A Deliberate Calculation

You-Have-A-ChoiceBy now most of you have heard that Phil Robertson, the patriarch of Duck Dynasty fame, has been for all intents and purposes fired by A&E Television. His crime? Speaking Biblical truth while doing an interview with GQ Magazine. I won’t take up space here quoting what he said; you can find that on the internet. What is important to understand is that Phil knew what he was doing and that he would no doubt reap a whirlwind. In fact, if he did not expect one he is not as wise as I believe him to be.

One thing Phil says he appreciates about his fame is that it gives him a platform to proclaim and share the gospel of Jesus Christ. in this day and age, that alone is calling spiritual artillery onto your own position. The name of Jesus is to be uttered only inside church walls. For some enemies of God they would prefer there be no churches in America. Nevertheless, as Christians we have a choice we must make if we are going to live in the cultural rot known as American society. Joshua simplified it centuries ago:

    “And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15)

That is our decision we must make. It has always been our choice. Will we serve God, or will we serve other gods? Ruth was faced with that choice as a young widow:

    “But Naomi said, ‘Turn back, my daughters; why will you go with me? Are there still sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands? Turn back, my daughters, go—for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, if I should have a husband tonight and should also bear sons, would you wait for them till they were grown? Would you restrain yourselves from having husbands? No, my daughters; for it grieves me very much for your sakes that the hand of the Lord has gone out against me!’ Then they lifted up their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. And she said, ‘Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.’ But Ruth said: ‘Entreat me not to leave you, or to turn back from following after you; for wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts you and me.’” (Ruth 1:11-17)

American Christendom has long since past the day that it can straddle the fence on where we stand regarding the God of the Bible. We don’t get to “keep our religion to ourselves,” nor do we have the luxury of being politically correct. Why? It is because the enemies of God have taken that option away from us. The American Church has come to its Mount Carmel moment:

    “So Ahab sent for all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together on Mount Carmel. And Elijah came to all the people, and said, ‘How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.’ But the people answered him not a word. Then Elijah said to the people, ‘I alone am left a prophet of the Lord; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men. Therefore let them give us two bulls; and let them choose one bull for themselves, cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, but put no fire under it; and I will prepare the other bull, and lay it on the wood, but put no fire under it. Then you call on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord; and the God who answers by fire, He is God.’” (1 Kings 18:20-24)

If the church is to be victorious, we’re going to need a few more Elijah’s. We have come to the day that we must choose the Cross or comfort. We must decide if we will follow our Master or money. Jesus told us as much:

    “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” (Luke 16:13)

Speaking on Joshua 24:15, Oswald Chambers wrote:

    “Choose you this day whom ye will serve.” It is a deliberate calculation, not something into which you drift easily; and everything else is in abeyance until you decide. The proposition is between you and God; do not confer with flesh and blood about it.

The word abeyance means “temporary inactivity, cessation, or suspension.”

Do you feel as though your Christianity has come to a grinding halt? Are you not making any headway in your Christian walk?

Perhaps it is long past time to embrace Biblical truth. If so, do so, but do not forget to balance it with grace. That is how the Lord Jesus Christ conducted Himself.

More on that next time…

In Christ
Dave
Ps. 37:4

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    Copyright © 2013 David Jeffers

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