BLINDSIDED

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

^1-3The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

There are times as I serve in this ministry GOD has called me to that I get absolutely blindsided. Yesterday was one of those days.

Life in the Jeremiah Tree these days is in a word, chaotic. With our TREEHOUSE homeless shelter in full operation, there are never fewer than 12 to 14 in the house at any one time. You have lunch cooking, folks looking for work, not to mention the usual drama that goes with arbitrarily mixing a diverse group of folks into the same home. You blend that with a steady stream of community folks and need and you have a bustling place to say the least.

So yesterday was like many days. The calendar and the house were full and hopping. But what happened next was not the norm. I had a beautiful lady stop in with a little bag of bills.

I am not kidding.

She had a little gift bag and inside were several past due bills. She needed a little help with them.

Simple enough I thought. We do this 6 to 10 times a day. No brainer I thought. I already was getting out my “instruction sheet”.

So like with every client, we paused, prayed and sought the Lord’s direction for the situation and following the prayer, as always, I inquired as to how she ended up with this challenge.

What happened next was the unexpected part. What happened next went totally off the script. What happened next was the blindsided hit.

Instead of a simple explanation about her bills, she began to share a story that broke my heart. It included abuse, lots of abuse, a family that had abandoned her, and an adult child whose irresponsibility had put her in the predicament. She was full of sorrow and regret. She was confused by GOD and dealing with so much bitterness and remorse. She wanted some answers to the question; “Why GOD”.

And here I thought she was there to get some help keeping the lights and the water on.

Like I said…blindsided.

Now I sometimes get to thinking I am pretty good on my feet in situations like this, but yesterday GOD reminded me that I am not.

So I floundered around with “what to say” and trying to help, but before I got in too deep, I did what I usually do when I don’t know what to do, I prayed…again.

More accurately, I let my SPIRIT do the praying.

Romans 8:26

God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying…

I had run out of things to say but the Spirit hadn’t.

And the SPIRIT did some amazing ministering. I believe she left more hopeful. I believe the SPIRIT guided us to the TRUTH that she needed to hear. The SPIRIT, in spite of the vessel, provided much needed help!

I don’t know about you, but recently GOD has been placing me in situation after situation where I DON’T have the answers. Be it a need for provision and there is nothing in the account or be it a disenfranchised, yet valuable lady who has experienced a life I don’t understand, I believe GOD is pushing me out of my comfort zone; my self-sufficiencies and self-reliance to places where I have nowhere else to go but to HIM for the help; places where only His SPIRIT will do.

And so that is what I have been doing.

Jeremiah 33:3

Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.

I share this little encounter for two reasons today.

One is to motivate you to pray for this lady. The other is to encourage you for those times when you have been blindsided or short on words or ideas like I was yesterday. I want to inspire you to pray or better yet, let your SPIRIT start praying. I want you to realize that when you to call to GOD when you are blindsided, those things that are hidden, confusing or overwhelming, answers will be revealed!

GOD WILL open a door.

GOD WILL provide a word of comfort and hope!

GOD WILL offer provision and direction!

How do I know?

He did for me after yesterdays blindside and He promised that HE will help me and you with the inevitable next one.

1 John 5:14-15

And we are sure of this, that he will listen to us whenever we ask him for anything in line with his will. And if we really know he is listening when we talk to him and make our requests, then we can be sure that he will answer us.

Have a blessed day…

I love you all!

Freedom Church

Pastor GDelaney

SPIRIT EMBRACE

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

^1-3The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

Church“wrapped” up (that is for you Mark), yesterday and as I was making my way out I had a couple people grab me and literally hold on to me for dear life. I am not talking about a typical "end of the service hug" these were “embracings” of a different sort.

I knew both of them were going through some difficult times.

One was a relational challenge the other a physical one. There was confusion, apprehension, and uncertainty on each face and most certainly in each embrace.

They were overwhelmed.

The circumstances were consuming them and they needed that hug.

It is in those times, those encounters, that I am so very thankful for prayer and the HOLY SPIRIT. For it is in those times that I have not a clue of what to say, how to say it, or what guidance to offer, but through prayer the SPIRIT brings peace, the SPIRIT brings clarity, and the SPIRIT brings comfort.

Romans 8:26

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.

I have learned that situations like these don’t need me, they need the HOLY SPIRIT. And I am so thankful that He is at the ready to take the ball when called upon.

He did yesterday.

Yet the truth is we all face overwhelming times in our lives. Be it sickness, relational challenges, or financial crisis. We all have our moments when the circumstances, the doctor’s visit, the letters from the attorneys and banks catch us off guard or attempt to knock us out.

It is then that we MUST lean on the SPIRIT to pray for us and with us. He is there to strengthen us in our weakness. He is there to take what we don’t understand or can’t articulate to the THE FATHER and decipher and translate it.

He is there to help!

John 14:26

The Helper is the Holy Spirit. The Father will send Him in My place. He will teach you everything and help you remember everything I have told you.

This “Helper”, the Holy Spirit does just that. He inspires us to remember the TRUTHS of GOD for our times of crisis and confusion. And it is those TRUTHS that FREE us from the pressure and oppression of our circumstances!

Truths like:

Hebrews 13:5

I will never fail you. I will never abandon you…

Isaiah 43:2-3

When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up—the flames will not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, your Savior...

2 Corinthians 4:8-9

…We’ve been surrounded and battered by troubles, but we’re not demoralized; we’re not sure what to do, but we know that God knows what to do; we’ve been spiritually terrorized, but God hasn’t left our side...

Those TRUTHS, inspired and brought back to mind by the HOLY SPIRIT are what bring comfort in the crisis, peace in the pain, and faith to counter our fears.

And they truly help!

They did yesterday.

Perhaps you are looking for someone to grab a hold of today in order to steady or to comfort you. Look no further. The HOLY SPIRIT is there, inside of you with the answers, the peace, the comfort and the embrace that you need!

Grab and cling to Him! Then pause and pray and let HIM take care of the rest.

I love you all!

Freedom Church

Pastor GDelaney

WHY WAIT?

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

 

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

^1-3The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

 

I have had several meetings lately with folks who are struggling with “waiting”.

 

“I wish GOD would move quicker on this,” they say.

 

“I really don’t like that answer Greg, I want this to work and I want it to work now,” they tell me.

 

“GOD, what is up with the delay?  This makes perfect sense,” they rationalize

 

And just this morning, “I want to be different, I just want to be different now,” she said.  She wasn’t too excited when I told her to wait for what GOD had in store for her.

 

We have all heard that old saying, “Timing is everything”.  Well that is most certainly true!  And when it comes to life changes, relational and financial decisions, matters of the heart and faith, we are best served to TRUST THE TIMING of the LORD!

 

Ecclesiastes 8:6

 

6 Yes, there is a time and a way for everything, though man’s trouble lies heavy upon him…

 

It is true!

There is a timing for everything; GOD doesn’t miss a trick, He has a plan for each of us; He has already crafted the directions and instructions for our path…

 

Psalm 32:8

 

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;

    I will counsel you with my eye upon you.

 

…and all the intricate timing as well!  

That is why it is essential for us to seek and MOST IMPORTANTLY TRUST GOD’S timing!  And if that means waiting on God until there is further direction from Him while we remain in our present circumstances, then that is what we should do! 

 

However long that may take!

 

Psalm 25:4-5

 

Lord, tell me your ways.

    Show me how to live.

Guide me in your truth,

    and teach me, my God, my Savior.

    I trust you ALL DAY LONG.

 

But why wait?  Why do I need to wait when everything “feels so right”.

 

Well first of all we should know how fickle those feelings can be…

 

Jeremiah 17:9

The heart is the most deceitful thing there is and desperately wicked. No one can really know how bad it is!

 

But waiting is just “wise”

 

Waiting opens the door for GOD; gives Him the wheel, lets Him lead the way!

 

Yet too often, we make decisions based on the influence of our friends or culture. We jump the gun for the sake of convenience or in response to pressure. 

But God is the only source of true wisdom. He knows all things and answers us on the basis of His complete understanding. 

Never forget He only wants the very best for us!

 

Psalm 25:9

He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.

 

Therefore, by waiting we experience GOD’s timetable.  And that is a perfect timetable.

 

And while to others, it may appear as if we are delaying unnecessarily, we can be assured that by waiting we have a better opportunity to walk in concert with God and that leads to a more peaceful path for sure!

 

Friend, waiting on God allows us to prepare for His answer and His course of action. And when GOD uses a season of waiting we can be confident that the waiting is designed to strengthen our faith, guard us from failure and clear any ungodly motives and areas of sin from consideration.

 

Lamentations 3:25

25 The Lord is good to those who wait for him,

    to the soul who seeks him.

 

I will be the first to admit, I am not much for waiting.  BUT GOD is faithful to those who wait. The TRUTH of HIS WORD points it out time and time again.  

So don’t tire in the waiting my friends.  GOD is at work.

 

Listen for his voice.

Trust His timing!  I'm gonna try. 

You?

 

Micah 7:7

But me, I’m not giving up.

    I’m sticking around to see what God will do.

I’m waiting for God to make things right.

    I’m counting on God…

 

Have a blessed weekend…

I love you all!

Freedom Church

 

 

 

Pastor GDelaney

THREE LITTLE WORDS

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

^1-3The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

“I got this”.

Just three little words.

They would seem innocent enough. But on the contrary!

I have witnessed these three little words derail the most solid of recoveries and the steadiest of walks.

In fact, I have had a couple of folks recently in my office who have uttered those fateful little words only to see them pop up on the “mug-shot review” or stuck back in the “mess”.

You might be asking, “How could such a simple phrase, three little words, do so much damage?”

It is not the words.

It is the attitude behind the exclamation that packs the wallop.

And that attitude is…you guessed it, pride.

You see there is a fine line between walking in confidence and assurance and being simply “cocky” and arrogant. And time after time it is “cockiness” that craters the most seemingly solid.

“I don’t need to keep up with these meetings”.

“I have heard all that before, why read it again?”

“I prayed yesterday, I got it covered.”

"Church is reserved for Christmas and Easter right?"

Self-sufficiency is a slippery slope my friends. We need always to be careful and watchful that our “assurance” doesn’t morph into arrogance.

Proverbs 11:2

When pride comes, shame is not far behind…

My good friend Tom Thompson, the lead Pastor at REFUGE MINISTRIES will concur. He has seen far more men lose their way from arrogance than any other factor.

In fact Solomon confirms it.

Proverbs 26:12

Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

That is why it is important for each of us to remember that GOD honors and helps the humble.

James 4:6

But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

Often when we are in a mess, we are desperate for GOD to intervene, to take over and help us navigate through the trouble. But then once the trouble passes or the storm subsides, we are quick to want to be back in control.

Why?

Pride, that is why.

That is why GOD warns over and over again about the dangers.

Proverbs 29:23

Pride lands you flat on your face;

But if you continue on in that little verse from Solomon, he offers the antidote to our prideful tendencies.

Proverbs 29:23

…humility prepares you for honors.

He offers it again here.

Proverbs 22:4

True humility and respect for the Lord lead a man to riches, honor, and long life.

So perhaps instead of, “I’ve got it”, how about we humbly allow “God to have it”. Let’s practice that humility that brings grace and honor. Let’s give GOD access rather than relying on our own arrogance.

Romans 12:3

Don’t think that you are better than you really are. You must see yourself just as you are. Decide what you are by the faith God has given each of us.

I love you all!

Freedom Church

Pastor GDelaney

COME, CHRISTMAS GUEST

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

^1-3The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

It was Christmas Eve, so like always we ventured to the NORTH SIDE CANDLELIGHT SERVICE. While there, their 89 year old founding Pastor shared this little poem from Helen Steiner Rice. And while a familiar strain, coming from a patriarch like Ike, made it all the more special.

But not only that, the message of the poem truly hit home as we celebrate our first Christmas at the JEREMIAH TREE; a place for folks similar to those celebrated in the verses below! It was a beautiful and subtle confirmation!

Please give it a read and then pause to watch the little video at the end.

The video has nothing to do with the poem, but I found it so fitting on this day, Christmas Day that I had to share it!

Be blessed. Be safe. Be thankful. Now from Helen…

The Story of the Christmas Guest

It happened one day at December's end

Some neighbors called on an old-time friend.

And they found his shop so meager and mean,

Made gay with a thousand boughs of green.

And old Conrad was sitting with face ashine.

When he suddenly stopped as he stitched the twine.

And he said "My friends at dawn today,

When the cock was crowing the night away,

The Lord appeared in a dream to me.

And He said, 'I'm coming your guest to be"

So I've been busy with feet astir,

Strewing my shop with branches of fir.

The table is spread and the kettle is shined,

And over the rafters the holly is twined.

And now I'll wait for my Lord to appear;

And listen closely so I will hear,

His steps as he nears my humble place.

And I'll open the door and I'll look on his face."

Then his friends went home and left Conrad alone,

For this was the happiest day he had known.

For long since his family had passed away.

And Conrad had spent many a sad Christmas Day.

But he knew with the Lord as his Christmas guest,

This Christmas would be the dearest and best.

So he listened with only joy in his heart,

And with every sound he would rise with a start,

And looked for the Lord to be at his door.

Like the vision that he had had a few hours before.

So he ran to the window after hearing a sound,

But all he could see on the snow covered ground

Was a shabby beggar whose shoes were torn.

And all his clothes were ragged and worn.

But old Conrad was touched and he went to the door

And he said, "Your feet must be cold and sore.

I have some shoes in my shop for you.

And I have a coat to keep you warmer, too."

So with grateful heart the man went away.

But Conrad notice the time of day

And he wondered what made the dear Lord so late,

And how much longer he'd have to wait.

Then he heard another knock, and he ran to the door,

But it was only a stranger once more.

A bent old lady with a shawl of black,

And a bundle of kindling piled on her back.

But she asked only for a place to rest,

a place that was reserved, for Conrad's great guest.

But her voice seemed to plead, "Don't send me away,

Let me rest for awhile this Christmas Day."

So Conrad brewed her a steaming cup

And told her to sit at the table and sup.

After she had left, he was filled with dismay

For he saw that the hours were slipping away

The Lord had not come as He said He would

And Conrad felt sure he had misunderstood.

When out of the stillness he heard a cry.

"Please help, me and tell me - Where am I?"

So again he opened his friendly door.

And stood disappointed as twice before.

It was a child who had wandered away,

And was lost from her family on Christmas Day.

Again Conrad's heart was heavy and sad,

But he knew he could make this little girl glad.

So he called her in and he wiped her tears,

And he quieted all her childish fears.

Then he led her back to her home once more.

Then as he entered his own darkened door,

He knew that the Lord was not coming today,

For the hours of Christmas, had all passed away.

So he went to his room, and he knelt down to pray.

He said, "Lord, why did you delay?

What kept You from coming to call on me?

I wanted so much Your face to see."

Then softly, in the silence, a voice he heard.

"Lift up your head - I have kept My word.

Three times my shadow crossed your floor.

Three times I came to your lowly door.

I was the beggar with bruised cold feet;

I was the woman you gave something to eat;

I was the child on the homeless street.

Three times I knocked, three times I came in,

And each time I found the warmth of a friend.

Of all the gifts, love is the best.

I was honored to be your Christmas guest.

http://www.worshiphousemedia.com/mini-movies/35133/Come-Thou-Long-Expected-Jesus

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

I love you all!

Freedom Church

Pastor GDelaney