God’s Timing

God’s Timing – Merrill Leong

⁴But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, Galatians 4:4

Based on this verse of Scripture, Merrill began his sermon by exclaiming how a lot of things in life tend to be coincidental.

A very good example of this was seen in the Great Reformation. In this time of old, the dark ages, the Vatican council had introduced a tyrannical system of “indulgences” where the people were literally required to “pay for their sins”. As access to the Scriptures were totally denied to the common people, they were practically bullied into accepting everything that the Vatican said, and the leadership fell into a system of corruption and greed. Then, a German priest with strong convictions arose at just the right time, who spoke up fiercely against the unjust practices and exposed it in public as Unscriptural. Hence, began the Reformation…..

However, the success of the Reformation was also due to one critical invention which emerged at again, just the right time. Before, paper and writing was a scarcity and very expensive, with only the nobles and the rich being able to gain this privilege. Hence, with masses being unable to read or write, their illiteracy made them unable to understand the Scriptures for themselves. But the 1400s saw the emergence of the Printing Press, and now, the Bible could finally be distributed to the masses. This, coupled with the advancement of Public Education, enabled common folk everywhere to begin to read and understand the Word of God. No longer would they be deceived again like in the Dark Ages.

Incidentally, the invention of paper itself is another interesting story. It was first invented by the Chinese in 105 A.D. Then, from a war between the Arab Muslims and the Chinese, many Chinese paper makers were captured, and so they too discovered the secrets of making paper. Later, during the Crusades, they too discovered this secret, and so the foundations were again set in place to assist the distribution of the Word to the masses.

Similarly, complex events were set in place when Jesus was born, at just the right time. He came in the fullness of time, as an orchestrated event planned from the beginning of time. The philosopher Mencius prophesied that about 500 years after Confucius would come a king in the West who would become the Savior of the World. The speaker believes that the wise men were in fact from China, and came in view of this prophecy, following the Star of Bethlehem.

When the Holy Spirit came upon Mary, Jesus was conceived in her womb, resulting in a new kind of creation, a new race planned from the beginning of Creation. Everything was lovingly put into place by the mighty God. The new race is you and me who are in Jesus.

God created the world in 7 days, but Merrill suggests that the 7^th day has not ended, quoting other Scripture that a day to the Lord is like a thousand years, and that we are living in the 7^th day. The Lord rested on the 7^th day but this rest mentioned on the Sabbath is not “stasis” which means not moving, but rather dynamic and recreative. God is still working, making us perfect day by day to be like Jesus.

The festivals celebrated by the Jews as stated in the Old Testament are a shadow of things to come. The Passover signifies the Lord’s Supper and His death on the cross. Pentecost symbolizes the baptism of the early Church with the Holy Spirit. However, the  Feast of Trumpets refers to a future event, powerfully described in the book of Revelation and the final festival, the Feast of Tabernacles signifies the Return of the King. In conclusion, we know not our true part or purpose in life in our limited wisdom, but God in His almighty greatness and understanding has placed us on His earth at just the right time, to fulfill His purposes and plans. Let us then submit our lives to God in reverence and trust in Him to fulfill all things according to His will in His time.

God bless,

Jason