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.
“Cause I never want to go back to my OLD LIFE”.
Last night at FREEDOM was astounding and I want to share a little of it, but I want to start with a little confession.
Yesterday, Monday, at the JEREMIAH TREE was no picnic. There seemed to be too many challenges and far too many large buckets of distress to handle. I will admit when I got to FREEDOM last night for pre-service counseling I was not in the counseling or FREEDOM spirit. The enemy was getting the best of me. I was doubting what I was doing.
But then FREEDOM started and GOD again proved why He’s GOD and I am not. He pulled me from my funk and brought fresh perspective to an otherwise jaded day. And he did it with folks emerging from incarceration. Isn't that just like GOD?
We welcomed to FREEDOM some guests from KAIROS PRISON Ministry. http://www.kairosohio.org/
As Kenton and his team of past prisoners shared, they reminded all of us once again that no trial, no challenge, no oppression or bad decision is beyond the hope and grace of Jesus. And as Natalie and Anna led this simple little song, GOD presence descended on our gathering and hope and possibility permeated the room.
Then Steve, Steve and Sheila went about GOD’s business.
They all shared stories of failure and crime; times of incarceration and loss. They poured from their experiences the pain and sadness of sin but followed those tragedies with incredible testimonies of GOD’s faithfulness of GOD’s truth and of GOD’s power to heal and deliver!
Steve (1) relayed a story of abandonment and pain that gave way to acceptance and love!
John 15:16
“You didn’t choose me, remember; I chose you…
Steve (2) suffered loss after loss after loss; dead end after dead end only to find ETERNAL hope in Christ!
Colossians 1:5
The lines of purpose in your lives never grow slack, tightly tied as they are to your future in heaven, kept taut by hope.
And then Sheila, who had tried to shoot and kill her husband for his abuse and who was given an “undetermined” sentence (in other words no release date), lavished on our team and me the incredible gift of forgiveness; its power and its influence on those around us.
Ephesians 4:31-32
31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
Like I said it was an amazing night in the presence of GOD.
But perhaps you woke up this morning feeling isolated and imprisoned by life. Perhaps you woke up this morning feeling as I did yesterday, wanting to give up and cash out.
Let us all take a page from our KAIROS friends whose mission and message is the one of the HOPE found in CHRIST!
Let’s allow HIS hope to do for us what it did for them; open doors and break down the “prison walls” of apathy, sadness, frustration, uncertainty, bitterness and selfishness!
Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you…
And let's again embrace the FREEDOM that is found in JESUS!
Thanks again to KAIROS for reminding us once again of the HOPE that is found in CHRIST!
I love you all!
Freedom Church
Pastor GDelaney
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