Teachings – The Flowers Appear on the Earth

THE FLOWERS APPEAR ON THE EARTH

UNFOLDING NINETEEN

WHERE WE ARE 

I was deeply smitten by the previous discourse, ‘By the Roes, and by the Hinds of the Field.’  The idea of a sweet concord – communion, fellowship with Christ that I would protect our relationship. I would rest in Him, as He rests in Father. All that Jesus went through for me… bearing the cross… God Himself, flesh, and dying as He did. For Christians, communion should be dear to us… that we would say to the daughters of Jerusalem, let Him be… do not stir Him… do not awaken Him until He please. A challenging discourse, but now we move on.  

SCRIPTURE

Song of Songs 2: 10-13

“My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of the birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land. The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.”

THE FLOWERS APPEAR ON THE EARTH
UNFOLDING NINETEEN

“The things which are seen are types of the things which are not seen. The works of creation are pictures to the children of God of the secret mysteries of grace.”

Ah, such a beginning – giving us an insight into Pastor’s thinking… how the Holy Spirit led him to decipher Nature as to provide us word pictures of the Scriptures. Here, in this discourse, Pastor again speaks of the four Evangelists of the seasons, with each season having its duty –

• to plough,
• to sow, and
• to reap.

There is a season to vintage, and a period of pruning of the vine. There is a month for planting herbs, ingathering seeds. Every season has its special labor. So our souls present a field to us – if we are attentive to the season.

“My beloved spake and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.”

With regard to the seasons and the ‘coming away,’ Pastor spoke of the history of the church since the time of Christ and the change in seasons. To this he spoke,

“With regard to the universal church of Christ, you can plainly perceive that she has had her ebbs and flows. Often it seemed as if her tide retired; ungodliness, heresy, error, prevailed: but she has had her flood tide, when once again the glorious waves have rolled in, covering with their triumphant righteousness the sands of ignorance and evil.” 

And hence, his discourse follows the seasons ever since the ‘flowers’ appeared on the earth. Speaking of us, Pastor said,

“The flowers appeared on the earth; three thousand in one day blossomed forth, baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

The question he would ask is, ‘Are you among the flowers?’

THOUGHT GOING FORWARD

What season is it for us? If I looked at my age, I am entering the winter, with my prospect Spring to be found in heaven. If I looked at my gifts and talents, those are still in the process of tilling, planting, weeding, and watering. Some of my products are ready for harvest, but the Lord hasn’t brought the customers.

Do we look at each season, the Four Evangelists – Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter as singular or rotational? Do we look to only a solitary crop to harvest at the end of the season? In Colorado, farmers have two wheat harvests, one summer; one winter wheat. In a hothouse, farmers could have multiple harvests throughout the seasons if the conditions are maintained. The process of farming is the same. The number of harvests depend on the amount of time it takes between planting and harvesting and repeating the process.

How about us? Are we singular in plant and harvest? Do we till, plant, weed, and water for many? Is there ever a time we let our fields go dormant? In the meantime, do we avail ourselves as laborers in working in other fields? How do we see ourselves as the instruments of our Lord Jesus?

IN TRIBUTE TO SPURGEON’S LOVE OF SHORT RYHMES

Some till, some sow, some water, some weed. 
the Master owns the garden.
Some come early, some late, t’is a matter of grace.
And the summons of those with pardon.