After enjoying the beauty of outdoors with beautiful flowers, birds singing, seeing new life coming to everyone and everything, my enjoyment of Spring was awesome. The newness of life and the fresh smell that accompanies springtime with God's grand color wheel, always put hope and joy in us for the next season of change...Summer! Are you saying by now that you are done already? Literally, too well-done!! I completely understand your feelings. Many cities are experiencing an onslaught of heat waves that feel relentless, with rain showers being measured out sparingly at times, just wait, the water is coming. Are you laughing at me now? It's okay, I will take a back seat until the rains come marching in.
How many of you remember your summer times? I know most of you would probably say, "it was nothing like today." Right? Growing up, we had a full 3 months of summer from school, and our neighborhood was always filled with outside activities. Our community neighborhood teams would consist of 3 - 4 streets of friends and acquaintances, and there was always something to do in the neighborhood. We were fortunate to know entire families, for most of us were the same age and enrolled at the same schools. If some of the older kids had to bring their younger siblings with them, there were others of the same age to make teams for participation.
Our house was always the go-to house for everyone in the neighborhood, and every parent of a child participating in the summer activities knew our mom and dad. The best reason of all for the congregation of young people - we lived on a dead end street and had lots of extra space for our activities. This made for a pleasant time of great fun, and no problems because all parents participated in "It Takes A Community to Raise A Child." No one person started this tradition. It was a known fact within the community that this was the right thing to do in becoming a participate in the co-parenting of all of the neighborhood children.
For some reason during those summer months, the sun didn't feel as hot then, as it does now. We could sit for a few hours in the sun weekly, and never get sun burned and it was pure enjoyment to us. Today, I would never sit for long periods of time in the sun. I believe that the sun is hotter today than it was in my growing up time, and that this is a different type of heat...just saying. I also know scientist and others may differ on my analysis. To get the good times moving quickly, we would form teams for all activities, and the younger kids were always included in age appropriate games. It was an accepted rule, that there wouldn't be any person left out of participating in the summer activities because of having to babysit. If they had to bring their sibling with them, there would be activities for all age groups.
We had (2) rules before gathering for summer activities; everyone had to complete all home chores before coming out for activity play, and all were required to have loads of fun. We didn't have the type of gadgets some students have today occupying their eyes and mind, but we learn to use our imagination and the environment that surround us many times to formulate games. My mom would usually provide refreshments such as lemonade, home-made churned ice cream, plenty good cool well water, or cookies/cake. Nothing could be compared to my Mom's touch. We had a blast all summer, and when it was time to go back to school after Labor day, we were rested and ready.
The culture in which our students and millennials live today, is quite different in so many ways than in the days I grew up. No, I am not ancient, but I have seen a few eye poppers in my maturing times. I know the many events that are happening today, were probably happening in some degree during my days of growing, but were more hidden and kept secret from us. Today, everything is out, and in your face, with nothing hidden. We are dealing with different types of heat - environmental issues, political divisiveness, and spiritual and natural phenomena, which seems to come at us non-stop. Can you feel it?
It seems again, that this heat is more intense than what we can remember it being in past years. Now, the audience reading this who are at the age of 30ish or younger may be saying, what in the world is she talking about. "This is the way things have always been for us, and I am used to the flow and chaos that comes with it. It is an expected part of our living in this world, so what else can we do but deal with it and go along with the program - whether we are in agreement with the script, or not." I do understand your sentiment and understandings, but we that are 50ish and beyond can tell you about some things we have experienced, seen, or heard, that would make you think we are talking about a science fiction movie or horror story, while blowing your mind at the same time.
I don't want to sound as if I am using some type of scare tactic or fear mongering, but more so of offering a more excellent way for us to face head-on real-life problems, difficulties, changes in philosophies, belief systems, different interpretation of laws, heat, etc., with more clarity and insight as to what is going on. We are fully aware that whenever something changes from what we have always known and accepted it to be, there had to be a different process put in place to cause a difference in the reaction, or outcome we normally would get. Sometimes it comes upon us slowly and unexpected, but suddenly...there it is. It is upon us now, so what do we do? We see if repentance is in order, we regroup, get back into the Word, and stay battle ready.
In the beginning our Father God Jehovah created, made, and call everything into existence in the heaven, and the earth. He spoke and it was so. He is our Lord, God, Maker, etc., and He knows everything. There is nothing hidden from Him. Many times, we think the enemy is slipping something over Him and we need to help God out because He may not have seen what that person said or did, especially to us. God never sleeps and see everything. We should know by experience, that God has His perfect timing to deal with situations, and people.
If we are not watchful in today's society, it could be easy for us to join in with the choas that is going on in our world, and begin to allow the Heat Mist of Darkness to cover our thinking, our decision making, speaking certain things that sometimes produces a lack of trust in the Almighty God. We as believers have to know and have God's Word written on the tables of our heart, that we have a stabilizer on the inside during these troubling times. We, as Warriors of the Most High God, know the signs of the times and have access to our Lord because of the shed blood of Jeshua Jesus on the Cross.
Since we are in the end times and last days more so than ever before, we have to be filled and refreshed with His Holy Spirit, so the Holy Spirit can guide us into all truth. We have not traveled this way before - so we need the one who knows where to go, to lead us, and we "Do it by Faith in God". There is so much Heat (real and fake) stirring in our society until it is causing many in the body of Christ to overheat themselves to the point of having a Spiritual Heat Stroke (and I come against that spirit in Jesus Yeshua name). We have to keep our eyes on Jesus, and continuously look for His appearing. God knows how to regulate and stabilize the thermostat at all times, stay in the battle, obey what God wants (by His Spirit) without mummering and grumbling. We can't allow the pressure of this world to cause us to get into a battle God has not called us to, or when we know He has called us to a battle - we should be able to walk boldly into it trusting God; for our God will go before us and fight in the most Heated of all battles, if we are obedient to what He wants.
"Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle belong to the Lord." (2 Chronicles 20:15).
Keep focus, keep your armor on, and make praying and fasting a strategic part in your staying in the battle, as He allows. We should ask the Lord to open our eyes so we can see in the spirit realm that there is more for us, than against us. So, we take our eyes and mind off people, and allow God to work the way He wants to work, and through whomever He wants to work through - to accomplish His Agenda. It is not our problem, it is in God's hand. Many times, God uses people we wouldn't consider as being workers for the Lord, but it is God's way for a specific purpose, and He uses people we over-look or look down on, to accomplish His Will, by His Spirit.
(25) "I have told you these things while I am still with you.
(26) "But the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor - Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will help you remember everything that I have told you.
(27) Peace I leave with you; My [perfect] peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, not let it be afraid. [Let My perfect peace calm you in every circumstance and give you courage and strength for every challenge.] John 14: 26-27. (Amplified version).
Allow our eyes to be opened by His Spirit to see how much God value and loves us being in His family. He placed His Holy Spirit in us guiding and reminding us of His written and spoken Word, while helping us maneuver through the different types of Heat we are often faced with. We have Life, and we have His Holy Spirit living in our heart. No worries, God got us. Let us love Him and be obedient to His Word, for the darkness and wickedness will last only for an appointed time, and then we go to a home not made by human hands. This is not our home, for we are only passing through. Hallelujah! Now, let us encourage one another to Lift up the heads that hang down - even when we feel and know "The Heat Is On", for In Christ, We Win!! Amen!
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