Removing The Bell

Removing the Bell?

by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr.

Kyfingers@aol.com

Today, I want to ponder LAST MINUTE LIVING.

In every football game the whistle sounds, the warning is given, there is only two minutes left in this game.

The coaches and the teams move into a greater depth of play. The game gets very serious.

Special tactics and game plans come together, as all the game comes to a head, and the seriousness of the time approaches.

The coaches warn, now or never? Why?

We live SLIP SHOD, careless, slovenly, lazy, lifestyles.

Our focus seems to aimlessly drift down the sea of time.

Our focus picks few targets and purposes, until one day we awake and see the day’s speed passed us at 1440 minutes a day.

People plan on seriously addressing God and His Word, later.

I once pondered, "HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE IN HELL BECAUSE THEY PLANNED ON GOING THERE?"

After much pondering, I conclude there is probably not one person in hell because they planned to go.

Seems, everyone plans: someday I am going to change.

What is our greatest sin?

Thinking we have plenty of time.

I will wait for a more convenient time.

We hear warnings and know we approach our proverbial last mile of the way?

We don’t plan to fail, we fail to plan. Why?

I am told that there was a rock on the North Sea,

just off the Firth of Tay, Scotland.

This rock proved very dangerous to many ships,

because when the high tide came in,

the rock was hidden just below the surface.

There was a warning bell attached to the rock

by the Abbot of Aberbrothok, so when tide came in the hugh warning bell floated and rang out a warning to all ships that passed:

there was hidden danger.

This warning bell was stolen by a sea pirate.

History records about a year after the said warning bell was stolen, there was a terrible pirate ship crash at this rock,

and the pirate perished in the icy waters.

It appears the pirate that stole the warning bell, perished on the hidden rock one stormy night.

Why?

Do we remove the ancient landmarks and warning bells?

Proverbs22:28 Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set.

This brings me to my "TERM PAPER THEORY."

The student knows the whole semester:

there will be a term paper required at the end of the term.

So, the night before the paper is due,

the student pushes the dead line,

runs to the library and does the last minute research, and can’t hold his head up the next morning,

because his last minute living lifestyle has caught him.

His work will be less than his best,

for there have never been discipline and priorities established.

I have seen parents stay up and read their child’s book, to write a book report overdue?

What are we teaching? Why?

How long shall we press our luck with this last minute lifestyle?

I mean not to address this as a modern trait, this has been an age old lesson.

Many of us have removed the bell? Why?

Matthew 25:1--12 addresses this problem of last minute living.

Appears, there were ten virgins.

All were clean and pure.

The lesson is not committing sin, but the sin of omission.

Vs. 7 Says, then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.

But verse 10 records the conclusion of last minute living: And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came: and they that were ready went in WITH HIM to the marriage: and the DOOR WAS SHUT.

They cried:-- open to us---- The reply is very sad----"Sorry, I don’t know you." Don’t remove the bell?

Hear?

Opportunity will not always be before you. Opportunity, at best is fleeting.

Once lost, opportunity does not promise to return.

God’s Spirit does not always strive with man.

Choice becomes a driving force,

you are a product of your choices.

Are you using TIME wisely? Why?Why not?

What was the down fall of the foolish?

#1. THEY HAD NO SELF-EVALUATION SYSTEM.

2 Cor. 13:5 warns us--- Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith on not; prove your own selves ...

The word says: Search me, O, God...

We don’t like test, therefore we AVOID THE NOID.

We compare ourselves with ourselves, this is not wise.

We often depend on others to keep us straight.

No one can make you accountable for your church attendance?

Mommy can’t make you?

What is a dip stick for?

Do you check your oil tank?

Do you wait until you are out of oil and get in the dark?

#2 FALL FOR SELF-DECEPTION.

James 1: 22, 26 warns us of being hearers and then not doers.

To know to do good and not do it is a sin!