We're All Heading Towards the Same Death In The Same Amount Of Time
We each share the same hours and minutes every day. What we do with them becomes who we are.
Today I finish off the Old Testament book of Ezekiel in my devotions. And today I pause before jumping excitedly into Daniel. And I reflect back on the many months that brought me to this 48th chapter and the climatic millennial age prophecy about the city of God called, "The Lord Is There".
The Psalms. The Prophet Isaiah. The Prophet Jeremiah. And now the Prophet Ezekiel. These altogether, it seems to me, are the Old Testament gospels of a sort. They all tell the same story, but from different perspectives. They lived God's word. And each did something different with that time that was appointed to them. As do we. We all, even the prophets, are sinners. We all have the same sin disease and the same hours and minutes to do what we will with it.
Psalm 90:10-15
"Seventy years are given to us! Some even live to eighty. But even the best years are filled with pain and trouble; soon they disappear, and we fly away. Who can comprehend the power of your anger? Your wrath is as awesome as the fear you deserve. Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom. O Lord, come back to us! How long will you delay? Take pity on your servants! Satisfy us each morning with your unfailing love, so we may sing for joy to the end of our lives. Give us gladness in proportion to our former misery! Replace the evil years with good."
The Bible says redeem the time for the days are evil. "Redeeming the time, because the days are evil” is a phrase from the Bible, Ephesians 5:16, which can also be interpreted as “making the most of your time”. The phrase suggests that people should live in light of spiritual realities, ministry opportunities, and Great Commission urgencies. That phrase comes from an ancient business tradition. Its origins are from the greed and bureaucracy of corporations. And it is what's given to everyone. Time. Time to work. Time to do what you will with what's given to you.
Every morning I wake up, I make my coffee and then I work on my devotions. Every day, seven days a week. It's so important to me now that I'll have a horrible sense of dread if I don't think I can make the time. So I never do miss my time with God's word. It's too important to my days. I sense these times are the evil wicked times of the works of the devil. He works unendingly. We MUST recognize the times are at hand, "for the time is at hand" appears in Revelation 1:3. This is our hour church.
NOW IS THE TIME
The Bible verse 2 Corinthians 6:2 says, "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation". The verse continues, "For He says: “In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you”. Every morning you have 86,400 seconds to invest into eternity. How many of those seconds have you devoted to God?
The Devil says, "wait for another time", "save it for Sunday in church". Let the church traditions seal your destiny. "You haven't got time right now". We don't do these kinds of things, only crazy prophets and zealots spend time with God every day in their own way. They're like alcoholics who drink alone. We don't do that. That's why we have Pastors and preachers, we hire them to use their time for us. We hire them to serve God in our stead. We surrender our faith and understanding to these traditions and doctrines. And we ignore the centuries of church history around doctrinal failures.
Think about the history of the church, even the Old Testament religious traditions. God spoke to his people, and what did they do?
The first New Testament prophet martyr, Stephen, says it's best; (Acts 7:52) "Is there one prophet that your ancestors didn't mistreat? They killed the prophets who told about the coming of the One Who Obeys God (Jesus). And now you have turned against him and killed him. Angels gave you God's Law, but you still don't obey it." This is the history of the church. They even killed the Son.
And yet we find most people giving all their time in spiritual awareness and growth to these corporate religious masters. Most couldn't tell you anything at all about the prophecies that Jesus taught to his followers.
Yes...Jesus taught from the Old Testament.
Why?
Because...he (Jesus) said, “Everything I told you while I was with you comes to this: All the things written about me in the Law of Moses, in the Prophets, and in the Psalms have to be fulfilled.” He went on to open their understanding of the Word of God, showing them how to read the scripture in this way." (Read Luke 24:44-53)
It is impossible for a professing Christian, a believer, a follower, a disciple of Christ Jesus to know Him, and for He to know them, unless they are in faith that comes from hearing and hearing by the word of God, by the light of the gospel. They must be enlightened by the word of God. This knowing faith is participating in the Holy Spirit work of sanctification. Other than this spiritual reality we have unbelievers participating in the church. Their faith cannot fall away because they've never had it. Like Esau they repent because they got caught, attrition, not out of authentic contrition and a sincere love for God and his gospel, but out fear of being caught outside the church.
I look forward to my morning time in God's word, it's my breakfast. I break the fast of life. I break away with time away from the ugly things of this world, and rest in Gods presence, his grace, his word. Bible devotions are a fast from the wicked world. We pray and fast in those minutes from the wicked things that surround every one of us daily. I chose daily and morning so that my mind is right as I face the day filled with all manner of horrible human misery.
Start small, read a devotion, read a Psalm, maybe read a Bible chapter a day. I eventually began writing my own thoughts and reflections in a journal and now it's evolved into something more. But whatever you do...find a few seconds out of those 80 some odd thousand seconds of the morning to spend time with God's grace in his word.
I post these devotions so that you might have an opportunity to reflect with me. Join me in my morning meditation. I hope you hear a word from God in this, and I hope you'll be blessed.