My seasons of life are NOT good either!

I am so pleased that Jim and Daves family are aided by the prayers of all who do so.

When Matt was early in the recovery from his accident, he used to tell me he could actually hear people praying for him. There is great power in prayer and greater power in Jesus, love is quite a force.

Steve

Frank, appreciate your comment and thanks also for the update on Dave and Jim. They are in our daily prayers.

I agree that God’s timing is perfect and therefore His ’seasons’ are different for each of us. God is not limited by time and does not change like the seasons. From Gods’ view point what was and what will be, is now, today. Therefore we are called to sow God’s word in and out of seasons, bear fruit in all seasons and enter into what others have sown in order to harvest in all seasons.

Q: Could it be that seeing God’s timing (seasons) may be difficult for some because we have our own ‘calendar’?
A: It is only by faith we are able to see God’s time-less calendar and not stay focused on our own calendar.

Q: On a greater scale, would you agree with the concept that our existence on earth is a spiritual period of time as well as physical?
A: The sole purpose of our existence on earth in a physical period is to serve a spiritual period for eternity. In plain words, we view everything in this physical life with an eternal perspective… which is from God’s perspective and that is seen only by faith through spiritual eyes focused only on Him.

“sky & earth” refers to God’s view vs. our human point of view which is the same as spiritual sense vs. physical sense. Frank, I agree “each of us has different seasons”, that is why I said this difference is okay.

Contentions arise when we are focused on self, or others and not on Jesus. Personally, I do not see any “contentions”. I am glad this topic on changing seasons led us to some very important discussions in James. I said it is not in our control because it is God’s Spirit that leads us even in these discussions on this blog. The Spirit of God is the wind and we have no idea where it comes from or where it’s headed next Jn 3:8.

And oh yes! The ‘jewels in our eternal crown’? They will be cast at His feet. We will not strut around with the jewels on our crowns because we are not doing His work. Regardless of the changing seasons, it is our unchanging God who is faithfully doing His work in and through us for His ultimate glory alone!

Pray and hope that this helps… Frank, “Come Back???”:)

There is one option here: You do not have to read everything, nor respond to everything.

Sluffing off the old and dead, in hope of the renewed life and growth to come. It seems to be a cycle that is within us that goes on and on, as we walk with Christ.

As the seasons change, so do we. As every season in this world brings something different, every season in our growth with God, brings something different.

In the sowing of the seed and the harvest, this poem that I have carried with me through the years comes to mind. I would like to share it with all of you.

IN THE HEART OF A CHILD (1934)

In the breast of a bulb is the promise of spring;
In a little blue egg there’s a bird that will sing;
In the soul of a seed is the hope of the sod;
In the heart of a child is the Kingdom of God.

By: Reverend William Leroy Stidger (1885-1949)

Wretch-like-me, Frank. My prayers go out to Gods’ Jim, and to all of Jim’s loved ones. Gods’ peace and love and comfort, is with you all.

Once again, I am confused and need your help understanding what your words were intended to mean to me.

“…As always, I applied the physical to the spiritual… and said as spiritual beings we do not have seasons. We have to sow God’s word in and out seasons, bear fruit in all seasons and harvest in all seasons….”

Would you agree that God’s timing is perfect and therefore His ’seasons’ are different for each of us?

It would appear to me the references in scripture to different ‘roles’ for each of us (pastors, teachers, prophets…); different spiritual gifts to serve the needs of the body(we cannot all be feet, hands, eyes, ears, nose,etc.) and the reference to ’some plow, some sow, some water, still others cultivate and harvest’ shows that God in His infinite wisdom deals with each of us individually. (relationship)

Could it be that seeing God’s timing (seasons) may be difficult for some because we have our own ‘calendar’?

You said,”…but my point was that spiritually we do not change no matter what the season because the inner self is being renewed day after day…”

I agree that the inner self has the potential to be renewed each day; however, free will always has a direct impact on that progress. Each of us progresses according to a different timetable or ’season’.

On a greater scale, would you agree with the concept that our existence on earth is a spiritual period of time as well as physical?

I have been taught that we began a period (season) of spiritual progression when we accepted and received Christ as Savior (Justification)and this present season called ‘Sanctification’ will end when we physically die and receive our reward (Glorification).

Again, it would appear that each of us has different seasons since each of us lives a time specified by God and has a limited number of days to respond not only to the Salvation message but also, to submit to the will of God for our lives while we are being Sanctified.

Let me be the first to admit that I struggle daily with ‘picking up my cross’ or ‘pummeling my body’ as Paul might put it. How well I discipline myself is directly connected to ‘free will’ and choosing to slay the flesh with the Power of the Holy Spirit.

I might add that being ‘contentious’, ‘pugilistic’, and causing strife amongst the body earns consequences that rob us of ‘jewels in our eternal crown’.

Finally, You really lost me with your last paragraph.

“…this difference (between sky & earth) is okay because NOTHING is in our control.”

I fear the brevity of your words over-simplifies the facts and in doing so, may cause some to ‘give up because afterall, NOTHING IS IN OUR CONTROL!’

On a lighter note. I like to quote lines from my favorite movies; one of which is ‘Princess Bride’.
At one point in the movie one of the main characters exclaims…
“I do not think it means what you think it means.”

As we used to say on the CB radio days…
“Come Back???”

Huggs
frank
PS There is some improvement in Jim’s condition but still in ICU and serious. I thank God for all your prayers and the opportunity to pray via telephone with Jim’s family and my brother-in-law, Dave. They were genuinely moved by the experience and use of technology to Praise God together.