Houston
Congregational Christian Church
Pastor James Manuel
4883 Russia-Houston Road
Houston, OH 45333
Phone: 937-295-3591
Email:
click here
Message Title: The Marvel of Springtime
Call to Worship: Matthew 11: 28-29
Scripture Reading: Song of Songs 2: 11-13
Prayer: May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable unto You O Lord on this Your day.
Springtime. Isn’t springtime beautiful. On March 20 you and I began to enjoy the coming of Spring. And what a glorious time of year. A poet once wrote----The trumpet of prophecy, O Wind. If Winter come, can Spring be far behind?
Spring cast its magical spell over all of us. The farmer with his Almanac in hand is smiling again. The gofer comes out of hibernation. The birds begin their song again and even the woodpecker taps out his musical harmony.
During winter it seems that the sun has taken a leave of absence. The snow seems to be nothing more than a white sheet pulled over an earth that has died. But then the Sun is on its way. The sun passes over the equator on March 20th and we begin to enjoy the beauty of Spring. We have a promise. And may I say that promise is found in Genesis 8:21-22, ‘As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never end.’
Many times throughout the Bible we see God showing His love and patience toward us in order to save us. Although God realizes that many times our hearts are evil yet He continues to try to reach us. When we sin or fall away from God we surely deserve to be punished. But God has promised never again to destroy the earth, Gen. 9:11 God say, ‘I establish My covenant with you. Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood, never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.’ Never again until the judgment day when Christ returns to destroy evil forever. Now every change of season is a reminder of His promise.
Spring is coming. God has always kept His Word. Isaiah 55:11, ‘So is My Word that goes out from My mouth. It will not return to Me empty but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.’ Winter will pass. Trees will bloom. Nature’s orchestra will play again. Music will fill the air again. There’s hope in the coming of Spring. As you drive up and down the highways just look at all the beautiful colors of flowers and trees. We’ve all seen winter put its icy death grip on plants and trees. One might think---They’ll never make it all the way back.
But then they do and suddenly all is ablaze with their glory. How’d it all happen? There’s just a one word answer----God. It may have been the Springtime which Isaiah had in mind when he wrote in Isaiah 55:12, ‘You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace, the mountains and hills will burst into song before you and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.’
All creation is alive in Spring. Resurrection life abounds. Springtime affords us a great parable of renewal not only in our lives but also in the church. Jesus Christ, in Malachi’s prophecy, is set forth as the Sun of Righteousness, Who arises with healing in His wings. Malachi 4:2, ‘But for you who revere My Name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in its wings.’.
These words of Malachi are filled with hope. Regardless of how life looks now, God controls the future and everything will be made right. We who love and serve God look forward to a joyful celebration This hope for the future becomes ours when we trust God with our lives.
Revival means that the church positions itself to receive these life giving beams of Spring. For you see they refresh us, they revive us, they heal us and they warm us. Just as earth’s sun is on its way toward us during springtime, even so is the Son of Righteousness moving toward us today. When He comes into our lives and to His church spiritual coldness is replaced by spiritual warmth and love.
The Resurrection of Jesus is kind of a spring equinox. At the cross death put its icy fingers on Jesus’ throat. He breathed His last breath. A wintry night set in. Hope was gone for all mankind. Our Lord was laid up on a slab of death, but then Resurrection life came into the body of our Lord and He Arose. The sun has come up again, Spring is here, and the earth is resounding with His glory. Jesus Christ has been certified as mankind’s only Redeemer. There’s Hope again.
The first signs of spring are undoubtedly the most beautiful. Surrounded by dead remains of the past we suddenly see signs of new life and we rejoice. Likewise we sometimes experience long cold winters of the heart, times when we lose faith in the promise of spring. Then new life comes to our wintry spirits and we know the joy of rebirth. If your heart feels frozen in the winter of grief or doubt or pain find hope in the signs of spring around you. And soon you will be able to rejoice as Solomon said in Song of Songs 2:12, ‘Lo the winter is past the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth the time of the singing of birds is come.’
Maybe today you’re having a kind of spiritual wintertime. It may seem God is far away and your heart is crusted over with fear and doubt. Your prayers seem to bounce back at you. You’ve seen many days without a song and you ask yourself---Will God ever be real to me again?
Today I have Good News for you. Yes He will. He will be real to you again, not someday, but today. Psalm 73:21-23 tells us, ‘When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered. I was senseless and ignorant, I was a brute beast before You. Yet I am always with You You hold me by my right hand.’ Here the Psalmist declares his confidence in God’s presence and guidance. You see from birth to death God has us continually in His grip.
God created the world and all its beauty we see. God has given us senses to enjoy this beauty. Never allow problems, conflicts, or the ravages of time to ruin your ability to enjoy God’s gifts. Take time to enjoy the world and its beauty that God has created.
Jesus asks us in Matt. 11:28 to, ‘Come unto Me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.’ Jesus frees us from our burdens. The rest that Jesus promises us is Love, Healing and Peace with God.
King Solomon said in Ecc. 3:1, ‘There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven.’ Springtime is the Season of rebirth a season of new life.
This is the day the Lord has made let us rejoice in it and be glad.