Gtcotr/ss070223
The Bible is not only a record of God’s creation of, andHis interaction with, mankind in the past, but it is also a guidebook for each generation. The Bible is a roadmap for life.
God intends we overlay our lives with the accounts recorded in the Bible so that we might know where we are in relationship to Him and find the route leading us directly to His will. We can usually find ourselves in every story of the Bible. As the story overlays our life,we can identify each element and player, and end up knowing what to, and what not to do.
Many of you know the story of the children of Israel and their exodus from Egypt which occurred about 1500BC. Moses led them across the Red Sea on dry ground while Pharoah’s army was buried by the very water that saved the Israelites. After the children of Israel distrusted and disobeyed God by refusing to go into the Promise Land, the Lord allowed them to wander in the wilderness for 40 years.
When it came time for God to give the next generation their chance to trust Him and His new leadership, Moses called the Israelites together and gave them his parting instructions. The instructions Moses gave the children of Israel can be, and should be, directly overlaid on our lives today.
So without any further commentary, allow me to encourage you to take this word from God personally … as if it was being spoken by Jesus, directly to you in the situations you are facing today. Remember, these people were not perfect, and neither were their parents … this was however their chance to get it right … God gives everyone a chance to get it right.
Deuteronomy 30 NLT
19 “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!
20 You can make this choice by loving the LORD your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life. And if you love and obey the LORD, you will live long in the land the LORD swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”
Life is, and always has been, a series of choices. Life most often unfolds in a fairly predictable manner based on the decisions people make.
Early in July 1776, 56 brave men individually decided to pledge their life, their fortune, and their sacred honor to a cause we now know as the United States of America. Each one of them felt it was their duty to givefuture generations a God-given chance to enjoy Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. These men signed the Declaration of Independence and put their lives on the line.
Their decisions were based on firm convictions from the Bible and a fundamental faith that Almighty God would see them through. They were Believers in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and Savior of the world. Together with other men and women who held similar convictions, they fought for and won the freedoms we now enjoy as American citizens, guests, and visitors to this great nation. Happy Birthday America!
Their decision afforded generations to come the opportunity to be a part of continuing the freedoms we enjoy. God birthed this nation. As with every newborn, the real work starts after birth. Men and women in every generation since have made personal choices to continue fighting for the cause.
Freedom is not free.
I trust God is not finished blessing America. But according to the scriptures, that’s up to each generation. Just because we were born free does not mean we will stay free. Consider history …
The Apostle Paul knew the freedom a person could find in Christ. However, he also wrote to us about thepersonal responsibility that comes after you are saved.If you have been born again, you have a chance to get it right!
Galatians 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.
Galatians 2: 8 "For if I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.”
Galatians 5
13 For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.
14 For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
God is giving you the chance to get it right. How can you take advantage of your opportunity? Remember, it’s a choice …
Deuteronomy 30:20 “You can make this choice by loving the LORD your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life. And if you love and obey the LORD, you will live long in the land the LORD swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”
