‘I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore, choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for he is your life.’ Deuteronomy 30:19-20.
 
 
Unquestionably, commonly and repeatedly we found ourselves at situations and circumstances that obligate making choices and decision impossible to avoid. The greatest, wisest and best decision anyone could ever had taken is to accept Christ as his Lord and personal Savior, to walk daily with him in obedience and holiness and in resolution not to deviate from the light received, but decidedness stand against any confrontations and challenges before him by the word of God till the end. God hates indecisive people and backsliders – that is, to promise and choose to walk with him, but afterwards change opinion to go back to the old way of life (for ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man drawback, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul Hebrews 10:36-39) back to spiritual Egypt of sin and darkness. It is an intentional contemptuous behavior or attitude to God when we chose not to co-operate with the things he is doing in our lives, but otherwise redirect our thoughts, focus, words and ways back to the world because of the temporal trials in front of us. Such faithless attitudes and actions could prolong the duration of our trials and increases the intensity of our chastisement, just like the Lord made the Israelis to wander for forty years in the wilderness journey for wrong decision and choice to go back to Egypt instead of advancing and progressing to possess the land set before them. Rhema (revelatory – spoken word of God) or logos (written scriptures), the word of God is true and everlasting. Your decisions and choices that corroborate with the counsel of God can’t be wrong as long as you’re searching to act on the scriptures. Sometimes, to make a tough kingdom-oriented decision to glorify God and his word can be uphill and arduous from the demands and challenges that appear to shape, not only our overall personality, but the total direction of our lives. Note: your decision affects God’s will for your life and when your plans are not totally encompassing or everything of the kingdom, they are irrelevant to him (but Daniel determined that he would not defile himself by eating the king’s food or drinking his wine, so he asked the head of the palace staff to exempt him from the royal diet. The head of the palace staff, by God’s grace, liked Daniel, but he warned him, I’m afraid of what my master the king will do. He is the one who assigned this diet and if he sees that you are not as healthy as the rest, he’ll have my head. But Daniel appealed to a steward who had been assigned by the head of the palace staff to be in charge of Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: try us out for ten days on a simple diet of vegetables and water. Then compare us with the young men who eat from the royal menu. Make your decision on the basis of what you see Daniel 1:8-13), one or the other, such decision and action will keep us in the straight gate and narrow way, if we have made a godly and right choice: or, they will reroute our steps and paths against divine purposes as we misstep (an unintentional but embarrassing blunder) or sidestep (try to avoid fulfilling or performing like Jonah intentionally chose to run away from his assignment)  out of the will of God downwardly through the broad way and wide gate, if we have made a wrong and ungodly choice for provision and satisfaction for selfish physical wellbeing against the most important thing – our spiritual life. Those choices define us (even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right. Proverbs 20:11) and reveals our distinguishing characteristics – spiritual, carnal, sensual, faithless or faithful. For example, as a Child of God, you chose to dress unchaste in conformity to the world in strange clothing of distinctive styles revealing and exposing your body such as abdomen – shoulder and arms – the thigh (the part of the leg between the hip and the knee) in a short skirt above the knee to shape and shake your buttock when you are walking around for stiffness and attraction or whatever – the color of your underpants or underwear is revealed or its draw around can be seen – your chest is bare open and the uppermost sheltered deck of your breasts are unavoidable for the eyes to see (noticeable) by ignorant or on purpose to call attention to your vain and corrupt beauty, sureness there is a strange punishment and tragedy awaiting you as consequence (hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord God: for the day of the Lord is at hand: for the Lord hath prepared a sacrifice, he hath bid his guests. And it shall come to pass in the day of the Lord’s sacrifice that I will punish the princes, and the king’s children, and all such as are clothed with strange apparel. Zephaniah 1:7-8) for such choices of alluring and captivating attire of harlots of worldliness in the church today. God is Omniscience (all knowing) therefore he instructs us to pray daily for the leaders who are the decision makers in the position of authority, so that they may make wise and life-giving decision(s) and godly choice(s) for the nation, and not to nose-dive the people and nation into hell by any sinful and ungodly legislations and collection of rules impose by the rule of law. It is evil and with no effort ripen into wickedness if a leader is men pleaser and feeble minded as Aaron the High priest was, who could not be tougher, steadfast and unmovable in the word of God (and when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. And Aaron said unto them, break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me. And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron. And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, these be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, tomorrow is a feast to the Lord. And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play. And the Lord said unto Moses, go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou brought out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves: they have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said these be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And the Lord said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiff-necked people: now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation Exodus 32:1-10) but fell and yielded under the pressure to make sinful and idolatrous decision and demanded the Israelis to release their earrings which he thrown into fire and it turned into a molten calf for them to worship as gods – or, if the leader is a traitor like king Jeroboam was, who actually held the people of God under bondage and enticed them with effigy objects with the designation to possess God’s inheritance as his own (like many false teachers and preachers in their heresy, preaching things they don’t know in sweet and flattery words, deflected from the truth just to keep or draw crowds for numeric or arithmetical pride and for filthy lucre sake) whose decision to erect the golden calf at Dan and Bethel (and Jeroboam said in his heart, now shall the kingdom return to the house of David: if this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah. Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, it is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan. And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan. 1 Kings 12:26-30) completely destroyed the simple, light-heartedly and carefree ten tribes of Israel in spiritual genocide in the worship of idols as gods. The godliness and spirituality, or the state of lacking genuineness and the carnality of the choice(s) we make unveil the secret of our heart and the soundness of our mind, if we are spiritually mature or immature, sincere or of double dealing with God. Our actions and decisions indicate the reason that arouses the action toward our desire goal, signifying the precise trust and faith we have in God through Christ Jesus. Note: you are not fighting the good fight of faith when your choices and decisions are not rooted and grounded in the word of God. It is not a good fight of faith if you are not laying hold of eternal life, normalizing, controlling, balancing and regularizing your life by every word of God. As you walk daily, closely and progressively with God, you should consistently in a systematic manner be steady on your system of use of conduct or method of practice to the autopilot spiritual switch and transmission to navigate your pilgrim journey to heaven day to day in any situation or any sudden challenge that may come up before us to make decision and choice. If we chose to live and to walk in the spirit, then we must tightly hold to the principle of ‘IT IS WRITTEN’ mentality to keep us from doing anything outside the scope of the word of God and to conform ourselves to Jesus’ attitude in the days of his flesh (the word of God and nothing more) for whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. Romans 15:4. This is our security and identity as people who are more than conquerors – inseparable from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. In the conflict with tribulation, we should make the right choice to be patient in tribulation. In distress, we should choose to endure the adversity as chastening sent from God for correction. In our persecution, we should choose not to murmur, neither be faultfinder against God and not to be offended in Christ, but to rejoice and be exceedingly glad that our reward shall be great in heaven. In famine, we should choose to abase ourselves and be content with whatever is available without any longing or desire for the garlic and cucumbers of Egypt because we ought to have learnt how to suffer need and to be able to do all things in Christ that gives us strength. In nakedness, we should know that life is more than cloth and body is more than meat as we chose to prioritize the kingdom of God and its righteousness, knowing that other things shall be added unto us at the right time. In peril, we should choose to take risk involving danger for Christ, knowing that the Lord shall keep us from all evil and preserve our souls. In death, we should choose to die and loved not our lives to shrink from it, knowing that while we are absent from the body, we are present with the Lord. In life, we chose to live and walk by faith, knowing that we are crucified with Christ, and we no longer live, but Christ lives in us – nothing shall separate us from the love of God, not angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, or things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature. We will choose to follow the Lamb where in the world Christ lead us, for he will be our God and guide even unto death. Exceptional and significant accomplishment in life is guarantee for the soul guided consistently in the choices and decisions made within the frame work of the word of God, but decision(s) made outside the underlying structure of the scriptures would certainly lead us to a dead end. If we are not mindful of the word of God (being filled with the knowledge of the word is not the same thing as abiding in the word, that our ways and actions should be directed by the word of God) and are not spiritually minded, we are opt to debase to worldly and ungodly ideas to exchange what is supposed to be a godly decision to glorify God, to attract and be an outcome of interest in man’s opinion and approval (political correctness) for the praises of men, instead of belief in the future praise from God of a well done good and faithful servant. It is in the state of spiritual mindedness that we can be positioned to please God and to overcome the law of sin and death in us through the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus, as we chose to yield our members as instruments of righteousness unto holiness. It is in being spiritually minded that we are capacitate and empower for action to submit our will and personal choice to the direction and instruction of the Holy- Spirit – to arouse our emotions to cultivate and manifest the fruit of the Spirit, if we are to make any right choice or decision founded and established in the word of God – the word I have speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life – chose life that you may live. John 6:63. It is in being spiritually minded that we are qualify to judge as a spiritual man who is capable to judge all things, and he is not subject to any man’s judgement: he will always make choices and decisions that could rightly be defended from the scriptures (for what man knows the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God know no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Ghost teaches; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. 1 Corinthians 2:11-15) and not subject to any unspiritual or non-biblical critics. It is in being spiritually minded that we make the right choice to partake in the strong meat of the word of God for a steady going spiritual growth and fruitfulness in the Lord and not running away from one church to another church, seeking for flattery preachers and teachers of babes (and I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. 1 Corinthians 3:1-2) who are out there to make merchandise of the unstable in the word of righteousness through sweet words and fair speeches. In the book of Proverbs Chapter 19 verse 2 says, also, that the soul is without knowledge, it is not good: and he that haste’s with his feet sins. Before you make any decision to embark on board, or get involve to contain as a part, or to react as response to something, or act to behave in a certain manner, make sure you’re not emotional to act impulsively, but prayerfully acknowledge God in your quest for direction in all your ways and at all the times. However, God may be in your decision and action, sometimes it doesn’t denote or connote that you would not encounter problem and challenges, but the difference is that you will come out of them without any hurt or condemnation in your heart with God on your side. The spirits of pride, ignorance and hastiness to meet up with the world standard and expectation of men is the greatest display of foolishness and vanity in any believer – it is sinful and costly. In the place of waiting, we should choose to rest in the Lord, keep his way and patiently wait on him without manifesting vanity show. Every right and godly decision we make would accelerate us forward to the fulfilment of the divine goals set before us, while the wrong decision is a waste of energy to draw us back to a wrong cause and goal. We may likely have a second chance from the Lord to think again so as to make the right decision and choice for good, but who dare risk to go through those dangerous and implicating experiences like that of Jonah? The enemy appealed to the strong feelings of success in king David and pride of self-estimation moved him to census Israel, but the outcome of his decision caused extensive destruction and ruin to the people of God. Be careful of those prideful and arrogant decisions to impress others or satisfy the ego, they would be your calamity at the end. In the year 2009 in Amsterdam, I accommodated a Baptist pastor from Nigeria who came in through a short stay visitor’s visa that lasted for three months. The pastor tried to stay permanently, though there was no reason for him to seek for asylum which is the best way to come about it. Another option left for him was to get married with a Dutch lady or somebody with European Union passport so that he can come into the system. He sought the Lord and concluded that it is better to go back to Nigeria and to continue his pastoral work with the Nigeria Baptist church than to seek for work and stay permit in unrighteousness by forsaking his wife for another because of an earthly gain and pleasure. I admired and acknowledged and praised Pastor Bimbo’s faith-filled decision and the choice he made to walk with God in the uprightness of heart and we were so much encouraged to assist him financially on his journey back home to Nigeria. Such was a choice of life in the walk of faith. This is a good example of a godly choice, decision and testimony of a man who only sought for the blessings that makes rich without sorrow – the blessing of God. As a matter of fact, I’ve heard stories and witnessed situations from our church at Amsterdam and Turin (Italy) of many so-called believers (male and female arriving Europe from Africa, who has sworn and denied never to involve in any relationship back at home, afterwards to understand that they have left husband or wife and children behind back at home. We cannot choose to be at friendship with the world and be children of God – it is not possible. Present personal choices and daily decisions are the account of your spiritual life (by faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible. Hebrews 11: 24-27) upon which eternal recompense and judgement of your entire life on earth shall be weighed, balanced and judged upon (for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit. 1 Peter 4:6) if you have fulfilled the pleasure of God or Satan. The choices and personal decisions you are about to make should be thoroughly considered before taken, taking into account of its positive or negative impacts, effects and outcome on your soul, family, friends, spouse, children, parents, nation and God’s plans (and it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death; that he told her all his heart, and said unto her, there hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nasserite unto God from my mother’s womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man Judges 16:16-17) for your life. Adam and Eve decision and action to eat the forbidden fruit were wrong and we can all see the outcome of such selfish choice they both made. Abraham decision to hearken to Sarah’s counsel to have a child by their housemaid (Hagar) was the outcome of the present unending persecution from the children born after the flesh that are persecuting those who are born after the Spirit until our Lord’s return. David chose to satisfy his sexual pleasure in another’s man’s wife, and we see the terrible outcome of the troubles he brought on his entire households and future generation…war shall not depart out of your house. In our trials and difficult moments, miserable comforters and wicked counsellors would suggest and present different solutions for quick fix, but the responsibility rest on you, to make the final call, because the accountability awaits you – if you err, and you are not wise for yourself, it is your sin, your error remain with you. Job 19:4. Proverbs 9:12.                                                                  Not until the cessation of life on earth, decisions and choices are indispensable and unavoidable. Sometimes, you’ll go a step further that after your deceased, directing your personal choices and decisions to be respected and executed on our behalf as a written testament, command or will. From the beginning to the end of our relationship with God on earth, we shall always have life’s spiritual and physical clash of ideas and opinions that are demanding our loyalty to God (and it came to pass after these things, that his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, lie with me. But he refused, and said unto his master’s wife, behold, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand; there is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back anything from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? And it came to pass, as she spoke to Joseph Day by day that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her. And it came to pass about this time that Joseph went into the house to do his business; and there was none of the men of the house there within. And she caught him by his garment, saying, lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out Genesis 39:7-12) faithfulness before him (and he said, hear now my words: if there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house. With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses? Numbers 12:6-8) commitment to him (and as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judaea a certain prophet, named Agabus. And when he was come unto us, he took Paul’s girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, thus says the Holy Ghost, so shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owns this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles. And when we heard these things, both we, and they of that place, besought him not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, what mean ye to weep and to break my heart? For I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, the will of the Lord be done. Acts 21:12-14) steadfastness in God (Nebuchadnezzar spoke and said unto them, is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not you serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up? Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands? Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. Daniel 3:14-18) and devotion to the purpose of God in our lives (from that time forth began Jesus to show unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. But he turned, and said unto Peter, get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men Matthew 16:21-23) from the choices we make and decisions we take. Everyone should be ready and willing to take responsibility for their decisions and actions – everyone shall bear his own burden before God. The wife of Job advised him to curse God and die for the troubles she assumed he doesn’t deserved – of which she thought God has brought upon him unjustly. On the contrary, Job chose to keep serving God and he showed no courtesy to her comment, but replied her as one that speaks like a foolish woman. Job chose to live for God just as apostle Paul penned down his personal choice and decision in the holy writ for all to read and see, that for him, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. And of Joshua, he declared before the children of Israel, as for me and my house, we chose to serve the God. Philippians 1:21. Joshua 24:15. God would not give an audience to such words as the devil made me do this! My wife pushed me into this! This idea came from my husband, though it wasn’t biblical (Ananias and Sapphire example) but I played along with it because he is my husband. My pastor counsels me into this because I trusted him. Do you honour the corrupt pastor above the word of God by honouring the misleading anointing upon him at the expense of your total reverence to the word of God? Have you chosen to trust the insatiable pastor above the word of God to act wrongly against what God is particular about in his word? You might as well be held accountable with him! Blame game or pointing finger is very annoying to God. It is taken into account as hypocrisy, foolishness and pride not to admit your fault and irresponsibility as a hardened and self- justified guilty offender. This is not expected from a creature created with free will with the inherent perceptual power of the mind and the ability to think for himself, discern as a child of God and to choose to do what is right, excellent, praiseworthy and of good report of faith like the old elders obtained good reports through faith actions and decisions. There is no justifiable excuse(s) before God when we make wrong choice and take wrong course and seek to play the blame game. If it doesn’t work for Adam against Eve before God at the Garden, it won’t work for us! If it doesn’t work for King Saul who tried to implicate the people of Israel when he failed to destroyed everything that has to do with the Amalekites, but as the leader, he chose to spare their king and the best sheep for sacrifice commanded not by God to justify his disobedient and rebellious decision and action against God, neither would it work for us!