a foretaste of heaven...

My husband and I had the privilege of being invited to a second cousin's wedding reception... in a city outside my family's primary stomping grounds...

We went with my sister... didn't check with other sibs to see if they were attending... nor had I heard of any cousins or other family that would be in attendance... besides the bride's family...

The evening turned into a greater joy than I imagined... family gathered up from many different places... some I hadn't seen in years...

Family... forever intermingled with childhood memories...

The Guest Book... gave the first glimpse... of who was present...

The seating chart... revealed even more surprises...

Common phrases I heard through the evening...

I didn't know you would be here...

I'm so glad to see you...

It's been so long...

The ultimate phrase... from a sweet cousin... who approached... after I smiled and waved across two tables...

Just now... I saw your mom in your eyes... 

It made me so happy...

Throat tightens as I write the words... eyes well... brim...

It would make me so happy to see my mom's eyes... after more than 19 years...

So today... I realize... the wedding party last night... with family gathered... reunited after long separation... abundance of food... drink... dancing... was a foretaste of what is to come... 

Joy of seeing those long gone before us... surprises at who all will be in attendance... pleasure abounding for heart... body... and soul...

Yes... a foretaste of heaven... thoughts that stir anticipation... longing... and a full heart...

"Praise the Lord!

For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns.

Let us be glad and rejoice,

and let us give honor to him.

For the time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb,

and his bride has prepared herself. ..."

"Blessed are those who are invited

to the wedding feast of the Lamb."

Revelation 19:6-7, 9 NLT

under attack

Today I heard the continuing saga of a broken marriage...

Marriage... a divine relationship... under attack by a devious enemy... his only plan: steal... kill... destroy...

He steals the tenderness of a heart for love... hardened by scars from repeated self-wounding through serial-monogamy...
He kills the sense of security for children... nothing stable... their whole world rocked...
He destroys the foundation of a society... breaking the basic building blocks of civilization... the family...

It is no coincidence that the teaching on spiritual warfare follows shortly after the teaching on marriage... the divine relationship...

The enemy works just as diligently... patiently... waiting for an opportunity to devour the relationship between Christ and the Church... between Believer and Savior...

But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled,

putting on faith and love as a breastplate,

and the hope of salvation as a helmet.

1Thessalonians 5:8

Remember... you belong to The Day...

practice self-control...

shield your heart with faith and love...

guard your mind with hope...

Lord Jesus... open my eyes to the schemes of the enemy... keep me in a place where I will not be deceived... I choose: faithfulness... integrity... trust in Your Way...

a divine relationship

Brides and bridegrooms become husbands and wives... the picture God uses for Christ's relationship to His people... the Church...

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.

Ephesians 5:23-27

ESV

(emphasis mine)

...sanctify... in Hebrew... hagiazo... means to separate from profane things... purify... refine... free from the guilt of sin...

The Bride... the wife to be... must be prepared... purified... to be married to One who is perfect... light and darkness have nothing in common...

A commentary explains... in Jesus's day... the betrothal... the engagement period... usually a year... was legally binding... the culture considered the couple husband and wife... even though the wedding had not taken place... the relationship unconsumated... a divorce required to separate...

Betrothal... a time of waiting for the day...  a time of preparation...

Jesus... the Bridegroom... sanctifies... purifies... His Bride...

through sacrifice... on a cross...

through trust... in trouble...

through His Word... washing with water...

His Word washes clean... refines... purifies...

through hearing...

through doing...

through eating...

His Word... communication... an important part of any relationship... most important in the divine relationship... Christ and the Church... Husband and wife...

Now is the time... while we wait for The Day... to prepare...

If we claim to have fellowship with [God] yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

1John 1:6-7

(emphasis mine)

Learn to walk... prepare... begin with His Word...

Are you in His Word? ... hearing? ... doing?  ...eating?

Are you allowing Him to prepare you for life with Him? ...the two becoming one?

the King's heart for the Bride

Today... I continue to be led back to thoughts of the Bride... reading ...

"Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said,
'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'"

John 7:38

ESV

My attention caught by... living water...

Seeking other sources of living water in my Logos... I found...

You have captivated my heart, my sister, my bride; you have captivated my heart with one glance of your eyes, with one jewel of your necklace. How beautiful is your love, my sister, my bride! How much better is your love than wine, and the fragrance of your oils than any spice!

Your lips drip nectar, my bride...

A garden locked is my sister, my bride, a spring locked, a fountain sealed.

...a garden fountain, a well of living water,

and flowing streams from Lebanon.

Song of Solomon 4:9-15

ESV

(emphasis mine)

The Bride... a garden locked... a fountain sealed... a well of living water... unlocked by the love of the King... whoever believes in Him, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of  his heart will flow rivers of living water." To love the King... is to believe in... trust in... lead a life of obedience...

The King singing a song to the Bride... that to my ear... echoes the song of the Bride prepared...

The King pursuing... longing to unlock the streams of living water from the Bride He loves... one member at a time...

Lord, make me attentive to Your pursuit... to Your love... May I increasingly trust Your love for me... unlock my heart to the fountain of living water...

the Bride swept away

Heart... attitude... fellowship... areas Believers... the Bride... need to attend to in preparation for The Day... preparations increasing intimacy with and desire for Christ... the Bridegroom...

I read these words today... a psalmist singing...

O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you;

my soul thirsts for you,

my body longs for you,

in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

I have seen you in the sanctuary

and beheld your power and your glory.

Because your love is better than life,

my lips will glorify you.

I will praise you as long as I live,

and in your name I will lift up my hands.

My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods;

with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

On my bed I remember you;

I think of you through the watches of the night.

Because you are my help,

I sing in the shadow of your wings.

My soul clings to you;

your right hand upholds me.

Psalm 63:1-8 

words... sentiments... of a heart swept away... the Bride prepared...

preparations of the Bride: fellowship

We were created for community... by God: Father, Son, Spirit... who lives in community in and of Himself...

Fellowship... prepares us for The Day...

The Bride... the Church... is singular... yet many... In Her we find unity in diversity... yet...

For a people who claim one Lord, one faith and one baptism, we are not one church but exist in isolation, judgment, suspicion and condemnation.

---James Bryan Smith, The Good and Beautiful Community

In this broken world, we see a broken Church... diversity leading to division... division based on fear... A ridiculous fear... the members of the Church form one body... to be afraid of others in the body is like our nose fearing our own hand... or our feet afraid of our arms...

We are one... each member created to help the others... hands needed to scratch the nose... arms needed to put on socks and shoes...

When we allow ourselves to be divided from other Believers... either individually or denominationally... we harm ourselves and grieve God...

Cultivating fellowship is key to preparing for The Day...

In community we face opportunities to exercise our new attitudes... or recognize the need for an attitude adjustment...

In community we interact with others who are closer than we to loving God whole-heartedly... we see what it looks like... encouraged we grow... we meet others whom we can help... others who have not walked as far as we...

In community we discover opportunities to serve... using supernatural gifts... teaching... healing... comforting...

Preparation in fellowship fulfills the second part of the greatest command...

...Love your neighbor as yourself...

Seek fellowship in community...

Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another -- and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Hebrews 10:25

We need each other... only all-together... do we make one Bride... the mystery of Christ...

Lord Jesus, help me to recognize my need for others... and accept my part in the body... Grow me in love... grace... humility... Heal the places in me that keep me separated from others... those who are members along with me...

Do you embrace the idea of one Church ...all Believers supernaturally connected to others? How does this truth reveal itself in your life?

preparation of the Bride: attitude

A proper attitude prepares the way for marriage...

Attitude... like the attitude of an airplane... determines whether we fly along smoothly... or crash and burn...

Our attitude sets the course for our interactions with others... pleasant or painful... pernicious or peaceful...

The initial step of heart preparation... surrendering to Christ... results in a new creation... this new creation has to learn to live with a new attitude...

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

Colossians 3:1-2

(emphasis mine)

  

... hearts and minds set on things above... not on earthly things... a new posture... a new attitude... for a new creation... preparation for a new life... a new beginning...

The attitudes that steer the flesh are to be crucified... new attitudes... those we receive from looking up... spiritual attitudes... are to guide us...

The old ways of the flesh corrupt... the new ways of the Spirit lead to life eternal...

Attitudes... like a wardrobe... are a choice...

Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

Colossians 3:12

Believers... the Church... the Bride to be... must dress daily for the wedding... clothed in Christ... because we do not know The Day... EVERYDAY we need to dress in the proper attitude...

Father God... help me to set my heart and mind on things above... maintaining a right attitude... help me to get dressed everyday... preparing for The Day... as I wait for the One who has captured my heart...

What is your attitude these days? Is your focus above... on Christ... or on yourself... earthly things... things that satisfy the flesh?

preparation of the Bride: heart

A heart prepared for marriage is a heart in love...

We all long to be swept off our feet... heart captured... fully engaged...

I saw the effects of love recently... joy... peace... a heart changed...

But the human emotion of love is fleeting... no man or woman can stand the pressure of bearing the sole burden of another's love... we were not created to... not to depend on or be depended on...

God's greatest command...

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.

God longs to be the best loved in our lives... He alone can bear the weight of love... He alone can be depended on as trustworthy... sure... His love is unfailing...

God is Love... and only in Him are we able to love...

So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgement, because as he is so also are we in this world.

1John 4:16-17

ESV

(my emphasis)

...the day... the day that is unknown... the day that culminates in a wedding... those with hearts prepared will enter the wedding feast...

As Believers... the Church... the Bride to be... our first preparation is our heart... check to see who or what has first place... by whom or what have you been swept away?

If God has captured your heart... continue to nurture and grow that relationship... as we grow in love with Him we supernaturally begin to love others in a way that we can bear...

If another has captured your heart...your attention... repentance may be in order... an idol removed... a mind changed...

Lord, grow me to love You with all my heart... mind... soul... strength... that I might be ready for The Day...

Who has your heart?

preparations of a bride

Yesterday's thoughts on weddings... turned my focus to the preparations required... the making ready...

...his Bride has made herself ready...

I heard a bit about the preparations for the wedding just experienced... my sister being the Mother of the Bride... the MoB... Over the last several months, during the making ready, I had many conversations with the MoB... like labor pains... the calls increasing in frequency as the day approached...

So many decisions to be made... date... venue (both ceremony and reception)... dress... invitations... photographer... flowers... details regarding the reception... programs... dress... bride's maids and their dresses...

Lots goes into the making ready of a bride...

Believers... the Church... is the Bride in the greatest story ever told... Jesus's story... the happy-ending... the new beginning... is nearer each day... but the date remains unknown to all parties except the Father of the Groom...

How do we prepare for an unkown... how do we make ready?

Any day could be THE DAY... being prepared is essential... if unprepared we will foolishly miss out...

...those who were ready went in with Him to the marriage feast...

The Bridegroom only receives the prepared...

What does it mean... spiritually speaking... to be prepared for the marriage... the arrival of the Bridegroom? How do we... as the Bride... make ready?

Perhaps we should consider... it is not an event we want to miss...

"Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!"

Revelation 19:9

Father God, You alone know the Day... teach me what it means to be prepared... fill me with an urgency and intentionality of preparing for a wedding... What details do I need to attend to?

weddings

Someone once pointed out that the ultimate happy-ending is a wedding... over and over great happy-ending stories conclude with a wedding... Cinderella... Snow White... Lord of the Rings... Pride and Prejudice... Hitch...

I just experienced a wedding... lots of beautiful people... joyfully gathered... singularly focused...

Unusual since half the party never laid eyes on the other half before... bride's family and friends... groom's family and friends... and they do party...

Food... dancing... celebration...

My family danced together for the first time ever! Only a wedding could provide the backdrop for such a joy in the midst of so many perfect strangers...

But... weddings feel more like a beginning than an end... maybe that's why they make great endings... they lead to a new beginning...

There's one more great story that ends with a wedding...

Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, "Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready...

Revelation 19:6-7

ESV

(emphasis mine)

Jesus's story... or is it a beginning...