Delay

“I have been shown that the most signal victories and the most fearful defeats have been on the turn of minutes.” 3T,p.497.

Upon coming to Australia a year and a half ago, there is one character trait common among the general population that was particularly annoying to our family at first. It was that no one seemed to have any worries about getting things done on time. If things didn’t get done today then they would get done tomorrow and if not tomorrow, then the next day. There was no rush to get anything done. The country seems to continue on in its leisurely pace.

Why worry? Enjoy life and relax a little – tomorrow is another day.
We found this true also in the people’s spiritual condition. When canvassing and meeting people, often they are very friendly and don’t mind having a religious conversation, but when asked to make a commitment…? Then come the excuses and there is very little interest in having Bible Studies or making any further commitment spiritually. They are, “rich and increased with goods and in need of nothing.”

There is a definite danger with these types of people who see that: life is good, we have peace in our country, how could anything ever disturb our peace? Yet something will, Paul wrote, “For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.” 1 Thess. 5:3.

Jesus will come suddenly to wake them out of their lethargy, but unfortunately for most, it will be too late to do anything about it then. They will make concerted, untiring efforts to make up for lost time, spiritually, but to no avail. “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land. not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord: And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it.” Amos. 8:11,12. Truly, to be lacking in this spiritual famine is
far worse than lacking food in a physical famine.

Is there also danger of delay amongst God’s people today? If we read the parable of the 10 virgins in Matthew 25, what do we find the virgins doing when the bridegroom comes? They were all sleeping. Is there danger that some in God’s church are sleeping and delaying in their preparation for this final event? There most certainly is. Delay can be deadly. Delay can be done by individuals who feel there is not such an urgent need to prepare for the final events, just yet. The church, as a whole, can also be guilty of delay, thus hindering and delaying the Second Coming of Christ.

THE CHURCH

When Peter was praying on the housetop in Joppa in the house of Simon the Tanner, he saw a vision of unclean beasts (Acts 10: 9-16).

Upon waking up and contemplating the meaning of the vision, several men came to the door of the house.
They were Gentiles, sent by Cornelius to ask for Peter. An angel had told Cornelius to send for Peter to come and preach the gospel to him. Peter understood the vision when the men came to the door. He had the men come in and spend the night. The very next day he left with several brethren from Joppa to do the Lord’s bidding. Peter could have reasoned with himself and the others that it would not be proper to go until they called a committee meeting first, discussed the need and bring to light the new mission of bringing the gospel to the Gentiles. They could have gone on to discuss what would
happen to the Jewish believers who were not completely free from their prejudice. They could have voted on who would be the best men to accompany Peter on this trip. Many issues they could have discussed and the whole process could have been delayed by months. However, the time was right. Peter followed the leading of the Holy Spirit and didn’t even let these questions arise in his mind. He just went, leaving the results in the hands of the Lord. He saw that there must be no delay at this point.

“Sometimes various ways and purposes, different modes of operation in connection with the work of God, are about evenly balanced in the mind; but it is at this very point that the nicest discrimination is necessary. And if anything is accomplished to the purpose it must be done at the golden moment. The slightest inclination of the weight in the balance should be seen and should determine the matter at once. Long delays tire the angels.

It is even more excusable to make a wrong decision sometimes than to be continually in a wavering position, to be hesitating, sometimes inclined in one direction, then in another. More perplexity and wretchedness result from thus hesitating and doubting than from sometimes moving too hastily.” 3T, p. 497.

“God wants men connected with His work. . whose judgement is at hand, whose minds, when it is necessary, will act like the lightnings. The greatest promptness is positively necessary in the hour of peril and danger. Every plan may be well laid to accomplish certain results, and yet a delay of a very short time may leave things to assume an entirely different shape, and the great objects which might have been gained are lost through lack of quick foresight and prompt dispatch.” 3T, p. 498.

When there is war in the land, the armies are very prompt in making their decisions. They know that delay can lead to defeat. “In the warfare and battles of nations there is often more gained by good management in prompt action than in earnest, dead encounter with the enemy.” 3T, p. 499. How much more do we have to be prompt and ready for action in the Lord’s army.

“To defer work which needs immediate attention until a more convenient time is a mistake and results in loss. The work of repairing sometimes amounts to double what it would had it received attention in season. Many fearful losses and fatal accidents have occurred by putting off matters which should have received immediate attention. The season for action is spent in hesitancy, thinking that tomorrow will do; but tomorrow is frequently found to be too late.” 4T, p. 452,453.

May God help us to not defer any work that we see needing immediate attention in our churches.

THE INDIVIDUAL

What did Paul mean when he said, “Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts”? Heb. 3:15. I am reminded of the story of Dwight L. Moody in one sermon he preached in Chicago. He was talking about not delaying in the matter of giving your heart to the Lord. He told the people in his audience that he would return and preach in one week and they should think about surrendering to Christ during the week and the next week he would pray with those who had decided to commit their lives to the Lord. The very next day the Chicago fire occurred and many who were present at the meeting lost their lives. Moody had a difficult time forgiving himself for that sermon. In the future, he always preached, “Today” give your heart to the Lord. Don’t delay because you are not promised tomorrow.

I remember a young Spanish lady in the Toronto church named Lucy. She was brought up in the home of a church member and taught the ways of the truth. However when she was old enough, and when the opportunity arose, she decided to leave the home and also she left the faith. She did not disbelieve the truth, but she did not want to live the truth, just yet. She wanted to enjoy some of the things of the world first. Sad to say that Lucy never had that opportunity to return to the Lord. She died in a car accident not long afterwards. Her delay cost her not only this iii’e, but also her eternal life.

It is never safe to delay in giving your life to the Lord because you never know how long your life will last.
When I was growing up in the faith, I encountered other young people who were slow of heart to make their commitment to follow the Lord. I remember one young man particularly. He told me that he did not want to join the church until he was in his early 20’s because he wanted to enjoy life a little first. What was his view of Christianity? It was not a happy view – rather it was a view that following Christ was a yoke of bondage, with which he did not want to chain himself with just yet. He was attracted by the glamour of the world that Satan presents to every young person. Where is this man today? He is very far from the Lord and has no desire for anything that has to do with religion. This young man did not understand the freedom there is in Christ. ‘Perhaps Christianity may look like a yoke from the outside, but until you try it, you will never know. Jesus said, ” O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.” Psalm 34:8. Try taking Jesus into your heart and see if it is not true, that He can bring true peace and happiness. Try following His example in baptism and see if He is true to His word in giving you a greater abundance of peace and happiness. He will not disappoint you.

David knew the danger of delay. In Psalm 119:60 we read, “I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments.” It is very important that we also do not delay. Another deadly delay is in the paying of your tithes and offerings. Jesus says, “Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.” Malachi 3:8,9. The nation of Israel was cursed because they did not pay their tithes. How can we expect God to hear our prayers if we are stealing and breaking the 8th commandment? “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.” Ps 66:18.

There is no getting around it, if you do not pay your tithes you are stealing. I have heard all kinds of excuses but none are good enough for God. They won’t hold any weight in the judgement. If you feel you do not have enough money to pay tithe, you are cursed by God, because you did not step out by faith and pay it in the first place. What about promising to pay in the future – delaying the payment until some future date?

Why have God’s curse on you today and continually until the day comes when you decide to return to God that which you stole from Him? Why not have His blessing upon you today? The angels of God sometimes wonder at the mentality of human beings when God has so many blessings to offer us but we lack the faith to accept them. By our stubbornness we are separating from God because we don’t want to use the tools He has given to us for success. It sounds ridiculous when you think about it. In the first place it was our own fault that the curse was brought and then we blame God and cry out to Him for help, when He told us how to avoid the curse in the first place. God has shown us the way; when you get your money, pay your tithes first – then He has promised to help us pay the rest of our bills. What could be easier?

Sadly, some choose to delay the payment or they try to do things backwards by attempting to pay their bills first, hoping that there will be enough money in the end to pay tithes – there won’t be unless you pay God first. Therefore they are under God’s curse. I would shudder to be under God’s curse. What would happen if a person fully intended to pay at some future date but they delayed the payment and let it sit in the bank for now – and then they met
the same results that our dear young friend Lucy did? Where would the money go then? Would it go to tithe payment? Would it go to unconverted relatives who would not give it to the church? Would lawyers or banks take it? No, this is a very serious delay that some people make.

Let us make sure we are right with God today and give to Him what belongs to Him so we can enjoy His blessings rather than suffer under His curses.

Some delay doing missionary work.
They work so hard during the week that they need their leisure time for themselves today. They feel no urgency, there is still time in the future. I heard it said in one sermon that Satan has a sign that reads, “Still time”. In the very near future he will turn it around and on the back it reads, “Too late.”

THE LORD DELAYS HIS COMING

But wait, don’t we see the Lord doing some delaying also? He is delaying His coming? Doesn’t the Bible say that, “My lord delayeth his coming”? Here is what we can read from the pen of inspiration through Ellen G. White concerning this delay.

She compared Ancient Israel and the delay they were faced with upon entering Canaan, with Spiritual Israel and the reason for the delay they are today facing regarding the entering of the heavenly Canaan.

“The lesson of this record is for us. The Lord has prepared the way before His people. They were very near the Promised Land. A little while and they would have entered Canaan. They themselves delayed the entering. In the first place, it was they who requested that spies should be sent up io search the land. .. The request that the spies be sent into Canaan showed a lack of faith; for God had told the people plainly that they were to take possession of the land. Why then did they need to send spies to search it? Had they put their trust in God, they could have gone straight in. God would have gone before them… Brethren and sisters, from the light given me, I know that if the people of God had preserved a living connection with Him, if they had obeyed His word, they could today be in the heavenly Canaan.” GCBulletin, March 30,1903.

“For forty years did unbelief, murmuring, and rebellion shut out Ancient Israel from the land of Canaan. The same sins have delayed the entrance of modern Israel into the heavenly Canaan. In neither case were the promises of God at fault. It is the unbelief, the worldliness, unconsecration, and strife among the Lord’s professed people that have kept us in this world of sin and sorrow so many years.” Ev, p. 696.

So this delay is not really God’s fault at all. It is we, who are causing the delay although many will blame the delay on God as we read the remainder of the Bible verse: “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.” Matthew 24:48-51.

We see it is the wicked complaining that there is a delay, and they are not making good use of the extra time.
The words of Jesus in this parable apply to those who ridicule the near coming of Christ. These wicked are not worldly people, rather they are “do nothings” in the church who have written beside their names, “Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.”

“They knew their master’s will but did it not. They had the light of truth, they had every advantage, but chose their own selfish interests, and they will be left with those whom they did not try to save.

“Let there be an earnest consideration of these words. Let none say, “That does not mean me; I am a Christian.” Who says this, yourself or He who reads the heart? The unfaithful steward had solemn responsibilities entrusted to him; before the world he appeared as a servant of Christ; but, oh, how deplorable for himself, and for all connected with him; he is an evil servant! He is imperiling his Lord’s goods. He’s teaching souls to trample upon the holy law of God. He calls Christ, “My Lord.” But he says, “My Lord delayeth His coming.” He does not say that Christ will not come; he does not scoff at the idea of His Second Coming; but he tells the people that His coming is delayed.

He is removing from the minds of others the conviction that the Lord is coming quickly. His influence leads men to presumptuous, careless delay. Thus they are off their watch and they echo the words of the unfaithful watcher; still others catch them up, and the evil spirit, and men are confirmed in their worldlmess and stupor. Their course is downward, not upward; they are not looking for and hasting unto the day of God. Earthly passions, corrupt thoughts, take possession of the mind.” TM, p. 237,238.

SATAN WON’T DELAY

Satan and his agents never sleep and unless we act without delay, he will come in and work his evil works of
darkness. When Paul was a prisoner during the time when Festus was governor, Festus was relating to King Agnppa his difficulties in the case of Paul. To his mind, Paul was innocent, but he saw the Pharisees thirsting for his blood. Shortly after he had been made governor in place of Felix, the Pharisees wanted to quickly take care of the matter.

Festus said, “Therefore, when they were come hither, without any delay on the morrow I sat on the judgment seat, and commanded the man to be brought forth.” Acts 25:17. When he agreed to judge the matter, the Jewish leaders were there the very next day to commence the judgment proceedings. They wanted no delay.

When Jesus was taken into Pilate’s judgment hall, the Jewish leaders were again seen in a frenzy of activity and accusation. They did not want any delay. They wanted the whole mess to be over with before the Passover and before the common people knew what was happening, for fear that someone would stand up to defend Jesus and thus stir up the crowd against them. No, when Satan is given permission to act, he acts quickly through his agents. He knows the loss that can be sustained through delay.

“It is important to believe God’s word and act upon it promptly, while His angels are waiting to work for us.
Evil angels are ready to contest every step of advance. And when God’s providence bids His children go forward, when He is ready to do great things for them, Satan tempts them to displease the Lord by hesitation and delay; he seeks to kindle a spirit of strife or to arouse murmuring or unbelief, and thus deprive them of the blessings that God desired to bestow. God’s servants should be minutemen, ever ready to move as fast as His providence opens the way. Any delay on their part gives time for Satan to work to defeat them.” PP, p. 423.

This is especially true when there is a need in some of the smaller churches, or new interested areas in a country. There is a danger of overlooking these areas as not so important, due to some of the trials present in the larger churches. The difficulties and differences in the churches are made the focus of attention while the needy areas are left to languish due to delay and neglect. This is how Satan comes in to disturb the cause of God. Delay is very detrimental to these younger areas and as long as we faithfully perform the duties God places before us, Satan won’t have time to get in and do his evil work.

THE TALENT OF TIME

“Our time belongs to God. Every moment is his, and we are under the most solemn obligation to improve it to His glory. Of no talent He has given will he require a more strict account than of our time.

“The value of time is beyond computation. Christ regarded every moment as precious, and it is thus that we should regard it. Life is too short to be trifled away. We have but a few days of probation in which to prepare for eternity. We have no time to waste, not time to devote to selfish pleasure, not time for the indulgence of sin. . . “Now is the time to labour for the salvation of our fellow men. . . .

“Every moment is freighted with eternal consequences. We are to stand as minutemen, ready for service at a moment’s notice. The opportunity that is now ours to speak to some needy soul the word of life may never offer again. God may say to that one, “this night thy soul shall be required of thee,” and through our neglect he may not be ready. In the great judgment day, how shall we render our account to God?” COL, p. 342,343.

“God requires promptness of action. Delays, doubtings, hesitation, and indecision frequently give the enemy every advantage. The timing of things may tell much in favor of truth. Victories are frequently lost and decisive action at the right time will gain glorious triumphs, while delay and neglect will result in great failures and positive dishonor to God. Rapid movements at the critical moment often disarm the enemy, and he is disappointed and vanquished, for he had expected time to lay plans and work by artifice.” 3T, p. 498.

May God help us to use our time wisely and not delay in our individual preparation for the Lord’s coming, or to delay as a church in promptly taking care of the needs of the church. “Grieve not the Holy Spirit by delay.” 8T, p. 56. “Delays are virtually defeats.” 3T, p. 500.
Amen.

Wendy Eaton