What do You Do in Your Time of Rest?
August 21, 2017
Pastor David S. Rogol
There are some logs sitting at the end of my driveway. The trees were cut down in the Spring. If I continue to procrastinate then the freezing rain and snow will eventually make them impossible to split and stack. The time to prepare the wood for winter is to do it now while they're resting under clear skies and fair days.
After the salvation of the Apostle Paul on the road to Damascus, the Bible reports of another type of restful, fair weathered days, “Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied” (Acts 9:31). The reason why they experienced a time of rest was because Saul was no longer the zealous persecutor of the believers.
During the restful times, the church didn't just sit back, enjoy worldly pleasures and ignore God. They didn't say to themselves, “now that we’re safe, let's go do whatever we want.” Neither did they become lazy, neglecting the assembling of themselves together. They used the time to grow closer to God, building up themselves and other believers. They revered God, viewed Him with great respect and awe. They were comforted by the Holy Spirit and increased in numbers.
Today, we have no familiarity with true persecution. We are in a time of rest. We gather lawfully and peacefully to worship our Lord and Savior. So Christian, how are you using your time? Are you choosing laziness, worldliness, or Godliness?
Pastor David S. Rogol
There are some logs sitting at the end of my driveway. The trees were cut down in the Spring. If I continue to procrastinate then the freezing rain and snow will eventually make them impossible to split and stack. The time to prepare the wood for winter is to do it now while they're resting under clear skies and fair days.
After the salvation of the Apostle Paul on the road to Damascus, the Bible reports of another type of restful, fair weathered days, “Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied” (Acts 9:31). The reason why they experienced a time of rest was because Saul was no longer the zealous persecutor of the believers.
During the restful times, the church didn't just sit back, enjoy worldly pleasures and ignore God. They didn't say to themselves, “now that we’re safe, let's go do whatever we want.” Neither did they become lazy, neglecting the assembling of themselves together. They used the time to grow closer to God, building up themselves and other believers. They revered God, viewed Him with great respect and awe. They were comforted by the Holy Spirit and increased in numbers.
Today, we have no familiarity with true persecution. We are in a time of rest. We gather lawfully and peacefully to worship our Lord and Savior. So Christian, how are you using your time? Are you choosing laziness, worldliness, or Godliness?