Here Comes the Bride

Well Gems I had an yet another amazing experience in this journey I call my life. 

On November 9, 2012 my son Nathanael married a beautiful daughter of the King, Alex.

The wedding was small, personal and filled with love.

One of the moments I want to share with you is what they called “the first look.” The moment the groom sees his bride for the first time.

Because Nathanael and Alex had an evening wedding their pictures had to be taken before the ceremony so Nathanael wanted a private moment when he would see his bride and she would see her groom in their wedding attire for the first time.

I walked up to Nathanael just before the big moment. He was so incredibly handsome in his tuxedo. There before me was my little boy all grown up into a full grown man.

He was so nervous. I just held him for a moment and reminded him of how proud I was.

Then it was time, his bride was ready and standing behind him.

Alex was breath taking in her wedding dress, it was perfect. It seemed the person who made it some how knew she would be the one wearing it. Her makeup was lightly applied to enhance her already beautiful features. Her beautiful long auburn hair was a cascade of curls flowing from her head. Her nails were painted and sparkled almost as much as her eyes. Her veil in place and flowers in hand she was ready to meet her groom.

We all walked away so they would only see each other when Nathanael turned to burn this vision into his heart and mind. 

They wept as they looked lovingly into each others eyes. It was one of the most romantic moments I have ever been blessed to witness.

I don't think two people are any more in love than at that moment. The moment they realize they are about to marry.

It was then the Holy Spirit said to me “this is how you, the bride of Christ, look to Jesus.”

Jesus often refers to the church as His bride and Him the groom.

John 3:29 The bride belongs to the bridegroom.

Revelation 21:9 "Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb."

He relates our relationship with Him as the intimate relationship between a man and wife. but I never actually thought about the wedding ceremony.

Gems we are all brides of Christ. He loves us so much and just like all brides get ready for their physical wedding we should be getting ready for our spiritual one.

Revelation 19:7 Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.

Making sure you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is how you make yourself ready.

A day is coming when Christ will return for His Bride. At that moment we will see each other face to face for the first time.

We will be wearing white and he will be riding on a horse.

Revelation 19 I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: king of kings and lord of lords.

Gems it doesn't get any more romantic than that. God loved us so much he asked us to marry His son Jesus and all we have to do is say yes.

And with that said you too can say “here comes the bride!”

You Can’t Put a Leash on a Butterfly

I said these very words to my friend Sonya as I was pouring my heart out to her the other day.

Our job is to raise our children but as you know there are no directions that come with your baby. Even if there were they would only work on the first child as every one is different. 

The Bible tells us to train up our children.

Ephesians 6:4 Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

Proverbs 22:6 Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.

My dilemma is the "go" part. 

The place I find myself in is what do you do when you trained them and they left or are leaving? There are no directions for this part of your journey either.

Some call it the empty nest syndrome so if you would indulge me I would like to expand on that a bit more.

My oldest daughter Amanda has been a challenge from the day she was born. She has always known what she liked and what she didn’t like. She wanted to be comforted when she was out of sorts but not necessarily held….

I had to figure out what that meant. As a baby when Amanda was “cranky” I would put her in her carriage and park her in front of the stereo speaker with classical music playing.This only worked for her not the other three.

We have to figure out how to love and walk with each of our children and as you know this alone is a full time job.

 Jessica was the fourth child and she was less challenging but still had her own assembly instructions that needed to be figured out.

You spend 16 full time years pouring into your children then at 17 something happens.

They no longer need you. They have established friends, hobbies and jobs. They are driving and hopefully finding their way with God and you are not “needed.” 

This is a very natural progression and if you have some what succeeded the next leg of the journey.

But why is success so painful?

I was sharing all this with Sonya who gave me comforting advice that I will now share with you Gems.

She said that my children are able to move forward in their lives and ministries because of the years I have poured into them. The encouragement I gave them to sore and the permission I gave them to be their own person. That the Lord was able to move through me into them.

 Because I love butterflies I of course got this mental picture of them coming out of their cocoons and emerging into the beautiful butterflies they are.

We know you can’t help a butterfly emerge from their cocoon because they need to force the fluid into their wings to stretch and open them so they can fly.

We are so used to helping and it’s an unfamiliar place to wait and let the process unfold on its own. We need to leave our children with their Creator and know they were always His.

He chose us to raise them and teach them but they were never ours. We were and are a temporary cocoon.

We can watch them fly and be there for them should they ask us but we can’t put a leash on them any more then we could a real butterfly. 

A butterfly is not created to be taken on a walk it's created to fly to the places God alone has already determined.

In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps. Proverbs 16:9 

I will have to join other spectator parents and put away my leash and emerge from yet another cocoon of my own life. 

So to my butterflies I wish you well as you go from walking to taking your own personal flights I will love and pray for your solo flights cause you just can't put a leash on a butterfly!

Invisable Power

I know today is a big day as we anticipate the results of the presidential election.  I know many of you if not all are done with all the ads, phone calls and discussions that have inundated our lives.
In one way it may have gotten on your last nerve but in another way it was great to see people be so passionate about America and actually be a part of the election.   I will have to admit my own personal guilt in not being more involved with past elections.

Gems the thing I want to talk about in this jewel is your passion. I hope you will openly have the same passion for your Savior that  you had for your candidate.

You see God is in control no matter what the outcome of this election and although we should do our part the end result will be His decision.

I heard a message Sunday that really hit the core of this jewel. It takes place at Jesus trial before His crucifixion. 

Mark 14:57-58 Then some rose up and bore flase witness against Him saying, "We heard Him say, "I will destroy this temple made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.

Our next president will affect the things that are built with human hands which no doubt affect our human lives. 

We as Christians need to be more concerned with the things that are built without human hands.

Let me give you an example.  If President Obama is re- elected it will not mean the lost I’m praying for will be saved.

If Governor Romney is elected it will not help men and women find healing from past experiences.

Neither one of these men will be able to lead brothers and sisters to repentance of sin or a relationship with Jesus Christ. They won’t be able to break down the walls of unforgivness or comfort the heart of a person who has lost a loved one.

The things that are built without hands are the things that only the Holy Spirit can do. Only the power of Jesus Christ shed blood can cover our sins.  Understanding there is only ONE mighty, Holy God that created this unseen kingdom. These are the amazing things that are built without human hands.

Gems as Christians we are held accountable for our sprit walk. We will be judged by our love walk when we stand before the Lord not our political affiliation. We will be asked how we used our talents to build the kingdom of God not the agenda of man.

Again I’m not saying we shouldn’t be involved in political things, we are called to be involved.

Romans 13:1-2 "Let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore he who resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.

I just want to remind you that when the results are in we will still be serving the same God no matter who the president is.
He will still be counting on us to be the tools used by the Holy Spirit to do spiritual things like bringing unity to the body of Christ.
“he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.” Ephesians 1:9-10  

Gems here is our bottom line.

Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on HIS shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

 
He is our invisible power! May His force be with you.