Published by admin on 21 Sep 2018 at 12:12 pm
HOW TIME FLIES
Just a moment ago I was remarking to my wife how it seemed like just yesterday it was the first of August, and now we’re in the third week of September already. Where has the time gone? When we were kids the time would just drag on, and we couldn’t wait until we were “big”, whether that was ten, or twelve, or fifteen. But now, my, how time flies. I remember a saying from one frog to another while they were sitting on a lily pad, “how time is fun when you’re having flies”. Well, some of us ARE having fun, and some of us are having flies, but still, how time flies.
It’s so important that we realize our time here in this life is short, and the Bible describes it as a “vapor”. There is a time for everything, according to the book of Ecclesiastes; a time to live, a time to die, a time to plant, a time to root up. Well, while we are living, planning and planting, we must remember the coming season, when we die from this life and are rooted up. No man knows that hour. Yes, we can know the season, like an old or sick person knows their time is short, but not HOW short.
The trials and temptations man suffers really make the time drag, because as we all know, only the GOOD times fly by, but in comparison to eternity, even the bad times are but a blink of an eye, then we are gone. Gone WHERE? The LORD has chosen to leave the destination up to us. WE decide whether our eternity will be in the “Smoking”, or the “Non-Smoking” section, in other words, the Lake of Fire, or in God’s Kingdom. Each and every person on earth at some time during their lifetime is presented with the chance to know God, or as Shakespear put it in a question; “To be, or not to be; that is the question”. To be WHAT? A CHILD OF GOD.
No doubt, as you’re reading this, your mind is going back to the time YOU heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Did YOU receive Him as LORD and Savior the first time you heard the Gospel? I certainly didn’t. I was having “too much fun having flies” to have time for God, but the time came to me as it often does to others, I was diagnosed with terminal cancer, and all of a sudden, when I was only 45, my perception of having MANY years to live suddenly came to a screeching halt. My life could end any day, and I considered my future was being set before me urgently, and the “SMOKING” section was my only option, seeing I had not chosen to receive the free gift of Salvation from Christ Jesus. Wait, let me rephrase that: I had asked Jesus to be my LORD and Savior back when I was 16 years old. But my life did not reflect that decision, in fact, it was only “lip service”, because I was completely the lord of my life.
In July of 1993, the realization that my life was only a “vapor” became abundantly clear, AND, that vapor was almost completely dissipated. At that point I got real serious about seeking and obeying Christ Jesus. But that was only the beginning. You see, salvation is a process day by day. As you renew your mind to the Word of God, you are changed from what you were to what you are to become, that is, a child of God. We all only have so many days, some more, some less, and none of us except God know how many.
Time is over for fooling around with God. You’ve had chance after chance to get it right with Him, and the time of rooting up draws near. Let’s get real here; do you have time to get comfortable and “do your thing” with no fear the LORD could come for you TODAY? While the return of Jesus is “soon”, we know there are still prophecies that must yet be fulfilled before He will return. He may very will return in our lifetime. BUT, when is YOUR personal “expiration date”? Do you know? No. All it would take would be for someone driving down the road to cross the center line and you may find yourself in eternity with not even the time to cry out to Jesus to save you. How fragile our life here is, and how quickly it can be gone.
The Lord Jesus gave us a parable in Mark 13:
21 And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ; or, lo, he is there; believe him not:
22 For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.
23 But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things.
24 But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light,
25 And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken.
26 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.
27 And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.
28 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near:
29 So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, even at the doors.
30 Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done.
31 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.
32 But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.
33 Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.
34 For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.
35 Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:
36 Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.
37 And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.
My Friend, I’m not writing this to scare you, I’m just warning you to WATCH, because it’s easy to get caught up in life and forget why you’re here in the first place, and that is to become a child of God. Fix your eyes upon Jesus, and don’t allow anything to distract you from seeking Him with your whole heart, because one way or the other, you want to be ready when He comes for you. How time flies: it could be years, and it could be before I finish this se
Mel C. Montgomery on 21 Sep 2018 at 10:33 pm #
Thank you Brother Jerry for this exhortation and reminder. As I read it, I thought of the old Gospel song that says:
I’m getting ready to leave this world,
I’m getting ready for those gates of pearl,
I’m keeping my garments white,
Watching both day and night,
I’m getting ready to leave this world.
I have not heard that song in years. Why? I think because most Christians cannot sing it and mean it. Are they getting ready?
No.
Are they keeping their garments white?
Again, no.
You remind us that we need to make Christ the Lord of our lives. Then we need to follow that with getting ready and staying ready for His coming.
Thank you Brother Jerry.