life preach more loudly than your lips.” Toby Mac

Prayer: Lord, thank you for helping me live each day in obedience to your Word. Thank you for your mercy that covers me while I learn to live in the power of your grace. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Matthew 16:5-12 The Hypocrisy of the Pharisees and Sadducees
5 Later, as Jesus and his disciples crossed over to the other side of Lake Galilee, the disciples realized they had forgotten to bring any loaves of bread. 6 Jesus spoke up and said, “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.”

7 Thinking Jesus was scolding them over not bringing bread, they began to discuss it among themselves. 8 Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said to them, “You have such little faith! Why are you arguing with one another about having no bread? 9 Are you so slow to understand? Have you forgotten the miracle of feeding the five thousand families and how each of you ended up with a basket full of fragments? 10 And how seven loaves of bread fed four thousand families with baskets left over? 11 Don’t you understand? I’m not talking about bread, but I’m warning you to avoid the yeast of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.”

12 Then finally they realized he wasn’t talking about yeast found in bread, but the error of the teachings of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.

Throughout the gospels, Jesus constantly points his disciples toward the abundant love and grace of Father God. He urges them to desire this relationship with God all based on Truth that can bring salvation and the resources of heaven to their lives. In our passage today, Jesus warns the disciples not to get caught up in the teachings of the Pharisees (religious frauds making themselves the standard of God) and Sadducees (wealthy aristocrats with political loyalties), because these false teachers do not know God nor guide people to him. Jesus tells the disciples the “yeast” (sin) of the Pharisees and Sadducees is enough to lead God’s people into error and judgment. These two groups of religious teachers were secretly instilling wrong ideas about the character of God into the minds of those listening; people were agreeing with these false doctrines rather than aligning themselves with the Truth.

There is a cost when we engage in even “a little” sin. We must remember the enemy is crafty when it comes to deceiving people. False beliefs and sin are like the yeast used in bread making, just a little bit can begin to permeate and change how a person views the instruction or commands of God. Satan works secretly to influence people in order to control them. Therefore, Jesus teaches the disciples to make sure they are feeding their souls with the Bread of Life.

Prayer: Father, help me to cling to the Truth of your Word and the affirmation of the Spirit. In Jesus’ name. Amen.