Tag / end times

by M. Renee Byrd

The Passage of Time: God vs. Man: Part I

Measuring Time according to Psalm 90:4

Scripture tells us that the way our Father does things is not the way we do things, nor does He think the way we do (Isaiah 55: 8-9).  This principle is apparent when we look at Psalm 90, the only psalm written by Moses. This whole psalm is insightful and is well worth our time to read again and again, having a depth of insight into the mind and ways of our Father. Specifically in verses 3-6, Moses was discussing the speed at which a person’s lifetime passes before the Creator of mankind versus how it passes to mankind themselves. He said to the Father:   

3 You return man to dust, saying, “Return, O sons of mortals.”

4 For in Your sight a thousand years are but a day that passes,  

or a watch of the night.

5 You whisk them away in their sleep; they are like the new grass of the morning—

6 in the morning it springs up new, but by evening it fades and withers.

Within these four verses Moses gave us an equation that has always intrigued me: one day = one thousand years.  He is letting us see how our lives pass by, from our Father’s point of view. In the psalm Moses explains that we are like the new grass that sprouts in the morning only to wither and fade by the evening.  Indeed, from the simple equation Moses gave us, we can calculate the following table:

TABLE: The Passage of Time: God versus Man

To help bring this into perspective, let’s look at it like this:

  • It takes a couple about 9 months to conceive, carry, and give birth to a child.  This is about 1 minute to Elohim about the time it takes us to pop a bag of popcorn in the microwave.
  • If a child becomes an adult at 21 years, then it takes them about 30 minutes to grow up before the Most High.
  • If on average, human beings have 70 to 80 years of life, then we have a little under 2 hours to live God-time (GT).  That is about the time it takes for us to watch a movie or two episodes of a TV show.
  • The United States of America is about 1.8 days old GT, a little less than a two-day weekend.
  • Israel is about 3000 years old which makes it 3 days old GT, the length of a holiday weekend.
  • China has a recorded history of approximately 5000 years which makes it about as old as a typical five-day work week GT.
  • The continent of Africa, considered to be the cradle of humanity, is about 2 billion years old.  That would make it 55.5 centuries old GT.
  • The earth is said to be 4.5 billion years old which makes it 125 centuries old GT.

From Everlasting to Everlasting

While all of this blows my mind as I continue to consider it, these times are minuscule when compared to Elohim Himself. He exists outside of time as we know it; He comes from everlasting and continues to everlasting (Psalm 90:2).

This concept can be a little difficult to fathom so let’s look at it this way: Consider an extra-long dining table that can seat 20 people.  There are no chairs, so we go stand beside it near the middle of the table. One end of the table represents the beginning of time when our solar system came into being.  The other table end represents the end of time when the earth will be destroyed by fire (Zephaniah 1: 14-18).  

The Creator of our universe can take in the whole of time from one end of the table to the other all at once, but He is not confined by it like we are.  His existence goes from before the beginning of the table “the beginning of time” and goes past the other end of the table “the end of time.”  His existence keeps on going past both ends of the table forever. He just keeps going “from everlasting” one way “to everlasting” the other way.  Can you picture it?   He exists now.  He always was before time began. He always will be after time ends. May our Father open our eyes so we can see and understand Him for who He is. He has been and will continue to be our dwelling place throughout all generations (Psalm 90:1).

Why is this important for us to understand?  Why did Moses put this in his Psalm of Praise?  There are many reasons I believe, but we are going to look at two.  The first one comes from verse 12 of Psalm 90 where he prayed, “teach us to number our days.” The second comes from the last verse when Moses asks Elohim to “establish the works of our hands.” We will look at the first one today and cover the second one in part II of this article.

Numbering Our Days

From the time of Adam to the time of Noah, human beings had a lifespan of about 1000 years or 1 day GT.  After the flood, their lives were shortened to about 10 hours GT. During our lifetime that time again has been shortened to no more than 3 hours GT. Moses writing Psalm 90, wanted us to make to most of the time we have.  He asked Elohim to help us give a number to each of our days so that “we would have a heart of wisdom.” In essence, he wanted us to have a count down so we would know how much time we have left to accomplish what we were put on earth to do.

If we have been given 80 years and 80 years equals 29,200 days, then we can calculate approximately how many days we have left to fulfill our destiny.  Let’s say someone is 35 years old.  We multiply 35 times 365 days per year, and we get 12,775 days that they have been living so far.  Then we subtract 12,775 days from 29,200 days, and we get approximately 16,426 days left.  If your eyes are starting to glaze over do not worry, I’ve created a matrix that calculates the days for every age from one to 100.  You can find it at the bottom of this article.

We can use the number of days left to “count down” our remaining days as Moses prayed for us to do. And using this wisdom, we can “count the cost” of the things we want to accomplish in life, calculate roughly how long those things will take, and then measure that number against our approximate life timeframe.

These calculations give us an idea of what we need to do to get our plans accomplished before it is too late.  Counting the cost with our time is not about how long we have to live, it is about making the most of the little time Father has given us, however long that may be. Numbering our days is like making a budget to manage how we spend our time.  If we make a budget for our time, we are less likely to waste it or spend it on worthless things only to run out of time before we accomplish our destiny.

The parable of the talents tells us of a wealthy man who gave his employees money while he went on a journey (Matthew 25: 14-30). Those who managed their money wisely were rewarded. They increased their original investments, were congratulated, and given more for their efforts. Maybe you’ve heard the adage that time is money.  Here it is literally the case.  Our time is part of our currency.  And like we do with our money; we can budget and manage our time to our benefit or to our detriment.  Let us take the time to number our days to establish a wise heart.

Prayer:

Father in Heaven,

Thank you for revealing how time passes in Your kingdom compared to our own.

Open our eyes so we may understand it more clearly and then apply this understanding to our lives.  

Teach us to number our days so that one day when we stand before you, we can present you with a heart of wisdom. Give us the mindset and desire to make the most of every opportunity and use each day wisely.  Place these principles in our hearts and write them in our minds (Hebrews 10:16) so that we through the power of Your Holy Breath will live in a way that pleases You and be living letters that the world can read.   

Forgive us for the times we have wasted and mismanaged the time we have been given here on earth.

Lead us and work through us to establish the work of our hands.  We offer what little time we have to Your will and to the establishing of Your Kingdom.

Use Your mighty hand and strong arm to accomplish through us the good works that You planned in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10). We are Your workmanship fearfully and wonderfully made in Your image. You do great things, so through You and with You, we do great things as well. Make the things You do through us endure past our fleeting lives to touch the lives of those who come after us on earth and into eternity to come.

In the name of our King, Your Son, who is at Your right-hand right now interceding for us to come into the fulness of our destiny in you. 

In the name that makes a way through the desert, through the mountains, through the wilderness, and over every hill and valley. 

In the name that we love, cherish, and call on in times of trouble:

Yeshua ha Mashiah (Jesus, the Messiah)

Amen!

Number Our Days Matrix

by M. Renee Byrd

The Parable of the Contented Hoarders

The Parable of the Contented Hoarders

A man, a woman and their family lived on a lush, beautiful plot of land.  The land had everything anyone ever needed to live well. Anything that was not available, the land yielded enough produce to trade for whatever else was needed. The people who lived there were happy and content.

Rumors of Impending Dangers

One day rumors began to spread throughout the kingdom of impending dangers on the horizon. The leaders of the land along with many of the community leaders advised the citizens of the kingdom to begin to create stores of food, water, and to stock up on long-term survival supplies. So, the man, the woman and their family did what was advised; they began to store half of food produced on their land along with all their other supplies until he, his wife and their family had enough to survive for over a year without outside help. And again, the man, the woman and their family were happy and content.

The Discontented Movers

There were many in the kingdom, however, who did not have the means to store and hoard supplies as they were barely surviving, living day to day and week to week. Others, who had more severe struggles, found it difficult to maintain even a place to stay.  They had to move about the kingdom from place to place.  They didn’t have the means to trade for the food they needed to store so they learned to live off the land. They found that the land in the kingdom was a gracious host that provided all the food they needed. Also, many of the supplies they needed could be built from wood, stone, and metals found on the land. Whenever the land did not have or ran out of things they needed to survive, they would just move to another place in the kingdom that did.

Danger from the South

One day a message came from the leaders of the kingdom that danger could be coming from another kingdom across their southern border.  They sent word to all the builders of the kingdom to come to the southern border and help build a barrier to keep the danger from coming up and harming its citizens. Those who had large stores were content with the decision, but those who lived off the land knew that during the cold and wintery season of the year the southern kingdom was the only place that provided food and a warm place to survive.   The discontented movers also knew that the residents and leaders of the southern kingdom had no desire to hurt or bring any kind of harm to their kingdom. They had welcomed them and helped them survive even though many were just like them, working and struggling to survive. However, no one in the kingdom would listen to them.  But the man, the woman and their family helped build the barrier, returned home, and were happy and content.

Attack from the North

One night while the citizens of the kingdom were asleep, a large fire-breathing serpent attacked the kingdom unawares. When the sentinels sounded the alarm, everyone looked to the south for the attack, but lo and behold, the serpent and its army attacked from the north and east! Joining the assault was its comrade the grand grizzly and its army attacking from the far north and the west.  No one had any idea that their good neighbors to the north had conspired with the serpent and the grizzly.  The leaders of the kingdom mistakenly thought that while there were hints of a possible “encounter” with the serpent’s army, they thought that it would come from afar to destroy their land. Little did they know that the serpent and its allies wanted their land for themselves. So, there was war in their kingdom for the first time in many, many wars.

The Kingdom Responds

The kingdom sent in their large, powerful, predatory bird, the symbol of their kingdom, and its army to fight against the forces of their enemies on their own soil. The combat was so grueling and vicious that the land was covered in violence. Those who had no stable place to stay and others who thought it prudent went south past the barrier wall where there was food and safety, since the people of that land were not at war with their kingdom, the serpent’s, or the grizzly’s.  Those who had their hoards and supplies stayed in place, hunkered down while the war was raging around them. Many of them lost their homes, their stores, and their lives to the warriors of the serpent and the grizzly. Those who finally realized that it wasn’t safe to stay put, packed their goods and wares, and set off to the south. For most of them, however, it was too late. The grizzly’s forces had already begun to move to the south to flank the mighty bird’s forces and cut off any escape from the citizens. Some who tried to fight back were maimed or killed. Others were caught, imprisoned, and had their goods confiscated. This was the fate of the man, woman, and their family. They were caught, separated, and imprisoned while the children were corralled with other kids, and sent to a faraway land for . . . processing. Only a very few who stayed in their homes made it to safety.  The kingdom’s leaders had unwisely advised them to hoard and hunker down when they should have also told them to prepare for escape.

MORAL:

Not all timeless, sage wisdom is appropriate for the current time.

READ:

2 Chronicles 20: 2; Revelation 3: 1-6

INSIGHT:

To my family and friends in Yeshua (Jesus):

Not everything that sounds like wisdom is applicable for the current situation.  And not everyone who says they are hearing from Father is. It is important for us to be attentive and listen for what the Holy Breath (Spirit) is currently saying to those who hear His Voice and like sheep following the Shepherd, act on what He tells us.  We should position ourselves to hear Him for ourselves. There are many voices in the world and in the IoT (internet of things) ecosystem. Let us follow His Voice and not another’s (John 10: 27 – 30). Let us make certain we are listening to the only One who actually knows what is about to happen.

We need not fear; however, Father protects those who love, follow, and believe on His Son Yeshua. Remember the story of the first Passover in Egypt? The whole land and all its inhabitants were about to experience the power of the angel of death who was coming to take the first born of the land. Father told those who were listening, willing and obedient, how to survive the death angel’s assignment before it happened. Those who recognized His Voice through Moses and were obedient, survived.  However, those who followed what the Egyptians were saying lost their first born to the angel. 

My brothers and sisters, this is not the time to be unaware of the current climate of our nation or the world.  It is not the time to be unaware of the plan of Elohim on earth today.  The world stage is changing quickly and dramatically.  Are we ready for what is coming next?  Are we sure? There are nation influencing, world changing events happening presently and on the horizon.  It is my desire to hear the directions of Father from the Holy Breath Himself.  Anyone one else with me?  This is a time for us to watch and pray, then listen and obey to access the promises to be rescued from the coming onslaught (Psalm 91: 14 -16). We cannot just listen to what everyone is saying around us; we should find out what Father is saying to us for ourselves. 

PRAYER:

Our Father,

We are living in the dark and dangerous times spoken of in scripture long ago.  Before our eyes we are seeing age-old prophesies coming true with hints of more coming on the horizon.  This, however, does not surprise or worry You.  “For You declare the end, from the beginning, and ancient times from what is still to come. Your purpose will stand and all Your good pleasure You will accomplish.”  (Isaiah 46:10) So Father, we thank You that not only are You aware of what’s going on, but You also know what’s about to happen, and You have a plan for it! You put plans in place to counter and remedy the present chaos on earth long ago, and You did so with us in mind. You created us to be a part of Your purpose, Your good pleasure here on earth in the last days!!  Indeed, we were made for such a time as this.  Is there any other god like Yahweh?  There is none other like You Father!!

With these things in mind considering who You are, and what You’ve done for us through Your obedient Son, Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus the Messiah), we cry out to You: Open our eyes, that we may see what You are doing on earth today, and in Your living body within the Kingdom of Elohim (God).  Open our ears, that we may hear what Your Holy Breath is saying to the churches.  Give us understanding and discerning hearts that can perceive Your plans through all the noise of the day and distinguish Your voice from all the other voices that may sound like Yours but are not.  We submit our wills to the power of Your grace. Work in us to want to do, and then empower us to act on and accomplish Your good purpose.  (Philippians 2: 13) 

Finally, Father, we forgive those who have harmed us in any way.  We understand that not only did You command us to love our neighbor, but You also require us to love our enemies.  (Matthew 5: 43-48) We also understand that if we do not forgive those who’ve sinned against us, You will not forgive our sins which will hinder us from hearing from You because of unforgiven sin in our lives.  Show us the things in our lives that are weighing us down and keeping us from fulfilling the purpose You have for us.  Give us grace to lay aside the thoughts, words and behaviors that are impeding our progress.  Reveal to us what is keeping us from perceiving Your Voice. We want to know what the next steps in Your plans are so we may be apart.

So, like David said,

                Search me, Oh Elohim, and know my heart,

                Test me and know my thoughts,

                And see if there be any offensive way in me.

                And lead me in the way everlasting. 

                (Psalm 139: 9-10)

We pray for all these things in the name of Your Son, Yeshua HaMashiach!

Amen!