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.Redeem The Time!.
Turn with me in your bibles to Eph.5:14-18
(Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the
dead, and Christ shall give thee light. ver.15 See then that ye
walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, ver.16 Redeeming
the time, because the days are evil. ver.17 Wherefore
be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
ver.18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be
filled with the Spirit;) Let's take a look at Col.4:5&6 also.
(Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the
time. ver.6 Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned
with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.)
Time
Is A Valuable Thing
What is it that makes TIME SO VALUABLE? If I were to
ask for each one to send me a response to this question I'm sure
that I would receive many different reasons explaining what you
felt makes TIME SO VALUABLE. And I'm sure that many of these
reasons would be very good reasons.
But one of the greatest reasons: and probably the greatest
because it takes in all the other reasons is this: EACH ONE OF
US ONLY HAVE AN ALLOTTED AMOUNT OF TIME IN THIS LIFE WHICH HAS
BEEN GIVEN TO US BY GOD TO DO THE THINGS IN WHICH WE SHOULD DO!
The very fact of the matter, which can not be ignored even by
the sinner is this: NOBODY LIVES FOREVER IN THIS LIFE! God's word
says in James 4:13-15 (Go to now, ye that say, To day or to
morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year,
and buy and sell, and get gain: ver.14 Whereas ye know not what
shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a
vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then
vanisheth away. ver.15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord
will, we shall live, and do this, or that.) Even Methuselah who
lived to be 969 years old DIED. Look at how the word of God puts
it: (And all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty and
nine years: and he died.) Methuselah had 969 years worth
of TIME allotted unto him, and when his TIME ran out; HE DIED.
When a person realizes just how VALUABLE TIME is; or the VALUE
of anything for that matter, they don't just take it for
GRANTED, and foolishly squander it away. Many only hold TIME
to be VALUABLE in the area of HOW MUCH THEY MAKE AN HOUR
on their job. But dear friend of mine the VALUE OF TIME FAR
SURPASSES THAT! Shout Amen If You Know It To Be True.
TIME is so VALUABLE that once it's gone, NO AMOUNT OF MONEY,
MATERIAL POSSESSIONS, GOLD, SILVER, DIAMONDS
OR JEWELS CAN EVER BUY IT BACK! How many times have I heard
different ones say: I'd give anything just to be 20 years
old again. Then again there are those how would like to see 40
again. But you know as well as I do that all the wishing and
dreaming you do can never make it happen. And even if you have
millions of dollars at your disposal to pay for FACE LIFTS,
NOSE JOBS, SURGERY TO REMOVE WRINKLES, HAIR
TRANSPLANTS, and camouflaged PAINT JOBS to try to make
you look younger CAN NEVER MAKE IT HAPPEN!
Wasting
Such A Valuable Thing
I would have to say that the two things that many WASTE THE
MOST; CHRISTIANS INCLUDED, are TIME AND MONEY! Don't
get quite on me, someone shout amen.
And also on the list of WASTED THINGS are; GOD GIVEN
TALENTS, such as SINGING, PLAYING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, MAKING
THINGS, BUILDING THINGS, FIXING THINGS, etc. just to name a few.
I think you see what I'm saying. WASTING these things doesn't
just mean not using them at all, it also means to use them for
the wrong thing. There are many that can sing and play musical
instruments, but are WASTING THEIR TALENTS SINGING AND PLAYING
COUNTRY, ROCK AND ROLL, AND ANY OTHER TYPE OF
WORLDLY ENTERTAINMENT. I know that it's not popular preaching,
and even with many so-called christians it's not a popular
message. But God didn't send Preachers to win POPULARITY
CONTEST, but TO PREACH THE TRUTH!
And the Truth is: ANYTHING THAT HAS ANY ASSOCIATION WITH
WORLDLINESS IS A WASTE! A WASTE OF TIME, MONEY,
ENERGY, AND EFFORT, and the People of God must ONCE
AGAIN hold this to be TRUTH.
I want to briefly deal with the two things I mentioned earlier,
THE WASTE OF MONEY AND TIME! First dealing with MONEY,
FINANCES, and the MATERIAL POSSESSIONS we have.
When we think about WASTING THESE THINGS, we mainly think
about SPENDING THEM WRONGLY; and no doubt that has a great
deal to do with the way many are WASTING THESE THINGS. But what
about the WASTE of these things because of GREED and
HOARDING UP? WHAT A GREAT WASTE THIS IS! The fact is; Just
about everything is MADE TO BE USED IN SOME CAPACITY. Some
in a greater capacity then others, but to be put to use
nonetheless. Not to be STORED AWAY, (and many times
rotting away or going bad) in some closet, attic, barn, garage or
warehouse. THIS FRIEND IS SUCH A SAD WASTE!
The Word of God deals very strongly about this in 1John 3:17
& 18 (But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth
his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of
compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
ver.18 My little children, let us not love in word,
neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.)
And then there is the WASTE of these things through MISUSE.
Jesus tells about a young man known to us as the PRODIGAL SON
who when he had received from his father the GOOD THINGS which
were his, went into a FAR COUNTRY and there he WASTED
HIS SUBSTANCE! This is what many today are doing also. God
has given unto them GOOD THINGS to be used right, but like
the prodigal son they have taken the GOOD THINGS which the
Father has given them into a FAR COUNTRY (THE WORLD) and
have WASTED IT AWAY!
I want you to notice that the son's heart WAS NO LONGER SET
ON THE THINGS WHICH PERTAINED TO THE FATHERS HOUSE, OR THE
THINGS OF THE FAMILY; HIS HEART WAS SET ON LEAVING AND
DOING HIS OWN THING!
Isn't this a picture of my christians today? The GOD GIVEN
THINGS which they have received to help BUILD UP THE
FATHERS KINGDOM, and to HELP THE FAMILY they are WASTING
ON THE WORLDLY PLEASURES WHICH THEY HAVE BEEN DRAWN AWAY TOO
BECAUSE THEY DID NOT KEEP THEIR HEARTS SET ON THE THINGS OF GOD!
God also asked this question in Isa.55:2 (Wherefore do ye
spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour
for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me,
and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself
in fatness.) Many make excuses why they can't give God that which
belongs to Him (the TITHE), and why they can't support the work
of God with offerings. They say: WE CAN'T AFFORD TO TITHE,
OR GIVE OFFERINGS! Yet many of these same one's who make
excuses for not being able to give to God are spending money on
new televisions so they can get HOOKED UP TO CABLE WHICH THEY
ALSO HAVE TO PAY FOR EACH MONTH! WHAT A WASTE!
Why is it that they can't see that these things are stealing
the food right out of their mouths, and the mouths of their
precious family of God? And also ROBBING PRECIOUS RESOURCES
FORM THE WORK OF GOD! But when an individuals HEART IS
TURNED AWAY FROM THE FATHER'S KINGDOM, and SET ON DOING
THEIR THING; THIS DOESN'T SEEM TO MATTER TO THEM.
Now to deal with the WASTING OF OUR TIME. What Do We
Spend Our Time Doing? Do We Use Our Time Wisely? Do We Spend Our
Time On Ourselves, And Doing The Things We Want To Do? Or Do We
Give Time For Helping Others? Do We Spend Enough Time In Prayer?
Do We Spend Enough Time In God's Word? Do We Spend Enough Time In
God's House? Do We Spend Enough Time In God's Work? My dearly
beloved these are questions we must ask ourselves, and then give
ourselves AN HONEST ANSWER.
What is it that we will answer God when we are asked of Him to
GIVE AN ACCOUNT OF HOW WE SPENT OUR TIME? Will we be found
GUILTY of WASTING HOURS, DAYS, MONTHS,
and YEARS ON FOOLISHLY CHASING OUR WANTS AND WORLDLY PLEASURES?
This I know to be true: That which we love doing, WE
WILL SPEND OUR TIME DOING! And those whom we LOVE: WE
WILL SPEND OUR TIME WITH! If you LOVE the THINGS OF GOD
and the WORK OF GOD: YOU WILL SPEND YOUR TIME INVOLVED
WITH IT! And if you LOVE God and His family: YOU WILL WANT
TO SPEND YOUR TIME WITH HIM AND HIS FAMILY! Somebody Shout
Amen.
There is no doubt something wrong with those who say they LOVE
JESUS, and the WORK OF GOD, but seldom spend any TIME WITH HIM,
or TIME INVOLVED IN HIS WORK. It's time to quite DECEIVING
OURSELVES: ETHER WE ARE IN LOVE WITH GOD, THE
THINGS OF GOD AND HIS WORK, or WE ARE IN LOVE WITH THAT
WORLD AND THE THINGS THAT PERTAIN TO IT! YOU CAN'T BE IN
LOVE WITH BOTH!
Look at 1John 2:15-17 (Love not the world, neither the things
that are in the world. If any man love the world, the
love of the Father is not in him. ver.16 For all that is in
the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and
the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. ver.17
And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that
doeth the will of God abideth for ever.) We must realize that
what TIME we have left, and none of us know how much we have left,
ONLY THAT THE TIME WE HAVE LEFT IS TO VALUABLE FOR US TO WASTE!
Redeeming
Your Time
Eph.5:16 says, (16 Redeeming the time, because the
days are evil.) Notice why we are to REDEEM THE TIME: BECAUSE
THE DAYS ARE EVIL. And what is it that is going to keep us
from being overcome by the evil in this hour? SPENDING OUR
TIME IN PRAYER, STUDYING THE WORD OF GOD, HEARING
THE WORD OF GOD, DOING THE WORD OF GOD, AND WORK OF
GOD!
What is meant by REDEEMING OUR TIME? It is to RESCUE FROM
LOSS, to TAKE BACK FROM THAT WHICH IT REALLY DOES NOT
BELONG TO, AND TO GET IT BACK IN THE POSSESSION AND
CONTROL OF HE WHOM IT REALLY DOES BELONG TO! As a child of
God our TIME BELONGS TO GOD; NOT TO SATAN.
That which is DEVOURING YOUR TIME and keeping you from
PRAYER, you need to RESCUE and TAKE BACK THAT TIME AWAY
FROM IT, AND GIVE IT BACK TO PRAYER. And those things
that are ROBBING YOUR TIME and keeping you from BIBLE
STUDY, and from the HOUSE OF GOD, and from the WORK
OF GOD, you need to RESCUE and TAKE BACK THAT TIME
FROM THOSE THINGS AND GIVE IT BACK TO ALL THOSE THINGS WHICH
PERTAINS TO LIVING LIVES THAT PLEASE THE LORD!
The world has so many things, that if you let them will CONSUME
YOUR TIME AWAY, and before you realize it you have WASTED
your TIME and MONEY on it's pleasures, and have given God LITTLE
or NOTHING!
I want to close with 1Tim.4:13-16 (Till I come, give
attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. ver.14
Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by
prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. ver.15
Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them;
that thy profiting may appear to all. ver.16 Take heed unto
thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing
this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.)
Redeem the Time. Jesus Is Coming!
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Messages: The Race - Sword - Cold Love - Run Into - Complete Message List
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