
Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. ~ Ephesians 5:16
Two Sundays ago, on September the 13th we were blessed to again have Dr. Austin Kreutz to bring the Word for our morning service. And, he delivered a message on the Laodicean church from Revelation 3:14-22 including the final three verses of invitation from the text. The seven churches in Revelation, Chapters 2-3, were literal, historical churches in Asia Minor, and they can also be seen as “typical” churches anywhere, and at any given time. Furthermore, I believe that they can also be viewed chronologically, down through this present age of grace. Much of evangelical Christianity today, particularly in the West, clearly fits into the pattern of the church of Laodicea. The deception of its spiritual blindness obscured the very reality of such blindness, a most sad and serious condition in many individual lives and churches, where material prosperity is mistaken for spiritual blessing and Holy Spirit power! Additionally, the Lord said, “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would that thou wert cold or nor hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth” (3:15-16). The real problem here is “lukewarmness,” and not being hot or cold! On a hot summer day, there’s nothing like a good glass of iced tea, cold and refreshing! And, on a cold winter day, it’s good to have a nice cup of hot tea, to warm oneself. There are places known for their rejuvenating hot springs, and other places known for their cold, pure, and refreshing spring water! But who wants some lukewarm cup of tea? That speaks of indifference, indecision, ambivalence, of complacency, and of a nonchalant attitude toward the Lord and spiritual matters! Any seriously committed follower of Christ cannot fit into this “middle of the road” pattern! We must be a people with a passion for God, prayer, for spiritual integrity, with a disdain for evil, a hunger for righteousness, and with an agony over the lost — to reach them for Jesus! We must be “redeeming the time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:16).
Always in our Savior’s love,
your Pastor Steve.
Ephesians 5:16 calls believers to “redeem the time” by stewarding every moment for God’s glory, making intentional choices that advance the gospel and nurture holiness. ~ Bible Hub
Now, I ask you brothers and sisters, to please consider Thomas Jefferson’s quote in sharp contrast to the problem (Devil’s curse) of lukewarmness in the present church:
“I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.”
Mel Gibson’s William Wallace said it best in the movie Braveheart, “Every man dies, not every man really lives.” I had the honor of attending the funeral service of a man who really lived, in Kingston, NY yesterday with family, friends, and colleagues who gathered to pay respects and honor the life of retired FBI agent James Ralph Hanstein. I am certain that I have never laughed and cried so much at a single event ever…but I need to share a moment with you that ties to the message God brings via Pastor Kreutz in Pastor Steve’s devotion above. As Founder of the Bonhoeffer Forum, let me assure the reader; Dr. Kreutz knows a thing or two about “tyranny over the mind of man.” You can watch his full message here at the 1:15:43 mark: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYpCgnDZedk
To fully appreciate the stewarding moment I am about to share, I need you to visualize a room filled with the honor and courage of our nation’s First Responder Community; federal, state, and local sheriffs, deputies, state and municipal police, and FBI colleagues of Jimmy’s…I’m sure there was a fire-fighter or two in the mix as well…men and women who run into the fire and flames to protect, serve, and rescue. Frocine and I were seated at the table with Jimmy’s brother Michael, and my friend Clai, Jimmy’s sister and their families. While Frocine was engaged in conversation to her left with Michael’s wife, I struck up a conversation with a gentleman to my right whose name will go unmentioned. Suffice to say he was a friend of Jimmy’s from childhood.
During our conversation I happened to share that I had the pleasure of meeting retired Ulster County Sheriff Paul Van Blarcum at a New York Oath Keepers dinner in Albany years ago. Sheriff Van Blarcum was a colleague and friend of Jimmy’s. I shared the experience I had running the Orange County chapter of Oath Keepers with a retired Middletown police detective, and how we came under attack by the Marxist Southern Poverty Law Center (now under federal investigation) during the Obama years. Out of respect to the memory of Jimmy and his family, I changed the subject once he declared himself a avid supporter of the SPLC. But towards the end of the reception, as I was saying my goodbyes, our friend took a swipe at Oathkeepers. This is the moment I need you to fully comprehend and appreciate, because it goes to the very heart of Paul’s Ephesians 5:16 call. Paul goes on in Ephesians 6:12, For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world…BUT, He that is in me took him out in an instant without a single soul at the table being any the wiser. I could see the fear in his eye that he knew he crossed the line with an unseen power greater than his own. Tyranny over the mind of man is no match for the mind of Christ in any and ALL Christian men willing to step out of their lukewarm slumber to own it. It is our solemn duty! Much more than that, along with 2 Chronicles 7:14 repentance and turning back to God, it is our only path to Secure America 4 We the People as the One Nation Under the God Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth so powerfully and eloquently invokes in his prayer HERE!
Please join us to redeem the time in Goshen next Saturday from 1-5pm!









