Graduation 2012 & Extreme Seasons

Last year I wrote a blog about Extreme Seasons; I also placed it in our newsletter to our friends and partners.  Each person reading this is at a different place in life, in age and in our walk with God. One person can be riding the greatest wave of God’s blessing and then you can sit beside someone in a church service who is walking through the darkest hour of life.

I have had the opportunity to attend several Graduation exercises this spring (with two more to go. At some date in the near future, I will have the opportunity to receive my degree from Omega Bible Seminary. Each time I hear Pomp and Circumstance it literally brings a lump in my throat. It is a song that signals the end of one season for the graduates and the beginning of another. I sense in my spirit for the people of God who will pursue the Lord Jesus with all their heart, the season of turmoil and distress is changing. And if the circumstances don’t change, he is going to change your heart until it doesn’t matter any more!

Pam and I have passed through the most unusual eight-month season of attack against our bodies we have ever encountered. Extreme is putting it mildly! But thanks be to God we are coming to the other side of this extreme season!

But for those who are still struggling underneath unusual attacks, how do we navigate the Extreme Seasons of life?

Develop a culture of prayer. Muslims have developed a prayer culture.  Even the casually committed muslim will pray several times a day toward Mecca. When something happens in America we call a prayer meeting. Then when the crisis passes, we are back to our regular routine, only using Jesus like a genie in a bottle that is destined to give us our three wishes. Can you imagine the Power of the Holy Ghost that would be released in America when the church in America stops talking about prayer and does it? What would happen if we developed a culture of prayer?

Develop a culture of praise and worship. Not an SMO way (Sunday morning only), but a life style; a way of living. Praising Jesus when you feel like it; and praising Him when you don’t! Religion has programmed to only praise Him on one certain day of the week, and when everything is going great. But when the world sees us praising Him in extreme circumstances, it will open the door for the Holy Spirit to quicken people’s hearts to the Gospel. If the only time you can praise Jesus is when everything is going right in your life, or only on one certain day of the week you put yourself in the same category with people who say God doesn’t exists then gets blamed for things when they go wrong!

We must develop a culture of walking out or applying the Word of God. I know some have gone in a ditch on each side of this street. But Jesus didn’t die on the cross simply to forgive one or two people of their sins; He died for the sins of the entire world!

What has made islam so unique in so many people’s minds is the fact these people are willing to die to preserve their culture. That extremism would be considered cultic. But when you have walked through an extreme season and Jesus has been the only one that could bring you through, you are not only willing to live for Him, you are willing to die for Him!!!!!

There is an extreme persecution coming in America. It has been creeping upon us in small increments for many years. As this persecution unfolds you will see many more who we thought really had the goods abandon their faith in Jesus. Compromised religion is for sissies! But we are also now entering a season in which Gods hand of extreme blessing, provision and care is going to be recognized on those who have paid the price of the extreme season.