Article

Does God have your attention yet?

April 11, 2020

"And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead." Luke 16:31

At the time of this writing, there are over 1.7 million confirmed cases of COVID-19, 382,404 recovered patients, and 103,536 deaths from the virus. Millions of people are out of work. The government has closed churches, schools, businesses, and factories. It has required us to stay at home and have limited contact with anyone beyond. Has your life been turned upside down? Have you lost your job, income, happiness, and fulfillment? Are you experiencing feelings of frustration, helplessness, confinement, anxiety, and fear?

God does not take our misery lightly. He offers love, hope, peace, and comfort to those who are afraid, lonely, anxious, and grieving. However, He uses the challenges of life to point us towards His loving, outstretched arms. In times like these, He reaches out to us, saying, "My grace is sufficient for you." His grace gives us the strength to overcome any obstacle. Though storm clouds may surround us, His peace provides us with the confidence to endure. His hope is a bubbling fountain of encouragement. His love is a wellspring of assurance and empathy in times of uncertainty and suffering.

Tomorrow is Resurrection Sunday! Nearly two thousand years ago, Christ arose from the dead. Unlike Lazarus, no one prayed for His resurrection. Understandably, grief had overcome the disciples with the loss of the Master. Peter had denied Him, Judas had betrayed Him, and none of them had waited in prayer with Him in the garden before His death. Everyone who could have helped Jesus had either fallen asleep, turned their backs to Him, or had their voices drowned out by the cries of the fever-pitched masses shouting, "Crucify Him!"

Jesus was in the tomb. His body was cold, horribly beaten, bruised, and bloody. He was unrecognizable.

He endured that physical, emotional, and spiritual torture for you!

God has turned the Easter celebration of 2020 upon its head! This Sunday will be historical in how we celebrate Christ's resurrection. Christians will not be able to celebrate this special day as usual. God has ordained this interruption to get your attention!

Time is moving faster than ever. Yet, God has dramatically slowed time in 2020. He has forced us to look into the eyes of our closest family members, sometimes more intimately than anyone would want. God is trying to help us reevaluate the priorities of life and existence. There are no sporting events, social gatherings, parties, and other distractions and diversions. It is just you and a small circle of those you love most in the world.

We have become the disciples from two millennia. We have a new, albeit bleak, outlook for tomorrow. The world is not the same as it was just a few weeks ago. Just as God turned the world upside down with Christ's coming, He has once more changed us.

God shook the disciples to the core on that dreaded Sabbath of Jesus' burial. Miraculously, Christ would resuscitate their hope on Sunday. They spent one day examining their dark futures. But then came Sunday, and their lives were forever changed!

God does not want us to be who we were a few weeks ago. Has God worked a miracle for you recently? Has He reached down and touched your life or the life of a loved one in a particular way? Have you glorified Him for this?

Jesus is about to give you a new outlook for these remaining years. It is time to surrender completely to His will for your life. This moment in time can be the turning point for your destiny. Christ arose to give us eternal life. That life is not merely after physical death; it is for here and now. Salvation gives us spiritual life in the present, not just the future.

God is calling many people for the time of harvest. You are at a crossroads: either accept God's call or reject it. Your future depends upon this single decision. You will not get another opportunity to accept or reject it. Consider carefully! God is ready to move forward with those who accept His calling. Jesus has your attention and is eagerly hoping you follow Him in these last days. He has a purpose and plan for you to follow and reap great rewards.