Paul, Mary, and the Power of God’s Unusual Timing

Hope Assembly
10 minutes ago
3 min read

This week, Dr. GreGory delivered a powerful reminder that what may look out of season, rushed, or out of order to us can still be perfectly on time in God’s plan. He titled the message “Premature Birth.”

PAUL'S PREMATURE APOSTLESHIP

The message moved us into the heart of Scripture. The disciples who followed Jesus were discipled gradually—they witnessed His miracles, His teachings, His death, and His resurrection. They were carried like children full term, nourished and prepared.

But Paul was different. He wasn’t taught directly by Jesus before the cross. Instead, he came onto the scene as a persecutor, violently opposing the church. Then suddenly, on the road to Damascus, he was confronted by the risen Christ (Acts 9:3–6). His apostleship was not gradual but immediate—a spiritual birth that appeared premature.

Dr. GreGory reminded us that Paul’s fragile beginning proves a vital truth: God’s call does not have to follow man’s process. Heaven can bring forth life even when timing looks broken.

MARY MAGDALENE: FAITHFULNESS OVER STATUS

Another example came from Mary Magdalene. In Mark 16:9, Scripture tells us that Jesus appeared to her first after His resurrection. In a culture that silenced women and disqualified their testimony, Jesus crowned her faithfulness.

Pastor drew our attention to this detail: God didn’t choose the most powerful, He chose the most faithful. And yet Paul, in later writings, discounted women from speaking in the church. This contradiction shows us that even the apostles had blind spots. God’s plan, however, had already affirmed Mary’s voice. The lesson? Insignificance in man’s eyes does not erase God’s anointing.

PREMATURE DOESN'T MEAN MISTAKE

This became the heartbeat of the sermon. Paul’s sudden calling and Mary’s unlikely testimony looked premature, out of order, and even controversial. But what looked wrong was actually right on time in God’s design.

Dr. GreGory shared: “What comes before its season becomes its own burden. And what God delays, He is perfecting.”

Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, “He hath made everything beautiful in his time.” That means the timing of your life—whether it feels rushed, delayed, or misaligned—is still under God’s sovereign control.

WHEN SOMETHING IS MISSING

Another striking point was the idea that absence can be an announcement. Sometimes what’s missing in our lives is the very thing God is using to highlight His next move. We often see lack as failure, but Pastor reminded us that “what’s missing often reveals what God wants to highlight.”

Isaiah 55:8–9 reminds us that God’s thoughts are higher than ours. His ways are not our ways. Where we see gaps, He sees opportunity to show His glory.

CLEAN HANDS, PURE HEART

Before moving into prayer ministry, Dr. GreGory called us to repent of anything that keeps our hearts unclean. Even those who serve—musicians, media, cleaners, ushers—must first cleanse themselves before touching God’s house. Every seat, he declared, is prayed over and anointed so that whoever sits there may find healing and deliverance.

He reminded us: “We can’t have church dirty. You’ve got to come clean. Clean hands, pure heart.”

This cleansing wasn’t about shame, but about preparation—making room for God’s Spirit to flow without hindrance.

FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS

As the message reached its closing, Pastor tied the theme of premature birth to our personal callings. Like Esther, each of us has been placed here on purpose: “Who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14).

Even if our beginnings feel fragile, even if our stories seem rushed or delayed, even if others try to silence us—God’s plan is perfect. You are not out of order. You are right on time.

Which part of the message spoke to you most?