1. Decisions, Decisions, Decisions More About Jesus Seminar #25 - Guide Morris & Lee start out with a discussion on the relevance of the traditional alter calls, and whether they are a good thing or bad. The general consensus is that they are bad, but could be good calls for making a decision to follow Christ if done a different way then what we've all known them to be done. As a matter of fact, the traditional alter calls aren't even a Biblical teaching at all. Morris gives a couple of examples of Biblical 'calls for making a decision' and compares whether they turned out good or bad. One example was when the Israelite's were worshiping the golden calf & Moses busted them. He said, All those who want to worship the calf over on this side and those that want to worship God go over to this side. What happened next? All the ones on the calf's side got killed, so that doesn't sound like a very good example of an alter call! A good one on the other hand is when Joshua called all the people together and said, Chose ye this day whom you will serve, but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Joshua didn't do anything to coerce anyone into making a decision, he simply made it known that they all needed to, and gave them a good example to follow. There are plenty of good reasons for encouraging people to make decisions, but they should be well thought out decisions that are intended to be kept. Decisions made based upon emotions are seldom decisions made for the right reason, & therefore they are decisions that generally produce commitments that are destined to fail. The key in Joshua's statement is he is telling them to choose in whom they will serve, not choose ye this day, what you will do. 2. So, Whom ye will serve, is a relationship phrase, so we are right back to the importance of developing that relationship with Jesus vs. a 'call' to get baptized or to stand and acknowledge that we love Jesus etc. When it's a call to a group to publicly take a stand, then you end up with a bunch of people standing just because it is the in thing to do, especially young people who are easily swayed by peer pressure. Now Lee pulls off a great example of people who simply can't seem to make a decision, but are on the fence and wavering between two choices. He illustrates it by shaving off half of his beard. Great visual. He just couldn't quite decide. He almost decided but changed his mind. There are many times throughout a persons life where we can become indecisive. Even while playing the children's games like capture the flag we can be torn between running in one direction vs. the other and can get captured, because we took to long to choose which way to go. Making up your mind doesn't seem like a big deal, but it is a really big deal to God when the decision you are making involves Him. 3. Why would God rather we be cold or hot instead of lukewarm? Hot = on fire for God, so Cold = an Atheist. Somewhere in between are those who believe God exists, but have no desire to spend time with him in any meaningful way. It's a great analogy. A person who is cold is uncomfortable, and has a much better chance of seeking 'heat' (God) someday, but a person who is warm & comfortable feels like they have need of nothing. God feels sickened by those who believe He exists, but feel no need to actively seek Him. Why? Think about it. He's a God of love! Think about how you would feel if you lived right behind one of your children, and you knew that they could see you outside working in your garden every day, but that child never bothered to even say hello over the fence. How would you feel as you are weeding and nurturing the plants that produce good things that you share with that child every year, but that child never bothered to acknowledge their appreciation for what you constantly do for them. How would you feel. You love that child and they know it, but don't ever show it. Oh sure, once a year they come to see you on your birthday, but they never stay much longer than it takes to sing the song and cut the cake. They always seem so busy, so preoccupied with things that they have determined are a lot more important to them than you are. 4. Wouldn't that make you sick to the core? That's how God feels about those of His children who know He is real, but just don't care enough to spend time with Him. Since they don't want to spend time with Him, He won't force them to live with Him forever! God would rather you make a wrong choice than no choice at all. Those who just 'go with the flow' end up being carried down stream and flow over the cliff's edge to their destruction. Not choosing God means you automatically take the default option. The Devil is the default option. He who is not with me, is against me, Matt 12:30. If you're still on the fence, you have not chosen God's side. Indecision can kill you! 5. I always thought this said 'for' me not WITH me. There is an obvious big difference right there. 'With' indicates a tight relationship and 'for' indicates a vote of confidence that can happen without any kind of closeness or time spent at all. In His own words, If we are not in a relationship with Jesus we are against Him. Close to a decision isn't good enough. 6. Some people are afraid that if they hook up with Jesus then they are going to lose out on something else that they enjoy. If we cannot trust the One who created us to know what is best for us then who can we trust? The one who designed all things should know what we need for happiness. Do you put unleaded gasoline in a diesel engine when the manufacturer clearly indicates that you shouldn't? Huh? I disagree. I get a lot of pleasure out of time with my grand kids. I get some anxiety as well but that's another story. If we weren't created for pleasure then why do we experience it at all. We were created for BOTH! If you do not know the meaning of joy? Are you serious? 7. That guy that Lee quoted is on some strange rant that makes no sense. Here is the meaning of joy. Joy = a feeling of great pleasure and happiness. Joy is all about pleasure! I don't get where he's coming from. I think that the assurance of Salvation is the greatest joy we can experience on this planet. Perhaps seeing another person also experience that joy may be an even greater pleasure, especially if it is one of your children. But, people don't realize that until they experience it. Instead they make excuses for putting it off. Bought a field symbolizes putting work before God. To busy trying to make money to have time each day for God. 8. This represents things, possessions in life, stuff that we'd rather be doing or dealing with then taking time to spend with God. Even the good things become bad when they eliminate God from the equation. If my friends were doing it, then I'd be doing it, is a lousy reason to do anything. There are people who think you are weak if you Love God, but all those who don't love God are the ones who are weak! They will lose in their own efforts to gain eternal life. How important is the opinion of 'friends' who are negative toward their Creator? Recognizing we are weak allows us to see the need for a Savior & for the power of God in our lives to bring us into the perfect nature of Christ. How important will the opinion of 'friends' be when they are standing outside of the City Of God wishing they were inside. The people who are worried that they are going to loose out on something by getting into a friendship with God will be devastated by what they lost when they chose to ignore God. 9. Until people realize the basics of what a friendship with Jesus means, they may be hesitant simply because they don't know what is involved, but when they realize it is just like any other friendship then the problem is solved. Bible study and prayer = having a conversation = spending time together = developing a trusting friendship = building faith in the fact that He IS able to do what He promises in His Word that He will do. Focusing on the life of Christ in the Gospels helps you to get to know Him better each day. Here's the problem! The devil doesn't want you to do that! The devil's focus is on distracting you from spending quality time with Jesus first thing in the morning every day. His focus is on distractions. Giving you 'other interests' that seem to be 'more fun' or 'more important' than your personal private time together. That's the fight we are fighting each day, the good fight of growing our faith in Jesus, of building our trust in Jesus, and that growth is based upon the time we spend with Him daily. To trust requires a friendship, and no friendship's exist without having spent time in development of that friendship, and they will stop growing and will not last, if we don't continue to spend that time. 10. The devil prefers that you focus on your sins instead of focusing on the only one who can give you victory over them. Since YOU, on your own, cannot win any battle against the devil, then he knows he has you if your focus is on fighting sin. But, he knows he has lost you just as soon as you realize that you need to connect with Jesus each and every day, before you do anything else. The Road To Hell Is Paved With Good Intentions. JUST DO IT NOW! MAKE A DECISION FOR ETERNAL LIFE WITH JESUS, & THEN STICK WITH THAT DECISION! This is why God gave the warning that He did about Jesus return. He warned that the second coming will be unexpected, as a thief in the night. People who are too busy to take the time to watch what is happening in the world regarding the closing events of earths history, will be shocked and disappointed! They took to long to decide to put God first in their lives. Such a simple thing, and so stupid to think that putting God first could possibly be anything but A GOOD THING! 11. With respect to what God has shown us in Daniel and Revelation about the signs of His soon coming, THE VERY LATEST information can be found in the link below. This is a 10 part FREE series and is a MUST SEE for anyone who cares about their future beyond this life time. Try to watch them back to back non stop if possible! It is a great all day Sabbath event if you are stranded at home! Don't put it off! YOU WILL BE SHOCKED at how close we are to seeing Jesus coming in the clouds of glory. The absolute LAST events are already taking place NOW, (5/28/15) and started coming together prior to the bombing of the World Trade Center in 2001! [Think about that for a few minutes!] http://www.islamandchristianity.org/ Here's the eternal life question! If you have no time for God now, what makes you think that you would enjoy eternity with him later? YOU WOULDN'T! Here's why I know that. Whatever it is that you'd rather waste your time on now, instead of spending time with God, Won't Even Exist In Heaven! That means that your real interests won't be fulfilled, & you won't be happy there at all. If you don't love to spend time with God now, then you won't love it later. 12. Are you too focused on chasing money? It won't be there! Are you too focused on chasing a degree? You won't need it there! Are you too focused on your career? Even if your 'career' here is saving souls, it won't be needed there! Are you focused on the thousands of mindless activities that this world has developed to entertain the mind and waste our time? They won't be there! Nothing from this sinful world will be there, except you (If your focus is on God) and the other children of God who've discovered what a blessing it is to know Jesus as their personal friend. God will be merciful in His judgment to destroy the wicked because they would be miserable in Heaven having to live forever without those things that they loved while here. If we don't love God now, why would we love Him then? We would be miserable, but even worse, we would make everyone else miserable and would be a constant reminder of how miserable we are right now! The love of sin would not have been eradicated! Felix knew what he needed to do, but put it off. If you wait, it may be too late! 13. The second coming of Jesus is as close as your last breath! @ the 44 minute mark Lee describes Jesus 'capture' in the garden and the circumstances that led up to His trial. Have YOU made your decision to make your friendship with God the most important thing in your life? If you haven't, then NOW is the perfect time to do it! We will all acknowledge that Jesus is the Son of God some day, eventually, if not today. So, why not today, instead of waiting until just before Hell is about to burn those who ignored God? All it takes is for you to ask Him to help you to do it. He will help you if that is what you really want. Bonus materials. http://www.islamandchristianity.org/ To see the complete links list of the More About Jesus Video seminars, visit http://nfltrashtalk.com/peaceful-resources/ Much love!