Talk Tuesday-The Essence of Time

Time cannot be held down, manipulated, controlled or stopped. Time is a quantity whose quality is determined by the choices we make-not only for ourselves, but for our generations to come. Earthly time is short and finite, yet it determines the outcome of our eternal time. What does Jesus say about time?

The Signs of the Times and the End of the Age

"3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, 'Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?' 4 And Jesus answered and said to them: 'Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows. 9 Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. 10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.'" Matthew 24:3-14

Jesus warns of His return to earth and what it means to humanity. He warns of impending tribulation and persecution; the earth will groan, the stars will fall from the sky, the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light. Yet there remains the Kingdom promise of eternal salvation and peace. Of His return He warns, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only,” Matthew 24:36; “Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect,” Matthew 24:44.

Live with an understanding of the essence of time or before you know it, time will have passed you by in a blur of activity, busyness and worldly pursuits. A life with Christ is an eternity with God. A life without Christ is an eternity without God. Choose before it is too late.

12 “'And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.' 14 Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.” Revelation 22:12-14

Talk Tuesday-Are You Ready?

"Jesus is coming soon!" We have heard these words echoed throughout the ages, as men and women waited in fearful anticipation for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible tells us to,“Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming," Matthew 25:13. The Prophet Joel warns, "Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision," Joel 3:14. The disciples themselves questioned Jesus about His return, "Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” Matthew 24:3.

4 And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows. 9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. 10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. Matthew 24:4-14

The real question is not 'WHEN is Jesus coming?', but 'AM I READY?' We have all heard the expression, 'Life is short.' The truth is that, “All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field. 7 The grass withers, the flower fades, because the breath of the Lord blows upon it; surely the people are grass. 8 The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever,” Isaiah 40:6-8. The transitory nature of our earthly lives means that our opportunity to accept the gift of eternal life is limited. Choose wisely. I leave you with THREE TRUTHS to ponder:

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:15

"...that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." Romans 10:9  

"8 But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up." 2 Peter 3:8-10

ARE YOU READY?

Talk Tuesday-Redeeming The Times

As Easter Sunday approached, the following passages jumped out at me during my personal devotions:

"Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time."

Colossians 4:5

"See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time time, because the days are evil." Ephesians 5:15-16

When I looked up the Greek in the Strong's Exhaustive Concordance, the definition I found was; exagorazō-to redeem; to make the most (of the time). Why is there an air of urgency and purpose in Paul's message?

"For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord comes as a thief in the night." 1 Thessalonians 5:2

"Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation." 1 Thessalonians 5:6

The Apostle Paul exhorts us to be mindful of the times we are in and to use it wisely. We are being reminded that while no one knows at what hour our Lord Jesus Christ will return, the fact remains that He shall return. How we spend our lives here on earth is not measured by the quantity of our possessions, but by the way in which we live in honour of the One who gave life. When I think of 'Redeeming the Times' the following scriptures come to mind:

"Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God." Colossians 3:2-3

"Then Jesus came to them and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. " Matthew 28:-18-20

What do you think of? What does it mean to you, to 'redeem the times?' We want to hear from you. Please click the comments link below to share your thoughts with us here at BGO. God bless!

Talk Tuesday-A Word of Encouragement

I remember when, as a young woman, I completely committed myself to the LORD Jesus Christ. I asked Him into my heart, surrendered to His will, sought His face and repented of my sins. I confessed that He died for the remission of my sins and was raised from the dead. I discovered no greater joy in my entire life, than that of knowing Jesus Christ as LORD. All the partying, 'friends', money and other worldly pleasures were INCOMPARABLE. I remember having a vision of a fountain of water shooting upwards, ever-flowing from within me-rivers of living water. Just this week I realized that both the Old and New Testaments referred to God as 'living waters' (Jeremiah 2:13 & John 4:10, 7:38).

Yet, as I began this journey of faith I was unaware of the perils and trials that would come. The LORD had delivered me from so many worldly desires. He caused me to withdraw from people and situations that would hinder my early walk with Him. It was a time where He instructed, grew and moulded me. As a newborn believer my eyes saw through the lens of a different reality, my heart became tender to suffering and He began to peel away the many layers of selfishness within. My mouth became filled with songs of praise-I began to sing, play the guitar and worship God with passion. I found PURPOSE and PEACE. Yes, the joy of the LORD infused my very being.

Then the TRIAL came. Now I know in life we all have trials but then we have TRIALS. You know, the BIGGIES?! I can remember feeling devastated, coming home from choir practise at church, laying in bed asking God 'Why?' when the Holy Spirit directed me to a portion of scripture I was unfamiliar with:

Jeremiah's Complaint

"You are always righteous, O LORD, when I bring a case before You. Yet I would speak with You about your justice: Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the faithless live at ease? You have planted them, and they have taken root; they grow and bear fruit. You are always on their lips but far from their hearts. Yet you know me, O LORD; You see me and test my thoughts about You."

Jeremiah 12:1-3

God's Answer

"If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses? If you stumble in safe country, how will you manage in the thickets by the Jordan?" Jeremiah 12:5

Immediately the Holy Spirit brought revelation to my heart. God was strengthening me, instructing me and preparing me for the future. When a man or woman goes off to war, they undergo extensive training to be able to stand in the day of battle. When we surrender our lives to the Lordship of Christ, we take a side in the spiritual battle being waged. As soldiers, we must stand in faith, be a people of prayer and be the voice of the collective 'one' crying out in the wilderness "Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord".

Our TRIALS and trials serve a greater purpose. As we share in the suffering of Jesus Christ, remember to stand firmly on His Word and cling to Him through the storm. God is cultivating fruit in you that will bear even more fruit in your life and in the lives of those around you. If your actions minister and bring others to salvation in Jesus Christ, then isn't it worth it?

And remember...Jesus is coming back soon!

By the way, God is so awesome! Do you remember the last post, the one about the income tax? Well, after all of that, God gave us a refund!!! To Him be all the glory...but that is a 'talk' for another day (*smilez*)