Autumn

 

Autumn is my favorite season of the year.  Only God

can paint such beautiful scenery on the canvas of  this earth and create a true masterpiece.  As the leaves turn from shades of green to hues of golden brown and orange; we know God is preparing the earth for another beautiful season.

Autumn or Fall, as we also call this season, is a time of change.  Autumn is Harvest time and the golden grain waving  in the gentle breezes are ready to be gathered and stored.

Ecclesiastes 3: 1 tells us "To everything there is a Season and a time to every purpose under the heaven."  There is a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted.

Just as there are seasons for sowing and reaping which will be eternal, there are spiritual seasons with God.  We are told in His Word that "one plants, one waters, and God gives the increase."

The Word of God is likened unto seed which is sown.  The soil where spiritual seed is sown is within the hearts of men.  Hearts are to be contrite and humble before God and be receptive to the Holy Spirit of God.  God's Word will not return unto Him void or empty.  It will accomplish what He intends it to do.  We must pray for God's Spirit to touch hearts and break up "fallow ground" and make it "holy ground."

We are told the fields are white unto harvest, or to be gathered into the storehouses.  The spiritual field of God is the world.  We are to help carry the Word of God and speak the gospel message of peace to lost souls in a world of sin.

There is an older gospel song entitled, "My House is Full But My Fields Are Empty".  This songs says "it seems like all God's children want to set around His table, but no one wants to work in His field."  It continues to exhort the listeners to push away from the table, look ouside the windowpane where there is a field of golden grain   We must also begin to see that truly the coming of the Lord is nigh.  The fields are white unto harvest, and his workers are few.  We may never be able to carry the gospel across the seas to  a foreign county, but we can be messengers of peace  for the Lord where we live. 

We must be about the Father's business and join as the true Body of Christ to proclaim the gospel message as never before.  No man knows the day or hour of His return, but the signs of the times show us the days of the beginning of the end are nigh to His return.  We must pray and intercede for the souls of men, women, boys and girls as never before.

Harvest time in Israel was a time of rejoicing and great feasting.  No one came before the Lord without bringing gifts and sacrifices.  The firstfruits of the grain and wheat harvest was also brought and waved before the Lord as an offering.  The people were thankful and had a heart of gratitude to the Lord for he had supplied their every need.  The Feast of Harvest was also called the Feast of Weeks in addition to the Feast of Pentecost, and also "day of the firstfuits".  They counted from the day of bringing the sheaf of the wave offering, seven Sabbaths.  On the day after the seventh sabbath, they were to number fifty days, and offer a new meat offering unto the Lord.  Pentecost also means fiftieth.  The New Testament Church also began on the Day of Pentecost when the prophesy of Joel was fulfilled and the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the 120 in the Upper Room.   Peter then preached a salvation message and many were added to the Church.  Jesus was proclaimed our sacrifice for sin. He is the  true "bread" from Heaven broken for us and his life's blood shed for our sins.  This is true sacrifice.

Meat was "grain" in the sacrifices then as to the meat offering.  We see God  had given them every green herb for meat in the beginning.  They also sacrificed lambs as a peace offering, and goats for a sin offering unto the Lord. 

Today, we have the New Covenant of Grace, and our offering is Jesus, who gave his life as the eternal offering for the sins of the world.  He is and was the only "perfect lamb of God', without spot or blemish.  His death on Calvary's cross and resurrection on the third day, assures us of our salvation and eternal life when we accept Him as our Lord and Saviour.  We are to present ourselves unto Him as a "living sacrifice", holy and acceptable; which is just our reasonable service.  Rom. 12: 1-2.

Today is the day of salvation.  This is the acceptable day and hour to receive Jesus into your heart.  If you do not know him, all you have to do is realize that you are a sinner in need of a Saviour.   This is the first step of salvation.  We are told in God's Word that "all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.  There is none righteous, no not one.  Rom. 3: 10.  The wages of sin is death. Rom. 6: 23.  

We are told we must confess Him with our mouth, and believe in our hearts that He is Lord, the only begotten Son of God.  We must believe he died for our sins and rose again to give us eternal ife.  Rom 10: 9-10.  We are also told that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.   Rom. 10: 12.  This is the good news of the gospel.  Jesus has made it so simple that a child can come unto Him and receive this free gift.  It is as simle as A. B. C.  All one must do is Ask, Believe, and Confess. (ABC).  Then tell others that you are saved by faith in the blood of Jesus and his death as the price for our sins.  He took our place and gave us life .  All we must do to inherit this life is  receive Him and obey His commands.  We are to follow Him in baptism as an answer to a good conscience and His Word, and become part of the fellowship of  believers in the Body of Christ.  When we receive Him, He gives us the Comfortor, His blessed Holy Spirit to abide with us.  His Spirit leads, guides and directs us into all truths, and will fill us to overflowing.  He will intercede for us when we know not how to pray, and will give us a new tongue of praise and honor unto Him as our Lord.

As in the story of the woman at the well who received salvation, we must also "come see and go tell".  This is the gospel plan for us.  As we come to the Lord, we are also to go and tell what He has done for us.  He will do the same for others as He has done for us.

As the leaves of the trees change colors and fall to the ground in this beautiful season of Autumn, new Christians also change from  inside the heart to the outer man.  They become a 2 Cor. 5: 17 Christian.  Old things pass away, and behold all things become new in the life of a Christian.  Everything is beautiful and new as God changes a person's life. 

For everything there is a season.  Let us praise God for He is the Giver of Life and of all good things.  He supplies our daily bread and every need according to his riches in glory.  All we have to do is seek Him before anything else, and everything will be added or given unto us that we need in this life.  His promises are true and He is faithful to fulfill them.  

"Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High; and call upon me in the day of trouble and I will deliver thee, and thou shall glorify me."

                                Ps. 50: 14-15

 

 J. P.'S Inspirations 2000 (c) 

 

       

                                                     

"Come Bless The Lord" is midi playing.