Abed_nego2
Servant of the Lord
Matthew 4:19-20, "And he (Jesus) saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him"
__________
At a very early age we are faced with making choices! Some are easy ones, such as what clothes to wear or what to eat; however, as we progress in our years the choices become more difficult, such as what to do after graduating from high school. Do we go to college, get married, serve our Country in the Armed Forces? What job should we apply for, and the list goes on and on concerning choices we have to make daily. While writing this I was reminded that the Scriptures are full of illustrations concerning choices individuals had to make that are recorded for us in “His Eternal Word”.
In Matthew 4:18, Jesus was walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting nets into the sea: for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men? They dropped what they were doing and follow Jesus. One favorite story that I enjoy reading is recorded for us in the book of Daniel, when Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego chose not to worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. My friend, even though it meant their life they were not willing to compromise and bow down to a false god created by man!
During the course of our life, we will make thousands upon thousands of choices. Some will be right ones; however, many will be wrong ones, and for every wrong choice we make, there will always be consequences that follow. The choices I mentioned at the beginning of this post are important; however, there's one very important choice that each individual must make, which far outweigh those mentioned above, and one that will seal a person’s destiny for all eternity.
My friend, that choice is whether or not you accept God’s perfect plan of salvation through the shed blood of His Son, Jesus Christ. God has provided the ONLY WAY for our salvation; however, that choice He has left up to you; to either accept His plan or reject it. Nonetheless, to reject God's provision of salvation means an eternity in hell separated from Him, but to accept it means an eternity with Him in heavens glory. The Scripture succinctly tell us that God doesn't want anyone to perish; however, He will not force His will on anyone. That’s why He gave us a free will, so we could choose for ourselves. My friend, this is the day of salvation … don't keep putting it off!
__________
Closing thoughts:
Among the many names given to our Lord and Savior recorded in Scripture, the one that is especially dear to me is the name "Redeemer". The word redeem found in 1 Peter 1:18-19, literally means to buy back … suggesting that something has been sold or forfeited in order to pay a debt. When the price of its redemption has been paid, the lost article can be reclaimed. Man was created in God’s image, but he sold out to satan for some fruit from a forbidden tree. Since that time, everyone has been enslaved to sin and under judgment. The purchase price of our redemption was the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ, which met the demands of God’s holiness. In the 7th Chapter of Matthew, Jesus told us about the narrow way. It is entered through a narrow gate, its course is difficult, and it is not as crowded as the broad way that leads to destruction. My friend, Jesus was talking about the path (or choice) that we take when putting our faith in Him. He was talking about the only road that leads to heaven. We have so many roads to take in life, but God's way is the only one, which leads to eternal life! Have you made that all important choice - the narrow road spoken of by Christ Himself? My friend, Jesus is still reaching out and seeking those who will accept Him into their hearts. The question remains:
(1) Have you made the choice to let Him into your heart?
__________
Jesus gave His life for us so we could have His life in us.
__________
At a very early age we are faced with making choices! Some are easy ones, such as what clothes to wear or what to eat; however, as we progress in our years the choices become more difficult, such as what to do after graduating from high school. Do we go to college, get married, serve our Country in the Armed Forces? What job should we apply for, and the list goes on and on concerning choices we have to make daily. While writing this I was reminded that the Scriptures are full of illustrations concerning choices individuals had to make that are recorded for us in “His Eternal Word”.
In Matthew 4:18, Jesus was walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting nets into the sea: for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men? They dropped what they were doing and follow Jesus. One favorite story that I enjoy reading is recorded for us in the book of Daniel, when Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego chose not to worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. My friend, even though it meant their life they were not willing to compromise and bow down to a false god created by man!
During the course of our life, we will make thousands upon thousands of choices. Some will be right ones; however, many will be wrong ones, and for every wrong choice we make, there will always be consequences that follow. The choices I mentioned at the beginning of this post are important; however, there's one very important choice that each individual must make, which far outweigh those mentioned above, and one that will seal a person’s destiny for all eternity.
My friend, that choice is whether or not you accept God’s perfect plan of salvation through the shed blood of His Son, Jesus Christ. God has provided the ONLY WAY for our salvation; however, that choice He has left up to you; to either accept His plan or reject it. Nonetheless, to reject God's provision of salvation means an eternity in hell separated from Him, but to accept it means an eternity with Him in heavens glory. The Scripture succinctly tell us that God doesn't want anyone to perish; however, He will not force His will on anyone. That’s why He gave us a free will, so we could choose for ourselves. My friend, this is the day of salvation … don't keep putting it off!
__________
Closing thoughts:
Among the many names given to our Lord and Savior recorded in Scripture, the one that is especially dear to me is the name "Redeemer". The word redeem found in 1 Peter 1:18-19, literally means to buy back … suggesting that something has been sold or forfeited in order to pay a debt. When the price of its redemption has been paid, the lost article can be reclaimed. Man was created in God’s image, but he sold out to satan for some fruit from a forbidden tree. Since that time, everyone has been enslaved to sin and under judgment. The purchase price of our redemption was the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ, which met the demands of God’s holiness. In the 7th Chapter of Matthew, Jesus told us about the narrow way. It is entered through a narrow gate, its course is difficult, and it is not as crowded as the broad way that leads to destruction. My friend, Jesus was talking about the path (or choice) that we take when putting our faith in Him. He was talking about the only road that leads to heaven. We have so many roads to take in life, but God's way is the only one, which leads to eternal life! Have you made that all important choice - the narrow road spoken of by Christ Himself? My friend, Jesus is still reaching out and seeking those who will accept Him into their hearts. The question remains:
(1) Have you made the choice to let Him into your heart?
__________
Jesus gave His life for us so we could have His life in us.
