Blessing or Curse

We get to choose. Will we live under blessing or curse? There is no middle ground. You either choose to follow God and live under His blessing…or you choose to walk away from God into curses. Now following God doesn’t mean bad things won’t happen to you—they still will!  God told us to expect that.  But the difference is God walks with you and helps you. 

Stop for a minute and think about families you know who love God and follow Him with all of their hearts. How would you describe them? How would you describe those who don’t follow Jesus? My general adjectives for Jesus-followers would be happy, full of life and light, healthy, good boundaries, fulfilled, joyful, and full of hope. Those who have rejected God? I would say they are mostly unhappy, chaotic, hopeless, dark, angry, a you-owe-me mentality, or an insatiable appetite for what the world offers.  There’s no middle ground. None.  

It’s in ALL of us to want to be happy and fulfilled. And it all comes down to this: Will you choose to love and follow God? He’s the way, He’s the truth, and He’s the life! And there’s no life apart from Him. There’s no fulfillment on earth apart from him..and there’s no eternal life apart from Him. 

I implore you…choose God!! Choose blessing. 

That Messy First Christmas

That first Christmas was messy. 

•Mary was pregnant before she married. 

•Joseph had to be convinced by an angel to marry her. •They had to travel 94 miles—while Mary was around 9 months pregnant—to pay taxes!

•There was no room for them. 

•They had to stay in a barn. 

•Mary went into labor—in a barn—with no midwife. 

•It was dirty and smelled like animals. 

•They had no bed for Jesus. 

•Dirty shepherds arrived soon after Jesus’ birth. 

It was all messy. 

But…praise God! It reassures me that Jesus will show up in my messy and your messy. He didn’t arrive in a palace making Him inaccessible to you and me. He showed us that we can come to Him just as we are. 

That first Christmas was messy, for sure. But it was also miraculous and filled with wonder. And when Jesus steps into your messy?  You can expect the same.  Jesus came into the messy to rescue you and me. 

Fear vs Fearlessness

If you were Satan, which person would you be more likely to prey upon—the person who is terrified, or the person with determination and fearlessness in their eyes? That’s a no-brainer, isn’t it?

That’s why Paul told us in Philippians 1:28 AMP, “And do not [for a moment] be frightened or intimidated in anything by your opponents and adversaries, for such [constancy and fearlessness] will be a clear sign (proof and seal) to them of [their impending] destruction, but [a sure token and evidence] of your deliverance and salvation, and that from God.”

Don’t be intimidated by Satan, his demons, or the people being used by him. God wants us to trust Him—to be fearless! I know it’s easier said than done. But ask God to deliver you from fear and to build faith through His promises to you. Faith comes by hearing God’s Word—so get in the Word!  Know His promises. Grab hold of those promises and hold them close in your heart and mind. 

Walk fearlessly. Satan will know he’s doomed.  

Headstrong

This morning, I read Ephesians 6:10, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.” I looked up the Greek words and to be strong in the Lord means to receive strength from the Lord. But the opposite (it said), is to be headstrong. I know exactly what it means to be headstrong! Demanding my own way, convinced I’m right, or  determined and self-willed. 

We all have a choice…are we going to be strong in the Lord or headstrong? Will we do it God’s way or our way? Will we be kind and filled with the Soirit or self-willed? Will we submit to God or demand our own way—convinced we’re right?

We face that choice every day, don’t we? Just remember…head butting hurts!

We are…

What has happened in your life to make you feel rejected, abandoned, inferior, insecure, unlovable, or unloved? It’s happened to all of us! Satan probably started in childhood to make sure you grew up with a heart full of rejection. 

God wants you to know you are blessed. He loved you before you were born. He CHOSE you! He looked at all of us orphans and said, “I PICK YOU!”  He wants to adopt you and make you His own.

It’s hard to accept that God loves us. It’s hard for us to receive that love—and any good gift He offers. We have a choice. God chooses us…but will we choose Him? And when we do? He adopts us. We’re His. He begins the work of destroying Satan’s lies and taking off the bondage. He inscribes your name on His will—and you become a full inheritor of all that is His!

He wants you to know that you are fully…

•Blessed

•Loved

•Chosen

•Adopted

•Accepted. 

It’s time to agree with Him. 

The Offense of the Cross

What makes the cross so offensive that people refuse to come to Jesus? By accepting the work Jesus did by dying on the cross for our sins, we have to die to ourselves. We have to admit we can’t get to heaven on our own merit—or by being good enough. We can’t follow the laws of the Old Testament and stand before God completely acceptable…because we’ve proven we’ll never do it perfectly. It’s offensive to admit we’re a sinner…and because of that sin, our relationship with God is broken. The ONLY way to have a relationship with God is to admit we’ve sinned and are in need of a savior. The cross is offensive because we must abandon all pride. 

And there you have the bottom line. The cross is offensive because it illuminates the fact we can’t get to heaven on our own. We have to abandon our pride and admit we’ve sinned and need the salvation Jesus offered by dying for our sins.  His death and resurrection are the bridge which gives us access to a relationship with God and a place in heaven. It’s NOT Jesus’ death for our sins + anything else.  It’s accepting Jesus died for our sins and we need a savior. We have to turn around completely. We stop going our way…and start following Jesus. We must abandon our pride and obey Him. 

“And I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why do I still suffer persecution? Then the offense of the cross has ceased.” Galatians 5:11. 

Deliverance!

“Jesus gave Himself for our sins that we might be delivered from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father.” Galatians 1:4

God sent Jesus to rescue us. This world and this age are degenerate, diseased, calamitous, vicious, lewd, malicious, and wicked. It’s because of that evil mastermind, Satan himself. It was God’s purpose and plan all along to draw us out of this dark, scary cesspool we call home. 

Why has it taken so long? To allow us to be born? To culminate the final battle plans between God & Satan? Because 1000 years is as one day to God? I don’t know. But He’s promised deliverance…so I know it WILL happen. In the meantime, He told us the last days on this earth will only grow more brutal. Satan knows his defeat is near so he will pull out all the stops. 

But we have the best message in the world:

Deliverance is coming!

Spread the word!