| There was a time in my life when I had | | | | A choice we all have before us right now is that |
| everything all neatly figured out: I was going to | | | | of living according to: |
| join the Navy at 17, serve for 20 years, retire at | | | | (1) The old Mosaic covenant with its undercurrent |
| 37 and live the rest of my life collecting a | | | | of strict, unrelenting punishment, as we may have |
| comfortable monthly pension and live with a | | | | been taught in the past or |
| measure of financial freedom so I could do | | | | (2) Living under the new covenant of grace and |
| whatever I wanted to do because I wouldn't | | | | freedom that is given to each of us by what |
| have to work anymore. | | | | Jesus did for us on the cross. In short, it is a |
| Well, it didn't work out that way. I was bored | | | | choice. A personal choice. Will we choose to |
| most of the time when I was in the USN, so as | | | | struggle and obey the old Mosaic Law, or will we |
| soon as I could, when I was 21, I made a choice...I | | | | choose to live free, happy and full of joy under |
| asked to be discharged. That choice changed my | | | | the new covenant of Jesus? |
| life. Then I figured I'd go to college under the GI | | | | Whatever you decide to do, God will let you do it. |
| Bill (free) and become a veterinarian. Well, for a | | | | Why? Because he gives you a free will to do |
| number of personal reasons I chose not to do | | | | whatever you want to do. But remember, |
| that either so my life-plan changed again. | | | | because of his great love for us, his kids, he |
| I could go and explain other changes and choices | | | | decided to give us the new covenant which is like |
| I've made down through the years, but I think | | | | a brand new "last will and testament" where the |
| you see from the above that my life was | | | | old heirs are crossed out and the new heirs are |
| continually changing because of the choices I | | | | named. |
| made at various times. | | | | Therefore, we can now forget all of those old |
| I'm sure you could look at your life and see lots | | | | impossible-to-keep laws and instead - under the |
| of times when you made a choice, a choice that | | | | new covenant- have life, abundant life, joy, |
| changed your life in hundreds, perhaps thousands | | | | blessings, rewards and all that our loving Father in |
| of ways. Therefore, as we enter into each new | | | | Heaven wants for us, and all of his other kids. |
| day, I think we need to be aware that the | | | | So you see, the choice is yours. You have a free |
| choices we make each day can make significant | | | | will to make your own choices. You can do what |
| changes in our lives both in the immediate and the | | | | you want to do. |
| distant future. | | | | |