"Choices And Consequences" - Inspirational Weekend

The giraffe keeps its head high and aims high; it is never found wallowing in the dust in a state of depression.  At the Honolulu Zoo I had the thrill of watching one run with all of its heart, thoroughly enjoying life.  

The Christian should run this race of life with joy and enthusiasm, with an eye to the will of the Lord and always endeavoring to obey Him.  Obeying God will bring joy and rewards when we are careful in the choices we make.  

The ultimate choice is to choose the will of God.  Following is a 2 minute sermon clip by Charles Spurgeon, titled "My Choice Is His Choice":

"I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:"   -  Deuteronomy 30:19

To choose life instead of death is the most important choice a person will ever make.  It means to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior and to follow in His footsteps.  If  a person chooses Jesus (life) it will secure all other choices, for the reason why we often choose badly is because we have failed in that one great choice of all.

Not to make a choice is still a choice..... a choice to not follow Christ; a choice to not choose life.

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me."  -  John 14:6

All that is worth having in this world or the next is in that word "Life".  "Therefore choose life."

How can a person deliberately sin, whether it be drunkenness or fornication or you name it (Galatians 5:19-21), and know that he is going against God's will and commandments and yet he still expects to see life eternal in heaven? What if his wife is a Christian and he has young children and they are taken up in the Rapture of the church and he is left behind to face the 7 year tribulation without them?   Choices !   Unless that person gets saved during the tribulation, he will never see his family again.  

Do not be like the above little fennec fox and be asleep and oblivious to the signs of the times and the fact that we are living in the last hour of the last days and that Jesus could come for true believers at any time now.  As stated before, read Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 where you will find the signs of the end times.  

There are many other choices we make in a lifetime, in a year, a month, a day, that will directly affect our future and our standing with the good Lord.

"Every choice you make has an end result."  -  Zig Ziglar

"Our lifestyle, language, attitudes, and manner of dress reflect on His name.  He leads us in paths of righteousness for His name's sake.  Unless you are honestly convinced that the thing in question will bring glory to God, then don't do it."  -  Curtis Hutson

Remember Adam and Eve and how, in the garden of Eden, they made a choice;  a choice that not only brought about sin for them, but for all mankind.  

But the mercy of God provided a way - a Savior - to redeem us if we but have faith in Jesus, believe He is the promised Savior, and that we turn from our sin in true repentance.  We need to pray to the Lord for forgiveness, and thereby be born again to a new life.  A life of love and devotion to the good Lord, and to become a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17), totally surrendered to Jesus.

Someone once said, "Sometimes the greatest battle has to be fought alone." 

Choose Christ!

Galatians 6:7-8 tells us (7) "Be not deceived;  God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.  (8) For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting."

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.  And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."   -   Romans 12:1-2

"Comfort And Peace" - Inspirational Weekend

In contemplating the subject for this weekend's post I thought rather than Bible Prophecy, I would dwell on some quotes about comfort and peace.  There is so much violence and chaos in today's world (which, in itself, is a sign of the end times) that perhaps we would do well to contemplate some positive quotes from godly men as well as from the Bible itself.  In my quest to keep up with the signs of the times and the news today as it relates to Bible prophecy, it makes me depressed to see how much distress and evil itself is prevalent in today's mixed up world.  When the world situation affects my mind and disturbs me, the best thing I can do is to take it to the Lord in prayer and also to read His Holy Word.  It does me good to dwell on Scriptures and quotes that stress how there is still hope if you are a true believer in and a follower of Jesus.  Christians know how things will turn out in the end for the Bible tells us that God wins !   He wins the war over the devil and unregenerate mankind. The Lord will usher in a New Heavens and a New Earth  (Revelation 21:1) filled with peace and happiness, or should I say, filled with joy; for true joy comes only from the Heavenly Father.  Happiness depends on temporary, earthly happenings that bring you temporary pleasure.

"Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you."  -  1 Peter 5:7    

"In the midst of the awesomeness, a touch comes, and you know it is the right hand of Jesus Christ.  You know it is not the hand of restraint, correction, nor chastisement, but the right hand of the Everlasting Father.  Whenever His hand is laid upon you, it gives inexpressible peace and comfort, and the sense that "underneath are the everlasting arms" (Deuteronomy 33:27), full of support, provision, comfort, and strength."  -  Oswald Chambers   

"Comfort ye, comfort ye, saith your God."  -  Isaiah 40:1

"Great comforts do, indeed, bear witness to the truth of Thy grace, but not to the degree of it; the weak child is oftener in the lap than the strong one."  -  William Gurnall

Do not hesitate to cast all your cares and burdens on the Lord; go to Him as often as need be; find comfort and love and peace in His Presence.  He will never hurl a true believer from His Presence. (John 6:37). One Scripture that has brought me much comfort and given me peace is Hebrews 13:5b  :  "for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."  With the Lord by your side, you will be able to face adversities and to be strong.  If fear visits you, cast it away in the assurance that you "can do all things through Christ Who strengthens you."   (Philippians 4:13).   This takes faith.

"Assurance is the fruit that grows out of the root of faith."  -  Stephen Charnock

"Prayer crowns God with the honor and glory due to His name, and God crowns prayer with assurance and comfort.  The most praying souls are the most assured souls."  -  Thomas Brooks

"Faith means trusting in advance what only makes sense in reverse."  -  Philip Yancey   

There is just one important thing: in order to have God's Presence and to be assured of His protection and love and of eternal life, you need to be born-again.  Spirit born, that is.   You need to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord and King and Master.   To do this, you first need to recognize your need of a Savior and to repent of all known sin; ask God to forgive you and truly believe that Jesus' death at Calvary and His shed blood can wash away your sins.   You must be sincere and from your very heart believe in Jesus and in His resurrection.

"Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."  - John 3:3

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."    -  John 3:16

"(9) That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  (13) For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."  -  Romans 10:9,13

Marc Wolfe has said, "Living a Christless life is like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic."  You are doomed to eternity in hell if you do not accept Jesus as your Savior.  (John 14:6). If you are an unbeliever and still here and live to see the soon to happen 7-year Tribulation, you will suffer through much pain and wrath and horror the likes of which has never been seen on earth before.   

When you give your life and heart and soul to Jesus Christ, you will have peace in your soul and will be able to experience a close, personal, intimate relationship with Him.  That is what we are called to do.

Live for the Lord.

Be in constant fellowship with Him.

Don't delay !

"Seek ye the LORD while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near:"   -  Isaiah 55:6

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me."   -  John 14:6

"All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me; and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out."   -  John 6:37