“And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.” Luke 23:39-43 hThree crosses on the hillside. Jesus, the one on…
“And the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king’s seed, and of the princes; Children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans.” Daniel 1:3-4 At fifteen years of age, I enrolled in Vocational School in Saint John to take Business classes. A couple of months later, my parents moved to pastor a different church, so I had to board away from home for the next three years. Fortunately, I was able to live with a Christian family and mostly went home on the weekends. Life certainly changed for me, and I had to grow up in a hurry. In Daniel, we read about four teenagers who suddenly found themselves in a strange country, living a completely different life from what they had known. First, their names were changed, which would mean adjustments for them. Then they were told that they had to eat food to which…
“And unto this people thou shalt say, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death. He that abideth in this city shall die by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth out, and falleth to the Chaldeans that besiege you, he shall live, and his life shall be unto him for a prey. For I have set my face against this city for evil, and not for good, saith the LORD: it shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.” Jeremiah 21:8-10 The Jewish people had rebelled against the Lord through the years. God had promised that they would be punished and taken into captivity. Jeremiah was sent to them with a message. Destruction of the city was inevitable, but they could make a choice. Those who willingly submitted would be taken to Babylon, and those who chose to resist would be destroyed with the city. It had already been prophesied that captivity would last for seventy years. The prophets told them to settle in Babylon, build homes, and plant gardens. When the time was…
“Then she arose with her daughters in law, that she might return from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that the LORD had visited his people in giving them bread. Wherefore she went forth out of the place where she was, and her two daughters in law with her; and they went on the way to return unto the land of Judah.” Ruth 1:6-7 Three women standing at the crossroads. Naomi had made her decision. There was nothing left for her in Moab. Her husband and her two sons were dead. She would…
“And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar. Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other.” Genesis 13:10-11 When Abraham left to follow the Lord, he had no idea where he would end up. He had taken his nephew Lot along with him. God had promised to give the land to Abraham and to his seed forever. Both Abraham and Lot had accumulated large flocks and herds. Conflict developed between the keepers of their flocks, and something had to change. Abraham gave Lot first choice. Lot looked to the East at the well-watered plain of Jordan. His flocks would flourish there. It would be a pleasant place to live. There is no mention that he asked the Lord for directions. He made his choice based on what his eyes could see. As we read the rest of Lot’s story, we realize that he did not make the best choice. He eventually…
“And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” Joshua 24:15 Did you ever stop to think about all the choices you make each day? What time will I get out of bed? What will I wear today? What will I choose to eat for breakfast? And the list goes on. Although these choices are important, there are choices we make that not only affect our day but also our future. Moses had died, and Joshua was now the leader of the Israelites. They were about to enter the Promised Land and fulfill their hopes and dreams. Because of unbelief and rebellion, they had wandered in the wilderness for forty years. Now Joshua reminds them that they must settle in their minds whom they were going to serve. He could not decide for all of them. But he firmly declared that he and his household were determined to serve the Lord.…