APPROVAL ENOUGH

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 SAYS:

“I know your value; I see you’re potential. You may not understand everything you are going through right now. But hold your head up high, knowing that I AM in control and I HAVE a great plan and purpose for your life…

Your dreams may not be turning out exactly as you’d hoped, but MY WORD says that MY ways are better and higher than your ways, even when everybody else rejects you, remember, I AM STILL  standing with arms open wide….

I always accept you.

I always confirm your value.

You are MY prized possession. No matter what you go through in life, no matter how many disappointments you suffer, your value in MY eyes always remains the same.

You will always be the apple of MY eye. I will never give up on you, so don’t give up on yourself.” – Adapted from Joel Osteen…

As a diagnosed “approval addict” this sort of approval from the LORD is so crucial for me.  I teeter and struggle daily with my battle to “find approval” from others.  I have to listen daily to the “disapproval” of so many.

“What do you mean you can’t?”  “You are not working hard enough on MY stuff.” “Your program is ineffective just look at how so and so went back to using dope.” “It’s not my problem you are out of funding, what about MY issue?” "You need to DO better."

I know it is SILLY to listen to all the disapproval's when I know that the only approval I need comes from GOD.  But I am human and some days the struggle is very real.  It can even be discouraging; even cause me to want to cash out entirely on all of the work.

Am I alone here?

Or do you struggle with comparisons or with how other’s view and receive you as well?  Do you have anxiety when you feel like you are letting someone else down or not measuring up to “THEIR standard of the moment”? 

Well if you are like me, go back and RE-READ that little excerpt and rest assured…GOD approves of us. And that is all the approval we need.

Realize that the enemy, culture and our surroundings will do everything possible to cloud that vision creating questions like:

Are we pretty enough? Fashionable enough? Smart enough? Caring enough? Resourced enough? Likable enough? Doing enough? Invested enough? Thorough enough?

Therefore when we feel like we are not good enough, we should remember that God’s love is greater than our doubts and our detractors. We must silence the sounds of condemnation and comparisons so we can hear the voice of God’s loving assurance. We must remember that He has selected us to be part of His family. That will ALWAYS serve to put us back on track and re-energize us to the calling He has for us!

So will you join me today and make a concerted effort to listen to GOD?

1 John 3:1-3 (VOICE)

Consider the kind of extravagant love the Father has lavished on us—He calls us children of God! It’s true; we are His beloved children. And in the same way the world didn’t recognize Him, the world does not recognize us either.

You catch that?  The world WON’T RECOGNIZE us, so why do we need it's approval?  I know…easily said…not so easily done.

And GOD goes on to share through John:

My loved ones, we have been adopted into God’s family; and we are officially His children now.

So if I am child of GOD, why do I need to worry about anything or anyone else's approval?

I don't. Neither do you.

For GOD says:

Jeremiah 31:3

…I’ve never quit loving you and never will.  Expect love, love, and more love!

And THAT alone is “APPROVAL” enough for today.

 

I love you all.

Freedom Church

 

Pastor GDelaney

TAKE THE LEAP

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 let your fears erode the confidence God wants to give you to embrace life to the fullest every day. The danger of missing out on living fully is often much greater than the risk that comes from stepping out in faith. – STEVEN FURTICK

Don’t know if I am dating myself a little but do you remember the movie “Indian Jones and the LAST CRUSADE”? It was the THIRD installment with Harrison Ford and Sean Connery. In that film they were searching for the CUP of CHRIST.  And after lots of hair-raising adventures and tests Indy came to a huge chasm with no “human” way to cross.

He desperately wanted to reach the other side where the prized grail lay, only to realize it would take a “LEAP OF FAITH” into the chasm in order to cross. And when he did, suddenly an invisible bridge appeared.  

That bridge provided him access to the treasure he sought.

He never would have achieved his goal or fulfilled the adventure had he not TAKEN THAT “LEAP OF FAITH”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFntFdEGgws

Furtick reminds us today that “missing out” on what GOD has in store for our future and destiny is most times a far greater risk that the apparent “LEAP” to encounter it. 

Yet over and over again the enemy does his best to plant fear and trepidation into our hearts and minds causing us to second guess ourselves or worse yet fail to step forward in obedience to the moments of calling on our lives.

Jillian, one of our Pastor’s at AHOP was sharing a story in staff yesterday about a time when she was presented a “risky opportunity”; whether or not to approach a complete stranger in a crowded arena who was in clear need of CHRIST.  She described her anxiety.  She described being fearful.  She described the voices inside her head that tried their best to get her to ignore the prompting of her spirit to respond.

Thankfully, Jillian took the risk; she took the “LEAP”!  And a scared and unsure individual was given the confidence to ALSO LEAP in faith and accept the LORD!

Truth is from time to time WE ALL need reminded that FEAR is not from GOD…

2 Timothy 1:7

The Spirit God gave us does not make us afraid. His Spirit is a source of power and love...

…and that GOD is truly MOTIVATED by our FAITH! 

Hebrews 11:6 (TLB)

You can never please God without faith, without depending on him. Anyone who wants to come to God must believe that there is a God and that he rewards those who sincerely look for him.

In fact, fear and faith can’t occupy the same space in our hearts and mind.  It is either one or the other.

Often we hear that old adage “keep the faith” thrown around at church and similar circles.  I believe what we should say more often is “have the faith”.  GOD has already provided a SPIRIT that is full of faith and not fear.

So…

Faced with a sticky relationship challenge? “Have the faith” that GOD will provide direction and counsel.

Faced with a new season in life? “Have the faith” to stride into it confidently.

Feeling inadequate for the task in front of you? “Have the faith” to believe you are equipped.

Unsure of that next step? “Have the faith” to take it anyway.

You can!

Matthew 17:20

Jesus told them (and us). “For if you had faith even as small as a tiny mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move!’ and it would go far away. Nothing would be impossible.

Take the LEAP!

I love you all.

Freedom Church

 

Pastor GDelaney

THE GLUE

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.

Colossians 1:16-17

For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

Yesterday at AHOP in Xenia, Pastor Josh was pinch-hitting for Pastor Mark and was sharing from this passage in Colossians.  His context and message was “WHO IS JESUS?” His text included Colossians 1:15-23 from the ESV.  Give it the once over.  It will THOROUGHLY answer the question he posed.

Yet it was when Josh covered verse 17, reminding us that CHRIST is the “glue” that holds us together, that I took down a little note. I was reminded of a little talk shared by LOUIS GIGLIO regarding laminin.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0-NPPIeeRk

For those of you who have never heard this talk or have a clue to what I am talking about, laminin is a cell adhesion molecule shaped like a cross. It holds our cells together.  Check out the link to Louis he explains it a little more.  

It will mess you up.  I put a little diagram of laminin below.

 

You see “the glue” inside of us that “holds us together” is shaped like a cross.  

And according to COLOSSIANS it was the one who hung on the CROSS that SPIRITUALLY holds us together!

We are fearfully and wonderfully made aren’t we?

No happenstance here!

Psalm 139:14

…we are fearfully and wonderfully made.

OUR GOD is truly amazing.  He desires to HOLD US together on every level; physically and most importantly spiritually and he does it all with a CROSS.

Psalm 121:7 (MSG)

…He (GOD) guards your very life…He guards you now, He guards you always.

Life is chaotic at its best.

So many things, relationships, finances, family, bitterness, rivalries, conflicts and confusion all seek to tear us apart.  BUT GOD in His infinite wisdom and love KNOWS this and HE has provided exactly what we need to “HOLD EVERYTHING” together.

JESUS

Will you trust HIM today to “keep you together” on every level?

 

I love you all.

Freedom Church

 

Pastor GDelaney

PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE

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 found ourselves with about 90 minutes of unscheduled time last night and went out for a little Xenia China Inn.  Good dinner. Good conversation. Sadly our dinners become more like government briefings sometimes.  We hadn’t talked for a few days so our dining dialogue was more like a briefer; catching up on all the past week’s events and the coming weeks to do’s.  Despite the updates, it was still nice to spend a minute together.

And as with all of our “authentic” (tongue firmly planted in cheek) Chinese food in America, we were served the “fortune cookie” at the close.

Beth’s said something about her winning personality and charm being able to influence many.  Not too far off.

Mine however said:

“Practice is the best of all instructions”.

I slipped it into my pocket and brought it home.  That is some good truth.

I mean we have all heard that old line from the movies, “How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice.”

Made me think…”How do we get closer to the Lord?  Practice, practice, practice!”

Philippians 4:8-9

Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. PUT INTO PRACTICE what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.

Catch that?

GOD will begin to work our lives into HIS HARMONY when we PRACTICE what has been shown us and taught to us.  GOD will bless our lives when we PRACTICE truth, PRACTICE grace, and PRACTICE good work.

"Practice what we preach".  There is it again!

Practice implies that we are “doing” for the LORD.  That goes so much further than just being good “talkers” and not so good “walkers” doesn’t it?

1 Corinthians 15:58 (NLT)

Always WORK enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.

In other words put into PRACTICE those things GOD has inspired you to do.

So lets:

Practice LOVE today.

Practice PEACE today.

Practice PATIENCE today.

Practice DISCIPLINE today.

For as our wonderful fortune cookie philosopher pointed out, to practice is the best of all instruction.

“You are what you practice most.” ― Richard Carlson

“For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them.”  ― Aristotle

I love you all.

Freedom Church

 

Pastor GDelaney

LOOK WHO'S LOOKING OUT

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.

Matthew 6:25-28 (V)

Look at the birds in the sky. They do not store food for winter. They don’t plant gardens. They do not sow or reap—and yet, they are always fed because your heavenly Father feeds them. And you are even more precious to Him than a beautiful bird. If He looks after them, of course He will look after you.

GOOD WORD this morning…

GOD is looking after you.

Isaiah 41:10 (ESV)

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Philippians 4:19 (MSG)

You can be sure that God will take care of everything you need…

Life and the enemy have a way of creating doubt about GOD’s care; His “looking out” for us don’t they?

Sometimes it is too much month and not enough money that gets us to worrying.

Other times it is that less than sympathetic boss who makes us feel under-valued and unappreciated.

Maybe it comes in the form of a relationship that is souring or cooling for apparently no good reason and we are confused.

Never forget... the enemy is wonderful at worry.

He plants seeds of doubt about GOD’s provision in our heads constantly.  He pours lie after lie regarding GOD’s providence and love for us via whatever channels necessary.  He spends his day drawing up doubt as to the FATHER’S love for us.

But make no mistake GOD never stops looking out for you.  He said so.

So we can rest in that truth.

Does that mean that “stuff” is not going to happen to us? NO!

GOD will often use the challenges in our lives to bring us CLOSER to Him, to inspire us to DEPEND on Him more thoroughly because He IS LOOKING OUT for us and our best interests at all times.

That means He WILL often correct us BECAUSE HE loves us!  He will often chide us because HE IS LOOKING out for us!

Proverbs 3:12

It’s the child he loves that God corrects; a father’s delight is behind all this.

I believe sometimes we need reminded just how deeply GOD is invested in us. As simple as it seems it is easily forgotten.

For while there will be days when we may question His loyalty and His engagement, make no mistake GOD VALUES you.  HE VALUES your relationship with HIM.  He LOVES the time you spend together. HE LOVES being called upon in challenge and crisis. He LOVES you!

“The great thing to remember is that though our feelings come and go God's love for us does not.”

― C.S. Lewis

So step into today fearlessly and worry-free!

GOD is looking out for you!

 

I love you all.

Freedom Church

 

Pastor GDelaney

SIMPLY SEEK

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.

Ephesians 5:15 (AMP)

Live purposefully and worthily and accurately, not as the unwise and witless, but as wise (sensible, intelligent people)…

You have the opportunity right now to “set your mind” for the day ahead.  You do.

GOD is encouraging us to “be purposeful”.

GOD is encouraging us to “be wise”.

The day ahead could be littered with potholes and problems and it is up to us to make wise decisions and seek His counsel for how to choose the proper path while swerving to miss the ruts as we journey.

And here is some wonderful news. GOD is ready to help!

PROVERBS 8:32-33
Blessed the man, blessed the woman, who listens to me (GODLY WISDOM), awake and ready for me each morning, alert and responsive as I start my day’s work. When you find me, you find life, real life…

I probably was engaged in no less than five conversations over the course of yesterday that began with disparate problems, yet ended with the same solution. 

That solution was to SEEK GOD.

For one the problem was financial.

Solution: Seek GOD and trust His provision.

For another the problem was relational.

Solution: Seek GOD and trust His counsel.

For another the problem was internal.

Solution: Seek GOD and trust His faithfulness.

Problem after problem…all very different…all very personal yet all were addressed and helped by the same simple message.  Seek GOD first.

Now I know for most who read this little blog each day, this is an elementary notion; a very simple and obvious encouragement.  But be truthful, it is one that is frequently forgotten.

Often life’s busyness causes us to jump into our days without seeking proper counsel from the Lord. That is not being WISE as instructed is it? Often the crisis’ we face serve to cloud or blot GOD out from sight.  Often our personal pities push our sights inward rather than upward.

Then often the problem magnifies.

Truth is GOD loves to be sought.  He does.  He gets excited when His children come to Him with their problems and challenges, trusting Him to be the marvelous Father that He is.

Proverbs 8:17

I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me.

Yet often we stop seeking and start “solving” without Him.

So let’s not do that today.  Let’s seek Him first.

Be it for counsel or affirmation.  Be it for comfort or provision.

Be it for guidance and direction.

Let’s SEEK GOD and allow Him to guide us to the solution to whatever the “problem” may be!

Psalm 119

Give me insight so I can do what you tell me— my whole life one long, obedient response.

...Give me a bent for your words of wisdom,

For as simple as it seems, that is still the best answer to every problem.

 

I love you all.

Freedom Church

 

Pastor GDelaney

FINDING FUN IN FRUSTRATIONS

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 am usually pretty open in this forum about my struggles.  Today is no exception.  I have been frustrated.  I will go one step further; really frustrated. 

I’m sure you know the feeling.  I am confident I am not alone.  These are frustrating times we live in for sure.  So I went looking for a little help with it in hopes that the frustrations would start to fade.

Found this little nugget.

Isaiah 26:3 (NIV)

You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.

There hasn’t been much “peace” in my spirit the last few weeks.

For example we broke a record for the number of people who are on our local homeless waiting list this week.  Then for good measure we added 4 more yesterday.  That will rob you of you peace.

I mean I am sure there are situations and circumstances in your life where the problem is bigger than you and there is no perceived relief available.  Yet the WORD tells us to remain steadfast and to trust and GOD will bring “perfect peace”.  Not an easy task.

Yet the WORD also says in 1 Corinthians 13:5 that…

Love is not easily angered…

So if we are operating our days in love and grace, then we should be slow to anger and frustration; instead thanking GOD for test in the same way we thank Him for the blessing He pours into our lives.

1 Thessalonians 5:18

In everything give thanks…

But that too is often easier said than done isn’t it?

The truth is you and I don’t have to be thankful for difficult or frustrating situations. 

But we can be thankful IN them.

That frustration, that irritation, that inconvenience, that interruption, or that challenging circumstance may be a blessing or an opportunity in disguise.  It is our job NOT to focus so much on the circumstance but to seek GOD as to the lesson, the ANSWER to the challenge or the strength to see our way through it in love and grace. 

GOD will help.

Psalm 138:3 (NLT)

As soon as I pray, you answer me; you encourage me by giving me strength.

Yesterday Pastor Mark from AHOP here in Xenia encouraged us to MAKE “FUN” of our FAITH.  He wasn’t saying to “put it down” or ridicule it.  The world does enough of that already. Rather Mark was encouraging us to GRAB the JOY of the LORD when at all possible.  To have FUN in our faith!

I will be honest; real honest for a second.

Church for me of late has not been joyful. It has not been fun.  In fact church has become frustrating.

But my wife and Mark are serving to help remind me that the joy of ministry can’t be tied to circumstances and it can’t be navigated in my own strength.  For in this world there is always going to be trouble, chaos, problems and frustration.  Jesus said it Himself. 

Therefore when I am feeling frustrated or can feel the fun being sucked out of the ministry, I need to remember that while happiness is often circumstantial, JOY is supernatural and that JOY has a proven and endless source; THE LORD and fun can be "re-found".

Proverbs 10:28 (ESV)

The hope of the righteous brings joy…

Nehemiah 8:10 (MSG)

…Don’t feel bad. The joy of God is your strength!

So this is another one of those “practice what I preach” moments for me.

I am going to do my best turn my frustrations over to Him this week and allow GOD to replace them with JOY and strength.

You say you need to as well?

Well let's go find the fun again shall we?

I love you all.

Freedom Church

Pastor GDelaney