FALLING FORWARD

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.

Beth and I switched cars a couple times this week to save a little gas money and she had Sandy Patty’s 2007 album “FALLING FORWARD” in the disc changer. I hadn’t listened to the title song since being sober. No joke. Here is the “funny” part, I sang that song while I was still, well let’s say, not so sober. But now, that I am the lyrics really struck a chord with me.

“There are moments on this journey, If you'll ask me how I feel

It seems I'm moving backward or else just standing still

When I'm frozen in my failure, there's a whisper don't forget

Your redeemer somehow uses even what you most regret

Step by Step, Day by Day,

I'm completely undone by the miracle of grace and I'm amazed

Through it all even when I fall I'm falling forward

Your open arms are waiting; Your compassion takes me in

I have tasted sweet forgiveness There is strength to stand again

As I'm caught up in your kindness, once again I find

In heavens love there's always hope for every heart like mine.

And Step by Step, Day by Day,

I'm completely undone by the miracle of grace and I'm amazed

Through it all even when I fall I'm falling forward.

I have tears for the compromise I've known.

But even more for the mercy You have shown.

And Step by Step, Day by Day,

I'm completely undone by the miracle of grace and I'm amazed

Through it all even when I fall I'm falling forward"

Paul said it this way.

Philippians 3:12-14

I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back.

I love the line from the song that says “When I'm frozen in my failure, there's a whisper, don't forget. Your redeemer somehow uses even what you most regret”

My redeemer has somehow used a decade and a half of addiction and all of its regrets and somehow, someway has allowed me to “fall forward”. He's done the same for you!

So like Paul I am going to continue to embrace the grace of GOD that allows me to “step by step and day by day” to fall forward in the grace of the Almighty. I am on my way!

I will fail.

You will fail.

But the compassion of our Lord will NEVER FAIL!

1 Corinthians 13:7-8

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

"In heavens love there's always hope for every heart like mine."

And yours!

Even when we fall.

Have a blessed weekend!

I love you all…

Freedom Church

Pastor GDelaney

CAPTURE 'EM

 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.

We read in scripture about “taking every thought captive”.

Ever really pause and think about just how challenging that is? But Paul encouraged, albeit demanded we do it.

2 Corinthians 10:5

…capture every thought and make it give up and obey Christ.

Why?

Joyce Meyer states that “So many people's problems are rooted in their way of thinking, which can actually produce a lot of the problems they experience.”

We are taught that our thoughts lead to words and words to actions and actions to character and character determines destiny, so our thoughts are the trigger and the catalyst for so much of who we are and what we say. They are crucial. So I believe Paul was simply encouraging us to take everything we “think” and make sure that it measures up to the standards set by Jesus Christ knowing that our lives and walk with Christ would be deeply impacted!

But that can be tough can’t it?

It’s so easy to let the eyes then the mind wander. But if we are to be obedient to CHRIST then we need to CAPTURE those lustful thoughts because they are destructive.

Matthew 5:28

But I (Jesus) say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

It's so easy to let a little bitter or angry thought creep in about someone who has wronged us and turn that into gossip or slander. But Jesus says for us to "watch what we say!"

Matthew 12:36

I (Jesus) tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak…

See what I mean? What starts as a thought can lead to so much more that runs counter to Jesus if we aren't in "capture mode" at all times!

James 2:15

Sin grows up to adulthood, and becomes a real killer.So often we don’t think before we leer. We don’t think before we speak. And often we certainly don’t often pause to consider Jesus.

I know I don’t enough. I will QUICKLY and a little ashamedly admit that! I fly off the handle and speak carelessly. I catch myself being infatuated with the “next hot thing” or “hot celebrity” a little too late.

You see our thoughts are important because they are the “true” us. And GOD wants us to take them seriously and to make them holy, acceptable and motivated by HIS Holy Spirit.

Philippians 4:8

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, THINK about these things.

So today will you join me in a little thought capturing?

Philippians 2:5

In your life … think the way Christ Jesus thought.

I “think” things will certainly be better when we do!

I love you all…

Freedom Church

Pastor GDelaney

LOCKED UP

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.

Ever been locked up?

I sadly can say I have had that wonderful pleasure a time or two. 

There is nothing quite like sitting with 2 to 40 of your closest friends in a holding tank while you sleep off or mull over the choices that you just made knowing you have just sacrificed your FREEDOM for something trite and misguided.

And I will admit, whether a night in the "drunk tank" or a weekend in the “treatment alternative” I was so thankful to be “out” once it was over. It reminded me of that 80’s hair-band song, “You Don’t Know What You Got Til It’s Gone.”

Not a fun experience at all.

Yet as I reminisce about all those “good” times I got to thinking. Many of us choose to get “locked up” almost daily.

Bad choices.  Poor judgments. Sin solutions.

We do things, say things, and choose things that damage our FREEDOM in Christ sometimes without even considering the damage; considering the consequences.

Galatians 5:13

...don’t use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom.

But isn’t that true sometimes?  We choose sin over and over again ignoring its fallout and its incarcerating power. Jesus said it this way.

John 8:34

Jesus said, “I tell you most solemnly that anyone who chooses a life of sin is trapped in a dead-end life and is, in fact, a slave. A slave is a transient, who can’t come and go at will.

In other words, sinful choices serve to “lock us up!”

Many times the sin starts small like we covered in Monday’s DISPATCH.  The process starts off subtly with a desire for something. We might give in a little, and the yearning starts growing stronger. At first, our conscience warns us, and we might confess the sin. But we give in again and begin to justify our actions. In time, if this cycle continues, the sting of conscience gradually weakens until we no longer feel it. At that point, we are locked up.

And while we always equate this “locked up condition” to the biggie sins (porn, dope, adultery, and such) all sin eventually locks us up!

It damages emotions, divides the mind, instills fear, guilt and insecurity, and creates hopelessness.

But I have GOOD NEWS today.  I know the ONE who has the keys to this lock up and HIS NAME IS JESUS! His TRUTH can set us FREE!

John 8:32

He said…“If you keep and obey My Word, then you are My followers for sure. You will know the truth and the truth will make you free.”

Praise God—Jesus can UNLOCK the doors to our sinful cells!

John 8:36

…if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.

So today evaluate those choices you are making.  Do they advance this FREE LIFE Jesus has promised or are they just tickets to the lock up?

Choose FREEDOM today!

 

I love you all…

Freedom Church

 

THE SMALL STUFF

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.

“Don’t sweat the small stuff.”

Richard Carlson wrote a book with that title some years back and on many levels the title and the content make sense. We shouldn’t allow the little annoyances of life to dictate our moods or our happiness. Sometimes we do let things like a wait in the drive thru, an ill-timed traffic jam or an unexpected shower on our picnic to derail a whole day. We need to be more patient and understanding when it comes to those little inconveniences.

But Pastor Brent of AHOP made an interesting little point in his talk yesterday. He reminded all of us that we need to be careful of those “SMALL SINS” in our lives. In other words little sins ARE “SMALL STUFF we SHOULD sweat.”

And I see where he is coming from!

A little thorn can cause much suffering. A small cloud may hide the sun. Tiny foxes spoil the vineyards; and little sins do mischief to the tender heart.

Song of Solomon 2:15

…the little foxes that ruin the vineyards

These small sins burrow in the soul and fill it with what is counter to Christ. Little sins interrupt and introduce strain to an otherwise comfortable fellowship with Jesus. Little sins are like bacteria or mold. They can sour our spirituality or spoil our walk in no time at all.

And while no sin has the power to overwhelm us…

(1 John 4:4

…who is in you, is greater than the devil, who is in the world.)

…the erosion caused by our “little sins” can make things miserable and unsettling for sure.

So we need to be on the lookout for these little sins, we need to SWEAT this type of “small stuff”.

Watch for them.

Maybe there is a little gossip about a co-worker circulating the office. Avoid it!

Maybe a little white lie would serve your immediate purpose. Try the truth instead.

Maybe that little harmless flirtation you have been entertaining wants to go to the next level. End it.

GOD wants us to be “all in” with Him, even when it comes to the “small stuff”.

Remember that old saying? “The devil is in the details?” Well that applies here. The devil is cunning and sneaky in his approach as well as incredibly patient. If he can get you to ignore those “little sins”, those cute little foxes, those details, he will methodically chip away at your relationship with Jesus. And any sin left unchecked can be devastating!

James 1:15

Sin grows up to adulthood, and becomes a real killer.

So be careful today my friends and keep an eye out and an ear perked for those little foxes; those small sins.

1 John 3:5

…sin is a major disruption of God’s order... No one who lives deeply in Christ makes a practice of sin.

Not even “small ones”.

I love you all…

Freedom Church

Pastor GDelaney

Yeses and No's

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.

Why do I say yes when I need to say no?

Struggle with that? I sometimes do. Always makes me think of this passage.

Romans 7:18-19

I want to do the things that are good, but I do not do them. I do not do the good things I want to do, but I do the bad things I do not want to do.

In other words saying yes when a no would be the right answer and visa verse.

So what should we do when those “yeses” surface when a no should take the lead?

First, stay focused on God's purposes and not your own. Often these little quandaries come with a familiar temptation or a desire to “serve ourselves”. If you have a GOD focus throughout the day, perhaps setting little reminders here and there (sticky note in the car, a devotional by the computer) then when you encounter temptation, you'll see those temptations more clearly as a distraction from GOD and a dangerous diversion from more important and healthy activities!

Psalm 119:1-3

Great blessings belong to those who live pure lives!

They follow the Lord’s teachings.

2 Great blessings belong to those who follow his rules!

They seek him with all their heart.

3 They don’t do wrong.

They follow his ways.

Second, seek a little accountability. It is amazing what a quick text or phone call can do to “reset” the mind and action! Set up some time with some trusted companions for “realness”. My buddy Tom Thompson is a huge proponent of “getting it out there so GOD can heal it!”

James 5:16

So always tell each other the wrong things you have done. Then pray for each other. Do this so that God can heal you. Anyone who lives the way God wants can pray, and great things will happen.

Talk with them regularly and honestly about how you're doing. Confess times you've given into temptation and ask them to pray for you when you know you'll be encountering temptation in the future.

Lastly, be honest with yourself.

Separate your needs from your desires. Ask God to help you recognize what you truly need and what is merely something that you want. Don't let "wants" become so urgent that you lose your perspective on them, paving the way for you to try to obtain your desires in wrong ways.

Galatians 5:16

So I tell you, live the way the Spirit leads you. Then you will not do the evil things your sinful self wants.

Remember my friends that all temptations on earth are temporary. Focus on what is eternal - your relationship with God. Then you will start to learn when “yeses should be yeses and when no’s should be no’s!”

James 4:7

So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud NO to the Devil and watch him scamper. Say a quiet YES to God and he’ll be there in no time.

Have a blessed weekend!

I love you all…

Freedom Church

Pastor GDelaney

SELFISH SILLINESS

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 is easy to lose perspective some days isn’t it?

When life is flowing along beautiful and breezily it is easy to be grateful and steady; it’s easy to recognize GOD and extol about His goodness and mercy. But let things get a little out of frame and WATCH OUT!

Perspective changes.

Grumbling begins.

Ungratefulness replaces gratitude and bitterness bumps blessing right out of the way.

I had a little day like that; yesterday in fact.

I wanted to have a day off. I wanted to do some stuff for me. I wanted to play golf with a friend. I wanted to maybe even grab a nice lunch.

Then I didn’t get to do any of it and I got “pouty” and “grumbly” and “whiny” and (insert your favorite unpleasant adjective here…)

How "SILLY" is that? And no I can't blame it on the heat!

However did you notice the BIG problem with my “plan for yesterday”? It was way too focused on what?

“I”. Me!

The day was going to be all about me and then GOD and a few "untimely circumstances" decided to make it about some others and “I”wasn’t happy about it.

Again, how SILLY is that? But I couldn't see that yesterday. No way. No how.

But thanks to some new mercies and a little sleep I can see this morning just how silly all of that “I” nonsense really is and was.

So today instead of “crying over spilt milk”, I decided to ask GOD to remove that selfish defect from my character and reset my view. And you know what HE did?

He stepped in and changed my perpective!

He reminded me of all my blessings and that gratitude, not grumbling, is expected!

1 Thessalonians 5:18

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

He reminded me that I am here to be a blessing to others.

1 Peter 3:9-10

…bless—that’s your job, to bless. You’ll be a blessing and also get a blessing. Whoever wants to embrace life and see the day fill up with good, Here’s what you do...Snub evil and cultivate good

The lesson for me (and maybe you as well) is when life or God does something that we don't like (like messing up our “day off docket”), instead of grumbling and complaining, pause and get HIS take on the matter. For while WE make plans, GOD has the last word after all.

Proverbs 16:1

Mortals make elaborate plans, but God has the last word.

It is probable that there is a greater purpose for that day than catering to you.

Then after seeking His perspective and listening for Him, you will perhaps learned what I did this morning; to be grateful and trusting; to trade selfishness for service and be willing to TRUST HIM with the day and accept His wise choices in all things.

For when we pause get "GOD's TAKE" our perspective will change, we will be able to see the signs of His goodness everywhere, we will remember WHOSE we are and what we are designed for and all that selfish grumbling will then just seem...“silly”.

I love you all…

Freedom Church

Pastor GDelaney

NEVER TOO HOT

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.

Hot enough for you?

Don’t you hate when it is as hot as the surface of the sun outside and an old timer says that? You just roll your eyes? I know I do. I will be honest; I DO NOT like summer heat AT ALL. Once the mercury surpasses 85 or so, I am ready for fall.

Ask my kids.

They call me the “furnace”. In the winter time I will awaken in my bed to discover a couple of cold feet and nose nuzzled up trying to get warm. When I ask what is going on, they say they needed to get some “furnace time”.

Yep my kids are weird. You don’t have to tell me.

But I would dare to say none of us like it when it is too hot do we? When the heat and humidity get the sweat glands working at 8am?

I know I don’t.

But even I prefer that type of heat any day to what I will call “LIFE'S HEAT”. You know what I am talking about right?

Those days when life turns up the heat with circumstances, challenges, trials, troubles and stress; when deadlines, and commitments are cranking up the temperature.

Hard to find joy when life feels like a 100 degree day?

And while we may not have central air to combat the natural heat of summer, GOD most certainly provides a way to beat "LIFE’S HEAT!"

Acts 3:20

…times of refreshment will come from the presence of the Lord…

GOD will provide the relief from life’s oppressive heat. When we are feeling the effects of life’s challenges GOD says come to Him and He promises help, refreshment, relief and rest!

Hebrews 4:16

Let us go with complete trust to the throne of God. We will receive His loving-kindness and have His loving-favor to help us whenever we need it.

Jeremiah 17:7-8

“But blessed is the man who trusts me, God, the woman who sticks with God. They’re like trees replanted in Eden, putting down roots near the rivers— Never a worry through the hottest of summers, never dropping a leaf, Serene and calm through droughts, bearing fresh fruit every season.

Isn’t that wonderful truth!

Regardless how hot things might get. Regardless of how oppressive the heat may feel. In spite of feeling like there is no end to the “heat wave” in sight, GOD is always there offering help whenever we need it not to mention a refreshing and continuous flow of blessing! How do I know? It says so!

So the next time someone says, “Hot enough for you?”

Say, “Maybe for me, but never for GOD.”

Stay cool. Be blessed!

I love you all…

Freedom Church

Pastor GDelaney