Hello đ đ & Welcome! Todayâs word is an in-depth study of understanding the four seasons in our lives. Itâs all about our perspective as we walk through those Spiritual and Personal realms God has designed for us. He gives unto all mankind their own free Will as our choices have consequences but take heart knowing, God can work the good through the worst of circumstances as that is how he reveals his true nature. We as Christians are a public display for the world to see the power of God made manifest in our lives. So that he can show his greatness and make his name known before all the foundations of the world as he has chosen us to be called the sons and daughters of God. They are those who have been born again through the Atonement of Christ. In truth, God wants to accomplish His own will, in His own supernatural way. We havenât messed up so badly that our Heavenly Father cannot fix and place your life back together. We donât have the capacity to wear God out because weâre not that powerful. Today as you examine your life and seek God for the answers I pray you too will say, âLord, teach me to hold my peace, help me lean on you for wisdom and understanding as I know you will vindicate justice in my life.â Yet, for someone else vindicating their justice might be against you. So, itâs always better to have humility, be forgiving and show forth that brotherly kindness. II Samuel 12: 5-13 âAnd David's anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the Lord liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die: And he shall restore the lamb fourfold because he did this thing, and because he had no pity. And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul. And I gave thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things. Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife. Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun.â 12- For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun. 13- And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said unto David, The Lord also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die. The first step of being delivered from your pit is repentance and to be upright before the Lord in all your ways as God isnât looking for perfection but obedience. He is the one who shall bring the increase and abundance. Letâs all take heart what the prophet Isaiah said, âWhen thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.â (Isaiah 43:2) Dear Friends, We all are aware of nature and the four natural seasons of the year, but do you understand the four seasons of your life? A king had four sons whom he wanted to teach them an important lesson. So, he decided to ask them to visit a cherry tree in the deep forest of their kingdom. During the peak winter, he asked his eldest son to go and see the tree and write a description of the tree. The prince came back and told that the tree is barren, old, and hopeless. Not even birds are coming near the tree. It looks useless and maybe it is better to cut it down and use the wood before it rots. During the middle of the spring, the king asked his second son to visit the tree and write a description of the tree. The prince came back and told that the tree is not barren, rather it is full of beautiful cherry blossoms and looks young and promising. The tree is surrounded by butterflies and bees who are enjoying its flowers. Then, in the summer the king sent his third son to go to see the tree and come back with a description. When the prince returned, he told that there are no blossoms, rather the tree is loaded with delicious cherries and looked mature and valuable. Many birds are living on the tree and are enjoying the fruits. Finally, in autumn the king asked his youngest son to visit the tree and bring back a description of the tree. The prince returned and described that the tree now has no fruit or flowers as his brothers described. But it looks beautiful with its colored leaves with lovely shades of gold, red and orange. It looks like an ideal object for a painting. Then the wise king asked his sons âWhat did you learn from this experience?â The other three princes were still thinking when the youngest son shared his understanding: -Like the tree, we experience different seasons of life and we are greatly affected by them. -We should not judge our life based on only the current season in our life. For every season has a purpose and no matter whatever the current season is, it will change again. Four personal seasons of life as the above story describes, one of my teachers also taught me the importance of understanding the seasons of life and how to use them wisely. Because just as nature, so do we experience different seasons in our personal life. These different seasons can be likened to life, winter, spring, summer, and fall. Now in old times when there was no electricity, people were more connected to these seasons. Their life, diet, and habits were adapted to the seasons and they embraced these seasons. For example, a farmer would rest in the winter and sharpen his tools. In spring he will prepare the land and plant the seeds. In summer he will nourish his crop and protect it from pests like insects, weeds, and animals. In the fall he will reap the results of his effort and patience and harvest the crop. And then he would repeat the cycle. In the modern world due to all the technologies, we have lost touch with the seasons. We keep to the same routine, diet, and lifestyle throughout the year. This makes us forget about the natural circle of life, therefore creating an imbalance. Like the seasons of nature, there are also Personal Seasons in life: -Season of Winter: Sadness, heartbreak, loneliness and sickness. -Season of Spring: Hope, new beginnings and opportunities. -Season of Summer: Signs of growth, and the need for protection from an abundance of distractions. -Season of Fall: Successes, achievements and failures. As Winter rolls around again itâs a time to rest, prepare & learn all the things God is trying to teach us. Too often, lifeâs situations will keep repeating in many forms until we become to the full understanding of what God wants to awaken deep inside of us. In Godâs school you never fail but remain repeating a lesson until we pass. So, look at how far youâve come and where God desires to take you. Many times Satan can see our potential long before we ever do. Itâs not about us but learning who and what we are In Christ. It is our heritage as we all come from royalty. You might have started off by playing the part but God is saying to you today to draw closer to Him because you are the part in his purposive Will and Master plan. We all need to latch on to the things God says, we can do and what we can have as His children. In times when you experience winter in your life (seasonal or personal), things might look difficult and maybe hopeless and out of control. Now as winter arrives, we are in two situations, either prepared or unprepared. If you have followed the seasons and harvested successfully in the fall, winter might be easy for you and you may take more time to rest. But if you did not harvest well in the fall, then you must use the winter to prepare for the upcoming seasons. Remember, winters are the best time to make preparations. How to make best of your Winter: Sharpen your tools. You should take the time to reflect, plan, and learn. Remember, failing to plan is planning to fail but God can still meet you where you are at and in your mindset as he wants to renew, refund and replace all the years the locust has stolen from you. We should use the winter to develop our skills and knowledge. Increase your existing skills and learn some new skills. Read relevant books and follow relevant courses. Reflect on the past only to identify the obstacles and mistakes which you need to overcome and avoid in the future. Find and connect with mentors, get good advice, and prepare an action plan. Throughout the winter, remember that spring is just around the corner so do not lose hope and keep getting ready for it. Your success in the next chapter as your story isnât over and it will not end in defeat as long as you donât give up and throw the towel in and quit. Fall is greatly dependent on your preparation in winter but when we do misstep God is our safety net. Spring: Time to Act, take risk & grab opportunity as your YES is that open door. Spring brings a window of opportunity. It might come as meeting new people, a new job opportunity or an opportunity to start your own venture. This is the time to take risks and act. It is important to understand that the risk is part of the opportunity. If you want to skip the risk, you will have to skip the opportunity and you will not benefit from the upcoming seasons. Massive action in spring is necessary for massive success in the fall. So, if you want to have a mild winter, you need to put your action to work. How to make best of your Spring: Act, do not hesitate or become stagnant and procrastinate. Hesitation allows opportunities to be lost! This is the time to act on the plan you made in the Winter, not analyze, or become complacent. Make an effort, work hard, and give your best. Do not wish for a quick reward. Remember the farmer needs to work throughout the seasons to get a worthy harvest in fall. Many times, people give up because they do not have the patience to wait for the reward in the fall, they want immediate gratification. The desire for immediate gratification is the main cause of many bad winters. Be aware of this downfall and keep the picture of the greater reward which you will get in the fall. It will keep you going. Summer: Time to nourish & protect. Summer is the time when our efforts begin to show promise and our path to goals look clearer. But success in any part of our life, like being in love, careers, relationships, or spiritual development is not easy. It requires consistent effort in overcoming obstacles with persistence. Even though things might look promising in summer, this isnât the time to relax. It is the time to fertilize your good habits and pull out the weed of bad habits. Make sure not to be fooled by the energy and momentum of the summer, as goals are not accomplished yet. Your progress is vulnerable and needs protection and regular nourishment. Do not get blinded by the distractions summer brings with it. Keep the focus on your goal and its fruit. Summer is the time of invaders who may want to take advantage of your efforts or ruin your progress. Protect your progress like a farmer protects his crop from weeds and pests. How to make the best of your summer: Care & persistence. Apply what you have learned in Winter. With persistent effort, your progress will be fast and visible. You will see the results of your efforts. Enjoy the momentum but do not give up or get lazy. Motivate yourselves daily by thinking of the end goal and your reasons to pursue it. Sacrifice small and quick pleasures to achieve greater and long-lasting happiness. Take pride in your progress but do not forget the final goal. Most importantly do not think it will always be this easy and smooth. Do not forget the Winter Season always presents itself. Fall: Time to reap success & failure. Fall is the moment of truth. In fall we either enjoy or excuse ourselves. Fall brings the result of your efforts. If you have taken the right action in the other three seasons, then now you will see the result far greater than your effort. If you have procrastinated and avoided consistent effort you will not have the desired outcome. The law of cause and effect is universal. It applies to every living being alike and in fall you see it with your eyes. Remember, when you reap well, make sure to save appropriately for those Winter days. Wise men save first for the winter and then spend what is left. It is in the fall we discover how pleasant the winter will be. How to make the best of fall: Accept and take responsibility for your results. Celebrate your success and accept your disappointments. Share your testimony of success. Save first for the winter and then spend the rest to enjoy. If you did not get the desired results, reflect on your actions in each season to understand what you missed out on, so you can do it better the next time around. In Conclusion: Our happiness and success in all aspects of life is our personal responsibility. We cannot blame the circumstances or others for choices we made. We cannot alter the seasons, but we can change ourselves, old patterns and sins we keep getting tripped up and entangled over. Pay close attention to your choices for they reveal your true character. We all have areas that need work and when youâre honest with yourself the Holy Spirit is more than willing to help you achieve deliverance. We cuff ourselves to sin in the spiritual realm by linking up our Will to unholiness. Yet, Jesusâ plan of salvation is to loose those who are bound and oppressed. To bring healing and comfort to our brokenness as a person cannot function properly feeling cast down, dejected on the inside but to break every yoke and to bind up the broken hearted. To proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those that are bound. The question is, do you want to be made well? God is eager and willing to set you free and make you whole. The first step is repentance. Repentance is to turn away from sin and to never do it again. To bridle our mouths from speaking guile, deceit, sly, craftiness, gossiping, backbiting and talebearing. But to abstain from evil and to do good in our lives as we are in full representation of Christ. Seasons are not in our control, but our actions are in our control. Proper action in each season is vital for a joyful, blessed life. If we will do what God is calling us to do, He will do supernaturally what we cannot do. Yet, we must first be willing as we are in partnership with God. John Chapter 15 đ âI am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. These things I command you, that ye love one another. If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me. If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloak for their sin. He that hateth me hateth my Father also. If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father. But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause. But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.â John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
In His Grip, Pastor Wendy Schenkel
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