24,528,000 Minutes

From the day you were born, you were destined to die. I mean, not to be negative, but the one absolute certainty that we can all count on(besides paying US Government taxes) is death.
24,528,000 Minutes, if you are lucky, to do with your life whatever you please. 24,528,000 Minutes to make friends, build relationships, and live your life to the fullest. 24,528,000 Minutes that starting counting down the minute you were born, each passing moment, another chance to make a choice or a decision that could affect the next 1o years or more of your life.

Well, that’s a random number, where did you come up with that. . .
60 Minutes in an hour
16 Hours awake a day (giving you 8 generous hours of sleep daily)
365 Days a year (I am not figuring in the extra day for leap year)
70 Years (assuming that you are cognitive around age 7, and live till 77)

24,528,000 Minutes in one life

So, what are we here for? What is the meaning of this short brief life that we are given?
It is like asking someone what is important in their lives. Then ask them how much time they spend pursing things these things.
By most accounts, Solomon was the wealthiest man of his time, with the most wisdom, and the most lovers. He spent his entire life living what most of the us would consider to be "the good life" but at the end of his life, he was found crying out before God.

"Meaningless! Meaningless! . . . Everything is meaningless . . . wisdom is meaningless . . . pleasures are meaningless . . . toils are meaningless . . . a chasing after the wind" --Ecclesiastes ch. 1-3 (select excerpts)

Solomon came to the ultimate conclusion in at the end of his life that whole some of man was to keep a right relationship with God:
"Now hear is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man." --Ecc. 12:13

Jesus Christ later further elaborated on the whole duty of man when teaching his disciples .
"'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." --Math 22:37-39
Then, He gave his final commandment to us after His death and resurrection, just before he ascended into heaven.
"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." --Math 28:19


So, here is my challenge to you:

What will you do with your 24,528,000 Minutes?

How many of your minutes will be spent "chasing after the sun" and pursing "vanities of all vanities?'
How many of your minutes will be spend in selfless devotion and pursuit of Jesus, chasing after Him like a marathon runner striving to reach the goal of the prize of completing the race. How many minutes will you use to have an impact on the Kingdom of God? What will you tell God when He hold you accountable for how you used your minutes?

Each one is important, and the clock is ticking . . .

Opportunistic Man-Eating Lions

"For I know the plans I have for you, " declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the Lord, "and will bring you back from captivity."
--Jeremiah 29:11-14b

Verse eleven of the twenty ninth chapter of Jeremiah is one of the most popular verses that Christians hold onto, right next to John 3:16. We hold onto it like precious gold, pegging all of our dreams of prosperity in verse eleven, stating believing that will only allow the best of things to come into our lives. The entire context of the verses around and the book of Jeremiah is missed.

The Penalty For Sin
Judah has been ransacked, the temple of the Lord has been destroyed, the people of the Lord are in Babylonian captivity, working as slaves to a tyrannical dictator, torn from their homes, security, and all sense of normality. They had forgotten their first love, turned from the worship of the one true God and for generations, sought other gods, disobeyed his commands, and rebelled against Him in their hearts. After years of gentle discipline our just and loving God could no longer allow the patterns of sin to continue, and used the ungodly force of king Nebuchadnezzar and his armies to disciple Israel. Now, why did this happen? I thought "God is Love" (1 John 4:8b)? Well, but God is also just and "yet He does not leave the guilty unpunished." (Exodus 34:7b).

Blessings and Hope Despite the Circumstances
In verses 4 - 10 in chapter 29 the Lord instructs the people of Israel to "build houses and settle down; plant gardens. . . Marry and have sons and daughters . . . seek peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile." He continues to admonish and exhort Israel to seek Him and prosper while in the midst of a foreign land and to work towards the day they will be returned back to the land of their forefathers. He promises to bless them, restore them, and protect them.

Relevant Then, Relevant Today
Maybe today you are facing a situation in your life that seems impossible. You, like myself, might have made a few poor choices that have put you in a state of captivity to your lifestyle. Financial uncertainties, addictions, poor health, an unsatisfying career, loneliness, fear, past hurts, future worries, a lack of security in your heart, lacking a sense of purpose. . . I could go on.

The Lord promised the people of Israel that in what could appear to be their darkest hour, that if they would seek Him, they would find Him. He would hear their prayer, and restore them. God never promised it would be easy; sin always has its consequences, but He promised that he would never leave nor forsake them. Never forget the promises of restoration.


"God is in the resume building business he is always using past experiences to prepare us for future opportunities. But those God-given opportunities often come disguised as man-eating lions. And how we react when we encounter these lions will determine our destiny. We can cower in fear and run away from our greatest challenges, or we can chase our God ordained destiny by chasing our God ordained opportunity." [ Quote taken from In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day]