Acts 3:21 “He must remain in heaven unt

Acts 3:21
“He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.”

One of the most important truths of discipleship is that God has perfect timing.
Jesus is in heaven until the time comes for Him to appear again.
Paul wrote in Galatians 4:4, “But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son”
The Christmas story is centred around God sending Jesus at the perfect time and it is a signpost to the second coming of Jesus which will also be the perfect time.
So let me use the story of Mary to give 3 keys to this important principle in our discipleship.
1. God’s perfect time may be our imperfect.
Mary was from Nazareth. There was no one more powerful than Caesar and his law meant Mary had to travel to Bethlehem. In Bethlehem there was no family and there were no rooms. It looked like God was not providing.

2. Do what you should do in the imperfect situation.
Mary became responsible for the newborn. She swaddled the baby, the usual cultural practice. She had learnt that. She did it alone with no mother to help her. But she did it with joy!

3. She used what she had in the imperfect surrounding.
The manger was a feeding box for domesticated animals. Some people don’t see correctly, “I don’t have a cradle!!” “Yes you do, that manger can make for a cradle!” We need to see the possibilities of what we do have not what we don’t have.

All of this sits in the hands of prophetic declaration, as Peter said, “as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.”

The imperfect time for Mary was promised 650 years previously by the prophet Micah who singles out Bethlehem as being the chosen place (5:2).

It may be imperfect, the situation and surroundings may be so, but today, right now, this is the perfect time for God to fulfil His purpose in your life.