Times And Seasons
During the first week of last month, the Lord told me that the time to wait had ended and a season to claim and declare has begun. Things started escalating and I've seen a new force in the dynamics of things happening around me and inside me.
The Bible talks about discerning the times. Solomon talks about it in Ecclesiastes 7. Jesus talks about it in Luke 12. To discern the times and the seasons we are living in is extremely important, especially for leadership.
I have witnessed a whole generation die out and go extinct because of their lack of flexibility. Even those warning against such a thing happening have fallen because of the drastic way things are evolving in these days. While every pillar in society is being put to the test, the only pillar of Truth is being made more and more evident. And that is Christ. He is new every morning.
But as the saying goes, talk is cheap. As the times changed, so did the difficulties and sufferings. What I'm trying to say is that there's no glory without suffering. And the devil falls for it every single time. He is allowed some space to cause fear and distraction, and we end up with more muscle, more revelation, more glory. Not that we didn't already receive it all in Christ already, but we are pushed to access a fuller measure of what we had already received.
Although all of this sounds nice and exciting, it carries a load of stress and difficulty with it. Not everyone is up for a good fight, and often times we realize it's time to hit the gym only after we hit the wall. The apostle Paul talks about treating life like a racer and a boxer, training daily for the ultimate prize . He also talks about his sufferings in the 11th chapter of his second epistle to the Corinthians. The persecution he describes is incredible. No suffering, no glory. If we are not conscious of the times and do not recognize and accept sufferings as they come with the seasons, then we will not have part in the coming glory.
Oftentimes it takes courage to push back. But in many critical times, it takes the hope of the promise inside us, the King of Glory and His revelation power and wisdom to decide whether to accept the suffering or evade it. Both ways come from Him and serve His purposes. Many times Jesus escaped persecution, but when the time came He rebuked those protecting Him and surrendered Himself into the hands of those who were there to condemn and execute Him. He understood the times.
We desperately need Jesus in our lives, as the living waters of life. We need to see Him, hear from Him and sometimes feel His touch, whether that be in our spirits or on our bodies, in a physical manner. We need to receive power and give away power. We need to stay in the current of Life.
In the Church, there seems to be a flow from God and a flow of opposition. The opposition is not always what it seems. Those who were in yesterday's flow of God can be in today's opposition to the same flow manifesting differently through different people today. That is why to discern the times is crucial.
I have found myself in both sides. I have prayed a lot for unity in the Church. However, there seems to be a phenomenon that keeps repeating throughout history, and there seems to be no escaping all the divisions, schisms and problems, in order for God to birth a new thing and bless His people.
To have an open mind about all that is going on around us helps, but it is not enough. To have a mind renewed by God is crucial, but to maintain that state of mind we are in dire need of the in-flowing power and wisdom of the Holy Spirit. I pray that during this season as the Father of glory shines His goodness on you, you may be found in a place of receiving all the riches you need in Christ through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and that you may be able to discern the times and the necessary steps you need to take in order to fulfill all that is given to you. You are more than capable to bring change. Surrendering to the flow of the Spirit is the way to go. And as you go along, He who is faithful and has started a good work in you will bring it to fruition. God bless you!
Oftentimes it takes courage to push back. But in many critical times, it takes the hope of the promise inside us, the King of Glory and His revelation power and wisdom to decide whether to accept the suffering or evade it. Both ways come from Him and serve His purposes. Many times Jesus escaped persecution, but when the time came He rebuked those protecting Him and surrendered Himself into the hands of those who were there to condemn and execute Him. He understood the times.
We desperately need Jesus in our lives, as the living waters of life. We need to see Him, hear from Him and sometimes feel His touch, whether that be in our spirits or on our bodies, in a physical manner. We need to receive power and give away power. We need to stay in the current of Life.
In the Church, there seems to be a flow from God and a flow of opposition. The opposition is not always what it seems. Those who were in yesterday's flow of God can be in today's opposition to the same flow manifesting differently through different people today. That is why to discern the times is crucial.
I have found myself in both sides. I have prayed a lot for unity in the Church. However, there seems to be a phenomenon that keeps repeating throughout history, and there seems to be no escaping all the divisions, schisms and problems, in order for God to birth a new thing and bless His people.
To have an open mind about all that is going on around us helps, but it is not enough. To have a mind renewed by God is crucial, but to maintain that state of mind we are in dire need of the in-flowing power and wisdom of the Holy Spirit. I pray that during this season as the Father of glory shines His goodness on you, you may be found in a place of receiving all the riches you need in Christ through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and that you may be able to discern the times and the necessary steps you need to take in order to fulfill all that is given to you. You are more than capable to bring change. Surrendering to the flow of the Spirit is the way to go. And as you go along, He who is faithful and has started a good work in you will bring it to fruition. God bless you!
