Your First 5 Minutes With God

Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:1-3, 14) Put to rest any doubt in your mind that Jesus is anything other than God. Understanding just what is meant by a Trinity, with three distinct personalities in one God, is way above my pay grade. However, two of the three persons of the God-head are clearly described here. Even though I don’t totally understand what a trinity is, doesn’t mean I don’t believe there is one. I don’t totally understand how the universe is held together but that doesn’t mean I don’t believe it is. Once I believed I could also discard my questions and uncertainties about how we got here. This passage tells me Jesus is the creator of everything that was made. Confirming the Genesis creation account. Before I was s...

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. (Psalm 119:105) I was staying alone in a hotel room while away on business once. I woke up in the middle of the first night and the room was pitch black. I couldn’t see my hand right in front of my face and I needed to use the restroom. Only trouble was, I couldn’t remember how the room was laid out. Was the bathroom to my right or left? I couldn’t even find the bed stand light. I literally had to stumble around until I found a light switch on the wall. Until the light came on, I was lost and blind. I didn’t remember what the room looked like or where the furniture was, so I bumped into everything in my way. That’s what my life was like without the light of truth that Jesus brings. I “bumped” into the things that happened to me in life. Without his light to guide me from those obstacles, I made mistake after mistake. I was blindly walking through life without the foggiest idea where I was going. I thought I did, but ...

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9) I have become so used to instant gratification that I think God should answer my prayer as soon as I’ve asked; as if God were some kind of cosmic bellhop. God’s timing is not my timing, but God is never late with an answer. God may say, “I’m not going to give you that, I’m going to give you this because it’s what you need.” Or he may say, “I’m going to give you that, but you have to wait for the right time.” Sometimes, his answer is, “No.” He knows best what I need to sustain my life and to keep me truly happy. If I’m ever tempted to grumble about getting no response from him, I try to remember and be thankful his judgments aren’t instantaneous either. I slip up every day and fall into sin. I don’t want to, I don’t like to, it’s just my fallen nature. If he disciplined me right after every ...

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31) Life is filled with so many trials and tribulations it’s not always easy to remain calm. Sometimes, it feels like it’s raining trouble, and no one cares but me. However, I know who is in control. He has sustained me through so many challenges, I couldn’t name them all. He holds the whole universe together, but even the vastness of the universe does not keep him from standing with me through the tests of life. I know there are many spiritual powers more powerful and dangerous than I am, but the one who protects me holds all the power. The whole world today is filled with violence and crime. This society is more concerned with their own pleasure than what is right and true. Everything that was once evil or bad is now celebrated and practiced in the open. Nothing is prohibited anymore. As a Christian, I try to witness for Christ and show his truth and love, but I am mostly ignored by pe...

As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. (Matthew 24:3-5) Whether we want to think about it or not – we are living in the last days. Technically, we’ve been counting down since the Day of Pentecost about 33 AD. We must be cautious, because there will be those who will try to lead us astray. I’m thinking of guys like David Koresh or the Branch Davidians. He claimed to be the Messiah returned. We must be careful that fast talking charismatic individuals with false doctrines don’t deceive us with counterfeit miracles and prophecy. We must check the scriptures daily just as the Apostle John warned us to do. There are plenty of wolves roaming around in sheep’s clothing ready to devour the unpr...

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:6) When I was born, I started with a sin free clean slate. However, the older I got, the more I lost my way, and my slate began to fill up. Like almost every other young idiot in the world, I followed the crowd around and did whatever they did. If they wanted to party, then I partied. I’m really not sure, if they jumped off a cliff, I might have jumped too. I guess I was just showing my immaturity but until Jesus came into my life, I never matured past that life. I thought I was in charge of my life. However, my desire to find some kind of happiness is what was really leading me around. That pursuit of happiness was really a search for God, I just didn’t realize it at the time. I’m sure that is everyone’s real quest through life because we all have this hole in their hearts that only Jesus can fill. We all think we’re going to fill up th...

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8) I have to constantly be on guard. Satan does his best to tempt me with every material and carnal thing this world has to offer, because that’s all he has to offer. His enticements are always attractive which is why I desire them. As a believer, I’m supposed to deny myself of all my selfish longings. Sounds boring when compared to the glitz and glamor of the world but everything this world has to offer is fleeting. I am not immune to anything the devil has to offer. I am tempted every day by his wiles. If I succumb, if I trip and fall into his snare, he will keep after me with even more earthly temptations. Once he sets his teeth into my soul, it’s very hard to get away. One reason some believers fall into the devil’s noose is, because they think they are immune or strong enough on their own. They try to rely on their own power to resist the devil....

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. (Revelation 3:20) I like being in charge of my life. As a small child I resisted the directions and corrections of my parents. It didn’t get any better as I reached adolescence. My rebellion wasn’t as bad as some. I never got in trouble with the Law, but there were a few instances where I could have. It was mostly mischievous acts, where I was trying to prove to myself, ‘I was large and in charge,’ as the saying goes. Any exposure to Christ I received in preadolescence went for naught as I became an adult. I was married and became a parent at a young age. My heart was full of love for my family but there was no room for Jesus. I made mistake after mistake in trying to find happiness for myself and spouse. Most of the time, I made things worse because my solutions were only temporary. As soon as the party was over, and the guest had gon...

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (1 Corinthians 1:18) Before I was saved, I thought everything about Christianity was a myth. I didn't believe any of it and I did my best to convince anyone who would listen, there was no God. To me Christians were simpletons and fools who needed a crutch to explain their existence, so they created a god in their own image. I was strong willed and smart enough not to fall for any of that foolishness. At least I thought I was smart. I followed the secular explanations for our origins, like evolution and the Big Bang. They provided the excuse I needed to turn my back on everything I was taught as a young child. Jesus, if he ever existed at all, was just a good man that some addle-minded people wanted to be like. The Bible was a just book written by men, edited and changed all throughout history to make it look like its prophesies came true. I thoug...

“Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him?” declares the Lord. “Do I not fill heaven and earth?” declares the Lord. (Jeremiah 23:24) Have you ever done something you knew was wrong and thought no one saw that so no one will know, like I have? I can be like a little child, thinking I can get away with sinful behavior. If I think I don’t sin now because I’m saved, I’d be sadly mistaken. I’m no different from anyone else. Everyone, even the saved, will fall into sinful wrong doing, thinking no one will ever know. We want to think it's secret sin. This is a very convicting passage for me. I don’t like to think that everything I think, do and say is witnessed by God. I don’t think anyone likes to think about that. Even my deepest secret thoughts are not secret from him. Why do I think I can get away with anything? It’s literally making me squirm in my seat as I write this. These days, most of my sins are not willful. In other words, I don’t purposely s...

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. (Proverbs 1:7) As a nonbeliever, I thought fearing a nonexistent god, no one could even see, was the epitome of foolishness. I mocked those who told me I should fear and follow Jesus. I was determined to live my life as I saw fit. The concept of right and wrong, good and evil, were up to me and I needn’t worry about any consequences or eternal punishment. I remembered just enough about religion, from my exposure as a child, to resist any attempt to convert me. Before Jesus saved me, deep down, I knew there was a difference between right and wrong, but I didn’t want to give up control of my life to anyone; especially a god I didn’t believe in. After my repentance, I saw everything in black and white, true and false, good and evil, instead of the gray areas the world wants me to see. I realized how foolish I was not to fear God. Now that I am saved, I have a healthy respect for the one wh...

For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. (Matthew 16:25) Prophesy tells us we’re heading for times of terrible trouble, possibly in the very near future. The time is coming when Christians all over the world will be required to choose between living or dying for their faith, even in the United States. Some will think that denying Jesus will save them, and it will for a very short time, but their decision will condemn them for eternity. If I’m ever forced to make that decision, I pray I will choose Jesus. Here in the US, the persecution has already started. Even when a radical Muslim kills innocent people in a Western nation, somehow Christians are at fault and vilified. It will get worse and worse as we get closer to the Lord’s return. Right now, in some parts of the world believers are already sacrificing their mortal lives just for not denying Christ. Even though they die a horrible death, they actually save the...

For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more. (Hebrews 8:12) I'm sure, like me, everyone has been hurt by someone. It’s inevitable that we’re going to be seriously, emotionally wounded sooner or later. I find it so hard to forgive when the offense is grave and hurtful. There is no way I can forget the wrongdoing even though I wish I could. I tend to hold on to the transgression in my mind. I will think about the different ways I can take revenge. After all, it’s only fair that the offender hurts as much as I do, right? So, I ask myself, why has God forgiven of me. I know I would have never actually killed someone, but I’ve hated them enough to have wished harm would come to them. I know I’ve hurt someone very deeply and never asked for their forgiveness, so they’ve probably wanted to cause me bodily harm also. It’s the world we live in. If you hurt me, I naturally want to hurt you. It’s a vicious circle and the devil will try to make sure w...

Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. (Psalm 95:6-7) I began my walk with Jesus thinking that worship was reserved for church in an organized service led by a music or worship minister. I have since come to understand that worship is really a matter and condition of the heart. In other words, I was placing restrictions on when or how I worshipped when that’s not how it’s supposed to be. I can be driving down the road and praising the Lord for any number of blessings I have received. I can be at work or at home, I don’t have to be sitting in a church pew. The Lord has done so much for me, he deserves my praise and adulation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Even though it would be physically impossible for me to do that, does not take anything away from the fact that he deserves it. Maybe when I’m griping about having to get up for church on...

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. (Galatians 6:7-8) As a young child, I believed in God. I went to church every Sunday with my grandparents. As I approached my teenage years I began to rebel against God. I believed the lie that there was no God. It never occurred to me, therefore, when I sinned I was actually mocking God. Not in the sense that I was sticking my tongue out at God, but I was saying by my actions that I thought there was no consequence for my behavior. I thought I could do just about anything, as long as it wasn’t against the law, and I had nothing to worry about. I lived from day to day without any real direction. I followed whatever whim that came my way. It was like I was in a rudderless boat, floating along and going wherever the current took me. I loved and took care of my fami...

But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, (Philippians 3:20) Not long after I decided to follow Jesus I began to realize I didn’t really fit into my old life anymore. The things I used to think were great fun had lost their appeal. The sci-fi television programs and movies I used to always want to watch, seemed inappropriate. Probably because they were literally my religion before I got saved. My friends didn’t understand why I wasn’t coming around for most of the old activities. I guess I was in the process of figuring out where my citizenship was, heaven or hell. Now I understand, as a follower of Jesus Christ, I am a citizen of heaven, I’m just a temporary visitor, to this world. My passage home to heaven has been paid for and guaranteed by my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I live my life as a resident alien and look forward to the day I move on to my permanent and eternal residence. Jesus will rescue me and the rest...

What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?" (Luke 11:11-13) I am evil. There, I said it. I may not be the same kind of evil as a suicide bomber or a serial killer but when I compare myself to God, I am evil, just to a slightly lesser degree. As evil as I am, I wouldn’t think of intentionally giving my children a gift that would harm them. I’ve always tried to give my children the best and most thoughtful gift I can. Why would I think God doesn’t want to do the same for me, as his adopted child? The heavenly Father wants to give me good gifts, except on a scale I can’t possibly imagine. The best gifts from God are unseen and intangible. He gave me the Holy Spirit to dwell in me and guide me on the righteous path. He al...

“I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened." (Luke 11:9-10) There is no way I can save myself, but if I ask Jesus to save me, he will. Before I gave my life to Jesus, I went from one belief to another, looking for some deeper meaning to my life. Because of the rebellion in my heart, I wouldn’t even consider that I needed Christ. When I finally reached one of the lowest points in my life, Jesus was there to help me pick up the pieces. Once I honestly searched, through prayer and studying the scriptures, Jesus revealed himself to me through the pages of the Bible. He loves me and wants me to love him, but I have to give my real and honest submission to his lordship over my life. It had to be my willingness to repent from the way I had been living and turn to the love and truth that Jesus offers. I didn’t ...