unseasonable

“Preserve me from unseasonable and immoderate sleep”
Samuel Johnson

(Helleborus / Lenten Rose / Julie Cook / 2017)

Unseasonable warmth gives way to
an unrelenting chain of events…

There is…

emerging,
birth,
growth…

A fullness of life…

there is preparing,
and a signaling of readiness,
and the ushering in of the new…

there is hopefulness…

Yet it is all so dangerously premature.
It is ill prepared,
unsuspecting,
and unsustainable…

It is out of step with time…

It is not strong enough to ward off that which will certainly be coming…

It is the living of a falsehood.

Living without regard for the Word,
while there is disregard for the Sovereign…
with contempt for the Promise…
Ignoring or discrediting all that has been proclaimed and foretold.

It is like the premature bloom…

Blooming,
growing,
living…
out of step and out of time…

Ignoring the rhythmic nature of what is to be,
only ushers in an inevitable destruction…
brought about by the reality of rebellion and ignorance.

What makes you think you are any different from the premature
blooms lulled into the pretense of Spring by an unrealistic and untimely change?
You who simply ignore the Truth because you find yourself basking in a
a false and unseasonable warmth…

All the while as you know, in the back of that mind of yours…
you who are fully aware that none of this of the superficial and self indulgent will last…

As you find yourself now unprepared to ward off that which is surely coming…

You will be defenseless and ill prepared.
You who have been basking and relishing in the allure of something other than the Truth.

Be not fooled by your own folly of bliss over the distortion of reality.
The Lion roars as winter is coming…
The premature thaw and warming winds will not last…
Take heed,
for you have been warned and now told…

Only those hearts humbled and now knowledgable will be ready…
for they have not given way to these foolish and heady times…

For out of the North,
and then the West,
while up from the South,
and finally the East…
the premature blooms will be trampled under the hooves
of the stampede…
those who run seeking a safe haven…
who will find none.

Yet the faithful will not dismayed…
you who have been prepared and ready…
Your time draws near…

As Hope is ushered in on the returning winds of change…
As His way has been prepared and now made ready,
as you who have been waiting,
now find yourself more than ready to pay homage to
the returning of the King.

Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath.
For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of
the world until now—and never to be equaled again.
Matthew 24:20-21

looks are deceiving

(Lenten Rose, hellebores orientails / Julie Cook / 2016)

Hellebores orientails, otherwise known as a Lenten Rose, is a member of the ranunculaceae family and are kin to buttercups, clematis and peonies with no relation at all to the rose family.
While the thought of a lenten rose may bring deeply spiritual thoughts to mind, the only correlation between the plant and Lent is that it usually flowers during the Lenten season.

Hellebores are actually “one of the four classic poisons, together with nightshade, hemlock, and aconite. In fact, the name hellebore comes from the Greek “elein” meaning to injure, and “bora” meaning food.”
(University of Vermont)

As the enticing intricacies, those tiny marvels of detail within the flower which are both hypnotic and marvelous to behold, the mysterious allure can however have deadly consequence.
Hellebores have been known to cause death to both humans and animals alike…to those those poor souls who have, for whatever reason, ingested roots, seeds or flowers.
Even the seeds have been known to cause blisters and burns to the skin.

Hellebore’s history and use dates back to 1400 BCE when the plant was mistakenly thought to aid in accidental poisoning, relieve mental instability and to purge the body of ailments such as worms and various intestinal maladies.

Whereas the plants and flowers are indeed attractive and are a nice early blooming addition to the garden, it is with a bit of trepidation that they be allowed to join the yard, especially if one has young children or pets.

Therefore it may be safe to assume that the innocently charming Lenten Rose is actually quite deceiving.
Pretty to look at yet hiding a darker and more sinister side.

Much like the master of deception…

We would do well to be mindful that the Prince of Darkness works in a similar fashion as the unpretentious Lenten Rose. He often takes the appearance of something most benign or perhaps attractive or even enticing, yet in reality, He is just as deadly as our little hellebore…

This Prince of Lies woos us through our own senses…lulling and dulling our reactions.
Confusing us and enticing us by our own wants and desires…

Be not confused nor deceived by the misleading beauty of the world…
for there is one who is watching…
and he waits
with an often hypnotic beauty…

His mouth is full of lies and threats;
trouble and evil are under his tongue.
He lies in wait near the villages;
from ambush he murders the innocent.
His eyes watch in secret for his victims;
like a lion in cover he lies in wait.
He lies in wait to catch the helpless;
he catches the helpless and drags them off in his net.
His victims are crushed, they collapse;
they fall under his strength.
He says to himself, “God will never notice;
he covers his face and never sees.”
Psalm 10:8-11

He will cause deceit to prosper, and he will consider himself superior. When they feel secure, he will destroy many and take his stand against the Prince of princes. Yet he will be destroyed, but not by human power.
Daniel 8:25