SEIZE THE DAY

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 serve with some very cool folks at AHOP in Xenia where I am an associate Pastor. Josh is one of those folks. Our ministries don’t intersect often, but yesterday was one of those days where they did.

We both have a friend who has a dear heart but is challenged by what afflicts all of us; a sinful nature.

Romans 3:23

All have sinned...

Yet when his takes over, our friend makes some pretty bad decisions; decisions that have left him hospitalized, homeless, and incarcerated.

Yet in spite of all of those bad decisions he was at a place in my office at the JEREMIAH TREE when it was time to make a good one. And praise GOD, thanks to some Holy Spirit help, I believe Josh and I led him to a good decision. I would ask you to pray for our friend A. Yesterday was only the beginning of the journey.

Yet as Josh and I spoke with our friend, some things that Josh said both yesterday and last Sunday from our pulpit I thought needed to be shared.

We all need to be “ready” to make that next GOOD decision like our friend. We don’t have time to allow our sinful nature and our flesh to have the run of our houses and minds. We need to seize every opportunity to embrace what GOD has for us; to realize our potential; to step into our purpose and identity!

Luke 9:62

Jesus said, "No procrastination. No backward looks. You can't put God's kingdom off till tomorrow. Seize the day."

Like our friend, each and every day our lives are filled with possibilities and opportunities to advance! To do this we must be focused on GOD and making the decisions that intensify our relationship with Him and positively impact the sliver of His Kingdom He has called us to serve.

And in order to do that we must give ourselves over to our SPIRIT, GOD’S living and breathing SPIRIT that lives inside each one of us to help us; a SPIRIT that is willing to guide us to those daily GOOD and “advancing decisions”! We must set our minds on GOD and GODLY things and then allow GOD to guide the way.

Philippians 4:8

…whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

So let’s take a page from our friend.

Let’s put aside our sinful, fleshy and selfish “selves” for a moment.

Let’s SEIZE this day for GOD and open ourselves up to His purpose and HIS thoughts for today!

Romans 13:11

Be up and awake to what God is doing…We can’t afford to waste a minute…Get out of bed and get dressed! Don’t loiter and linger, waiting until the very last minute. Dress yourselves in Christ, and be up and about!

Let’s pray together:

Dear Lord help me to seize this day and bring it into alignment for Your purposes. Let Your Kingdom come and Your will be done in and through my life today. All that I am and all that I'm not I give you to accomplish Your plans in me.

In Jesus Name, Amen!

Seize this day!

I love you all!

Freedom Church

Pastor GDelaney