Dear brethren,

God has made incredible promises to us, and we can be assured He has called us to salvation at the very best possible time for each of us individually.  The cards are stacked in our favor to be born into the family of God as spirit-composed beings who will dwell with God the Father and Jesus Christ for eternity.

All has been prepared for us.  Jesus Christ gave His life for His future brothers and sisters who will join the family as new members.

God looks with great anticipation to the time of the arrival of His future spirit-born children.  Even the entire universe yearns for the arrival of the firstborn.  (Rom 8:21-28)

All of us make mistakes and fall down, but if we love God and sincerely pursue the Kingdom God, He will make all things work to the good for His called children. (Rom. 8:26-28, Matt. 6:33)    

However, please know, time has not made guarantees to anyone of us.  The tendency of human nature is to act like a college student who waits to prepare for a class exam, and delays until the night before, and then crams for the test.

We are dealing with eternal matters.  This behooves us to not play the game of hypocrisy. Our time in this physical life is limited.  From the day we are called none of us knows how long we have except God.  Time and chance occurs every day in the world as a warning to all of us. 

"And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. 13 But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. 14 Therefore He says: "Awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.  15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil." (Eph. 6:11-16)

God has made no promise that time will serve us.  If death teaches us anything, it instructs us the human life we are given is brief. It is like the grass of the field which grows green and high, but when the summer heat beats on it, it withers and dies. 

When God forgives of our sins and quickens us from the condition of death, we have precious little time to jettison our carnal nature and build through God's Holy Spirit holy righteous character.

We are admonished not to lean on our own understanding, but trust God. (Prov. 3:5) Above all, we are commanded to guard our hearts and our minds from the ways of this world.  (Prov. 4:23)

Solomon was inspired to write, "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going." (Eccl. 9:10)

God has called us to give us salvation, His marvelous gift!  (Rom. 6:23).  God has called us to do good works, yet no amount of charitable work we do can earn eternal life.

One thing comes to my mind, whenever I of think about the time when I faced serious health issues:  God gives each of us a course of life, and there are only so many days to work, to gain knowledge and apply it in our personal lives.  Our reward in the future Kingdom will be based on not what we hoped to do, but what we did, and being profitable servants to our God. (Lk. 17:10) 

Hopefully, when the time of the resurrection comes, God will say to each of us, "'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord." (Matt. 25:23)

We pray each of us will hear these wonderful words from Our Great God!                                                                                        

Have a delightful and happy Sabbath and weekend!

Your brother in Christ,                                                                            

Jim Tuck