Different Seasons by Brother Duke Hansen

         This morning we will be reading from the book of Hebrews. Specifically we will be reading chapter 2 and starting with verse 10. Often times the underlying disappointment or frustration people have in their relationship is due to bad teaching, the misinterpretation of scripture for modern ears, or the overall Americanization of the gospel. You know where you the reader are never at fault, highly blessed and favored, and any suffering or shortcoming is always from the devil. The truth of the subject is often God allows suffering of his people for their sanctification and perfection. True believers know that this temporal body and the things it accumulates are all fleeting. The goal is getting to the beyond. 

        We are perfected in our walk through suffering. There are promises in the scripture for you to discover. The first promise is the Holy Spirit. It is on you to study and read the scriptures to understand the promises. Don't merely rely on a man or some course you paid money towards to spell out the promise to you. You have to devote the time to study and show yourself approved.

        10 For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

        When we read the term glory in this scripture, what is the glory in death? It's the fact that you rise from the grave. That's the glory being spoke about in this verse. The five fold ministry is there to help you early in your spiritual walk and for advisement and encouragement in your growth. The captain of their salvation is the leader. They perfect through sufferings. Principles set up by God don't care about your emotions. Principles are unmoved. The power in his resurrection from his death.

        There are many christians starting out who ask for blessings from God in prayer, but don't understand the process of how to obtain them. The process will bring hard times and suffering to your flesh. It isn't the devil tormenting you, no matter how many times your flesh says it. You are not the Bible's Job. The Lord brings about the sufferings for you to change. God chooses people to go through suffering for the church or even for others. If man had his choice, he wouldn't endure suffering for himself, and that shows in abundance in church. You fight against the things of this world and are playing with fire when you don't obtain knowledge and practice wisdom in understanding the principles God established. Some people have hope for other and in the world but have no faith in themselves or their own walk. This is a subject people don't want to hear from the pulpit nor want to study. You approach the perfection of your own walk with a made up mind.

        11 For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren.

        Your brethren will learn how to sanctify themselves and to encourage as well as support you and one another in this walk.

        12 Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.

        13 And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.

        14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil.

        Who had the power of death then? It was the devil. Do you think that Jesus could have destroyed the devil at any time? He could, but he conducted this in the way he did to remove the fear of death. Those who live in the faith, striving towards perfection, don't fear death. Those who worry about tomorrow and whether they will live fear death.

        15 And deliver them who through the fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. 

        The reason you are subject to bondage is because of sin. Now, we are going to the book of 1 Peter. We will be in chapter 5 and begin reading at verse 5.

        5 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you to be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and gives grace to the humble.

        6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.    

        7 Casting all your care upon him; for he cares for you.

        8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.

        9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

        10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you.

        Let's focus on verse 10. After that you have suffered a while. You perfect through it. The definition of perfect in this sense is make (something) completely free from faults or defects, or as close to such a condition as possible. Suffering brings about establishing, strengthening, and settlement. 

        There are seasons in this relationship with God. We are all in a season of grace. Some of us are operating in a season of zeal, others a season of peace, while some may be in a season of strife. We need to understand where we are and who we are in our individual relationships with God. Those who are stablished are people on the rock, which is the Bible. Planed and rooted in this rock. You aren't overwhelmed are ruled by your emotions. There are positive attributes to emotional people as well as positives for stubborn people. Emotional people have extra zeal and fire for their prayers and intercessions. Stubborn people are hard, yet, if they are established in the right process, they are unmovable. Let's go over to the book of Ecclesiastes chapter 3.

        To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.

        Who made the season Solomon is writing about? It was God. It's a principality made by God. From the day the season starts on the calendar, it already begins to change. Sometimes the change is gradual and other times its quick. Our relationship and walk with God is like the seasons. Some periods are slow and gradual and others are quick. You must embrace the suffering when you go through it, or it will return again and again until you learn the lessons from it. You know the truth in your mind, but, you don't want to live in the truth.

        Some of us are completely fine with the suffering. It doesn't cause us to act. We can medicate ourselves for it, seek other forms of advice. In growth, there needs to be rain for the ground and sometimes a storm to bring that growth. Many christians need a storm in their life right now. You need to read and study the Bible to shield you from the many and various false doctrines others are involved with and speaking. You need to pray and communicate with God every day.

        If you don't know what season you are in today, you need to find out. God can and will use you when you don't realize it. If you aren't growing in your seasons of life, God will stop. Many of us get to a point in our growth where we level off and pause. Determination will lose its sting when you are strengthened and settled. Life is hard and full of many surprises. Think on your struggles and what you can use to make informed and biblical decisions for your house. 

        In the story of Jesus blessing the five loaves and two fishes for the thousands who were listening to his teaching, the remnants were collected in baskets. Look at your basket. If you have a job, that's a basket. If you have a family, that's a basket. Benefits, investments, spouse are all baskets. Who's job is it to pray for an increase in the basket? It's your job. You just need something for God to work with. Pray for your baskets as well as for your increase. Ask yourself and examine how clean is your slate. A reminder so these things and all things of these things shall be added unto you. We can always live through harder times, but if we don't pray through our season of grace, we may miss out on what God may have for us. All that we have God still owns. We are still just stewards of what he gives us. We have to find humility for God to use and instruct us in his work. If we are in a stale place, it isn't from God, it's on us. Perfection comes through suffering and from no other way. Suffering comes either from our habits and actions or fighting against God's will for us.