Remember, "It's all about you!"

     Now don't get me wrong.  We live in a world where entitlement and "it's all about you" are the predominant movements in the world.  Our common sense has moved from suspect to disregarded.  This downward movement of man is seen by the world as an upward transformation that will allow the masses to evolve into their full potential.  Really?!  And who was the idiot who came up with that one?  Well, it's Satan.  Yep, our old enemy who has been re-marketing this particular philosophy since the beginning of time.  "Surely you won't die." We would do well to heed the next thing Satan said, "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."  There you have it.  You are entitled to be god in your own world.  Your world then really is "all about you!"  Congratulations!  But what about me?  (My entitlement)  Do I get to be the god of my world as well?  Yep, as long as you don't mind going up against God. 
     This is a good place to slip in a truth.  Make sure you are reading and hearing what I am saying.  This is vital and it's a message from God.  God says, "It's all about you."  "You will receive blessings from Heaven you cannot contain."  "You will have life everlasting."  Not bad.  God has more to say about the subject though.  All of this the above is declared with authority that no one but God has.  It's the authority of God through the work of Christ in his life, death and resurrection.  God did it all for you with only his greatest wish for you to be saved and blessed.  As such, we don't need to try and have harmony with a world we are in opposition to.  As such, we don't need to try and create, maintain and grow our own little world.  As such, we don't need to provide for a future and a hope.  Why?  Because all of that has been done for us through the sacrificial giving of LIFE through God's completed work.
     The world seems to have one epidemic or another going on in some place in the world all the time.  These epidemics are meant to destroy and break down not to create and build up.  Epidemics are like a fire.  Epidemics need fuel to keep them growing and destroying.  Fires need oxygen to maintain themselves.  Epidemics need only selfishness and a sense of entitlement from those who are outside of the epidemic in order to maintain their destructive force.  Take our sin for example.  It's an epidemic in each of our lives since the beginning of time.  Time began when mankind died after eating the fruit of the tree.  Time ends when we confess Jesus and live for him.  We live on but our future has changed.  The epidemic, for the Christian, has ceased to exist.  Some, including me, may continue to live as if we were part of the epidemic but God has created a way out to where we don't need to be in the epidemic anymore.  We are free...and yet we enslave ourselves rather than let God take care of all of our needs as he said he would.  We don't really believe when this happens.
     "Count your blessings, every last one..."  That's what the song and the Bible say.  Yet, we are easily distracted and lose sight of that truth.  "Jesus paid it all..."  He did, yet we are easily distracted and lose sight of that truth.  "The joy of the Lord is my strength..."  Yes it is.  What happened that we have lost sight of that truth?  Perhaps it's time to examine who is the god of our world and what part we ave in that world.  Either God is the god of our world or we are.  Satan goes roaming about the earth seeking whom he may devour.  Heaven knows there are lots of us who have parts of our lives devoured every day.  Let's make Satan go elsewhere and offer the fruit.  Let's realize and accept that God, through Jesus, is all for you.  Your life then can reflect Jesus risen from the dead.  Through this work, we are more than conquerors over life and death.  Have a great day knowing that God has positive planned for every part of your life.  Remember to thank him and look expectantly for God to meet all your needs.  You're entitled!