Redeeming The Time
God gives us 24 hours every day, but some are better at managing theirs than others. Everyone has wasted a minute, an hour or a day and lived to regret it, but I believe that if we were to accomplish anything, we will never find time, we have to make time.
Television is a thief. We have to watch that thief, for it will steal time. Jesus tells us to redeem the time, “for the days are evil.”
WATCHING FOR JESUS’ RAPTURE
3And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? 4And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. 5For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. 6And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. 8All these are the beginning of sorrows.
Matthew 24:3-8
In Luke 12:37 (Jesus speaking)
Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.
And in Luke 12:40 Jesus said, Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.
Then He gave further insight into events leading up to His return by telling about 10 individuals, but only five were ready when the Bridegroom came, ready because they had obeyed His command to watch. Before we had batteries in our watches we’ve probably all had the experience of forgetting to wind our watch and finding ourselves “out of time”.
And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
2 Peter 3:4
Jesus warned us of our foolish tendency to let our spiritual watch run down. Do we see as we observe the events in our world today that the hands of God’s timing are pointed toward the beginning of sorrows? Who can deny an increase in the tornados, hurricanes, floods, earthquakes in unusual places and drought, making the promise of famine ever more real.
America has been blessed but shortages now exist in our country. We have never seemingly wanted for anything. We have had an abundance and we’ve shared this abundance with the world, but we Americans do not know what awaits us as a nation.
But God has His watch set accurately and He will be right on time.
Matthew 24:36 (Jesus speaking)
But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
Matthew 24:12 (Jesus speaking)
And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
Matthew 24:22 (Jesus speaking)
And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.
The 6th chapter of Revelation also tells us a lot about what to expect in the end time.
The eyes of the world turn to the East where God has brought His people back to their promised land. The crises that are developing in Israel only confirm the time of Jesus’ return. Jesus alerted us, at such a time, to watch.
Attacks and opposition are intensifying from every side for the Jews. Many forces are at work to prevent the Jews from receiving the truth that will meet their most desperate need. Elderly Jews are being harassed. They cannot count on government officials and police for protection. I’m sure we hear only a small fraction of what is actually occurring. Many Jews from the Soviet Union and the Muslim world are immigrating in droves to Israel.
At a time when the Hearts of Jews are crying out for answers, the military and political forces are moving to shut down the proclamation of the Gospel. There is a tremendous promise in God’s Word to those who pray and help His chosen people. In
Genesis 12:3 The Lord told Abram (Abraham):
And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
In Luke 21:36 (Jesus speaking)
Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.
Romans 13:11
Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
Isaiah 5:20
. . . . to refuse the evil, and choose the good.
Isaiah 7:15
The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
Romans 13:12
SUPPOSE
Suppose this Sunday morning
The church bell didn’t ring
And as you paused upon the step,
The choir didn’t sing.
Suppose the door was padlocked
Or nailed up tight.
Suppose a guard was standing there
To stop you day and night.
Suppose you saw Old Glory,
A dirtied, tattered rag,
And floating high above your town
Another country’s flag.
Suppose the only sound you heard
Was soldiers’ marching feet,
Who’re out to conquer all the world
Regardless of who they meet.
Suppose the army near your home
Was of a foreign power,
Sent to march along your streets,
Instead of boys of ours.
Suppose your friends were carried
Off to prison to the deaths,
And all the pleading for a trial
Was just a waste of breath.
You say this couldn’t happen here.
Well pray to God it won’t.
Repent ye now. Turn back to God,
And then have faith it won’t.
By Miss Mae Disheroon
