ÒWatch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.Ó(Matthew26:41)< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

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God is a God of times and seasons. When it was time for Joseph to be promoted from Prime Slave to Prime Minister, no devil under heaven could stop him. The brothers that sold him to slavery in an attempt to deny him his divine schedule on earth were no where to be found. Are you afraid or concerned about the way things are going in your life? As a child of God, fear is not what you need but prayer. Exodus 14:14, ÒThe LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.Ó That is clear enough for your understanding. Let God fight your battle, and the enemy that you have been seeing will never rise again. Hold on to GodÕs timing, it is the best. Ecclesiastes 3:11, ÒHe has made everything beautiful in its time.Ó When His timing for you is around, the whole world will celebrate with you.

~ Time&Season ~

Do you know the time and the season you are living? Pharisees and Sadducees, in their debate with Jesus, were asking for a sign from heaven. Matthew 16:2-3, ÒHe answered and said to them, ÔWhen it is evening you say, ÒIt will be fair weather, for the sky is redÓ; and in the morning, ÒIt will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.Ó Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times.ÕÓ  All you have to do is open your ears, eyes, and heart to the word of God. Look around the whole world and see, or get informed with all that is taking place. With understanding, you will identify that the race is not only about you or what you want, but most importantly about where you are going to end up. Are you awake and alive enough to finish the race you have started? If you have started the race, keep your sight on the finish line; that is where the price for the race is waiting–for the finisher, not the beginners.Do you ever think you have the time? Time is not yours; time is in GodÕs hand.  You can control the clock, but not the timing of God.                

~ Ten Virgins ~

Do you remember the parable of the ten virgins? The ten virgins did not understand the time and the season they were in. They slept and missed their purpose in time. Matthew 25:1, ÒThen the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bride-groom.Ó All the ten virgins went with right intention, but lacked the attention it took to meet the bridegroom. Yes, you have the intention to run and finish the race, but to lack attention will deny you in getting to the expected end. All of the ten virgins fell asleep in their waiting. They did not just sleep but they slept and slumbered because of the delay of the bridegroom. Five of the virgins could afford to sleep because they had extra oil, and the five who did not carry extra oil were regarded as foolish. Are you staying awake in watching? If you can discern the time and season you are living, it is important to watch rather than sleep a sorrowful sleep. How are you watching? It is impossible to sleep-watch. Is your sleeping time overriding your watching time? Jesus took some of His disciples to the < ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>Mount of Olives. Luke 22: 40, ÒWhen He came to the place, He said to them, ÔPray that you may not enter into temptation.ÕÓ Just like the ten virgins, they could not watch; they went to sleep. Luke 22:45, ÒWhen He rose up from prayer, and had come to His disciples, He found them sleeping from sorrow.Ó

~Sorrowful Sleep~

As one of His disciples, are you watching in prayer, or you are sleeping in sorrow? When you are spiritually asleep in this age, you will be swept off your feet, and when the trumpet sounds you will miss it just like the ten virgins. Take the parable of the ten virgins to heart today. All went with the intention to attain, but they lacked the attention to prevail. The Bridegroom came without any warning because the sign of the season was all they needed to inform them of His coming. They all slept and slumbered, and nothing woke them up but the noise of the bridegroomÕs arrival. Without any doubt, it is clear that the church today is sleeping, and it is the noise of His arrival that will wake the church up from sleeping a sorrowful sleep. Be awake and alive in the spirit!

It is impossible to be rising early before God and not rise above any circumstances. A believer that cannot rise in serving God will remain rust.

Tunde S.