A Season Of A New Beginning

In every season you are still God, I have a reason to sing, I have a reason to worship.

When we think about seasons, we think of how God carries us out of hard times, but carries us into the good times too.

I went through the transitioning season last year, and what I mean with that is I went from doing a phone call study to doing my study in the same way I've done it, but doing it in video form on a ministry that I've been with since 2020.

There is a Christian series I'm reading called Out Of Time. In those type of books it reminds me of this scripture.

Ecclesiastes 3 says this- There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,  a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.

The books I'm reading in the Out Of Time Series have each title reference of what those verses are.

I realize, that I may have done a study like this before but the reason I'm bringing it back in a little bit of a different light, is because even though a lot of us go through seasons, hard times, or difficult moments, we have something in common with that, which is we are never alone in anything we go through.

When we realize that, we see God is helping us every step of the way and helping us that a lot of what we go through, even when we feel like giving up, we don't because just like in the song I Believe It Now by Sidewalk Prophets, the lyrics say this: I couldn't see it then, but I believe it now, Just a searching soul tired of reaching out, Stuck on the tracks, train bearing down, Screaming from my lungs, " Who will save me now?", As the reruns of the regrets, they replay inside my head, Got the devil on my shoulder, and he's leaving me for dead, Whispers and lies have brought me here, Flooding my veins with doubt and fear, Oh, I, I could not see it then, Oh, I, I could not see, Oh, my God, I remember when I cried, Shook my fists up at the sky, I wondered why, You felt so far from me, Oh, God, It was in my deepest pain, That I heard You call my name, I heard You say, That You were right there with me. I couldn't see it then, but I believe it now, Trying to hold my head up when the ground fell out, I felt all alone even in a crowd, Like a sinking stone dragging my heart down And the weight of the sorrows I carried on my chest, It kept pulling me under, and I couldn't catch my breath, Not how I thought my life would go, Didn't know my heart could sink this low, No, I, I could not see it then, No, I, I could not see it, Oh, my God, I remember when I cried, Shook my fists up at the sky, I wondered why, You felt so far from me, Oh, God, It was in my deepest pain, That I heard You call my name, I heard You say, That You were right there with me, Love was standing there, Holding me, But I couldn't see, That love was always there, He carried me And now, I believe, Oh, my God, I know You heard me when I cried,, 'Cause You were right there by my side, I realized, That You have never left me.

2 Peter 3 verse 8- But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.

Romans 15 verse 13:  May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Psalm 23 verse 4: Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

Deuteronomy 31 verse 8: The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

The last remaining scriptures with the quotes, remind us how just like in that beginning lyric I shared, there's a place for everything, there's a time to sing, time to worship by singing praise, and in every season we walk through, we know that God is still good and that He is with us. We know that God is our friend, and we know that what the Enemy sometimes means for bad, God has meant for good because God gets us through each season, the hard and difficult and bad moments, but He also gets us through the good, the wonderful, and delightful moments.

Let us take this to heart as no matter what we may face, God will always get us through it all.

Relying On God's Mercy

 Once there was a holy place, Evidence of God's embrace And I can almost see mercy's face, Pressed against the veil

Looking down with longing eyes, Mercy must have realized, That once His blood was sacrificed, Freedom would prevail And as the sky grew dark And the earth began to shake, With justice no longer in the way, Mercy came running

Like a prisoner set free, Past all my failures to the point of my need, When the sin that I carried, Was all I could see And when I could not reach mercy, Mercy came running to me.

A thousand times I've failed, Still your mercy remains, Should I stumble again, Still I'm caught in your grace
Everlasting, your light will shine when all else fades, Never ending, your glory goes beyond all fame, Your will above all else, My purpose remains, The art of losing myself in bringing you praise, Everlasting, your light will shine when all else fades, Never ending, your glory goes beyond all fame, In my heart, in my soul

I give you control, Consume me from the inside out, Let justice and praise, Become my embrace, To love you from the inside out, Everlasting, your light will shine when all else fades, Never ending, your glory goes beyond all fame And the cry of my heart is to bring you praise, From the inside out, Lord my soul cries out.

Luke 6 verse 36- Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

Psalm 23 verse 6- Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Ephesians 2 verse 4-5:  But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.

Psalm 103 verse 8- The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.

Jude 2 verse 2- Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance.

In all of this we see how God shows us that no matter where we are life that surely Goodness and Mercy will follow us all of our days.

We see that no matter what, whenever we go through a storm in life that we can rely on God to show us Mercy, Love, and Grace.

When we feel down, God lifts back up and shows us that we can receive His Mercy and show Mercy to others around us.

We need to remember that no matter what comes our way that everything is going to be okay.

I want to end on these two things for tonight's study because I think it's important to learn.

Everyone needs compassion, Love that's never failing, Let mercy fall on me, Everyone needs forgiveness, The kindness of a Saviour, The hope of nations.

Here is a definition of what mercy means: compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm.

In these last two things, it reminds us how it is better to show Mercy than to not allow ourselves to feel down and out in how things can be out of our control versus what is in our control and that is when we realize we need to rely on God's Mercy, and Let Go and Let God.

That for me in that quote sums up how we need to let God handle these things without thinking we are meant to fight it alone. We are not, and God will continue to show us Mercy.

Moments We Seek Christ

Today I want to talk about the moments we seek Christ. I want to start this as a way of opening a door.

I mean, I want to open the door to have the conversation of moments we seek Christ on a daily basis.

• We are alive and well, therefore we seek Him in the moments of thanking Him for this life.
• When we were created in His Image we were uniquely, and wonderfully made in His Image.
• If we look around us, we seek Him in the moments that things in our life get rough or tough.
• We give it to Him in prayer and seek guidance from Him and we know that we are beloved.
• No matter what we seek Him in the moments that give us the joy in how we are His children.

If we were to look at these bullet points, we would see that each moment we seek in Christ, brings us one step closer to know that God gives us in times we feel down, the restoration and peace we need at times.

We see how God gives us the ability to overcome in how we seek Him in the things we need most.

What we need most is Him and when we realize that, we are able to see and understand in the moments we seek Him in the Spotlight and when we seek Him in the Spotlight that we understand how those moments we seek in that way, are the moments we spotlight for Him because we are always desperately wanting to seek Him, to honor Him, and to spread joy wherever we go.

In these times we are thinking in how we can do the things that we need in time which is His Love.

Matthew 6 verse 33- But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Hebrews 11 verse 6- And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Jeremiah 29 verse 13- You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

Let Go And Let God.

I wanted to share that quote because this quote to me means that we are in the moments that we seek Christ, because when seeking Him, we are Faithful to speak and Faithful in Christ to understand His Will and understand how when we give it all to Him, we seek His Presence.

Deuteronomy 4 verse 29- But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul.

Psalm 9 verse 10- Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqf6CJEykPo&list=RDzqf6CJEykPo&start_radio=1

Matthew 7 verse 7-8- “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAmpsNtU6g0&list=RDAAmpsNtU6g0&start_radio=1

In all of this, as well as these two songs that we can seek Him fervently and Faithfully in the moments that we understand and know that He is our Savior and that things work in His Timing and because of that we know all things work together for His Good and Glory.

Psalm 105 verse 4- Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.

Let that last scripture be a reminder as to why we need to seek God in every moment of our life.