Walking by Faith in Your Wintery Season

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At this season of the year when the earth is blanketed in snow and ice, I am amazed as I consider the ugly  tulip and daffodil bulbs that are frozen under the soil which will soon sprout and bear beautiful flowers of hope as the earth is rejuvenated during spring time. And even in the dead of winter when shivering hope appears to be frozen God gives a glimmer of hope as the snowdrops pop their heads bravely through the fallen snow. Oh the joy of seeing that first fragile yet hardy snowdrop – what a wonderful window to our souls of His desire to feed our faith to believe for brighter days. I thank God for His faithfulness in the seasons and look forward in faith to the spring.

Dear Child,

I am also faithful in the seasons of your life! Each season has its own unique beauty and purpose, the same is true with the seasons of your life. The same is true in the ministry of your life.

A time to believe in naked faith, a time to sow, a time to water and tend the potential harvest, and then a time of reward and reaping! The winter season is a time of hidden dormancy on the surface, but oh! under the surface what preparation is going on to burst to life in the spring! Be prepared for the spring! child.

Every season of your life has its own winter of faith, planting time in spring, watering time in summer, and reaping time in the fall. But this winter time of dormancy and darkness without any fruit, is when you must walk by faith and trust my hand to be working in My sovereignty under the surface, to bring beauty to your life in the spring!

You trust me with the seasons of the earth, trust me with the seasons of your life!

                                                              Thus saith Papa

Ecclesiastes 3:1  To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

Hebrews 11:1 Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

WINTER — The Season of FAITH

SPRING  — The Season of HOPE

SUMMER —The Season of LABOR

AUTUMN — The Season of FRUITFULNESS

CHALLENGE: If you are in the season of a fruitless winter, in faith hold unto hope, don’t give up, spring is on its way, for He is faithful!

 

Bringing Balance to the New Year by Rightly Dividing the Word

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Dear Child,

If this day is not in balance, your week, month and year will not be in balance. Meet the needs of body, soul and spirit everyday, to mature to a whole person, living not only in harmony with Me but also with yourself. If you live in harmony, you will have the peace that passes understanding. To be healthy and strong in body, soul and spirit, you need balance in all roles and responsibilities of your life. Do all things in moderation. I need a whole person.

You are a steward of all I have given you, be a good steward of all I have placed in your care. You will have time for all I want of you, if you live a balanced life, and seek first My Kingdom.     

                                  Thus saith Papa

Philippians 4:5  Let your moderation be known unto all men. 

WHAT IS BALANCE ?

Balance brings steadiness and stability to all areas of our lives especially when we “rightly divide the Word of Truth” 2Tim.2:15. If we neglect to spend time studying and rightly dividing the Word, we will loose our balance, which could result in a fall!

The following are examples to give you some food for thought.

SOCIAL LIFE:-

Proverbs 18:24  A man that hath friends must show himself friendly:

Proverbs 25:17  Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbour’s house; lest he be weary of thee, and so hate thee.

Are the above scriptures contradictions? No! They are teaching us balance!

MINISTRY:-

Galatians 6:9  And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

Mark 6:31  And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.

Are the above scriptures contradictions? No! They are teaching us balance!

WORK ETHIC:-

Ecclesiastics.3:13  And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.

Mark 8:36  For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

Are the above scriptures contradictions? No! They are teaching us balance!

FULFILLING YOUR DESTINY:-

Jeremiah 29:11  For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.

Proverbs 27:1  Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.

Are the above scriptures contradictions? No! They are teaching us balance!

HOLINESS OR LEGALISM:-

Exodus 20:8 – 11  Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work……

John 5:16-17 And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day. But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.

Are the above scriptures contradictions? No! They are teaching us balance!

Surely the best scripture to teach us balance is:

Ecclesiastics 3:1 – 8 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

This is a New Year offering you the opportunity to live a healthy balanced life meeting the nutritional needs of body, soul and spirit! Many people seem to think that success in one area can compensate for failure in other areas of life. But can it really? Can success in your profession compensate for a broken marriage, ruined health, or weakness in personal character? True effectiveness requires balance. 

CHALLENGE: Don’t try to burn the candle at both ends! 

Psalm127: 2 It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives sleep to his beloved.

In what areas of your life do you lack balance, which is robbing you of peace and harmony within?

 

God’s Miracle on 34th Street

The Incarnation — God in the Flesh

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“You may go if you must, but not me! The church is rubbish. Christmas is pure sentimentality…….”

The man was an agnostic. And though his wife and children pleaded with him to join them for services on Christmas Eve, he would not. “I don’t need Christmas” he would say. “It’s for children not for me.”

It began to snow. The man now, at home alone, peered out the window at white swirls dancing across his lawn. He settled down with the daily paper, hoping that his wife and children would soon be home. And then, ‘Thump…..’ on the window pane above the sofa. The man went to the door. He cracked it open to see a little ball of feathers – a barn swallow- sitting in a lump beneath the window. Apparently it crashed into the pane wanting to escape the blowing snow that now threatened to become the first storm of winter.

The man, who was not much given to sentimentality, felt nevertheless drawn to the bird. It must have a family he thought, among the many swallows that nested in the tool shed. It must have gotten lost. Perhaps it felt panic as the sky lowered and the snow began to fall.

“If only I could point it to the shed” he thought to himself. “ There the little fellow would find shelter against the storm”. He made a gesture with his hand, but he knew it would be useless. He picked the bird up and set it on the path to the shed. But it only sat there. Running to the kitchen, the man brought bread crumbs and laid them out in front of the bird thinking to lure it toward the shed.

But this, too, had no effect. “I’ll never make it understand” he thought to himself. “It speaks another language. The little thing is confused – it misunderstands my intentions.” And then he thought, “I’d have to become a bird myself and show it the way……”

Just then, above the wind, he heard a church bell ring. It reminded him suddenly of the season – it was Christmas. And in a flash he understood that Christmas was necessary after all. “How else might God let his creatures know His intentions? How else might he lead them to shelter? It required becoming one of us….”

God has become one of us. And he has entrusted us with the same message – to become a genuine part of people and cultures around the world. How else will they ever know?

John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

CHALLENGE: Are you listening and following after Him?

My book and study guide “Developing a Secret History with God” will inspire you on your journey to hear His voice that you may follow after Him.

Book available on Amazon/ Barnes&Noble/ Walmart/Lulu/ itunes/ Kindle/ Nook/http wwwclfrance.com/ W.H. Smith UK/or a bookstore near you.

Languages: English/ French

 

Rethinking “Twas the Night before Christmas”

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Twas the night before Jesus came and all through the house.

Not a creature was praying, not one in the house

Their Bibles were lain on the shelf without care

In hope that Jesus would not come there.

The children were dressing to crawl into bed

Not once ever knelling or bowing a head.

And Mum in her rocker with baby on her lap

Was watching the Late Show while I took a nap.

When out of the East there arose such a clatter.

I sprang to my feet to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash,

Tore open  the shutters and threw up the sash!

When what to my wondering eyes should appear

But angels proclaiming that Jesus was here.

With a light like the sun sending forth a ray

I knew in a moment this must  be THE DAY!

The light of His face made me cover my head

It was Jesus returning just like He had said.

And though I possessed wisdom and wealth,

I cried when I saw Him in spite of myself.

In the Book of Life which He held in His Hand

Was written the name of every saved man,

He spoke not a word as He searched for my name;

When He said “Its not here” my head hung in shame.

The people whose names had been written with love

He gathered to take to His Father above.

With those who were ready He rose without a sound.

While all the rest were left standing around.

I feel to my knees but it was too late;

I had waited too long and this sealed my fate,

I stood and I cried as they rose out of sight;

Oh! If only I had been ready tonight.

In the words of this poem the meaning is clear;

The coming of Jesus is drawing near.

There’s only one way life and when comes the call

We’ll find that the Bible was true after all!

CHALLENGE: 

Since there are approximately 300 prophecies about His first coming and over 1500 prophesying He will come again, His second advent is imminent. In the middle of all the hustle and bustle in preparing to celebrate His Birth do we even give it a thought to prepare for His second coming?