Your First 5 Minutes With God

…fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10) Meditation For some people, including me at times, worrying is one of the things we do best of all. From worrying about our financial well-being, or the dread of a natural disaster, or our own mortality, can weigh heavily on us and drag us down. Our courage seems to melt away when we go through life wondering when the hammer is going to drop on us. If we rely on the support of family or friends to bolster us, they often let us down because they have their own fears to deal with. Many people will turn to drugs and/or alcohol to escape. Or, they try to find comfort by jumping from one sexual relationship to another. They simply can’t face what might be coming all alone. Sadly, believers are not immune from these feelings of fear, because we lose sight of the fact that God is our strength. We think we’re someh...

Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So, we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.  (2 Corinthians 4:16-18) Meditation It’s very disheartening to reach an age when you wake up every morning and count all the places that hurt on your body. I can personally testify to this as fact. Some are born with maladies that afflict them their whole lives. We all must deal with imperfect bodies and increasing aches and pains. When we’re in our twenties we feel invincible but that begins to change as we reach our thirties and forties. By the time, we reach our fifties or sixties we’re just one big walking pain throb hoping to get relief from a miracle drug or procedure. We end up with bodies that won’t work the way they used, along with muscles and joints ...

As obedient children do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:14-16) Meditation Before I knew Jesus was who he said he was, I thought I had a pretty good grasp of what I needed to be happy, but I was wrong. I looked upon following Christ as trying to obey a bunch of suffocating rules to ruin my desired lifestyle. I looked at religion in general and Christianity in particular, as just a list of don’ts; don’t do this and don’t do that. I thought what I was doing was making me happy, but I was ignorant of what Jesus could mean to my happiness. Everything I ever did on my own to be happy only lasted a few hours, maybe a day or two at best. Happiness for me now, rests in my relationship with Jesus. When I was finally told and believed the truth about Christ’s love, who he was when he walked the earth, and who he is to this...

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23) Meditation I started hearing this scripture when I was a small child in the church my grandparent took me to every Sunday until we moved away. It used to be the staple of many sermons way back then, many pulpits these days never talk about sin or its consequences anymore. I’m sure some preachers may not believe the harshness of this pronouncement doesn’t align with the “Jesus” they worship. I would call them, false teachers, and they will be held accountable on Judgment Day. There are probably others who don’t mention sin, so they don’t make their congregants feel guilty. I hate to tell them, that’s part of their job. Preachers of old had no problem making everyone squirm in their seats, on any given Sunday. After we moved away from my grandparents, I turned my back on Jesus, and started down a path toward destruction. It was all due to my rebellious nature, and I liv...

Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet, will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. (1 Corinthians 15:51-52) Meditation For me, this is one of the most exciting passages in the Bible! It is quite possible we are the generation that will see the fulfillment of this prophecy, because of the signs of the times. Just imagine, everyone who has turned their lives over to Christ today might never experience death. We’re not told when this will happen. We’re only told it comes at the sounding of the last trumpet. Yes, there is a last trumpet at the end of the Tribulation period but there are others as well. There is a last trumpet at the end of the Feast of Trumpets for instance. We are not told which last trumpet will usher in the “catching away” of the Bride of Christ. We are told not to try to predict the date. Many false ...

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6) Meditation Trust is hard for most people, me in particular. I have been hurt by people I trusted. My heart has been stomped on a couple of times. So, when I think about the first few days after I was saved, I can be grateful to God. One day in the week or so after my salvation, I opened by Bible right to this verse. I know it was God telling me I could trust him. It wasn’t a miraculous or instantaneous trust, but I learned over a relatively short time the Lord will never leave or forsake me. When I finally reached that conclusion, I was all in. I was ready then to put my whole trust in Jesus Christ. I knew I could trust him to direct my path and it was up to me to follow his lead. As a fallen and imperfect human, I occasionally (more regularly than I’d like to admit) lie to myself that God doesn’t want to...

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6) Meditation This is the time of year when we’re busy planning holiday dinners and parties. Get-togethers with family and friends. We spend a disproportionate amount of time shopping or thinking about what we hope others will be shopping for us. We have become preoccupied with what society has turned the birth of Jesus into; a worldwide shopping spree. This season is kicked off on Thanksgiving weekend with Black Friday, followed closely by Cyber Monday. Is it wrong for us to buy gifts for our loved ones? Are Christmas dinners and parties wrong? Of course not, but if that’s the entire focus, then that’s a problem. Today, as we happily give our gifts to each other, let’s not forget why we’re even gathered together today. If it weren’t for the birth of the Christ child, December 25 ...

Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people he favors! (Luke 2:13-14) Meditation A baby was born over two thousand years ago, wrapped in swaddling cloth, laid in a manger, and they called his name Jesus. That was the single most important birth in the history of the world. His time on earth was approximately a scant thirty-three years but he is co-eternal with the Father, without beginning or end. His first advent on earth was not as a judge but as a servant and a savior. He came, not to condemn sinners to hell, but to redeem them from that awful place. He came, not to conquer and rule, as was befitting the King of kings, but to suffer and die. He came, not for the rich and powerful, but for the poor and humble. He came to save us, not condemn us. He came to sacrifice himself for us, not to be sacrificed to. Why would God choose to share the greatest news eve...

And there were, in the same country, shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people for unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:8-11) Meditation God Almighty sent his angels to the lowly shepherds to give them the greatest news of all time. They must have been so afraid, but their fears turned to awe at the voice of the angle. The announcement of the birth of the long-awaited Messiah, who would bring salvation to all people was delivered to a handful of the dregs of Jewish society. Why wasn’t this news proclaimed to the kings and priests? Shepherds of that day were only slightly higher in stature than lepers. Why were they the ones the angels told? Jesus came...

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30) Meditation Have you ever felt like you carry the weight of the world on your shoulders? You scurry from one thing to another, all the time feeling like there’s no end to the toil. Your life, at times, is filled with busyness that often has little value or meaning. Sometimes, you’re just busy for the sake of being busy. However, this scripture is only partly referring to physical busyness. It’s also talking about spiritual busyness. Even if you don’t believe in God, you are still in the midst of a spiritual struggle. The struggle is for your very soul. You are caught between the spirit of darkness of this world and the spirit of the light of truth of Jesus. You struggle to find meaning for your life when this world can o...

He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will have no end. (Luke 1:32-33) Meditation He was born in a smelly stable for animals and laid in the same feeding trough they ate from. He was born of the humblest of beginnings, but he was still the King of kings. He was born a helpless babe, but he was also Immanuel, God with us. His mother was an average teenage girl, betrothed to an average carpenter of his day, but his real father was the Most High God! There was nothing about his birth that suggested greatness except, angels announcing his arrival to the lowly shepherds. Followed, eventually, by the visiting magi from the east. That’s not what usually happens after the birth of a normal baby, but Jesus was anything but normal. He is the King of kings, but he has been virtually ignored through the centuries. His birth was prophesie...

If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him. (Matthew 7:11) Meditation I can remember, as a child, the wonder of this time of year. I grew up as the oldest of a rather large family. We never had a lot of money, so expensive gifts were out of the question, but our Christmases were always happy. There was always a lot of love and family time. I never felt poor or disadvantaged, and that was because of my parents and grandparents. My paternal grandparent lived right across the street and made sure we kept Christ in our celebration. When I was about twelve, we moved away and after that, there was less Christ, but still love and family time. Our Christmas presents were never extravagant, but meaningful and desirable. My parents were always great at making sure we had everything we needed, and we were always grateful. As fallen human beings, we are evil when compared to Je...

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14) Meditation Will God really forgive the sins of our nation? Will he really heal the scars of our iniquities? Has he turned his back on us to leave us to our own devices? Have we gone too far? If the judge of this nation’s sins was a man or a woman, he or she would condemn this nation for its wicked behavior. Every nation is wicked, so he or she would wipe them all, every last one of them, from the face of the earth. Fortunately for all the wicked nations, a man or woman is not the righteous judge. There is only one who is righteous, and he is long-suffering. However, one day soon, his patience will run out and his wrath will be great. If his wrath were to go unchecked, nothing would be left alive. It doesn’t have to be this way. This nation rose...

Again, Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12) Meditation The best thing about this time of year is, if you are already a believer then, your path is bright because Jesus is lighting your way. Without him, you walk in darkness even on the sunniest of days. It’s not a darkness that any natural or man-made light source can illuminate. It is a supernatural darkness, extinguishing the light of truth about your sins. That spiritual darkness is from the devil. He wants to keep you from seeing the light. He doesn’t care if you say you believe in God or not, so long as you don’t follow and serve him. Many will say they believe but their lives prove they do not know him or follow him. It’s not enough to believe in God. You must follow the One who died to save you. What does it mean to be in spiritual darkness? It means you either cannot or will not see the truth because you...

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” (John 14:1-3) Meditation We tend to read this passage solemnly, as if Jesus was speaking softly, while delivering the sad news that he would be leaving soon. I don’t think that’s what was going on at all. I see Jesus as being very excited, grinning from ear-to-ear as he’s telling the twelve men he loved about their reward. Moving from one apostle to the next, staring directly into each face, he tries to make them understand that which cannot be understood. He already knew the splendors of heaven, so he was trying to impart some of that to the twelve. However, the feeble mind of man is not equipped to comprehend what paradise will really be like. Our frame of reference ...

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; (John 11:25) Meditation How can this possibly happen? How does someone who’s died come back to life? How can you believe this will happen? Have you ever heard these questions? I used to sarcastically mock the holy rollers for believing in the resurrection fairy-tale. I believed we die, we turn to dust, and that’s it…nothing after that. I now think that to be such a sad way to think about our existence. To think that this life, this world, is all there is, no heaven, no eternity. We have a life of pain and misery, of disappointment and betrayal, for about seventy or eighty years, then nothing. At best, that’s a very bleak way to look at things. At worst, this atheistic viewpoint fosters real depressing thoughts that have to factor into the woes of our society. The promised resurrection is not the reason I chose to believe in Jesus Christ, but I certainly look ...