Time

 Time

Isaiah 33:1-4 “Oy, you destroyer, never destroyed, you traitor, never betrayed!

When you have stopped destroying, you will be destroyed; and when you finish betraying, they will betray you.

ADONAI, be Gracious to us!

We long for You.

Be our strength every morning, our Salvation in times of trouble.

From the noise of tumult people will flee; when You lift Yourself up, the nations will be scattered.

Your spoil is gathered as the caterpillar gathers; like a swarm of locusts, they are rushing over it.”

GOD does things according to His Purpose, not according to our desire, plans or timing!

JESUS told us to, ”Ask, and it shall be given to you. Seek, and you shall find. Knock, and it shall be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it shall be opened.” Matthew 7:7-8 (If you have been a Christian very long you have heard that preached and they tell us that in the Greek it says, “Ask and keep on asking, seek and keep on seeking, knock and keep on knocking.”) JESUS goes on to say in Matthew 7:11, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in Heaven give good things to those who ask Him!”

And if you have been a Christian for a while you know that GOD always hears our prayers and always answers our prayers. But, it is according to His Will and timing for us. GOD is not controlled by time! GOD created time to regulate all of creation to accomplish His Will!

So, what is the point of this message?

GOD has told us some things about time:

It is out of our control! This is the most important thing about time that we need to know and live by. GOD is in control of time and what happens when, where and how. “He said to them, ‘It is not your place to know the times or seasons which The Father has placed under His Own Control.” Now do not narrow the scope of what JESUS said because their question had to do with His eternal reign from Jerusalem. What JESUS said applies to all of history, past, present and future.

Also, don’t be confused about the control of our life and GOD’s timing; we have control over our life and when we decide to do or not to do something our life is affected. We can affect other people’s lives; but we do not affect GOD’s Purpose and Timing!

We are to be Holy because He is HOLY! GOD has told humanity from the beginning to be Holy to Him. What does that mean?

Something that is holy is set apart for a special purpose, no matter its value, so how is GOD HOLY? GOD is HOLY because He is The Only GOD, there are no other gods; and He created everything that exists! He is Above everything and everyone! He created everything for His Own Good Pleasure (Genesis 1:1; Leviticus 20:7-8, 26; Deuteronomy 10:17; Psalm 86:10; Malachi 3:2-3; Luke 12:32; Romans 11:34-36; Ephesians 1:3-6, 4:4-6; 1 Peter 1:15-16; Revelation 4:8-11 [in the KJV it says “...for Your Good Pleasure.”])! 

So we must set our desires aside for the Purposes of GOD, we must do what He tells us to do when He tells us to do it, where He tells us to do it, and how He tells us to do it.

JESUS said, “For I have come down from Heaven, not to do My Own Will, but The Will of Him Who sent Me.” (Luke 22:42; John 3:15-19).

We are to obey His Commandments! “Then JESUS said to those Jews who believed Him, ‘If you abide in My Word. you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know The Truth, and The Truth shall make you free.’” John 8:31-32. (Deuteronomy 28:1, 15; Mark 8:34-38)

We are to be patient! Patience is also translated as persevering, this is hard, waiting is not a strong human habit in our modern fast paced society, we are used to getting what we want now. But GOD requires us to grow and learn through our life so that He can trust us with His Will as He trusted JESUS. “For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward GOD one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. For what credit is it, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before GOD.” 1 Peter 2: 19-20. (Romans 12:10-13; James 1:3-4, 4:13-17)

Revelation 1:9, “I, John, both your brother and companion of the tribulation and Kingdom and Patience of JESUS CHRIST, was on the island that was called Patmos for The Word of GOD and the testimony of JESUS CHRIST.” What is the patience of JESUS CHRIST? His whole life, birth to death. We see glimpses of it in the Scriptures: when He was twelve and He stayed in Jerusalem in the Temple; when His mother wanted Him to save a wedding in Cana before He began His Ministry; as He taught the disciples about humility rather than greatness; washing the disciples feet; as He prepared to be arrested and crucified. (Luke 2:41-50; John 2:1-12; Matthew 18:1-5; Luke 22:24-30; John 13:1-17; Luke 22:39-46)

So we know that our life is fleeting in the balance of time, but GOD is not pressured to get us to the point of obedient service without question. For some of us it takes longer than for others, that usually means it is harder also because of us. Yet when we are ready according to GOD’s Purpose and Timing He releases us to our calling. Then the real test begins!