The Choice is Yours

The Choice is Yours

I love the Lord, the global church, and I love Amazing Life Church.

All too often, in the church world, personal agenda’s cloud the opportunity to share Jesus. For the purpose of this thought, the word agenda is defined this way, “an underlying often ideological plan or program.”

In other words, at times, the Gospel is presented with an agenda. With that said, there should be a singular agenda in every church, and on the minds of every Christian. I am speaking of the story of Jesus and it’s power to change lives, circumstances, and even worlds.

After Moses had disrespected God and was about to die he had some things to do. He had to commission Joshua to lead the people into the promised land. As he was doing this Moses began to prophesy to the people. Here is a portion of what he said.

Deuteronomy 30:15-20

15 “See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, and death and adversity;

16 in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, that you may live and multiply, and that the Lord your God may bless you in the land where you are entering to possess it.

17 But if your heart turns away and you will not obey, but are drawn away and worship other gods and serve them,

18 I declare to you today that you shall surely perish. You will not prolong your days in the land where you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess it.

19 I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants,

20 by loving the Lord your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.”

Deuteronomy 30:19 NLT

“Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!”

The word choose in verse 19 from the Hebrew means, “to decide for.”

Know this, whatever you choose, whatever you decide for, Heaven and earth is watching.

“Yes, it matters what you choose.”

Your pursuit of life, or your journey towards death, begins with a choice.

The children of Israel for generations had problems with choice.

Joshua had the same issues with these folks.

Joshua 24:15

If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

(Get Off The Fence! Was his point.)

One big issue with choice is accountability. It is much easier to choose if you can blame someone else when your choice falls apart.

There is a passage in Psalms that really strengthens and upholds the rest of my message. It is important to understand that when you choose Him, you choose all of His resources.

Psalms 119:129-130

129 Your testimonies are wonderful; Therefore my soul observes them.
130 The unfolding of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple.

AMPC

129 Your testimonies are wonderful [far exceeding anything conceived by man]; therefore my [penitent] self keeps them [hearing, receiving, loving, and obeying them].

130 The entrance and unfolding of Your words give light; their unfolding gives understanding (discernment and comprehension) to the simple.

Psalms 25:12-15

12 Who is the man who fears the Lord? He will instruct him in the way he should choose.
13 His soul will abide in prosperity, And his descendants will inherit the land.
14 The secret of the Lord is for those who fear Him, And He will make them know His covenant.
15 My eyes are continually toward the Lord, For He will pluck my feet out of the net.

Psalms 34:18

The Lord is near to the brokenhearted And saves those who are crushed in spirit.

The prophet Isaiah confirmed this as did Christ when teaching before the Jews.

Isaiah 61:1

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, Because the Lord has anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to captives And freedom to prisoners;

When you choose Him, you choose His benefits and His promises.

In what is known as the great commission found in Matthew 28, we read these words from Jesus.

Matthew 28:18-20 AMP

18 Jesus came up and said to them, “All authority (all power of absolute rule) in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.

19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations [help the people to learn of Me, believe in Me, and obey My words], baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

20 teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always [remaining with you perpetually—regardless of circumstance, and on every occasion], even to the end of the age.”

With you always!!!

Today the word choose is defined basically the same. (pick out or select (someone or something) as being the best or most appropriate of two or more alternatives.)

You have to decide. Life or death, Kingdom benefits with Christ as your source for everything you will ever need. Or maybe you think you can make it on your own.

Christians are still struggling with this level of choice.

Today, the choice is yours. What will it be?

#lovewins #hopelives