Redeem the Tine

Long ago, I memorized Ephesians 5:15-16, and seared in my memory was: “Redeem the time, for the days are evil.”

I interpreted that (wrongly—see below) as a time (clock) management command.

The word in Ephesians 5:16 translated “time” is kairos, which means era, season, or opportunity. The word for clock time is kronis.

Maybe that difference wouldn’t matter to you, but it has to me.

When I was working, my days usually were scheduled back to back to back to back. I’d wake up with a “To Do” list running through my mind. I would often think of the verse to redeem the time and try to make every moment count. By the end of the day, I was desperate to find a way to relax. I took several time management courses, but finally decided I wouldn’t take another unless they promised 25 hours a day.

The wrong interpretation of “redeem the time” stuck with me even after years of Bible study.

Make the Most of the Opportunity

Certainly, we need to:

Walk wisely, making the most of our time. (Ephesians 5:15)

Conduct ourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. (Colossians 4:5)

And we need to:

Number our days that we may present to You a heart of wisdom. (Psalm 90.12)

I’ve been retired nearly 10 years and still rejoice at days with no schedules. Initially, the lack of projects and schedules was disconcerting. What do I do? See Rest for the Glory of God.

How does “Redeem the time” apply to retirement? More accurately, what are my opportunities in retirement to serve and glorify God?

Every season of life we have the challenge to make the most of opportunities. Every season. Even if you feel put on a shelf, you have opportunities. Make the most of them.

At the same time, I think we are prone to create projects and goals that are not God-given. I, at least, have to watch out for filling up my days with so much I miss the true opportunities to glorify and serve God.

There is urgency associated with the command to make the most of our opportunities. We don’t know how much time we have left. We don’t know if we have tomorrow. When today is over, whatever opportunities we had for this day are over. We can’t repeat the day (although there are times I’d sure like a “do over!”)

My goal is to give my Lord “my” day, commit to His plans, and ask that I recognize the opportunities He is giving me. Sometimes I do that before I get out of bed; sometimes at my desk at the beginning of the day. I find it helps keep Him in mind and be alert to what He wants me to do. I need also to pray that I understand the difference between my manufactured busy-ness and what He wants me to do.

How about you?

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Father, thank You for giving me work to do and time to serve You. Thank You that You are in control of how much time I have. Please help me see my time has a definite end and give me a sense of urgency to do what You have for me to do. Help me see the opportunities You give me and help me make the most of them. Help me do everything, including rest, for Your glory. Help me finish the course You have set for me.

Praise I AM

God—Father, Son, Holy Spirit—has progressively revealed Himself to us. To Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, He showed Himself as God Almighty. (Exodus 6:3)

It wasn’t until Moses that He declared His name to be Yahweh, I AM.

I AM WHO I AM. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial-name to all generations.  (Exodus 3:14-15)

God further revealed Himself through Jesus. (See Hebrews 1:1-4)

Jesus is I AM

Before Abraham was born, I AM. (John 8:58)

Remember:

Jesus told us when we saw Him, we saw the Father. (John 14:9)

And the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and was sent by the Son. (John 15:26)

In Jesus, therefore, we see I AM. Jesus explained and demonstrated I AM.

I AM:

The bread of life (John 6:35)—our source of eternal life, and the food to satisfy our spiritual hunger.

The Light of the world (John 8:12; 9:5)—our illumination so we, His followers, won’t walk in darkness.

The door (John 10:7)—our way into heaven.

The Good Shepherd (John 10:11)—who laid down His life for us, His sheep.

The resurrection and the life (John 11:25)—so that through Him we, believers, will have eternal life.

The way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6)—He showed us the Truth, marked out the way, and demonstrated true life. He is how believers come to the Father.

The true vine (John 15:1)—when we abide in Him, we bear fruit.

The Great I AM

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God—Father, Son, Holy Spirit—we praise You, the great I AM. You are eternal and unchanging. We praise You for being faithfully and permanently with us. We praise You as Savior, redeeming us, and assuring us a glorious eternity with You. I can say these words, believing them, yet knowing I have only a glimpse of Your awesome being and character. Thank You that You are working in us to make us what we should be. Help us honor You with all we think, say, and do. Help us praise You, the great I AM.

See also Praise Yahweh.

Hawaii East Rift Zone
Harry Durgin Facebook

Be Holy

Like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, “You shall be holy, forI am holy.” (1 Peter 1:15–16)

The word “holy” appears nearly 700 times in the Bible. Some of them refer to the Holy One, some relate to our being holy.

Believers are holy

Children of God, those who believe in Jesus Christ and have received Him as Lord and Savior, are holy. We are saints. (See Good Morning, Saint!).

This is our position in Christ, but our behavior needs work.

Let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. (2 Corinthians 7:1)

How to Become More Holy

View God as Holy

God is holy, incomprehensibly above us, infinitely perfect. He is wholly other than us.

God is not the “Man Upstairs,” or our buddy. He is the awesome, great, all-powerful God. (See Praise the Holy One.) When men saw Him, they were terrified.

Believers have the incomprehensible privilege of being the children of God, and going to Him, our Father, with confidence. We must not forget, however, that our Father is the Holy One.

Meditate on this truth. Pray for understanding. Ask to have this truth guide your thoughts, words, and deeds.

Determine to Treat the Holy God as Holy

By those who come near Me I will be treated as holy, and before all the people I will be honored. (Leviticus 10:3)

When we sin, we do not treat God as holy.

Sin is rebellion against Almighty God. Sin is despising the word of God. (Isaiah 5:24)

Whom have you reproached and blasphemed? And against whom have you raised your voice and haughtily lifted up your eyes? Against the Holy One of Israel!(Isaiah 37:23)

Like Isaiah, we should have the attitude “Woe is me,” and seek forgiveness and cleansing. (Isaiah 6:5)

Be Conscious of His Presence

God–Father, Son, Holy Spirit–are all-knowing and all-present. Nothing we think, say or do is hidden from God.

Strive, moment by moment, to honor Him.

Resolve to behave as a child of the King.

Worship the Holy One!

Close Out the Old–Rejoice in the New

Ilove brand new notebooks, a fresh page on the calendar, a new year.

I know time is continuous, but it still feels like a fresh start. No mistakes yet!

Close Out the Old Year

Despite my eagerness to shut the door on 2018, I know I need to review the year with my Lord.

1. How did I do?
2. Do I love Him more than I did 12 months ago?
3. How is my walk with Him?
4. What did I do well?
5. Is there someone I need to forgive or ask forgiveness of?
6. Is there something I need to confess?
7. What did I learn from the trials He gave me?
8. Have I thanked Him?

Rejoice in the New Year

Once I’ve “closed out” the old year, I rejoice about how God will build on my past to give me new opportunities and trials as He makes me into the image of His Son.

He has given me the Helper, the Holy Spirit, to guide me through the year.

And, no matter what, I can rejoice because my name is recorded in heaven. (Luke 10:20)

Theme for the Year

In 2018, I had one core goal: Hallow His Name (See Hallow His Name).

As I review with the Lord how I did, I’ll ask Him how I did with that one core goal.

This year, my one core goal is:

Rejoice!

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! (Philippians 4:4)

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Happy New Year!

Christmas—the Glory of God

The glory of God is revealed in Christ, shown in a baby, manifested through His life, displayed in His crucifixion, and declared the Son of God with power by His resurrection.

At His birth, the angels praised God, saying “Glory to God in the highest.”

We are told that God showed us Himself through creation, through His various actions, through His Shekinah glory, through His prophets, and through the Old Testament.

But now, He “in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.” (Hebrews 1:2)

And Jesus Christ “is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power.”  (Hebrews 1:3)

For in Him [Christ] all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form.(Colossians 2:9)

What wonder that Almighty God chose to reveal Himself to us through His Son. Even more, that His glory is revealed in us.

God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.(Colossians 1:27)

The Old Testament is replete with prophesies about Christ (first and second coming). But it took Christmas for us to begin to see.

This Christmas, I challenge you—and me—to see God, and the glory of God, in that manger.

Hubble photo. Nasa.gov

Praise the Holy One

Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lordof hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory. (Isaiah 6:3)

Holy, holy, holy is theLord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come. (Revelation 4:8)

Holy God, Holy Father (John 17:11), Holy Lord Jesus Christ (John 6:69), Holy Spirit.

Holy

The use of “holy” with reference to God conveys His absolute distinctness and separateness. God is wholly other, wholly different than we are. He is totally morally perfect. He is infinitely above His creation. “Holy” refers to His flawless perfection.

Visions of the Holy One

A glimpse of our Holy God has a profound impact:

When Isaiah saw the Lord, he said: Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips… (Isaiah 6:5)

When Ezekiel saw the Lord, he fell on his face. (Ezekiel 1:28)

When Daniel saw the Lord: No strength was left in me, for my natural color turned to a deathly pallor, and I retained no strength. But I heard the sound of his words; and as soon as I heard the sound of his words, I fell into a deep sleep on my face, with my face to the ground. (Daniel 10:8-9)

The men who were with [Daniel] did not see the vision; nevertheless, a great dread fell on them, and they ran away to hide themselves. (Daniel 10:7)

When John saw the Lord, he fell at His feet like a dead man. (Revelation 1:17)

Our Response to His Holiness

If we understand His holiness, even a little, we have a better comprehension of our own sinfulness, and wonder at God’s incomprehensible love for us. Seeing the Holy One spurs our desire to please Him and serve Him.

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Holy God, we praise You. You are beyond our comprehension, infinitely above ourselves. We praise Your perfection, Your absolute righteousness. Help us fall at Your feet, worshipping You. Help us never be casual about You. Help us see our sinfulness in light of Your holiness. Help us seek You and strive to be holy ourselves as You commanded.

2019 Preparations

Iremember seeing a cartoon with a HUGE stack of firewood, all stacked neatly along the entire length of the house, and a man splitting yet more wood. Two people were watching him, and one said: “Will someone please tell him he is ready?”

Do you feel ready for 2019? Do you feel ready to tackle even the key issues you know about, let alone what might be coming?

Of course, we are never adequate to handle issues on our own. In fact, if we think we are adequate, we’ve proven we’re not. But if we know we’re weak in ourselves, then we can be strong in the Lord. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant.(2 Corinthians 3:5–6)

God’s Preparations

Be encouraged; God has been working on us. We are more ready now than we were a year ago. (Philippians 1:6 and 2:13)

God prepared work for us to do in 2019.

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.(Ephesians 2:10)

Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge.(2 Corinthians 5:4–5)

Our Preparation

Prepare our minds for action

Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.(1 Peter 1:13)

Walk with the Lord

Confess what needs confessing. Repent as required.

Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.(2 Timothy 2:21)

Study the Word of God

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.(2 Timothy 3:16–17)

Watch for the opportunities God gives you.

Pray

Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.(Hebrews 13:20–21)

Rejoice!

See also You are Adequate

Landscape Arch, Utah. Tamara Griffin Walking Adventures Intl

Believe God’s Love

God tells us and shows us throughout the Bible that He loves us, those who have put their trust in Jesus Christ and received Him as Lord and Savior.

We don’t always believe it.

But we should!

God’s Love Comes from Who He Is

God’s love is an attribute, something He has said is true of Himself. God’s love permeates His essential being and conditions all His does.

What God Says About His Love

God’s character is impeccable. He is holy, righteous, and almighty. He does not, and cannot lie.

See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are.  (1 John 3:1)

How God Proved His Love

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)

But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:4–6)

What God Promises

Since He knows everything and is all-powerful, a promise “merely” tells us in advance what He will do.

Nothingwill be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:39)

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one. (John 10:27–30)

Believe God!

Almighty, Holy God says He loves you. He proved He loves you. Believe God’s love!

Pray!

Paul prayed for all the saints that we might

… be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth [of His love], and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:18–19)

Let’s pray we might believe God’s love for us, and live in the light of His love.

BELIEVE GOD’s LOVE!

See When Storms Come: Will You Be Ready? Chapters 6-9 expand on these truths.

Forgiveness

Is God a Liar?

Do you ever think you don’t deserve to have God forgive you?

Perhaps you worry that something you did was so bad that, even though you confessed and repented, God wouldn’t forgive you?

Are you still agonizing over sinful events in the past that you confessed, but still haunt you?

I’ve been there.

Repeat after me:

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.(1 John 1:9)

Our part

For this verse to apply to us, we have to be children of God. That is, we have to believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and have received Him as Lord and Savior.

Then we have to confess.

Confession isn’t a throw away, casual, “I’m sorry.” Confession is agreeing with God that what we did was sinful. And sin is lawlessness, rebellion against the almighty, creator God.

God’s part

We confess to a faithful, righteous God. He is always faithful. He is always righteous.

He has promised, if we confess, to forgive us and to cleanse us.

He always keeps His promise.

But…But…

If we confess, God’s forgiveness comes from His faithfulness and His righteousness.

I think it helps to really grasp His promise when we realize He can righteously forgive us.

Christ died for us. When we believed, our status changed. We were seated with Christ in the heavenlies. Christ is in us. The Holy Spirit dwells in us.

Christ, justice, is now on our side. We are accepted in the beloved.

Is God a liar?

If we say we haven’t sinned, we make Him a liar. (1 John 1:10)

If we say we have confessed but He hasn’t forgiven us, we also make Him a liar. He promised and He always keeps His promises.

Review your worries in light of God’s faithfulness.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

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Praise to our faithful and righteous God.

Thanksgiving Prayer

Thanksgiving is a great time to be purposefully grateful.

Here is my prayer this Thanksgiving. You might want to join me… or write your own.

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Almighty God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—I am so grateful to You. I praise You for who You are, what You do, and for eternity to come. I praise Your absolute sovereignty, that You are in control of everybody and everything all the time. I praise Your holiness and righteousness, that You act with justice, and show love, mercy, and grace. Thank You for revealing some of Yourself to us, and for showing us You are infinite and beyond what we can understand.

Father, thank You for choosing me before the foundation of the world. Thank You for speaking to us through Your Son, showing us grace and truth. Thank You for sending Him to save us, giving all who believe in Him eternal life. I praise You for Christ’s resurrection, declaring with power that He is Your Son, and seating Him at Your right hand. Thank You for blessing me with every spiritual blessing, and giving me everything pertaining to life and godliness.

Lord Jesus Christ, thank You for humbling Yourself, coming here as man, and showing us the Father. Thank you for sacrificing Yourself for us, setting those who believe in You free from sin and death. Thank You for sending the Holy Spirit to dwell in us. Thank You for Your ongoing intercession for us, and that, one day, You will present us to the Father holy and blameless.

Holy Spirit, thank You for working in me to convict me of sin, leading me to confession and repentance. Thank You for dwelling in me, guiding me to all truth and helping me to resist the power of sin. Thank You for praying for me, interceding for me according to the will of God. Thank You that You sealed me for eternity, guaranteeing my eternal life.

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.(Ephesians 3:20–21)

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Happy Thanksgiving!