Is Time Killing You?

Ephesians 5:15-16
(15) Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,
(16) making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.

I've come to the realization that this statement reigns true: "Comfort Kills Christians." What do you think? How is comfort a part of your life? As I drove home December 15, listening to sermons by John MacArthur, I had envisioned an awesome time at home: spending much time with God, working a little bit, and resting from this past hectic semester. Unfortunately, after one week, resting and relaxing turned into laziness and I found myself compromising in many areas. My time with God was absent as I sat in front of the TV, spent countless hours playing video games, and many more sitting here on my laptop. How could this outcome have occurred? What happened to this vision of rich time with God? Comfort, my friends...

Com-fort (n): (Webster 1828)
1. Relief from pain; ease; rest or moderate pleasure after pain, cold or distress or uneasiness of body. The word signifies properly new strength, or animation;
2. Relief from distress of mind; the ease and quiet which is experienced when pain, trouble, agitation or affliction ceases. It implies also some degree of positive animation of the spirits; or some pleasurable sensations derived from hope, and agreeable prospects; consolation.

Com-fort (n): (Merrian-Webster 2008)
1. Strengthening aid: a) assistance, support "accused of giving aid and comfort to the enemy" b) consolation in time of trouble or worry
2. a) A feeling of relief or encouragement b): contented well-being "a life of ease and comfort"
3. a satisfying or enjoyable experience

There are similarities between these two versions, but I think you should notice one major difference here, mainly 2a & 2b of the '08 version: these are paradoxes. While I myself am not much of a wordsmith, I think the definition of comfort has dramatically made a shift. Comfort is supposed to bring strength, not laziness. And by the very definition of the word, if you are living a lifestyle of comfort, that means you have a content well-being...should this be so? Christians, we must steer from the Osteen "Best Life Now" fallacy; we must never think that we should always be in comfort.

Jesus said "in the world you will have tribulation" (John 16:33). This means times of hardship. I'm not saying that comfort is necessarily a bad thing, but in our context today we need much caution; moderation is imperative. I told numerous individuals I looked forward to relaxing over the break...maybe you pondered the same thought. What came to your mind as you thought about it more? Sleeping 14 hours every day? Catching up on your "Grey's Anatomy," "Entourage," "24," "Price is Right," or "The Office" television shows? Playing "Warcraft," "Call of Duty," or "Guitar Hero?" Where was God in the picture? Maybe, like me, He was at the start but somehow drifted as other things became more desirable. Curiosity kills the cat, comfort kills the Christian.

Much exegesis and studying of Ephesians 5:15-16 is not required to understand the basic concept of how much time we waste. If you're wise, you'll make good use of the time; if you're unwise, time is going to help you waste away;

<> Ecclesiastes 9:12 "For man does not know his time. Like fish that are taken in an evil net, and like birds that are caught in a snare, so the children of man are snared at an evil time, when it suddenly falls upon them."
<>Psalm 39:5 "Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing before you. Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath!"
<>James 4:14 "...you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.
<>1 Peter 1:24-25 "for 'All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, [25]but the word of the Lord remains forever.'"

It is a foreseeable reality that our life here is only a mist. How then must we spend our time? Certainly not wasting it. "We're on borrowed time all the time, and all the time we got is all the time we got, and one day all the time will stop" (Unknown Christian rapper). Maybe you've had a great break; maybe your time with God has been rich and has made you stronger & wiser, if so praise Him. But for those of you who, myself included, who have just been wasting your time, either over this break, this past semester or any duration of time, take a look at yourself and see what's been accomplished.

Will you yield Solomon's grief?

Ecclesiastes 2:11 "Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind..."

OR

Will you take on Paul's wisdom?

"Look carefully then how you walk...as wise...making the best use of the time..."

I pray you have been encouraged,
T-rav

Proverbs 14:27 "The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death."

Psalm 100:1-5 Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth! (2) Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! (3) Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. (4) Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! (5) For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.

Philippians 4:6-8 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. (7) And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (8) Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always, (17) pray without ceasing, (18) give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

1) Praise God for who He is

• He is good
• His steadfast love endures forever
• His faithful to all generations

2) Praise God for what He has done

• He made us, and we belong to Him

3) Thank God in all we do

• Rejoice always
• Pray without ceasing
• Give thanks in all circumstances
• Not to be worry about anything
• Pray and make requests to him with thanksgiving
• The peace of God will rest upon you

Randomness

I run to you, yet I turn back around;
forgetting how your grace abounds/
Broken cisterns fill my heart,
as I attempt to find life apart/
from the Lord my God who paid it all,
that I might abide in him and tear down the wall/
of hostility that separated Him from me.

A million times I've fallen short,
yet His mercy never fails;
for this wretched sinner,
God's redeeming love prevails.

A Christian's Regeneration and Love

It's apparent in the world today that many people have been hurt by the church and Christians. Why is this so? We really take a look at ourselves and see how our lives are affecting the people around us, because it's either positively or negatively. Countless numbers of people have walked away with this faint few of what Christianity is by what they see in the actions of those proclaiming to live with a regenerated heart; about 80% of America claims to be Christian, but can this reign true if the poor in this country aren't being helped or children being disregarded and not properly cared for or even an individual who walks away from the belief in God all because someone decided to not be Christ-like in a certain area (or maybe he/she was never Christ-like at all to begin with, hence Jesus saying that a bad tree cannot produce good fruit). Two things must happen: each individual person must ask themselves honestly whether or not he/she is truly saved by the grace of God--an honest, inward look at his/her heart, life, and decisions in life. Secondly, if someone truly is a believer, one must ask his/herself if they are "considering others better than themselves" and "looking not only towards their own interests, but also to the interests of others" (Php 2:3-4). I've run into numerous people, as I'm sure you have as well, who have completely disregarded Jesus because they ran into hypocritical people either in the church or somewhere in their life.

As Christians, we have been regenerated by love for love. How so?

Regenerated by love:

• "For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16
• "But God demonstrates His own love for us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8
• "In love he predestined us for adoptions as Sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will." Ephesians 1:4-5

Regenerated for love:

• "A new commandment I give to you, that you love another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." John 13:34-35
• "Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him." John 14:21
• "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. You will be enriched in every way for all your generosity, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God." Acts 9:8, 11
  

Thoughts on the Election

So I decided not to vote this election year...please, don't give me any crap because of my choice, especially the ones who think that I'm un-American for not choosing. I don't know all the answers to our country's issues, but I don't think either Obama nor McCain are putting out the right solutions. And in a country where majority rules, voting for someone else is just as similar as not voting at all, in my opinion.

I see faults on both the republican and democratic sides; trickle-down economics leaves the poor behind, but I don't think the government should be controlling that; socialism has the possibility to work, but not America is a capitalist country; as the church, we should be doing our part to reach out to those in need, and be Jesus to all: this means giving up time and money so that others aren't lacking in anything. Obama's universal health care essentially means that the government and/or one private organization controls the price, aka "monopoly" aka "they can charge you whatever price they want; also, this healthcare plan would cost $65 billion...I thought we were trying to cut spending in lieu of our enormous deficit...let's dig an even bigger hole shall we?" McCain's answer to health-care is to give tax credits so that it will be more affordable, but if people are struggling to even put food on the table, they're going to need more than a tax credit.

Those are just a couple of examples, but I feel no conviction for not voting; I follow Jesus, not men nor their opinions. So if someone wants to talk politics, I am more than willing to open up and listen to opinions that are similar and different than my own. I tend to lean toward the conservative side, but the Spirit was holding me back from making a clear-cut decision as to who to vote for. I still should have filled out the ballot for approving/disapproving amendments and also my vote for Jack Kingston as my House representative. I failed in that aspect, but again, I was led to not cast my vote for a president; so, I didn't.

Graduating in May!

So I just learned this past Thursday that I'll be graduating in May, when I thought I would actually be done next December '09. I will actually be graduating in time, 4 years straight through. I won't lie, this surprise left me nothing but excited at the time. I was quickly struck with thoughts of fear and worry. "What will I do once I get out?" What about all the guys I'm pouring into down here?" "What about all the awesome people I'm in fellowship with?" "What about those who I've yet to meet?"
As those questions are still being pondered, I worry not, since the God of this universe has a plan far greater than I can imagine from what my own thinking can collect. So pray that I will continue to seek His guidance and lift up my requests with thanksgiving to Him, and that the desires of my heart will be placed in accordance to His.