Kairos: the Opportune Moment

~~~ Acts of the Apostles 11:1-18 ~~~ Psalm 42 ~~~ John 10:11-18 ~~~

Peter comes to the conclusion that God
 wants to include more people than just the Jews;
God wanted to include the Gentiles also.

If then God gave them the same gift he gave to us
when we came to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ,
who was I to be able to hinder God?”

Sometimes we may even feel like
arguing with God or fighting against him.
In the end he always has the perfect picture.
It is just easier if we let his plan unfold.
It is better if we let him send the Spirit to whomever he wants.
We certainly cannot prevent God for doing his thing!

I am sure you have heard the saying, in God's time.
We can grow impatient with God.
One day we want to speed up life the next
we want to slow it down.

Can you imagine what a mess we would make of things
 if we had complete control over every aspect of our lives?

Like Peter, we certainly do not know better than God.
God's concept of time is not linear it is Kairos time.
Kairos, an ancient Greek word meaning the right or opportune moment.
The opportune moment...God's time...

I have other sheep, Jesus says, that do not belong to this fold.

These also I must lead, and they will hear my voice,
and there will be one flock, one shepherd.

As I slowly read this verse I begin to see more of this kairos time of God.
What does he mean when he says,
I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold?

Maybe we are not quite ready to fully understand his meaning here.
But at the opportune moment the meaning will be revealed to us.
Who are these 'other sheep'?
Are they the Gentiles?
Are they the Christians who have strayed away...
like the lost sheep?
Or are they those we would never consider;
those we ignore and ridicule.
Are they those we deem ourselves to be better than?
Those who are not part of the 'fold' as we define it.

Who are those that do not belong to this fold
and why would they hear his voice and follow him?

The answer lies in our belief that God sends
the gift of his spirit to whomever he wants,
whenever he wills it to be sent.

Simple yet so complex, it causes us to scratch our heads.
How many times in the Scriptures do we Jesus
 befriending the most unlikely candidates for his 'fold'.
He is accused with dining with tax collectors and sinners.
He speaks to women, he touches the 'unclean'.

We are Blessed to have a God
 that is consistently on the edge and out of the box.
He wants to include each of us into his fold.

He draws us to himself.
I am so thankful for that. He models
 for us to also reach out to those on the edge...
to those who are not part of our 'fold'.

We have but one flock and one Shepherd.
Let us him praise and thanks with gladness and joy.

~~~Peace~~~