On July 23rd back in 2006, I attended a concert in Birmingham on a Sunday night which most likely wasn't the greatest of ideas given I had to be at work early the next morning. The concert lasted a little bit longer than expected which meant for an even later evening getting back home; at least I had the company of my friend Megan with me. Heading down I-65 South around midnight, I was hit from behind while driving approximately 75 mph. Naturally, my reaction was to hit the breaks which (make note) is apparently the worst possible idea. As I hit the break, my car began to spin out and spin towards the shoulder of the interstate. My breaks eventually caught but at the speed I was going and the momentum of spinning out carrying me in another direction, the next move for the car to take was to begin rolling. A trucker that witnessed the accident estimated that the car flipped 3-5 times before we eventually came to a stop in the woods off of the interstate.
As we came to a stop, all windows had been blown out of the car, the car battery had been thrown about 10 yards away from where my car came to rest, the front bumper was laying on the ground next to the driver's side door, and for a little humor, some boxers that I had in a duffle bag from the weekend were hanging 20 feet high in a tree above the car. The trucker that witnessed the accident came running to the car and when Megan responded that her foot was hurting, I clearly remember the trucker saying, "Darling, if you could see what you just went through, you are fortunate your foot is the worst thing hurting you right now." Though obviously severely banged up, Megan and I were both very alert and just ready to get out of the vehicle which we were now pinned inside. The fire department had to come to pop the doors off and pull us from the vehicle and from there, I walked away with nothing more than several scratches, mostly above my left knee, and the typical bumps and bruises.
What if something worse would have happened that night? As the witness seemed to describe it, something worse should have happened.
None of us know when our time here on earth will end. I can't even guarantee that I will finish this blog. In James 4:14, he writes, "Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." The problem with this is that we live our lives as if we are invincible, as if we are guaranteed a tomorrow.
To be honest, had the worst happened that summer night, I would not be spending eternity with my Heavenly Father. My years of living as a "Sunday Christian" just wouldn't have cut it for me. Knowing that there are no guarantees for tomorrow, the scariest thought that could cross my mind is not spending eternity in heaven. And I can't thank God enough for the second chance he has given me.
Guys and girls, we don't need to hesitate to have that loving relationship with our Lord. We have to seize that opportunity immediately. As I titled this post, the time is now.
Many of you may have heard the song "In Christ Alone". Two of the lines from the song say, "No guilt of life, no fear in death...This is the power of Christ in me." What perfect words to live by. We should not fear death if we have the relationship with God that is necessary to spend eternity with him. If my time were to end today, tomorrow, or 50 years from now, I know where I will be heading.
The movie "The Bucket List" opens with the following narration:
"Edward Perman Cole died in May, it was a Sunday afternoon and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. It's difficult to understand the sum of a person's life, some people would tell you it's measured by the one's left behind, some believe it can be measured in faith, some say by love, other folks say life has no meaning at all...Me, I believe you measure yourself by the people that measure themselves by you..."
No matter how you wish to measure yourself, life here on earth is too short to live for yourself rather than live for an eternity spent in heaven. The time is now to start living our lives for the Lord.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Five Truths About God
Through the first few chapters of Crazy Love, Francis Chan sets the stage based on where we are now and exactly where we need to be. First and foremost, in order for us to be in love with God, it is so important to understand who He is. As merely human, we can never understand fully the majesty of our Lord. But look around you at all the beauty and sophistication of the world and imagine the complexity for which God created all things. Through this, we can catch a glimpse of His greatness as we marvel at the uniqueness of all that is around us. And though we can never fully comprehend, we do know some truths about God that are there for us to grasp as we seek a closer relationship with him.
I. God is holy.
The word holy can be translated into something that is set apart. Isaiah 6:1-3 says "In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphs, each with six wings; With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.'" For the Jews, saying something three times meant ultimate perfection. So to say the Lord is "holy, holy, holy" means that the Lord is perfectly holy, perfectly set apart. In other words, there is none like Him. And to understand that God is perfectly holy means that words cannot contain who He is. Chan puts this into perspective for us by asking the question: Isn't it a comfort to worship a God we cannot exaggerate?
II. God is eternal.
"Each of us had a beginning; everything in existence began on a particular day, at a specific time. Everything, that is, but God." For me, this is evidence enough to look past all the theories science wants you to believe about the creation of the world and us. Think about it: Some being had to make all of this happen at one time or another. That being is our eternal God. Psalms 102: 12&27 says, "But you, O Lord, sit enthroned forever, your renown endures through all generations...But you remain the same and your years will never end." Though God is perfectly holy and eternal, He remains the same loving Father for us always.
III. God is all-knowing.
This can be a really scary and a big reason we should fear God. As Chan says, "Each of us, to some degree, fools our friends and family about who we really are." But God certainly knows every bit of who we are. In Psalms 139: 1-4, David shares the following:
O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord.
And he continues in verse 13 saying, "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb."
IV. God is all-powerful.
Colossians 1:16 tells us, "For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him." The key words in this verse are that all things were created for Him. Not for us, but for God. He has power and control of all things and we should not question that authority. I am reminded of Louie Giglio's DVD series "Prayer A Remix". The idea of Giglio's series is that God has blessed us with everything, so lets turn around and bless him and thank him FOR everything. After all, all things were created for him. We are on this earth to be stewards of his blessings.
V. God is fair and just.
In Ecclesiastes 12: 13-14, Solomon tells us, "Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil." Simply put, God hates and must punish sin. However, I do feel that there is a caveat for us and that is God's love and his grace that He sent His Son to die for our sins that we may be forgiven. So the real issue is unrepentant sin. It is our responsibility to accept Christ and what he did for us on the cross and then to ask God to forgive us of our debts, allowed by what Christ did.
Even through (or should I say "especially through...") this greatness and majesty of God, He cares for each and every one of us as his own. Even though God is perfectly holy, eternal, all-knowing, and all-powerful, God wants an intimate relationship with each and every one of us. It is our responsibility to answer this call. Not because we should do it but because we want to do and we want to fall in love with God. And understanding who He is can be the start of something very special.
I. God is holy.
The word holy can be translated into something that is set apart. Isaiah 6:1-3 says "In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphs, each with six wings; With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.'" For the Jews, saying something three times meant ultimate perfection. So to say the Lord is "holy, holy, holy" means that the Lord is perfectly holy, perfectly set apart. In other words, there is none like Him. And to understand that God is perfectly holy means that words cannot contain who He is. Chan puts this into perspective for us by asking the question: Isn't it a comfort to worship a God we cannot exaggerate?
II. God is eternal.
"Each of us had a beginning; everything in existence began on a particular day, at a specific time. Everything, that is, but God." For me, this is evidence enough to look past all the theories science wants you to believe about the creation of the world and us. Think about it: Some being had to make all of this happen at one time or another. That being is our eternal God. Psalms 102: 12&27 says, "But you, O Lord, sit enthroned forever, your renown endures through all generations...But you remain the same and your years will never end." Though God is perfectly holy and eternal, He remains the same loving Father for us always.
III. God is all-knowing.
This can be a really scary and a big reason we should fear God. As Chan says, "Each of us, to some degree, fools our friends and family about who we really are." But God certainly knows every bit of who we are. In Psalms 139: 1-4, David shares the following:
O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord.
And he continues in verse 13 saying, "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb."
IV. God is all-powerful.
Colossians 1:16 tells us, "For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him." The key words in this verse are that all things were created for Him. Not for us, but for God. He has power and control of all things and we should not question that authority. I am reminded of Louie Giglio's DVD series "Prayer A Remix". The idea of Giglio's series is that God has blessed us with everything, so lets turn around and bless him and thank him FOR everything. After all, all things were created for him. We are on this earth to be stewards of his blessings.
V. God is fair and just.
In Ecclesiastes 12: 13-14, Solomon tells us, "Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil." Simply put, God hates and must punish sin. However, I do feel that there is a caveat for us and that is God's love and his grace that He sent His Son to die for our sins that we may be forgiven. So the real issue is unrepentant sin. It is our responsibility to accept Christ and what he did for us on the cross and then to ask God to forgive us of our debts, allowed by what Christ did.
Even through (or should I say "especially through...") this greatness and majesty of God, He cares for each and every one of us as his own. Even though God is perfectly holy, eternal, all-knowing, and all-powerful, God wants an intimate relationship with each and every one of us. It is our responsibility to answer this call. Not because we should do it but because we want to do and we want to fall in love with God. And understanding who He is can be the start of something very special.
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