“For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21).

We fear that many believers today take the things of the Lord far too lightly. Of course, the concern is that at the end of their life they are going to look back with regret at what could have been, if only! When you come to the end of your life are you going to find yourself uttering those dreadful words? If only, I had lived a godly life when I was raising my children, perhaps they would have an interest in spiritual things today. If only, I had heeded the Lord’s leading and had gone to Bible School, I might have made a difference on the mission field in those regions beyond. If only, I had agreed to become a Sunday School teacher, perhaps I could have helped one of our young people avoid a shipwrecked life.

If only, I had taken the time to study the Scriptures, perhaps I could have been used of the Lord to win souls to Christ and comfort those who were crying out for help! If only, I hadn’t been so selfish and self-serving. If only! As we prepare to stand at the Judgment Seat of Christ, mark these words, and mark them well: “Only one life, ’twill soon be past; Only what’s done for Christ will last.”

To the Reader:

Some of our Two Minutes articles were written many years ago by Pastor C. R. Stam for publication in newspapers. When many of these articles were later compiled in book form, Pastor Stam wrote this word of explanation in the Preface:

"It should be borne in mind that the newspaper column, Two Minutes With the Bible, has now been published for many years, so that local, national and international events are discussed as if they occurred only recently. Rather than rewrite or date such articles, we have left them just as they were when first published. This, we felt, would add to the interest, especially since our readers understand that they first appeared as newspaper articles."

To this we would add that the same is true for the articles written by others that we continue to add, on a regular basis, to the Two Minutes library. We hope that you'll agree that while some of the references in these articles are dated, the spiritual truths taught therein are timeless.