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The Right to Choose!

The choices we make in the NATURAL – Bring forth the manifestation of the SUPERNATURAL!

The choices we make in the natural bring forth the manifestation of the supernatural whether they are godly or ungodly choices! You can count on it!

We do not have the power to determine the course of our lives without the awesome knowledge of God. Without the Holy Spirit we are no match for Satan. Even Satan is greater on this earth than we are. If we think that we have more power to determine the course of our lives than God or Satan does, then we are sadly mistaken. Without the precious Holy Spirit in our loves and the ability to hear His precious voice, we are completely lost. Satan is the prince and the power of this earth. Without the Holy Spirit, Satan knows more than we do.

By our choices either for God or for something Satan has willed, we determine how God moves in our life! Or we give Satan the room he needs to ruin or destroy our lives.

Are we puppets? No! Because we have the right to choose! We must realize that we are created beings and that we are being pulled to make choices every moment of the day and night.

Every time we make a choice, it is either a choice for God or a choice for Satan. It is either black or white. Our choices are for God or for selfishness (i.e. Satan). We must be willing to be a devoted follower of Father.

When we give our lives totally to God, we can be at peace but always remember, we were created for God’s good pleasure, not ours. (Philippians 2:13 - Ephesians 1:5)

Unwillingness to Change!
There are people that have an absolute unwillingness to change their ways! This comes from problems of feeling deprived in parts of their past life. When a person goes through life, or a portion of it, with a lacking of something they know they needed at that time – they often feel an urge (or a need) to take their life into their own hands. Their life then falls into a pattern of fighting to see that their perceived needs are met. This is because of a fear of being neglected or deprived again in their life.

Eventually this pattern can turn into a total rebellion to self-sacrifice and cause them to be selfish at a level that no one can truly become their friend.

Sometimes a person that has experienced deprivation and or neglect will find themselves being very blessed by God in some way. This can raise a gifting in compassion and generosity.

Until a person has been healed of emotional scars, resulting from neglect or deprivation, the person will continue in a pattern of fear of neglect and deprivation and a resentment towards any type of suffering and a deep, deep selfishness, to the point of fierceness. This is a common problem in many people today.

Making Decisions
When any of us are making a decision, we must remember that if and when we do things ahead of God, sometimes we miss things that God needs to set up, before we go forward and do something that He wants us to do. And, in some cases the things we miss, prevent God from having His way in any given situation. Then, it becomes a permanent mistake that He cannot fix. People get a direction or a vision from God and they take it and run with it. They fall flat on their face because they did not get the specific direction that they needed, to understand how God wanted it done and when. If you are wondering why Christians fall flat on their faces all the time after they get a direction from God, that is why 90% of the time. Timing and specific direction is everything with God! We cannot do something in God’s will and do it our way. It will not work! If we want to do something in God’s will, we must do it His way - not our way.

Choices/Our Own Free Will!
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.” Romans 8:28-30 (NIV)

Based on the above scripture - a television preacher recently said, “There is no such thing as absolute free will. God gives us a degree of our own free will – and if He allows a mistake, He will turn it to good.”

First, this preacher is speaking from a predestination stance/position. In just a few words – predestination is: God picks and chooses who will be saved and who will not! Man does not have the right to make his own choices – man has no free will.

I am not here to argue scripture with anyone – I am here to attempt a fresh perspective in accordance with the character and nature of God.

This is a perfect example of why it is so important to learn to sit and hear the voice of God! This is so important to God that Jesus explained it this way to His disciples:

“I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.” John 12:15 (NIV)

Each one of us has been predestined by God for a special purpose. We are predestined to be conformed to the likeness of Jesus! Therefore, we have to be free to make that choice! God did not create us to be puppets! God will not force His will on us! We must want Him – and want His will working in our lives! He will not force us to love Him – we must choose to love Him and want what He wants in our lives. Each one of us has been called to have a working and active relationship with God.

God does not play favorites! If God set on His throne in Heaven and said, “Okay, this one will be saved and this one won’t; this one will be part of my family and this one won’t.” God would be setting people up for failure. He would be creating some people to fail before they ever had a chance!

Let me say again, God does not play favorites. He is a loving and merciful God! How arrogant of anyone who would think that he or she were handpicked to be better than all the others!

“Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right.” Acts 10:34-35

Never forget: God is the perfect parent – and He does not set any of us up to fail!

Let me give you an example: Upon arriving in Egypt God told Moses how to handle Pharaoh. God told Moses He would harden Pharaoh’s heart. (Exodus 7:3) A well-known Rabbi, Rabbi Akiva taught, “All is foreseen and free will is given.” God foresees all possibilities, and yet the free will He has given is still in place for an individual to do the right thing or the wrong thing.

Pharaoh still could have chosen to do the right thing. Pharaoh was given five (5) chances to repent (in connection with the first five (5) plagues). He hardened his own heart to the requests of God. It was only after that did God confirm Pharaoh’s decision by hardening Pharaoh’s heart. (Exodus 9:12) God does not harden the heart of anyone but a confirmed rebel – He wants all to turn from sin unto Him.

God made a choice to show his love for His creation by having an awesome plan like this in place before the foundations of the world. At some point every individual born will eventually make the choice of all choices!

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.” Ephesians 1:3-6 (NIV)

“But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Who ever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. I John 2:5-6 (NIV)

If we do not have our own free will to choose – then why did Joshua pose the following question to the people of Israel?

“But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” Joshua 24:15 (NIV)

If we do not have our own free will to choose – why did Adam and Eve choose to disobey God in the manner they did? They talked to God face to face every evening! The Bible tells us in Genesis 3:8: Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden.

“When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.” Genesis 3:6-7 (NIV)

Adam and Eve’s choice changed the whole world in more ways than can be written! God’s perfect plan for then and for all creation was ruined! God gave Adam and Eve the freedom to choose! And if they had not chosen the wrong way – one of us would have!

If we do not have our own free will to choose – why did King David, make so many wrong choices? God said of David that “he was a man after God’s own heart”. Having an affair with Bathsheba was not the only wrong choice David made – he also set her husband up to be murdered! God’s law for leaders of Israel stated: “Neither shall he multiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn away…” (Deuteronomy 17:17) (NASB)

Because of David’s choice to have many wives, there was an abundance of problems between his children. Bottom line David’s choices created havoc in his family. Therefore, there was havoc in Israel! David’s favorite son Absalom revolted against him and turned the people against David. David had to pack up and leave the country and hide! One of David’s sons raped his sister and Absalom had his bother killed for raping his sister! David did not follow the laws God had laid down regarding murder and the revolt began. David made choice after choice out of his own free will.

If we do not have our own free will why did Jonah disobey God and refuse to go to Nineveh to preach? Out of his own freewill he chose to run from the Lord! He chose to board a ship heading for Tarshish! Upon boarding the ship Jonah not only put himself in danger – he endangered everyone on the whole ship! They knew why! Jonah knew he was endangering everyone on board, and he jumped off the ship right into the mouth of a great fish! He was in the belly of the great fish for three days! He repented and in God’s timing the fish threw up and Jonah landed on the shoreline! (Jonah 1:3) (NIV)

There are numerous examples of how people of old made wrong choices. And the written Word shows how badly it affected others and the entire world. When we make wrong choices, it affects those around us - it causes a ripple effect.

I wonder how many people really know God. How much time do they spend with Him in a day? How much time have they taken to sit and learn to hear His voice? No one has the right to speak on behalf of someone they do not really know! Whether preacher or teacher! They should not be speaking on behalf of God unless they spend more time one on one with Him - instead of reading about Him.

“Toward anything like thorough scholarship, I make no claim. I am not an authority on any man’s teaching; I have never tried to be. I take my help where I find it and set my heart to graze where the pastures are greenest. Only one stipulation do I make; my teacher must know God, as Carlyle said, ‘Otherwise than by hearsay’ and Christ must be all to him. If a man have only correct doctrine to offer me I am sure to slip out at the first intermission to seek the company of someone who has seen for himself how lovely is the face of Him who is the Rose of Sharon and the Lily of The Valley. Such a man can help me, and no one else.” A.W. Tozer

I do not just want to know about God from the Bible – yes that is needed for sure. However, I want to listen to Him and know Him by spending time with Him – just he and I. That is what a relationship is – it is being one on one with someone. In short, I want to know God experientially! Jesus put it this way:

“You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me to have life.” John 5:39-40 (NIV)

No matter what anyone says – so called big choices are not the only important ones! I have heard people say over and over, “This is my choice and it has no effect on anyone but me!” Wrong! Big or small, choices cause a ripple effect that can bless or curse people into future generations. (Exodus 20)

God allowed Adam and Eve to make a choice that would affect the entire population of this world – generation after generation. He could have stopped them, but he didn’t! You see God gave His word to Adam and Eve when he told them of their divine right to make their own choices! And God keeps His word! Therefore, He did not set them up to fail! They set their selves up for failure by their choices!

Food for thought: Some wrong choices can be turned around. However, there are choices that cannot be fixed! If a person is walking closely with God sometimes restoration can come. Then again one person may desire restoration – and the other may not! Everyone has their own right to choose – right or wrong!

Yes, we can learn from our mistakes if we choose too. When we seek God’s direction through listening, He can in turn teach us how to do things better the next time. Make no mistake there are choices that change lives and more times than not they cannot be fixed!

God gives us complete freedom to make our own choices – if we do not make those choices from His perspective, then we are working out of our own selfish nature. That is when possible unfixable, hurtful, painful, events can happen! They can change the course of our lives and because we have chosen to do it our way – we have taken the situation/circumstance out of God’s hands!

“Our choices reveal what kind of person we are, but there is another side to the coin. We may, by our choices, also determine what kind of person we will become. The important thing, about man is not where he goes when he is compelled to go, but where he goes when he is free to go where he will.” A.W. Tozer

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:11-13 (NIV)

When you make a wrong choice in your life, how you look at it and how you react and deal with it is an indicator of where you are with God. . .

Mistake – “I could have done this differently, but with God’s help I will allow Him to use this to make me a better person and show me how to never do it again.”
Regret – “D--- it, I wish I hadn’t done that! Now it cannot be fixed, I have ruined my life!”

Choices: Perfect or Imperfect?

God – God does not change His mind, however, there are times He must change direction. If Adam and Eve had obeyed God, there would not have been a need for God to send His son to pay the price for our sins! What a perfect choice!

Man – By Adam and Eve’s choices their children and their children’s children must live in a corrupt world. Their choices carried great consequences for us all that cannot be fixed! Their decisions were – imperfect choices!

Satan - Satan was once known as Lucifer and he was referred to as, “O morning star, son of the dawn!” His plan was to: “… raise my throne above the stars of God. I will make myself like the most high.” The consequence of his choice was removal from Heaven -imperfect choice!

Angels – Yes, angels make choices. When Satan was planning his takeover of Heaven – one-third of the angels in Heaven chose to join him in his plan! In so doing they were removed from Heaven and became demons – imperfect choice!

(sw-h)
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