Your First 5 Minutes With God

The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom should I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—whom should I dread? (Psalm 27:1) Meditation I used to fear death. My fear of death was based on not knowing what was on the other side of that death threshold. Does our existence end in nothingness when this life is over, or do we get back in line to be reincarnated to a new life? I couldn’t imagine, or more likely, I didn’t want to think there might be a supreme being I would have to submit my will to. I thought that giving control of my life to God was a sign of weakness. I looked at religion as a list of things I wasn’t going to be able to do anymore. So, because of my rebellion, I was totally scared out of my wits about dying. There’s an old Blood, Sweat and Tears song called “And When I Die” with a lyric that says, “I swear there ain’t no heaven, but I pray there ain’t no hell.” It was kind of my theme song for many years. The older I got the list of things I was afraid ...

Sitting down, he called the Twelve and said to them, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be last and servant of all.” (Mark 9:35) Meditation Since my youth, I’ve always liked being first or the best at something. I was forty-four years old when I came to the cross of Christ but my desire to be first didn’t end then and there. I began to throw myself at good works to show everyone I was a different person. Without admitting it to myself, I was trying to be the most important person in a church of thousands. I volunteered at church at every chance and people’s praises were sustaining me…I thought. I heard about one of the members of that church who wanted to be an elder. However, he wasn’t one who worked will with others. Even when he wasn’t in charge of a project, he would become very bossy and argumentative if things didn’t go the way he wanted them to. His idea of being an elder was that it was a prestigious position where he could demand respect. People would have to d...

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, (Romans 12:2) Meditation I have to admit that I struggle with this. I want to be godly and acceptable and perfect before the Lord, but I fail regularly. Sometimes it happens when I’m driving, and someone cuts me off in traffic. I have extended grace to the other drivers on occasion, but the majority of the time, if I’m not cursing out loud, I’m cursing under my breath. I have conformed to this world. At other times, I fall prey to the spirit of avarice. I’ll see something advertised that I want and fall under the spell of materialism. I have conformed to this world. Then there’s also the times I’ve tangled with some political opponent on social media who stands diametrically opposed to what I believe. If the debate were conducted face to face, it might seem like I hate the other person. I have conformed to this world. I confess I will willingly watch a television show that is more than a lit...

Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent. (Proverbs 17:28) Meditation There are some who speak just to hear the sound of their own voices. They just can’t help themselves because it’s the most fascinating sound their ears ever hear. They are often politicians, actors, or public speakers of some sort. They blather on incessantly, while boring us to tears. They will have an expert opinion on any subject that comes up, but they usually speak with only a crude knowledge of the topic. It doesn’t take long before we’ve decided they’re fools. There’s an old saying, “It’s better to be thought a fool than to open one’s mouth and remove all doubt.” They seem to have a deep-seated need to make sure everyone thinks they’re smart. They are always the ones who will try to dominate the conversation. I grew up knowing of an elderly man who was only of average intelligence. However, he was considered one of the wisest men of our tow...

Wash yourselves. Cleanse yourselves. Remove your evil deeds from my sight. Stop doing evil. Learn to do what is good. Pursue justice. Correct the oppressor. Defend the rights of the fatherless. Plead the widow’s cause. (Isaiah 1:16-17) Meditation We are all filthy sinners, there is no question about that. Even the best of us, the Mother Teresa’s or the most selfless person you’ve ever heard of, needs cleansing. We have all sinned and fallen short of his glory. There isn’t one of us who can stand before the Father in heaven without being washed. The standard bearer of how clean or dirty we are is not one of us. The one we are compared against is Jesus Christ, the only one to live a sinless life. He’s the one who was made sin by the Father to take all our sins to the grave with him. He’s the one who left our sins and wickedness behind when he conquered sin and death. How do we cleanse ourselves? We’re told in scripture to “repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of sin.” ...

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12) Meditation I don’t know about you, but I never liked it much when a passage of scripture challenged the way I thought about something. I get uncomfortable when I realize I’ve been doing something or thinking a certain way that goes against sound doctrine. I don’t like to admit that I’ve been wrong about something, especially when someone I respect points out my error. I’ll tell you what, when that realization strikes, I feel like I’ve been slashed with a broad sword, cut to the very core of my soul. That’s exactly what God intends for his Word to do, cut us deep. In my first few years with the scriptures, I was cut deeply by its truths and instructions many times. I knew where I had gone wrong in my previous interpretations, and where I wanted to go. When ...

For everything was created by him, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and by him all things hold together. (Colossians 1:16-17) Meditation We are constantly bombarded by a secular worldview with no acceptance for other philosophies. That worldview has no tolerance for the idea of a creator or anything that didn’t happen by some happy accident. If a secular scientist even broaches the idea of Intelligent Design, he is attacked. The promoters of this atheist view want us to believe everything exists by some sort of cosmic coincidence. From absolutely nothing, not a spec of dust, not a single atom, everything we can see and can’t see came into existence. In the telling of their myth of creation, it happened over billions of years and continues to this very day. Atheistic scientists put forth all sorts of fanciful theories and...

…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...

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17) Meditation This scripture brings such joy to my heart, both for me and for all those who come to Christ. My life before Jesus saved me was basically a disaster. My thoughts and actions were completely outside of God’s will for my life. I was selfish and pretty much only thought about what I wanted. If that meant I hurt someone, I might be momentarily sorry, but it wouldn’t last long. If I had to lie, that was alright if I got what I wanted. If I could find a way to get something and not pay for it, in other words steal it, I would. It was never anything big, but it was still stealing. I was not a good person by any stretch of the imagination. For some inexplicable reason however, Jesus thought I was worth saving. What an awesome thought that is to me. He loved me so much he willingly died on the cross to cleanse me of my sins, so ...

Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. (Galatians 6:7-8) Meditation Everyone is born with the desire to want things we don’t need, or to do things we shouldn’t do. There are some people who will do anything to get more money or power. When a person’s only concern is only for themselves and how they can make themselves richer or more powerful, they are sowing to the flesh. When a person chases from one sexual encounter after another, they are sowing to the flesh. When a person lies about anything and everything just to make them look better in the eyes of others, is sowing to the flesh. In each one of those circumstances, and countless others, they may achieve their fleshly goals, but that’s all they’ll reap. I’m thinking of the Hollywood elite and politicians. Both will do just a...

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. (James 1:2-3) Meditation “Oh boy, I just got fired from my job!” or “Yippy, I’ve got cancer!” said NO ONE, ever! We could sit around and mope and whine about our circumstances or we can stand up and face them with the joy of Christ in our hearts. In our walk with Jesus there are always going to be highs – when we’re on the mountain tops; and lows – when we’re in the valleys. It always feels much better to be up on the mountain top. That’s when everything in our lives is going great and there isn’t a worry in sight. However, it’s also when our faith and trust in God weakens. It’s just human nature. We’re either misled into believing God is so pleased with us he will never let anything bad happen to us. Or, it’s all because of what we’ve done, and we don’t really need God. It wouldn’t be natural to be happy about being in the valley but being happy and h...

For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? (Mark 8:36) Meditation Do you know anyone who spends all of their time and effort chasing after money, status, and material possessions? The majority of the people in this world will make the mistake of worshiping these false gods. Our whole economic system is based around the accumulation of more things. You might say that you need to earn money to survive and that’s true. The problem comes when your wants outweigh your needs. It’s okay to want certain things, but to make consumption your only goal in life is wasteful and foolish. In order to attain this goal, you have to spend more and more time doing whatever it is you do to earn the money. Going through life foolishly thinking that next new possession will make you happy. For the sake of argument, let’s say you manage to get everything you’ve ever wanted. A villa, high up on a hill overlooking a pristine valley. You have a very good-looking spo...

For those of you who were baptized into Christ have been clothed with Christ. There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male and female; since you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, heirs according to the promise. (Galatians 3:27-29) Meditation The most amazing thing about becoming a Christian is that you are clothed with Christ. Can you grasp what that means? It means when the Father looks at you, he doesn’t see your wickedness; he sees his Son, Jesus. He’s not just standing between you and the Father, obstructing the Father’s view. Your sins are covered by Jesus to the point that they are forgotten. When you come up out of the waters of baptism, you “put on” Christ. You can think of it like putting on the warmest coat you’ve ever had and one you’ll never take off. When you’re clothed with Christ, the world should not see the old you anymore. They should see the likeness and the light of Jesus where there once was unpleasa...

Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. (1 Peter 2.16) Meditation I attended a church for a few Sundays where it was fairly common knowledge there was a small group of members who were active swingers. If you don’t know what a swinger is, I’m glad and I hope you never find out. I’ll tell you this much, it’s not something a follower of Jesus Christ should be doing. I asked one of the people I was sure was not part of that group why no one confronted them. His answer was they were saved, and Jesus died for their sins. I guess most of the people in that church had the idea that once they said the Sinner’s Prayer, they were forgiven from all their sins; past, present and future. They were now free to live any way they wanted from then on. It’s true that Jesus died once for all sin, but we are not forgiven of future sins we have not repented of and asked to be pardoned for. Those people were very active in that ...

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 6:12) Meditation Christians spend a lot of time arguing and bickering with Christians in other churches because of differing worship styles. Sometimes it’s over the music we sing. Sometimes it’s over how or when we share Communion. Sometimes it’s something as silly as the type of building we worship in or other things that are unrelated to the message of salvation. Our struggle is never and should never be with each other. Are there misguided or false teachers in some churches? Are there churches that are teaching false doctrine? Yes, but it’s not our responsibility to fight that battle. If their doctrine is false, God’s judgment will be upon them and eternity will not be pleasant for them. Our one and only responsibility is to share the good news of Jesus Christ! ...

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21) Meditation Ever since Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit, humans have become a sinful race. You, me, and every person who has walked this earth is a sinner in need of a savior. Every bad thing you do is a wrong committed is against God. When a sin is committed, any sin from an impure thought, to the little white lie, to 1 st degree murder, and everything in between, is a debt owed to God that must be paid, like it or not. When a person commits a crime here on earth, we, as a society, demand justice, which usually involves some form of punishment. The penalty can range from paying a fine, going to prison or even a death sentence, in extreme cases, as atonement for the crime. God’s justice requires atonement also. The four thousand years from the Fall in the Garden to the crucifixion, human sin required a blood sacrifice to atone for their sins. ...

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I  press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13-14) Meditation Have you ever met someone who thinks there’s nothing else they have to learn to be considered the perfect Christian? It doesn’t matter that they have a hair trigger temper. Forget about all the people in their past who they will never forgive for past wrongs. They can’t tell you the last time they gave anything to help the poor. They’ve got every excuse in the world for why they haven’t stepped foot in church for years. They are wretched, poor, blind, and foolish. Well Paul was probably the greatest Christian evangelist to have ever lived and he’s telling us his race isn’t finished. Paul’s admission should reveal something to you about your walk with Christ. It’s a journey that w...