chosen

You Are Redeemed in Jesus

“But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.’” – 1 Samuel 16:7 Today, I want to say something to those of you who have felt rejected or ostracized in your life: God does not see what man sees. You are an overcomer and more than a conqueror in Jesus, even though you appear to be an underdog to the rest of the world! King David is possibly the best illustration of God utilizing an unexpected subject to accomplish great things for Him. As King Saul’s successor, his predecessor appeared to be made for the role; he was strong, educated, and tough, with a lot of potentials. However, as time passed, Saul grew engulfed in jealously,

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Jesus for the Defense

“For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus.” – 1 Timothy 2:5 I think one of the best ways to envision how Jesus, our advocate and mediator, intervenes in our lives is to imagine a courtroom in Heaven. Packed full of people and ripe with anticipation, everyone looks intently at the judge. The defendant is on trial for a multitude of criminal offenses, and the prosecutor is the mangy old devil. He snarls as each new witness takes the stand, and he determinedly accuses and builds a case against the suspect. In his closing argument, he passionately declares, “Your Honor, the accused is addicted to pain pills, she’s really jealous of the lady at her job, she’s mean to her kids, and she just said a horrible thing to her sister.” On hearing him, the room goes totally silent, and it’s clear

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The Anointing of David

“Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.” – 1 Samuel 16:13 We’ve been talking a lot about the power of our anointing in Christ, and today, I want to explore the Biblical roots of this authority. It’s interesting to note that when Jesus walked the earth, He was frequently called Son of David. This is because He was recognized as being from the lineage of the Jew’s most highly esteemed and beloved leader. Though centuries had passed since he walked the earth, no good Hebrew could forget or cease to honor the legacy of King David — the man after God’s own heart. He had been anointed before he ever ascended the throne, and from that moment, he was full

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The Blessing in Favor

“For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.” – Psalm 84:11 Today, we’re going to wrap up our discussion about the three components of a blessed life (that so far include righteousness and wisdom) and “dive” into the final part of the divine triad, which is favor. Though you might have guessed that love was the third side of the “triangle of blessing” we’ve been unpacking, I believe favor is a more comprehensive way of addressing it. While God’s love is constantly in our midst — much like the air we breathe — favor positions us to recognize and receive it. And since it’s an outgrowth of the Lord’s lovingkindness, it finds us in greater measure when we expect to see it revealed. This is why I’m grateful that I had

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