My Great-Uncle Gerald, who by the way is still alive, was "the preacher" most of the time at the church where I grew up in Ohio. He had a delight, as most preachers do, of telling amusing stories that pounded home his sermon points like a sledge hammer. He liked graphics in his lessons, too, in in those days of blackboards and chalk would come in and draw highly detailed and mult-colored pictures in Saturday. Then he would slide the blackboard up out of sight (as our blackboard could be raised, revealing the baptistery behind it) only to be lowered at the instant Sunday morning during the lesson where it would have the greatest effect. (Yes, there was this one day where a pair of ornery boys came in after Uncle Gerald had left and… but that’s a story for some other time!) To Uncle Gerald, it was all a matter of timing.

On one occasion, my Great-Uncle had preached a short lesson. We thought we were going to get out of services early. He was getting around to the invitation. He told a long story though, about a couple from days of old. They had decided to be married on horseback, and he went into great detail about the whole thing. The bride's maids were also on horseback, dressed in lovely gowns, and the preacher was on a special platform so he could be "on the level." The couple, actually the bride and her mother, had made extravagant plans and put much into the finery and goings of the day. Important people from round about had been invited, and the spot for the wedding was one of a gentle, grass sloped valley where the guests could take their ease on the high ground above to view the proceedings. The wedding ring was handed down from grandmother to grandchild, and had been in the bride’s family for generations. Every last detail carefully thought out, the weather was perfect, everything was just right. The bride certainly planned on getting married. She mounted, and rode down between the flowery arches to take her place. But a bee startled her horse. Before they could calm it down she was thrown, and she broke her neck and died. What a shame, we think!

Did she get married? She planned on it, she intended to, but she never made it. Sometimes we do the same. We intend to get baptized, or maybe we think about getting our life straight in the eyes of God, but we just put it off until the time is "right," until we have our lives "perfect", or some other reason. We may plan every detail. For us, too, it can all come down to a matter of timing.

Finally, consider this. As best I recall, my father once came home from work, had dinner, and we all retired to the living room. Dad brought up the subject of a new car. Mom like big Buicks, but my dad being a truant officer had to drive from place to place during the day. He wanted to get a small Ford. After a while, he convinced her that the smaller car would get better gas mileage, and that Ford made a good model. Then he suggested getting a manual transmission, which meant this would be a car that mom would have a hard time driving. Basically, it would just be "dad’s car." She was reluctant about this, but again he managed to win her over. She suggested they go looking for a car that weekend. No need, My dad then told her he’d already picked out a small Ford with a manual transmission! Mom wasn’t too pleased. She had agreed to it, but see, the way he went about it was kind of sneaky. To mom, it was all a matter of timing!

Someday, we’ll all stand before God. Everyone will know He is everything the bible says He is. (No sneaking, either, you can’t fool God.) We need to obey now, not wait until then. It’s all a matter of timing!

                                                Randy

Romans 6:15-18 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

Matthew 24:42-41 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods. But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

John 10:1 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.

Matthew 7:20-23 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.