Our Times
We are going to bounce around the Word of God a bit tonight in our Scripture readings; I'll be reading from Job; Ecclesiastes; Ephesians; and Colossians. Some of you have asked why I don't give specific referrences when I use the Bible. Well, there is a reason: I like to give the reading, and then allow you to look it up; I believe it helps develope Biblical study skills, and memory if you look it up yourselves. That being said; let's look at His Word together --- from Ecclesiastes, and Job, then back to Ecclesiastes:
Ecc 3:17 I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.
Job 24:1 Why, seeing times are not hidden from the Almighty, do they that know him; not see his days?
Ecc 3:1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
Ecc 3:2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
Ecc 3:3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
Ecc 3:4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
Ecc 3:5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
Ecc 3:6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
Ecc 3:7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
Ecc 3:8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
For all mankind; time, in this life, is the preface to eternity. And as the
preface indicates and forshadows the character within the volume,
so our present use of the time God has allotted us, is a foreshadowing
of everyman's history in that infinite future.
Our time here, is a solemn and priceless gift from Almighty God, Himself, and
involves a responsibility and an accountability to Him, for its use,
miss-use, or its disregard altogether. And by our deragation of this gift;
we rob God, and bring dishonor upon His name.
What foolishness, what madness, then, to abuse a
privilege so solemn; to misuse a blessing so
precious. To employ time in vain pleasures
and frivolous pursuits; to use it in senseless
childish follies, and unprofitable engagements.
TALK HERE ABOUT AMERICAN CULTURE OF LEISURE AND SENSUALITY:
Oh my friends, in every act of foolishness, in every wilful departure,
in every instance of self-pleasing, we steal from the Lord the glory belonging to His great and holy name.
Even to become overly engrossed and gripped by literary or educational
pursuits: the studies of the philosopher, the
researches of the historian, the fascination
of art, the discoveries of science; all of these things, and many others, may verge
upon the crime of robbing God, for all these absorbing
engagements are limited to the present, centered only upon man,
and have no essential relation to the soul's profound need for reconciliation
with its creator; and for its certain and solemn future.
Those of you who waste and kill-off these precious hours,
allotted to us in such limited numbers, through mindless activities,
and profitless endeavors; how will the ghost of your murdered hours
haunt and upbraid you through the unending
millenia of eternity! Tell me, my friends, what would you not
then give for one hour of those precious days
of your existence which now you waste and
fritter away, in vain and silly
trifles, chimeras, and shadows.
Ecc 9:12 For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.
As there is a purpose for everything under the heavens,
there is a time set by our Lord for the execution of that purpose.
It says in Psalms, our times are in His hands;
and, you rob God, my friends, when your time is not
consecrated to His glory. Study well the inspired
words of Paul, when he said, Redeem the time, brethren, because the days
are evil, and the time is short. And the redemption of our times, my friend,
as with the redemption of our lives, begins, and ends in Him, our risen
Lord; Almighty God. Only as He becomes the center of our lives, will He become
both cause and fulfillment of all our time.
Amen!
Music:
As always; we opened DIVISIONS, by Zeph and Trish Daniel; & we will close with TIMESLIP;
Thank Z & T & give websites.
Also today, we heard ON YOUR WALLS OH JERUSALEM & SHIVITI ADONAI MEDLEY by Lamb
http://cunneda.podomatic.com/
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