O CANADA!

Lord willing, we will be flying to Calgary, Canada this Wednesday, August 11, on a 6 AM flight. The blessing is Ruth and Andrew are traveling too and we are excited about reconnecting with family and  friends while invited to preach at two churches on Sunday, August 15! Andrew Lincoln just turned a year and a half on July 20, 2010 and he has already flown to Dallas, TX and Orlando, FL and now out of the country! His official passport just came in late last week and basketball legend Meadowlark Lemon would be proud and Andrew is already a “Globe-trotter!” If the Lord tarries perhaps he will either be a special agent or an evangelist because our baby loves to fly!!  His passport picture is too cute and he looks like a little 007.

We have heard that Canada is gorgeous and we’re honored and humbled to visit. PRAY that it will be a time of renewal and refreshing for all and we long to see REVIVAL break out during the services overseas because people need the Lord.  Time sure does fly and the older I get I am mindful of the Bible’s admonishment to “Redeem the time.”  In the movie, “ROCKY II”  (my all-time favorite of the ROCKY movies) Balboa took his bride, Adrian shopping. He loved black. He adorned a black satin jacket with a Tiger on the back, black pants, black shoes, black gloves and topped it off with a black fadora (hat). Rocky pulls up in his NEW black Pontiac Trans-Am (made popular by the recent “SMOKEY & THE BANDIT” movie) and enters a fine jewelry store and buys a couple Rolex watches. For a guy who had a hard time reading he could sure tell time.  In his classic, slurred speech the Italian Stallion says: “Yo, if you want to have a “good time” then you need to have a nice watch.”

The fact is time is fleeting and that’s NO JOKE!  Rolex and Breitling are all wonderful examples of quality time pieces but a poor contraption to tell time. Personally, the sun dial is first class. Why? For starters, it points Heaven-ward all day towards the Sun reminding all WHAT TIME IS IT?  Its JESUS time and folks we are all on borrowed time. Tomorrow is not certain, yesterday is gone and today is a gift  – maybe that is why its called the PRESENT. The Bible says “life is but a vapor.” Like the sundial, ponder this – Wouldn’t it be grand to live a life so close to the Lord that not only could a dark society in sin see His Light in our lives or smell the aroma of the Almighty on our attire and attitude but better yet that folks could sense that time is short regarding the Second Coming of Christ by the way we walk and talk.

Perhaps the best out of all to depict time is the hour glass similar to the one on the soap opera “Days of Our Lives.” How? It reminds the young and old, rich or poor, black or white, atheist or believer that time will eventually one day RUN OUT. Time is our most precious commodity. A friend shared with me of a famous athlete whom has hundreds of millions of dollars, dozens of homes, couple exotic cars and a jet to take him anywhere, anytime on a moment’s notice. The individual was actually depressed because despite a personal plane with a pilot to boot he couldn’t enjoy it like he daydreamed because regardless of his wealth he had such little time. He couldn’t be at two places at once and he always thought (feared) that he was missing out on something. The truth is we all exist in this minute margin and wonderful window called “TIME” but we are uncertain when our life expires, game is over and time is up.

Over 20 years ago, I read a powerful poem that helped me see the value of time.  It noted: “If you don’t think a DECADE has value – talk to the American POW who was shackled in a concentration camp for 10 years. If you don’t think one YEAR has value – interview the student who failed his/her class only to spend another year making the grade. If you don’t think a MONTH has value contemplate the woman who gave birth to a premature baby. If you don’t think a WEEK has value consider Christ who at Palm Sunday was HAILED King and seven days later nailed to a cross. Crowds can be fickle. If you don’t think a DAY has value speak to the editor of your hometown newspaper. In case you missed the memo – life happens at warp speed!  If you don’t think an HOUR has value ponder the prisoner incarcerated and only allowed a brief visitor periodically or a walk outside in the sun without confinement of a small cell. If you don’t think a MINUTE has value interview the businessman who missed the last train of the evening only to wait till morning for another ride.  If you don’t think a SECOND has value then interview a senior citizen who just survived a near fatal automobile accident. If you don’t think 100th of a SECOND has value ponder the silver medalist in a recent Olympics. Lastly, if you don’t think that Christ’s death on Calvary’s cruel cross on our behalf has value than contemplate the fate of the individual who died without Jesus as Savior and burning forever in the flames of Hell. Not glamarous but the Gospel Truth.

Today and every day may we commit ourselves anew to God to savor each moment, stop and smell the roses, value those close to us, don’t sweat the small stuff and remember the big picture. Heaven is real and Hell is hot and may we not waste our time but invest it in honoring God, serving others and expanding the Kingdom of Heaven. Yes, I am excited to travel to Canada and we appreciate your prayers. But our desire is more than travel and pass time but love God, love each other and lead the lost to our Lord while we still have time.