BETHESDA CATHEDRAL – WORD EDIFICATION (Oikos on30thMar2012)

ANNOUNCEMENTS

1) Women’s Ministry Meeting, Spk: Karen Gan, 31 Mar (Sat), 3.30pm, Jacob Rm, Lvl4.
2) Combined Good Friday Service, 6 Apr, 9.30 am, Sanctuary & Easter Sunday

Service, Rising Hope – A special Easter Concert - 8 Apr, 9.30 am Sanctuary.

3) Family Day @ the Singapore Zoo, 1 May (Tue), 9 - 6pm.

4) 20th Anniversary Dinner, 27 May (Sun), 7 pm, Island Ballroom, Shangri-La,

Adults $40 / Child $20.

WORD EDIFICATION – GOD’S TIMING (Speaker: Pas Steve Cioccolanti)

  1. Time is created by God to be filled with purpose and not to be wasted away. In God’s economy of things, there is an end time for each one of us personally as well as one for the world. At the end of time, the world would undergo a transition as God did not intend it to remain as it is.
  1. Two Greek words have been translated as time in the Bible:
  2. Chronos: speaks of sequential time, any or all time, quantity of time
  3. Kairos: speaks of significant timing, appointed time, quality of time
  1. In the fullness of time (Gal 4:4) speaks of God’s chronos when things have been put in place for Christ’s first coming. In particular, the Romans had paved the way by unifying the languages spoken into one and built roads leading to Rome from all over. This facilitated the transmission of the gospel to the world.
  1. When Jesus declared, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” (Mk 1:15), He is speaking of the fulfilment of God’s kairos moment. It was the appointed time to announce the good news of the kingdom to all men.
  1. God’s timing is based on the Hebrew religious calendar. The children of Israel were instructed to celebrate 7 feasts as part of God’s appointed time where He would do certain things:
  2. Nisan 14: Passover (Christ’s crucifixion)
  3. Nisan 15-21: Feast of Unleavened Bread (Christ’s burial)
  4. Nisan 17: Feast of Firstfruits (Christ’s resurrection)
  5. Sivan 6: Pentecost or Feast of Weeks (Coming of Holy Spirit & Church age)
  6. Tishri 1: Feast of Trumpets or Civil New Year (Rapture/Tribulation)
  7. Tishri 10: Day of Atonement (2nd coming of Christ/National repentance)
  8. Tishri 15-21: Feast of Tabernacles/Sukkot (Kingdom/Millennium age)

The first four feasts have been fulfilled while the last three are awaiting fulfilment in the latter days.

  1. Time is inherently linked with the stars above (astronomy) and they offer us clues to the end of time. In the following passages, Joel 2:30-32; Ac 2:19-21; Mt 24:29; Rev 6:12, mention is made of the heavenly bodies, in particular, the sun and moon. The past tetrads (group of four lunar eclipses) have coincided with Passover/Sukkot and inextricably linked toIsrael’s destiny:
  2. Spanish expulsion of Jews in 1492
  3. Rebirth of Israel in 1948
  4. Israel taking of Jerusalem in 1967

The next tetrad will occur in 2014-2015 coinciding with God’s ordained feasts; after which this would never occur again in our life-time.

  1. The global financial crisis is paving the way for the appearance of the anti-Christ. At the same time, the great period of deception is almost here. But Israel will be saved and Jesus is coming soon!
  1. Time is the most important gift we have got. For pre-believers, it is time to repent and believe. For the time will come when the door will be shut.

“Behold, nowis the accepted time; behold, nowis the day of salvation.”

2 Cor 6:2b (NKJV)

For believers, it is time to seek first the kingdom of God.

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things

shall be added to you.” Mt 6:33 (NKJV)

APPLICATIONS

  1. The devil is the master of distraction and thief of our time. Looking at your daily or weekly calendar, how much time would you say have been taken up with unproductive things?
  1. The Bible calls us to redeem the time because the days are evil (Eph 5:15-17). What does this mean to you and how would it have an impact on your use of time?
  1. God has a kairos time for the restoration of all things (Ac 3:21), but He uses individuals to accomplish His ultimate purpose. He has a plan and purpose for each of His children to fulfill his/her kairos destiny in life. For Esther, it was to assume royalty to save her people. For the apostle Paul, it was to suffer much for Christ in order to bring the gospel to the Gentiles. For Pastor Tay, it is to build and pastor a great white church. Do you know your God-ordained destiny in life?