by Alan Langstaff

In our last Langstaff Letter, we noted that there were 3 Greek words for time. These were Aionios, which I think of as God’s time – eternity; Chronos, which is man’s time – history; and Kairos, which speaks of God’s anointed and appointed time from eternity and for man in history. Today, we want to take it a bit further.

THE PURPOSE OF “KAIROS TIMES”

When a person experiences a Kairos time, it is not for show; it has a purpose. There are at least 3 main reasons:

a) To give security and strength to our lives. We realize that God is personally interested in our lives. That was the case in the story of David Wilkerson in last week’s letter.

b) To give direction to our lives as God revisits his plan for our lives. That was the case in the story of Cliff Barrows in last week’s letter.

c) The release of faith. When a person has an encounter with God and he realizes why, then it gives him the faith to step out and do what God is revealing.

MAJOR AND MINOR KAIROS TIMES

There include:

a) Major Kairos times when God gives us overall or significant direction to our lives.

b) Minor Kairos times when God seeks to bring course corrections to our way, as well as instructions for the journey.

c) Sometimes they are moments and events in time. Sometimes they extend over a period or a season in life.

WHEN & HOW DO KAIROS TIMES TAKE PLACE

a) Most Kairos times happen unexpectedly. It is God who is taking the initiative, and He chooses the moment, etc.

b) They can happen in various ways and various places, including

  • Services of Worship and preaching.
  • Conventions and special meetings.
  • Through other people.
  • Seasons when we sense a change is coming
.
  • Circumstances when we may be seeking the Lord, and we encounter Him.

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO WHEN A KAIROS TIME HAPPENS

a) You need to recognize the Kairos time in your life. For example, it may involve who you are to marry.

b) Respond in faith to what God says to do.

c) Grasp the moment and seize the opportunity that a Kairos time brings.

Dick Mills, a prophetic teacher, has written about Kairos times. He writes:

“The Greeks had a picture of kairos as a man coming toward you with locks of hair that were to be grasped. If you grasped these locks and held them securely kairos would be willing to work for you in any capacity. However the backside of his skull was bald. In the picture kairos would walk past you and if you tried to grasp him after he passed by there was nothing to get a grip on. Kairos was only effective coming towards you. Once kairos passed he was ineffective. As Christians we must remember that opportunities we have today won’t last forever. Jesus said it succinctly – I must work the works of Him that sent me while it is day – the night cometh when no man can work (John 9:4). God gives us an awareness and sensitivity to be time (kairos) conscious.”

DIFFERENT LEVELS OF KAIROS TIMES

It is important to realize that God has a different plan for our lives than other people may have. For example, we probably won’t have a Kairos time like Moses had when he had an encounter with God at the Burning Bush. He had a special calling and thus a special Kairos time.

But that should not deter us. God is interested in every single person, and He seeks to minister to us at various times along the way. It may not be a spectacular moment like Paul on the road to Damascus; we probably won’t have that kind of Kairos time. Nevertheless, God does communicate with all His children.

Most people who are called to do a special ministry will only have a small number of major-level Kairos times. David Wilkerson of Teen Challenge mentions he had four amazing touches of God in his life. The last one concerned starting a church in Times Square, New York.

MY OWN EXPERIENCE

As I look back on my life as I am now in “the last two minutes of the game.” I realize that there have only been a handful of such Kairos times in my life. One of those occasions was when God called my family and me to move to America in 1980. That changed the direction of the rest of our lives. It was never my intention to move from Australia to America. It was God’s idea. It was a major Kairos moment.

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

Take some time to identify the Kairos times in your life.

As you begin to discern those times, you will begin to see, if you don’t already know, the purpose God has for your life, and you will have a sense of destiny.

God has an individual plan for each of our lives. So we need to be attentive and discerning when those Kairos times come.