My Choice

My Choice
Journey With Jesus (Part 2)

My brothers and sisters in Christ, the journey has begun to the cross. The
question is, how are you going to walk? What two choices will you make on
the journey to the cross? To walk with the wise or to walk with the unwise?

Proverbs 3: 10-16,

“Hear, my son, and accept my words, that the years of your life may
be many. I have taught you the way of wisdom; I have led you in the
paths of righteousness. When you walk, your step will not be
hampered; and if you run, you will not stumble. Keep hold of
instruction, do not let go; guard her for she is your life. Do not enter
the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of evil men.
Avoid it; do not go on it; turn away from it and pass it on. For they
cannot sleep unless they have done wrong.; they have made someone
stumble.”

There is nothing in this world that one may acquire or earn that is as valuable
as wisdom. If a child of God makes the choice to walk with wisdom they may
receive five different gifts from God.

Contentment: Contentment in knowing what is your purpose in this life? In
knowing that you are doing what God's purpose is for you the walk, for the
journey to the cross will not be easy. You may scream, "MY GOD! MY GOD
WHAT AM I DOING?" But then there will come a peace, as you realize you
are doing what God
has called you to do not that which the world has called you to do.

Courage: Courage to go on when the road is uphill, dirt, gravel, hot, impossible
to navigate on your own. But with the hands of God around you to hold you, to
guide you, nothing can stop you from fulfilling His desire for you.

Confidence: Confidence that is not of the rooster, "OH LORD MY GOD, HOW
GREAT ' I ' ART!" Confidence in knowing that God is working all things within
you in unconditional love.

Peace: Peace in the knowledge that you are not only answering the call of
God but in the inner knowledge that when you look up with tears in your
eyes, with pain in your body and soul that God is working all things within
you for an eternal reward.

Progress: Progress in knowing that God chooses to pour His spiritual,
emotional, and material blessing into your life.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, the child of God who makes the choice to
walk in the wisdom of God, experiences a far different set of outcomes than
the child of God who makes the choice to walk with the unwise.

The one who walks with the unwise will receive:

Conflict: Not only with others, but conflict within their own mind and soul.

Consternation: When one makes the choice to walk with the unwise they
will experience anxiety, worry, and fear of not only the present but the future.
Fear of the future, of entering into an unknown eternity.

Disappointment: Disappointment for one has made the choice to walk not
with the wisdom of God but with the wisdom of the world. In this choice one
will experience being unsettled for surely there must be more to life than
what I am experiencing at this very moment in my life.

Discontentment: Discontentment that gnaws continually at your soul, your
bones, your mind, your sleep and appetite for you are seeking to satisfy the
desire of the sin of the flesh for money, materialism, status, prestige, that of
the world.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, the reality is very plain. God's word makes
it clear. If one makes the choice to walk the walk in wisdom you will never
loose.If one makes the choice to walk unwisely, you will loose and may die...
without knowing Jesus Christ as your Lord & Savior. You may live the lavish
life on earth and spend eternity in eternal hell and damnation.

Our Lord and Savior is our example that walking in wisdom is difficult, walking
in wisdom is not an easy paved flat road. Walking in wisdom can bring some
of the biggest challenges in our life. My brothers and sisters in Christ:

When is the last time you paused? When is the last time you paused in
humbleness and asked for wisdom?

"Father, please give me your wisdom. Father, show me what you want me
to do. Please Father, I ask of you to show me the way, for I cannot do this
myself."

In your life as others are shouting at you, mocking you, talking about you to
others, when there are so many voices around you. It is difficult to go on in His
wisdom. It would be so much easier to just quit and walk away. Walk away
and never know eternal peace within your body and soul. Wisdom is having the
ability to see things not from the world's perspective but from God's perspective.
To see and to respond to scriptural principals of living.

True un-wisdom is believing: I can live my life the way I want and win."

Hebrews 9:27-28,

"And just as it is appointed for men to die once, and after that
come judgment, so Christ having been offered once to bear
the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with
sin but to save those who are eagerly awaiting for him."

He knows your name, He knows you personally and on the journey in His pain
and suffering, Jesus will look you in the eye. When Jesus looks you in the eye
as he is carrying the cross of your sins, my sins, what will he see? Will Jesus
see that you have walked in the wisdom of God, or in the unwise wisdom of the
world?

If Jesus were to ask you at this very moment "Are you a wise person" how would
you respond? Pilate, would you ask Jesus, "WHAT IS THE TRUTH?" or do you
know the truth in your life, 'Claudia'? There will come a time on the journey when
you will be told to carry the cross. In the wisdom of the world, you will find that
you cannnot carry the cross. For it is too hard and the way is too difficult. In the
wisdom of God, you will be able to pick up the cross and carry it through all kinds
of trials and tribulations.

The season of Lent is a season to become prepared to walk. To walk and to
make the choice to not be a victim of the misjudgment of the world. To walk and
be a victor in the wisdom of God.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, the difference lies in the wisdom you seek in
your life. One does not have to die to go to hell. One can live in hell when they
make the choice to not walk in the wisdom of God.

At this very moment I call on each and every one of you to make five
commitments in your life, to walk in wisdom.

Romans 10:9,

"because, if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe
in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, you will be saved."

Father, I know in my heart and soul that Jesus Christ is alive. For on the third
day he arose from the tomb and today is alive within my heart and soul. In this
wisdom I commit my life to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 1:3,

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By His great
mercy we have been born anew to a living hope through the resurrection
of Jesus Christ from the dead."

In this wisdom of God we are all family. I am family.

Hebrews 6:1,

"Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrines of Christ and go on to
maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works
and of faith toward God."

I commit my life to God's instruction and my ears to His wisdom.

1 Peter 4:10,

"As each has received a gift, employ it for one another, as good stewards of
God's varied grace;" I commit my life not to the world but to God and to minister
unto others so that they may know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

2 Corinthians 5:19-20,

"that is, God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not
counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the
message of reconciliation. So we are ambassadors for Christ,
God making his appeal through us. We beseech you on behalf
of Christ, be reconciled to God."

I commit myself to being a messenger of God's unconditional love for all of His
children.

My brothers and sisters in Christ the journey, the walk to the cross is a walk of
commitment.

2 Corinthians 6: 1-2,

"Working together with God, then we entreat you (sincerely ask you) not
to accept the grace of God in vain. For God says, "At the acceptable
time I have listened to you, and helped you on the day of salvation."

MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CHRIST, "FOR GOD SAYS, AT THE
ACCEPTABLE TIME I HAVE LISTENED TO YOU, AND HELPED YOU ON
THE DAY OF SALVATION."

IN YOUR LIFE HAVE YOU MADE THE CHOICE TO WALK IN WISDOM AND
TO LISTEN TO GOD? OR HAVE YOU MADE THE CHOICE TO WALK WITH
THE UNWISE AND LISTEN TO THE VOICE OF THE SIN OF THE FLESH?

There were two criminals hanging on their individual crosses as they were being
crucified. One made the choice to listen to the voice of the world. One made the
choice to listen to the voice of God. While the criminals were alive and being
crucified, the criminal who made the choice to listen to the voice of the world was
attacked by a black crow who was flying above him. The criminal who made the
choice to listen to the wisdom of God was never touched by the same black crow
as he was being crucified right next to the other criminal. Crows only eat that
which is dead.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, if there was a crow above you right now what
would the crow do to you?

It's all about the choice we make in our walk to the cross.

May we be in prayer,

Father, may I stop at this very moment and make the choice to listen to that
not of the world. May I stop at this very moment Father and make the choice
to not only hear your voice but to obey your command. The choice is my
choice to live and or die with. I love you Father.

Amen

03/14/2004 JWM

___________________________________

My Five Commitments To Walk In Wisdom With God

1.) Romans 10:9

"because, if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in
your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, you will be saved."

In this wisdom I _______________ commit my life to my Lord & Savior
Jesus Christ.

2.) 1 Peter 1:3

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great
mercy we have been born anew to a living hope through the resurrection
of Jesus from the dead."

In this wisdom of God we are all family. I _____________ am family.

3.) Hebrews 6:1

"Therefore let us leave the elementry doctrines of Christ and go on to
maturity, not laying down a foundation of repentence from dead works
and of faith toward God."

I ____________ commit myself to God's instruction and my ears to His

wisdom.

1 Peter 4:10

"As each has received a gift, employs it for one another, as good stewards
of God's varied grace."

I _____________ commit my life not to the world but to God and to

minister unto others so that they may know Jesus Christ as their Lord and
Savior.

5.) 2 Corinthians 5: 19-20

"that is, God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not counting
their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of
reconciliation. So we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal
through us. We beseech you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God."

I _______________ commit myself to being a messenger of God's

unconditional love for all His children.

My Signature: _______________________

Date: __________________

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