SOME PEOPLE CHANGE

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.

“He/She will NEVER change.”

“He is just like his old man, mean and rotten to the core.”

“Looks like she got more than her mama’s eyes, she got her appetites too.”

Do you ever find yourself doing that?

Evaluating others? Pigeonholing? Writing others off as lost causes?

It is hard not to do that sometimes; especially when those we are watching seem “so stuck in their muck”.

But the reality is that some people do change and we are to pray for that change and not settle for the sin.

Most of you know I am a fan of Michael English. His story is quite extraordinary. I highly recommend “The Prodigal Comes Home” for anyone seeking inspiration and hope.

Back in October he released a new project called “Some People Change”. The title track is a cover of the Montgomery Gentry release.

I wanted to share the lyric with you this morning…

His old man was a rebel yeller:

Bad boy to the bone.

He'd say: "Can't trust that other fella,"

He'd judge 'em by the tone of their skin.

He was raised to think like his Dad:

Narrow mind full of hate.

On the road to no-where fast,

Till the Grace of God got in the way.

Then he saw the Light an' hit his knees an' cried an' said a prayer:

Rose up a brand new man; left the old one right there.

Here's to the strong; thanks to the brave.

Don't give up hope: some people change.

Against all odds, against the grain,

Love finds a way: some people change.

She was born with her mother's habit:

You could say: "It's in her blood."

She hates that she's gotta have it:

As she fills her glass up.

An she'd love to kill that bottle,

But all she can think about,

Is a, a better life, a second chance,

An' everyone she's letting down.

She throws that bottle down.

Here's to the strong; thanks to the brave.

Don't give up hope: some people change.

Against all odds, against the grain,

Love finds a way: some people change.

Thank God for those who make it:

Let them be the Light.

Perhaps there is someone in your life whom you have written off as“unchangeable” or “destined to be stuck”.

Maybe today instead of cashing out on them or “checking the box”labeled lost cause, pause and say a little prayer for them.

Because with GOD’s help and a little prayer...Love finds a way: some people change.

2 Timothy 2…

(JOIN) those who are in honest and serious prayer before God…working firmly but patiently with those who refuse to obey. You never know how or when God might sober them up with a change of heart and a turning to the truth, enabling them to escape the Devil’s trap, where they are caught and held captive, forced to run his errands.

I love you all!

Be blessed today…

Freedom Church

Pastor GDelaney

Stay the Course Part Deux

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.

Pastor Josh Robinson, a staff colleague at AHOP, shared a little talk yesterday, “Stay the Course”

It made me think of Paul’s encouragement to Timothy to do the same.

2 Timothy 4:5

But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

In other words, "STAY THE COURSE"!

Over the course of his ministry, Paul became keenly aware of the importance of “staying the course”; of perseverance and of resolve. We need to take heed from both he and Josh today and ask ourselves...

...do we know the how to stay the course?

Simple answer.

Keep looking to Jesus.

Paul had a handle on this...

Philippians 3:13-14

13 Brothers and sisters, I know that I still have a long way to go. But there is one thing I do: I forget what is in the past and try as hard as I can to reach the goal before me. 14 I keep running hard toward the finish line to get the prize that is mine because God has called me through Christ Jesus to life up there in heaven.

WE ALL have a long way to go don't we?

We are going to face obstacles, challenges and roadblocks along the way. That is just the nature of life. And yes we are ALL far from perfect, but we can be confident that GOD’s Word, our relationship with Him and an intentional resolve to “stay on course” will serve to “KEEP us on course” to the finish!

As Josh said yesterday it takes discipline and hard work. It takes picking ourselves up, dusting ourselves off, and starting over when we blow it. It takes being willing to stay on course even when we are literally pulled off the track!

Hebrews 12:1-2

Let us put every thing out of our lives that keeps us from doing what we should. Let us keep running in the race that God has planned for us. 2 Let us keep looking to Jesus. Our faith comes from Him and He is the One Who makes it perfect. He did not give up when He had to suffer shame and die on a cross. He knew of the joy that would be His later. Now He is sitting at the right side of God.

So let’s keep short accounts with God. Confess our sins quickly. Get back on the track as soon as possible each time we slip!

Proverbs 24:16

…for though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again,

Remember the goal isn't to focus on the path or to try and find our way; instead, we're to fix our eyes on Jesus. He is not only our guide but also our destination. And He will welcome us home with open arms after we have STAYED THE COURSE and crossed into eternity.

Thanks Josh!

Thanks Jesus!

I love you all!

Freedom Church

Pastor GDelaney

HATE? NOPE...JUST LOVE!

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.

“GOD hates me”.

“The car wouldn’t start. The questions on the test weren’t fair. My boss is intolerable. I slipped on the ice and cracked a rib. Nothing is going right.”

“I know GOD must hate me.”

Come on silly rabbit that couldn’t be any farther from the truth.

I know there are times when we think that way. And the truth is we do have bad days and unforeseen challenges.

Truth is our bosses have bad days and the road crews get behind.  The truth is we sometimes are unprepared and things break down.

But the real truth is this!

GOD doesn’t hate you.

The truth is when things go bonkers it certainly is not an indicator of GOD’s love for us.  Rather it is an indicator of just how broken this place truly is.

Isaiah 24:5

5 The people of the earth have ruined it,

So regardless of how messed up things may be or seem, one thing is most certainly true, nothing, absolutely nothing can stand in the way of GOD’s love for us!

Romans 8:38-39

Yes, I am sure that nothing can separate us from God’s love—not death, life, angels, or ruling spirits. I am sure that nothing now, nothing in the future, no powers, nothing above us or nothing below us—nothing in the whole created world—will ever be able to separate us from the love God has shown us in Christ Jesus our Lord.

It is GOD’s nature to love us, never hate us...

1 John 4:8

…because God is love.

So when things are going a little south or life is dealing some difficult blows, don’t be tempted to utter that GOD hates you.  Instead move your attention from the challenging circumstance and focus it on the one who LOVES you fully, completely, unconditionally and eternally and be grateful!

1 Chronicles 16:34

Give thanks to the Lord because he is good. His faithful love will last forever.

 

I love you all.

Have a blessed weekend!

Freedom Church

 

 

Pastor GDelaney

FIRST THINGS FIRST

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 those clichés we hear all the time right?

Six one a half dozen another.

Two wrongs don’t make a right.

An apple a day keeps the doctor away.

You know what I am talking about, those “truisms” that someone quoted a long time ago and they continue to creep into language today.

A bird in the hand in worth two in the bush.  I have even eaten dinner in a place called Bird-in-Hand Pennsylvania.  

So these truisms are pretty solid indeed.

Here is another one.  FIRST THINGS FIRST.

A LOOOONG time ago I participated in a FRANKLIN PLANNER TIME MANAGEMENT class. My old dear boss Tim was a fanatical disciple of the FRANKLIN PLANNER.  He desperately wanted me on the team when it came to the little book.  Sadly, and any of you who know me, formal organization is not my strong suit by any stretch.  But one thing I did learn from the class was the use of A1’s.

And no I am not talking about the delicious steak sauce.  If you have ever used a FRANKLIN PLANNER they encourage you to “prioritize” your day by using little codes. 

A1 meant it needs to get done before anything else in the day; it held highest priority.  B2 might be something that you want to get accomplished after lunch.  C3 might be one of those things that needs done, but can wait.

A1’s were FIRST THING FIRST “THINGS”.

And that got me to thinking today about this verse.

Matthew 6:33

33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness

GOD crafted the truism of FIRST THINGS FIRST.  It is important to Him.

But we often forget about this part of the verse so we can get to the part that WE LIKE!

…and all these things will be given to you as well.

We often get so focused on “all the things we can get” that we forget that GOD must come first.

The secret to receiving God's blessing in life is to put His Kingdom first, AND THEN everything else will be added to you. 

Seems awfully simple, but the truth is we rarely get that right.

Instead we try to translate the verse to:

“GOD I need “XYZ”, now I will seek you so you can give it to me”.

Backwards huh? Instead of seeking GOD first then waiting, WE decided to take first place and lay out our NEEDS to GOD then go and SEEK Him for the payoff.

However we should never underestimate the power of obedience.  When we obey God and get our priorities in line, it unlocks and releases incredible blessings in our life.

Bayless Conley puts it this way,

“When we put the spiritual above the material, when we put the cause and the mission of God's Kingdom before our own personal desires, it will cause things to be added to our lives.”

I like that!

Peterson says, “Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative...”  That is truly putting GOD above the material!  In other words GOD is your A1 each and every day!  No exceptions!

So let’s give this a go.  I know it seems so simple, but do we really practice it?

If your not sure how to kick it off or get started, Paul lays it out pretty simply...

Before anything else:

Romans 12:2

First of all, let Him give you a new mind. Then you will know what God wants you to do. And the things you do will be good and pleasing and perfect.

In others words, start with GOD; SEEK HIM FIRST and leave rest to Him.

And for you FRANKLIN PLANNER buffs your entry for each day is:

A1 SEEK GOD FIRST  (Tim would be so proud )

I love you all.

Freedom Church

 

 

Pastor GDelaney

PURPOSE

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 spent a little time recently with a good friend. He is a new friend, but a good friend nonetheless. He is experiencing great change in his life; getting older, working on staying clean and sober, making some new acquaintances, dealing with some old “stuff” too. His life is in a little...“flux”.

And as we shared a soda and chatted he dropped the “toughie” question on me.

“What is my purpose?”

Surprisingly I get this a lot from folks emerging from addiction. But you don’t have to have been addicted in order to wrestle with purpose. That is one of those big nebulous concepts that is hard to wrap our head's around for sure. And I will be brutally honest, I have "no" real good answer for that question.

But GOD does provide some clarity.

Ephesians 2:10

God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us to do good works, which God planned in advance for us to live our lives doing.

Not quite so nebulous after all.

I believe when we get “stuck” on this question of purpose we must remember what GOD said.

GOD tells us HE MADE US WHAT WE ARE and we should trust Him to reveal our TRUE purpose in life.

Therefore, I encourage you to unpack that verse when you are stuck wondering what “to do next” in life or when you can’t quite figure out the “why’s” in your life.

Remember all of us were created in Christ Jesus for good works; planned in advance for JUST US. Each and every one of us has been given SPECIAL GIFTS, SPECIAL TALENTS and UNIQUE DNA to do something ONLY WE CAN DO! And only GOD truly knows what that is.

The Knox Translation says it this way...

Ephesians 2:10

We are His design. God has created us in Christ Jesus, pledged to such good actions as He has prepared beforehand to be the employment of our lives.

Each and every one of us was designed with a unique purpose, and that is what we should chat about with GOD when we are perplexed by our purpose.

The fact is we are not alone when it comes to the question. Paul wrestled with the same thing and he came to an interesting conclusion.

Philippians 3:12

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.

Paul realized that our best plan was GOD's plan and we should REACH FOR IT continuously!

So if you are in the same boat as my buddy, a little overwhelmed or confused by this whole “purpose” thing, pause and seek GOD for direction. HE has made it clear that HE hand-crafted a special "good" purpose in you.

Instead of trying to figure it out on your own ask GOD to open your eyes to HIS plan for your life and then keep those eyes fixed on Him; pursue Him!

He wll show you!

He promised!

Psalm 16:11

You will show me the way of life...



I love you all.

Freedom Church





Pastor GDelaney

FINE? NO, BLESSED!

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.

"How are you doing today?"

“FINE” you say?

I remember George Carlin saying that only HAIR was “fine”.

However we do love to convince everyone that we are “fine” don’t we?

Kind of like this old pirate…

A pirate walked into a bar and the bartender said, "Hey, I haven't seen you in a while. What happened? You look terrible".

What do you mean?" said the pirate, "I feel fine"

"What about the wooden leg? You didn't have that before."

"Well, we were in a battle and I got hit with a cannon ball, but I’m fine now".

"Well, ok, but what about that hook? What happened to your hand?"

"We were in another battle. I boarded a ship and got into a sword fight. My hand was cut off. I got fitted with a hook. I'm fine, really".

"What about that eye patch?"

"Oh, one day we were at sea and a flock of birds flew over I looked up and one of them pooped in my eye".

"You're kidding," said the bartender, "you couldn't lose an eye just from some bird doo-doo?"

"It was my first day with the hook"

Not too "fine" after all huh?

How's about today instead of answering with the usual “fine”, we take a page from a good friend of mine, GAGA (and yes she was GAGA way before Lady GAGA).

My "GAGA" is in her 90’s and without fail, GAGA answers the old “how you doing question with”…

“I AM BLESSED.”

Why? She knows she is blessed! And guess what? So ARE WE!

We are WAY WAY more than just fine!

Those of us in CHRIST have been and continue to be blessed amazingly each day!

So we can't just settle for "fine" can we?

Proverbs 10:6

The godly are showered with blessings

Ephesians 1:3

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.

So today if someone asks you the old “how are you doing”, shock them a little! Take a page from my sweet dear GAGA and give them an “I'M BLESSED”.

Maybe they will ask you why and you can give them a little glimpse of GOD and His blessings!

Psalm 31:19

Lord, you have hidden away many wonderful things for your followers.You have done so many good things for those who trust in you.

You have blessed them so that all the world can see.

BE BLESSED!

Freedom Church

Pastor GDelaney

TAKE THAT, Life!

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.

Sure is easy to forget that whole “coming to Jesus”moment sometimes isn't it?

Can you remember it this morning?

Was it at a camp meeting? A revival? A special service? Or maybe you were like me and it just sort of happened one Sunday night out of nowhere.

And man oh man wasn’t that day awesome?

You never felt more alive! You had great plans! You suddenly felt fresh and new and vibrant! It was you and Jesus and life was going to be so much different.

Right?

Then what happened?

Life decided to not cooperate.

Life decided to be its old cantankerous self. It clearly decided to ignore the memo that you were now on Jesus’ team and that meant things were to change. Roads were to be smoother. Situations that once were complicated were now to be less complex.

You were to wake up surrounded by puppy dogs, rainbows, unicorns and little fresh faced cartoon characters singing as they brought you the morning paper and a delicious magical muffin.

It didn't quite go that way did it?

Truth is, Jesus never said life would be easy. In fact, He said it would get tougher when we decided to follow Him.

Luke 6:25

And its trouble ahead if you think life’s all fun and games. There’s suffering to be met, and you’re going to meet it.

But pay close attention to the close of that little passage. He acknowledges that LIFE WILL BE TOUGH, but He also acknowledges that by sticking with Him and engaging the power that our decision to follow Him has given us, WE WOULD (past tense!) meet the challenges of life!

Paul confirmed it!

2 Corinthians 10:3

The world is unprincipled. It’s dog-eat-dog out there! The world doesn’t fight fair. But we don’t live or fight our battles that way—never have and never will. The tools of our trade aren’t for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture. We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God…

So re-energize this morning! Don’t let LIFE diminish your enthusiasm or that passion you experienced when you first stepped out in faith and accepted Jesus!

He is there! Bigger and better than ever; freely equipping you for WHATEVER life my throw at you today!

2 Corinthians 4:17

God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us.

How do you like THAT, life?

Have a blessed weekend…

Freedom Church

Pastor GDelaney