I caught the garter…again. I’m two for two this year in my wedding to garter ratio. I know what a lot of you are thinking. I am supposed to get married within a year. Since I caught a second garter…does that buy me more time? I digress. The fact is I love going to weddings. This wedding was my best friend’s little sister. I have the deepest appreciation for their family and was delighted when it worked out that I got to be there to see this momentous event take place. She was glowing. He kept winking at her. Tears filled many of our eyes at the beautiful sight that was taking place before us. I hugged her, kissed her on the cheek, told her how beautiful she looked, and congratulated her. She was happy I could be there since I live so far away. I was happy I could be there.
I was sharing this event with a brother of mine who is a spiritual warrior that I respect so much. I was cracking jokes about catching the garter again when he said, “Ryan, I remember you saying a while ago that you’re the Bride of Christ.” He often exposes the spiritual side of the jokes that I am making. I appreciate him for that. Our conversation shifted directions. I’ve been pondering his comments. He’s helped me grow a little bit more.
I was at a wedding of two people that I care a lot about and I didn’t think I would be able to make it. Not only did I get to go to the wedding but I caught the garter. I got to participate in one of the great rituals of marriage with this wonderful couple. I wasn’t even supposed to be there because I live so far away.
I was reminded of the wedding banquet that we’ll have with Jesus. We aren’t worthy of being there. Not because of distance in miles but because of the distance of sin. Jesus doesn’t just invite us as guests but He invites us to be His Holy Bride. What an honor! What delight! He brought us such a great distance so we could take part in this wedding with Him.
If you we are the Bride of Christ, what does our dress look like? Does your life reflect what you want your dress to look like? By the Grace of God, He makes it white for us if we’ll let Him.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Open Their Eyes
Have you ever sat in front of someone and they weren’t sitting in front of you? You’re talking to them; they are nodding their head, giving the occasional, “mmhmm,” but it is obvious they really aren’t with you. I’ve talked to people from New York City and they tell me about how lonely it can be. I find it hard to believe that in a city booming with so many people that you can stand alone in a crowd. They are right there next to you but you’re miles apart.
A lot of people have this view of God. You talk to Him but He just doesn’t seem to be there. You tell them that He’s standing right in front of them…all around them…but they see Him as a distant God. God created this whole shindig and then stepped away. Most people live out their lives with this view of a distant God. Why? I think it is because they have never really opened their eyes to His presence…or no one has opened their eyes to His presence.
I really love the story of Elisha and his servant in II Kings 6. Verse 17 grabs me…“And Elisha prayed, "O LORD, open his eyes so he may see." Then the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” Elisha prayed this for his servant because he himself could see the Glory of God all around him. He then shared it.
We are the people who are in intimate relationship with God. We are the ones who see His face. We are the ones marked with His Holy Spirit. We are the temple He dwells in. We are the people who open the eyes of those around us to see God standing in front of them. How will you open someone’s eyes this week so they see that God is standing right there in front of them?
A lot of people have this view of God. You talk to Him but He just doesn’t seem to be there. You tell them that He’s standing right in front of them…all around them…but they see Him as a distant God. God created this whole shindig and then stepped away. Most people live out their lives with this view of a distant God. Why? I think it is because they have never really opened their eyes to His presence…or no one has opened their eyes to His presence.
I really love the story of Elisha and his servant in II Kings 6. Verse 17 grabs me…“And Elisha prayed, "O LORD, open his eyes so he may see." Then the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” Elisha prayed this for his servant because he himself could see the Glory of God all around him. He then shared it.
We are the people who are in intimate relationship with God. We are the ones who see His face. We are the ones marked with His Holy Spirit. We are the temple He dwells in. We are the people who open the eyes of those around us to see God standing in front of them. How will you open someone’s eyes this week so they see that God is standing right there in front of them?
Life
We’ve been studying the book of Acts on Sunday mornings in the Youth Ministry. Acts has been a fun study for me as I’ve taught it over the past few months. There are a number of different themes that you’ll find but one that comes back more than any other. “The Message of Life” is a theme found just about on every page as you thumb through this book. This has really spoken to me as I examine my own life. Every message preached was this Message of Life. Death is involved in this Life but it isn’t the focal point.
This is where I started to examine my life and the message that I present each person I encounter. Are they hearing the Message of Life or the Message of Death when they see my reactions to daily life? What do they see when they experience my life? Death? Life?
We are the people who are the Temple. The people where Heaven meets Earth. The people who are marked by the Holy Spirit. If Heaven is the reality of the presence of God, and we have Him inside of us, do our lives reflect this Message of Life? When people experience us, they need to catch a small glimpse of Heaven. The reality of God’s Presence needs to flow out of us into the people around us. We should look different from this world because of this mark we have, the Holy Spirit.
Paul spent a lot of his time going back to the churches he had visited or planted, encouraging them. I think his encouragement would have been centered on bringing the reality of Heaven into your daily life. To live Life. To live the Message of Life.
If you were to encourage someone today what would you encourage them to do? What would you encourage them to be? How would you encourage them? What would you say? What would you do?
This is where I started to examine my life and the message that I present each person I encounter. Are they hearing the Message of Life or the Message of Death when they see my reactions to daily life? What do they see when they experience my life? Death? Life?
We are the people who are the Temple. The people where Heaven meets Earth. The people who are marked by the Holy Spirit. If Heaven is the reality of the presence of God, and we have Him inside of us, do our lives reflect this Message of Life? When people experience us, they need to catch a small glimpse of Heaven. The reality of God’s Presence needs to flow out of us into the people around us. We should look different from this world because of this mark we have, the Holy Spirit.
Paul spent a lot of his time going back to the churches he had visited or planted, encouraging them. I think his encouragement would have been centered on bringing the reality of Heaven into your daily life. To live Life. To live the Message of Life.
If you were to encourage someone today what would you encourage them to do? What would you encourage them to be? How would you encourage them? What would you say? What would you do?
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