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Evon Horton
There are seasons in nature, but also in life.
Perhaps my favorite season is the Christmas season!
I love the anticipation, the gift giving, the gift receiving.
The gathering of family is also very important.
All of the special foods and traditions make the Christmas
season wondrous. I love the tradition of Santa Claus.
Someone once said there are four seasons of a man as he relates
to Santa Claus.
The first season, as a child, believes in Santa. The second, he
does not believe! The third, he is Santa Claus. And last, he looks like Santa!
Spiritual Seasons of a Believer
The same is true when it comes to the seasons of a believer in
Christ, a Christian.
“There is a time for everything and a season
for every activity under the heavens.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1)
There are definitely four
distinct seasons of a Christian:
Season One
The first season, crawling: babes
learning what it is to follow Jesus. They are inquisitive and trusting. That
first season, baby Christians are so excited, and yet so naïve.
Season Two
The second season is walking: learning
how to stand on our own two feet.
The second season is testing
out our spiritual legs.
I remember when our children
were learning to walk and stumbling and falling and bumping into things. We
were so excited when they started walking.
I recall thinking to myself,
when they were getting into everything and disappearing from room to room,
toddling their way around the house, Why
did I ever encourage this walking thing?
This is when you are taking
steps on your own, memorizing Scriptures, and learning the power of prayer.
Even learning how to run with
God’s vision and plan for your life. That second season is so powerful, so
fresh, so new, so bright.
I remember clearly
discovering God’s Word and promises and getting so excited that God’s Word is
true today. Wow! Powerful times.
I spoke to someone recently
who had great impact on my life when I was younger. His name is Wayne Watson
and is a retired school teacher. He was a phenomenal musician and could play
the piano like I had never seen or heard before.
I remember being at the
campground of my childhood, standing next to the old upright piano in the
tabernacle, watching his fingers fly on the ivories of that old piano.
When I spoke to him, he
commented how he had watched me grow up and become a minister with such passion
and zeal.
Now at this stage of my
ministry when I am transitioning to teaching and mentoring, I want to be an
encouragement to young people like Wayne was to me.
I want to help them discover
their potential in Christ. I want to tell them to run with all they have for
God and that God will bless them in their incredible season.
Season Three
That brings me to the third
season of believ ers. This is a season of sitting.
The first season we crawl,
the second season we walk and run, now we sit.
The traditional position of a
teacher is sit ting. Jesus is quite often referred to in Scripture as Raboni,
Rabbi, and Teacher.
The Bible says in the Gospel
of John chapter 8 verse 2:
“At
dawn he [Jesus] appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people
gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them.”
This third season comes as
you sit and share your stories — the lessons you’ve learned on your journey
through life.
Stories that may have been
passed down through the ages. This is a powerful time. Where your stories are
your stories and no one can take away from your stories.
I remember clearly sharing
hundreds of times my testimony of spiritual renewal.
I shared when and where my
wife, Deborah, and I were filled with the power of the Holy Spirit.
It
was a true Acts 2 experience. It was the fulfillment of Acts 1:8 (NKJV), “But you shall receive power when
the Holy Spirit has come upon you….”
This is my story, and no one
can tell me it’s wrong. I simply share this is what happened to me and no one
argue with that!
The third season is where you
can pass on what you have learned in life. It’s a time of investing in others.
It’s a mature time in life
when you share with others so they can avoid the mistakes you’ve made along the
way.
There are moments in life
when you need to take a stand.
I clearly remember several
times in life when my faith, my convictions, my life commitment was being
challenged. And I knew that I had to take a stand. It’s tough.
I am not one to be
argumentative or confrontational. But I do know there are moments when we get
called into account.
I need to say — no, this is
what I believe. I remember standing with a young man new to ministry. His name
is Trey Myers.
Trey was miraculously
delivered from drugs and left his trade of dealing drugs. It was a dramatic
conversion.
Trey was one who pushed the
envelope to seek more of God and His life-changing power. He would say some
outlandish things that made people raise their eyebrows, too.
He said once that he had seen
Jesus physically appear before him. Someone came to me who had heard Trey say
that and the person told me that it was hard to believe and Trey was crazy.
I knew I had to take a stand
and support this young man. I knew it may have sounded crazy to some, but I
took a stand. I believe and know that Trey did see Jesus. I believe it.
Season Four
The final season, the fourth,
is standing. You’re
not crawling, you’re not walking or running, and you’re not sitting teaching.
This is a season where you
know when to stand and hold firm. This is a season when you know what you
believe and are willing to stand up for it — even unto death.
Seasons
of Challenge
It has taken me a long time
to appreciate the four seasons of my Christian life.
In fact, if I’m totally
honest, I still struggle with some of the sea sons that God has me go through.
There have been tough struggles, tough days.
My current assignment at
Brownsville Assembly of God in Pensacola, Florida, has been the most
challenging season of my ministry.
When I arrived, the church
was in post revival. The season of Revival at Brownsville Assembly (1995-2000)
was real, genuine, chaotic, monumental, life-changing, and difficult.
My calling to Brownsville was
to help this church recover from a season as a revival center to that of a
healthy local church. But I still wanted the power of the Holy Spirit and
revival to stay in the church — and it has.
I found myself in a church
that was in free fall. The facility was worn and needed much TLC.
The congregation had declined
to less than 500. And the cumulative debt for the church and ministry school
was over $10 million. The monthly mort gage payment was $83,000. Ouch! Talk
about a tough season.
But the one thing I knew was
God had called me to pastor this church, this congregation, this church family
through this difficult season.
Someone asked me once if I
was enjoying my season at Brownsville. I’m not sure if that was the right
question.
Enjoyment was not the word I
would have used at that time. Did I know I was called to Brownsville? YES! Was
I fulfilled in being in the center of the Lord’s will? YES! Was it enjoyable?
Not always!
What this season at
Brownsville has taught me is that there are seasons in ministry, in life, and
in churches. And our role as Christians is to discover what season we are in
and what role God has called us to play.
Another realization is that I
can’t force the season to change. I can argue that I don’t like the season; I
can complain about how hard the season is.
But I know I can’t change the
season. Seasons are a God thing. Seasons are God’s creation and doing.
Dr. Evon Horton
has forty years ministry experience. He currently pastors Brownsville Assembly
of God in Pensacola, Florida, home of the largest and longest revival in U.S.
history. He loves the moving of the Holy Spirit. He has pastored in Toronto,
and has been president of Master’s College and Seminary. He is a devoted
husband and loves spoiling his three grandchildren.
Destiny has
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