Choosing Life Not Death Part 2
Last week we went over the importance of knowing that God is a good God, is that He is #1 for us.
Romans 8:31-32 (NKJV)
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
Just having this attitude as you go through life, will make life 100% better.
Romans 8:31-32 (MSG)
31 So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose?
32 If God didn't hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn't gladly and freely do for us?
So when the Adversary comes with thoughts like you’re no good, you’re not holy enough to receive from God, Remind him that it wasn’t you who decided to make you a new creation, but God and that he can go talk to him.
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV)
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
Romans 8:1 (NKJV)
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
Romans 8:1 (WuestNT)
1 Therefore, now, there is not even one bit of condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus,
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;
As good Stewards, when we put God first in our lives, it’s truly amazing how things just seem to come together.
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.
Jeremiah 17:5-8 (NKJV)
5 Thus says the LORD: "Cursed is the man who trusts in man And makes flesh his strength, Whose heart departs from the LORD.
6 For he shall be like a shrub in the desert, And shall not see when good comes, But shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, In a salt land which is not inhabited.
7 "Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, And whose hope is the LORD. 8 For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.
Here we see the man that puts his trust in man and the one who puts his trust in God.
V/ 5-6 > Trust in man: For he shall be like a shrub in the desert.
V/ 7-8> Trust in God: For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters.
This reminds me of one of my favorite psalms.
Psalm 1:1-6 (NKJV)
1 Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. 3 He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.
4 The ungodly are not so, But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.
5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
6 For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly shall perish.
Psalm 92:12-15 (NKJV)
12 The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
13 Those who are planted in the house of the LORD Shall flourish in the courts of our God.
14 They shall still bear fruit in old age; They shall be fresh and flourishing,
15 To declare that the LORD is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.
And as I said last week, this is not just for us, but for us and the generations that follow.
Isaiah 58:11-12 (NKJV)
11 The LORD will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.
12 Those from among you Shall build the old waste places; You shall raise up the foundations of many generations; And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach, The Restorer of Streets to Dwell In.
I want Mike and Cindy to come up now and just share, that when they made a decision to put God 1st in their Time, Talents and Treasure how things have turn around.
REAL PEOPLE, REAL GOD!
Jesus taught a great lesson on stewardship in the parable of the sower.
Mark 4:13-20 (NKJV)
13 And He said to them, "Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?
14 The sower sows the word.
15 And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.
16 These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness;
17 and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word's sake, immediately they stumble.
18 Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word,
19 and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
20 But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred."
Mark 4:19 (AMP)
19 Then the cares and anxieties of the world and distractions of the age, and the pleasure and delight and false glamour and deceitfulness of riches, and the craving and passionate desire for other things creep in and choke and suffocate the Word, and it becomes fruitless.
These people all had choices to make, some choice wisely, and some didn’t.
Again it’s what we want to do with our time, Talent and treasure for His honor and the good of other’s.
I don’t want to get to the end of my life and say, I wish I had, I wish I did, I want to say, I gave it all I had.
For us Christian’s the curse has been removed by Jesus Christ, so I don’t have to live under it anymore. But again it takes a decision in my life. I could continue to live the low life, or I can say, AS FOR ME AND MY HOUSE, WE WILL SERVE THE LORD!
Proverbs 26:2 (NKJV)
2 Like a flitting sparrow, like a flying swallow, So a curse without cause shall not alight.
Proverbs 26:2 (MSG)
2 You have as little to fear from an undeserved curse as from the dart of a wren or the swoop of a swallow.
Why is that? Because we as Christian are not under the Curse anymore. Jesus removed it for us. PTL.
Galatians 3:13-14 (NKJV)
13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"),
14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
As I make decision or choices each day to live the life of a wise steward, it brings the Blessings and it chases the curse away. AMEN!
Did this happen to people in the Old Testament also.
Joshua 2:1-21 Rehab was slated to be killed in Jericho. She was under the curse, but she made a decision to believe in the one true God and because of that a Blessing came. Instead of Death Life came. Because of her faith and I believe Stewardship. She gave of her Time, Talent, and treasure, she was greatly rewarded.
James 2:25 (NKJV)
25 Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?
Hebrews 11:31 (NKJV)
31 By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace.
The amazing thing is that because of her faith, an ex prostitute was place in the lineage of Jesus the Messiah.
Matthew 1:1 (NKJV)
1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham:
Matthew 1:5 (NKJV)
5 Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse,
Don’t tell me that we can’t go from a curse to a Blessing.
How, by being a wise Steward that put’s the things of God 1st. When we give God of our Time, our Talent and our treasure, He changes things for us so that Blessings come our way.
Numbers 6:22-27 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 23 "Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, 'This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel. Say to them: "The LORD bless you and keep you; 25 The LORD make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; 26 The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace." ' 27 "So they shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them."
