Choose Life

 

Deuteronomy 30:19 AMPC
¹⁹ I call heaven and earth to witness this day against you that I have set before you life and death, the blessings and the curses; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live

By the time we get to the 30^th chapter of Deuteronomy Moses has gone over much of what God expects and promises to His children. Moses is working his way through the instructions for living a righteous life and what to expect that God will do in return.

In this one verse he calls them to personal accountability. Moses won’t be there much longer to guide them and discipline them as the one who talks to God face to face. They are going to have to become disciplined themselves, holding themselves accountable to living in a way that brings honor to the Father and the Blessing to them.  He poses a simple question. Will you choose Life or Death, Blessing or Cursing?

The question remains the same for us today. Jesus said:

Matthew 6:33 AMPC
³³ But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides.

Today’s world is cluttered by distraction and overloaded with information. Making a decision with too much input is harder than having just a couple of choices. What’s for dinner? We have hamburger, steak, soup… What kind of soup? Chicken Noodle, Chicken with dumplings, Cream of Chicken… And that’s just chicken! Let’s order in. Chinese, Mexican, maybe a salad from that place we like (it’s always Mexican by the way), and that’s just dinner! I find I must remind myself, of what’s most important these days. Seek Him first. Make Him my priority.

Matthew 6:34 AMPC
³⁴ So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble.

We recently made a purchase we had been planning for over 2 years. We went back and forth, this or that, what works for us and what doesn’t. It became frustrating and time consuming. We finally gave up. We put 1 Peter 5:7 to work.

1 Peter 5:7
⁷ casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

“Father, you know what’s best for us. You know what we can afford. You know how to get it to us.” We quit looking. The perfect thing fell into our lap. More than meeting expectations and satisfying the parameters we needed for a good price. I learned a valuable lesson…again.

My Mom always told me, “Trust God with the little things because He cares about what you care about”. I could tell so many stories about finding good parking, or a screw I just dropped. When we give Him a chance to help us, He will. Again, it comes down to our personal choice. Moses said, “Choose Life”. Jesus said, “Choose me first”. He wants to demonstrate His love for us.

Psalms 103:4
…Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,

Whatever you’re facing today, big or small, choose to focus on Him first. Choose to make Him the priority. Choose to speak His Word over your situation and choose to let Him work on your behalf. You may be facing a serious illness, a financial, job or family issue. In the darkest hour, when we feel hopeless or defeated, He will come through if we choose to focus on Him. I find that when I’m when I’m in that valley, He’s there with me. I just have to choose to acknowledge Him, speak His Word purposely even though I don’t feel it. An amazing thing happens when we choose life in the shadow of death. A miracle happens. Our soul is encouraged and faith rises up. God meets us where we are and leads us to the mountaintop.

Choose Life, speak Life, focus on Him because He is faithful.

Numbers 23:19 NLT
¹⁹ God is not a man, so he does not lie.
He is not human, so he does not change his mind.
Has he ever spoken and failed to act?
Has he ever promised and not carried it through?

 

A Child is Born

A Child is Born

For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given… Isaiah 9:6a

What an amazing Word from the Lord given to the prophet Isaiah to proclaim the coming Lord Jesus. God had us in mind from the very beginning. He taught us over the centuries that we could never measure up to Him, stand before Him or know Him in His fullness. He taught us how to be His family, to be blessed and live in His ways but, He knew we could never be enough. So, He formulated a flawless plan and laid it out for all to see, confirmed it many times and fulfilled it as promised. 

John 1:14

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…. 

 

The shepherds and the Magi “beheld His glory.” His glory in a child. A God-Man, the bridge between fallen mankind and the one true God, maker of the universe. 

Philippians 2:8
And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

 

What an amazing thing it is that we serve a God who loves us so much that he would send His son into the world to take our place. Jesus was the perfect, sinless lamb to be slain in the most brutal way, making a path to know Him intimately. Not because He had to, but because He wanted to. He loves us that much. He loves YOU that much. This was Paul’s prayer for us:

Ephesians 3:17-19
¹⁷ that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, ¹⁸ may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— ¹⁹ to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

What an amazing God we serve! He formed us, lost us, planned for us, paid for us and accepted us by the blood of His own Son. It is good for us to take some time during this busy season to recognize the love of God and praise Him for His glorious works in our lives. To plan a time and place, with those we love, to give Him the preeminence over all the rest.  To truly make Him the “Reason for the Season.”

Psalms 145:5 KJV
⁵ I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works.

May God bless you and keep you in His loving arms. Merry Christmas!

Comfort in Difficult Times

It is inevitable that  there will be times we are confronted with disappointment, loss and emotional pain . It is just part of life. Fortunately our Lord is very aware of our griefs and sorrows and He has provided a way to deal with them. 

Isaiah 41:10
¹⁰ Fear not, for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

 A while back, a friend and former Pastor of mine wrote a book called "Endings and Beginnings". He wrote it 10 years after his wife passed away ending her long struggle with cancer. 

He had a unique way of handling His grief. Instead of stepping back from leading the thousands in his congregation he went to the Word of God. 

Isaiah 40:31
³¹ But those who wait on the LORD
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.

This was the scripture the Lord gave him.  He latched onto it and began to study. 

He found that one of the meanings of the word "wait" is  to "bind together" or to "gather". So instead of stepping back he found himself in every church service he could, not as a pastor or speaker, but as a member of the Body. Instead of taking a break to mourn he continued in ministry. He gathered together with the Body of Christ and found comfort in the Spirit and in fellowship. The people around him didn't really understand but he found healing for his soul in the Presence of God. 

I think there is a lesson for all of us in that example. I have always admired him for his commitment to the Word of God and obedience to the Spirit.  In a similar situation I hope I would stay as sensitive to the Spirit and allow Him to direct my path just as the prophet Isaiah said. The Presence of God is the healing balm for us body, soul and spirit. 

2 Corinthians 1:3-5
³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,  ⁴ who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. ⁵ For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ. 

God does not want us to go through pain but He made a provision for it because He knew we would. He gave us the Spirit as a comforter and paid the price for our sickness, grief and pain. He gave us peace that passes understanding and, if we allow Him to, He will use our experiences to help others. 

One of the most important things to do when we are struggling is to get outside of ourselves and focus on the job that God gave us. Preach the Gospel, heal the sick, cast out demons and raise the dead. When we give comfort to another we are comforted ourselves. When we pray for someone else to be healed we receive healing ourselves and when we speak to a mountain to be moved in someone else's life we receive mountain moving power in our own life. 

Psalms 56:8-9
⁸ You number my wanderings;
Put my tears into Your bottle;
Are they not in Your book?
⁹ When I cry out to You,
Then my enemies will turn back;
This I know, because God is for me. 

Always be confident that God is with you in challenging times. He collects your tears in a bottle and puts them in His book. Seek Him and you will find Him.

If you would like to read about my friend's experience with grief you can find His book:

Endings and Beginnings by Charles Nieman on Amazon.com 

Praise in All Situations

 

Praise in all situations

This is Habakkuk 3:17-19 in the Complete Jewish Bible

¹⁷ For even if the fig tree doesn't blossom, and no fruit is on the vines, even if the olive tree fails to produce, and the fields yield no food at all,
¹⁸ even if the sheep vanish from the sheep pen,
and there are no cows in the stalls;
¹⁸ still, I will rejoice in ADONAI, I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
 ELOHIM Adonai is my strength! He makes me swift and sure-footed as a deer and enables me to stride over my high places.

It seems that Habakkuk was convinced that God was worthy of praise regardless of what was going on around him. If the food supply fails, the sheep vanish and the cows disappear God is still worthy to be praised.

So many things are going on around us that we can get overwhelmed. Wars, persecution, interest rates and then the taxes, “Oh the taxes!” The loss of a loved one can kick our feet right out from under us and sickness makes us tired and unmotivated.  It’s so easy to lose sight of who we are in Christ and who God is in us. We tend to give in to the weakness and fatigue and take a nap instead of pressing into our source.   

This is where a “Sacrifice” is needed. A “Sacrifice of Praise”.

Hebrews 13:15 CJB
¹⁵ Through him, therefore, let us offer God a sacrifice of praise continually. For this is the natural product of lips that acknowledge his name.

In verse 14 it says that we don’t have a home here, we seek one to come. When we become a new creature (2 Cor 5:17) we are no longer of this earth. We live here in our Earth Suit, but we don’t belong here. We are raised up together and seated together with Christ in Heavenly places (Eph 2:6). Praise puts our total focus on Him as we seek Him first and let Him take care of everything else (Matt 6:33). It is a natural outcropping of our relationship with Jesus and is one of the most powerful tools God has given us. The more we use it, the more powerful it becomes. When we pull ourselves up by the bootstraps and grit our teeth to praise Him, just because He is Worthy, great power is released around us.

We enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise (Ps 100). Then He makes us strong and sure-footed like a deer so we can conquer all those high mountains before us. Then Joy comes and the Power of Praise brings Victory. Trouble + Praise = VICTORY!

Here are some scriptures to get you started: Isiah 61:10-11, Ps 34:1-4, 68:3-4, 103:1-5, 118:24, and many more!

So no matter what, PRAISE HIM!

 

Your Miracle is on it's way!

 In 2 Kings 6:24 - 7:18 Israel was under serious siege by Syrians and it caused a major famine in Samaria, the seat of government for the northern kingdom. The king heard of people eating their children to stay alive and it angered him to the point of blaming God, and Elisha, for their condition. It was as if he believed that God made this happen and Elisha was uninterested in doing anything about it.  So he went after Elisha at his home vowing to take off the prophet's head. 

God had other plans. 

The king confronted Elisha and this was his reply:

2 Kings 7:1
¹ Then Elisha said, “Hear the word of the LORD. Thus says the LORD: Tomorrow about this time a seah of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria.’ ”

 As it turns out there were 4 lepers starving outside the city. Assessing their situation they decided to throw themselves at the mercy of the enemy because they were going to die anyway. They approached the camp and found the following:

2 Kings 7:6-7
⁶ For the Lord had caused the army of the Syrians to hear the noise of chariots and the noise of horses—the noise of a great army; so they said to one another, “Look, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Egyptians to attack us!” ⁷ Therefore they arose and fled at twilight, and left the camp intact—their tents, their horses, and their donkeys—and they fled for their lives.

 The lepers went into the tents, ate and drank and stashed what they could carry for themselves until they came to the conclusion that they should be telling everyone else about what happened. So they took it to the king.

 2 Kings 7:15-16
¹⁵ And they went after them to the Jordan; and indeed all the road was full of garments and weapons which the Syrians had thrown away in their haste. So the messengers returned and told the king. ¹⁶ Then the people went out and plundered the tents of the Syrians. So a seah of fine flour was sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the LORD.

In less than 24 hours God turned certain death into victory and celebration. He used 4 lepers, outcasts!

What's your near-death situation? 

Is it a serious disease?  

Psalms 103:3-5
³ Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases,
⁴ Who redeems your life from destruction,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
⁵ Who satisfies your mouth with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

A relationship?

Psalms 147:3
³ He heals the brokenhearted
And binds up their wounds.

Children who are headed straight for destruction?

Isaiah 54:13
¹³ All your children shall be taught by the LORD,
And great shall be the peace of your children.

Perhaps finances, a bill you have no hope to pay or legal trouble that threatens to take everything you have. 

 2 Corinthians 9:8
⁸ And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

 Psalms 103:6
⁶ The LORD executes righteousness
And justice for all who are oppressed.

Here's the truth. God has a million ways to bless you that you could never even imagine.

Deuteronomy 4:29-31
²⁹ But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. ³⁰ When you are in distress, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, when you turn to the LORD your God and obey His voice ³¹ (for the LORD your God is a merciful God), He will not forsake you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore to them.

He will heal your heart if you seek Him. He will heal your body if you will seek Him. He will not forsake you for He is a merciful God. 

 Matthew 6:33
³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

It could be in less than 24 hours!

Your Miracle is on it's way!

Be Blessed!

Psalms 1:1-4 (KJV)

1 Blessed is the man

that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly,

nor standeth in the way of sinners,

nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord;

and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water,

that bringeth forth his fruit in his season;

his leaf also shall not wither;

and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

The beginning of the Book of Psalms is a fitting start to God's direction in our lives.  It starts out "Blessed"!  I love that!  The Amplified Version says " "BLESSED (HAPPY, fortunate, prosperous, and enviable)..." is the man! I want to be that man!  The great thing is that He doesn't leave us hanging, He tells us how to be that man, woman, or child.  Here it is.  

First, don't follow after the worldly way of doing things, living and working as if you are just another cog in the worldly wheel.  Stop! Turn around and endeavor to do things God's way.  That's the true meaning of the word repent.  Turn around. Go God's way instead of the world's way.  Leave the old life behind and live according to Godly counsel.

Second, don't act like a sinner.  Don't go where sinners go, don't do the things sinners do.  Remember, God is talking to His people here and the context is expectant of a spiritual connection with Him.  We are not sinners, we are redeemed, set apart, and have been made the righteousness of God in Christ (His anointing).  He is saying "Don't act like normal people, act like you're a child of the King!

Third, don't allow yourself to get negative.   Remember from whence you came.  We all have our opportunities to become judgmental of others and situations saying, "I would've done this" or "Why would they do that?" There are times when it is appropriate to evaluate situations and performance but we must be careful not to become haughty and literally hateful.  If I allow myself to become critical  and negative in spirit I am going to miss the Blessing and I won't even recognize it.  

That's just the first verse!

Here's how you get Blessed!  Put God's Word first, make it your delight.  We have far more control over our passions than we usually recognize.  Whatever you spend your time on is going to form the essence of your life.  Whatever you meditate on, and focus on, is going to become your passion.  If we spend our time meditating on God's Word and His ways  we will begin to think and act like Him because His Word is powerful enough to transform us into the person God designed us to be!  It really is as simple as making His Word the priority and focus of our lives. Matthew 6:33 in the Amplified version says: "But first and most importantly seek (aim at, strive after) His kingdom and His righteousness [His way of doing and being right—the attitude and character of God], and all these things will be given to you also."

Romans 12:1 says that we are to make ourselves a living sacrifice to God, calling it our reasonable service.  We are to commit the whole of our bodies and faculties in service to God in order to prove, or fulfill, His perfect will in us.  As Ps 1:2 says, as we delight ourselves, focus, meditate and study, His Word, giving ourselves to it both day and night, we will be transformed, changed by the entire renewal of our minds.

Here's the blessing!  Verse 3 says we will be as a tree planted by the river.  Never in need of nourishment.  Healthy and flourishing in every area of our lives.  Bearing fruit, growing, and prospering in every way.  We will, as verse 1 says be BLESSED (HAPPY, fortunate, prosperous, and enviable).  

That's God's promise!

Finishing Strong

This morning at church, our Pastor, Dave Minton, gave a very effective message on finishing the year strong so we can start the New Year well. Our theme for the next year is "A Year of Spiritual Growth: A Year in the Word. 

 

It's easy to think of finishing strong as an element of our lives overall sometimes we take things in too big of chunks and then get bogged down and discouraged.  As I see it, God has given us each day as a seed that can be sown toward the calling He has set before us. As we seek Him, He brings wisdom, direction and fruit in our lives.

 

Every year we hear of significant leaders who have passed away and it seems the world is a little poorer for their passing. Pres. Jimmy Carter just went home to be with the Lord at 100 years of age. There will be many memories and many opinions expressed but now, because he knew the Lord Jesus he is engulfed in the loving arms of God and welcomed by his beloved Rosalynn. 

 

The great leaders of our faith have also left a great void in the Body of Christ. Billy Graham, Oral Roberts, Kenneth E. Hagin, T. L. Osborn, and more each had a significant impact on millions over a lifetime of service to God.  I felt a particular pain of loss with the home-going of Jerry Savelle earlier this year. It's easy to compare our own seemingly insignificant life to those generals of the faith but we need to realize that the calling on each of us is just as significant to God as any of the others. 

 

We all have times when we feel insignificant and even useless, but the truth is that we all have a circle of influence. We all know people who are affected by our lives even if we don't realize it. It's not always building a university, or starting a worldwide ministry.  It's mostly giving an encouraging word, praying with someone in need, lending a hand when it's needed, or giving a blanket to someone who is cold.  In Matt. 25:31-46 Jesus tells us that when we help each other it is the same as helping Him.  When we act in kindness to others, we are honoring God and fulfilling our purpose. 

Eph. 1:4-5 says: 

...just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,

 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will...

We were each chosen before the foundation of the world to serve and love God.  Jesus paid the price to redeem us from a destiny that dictated failure and separation from God.  We are all chosen to do a specific work in a specific time.  

Eph 4:16 

 ...from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

Each of us has a mission to accomplish in this life, a piece of the puzzle to add. Without us the Body of Christ, and the world, suffers.  God needs us. Regardless of your background or how you came to be in this life, even if you've "messed up" your entire life, God needs you.  

 

I am the fifth of five children in my family.  When my Mother became pregnant with me it had been 7 years since her youngest was born. I was not planned.  However, I was not a mistake.  My parents may not have planned me but I am sure that God did.  My Mom always made sure I knew that she viewed me as a blessing.  I was there as a stabilizing factor in her life during some very difficult times.  She said that she had responsibility and couldn’t just fall apart when things got rough.  God knew what she needed at that time, I also know that I have had some influence on those around me.  I believe God put me on this earth for a purpose.  That purpose is not yet fulfilled so I continue to seek God for His direction and wisdom. I believe my best days are ahead of me. After all, I just published my first book!

We each can live in hope. Rom. 11:29  says that “the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable”  He has instilled in each of us on this earth giftings, abilities, talents, and a specific call to service that He will not take away.  If we will submit ourselves to Him, and His purpose for our life, He will renew those giftings and calling.

It’s important for us to each realize that living from day to day is not guaranteed.  The only thing we can control is right now. If I plant the seed of submission to whatever God asks me to do today, however small it may be, I will see the fruit of that seed in further direction, the blessing of God on my life, and lives changed around me.   

 

I will finish strong.