"Put God First In 2008"

"The Patriots are number one! 16-0. Undefeated! The champions!!"

I have heard this a lot in the last few days.

People like the idea of an unbeatable champion.

People, especially American people, like to figure out who is the best, and then give awards and praise to "The Best."

The Best Team, The Best Movie, The Best Song, The Best Candidate.

If we take this idea of "The Best" and apply it to all of reality, who or what is the best?

Who is the one who trumps everything?

Who beats everything?

Who is the one who *rules*?

Well, one day, we wake up with a realization.

We realize that sports teams are forgotten, movie stars are forgotten, political candidates are forgotten.

But One Person is not permanently forgotten.

Almost everyone and almost everything will die and be forgotten.

Everyone and everything except the One who has everlasting arms.

The Famous One.

The First and the Last.

The Almighty.

The Creator.

GOD.

You may have advanced degrees.

You may have a great job.

You may have lots of money.

Your favorite sports team may be undefeated.

You may have a lot of friends.

You may have a great family.

You may be young.

You may be beautiful.

You may be healthy.

You may be smart.

But one day, sooner than you think, all of these things will be gone and forgotten.

In fact, no matter how famous someone or something is, as you get older, you realize that in about 15 years, the next generation will not know a thing about almost all of them, not even their names!

Still, what will be left?

God.

God--and you.

Almost everything is temporary.

But God and your immortal soul are forever.

God is the Source of everything.

He is above everything.

Why does He deserve to be worshipped?

because He is above it all, and because He created it all.

He is the Source of all meaning.

The overwhelming and literally endless evidence of God’s existence is His creation.

God tells us in His inspired Word that no one can honestly claim that there is no God, because He Himself has made it clear to them by the evidence of creation, and by their conscience.

So God says that all Atheists are liars at heart. >>Romans chapter one.

God is the Creator, the First Cause of all the effects that we see. He is the Great Designer. The Source of Meaning. Of Hope. Of Salvation.

People ask, "What is the Meaning of Life?," as if this were some difficult and unsolvable question.

What is the Meaning of Life?

God.

GOD is the Meaning of Life.

God is "The Truth."

God is the Creator and God is the Redeemer.

He alone is worthy to be enthroned in our hearts.

All created things that we see are gifts from Him.

When He takes it all away, which we see Him doing to others every single day without exception, will we be found in Him?

That is the big question, and the only question of ultimate significance to us sinful humans.

Without Him, without God, without Christ, there is no forgiveness of sins.

Without Him, there is no ultimate meaning to our lives.

Without Him, there is no ultimate value or goodness. (And so, there are no lesser meanings or goodnesses possible, either.)

Even in this life, we will see all of our gods fall face forward, dead, in front of us.

It is only a matter of time.

One day, we will no longer need: food, money, sex, accomplishment, even air.

Why?

Because we will be dead!

The big plot idea in disaster movies, as in life, is: "WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE!!"

Yes, we are.

This physical life may be very beautiful, but it is the Titanic, and many believe that even God cannot sink this ship of life.

Not to be morbid, but, not only are we going to die, but it will be sooner than we imagine.

But, instead of facing it, many people try to hide this fact from their consciousness.

This is why many people never come to God until they are on their deathbed, or in excruciating pain.

Only then do they begin to contemplate Death, God, Sin, Ultimate Reality, and the Afterlife.

But God says to number your days, to consider your coming death--now.

One day, everything you are physically, everything you have materially, every mere human you have known and heard about will be gone. Physically, everything will be lost.

Everything.

It is not only families of fallen soldiers and families of young people who have been killed who are forced to confront death.

We all are.

The older we get, the more glaring this reality becomes.

We will all be dead, and far sooner than we think.