These are “Signs” too…..

                                                                                   By Pastor F. M. Riley

    “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 birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land;.......
    Arise, My love, My fair one, and come away.”
                                                                                      Song of Solomon 2:10-13

Introduction

    Sometimes God’s people [true believers] who are seriously “watching” for our Lord’s coming become so occupied with looking for the big sensational “signs” from God, that they tend to miss the simple “signs” that God’s Word explicitly tells us will precede the coming of our Lord.  In this study I want to share my experience with some of these simple “signs.” 
The Background

    Folks, I have lived in Missouri off and on, and pastored churches in this state, since first coming to Missouri in 1972.  I can truthfully say that this past winter has been the hardest winter I have ever experienced in Missouri.  There have been winters with heavier snow fall and colder temperatures, but they were always interspersed with breaks in the weather and warmer days here and there.  This winter was cold, wet, and overcast right from the start, with no let up for days on end.  I have literally thanked God every time the Sun would break through the clouds for even a few minutes.  This winter has been so very hard on me physically, emotionally, and also in other ways.  It is needless to say that I have longed for the coming of Spring more than ever before in my life. 
    I have also looked forward to the coming of Spring spiritually, because I truly believe our Lord is coming sometime during the Spring of this year.  It could be any day now. 
    It is against this background that I want to share with our readers a few simple “signs” of our Lord’s coming that I believe the Lord graciously gave me in just two days (20th and 21st of March) this past week. 

The Lord’s Messengers

    This past Monday through Thursday southern Missouri experienced a terrible rain storm.  The meteorologists called it a “Super Storm.”  It stretched all the way from south Texas up into the Ohio River valley, and dumped massive amounts of rain as it moved eastward.  Here in Columbia, Missouri, we were on the northern fringe of the storm and therefore didn’t receive as much rain as folks living in southern Missouri.  Also our rain stopped on Wednesday night. 
    On Thursday, the 20th, (the Spring Equinox) here in Columbia, the Sun came out and the temperatures rose into the fifties.  It was still cool, but a light jacket is all one needed to work outside.  And I had plenty of “catching up” to do.  I work part time in the mobile home park that I live in when the weather is suitable, in order to supplement my small income from social security. 
    As I began working this past Thursday morning, I looked up and across the yard came a lovely red breasted Robin hopping along, the first one I had seen this year.  This may not mean much to those readers who live in other parts of the country, but the Robin is the first migratory bird to arrive in mid Missouri in the Spring.  Here in mid Missouri we know that when the Robins arrive, warm pleasant Spring weather is no more than two weeks away.  As I was looking at that Robin “bob, bob, bobbing” across my yard, the Robin suddenly stopped dead still and looked directly at me, just staring at me for several seconds, as if he was saying “Hello!”  I knew instantly that our gracious Lord had sent me a messenger of comfort to announce to me, “the winter is past, the rain is over and  gone,” 2:11. Joy just filled my cup to overflowing.  Praise the Lord!  Glory to His Name! 
    Then yesterday morning (Friday, the 21st) as I stepped out of my house, there in one of my flower beds was a beautiful flower in full bloom.  Folks it hadn’t been there the day before.  It had pushed up  through the soil and burst into bloom in one night.  I have never known such to happen previously in my life.  As I stood there staring at that lovely flower, the tears began streaming down my face.  I knew that the Lord had sent me another messenger to proclaim His glorious soon coming, “the flowers appear on the earth,” 2:12.  Hallelujah!  Praise the Lord! 
    The temperature had also risen during the night.  The first day of Spring (the 21st) was a beautiful warm day here in mid Missouri.  I went to work on a project I had to build for the mobile home park.  I had been working for an hour or so when I suddenly heard a sound that sent a thrill through my very soul.  I looked up, and there on a branch of a tree almost directly above me set a beautiful turtle dove cooing.  As I looked up, that lovely dove stopped cooing and tilted his head, looking directly into my eyes, as if to say “I’m here!”  After staring at me for a moment, he gave another lovely “coo,” and then flew slowly away.  I again broke into tears of thanksgiving, and begin praising the Lord.  I knew that the Lord had sent me a third messenger to confirm His very soon coming, “the voice of the turtle [dove] is heard in our land,” 2:12.

Conclusion

    Folks, some of my readers may think I have an over active imagination.  That is okay!  You were not the one these things happened to, nor the one who felt the impact of God’s Spirit in my heart when they happened.  To me, these “signs” were just more confirmation that our Lord is coming now at any moment any day to rapture His people to glory.  Praise the Lord!  Hallelujah!  Glory to God!
    Our Lord knows the trouble His people are in down here in this present evil world, and He has not forgotten His people or His promises, “…..and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world [age],” Matthew 28:20; John 14:1-3.  He is coming at any day now to “…..deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:  To whom be glory forever and ever.  Amen,” Galatians 1:4-5.
    Let some believe what they will, but the Lord is coming to rapture His Church; His espoused bride, and every true believer, “HOME” to glory before the terrible Tribulation begins on this earth, Revelation 3:10.  Look up folks!  His coming is at the door. 
    “Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord.  Praise ye the Lord,” Psalm 150:6. 

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    NOTICE:    Permission is granted to any true believer, or to any Bible believing Christian ministry, to reproduce this study to share with others, or to quote from it in context as written.
    This ministry is supported solely by the freewill offerings of those who feel led of the Lord to help us send forth God’s wonderful Word.
    All comments, questions, or correspondence should be addressed to:
Last Call Gospel Ministry
Pastor F. M. Riley
3900 Clark Lane   Lot 178
Columbia, Missouri 65202
    Our email address is:
fmrglbd5@yahoo.com   or   fmrglbd5@aol.com

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