"Choose for Yourself"

“Choose for Yourself”

But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living.  But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”      Joshua 24:15



We all have MANY, MANY choices, we MUST make, EVERY day.  I BELIEVE with ALL my HEART, that the MOST IMPORTANT choice a person will EVER make is the CHOICE to ACCEPT or REJECT the LIVING GOD and His ONLY Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave His LIFE so we might have ETERNAL LIFE in HEAVEN, with all its BLESSINGS.  When we make THAT choice, we are CHOOSING our OWN destiny. 



To ACCEPT the ALMIGHTY GOD and His SON, the LORD JESUS CHRIST, you are CHOOSING HEAVEN as our ETERNAL DESTINY.  But if you REJECT GOD and HIS SON, you are CHOOSING HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY of ESCAPING, after you are there, as your ETERNAL DESTINY. 



Joshua put it pretty clearly, the people had a CHOICE to make.  They could SERVE the LORD or CHOOSE for themselves, right then, that very day, whom they would SERVE.  They could CHOOSE, either the gods of their ancestors, or the gods of the country they were presently living in, which would be the gods of the AMORITES.  Then, Joshua declared: “But as for ME and MY household, WE WILL SERVE the LORD.” 



The sins of IDOLATRY are GREAT TRANSGRESSIONS against God, and these sins stir His WRATH to ENORMOUS measures.  One of the first things that God made very evident to the Israelites is that they were to have NO OTHER gods before Him.  But the Israelites made their OWN CHOICES, many times, to go AGAINST the LIVING GOD, and to EMBRACE the FALSE gods, usually of the nation, in which they lived.  And the GENTILES, are NO DIFFERENT, MANY of them, also, CHOOSE to EMBRACE the WORLDLY IDOLS of their OWN making. 



James 4:4, says to those who CHOOSE to SERVE and to WORSHIP OTHER gods: “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means ENMITY against God?  Therefore, ANYONE who CHOOSES to be a friend of the WORLD becomes an ENEMY of God.”  You CANNOT have it both ways.  You CANNOT COMPROMISE.  You MUST CHOOSE TODAY who you will serve.  What will be your ETERNAL DESTINY?  In order to CHOOSE GOD, you MUST be WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle, and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  CONFESS your sins to Him, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  Then BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART that JESUS died for YOU, and that He is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  You MUST ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and CHOOSE WISELY. Your choice WILL determine your ETERNAL DESTINY, HEAVEN or HELL? NO COMPROMISE, GOD or NOTHING.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and COMING SOON!!!

"Be Strong and Courageous!"

“Be Strong and Courageous!”

“Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”     Joshua 1:9



God knew that Joshua had some feelings, concerning his calling in taking over Moses’ position, as LEADER of the Israelites, and being able to take them into the Promised Land.  Joshua may have been apprehensive about his role in such a MONUMENTAL task. 



In verse five, God told Joshua: “No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life.  As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will NEVER leave you nor FORSAKE you.  In verse six He tells Joshua, “BE STRONG and COURAGEOUS,” in verse seven:  He tells him again “BE STRONG and VERY COURAGEOUS.  And then again in verse nine, our verse for today.



Sounds to me like Joshua was in need of some ENCOURAGEMENT and maybe a little CHARACTER-BUILDING. Much like the TRUE BELIEVER of today, we, like Joshua, NEED to BE STRONG and COURAGEOUS, in facing these Last Days.  We NEED to face EACH DAY TRUSTING God by KNOWING and BELIEVING that He is with us, and He will NEVER LEAVE us NOR FORSAKE us. 



The Apostle Paul, in 1 Corinthians 16:13,14, tells us to: “Be on your guard; STAND FIRM in the FAITH; BE COURAGEOUS; BE STRONG.  Do EVERYTHING in LOVE.” These Words of ENCOURAGEMENT for the TRUE BELIEVER are NECESSARY.   We NEED to be ENCOURAGED in our FAITH, especially when we are faced with the opposition, and we suffer because of who we are and what we stand for.   And because the GOD of ALL grace, who CALLED you to His ETERNAL GLORY in CHRIST, after you have suffered a little while, will HIMSELF RESTORE you and make you STRONG, FIRM and STEADFAST.  (1 Peter 5:10)



So, what about the UNBELIEVER?  Well, they too, will have to live through the PERILOUS TIMES, which we will all face.  But they will also have to SUFFER through the HORRORS of the TRIBULATION period, and if they don’t give their HEART and LIFE to God, they will SUFFER for ALL ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY to ESCAPE, after they are there.  However, they have the OPPORTUNITY NOW, to TURN AWAY FROM their sinful lifestyle, and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  CONFESSING their sins to Him, and asking Him for His FORGIVENESS.  Then BELIEVING, with ALL their HEART, that JESUS CHRIST, died for them, and that He is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for them, before God.  They MUST ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and BE STRONG and VERY COURAGEOUS in their FAITH. And KNOW for SURE that their ETERNAL DESTINATION will be in HEAVEN, with ALL its BLESSINGS.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and COMING SOON!!!

"The Hidden Face of God"

“The Hidden Face of God”

Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor His ear too dull to hear.  But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.     Isaiah 59:1-2



I know this passage, as well as most of the Book of Isaiah pertains mainly with the Nation of Israel, however, there are some things that don’t change, when it comes to a RIGHTEOUS RELATIONSHIP with the ALMIGHTY GOD.  First, SIN is SIN, not matter, who is GUILTY, whether INDIVIDUALLY or COLLECTIVELY (such as the sins of a nation).  In God’s eyes, the iniquities of the people are VILE, SHAMEFUL, AND DETESTABLE actions committed AGAINST Him.  And these INIQUITIES separate them from God, to the point of Him HIDDING His Face from them, and His EAR is DEAF to them.



In verse four Isaiah tells the Nation: “No one calls for justice; no one pleads a case with integrity.  They rely on empty arguments, they utter lies; they conceive trouble and give birth to evil.”  In verse seven he says; “Their feet RUSH into sin; they are swift to shed innocent blood. They pursue evil schemes; acts of violence mark their ways.  Verse nine says: “So JUSTICE is FAR from us, and RIGHTEOUSNESS does NOT reach us.  We look for light, but ALL is darkness; for BRIGHTNESS, but we walk in DEEP SHADOWS.  The LORD looked and was DISPLEASED that there was NO JUSTICE. 



We see the SIN, and NOW we NEED the CONFESSION:  2 Chronicles 7:14,  “If My People, who are called by My Name, will HUMBLE themselves and PRAY, and SEEK My Face and TURN FROM their wicked ways, then I will HEAR from Heaven, and I will FORGIVE their SIN and will HEAL their land.”  And REDEMPTION comes:  1 John 1:9: “If we CONFESS our sins, He is FAITHFUL and JUST and WILL FORGIVE us our sins and purify us from ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS.”  And that is, REDEMPTION for ANYONE and ANY NATION. 



Have you been SEEKING the FACE of the Almighty God?  Have you given your HEART and LIFE to Him?  Or are you LIVING in the DEEP SHADOWS of your sinful lifestyle, DESTINED for an ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY of ESCAPE, once you’re there?   You can be SET FREE from your SINFUL LIFESTYLE, and CHANGE your DESTINY to an ETERNITY in HEAVEN, with ALL its BLESSINGS, by TURNING AWAY FROM  your sinful lifestyle and TURNING TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  And CONFESS your sins to Him, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  Then BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART, that JESUS, God’s ONLY SON, died for YOU, and that He is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  You MUST ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and start WINNING your NATION to God, through your OWN individual TESTIMONY of what God can do.  So, do this NOW, while you still can.   He’s waiting and COMING SOON!!!

"Judgment on Sinful, Unfaithful Nations"

“Judgment on Sinful, Unfaithful Nations”

The Word of the LORD came to me:  “Son of man, if a country sins against Me by being unfaithful and I stretch out My Hand against it to cut off its food supply and send famine upon it and kill its people and their animals, even if these three men---Noah, Daniel and Job---were in it, they could save ONLY themselves by their righteousness,” declares the Sovereign LORD.      Ezekiel 14:12-14



Verses 12-14 are the first part of four “HYPOTHETICAL” scenarios of JUDGMENT.  And ALL four scenarios will be used during the Tribulation Period, when the Almighty God, pours out His WRATH in JUDGMENT on the WHOLE EARTH, because of their SINFULNESS and UNFAITHFUL behavior. 



The four scenarios of JUDGMENT on the SINFUL, UNFAITHFUL NATION is:  To CUT-OFF their FOOD SUPPLY and send a FAMINE.  To send WILD BEASTS throughout the land devouring EVERYTHING and leaving it DESOLATE.  And by SWORD, the KILLING of both mankind and animals.  And sending a PLAGUE. 



Then the Sovereign God of the World and ALL its CREATION, says: “Even if NOAH, DANIEL and JOB---were in the land, they could SAVE ONLY themselves by THEIR RIGHTEOUSNESS. They would NOT be ABLE to SAVE their own CHILDREN.  It is a very BLEAK and HOPELESS situation.  Yet this is what awaits those who CONTINUALLY REJECT and ABUSE God’s Gift of SALVATION, those who are UNFAITHFUL and DISOBEDIENT to Him and His WAYS.  Those who will go through the TRIBULATION, WILL experience these situations, and MANY will NOT be ABLE to ESCAPE.  MANY will DIE both a PHYSICAL DEATH and a SPIRITUAL DEATH. The SPIRITUAL DEATH will be an ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY to ESCAPE, after their there.  



The SINFUL, UNFAITHFUL NATIONS that are FLAUNTING their SINS and DISOBEDIENCE in the FACE of a HOLY, RIGHTEOUS GOD, will be CONDEMNED and SENTENCED by that HOLY, RIGHTEOUS GOD.  It is Mankind that makes up the NATIONS, so it is by their CHOICES that the NATIONS will be held ACCOUNTABLE.  Will you be GUILTY of the SINS and DISOBEDIENCE that they will bring?  This is NOT what GOD wants for His CREATION.



God has a PLAN that will FREE you from your SINS, UNFAITHFULNESS and GUILT.  You MUST TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle, and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  Then CONFESS your sins to Him, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  Then BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART, that JESUS died for YOU, and that He is ALIVE in HEAVEN, making intercession for you, before God.  Then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and ESCAPE CONDEMNATION, JUDGMENT, and an ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS.  And RECEIVE an ETERNITY in HEAVEN, with ALL its BLESSINGS.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and COMING SOON!!!

"Encouragement in Troubled Times"

“Encouragement in Troubled Times”

And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow Him.  Let your roots grow down into Him, and let your lives be built on Him.  Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.                 Colossians 2:6-7



When a person comes to Jesus for the SALVATION of their soul, they SHOULD ACCEPT Him as their SAVIOR and LORD, they MUST FOLLOW HIM in OBEDIENCE to the Word of God.  And put OFF their OLD HABITS, and EMBRACE their NEW LIFE in Christ Jesus.  They can do that by, ALLOWING their ROOTS to GROW down DEEP in CHRIST and then embark upon BUILDING their LIFE on Him.  And when they do this, wholeheartedly, their FAITH will grow STRONG in the TRUTH, in which they are being TAUGHT.  This is ENCOURAGING to EVERY TRUE BELIEVER, because they have HOPE in their FUTURE DESTINY.  And with that HOPE, they should have a THANKFUL HEART.



The Apostle Paul issues a WARNING in the middle of his ENCOURAGING WORDS, he says:  “Don’t let anyone capture you with EMPTY PHILOSOPHIES and HIGH-SOUNDING nonsense that comes from HUMAN THINKING and from spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ.”(v8) Paul was concerned about FALSE TEACHERS influencing the COLOSSIAN BELIEVERS with FALSE WORDS and FALSE PHILOSOPHY.  Words and philosophies that were EMPTY of TRUTH and WISDOM, and were nothing more than HIGH-SOUNDING NONSENSE.  FANCY SOUNDING WORDS with little or NO TRUTH or WISDOM, and their SUBSTANCE was EMPTY and without TRUTH, because it was WORLDLY, HUMAN THINKING, void of ANYTHING GODLY.  The TRUE BELIEVER was to BE CAREFUL NOT to LET ANYONE capture them with such NONSENSE.



Then the Apostle Paul gives us more ENCOURAGING WORDS: “For in Christ lives ALL the FULLNESS of God in a human body.  So you also are COMPLETE through your union with Christ, who is the HEAD OVER EVERY RULER and AUTHORITY.”  (vv 9-10)



Only in JESUS CHRIST can a person have FULLNESS.  Apart from Him, there is EMPTINESS and DESPAIR.  The “Deity” of Christ is in His EMBODIMENT of the Almighty God, remember JESUS CHRIST is GOD in the FLESH.   Not only does JESUS have the FULLNESS of GOD, but the TRUE BELIEVER has been given the FULLNESS of CHRIST.  Meaning that they can SHARE in the GOODNESS of God’s nature.  And they are apart of the BODY of CHRIST.  The One who is the HEAD over EVERY POWER and AUTHORITY.  What ENCOURAGEMENT for Living in TROUBLED TIMES!  Because we, the TRUE BELIEVERS, KNOW who is in CONTROL, and we have the ASSURANCE and HOPE of an ETERNITY in HEAVEN, with ALL its BLESSINGS.  Do you have that ASSURANCE and HOPE?  If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to GOD, you really don’t have that FULLNESS or the ASSURANCE and HOPE for your ETERNITY.   But here is some ENCOURAGEMENT for you:  The Almighty God has a PLAN, in order for you to have that FULLNESS, ASSURANCE and HOPE, you MUST BE WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle, and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  Then CONFESS your sins to Him, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  And BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART, that JESUS died for YOU, and that He is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  Then you MUST ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and His FULLNESS, ASSURANCE and HOPE of an ETERNITY in Heaven.  This is ENCOURAGEMENT for TROUBLED TIMES!  So, do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and COMING SOON!!!

"The Almighty God, the Eternal King"

“The Almighty God, the Eternal King”

How great are His miracles, and how mighty His wonders!  His Kingdom is an Eternal Kingdom, and His Dominion is from generation to generation.   Daniel 4:3

Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to eternal life, and some to shame and eternal contempt.      Daniel 12:2



This devotion may be a little different then most that I post, but I TOTALLY TRUST God to give me the message HE WANTS me to post.  I really don’t know WHERE this will go or to the one who NEEDS to READ it.  But I MUST BE OBEDIENT to the ALMIGHTY GOD, the ETERNAL KING.



Daniel 4:3 is a proclamation of one of the most powerful kings in Biblical times.  Nebuchadnezzar, he was not only POWERFUL, but he was EGOTISTICAL, ARROGANT, PRIDEFUL, and a TRUE PAGAN.  And God had put up with Nebuchadnezzar for twelve months, I guess, we could call it his “Day of Grace.”  Maybe God was giving him the opportunity to TURN AWAY FROM his SINFUL LIFESTYLE and to TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, but Nebuchadnezzar, in his PRIDEFUL way REJECTED God, and he paid dearly for his mistake.



This proclamation in Daniel 4:3 happened before Nebuchadnezzar’s interlude of JUDGMENT, by the ALMIGHTY GOD, the ETERNAL KING, who sent the POWERFUL, ARROGANT, EGOTISTICAL, PAGAN KING, outdoors to LIVE like a wild animal in the field, eating grass with the other animals, and he had the mind of an animal for SEVEN YEARS. 



The ETERNAL GOD had given Nebuchadnezzar a dream, that kind of ROCKED his world.  He was SO IMPRESSED with the MIRACULOUS SIGNS and WONDERS of the MOST HIGH GOD, that he PROCLAIMED the VIRTUES of the MOST HIGH GOD, the ETERNAL KING, and His SOVEREIGN POWER and WILL.  But it did NOT cause him to become a BELIEVER, YET!   Nebuchadnezzar was facing the fall of God’s JUDGMENT, by being KNOCKED OFF his PEDSTAL of POWER, ARROGANCY, and EGO.  He had to be KNOCKED DOWN, before he could look up, and see the ALMIGHTY GOD, the ETERNAL KING of the UNIVERSE, before he could ACCEPT GOD as His ETERNAL KING.  Are you like Nebuchadnezzar, destined to be PUNISHED for your SINFUL LIFESTYLE?  At least Nebuchadnezzar learned that, it is GOD, who RULES and His WILL, will be DONE, because He is the ALMIGHTY GOD, the ETERNAL KING, and if you CONTINUE to REBEL against Him, then you WILL face JUDGMENT and be SENTENCED to an ETERNITY in HELL with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY of ESCAPE, after you are there. 

Daniel 12:2 tells us that ALL, who die, will awake, some to ETERNAL LIFE in HEAVEN, with ALL its blessings and some to SHAME and ETERNAL CONTEMPT.  You, NOW, have the OPPORTUNITY to ESCAPE an ETERNITY in HELL and GAIN an ETERNITY in HEAVEN by, TURNING AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle, and TURNING TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  CONFESSING your sins to Him and asking Him for His FORGIVENESS.  And BELIEVING, with ALL your HEART, that JESUS died for YOU, and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  Then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and ACCEPT Him as the ALMIGHTY GOD, the ETERNAL KING.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and COMING SOON!!!

"Times of Ignorance"

“Times of Ignorance”

Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is NOW declaring to men that all people everywhere should REPENT, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.      Acts 17:30-31



Times of IGNORANCE, these times were when the Gentiles were NOT held to the LAWS of GOD, because they were given to the Nation of Israel.  And God, in His MERCY and GRACE, and being a JUST GOD, OVERLOOKED the sins of the GENTILES.  That is God was PATIENT, and when the GOSPEL of JESUS CHRIST came about, and PAID the PRICE, for ALL MANKIND to be FORGIVEN of their sins, by the SHED BLOOD of JESUS.  They were then held ACCOUNTABLE for their SINS and UNRIGHTEOUSNESS before the ALMIGHTY GOD.  This period of time is known as The Day of GRACE.  A time where IGNORANCE, about God’s view of an UNREPENTANT HEART, is NO LONGER OVERLOOKED.    MANKIND is ACCOUNTABLE for ALL their SINS.  And GOD is DECLARING that ALL PEOPLE, EVERYWHERE should REPENT.  That is to TURN AWAY FROM their sinful lifestyle, and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART. 



The ALMIGHTY GOD, the RIGHTEOUS JUDGE, has FIXED a day in which He will JUDGE the world in RIGHTEOUSNESS by a Man, JESUS CHRIST, whom He has appointed, and having furnished PROOF to ALL MANKIND, by RAISING Him from the DEAD.  God’s RIGHTEOUSNESS can ONLY be obtained THROUGH a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with His SON, the Lord Jesus Christ.  If you do NOT have such a RELATIONSHIP with HIM, you are DOOMED to spend ALL ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY to ESCAPE, after you are there.  You MUST BE WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle and to TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  Then CONFESS your sins to Him and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  And BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART, that JESUS died for YOU, and that He is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God. You MUST ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and come out of those TIMES of IGNORANCE, because you are NOW ACCOUNTABLE for your SINS, and you will be JUDGED.  Do this NOW, while you still can, and let your ETERNITY be in HEAVEN, with ALL its BLESSINGS.  He’s waiting and COMING SOON!!!