Destructive Decisions: The Watch Letter

The Lord is sounding an alarm. The alarm is about our destructive decisions.

Joel 2

"3 A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.

4 The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run.

5 Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array."

This description in Joel 2 is not about a human army or a catastrophe destroying a people and land but, instead, God uses the example of destruction by locusts and insects. He allowed the locusts/insects to destroy all of the blessings of life that were provided to the people, because they wanted the blessings but refused to be obedient. They covered their rebellion by continuing to come to church, and make sacrifices/givings but God could see through that, he wants our obedience before anything else. As the word says he wanted the people to know that "OBEDIENCE IS BETTER THAN SACRIFICE."

God was illustrating through the locusts how our rebellion, sin or refusal to repent can be more destructive than any war or natural disaster.

In Joel 1 it says:"3 Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation.

4 That which the palmerworm hath left hath the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm eaten; and that which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpillar eaten."

These tiny creatures destroyed the vegetation and crops of the land down to the fibers that made them up, which meant the animals had nothing to eat as well. So all sources of provision were dried up. This also meant they had no animals to sacrifice and no crops or income to tithe with or give unto the temple/priests.

What will we do when there is nothing to sacrifice or no building to go to for service? When the covers of sacrifice are pulled back and everything around us is dried up, will our obedience be left standing?

As I was studying these chapters in Joel, I believe what was placed in my heart was that the locusts represented our bad or destructive decisions (no matter how small we think they are), which are the fruit of our disobedience. Bad decisions will bring a spiritual and physical famine to your life. They will eat up and destroy everything around you.

Chief Apostle H.C. Gunn has always taught us that sometimes it's not someone praying for you or laying hands on you, or even fasting and praying alone that can deliver you from your sin, physical battles, wrong thoughts or bad habits. He said often times our deliverance comes by our decisions. So if we make bad, ungodly decisions then we will remain undelivered. But if we make good and Godly decisions we can be delivered! And the word backs it up.

Proverbs 15:22-24:

"22 Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellors they are established. 23 A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it! 24 The way of life is above to the wise, that he may depart from hell beneath."

This is our remedy to avoid the famine of bad and destructive decisions. We must have a filter. Taking wise counsel, following the word as it is written and spoken, and the teaching is our filter. These things filter out wrong thoughts/ways and the temptations of sin, and helps us to see the error of our habits.

Think of it like an air conditioning filter. There is a reason that at my apartment complex the maintenance people change out our filters regularly. Filters catch pollution and particles that are destructive to your health and your home atmosphere. They catch dust, mold, fungal spores and more. Unclean filters can even damage the machine. When your air filter is not cleaned or changed out good air can't pass through it.

And this applies to our lives. When we don't filter it with counsel, the teaching, and the word, then the dust, mold, and fungus of sin blocks clean thoughts, blocks clean hearts, and blocks good decisions from coming through.

I remember several years ago, we had multiple families staying together in our home. The shared drying machine stopped working and when the repairman came he said it was because our filter had backed up. It was not being cleaned and changed enough. I remember Chief Apostle Gunn told us that it was because the house's filter was also backed up and not clean in the spirit at that time. We weren't working together to keep the house in line with God's instruction. He was right. The counsel, teaching and word was not being applied as it should. So, in looking back at all the things that were going haywire at that time in the house, now I see why.

In the photo above (shout out to my husband, Apostle Wayne, for taking it for me) you can see that the clean filter allows the light to fully shine through but the dirty one does not.

What is shining through your life filter? Can the light of obedience and the light of Christ be clearly seen in and through you or is the dust, dander, mold and fungus of your decisions and disobedience blocking it?

Dust, dander, mold and fungus like the locusts/insects described above may seem small but they are mighty destroyers. Today we have a chance to stop those little disobediences and decisions that make huge damage. The destructive decisions that we are trying to cover up are bringing havoc in our lives, our homes, the lives of our children and our church bodies. I am sure that not all of the people in Joel were in rebellion but the decisions of those who were rebellious affected everyone including their children and grandchildren, and generations to come. Let us move with haste by repenting to God and hastening to obey our counsel (the pastor and the ministers who bear wise fruit), and the word to stop the famine of destructive decisions.

Some weekdays our pastor calls us to have services in our homes to help ensure the word of God, prayer, and worship is our home's foundation. The last family service we had he asked us to study and discuss discipline. As we prepared for the service, I noticed that discipline and disciple have a common prefix: Disci, which stems from the root word discipulus, which ties to accepting and following the teaching/teacher and assisting with spreading and supporting the teaching/teacher. In order for a child to be disciplined they must be taught and accept what they have been taught. And in order for us to be disciples of Christ, which everyone who professes Christ should be, we must accept the teaching.

Acceptance is not just about hearing and acknowledging what you hear, it is about obeying and doing what you hear. The devil hates discipline and discipleship. That is why he was kicked out of Heaven. And even as we went over the importance of discipline in our home service hindering spirits began to rise up, but we persisted because the word of God is a mighty sword and cancels the plans of the enemy. Let us not help the devil in his cause by hating discipline and discipleship or raising children who hate it. As we can see from Joel, nothing good can survive when disobedience is in the midst.

Please ensure to listen to this weekend's FORREAL Radio Broadcast with Chief Apostle H.C. Gunn which is titled "What Do I Do With Myself PT 3: Repent" here: https://www.thebodyofchristinc.com/listen-in?wix-music-track-id=1262638535078304&wix-music-comp-id=comp-kjfzbgmx

NOTE: I did not hear the broadcast or read Pastor Amaya's Youth Blog (found here) before writing this but you will hear some of the same things and read some of the same things because God will unite his people and he is using all platforms to sound his alarm. This is urgent! God is showing us that we cannot hide from his word or his requirements of us.

Let us all work to be delivered by right decisions!