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Timing Is Everything

'Ready Answer' by Dan Elmore

Solomon, a very wise man, understood the importance of time in God's plan. There are several reasons why the timing of Christ's coming was crucial. First, timeliness was required by prophecy, establishing Christ's credentials. Second, it demonstrates how reliable God is in fulfilling His promises. Third, after mankind's separation from God due to the choice at the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, humanity has been in dire need of rescue, and it was time for that rescue to be carried out. Fourth, it was time to remove the curtain of separation for those whom God calls, restoring human access to Him through the sacrifice of the sinless Creator. Fifth, time was running short; with roughly 2,000 years of man's rule remaining before the final thousand years, the end was near when Jesus came. Sixth, it was the right time to bring hope to a hopeless world, as Jesus proclaimed the fulfillment of time and the nearness of the kingdom of God.

Ecclesiastes and Christian Living (Part Three): Time

'Personal' from John W. Ritenbaugh

In the journey of faith, understanding time from God's perspective is vital for living a life that pleases Him. We live our lives within time, making choices that shape our existence, yet we must recognize that God is sovereign over time at all times. His rulership and dominance over time never waver, as He oversees every moment with purpose. As Creator, He has set goals before the foundation of the world, to be accomplished within a predetermined time, including what He desires to achieve in and through us. Time is always moving, and for us, it is running out, though this truth is not meant to instill desperation. God, in His perfection, always has enough time, taking our limitations into account as we navigate our relationship with Him. Contentment becomes a helpful attitude in dealing with this reality. God has given mankind thoughts of eternity, of time stretching endlessly backward and forward, yet He has not fully revealed His truth about it, leaving many to grapple with false notions that become their enemy. Our challenge is to focus on the purpose of life that God has revealed, rather than on what we imagine for ourselves. We are being created for another world, within the realm of eternity, for the spirit world of the Father and the Son. To find true satisfaction, we must live by faith within a relationship with Him, trusting His sovereignty in every situation. This means being at peace and content, comforted by the truth that God is fully aware of our lives and in control of the greater picture. God's timing is always good, right, and appropriate, as seen in the set times for significant events in His plan. It is up to us to use our faith in Him to maintain a positive attitude, using the time He has allotted to grow, overcome, and meet the responsibilities our trials bring. We deal with time continuously, watching it, setting it, and meeting schedules, which underscores that everything matters because our time is limited. Yet, we can live in faith and hope, knowing that God is in control of time at all times.

Is Any Time Right for You?

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Martin G. Collins

Time, from a human perspective, often rules our lives as an ever-present force, an illusion, a dimension, or a continuum separating events in the same location. We struggle to comprehend vast scales, such as light years or historical spans, finding them unfathomable as our minds grapple with the enormity of the universe. Despite its familiarity, time remains elusive, defying even great thinkers like Augustine of Hippo, who confessed that while he knew what time was intuitively, he could not explain it when asked. In contrast, God's perspective on time stands apart from human understanding. He exists outside of time, in eternity, unbound by the constraints that define our existence. While we experience time sequentially, like a man in a rowboat seeing only one part of a river at a time, God perceives all moments simultaneously, akin to a pilot viewing the entire landscape from above. He sees the complete picture—Adam and Eve, Abraham and Isaac, Christ on the cross, and us—almost at once, with a mind capable of encompassing all history in a single glance. Time, as a concept, applies to creation, not to God, who creates time itself and is not subject to its limitations. This divine perspective reveals that God's decisions are not reactions to unforeseen events but eternal decrees, unchanging and unchangeable. He determines both problems and solutions in advance, never surprised or caught off balance. His relationship to time means there are no variables or indecision in His plans, allowing us to trust in Him for the ordering of our days. Jesus Christ, as God incarnate, lived within time yet operated according to God's eternal plan. His life, birth, and death were fixed by divine decrees, occurring at the fullness of time as predetermined by God. He was conscious of this timing, often stating, as in John 7:6, "My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready," distinguishing His divinely ordered moments from the ever-present readiness of human time. Even the precise years and days of His life's events were set, demonstrating that God controls time, working according to His timetable in history. Biblical concepts of time further illustrate this divine orchestration. Prophetic time, found in the prophetic books, mixes historical cycles with future messianic or disastrous events, oriented toward the future with urgent implications for the present. It is categorized into end-time and future-time, often portraying conditions at the close of the age with a mixture of mystery and specific sequences. The time of salvation divides history into eras before and after Christ, and personal histories into before and after conversion, emphasizing the present as a day of salvation with urgency for believers living in the last days. The interval between Christ's resurrection and His second coming is a time of waiting, where the church both participates in new possibilities brought by Christ and longs for the consummation of redemption. Despite this interval being regarded as short by New Testament writers, with expectations of a quick return, impatience has often arisen among believers, as seen in the early church and corrected by Christ Himself when disciples sought to know the exact timing of His return. Patience, essential in this waiting, is highlighted in scriptures like James 5:7-11, using Greek terms such as makrothumia, meaning longsuffering patience that prevents frustration, and hypomone, indicating enduring perseverance. This patience, exemplified by the farmer awaiting early and latter rains, requires obedience and trust in God's timing for both physical harvests and spiritual deliverance. God's longsuffering nature, described in the Old Testament as slow to anger with Hebrew terms like arek or erek, underscores His patience toward us, waiting for the right time to show grace and mercy. Ultimately, aligning our time with God's perspective through faith, obedience, and patience allo

Pentecost and Time

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Time influences every aspect of mortal existence, carrying individuals from birth through an irreversible sequence of past experiences, a fleeting present filled with unfinished tasks, and a future that approaches with terminal speed until death ends their allotted span. According to Moses in Psalm 90, this span measures seventy or eighty years, yet substantial portions are consumed by sleep, daily routines, and unproductive early or late years, leaving roughly one-third to one-half for meaningful activity. Solomon in Ecclesiastes 3 establishes that God has appointed a time for every purpose under heaven and supplies sufficient time to fulfill His purpose, with the central requirement being wise prioritization and organization rather than complaint over scarcity. Ecclesiastes 3:11 reveals that God makes everything beautiful in its time while placing a sense of eternity in human hearts, though mortals cannot fully grasp His work from beginning to end; this verse unites the concepts of divine timing, beauty, and eternity as the foundation for proper time use. Synchronization with God through His appointed times enables this alignment. At creation God established the day-night cycle and the sun, moon, and stars to mark signs and mo'adim, the recurring appointed seasons that include both agricultural cycles and holy convocations. These mo'adim insert God's own meeting times into human life, allowing the called to gather with Him at set points such as Passover or Trumpets. Pentecost, the only annual holy day requiring explicit counting from the wave-sheaf offering through seven Sabbaths to the fiftieth day, underscores time as a central theme and yearly reminder to redeem the days because they are evil. The fifty-day count, understood through the day-for-a-year principle, represents the general span of a converted life in which believers grow toward the wavesheaf offering and eternal life. Amos 3:3 illustrates that walking together with God demands agreement on both time and place, a principle exemplified by Noah's precise obedience in building the ark and by weekly Sabbath observance, which tests and restores synchronization. Practical applications extend to placing sexual relations within the covenant of marriage and to discerning end-time events such as those in Daniel 12, where the wise—those living in harmony with God—receive understanding. By committing their souls to the faithful Creator while suffering according to His will, the righteous remain in temporal alignment with Him and thereby secure entrance to the Kingdom.

Ecclesiastes Resumed (Part Five)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)

Solomon warns against bad choices in our investment of time. Our knowledge that we will ultimately die should motivate us to use our time circumspectly.

Snapshots (Part One)

CGG Weekly by David C. Grabbe

A snapshot of our present circumstances does not show how they fit into the overall record of God's work in our lives, let alone what the future holds.

Simplify Your Life!

'Personal' from John W. Ritenbaugh

We waste a lot of time on foolish pursuits, procrastination, and distractions. Getting control of our time is foundational for seeking God's Kingdom.

Back to Life (Part Two)

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

If God delays in answering a sincere prayer, His purpose is to increase faith, as in the case of His delay in providing Abraham with a son through Sarah.

Spiritual Strongholds (Part Three): God's Intervention

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

In addition to dispatching the talent sized hail, God responded to Joshua's request to extend the day—requiring an infinitude of miracles.

Seeking God (Part Two): A Foundation

'Personal' from John W. Ritenbaugh

Christians need to have a conscious plan in seeking God. Here are several essential qualities that must be included in any successful course of action.

Christianity Is a Fight! (Part 4)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

The sanctification process requires us to cooperate with God in order to produce Christian works and character, preparing us for the Kingdom of God.

Psalms 90-100

Sermon/Bible Study by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Psalms 90-100 are prophetic, having a definite time progression, especially referencing the time frame between the Feast of Trumpets to the Last Great Day.

Seeking God's Will (Part Three): Patience

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

We must adopt God's perspective on time, developing longsuffering and developing tranquility under adversity, waiting patiently on God.

Patiently Waiting for Christ's Return

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

We must develop an active, God-given restraint and constancy in endurance while facing trials and waiting for Christ's return, trusting that God will provide.

Vanity (Part 1)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Vanity has many nuances, including transitoriness, futility, profitlessness, confusion, falseness, conceit, vainglory, denial, and idolatry.

The Sovereignty of God (Part One)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

We are assured that even though inexplicable things happen in our lives, God is still sovereign. We must develop childlike faith to trust in Him for solutions.

How to Combat Future Shock

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Alvin Toffler described a phenomenon known as Future Shock, a stressful malady caused by an inability to adjust to rapid change and over-stimulation.