ON THE GRID

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.

Back on the grid.

For many it seems the minute they decide to repent and ask GOD to turn things around, life seems to get even tougher.

At FREEDOM we call that coming “back on the grid”.

You see when we were actively swimming in our sinful and selfish nature, locked in addiction or embracing daily disobedience, the enemy doesn't have to do much to keep us on his team.

Yet when we have a change of heart, when we decide that a life of active disobedience and sin is not for us and we repent and seek GOD, we pop back up on the enemy’s radar. Don’t doubt me on this one. I have seen it happen first hand.

I have witnessed someone accept Jesus on a Monday and before they leave the parking lot, their dope contact that they haven’t heard from in months will blow up their phone.

I was in the home of a couple who had emerged from a long battle with heroin and their old drug dealer popped up to the house like the pizza delivery man.

The truth is the devil never rests. He is constantly looking for openings to attack.

1 Peter 5:8

...The devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping.

D.L. Moody used to say, “The devil never kicks a dead horse.”

When God begins to work, the devil isn’t happy about it and will do everything possible to prevent it. Wherever Jesus Christ is magnified, the devil goes to work to stop it from happening.

That is a reality my friends.

Perhaps you have experienced this “on the grid” feeling.

You go to reconcile an estranged relationship and the traffic makes you so angry before you get there that you forgot what you were going to say.

You finally decide to reach out to resolve a long running conflict only to find the other party totally unwilling to take the call.

You do your best to serve another or be benevolent and encounter bitterness, resentments, untruths, or are thrown under the bus for your efforts instead.

What we can’t forget friends is the devil never lets up.

2 Timothy 3:15-16

Anyone who wants to live all out for Christ is in for a lot of trouble; there’s no getting around it. Unscrupulous con men will continue to exploit the faith. They’re as deceived as the people they lead astray. As long as they are out there, things can only get worse.

But don’t let it faze you. Stick with what you learned and believed...

The enemy wants us distracted and wrongly focused in order to keep our eyes off of CHRIST, the source of our strength and hope. He plants seeds of deception to make us question ourselves, misinterpret things or to mislead us.

We must daily prepare for these sorts of things. They will come from many sources; strangers, circumstances, colleagues maybe even friends and family.

So…

Ephesians 6:13-15

Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long…

So my friends get ready. You are likely "on the grid" today.

Remember your prayer, the Word, and that GOD is there to help!

Have a blessed weekend.

I love you all.

Freedom Church

Pastor GDelaney