HOW’S LIFE TREATING YOU? I ONLY ASKED THAT QUESTION to get your attention: did it work? I hope so. You see, this is a very commonly asked question. A lot of time polite, well-meaning folk say that in a hurried-type of fashion; but they aren’t really expecting (or perhaps wanting) a lengthy exposition. They are truly caring. While some do want to get involved in the expectations and goals of your own personal life, they may not think they have time to do so. Or, perhaps they just want to ‘perk you up’ with an encouraging and caring ‘question.’ And, of course, there are those who are phonies (hypocrites as Jesus would call them.) The far better question is: “How are you treating life?” How are you, Beloved, treating life? Are you thankful for each and every day?   Do you understand and embrace Jeremiah 29:11? – For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

As for myself, I am no hypocrite. I need Jesus and so do you – for the same reasons. That’s why I challenge you with: “How are you treating life?”  We need a Lord and Savior to make us a new creation. Therefore, this is the reason I, Ann Marie Turner, author of “JOY STORIES” now present this is: I implore you now and forever to choose life and the joy of life! My purpose is to either have you stay in love with God and grow more and more in love with God – or – come to Him now for your salvation through the shed and applied blood of Jesus Christ – Son of God – Son of Man. Here’s how:

 

Romans 10:9-13

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”   Because we all need salvation:

 

Ephesians 2:8-9

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.   Never forgetting:   John 3:36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not   see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.   My Father told me I care about everything. I care about each and every person who is on Earth now and in the future. Why? Because He does. I know the value of each and every person – the blood of Jesus Christ! Beloved, all people, are made in His image and likeness and are God’s most treasured possessions. And what a blessing to choose Him to be your first love! I am here to help you continue to choose life and treat life right! I am here to encourage you that it is your choice. Why does a person go to Heaven or Hell? Godly choice or demonic choice! Choose life! Choose life! Choose life! In my experience, most people that we see from day to day don’t really get into the heavy issues – the important topics – the crucially important choices. And we need to. We should all be loving one another and caring about the other person’s life and how they are treating their own God-given body, soul and spirit; how they are treating their God-given life. That is why I truly dislike superficial conversations. I want to drive conversation down to the bone. I want to encourage and energize souls to stir their spirit  (for we all are a tri-part being: body, soul, spirit) into looking down the road, past the curve, permanently exiting the ‘fast lane’ – turning and forever staying on that narrow road!

 

Matthew 7:13-14

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that   leads to destruction, and many enter through it.  But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

 

Selah…

 

You see, Beloved, my challenge begs for this answer: “I’m excellent!” This is exactly where I want this “JOY STORY” to take you: to excellence – excellence in all areas of your life: your marriage, your children, your career, your ministry – and yes, of course, your play time! Nothing wrong with golfing! Nothing wrong with shopping! And the Joy List God has for you goes on and on – right here, right now; and into eternity when you choose to treat life with gratitude, realizing without God you would not be – and once born into this world physically – you need to be born from above, giving the very One who formed you in your mother’s womb, all the glory and the honor He everlastingly deserves! Beloved, as children of God, we are to be more than conquerors through Him who loves us – not just conquerors, my friends – more than conquerors. We are to choose life – the God-kind of life:

 

Deuteronomy 30:19-20  

This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set   before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.   Christians, remember, we are Abraham’s seed. And, we too, are to choose life as the Bible tells us – we are to choose life for ourselves and our children and we are to love the LORD our God and stay with Him eternally. We are to choose life and tell ourselves daily, regularly, how God says we are doing – not how the enemy of all souls, the crabby sinners or our lazy flesh tell us – but what God says about us. Beloved, we need to say – not ask – how  we are treating life! And we need to say it with true, everlasting thanksgiving to our Lord, Savior, Creator – the Trinity. We need to feed our bodies, souls and spirits with manna from Heaven – Jesus Christ IS our daily bread.   I give you now Scriptural truths about who His children are and what we have:

 

• WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO PRODUCE WEALTH!

Deuteronomy 8:18

But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today.

 

• WE ARE RADIANT!

Psalm 34:7

Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.

Matthew 5:14

“You are the light of the world.” 

 

• WE ARE POWERFUL – ABLE TO PRAY IN OUR HEAVENLY LANGUAGE!

Luke 24:49

I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”   Romans 8:37 …we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

 

• WE ARE CHILDREN OF ABRAHAM, JUSTIFIED BY FAITH, FREE FROM THE CURSE – REDEEMED BY CHRIST!

Galatians 3:7-14

Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” Clearly  no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because “the righteous will live by faith.”  The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, it says, “The person who does these things will live by them.”  Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is  hung on a pole.”  He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

 

• GOD HAS CHOSEN US TO BE HOLY, HIS VERY OWN SPECIAL POSSSESSION!

1 Peter 2:9

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

 

As I end this JEM, remember, you choose. In every choice, every action, every thought choose to be thankful and show it in every choice, every action, every thought you make. Strive to do this and just watch the results of the satisfied mind.

 

My loved ones, God IS for YOU, not against you!

 

 

SCRIPTURAL TRUTHS FROM THIS “JOY STORY JEM”

 

Matthew 23:15

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are.

 

Proverbs 21:21

Whoever pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor.

 

2 Corinthians 5:16-2

So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.