CHOOSE JESUS AND LIVE
GAL 2:20
Galatians 2:20 (NKJV)
20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
A LIFE OF FAITH
Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV)
6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
1. FAITH FOR FORGIVENESS- YOU CANNOT TRULY LIVE UNTIL YOU HAVE RECEIVED FORGIVENESS AND OFFER FORGIVENESS WHEN YOU HAVE BEEN WRONGED:
John 3:16 (NKJV)
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
John 6:37 (NKJV)
37 All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.
1 John 1:9 (NKJV)
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Matthew 6:12 (NKJV)
12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.
Matthew 6:14 (NKJV)
14 "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
Ephesians 4:32 (NKJV)
32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.
2. FAITH FOR YOUR FINANCES- I THINK THAT IN OUR SOCIETY AND OUR GENERATION WITH ALL THE GET RICH QUICK SCHEMES AND THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON, FINANCES ARE ONE OF THE TOP THINGS ON THE LIFE OF THE CHRISTIAN, IF OUR ENEMY CAN KEEP US BURDENED BY OUR FINANCES, WE WILL NOT HAVE TIME TO REALLY ADDRESS THE LOSTNESS OF OUR WORLD WILL WE??
**THERE ARE CHURCHES THAT ARE EXPLODING IN GROWTH THAT THEIR MAIN DOCTRINE IS:
“NAME IT AND CLAIM IT” WHICH IS IN ESSENCE THAT EVERY CHRISTIAN SHOULD HAVE THE LARGEST HOUSE, NICEST CARS AND GREATEST WEALTH… THAT MY FRIENDS IS NOT A BIBLICAL DOCTRINE, IT’S A MAN MADE DOCTRINE AND IF EARTHLY WEALTH IS ALL WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT WE HAVE MISSED THE BOAT!
**I DO FEEL THAT I HAVE FAILED YOU CHURCH BY NOT EXPLAINING THE BLESSING OF TRUSTING GOD WITH YOUR FINANCES THOUGH- IT IS A GREAT BLESSING AND RELEASE TO BE ABLE TO SAY TO GOD- “HERE IS WHAT YOU HAVE GIVEN ME, YOU HAVE GIVEN ME THE MEANS TO ACQUIRE THIS- IT IS YOURS, YOU TELL ME WHAT TO DO WITH IT AND I TRUST YOU THAT YOU WILL MEET MY NEEDS WITH WHAT IS LEFT!! IS THIS AN ACT OF FAITH OR WHAT???
**THE BIBLICAL PRINCIPAL FOR FINANCES IS “GIVE.” IF YOU ARE HAVING FINANCIAL TROUBLE COULD IT POSSIBLY BE BECAUSE YOU HAVE NOT GIVEN THEM TO GOD BY FAITH??
Malachi 3:7-12 (NKJV)
7 Yet from the days of your fathers You have gone away from My ordinances And have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you," Says the LORD of hosts. "But you said, 'In what way shall we return?'
8 "Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, 'In what way have we robbed You?' In tithes and offerings.
9 You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation.
10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this," Says the LORD of hosts, "If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it.
11 "And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field," Says the LORD of hosts;
12 "And all nations will call you blessed, For you will be a delightful land," Says the LORD of hosts.
Mark 12:41-44 (NKJV)
41 Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury. And many who were rich put in much.
42 Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans.
43 So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury;
44 for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood."
Luke 12:16-21 (NKJV)
16 Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: "The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully.
17 And he thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?'
18 So he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods.
19 And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry." '
20 But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?'
21 So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."
** I HAVE HEARD THAT THERE HAVE BEEN SOME GRUMBLING ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF FUNDS, ECT WE HAVE BEEN ASKING YOU TO GIVE TOWARDS LATELY- I JUST WANT TO ASK YOU—ARE THEY WORTHY TO GIVE TOWARDS?? IF SO BY FAITH GIVE AND IF YOU HAVE A NEED GOD WILL GIVE IT BACK TO YOU, MANY FOLD IN MOST CASES!!
**ANOTHER WAY TO LOOK AT IT IS—WHOSE FINANCES ARE THEY ANYHOW, YOURS OR GOD’S?
IF YOU GIVE THEM TO GOD THEN THEY ARE SAFER THAN IF THEY WERE IN FORT KNOX!!
Matthew 6:19-21 (NKJV)
19 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal;
20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
3. FAITH FOR OUR FAMILIES—WE SHOULD DEFINITELY BE CONCERNED OVER THE WELFARE OF OUR FAMILIES, BUT IF THEY BECOME OUR OBSESSION, WE WILL NOT BE TRULY ABLE TO LIVE OURSELVES, WE CAN ALLOW OTHERS TO ROB US OF OUR JOY:
2 Peter 3:9 (NKJV)
9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
Proverbs 22:6 (NKJV)
6 Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.
Acts 16:25-33 (NKJV)
25 But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.
26 Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were loosed.
27 And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself.
28 But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, "Do yourself no harm, for we are all here."
29 Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas.
30 And he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
31 So they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household."
Acts 16:32-33 (NKJV)
32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house.
33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized.
DO YOU TRULY WANT TO LIVE,
IT STARTS WITH A LEAP OF FAITH!
