Tag Archives: season

Seasons

Pastor's Desk, ,

Dear Family

The weather has just been totally crazy recently. It’s been very hot, then very cold, then dry, then wet. The poor weather man has really had his work cut out with an unusual amount of curses flying his way, I’m sure. This time of year when the seasons struggle to know whether it is still autumn or perhaps sliding into winter, provides quite an interesting ride for us all.

Our lives are often like this too, aren’t they? Personally, I find it a lot easier to ride out a summer time in life, or a dry, cold winter time, than to be up and down with all sort of things hanging and banging me about. I like order. I like the ducks to all march in line, and when they don’t, I do struggle more to cope.

In the book of Ecclesiastes, we read of Solomon’s seasonal journey in life. He had everything, tried everything, but everything became “meaningless”. All his power, his wisdom, his tremendous wealth and influence, everything, he experienced as an exercise in futility. And at the end of it all, he has this to say: “Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecc 12:13). The prophet Micah has a similar commission for us. In Micah 6:8 we read, “He has shown you, O Man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly before your God.” This life walk of ours is quite simple really. It’s not about money, or comfort, or health, or power, or prestige, or shoes! It’s all about God!

Seasons will come and go. Changes will happen. Difficulties will need to be faced. Storms of life are inevitable. But this one this is sure: “Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever.” Hallelujah!

Don’t Be Slovenly – Part 1

Bible Study, ,

DON’T BE SLOVENLY – PART 1

“‘You know that if the house owner had known what night the burglar was coming, he wouldn’t have stayed out late and left the place unlocked. So don’t you be slovenly and careless. Just when you don’t expect Him, the Son of Man will show up.'” Luke 12:39, 40 (The Message).

This ‘thief in the night’ imagery has captured the imagination of Christian authors and fathered many a story about the coming of Jesus. But, if we don’t tie the expression to its religious and cultural background, we will also be fooled into wild and woolly interpretations. This is not about sitting up all night, every night, waiting for the ‘thief’ to come. This is about being aware of the season and being faithful to respond to the preparation God has prescribed in His word for the season.

“Now, brothers, about times and dates, we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, ‘Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, like labour pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all sons of light.” 1 Thessalonians 5:1-5a (NIV).

In this letter written to the believers in Thessalonica, Paul indicated that he had thoroughly instructed them about the return of the Lord Jesus while he was with them. False teachers had subsequently confused them by saying that Jesus had returned secretly and that they had missed Him. Paul explains how this was impossible because the coming of Jesus would fulfil ‘Yom Teruah’, the Feast of Trumpets, a noisy and visible affair.

In Leviticus 23, God gave instruction regarding seven feasts which were to be celebrated during the course the year; one, the Sabbath, a weekly celebration, three during the spring and three seven months later during the autumn. These ‘appointed feasts’ are translated, in the Hebrew, ‘rehearsal feasts’. For what were they rehearsing? Since the whole Bible is the story of God’s choice and preparation of His bride, and ends with a wedding, obviously the feasts would be rehearsing the process of His courtship of His people and the wedding ceremony.

Let’s examine them and see how this works.

1. The Sabbath is a picture of the divine rest into which God calls His people. Jesus fulfilled this feast according the Hebrews 3, 4. This not annual but weekly to show us that faith in Him sets us free from our ‘labour’ to satisfy God’s demand for perfection and allows us to rest perpetually in the perfection of Jesus who earned it for us through His perfect life and atoning sacrifice.

2. The first of the three spring feasts, Passover, was fulfilled at Calvary. Jesus was sacrificed for us as God’s spotless Passover lamb. Because of that, we have been delivered from God’s judgment on sin and freed to live in the ‘Promised Land’ of His favour.

3. Jesus fulfilled the second spring feast, First fruits, when He rose from the dead. He became a ‘terumah’, a ‘first fruits’ offering, when He was lifted up and His spirit placed into the hands of His Father. God raised Him from the dead as the guarantee that all who believe in Him will share in His resurrection. “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.” 1 Corinthians 15:20 (NIV).

4. The Feast of Weeks or Pentecost was celebrated fifty days after the Feast of First fruits. Every family was to bring an offering of bread baked with yeast and given to God as a ‘terumah’ or first fruits offering. First fruits became terumah (an offering) when it was lifted up or ‘waved’ before the Lord and then placed in the hands of the high priest. Jesus fulfilled this feast on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit fell on the church which is the Bride of Christ!

(To be continued)