As For Me And My House, We Will Serve The Lord

JOSHUA 24:15
“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 ‭NKJV‬
‬https://www.bible.com/114/jos.24.15.nkj

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Here, the people had a decision to make as do many of us today. They had to decide whether to serve the Lord or serve the local gods, which were nothing more than idols, the things of this world.
It is all too easy to fall into rebellion, going about life our own way-following one’s own ideas, desires, and joining in with unbelievers and their worldly sinful activities. But for us believers, the time has come to decide who is your master.
Are you to follow the passions of your flesh, or the leading of the Holy Spirit? Are you to put your trust in things such as money, status, and science, which in the end will fail, or in God who has a perfect track record? Jesus said, ““No one 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.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6:24‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
My brethren, no amount of money can save you, nor can one’s status, nor carved images, nor people living or dead. Your Pastor cannot save you, nor science, nor can any religious act or object; all these things give a false sense of security and hope, as did all the mandates of the so called pandemic and social distancing in the midst of our battle with the invisible enemy. This was all just one of the devil’s evil schemes to bring hardship, mental health issues and bondage to the people of this world, as he prepares people’s minds to later accept his mark (REVELATION 13:16-18).
Many have allowed fear and emotions to control their decisions and responces to government plans and procedures, submitting to their dirty deeds out of fear.
As a result, the world financial systems are collapsing, schools are teaching evil as good and good as evil, unemployment is rising as is poverty. Anxiety/ depression and suicides is at an all time high; furthermore, such fear was allowed to restrict our worship and ability to pray.
The devil is using fear, corrupt world leaders, and the fake news media to take us step by step toward receiving his mark and the cashless society as written in Revelation 13:16-18.
He has seriously hindered our ability to fight back through prayer and worship and many have fallen away from the truth.
My beloved, many live with one foot in God’s Kingdom, and the other in the world.
But God is calling us out, it’s decision time!
Joshua took a solid stand to obey God regardless of what others thought or of any worldly consequences, and in doing so, he was not only a good example for us follow, his decision displayed his spiritual leadership and strength while glorifying God.
Regardless of what others thought or did, he had made a commitment to God and was determined to stand firm. He chose to please God rather than people, including the highest ranking leaders; he was to serve God regardless, rather than the gods of this world that so easily take us onto a slippery slope back into the hands of the evil one.
Joshua 24 is a message to all people today; through Joshua God told the people of Israel (the body of Christ), of how He patiently delivered them out of their enemies hands time and time again, and the promise still stands today.
But to be led out of bondage and captivity, we must let go of the false gods in our lives, like money, status science, material things, and false religions. Of course we need money to live in this world, but we cannot allow it to be too important to us.
God spoke to His people back then and is saying today, “”Now therefore, fear the Lord, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord! 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 ‭24‬:‭14‬-‭15‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
My beloved, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
‭‭John‬ ‭14:6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
There is no other way, only through Christ can one be saved, only He has the ability, the power, and the authority. “He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭53:3-5‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
Jesus did it all, He paid a high price; we already have the victory over all these things. All we need do is stand firm and believe-“that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.””
‭‭Romans‬ ‭10:9-13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
My brothers and sisters in Christ, it is decision time. Therefore, “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people.” Therefore “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.” “I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the Lord Almighty.””
‭‭II Corinthians‬ ‭6:14-18‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord, but what will you do?
In response to Joshua, “So the people answered and said: “Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods; for the Lord our God is He who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, who did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way that we went and among all the people through whom we passed. And the Lord drove out from before us all the people, including the Amorites who dwelt in the land. We also will serve the Lord, for He is our God.” But Joshua said to the people, “You cannot serve the Lord, for He is a holy God. He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins. If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then He will turn and do you harm and consume you, after He has done you good.” And the people said to Joshua, “No, but we will serve the Lord!” So Joshua said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the Lord for yourselves, to serve Him.” And they said, “We are witnesses!” “Now therefore,” he said, “put away the foreign gods which are among you, and incline your heart to the Lord God of Israel.””
‭‭Joshua‬ ‭24‬:‭16‬-‭23‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
That is today’s message: Put away the false gods of this world that hold many in bondage; corrupt governments, world leaders, the media, false new age religions and so on. “Now therefore”’ He said, put away the foreign gods which are among you, and incline your heart to the Lord God of Israel.”
“And the people said to Joshua, “The Lord our God we will serve, and His voice we will obey!” So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made for them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem. Then Joshua wrote these words in the Book of the Law of God. And he took a large stone, and set it up there under the oak that was by the sanctuary of the Lord. And Joshua said to all the people, “Behold, this stone shall be a witness to us, for it has heard all the words of the Lord which He spoke to us. It shall therefore be a witness to you, lest you deny your God.” So Joshua let the people depart, each to his own inheritance.”
‭‭Joshua‬ ‭24‬:‭24‬-‭28‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
My beloved, your eternal future is in your own hands; it is a choice of whom you shall serve, the false gods of this world, or Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour.
As for me and my house, we shall serve the Lord forever, but my beloved, whom shall you serve?
All glory to God forever and ever! Amen.