Right On Time

Jan. 2021 - Right-on-Time A short intro story: Johnny gets dropped off at Sunday School - his very first Sunday class. He is excited. * * * * * * * * picture - Sunday School * * * * His parents go to the park to wait for him to come out again. In the car going home, the mother asked: So tell me Johnny what have you learned today. Well Mom, I am surprised how things happened "Right-Time". You see the Israelite people worked as slaves in Egypt, there was a bad Furior (mom says = Pharaoh). Oh Yes, he was a leader who killed baby boys. But one person was hiding in a basket on the riverbank, (called Moses) * * * * * * *picture - Basket * * One day he became the leader. He did TEN magic things before the Pharaoh, but the furior wasn't scared until one day they found blood on the door frames and all the Israelites were chased out of the city. The Israelites grabbed gold from the Egyptians and many weapons + and they all ran out of Egypt. But they got stuck at the Red Sea RIGHT-on-TIME, Moses picked up a BIG stick and hit the water very hard. It split the water wide open and all the Israelites walked thru on dry land to the other side. * * * * * * * * picture - Red Sea * * * * The Egyptian soldiers chased them and caught up with them. The Egyptians also started to walk thru on dry ground. RIGHT-on-TIME, Moses shouted to the Israelites; take your weapons and eliminate the Egyptian soldiers. The Israelites took their machine guns and started to shoot - ta-ta-ta-ta until all the Egyptians were killed and the water swept them away. The teacher also told us about fire at night and a cloud, and . . . . Johnny's mother said: Johnny, are you sure that's what the Sunday School teacher taught you today? Mommy, Johnny replied, if you only knew what my teacher told me, you will never believe all the impossible things that happened there. Mom, you will not believe me. All those things happened JUST at the RIGHT TIME. I have to explain it to you this way so that you can understand it better, otherwise you'll think I'm lying. (all this was Right-on-Time) ************************************ Message ********** The world has just finished celebrating the birth of Jesus last month, whether it was the Right Time nobody knows. * * * * * * * * picture - Xmas tree * * * * Many believers say it's a sin to even celebrate Christmas. One day I was reading and meditating on this verse and it just strucked a cord in me; Gal 4:4 But when the RIGHT TIME finally came, God sent his own Son. I thought, why would the Apostle Paul write it this way: "Finally at the Right Time" When you stop and meditate on this verse, many other verses come to mind: . . . . such as . . . The earth gets flooded, but Noah's Ark lands at the Right Time perfectly on the mountain Ararat. . . A miracle. Just at the Right Time, the Angel stopped Abraham from sacrificing his son Isaac, and saw a ram stuck in the bush. * * * * * * * * * * * * picture - Abraham-Isaac * * * * Joseph was thrown in a pit, but just at the Right Time, he gets rescued by passing traders (a row of camel traders who passes by, maybe just once per month) Just at the Right Time, Moses was found on the river bed by a famous women and she rescued Moses from death and Moses became the leader to take Israel into a desert. (Moses said to Israel) * * * * * * * * * * * * picture - Desert -no water * * * * Deut 8:15 The Lord led you through that vast and terrifying desert. The ground was dry, and there was no water anywhere. But he gave you water out of a solid rock. Right-on-Time God poured sweet water from a solid rock. * * * * * * * * * * * * picture - Rock Water * * * Why then all these "Right-on-Time" the Scripture tells us. King Solomon wrote many verses about "Time": "There is a time for this and a time for that" Solomon also wrote . . . . . Eccl 12:13-14 The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his Commands, for this is the whole duty of man. God is going to judge everything we do, whether good or bad, even things done in secret. (but when? ) Let me give you a little of my childhood. Most of you know I'm one of ten children, we were born in a mud house to a poor Mom and Dad in the middle of the African bush.150km * * * * * * * * * * * * picture - toddler * * * * Here am I, a toddler, I crawled closer to see my two brothers fixing a bicycle, there was a small tin of "kerosene" (paraffin) on the ground. That's the liquid you put in lamps to burn at night. That's deadly poison. I drank it and suffocated on it. My mother forced some strong salt water down my throat to rescue me from death. I vomited all the poison out, Right-on-Time. We were also saved from snake bites, scorpion bites, sometimes we were saved from hunger when there was no food for 10 children, but somehow God provided just at the Right-on-Time. This is why I can speak from my heart. Timing is important. Many more versus come to mind; Long before Jesus was born, Joel wrote this . . . Joel 2:28 "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on everyone" (But when?) When God, when? In a week or a month or a year?? The Right Time has NOT YET come to pour our His Spirit. After Malachi's Book, there were 400 years of no Prophet or no King. As if the world was given over to Satan. You can imagine what will happen today if the church go silent for more than 400 years? Chaos. . So where is this promise of God as it's written in Scripture? Isa 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Nothing has been fulfilled after Malachi, no peace yet. Where is the promise of the Messiah then? God waited patiently until there was a young women with a pure heart, (Mary) and a man who respected her (Joseph). * * * * * * * * * * * * picture - Mary & child * * * * God had to wait for the Roman Empire to rule Israel fearfully. * * * * picture - Roman empire * * * * Then the Right Time came to initiate the perfect moment of salvation. God acted Right-on-Time for the promise that was written in the Book of Isaiah. But God did not come down in a whirlwind or in a devouring fire or in some ocean-splitting show of power. No, He came, rather, as a baby born to a poor family. Not born in Caesar's palace, but in an obscure little town called Bethlehem. Not born to live, but to die for all. Not to take, but to give. Not to rule, but to serve all. . Just at the Right Time to hear God's voice in a baby's cry, in a manger so that we can worship the risen Christ today. Isn't this incredible! This past Festive Season (Xmas), is to help us appreciate a new and remarkable meaning of what Christmas is all about, regardless of what people are saying. I'm grateful that He was born and brought us Good News. Just at the Right Time Jesus died on the cross for all of us on Pass-Over day. He was in the grave for 3 days and 3 nights just as Jesus told the Pharisees - just like Jonah. Here is a Question for everyone So where do we fit into the picture of "Right-on-Time" in this confused world we live in today? Are you ready 4 it? Matt 25:34 "Come, you who have been called by My Father. Come into the Holy nation that has been made ready for you before the world was made. * * * * * * * * * * * * picture - Jesus Calling * * * * The more I meditate on this part of the Scripture, the more I am grateful for God's timing - before the world was made. If you can hear or view this message, then I invite you to put this into your mind and act upon it. Repent and be baptized, because all things happen Right-on-TIME for God's purpose. John 3:17 For God did not send His Son into the world to say it is guilty. He sent His Son so the world might be saved from the punishment of sin by God. In a sense, it's like a birth - a NEW birth into another life. Yes, a Transfiguration into a NEW life - the mystery of "Christ, the hope of Glory" . . . Right-on-Time. And I still think that we can learn from the 3 witnesses of what took place on the Mount of transfiguration when Jesus was transfigured into a New & Glorified body. It's for us to grasp that "transformation" is real. Acts 3:26 God has raised up His Son Jesus and has sent Him to you first to give God's favor to each of you who will turn away from your sinful ways. Jonah was sent to Nineveh to tell them they have 40 days to repent from there sinful ways or get totally destroyed. The Bible says there were 120,000 people in Nineveh who put on sackcloth and repented, from the highest of the leaders to the lowest of slaves. They did it Right-on-Time Jesus selected His disciples, and after training them He send out 72 of them to go and spread the Gospel. How wonderful would it be for each one of us to experience such a revival to go out like Jonah and 120k people accept God's grace and accept Jesus as Savior? (This is before we get swallowed up by a big fish like Jonah) Romans 8:3 The Law could not make us free from the power of sin and death. It was weak because it had to work with weak human beings. But God sent His own Son. (slide 2) He came to earth in a body of flesh which could be tempted to sin as we in our bodies can be. He gave Himself to take away sin. By doing that, He took away the power sin had over us. Only 72 were sent out. Today there are 2.3bilion claimed Christians in the world. A miracle to me. * * * * * * * * * * * * picture - world picture * * * * Nearly 30 years ago in Toronto, I went through a very dark time in my life. And just at the Right Time after 3 days of prayer and fasting, I switched on my TV. It was Sunday morning & the program came on, at the Right Time. "The World Tomorrow" by Mr. David Hume The topic was "This is the reason why you were born" I just stopped and prayed. "Lord, Help me, I don't know what to do. Please, help me. I'm running out-not just of money- I'm alone here in Canada. I'm running out of hope." I'm sure some of you have you been there, or is going through it right now? If last year (2020) has knocked you down to your knees, then listen to the next few words carefully: God acts Right-on-Time. He's not unaware of us. He is here closer than breathing. He cares. And He is working on each one of our cases right now. In Toronto, I was new in the church, I was scared for 8 years to be involved. It wasn't in my mind to stand up here. I had no idea the Lord would use me to share the Truth with you today. With the assistance of my wonderful wife, Juliet, a woman of strength, a woman of compassion, and with a heart set to inspire others, I moved forward. I learned so much from her. I had no clue, what to do. But God did, by using Juliet. Our God is a God of impossibilities. At the Right Time, He brings light when darkness is around us. . . when all hope is lost, He comes and rescues us, Right-on-Time. Christmas demonstrates that truth so well. Because God sent His Son as "Immanuel, God with Us." God is still with us during this year of violence, division, confusion, and the virus pandemic. God is with us in these dark days. The world Jesus entered was just as desperate as ours today. His arrival was surrounded by enormous suffering. Herod the Great became the leader of Israel through bloodshed. He guarded his title as, "King of the Jews," he ruthlessly put to death his own sons. Not to save others, but to save himself. Though not Jewish, he pretended to be good while indulging in an appetite for power. He built a temple for God, yet he gave the administration to corrupt high priests. He also imposed taxes to become rich. The broader Roman Empire was equally vile and vicious. Judea existed under the crush of Rome's heavy hand. Political power, racial tensions, and oppression dominated everyone's attention. The Roman leader called for a census which put Mary and Joseph in the overcrowded village of Bethlehem where she gave birth in a stable. Rome was busy making history, when God's Son arrived. God pitched His tent in a stable, on straw, in a crib-animals * * * * * * * * * * Baby in crib * * * Under the heavy hand of Alexander the Great, Herod the Great, and Augustus the Great, the world totally overlooked the baby, sent by God, the awaited Messiah. When the 3 wise men came searching for Jesus, Herod tried to trick them into revealing Jesus' location. God intervened Right-on-Time, because Herod commanded the slaughter of all little boys in Bethlehem. The streets echoed with weeping mothers. Jesus' times were rife with crisis- just like ours is today. Our time is a resemblance to Jesus' time, just in a different way. It was no accident that Jesus arrived when He did. As Paul put it, "When the fullness of time came, God sent forth His Son" (Gal 4:4). Yes, Jesus arrived at the Right Time. The star appeared at the Right Time. The angel warned Joseph to flee to Egypt Right-on-Time. Ultimately, Jesus died on the cross on the right DAY. . . and later He walked out of the grave after three days Right-on-Time. * * * * * * * * * * * * picture - Jesus raised * * * * During 2021, God is still weaving His Sovereign tapestry to accomplish His Divine will for you and me. Whatever dark hour we're enduring now, Jesus is still Immanuel. God is still Sovereign. He is still faithful to use our suffering to accomplish His bigger purposes, at the Right Time. I encourage you to "Read and Meditate on God's Word", and "Obey" the Command that Jesus gave us - "love your God with all your heart, all your mind & strength and love your neighbor as you love yourself". Paul wrote: "Grow" in the knowledge of Jesus by "Renewing" your minds, then we "Become" more and more like Jesus to "Glorify" our loving Father in heaven. Just at the Right Time the following scripture will be fulfilled: Rev. 20:15 "Anyone whose name was not found written in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire" (Those who sow seeds of confusion of God's Word, will shut themselves out from understanding this truth in Rev). Are we in the last days yet, nobody knows. Luke 10:17. Jesus appointed and sent out seventy two of His followers, to go out and heal the sick and to preach the Good News of the Kingdom of God. These seventy two returned rejoicing, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through Your Name." But stop and look what Jesus said: * * * * * * * * * * * Picture - rather rejoice * * * "RATHER REJOICE, BECAUSE YOUR NAMES ARE WRITTEN IN the BOOK of HEAVEN." (Right on Time) At the Right Time, Jesus will return and WE will be with Him together with those whom we have invited to come and follow Jesus. Let's fill our lamps to the brim (with kerosene, not to drink it like I did as a toddler), but to have our lamps shine in this lost and dark world to come and see the "light of Jesus". Therefore we need to be 100% sure that we are ready. THE LORD IS GIVING US a LITTLE BIT MORE TIME. Let's us CONTINUE LIVING a LIFE not like the people in this world, AND ASSUME OUR NAMES are WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF LIFE but rather cling onto the crucified Jesus, who is sending us out into this world as we see the DAY of the Lord that is coming. We're not waiting for a train or bus that might be late, no God is always right-on-time Be Holy and Perfect, just as your Father in Heaven is Holy and Perfect. Amen *** * * * * * * * * Picture - pray ***************************** 10