THE VALLEY OF DECISION
JOEL 3:2,12-14
LIFE IS FILLED WITH CHOICES, CHOICES THAT AFFECTS US EVERYDAY IN EVERYTHING WE DO, WHICH MEANS THAT EVERYDAY CHOICES IS NOT WITHOUT SIGNIFICANCE.THEREFORE, WHAT WE CHOOSE TO DO NOT ONLY AFFECT US BUT OTHERS ALSO. WHETHER WE SEE THE RESULTS IMMEDIATELY OR NOT. WHAT IS A DECISION? IT IS TO SETTLE, DETERMINE, OR BRING TO RESOLUTION, OR RESOLVE IN OTHER WORDS, TO DECIDE OR TO MAKE UP ONES MIND.
GOD HAS GIVEN ALL OF US THE CHOICE TO MAKE UP OUR OWN MINDS ABOUT WHETHER TO SERVE HIM OR NOT, WHETHER TO LIVE FOR HIM OR NOT. WHEN HE SAY’S’ CHOOSE YE THIS DAY WHOM YOU WILL SERVE.’ DEUT. 30:19 SAYS, ’ I CALL HEAV EN AND EARTH TO RECORD THIS DAY AGAINST YOU. THAT I HAVE SET BEFORE YOU LIFE NAD DEATH, BLESSING AND CURSING, THEREFORE CHOOSE LIFE, THAT BOTH THY AND THY SEED MAY LIVE’. GOD IS NOT A GOD THAT WILL FORCE HIS SELF ON ANYONE. BUT HAS GIVEN US AN OPTION AS TO WHAT WE WANT TO DO.
VERSE 20 SAYS,’ CHOOSE TO LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD AND TO OBEY HIM AND TO CLING TO HIM FOR HE IS YOUR LIFE AND THE LENGTH OF YOUR DAYS.’
THEN HE SAYS IN HIS WORD THAT ’ IT IS NOT MY WILL THAT ANY MAN SHALL PERISH THAT ALL WOULD COME TO REPENTENCE.
WHEN WE LOOK AT THIS TEXT WE FIND THAT GOD IS SENDING OUT A WARNING TO THE HEATHERN NATIONS. THOSE WHO DID NOT FOLLOW AFTER HIM, THAT HE WAS ABOUT TO PASS JUDGEMENT ON THEM. GOD WAS MAKING AN APPEAL TO THE LOST. NOW ISRAEL WAS GOD’S CHOSEN PEOPLE AND GOD HAD WARNED THEM NO TO INTERMARRY WITH THE HEATHEN NATIONS OR TO MARRY IDOLS.[ CONSEQUENCES FOR DISOBEDIENCE]
OVER A PERIOID OF TIME ISRAEL HAD BEEN DISOBEDIENT TO GOD AND HAD ALLOWED THE HEATHEN NATION TO PERSUADE THEM TO DO OPPOSITE OF WHAT GOD HAD SAID NOT TO DO. BUT GOD IS A JUST GOD AND HE WAS NOT ONLY SENDING A WARNING TO THE NATIONS THAT WERE AGAINST HIM, BUT HE WAS ALSO GIVING THOSE WHO HAD TURNED AWAY FROM HIM A CHANCE TO REPENT AND TURN BACK TO HIM.
EVERYDAY IS A CHANCE TO GET THINGS RIGHT WITH GOD. DON’T TAKE LIFE FOR GRANTED.
READ VERSE1-CAPTIVITY-RESTORATION
READ VERSE 2- GATHER ALL NATIONS-TYRE, SIDON, THE GRECIANS, THE SEABEANS
PLEAD-A DIVINE PLEA FOR HIS PEOPLE
PROV. 1:23, TURN YOU AT MY REPROOF [REPENT] BEHOLD, I WILL POUR OUT MY SPIRIT INTO YOU [ HIS SPIRIT PROMISED], I WILL MAKE KNOWN MY WORDS UNTO YOU [ INSTRUCTIONS] YOU WILL GAIN WISDOM.
ISA. 1:18,’ COME NOW, AND LET US REASON TOGETHER, SAITH THE LORD, THOUGH YOUR SINS BE AS SCARLET, THEY SHALL BE WHITE AS SNOW, THOUGH THEY BE RED LIKE CRIMSOM, THEY SHALL BE WOOL.’
GOD IS SAYING THAT NO MATTER HOW DEEP THE STAIN OF YOUR SINS MAY BE, HE COULD REMOVE THEM. GOD WAS MAKING A PLEA FOR HIS PEOPLE. EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE IN THE VALLEY OF JEHOSHAPHAT OR THE VALLEY OF DECISION, HE STILL PLEADED FOR THEM TO RETURN, BECAUSE JUDGEMENT WAS ABOUT TO FALL.
PROV. 1 BECAUSE I HAVE CALLED AND YE REFUSED, I HAVE STRETCHED OUT MY HAND AND NO MAN REGARDED. [ THE INVITATION BEING EXTENDED SUNDAY AFTER SUNDAY].
EZE. 18:31, ’ THEREFORE, I WILL JUDGE EACH OF YOU, O ISRAEL ACCORDING TO YOUR ACTIONS, SAITH THE LORD, TURN FROM YOUR SINS; DON’T LET THEM DESTROY YOU. PUT ALL YOUR REBELLION BEHIND YOU AND GET FOR YOURSELVES A NEW HEART AND A NEW SPIRIT, FOR WHY SHOULD YOU DIE’.
GOD IS GIVING A WAKEUP CALL TO THE NATIONS AND HIS CHOSEN ONES. IN VERSE 12,’ LET THE HEATHEN BE AWAKENED, AND COME UP TO THE VALLEY OF JEHOSHAPHAT, FOR THERE WILL I JUDGE ALL THE HEATHEN ROUND ABOUT’. GOD IS THE RIGHTEOUS JUDGE, AND HE SAID WHATEVER IS RIGHT I WILL REPAY, NO ONE IS EXEMPT FROM RECEIVING THEIR RECOMPENCE OR PAY FROM GOD.
VERSE 14 SAYS,’ MULTITUDES, MULTITUDES, IN THE VALLEY OF DECISION, FOR THE DAY OF THE LORD IS NEAR, IN THE VALLEY OF DECISION. DO YOU NOT KNOW THAT WE ARE IN THE VALLEY OF DECISION? WE ARE GOD’S CHOSEN PEOPLE AND HE DESIRE THAT WE NOT TURN AWAY FROM HIM, BUT THAT WE TURN TO HIM BECAUSE WHATEVER DECISION WE MAKE IN LIFE, WE WILL BE JUDGED ACCORDINGLY.
THIS IS THE ENDTIME HARVEST AND GOD IS CALLING THE LOST TO REPENTANCE AND HIS PEOPLE BACK TO HIM.
OUR NATION RIGHT NOW IS IN THE VALLEY OF DECISION AS TO WHO TO VOTE FOR AS PRESIDENT. GOD HAS PASSED JUDGEMENT ON THE UNITED STATES. GOD HAS SPOKEN AND WE HAVE REFUSED TO LISTEN.
WHEN THEY TOOK PRAYER OUT OF SCHOOLS WE REFUSED TO LISTEN, WHEN 911 HIT, WE REFUSED TO LISTEN.
TIME IS NOT ONLY SHORT FOR AMERICA, BUT FOR ALL PEOPLE ON THE EARTH. THE VALLEY OF DECISION IS FALLING ON US.
HOW LONG WILL WE TURN A DEAF HEAR TO GOD AND NOT HEAR HIM. LIKE ISRAEL WE HAVE GOTTEN IN OUR COMFORT ZONES. EVERYTHING SEEMS TO BE GOING WELL FOR US. THEREFORE, WE BECOME COMPLACENT, SELF-CENTERED, SELF SATISFIED, AND RELAXED WITH THE WAY THINGS ARE AND THIS GRIEVES THE VERY HEART OF GOD. BECAUSE WE BEGIN TO DISREGARD HIM. WE BEGIN TO NEGLECT THE GREAT COMMISSION THAT HE HAD CALLED US TO.
WE START TO BECOME LIKE THE CHURCH OF LAODICEA, IN THE BOOK OF REVELATIONS. WHEN GOD SAID,’ I KNOW THY WORKS, THAT THOU ART NEITHER COLD OR HOT; O WOULD THOU WERT COLD OR HOT, SO THAT THOU ART LUKE WARM, AND NEITHER COLD NOR HOT, I WILL SPUR THEE OUT OF MY MOUTH’. GOD IS BASICALLY SAYING,’ YOU MAKE ME SICK’. WE CANNOT SERVE GOD HALF-HEARTEDLY.
MANY ARE TRYING TO BUILD A SPIRITUAL WALK ON CORRUPT GROUND, GOD SAID,’ THIS PEOPLE HONOURETH ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR FROM ME. GOD DOES NOT NEED LIPSERVICE, FOR THE BIBLE SAYS THAT ’EVERYONE THAT SAYS LORD, LORD, WILL NOT ENTER INTO THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
WE ARE IN THE VALLEY OF DECISION
WE CANNOT MINGLE AND INTERMINGLE WITH THE WORLD AND THINK THAT EVERY THING IS ALRIGHT. WE MUST DO AWAY WITH THE WORKINGS OF THE FLESH.
GAL. 5:19, SAYS,’ BUT THE WORKS OF THE FLESH ARE MANIFEST, WHICH ARE THESE, ADULTERY, FORNICATION, UNCLEANNESS, LASCIVIOUSNESS, IDOLATRY, WITCHCRAFT, HATRED, VARIANCE, EMULATIONS, WRATH, STRIFE, SEDITIONS, HERESIES, ENVYINGS, MURDERS, DRUNKENESS, REVELLING, AND SUCH THE LIKE, OF THE WHICH I TELL YOU BEFORE, AS I HAVE ALSO TOLD YOU IN THE PAST, THAT THEY WHICH DO SUCH THINGS SHALL NOT INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD.’.
OUR LIVES HAS TO BE IN LINE WITH THE WORD OF GOD THAT SAYS,’ WHEREFORE COME OUT FROM AMONG THEM AND BE YE SEPERATE SAITY THE LORD AND TOUCH NOT THE UNCLEAN THINGS.
WE ARE IN THE VALLEY OF DECISION
WE MUST SEEK THE WISDOM OF GOD, JAMES SAYS,’ IF ANY OF YOU LACK WISDOM, LET HIM ASK OF GOD WHO GIVE TO ALL MEN LIBERALLY.
MATT. 6:33 SAYS,’ BUT SEEK YE FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS AND ALL THESE THINGS WILL BE ADDED UNTO YOU’.
WE ARE TO OBEY THE WILL OF GOD. WE MUST DESTROY OUR WILL, BECAUSE OUR WILL IS CONTRARY TO THE WILL OF GOD. WE MUST SUBMIT OURSELVES TO THE WILL OF GOD WHICH IS OUR REASONABLE SERVICE.
WE ARE IN THE VALLEY OF DECISION
GOD IS LOOKING FOR THAT REMNANT THAT WILL STAND IN GOD’S TIME TABLE AND REALIZE THAT THIS IS THE TIME TO BE DECLARING THE NEED FOR JESUS. THIS IS THE TIME TO BE GETTING OUR LIVES IN ORDER. THE QUESTION IS, IS YOUR HOUSE IN ORDER? ARE YOU READY AND I MEAN REALLY READY TO MEET THE LORD. MAKE YOUR CALLING AND ELECTION SURE WITH GOD.
HAVE YOU LET GO OF THE THINGS HE HAS ASKED YOU TO DO? HAVE YOU FORSAKEN WHAT HE HAS BEEN DEALING WITH YOU ABOUT?
I DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT I SAY AS JOSHUA SAID, AS FOR ME AND MY HOUSE WE WILL SERVE THE LORD’. YOU SEE, YOUR BODY IS YOUR HOUSE AND YOU NEED TO DECIDE WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN TO YOUR HOUSE.
THE BIBLE SAYS THAT WHEN THIS EARTHLY TABERNACLE OF THIS HOUSE SHALL DISSOLVE, WE HAVE ANOTHER BUILDING ETERNAL IN THE HEAVENS.
I’VE GOT A MADE UP MIND THAT I AM GOING ALL THE WAY WITH JESUS, FOR HE IS MY ROCK, MY FORTESS, MY DELIVERER, MY SALVATION AND EVER PRESENT HELP IN THE TIME OF NEED.
I CAN SAY AS THE SONG WRITER SAYS, I HAVE DECIDED TO FOLLOW JESUS.
I’VE BEEN LIED ON BUT, I HAVE DECIDED TO FOLLOW JESUS, TALKED ABOUT, BUT I HAVE DECIDED TO FOLLOW JESUS, CRITIZED, BUT I HAVE DECIDED TO FOLLOW JESUS.
THEN THE SONG SAYS, THOUGH NO ONE JOINS ME, STILL I WILL FOLLOW.
FAMILY WON’T FOLLOW, BUT STILL I WILL FOLLOW.
FRIENDS WON’T FOLLOW, BUT STILL I WILL FOLLOW
CHURCH WON’T FOLLOW , BUT STILL I WILL FOLLOW.
I WON’T GIVE UP, I WON’T SHUT UP, I WON’T LET UP,
UNTIL I HAVE STAYED UP; UNTIL I HAVE STORED UP; UNTIL I HAVE PREACHED UP; UNTIL I HAVE PRAYED UP, FOR THE CAUSE OF CHRIST.
I AM A DISCIPLE OF JESUS, I MUST GO TILL HE COMES, GIVE TILL I DROP, PREACH TILL ALL KNOW, AND WORK UNTIL HE STOP ME. AND WHEN HE COMES FOR HIS OWN, HE WILL HAVE NO PROBLEM RECOGNIZING ME, FOR MY BANNER WILL BE CLEAR.
VALLEY OF DECISION
