KidsnChrist
Valley of Decision
Alan Griffin
A glow from the sky in the east gives way to an amber light as morning fractures the darkness over the North Carolina mountains. A Ruffled Titmouse is the first to speak into the new morning as sunlight from heaven reaches the tops of the highest hills. As the mountain shadows stretch out of the valleys the dew glistens like glitter across a green sea of lush vegetation. The chipmunk makes ready for the warm glow of the first light, and a turkey coos softly in the mist of dayspring. Now I can feel the light on my face as a frosty morning erupts with life, as it was on the first spring day of creation. Now, many years later, we come to the “Valley of Decision.”
God’s creation of the new day has been consistent in my lifetime. The sun, the moon, and the stars have all played a dance in perfect unison. The sun rises, the sun sets, the moon enters the stage in perfect timing, and the stars give forth their light just like a script that has been played over and over again. Stability has been around a long time, but that doesn’t mean the times and the seasons won’t be changing. We are entering an era of discontent where we will not be able to set our body clock on the rise of the sun. The birth of generations is ending, and the era of “dispensation of grace” will close with the sound of the trumpet from the seventh angel.
The “mystery of God” that has lasted two thousand years is near its final destination. Few have chosen to receive the power of its grace, which is so plentiful, so spectacular, and so inconceivable, and they now walk in the valley of the shadow of death. None of us is able to understand the cost of the grace that has been so freely given to us. Even the angels marvel as they witness the outpouring of this mystery to such an undeserving group people that through its acceptance become children of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God (1 John 3:1 NKJV).
Born in a time of delusion many are confused because the law of the land has distorted the law of God. The “Law of God” reveals that we are a miserable failure as a race of beings. Sinful beyond measure, unable to save ourselves, unable to please God, we go through life with a perpetual hangover, bouncing from one belief to another. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the Lord is near (Joel 3:14 NKJV). We have been given the greatest gift ever to be offered to any being anywhere, yet we blindly walk a life of unbelief. Grace, unmerited mercy, is freely given to all who believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. When we receive this mysterious gift we become righteous in the eyes of God; our sins are forgiven, and a relationship with our heavenly Father is made available to us through the Holy Spirit. Through this communion we are able to bear the trials and tribulations brought forth upon us as we journey through this life.
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, so that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help us in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16). Grace is the medicine as Jesus Christ is our cure for all sufferings we encounter here on earth. Receiving grace is just the beginning because we become stewards of the grace of God, bestowing our blessings unto others. As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God gives: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever! Amen (Peter 4:10-11 NKJV).
Now, therefore, we walk according to the will of God because in the past we walked according to the flesh and no good came from it. Our past friends think it is unusual that we no longer run with them in excessive things so they speak evil of us, and they are quick to judge us for our actions. The end of all things soon approaches so we are to be sober, and watch unto prayer. Above all we are to love one another because love covers a multitude of sins. For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving many lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared. Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Spirit; which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior; That being justified by His grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life (Titus 3:4-5 NKJV).
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Alan Griffin started the Kindsnchrist ministries in November 1997. He has worked with inner city kids for 21 years. He found a need for specialized Biblical literature that would reach people fo all ages and has been writing since 2005. The ministry has expanded their websites to reach around the world. Kindsnchrist.com, millennialchristian.com, teensnchrist.com, seniorsnchrist.com, picture-verse.com, and soulworks-smallgroups.com. We had an outreach of over 13,000,000 people last year with 36,000,000 impressions. If you have any questions for Alan you can reach him at alan@kidsnchrist.com
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