“There’s more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit! Christ arrives right on time to make this happen. He didn’t, and doesn’t, wait for us to get ready. He presented himself for this sacrificial death when we were far too weak and rebellious to do anything to get ourselves ready. And even if we hadn’t been so weak, we wouldn’t have known what to do anyway. We can understand someone dying for a person worth dying for, and we can understand how someone good and noble could inspire us to selfless sacrifice. But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him.” (Romans 5:3-8 MSG)
It did not matter what city you lived in during the Jordan era with the Chicago Bulls, nor did your state of residency make a difference. You knew the chant of that special team, “What time is it? Game time!” Breaking huddle, hyped up, they went out to hold most opponents as hostages to their history making, dominant winning record.
Hopefully, you did not wake up with a similar chant this morning, asking others in your house, “What time is it?” Surely you did not wake up just a few minutes ago, and inquire innocently, perhaps, in spite of the fact that you immediately grabbed your phone first to check messages from your device where clearly on display were the time, the date, and the day overlapping of your personal, preferred cell wallpaper; surely after seeing that staring right in your face, you did not ask “What time is it?” or “What is today?”
It would seem unnecessary to ask such a question. And the response would not be, “It’s game time!” I’m sure you know that it is Resurrection Morning! There is no doubt in my mind that you know this is the day where pulpiteers, preacher across the world will proclaim, pouring this chant out of their mouths, “He has risen!” And some congregations will confirm aloud amidst the assembly of believers, “He has risen indeed!” “While Christ crucified and resurrected is preached every Sunday at some part of every sermon, you know today is a special day to emphasize how Jesus took our debt of sin and paid the price for them, became our atonement on Calvary’s cross. “What time is it?” It’s Sunday, the Lord’s Day, the day that we worship Him in spirit and in truth. It’s like every other Sunday in a way because we don’t want to forsake the assembly of the saints! Yes, every Sunday, you put aside your problems and your other priorities and you worship Him! But this is a special Sunday, a preview of the time when all saints will surround the throne in glory and say in unison, “Worthy is the Lamb!”
You know what time it is my friend! Don’t worry if you have any new clothes or a “new Easter outfit,” nobody is concerned about that anymore. Just enter into the Lord’s house dressed in holiness and have a heaping heart filled with thanksgiving, ready to be released in a proclamation, “Thank you Lord! Thank You Lord!” It’s not game time, but it is glory time. Get up! Get to worship! Give Him the glory and give Him the praise! Be blessed!
“And they sang in a mighty chorus: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered—to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.” (Revelation 5:12 NLT)
Still committed to the climb,
Mark L. King