February 28, 2021 From Your Pastor

…choose for yourselves today whom you will serve… Joshua 24:15

I’m not a fan, however I have been to a Starbucks Coffee Shop one time. They boast of a variety of coffee experiences. In fact, they claim to offer 80,000 different variations of coffee drinks. Whoa! What happened to an ordinary cup of Joe? What is a Ristretto? Or a Macchiato anyway? Who ever heard of a Lungo? All these are types of coffee drinks served at Starbucks. When you go through the drive thru the menu board is as big as any food chain menu. There are too many options. First the bean, then the type of drink, then the milk, do you want skim, or partial skim, or semi-skimmed? Or perhaps you would like full-fat, low fat, or no fat milk. What is soy milk? They even offer oat milk, rice milk, or almond milk. COME ON!!! Milk from a nut? How’s a person to make a choice? There is a legitimate term in psychology called “Choice paralysis”. When so many options are offered a person actually struggles in making even one positive choice.

In the same manner this ‘ole world has given us far too many options when it comes to faith, religion and God. Even the media is chiming in on this delusion. Adding new belief systems almost daily to the world’s view. You know it is so when you hear of people investigating all the different religions in order that they may pick one to follow. Just like in coffee choices and the regular cup of Joe. In this life of choices what ever happened to the one true God? The world has been bombarded by Satan with so many options, choices, and beliefs. Man has become paralyzed.

Throughout Scripture God combats these multiple choices (they are called idols) with this defense from

Psalm 115 – Their idols are silver and gold, the work of man’s hands. They have mouths, but cannot speak. They have eyes, but cannot see. They have ears, but cannot hear. They have noses, but cannot smell. They have hands, but cannot feel. They have feet, but cannot walk. They cannot make a sound with their throat. Those who make them will become like them. All who trust in them.

So, my brothers, there is really only one choice when it comes to truth and life. God and God alone. There is no other. All else is man made. God is not hiding. He is ever present. He is calling - even today men and women into His kingdom. Won’t you come?

Won’t you surrender to Him?

When you pull up to the menu board of life and you’re overwhelmed with all the choices. Don’t allow Choice paralysis to prevent you from choosing. Look down in the bottom corner next to the regular cup of Joe, and you’ll find “GOD” with a free of charge alongside.

This is the choice. The only choice. There is no other that can save you.

From Your Pastor,

Bro. Clay Hicks