Choosing Life Not Death
Deuteronomy 30:19 (NKJV)
19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;
I have seen that life is full of choices and decisions. I also Believe that God is a good God, a Loving Father. That our heavenly Father wants us to be Blessed in life and to be a Blessing.
James 1:16-17 (NKJV)
16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
Jesus taught us this so Clearly, by just a few verses in the Bible.
John 10:10 (NKJV)
10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
John 14:1-10 (NKJV)
1 "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.
2 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.
4 And where I go you know, and the way you know."
5 Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?"
6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
7 "If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him."
8 Philip said to Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us."
9 Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ’Show us the Father’?
10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.
John 12:44 (NKJV)
44 Then Jesus cried out and said, "He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me.
Colossians 1:15-18 (NKJV)
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.
17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.
18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.
Jesus came to show us the Father God, and we see so clearly that He is a Good Father and a Loving Father.
Yet, if I try to figure out life or God, by what I see in this world, then without the revelation of the Bible, God’s word, I would start thinking that God was a skitso, a double minded person.
But after years of life and reading His word, I know that He is a Good Father God.
Andrew Wommack said this:
Tragedy can come from three sources: God, Satan, and natural law. God has used nature to bring judgment. However, the New Testament believer is exempt from this punitive judgment of God since Jesus bore it for him.
Satan is the source of much of the calamity that people ascribe to God. Many problems arise because people violate the natural laws that God put into motion. If a person drives recklessly and kills himself, it’s not God or the devil that killed him. He violated natural law and thus paid the price. It is incorrect to believe that God controls everything and therefore always has some redemptive design in tragedies. This type of thinking will lead us to ignore the devil, thereby giving him a freehand to destroy our lives. It will also cause us not to use wisdom concerning natural laws, because we will think that nothing can happen unless God wills it. We must remember that God is a good God.
So where am I going with this and especially with Stewardship.
True Stewardship requires a Choice. God has given me an amazing gift called free will. It’s with this gift that we make decision to do good or to do wrong. We make the decisions, not God. He leads us to good, but we must choice it.
Stewardship > the management of my God-given resources for His glory and the good of others. The use of our time, talent, and treasure wisely for His glory.
Deuteronomy 30:19 (NKJV)
19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;
We see throughout the Word of God and life, people making decision. Some good and some not so good. This is true Stewardship. What am I going to do with my life and what kind of Legacy will I leave.
I made a decision at 18 to give my life to God and now looking back, I’M SO GLAD I DID. I didn’t have golden glitter sprinkled in my hair. It was a choice and I choice God.
Psalm 25:12-14 (AMP)
12 Who is the man who reverently fears and worships the Lord? Him shall He teach in the way that he should choose.
13 He himself shall dwell at ease, and his offspring shall inherit the land.
14 The secret [of the sweet, satisfying companionship] of the Lord have they who fear (revere and worship) Him, and He will show them His covenant and reveal to them its [deep, inner] meaning.
The choice is ours. A decision has to be made. We choose either life or death, either blessings or curses. The appeal of God’s Holy Word is this: Choose life! Choose life so that you and your children will live full and victorious lives over all the trials, temptations, and enemies of this world.
Let’s take some time now and look at other’s in the Word who made some decisions. Some CHOICE good and other’s not.
Mark 10:17-31 (NKJV)
17 Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?"
18 So Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.
19 You know the commandments: ’Do not commit adultery,’ ’Do not murder,’ ’Do not steal,’ ’Do not bear false witness,’ ’Do not defraud,’ ’Honor your father and your mother.’ "
20 And he answered and said to Him, "Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth."
21 Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me."
22 But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
23 Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!"
24 And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, "Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!
25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
26 And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, "Who then can be saved?"
27 But Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible."
28 Then Peter began to say to Him, "See, we have left all and followed You."
29 So Jesus answered and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s,
30 who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time--houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions--and in the age to come, eternal life.
31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first."
Question: What we have done? Easy to say I would follow Jesus. Well maybe, Maybe not. Decision, Choice.
Look at what He could have had, by giving up of a few temporary things, He could have had the true riches that would have lasted him for eternity.
Wednesday Night I mentioned King Saul and Samuel. Saul choose not to obey God and it cost Him his kingdom and his Life and son’s life.
1 Samuel 15:21-25 (NKJV)
21 But the people took of the plunder, sheep and oxen, the best of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice to the LORD your God in Gilgal."
22 So Samuel said: "Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams.
23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He also has rejected you from being king."
24 Then Saul said to Samuel, "I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice.
25 Now therefore, please pardon my sin, and return with me, that I may worship the LORD."
1 Samuel 15:30 (NKJV)
30 Then he said, "I have sinned; yet honor me now, please, before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me, that I may worship the LORD your God."
He cared more about what other’s thought then what God said and it cost him dearly. Him and his family.
1 Samuel 31:1-6 (NKJV) 1 Now the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell slain on Mount Gilboa. 2 Then the Philistines followed hard after Saul and his sons. And the Philistines killed Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua, Saul’s sons.
3 The battle became fierce against Saul. The archers hit him, and he was severely wounded by the archers.
4 Then Saul said to his armorbearer, "Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised men come and thrust me through and abuse me." But his armorbearer would not, for he was greatly afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword and fell on it.
5 And when his armorbearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his sword, and died with him.
6 So Saul, his three sons, his armorbearer, and all his men died together that same day.
Again look at what Joshua said
Joshua 24:15 (NKJV)
15 And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."
Deuteronomy 30:19 (NKJV)
19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;
Psalm 25:12-14 (AMP)
12 Who is the man who reverently fears and worships the Lord? Him shall He teach in the way that he should choose.
13 He himself shall dwell at ease, and his offspring shall inherit the land.
14 The secret [of the sweet, satisfying companionship] of the Lord have they who fear (revere and worship) Him, and He will show them His covenant and reveal to them its [deep, inner] meaning.
