HOLY GOD Chose You—so that . . .
“For the foolishness of God is wiser than mankind, and the weakness of God is stronger than mankind.
(1 Corinthians 1: 25-31 NASB)
For consider your calling, brothers and sisters, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble;
but God has chosen the fooling things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong,
and the insignificant things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are,
so that no human may boast before God.
But it is due to Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption,
so that, just as it is written: “LET THE ONE WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD.”
Where do you desire to be in 2024?
Yes, that is right; you read that calendar year correctly: two years from now—2024.
What do you wish to be doing within your life in two years (365+365 days)?
In reading an article about an Olympic swimmer, it was interesting to see how she does not set goals for the upcoming year but for two years away from the year where she currently stands. Why?
Her answer came through something like this: Enjoy the process more and more.
Sanctification is a really BIG Church word that so many shy away from as they walk through life, but this process truly cannot be experienced apart from Jesus Christ. That’s right. In order to be “sanctified,” a person must first become “justified”—JUST-AS-IF-I-NEVER SINNED. That’s when we receive the righteousness of our Savior Jesus.
Then, after that moment of receiving God’s Amazing Grace—His Salvation, believers then begin the process of “sanctification.”
Someone once said it this way:
“You do not need to know all the details of how everything will work out BEFORE you say, “Yes.” You just say, “Yes” up front, knowing that if God’s invited You to do it, then HE will empower you!!”
What has HOLY GOD chosen us to do?
Where is HOLY GOD asking us to go?
How is HOLY GOD leading us to speak?
Two Songs Come to Mind, ones that we might want to pause and enjoy.
Jeremy Camp sings a melody titled “Keep Me in the Moment” that reminds how we need to walk daily with our Savior, at His pace and not our own gait, how we should not run ahead but even stand still if God says, “STOP.”
&
TobyMac sings a melody titled “See The Light” that proclaims how we should—
“Lift your hands up—to where your help comes from . . .
And let your burdens fade away. . . .
We’re going to see the Light.”
One day we will arrive home to heaven and stand before God, and when we do, it will not matter what we did during our time here on earth within our daily jobs, nor will it matter who we married, or even the amount of money we acquired. Only one decision will matter, and because we will receive the “AMAZING GIFT” of arriving home to heaven, we will fall on our knees before our LORD of Lords and KING of Kings, as we worship our Savior and cry out: “Thank You Jesus for dying for me.”
LET US NOT WAIT!
LET US LIFT UP OUR HANDS TODAY!
LET US THANK KING JESUS AS WE WALK THROUGH OUR DAY!
LET US KNOW FROM WHOM WE ARE EMPOWERED!
LET US LAY OUR BURDENS AT JESUS’ FEET!
LET US STAY!
LET US REMAIN!
LET US LIVE IN THIS ONE SOLITARY MOMENT OF OBEDIENCE!
WHILE KNOWING THAT JUST MAYBE—OUR “ARRIVING HOME” DAY MIGHT JUST COME TO US IN 2023 OR IN 2024!
LET US LIVE FOR JESUS EACH DAY WE ARE GIVEN!
The decision we make to the question: What will we do with Jesus?
IS CRITICAL!
The way we answer the question
HAS ETERNAL CONSEQUENCES!
That question & That decision.
IS THE ONLY REAL & IMPORTANT DECISION every human being needs to decide.
As we live out the rest of our days here upon this earth—LIVE WITHIN WHAT MATTERS!
- What we do—today—this one solitary day—Matters!
- Who we lead to see Jesus—today—this one single day we are given to breathe—Matters!
- Where HE leads us to go that we actually go—Matters!
- Why we ever hesitate to say, “Yes, LORD”—Matters!
- When we are obedient—Matters!
- How we go—in the empowerment of Jesus—Matters!
Making plans to see the “Light of the world” someday soon—Matters!
The day is coming when Jesus will come for each of us.
God will wipe away every tear & make everything new.
We know this to be true!
May we live today as we do!
HOLY GOD Chose Us—so that—We May Obey His Will As We Live!
It is a gospel truth. God is not looking for those who are great in achievement, great in stature, great in wealth, great in name, even though it is true that God will use ALL PEOPLE to accomplish His will. However, God is not looking for those who are great in achievement—in themselves—because God will use those who are open to His will. If we need evidence, then we only need to look again at the birth of Jesus. We just need to see the angel of God proclaiming to the lowly & dirty & smelly & socially outcasted shepherds tending the sheep in the field that Holy Night to SEE how it is Almighty God who empowers us to do the tasks set before us, to do His will.
- Without the angel’s announcement, the shepherds may never have believed the star.
- Without the angel’s words about the birth of the Savior, Jesus Christ the Lord, the shepherds may have stayed out in the field that night.
- Without the shepherds’ obedience, we might not know Jesus as the Messiah.
- Without the shepherds, we may not understand the prophecy about the child being born in a manger.
HOLY GOD Chose You & Me—US—so that . . .
“He may nullify the things that are,
(1 Corinthians 1: 28b-31 NASB)
so that no human may boast before God.
But it is due to Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption,
so that, just as it is written: “LET THE ONE WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD.”
The Holy Spirit will strengthen us today if we are willing to receive His power!
The Holy Spirit will empower us today from within to receive victory over sin!
The Holy Spirit will help us so that we do not rely upon our own strength but on His!
Almighty God filled the seas, formed the mountains, breathed life into dust and created the first man, & HE will sustain us for whatever lies ahead that we truly cannot even see!
May we not forget why God leaves us here on earth once we have received HIS MERCY, GRACE, & SALVATION!
May we obey ALMIGHTY GOD with JOY!
May we remember how we are the Sons and Daughters, adopted through the Son of God into God’s family!
May we give HONOR to GOD FIRST OF ALL!
May we SEE JESUS before we see anything else!
May we recite these Holy Scriptures:
“For this reason, I bend my knees before the Father,
(Ephesians 3: 14-21 NASB)
from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name,
that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner self,
so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and height and depth,
and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled to the fullness of God.
Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us,
to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.”