Joseph Prince - Recognize God-Appointed Moments in Your Life

How many think the Lord is merciful? Right, even the last moment? Like the thief at the cross, he will come and save you. But pray, don’t take that salvation for granted. The best thing you can give your children is Jesus, amen? I mean, think about it. You give them three hot meals a day, all right? You bathe them, you clothe them, but most importantly, what they need is Jesus. And what the world needs is Jesus, amen? The Bible says we who are alive and remain to the coming of the Lord. He might come this year. But until then, sit back, watch this.

The year, the kairos year, of right time, right place, amen. Let Jesus receive all the glory, amen. God can use anybody, amen? But I must say that, you know, God does not… when I say God can use anybody, that’s the material he can use, anybody. But then, he doesn’t let anybody remain anybody. He will make sure that the person is ready and equipped, fit for the Master’s use. That word, fit for the Master’s use, means what? You have studied, you spend time in the Lord, you hear his voice, amen? He will choose you, amen. Can I have a good amen? And God doesn’t choose lazy people also. You know, the fishermen were fishing, catching fish, right? Or they were mending their nets. They were doing something. When there’s no fish, they mend their net, amen, to prepare for future harvest, right? What happened? Jesus passed by and said, «Follow me,» amen. Praise the Lord.

Even the tax collector was busy collecting taxes. Matthew or Levi, right? His name is Levi as well. Jesus came by and said, «Follow me». He followed Jesus. Elijah was plowing, amen, on the field. He was plowing with 12 oxen, the Bible says. And then Elijah came and threw the mantle over him. In other words, «Follow me. You are my successor». Look at this, Ecclesiastes 9:11. «I returned and saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift, Nor the battle to the strong, Nor bread to the wise, Nor riches to men of understanding, Nor favor to men of skill; But time,» say time, «and chance happen to them all». Okay, so time is «eth» in the Hebrew. This is the Hebrew word for time. Many times it’s used for favorable time.

Now in the counterpart, which is the Greek, your Bible, Old Testament is in Hebrew. Your New Testament is in Greek. So the Greek of «time,» right time, and there’s a Greek version, also, called the Septuagint of the Old Testament, in the Greek, time is kairos. Now, kairos is most frequently used for favorable opportunity. So there’s time, right time, and there’s kairos, all right, in the Greek for time. «And chance,» one day I’ll teach on this, it’s the word paga, all right, at the present moment, it’s the word chance, «happen to them all». Happen here is qarah. We touched on qarah last week, amen. We touched on eth, kairos and qarah. And like I said, one day I’ll teach on paga.

But look at this. This is what’s going to happen this year. The Lord is saying it’s a kairos year. It’s a favorable year for all of us. All right, that doesn’t mean the whole year is favorable. It just means that we are entering, God’s people is entering, not the year itself, we are entering. When I say this kind of thing, people of the world say, «Okay, it’s for all of us». It’s not for all of us. It’s for the people of God. So it says here, «Time,» eth and kairos, Hebrew and Greek, «and chance happen to them all». Now we go to the next verse, «but there are people». «Man also does not know his time». Again, eth and kairos. In the Greek, it is kairos. They do not know God’s favorable time. And when they do not know God’s favorable time, guess what? «They are like fish taken in a cruel net, Like birds caught in a snare, So the sons of man are snared in an evil time».

So with the evil eth there’s always an evil to qualify it so you know it’s not… you know? It becomes an evil time because they don’t take advantage. You know the Bible says that now is the time of salvation? By the way, the word time, kairos. Now is the kairos of salvation. There’s no right time to be saved, amen. Get saved as soon as you can. Jesus seldom tells people, in fact, he tells people, «Come to me, I’ll give you rest». He’s a preacher of rest, amen, because he finished all the work for us. But there’s one time he tells you, «Make haste,» amen. What is that? To Zacchaeus. «Come down, make haste». Make haste, why? Make haste to be saved. Don’t let one moment pass by. If you’re not saved, your heart should stop beating and you step into a Christless eternity, amen. That’s gone. There’s no more chance after that. Amen? Amen. Make haste to be saved. And all the people said amen.

So this is like, you know, you cannot, with all your boastings and your qualifications and your erudite learning, you cannot put yourself in the right place in the right time to avoid tragedy, amen. We have time and chance happen to them all. In this entire passage, Jesus put his signature there. That’s not translated. «Time and chance happen to them all». It’s actually spelled like this. «But time and chance happen», alef tav, «to them all». That means what? He makes time and chance happen to you. Can I have a good amen? I’m going to show you something. Have you ever read the portion where Jesus came and… the story of Jesus cursing the fig tree? Remember that he taught his disciples faith? All right, now watch this.

In Mark 11, it’s from Mark 11, «Now the next day, when they had come from Bethany, He was hungry. And seeing afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs». In the Greek, «it was not the kairos for figs». Kairos describes harvest. How many agree that in all the stages of growth, the best favorable part is your harvest? It was not the kairos for figs, not the season for figs. «'Let no one eat fruit from you».

So Jesus cursed the fig tree, right? Jesus cursed the fig tree and his disciples heard it. Of course, the next day, the lesson was how to use faith in your spoken words. Yes, we understand that. But can I ask you a question? Ever wondered, why did Jesus curse the fig tree? He came to the tree hoping to find what? Fruits, right? He was hungry. «He came to see He would find something on it». Doesn’t it say what? «When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves,» all right? It was not a season of figs. So it wasn’t a season of figs. Why would he curse the fig tree? Just to let you know, our Lord never lose his temper. Don’t think that he lost temper. Right don’t think he doesn’t know, okay? There’s a lesson in all these things.

You see, it’s good that we study, we go to Israel, we learn the traditions and all that because a tree that, a fig tree that just passed the winter season, and in the spring, the fruit of the fig, by the way, will come forth. Okay, the ripened fruit. But in between, there’s a fruit that comes out even during winter, before spring. It’s called peg. That’s why it’s called green fig. So if a green fig appears on a tree not seasoned for figs yet, the season will be around, like, spring, you know what’s going to happen, if there’s a green fig? It can be eaten, by the way. Just like some of your fruits, right? It is green before it’s red. Even green is a bit sour usually, compared to sweet when it’s red, all right? You can eat it, but it’s not the season of figs yet. It’s an early, it is a tithe. It’s the first fruit of what is to come. Are you listening, people?

All right, so Jesus was looking for that. Because if any tree has a peg, a green fig, it’s a guarantee that tree will be fruitful in the season. But you can’t find even one fig green… a green fig, that means there will be no harvest. So Jesus came to the fig tree and all the tree have, more than one time, the word leaves. Leaves, leaves. Fig tree, leaves. Fig, leaves. First mention of fig leaves? Man tried to cover himself with fig leaves, Adam and Eve. Fig leaves, the Bible says, it’s a picture of man trying to cover himself with their works, their self-righteousness. That’s the biggest hindrance to the gospel of Jesus Christ. «I’m quite okay. I don’t need Jesus. I’m not lost. I can save myself. I’m doing good. I’m quite a good man. I’m not like the man down there».

Don’t compare yourself with the man down there. Compare yourself with God. That’s God’s standard. So the thing is that, you know, it’s the very thing that Jesus cursed. He cursed that belief in self-righteousness as your salvation. So when Jesus came, he was looking for what? The green figs, which is a guarantee of the harvest to come. But there was only fig leaf, a show of righteousness, a pretense, but no fruit, amen? That’s what he cursed. Now we are in Genesis 24, I’ll close with this. Genesis 24 is about Jesus and the church. The Holy Spirit goes out to find a bride for Jesus, for the Son, Abraham’s Son. And the first mention of qarah is here, Genesis 24. Okay, «The servant took ten of his master’s camels and departed, for all his master’s goods are in his hands».

I feel like telling you real fast, I see a lot of nuggets. I must tell you one. Okay or not? Then I look at the time for a while, you know, then I’m a bit concerned for you all. But I’ll tell you real fast, okay? Even like this, I get this revelation. «The servant took ten of his master’s camels,» ten camels. But the next line says, «All his master’s goods,» Abraham’s prosperity and goods, «were in his hand». But he only took ten camels. But all his master’s goods were in his hands. God takes ten as a whole. For God, ten is a whole.

That’s why with tithe, the world doesn’t understand this, all right? They will make fun of churches that do that kind of thing, whatever it is. Even some Christians don’t understand this. The ten, when you give the ten, you say, «Oh, we give God everything». No, no, God says the ten is everything. So ten represents all. Can you see that? «and he made his camels kneel down outside the city by a well of water at evening time, the time when women go out to draw water». Notice the word «women,» plural. So women are supposed to be there. But you know the story? God stopped all the women, for some reason. Only one woman came out, God’s choice. So even before he prayed the prayer you must understand one thing. Even before you pray for the qarah, right time, right place, even before you pray for success and favor, God already arranged it. Because the Bible says before he finished talking, she appeared.

That means she must have made a journey already before he was praying. This year, the Lord told me, many of you have experienced this, he told me many of you have experienced this. So when I say this, you all will understand what I’m saying. Many of you, before you call, he answers. Sometimes you say, «I’m going to pray about this. Okay, I’m busy now. I’m going to pray about that». Then before you know it, answer came already. You didn’t even have to pray. God says you’ll see more and more of this, this year. Later on, when he asked… see what happened after this?

Now, real quick, go back to the verse 21. «And the man, wondering at her, remained silent so as to know whether the Lord had made his journey prosperous or not». The first mention of prosperity, prosper, prosperous is found here, tsalach. You know Joshua 1:8? «You make your way,» tsalach, «prosperous,» amen. Psalms 1, the meditator on God’s Word. «Whatever he doeth shall prosper,» tsalach. But the first mention of tsalach is here about Jesus and his church. And notice that tsalach is a journey. Success is a journey. By the way, in the Greek version of this verse, Septuagint, it says, instead of tsalach, the Hebrew, it says, euodoó. Euodoó is used in 3 John 2. «Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper,» euodoó, «and be in health, even as your soul prospereth,» euodoó. And euodoó is used, go back to the verse again, euodoó is used in this verse in Genesis 24 in the Greek. First mention.

So the first mention is what? What’s the meaning of euodoó? In the Greek, it says «to run a prosperous and expeditious journey,» «to prosper, be successful». Notice the very first mention is a prosperous journey. And go back to the first mention. The word journey is there, all right? He was wondering whether the Lord has made his journey prosperous or not. Friend, look up here, look up here. Don’t wait for an event to happen, then you say, «I’m prosperous. Yes, I made it. I achieved my goal. I’m a success». Goals and prosperity is not the destination. It is the journey. To God, if you learn to enjoy where you are, even times are tough, learn to enjoy where you are while you are going towards your destination, your goal, and all that, that to God is success.

And if you live like that, you will see your goals come to pass, you will see that destination, because you are already on the right path, the expeditious journey, the prosperous journey, amen. Like the servant of Abraham says, «My journey, is it prosperous or not»? when he saw what happened to Rebekah. And then the very next thing, it says in the next verse… are you enjoying this? So, «Has the Lord made my way prosperous»? Drop down, verse 22. Right, «So it was, when the camels had finished drinking, that a man took a golden nose ring weighing half a shekel,» in those days, it’s very precious. All right, he gave the girl a nose ring, «And took two bracelets for her wrists weighing ten shekels of gold, and said, 'Whose daughter are you? Tell me, please, is there room in your father’s house for us to lodge? '»

Now these two things, I was meditating on this, and God spoke to me about this year. God says we have seen vocal gifts, plentiful, all over the church, all over the world, tongues, interpretation of tongues, and prophecy. But what we don’t see often is the revelation gifts, words of wisdom, words of knowledge, and the power gifts, healings, miracles, and faith. This year, we’ll see more of it. How do I know? Because the Lord planted us all in this chapter, and we’ll show you where it appears. «So it was, when the camels had finished drinking, the man took a golden nose ring weighing half a shekel». Half a shekel, half a shekel. What is that? This is the first mention of half a shekel, but later on during the time of Moses, God told Moses, «Pick from every child of Israel, everyone will give a half a shekel coin,» all right? It’s a picture that… it’s atonement money. It’s called atonement money.

Now, you can’t buy salvation with money. Everyone, rich or poor, must give half a shekel. So it’s not the money itself. It is the idea that you are bought. See, you are lost in the slave market. We are all bought. Never forget you are bought. Don’t be so arrogant to think that you are a self-made man. You were bought out of a slave market of sin, darkness. You were of Satan’s grip, and he bought you out. Your body is the temple of God. God bought it. Don’t use it for the devil. Don’t use it for, you know, just hedonistic pursuits. And your body is the temple of God. You are bought, spirit, soul, and body. That’s why even sickness don’t have a right to touch God’s temple. You are bought by the blood of Jesus. So half a shekel first appears with the half a shekel atonement money. It’s the idea of redemption. Nose gifts.

Now, real quick I’m going to tell you. Isaiah 11 talks about the Messiah, Jesus Christ, the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him the spirit of wisdom and understanding, that is the revelation gifts; the spirit of counsel and might, the power gifts; and the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord, that’s the utterance gift. And the next verse says, «And he will make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord». Stop! What is a quick understanding? Check in the Hebrew.

Quick understanding is quick smell, scent. Your nose is used for discernment. In the Hebrew mind, nose. He’ll be of quick smell in the fear of the Lord and he will not judge after the sight of his eyes nor reproof after the hearing of his ears. Why? He’s a man of discernment, our Lord Jesus. So likewise, nose gift is not something you cultivate. These are gifts, they’re revelation gifts. People who have a problem smelling can’t tell good or bad. They can smell a rat and can’t say, «I smell a rat,» hmm?

In fact, priests are not supposed to have damaged nose. Actually, the Bible says flat nose, damaged nose. If their nose… they cannot smell, they cannot be priests in the Old Testament. Aren’t you glad? All right, now it’s not physical today. It’s the idea of discernment. As God’s people, we must be able to discern what is profane, what is evil, what is good, what is holy, what is whole, even, what is precious, what is healthful, health-giving, amen. So we are beset by all kinds of television shows and social media bombardment into our family, our children and all that. We need to have discernment, amen. This will come to the church. The nose ring is half shekel. That means what? It’s bought by redemption. And then the two bracelets for her wrists. Your wrist is used what? She just watered ten camels!

Each camel minimum can drink 30 gallons, imagine that, 30 to 50 gallons, in minutes. And she watered and fed them until they drunk. Ten camels with her hands, right? Power gifts. Ten shekels, ten shekels. I’m sorry, ten shekels, both five shekels, five shekels, grace, grace. Gifts of healing, gifts of working on miracles, gifts of faith. These are the ones that is lacking. The vocal gifts are abundant in the church today. It’s this one that is lacking. It’s going to come to Rebekah. It’s going to come to the church this year. This is what the Lord said to me. Are you with me so far? Let this be your goal this year. And all of a sudden you find yourself right place, right time. And all the people said amen, praise the Lord. Thank you, Jesus.