Tis The Season By Rev.

Tis The Season
By Rev. Harold Mauldin

Ecc 3:1 To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

Ecc 3:2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

Ecc 3:3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

Ecc 3:4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

Ecc 3:5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

Ecc 3:6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

Ecc 3:7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

Ecc 3:8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

Ecc 3:9 What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?

Ecc 3:10 I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.

Ecc 3:11 He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that n o man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.

Ecc 3:12 I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life.

Ecc 3:13 And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.

Ecc 3:14 I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.

To every thing there is a season. To every thing there is a purpose. God has made everything beautiful in his time. It is good for a man to rejoice and do good in his life and enjoy the labor he has done for it is the gift of God. What God does, he does well. Nothing can stop what God wants to accomplish.

There is a Christmas song calleld Deck the Halls that has a line in it that has been going over and over in my mind this past week. That line is, "Tis the season to be jolly." In Genesis 8:22, that line is "While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease. So God, from the beginnings of man, established the seasons by which we live today. He established the fall in order to bring death to the living things, winter to cool, spring for new life and summer for the harvest. We live in these seasons. The season of giving is now called the Christmas season. This is a time to remember the birth of christ by giving to others. We need to always remember that he is the reason for the season.

Tis the season to be jolly! What a wonderful season. What a great season to live in! The jolly season. We go through many things in our lives and many of those times are ordained by God. We go through seasons of death, seasons of reaping, seasons of sowing, seasons of pain, seasons of life and other "seasons of life."

When's the last time you had a jolly season? When is the last time the joy of the Lord became YOUR strength? When is the last time you laughed with a holy laughter? Put a smile on your face, know you are on your way to heaven and think positive thoughts and know that God loves you and by all means .... have a jolly season! John 3:2-4 says, Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

Why be jolly? Why be so happy? Watch these young people up here singing. They are jolly! Why? They are in good health. They feel good. Ever see an unhealthy child? They are in good health. They feel good. Ever see an unhealthy child? The first thing that leaves them is their smile. When we as children walk in truth, good health will follow us. See anyone unhappy? Then there is a good chance that they are negligent in walking in truth. This message we have is precious. Most people, however, just like it. They don't love it. They like to come to church once in a while. They like activities. They like it when it is convenient for them or when they feel perfect. Truth, to them, is likable not lovable.

But when you fing somebody that loves truth. Wow, what passion. You can't get rid of them. They are here every service. They love worship. They love the move of the Spirit. But most importantly, they love God and the message. The man that wrote "Amazing Grace" was a wretched man by admission but when he received grace, he knew that he had come to truth and quite frankly, IT IS NOT FOR SALE! The truth that is in your heart is precious. When God gives you truth, keep it close to your heart and DO NOT LET IT GO. It is so easy to just be complacent in the time we are in. It is so easy to get caught up in the moment and forget the important things in the world. The writer of Ecclesiastes gives man his job description when he says that we should fear God and keep his commandments. It is our duty to fear the Lord and desire to please him. We have a duty to be obedient to him and walk in the truth.

Check out Isaiah 9:7, "Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

No end to his peace and his kingdom. It shall be established forever. The zeal of the Lord of host will perform this. Zeal means jealousy or envy for a cause with enthusiasm. Lord means self-existent or eternal. Host means campaign for worship. How did the birth of Jesus come to pass? Matthew 1:18 says that Mary was found with child of the Holy Ghost. When God got ready to cause this to come to pass, he did it with an enthusiasm provoked by Godly jealously. It was a campaign for worship. The self-existent Jehovah became flesh so that we could live with in this season. The season of truth is the season of joy. Tis the season!