"TIMES AND SEASONS"
TIMES AND SEASONS
Sunday, August 6, 2011
Preached by: Pastor Carolyn Sissom
“Houston we need help.”
Houston did it again!!!!! Governor Rick Perry launched a spiritual rocket-ship from Reliant Stadium today. This gathering of over 30,000 Christians sent a message to the world, “The Christians are coming. We are coming in unity. We are coming in the Power of the Lord’s presence.” It is not the Tea Party that is a threat to the agenda of the spirit of anti-christ, it is Christians.
From this gathering came an uncompromising platform spoken with boldness, clarity and passion. It was a clarion call of our Faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. “We have entered a time when the church must make a stand to determine which way our future will go.” I believe today was not just a “stand”, but the first battle to take back this country for Jesus. This was a national call to prayer for the nation. A Governor has the spiritual governmental authority to call a nation to prayer. The Lord honored that authority today.
The Lord spoke to me a few weeks ago to pray for Rick Perry to “answer the call to run for President of the United States.” If I were in Rick Perry’s shoes, my prayer would be, “Lord I will not go into the Lion’s Den unless you go with me.” Today the Lord of Glory poured out His Holy Presence on this gathering. I hope Rick Perry will have the Faith to recognize the Lord’s blessing and favor was upon this meeting.
I watched the news tonight to hear what the “pundits” had to say. Not much!!!! Wolf Blitzer wrongly stated the prayer gathering was highly criticized and there were protesters. I saw no protesters any where. The people I saw inside the stadium were people of like-precious Faith. (Perhaps the media were the only ones not raising their hands in joyful triumph).
Last Tuesday I taught on 1Thess. 5:1 “But of the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I write to you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.”
Bobby Conner’s book written in 2008, Times and Seasons, Eagles View Ministries, P. O. Box 933, Bullard, TX 75757:
Page 13: ‘THE CONQUEST: “The conquest---has commenced. This is neither warm-up nor scrimmage; this is the real thing. It is not time to hold back. Now is the time to give your all to the Kingdom of God. It is time to arise and advance.
I was blessed to hear Bobby Conner at the Texas Ablaze Conference in Houston this past week. I was blessed equally with all of the speakers, but want to quote from The Shepherd’s Rod, Volume XVI-2011:
“In this time of global gloom and deep depression, when many are stumbling about in darkness, we must grasp the keys of Divine Wisdom, knowing how to encourage ourselves in the Lord, we must not wobble or grow weary, but hold fast to our destiny and access heaven’s help to overcome the trials and adversities ahead. You were born for this time; truly you are in the kingdom for such as time as this…
Many have questions, concerning times and seasons. What season is this? It is the season of reaping! Paul informs us that we should not be deceived; we will reap whatever we have sown (Gal. 6:7). This is extremely encouraging for many have been busy sowing years of intercession, praying that God will fill this earth with His glory, asking that Christ Jesus gets his due reward…
(Page 9- Times and Seasons) “God is looking through-out the entire earth searching for the upright in heart, to them God will prove Himself strong and sure.
2 Chr. 16:9: “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him. Herein you have done foolishly; therefore from hereafter you shall have wars.”
The prophetic trumpets must make a clear call in these extremely crucial days in order to prepare a strong confident leadership ( 1 Cor. 14:8) “For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?”
This is time to walk with a true goal, aim and purpose, not drift about in an endless circle…
The Spirit of God is preparing leadership by releasing upon them the anointing that rested upon the sons of Issachar. They had understanding of the time, and were aware of what the people of God should be accomplishing. (1 Chr. 12:32).
The kingdom of God will not be established by mere words or abilities of men, but by the Spirit of God (1 Cor. 4:20) “For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.”
This confidence can only come from true union with Christ. It is abiding in His manifested presence that results in our boldness (Prov. 28:1) “The wicked flee when no man pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion.”
These days call for followers of Christ to stand firm knowing who they are in Christ and Who Christ is in them (Col. 2: 9-10). God’s word declares that in Christ is the fullness of the Godhead and you are complete in Him.” (End of quote)
When Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, the time was uncertain. Paul now reassures those who feared they might not be ready for the Parousia (presence of the Lord). He had already told them it would be unexpected and now simply repeats this, pointing out that unbelievers will be overwhelmed by it. Times and seasons refer respectively to the length of time that will pass and the special character of the divinely appointed moments when God acts.
The day of the Lord is an O.T. term for any occasion when God acts in a striking way to overthrow His enemies.
Isa. 2:12-22: “For the day of the Lord of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low… (Vs.17) and the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low; and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. And the idols He shall utterly abolish. And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of His Majesty, when he arises to shake terribly the earth…”
The day is described in Joel 2:30-31 as the final overthrow of the enemies of the Lord. “I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come.”
John tells us that when He appears, we shall be like Him. 1 John 3:2: “Beloved, now we are the sons of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.”
I have been blessed with many visitations of the Lord. With each one of those visitations, it left me weeping in awe of His Presence.
“This is the season of answered prayers (1 Cor. 6:2 and Isaiah 49:8). The corporate cry “Thy Kingdom Come, they will be done on earth as it is in heaven”, will be answered…
Approaching these end times, we discover, it will be a season of great harvest; let’s enter this time with joy and confidence, with the shouts of praise and worship…”
As Jill O’Brien preached at the Tent Revival, “It is the Best of Times and the worst of Times.”
“Now is the time to enter the Lord’s “Harvest Field;” there “we shall behold the works of the Lord.” (Acts 1:8)…
“These are dark and dangerous days (2 Tim. 3:1), we desperately need Divine Guidance (Ps. 119:130). “The entrance of your words give light, it gives understanding to the simple.”…
“The heartfelt cry to behold God’s power will be answered! The Spirit of God will reveal the Heart of God and the Hand of God working mightily in theses days…
Prepare yourself to be an instrument in the Master’s hand; fill your heart with bold faith, having unshakable confidence in the Spirit of God that dwells within you to accomplish any and all tasks you are assigned…
Christ Jesus reveals that one of the characteristics of the last days will be that the love of many will have grown cold. “And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold” (Mt. 24:12)”
Page 15 – Times and Seasons: “Our lack of demonstrated power is a testimony to our carnality. We must walk in purity, if we are to walk in real power.”
It is from the realm of the Holy of Holies that we will stand and minister in His Glory.
“As we discover the foremost reason for our lack of genuine-power---which comes from a lack of genuine holiness---we can move forward with a repentant heart, seeking the Lord to extract from us everything that separates us from Him…
God’s warning is exceedingly clear: “make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14, NIV). Don’t confuse holiness with man-made legalism. True holiness produces overflowing life and peace, while religious legalism produces only barrenness and death…
The Body of Christ must discover and distinguish the immense difference between human arrogance and genuine Holy Spirit boldness; between being driven by our own ambitions and being moved and motivated by God’s Holy Spirit. If we continue to act upon our flesh-driven presumptions, failure is assured.
Arrogance is fostered by our flesh---a person’s own abilities and human agenda. True boldness, however, is released from an encounter with the Holy Spirit. Scripture paints a picture for us; the righteous shall be as bold as a lion…
A wicked religious spirit will always manifest itself by attempting to counterfeit the original. If this evil spirit cannot get someone moving in pseudo self-confidence, it will cause the person to become weak and timid. It is high time we recognize the difference between timidity and humility, confidence and presumption.
We should all ask ourselves are we being commissioned by God’s Spirit or have we birthed our own plans? I am sure Governor Perry is on his face before the Lord seeking him for this confirmation…When one is sent by the Lord; God goes before the person to make a way. However, if the person runs without being sent by God, the person is doomed to shame and failure. We must join with Moses: “O Lord if your Presence does not go with us please don’t let us take a single step”. (Exodus 33:15)
Jesus is the perfect example of being sent by God. Jesus said, “I only do what I see my Father doing; I only say what I hear My Father saying.” It was the joy of His heart to do the Father’s will. Jesus’ life of absolute obedience to the Father’s will must become our quest as well. It is the perfect syncopation: we should seek the harmonizing of God’s will and our walk. This divine rhythm was reflected in Paul’s life when he said: “for me to live is Christ…” (Phil. 1:21).
Let us not walk in the light of our own fire. (Isa. 50:11)
Preached by: Pastor Carolyn Sissom
Scripture from K.J.V. and N.I.V.
Text from Times and Seasons and Shepherd’s Rod, Volume XVI, 2011 by: Bobby Conner, Eagles View Ministries, P. O. Box 933, Bullard, TX 75757.
Comments and conclusions are my own and not meant to reflect the views of those from whom I have gleaned.
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