If They Only Had One More Moment in Time….

The number of celebrities and famous people that passed away in 2016 is astounding. Nearly every news site I open contains at least one article detailing the tragic deaths of so many “famous people” this past year. Social media is ablaze with people posting comments as well as their own personal feelings of loss because of those that passed on.

As I was sitting at my desk contemplating one of the postings earlier, I found myself wondering, if any of these individuals had one more moment in time, one more moment to come back from the dead for just a few shorts moments, what would they say to those around them, to the media, to their fans?

Now, before I go any further, let me establish the fact that the Word of God clearly indicates that “unless a person is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3 HCSB). To add credence to this thought, Jesus spoke clearly about Himself saying: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).

Therefore, based upon the teachings of Christ, substantiated by His personal resurrection from the dead and His having been seen by a multitude of eyewitnesses following His resurrection, we can ascertain that anyone who passes on without having gone through a personal conversion experience through Jesus Christ is eternally lost and condemned to hell.

Jesus told the story of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31. As the story goes, they both died and the rich man was confined to torment in Hades while Lazarus, a devout follower of Christ, advanced to Abraham’s side.

The rich man cried out for Abraham to give him a bit of water to cool his hot tongue. Abraham told him that was impossible. The rich man then asked Abraham to send Lazarus back to his family and to warn them of the terror that awaits those who die without Christ.

Based upon their own personal lifestyles and their lack of a personal conversion experience through Jesus Christ, the life-markers indicate that many of the famous persons who passed on last year were eternally lost.

Based upon the evidence, I firmly believe that if any one of them were given a moment to return, they would immediately begin encouraging everyone around them to seek after Jesus Christ. Their motive would be directed at leading others to find Christ before it is too late.

They would not be concerned with who got their wealth after they passed, or who ended up with the mansion or the cars or anything else they left behind. Their only concern would be to point people to the only true means of eternal salvation, Jesus Christ.

Truth is, this would be the path anyone who dies without Christ would follow, if they were only given an extra moment in time to run back and warn everyone of what truly awaits those who have denied the Living Christ.

If you knew you were going to die tomorrow, what would you be doing today? Sad fact is, many will die tomorrow and they continue living today as though they have forever to go on living for themselves, living to please only themselves.

Maybe, just maybe, that someone is you today? Who has promised you another day? What proof do you have that you will survive another 24 hours on this earth? And then what? The Bible clearly indicates that “it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).

Death is inevitable. And as the Bible clearly indicates, the judgement that follows thereafter is also. You may be struggling to push away from the knowledge of such inevitabilities but the consequences remain.

A life lived without Christ as Lord and Savior is a life condemned to eternal destruction. The rich man and Lazarus clarify that death of the body is not death of the soul—the real you will go on living forever and ever, in the kingdom of God or in the kingdom of darkness.

The Bible tells us we are all sinners which leaves us all condemned to eternal death (Romans 3:23; 6:23) But, God in His great love for all of us, sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the ultimate price—the shedding of His life blood that we may have eternal life.

If you will surrender your heart and life to Jesus Christ, give Him complete Lordship over your entire being, you are promised the free gift of salvation (Romans 10:9,10,13). Trust me, if any of those who passed away last year could return for just a moment in time, their only concern would be the salvation of every lost person on earth—including you!

Consider these words of the Psalmist:

Scripture Reading: “Lord, You have been our refuge in every generation. Before the mountains were born, before You gave birth to the earth and the world, from eternity to eternity, You are God. You return mankind to the dust, saying, ‘Return, descendants of Adam.’ For in Your sight a thousand years are like yesterday that passes by, like a few hours of the night. You end their life; they sleep. They are like grass that grows in the morning- in the morning it sprouts and grows; by evening it withers and dries up. For we are consumed by Your anger; we are terrified by Your wrath. You have set our unjust ways before You, our secret sins in the light of Your presence. For all our days ebb away under Your wrath; we end our years like a sigh. Our lives last seventy years or, if we are strong, eighty years. Even the best of them are struggle and sorrow; indeed, they pass quickly and we fly away. Who understands the power of Your anger? Your wrath matches the fear that is due You. Teach us to number our days carefully so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts.” (Psalm 90:1-12 HCSB)

If you have never surrendered your life to Jesus, please pray this prayer from the bottom of your heart today:

Personal Prayer: Father in heaven, I confess I am a sinner. I have walked my walk; lived my own way; done my own thing—and I realize I have displeased You in doing so. I realize Jesus died for me as the Bible tells me. I realize He gave His lifeblood that I may live with You for all eternity. I also realize the great love shown You have shown towards me in all that You have done to make salvation available to me. Lord, I thank You for saving me. I love You and I pray all of this in Jesus’ name…AMEN!   

New Year—New You!

2017 looms dead ahead! As you prepare to step over the threshold separating the old and the new, I would encourage you to consider the words of Oswald Chambers from his book, My Utmost for His Highest: “Leave the broken, irreversible past in God’s hands, and step out into the invincible future with Him.”

Regardless of what 2016 may have been to you, whether good or bad, a clean slate is staring you in the face. Learn from the goods, the bads, the rights, and the wrongs of 2016 and then move on. Hand it off to God and step into your new year—your new you!

Don’t allow the hardships, the problems, the negativities, the brokenness, the lies and the deceits of the past follow you into the new year for with them only comes corruption to your soul and to your clean slate.

Jesus tells us: “Look! I am making everything new” (Revelation 21:5 HCSB). While this Scripture refers to the final newness that will one day come at the end of time, Jesus desires to make your 2017 a new experience full of new experiences for you to step into—to become a part of.

The Psalmist declares a word of promise you can hang onto as you move across into your next year: “The Lord will protect your coming and going both now and forever” (Psalm 121:8).

As you prepare for this big move, I would encourage you to prayerfully consider your present relationship with Christ. You desire a new you, a new future, new experiences; you desire to leave the past in the past; you desire to walk into the newness of the new year—consider this important word from Paul: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Being absolutely, totally “in Christ” is the key to your newness!

As you look to the future, understand that, although our nation is about to undergo some radical changes, these changes, whether good or bad, right or wrong, have no real bearing on the child of God who is living for the kingdom of God.

As believers in Jesus Christ, we should be much less concerned with who is in the White House and much more concerned with Who is on the throne in our hearts and lives. People of power come and go but the kingdom of God lives on forever and ever.

Our concern, as children of God’s kingdom, must advance beyond the ever-changing politics of humanity and rest upon the plan of God. It is His plans that will ultimately be played out in their entirety when everything else has come to an end.

This New Year should initiate a time of reflection into your own life “in Christ” and how you can become more enabled to advance the kingdom of God. Our mission is straightforward to “GO!” and to make disciples. The plan for the church is to turn the world upside-down with the Good News of Jesus Christ. Impacting our world for Jesus is truly what real life is all about.

A new you for the New Year is God’s ambitious desire for all His children. What 2017 becomes for you is what you determine to make out of it. I challenge you to take up the torch of the kingdom of God and advance forward—determined to make a difference in the world God has placed you in!

May your 2017 be a year marked by great progress both within yourself as well as others and advancement for the kingdom of God!

God bless you!

Scripture Reading: “I raise my eyes toward the mountains. Where will my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to slip; your Protector will not slumber. Indeed, the Protector of Israel does not slumber or sleep. The Lord protects you; the Lord is a shelter right by your side. The sun will not strike you by day, or the moon by night. The Lord will protect you from all harm; He will protect your life. The Lord will protect your coming and going both now and forever.” (Psalm 121 HCSB)

Personal Prayer: Father in heaven, I rejoice for all You have given me. I praise You for life, for health, for family, for a place in Your kingdom! I pray that my New Year will be filled with opportunities to share the love of Jesus to our lost world. I pray You would enable me to recognize these opportunities and give me the courage, strength and wisdom to step into them and make a difference for Your sake. I pray You would carry out great things through me in this New Year. I pray You would bring new life to Your church accompanied by a desire to carry out Your mission, to fulfill Your purpose. Help us to lay aside our wants and desires and to look to You and what You would have for us to be doing. I love You and praise You…in Jesus’ name…AMEN!

Someone Who Will Always Be There

How often have you been through those times where it seemed as though you’d just lost your best and only friend? Maybe you were experiencing a really difficult time in life, you needed someone who would be there for you and yet no one seemed to care?

Jesus warned His disciples that they would abandon Him in a very critical hour. He said: “Look: An hour is coming, and has come, when each of you will be scattered to his own home, and you will leave Me alone” (John 16:32 HCSB).  It wasn’t long before that moment came. The evening before He was crucified, Jesus and His disciples were praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. As the temple guard and soldiers approached Jesus to arrest Him, Mark tells us: “all his disciples deserted him and ran away” (Mark 14:50 NLT). 

A short time later, Jesus found Himself in the midst of the deepest, darkest moment He had ever been forced to endure. He was under intense questioning by Pilate, while being openly ridiculed and reviled by the Jewish leaders and suffering extreme torment and torture by the Roman soldiers.

As the intensity of the situation heightened, Luke tells us that Peter denied he even knew who Jesus was. And as the cock crowed a third time, “the Lord turned and looked at Peter. So Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, ‘Before the rooster crows today, you will deny Me three times’” (Luke 22:61). Can you even imagine the loneliness Jesus had to be experiencing at that moment?

We have all been through our times of loneliness which led to bouts of despair. Those times when you couldn’t find a shoulder to lean on, arms to cry in, a friend to share with—abandonment was all you could feel.

The writer of the Proverbs tells us that “there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (18:24 NIV). That friend is Someone who promises that He “will never leave you or forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). He is Someone who will be right there for you and with you no matter how difficult the trials and tribulations may be. Peter encourages us to “give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you” (1 Peter 5:7 NLT).

Regardless of the loneliness you may be experiencing, the difficulties your life is being put through, the total abandonment you are feeling from your closest friends and family members—remember, Jesus is Someone who will always be there for you. He sticks closer than the closest brother. He will never leave you, abandon you or forsake you. Simply trust Him to always be there for you, to step in and carry you through the difficulties and problems of your hectic life.

Scripture Reading: “Praise is rightfully Yours, God, in Zion; vows to You will be fulfilled. All humanity will come to You, the One who hears prayer. Iniquities overwhelm me; only You can atone for our rebellions. How happy is the one You choose and bring near to live in Your courts! We will be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, the holiness of Your temple. You answer us in righteousness, with awe-inspiring works, God of our salvation, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the distant seas; You establish the mountains by Your power, robed with strength; You silence the roar of the seas, the roar of their waves, and the tumult of the nations. Those who live far away are awed by Your signs; You make east and west shout for joy. You visit the earth and water it abundantly, enriching it greatly. God’s stream is filled with water, for You prepare the earth in this way, providing [people] with grain. You soften it with showers and bless its growth, soaking its furrows and leveling its ridges. You crown the year with Your goodness; Your ways overflow with plenty. The wilderness pastures overflow, and the hills are robed with joy. The pastures are clothed with flocks, and the valleys covered with grain. They shout in triumph; indeed, they sing.” (Psalm 65 HCSB)

Personal Prayer: Father in heaven, help me to learn to place my trust in You in every situation I face. Help me to recognize You as the Source of my help, hope and dependence. Help me to not be discouraged when those around me fail to be there for me when I need them most. Also, please help me to be strong for others when they need someone to talk to, to lean on, to trust in. Father, I thank You for Your love, Your protection, Your guidance and Your direction in my life. Thank You for always being there for me…in Jesus’ name…AMEN!

Finding Hope in the Midst of Hopelessness

Hopelessness is on the rise around the globe. The growing threats of war, hunger, strife, rebellion, conflicts, famine, shortages of many kinds are all working together to lead humanity into a world of constant fear onset by the hopelessness that society now offers.

Perhaps you are struggling with feelings of hopelessness brought on by situations and circumstances you feel you have lost all control of. Your world seems to be crumbling a little more every day? Perhaps there is a sickness you are struggling with? Financial difficulties? A lack of basic necessities? A need for a job or family struggles that just won’t go away?

It has been said that “Feeling hopeless and full of despair is just a slow way of being dead.” Maybe that’s how you’re feeling today? As though your life is slowly being sucked out of you? Perhaps you feel as though your hopeless situations are slowly draining the life right out of you?

Life was not always easy or grand for King David. His struggles often led him to a place of despair. He would finally make it to the place where he was standing tall upon the mountaintop of victory only to have himself suddenly knocked off by another discouraging situation. His life was filled with ebbs and flows, ups and downs, victories and defeats.

David recognized his personal inabilities. Though he was a great warrior, he understood his own abilities were limited—he needed a higher power to run beside him and to be there to pick him up and carry him when times became more than he could handle.

In a moment of desperation, David declared: “The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom should I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1 HCSB). He recognized God Almighty was that Higher Power. He knew there was no other he could place his trust in when troubles mounted and problems assailed and hopelessness began to set in.

Perhaps you are struggling to discover something, someone that can help you through your periods of desperation and despair? Perhaps you have longed for someone who you could confidently place your hope and trust in?

David said: “Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord cares for me” (v. 10). The Lord is concerned about you, your welfare, and all your situations. He will protect you, oversee you your life, watch over you every step and always be there as a constant help for you. He promises to never leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). He is your hope when everything appears bleak and hopeless.

David concluded this Psalm with these reassuring words: “I am certain that I will see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be courageous and let your heart be strong. Wait for the Lord” (vv. 13-14). Your security is found in the One who is always faithful to provide the assurance He has promised to all who remain faithful to Him.

David was certain of God’s goodness, grace and mercy. He understood he merely needed to wait upon the Lord and the Lord would deliver him and grant him the peace, security and hope he so desperately needed in his life. Today, quit focusing upon the mounting problems and simply trust in the One who will deliver you when you need it most. Find His hope in the midst of your hopelessness.

Scripture Reading: “The Lord is my light and my salvation- whom should I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life- of whom should I be afraid? When evildoers came against me to devour my flesh, my foes and my enemies stumbled and fell. Though an army deploy against me, my heart is not afraid; though war break out against me, still I am confident. I have asked one thing from the Lord; it is what I desire: to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, gazing on the beauty of the Lord and seeking Him in His temple. For He will conceal me in His shelter in the day of adversity; He will hide me under the cover of His tent; He will set me high on a rock. Then my head will be high above my enemies around me; I will offer sacrifices in His tent with shouts of joy. I will sing and make music to the Lord. Lord, hear my voice when I call; be gracious to me and answer me. In Your behalf my heart says, “Seek My face.” Lord, I will seek Your face. Do not hide Your face from me; do not turn Your servant away in anger. You have been my help; do not leave me or abandon me, God of my salvation. Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord cares for me. Because of my adversaries, show me Your way, Lord, and lead me on a level path. Do not give me over to the will of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, breathing violence. I am certain that I will see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be courageous and let your heart be strong. Wait for the Lord.” (Psalm 27 HCSB)

Personal Prayer: Father in heaven, I need Your help Your help today. My life is filled with hopelessness. You alone are the Giver of hope. I need hope today. I need help today. I need Your direct intervention in every aspect of my life and situation. I pray You would step in and give my heart Your peace. Please help me as I face every day to do so with all my confidence placed in You. While everything else appears hopeless, grant me Your hope today, Lord. I trust in You. I love You. I need You always. In Jesus’ name…AMEN!