Tag Archives: Choice

Choosing Our Choice

Posted on by under Christian Living, Current Events

20268595946_58bfb01361_o     Americans across the country are beginning to gather in coffee shops, local burger joints, and neighborhood hangouts and discussing who our next president will be. Those in Iowa, New Hampshire, and other early primary states have made, or are making their choices now. We see it as a great privilege within our political system that we are allowed to choose our choice candidate to be our next leader. While democracy in politics and government is a great system, we must be sure to recognize that we do not get to choose when it comes to the one who is our ultimate ruler.

     The Bible teaches us that, “The LORD is King for ever and ever: The heathen are perished out of his land” (Psalm 10:16, KJV). “The LORD sat enthroned at the Flood, And the LORD sits as King forever” (Psalm 29:10). Also, “For the LORD Most High is awesome; He is a great King over all the earth” (Psalm 47:2). God is the King. He will be the Ruler forever and ever. He is over all of the earth. Thus, we do not get to choose who our King will be. God is it. Jesus told a parable about a man who went away to receive his kingdom, which is a reference to Jesus going off into heaven to receive His kingdom after His ascension from this earth (Hebrews 1:1-4; Psalm 110:1). Even though there were those in the parable who did not want to be ruled by this man, they could not prevent him from coming into his kingdom (Luke 19:11-27). We can choose to follow Him or not. We do have that free will. However, He is the Lord, the Ruler, and the King whether we accept Him or not.

     Therefore, seeing that these things are so, let us come and acknowledge Him as the King of kings and Lord of lords (1 Timothy 6:15; Revelation 17:14). Let us choose Him as our choice to rule in our lives. If He is to be our Lord and Master, then we need to obey what He says to do. He is coming back some day to judge the living and the dead (Ecclesiastes 12:14; John 12:48; Acts 17:31; Matthew 25:31-32). Those who are obedient will be ushered in to their eternal reward. Those who refuse Him will be punished. He is the Lord whether you “vote” for Him or not. That cannot be changed. So as we exercise our choice for the next president, let us also think about exercising our free will to choose to serve God while we still have the time and opportunity to do so!

Independence

Posted on by under Christian Living

Washington-DC     Independence is something that most Americans desire.  We want to be our own boss.  We do not like being told what to do.  We want to be the ones in charge of our life and our decisions.  When we go to 7-11, we want the 44 ounce Mountain Dew, and we do not want someone telling us we cannot have it.

     In the time of Jesus there were a good many Jews who also longed for their independence.  They did not like it that Rome was in charge and they had no say over their political affairs.  A faction of the Jews known as the Zealots tried to make things difficult on the Romans.  They assassinated leaders and revolted against Rome, which led to the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. and the Zealot’s last stand at Masada (Josephus, Wars of the Jews).

   While political independence is something to be desired, we need to realize that we will never be totally independent.  We cannot create our own food out of nothing.  We cannot create the air we breathe in by speaking it into existence.  We cannot make our hearts stop and start beating.  We need to recognize our dependence upon God.

     God, through the pen of Paul, lets us know that we are all slaves to someone.  We are either slaves/servants of God, or we are slaves of the evil one. “Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?” (Romans 6:16 NKJV).  We may think that we are being independent when we choose to walk away from God, but we are only making ourselves slaves to someone/something else.

     If we want true freedom from sin, if we want a reward in heaven when this life is over, then we need to realize our total dependence upon God.  We need to learn of His will, and we need to obey Him (Matthew 7:21ff; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9).  Jesus said that we could know the truth, and that the truth would make us free from sin (John 8:32).  Thus, we can have independence from the evil one, but only by being dependent upon God!  God will not force us to choose Him.  That is our independent choice.  Who will you choose to depend upon?