Historical Posts
Tomorrow – Audio
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Do not Boast about Tomorrow
Tomorrow never truly comes.
“Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love you, tomorrow; it’s only a day away!” “Let’s talk about tomorrow.” “Tomorrow is the perfect time to do anything.” These are some of the many sayings regarding the idea of tomorrow. Some people are excited about what will happen tomorrow; others procrastinate till tomorrow. However, tomorrow never comes; therefore we should not boast about it! We are really always living in today.
You do not know what a day may bring forth.
Proverbs 27:1: “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.” We do not know how the future will be, whether good or bad. Sometimes things happen today that affect it. Tomorrow may be better than expected, worse, or even as expected; we just don’t know.
We are not guaranteed another day.
James 4:13-16: “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit’; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.’ But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.” We are not even guaranteed another day! Our lives are very short; in fact, for some it is shorter than others. Even today I was reading the online newspaper from my hometown and learned of recent road accidents taking the lives of young individuals.
This night your soul could be required of you.
Luke 12:19-21: “And I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”
Do we take tomorrow for granted?
Are we ready now in case the Lord should return? Let us not boast in thinking we can wait and become a Christian; rather, let us be ready to be saved right now (2 Corinthians 6:2)!
Salvation: Hear - Believe - Repent - Confess - Be Baptized - Live Faithfully
Content by Richard Dillon
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The Passing of Time
The passing of time can be deceptive. Spend it wisely.
For years I’ve heard others say, “The older I get, the faster time goes.” I really didn’t understand what they meant until recently. I suspect that’s a sign that I’m getting older, myself.
When we are young we don’t think a lot about time. We have a lifetime ahead of us. There is no need to contemplate the future and the passing of time. As we get a little older, we start thinking about getting out of school, getting a job, making money, and having a family. Before we realize it, we’ve done those things and the passing of time happens. Our family is raised, and we’re left scratching our heads and asking, “Where did the time go?”
It’s no wonder Moses wrote: “…we spend our years as a tale that is told. The days of our years are threescore and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is there strength, labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away” (Psalm 90:9, 10). James, the brother of our Lord, said much the same thing when he asked, “What is your life?” His answer: “It is even a vapor (a puff of smoke), that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away” (James 4:14).
I suspect one of the most frequent mistakes we make is our failure to utilize our time wisely. The devil likes delays. Whatever it is, if we ought to do it, he’s saying, “Put it off! Wait until tomorrow! It will keep! Don’t get in any hurry!” Sadly, we are prone to listen and the passing of time gets away from us. But, there are some things that are too important to delay. If we do, life and eternity will be filled with regret.
We could all profit from the Psalmist’s example. He wrote: “This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24). Yesterday is lost forever. Tomorrow is only a promise. But, today is mine. It is a mistake not to make the most of it. It will quickly pass. There’s no time to delay. For those who use the precious moments well, life is an adventure.
Listen to the words of the apostle Paul: “Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men, but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:15-16). We should not lament the passing of time, only our failure to use it wisely.
Content by Roger Rush
Visit Roger at the 6th and Washington Street Church of Christ in Marietta OH.
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What Then…
The day of the Lord will come like a thief
Peter wrote: “But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed” (2 Peter 3:8-10).
Charles Henry Parkhurst (1842-1933), commenting on the words of Peter, observed: “With God one day is as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day, which is to say that there is no calendar and no timepiece in the divine experience, no aging, no getting away from the beginning, nor approaching toward the end.” We, however, are time bound creatures. We are born. We age. We die. It is unavoidable, inescapable, absolutely certain. The time of our death is unknown, but the reality of it is undeniable (Hebrews 9:27).
Yes, God is eternal, but we are not
He has always been, and He will always be. We, on the other hand, are different. We had a beginning. We were born into this world, and we will someday be taken out of it. Yet, we are destined for an eternity of our choice. God’s desire is our salvation. He longs for us to be with Him, but He will not force Himself upon us. He yearns for all men to come to a knowledge of the truth that they might be saved (1 Timothy 2:4). The depth of His desire is demonstrated in the sacrifice of His Son (John 3:16).
Life is all about choosing
No clear thinking man would choose to be lost eternally, but we operate under the false premise that we will always have tomorrow to prepare. If the Bible teaches one thing with absolute certainty about life, it is the uncertainty of it all. Yesterday is gone forever, tomorrow may never come, today is all we have. If we fail to use it, we may never get another chance.
When it’s over, what then?
When it’s over, and that day is coming for all of us, what awaits on the other side. For Christians there is nothing frightening, foreboding, or final about the grave. “For we know that if the tent, which is our earthly home, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens” (2 Corinthians 5:1). Do you have that hope, and if not, would you like to have it? Remember, the clock is ticking, time is running out, eternity is just around the corner. What then?
Content by Roger Rush
Visit Roger at the 6th and Washington Street Church of Christ in Marietta OH.
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1 Peter 01:15-16 Take Time to be Holy
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Text: 1 Peter 1:15-16
Introduction
1. Our songs in worship are designed to instruct as well as praise
a. For in them we teach and admonish one another – Colossians 3:16
b. By them the Word of Christ can dwell in us richly – Colossians 3:16
2. A familiar song with an important message is “Take Time to be Holy”.
a. Words written by W.D. Longstaff
b. Music composed by GeorgeC. Stebbins
3. Certainly the children of God are to be holy
a. We are to be holy in our conduct – 1 Peter 1:15
b. Even as our Father who calls us is holy – 1 Peter 1:15-16
4. Indeed, holiness is to be pursued, for without it one will not see the Lord – Hebrews 12:14
Body
I. THE NEED TO TAKE TIME
A. THE WORLD RUSHES ON
1. As expressed in the beginning of the second verse
2. Our lives are certainly hectic and fast-paced
3. Filled with activities that consume our time
4. And our lives are but a vapor – James 4:13-14
5. Before we know it, time will have slipped by
B. IT TAKES TIME TO BE HOLY
1. The key presumption upon which this song is based
2. Holiness must be pursued – Hebrews 12:14
3. Holiness is the fruit of service to God – Romans 6:22
4. Holiness must be perfected – 2 Corinthians 7:1
5. If we are not careful, time to develop holiness will be gone
II. THE WAY TO TAKE TIME
A. SPEND TIME WITH THE LORD
1. The song encourages us to:
a. “Abide in Him always”
b. “Spend much time in secret with Jesus alone”
2. The means to do so involve:
a. Prayer, as suggested by the song
1) “Speak oft with thy Lord”
2) “Forgetting in nothing His blessings to seek”
b. The Word of God (“Feed on His Word”)
3. Do we take time to be with the Lord?
a. Through prayer, where the Lord is ready to intercede? – Hebrews 4:14-16; 7:25
b. Through the Word, which testifies of our gracious Lord? – John 5:39; 1 Peter 2:2-3
4. I cannot overestimate the importance of finding time to be with the Lord alone through prayer and the Word!
B. SPEND TIME WITH OTHERS
1. This includes fellowship with other Christians (“Make friends of God’s children”)
a. Which the early Christians continued in steadfastly – Acts 2:42
b. Which helps to ensure faithfulness and steadfastness – Hebrews 3:12-14
c. Which includes the idea of frequent assembling – Hebrews 10:24-25
2. This includes service to our fellowman (“Help those who are weak”)
a. A duty enjoined upon Christians – 1 Thessalonians 5:14-15; Acts 20:35
b. Service toward all, but especially our brethren – Galatians 6:10
c. Ministering our abilities to one another – 1 Peter 4:10-11
3. We must not be so busy that we don’t have time to be with brethren and to help others as we have opportunity!
III. THE BENEFITS OF TAKING TIME
A. YOU WILL BE BLESSED
1. With inner peace and happiness (“Be calm in thy soul”)
a. Through frequent prayer – Philippians 4:6-7
b. Through frequent meditation upon the Word – Psalms 1:1-3; 119:165
2. With renewed strength (“Each thought and each motive beneath His control”)
a. Through your relationship with Christ – Philippians 4:13
b. Through the indwelling of the Spirit – Romans 8:12-13 Ephesians 3:16, 20-21
3. With increasing realization of God’s love (“Led by His Spirit to fountains of love”)
a. A manifestation of the Spirit in our lives – Romans 5:5
b. Whose fruit produces love – Galatians 5:22
4. Is this not sufficient motivation to “take time to be holy”?
B. YOU WILL BE MORE CHRIST-LIKE
1. The ultimate goal of discipleship (“Like Him thou shalt be”)
a. As explained by Jesus – Luke 6:40
b. As foreordained by God – Romans 8:29
2. A transformation noticed by others (“Thy friends in thy conduct His likeness shall see”)
a. The result of spending time with Jesus – e.g., Peter and John, Acts 4:13
b. The result of giving yourself to such things as Timothy did, 1 Timothy 4:15
3. Prepared for greater service (“Thou soon shall be fitted for service above”)
a. For we will serve God in heaven, and in the new Jerusalem – Revelation 7:15; 22:3
b. Indeed, we will reign with Christ and God forever! – Revelation 22:5; 2 Timothy 2:12
4. Is this not even more motivation to “take time to be holy”?
Conclusion
1. Remember the need to take time
a. The world rushes on, and would carry us along with it
b. Our time in this life is short, we must have our priorities straight
2. Are you taking time, indeed, making time?
a. To spend time alone with God, in prayer and the Word?
b. To spend time with others, in fellowship and service?
3. We must take time, if we desire to:
a. Experience the blessed life Jesus offers
b. Become more Christ-like in our conduct
4. May this song (“Take Time To Be Holy”) always remind us of the need to slow down, and to do those things so crucial to our spiritual growth and happiness!
5. Have you taken the time to respond to the gospel of Christ…? – Mark 16:15-16; Acts 2:38
Content by Donald W. Treadway
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