AUTUMN

SHEPHERD TO SHEEP

AUTUMN

Ahhh, autumn is here. Summer is over and the weather becomes cool. The kids are in school and it’s time for the color of leaves to change and eventually fall one by one in their seasonal dance. It’s a time of harvest and thanksgiving and brilliant orange sunsets. It’s holiday plans and baking pies and the World Series. It’s football season and long sleeve shirts and getting that jacket out of the closet. It’s so many wonderful things and a favorite season for so many. Let’s take the occasion to let autumn teach us some spiritual truths. Observe them as leaves falling and alighting at your feet on the pilgrim pathway. Study their detail and marvel at the wonders of our God.

- THE FALL: The fall reminds me of Adam and Eve and their fall in the garden. Spiritual gravity took them down in a nasty spiral to the ground. Would man ever recover? Yes! Jesus came and died on a tree! Man is now forgiven through the work of Christ on the cross. (1 Pet 2:24) who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.

The fall also reminds me of when a Christian stumbles along the way to heaven. It’s something we all can relate to. We don’t intend to but the next thing you know we are flat on our face. What do we do then? We get back up by the grace of God and move forward in our walk with the Lord. (Pro 24:16) For a righteous man may fall seven times And rise again…

- HARVEST: The Bible talks about lost humanity as a harvest that needs to be taken in before it is all lost and ruined: (John 4:35) Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! We are to pray for workers for the harvest: (Mat 9:37-38) Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” How sad it would be for one soul to be lost: (Jer 8:20) “The harvest is past, The summer is ended, And we are not saved!”

- HALLOWEEN: It’s unfortunate but Satan has his holiday in the midst of autumn. But I guess it fits into the fall! But notice Satan’s gradual descent and fall into hell. First he gets kicked out of heaven (Isa 14:12), then he gets kicked down to earth (Rev 12:9), then he is bound in the abyss (Rev 20:1-3), finally he is cast down into the lake of fire forever! (Rev 20:10). That’s Hallelujah…not Halloween!

- THANKSGIVING: The Bible says to be thankful: (Col 3:15) …and be thankful. That’s because we tend to complain so much: (Phil 2:14) Do all things without complaining and disputing. God has done so many things for us. We are to acknowledge them and to be grateful in our hearts (Psa 103:1-5). We are to give thanks even in hard times because they are working for our good: (1 Thes 5:18) in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Louie

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