.......Choose for yourself on this day whom you will serve......As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.
Joshua 24:15
For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us to be adopted as His sons (daughters) through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will.
Ephesians 1:4 & 5
THE CHOICE:
He placed one scoop of clay upon another until a form lay lifeless on the
ground. All of the Garden's inhabitants paused to witness the event.
Hawks hovered. Giraffes stretched. Trees bowed. Butterflies paused on
petals and watched. "You love me, nature," God said. "I made you that way.
You will obey me, universe. For you were designed to do so. You will reflect
my glory, skies, for that is how you were created. But this one will be like
me. This one will be able to choose."
All were silent as The Creator reached into himself and removed something
as yet unseen.
"A rib?" Some wondered aloud.
"A seed. It's called 'choice'; the seed of choice," The Creator spoke
softly. Creation stood in silence and gazed upon the lifeless form.
After a moment, an angel spoke, "But what if he..."
"What if he chooses not to love?" The Creator finished. "Come, I will show
you."
Unbound by today, God and the angel walked together into the realm of
tomorrow. "There - see the fruit of the seed of choice, both the sweet and the
bitter?" The angel gasped at what he saw......LOVE...... spontaneous LOVE; voluntary
devotion......chosen tenderness. Never had he seen anything like these. He felt
the love of the Adams. He heard the joy of Eve and her daughters. He saw
the food and the burdens shared. He absorbed the kindness. He marveled at
the warmth. "Heaven has never seen such beauty, My Lord. Truly, this is
Your greatest creation," he exclaimed in awe.
"Ah, but you've only seen the sweet. Now witness the bitter." A stench soon
enveloped the pair. The angel turned in horror and queried,
"What is that?"
The Creator spoke only one word......
"Pride"
As they passed through centuries of repugnance, never had he seen such
filth. Rotten hearts......broken promises......forgotten loyalties......selfishness......
greed......children of the creation wandering blindly in lonely labyrinths.
"This is the result of choice," the angel asked?
"Yes"
Then The Creator continued. "This is everything that love is not......
it is the exact opposite of what love is," The Creator added. The angel
stood speechless. Presently, almost under his breath, the angel said,
"But Lord, I thought the emotion 'Hate' was the exact opposite of love."
The Creator fastened His eyes on the angel, love now radiating in
perfection. "It is 'Pride'. 'Hate' is a mere by-product of 'Pride'. It is
'Pride' that will separate unto death."
"They will forget you? Turn their back on you?"
For a split second, the extreme pain of a broken heart flashed through
those eyes of love. "They will. Yes."
"They will never come back?"
"Some will. Most will not."
"What will it take to make them listen?"
The Creator walked on in time, farther and farther into the future,
until he stood by a sweet-smelling tree; a tree so soft, that would
be fashioned into a cradle. Even then he could smell the hay that
would one day surround him.
With another step into the future, he paused before another tree. It stood
alone, a stubborn ruler of a rocky hill. The trunk was thick, and the wood
was strong. Soon it would be cut. Soon it would be trimmed. Soon it
would be borne by a broken, beaten, battered, and bruised body to the
crown of another stoney hill. And soon he would be hung on it. He felt the
weight of the wood rub against a back he did not yet wear.
"Will YOU go down there," the angel asked?
"I will."
"Is there no other way?"
"There is not."
"Wouldn't it be easier not to plant the seed? Wouldn't it be easier
not to give the choice?"
"It would," The Creator spoke slowly, "but to remove the choice
is to remove the love."
He looked around the hill and foresaw a scene. Three figures
hung on three crosses......arms spread......heads fallen forward. They moaned with
the wind.
Men clad in soldier's garb sat on the ground near the trio. They
played games in the dirt and laughed. Men clad in religion stood off to one
side. They smiled, arrogant, cocky. They had put an end once and for all to
this one who proclaimed Himself to be The Messiah, they thought. This Jesus......
this Yeshua...... this innocent Lamb of God.
Women clad in sorrow huddled at the foot of the hill...... speechless.
Faces tear-streaked......eyes downward. One put her arm around another and tried
to lead her away. She wouldn't leave. "I will stay," she said softly.
"I
will stay. This one is my son."
All heaven stood to fight. All nature rose to rescue. All eternity
poised to protect. But The Creator gave no command.
"It must be done..." He said, and withdrew.
But as He stepped back in time, He heard the cry that he would
someday scream: "My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?"
He wrenched at tomorrow's agony.
The angel spoke again. "It would be less painful..."
The Creator interrupted softly. "But it wouldn't be love."
They stepped into the garden again. The Maker looked earnestly
at the clay creation. A monsoon of love welled up within Him. He had died
for the creation before he had yet breathed. Dust stirred on the lips of the
new one. The chest rose, cracking the red mud. The cheeks turned to flesh.
A finger moved, and an eye opened. But more incredible than the moving of the
flesh was the stirring spirit. Those who could see the unseen gasped.
Perhaps it was the wind who said it first. Perhaps what the star
saw at that moment is what has made it blink ever since. Maybe it was left
to an
angel to whisper it:
"It looks like...it appears so much like...it is Him!"
The angel wasn't speaking of the face, the features, or the body.
No. He was looking inside - at the soul.
"It's eternal," gasped another angel.
Within the man, God of might had created earth's mightiest. The
Creator had created not a creature, but one like the Creator. And The
One who had chosen to love had created one who could love in return.
Now it's our choice......my choice......your choice.
Choose you this day...
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Something Cool
His Touch
Who we are in Christ. Letter From Jesus...
Regardless?!? A Friend Is...... Ten Names Of God.
The Holy Spirit..."Power" God's Abundant Grace.
Can I Live A Holy Life? What If ???
Curtis' Testimony Laughter is Good Medicine.
Who Jesus is a walk through the books of the Bible.
All were silent as The Creator reached into himself and removed something as yet unseen.
"A rib?" Some wondered aloud.
"A seed. It's called 'choice'; the seed of choice," The Creator spoke softly. Creation stood in silence and gazed upon the lifeless form.
After a moment, an angel spoke, "But what if he..."
"What if he chooses not to love?" The Creator finished. "Come, I will show you."
Unbound by today, God and the angel walked together into the realm of tomorrow. "There - see the fruit of the seed of choice, both the sweet and the bitter?" The angel gasped at what he saw......LOVE...... spontaneous LOVE; voluntary devotion......chosen tenderness. Never had he seen anything like these. He felt the love of the Adams. He heard the joy of Eve and her daughters. He saw the food and the burdens shared. He absorbed the kindness. He marveled at the warmth. "Heaven has never seen such beauty, My Lord. Truly, this is Your greatest creation," he exclaimed in awe.
"Ah, but you've only seen the sweet. Now witness the bitter." A stench soon enveloped the pair. The angel turned in horror and queried,
"What is that?"
The Creator spoke only one word......
"Pride"
As they passed through centuries of repugnance, never had he seen such filth. Rotten hearts......broken promises......forgotten loyalties......selfishness...... greed......children of the creation wandering blindly in lonely labyrinths.
"This is the result of choice," the angel asked?
"Yes"
Then The Creator continued. "This is everything that love is not...... it is the exact opposite of what love is," The Creator added. The angel stood speechless. Presently, almost under his breath, the angel said, "But Lord, I thought the emotion 'Hate' was the exact opposite of love."
The Creator fastened His eyes on the angel, love now radiating in perfection. "It is 'Pride'. 'Hate' is a mere by-product of 'Pride'. It is 'Pride' that will separate unto death."
"They will forget you? Turn their back on you?"
For a split second, the extreme pain of a broken heart flashed through those eyes of love. "They will. Yes."
"They will never come back?"
"Some will. Most will not."
"What will it take to make them listen?"
The Creator walked on in time, farther and farther into the future, until he stood by a sweet-smelling tree; a tree so soft, that would be fashioned into a cradle. Even then he could smell the hay that would one day surround him.
With another step into the future, he paused before another tree. It stood alone, a stubborn ruler of a rocky hill. The trunk was thick, and the wood was strong. Soon it would be cut. Soon it would be trimmed. Soon it would be borne by a broken, beaten, battered, and bruised body to the crown of another stoney hill. And soon he would be hung on it. He felt the weight of the wood rub against a back he did not yet wear.
"Will YOU go down there," the angel asked?
"I will."
"Is there no other way?"
"There is not."
"Wouldn't it be easier not to plant the seed? Wouldn't it be easier not to give the choice?"
"It would," The Creator spoke slowly, "but to remove the choice is to remove the love."
He looked around the hill and foresaw a scene. Three figures hung on three crosses......arms spread......heads fallen forward. They moaned with the wind.
Men clad in soldier's garb sat on the ground near the trio. They played games in the dirt and laughed. Men clad in religion stood off to one side. They smiled, arrogant, cocky. They had put an end once and for all to this one who proclaimed Himself to be The Messiah, they thought. This Jesus...... this Yeshua...... this innocent Lamb of God.
Women clad in sorrow huddled at the foot of the hill...... speechless. Faces tear-streaked......eyes downward. One put her arm around another and tried to lead her away. She wouldn't leave. "I will stay," she said softly.
"I will stay. This one is my son."
All heaven stood to fight. All nature rose to rescue. All eternity poised to protect. But The Creator gave no command.
"It must be done..." He said, and withdrew.
But as He stepped back in time, He heard the cry that he would someday scream: "My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?" He wrenched at tomorrow's agony.
The angel spoke again. "It would be less painful..."
The Creator interrupted softly. "But it wouldn't be love."
They stepped into the garden again. The Maker looked earnestly at the clay creation. A monsoon of love welled up within Him. He had died for the creation before he had yet breathed. Dust stirred on the lips of the new one. The chest rose, cracking the red mud. The cheeks turned to flesh. A finger moved, and an eye opened. But more incredible than the moving of the flesh was the stirring spirit. Those who could see the unseen gasped.
Perhaps it was the wind who said it first. Perhaps what the star saw at that moment is what has made it blink ever since. Maybe it was left to an angel to whisper it:
"It looks like...it appears so much like...it is Him!"
The angel wasn't speaking of the face, the features, or the body. No. He was looking inside - at the soul.
"It's eternal," gasped another angel.
Within the man, God of might had created earth's mightiest. The Creator had created not a creature, but one like the Creator. And The One who had chosen to love had created one who could love in return.
Now it's our choice......my choice......your choice.
Choose you this day...
Sign Guestbook
View Guestbook
You are my--
LINKS TO MY OTHER PAGES Unlock The Door...
What's Next?
WAR My Home Page Kristi's Testimony
Something Cool His Touch
Who we are in Christ. Letter From Jesus... Regardless?!? A Friend Is...... Ten Names Of God. The Holy Spirit..."Power" God's Abundant Grace. Can I Live A Holy Life? What If ??? Curtis' Testimony Laughter is Good Medicine. Who Jesus is a walk through the books of the Bible.