Monthly Archives: November 2020

Seasons – Everything in God’s Time

27 Friday Nov 2020

Posted by in Bible, Christian, Christianity, Church, Faith, God, Inspiration, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Love, Religion, Religious, Spiritual

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Autumn or Fall as it is commonly known as, brings various changes just as each meteorological season does. One can feel the change in temperature from warmer to cooler, and there is of course the transition in the colors of the leaves on trees.

The shade of colors can range from a deep red, to a bright yellow, and even to orange. It is all a signature of God’s beauty as well as His order concerning time and seasons. Nature speaks to the character of God, and also the natural order that He intended. Even as the leaves begin to change, they also fall to the ground as it represents yet another shift into another season, and that is winter.

In life, there are seasons that we all face and differing times in which we experience changes. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 says the following:

(NKJV) “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.”

The Bible makes it clear that there is a time for everything. We all experience cycles in life, and one of the most prominent for example, is from birth to death. We are all born, and we will all die. How long we live varies from person-to-person, but even the time between life and death is a season. There are other seasons that we experience:

For example, there may be moments in life when we go through hardships. Other times, we may face joyous occasions and periods of victories. There are some seasons that we endure that are more challenging than others, but even in those seasons, it is an opportunity to grow. It also provides the potential for maturity and lessons to be learned.

If we look back at the example of autumn into winter, both seasons (metaphorically speaking) represent a period where nature begins to fade into seasons of death and scarcity. However, after autumn and winter passes, spring time emerges as a newborn with vitality and sense of refreshment. Each meteorological season has its own beauty, but they also represent a set of traits that are a stark contrast from one season to another.

Beauty can be found in every season that we go through in life. God’s hands show us through nature and even in every day experiences that when He is the author of our story, He makes everything beautiful in His time.

(NKJV) 11 “He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.”

Where are you in your life today? What challenges or even victories are you currently experiencing? Whatever station of life you find yourself in, it should be known that God’s timing is perfect and He exceeds every expectation that we have for ourselves. It is when we attempt to write our own story that we fall short. However, God has the best plans for your life, and it can only be seen through the lens of obedience and surrender unto Him.

Do you know Jesus as your personal Lord and savior? The best way to understand God’s plans for your life is to submit everything to Him. This is done through repenting of your sins, accepting the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross, and acknowledging that He was buried and rose again. When we come to a point of admitting that God’s timing is better than ours, we will begin to see life take on a whole new meaning.

While not everything in life goes as we want it to go, there are things that we can learn and areas that produce growth when we wait for God’s timing and follow His plan. Where you are today, it is only a season, which means that there is yet something more for you and I to see and to learn from.

Thanksgiving – The Holiday and Every Day

25 Wednesday Nov 2020

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In the United States, Thanksgiving has become a staple among many traditions that involve celebrating life, freedom, family, and friends. It is a national holiday that was firmly established by Congress on December 26, 1941. Since the day it was legislated, Americans have celebrated this holiday by gathering with family and friends to give thanks.

The earliest remnants of Thanksgiving was by some historical accounts established in 1621, when Plymouth settlers (also known as Pilgrims) celebrated a successful season of harvest by having what was known as a ‘harvest feast.’ The Pilgrims celebrated at Plymouth for three days after their harvest.

In today’s time, Thanksgiving is not only an American event, but other countries celebrate the holiday as well. If we take a moment to think about all that we have, we can all find something to be thankful for. From the Biblical standpoint, there are verses that points to the concept of thanksgiving.

Psalm 7:17 “I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness;
    I will sing the praises of the name of the Lord Most High.”

Psalm 9:1 “I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart;
    I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.”

Colossians 4:2 “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.“

Thanksgiving is more than just a designated holiday, and it is not just to be relegated to being thankful for food, shelter, friends, and family. All of these things are important, but God desires that we show thanksgiving to Him for all that He has done for us. The loving kindness of God the Father was shown to us by sending Jesus to die on the Cross at Calvary. Without the bloodshed of Jesus and His resurrection, humanity would be eternally lost due to the penalty of sin that we all owe.

The concept of thanksgiving is also not meant to be isolated to one day each year. Rather, we can and ought to give thanks every day because there is at least one thing that we can be thankful for. Even when life does not lend itself to provide everything that we want, there are many examples that we can look to with gratitude.

We should give thanks unto the Lord for His many blessings, and this starts with having a relationship with Jesus Christ. Do you know Jesus in the pardon of your sins? If not, you can receive eternal life through Christ by repenting of your sins, acknowledging the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. Then, you actively turn from your sins and embrace the new life that the Lord gives.

Let each day be a day of thanks unto God for all that He has done and continues to do. We can also be thankful for what we have, and who we are connected to. Be thankful today, and every day because there are many things we can point to. Give thanks.

Which Path Will You Take?

24 Tuesday Nov 2020

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In life, we all have choices to make. From what we wear when we get dressed in the morning, to the decision of what to eat for breakfast. We even have the choice of skipping breakfast altogether, but we all have choices. There are monumental choices that can alter our destiny if we choose correctly or incorrectly. One can think of life as a summary of decisions, but even at a much deeper level, there are moments when we have two options set before us.

There are right and wrong choices that can be made in life. Depending on which way one chooses, the end result is the sum or total of what decision was made. The world around us would have us to believe that there isn’t just one way to reach the truth. While yes, there are multiple ways to live or exist, Jesus Christ made it clear in John 14:16 when he said “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

There are different religions, belief systems, and even movements that center around non-belief. For thousands of years, there have been countless examples of a wide array of beliefs that encompass the ideology that there isn’t just one way to reach eternal life – or the very aspect of achieving an ultimate end. Rather, the worldwide belief is that all ways can lead to the truth, rather than as Jesus said that He is the truth, the way, and the life.

When Jesus made that statement according to John 14:16, He meant it just as He said it. The only way to receive life (in this context eternal life) is only through Jesus Himself. He is the truth, the way, and the life and the only way to know God is to know Jesus Christ. Many secular humanists and otherwise contend that all roads lead to the truth. Or, truth is what you make it to be, rather than it being concrete.

However, regardless of what a person or a group of people believes, there are only two choices. This fact is outlined in Matthew 7:13-14 which says:

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the way that leads to life, and only a few find it. “

There are two choices that we as humans have set before us. We can take the narrow gate which is the way of Jesus Christ, or we can take the broad gate which is the way to Hell and destruction. The right path is to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. The wrong path is to reject Him. The Bible makes it clear that most travel on the path that is broad, and that is because it is easier and more enticing. However, the path to everlasting life is narrow, meaning few people travel that path because it is harder and less appealing.

The overall point here, is that you and I, we have an opportunity to choose life or destruction. Will you choose the path that leads to eternal life through Jesus Christ? Or will you choose the path that leads to eternal damnation by rejecting Christ? Belief systems come and go, and trends in our world always change. However, it is the truth of Jesus Christ that remains.

If you don’t know Jesus in the pardon of your sins, this is a perfect opportunity to accept the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross by repenting, believing that Jesus rose again, and accepting His love. Which path will you choose?