Now Is The Time
1. Looking At Now
We just finished looking at "Better Days" ahead. We were finding encouragement and hope from God's Word about our future. This week, let's look at, "Now". Pastor Jack Tripp preached a sermon using scriptures about, "Now" a few weeks ago. I would like to share some of those verses and maybe a few more as we switch our focus from the future days ahead, to now.
2. "Now Is The Accepted Time"
Our last devotional was about accepting salvation and I want to begin this series with salvation. Maybe you are interested, but you feel like Agrippa in Acts 26:28. "Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian." You may feel like you are almost ready to ask Jesus to save you. You may find yourself like Felix in Acts 24:25. "And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee." Does your spirit within tremble as you wait for a convenient time? We are not promised tomorrow. We could die before tomorrow. The Lord could call His children to heaven now. Don't count on tomorrow. "Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth." (Proverbs 27:1) The scriptures do not tell us whether Agrippa, or Felix, ever found time to be saved. Don't wait until it is too late. God's Word tells us, "Now is the day of salvation." "(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)" (II Corinthians 6:2)
3. Now Is Christ Risen From The Dead
We are almost half-way through the year! Can you believe it? In six more months, if the Lord tarries His coming, we will be celebrating the birth of Jesus. With days predicted to be near 100 degrees this week, it is hard to think about cold weather. It hasn't been too long ago that we celebrated Easter. Jesus came, to give His life for us. He died on the cross and was buried, but He rose from the dead on the third day and now He lives! We serve a risen Savior, and, because He lives, we can live!
"20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." (I Corinthians 15:20-22)
4. Christ Is Now In The Presence Of God
In The Old Testament, sacrifices were made repeatedly for sin. When Jesus gave His life for us on Calvary, He offered His blood once to pay our sin debt. After three days, Jesus rose from the dead and He is now in heaven, "For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:" (Hebrews 9:24) Jesus is our Advocate with the Father. "My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:" (I John 2:1) Jesus intercedes for us. "Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." (Romans 8:34) Jesus is our Great High Priest and we can "come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." Jesus is our Lord and Savior and we can call on Him now!
"14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:14-16)
5. Now We Are The Sons Of God
Usually I don't like any type of medical appointment. I have several scratches on my glasses and broke the nose piece, so I really need to get another pair. Michael and I went to the eye doctor and I must say that I enjoyed the visit. The doctor and I got into a conversation about how we can see the book of Revelation coming to pass in our eyes, and we talked about Jesus coming back and it was exciting to talk with another Christian. The world is in bad shape and getting worse all the time. But, we are the sons of God, and we have a blessed hope that the world does not have. I have mentioned being saved several times lately. Please, if you don't know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, please ask Him to save you and put your trust in Him. One day, and it may be soon, Jesus is going to call His children home to heaven, and things on this earth will be a whole lot worse than we could ever imagine. The only hope you have is in Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God!
"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." (I John 3:2)
Are you ready?
6. There Is Now No Condemnation To Those In Christ Jesus
Three times in the scriptures we are told that every knee shall bow to God. Isaiah 45:23, Romans 14:11 and here in Philippians 2:9-11.
"9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
It will be fearful and dreadful for all who are not made clean by the blood of Jesus. But, for those who have been clothed in the righteousness of Jesus, we will be welcomed into heaven for eternity. Just as Noah and his family were safe on the ark, we are safe in Christ. Satan may bring up the sins of our past and try to condemn us and drag us down, but we have this promise... "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus..." Praise the Lord for His wonderful love and forgiveness!
"1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." (Romans 8:1-4)
7. "Now It Is High Time To Awake Out Of Sleep"
I feel that God allows me to write these devotionals to be an encouragement to Christians and a witness to any who read them. I try to stick to personal examples in my life that God puts on my heart to talk about the scriptures. I don't use the devotions to push a political agenda, but our verse today warns us that "knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep..." I can remember the old preachers of years past who warned us of how bad it would get in the "last days". And even though I heard those sermons all my life, I never dreamed that I would see the pages of Revelation and the Old Testament prophets unfolding right before my eyes. I feel we are in the "last days" and we better "awake out of sleep" and pay attention to what's going on. If the Apostle Paul wrote these words so many years ago, think about how much closer we are to the coming of the Lord now. We can rightfully say that we are living in hard times, as we see the evil in the world today. But, we can also say that we are living in exciting times, because we see the prophecies being fulfilled and any day we could be raptured out of this world! Now is the time to wake up! "And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed." (Romans 13:11)
8. Now We Thank Him And Praise Him
Last week I was praising the Lord for protecting us when we wrecked our car. Now I am praising Him for keeping us safe during the storm Thursday. Several large limbs came down, on, and around the house and we are meeting with an adjuster to see how much damage was done to the roof. Our air conditioner has quit and I think maybe it was struck by lightning during the storm, so we have to get that checked out, also. With the addition of doctor appointments, it seems like everything is piling up against us. But, you know what? I am going to keep on praising the Lord. He suffered through great agony on the cross to give his life for me. He loved me that much! I know that I am not the only one going through storms right now. The price of groceries and gasoline is putting a strain on families throughout the country. We praise Him and thank Him for His goodness when life is going well. We need to also thank Him and praise Him during the storms because God is good all the time! I want to share this little speech that David gave to his people, and especially verse 13, "Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name." If we skip down to verse 28, we read, "And he died in a good old age, full of days, riches, and honour: and Solomon his son reigned in his stead." David said, "Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name." "Now!" He was getting ready to die, and he was still praising the Lord! Sometimes we go through the storms. But, I want to keep on praising my blessed Savior and giving thanks to my wonderful God!
"10 Wherefore David blessed the LORD before all the congregation: and David said, Blessed be thou, LORD God of Israel our father, for ever and ever.
11 Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all.
12 Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all.
13 Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name.
14 But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee.
15 For we are strangers before thee, and sojourners, as were all our fathers: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding." (I Chronicles 29:10-15)
9. Knowing The Time
Last weekend we heard Preacher Floyd Crouch preach a sermon that he titled, "Knowing The Time." Since we have been looking at, "The Time Is Now", I thought it would be good to use some of his thoughts to finish these devotionals. His opening text was Romans 13:11, which I mentioned on Friday. "And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed." He began in saying that Paul is telling us that time is getting away from us, as we see in the next verse. "The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light." (Romans 13:11-12) Preacher Crouch gave four different "times" mentioned in the Bible.
1. The fullness of time was when Jesus came. "But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law," (Galatians 4:4)
2. The time of refreshing. "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:" (Acts 3:19-20) Jesus will reign 1,000 years and the desert shall blossom like a rose, and the knowledge of the Lord will fill the earth.
3. The time of judgment. "Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead." (Acts 17:31) Jesus will judge the world in righteousness. The Great White Throne Judgment will be the most tragic time. (Revelation 20)
4. The time of salvation. "(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)" (I Corinthians 6:2) This is the most important time in anyone's life. Today. Now is the time!
10. Time Can Change Friends
Preacher Floyd Crouch continued his sermon by telling how time can change some things. The first example that he used was, time can change friends. Acts 13 tells of the first missionary journey of Paul and Barnabas. Just two chapters later they want to go on another missionary trip and Barnabas wanted to take John Mark and Paul did not want to take him because he didn't finish the trip with them earlier. "And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other: and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus; And Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God." (Acts 15:39-40) Circumstances and time had made a change in the friendship between Paul and Barnabas. (In II Timothy 4:11 we see that Paul had a change in heart about John Mark. "Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.") Another Bible example is Paul and Demas. In Philemon 24 Paul mentions Demas as a fellow laborer. Then, in II Timothy 4:10, he says, "For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica;" Sometimes we may feel like we have to "win" an argument, when it would be better to forget the argument and "win" our friends.
11. Time Can Change Families
Our next example in Preacher Crouch's sermon is, time can change families. My sisters and I text and talk often, even though we don't spend a lot of time together, we are still close. I have lots of cousins and we spent time together when we were young. Over time we drifted apart and started our own families. There are many that I haven't seen in years. I think about my children and grandchildren. It is sad that we don't get to see them and spend time with them as much as we would like. Now they have their jobs, and homes, and families, and responsibilities. As I was trying to think of an example in the Bible, I thought of the first family.
"3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.
4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:
5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell." (Genesis 4:3-5)
We don't know how much time passed, but we know that Cain grew so angry that he killed his brother, Abel. I also thought of King David, and his son Absalom, who rose up against his father and tried to take the throne. If you follow the story of Jacob, you will see how his family changed, time and time again. Time can change families, and one day you look back and what you have left are the memories.
12. Time Can Change The Future
Our third example is that time can change the future. I think the greatest example in the Bible of someone's future who changed with time is Joseph. He was Jacob's favorite son. His brothers sold him into slavery. He spent years in prison for something he didn't do. An important part of Joseph's life can be found in Genesis 39:2. "And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian." It is repeated in Genesis 39:21. "But the LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison." We may feel like we are not getting anywhere in life, but if we are where the Lord wants us to be, and the Lord is with us, then we can leave our future in the Lord's hands. Another example I thought of was Moses. I wonder if he thought he was wasting his time those forty years on the back side of the desert. God was preparing him to lead His people through the wilderness. Sometimes we may feel like we are going around in circles and not getting anywhere, but we need to put our trust in the Lord and let Him guide our path. So many are going through troubles and trials now. But, our future will change in time. Paul said it well in Romans 8:18, "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." Times may seem dark at the moment, but brighter days are coming!
13. Time Cannot Change The Way Of Salvation
Preacher Crouch gave three examples of things that time can change. Then, he gave examples of things that time cannot change. First of all, time cannot change the way of salvation. There is only one way to be saved. It is very clear in John 14:6. "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." In The Old Testament, animals were sacrificed and their blood was shed to make an atonement for sin. In The New Testament Jesus came from heaven to live and die, to give His life to pay for our sin. Jesus, the spotless Lamb of God, died and rose again the third day to save us from our sin. "By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." (Hebrews 10:10) Jesus is the Way to life eternal, and that will never change!
"10 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.
11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.
12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus." (Acts 4:10-13)
14. Time Will Never Change The Word Of God
Time can change my word. If I say, "I am going to get up in the morning and water my garden", and the Lord gives us a good rain during the night, then my word and my plans will change. We can make plans with good intentions, but time can change our plans. Time and age have made a change in me and I often can't fully complete tasks that I set out to do. But when God says something in His Word, we can be sure that it will come to pass! The next truth of the sermon is, time will never change the Word of God. God's Word is true. All that was prophesied about the first coming of Jesus was fulfilled. And we can be sure that everything that has been prophesied from that time, and forward, will also surely come to pass. God is not surprised by all that is going on in the world today. He is still on the throne and His Word will stand forever!
"He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations." (Psalm 105:8)
"For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven." (Pslam 119:89)
"Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever." (Psalm 119:160)
"The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever." (Isaiah 40:8)
"23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:
25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you." (I Peter 1:23-25)
15. The Wages And Repercussions Of Sin Will Never Change
Our closing thought from Preacher Floyd Crouch's sermon is, "The Wages And Repercussions Of Sin Will Never Change." From the very beginning when Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, there were consequences of their sin. The whole earth has been under a curse since that awful day. The Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Paul also tells us, "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting." (Galatians 6:7-8) When we ask Jesus to save us we are cleansed from all our sin, but sin leaves scars and suffering. David proclaimed, "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered." (Psalm 32:1) It is a great blessing to be forgiven, but our sins of the past can bring sadness for years to come.
The preacher's final question... What to do with time?
Get saved!
Redeem as much time as you can in living for the Lord!
Spend some time trying to get the gospel to others!
16. It's Time For Church!
It's Sunday morning and time for church! I can remember my Mom dressing us up in our best dresses for church on Sunday. I also remember shining our little patent leather shoes with vaseline on Saturday nights so they would be shiny for Sunday. Are you ready for Church?
Preacher Tripp has been preaching through the Psalms during our Wednesday night services, and last week it was Psalm 122, which begins, "I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD." His sermon title was, "Why Going To Church Should Make Us Glad."
A short outline...
1. The Purpose should make us glad.
We come to proclaim Christ and His Word. We come to hear His Word. We come to praise the Lord. 2. The People who are going to gather should make us glad.
We have a common salvation, "a like precious faith", we love one another, and we can restore one another.3. We are glad because of the Person we will worship.
It's the house of the Lord!4. The Peace that we find makes us glad.
The Psalm ends, "For my brethren and companions' sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee. Because of the house of the LORD our God I will seek thy good." (Psalm 122:8-9)17. Live In The "Now"
It is so easy to look back a few years and think that life was better then. Groceries and gasoline were not so expensive. We may have been in better health. Sin didn't seem to be so rampant and open just a few years back. Many times the older folks have said that they remember "The Good Ole' Days". Well, I just finished reading Ecclesiastes, and I found this verse about looking back to be very interesting. "Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this." (Ecclesiastes 7:10) King Solomon is telling us not to say that the past was better than now. Would we sink into despair if we constantly looked back, saying the past was better? Many times we are prone to only remember the good, and we forget the hard times. This may be explained a little more in chapter 11:7-8. "Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun: But if a man live many years, and rejoice in them all; yet let him remember the days of darkness; for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity." Our past was not all joy and sunshine. When we think of it that way it makes us prone to complain about today. God is God now, just as He was back then. God is in control now, just as He was back then. And God can bring us through the hard times now, just as He did in the past. God is the same, yesterday, today and forever! And even when our todays seem dark and dreary, remember that our forever is bright and carefree in our heavenly home!
18. Time For A New Season
"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:" (Ecclesiastes 3:1) Last Tuesday was the first day of summer. Does it feel like summer to you? We have experienced many days in the high 90's. I walk down to my garden to gather squash and cucumbers and the sweat pours from my face, and it is a struggle to walk back up the hill. You may remember the little riddle, "April showers bring May flowers. What do May flowers bring?" The answer was, "Pilgrims". When Josh was maybe in kindergarten, someone asked him and he answered, "June bugs!" Well, I guess that is another way we can tell that summer time is here. There are lots of bugs in the garden and now I am having a terrible time with ant bites and mosquito bites. But, I am happy that we have four seasons. Spring was a nice awakening from the cold winter. We saw things grow and blossom and now we are beginning to reap the fruits of our labor. God gave us this promise, "While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease." (Genesis 8:22) I am thankful that God's laws and promises can't be broken. I am thankful for my summer garden. And as I finish this last sentence, I am thankful for the rain that I hear outside my window! Thank you, Lord!
19. A Time To Be Born, And A Time To Die
I have moved on to the next verse, Ecclesiastes 3:2. "A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;" I want to focus on the little phrase, "a time to die."
My first thought is, death is inevitable. One old preacher used to say, "We are going by the clods or the clouds." Unless the Lord calls us straight to heaven, we are going to die. "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:" (Hebrews 9:27)
Next, we see that no man has power over death. As I finished reading the book of Ecclesiastes I noticed how sombering 8:8 was. "There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it." "... there is no discharge in that war..."
We are looking again at Ecclesiastes 8 for the next thought. Life is short. "But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God." (vs. 13) Life is like a shadow, or a vapor. "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." (James 4:14)
After death, we are all going to fall down before God Almighty. We saw this in Hebrews 9:27 above. And again in Romans 14:11, "For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God."
There is hope. If you are born once, you will die twice. "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." (Revelation 21:8) But, if you are born twice, born again, you will only die once. Have you been born again? "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23) Why not ask Jesus to save you and give you everlasting life?
"3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again." (John 3:3-17)
20. A Time To Be Quiet
Did your teacher in school ever tell you, "Be quiet"? I don't know if there is anyone who has not been told to be quiet by someone. What if God tells you to be quiet? Ecclesiastes 3:7 ends with these words, "a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;" That is putting it mildly. I was reading in Isaiah and I noticed 7:4. "And say unto him, Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be fainthearted for the two tails of these smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin with Syria, and of the son of Remaliah." I believe that "Take heed" here means to listen. So, basically what God is saying is to listen and be quiet! This goes beyond sitting behind a school desk. This is God speaking to His people. And sometimes He may tell us the same thing. And we better listen, and be quiet when He does, so that He doesn't have to get our attention in some way. I like the way it is said in Psalm 46:10-11. "Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah." I once wrote a devotional series on, "A Time To Keep Silence." Here are some of the times in our lives when we need to just listen and be quiet.
Be Silent In The Heat Of Anger (Ephesians 4:26, 29-32)
Be Silent When You Don't Have All The Facts (Proverbs 18:13) (Joshua 9:3-16)
Be Silent When You Haven't Verified The Story (I Samuel 25:2-11)
Be Silent If You Are Speaking Just To Say Something (Mark 9:2-8)
Be Silent When You Are Speaking Against The Lord's Will (John 13:3-17)
Be Silent When You Continue To Push A Brother Farther Down (Job 8:5-6)
Be Silent When You Are Tempted To Pass Judgment On Others (Luke 9:51-55)
Be Silent When It Is Time To Listen ((Matthew 11:15)
Be Silent When You Are Tempted To Make Light Of Holy Things (Daniel 5:1-6 and 22-31)
Be Silent If Your Words Will Damage Someone Else's Reputation (II Thessalonians 3:11 Proverbs 18:8 I Samuel 1:9-18)
Be Silent When You Are Tempted To Joke About Sin (Proverbs 14:9 II Chronicles 36:4-16 Galatians 6:7)
21. Jesus Can Help Us Through All The Times Of Our Lives
When our first son was about three years old he would sometimes tell us he was afraid of the dark. We taught him Psalm 56:3 and helped him overcome his fear of going to bed alone. "What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.” God can help us through our times of fear when we put our trust in Him. He has promised to never leave us nor forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5) We can also trust Him in time of trouble. Psalm 37:39 tells us “But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in time of trouble.” And in Psalm 41:1 we read, “Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble.” Finally, I want us to see that Christ is our help in time of need. “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16) Trust in His Word. The book of Matthew ends with the words of our Lord, “…lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” (Matthew 28:20)
22. "In Times Like These"
Ruth Caye Jones wrote a hymn in 1944 that I want to share in closing our series, "Now Is The Time." We began talking about, "Now" and we later looked at some, "Times". The second book of Timothy tells us of the last days when perilous times would come. If you read these verses, you will see that they are being fulfilled. This song was written in 1944, and it still holds true today, "In times like these you need a Savior."
"1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away." (II Timothy 3:1-5)
"In Times Like These" by Ruth Caye Jones
1.
In times like these you need a Savior
In times like these you need an anchor
Be very sure, be very sure
Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock
Refrain
This Rock is Jesus, Yes He's the One
This Rock is Jesus, the only One
Be very sure, be very sure
Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock
2.
In times like these you need the Bible
In times like these O be not idle
Be very sure, be very sure
Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock
3.
In times like these I have a Savior
In times like these I have an anchor
I'm very sure, I'm very sure
My anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock
