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26His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant. . . . 30And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Mat 25:) 24Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. (1Cor 9:)
In other words; like a Soldier at war, or an Athlete competing in the Olympics, we are to press ourselves to the limit and dedicate every part of our time and our energies and our heart toward that which is most important to us. (Phil 3:11-14) If you do not choose to be a dedicated Warrior, and if you are not prepared to die for the cause and your goal - you don't join the Army. If you are not prepared to press yourself to the very limits of your ability, and take the chance of not gaining the Winner's Crown, that is of suffering the disgrace of being a loser, than you had best not enter the competition. Jesus expressed it this way 26If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. 27And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. 28For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it: 29lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.' (Luke 14:) And 24Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. 26But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall." (Mat 7:)
Isn't Technology great? You can Wing your way to Heaven without having to lift a finger these days. I wonder why Jesus didn't think of this?
"NO TIME"
Up until the middle of the last century (1950), and still in some areas of this country, and in many others countries, time was available for the important things. Fields had to be plowed by hand, cows had to be milked, water had to be carried in from a well, (not to mention the outhouse in winter). Wherever a person traveled, which was often long distances, like town or school, they had to walk unless they had a horse or camel. If you wanted a fire in order to keep warm or to cook a meal, you had to cut down a tree and chop it into firewood.
And the list goes on. But these people still took time to eat together, sing together, and help one another out when there was a need. They sat around the fire and told stories, played table games and shared their lives with one another. People made it a point to read the Bible and attend church (where churches were far away and had to be reached by buggy or foot, and Bibles were expensive).
Time is taken up with needful things like sports, the Rose Bowl, the bar and parties, hanging out at the mall, and other such necessities of life. And should a moment or two be found, it is absorbed with important things like TV, the news, or the computer. Very little time is left for such luxuries as Family, Spouse and Children and the things we all know that if there was time to be found, we would certainly spend it with those we "love." And down at the bottom of the list we have the most important of all; that is, that which we would most dearly love to do - if we only had the time -- Read the Bible, and Pray, and especially do that which God desires us to do.
Lucky you!
We are told that God is Love, that He is a Santa Clause, that He is just sitting on a cloud waiting for the day He can rapture all the fine Couch Potato Christians into Heaven where He can enjoy their company forever as they sit on a cloud and play a harp all day.
"Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we may die." Doesn't the Bible say to do this? Yes it does. Let's take a look at that Scripture;
Next come those things that relaxes us, that prepares us for our next day of work and eating and drinking and making merry. Then come those things that we would like to do, if only there were more hours in the day; that is - family. And lastly, the things we probably should do, that is, they seem important, but the preacher doesn't stress them too much, and besides, who really cares or notices if we do them anyway. After all, don't you usually snap off a quick prayer (once in a while) at mealtime; and go to church, when there isn't a good game on TV or if the weather isn't too good, or too bad, or if there is weather at all? After all, what more could God expect of such a fine person as yourself?
Does that sound fair? Then, as if there would be any time or energy left, He seems to think we should dedicate it to our family ! He even seems to think we should think of them before ourselves, to do what they want instead of what we want. After all this, if there is any time or energy left, we might get a little time for ourself. As if ! And all of this to gain what? Just Heaven? Just Eternal Life? Just to be rescued from a Pit of Fire? Absurd. It's far easier, and more reasonable to just listen to and believe what the preacher tells us instead of what God might have to say. After all, look at the success others have had listening to what their preacher said, like Jim Jones and David Keresh. Not only that but look at the other fine organizations that have published books that supercede or overshadow the Bible; they seem to be growing by leaps and bounds; so surely they must have the "truth."
We can just continue to lay on our sofa, watch church on TV, and read books telling us how wonderful we are just as we are, and how we can have anything we want, just by investing in those books and TV programs.
REFERENCES
24Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. 25And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. 26I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: 27But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. (1Cor 9:) 3Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. (2Tim 2:) 11If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. 12Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. 13Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (Phil 3:) 10Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; (Eph 6:)
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