God doesn't sleep

From the Word: Esther 6:1 “That night the king could not sleep…”

"Not when there is injustice. The King of Glory never sleeps nor does He slumber. He will bring justice swiftly for those who love Him. The devil is plotting and we are not unaware of his devices. Even more so the all knowing God. Will He not arise and carry out His good plan according to His mercies? Will He not see us in the court, dressed and ready for Him and extend his scepter to us? Will he not hang the devil on the gallows he meant to hang us on? Will He not bring us to His banqueting table and hang His banner of love over us?"

It is Easter weekend as I write this. So many thoughts and emotions come with this time of year. Beauty is all around as flowers are in bloom and for a few weeks in California we get to see green hills instead of brown ones. 

Even with all the beauty we are constantly reminded of the fallen world we live in. Just last week the headlines were "Shooting at an Elementary school." Sin and the devil are at work. They don't take a day off. We read that after Jesus overcame the temptation in the wilderness that the devil went away looking for an opportune time to trip him up. 

The good news is that God doesn't sleep either. In fact Jesus said that He and His Father were working from the beginning. God doesn't change and Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever! Jesus is alive and working on the earth. 

Jesus told a parable of a widow who went to an unjust judge to get deliverance. Eventually she did because the unjust judge didn't want to be wearied with her coming anymore. In the explanation of the parable Jesus tells us that we shouldn't give up either. God is not unjust! He hasn't forgotten you. Jesus ended his statements by saying that God would bring justice swiftly. 

Don't give up or give in. When you see the devil taking lives and sin destroying people press in to God. He isn't off taking a nap or an extended vacation. He is intimately involved in the events of the earth bringing justice, comfort, peace, healing and especially the good news of the gospel that Jesus took our sin on the cross and defeated death and the devil when he raised again to life! 

God loves you so much. Easter shows us that. The beauty of spring shouts that there is a resurrection and we can be made alive with Christ. I would encourage you to take some time to meditate on the story of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. Get into a Bible believing church and experience the wonderful presence of God. Tell God how thankful you are for His love and love on Him right back. Finally, take some time to pray for those who are bound by sin and the devil, that they would be delivered and experience the salvation and love of Jesus this Easter weekend as well. 

Day 294 - The End of Your Life

"Nana was gone. Her closest relatives had all came today to say goodbye. Jess wrote the following in an e-mail to our staff: The family has said goodbye to our beautiful nana Ellen. Tonight she closed her eyes and woke up with our Jesus. She was the best mom, and grandma anyone could have. She loved people with all her heart and she loved Jesus."

I could have included my entire journal entry from this day last year but I am sure you don't want to read the details of soccer practice and grocery shopping in between the point of what this day was all about. Here was a woman who simply loved people and loved Jesus. She would recall her favorite moments again and again and loved to talk. She had a flare for life. She would order things from Home Shopping Network and immediately return it or tuck it away and never use it. We all laughed about it with her. She loved to cook for her family. 

All these things are happy memories but even more so they are her legacy and they have have shaped individuals and families. The real point of what I am saying here is not about my wife's Nana. It is really about you. What will people say when you are gone? What will the legacy be that you leave? 

Life is too short to mess around. We must love passionately and let people know we love them. We must witness like Jesus is coming back today (because if it was the Will of the Father He could). We must work and build for the future and for our families and future generations. As we do the legacy we leave will be one worth having. 

You may have heard the story of the man who had been working with explosives and became wealthy through his work. When his brother passed away there was an error in the newspaper and the reporter did an obituary on this man instead of his brother. It was all about how he had merchandised death and his life was destructive from that point of view. The man decided to change his legacy and poured himself into more honorable pursuits and rewarded others for the same. That man was Alfred Nobel who the Nobel Peace Prize is named after. 

If you don't like the answer you came up with when I asked what would people say about you then it is time to make some changes. You can as long as you have breath in your lungs. It is like a friend of mine used to say to me from his seat in a wheelchair with a smile on his face; 'Any day above ground is a good one.' Now I happen to know that the day of a Christian's death is much better than thousands of days here on the earth but I get what he was saying. 

Let's live and love and leave a legacy so that when we go into eternity people speak of the wonderful things we have done and the impact we had on their lives. 

If you could write your own obituary what would it say? Are there any that you have heard of or read in the Bible or somewhere else that you admired the person after hearing it? Who and why? 

Day 287 - Lament

"No one wants to watch strength fade and soundness vanish away."

Reading the journal entry from last year was tough today. It brings back memories of a time where two grandparents were fading from this life and another one was ill. Today is a better day since those two are in Heaven. More difficult days are ahead. I have family on both sides that are close to their end of days here on earth. My greatest comfort is that they are Godly people and will be in Heaven soon. 

Death is never easy. Death is as much of a part of life as life itself is. Unless Jesus comes in our lifetime we will all have to pass through a physical death. For those who are Christians it will be a passing from glory to glory. We discard this old tattered tent and put on our eternal dwelling. 

The pain of that process is not for those who are gone but for those who remain. We all feel the loss of someone we cared for and valued. It is necessary to grieve and shed tears. When we do we heal and are able to move forward in life. 

I have had two men that I deeply cared for pass on too soon. Both left a profound impact on my life. One was a high school friend named Marcus. He was kind of a quirky guy who always had something to say. We would love to have him around as a friend and life of the party so to speak. When he truly gave his heart to the Lord he traveled with a missions group and shared the love of Jesus with everyone he met. One day he put on a new pair of roller-blades and grabbed the back of a friends car and went for a ride. Little did anyone know that would be his last act on the earth. 

Our youth group took it hard. We prayed, cried, gathered and talked. We comforted one another that Marcus was probably talking Jesus' ear off and was running around Heaven having a good time. I learned that life is short and we have to stay focused on our mission while we are here from Marcus. 

The second man that impacted my life was named Martin. He was a small African American with a gold tooth and corn rows that ushered at our church. He had a scratchy voice and a personality much like Marcus. That is probably why I liked him. When people would get saved at our church he would go get them and bring them to the altar. One time two kids got saved and Martin had one under each arm and had the biggest laugh and smile. 

When Martin passed from health issues I remember how surreal it felt. I had the privilege of doing the funeral. The only problem was that I had grown to love Martin as a brother in the Lord and when I went to speak at the funeral cried through most of my words. During the funeral they showed a video that they had filmed of Martin at our Food Distribution Center. He was giving his testimony about how he actually died in a hospital and had an encounter with Jesus. He knew better than what he was doing and the Lord gave him a charge to live for Him for the rest of his days. Martin's next words still ring through my soul; "I left this earth a fool and came back a preacher." Indeed he was and he did live for the Lord whole hearted for his time here on the earth. 

In Ecclesiastes it says there is more wisdom in the house of mourning than in the house of feasting. The living take to heart their lives in the light of eternity when confronted with death. It isn't easy but it is a place we can grow from and take comfort that God is good no matter what. 

What lessons have you learned in times of mourning? Are there scriptures that give you comfort when facing death and eternity? 

Day 243 - No Man Knows

"It's crazy to think that someone came to church today and they didn't make it home."

Last year a man came to church and had a heart attack. He was transported to a nearby hospital and died. Thankfully we found out that he was a believer and had a solid relationship with the Lord. We know where he is now. 

Jesus speaks of his coming as a thief in the night. No man knows the day or the hour He will come. We need to be ready for His return. We need to live right and help others with their eternity as well. 

I have heard young people say "I have time". How foolish. I have done funerals for young people. Some have said "On my deathbed I will get right with God". I am not so sure that will work because God sees the heart and if it isn't genuine it won't be accepted. God is no fool and He isn't mocked. 

Today is the day of decision and now is the time of salvation. If you haven't yet given your heart and life to the Lord I would like to offer you the opportunity (click here). If you know that you're born again but haven't been living like you should it is time to repent and renew your relationship with the Lord. Pray and ask forgiveness and start now on the things you should be doing. 

How do you feel when you think about the Lord's return? What are some ways we can prepare for His coming?

Day 108 - A 'Good' Day

"Today while I was at the grocery store I saw a worker there who is a believer. I got in his check out line as I usually do when I see him. As I was leaving after I paid I said have a blessed Good Friday. He responded that his friend had text him that it wasn't good for Jesus. I think the contrary though. 

Truly today is Good Friday. Good because it pleased the Father to carry out His plan of redemption even though it cost His Son's life. Good because Jesus had the joy that was set before Him and endured the cross. Good because saints and sinners remember what was done this day. Good because the church gathers and remembers and celebrates her King."

What a contradiction that the day that God in the flesh is crucified has been named "Good Friday". And yet the Bible is filled with statements like this that to the natural mind make no sense. You have to die to live. You must be born again. He who is first shall be last and the last shall be first. The way to life is narrow and there are few who find it and the way to destruction is wide. Many are called but few are chosen. The way up is down (humble yourself and He will lift you up). 

To our natural minds we may ask questions such as "Why would God allow suffering?" or "If God is good then why is there so much evil on the earth?" The answer is that to our natural minds these things don't make sense. But to someone who has truly experienced the power of what happened on Good Friday who now has been born again by laying down their old life in death and being raised in new life we now have a new perspective. We don't blame God for evil we blame the flesh, poor choices, and the evil one for the things going on around us. We have a new perspective on suffering too. We see it building character and causing us to walk in love and in the Spirit. 

For us, any and every situation is now under the transforming power of the resurrected Lord. He is good and makes our worst days into good days too. 

Have you experienced the power of the cross? Has your life been made new? Are you born again? If your answer is "No" click here.  

What are your thoughts on "Good Friday"? How has your life been changed from bad to good?