Tag: ChosenGeneration

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Chosen – Not Left Out

Several weeks ago, I had the opportunity to share with a ladies’ group at a church in the Phoenix area. The teaching the Lord gave me was “Chosen Before the Foundation of the World”.

“ Before the world was created, God had Christ choose us to live with him and to be his holy and innocent and loving people. 5 God was kind and decided that Christ would choose us to be God’s own adopted children. 6 God treated us with undeserved grace because of the Son he dearly loves, and so we should praise God.” Ephesians 1:4-6 CEV

Stop and think about that. Before God said, “Let there be light”, He choose us to be His adopted children.

That truth is more than enough to drive out any feelings of insignificance or low self-esteem. We were chosen before there was anything in this universe but God, His Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

There has never been a time that we haven’t been part of God’s heart and His plan.

Now, more than ever before, those words “chosen by God” strike a deep chord whenever I read them in the Bible. I am chosen and you have been chosen by God!

Not ever the most popular, best dressed, prettiest or the best at sports, I remember the hurt of not being chosen. But that hurt was healed long ago. It was healed when I realized that God’s love and acceptance was enough. It became my mission, my calling, to let others know of God’s unconditional love.

This morning, while I was reading the last of Paul’s first letter to the Christians in Thessalonica, the admonition he gave them jumped off the page and touched my heart. I hope you don’t mind but from time to time when I come across these “chosen” verses I will be sharing them with you.

“ My friends, we ask you to be thoughtful of your leaders who work hard and tell you how to live for the Lord. 13 Show them great respect and love because of their work. Try to get along with each other. 14 My friends, we beg you to warn anyone who isn’t living right. Encourage anyone who feels left out, help all who are weak, and be patient with everyone. 15 Don’t be hateful to people, just because they are hateful to you. Rather, be good to each other and to everyone else.

16 Always be joyful 17 and never stop praying. 18 Whatever happens, keep thanking God because of Jesus Christ. This is what God wants you to do.

19 Don’t turn away God’s Spirit 20 or ignore prophecies. 21 Put everything to the test. Accept what is good 22 and don’t have anything to do with evil.

23 I pray that God, who gives peace, will make you completely holy. And may your spirit, soul, and body be kept healthy and faultless until our Lord Jesus Christ returns. 24 The one who chose you can be trusted, and he will do this.” I Thessalonians 5:12-24 CEV

Encourage anyone who feels left out. Be patient, be joyful, be prayerful, be filled with peace.

We have been chosen and the One who chose us can be trusted!

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Awesome Loving Father

Yesterday I had the wonderful opportunity to minister to and with the ladies of DCF in Phoenix. I always enjoy sharing God’s word with these special women.

This morning when I opened my laptop, there on the screen were the key verses from yesterday’s teaching.

“Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for the spiritual blessings that Christ has brought us from heaven! 4 Before the world was created, God had Christ choose us to live with him and to be his holy and innocent and loving people. 5 God was kind and decided that Christ would choose us to be God’s own adopted children. 6 God treated us with undeserved grace because of the Son he dearly loves, and so we should praise God.” Ephesians 1:3-6 CEV

Think about that – before the world was created; before there was a sky or stars, land or sea, before the elephants or eels, before the apples or the peaches; before the redwoods or the ponderosa pines, God choose us to become His children.

We have been in God’s heart and on His mind for longer than the world has existed. Amazing!

We are not an afterthought, an oops, a mistake; we are planned by God from the beginning to be His chosen ones.

“God always does what he plans, and this is why he appointed Christ to choose us.” Ephesians 1:11 CEV

As I said to those sweet women, there were lots of things in life I was never chosen for; I wasn’t homecoming queen or picked first for the neighborhood softball team, I wasn’t selected for honors choir, nor did I sit as first chair clarinet in high school band.

But I was chosen and so were you!

Chosen to be a part of God’s family; chosen to be loved; chosen to receive spiritual blessings in heavenly places.

“We have everything we need to live a life that pleases God. It was all given to us by God’s own power, when we learned he had invited us to share in his wonderful goodness. 4 God made great and marvelous promises, so his nature would become part of us. Then we could escape our evil desires and the corrupt influences of this world.” II Peter 1:3-4 CEV

I will be sharing more with you from this teaching in the days ahead, but for now, let these words “Before the world was created, God had Christ choose us” settle deep in your heart.

We have been chosen by God!

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Appraised Value

One of the first things I saw this morning was a posting of things to do to improve your own “self worth”.

Oh my!

I tried that for years. In high school I wanted to be part of the in-crowd, I never was. That meant I had to have the right friends, wear the right clothes, be a cheerleader or a cheerleader’s friend and the list went on.

As an adult that same challenge follows us. The right job, house, spouse, car, vacation spot. It can be devastating emotionally when these things escape our grasp.

God’s opinion of us is so much greater than our opinion of ourselves. He sees us, created in His image. Like a jeweler examining a precious diamond, He looks us over and sees a beauty that others don’t see.

“And they shall be Mine, says the Lord of hosts, in that day when I publicly recognize and openly declare them to be My jewels (My special possession, My peculiar treasure). And I will spare them, as a man spares his own son who serves him.” Malachi 3:17 AMPC

He sees us as valuable, priceless and worth the ultimate sacrifice.

He loved us enough to send His Son to die for us so that we could live in Him!

Now that alone should drive out any feelings of low self-esteem or worthlessness!

” Brothers and sisters, God chose you to be his. Think about that! Not many of you were wise in the way the world judges wisdom. Not many of you had great influence, and not many of you came from important families. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise. He chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 And God chose what the world thinks is not important—what the world hates and thinks is nothing. He chose these to destroy what the world thinks is important. 29 God did this so that no one can stand before him and boast about anything. 30 It is God who has made you part of Christ Jesus. And Christ has become for us wisdom from God. He is the reason we are right with God and pure enough to be in his presence. Christ is the one who set us free from sin. 31 So, as the Scriptures say, “Whoever boasts should boast only about the Lord.” I Corinthians 1:26-31 ERV

Christ gave his life to purchase our salvation. He gave all He had, He established our value.

“Also, God’s kingdom is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46 One day he found a very fine pearl. He went and sold everything he had to buy it.” Matthew 13:45-46 CEV

God’s appraisal is complete. He has examined us and in His expert opinion we are priceless.

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