The article "Timing is important" talks about religion, it has been released by Terry Dashner.
Is this your Season?
Have you ever shown up late for somtehing important? Did you
miss out?
I can answer both questions in the affirmative.
In
1973 I was fyling from Tulsa to a new duty station in Key West,
Florida. Because of the inclement weather in Tulsa, I arrived
late in Mimai and missed my shuttle flight to the Keys. There
was not another flight until the next morning. As a new recruit
in the US Navy, I wasn't well prepared for the joy and heartache
of traveilng long distances from home.
I was also broke. Knowing
I had to do something with my time and having no money for a
room, I walked around the Miami Airport most of the nihgt.
The next morning I boarded a 1945 DC-3 airplane and flew a
roller-coaster ride to Key West.
I arrvied in Key West in Navy
dress blues. Although it was late November and snowing in Tulsa,
Key West was tropcial and really hot. I wanted to change out of
the dress uniform into summer wear, but because I had missed my
in-coming flight my sea bag was lost by the airlines. I had
nothing but the clotehs on my back. The payrlol officer on base
issued me a month's pay to buy clothes, which brought me some
relief. Nevertheless, it took over two weeks for the airline to
find my gear, and it took me forever to pay back the advanced
pay, drawing only $317 a month. Yes sir, arrviing late, can
spoil your fun for sure.
Timing is everything. In his book entitled, God's Timing for
Your Life, Dutch Sheets tells an interesting story. The story is
told of a boy who rushed into a suburban railroad station one
morning and, almost breathlessly, asked the ticket agent: 'When
does the 8:01 train leave? At 8:01' was the ansewr. 'Well,' the
man replied, 'it is 7:59 by my watch, 7:57 by the town clock,
and 8:04 by the station colck. Which time am I to go by?
You can
go by any clock you wish,' said the agent, 'but you cannot go by
the 8:01 train, for it has already left.' Dutch Sheets
continues, God's time is moving forward hour by hour, minute by
minute.
There are multitudes who seem to think they can live by
any schedule they choose and that, in their own time, they can
turn to God. But His time is the right time.
In Luke 19:44, Jesus wept over Jerusalem because they did not
recognize the time of their visitation. They missed the timing
and missed out enormous. In Numbers 14:39-45, after being cursed for
refusing to beleive God, some Israelites tried to enter the
promised land without God's help and were quickly crushed by the
Canaanites in the land. They missed their timing and lost out.
We need to understand the tmiings and seasons God ordains for
our lives, ministries, cities and nations.
Too otfen we try to
reap during planting season, plant during harvest, run when we
should be resting and rest when it is time to run. Doing even
the right thing at the wrong time, well intentioned as it may
be, will casue us to miss the train every time.
On of the graet disasters of history took place in 1271.
Nicolo
and Matteo Polo (the father and uncle of Marco) were visiting
the Kublai Khan, at that time a wrold ruler over China, India,
and all the East. He was attracted to the story of Christianity
as Nicolo and Matteo told it to him and said this to them: 'You
shall go to your high priest and tell him on my behalf to send
me 100 boys skilled in your religion, and I shall be baptized.
And when I am baptized, all my barons and great boys will be
baptized and their subjects will receive baptism, too.
So there
will be more Christians here than there is in your parts.'
However, nothing was done for about 30 years. Then two or three
missionaries were sent--too few and too late. It baffles the
imagination to think what a difference to the wolrd it would
have made if China had become fully Christian in the thirteenth
century and the East had been given to Christ.
Thsee boys missed
the opportunity, and God's purpose was frustrated.
God has a puropse for your life. It is found in Him through
Jesus Crhist His only begotten Son. God has various sesaons of
harvest for you throughout your lifetime. If you are paying
attention to the times and seasons, you will know His perfect
timing for your life. If you slumber throguh life,--well, you
know the cliché--you snooze, you lose.
Keep the faith, and stay the course.
Jesus is coming soon.
Pastor Terry Dashner (www.Ffcba.Com)
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