From the Pastor’s Desk:
Pastor H. Al Sims, Jr. SENIOR PASTOR OF BETHESDA CHURCH OF GOD, SUMTER, SC
CHOICES --------------------
In the New York Times, Barnaby J. Feder reports that in 1994, the Quaker Oats Company, which had posted strong Financial earnings for several years, purchased the Snapple Drinks business. Although in late 1994, Snapple had been the Leader in beverages like fruit drinks and iced teas, the Purchase turned out to be a debacle for quaker oats and for numerous executives in the company. In late 1994, quaker paid $1.7 billion to buy Snapple. A few years later, they could sell the company for only $300Million — a loss of $1.4 billion owing to its sale. In April 1997, the chairman and chief executive of quaker, who had promoted the purchase of Snapple, resigned. Like large corporations choosing what businesses to buy, we Christians need to be prayerful and wise in our choices. The fact is that we are constantly faced with situations that require choices. Now, that might not seem to be such a big deal if we are choosing if we want to eat Italian, Mexican, Chinese, or American cuisine, but what about the deep choices in life? What about who we will marry, whether to buy a house or not, what car is the right one
and what job is the one for us? Choices are also much easier if we are telling somebody else what they should do, because more than likely we will not have to live with the consequence of a bad choice. That is why we must seek God earnestly to find His plan and will for our lives, so as to avoid failure. In Joshua 24:15, Joshua made a stand in front of all Israel. He left no doubt or question what his choice was. He boldly declared, “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 made the choice public, not knowing how the people would react, but it is apparent that he had made a choice that would please God. In our present day, we are going to have to decide if we are going to be men pleasers or God’s pleasers. The Bible has to be our road map, our book of guidance, and our source of strength to make the decisions of life. In proverbs 3:5-6, it says “trust in
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the lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding; in all your ways, acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths.“ We need men and women of God to rise up and be as Joshua proudly proclaim solid Godly choices to a world that needs good Godly leadership. So, now I ask you to ponder; am I that kind of person? Am I the Godly leader or the go with the flow follower? The choice is yours! Choose you this day!
