It's Fall and Winter's Coming

There will be some more hot days, but summer is officially over.  It's fall 

and leaves are changing colors and trees are dropping their leaves. Winter

is just around the corner.

It was about this time of year in the first century when Paul the Apostle

wrote his last letter to his young Christian friend, Timothy.  Paul was in

prison in Rome.  Timothy was in Ephesus where he was the pastor of the

Ephesian Church.  Paul stated that he was "now ready to be offered and the

time of my departure is at hand." (II Timothy 4:6) Paul desired that Timothy

would come soon and bring some things he needed: his cloak, his books and

his parchments.  Soon there would be no sea-going ship of that day able to

make the voyage across where the Aegean, Mediterranean and Adriatic seas

come together, the very course that Timothy would have to travel.  The late

fall and winter storms would prohibit travel until next spring.  In II

Timothy 4:9 Paul says, "Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me."  Then in

verse 21 of the same chapter the old apostle says to his young son in the

faith, "Do thy diligence to come before winter."  There was an urgency in

Paul's appeal.  If you are coming to assist me, come now.  Soon it will be

too late.

The message I hear in this is that if one is going to prepare for heaven, he

must do it now.  We have kind words we need to say to perhaps someone we

have offended.  Do it now.  Forgive someone today.  There is a word of

encouragement someone needs to hear from us.  Do it now.  God calls young

and old alike to do His work.  If you put off making that surrender of your 

life to Him, before you know it, it will be too late.