Hi all,
We are in that 5-month time frame the Lord talked to me about, November to March, with the events in this time frame having a lasting effect through next year. It is political and economic, but also a time of great peace from the Holy Spirit – exciting times to be in Christ.
Times & Seasons
It is our nature to want to know the future. Paul wrote in I Thessalonians 5:1 that he doesn’t need to tell us about the times and seasons for they are obvious and known.
The trouble is that ‘times’ and ‘seasons’ are vague when we want to know the exact timing. How many ministries and web sites are devoted to figuring out when the rapture might happen? I’ve walked with the Lord not much short of 50 years, and every year without fail someone will predict the rapture will happen on x date.
Knowing we are in the times and seasons is all the information we’re going to get
In Acts 1: 6-7 when the disciples wanted to know if that was the time Jesus was going to restore Israel to her former glory, He replied: “It isn’t for you to know the times and seasons the Father has put in His own authority.”
So…give up already. Stop looking for the alignment of stars and planets, this or that calendar or feast, and just rest. You’re not going to pry it out of the Father as to when the rapture is. Let it go.
Many want death or the rapture because their life on earth is painful, full of disease or emotional hurt – but we have to occupy, to stay until He does call us home. So our focus should be on doing what is set before us, and unto the Lord.
The word for ‘times’ is chronos, where we get the word chronometer, or what we call a watch or clock. No man knows the day nor hour. (chronos). The word ‘seasons’ is ‘kairos’, which is like spring, summer, fall, and winter.
In John 7 Jesus is being mocked by His then unbelieving brothers
They were telling Him to go to the feast and prove to everyone who He is. He told them in v6: “My season is not yet, but your season is always ready.”
Jesus made the distinction that it wasn’t the season for Him to go to the feast yet, but for His unbelieving brothers, they could determine their own season for their comings and goings. Before we walked with the Lord we determined the times and seasons of our lives. Where to go to school, where to live, to work, it was up to us.
Now that we are in Christ and He in us, He sets the times and seasons of our lives – Jesus told His brothers that He was determined to stay within the season: “My season is not yet” – the feast was going on, but Jesus wasn’t moved. He would move according to the right season for him.
That rubs against the flesh. We were raised before we knew the Lord to set our own times and seasons. Now we have given Him that authority. Our flesh wants to move when it wants to move. So often He tells us to rest, wait, be patient, allow Him to complete a work in us.
But his brothers – go on up to the feast if you want, you determine your own seasons of life.
That’s both the joy and frustration of walking with the Father and Lord.
Find peace and rest in the fact He is in charge and He will never let you down. You may have to walk through the valley of the shadow of death, but He will be with you. Find His presence in your spirit in this season, and live in that peace, live in that awareness that someone far larger than anything this life could throw at you, is in charge of your life. That Christ is in you, and you can indeed do all things through Christ who strengthens you.
While the world is upset, nervous, struggling, wondering what is next, realize you are right in the middle of God’s season for your life – and He has never let you down. When it is March 21 and the calendar (northern hemisphere) says it is spring, but it is cold or snowy outside, we don’t give up hope that the fullness of spring will never come – we know it will for we are in the right season. Spring will come with the burst of flowers and trees coming alive.
Whatever season you are in right now, there is beauty when that season comes to fullness. Rest in that. No matter how things look, the fullness of each season is a complete work. Let Him work.
Over the next 5 months there will be lots happening in the world on several different levels, but though we know in part and have a sense in our spirit things are happening, we stay in that peace.
I go back to when the Arab Spring happened and the Lord visited me. During the conversation I started asking Him about various nations and if they would fall to terrorists and become like Iran. The final nation I asked about was Egypt, and He replied that no, it would not become like Iran, and then He said: “But what are these things to you? As for you, you must be about the Father’s business.”
That has stayed with me – no matter what is going on in the world, no matter what season of life I am in, no matter what season in the Spirit I am in, I must be about the Father’s business. What matters most to me is this: What is He wanting me to work on today? How can I be more like Him today? What is He putting in my heart for today?
KWOWI (Kids Without Walls International) Go to kwowi.org and click ‘sponsor children’ to see their pictures and biographies. Just $41 per month allows a child to have a full school day with food. We so thankful for your support of these children in Uganda and Kenya, and they are too!
Scotland conference; We will soon have registration for our June 1-4 conference in Glasgow, Scotland available on our Weekly Thoughts and newsletter, but we are still working out details. We expect it to fill up fast, so stay tuned.
We appreciate you and thank you for your generous prayers and support!
John & Barb, Brian & Amy.
