Chosen

Posted by Christy

Chosen is such a powerful word. Especially when you think about it’s opposite: rejected. Rejection is that thing we all fear, and we’ve all experienced at one time or another. I bet just the mention of the word “rejection” hurls you into emotion-filled flashbacks, and a flood of memories wash over you reminding you of all the times you were not chosen.

An audition gone wrong.
A team you never made.
A boyfriend who hurt your heart.
A friend that betrayed you.
A spouse that cheated on you.
A job you didn’t get.

If we’re not careful, we can begin to allow these moments to define us. We begin to call ourselves REJECTED. But God calls us by name, and He calls us CHOSEN.

“BUT YOU ARE A CHOSEN PEOPLE, A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, GOD’S SPECIAL POSSESSION, THAT YOU MAY DECLARE THE PRAISES OF HIM WHO CALLED YOU OUT OF DARKNESS INTO HIS WONDERFUL LIGHT.” 1 PETER 2:9

The enemy to our souls will try and try to tell you that you’re less than who God says you are. He will whisper false labels on you, and try to distract you from your real name: Chosen. Accepted.

But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God’s instruments to do His work and speak out for Him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference He made for you—from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted. 1 Peter 2:9 MSG. (emphasis mine)

Spend no more time there. Answer no longer to the name the enemy calls you by.

Let me tell you a secret the enemy doesn’t want you to know: we all have a choice in this. We can choose whether we move forward from this point or whether we relive the past for the rest of our lives.

I love the way Christine Caine said it- You could miss the rest of your life, which could be the best of your life by focusing on what was the worse of your life.

Friend, allow me to speak some things over you. Your true identity.

You are:

Accepted.

Chosen.

Loved.

Wanted.

Special.

Included.

Pursued.

Loved.

Important.

Desired.

Favored.

Called.

Preferred.

Loved.

Hand Picked.

Noticed.

Appointed.

Selected.

Loved.

Remembered.

You matter.

You are HIS.

Never again answer to any other name!

Weigh Your Decisions

Posted by Christy

The sermon this week was teaching on fear. Specifically on fear of failure. It made me remember some notes that I made a few weeks ago and I wanted to share all of this with you. Because, dear friends, fear can cripple you. Fear can stop you in your tracks. Fear can corrode our confidence in God’s goodness. What you fear tells you where you trust God the least. Did you catch that? Chew on that a minute.

Fear can rob you of your joy of living…..

….If you let it.

Fear lies.

Don’t believe anything fear says to you. Ever. It’s a trap to keep you frozen and ineffective for the Kingdom. It’s that simple. And it’s that complicated.

Fear always bugs us with those crazy “what if” questions.. What if I fail? What if I mess up? And baaad? What if I’m not enough? What if…what if….what if…..(insert your version here)?

Fear asks who will be watching when I fail? Who’s watching…that’s the big one. The possibility of someone seeing us fail is what we fear most of all because, whether we admit it or not, we have a deep need of the approval of those around us. We aren’t as fearful of failure if others won’t know about it, right? Even bigger than our fear of failure is the fear of who will SEE us fail, don’t you think?

It’s true that you may mess up. In case you didn’t know, let me tell you something: everyone messes up sometime or other. No one is perfect at everything. But that failure isn’t final, and the labels people give you don’t matter. The world will always try to tell you that you’re less than who He says you are.

Always.

And, hey, since we all know that, why measure ourselves by the world and it’s standards anyway? Why claim those labels? Why? Why? Why?

We shouldn’t.

We don’t have to.

So let’s stop that. Deal? And while we’re asking all these questions, let me ask you another one: what if you don’t fail? What if you actually go out there and rock it? That’s a way bigger risk! That is just not worth passing by.

Decisions become easier when your will to please God outweighs your will to please the world

Find out what pleases God and do it (Ephesians 5:17). Why? Because He is the ultimate Master you’re serving. He is the One from whom all blessings flow. He is the One who is madly in love with you and thinks you’re to die for…..and proved it.

We don’t overcome fear by being passive. We overcome fear by attacking it. We overcome fear by the victory King Jesus has already won. We put on our Ephesians 6 armor and do as Jesus did….we remember, BELIEVE, speak, and claim the promises of God. We remember that we are the child of the one true King. THAT’S who you are. THAT’S your name. Believe it.

The next time the enemy tries to remind you of your past…..remind him of his future!

What’s In A Name?

Posted by Christy

The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become the children of God. (John 1:9-12)

Jesus, the only true light….the only path to eternity….came. Though offered to everyone, not everyone recognizes Him for who He is as Savior. Those who do become children of God.

Through every situation, Jesus is offered as my hope daily…..minute by minute….and no matter the situation. Do I recognize Him? Do I recognize His work on my behalf?

He’s my Savior! Do I really think He’s going to love me enough to die for me, and then leave me to stumble through? No, He’s not a love ’em and leave ’em kind of guy! He said He’d never leave me and I believe Him.

He’s my hope and my salvation and there’s power in that name

Call out to Him. Try it. There’s power in that name.

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

Lord, thank You for the hope and salvation we have in you! I sit at the edge of my seat watching for You in my life. May it ever be so! Thank You that You came and that You keep coming every day in every thing.

Rescued…

Posted by Christy

If you’ve ever been in a city during rush hour traveling down 5 lanes of traffic, you know the busyness of it. Everyone in a hurry to get where they’re headed so they go…and they go FAST.

It was on a day like this, at just that time of day, that I was traveling home from work. Suddenly, right in the middle of that 5 lanes of busy, rush hour traffic, my vehicle just stops. Dead. In the middle of those 5 lanes. No puttering to stop. Just stops with no engine running. Stopped dead. As I look in my rearview mirror and see that 18 wheeler and all those vehicles headed right at me, I yell….”Jesus, no!”

“When they call on Me, I will answer; I will be with them in time of trouble. I will rescue and honor them” Psalm 91:15

It wasn’t a rhetorical using-of-His-name-in-a-sentence type usage (which I can’t, stand by the way). I was literally talking to my Savior, needing Him to save me in the physical realm this time. As if there was a bubble around me, the vehicles started parting. That 18 wheeler got close enough for me to see the panic on his face as he yanked hard and fast on his steering wheel to the left to pass by. My Lord saved me that day. My vehicle finally started and I went on my way, calling my hubby to praise the Lord with him.

There are days when we wake up and look around to say, “How in the world did I get HERE, and how did things get THIS way???” Call out that name: JESUS….the sweetest name I know. Don’t try to clean things up before you do, like some people do just before the housekeeper comes, or when company is coming. He says, come as you are, mess and all. You are tired of the mess, of the juggling, of the hiding, and the keeping of the secrets….

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest” Matthew 11:28

Pray:
Dear Lord, thank You for meeting me just where I am, mess and all. Thank You that You rescue us….over and over again. Your love never fails. Your love endures forever. There’s power in Your name. Lord, I call on your name right now. I need You. I thank You……

Photo credit: tomtom.com