Valley of Jehoshophat

Joel 3:9  "Proclaim ye this among the nations; prepare war; stir up the mighty men; let all the men of war draw near, let them come up. 10)  Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning-hooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong."

In lieu of recent happenings with the shootings, in terrorism, and such, with people joining some of these organizations a person is flabbergasted. How and why, I wonder would anyone choose to join such an organization? The second thought that flummoxes me is why, when you consider how repressive this religion is toward women, are women joining this group?

Christianity has lifted women out of the second class section and given them importance in our modern society, but...
One fact that is foundational in the support of a Supreme Being (Jehovah God) is that humans are worshipful creatures. In every culture throughout history, it is a fact that humans have worshiped some sort of a god, be it an idol, or the true deity. Fast forward to our day and age where people are told there is no God, we just evolved.

~In our hearts we still have a need for worship that will not be denied.

Our hearts and our souls know better. However, even Christians—men and women—live like there is no God, and we won't be held accountable to His standards. We live as if what God himself tells us doesn't matter. We live as if it's all about us. That we are what matters.

So, it comes as an oxymoron that some women from both Muslim, and non-Muslim cultures join such groups looking for something that challenges them to be different from our westernized society. I have read for quite a few years now of Elders from the church trying to warn our society of the way we are raising our girls. We raise them to be everything a man can be, but a woman wasn't created for that. And in their heart, women know that.

 Let the nations bestir themselves, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat; for there will I sit to judge all the nations round about.

 Put ye in the sickle; for the harvest is ripe: come, tread ye; for the winepress is full, the vats overflow; for their wickedness is great.

  Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! for the day of Jehovah is near in the valley of decision.

Joel 3:12, 13, 14

A High Calling

During a discussion many years ago a fellow student wife related how after she and her husband's recent conversion to Christianity, friends and family had questioned her about her husband's 'calling' in accordance with their new faith in the Lord. They had not been Christians long when her husband decided to head for Tennessee and a new endeavor—a school of preaching. In her family's experience a person had to recieve a call from God, and they were very interested in how that call had come about for him.

Over the years I pondered the question:   ACalling from God? Who, What, When and Where? Maybe even Why?

• Who? All people are called.

  "And Peter opened his mouth and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: 35)  but in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is acceptable to him." Acts 10:34

21) "But now apart from the law a righteousness of God hath been manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 22)  even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ unto all them that believe; for there is no distinction; 23)  for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God; 24)  being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: (Romans 3:21-24)
                           
 *We are all called since all have sinned, all need a saviour, and all can be saved.

• What is the calling?

  "And he that doth not take his cross and follow after me, is not worthy of me."
(Matthew 10:38 ASV)

"Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me."
(Matthew 16:24 ASV)

"And he called unto him the multitude with his disciples, and said unto them, If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me."
(Mark 8:34 ASV)

"And he said unto all, If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me."
(Luke 9:23 ASV)
*To put to death ourselves (cross) and walk in the way of Jesus (follow Him).              

•  When is the calling?

   (for he saith, At an acceptable time I hearkened unto thee, And in a day of salvation did I succor thee: behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation): (2Corinthians 6:2)
*Now, right now, today.

• Where does the calling take place? 

"The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked; but now he commandeth men that they should all everywhere repent:" (Acts 17:30)
 *All men (people/mankind), everywhere, repent (now).

Because:

  "inasmuch as he hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead." (Act 17:31) Jesus was resurrected from the dead after becoming a propitiation for our sins, that when we obey Jesus we will find a life worth living --while here on this earth, and later, eternal life with him.
*"He that findeth his life shall lose it; and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it."            (Matthew 10:39 ASV)                    

 "but like as he who called you is holy, be ye yourselves also holy in all manner of living:"1Peter 1:15

*When the Bible speaks of Christianity as a 'high calling', that is what it is. God has called us out of worldly ways, to be holy, and godly.


*A person doesn't have to come from living in a pig stye to appreciate living in a comfortable, nice home.