My youngest son and family have been visiting for the last few days. We were talking about things that happened in our lives that seemed as though they took place recently, but actually happened years ago.
Yikes! Time moves on at a rapid clip and spares no one.
As I move away from dawn and closer to dusk I’m amazed at how fast the pace seems to increase. I have plans to accomplish some fairly significant things before nightfall and I often wonder if enough time remains.
As I study my Bible I try to understand time. God has no sense of urgency concerning it. As far as I can tell He introduced it when He created us. He has no beginning or end, which is tough to comprehend when we were born with a timer ticking away the seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, and years as it counts down towards its cessation.
I told some inmates at a prison ministry event a few weeks back that we were created to live forever. Like the two thieves on the cross we can choose to confess our sins and ask God to save us, or we can reject Him and go it alone. If we confess our sins and receive Jesus as LORD of all we will live with Him in paradise; if we reject Him we will be eternally separated from Him and will reside in hell forever. I believe that God created time in order to allow us occasion to decide.
Once our eternal destiny has been determined and we have accepted Jesus as our Savior, we are tasked with preaching the Gospel and discipling those who have not decided. It seems odd to me that such a simple concept has been misunderstood, or more likely ignored.
It is intimate to my heart because I came so close to dying on so many occasions as I was growing up and had I died at that point I know I would now be in hell FOREVER because I had not accepted Christ as my Savior. After so many close calls it makes my skin crawl to think back to that time in my life. I realize often that I should be dead and in hell forever, but I was miraculously saved. I knew far too many that were not as fortunate and died in their sins without ever knowing Jesus Christ. It weighs on me to think about their eternal plight.
It is one reason that I try so hard to lead others to an understanding of God’s plan of salvation. It is so important and yet there are innumerable distractions in this world and there is so little time. Don’t let time run out on you. If you are all set and know that the blood of Christ covers your sins and Jesus will welcome you into heaven, then work diligently to save the others around you.
Envision a sinking ship that has left a horde of people scattered throughout the murky waters floundering around and drowning. You being a strong swimmer could literally save their lives, but instead you sit in your raft watching them drown while you munch on some chips and sip on a soda. If you wait too long, time will run out and the opportunity to help save so many lives will have passed. Witness to someone today – Won’t you?
Selah . . .
John 9:4
We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work.
June 1, 2016 – Click here to listen