The God of Time and Seasons

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

1 To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
2 a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
3 a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 a time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.


As I was driving home today God dropped in my spirit that there is a time and season for everything. I begin to wonder why a God who is not bound by time and who controls the seasons; has us, his children, His creations, to operate in time, space, and seasons? I contemplate this as I’m driving home and He slowly begins to reveal to me, that the problem isn’t his omnipotence, but our ignorance. It isn’t that our ignorance makes us sinful, but the sin is that we are given the keys to obtain knowledge; yet we choose to remain ignorant. He has us to operate in seasons, because we are unable to grasp the importance of following His will. He has us to operate in time, because we would never grow or learn, if we could remain unchangeable through time and space as He does. I was convinced at one point that God did not operate in seasons, but boy was I wrong.

It is imperative that you notice the very first statement in our text, To everything there is a SEASON, and a TIME to every purpose under heaven. This is an affirmation from God. He has declared that everything under heaven will be dictated by time, and governed by his season. There is no way around this; we either choose to follow God’s seasonal declaration for everything, and choose God’s purpose for time; or we choose our own way. So here I was shown that God governs our lives through time and season. Now for some of you I know you may be saying, “hey I already knew this about God, tell me something I don’t know,” well my friend, God revealed to me that the reason we’re not prospering, the reason we are not walking in His INTENTIONAL blessings, the reason we are not walking in His favor; simply because we do not want to operate in God’s time or His seasons for our lives; instead we want to make our own seasons and make Him move with our timing.

We are RMP (R-I-M-P) “Reaping- Minded- People,” we solely operate in a reaping mentality and not in a sowing capacity. The Bible says in Galatians 6:7, “Be not deceived God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap,” the Bible also says in 2 Corinthians 9:6, “But this I say, he which soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.” What did you notice in these two scriptures? If you answered that there is not only a time/season for reaping, but also a time/season for sowing, then reader you are absolutely right. Neither scripture stated that you will just reap; why are we RMP, when there must be sowing to reap? Ok you’re still not convinced I will show you some other scriptures that speak to this principle of sowing and reaping.

Job 4: 8, “As I have seen, those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap the same.”
1 Timothy 5:17-18, “Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.”

Luke 6:38, “Give and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

You see in each of these scriptures there was work/action/initial season/timing, and then there was action/reward/new season/cyclical timing. Yes, that is the missing link; we sit back and wonder how God can be blessing everyone else, when we have been faithful and true; we’ve been singing in the choir, paying out tithes, etc; God is saying you think you’re entitled to a blessing, but all you do is prematurely eat your harvest. All you do (Joseph) is eat your fruit before it is ripe. You do not put your hand to the plow, but you expect a plentiful harvest; all you did was sit and watch others work. I know I’m not the only one guilty of this. You can’t expect a harvest without doing some work; even in the blessings department.

Don’t believe me look: Matthew 7:7-8, “Ask and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. “ There was action with every reaction family. You have to act in God’s will, God’s timing, and God’s season. There is a time to ask and a time to be given. A season for seeking and a season for finding; if you can’t sit in PRAYER (ONE OF THE CONSTANT SEASONS) then you won’t be able to discover whether God has you in your SOWING season or your REAPING season.

Please don’t think that your reaping is simply a time for you to sit back and get your blessings; no when it was time for the season of harvest, the harvesters went out and picked up there reward. They GATHERED (VERB) their harvest. I’m not saying God won’t just have you sit still and have your harvest/blessings poured on you, but you have to be aware of what SEASON of harvest it is. Are you still not convinced of the time and season for your life? Alright let’s look at David’s example of not operating God’s season and timing:

2 Samuel 11:1- “And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Jo’ab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the Children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem.” David was supposed to be in his season of battle, but he decided to move on his own timing and make his own season; we all know what happened as a result. David’s season was not to be at home resting, but to be out with his army fighting for the Lord. He instead chose to stay at home; ended up seducing another man’s wife, getting her pregnant, killing her husband, losing his child, and causing the sword to never leave his home. (Talk about reaping and sowing.)

I know I talked your head off, but what I hope you gained from this is that you begin to look at what season you are in. Ask God to help you to operate in His Will, His Time, and His Seasons. This includes our Relationships, Finances, Jobs, Unemployment, etc. If you truly begin to try and SEEK God’s will for your life, He will reveal what your season is and what you should be doing in your season. If God can change the seasons from Summer, Winter, Spring, and Fall; then He can definitely reveal to you whether you are in your season of REAPING or SOWING.

God Bless You,
jwriter

All I want is to sleep and play video games! I also just have an urge to blog!

Forgive me it has been a minute since I have sent a post from my phone! I've been so busy it just doesn't make any sense! I'm so glad that it is friday!

Why do people say that they want their friends to be real? Do you know what you’re asking for? Do you know that you are unable to recognize the real (ness) in others because of the absence of real (ness) in you?! It kills me when people who are unable to accept truth, see the truth, admit fault, can't apologize for their wrongs, can't be the bigger person, do others wrong, talk bad about people, dog people out, and hate themselves; believe for one millisecond that they are real and everyone else lacks authentic capabilities!



Well I say no more!!! Stop putting people on this infinite level pedestal to exude the real (ness) you can't fathom and let your friends be who they are! Stop placing yourself as the poster child for honesty, truth, and fundamental transparency; and realize you're wearing a mask too, that you lie to protect your fragile pride that you get jealous, that you get envious, and that you have problems too! Get connected to people who will call you out on your mess and still love you even when you don't listen!


I don't know if you have friends that don't like to hear, see, or speak the truth, but I know you know someone who does!

I can't begin to describe why so many relationships are lacking and falling apart! I truly believe that we have limited ourselves from positive and creative expressions of love, romance, and pure tokens of appreciation! That's why I bring you this post: Love Without Limits!

Jean Grey and Franklin Richards are two omega level mutants with powerful mental capabilities. One with the power to control physical and mental constructs down to the atomic level and the other can literally shift the dimensions of reality and the time/space continuum! But their abilities had LIMITS placed on them and they weren't fully able to tap into their true potential because of the limits placed on them and the limits they placed on themselves!

It is the same for us in our relationships and our marriages! We limit the positive love we can show to the one we are committed to. We place no limits on how negative, hurtful, or deceitful we can be to one another! We don't limit how low we can be, but we limit loving unconditionally, being spontaneous, being creative in our romantic gestures, and just being appreciative.

From now on I say love without limits! Especially in your marriage you should love, honor, and cherish your treasure; treasure your soul mate, and don't be afraid to romance them.

Do an assessment of your relationship and see if you can improve your capacity to love your significant other. Plan a date, send some flowers, go for a one day trip to eat a nice restaurant, go on a wine tour, bring out a gift they gave you a fews years back and tell them why you appreciated it! Love them with everything.

Love without Limits!

I read an article today about a woman who has chosen to remain single and celibacy. She has decided to sacrifice her life, body, and the gift of sex; in order to completely dedicate herself to the service of the Lord! She stated that she chooses to be singles and has scriptures to support her choice. She also goes on to say that she has gain clarity and strength because she has dedicated herself to reading her Word, praying, working for the Kingdom, and controlling her thoughts and her body. Further more she stated that she was content in not being married ever, but if God revealed that marriage was right for her she would do it!

All in All it was a very good read and a positive alternative to either being single, dating, or married! It was an awesome read and her viewpoints were clear and nonjudgmental on both sides of the coin! It got me thinking about choosing and what role our choices make when we are deciding on a mate or deciding to live holy in single hood!

Do we have a choice in whether we are to remain single or to be married? Why didn't we come with a meter or a chart letting us know what life choice we should make! She never stated that God chose this life for her, but it was the choice she made to stop commercially dating men and to focus on her work for God. She made some points about how the church doesn't have a place for single women and she definitely stated she was not a nun. So what do you think?

You are more than your past. It is gone and you are no longer bound by it. Yesterday is gone and we don't have to hold on to that anymore. I know that it is hard to let go of the hurt, the guilt, the shame, and people who won't let you forget those things; you are more than your past. Stop being afraid to move from it and stop being afraid to find power somewhere else. We hold on to our past because it allows us to feel and people hold on to the person we were yesterday because they want power over us. I'm here to tell you that you are more than your past and because of that you can let that thing go!



It is easy to hold on to our past than to let it go. We are by nature habitual or habit forming beings. I say that you make it a habit to walk in forgiveness, to walk in love, and to walk in freedom.



Paul said forgetting those things behind in Philippians 3:13, so let them go and reach for the things before you.



Let it all go and declare to yourself that you are more than your past!

I am more than my past and I am more than what you say I am.

1. A man wants a woman who won't put him down or ever make him feel less than a man.

2. A man wants a woman who can see his potential to be great and help him achieve those goals.

3. A man wants a woman who is proud to have him as her man and not afraid to present him to her family.

4. A man wants a woman who is sexy and confident.

5. A man wants a woman who is a lady in the streets and the a freak in the bed.

6. A man wants a woman that he can talk to and tell his most intimate secrets and not worry about it getting out.

7. A man wants a woman who can cook or at least put a hot meal in the oven every now and then.

8. A man wants a woman who isn't afraid of her body and doesn't mind being willing to please him.

9. A man wants a woman who is a ride or die chick; a woman who will stand by her man in times of adversity.

10. A man wants a woman who loves him and can forgive him when he is geniunely sorry for the mistakes he made.

What do you think a man wants from a woman?

joe4christ.blogspot.com

A woman loves a man who smells good. 1

A woman loves when a man is well groomed and clean. 2

A woman loves a confident man. 3

A woman loves a man who can be thoughtful and unselfish. 4

A woman loves a man who is romantic and wants to impress her heart. 5

A woman loves a man who can stimulate their mind. 6

A woman loves a man who loves God and worships Him. 7

A woman loves a man who can take charge. 8

A woman loves a man who takes care of his responsibilities. 9

A woman loves a man who takes care of himself. 10

A woman loves a man that can manage his money. 11

A woman loves a man who understands foreplay and takes his time when needed. 12

A woman loves a man who pays attention to detail. 13

A woman loves a man who gives her something to look forward too. 14A woman loves a man who is striving to better himself. 15

A woman loves a man who respects women. 16

A woman loves a man who can be spontaneous. 17

A woman loves a man who can think only of her. 18A woman loves a man that is faithful. 19

A woman loves a man that will stand up for her. 20

A woman loves a man that isn't dependent on the every word of their mother. 21

A woman loves a man that can make her feel safe and secure. 22

A woman loves a man with fresh breath. 23

Did I miss anything ladies?

I often sit back and wonder if I'm all talk or if this monogamy thing is what I truly believe in. (Disclaimer: If you're reading this let me be clear this is me thinking out loud. I believe in monogamy and I'm a ONE woman MAN!). But I'm sitting here thinking like wow where did I get this from? What has made me decide to be monogamous?

Was I born with this particular preference for relationships or was it environment that fostered the belief that monogamy is the way to go for me? I have no idea why this has come up at all; actually I do, there are A LOT of beautiful sexy women out there. While I don't think I can be in a relationship with them all; believe me I get the lust factor, I get the idea of them being eye candy, and I get that wow women are amazing. Anyway I don't know if I can pinpoint it to one particular experience or circumstance that can state why I'm prone to monogamy.

I know this much it is a combination of both instances and experience. Experience in life will make a great or poor student out of you! I think I was born this way because it feels so natural. I have a strong desire outside of experience to be faithful to one person and doing it comes natural for me. I think it was environment; seeing people hurt one another because of cheating and lust, has helped me choose monogamy, and embrace it. Experience was the best teacher for me. I've been cheated on several times and it hurt every time, even when the person was honest with me; it still hurt and I never wanted to hurt someone in that way.

Temptation is a very powerful thing, but I would leave the one I'm with or stay single before I made the decision to cheat. Cheating is a decision, even if you have a genetic predisposition to cheat or be non-monogamous.

I think monogamy chose me and I also choose monogamy...but that doesn't mean I don't window shop either.

Did Monogamy Choose Me? Am I really suited for this thing call monogamy or is it just a suit I wear.

I know this I believe fully in the 80/20 rule and that you never miss a good thing until it is gone.

So I'm just woke in my apartment after a long day of work, some good social work, and cleaning up my home. I'm sitting back and just can't get over the fact that I feel betrayed. I mean maybe I did bring this on myself and maybe I might even deserve it, but that doesn't console me or make me feel any better.

I don't know why I was given this blessing (curse) to care so much or to love so hard. Not just my family, but my friends too. I work hard to see the best in people; even when they can't see the best in themselves. See I figured journal, what my problem is; I talk too much and I share to much, and I'm just too open and honest. People get me wrong or take what I said back to people and just get it wrong. My problem is I can't seem to convey to my "friends" that I truly value them. Yeah I mess up, but I will own up to my mistakes. Yeah I can't make everything, but I'm only human!

No one knows what I have been through, but the people I have been truly vulnerable with and no one asked. They assumed things that were one way and never asked otherwise. I have been through some mentally torturing things and through God's help I have survived. My heart torn in a million pieces, but I have survived. But YOU never asked me a thing, you made your choice, and left me hanging.

I got to let this go, but I can't help but feel shut out, broken, and hurt.

So...

Very excited about the wine I have for tasting! Wine is an amazing drink and social gathering tool! I enjoy having company and being able to sip a nice wine!

I'm in awe of you and you're beauty

1. You are not a man just because you were born with male reproductive organs. You are just a male, that doesn't make you a man.

2. You are not a man if you can't keep your word. I understand every now and then you fall, but you never keep your word or you're not reliable. I'm sorry but you're not a man.

3. You are not a man if you DON'T CARE FOR YOUR CHILDREN! How can you let down your seed, your legacy, and still call yourself a man. You are a bottom feeder and worse than a criminal in my book. Take care of your children.

4. You are not a man if you think that you can abuse women and it is ok.

5. You are not a man if you don't take care of your responsibilities.

6. You are not a man if you have no one to hold you accountable and if you don't own up to your mistakes and try to correct them.

7. You are not a man if you can't admit you're wrong and apologize when you've wronged others.

8. You are not a man if you only think of your own needs and never concern yourself with the needs of others.

9. You are not a man if you think that manhood is only proven with what you do in the bedroom.

10. You are not a man if you are unable to submit to the will and way of God.

Life always keeps you guessing and wondering what it will bring you're way! It never stops and wonders if you just need a break or some peace of mind!

People will only do what you allow them to do to you!

Just have to do an assessment of my life and start making some changes! I'm excited about new things, new travels, new love, new chances!