Jerry L. Dean |

Choices

Posted by jdean on Feb 28, 2012

“Learn to say no. It will be of more use to you than to be able to read Latin.” – Charles Spurgeon

Life is all about choices. Everyday we make hundreds of choices. Some are significant while others are insignificant. Many, if not most, of these choices we make subconsciously. Some choices we must give thought to while others come easily. Priorities often determine the choices we make – prayer, Bible reading, the music we listen to, the websites we visit, and on and on the list goes. Should I eat this? Can I afford this? Do I have time for this? – Endless choices.

President Reagan said that middle age is when you’re faced with two temptations and you choose the one that gets you home by nine o’clock. I have known the feeling.

Every time a temptation to sin comes we are confronted with making a choice. John Piper said that sin (lust for example) “gets in power by persuading me to believe that I will be happier if I follow it. The power of all temptation is the prospect that it will make me happier.”

It is possible to make some decisions in advance. I pray that, at the least, the most important choices in my life have been made by a prior decision, the decision to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. If I have decided to deny myself and take up my cross and follow Jesus then it goes without saying, there are some choices I’ve already made. The decision to say no to many temptations was made when I said yes to Jesus. Thus we can eliminate many temptations by embracing the cross. Jesus made the decision to embrace the cross in the Garden of Eden and therefore eliminated the choice of calling on the angels to deliver Him.

One more thought. The choice to take up the cross must be made, not once, but daily. “And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23).

I Miss Thanksgiving

Posted by jdean on Dec 7, 2011

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Not only do I enjoy the Thanksgiving meal immensely, I may delight more the leftovers that evening. The dressing has been marinating all day in its seasonings so when it’s warmed up it just tastes better. Here is my 16×20 dream, a large scoop of warmed up dressing along side a turkey sandwich made on two slices of wheat bread spread with some olive oil mayonnaise and served with some fresh hot coffee. Can’t nobody do me like Je … no, no, no just kidding.