Living in Extra Time

Read this portion of Scripture from 2 Peter 3 last night and it was sharper than a 2 edged sword.

"Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. They will say, “What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created.”

They deliberately forget that God made the heavens by the word of his command, and he brought the earth out from the water and surrounded it with water. Then he used the water to destroy the ancient world with a mighty flood. And by the same word, the present heavens and earth have been stored up for fire. They are being kept for the day of judgment, when ungodly people will be destroyed.

But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment.

Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, he will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames. But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness.

And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight. And remember, the Lord’s patience gives people time to be saved."


We all know that we're living in the last days, but sometimes the urgency doesn't really sink in. I'm not that big a football fan, but I do know abit or 2 about the game (Joey - wipe that smirk off your face). In a knockout tournament, if the score is tied at full time, the game goes into extra time. These last 30 mins have produced numerous upsets in the realm of football, as was the case in 1999's Champion's League final.

Supposing the entire schema of things could be viewed as a football match, we already know the final score - God wins and Satan loses. When Christ was crucified, all of Hell thought the game was over and a done deal, like Bayern (forgive the sporting references). But God was not through. Christ rose from the dead and provided redemption for all who would believe in him, pulling the rug out from under Satan. So now the game has moved into extra time, and Satan knows its over, but until the final whistle blows, he plans to steal, kill and destroy.

In these final moments, we're battling for the souls of men. When we've expunged our final breath or when Christ comes, then no more work can be done. Christ could come tomorrow, or the day after, who knows? But if He doesn't, it just means as scripture says, God is being patient. He is giving us more time so that we can bring the Gospel to those who have not heard it. And it begs the question, am I seizing this opportunity?

As I reflect, I'm sad to say that my life thus has failed to grasp the urgency of the hour. I've lived for my own purposes and pleasure, lacking in focus. Last night, I was led to make an unqualified commitment to God again, to give Him unreservedly my time, money, talents, abilities, creativity, energy and all that is within me to be His hands and feet, to bring the Gospel to the unreached and to demonstrate God's love.

It's been a philosophical post, but I hope that this might prompt you to relook your life in light of fact that we are in extra time. The final whistle will blow one day and we can do no more.