Tell the World
Outreach Quote of the Day:
“I have but one passion: It is He, it is He alone. The world is the field and the field is the world; and henceforth that country shall be my home where I can be most used in winning souls for Christ.”
Count Nicolaus Ludwn Zinzendorf
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We have learned that God uses TIME to both perfect the saints & draw us nearer to Him.
In this lesson, we learn why God divides time into various periods & seasons.
We recommend the following music to go with your lesson time together:
1) “I Know Who Holds Tomorrow”
(Be sure to read David Hill’s testimony in the “show more” area.)
2) “Thank You Lord for the Trials” (with lyrics)
3) “Thank You Lord for the Trials” (live)
4)“My Life is in Your Hands”
May God bless your session.
See the rest of this series…
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Lesson #6 Transcript:
Thank you Seamas, sorry about your stormy time, we’re so glad you found a shelter… and thanks for reminding us that our real shelter is Jesus!!
Let’s start with a review of our last lesson.
Last time we learned that although we may feel that time moves too slowly or too quickly, it is perfect for God’s purposes.
God takes His time to allow us to grow into His image through a step-by-step process.
If you want to add some music to this family time, we have a few suggestions for YouTube songs that go with this lesson.
We suggest “I Know Who Holds Tomorrow” on the “David Hill” Channel. Be sure to click on “show more” in his description area and read his wife’s testimony – it’s very inspiring!
Also, listen to the beautiful voice of Cynthia Clawson sing “Thank You Lord for the Trials” on the “Fellowship Care” channel.
Last, but not least, the magnificent Brooklyn Tabernacle singing: “My Life is in Your Hands.”
Last time, we studied how God uses TIME as His opportunity to help us grow in Christ using a step-by-step process.
God not only created time; He also created the seasons.
Today’s lesson is called: “Times & Seasons”
Times & Seasons
We are going to look at how God divided time into sections like day & night, Summer & Winter, light & dark, dormant & fruitful, etc.
Most of us would prefer one long nice season, but some seasons will involve suffering.
God the divided each 24-Hour day into
2 parts – Nighttime & Daylight.
He divided the one-year period into 12 parts (months) with those 12 months expressed as 4 seasons.
He divided our lives into sections too – such as infancy, childhood, adulthood and senior years.
He has carefully planned and organized our times in a way that best works for His purposes.
Seasons & Times may repeat yearly like Christmas or Springtime.
They may be single events like graduation day or one’s wedding day. They might even be single life periods like one’s 20’s or one’s time in chemotherapy.
He has determined the various seasons of our lives and even the places we would live them out.
“From one man He has made every nationality to live over the whole earth and has determined their appointed times and the boundaries of where they live.” Act 17:26 HCSB
“He said to them, “It is not your place to know the times or seasons which the Father has placed under His own control.” Act 1:7 TLV
God knows the times and seasons through which both nations and individuals will pass. He even determined the places we will live. Beginning with early childhood, discuss some of the times and seasons that you have experienced in life.
“…determined their appointed times and the boundaries of where they live.” Act 17:26 HCSB
Like our lives, the Bible story is broken into times and seasons:
The Period of beginnings (creation, the fall of man, the great flood)
The forming of the Hebrew Nation (stories of early patriarchs)
The Egyptian bondage
The wilderness wandering and conquest of Canaan land
The kingdom of Israel united then divided then returning from captivity
The 400 Year silence
The Messiah arrives, suffers. dies, resurrected
The gospel is proclaimed by the Church
The end time events
The New Heaven & Earth
The Lamb of God reigns forever
God has organized our lives into times and seasons:
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;” – Ecc 3:1, 2 ESV
God often organizes our times it into opposing periods of highs and lows (night, then day, then night, then day etc.) Has put One Against the other…
Now, we need the person who reads the most… “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.” Gen 8:22 ESV
“When life is good, enjoy it. But when life is hard, remember: God gives good times and hard times, and no one knows what tomorrow will bring.” Ecl 7:14 EXB
Why do you think God puts good and hard times back to back, and how does He want us to respond to each?
Springtime…………………….……Winter
“When life is good, enjoy it, but when life is hard remember: God gives good times…and hard times, and no one knows what tomorrow will bring.” Ecl 7:14 EXB
Now, we need the one who is seated furthest to the North in the room…
“The Lord lifts up people who have fallen. He helps those who are in trouble. All living things look to you for their food, and you give them their food at the right time.” Ps 145:14, 15 ERV
“He changes the times and seasons … He takes away the power of kings. And he gives their power to new kings.” Dan 2:21 ICB
Question #3: God gives us the perfect seasons that we need when we need them. What does the Lord do for people in need (at just the right time) and how is this different from what He does to some kings?
“Everyone who makes themselves important will be made humble. But everyone who makes themselves humble will be made important.” Lk 14:11 ERV
“Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low.” Isa. 40:4 ESV
The seasons are sometimes very difficult.
“After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace… complete, confirm, strengthen, and establish you [making you what you ought to be].” 1Pe 5:10 AMP
“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” Rom 8:18 NIV
“Keep on being brave! It will bring you great rewards.” Heb 10:35 CEV
Jesus understood that His times of suffering in His life were temporary but valuable.
“…keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that lay before Him endured a cross and despised the shame and has sat down at the right hand of God’s throne.” Heb 12:2 HCSB
Jesus knew that times of suffering for the Gospel’s sake are worth it for the greater rewards which follow.
Jesus knew that times of suffering for the Gospel’s sake are worth it for the greater rewards which follow.
“Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord and who meditates on his law day and night.
That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers. Ps 1:1-3 NIV
Describe the man whose life will always bear fruit in due season.
That person is like a tree planted by streams of water.
“But if you live in life-union with me and if my words live powerfully within you—then you can ask whatever you desire, and it will be done.” John 15:7 TPT
Question #5 – According to John 15:7, what sort of man must Joshua have been that God would change the very rules of the universe for him?
Even in the darkest hours, it is never completely dark for a believer.
“And God said, ‘Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.’ And it was so. And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth.” Gen 1:14-17 ESV
“And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night.”
Even through Earth’s darkest hours, He made a lesser light to rule the night.
It reflects the sun and tells you it is still there.
Believers who keep their trust and hope in Jesus will have a smidgen of light through even their darkest seasons of life.
When Israel was escaping their Egyptian captors by crossing the great middle-eastern wilderness, God went before them in a pillar of light:
“And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night.” Exodus 13:21 ESV
“And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night.” Ex 13:21 ESV
Harsh seasons do end and are replaced by refreshing seasons:
“For see, the winter is past. The rain is over and gone. The flowers are coming through the ground. The time for singing has come…” Song 2:11, 12 NLV
“… I will send down the showers in their season; they shall be showers of blessing.” Ezk 34:26 ESV
“He hath made everything beautiful in His time…” Ecc 3:11 BRG
“… I will send down the showers in their season; they shall be showers of blessing.” Ezk 34:26 ESV
In general, times and seasons are entirely in God’s jurisdiction, humans have no say in it.
“He made the moon to mark the seasons; the sun knows it’s time for setting.” Ps. 104:19 ESV
The sun actually knows its own bedtime and always obeys its Lord & master.
“He made the moon to mark the seasons; the sun knows it’s time for setting.” Ps. 104:19 ESV
Yet, David had the boldness to pray to God to shorten his hard time.
“My times are in your hand; rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors!” Psa 31:15 ESV
Joshua was even bolder.
“…And that day Joshua stood before all the people of Israel and said to the Lord: ‘Sun, stand still… Moon, stand still …’ So, the sun stood still, and the moon stopped until the people defeated their enemies…
The sun stopped in the middle of the sky. It waited to go down for a full day. That has never happened at any time before that day or since. That was the day the Lord listened to a man. Truly the Lord was fighting for Israel! Josh 10:12-14 ICB
“Sun, stand still… Moon, stand still … So, the sun stood still, and the moon stopped until the people defeated their enemies…”
Prayer can move God in powerful ways.
Yes, times and seasons are in His jurisdiction, so, He can stretch time if He wants to.
But, that’s not the most amazing thing.
The amazing thing is that He wanted to because a man of faith asked Him to.
Remember, His ultimate pleasure is in being in relationship with and sharing a partnership with His beloved humankind.
He is very keen to answer our prayers of faith.
As always, enjoy hearing your teaching / preaching. Looking forward to one of those pears. Lol. But even more, enjoying the fruit of your lives and looking toward to bearing more fruit in my own life. Love and miss you.
Hey Donna,
You definitely have dibs on a few pears (if they ever come back).
Thanks for the encouraging comments dear friend. We miss you and your ministry–we were looking forward to delving into the book of Daniel!
Take good care of yourself (and your sister too). Some seasons are hard, but He is the God of both the day and the night.
Thanks for the kind feedback–it encourages us to continue.