Time Management #2829

35 Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed. 36 And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him. 37 When they found Him, they said to Him, “Everyone is looking for You.” 38 But He said to them, “Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth.” 39 And He was preaching in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and casting out demons (Mark 1:35–39, NKJV).

There were great demands on Jesus’s time. He came to the world to preach “the gospel of the kingdom of God” (Mark 1:38, 14-15). People gathered around Jesus to hear His teachings and be healed (Luke 5:15). His apostles needed personal training before going into the world to preach the gospel, so He taught them privately (Luke 9:10). Religious opponents pressed against Him to undermine Him and His work (Luke 11:53-54). He saw long days and short nights. Yet, Jesus took personal time for prayer and meditation (Mark 1:35; Luke 5:16; Matt. 14:13). He managed His time effectively, even when everyone was looking for Him. He set and kept priorities for how He used His time (in Mark 1:38, Jesus chose to go to “the next towns” to preach even as people searched for Him in Capernaum, Mark 1:21-34). We all have demands on our time as parents, children, employers, employees, etc. Like Jesus, remember your faith priorities each day without distraction. Take time to pray, read God’s word, meditate, and serve others (1 Tim. 4:13, 15). “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness… (Matt. 6:33).” Redeem your time with wisdom and faith (Eph. 5:15-17).

“O Wretched Man That I Am!” #2302

24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin (Romans 7:24–25, NKJV).

In Romans 7:14-25, the apostle Paul uses himself to portray the person who is under law, under sin. He is lost, outside of Christ, being ruled by sin. His spiritual condition is “wretched” (miserable, afflicted, impure). He is shrouded in spiritual death as he serves sin (Rom. 7:24; 6:16, 23). This condition describes every person lost and outside of Christ (Rom. 3:23). Who can rescue the wretched person from the bondage of sin’s rule and the death it brings? (1) The sinner cannot save himself. He is dead because of his sin (Rom. 7:9). (2) Another sinner cannot save a sinner. Both are guilty before God and worthy of death (Rom. 6:23). (3) The law of God that the sinner violated cannot save him. It indicts and convicts him as guilty (Rom. 7:13-14; 3:19-20). (4) More sin will not save the sinner. Giving in to sin only increases guilt, imprisoning the soul in evil (Rom. 7:14-21). (5) Only Jesus Christ our Lord can deliver us from the body of death caused by sin (Rom. 7:25; 5:6-11; Acts 4:12). We escape sin’s condemnation and obtain life in Christ by choosing not to “walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit” (Rom. 8:1-2). Christ’s gospel is God’s power to save the wretched soul from sin’s guilt, pain, and death (Rom. 1:16-17). The gospel calls us to believe, repent, and be baptized into Christ to escape the misery and eternal death caused by sin (Rom. 6:3-11; Heb. 5:9).

Perilous Times #1745

1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! (2 Timothy 3:1–5, NKJV)

The apostle warned of perilous times (seasons of particular fierceness) against godliness and righteousness. These stressful times are identifiable by the character and conduct of harsh, ferocious, even savage people, who cast off the moral restraints of divine truth. There can be little debate that we live in such a time. Love for God and for one’s fellow man is easily abandoned for selfish indulgence. Brutality is minimized, and at times protected as legitimate expressions of free speech, even as voices of faith and reason are silenced by intimidation, threats, and violence. What are the righteous to do? Paul did not tell Timothy to compromise with such people, he told him to avoid them! Do not join them in their appearances of godliness. Rather than trusting the arm of flesh, we must rely on the power of God during such “evil days” by redeeming our time and putting on the whole armor of God (Eph. 5:16; 6:13-17). With patient endurance, we will stand solidly in the power of God’s truth, and share in the victory of faith (1 Jno. 5:4).

Turn Us Back to You, O Lord #670

15  The joy of our heart has ceased; Our dance has turned into mourning. 16  The crown has fallen from our head. Woe to us, for we have sinned!… 21  Turn us back to You, O Lord, and we will be restored; Renew our days as of old, 22  unless You have utterly rejected us, and are very angry with us! (Lamentations 5:15-16, 21-22, NKJV)

The Lamentations is a woeful, sorrowful book; the funeral dirge of Jerusalem, afflicted by the Lord “because of the multitude of her transgressions” (Lam. 1:5). No longer did she take joy in her sinful excesses. Now, all that remained was the painful sorrow and shame of sin. Yet, the Lord would turn their tragedy into triumph. He had not utterly rejected them in His anger. His mercy would reclaim a remnant and return them from Babylonian exile. He had even greater plans than that, for out of the remnant He would bring the “Root of Jesse” (Christ Jesus) and raise Him up as an banner for all to rally around for redemption (Isa. 11:10). Is there sin in your life? If so, acknowledge your sin with a repentant heart, repudiate it and turn back to the Lord. He will redeem your soul and refresh you with the joy of salvation (Acts 3:19).