During the late 1980’s and into the 1990’s we were invited to participate in the semi-annual fund raiser sponsored by TBN (Trinity Broadcasting Network). They called it a “Praise-a-thon”, but in reality it was more like a marathon. The fund raiser would go for five to seven days, 24-hours a day. The schedule included two shifts of 8-hours where the so-called daytime shift of TBN personalities, which included pastors, evangelists, singers and special guests, were followed by another shift of 8-hours for the night shift. The third shift consisted of interviews, music and preaching selected from the first two shifts for repeat broadcast.
We, being Christian musicians, might actually perform no more than three or four songs in an 8-hour shift. Break it down and that comes in at 15-minutes or so of on-air time. Add to that a few minutes of ‘gather around the camera while someone else speaks’ time and you are on-air less than a hour for the full 8-hour shift. That’s a lot of down time. Add to that equation that you could not leave the studio because you might be called to the set on a moment’s notice. Taken together, this was a lot of time in the green room either waiting your turn or the next spontaneous call to perform.
It was largely a long tedious boring wait interrupted by moments of lights, camera… action!
If you were watching during these on-air fund raising events you became familiar with certain singers, musicians, personalities and preachers who were ubiquitous fixtures of the telethon. One of these was a fellow singer / preacher from Alabama. He had pastored a large church there and after serving for many years went on to travel with another large ministry team. He had quite the sense of humor. With his observational perspective he could have been a stand-up comedian. Many of his comments were funny, but sometimes quietly disturbing at the same time.
I was sitting with him in the green room during one of those long boring gaps between on-air appearances, and although I am sure it is not the first time he uttered this statement, it was the first time I heard it. He said, “You do know it’s later than it’s ever been!” The comment stopped me in my tracks. My train of thought derailed. And obviously, I have never forgotten it.
We, who are the called according to His purpose, must realize that the hour is late; Later than it has ever been! This is not the time to be playing games with the LORD, dilly-dallying with sin or wasting a single opportunity to witness Jesus Christ to those who cross our paths. If Paul, James, John, Jude and Peter, authors of what we know as the New Testament(1), were convinced the time was short, then how much shorter is the time even now as you read these words?
When I look back over the course of my life now in my early 70's, I realize two distinct things, neither of which I can change. The first is how quickly the stream of my life has become water under the bridge. The second is how many times I could have made a bigger splash, but didn't.
Today’s word is a simple but profound understanding that with every passing second it is LATER than it’s ever been.
(1)References: 2 Timothy 3:1, Hebrews 1:2, James 5:3, 1 Peter 1:5 & 1:20, 1 John 2:18, Jude 1:18, 1 Corinthians 7:29, Revelation 1:3 and 22:10