But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, 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

Choice

The Lord has placed in front of you the privilege of choice.
You can choose to yield to God or else some other voice.
Your mind and some philosophies keep speaking to your will,
And if you try to silence them they never will be still.

It's not so much a matter of just steering clear of sin.
It has to do with Jesus and just spending time with Him.
The Savior would direct you if you'd listen to His voice.
But He has placed in front of you the privilege of choice.

Great personages beckon. They have won respect from man.
You listen to their polished words and mimic what you can.
If persons, sects or thoughts of men are lifted to be seen.
They quickly take preeminence; the Lord, they do demean.

It's not so much a matter of just steering clear of sin.
It has to do with Jesus and just spending time with Him.
The Savior would direct you if you'd listen to His voice.
But He has placed in front of you the privilege of choice.

You have some things you love to own; they show how well you do.
And there is nothing wrong with them, and they belong to you.
Accomplishment eats up your time and energy until
With tired eyes, you go to bed, the servant of self-will.

It's not so much a matter of just steering clear of sin.
It has to do with Jesus and just spending time with Him.
The Savior would direct you if you'd listen to His voice.
But He has placed in front of you the privilege of choice.

And recognition is, for you, a well deserved reward.
The choice is made unconsciously to disregard the Lord.
Attempting to be popular, what did you do today?
What do you testify through deeds or through the words you say?

It's not so much a matter of just steering clear of sin.
It has to do with Jesus and just spending time with Him.
The Savior would direct you if you'd listen to His voice.
But He has placed in front of you the privilege of choice.

And entertainments call to you--created to excite.
You just enjoy each moment there with fun and with delight.
The world of pleasure lures you; what harm now could it cause?
And so, you choose what feels good--no need to bear the cross.

It's not so much a matter of just steering clear of sin.
It has to do with Jesus and just spending time with Him.
The Savior would direct you if you'd listen to His voice.
But He has placed in front of you the privilege of choice.

You see that you do have a choice. There is that first step, "Will you receive Jesus as your Savior to draw you out of sin and into His Righteousness. This is what is known as being born again.

Then, after that, in every moment, those who have accepted Jesus to rule over them as Lord will be tested. They will be tried. They will make choices moment by moment. Will you believe God or the many other voices. Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your heart. Listen. He will lead you from glory to glory, from light to light, from faith to faith, from life to life until the totally complete day. For every person who truly desires the leading of God, they will be led by God. All who seek Him do find Him. (read more) Some get born again and just stay there as babies, which is very displeasing to God. They never grow up. They don't want to. They become self-righteous hypocrites. They become those who are under the power of Satan yet claiming to have been saved from sin.


Released From Captivity

Our God, in Christ, released us from captivity,
From slavery to sin, He sets the captive free.
The Lord sheds His own light upon all human hearts;
For those who won't respond, God's radiance soon departs

So many like to claim an inner righteousness,
But God has told us all, there's nothing good in us.
The human flesh, that strong, deceptive, wicked force,
That whitewashed human heart still charts an evil course.

The human flesh is caught in slavery to sin.
It cannot free itself, nor break the trap it's in.
But only through the Christ, there is no other way,
So only through the Christ, our night is turned to day.

The flesh is so corrupt, it cannot be reformed,
But yielding to Christ, a miracle performs.
Yet those who will not yield, with great hypocrisy,
Not knowing that they're lost, remain in slavery.

All those who yield their wills and listen to God's voice,
Are led of God in love in ever deepening choice.
Our God, in Christ, released us from captivity,
From slavery to sin, He sets the captive free.

And Elijah came near to all the people and said, "How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him." And the people did not answer him a word. 1 Kings 18:21

This day I call heaven and 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 Deuteronomy 30:19

Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. Matthew 7:13-14

Here are some questions to ask yourself or you can use them for a group discussion:
How might we avoid making a right decision?
What might be some reasons?
What about peer pressure?
What about coercion?
What else?
What are the ways that a person can lead two lives?
What about when you are with your friends?
What about when you can get away with it?
Is there ever a time when you can get away with it?
If there is no such time, why do it?

There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. Proverbs 14:12

It is important to be led by the Spirit of God to avoid making wrong choices.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Philippians 4:8

How you think is a choice.

What do you think about when your mind wanders?

How can you keep your mind from going where it should not go?

The Lord your God will make you abundantly prosperous in all the work of your hand, in the fruit of your womb and in the fruit of your cattle and in the fruit of your ground. For the Lord will again take delight in prospering you, as he took delight in your fathers, when you obey the voice of the Lord your God, to keep his commandments and his statutes that are written in this Book of the Law, when you turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Deuteronomy 30:9-10

Make a choice to turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.' But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, 'You fool!' will be liable to the hell of fire. So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. Matthew 5:21-26

Make a choice to see Christ in your Christian brother and sister. We all need to discern and see the Body of Christ. We see all the gifts, ministries, offices, and orders of the Church. We also can discern and recognize the false.

Make a choice to see the unsaved, the Muslims, the Atheists, the Socialists, with the same eyes of compassion that Jesus has.

For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Luke 14:28

There is a cost to following Jesus. It will cost you everything. The good news is that the everything that it will cost you is worth nothing. And Jesus will give you the real everything as your reward.

If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? Luke 16:11

To be found faithful. Faithfulness is something that is not instant. Righteousness is in the moment. Righteousness is the work that God does through you when you yield to Him. It is in the moment and it plants the seeds in the garden of your heart that will grow up to be that faithfulness, that stability, that holiness, and that sanctification. It is well worth the price paid. In fact, the troubles of this current time are not worthy to be compared to the glory, which shall be revealed in us.

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