How to redeem time

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The only day we can redeem is today (Is 49:8; Mt 6:30-33; 2 Cor 6:2), and throughout Scripture we are continually exhorted to listen to God today (Ex 17; Ps 90,95,106; 1 Cor 10:1-10; Heb 3). Every morning God lays before each of us 24 hours, 1,440 minutes, and gives us the opportunity to buy out as much of that time as we want to for eternity. Every minute we spend in fellowship, filled with the Spirit, belongs to us forever; every minute we are out of fellowship is lost.

To buy time we have to have capital; our capital is the Word of God. Everything comes to us from the Word (Mt 4:4; 2 Tm 3:16), and the Word is the only thing we will take with us from this realm into eternity (Ps 90:12).

1. Be filled with the Spirit (Eph 5:18)

2. Study (Ro 12:2; 2 Pt 3:18)

3. Apply the Word (Col 4:5; 1 Pt 2:15)

4. Endure/Wait (Is 40:31; Ro 8:18; Ja 1:2; 1 Pt 1:7; 2:19-21; 3:14-18; 4:1)

5. Pray (Eph 6:18; Heb 13:15; Ja 5:13-18)

6. Submit (Eph 5:21

7. Serve (1 Tm 4:14; 1 Cor 12:7,11; 1 Cor 13)

-- saved (bygrace@thru.faith), August 17, 2000

Answers

"If all time is eternally present, then all time is unredeemable"

T.S. Eliot

-- FutureShock (gray@matter.think), August 17, 2000.


What does the TS Eliot quote mean to you FS? I don't get it. I wonder if he said it before or after he converted to Christianity?

-- Lars (lars@indy.net), August 17, 2000.

Lars:

It has puzzled me for years. it was after he converted in a little ditty he titled "four Quartets". I am still thinking about it.

-- FutureShock (gray@matter.think), August 18, 2000.


FS--

Thanks for not understanding it either. I'd hate to think it was obvious to everyone but me. If it was in "Four Quartets", then it was after he converted.

Bygrace, what do you think Eliot meant?

-- Lars (lars@indy.net), August 18, 2000.


I don't know. It doesn't make sense to me, since God says that we can redeem time.

Bible class notes - as relates to believers in the Lord Jesus Christ:

Boundries of this world (not limited to, but including)- time, space, matter, intellect - these are the limitations of our life - Job 14:5; Acts 17. God has established boundries that we don't have the power to surpass. These keep us within the field, within the paddock of human limitations. But it's not God's intention that you stay there. He intends that, somewhere along the line, you enter another plane. Instead of being limited by time, we are to start living for eternity. Instead of being limited by space, God has made provisions for us to go into the past and learn Bible principles, to make it come alive again today. Purpose of Bible study is to take advantage of that which the Lord has already done, and make it live again for us today. We can have impact by prayer; we are delivered from space to infinity. The fact of matter is overcome by living in the realm of the Spirit. The body has limitations, but when you enter into the "by faith" lifestyle, suddenly you're acting and thinking and moving in a realm far removed from this body. Our thoughts, actions, motives, intents, and prayers begin to spread out into a realm that we cannot even comprehend the end of what is going to happen as a result of it. Our intellect is overwhelmed and overcome by what the Word of God calls divine wisdom - the wisdom of God - Heb 11

-- (bygrace@thru.faith), August 18, 2000.



have=entered the kingdom?

-- al-d. (dogs@zianet.com), August 18, 2000.

God says that we can redeem time

Did you hear God say that? Oh wait, you must mean you think He was speaking through someone else. Couldn't He have been speaking through T.S. Eliot when T.S. said, "If all time is eternally present, then all time is unredeemable"?

-- saved (byquestioning@corrupt.institution), August 18, 2000.


Devotional - Redeeming Time

Today's Verse: Eph 5:16

Things to do to improve your time.

1. Improve your use of time without delay. The more time you delay in improving your time the more time you lose. This is sure evidence that you are out of your mind. Don't think that you will begin to improve your time next week or at the first of the year, do it now. Such was the statement by the Psalmist in 119:60,

"I made haste, and delayed not to keep your commandments".

2. Be careful to improve the parts of time that are most precious. It is true that all time is precious, but there is a distinction between holy time and common time. When you attend worship do not be careless about how you attend or inattentive and be sure not to let your imagination run wild.

Isaiah 55:6, "Seek the Lord while he may be found, and call upon him while he is near." How foolish are we when we waste our time, but how much foolish we are when we do not take advantage of the seasons of refreshing that are for our spiritual well being.

3. Improve leisure time. Many people have a lot of time off. This time can be used to the greatest advantage to those who have it. We must be careful how this time is used because we will have to give an account to God for how we spent it. Amusements that accomplish nothing are the exact opposite of using time wisely.

We need to improve every talent and every opportunity to our greatest advantage while we still have time. Remember that some day these words will be said,

"And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven, and swore by him that lives for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that are in it, and the earth and the things that are in it, and the sea, and the things that are in it, That there should be time no more." Rev 10: 5, 6

Some questions to ask and reflections on time that is past.

1.What can you show of any improvement made of good done, or benefit obtained, answerable to all the time that you have lived? 2.If God, who has given you your time, should now call you to an account, what account could you give to him?

3.What has become of all your time? Has your time been all in vain? Would it have been better for you if all this time you had been asleep?

If talking about using time wisely will not get us to use our time to our advantage, there is one thing that will, experience. Experience always convinces us of the preciousness of time. Experience is the great educator and eye-opener. And yet when we learn this way it is often too late to do us any good.

-- (Church_Lady@church.chat), August 18, 2000.


I don't intend to account to god or anyone else for how I spend my time.

"What is this life if full of care, we have no time to stand and stare.

No time to stand beneath the boughs and stare as long as sheep and cows.

No time to see in broad daylight, streams full of stars, like skies at night."

From a poem from W. H. Davies--there's more but that's all I can remember.

-- gilda (jess@listbot.com), August 18, 2000.


thanks church lady!

-- (bygrace@thru.faith), August 18, 2000.


Sounds goddamn Godly to me Gilda.

-- (lars@indy.net), August 19, 2000.

The more I think about it, the more I pray about it, the older and more farty I get, all I ever come up with is that I am here by no action of my own. Somehow, I acquired this life. So I figger the main thing is to honor this gift of life by living it, living it well and full and morally but first and foremost by LIVING. I just spent two hours watching the movie "Blue Velvet". Watched it alone. Not a bad show; I like Dennis Hopper. Drank a few beers. Were those two hours redemptive? Kinda doubt it.

Even were we to live 1000 years, it's still a piss in the ocean of time. What's the point if this is all there is? That's what bums my butt.

-- Lars (lars@indy.net), August 19, 2000.


Does there have to be a point Lars? I don't think so. For me it's just enough to have had the experience, bad times and all, of being here and seeing and living all the wonders of this world.

I feel that if I live lightly on the earth, try and harm no living creature, and as you say, "honor it by living," that will have to do.

-- gilda (jess@listbot.com), August 21, 2000.


But, what if it isnt just enought to live right, and do right, and harm nobody? Lars, it IS just a piss in the ocean of time IF then, you believe in an eternity, correct?

I view life as 'eternities dressing room', I do believe in a hereafter. IF this was all there is, IMHO, pass the booze and call it a lifetime.

I've seen many things in my short 38 yrs, and endured some very sad circumstances, some as you know, right now with my son. I have to be honest, I couldnt endure IF this is all there was in my own mind.

I try not to 'think about lifes painful experiences, and 'try' to focus on the beauty to be captured in a crackling fire, laughter of a grandchild, etc, sometimes it even works :-)

Gilda, you were undoubtly hurt, that is so sad, many of 'us' have been hurt and confused in church settings, but I try to push past that, and still gently love God in my heart and mind because I do believe He is real and He LOVES ALL of us.

This was a nice thread, thanks church lady and grace, you both are imho good examples of 'spreading GOOD tidings' I've seen in a VERY long time.

xoxo,sumer

-- consumer (shh@aol.com), August 21, 2000.


Lars you said: "Somehow, I acquired this life. So I figger the main thing is to honor this gift of life by living it, living it well and full and morally but first and foremost by LIVING."

That mindset, IMO, is what all the religions are really meant for. Teach ethics and morals and promote order and well-being in society. I'm not talking about the power-greedy and control-freak religious leaders or religions.

"I just spent two hours watching the movie "Blue Velvet". Watched it alone. Not a bad show; I like Dennis Hopper. Drank a few beers. Were those two hours redemptive? Kinda doubt it."

Maybe not "redemtive", but certainly rejuvenative. Heal your body and mind first, before attempting to serve and/or attempting to heal anyone else.

Consumer said: "I view life as 'eternities dressing room', I do believe in a hereafter. IF this was all there is, IMHO, pass the booze and call it a lifetime."

And this statement, IMO, is why religions are so needed for poeple who think and feel this way. They can't manage their bodies and minds themselves, so they need leaders to do it for them.

-- (honor@thyself.first), August 22, 2000.



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