Series: Times and Seasons
Sun am 16 September 2018 – Kobus Swart
1 Cor. 3:21-23; Rom. 8:32; 1 Cor. 2:9-12; Eccl. 3:1-11 NKJV; 1 Chron. 12:32; Prov. 23:5-7 (Amp); (Isa. 28:10, 13); (Acts 8:25-40); (Eph. 2:6)
So often we as Christians pray for things that we already have. We intercede, we pray, we ask, we beg for things that are already ours. A natural inheritance gives us something we did not have before. A spiritual inheritance is different. A spiritual inheritance pulls back the curtain and reveals what we already have permission to possess. Wake up! So then let no one boast in men. For all things belong to you, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come; all things belong to you, and you belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to God (1 Cor. 3:21-23). He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? (Rom. 8:32). Just as it is written, “Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him.” For to us
To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; A time to plant, and a time to pluck what is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; A time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; A time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to gain, and a time to lose; A time to keep, and a time to throw away; A time to tear, and a time to sew; A time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; A time of war, and a time of peace. What profit has the worker from that in which he labours? I have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also
Of the sons of Issachar, men who understood the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do(1 Chron. 12:32). Does it surprise us that David was blessed to such an extent that he eventually had 22,000 of the sons of Issachar together in his army? Issachar is a spirit discerning the times. Dealing with Issachar is a principle of mastering the times. David needed the sons of Issachar. It was vitally necessary for David to have men who understood the times, or else they would have made vicious mistakes.
In the natural, creating wealth is based on understanding times and seasons. I am not talking about the prosperity gospel, but I am going to touch on something very practical. When you set your eyes on wealth, it is [suddenly] gone. For wealth certainly makes itself wings like an eagle that flies to the heavens. Do not eat the bread of a selfish man, or desire his delicacies; For as he thinks in his heart, so is he [in behavior—one who manipulates]. He says to you, “Eat and drink,” yet his heart is not with you [but it is begrudging the cost](Prov. 23:5-7 Amp). As a man thinks in his heart, so is he – this was quoted in the context of a man who says to you, “Eat and drink,” yet his heart is not with you but he is begrudging the cost.
Even Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had the capacity to know the times. Now here is the problem with many Spirit-filled believers: many of them do not have a clue about the times and seasons, but they can talk in tongues and they are anointed. They are so busy with their spirituality, that they fail to discern the times and seasons. They do not create anything new; they just talk about going to heaven. They do not even know how to receive from heaven, but they want to go to heaven. They are so busy discussing doctrine, even though that is important, that they fail to discern the times and seasons. There is a balance required, and I believe this household has made much progress in the right direction. If you think about Moses, and you look at his ultimate commissioning and calling, look how clever God was to allow Moses
There is a creative shining forth, coming from God in this next season, which has started already. Take this into your own personal life. Discern the time. I give you an example. On the news this week it was made public that South Africa has entered into a technical recession. This is ten years after the biggest recession we had in my lifetime
It has been said from this pulpit, about 12-15 years ago, that there is a poverty mindset in the Cape. I think God has given us grace to come a long way from that mindset, but I am not sure that we are all at the right place yet. The enemy is so clever, he takes the truth and he pushes it overboard like the prosperity gospel has done. The prosperity gospel went all the way to the extreme. I feel that there is a message here for us. If you live in the mindset of “any moment now there will be a rapture, any moment you could go to heaven”, why then would you prepare? Why then would you make provision for your children, for your next generation? Discern the times and seasons, think ahead but do not allow the enemy to hijack your mind into something that is not spiritual and totally ‘money possessed’. That is not what it is about.
We must discern the times and seasons! The early Church changed the whole of the Roman Empire. Korean Christians changed all of Korea. European Christians changed Europe. The Church can stay spiritually on course but also be wise with investment, we can make a difference. King Solomon had
That’s why we have this Scripture text: No one’s ever seen or heard anything like this, Never so much as imagined anything quite like it— What God has arranged for those who love him. But you’ve seen and heard it because God by his Spirit has brought it all out into the open before you. The Spirit, not content to flit around on the surface, dives into the depths of God and brings out what God planned all along (1 Cor. 2:9-10 – Msg).
I heard about people that when God wants to send them, they go into their prayer room, close their eyes and open their eyes in the country where God wants to use them. Spiritual transportation! Elijah and Philip experienced it (Acts 8:25-40). We are seated with Him in heavenly places (Eph. 2:6). How much do you know about the heavens? We need to wake up. If anybody still operates in anger, in lust for recognition or in your self-definition based on identity and association, then you really cannot see when dilation happens. Time dilates, time can open up, there is a precious moment when time opens up and then we have to see it and enter. When we read the theories about the universe and science, we usually associate that with atheism. It is sad because you do not have to be an atheist to be a scientist. If we look at our young people, I am wondering what the real calling of God on their lives is. We may have great talent which will blow our minds in ten or twenty years from now what they are going to be, and where they are going to be. There is a time beckoning for discoveries. It is God’s universe, not the devil’s universe! It belongs to God. You can believe in science and God at the same time but then your