"The Established Hour"

 "And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified." (John 12:23 KJV)

  "Yes, you who trust him recognize the honor God has given him. But for those who reject him, "The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone." And, "He is the stone that makes people stumble, the rock that makes them fall." They stumble because they do not obey God's word, and so they meet the fate that was planned for them. But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God's very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he has called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. "Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God's people. Once you received no mercy, now you have received God's mercy."" (1 Peter 2:7-10 NLT)

 First things first; this hour that Jesus is speaking of is compared to something that is automatically in motion, much like the sun that comes up in the morning, as it has the time established to rise; depending on where you live, it is expected to come up at that certain time. This is not just something that is new, as if the time is all of the sudden and unexpected; far from it, it is well established and planned out, from the very beginning of time! 

 Secondly, why is it brought up, in answer to the question? I had a conversation with someone the other day about the importance of believing that Jesus is God, and how it matters to a person's salvation. As you should know by now, I make it a point to mention that fact quite often, but just knowing who Jesus is, does not make you a true believer; and it surely does not make you born again! 

 There is more to it than just believing the fact that Jesus is God, because that is a fact, that cannot be changed; as it has been the same from the very beginning, and it will remain till the very end. What makes the sun come up in the morning, is not that the sun comes up, but that the world has turned in a rotation, towards the sun. 

 "As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us." (Psalms 103:12) This is a verse that has been used to illustrate the forgiveness of sin, and how it is based upon a direction. We can look at it a certain way, thinking that it is based upon the rotation of the earth; or we can see it as a man's walk, being always headed east. 

 Better yet, we can understand that it is God's mercy upon us, and be one of those who keep looking towards Jesus, for His bountiful grace...

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:8-10 KJV)