January 25, 2023

CHOOSE

“But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then CHOOSE TODAY WHOM YOU WILL SERVE. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But AS FOR ME AND MY FAMILY, WE WILL SERVE THE LORD.”
Joshua 24:15 NLT

You and I are each going to make a decision today about who we will serve. Will we serve the gods of our family tradition and culture? Will we serve the gods of sexual sin, selfish ambition, money and nice stuff? Will we serve the gods of political correctness, tolerance, and false love that says, “You’re okay, I’m okay”? Do whatever feels good to you? Do what makes you happy in the moment? There are lots of people praying to and serving many different gods. Every human is a worshipper, and every human worships. That’s a given. But who or what do we worship?

Joshua led the people of Israel into the promised land, then he announced that each of them would need to make a decision. Would they determine that they would follow Yahweh, the Almighty Lord God, who had overcome all other gods, or would they choose another path? Yahweh had overcome the gods of Egypt as he delivered the people from slavery, and then when He led them into the promised land, He overcame all of the gods there. Yahweh displayed demonstration after demonstration of miraculous, indisputable, and unparalleled power and provision. Even the other nations feared this mysterious invading people with their unstoppable God. But would they choose today to worship Yahweh, the Egyptian gods, or the gods of the promised land?

Joshua famously declared, “Choose today whom you will serve… but as for me and my family (house), we will serve the Lord (Yahweh).” You and I must also make a choice today. As for me and my household, we will serve Yahweh. We will reject the gods of our past and we will reject the gods of this present culture. There is only one Almighty Lord God who rules from third heaven, who created all things, who speaks all things into being, and who is perfect in all of His ways. There is only one who sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to live among us, die for us, rise from the dead and now sits enthroned in heaven. There is only one who is coming soon to restore the fullness of His kingdom to the earth. There is only one who overcomes all others. That is the one whom I and my household will serve, and that is the one whom I continually pray that every generation that proceeds from my redeemed bloodline will serve. May every generation now and forward that ties back to me and my wife be blessed kingdom agents of the Most High God.

Let today be a day of choosing and putting all double-mindedness behind us. Let’s make a conscience decision and declaration that we and our households will serve the Lord God. We will not bow down to the gods of this earth. We will not be conformed to their image. We will set our worldview and decision-making on the word of Yahweh and no other. We will stand firm in our faith in Him and our commitment to His kingdom, no matter what this world does, because He has overcome this world. He overcame, He is overcoming, and He will overcome.

Proclaim this out loud with me: “Today I choose You, Lord! Me and my household will serve You!”

Join us 7pm Thursday evenings as we pray for the church, the region, the nation, and the world. Also, continue praying the following for the church:

God, forgive us from drifting from You. We give You permission to wake us up, all of us.
Therefore He says: “Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.” — Ephesians 5:14 NKJV
We pray that every single member of the church would grow increasingly dissatisfied with our current walk with You and would cry out for more of You.
O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water. — Psalms 63:1 NKJV
Reveal to each of us anything in our lives that offends, grieves, or quenches Your Spirit. We will be quick to repent.
I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. — Psalms 119:10 NIV
Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. — Psalms 139:23-24 NIV
As we seek Your face, may Your presence and glory increase in our church gatherings.
Lord, I have loved the habitation of Your house, And the place where Your glory dwells. — Psalms 26:8 NKJV
Baptize all of us with the Holy Spirit and fire.
“I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” — Matthew 3:11 NKJV