Time Please take time to read and enjoy. When was the last time you took time to stop and smell the coffee? I can’t serve you coffee at this time, but you might like to take the time to fix yourself a cup to sip on while you take the time to read the rest of this. Did it ever occur to you that the original Bible, before any translations, made use of the word time, or at least a word meaning some period or point in time. In the Old Testament recording of events was largely based on the period that a certain king reigned, as in Jeremiah 1:2 "To whom the word of the LORD came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign." Jesus referred to one hour in Matthew 26:40 and in Mark 14:37 when He said to Peter "could ye not watch with me one hour ?" There were no clocks in those days so how did they know how long an hour was? We should realize that like all other things in nature it is God’s gift to allow us to govern ourselves and our activities, especially in a manner pleasing to Him. In His creation, God placed the sun, moon and stars in precise positions and precise movement that gave man exactly what was needed to develop a means of describing and making use of what we today call Time. All we have to do is glance at our watch. But, when, where, and how did the use of time begin? Let’s take a moment and look at the historical development. Throughout history, time has been measured by the movement of the earth relative to the sun and stars. The earliest type of timekeeper, dating from as far back as 3500 B.C. , was the shadow clock, or gnomon, a vertical stick or obelisk that casts a shadow. An Egyptian shadow clock of the 8th century B.C. is still in existence. The first hemispherical sundial was described about the 3d century B.C. by the Chaldean astronomer Berossus (300-260 B.C.). Ancient methods of measuring hours in absence of sunlight included the Chinese practice of burning a knotted rope and noting the length of time required for the fire to travel from one knot to the next, and the notched candle. Devices almost as old as the shadow clock and sundial include the hourglass, in which the flow of sand is used to measure time intervals, and the water clock, or clepsydra, in which the flow of water indicates passage of time. Clepsydras became more complicated, even to the inclusion of gearing in about 270 B.C. by the Greek inventor Ctesibius of Alexandria (270-246 B.C.). Eventually a weight falling under the force of gravity was substituted for the flow of water in time devices, anticipating the mechanical clock. The historical origin of the mechanical clock is obscure. The first recorded examples are found in the 14th century. Until that time, a time-measuring instrument was known as a horologium, or hour teller. The name clock, which originally meant "bell," was first applied in the present sense to the huge, mechanical time indicators installed in bell towers in the late Middle Ages. Man just had to know the TIME. We take the use of time pretty much for granted without realizing it is a wonderful provision from God. We use it to govern just about everything. We go to bed, we get up, we eat, we work, we plan, we make and keep appointments, we are to a great extent a slave to it. Statistics show that we spend about one third of our life in bed. But statistics do not show how much time is spent in prayer or reading God’s Word. Evangelistic rallies and campaigns attendance and conversions are carefully recorded, as is the growth of some denominations and "Mega" Churches. All of this does help the growth of The Kingdom of God. More important, however, is not waving the banner of statistics, but carrying out the great commission, Mark 16:15–"...Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." That’s what the missionaries are for, I don’t Have time for that today? I’ll send them a few bucks and let them do it, I have a plate full here to keep me busy. And what’s more, I don’t feel called to that. Well, since we are Ambassadors for Christ (2 Cor 5:20) let’s make use of our time no matter where we are to share the gospel at every opportunity. There are religions that teach, kill infidels (anyone not of their faith) and receive great rewards in heaven. Ambassadors for Christ are assured a mansion in heaven (John 14:2). And now is our opportunity to have neighbors of our choice . Take the time every day to tell someone about Jesus, the rewards are eternal happiness beyond our wildest imagine. Solomon’s Porch Verse of the Day Genesis 4:3

...and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s Porch. Acts-5:12
...and Jesus walked in the Temple in Solomon’s Porch John-10:23

Auts and Pauline