J.R. Lee

Pastor of @FreedomChurch

[J.R. Lee @Jrlee]

When it makes sense, God is in control. When it doesn't make sense, God is still in control.

[J.R. Lee @Jrlee]

@GabyUrrutia247 Touchdown. Unreal

[J.R. Lee @Jrlee]

What a privilege. What a responsibility. VOTE.

[J.R. Lee @Jrlee]

@RapBibleApp 💯💯💯

[J.R. Lee @Jrlee]

I found a $20 bill behind the building. Normally, thats not something I’d post about. But the timing got my attention.

This morning, I prayed boldly and specifically for God to do something BIG in the area of financial provision. Something only He could get the glory for.

[J.R. Lee @Jrlee]

The $20 wasn’t the answer to my prayer. But it felt like a reminder from the One who heard it. God sees, cares, & owns it all.

Sometimes God uses the small things to remind us that He’s still in control of the big things. Whatever you’re facing today. He’s got you!

[J.R. Lee @Jrlee]

Later, I was picking up trash behind church building when I spotted what I thought was another piece of trash.

It was a $20 bill. Coincidence? Maybe. But I can’t remember ever finding a $ in a parking lot.

And in that moment, it was as if God whispered, “I’ve got this. Trust Me

[BryceLee34 @BryceLee34]

Bryce Lee
CO 2027
6’4 230 lbs/ 1B
#uncommited
📞: 678-238-8183
Got work in after school today, swing is feeling great.
@NPPackBaseball
@SoutheastSox
@coach_mrich14
@xiii_avory @JayPed18
@CoachKSchilling
@Coach_J_Barnett
@FlatgroundBats

[J.R. Lee @Jrlee]

💪💪

[BryceLee34 @BryceLee34]

Bryce Lee
CO 2027
6’4 230 lbs/ 1B
After school work today before practice, got some good swings in.
#uncommitted
📞: (678-238-8183)
@SoutheastSox @NPPackBaseball @coach_mrich14 @CoachKSchilling @xiii_avory @JayPed18
@FlatgroundBats

[J.R. Lee @Jrlee]

Keep going!

[North Paulding Baseball @NPPackBaseball]

Uncommitted spotlight
@BryceLee34
3.5 GPA 📚
Projectable frame with + power📈
High character with proven work ethic in the weight room.
3x315-Squat
2x215-Bench
3x440-Deadlift
@PB_Uncommitted @coach_mrich14 @Coach_J_Barnett @JayPed18 @xiii_avory @EthanUmbarge @CoachKSchilling

[J.R. Lee @Jrlee]

This = Sunday AFTER the 11:30 was over. Altars full. Spirit moving.

At Freedom: the altars are open. When God speaks, He calls us to respond.

There is room at the altar for you this Sunday. And every Sunday.

[J.R. Lee @Jrlee]

You can't control how others act, you can always control how you react. You are only responsible for your half of the relationship. Choose peace today

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Romans 12:18.

[J.R. Lee @Jrlee]

🙌🙌

[BryceLee34 @BryceLee34]

Bryce Lee
CO 2027
6’4 230 lbs/ 1B
Was able to get some great swings off the machine today, Working through the baseball for consistent barrels.
📞 (678-238-8183)
#uncommited
@NPPackBaseball
@SoutheastSox
@coach_mrich14
@CoachKSchilling
@FlatgroundBats

[J.R. Lee @Jrlee]

@andyFlock Ha. Still the same. 2-0 and 5-0 are two different animals. Philly loses this game and mattingly is gonna have to to love In a different state for that decision 😂

[J.R. Lee @Jrlee]

Having Zack Wheeler available and not starting this game for the #Phillies is possibly one of the most bizarre coaching decisions I’ve seen at any level of baseball. 😂

[J.R. Lee @Jrlee]

@spade73steven 🙏🙏

[J.R. Lee @Jrlee]

Pray for your Pastor.

[Josh Howerton @howertonjosh]

Very interesting phenomenon: Almost every pastor I know (from all parts of the country) are experiencing 2 things at the same time right now…

1) More salvation, more baptism, greater attendance than ever before.

2) More attack, more opposition, more viciousness (both online and in-person) than ever before.

All kinds of pastors from all different denominational backgrounds, all different church sizes, and all different regions.

Pray for your pastor.

[J.R. Lee @Jrlee]

@ryanvisconti Same my friend!!

[J.R. Lee @Jrlee]

And a great follow up from another friend on my last repost…

[Ryan Visconti @ryanvisconti]

Why pastors get attacked.
Who is actually doing it.
And why you can’t win with the haters.

Silence is guilt. Defense is pride. Clarifying doesn’t help. An apology still isn’t enough.

I'm very thankful that most of you won't have to experience what it's like to have strangers on the internet regularly lie about you, mock you, and say all sorts of evil things about you.

Even when you "get used to it" and have a thick skin, it still takes an emotional toll on even strong men (and their families).

Many of my pastor friends, some of the most pure-hearted and godly men I know, deal with constant attacks.

These are men who love God with their whole hearts and live to please Jesus. These are men who do what's righteous even in private because they really are who you'd hope they are.

And yet, they get their names smeared, their words twisted, and they get unjustly condemned by the court of critics.

Usually, it's the pastors who accomplish the most for God who get attacked most fiercely.

The enemy isn't going to attack the pastor who can't get a base hit. He attacks the guys hitting doubles, triples, and home runs.

The small-town (often faithful) pastor doesn't get clicks when people blog negatively about him. The well-known guys do. So often, even other pastors aren't sympathetic. They've never been publicly attacked, so they think, "Well, man, maybe you did something wrong if all these people have a problem with you."

This is exactly what the haters want. They want to problematize a man so others will eventually become nervous and pull away from him.

With these various types of critics and haters, they'll accuse you of all sorts of wild things that aren't true.

-If you don't respond, they spin your silence as an admission of guilt.
-If you try to defend yourself, they say that proves you're prideful and unwilling to receive correction.
-If you try to clarify a misunderstanding, it doesn't help because they don't want to understand. They just want to condemn.
-If you try to apologize for however you might have given the wrong impression, they still won’t offer forgiveness and peace.

Why is that, you ask...?

These attackers don't pursue forgiveness and reconciliation because those things are outcomes of being filled with the Holy Spirit, and most of these attackers are driven by unholy spirits.

The Holy Spirit loves repentance, forgiveness, and reconciliation. Demonic spirits love condemnation, division, and destruction.

Most of the attacks that pastors face online come from these groups:

1) The rebellious hard-hearted lost: they hate God and anyone who represents Him. They are trapped in lies, so they hate those who speak the truth. These are the people we expect to get hated by; it's still hard, but it goes with the territory.

2) The attention-hungry clickbait platform-builder: they don't care about truth and justice; they just want clicks and ad revenue. They will publish anything that grabs attention, but never retract or correct their mistakes.

They attack whoever is most popular right now because that gets the most clicks.

3) The bitter, unhealed discernment ministry: often these are people who once got legitimately hurt by a church leader.

Instead of forgiving and letting the Lord heal that wound, they held onto the wound; it became infested and toxic, and now they attack anyone who reminds them of the people who hurt them.

Sometimes these people start out with good intentions (stopping bad actors), but they anoint themselves "hammers of accountability," and eventually everything starts to look like a nail.

Nothing is worse, as a pastor, than charging the strongholds of the enemy and getting shot in the back by people who claim to be on your own team.

4) The jealous "older brother": these are people who resent the success of those who build, so they make tearing others down their thing.

This type is often outwardly religious like the Pharisees, but also just as dead inside.

They make war over secondary theological issues. They nitpick other ministries rather than trying to build their own. They tend to major in the law of God and completely miss the heart of God.

These people accomplish very little in real life, so they build platforms on the internet attacking those who do.

I'm learning to celebrate the attacks! Because in the ultimate heavenly judo move, all their hate increases my reward!

"God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way." - Mt 5:11-12

So pray for your pastor.

Understand that if he's getting lots of hate online, that doesn't necessarily mean he did anything wrong. It could actually be a strong indication that he's done something very right.

Don't worry about keeping your pastor humble. That's his job. Make it your goal to lift his arms, build his confidence, pray for his protection and peace, and voice your support!

"Don't be afraid!" Elisha told him. "For there are more on our side than on theirs!" - 2 Kings 6:16

Christian, stop letting haters and mockers have the loudest voice.

There are more for us than against us, but so many Christians sit back silently— only observing with their popcorn— while internet trolls attack their pastor.

Speak up for the men and women who've been used by God to bless your soul.

To be honest: a public vote of confidence means a lot more than a private "I'm praying for you" text.

PRAY
FOR
YOUR
PASTOR

[J.R. Lee @Jrlee]

Salvation is a gift, not a reward. Grace is not God applauding the impressive. It is Him rescuing the helpless. 💯