by Alan Langstaff

The question is sometimes asked, “Why do you call your ministry ‘Kairos’?” (i.e., Kairos Ministries). I can understand why people are puzzled, as ‘Kairos’ is not a word that people know or use. It is originally from the Greek language. So today I want to give the answer to this question: “What is Kairos”?

THE CONCEPT OF TIME

In the English language, we have many words related to time, but there are some twenty-eight Greek words that are translated as time, times, days, etc. We want to look at 3 such words which relate to time:

  1. Aionios
  2. Chronos
  3. Kairos

1) AIONIOS

This is what I would call “God’s time.” It refers to eternity – Aionios. Some biblical examples:

Matthew 19:16
The rich young ruler said, “What good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?”

Romans 2:7
“To those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life.”

2 Corinthians 4:17
“For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison.”

Aionios is God’s time. God exists, dwells in eternity. His life is eternal, the eternal now.

Jesus made the declaration in John 8:58, “Before Abraham was born, I am.”
Not I was, but “I am.” This is the eternal that has no beginning and no end. It is God’s time – Eternity.

2) CHRONOS

This is man’s time from which we get the word “chronology.” It’s History.

Matthew 2:7
The wise men came seeking the King, and Herod “enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.” (KJV)

Luke 20:9
Jesus told a parable about a man who planted a vineyard, and he “went on a journey for a long time.”

1 Peter 1:17
We are told to “conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth.”

So, chronos refers to man’s time here on earth. It is measurable; it can be measured in days, weeks, months, and years.

A man’s life has a beginning and an end.
A gravestone will say “Born – – – and Died – – -“. 

Chronos refers to history, man’s time upon the earth.

3) KAIROS

This concept of time refers to God’s appointed and anointed time. It is used 83 times in the New Testament.

Mark 1:15
At the beginning of the ministry of Jesus, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

Acts 3:19
Peter declares, “Repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.”

Acts 17:26
Paul was preaching on Mars Hill and he declared, “He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation.”

So Kairos refers to a special time, a God appointed time, and an anointed time.

THESE THREE “TIMES” TOGETHER

Now these three times, Aionios, Chronos, and Kairos all come together.

The God of all eternity (Aionios) comes down at a time in history (Chronos), and a Kairos time takes place. God from eternity breaks into man’s history for a special time and a special reason. Let’s look at an illustration from the Bible.

In Exodus chapter 3, we have the story of Moses, who had run away from Egypt and was living with a wife he acquired and her father. He had been there for some 40 years. One day, while he is taking care of the sheep, he is confronted with a burning bush that burns but is not consumed.

What is happening? Well, the God of Eternity (Aionios) had ventured into man’s time (Chronos) in a specially appointed and anointed time (Kairos) to commission him to go back to Egypt, confront Pharaoh, and lead the people out towards the Promised Land.

You see it in many other stories in the Bible, like Isaiah in the temple in Isaiah chapter 6, and in response to the call of God, he replies, “Here am I, send me.”

Likewise, Paul, on the road to Damascus, meets the risen Lord, and his life is completely changed.

In these and many more examples, the God from Eternity (Aionios) breaks into history (Chronos) and in a special time that is anointed (Kairos), and God does something special.

Here is an example that further illustrates this concept. David Wilkerson from Teen Challenge tells of his experiences.

“In Daniel 10:18, the fresh touch of God comes to Daniel again: “Then there came again and touched me one like the appearance of a man, and he strengthened me.” Daniel was no longer alone; now he had free-flowing communion with the Lord Himself!

That is what I want – a new touch of God, something fresh. Why? Not so that I can be looked up to by men, nor to be powerful or revered – but to be strengthened by Him, like Daniel was!

I’ve had four amazing touches of God in my life. The first was at camp meeting when I was eight. The second was when God first called me to New York City. The Holy Spirit came on me and said, “David, I’m calling you to prayer.” I said, “Yes, God” – and I began to weep like I never wept. After three days, I felt the burden of the Lord in a way I’d never felt before.

Then one day, I went home, picked up Life magazine and saw the faces of seven young men who’d committed murder. And God said, “Go to New York. This is what it’s all about.”

Years later, I had a third touch. I began to feel a pull, a restlessness – a divine dissatisfaction. God said, “Go into your closet again and seek Me.”

I spent three weeks in deep prayer, agonizing before God, feeling His grief over the church and His hatred for sin. Then one day I stood by a lake – and began prophesying at the top of my lungs. What came out of that touch of God was the book, “Set the Trumpet to Thy Mouth.”

The fourth touch I received was five years ago. It happened here in New York, when I’d come up for several summer street rallies. I gave an altar call in the Bronx – and backslidden Pentecostal ministers came forward!

I went to Times Square and heard drug pushers shouting, “I’ve got the stuff that killed Len Bias!” They were selling death, and it broke my heart. That’s when God said, “You’re going to seek Me again.”

I started praying right on the streets, and in the middle of Times Square, God told me, “Come to New York City and start a church – right here in Times Square. I want to warn the city of coming judgment. And I’ll send such an awakening, you’ll never have to borrow or want for money!”

Jim Dailey, executive editor of “Decision Magazine,” had a conversation with Cliff Barrows, who tells of another time when God was at work.

“In 1945 my wife Billie and I had just married, and we went to a little lake in North Carolina to spend our honeymoon – or so we thought – enroute to some meetings in Statesville, North Carolina, where we were scheduled as the music team. However, the hotel we wanted to stay in had been turned into a rehabilitation center by the government. We smelled the medicinal odor, saw the nurses and sheepishly asked at the information desk if we could stay for a few days for our honeymoon. We were told that the hotel was not open for business.

We walked back out onto the street and hitchhiked. A fellow in a car stopped and took us to Chimney Rock, North Carolina. He said, “I know the woman who runs the little convenient store, and she has two rooms above the store. Maybe she can rent one to you.” We paid $5 a night for that room. It was nothing fancy – a light hanging down in the middle of the room – and out back there was a cold stream to swim in.

We stayed there for a few days and began to visit with the woman in charge. She had an old upright piano, and we asked if we could practice there. Some of her good friends, Dr. and Mrs. Paul Brown, who lived in Asheville, invited us to spend a couple of nights with them and to attend a Billy Graham youth rally. I had heard him preach earlier, and I really wanted to meet him.

When we got there, the conference director met us, and Billy Graham was standing with him. The conference director said, “Brother Brown, we have a problem. We’re ready to begin, but we don’t have a song leader. He became ill and had to go home.” 

Dr. Brown said, “This couple has been staying with me, and I think they will be happy to help, won’t you?” as he turned to look at us.

“We sure will,” I said.

Billy looked at us and said, “Well, we won’t be choosy. Come on, Cliff, we’ll have a good time!” That’s how we met him.”

Cliff Barrows was Song Leader for Billy Graham for over 40 years, and that was the Kairos time for Cliff that started their relationship.

Now, in the next issue of the Langstaff Letter, we will fill this out some more as we examine the reason for Kairos moments and also seek to make it practical for us all today.

*Scripture references taken from the New American Standard Bible 1995 unless otherwise noted.