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Welcome. Please come in and study Gods Word. Im Carol Brooke and this is our program From
House to House. Get your Bible and go through the Word with us. Were grateful to have you
participate with our filming. We also want to mention we appreciate the hospitality of
Tony and Sandra Walker and their lovely home for our filming purposes. Lets continue in
this series called Times and Seasons where were considering the types of things that
take place in a persons life. As you go down the path of life youre going to encounter
all types of experiences. Some are referred to as a time and a season in your life. There
are 28 seasons referred to in Ecclesiastes 3. I dont have time to read the text as we
did in the beginning. I will emphasize one of the seasons in each lesson and use the
text referring to that part, because of limited time, in order to get everything in each program.
Open your Bible to Ecclesiastes 3:1,3. This is lesson 5 and it is about a time and a season To Kill. You
ask, Carol, doesnt the Lord command, thou shalt not kill? Yes, that has to do with killing
individuals with a personal vendetta in your heart. This is a spiritual thing, talking
about when it comes to putting to death certain things. I hope that this doesnt seem negative.
It could be a key that unlocks a door of something positive in your life –putting to death
things that need to die, in order that Christ might live in you. Ecclesiastes 3:1,3: TO
EVERYTHING there is a season, and a time for every matter or purpose under heaven: Let
me recap the words in verse 1, talking about seasons in your life, a time and purpose of
the season. Vs 3, A time to kill and a time to heal, a time to break down and a time to
build up. Lets focus today on this – what does the Word tells us to kill? –were going
to talk about spiritual things, spiritual things. If you reflect back to the Old Testament
pattern - as God laid out His laws and wanted to be worshipped before He sent His only begotten
Son to be the Savior of the world and to atone for our sins - there was a pattern where the
brazen altar, especially in the tabernacle, the individuals brought their sacrifices.
They brought the bullock, the ox, a lamb or a dove. Whatever they could afford they brought
it, slaughtered it and put it on the altar, cut into pieces and meat portions laid up
there. It would either be a blood sacrifice, for the shedding of blood or it would be a
burnt sacrifice. That was the pattern but when Jesus came He fulfilled that and became
the sacrifice that satisfied for the penalty of sin in mankinds life – He became that
once, for all and theres no need for further sacrifice to be made. Jesus atoned once for
all for us. His gift of Himself, a ransom for many, was sufficient one time. Thank God
because before that it was a daily sacrifice. Keep Ecclesiastes 3, but tie in Romans 12:1-2
King James and read what were exhorted to do by making a sacrifice where something is
caused to be killed. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present
your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind,
that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. No longer are animal
sacrifices brought because Jesus paid the price, He gave Himself and we need to give
ourselves to God, our lives totally over to Him. Youll never be a happy and blessed believer
until you surrender your all. To get a little bit of the Lord in your life can become a
lot of perplexity and stress because theres that wrestling match going on in you. Once
you settle the account and you say Im going one hundred percent to follow the Lord with
all my heart, soul, strength, all my mind – the battles over. Theres no more argument
about who has the rights because youve given them to the Lord. This that we read in Romans
exhorts as to what we do – we give our bodies as a sacrifice. Have you considered that your
body (your temple of the Holy Spirit) is to be given to God as a sacrifice? Its supposed
to be a living sacrifice. In some cases it would be easier to give your life once for
all, such as a martyr. Its not a simple thing for people to live day, by day, by day and
deal with difficult circumstances – sometimes thats more trying in the long-run. The Lord
has said for us to give our life and body; live a sacrificial life with your body. The
Lord is requiring that it be a holy sacrifice which means it needs to be pure and godly,
acceptable to God. In the Old Testament God wouldnt accept any old thing that they brought
– if it was sick, lame or blind or had already died, like a dead animal and its no good so
they give God their leftovers. The Lord commands us to bring our life, our body, as a living
sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God. In Malachi he said, Im a great king. Offer to
your governor what youre bringing to Me and see if hell accept your sacrifices. They were
bringing to God the culls as you might say, the leftovers. God found that insulting. He
felt He was worthy of better than that. God wants your best. This text tells us that this
is a reasonable service. This isnt a big fantastic thing where were doing God a huge favor. This
is a reasonable request, a reasonable service. It also tell us, dont let our life become
adapted and conformed to the ways of this world but we need to be transformed, changed
by our mind being renewed by the Word. The Word tells us like a mirror where things need
to be changed or improved. He says we can prove what is the good and acceptable and
perfect will of God. I want to read to you the words of an old gospel song. We dont have
the means to provide the music so I cant sing it and have music background but I would like
to share the words that I heard sung many times. Especially as a solo – it would be
done in a service and it brought conviction. Dont be afraid of conviction. Conviction is
important. It ushers you closer to God. Its called, Is your all on the Altar? This song
was written by Rev. Elisha Hoffman. You have longed for sweet peace and for faith to increase.
And have earnestly, fervently prayed. But you cannot have rest, or be perfectly blessed
until all on the altar is laid. The chorus says: Is your all on the altar, a sacrifice
laid? Your heart does the Spirit control? You can only be blessed and have peace and
sweet rest as you yield Him your body and soul. Would you walk with the Lord in the
light of His Word and have peace and contentment always. You must do His sweet will to be free
from all ill, on the altar your all you must lay. Oh we never could know what the Lord
will bestow of the blessings for which we have prayed. Tell our body and soul He doth
fully control and our all on the altar is laid. Who can tell all the love He will send
from above and how happy our hearts will be made. Of the fellowship sweet we shall share
at His feet when our all on the altar is laid. Im going to ask you this same question. Is
your all on the altar, a sacrifice laid? Your heart does the Spirit control? You can only
be blessed and know peace and sweet rest as you yield Him your body and your soul. Those
listening – do you want real joy in serving the Lord and fulfillment and satisfaction?
Lay on the altar your all. Dont hold anything back. There is nothing in this world you could
hold onto that has more value, especially eternity-wise, than as you would give yourself
to the Lord and what He would give you in replacement. What things should we kill? We
need to do what the New Testament says, as believers. We need to mortify the deeds of
the flesh, crucify the flesh, put to death the deeds of the flesh. These are all scriptures
that I want to bring to your attention. They are a sample of what the scripture says about
us putting to death our own will, ways and fleshly impulses. Were going to look at Romans
8:13, where were told to mortify which means to put to death our fleshly deeds. King James,
Romans 8:13. it says, For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through
the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. If you live after the flesh,
thats all you get out of this life. Its not going to be fulfilling eternity-wise, youre
going to have empty hands. He said to live after the flesh is the door to death. If we,
through the Holy Spirit (you have to do it through the Holy Spirit) put to death the
deeds of the body, you shall live. Christ said He came to give us life and that more
abundantly. You dont come into abundant life until youre willing to die to your old life
and let Him move in and live out through you, where you make right-of-way for Him to give
you words, thoughts, deeds and behavior. We, through the Holy Spirit, are able to do it
because flesh demands its rights. It says Hey, I want my own way. Its like horses, a
horse likes to have its own head. It wants freedom to do its own thing and our body,
we have the same desires. We want our own way. The Holy Spirit enables us to put that
to death and like reins on a horse it pulls us back into place. We stand and look to the
Holy Spirit to operate in and through us and give us the grace and strength to do what
we ought instead of things we should not do. Hand in hand with that, go to Galatians. These
are all New Testament texts. Galatians 5:24 in the King James says, And they that are
Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. There is a putting to
death, a crucifixion of the flesh, affections and lusts. The next text says your affections
being crucified, the meaning of that word has to do with your passions – they are
to be crucified if they are out of bounds. Amplified, Romans 8:12-14 says, So, brethren,
we are debtors, but not to the flesh [we are not obligated to our carnal nature], to live
[a life ruled by the standards set up by the dictates] of the flesh. For if you live according
to [the dictates of ] the flesh, you will surely die. But if through the power of the
[Holy] Spirit you are [habitually] putting to death (making extinct, deadening) the [evil]
deeds prompted by the body, you shall [really and genuinely] live forever. For all who are
led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. There is such a thing of mortifying the deeds,
crucifying the flesh, putting to death those deeds, the impulses within us not pleasing
to God where self is in control and wants to be in the drivers seat. Be careful. If
you put the Lord in the drivers seat of your life dont become a back seat driver, trying
to tell the Lord what He ought to do. Learn to let Him lead you by His precious Holy Spirit.
Isnt it wonderful that when He ascended on high He sent the Comforter, the Holy Spirit
to lead us, to guide us, to direct us into His fullness of Truth and into His ways. Another
text: Amplified Colossians 3:5-6. I deliberately am giving more texts than in other lessons.
This needs to be documented with the Word, rather than what I think. The Word will last
forever. What I say or think wont. Colossians 3:5-6 So kill (deaden, deprive of power) the
evil desire lurking in your members [those animal impulses and all that is earthly in
you that is employed in sin]: *** vice, impurity, sensual appetites, unholy desires,
and all greed and covetousness, for that is idolatry (the deifying of self and other created
things instead of God). It is on account of these [ sins] that the [holy] anger of God
is ever coming upon the sons of disobedience (those who are obstinately opposed to the
divine will). Therefore, as we read that, you can see there is a time and a season.
In your life, there will be a special season where God is going to really deal with you
about putting to death things that have been drivers in your life, so that the Holy Spirit
can flow more fresh, free and effective through your life. Isnt that what you want? Of course
it is. Amplified, Ephesians 4:22-24 says, Strip yourselves of your former nature [put
off and discard your old unrenewed self] which characterized your previous manner of life
and becomes corrupt through lusts and desires that spring from delusion; And be constantly
renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude], And
put on the new nature (the regenerate self) created in Gods image, [Godlike] in true righteousness
and holiness. This is talking about us putting off things, getting rid of the old, putting
on the new. You cant put on new on top of old. It would be like wearing clothing that
youve worked in all day. You get fresh, clean clothes and put them on top of your dirty
sweaty clothes youve been wearing all day long in the workforce. Spiritually were going
to discard the old ways and put on the new. Its fresh, clean, more God-like and God-pleasing.
Its fragrant to His glory and praise. In Galatians 5:16-21 in the King James. We read about following
after the Spirit instead of yielding to the works of the flesh. Here we see 17 works of
our flesh that need to be put to death. Were going to kill. Theres a season to kill and
youll have to do it more that once throughout your life. Sometimes you reach a point where
certain things are dead to you, of no more interest to you. The Lord has given you better
than that where once you laid it down. It says, This I say, Walk in the spirit, and
ye shall not fulfill the *** of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit,
and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that
ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under
the law. the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness,
lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions,
heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I
tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things
shall not inherit the kingdom of God These are the 17 things that are works of the flesh,
contrary to the Spirit of God being able to fill your life. Lets go over the words. Adultery,
you know what that is, thats when a married person goes out of the marriage and has ***
relations with someone else. The 2nd one is fornication. A lot comes under the umbrella
of that one word. Its *** vice of all kinds and I dont have time to list the different
types of *** vice. Thats a work of the flesh and the Lord says that those that partake
in these kinds of things wont be a part of the kingdom of heaven. 3rd is uncleanness
- things that are corrupt, unclean. Lasciviousness –that which is filthy and that which is
indecent. You see a lot of that on television and magazines. Idolatry –putting things
before God. Witchcraft –dealing in the spirit realm and satanic, not of the Holy Spirit.
Hatred is a bad one. Variance - contention and strife. Emulation means jealousy, wrath,
strife. Seditions means division. Heresies are false doctrines. Envyings, murders, drunkenness,
revellings means carousing, heavy drinking. These are the works of the flesh and the Lord
says those that partake will not inherit His kingdom. We want all that the Lord has. Lets
surrender and say, Lord I give you my total self. God will deliver you. If youre bound
with these vices. Hes your Savior, your Deliverer. If you dont get help by your own prayers,
ask the ministry or church where believers pray with you and help you to victory so you
can be blessed. Next time we deal with
a time
To Heal. Amen.