Turn Turn Turn / To Everything There Is A Season Byrds.
Always the season to turn to God.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-18
There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
9 What do workers gain from their toil? 10 I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
12 I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. 13 That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God.
14 I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear him.
15 Whatever is has already been,
and what will be has been before;
and God will call the past to account.
16 And I saw something else under the sun:
In the place of judgment—wickedness was there,
in the place of justice—wickedness was there.
17 I said to myself,
“God will bring into judgment
both the righteous and the wicked,
for there will be a time for every activity,
a time to judge every deed.”
18 I also said to myself, “As for humans, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals.
So many times the Psalms neatly sum up the aspects of God. Life tests us.
Psalm 11
For the director of music. Of David.
1 In the Lord I take refuge.
How then can you say to me:
“Flee like a bird to your mountain.
2 For look, the wicked bend their bows;
they set their arrows against the strings
to shoot from the shadows
at the upright in heart.
3 When the foundations are being destroyed,
what can the righteous do?”
4 The Lord is in his holy temple;
the Lord is on his heavenly throne.
He observes everyone on earth;
his eyes examine them.
5 The Lord examines the righteous,
but the wicked, those who love violence,
he hates with a passion.
6 On the wicked he will rain
fiery coals and burning sulfur;
a scorching wind will be their lot.
7 For the Lord is righteous,
he loves justice;
the upright will see his face.
How does God feel about seasons? He is, of course, for them - His Word spoke the Seasons into creation.
It's when God creates a new thing - a repeat of an old thing - we have our attention caught. Taking a breathe with hope, faith and Love. A Renewal.
God took the seasons and placed a budding almond branch in the Ark of the Covenant. The Aramaic Book of Maccabees, Chapter 6, tells us of Jeremiah placing the Ark, sealed up by God, on Mount Nebo. With Moses. Faith in the Nicene Council, placed by God and surviving fierce storms, would say Believe. Hope tells us the Ark was not recorded in returning to the Second Temple with the other Temple Tools, created during the time of Moses, and is not recorded in the mosaic of the Arch of Titus in Rome. Love would tell us our Father God tells us the Truth.
Pope Pappa Visits Mount Nebo. Do you think He could feel the Joy of the Place and felt his heart stir?
The Book of Genesis tells us the Tree of Life is in His Garden of Eden. The Book of Revelation tells us the Tree of Life exists in His Kingdom. The Ark is seen again in Scriptures -
Revelation 11:19
Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a severe hailstorm.
If you and I are to wonder together - I'd have to say the almond branch is still budding.
With the wonder - Heaven has remembrance of the sounds of the Exodus and Good Friday. A Season God Does Not See as Past.
What does God tell us today? God is about pulling us past our brokenness, in our sincere apology to Him, and into His Light - still shining.
God is about the Exodus in this life. Leaving fear, doubt, complacency, dull thought. And tells us of the on going conversation He has for us- always - an Open Door Policy. Heaven records there are 12 gates of One pearl - always open. God tells us of the reward today.
John 15:7
If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
Philippians 4:6
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
Mark 11:24
Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
Father God, as You recall the Exodus - You remember with a Father's sympathy about the hardships of Life.
By Your Word, you called us to Pray and Expect results in You.
On Your Throne, Good Friday reminds us of the hardships You have lived for us. In Expectation, Father God, let us pray for fathers to return to their vows. Knowing when we pray for Your Will to be done - we ask for the best blessing.
For Churches to be such an Encouraging Word - our younger generation thirsts for You and seeks nourishment every Sunday. Our Nation hopes in You and that encouragement makes life a time of peace again.
We open our hands to You and ask You make the path Yours. You are the Way, Truth and Life.
In Jesus we pray! Amen!
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