The Only True Choice

Whether we realize it or not God is in control. We can make choices, good or bad, but God has His hand in everything. We make bad choices, He gives us options to set things straight. We make good decisions and He is there to put the stepping stones down that leads to other positive outcomes. God is good all day every day!! 

Although we make mistakes that can cause devastation to ourselves and our families God is always there to help us get back on the right track. Psalms 37:23-24 explains it like this, “The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in Him; though he may stumble, he will not fall for the Lord upholds him with His hand” (NIV). God is always there ready to make your path straight, you only have to let Him. Refusing God's help never leads to a good conclusion.

If a person goes through life refusing and ignoring God, he or she cannot expect to have His best in life. In fact, God is such a Gentleman that He would never be so rude as to push Himself on an individual who did not want Him. God gives us free will to make our own choices. The choice is a life without a Savior, or a life lived to the fullest with a Savior. Joshua after finally settling in the Promised Land spoke to the children of Israel about his choice, “If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15, NIV). It's really black and white, no gray line here folks. Choose the Lord or keep ignoring Him.

The right to choose a savior was the reason God sent His Son Jesus Christ into this world. John 3:16, which is familiar to many states, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (NIV). Jesus came to this Earth to serve and save us from ourselves. God knew that we could not live a life that would be righteous enough to have a relationship with Him so He sent His son Jesus who was sacrificed so that we would have the right to choose a relationship with God the Father. As you can see, it is a choice.

If an individual makes that choice to let God lead them, He takes over and gives that individual all the mercy and grace he or she will need. Giving God control of our life is not easy at times, but is worth it when the outcome is clear and God's best is front and center. God becomes our main focus and is Glorified through our submission to Him. 2 Peter explains, “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own Glory and Goodness” (NIV). God does not make mistakes. God loves us through the storms of life. God is Lord and He is Good. The best in life comes from the Lord Jesus Christ and no other.

Have a Wonderful week being thankful that you have made the right choice.

Your Sister in Christ,

Jacque Barnes

Are You Malnourished?

God uses different symbols to help people understand Him and what He wants for us. Throughout the Bible, God uses symbols to give the main idea a deeper meaning. For instance, a perfect lamb may represent Jesus or the “Prodigal Son” may represent man as he or she returns and ask forgiveness of God the Father. Today I want to look at what bread and wine represented, before and after Jesus Christ.

Bread is food and is symbolic of life, without food man cannot survive. In the Bible, bread represents the promises God made to the Israeli people. In Leviticus 24: 8, God explains, “This bread is to be set out before the Lord regularly, Sabbath after Sabbath, on behalf of the Israelites, as a lasting covenant” (Bible). God made a covenant with Abraham the father of the Israeli people. God promised He would make a great nation through Abraham's seed and gave him the land that would become known as Israel. So as you can see bread represents the promise of life and God's words of truth, which never returns void. The blood represents life as well, but also forgiveness.

In Leviticus 17:11 God explains the meaning of the use of blood, “For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life” (Bible). The atonement or forgiveness of their sins would come through the blood of a sacrifice being spilled on the altar.

When God sent His only Son Jesus Christ into the world He sent Him to heal and restore. Jesus Christ had told His disciples on numerous occasions, that the only way to experience eternal life was through Him. After Jesus died on the cross and was resurrected many things started to make sense to the disciples. One of which was the breaking of the bread and the drinking of the cup of wine which was symbolic of the blood of Jesus Christ.

During the last supper, Jesus Christ explained how bread and wine represent His body and blood. As Jesus and His disciples were celebrating the Passover meal Jesus took the bread and broke it and told them to eat. This was to be symbolic of His flesh that would die as a sacrifice for their sins once and for all. By eating the bread, or the flesh of Jesus, the disciples were symbolizing their belief in an eternal life through His sacrifice. Jesus explains this in John 6:51 which states, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever” (Bible). From the beginning, Jesus was symbolized using bread.

Next, Jesus Christ picked up the cup. The cup of wine Jesus raised was to symbolizing His blood that would be spilled during His sacrifice. The blood of Jesus Christ would wash away the sins of the believers who would put his or her trust in Him as their Savior. In John 7: 37-38 Jesus stated, Let anyone who is thirsty (needing forgiveness) come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living waters will flow from within them”(Bible).

The bread and the cup are symbolic of the flesh and blood of Jesus Christ. Jesus stated in John 6:35 & 55, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. Whoever feeds on My flesh and drinks of My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For My flesh is true (spiritual) food and My blood is true (spiritual) drink” (Bible).

So I will leave you this week with a question. Are you a little malnourished spiritually? Do you need to make some changes in your spiritual diet? By adding the bread of life and the cup of forgiveness you will never be hungry or thirsty again.

Have a Wonderful week feasting and getting your fill of the Word of God, Jesus Christ!!

Your Sister in Christ,

Jacque Barnes