Wednesday, June 9, 2010

It's All About The Timing

Genesis 4:3
At harvest time Cain brought to the Lord a gift of his farm produce.

Revelation 22:10
Then he instructed me, "Do not seal up the prophetic words you have written, for the time is near."

The two verses above represent the first and last reference to time in Scripture.
Time is God's creation. Time is a canvass that God stretched out to record humanity's existence, both good and bad.
Time is more for us than it is for God. It is a measure by which we record our daily activities. I have a journal that I write in daily. I've been doing this since July 15, 1991. I can go back and pull out any journal and remember the events that took place on any given day.

Time measure the seasons we go through here on earth.
Genesis passage reveals the cycle of  harvest. To have a harvest there has to be a season of breaking ground, of planting, of cultivating and letting the weather bring rain. If all goes well, at a determined time (set by God) a harvest will come forth.  We go through these seasons with the Spirit. We fall under conviction and begin the process of breaking up the fallow ground of our hearts. Removing the stony hard places so the Holy Spirit of God can come and plant, water, cultivate the things that God wants to bring from us. At His bidding, there will be a harvest time when the fruit of the Spirit will come forth.

The last verse, in Revelation, that mentions time is a reminder or a warning (depending on your current spiritual state) that time is  near. Of course there are those who run up the tired old flag of  "Well, nothings happened yet. Where is this God of yours?" TO which I would add, "Well you know we are in the last days." Usually when I make such a statement someone shoots back so....nothing has happened."
Truth be known, I don't know where we are in these "last days"..........but as John Wimber use to say, "All I know is that we are laster than we've ever been."


So, when referring to time, the Bible opens with the time of harvest, which should be a happy time, an exciting time. Except in the this case, Cain brings to God a sacrifice that is not pleasing or acceptable. Refusing to learn from his mistake, Cain ushers in a new level of sin not seen before. He takes his brothers life.

The Bible close with a proclamation that the time is near. What time? For the events in Revelation to unfold even more than they currently are. Whether we want to believe it, or accept it, or even acknowledge it............we are living in the last days
Know Jesus?

mb

3 comments:

Bobby said...

It's encouraging to know that God works in different ways during different seasons of our lives. Good word.

Anonymous said...

that is very interesting. I don't know if this is in line but I posted something a few weeks ago about being in a time of fertile soil, at least in my life, where God has been throwing out seed for many many years but its finally falling on fertile soil, which He spoke to my heart as I was watering some new grass I had planted. Humorous. On an unrelated note about time... sometimes I wonder how many cycles of a "countdown timer" He has set in place. I think the Mayans say five.

Greene Street Letters said...

Right now, I'm not sure if I am to plant in the field or if I am to move to a new field. I'm seeking wisdom in the matter.

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