WHEN? TIME IS A PRECIOUS GIFT!
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
Romans 13:11 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 (MSG) But make sure that you don't get so absorbed and exhausted in taking care of all your day-by-day obligations that you lose track of the time and doze off, oblivious to God.
Matthew 24:3 And 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?
LEARN TO USE YOUR TIME MORE WISELY… WISDOM LEARNS SOMETHING ABOUT TIME… BE SMART!
An old man was challenged by a young man to a wood cutting contest. They bet a day’s wages as to who could cut the most wood? The young man cut and cut. From time to time the old man would stop and set down. The young man kept cutting. He was amazing. At the end of the day the old man had cut almost twice as much wood? What? The old man stopped and rest? The old man said you must not read your Bible, I was not resting, I was sharpening my tools.
Ecclesiastes 10:10 If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct.
Ecclesiastes 10:10 (MSG) 10 Remember: The duller the ax the harder the work; Use your head: The more brains, the less muscle.
REDEEM THE TIME:
Colossians 4:5 Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.
Colossians 4:5 (MSG) Use your heads as you live and work among outsiders. Don't miss a trick. Make the most of every opportunity.
We had a beautiful cuckoo clock that my older brother sent us from Germany. It hung on the wall and announced the hours by making sounds of a cuckoo's call to tell what time it was...
ONCE THE HANDS ON THE CLOCK GOT MESSED UP--- THE CUCKOO LIED TO US, until we learned how to pop the hand off and place it back where it should have been. We would stop and count as CUCKOO would sing. One day the cuckoo bird sang until it was horse... It sang 32 times: I SAID: LINDA IT IS 32, IT IS LATER THAN IT HAS EVER BEEN BEFORE...
I HAVE MANY PEOPLE I GREATLY RESPECT... ONE OF THOSE MEN I RESPECT FROM THE TWENTIETH CENTURY IS: MAHATMA GANDHI...
Several stories have made an impression in my heart. I read once that Mahatma Gandhi attended a church in Northern Africa. Gandhi had read about Jesus' teachings and he loved the words of Christ, especially involving the philosophy of peaceful nonviolent resistance. He had studied the teaching of "TURNING THE OTHER CHEEK."
So Gandhi had the opportunity of attending a Christian Church while on a visit to Africa. Some of the white people saw Gandhi enter the church and assumed he was black. Several asked him "TO LEAVE AND NEVER COME BACK!"
Wow, how mean and anti-Christian can you be? I understand Gandhi never returned to a church again.
I read once, Gandhi was traveling and the train was pulling out of the station as he boarded. As he was running along side the train his sandal fell off. So he bent down and quickly pulled off his other sandal and threw in down beside the train. Someone asked him: WHY DID YOU
DO THAT? Gandhi said: SOME POOR PERSON WILL FIND THE SANDAL THE I LOST, SO I WANT THEM TO HAVE THE PAIR. Gandhi was an important leader in a difficult time in India. He was loved by his people and by those around the world. A POOR MOTHER approached Gandhi --- HER SON WAS IN VERY POOR HEALTH AND WAS OVERWEIGHT. This mother walked all day with her son to seek Gandhi's help. Gandhi enquired: HOW CAN I HELP YOU? With tears running down her face she said: MR. GANDHI, MY SON IS ADDICTED TO SUGAR AND IT IS KILLING HIM. COULD YOU PLEASE ASK MY SON TO STOP EATING SUGAR IN EXCESS? HE WILL LISTEN TO YOU! Gandhi looked at the mother and asked her: COME BACK IN A WEEK? So one week later the Mother brought her son to Gandhi to speak with her son about his addiction to sugar. The Mother asked Gandhi: WHY COULD YOU NOT SPEAK TO MY SON LAST WEEK? Gandhi replied: UP TO LAST WEEK I, TOO, ATE TOO MUCH SUGAR. NOW I CAN SPEAK WITH HIM.
CAN WE TELL TIME? WHEN? WHEN?
Matthew 24:3 And 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?
Matthew 24:3 (MSG) Later as he was sitting on Mount Olives, his disciples approached and asked him, "Tell us, when are these things going to happen? What will be the sign of your coming, that the time's up?"
A GOOD LEARNER MUST LEARN TO ASK QUESTIONS. WE ARE TOLD THERE ARE SEVERAL QUESTIONS THAT NEED TO BE ANSWER IN AN ACCURATE REPORT? WHO? WHAT? WHEN? WHERE? WHY?
APPEARS THE DISCIPLES KNEW THE WHO? AND THE WHAT? THEY WERE CONCERNED WITH THE WHEN?
Mark 13:3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives over against the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, 4 Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shallbe the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled?
Luke 21:7 And they asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass?
Jesus knew all about time? Jesus had spent eternity in a place that time has little meaning. Jesus' friends asked him a difficult question: WHEN? Jesus never knew the answer when? Because ONLY HIS FATHER KNOWS THE DAY...
Matthew 24:36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. 37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
TIME: A tool that measures as seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, and years... The measure of a period of action or process, a point where something occurs, moment, SEASON: A period of time usually of a longer duration...
IN GOD'S MERCY HE GAVE MAN THE GIFT OF TIME... HOW TERRIBLE IF THERE WERE NO TIME AS A SECOND, MINUTE AND A DAY... IF ALL WERE ONE LONG ENDLESS DAY HERE ON EARTH... IF YOU MESSED UP TODAY YOU BE FOREVER DOOMED... WITH US HAVING TIME... IF YOU MESS TODAY UP --- TOMORROW WILL BE ANOTHER DAY AND A NEW OPPORTUNITY...
TIME CHANGES ---- SWIFTLY, SEASONS CHANGE MORE GRADUALLY... WE MUST LEARN TO TELL TIME AND RECOGNIZE SEASONS... WISDOM MUST LEARN TO BOTH TELL TIME AND RECOGNIZE SEASONS...
Ecclesiastes 3:1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: 2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; 3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; 4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; 5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 6 A timeto get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; 7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
ARE WE HONESTLY GETTING PREPARED FOR CHANGE... GOD PLEASE GRANT US WISDOM TO KNOW THE TIMES AND SEASONS--- HELP US TO RECOGNIZE AND PREPARE FOR THE CHANGES THAT ARE COMING... Proverbs tells us that even NATURE CAN IDENTIFY TIME AND SEASON CHANGE...
ENOUGH TO PREPARE... Proverbs 6:6 Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: 7. Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, 8. Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.
CAN WE TELL THAT TIME IS A LIMITED COMMODITY? ARE WE SPENDING OUR TIME WISELY? A WISE PERSON PREPARES FOR THE BUMPS IN THE ROAD... HIGH TIME! WE NEED MORE THAN TO SEE CHANGE IS COMING --- WE MUST WARN OTHERS AND WE MUST GET PREPARED.
WE CAN GET SO LOST IN THE TEMPORAL THAT WE LOSE SIGHT OF THE ETERNAL...
Romans 13:11 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. 12 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 13:11 (MESSAGE) But make sure that you don't get so absorbed and exhausted in taking care of all your day-by-day obligations that you lose track of the time and doze off, oblivious to God. 12 The night is about over, dawn is about to break. Be up and awake to what God is doing! God is putting the finishing touches on the salvation work he began when we first believed.
FINITE: has limits, definable limits.
INFINITE: having no limits, extending indefinitely, beyond bounds.
Our time and seasons on earth are finite. We must prepare for the change to ETERNAL ISSUES. HEAR THE DISCUSSION: WE FACE VERY POWERFUL ENEMIES...
NORTH KOREA, CHINA... THE U.N. (UNITED NATIONS) PUTIN AND RUSSIA, IRAN, IRAQ, AFGHANISTAN--- PALESTINE...
THE SOCIALISTIC MOVEMENTS: CUBA, VENEZUELA... ISIS, ISLAM, MUSLIM --- TERRORIST. SHARIA LAW... DIVISON OF AMERICA... MEXICO, CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA BORDERS... WEAK MILITARY CHINA COMMON MARKET, ENGLAND VOTES TO WITHDRAW? OPEC AND THE OIL MARKET...
BULL-BEAR MARKET--- WHAT GOES UP COMES DOWN... THE MISSION FIELDS ARE IN DECLINE... THE FALLING AWAY OF THE INFLUENCE OF THE CHURCH... THE MEDICAL SYSTEMS ARE BROKEN... IT IS HIGH TIME THAT THE USA AND THE CHURCH AWAKE TO IDENTIFY AND CORRECT WHAT IS WRONG. WE HAVE A SLEEPING NIGHTMARE AT FULL SPEED. WE NEED TO ACKNOWLEDGE WE ARE KNOCKED DOWN AND WE MUST GET UP AND SEE THIS IS THE BATTLE BETWEEN EVIL AND GOD.
Romans 13:12 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 (MSG) The night is about over, dawn is about to break. Be up and awake to what God is doing! God is putting the finishing touches on the salvation work he began when we first believed.
WE MUST LEARN THE BATTLE IS BEFORE US...
I HAVE ANOTHER HERO: HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF WALTER PAYTON? Walter Jerry Payton from the state of Mississippi. Payton lived from July 25,1954 until November 1, 1999. He was 45 years old when he died of a liver disease Mike Ditka was Payton's coach and he said: WALTER WAS A GREAT FOOTBALL PLAYER, BUT HE WAS A GREATER MAN. Payton's nick name was SWEETNESS. Payton was drafted by the Chicago Bears to play in the National Football League. He played 13 seasons and had a Super Bowl Ring as he lead his team to the Super Bowl. 13 seasons in the NFL The greatest running back of his time. 9 x's elected to the Pro Bowl. 2 x's he was the (MVP) Most Valuable Player in the NFL. 16,726 Rushing Yards --- (a record at the time) averaged 3.8 yards per carry. 4,538 Receiving Yards --- on 492 receptions. 110 Touch Downs, 8 Touch Down passes
Someone once asked Walter where did your greatest start? Well Walter played in the band at his high school and never played football his first two seasons. Walter thought a while and said: WHEN I STARTED PLAYING MY JUNIOR YEAR THE COACH TOLD US TO RUN UP AND DOWN THE HILL BEHIND THE SCHOOL 25 TIMES. Most of the players ran up and down the hill a few times and went to the LOCKER ROOM. I started to go with them and then I thought: NO, THE COACH SAID RUN THE HILL 25 TIMES, SO I WENT BACK AND WAS THE ONLY ONE THE WOULD RUN THE HILL 25 TIMES. THAT MAY HAVE BEEN A TURNING POINT FOR ME.
16,726 RUSHING YARDS! 4,538 RECEIVING YARDS FOR A TOTAL OF 21,264 YARDS... MEANS HE WAS BRUITALY TACKLED OVER 7,088 --- 9,000 TIMES. BASICALLY 9,000 TIMES HE WAS CRUSHED BY HIS OPPONENTS... DO YOU KNOW PAYTON'S MOTTO? NEVER DIE EASY --- ALWAYS GET UP --- NEVER QUIT --- KEEP ON TRYING...
CONCLUSION: WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO YOU! USE YOUR TIME WISELY. Darkness hates the light. Light and darkness cannot CO-EXIST. WHERE GOD IS THERE IS LIGHT --- WHEN HE COMES THERE IS NO DARKNESS... ARE YOU READY? If Jesus came today would are families be ready? We cannot define preparedness by words, it must be defined by ACTION.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
