The Way the Truth and the Life

We are looking at something akin to the concept of a three-legged stool:

The way and the life with no truth gets you nowhere.

The way and the truth with no life is just senseless.

The truth and the life with no way is pointless.

Do you see how we need all three?

Jesus knew this, wise God that He is.

Please read our text: John 14:1-6

Isn’t it just beautiful?

Picture it. Jesus, lovingly saying, just as a father would say to his child as he leaves for work in the morning:

“I love you, child. I have to go for a bit, but I will be back.” And when He comes back, we get to go with Him.

And like a child, not understanding, perhaps also not wanting Him to leave; not feeling confident without Jesus’ presence, Thomas asks,

“How? We don’t know the way.”

Stay, Jesus. We need you. We’re lost without you.

Indeed. We are.

Jesus then answers with the line we are likely familiar with.

John 14:6 “Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”” NLT

I AM.

I AM God.

Because I AM, you can have life.

You can trust Me, I AM Truth.

God is Truth.

And I AM the way.

The only way to live. There’s no way around Him. He IS the way.

3 John 1:4 “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” NJKV

Walk with Him, hand in hand. Walk in Truth.

And walk as a worthy heir and child of God.

Romans 8:17 “And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.” NLT

1 Thessalonians 2:12 “We pleaded with you, encouraged you, and urged you to live your lives in a way that God would consider worthy. For he called you to share in his Kingdom and glory.” NLT

Let’s pull it all together now: We are to walk worthy of Him, yes?

Re-read that.

Worthy of Him?

I’m with Thomas (John 14:5), “How, Lord?”

It makes me want to crumble.

But He didn’t say “crumble, you worthless sinner,” now did He?

He said walk. And He said walk in truth.

In other words, “Walk in Me.”

It makes me picture a Daddy dancing with his little girl’s feet planted on top of His, letting Him do the steps, holding His hands so she doesn’t fall.

Isn’t that us?

3 John 1:4 “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” NJKV

And it brings Him such joy. He loves to be leaned on; He loves to be depended on.

Let Him be your Enough. Let Him be the answer to your “how?”

As in the last part in our brief I Am study, I want to leave you with a challenge.

Pull out a pen and paper (Really do, I’ll wait.)  There’s something so effective about not only taking the physical time and effort to write it down, but also having the paper/journal entry as a reminder.

Okay, prayerfully, make a list of a few areas you’re not totally leaning on Him for and letting go. 

I will give you an example – for me, before I had my baby, I had to surrender to God the idea of ever being a mother.  Being okay with that if that’s what God wanted.  Before that, I had to come to the same place about getting married.  Don’t get me wrong – both were a struggle!  I would spend days where my conversations with God would go like this, “But God, you wouldn’t have given me this desire if it wasn’t what you wanted for me.  Why do I need to give it up?” 

“I just need you to let me be enough.”

“You are enough – but I want____.”

“Enough.  Just Me. enough.”  I pouted inside.

 “I don’t know how to let go.”  But eventually with enough prayer for Him to help me surrender, then I did.

See it?

“How Lord?”

“In me.  By me, me.  I AM enough for you”

He is the way.

After you make your list, pray about it with Him.  He wants His little girl dancing on His toes.  He wants to be the way for you and He wants to be enough.

Feel free to share here in the comments if you would like some accountability and community.

Light of the World

Text: John 8:12-9:41

John 8:12 “Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”” NLT

Light here is from the Greek word phōs, from the word phao meaning to shine, or make manifest. It also carries with it the idea of knowledge and truth; understanding with spiritual purity; the reason and mind; the power of understanding of spiritual things. Understanding truth.

This is the claim Jesus is  making here. And the people (namely the Pharisees, the deeply – or at least outwardly – spiritual ones) basically told Him “you can’t say that – you’re not God!” And what dangerous ground to tread upon.

And Jesus calmly puts them in their place, and even tells them that for all their spirituality, they don’t even really know God.

Darkness, you see, is the absence of light. Darkness cannot enlighten darkness, no matter how you try. Again, like our Bread of Life session stated, there’s no way around it. Light is the only thing. Jesus is the only answer.

Those Pharisees, for all the studying of Scripture they did, for all the head-knowledge they had, should have been able to recognize fulfillment of it through Christ.

Isaiah 9:2 “The people who walk in darkness    will see a great light.For those who live in a land of deep darkness,    a light will shine.” NLT

Isaiah 60:1-2 “Arise, Jerusalem! Let your light shine for all to see.    For the glory of the Lord rises to shine on you. Darkness as black as night covers all the nations of the earth,    but the glory of the Lord rises and appears over you.” NLT

But they were probably in denial – especially since these following verses depict Christ as Salvation for the Gentiles – the Pharisees thought that only Jews were going to be saved.

Isaiah 42:6 “I, the Lord, have called you to demonstrate my righteousness.    I will take you by the hand and guard you,and I will give you to my people, Israel,    as a symbol of my covenant with them.And you will be a light to guide the nations.” NLT

Isaiah 49:6 “He says, “You will do more than restore the people of Israel to me.    I will make you a light to the Gentiles,    and you will bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.” NLT

Isaiah 60:3 “All nations will come to your light;    mighty kings will come to see your radiance.” NLT emphasis mine

So we understand what it means then, in John 1:4-5

John 1:4-5 “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” NKJV

They did not recognize Him. They did not comprehend.

But they did not recognize, they did not believe, because they did not want to. They chose not to.

John 3:19 “And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil.” NLT

At the end of our text, all the way in the last 3 verses of John 9, He re-emphasizes this. He says that because those people refused to admit their own weakness, that would be their downfall.

Let us not make that same mistake. We are weak. We are flawed. We are incapable –

Without Christ.

But with Him? With Him, all things are possible (even our entrance to Heaven!).

Mark 10:27 “Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God.”” NLT

But we must be humble enough to admit it.

And humble enough to accept Him.

James 4:6 “But He gives more grace. Therefore He says:“God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”” NKJV emphasis mine

Let’s accept the grace and step into the Light. The light that leads to Life.

John 8:12 “Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”” NKJV

The Resurrection and the Life

I just really like Jesus. I do love Him, but I really am starting to like Him too. Taking a look at His personality and presence while He was physically present on earth.

So much mystery and so much simple transparency all wrapped up together. He speaks like a poet one minute and like a teacher of children the next, putting everything plain and simple.

In the end of John 10 (Jn 10:22-24) Jesus plainly claims diety. But in many other passages, Jesus is more subtle and used the name God used for Himself “I AM” (Exodus 3:14) Whenever Jesus used ‘I Am’ He was not only saying what He was saying (I am the Vine; I am the Door, etc), but He was also saying, “I am God.”

Our text today is John 11. Please read it now and I’ll wait.

See what I mean about how Jesus talks? I noticed it again in verses 11-14. Praise Him for not criticizing our feeble understanding, Amen?

Our key verses are 25-26

John 11:25-26 “Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?”

(Why don’t you fill in your name in place of Martha’s?)

There’s that ‘I Am’ statement again. Don’t you love it? I don’t know about you but I’m glad Jesus is God. Otherwise I think there’d be a lingering doubt that the Sacrifice really wasn’t good enough.

Let’s back up a bit and look at the passage from the beginning. Lazarus was sick and they sent to Jesus for help. His plan was not their plan.

See verse 33. I don’t like the NLT for this one, where it says “a deep anger welled up within him”. Let’s look at either the AMP version, or the NASB

John 11:33b “…He was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. [He chafed in spirit and sighed and was disturbed.]” AMP John 11:33b “…He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled.” NASB

I don’t believe Jesus was angry as much as vexed or grief stricken. It grieved Him to see them hurting. I can’t believe Christ was really grieved about the loss of Lazarus, because He knew they’d be together again. Maybe Christ was grieved because just because of death itself – because sin had entered the perfect, God-filled creation. That was never how God had intended for it to be. What a scorching reminder. (I encourage you to share your thoughts on this in the comments. This is just my opinion. What do you think?)

What a man of emotion.

John 11:35 “Then Jesus wept.” NLT

And in His weeping, they recognized His love for Lazarus. That love He holds for each of us.

Death hurts.

Separation hurts.

And it was never part of God’s ideal world.

But we messed it up and as a fallen world, death comes with it.

Praise Jesus that He is Life, and that with Him there is no real death. Just transfer from one life (temporal, earthly) to the next – our eternal, painless one in Heaven.

If God doesn’t like death either, then why did He allow it? The answer is all over our passage – note these verses:

John 11:4b “…it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this.” NLT

(Note: He is claiming deity again, and claiming glory.  He, Christ, must be recognized as God.)

And verses 40-42; before Lazarus was even raised. Jesus prays His thanks, praising God out loud for testimony, and again to claim sonship. Notice His prayer before Lazarus walks out.

John 11:40-42 “Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?” So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, thank you for hearing me. You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me.” NLT

It worked. People believed, and God got the glory.

John 11:45 “Many of the people who were with Mary believed in Jesus when they saw this happen.” NLT

 Now can you see God’s plan in this death? Lazarus’s sisters Mary and Martha, and likely many others there, did not understand why Jesus didn’t come sooner. (See verse 32) But those who believed because of this occurrence wouldn’t have believed otherwise. He does always know best, praise Him.

Let’s take a real quick look before we close at verses 46-57. Because of this act, Jesus became a wanted man. Not for lawlessness, but really for God-ness. The Pharisees did not want to believe His deity, and so sought to kill Him.

Christ, being God, saw everything – so He knew this was to come, did He not?

But did that stop Him? No way.

He trusted in the Father’s plan; He knew this was best. God’s work is always worth the risk.

Always.

In summary I’d like to add one thought.

“I am the resurrection and the life” – Lazarus wasn’t the only life restored that day. Because really, in our sin, we are already dead, so salvation is a form of resurrection, yes?

I love that He doesn’t say, “I give resurrection and life,” or even that “I will resurrect from the dead.” Rather, it is so much a part of His nature that He says, “I am the Resurrection and the Life.”

He is.

Praise Him.

In your prayer time, spend some time thanking Him for what may seem like an unanswered prayer. He may just have a better answer waiting. And thank Him that He is Resurrection, and that He is Life.

Death is not forever. God has a purpose in allowing His children hurt, suffering, loss, and yes even death.

Trust Him, dear ones.

This post is in memory of my friend, a dear sister in Christ who God brought home 6 months ago today, seemingly before her time. God does have a purpose, and may we recognize and bless Him for that.

We will see you again soon.

Bread and Water

Our most basic needs. Hunger and thirst. When we think of needs – actual needs – it always seems to boil down to three: food, clothing, shelter.

But I’d like to argue that there’s really only one basic basic need. Food. Food and water.
Yes, our culture demands clothing, and shelter is optimal, but there is not getting around the need for food.

Jesus knew this. Why else would He claim to be the Bread of Life?

He knows we need Him, and there is just no getting around it.

Our text is John 6.

Jesus had just gotten through feeding the five thousand. Overnight, some of the people stayed. Overnight, there was also a storm, and Jesus walked on water.

Interesting to note verse 20 – He says “Do not be afraid, I am here.” Or, “The I AM is here.” source What a great reason to not be afraid. Because our God, the Beginning and the End, and the Self-Existent One [Who relies on no one else, having no need for help, and is entirely self-capable] is here.

Would that we were just as eager to let Him in, and let Him take the wheel. (John 6:21)

Then, in the morning, many of the people from the 5,000 crowd were still there, and Jesus sees through their eagerness.

Look at verse 26:

John 6:26 “Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth,”

(and doesn’t He always tell the truth?)

“you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs.”” NLT

Don’t we often fit that bill?

‘Dear Jesus, please let me score well on my exam today.’

‘Dear Jesus, please help me finish this before deadline.’

‘God, help me arrive safely to work this morning… and on time!’

Please let this or that happen.

We know His power.

And those things are fine and good, but is that it?

John 6:27a “But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you…” NLT emphasis mine

Spend your energy. Not just a quick ‘God is great’ prayer before our meal. Work at it. And if your salvation is already secured, whose life then should we be seeking?

And the people still didn’t get it. Verse 30:

John 6:30 “They answered, “Show us a miraculous sign if you want us to believe in you. What can you do?” NLT

Give me, and then I’ll believe.

And then Jesus says, “I give.”

Even after that, I’d have wanted to correct their attitude – but He stoops, explains, teaches. "My Father does give you Bread. I am that Bread."

John 6:35 “Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” NLT

John 6:48 “Yes, I am the bread of life!” NLT

John 6:51 “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh.” NLT

And they still didn’t get it.

So He explains what He means again. See verses 63-64.

Human effort is us, trying to do, to be enough, to win our way. Humbly just accepting isn’t enough for some of us, is it?

But that’s all He wants.

John 6:29 “Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.”” NLT

He is it. He is the sustenance. The bread we need to survive. Believe it. He is the Water, living water.

This passage is sandwiched in between two other times Jesus says He is living water. In John 4:14 and John 7:37-39.

So He meets that primal, basic basic need that we have no way around. For we don’t truly need any other thing.

For any needs we have on earth unmet lead to death and our eternal existence – in which we need Living water and the Bread of Life to enter Heaven.

Do you see it?

Peter had it right this time. See verses 68-69

John 6:68a “Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go?...”” NLT

What else is there?

He is it, and there’s no way around it.

The Shepherd and the Door

Text: John 10:1-18, Psalm 23

He is our shepherd. He leads us.

Well known to most – even unbelievers – is Psalm 23. Christ our Shepherd, meeting our needs, leading us, offering protection; a home.

Let your mind paint and feel this for a moment:

Christ the shepherd. Loving, patient, tender care. Trust. Complete trust in Him. Vulnerability without Him. He is our one source. Our source for everything – safety, food… our very life.

We know Him. We know and trust; trust and know.

Romans 8:16 “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.” NLT

You know that you know that you know Him; you know way down deep on your spirit-level, in the deepest inmost part. He says we know Him and know His voice.

John 10:4 “After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice.” NLT emphasis mine

I find it interesting as we read John 10 that Jesus takes both the role of Shepherd and the Door to the Sheepfold. We briefly looked at Him as the Shepherd; now let us take a moment at the Door.

We see Christ in His entire earthly ministry, doing just that – ministering on earth; teaching on earth to people, humans on earth. You see Him stoop, patiently explaining in earth-terms with earth-imagery in the hope that we’ll get it.

I know you’ve heard someone trying to explain something, and when their audience is not getting it, they will impatiently throw their hands up and exclaim, “Do you need me to draw you a picture?”

Well that is what Christ does continually – minus the impatience. He knows our weak minds, and what it takes to reach them.

Psalm 103:14 “For he knows how weak we are;    he remembers we are only dust.”

And so He draws us a picture.

And He says, “I am the Door.” And He is.

John 14:6 “Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” NLT

He tells us all others are thieves and robbers. All others. The others all entered in by another way – trying to climb up some other way, climbing up over the wall. (10:1)

I see several applications here. One being that they are trying to bypass the Shepherd.

But if we don’t – if we go through the Door, and not around it, we shall be saved. Accepted into the Sheepfold.

John 10:9 “Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved.[b] They will come and go freely and will find good pastures.” NLT

Those thieves bring nothing but destruction. So following them ends in death.

John 10:10a “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy…” NLT

Proverbs 14:12 & Proverbs 16:25 “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” NKJV

Romans 8:6 “So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.” NLT

Romans 8:13 “For if you live by its (your sinful nature) dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live.” NLT

Freely enter through the Door.

And most importantly remember, our Good Shepherd, who knows us, died in order that we might enter. That we might live.

Let that sink in.

He knows us.

And He still died for us.

What more can I say?

Do you feel as sheepish as I do right now? (Pun sortof not intended.)

He knows us. Are we making an effort to know Him? To know truth?
Let’s be diligent today and always, to study His truth and know it from the depths of our spirit.

“All the heart really knows is what the heart knows by heart.” – Ann Voskamp

Let’s memorize together, shall we?

As I write this, I’m working on Romans 8, and will do 12 after that, but let’s do some together! I am open to suggestions.

Would you like to join me in Romans, or should we select another passage?

Please share your input in the comments, or on our Facebook page.

Communion with Him

Text: John 15

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

Today we drive past vineyards and I see it. The vine. The grapes growing to be harvested and turned to wine.

Brief the life of the grape, the fruit, until it is changed, preserved, and put into a vessel.

So I see it. Christ the Vine. Christ, our loving Redeemer not only grows and sustains us, but holds us, creates us. We are one with Him.

And the fruit of the vine – the grapes – to do something other than rot, must be separated from the comfort zone, that planting place, and be crushed unrecognizable until we see the fullness of us spill out into a unity of other grapes, mixture of juice. Not one, not me, not you, but us.  A collective whole, crushed for a better purpose. A more lasting purpose.

And changed to leave legacy. The grape juice goes through a process of fermenting – a changing that causes it to supersede earthly influence. A changing completely to create permanence, free from rot.

1 Peter 1:23 “Having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever.” NKJV emphasis mine

1 Corinthians 15:42 “It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever.” NLT

1 Corinthians 15:54 “Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled:“Death is swallowed up in victory.”” NLT

And put into a vessel to be ready, willing to be poured out into other vessels. To serve. And that is when it has fulfilled its purpose.

Not hanging beautiful on the vine, but broken, changed, willing, used. This is our purpose.

And the vine. He is the vine

John 15:1 “I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener.”

Without Him we can do nothing.

John 15:5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.”

And with Him our purpose and our joy is complete.

John 15:11 “I have told you these things, that My joy and delight may be in you, and that your joy and gladness may be of full measure and complete and overflowing.” AMP

We are His!

John 15:15a “You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit,” NLT emphasis mine

He has called us, yes, ordained us, to carry forth His will – that we bring forth fruit and our fruit would remain.

How other to leave a legacy than to allow Him to change us? Without His changing we dry up. Or we rot. Rot in our own bacteria.

Remember. We are to remember. Each time we sup. Each time we break bread – or any food is cut into and served. If the serving spoon dips into hot casserole, or knife breaks steaming bread, remember.

I Corinthians 11:24 “And gave thanks to God for it. Then He broke it in pieces and said, “This is My body, which is given for you. Do this to remember Me.”” NLT

We must remember and thus be filled with Him.

If not we dry up. Dry up without fresh nourishment from the vine flowing into our thin skin we wear in this world.

As oft as ye drink it.

I Corinthians 11:25-26 “In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.” NKJV emphasis mine

There is ceremony involved with communal communion, typically as a body of believers, typically with bread or cracker, and wine or juice; but what if in our own hearts, as oft as we drink, as oft as we partake, if we held communion? Just in our own private heart and spirit before the Lord.

As I write I am sipping. All day long we eat and drink. Break bread. What would that do in our hearts if we changed our habit just for a week. Two weeks. Longer? 

Let our spirit thank Him with each bite for His sacrifice. Thank you Jesus. Take each sip with gratefulness. Thank you Jesus. Forkful of praise. Glassful of grateful. Thank you Jesus!

Our hearts will be marked. Marked by Him. Changed.

Changed to be that crushed grape, fermented and preserved. Useful and good. Leaving a legacy.

Join me?

If you wish to make a public declaration of this commitment, say so in the comments. You can say how much time you want to start with.

Come back afterward and share how it changed you!

Watch and Invite

The end is not the end.

Look forward. Look up. Be watching.

You’ve heard it, but what does that mean really?

Our text today is Revelation 22. The last of our Bride of Christ series, but by no means the end. Fitting, however, that its ending comes with the last words in the last chapter of the written Word of God.

In our last session, we’ve gotten a taste – just a tease really – of what Heaven will look like, O glorious day!

And now we hear from our Groom.

“I am coming.” (Rev 22:17)

He hasn’t left this time – not like the way we read about in our Painful Lesson segment, where He leaves to punish/teach. This time is a time of preparing. Of working.

Bride, He is preparing a place for you.

John 14:1-4 ““Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know the way to where I am going.”” NLT

When everything is ready.

I will come and get you.

I will.

I love words of certainty, don’t you? When I was a child, my older sister and I would take answers from our parents and interpret them to declare certainty:

“Mom, when you say ‘we’ll see’, you mean ‘no.’ And when you say ‘maybe’, that means ‘yes’.”

We have a need to just know, don’t we?

Well, know this:

He is returning.

And it will be soon. Sister, will you be there? Will you join us there in our Groom’s mansion? I’m so excited to join you. To meet you. It will be glory.

But do you seen Him pleading with you here? Look at verse 10 and I’ll share the Amplified Bible version because it really emphasizes it well.

Revelation 22:10 “And he [further] told me, Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book and make no secret of them, for the time when things are brought to a crisis and the period of their fulfillment is near.” AMP

See it?

Share! Do not seal up the words. Sacred, yes; secret, no. Speak up!

Pass out those wedding invitations! (Or the proposal?) Invite! Dear sisters, He wants everyone there.

2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.” NLT

Speak up! Yes, you are treasured. Yes, you are the special Bride of Christ. But you are not the only one. How selfish would we be (I speak to myself!) to keep to ourselves this invitation?

As His Bride, yes, celebrate Him, and be grateful, but open your eyes. Is that neighbor of yours a believer? Your co-worker? How about your kids? Your spouse?

That Bride we talked about in our last session with her grateful, ever grateful smile, shouldn’t she want that for those around her? Those she loves most?

Our time is short! There is no ‘well, maybe tomorrow.’ Today! What if our Groom came back before lunch time?

Soon. He is coming back soon.

Rev 22:12a “Look, I am coming soon…”

Hear the invitation, but most of all, share His invitation!

Revelation 22:17 “The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” Let anyone who hears this say, “Come.” Let anyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who desires drink freely from the water of life.” NLT

The Spirit and the Bride. There it is.

There have been times when I have fallen into the lazy trap of thinking “well, if the Spirit is going to work to draw someone to Himself, then He will. He’ll find someone to talk to them.”

I know, I know. You can smack me now. I have been guilty. Lazy. But I am calling you with me to change that, because see, the Spirit and the Bride say ‘come.’.

See the Amplified version:

Revelation 22:17 “The [Holy] Spirit and the bride (the church, the true Christians) say, Come! And let him who is listening say, Come! And let everyone come who is thirsty [who is painfully conscious of his need of those things by which the soul is refreshed, supported, and strengthened]; and whoever [earnestly] desires to do it, let him come, take, appropriate, and drink the water of Life without cost.” AMP

Do this with me. I’m going to list some words and I would love for you to get paper and pen (Yes, actual paper and pen. Do it- not just in your head. I’ll wait.) and list the names that come to mind with these statements from verse 17 in the Amplified Bible.

thirsty.

needy.

in pain.

needing refreshed.

needing support.

needing strengthened.

desires change.

I know God put someone on your heart just now. If not more than one person.

Why don’t you invite them to the wedding? Her (or his) place has already been paid for.

Pearls and Glitter

 As we wrap up our Bride of Christ series, I’d love to do a short survey. When you hear “Bride” what’s the first thing you think of?

Wedding. Love. Young. Beautiful.

If you’re like many people, these are some of the things you associate with brides.

For me, my first thought is “white” and then my mind starts adding in glitter, flowers, and of course some tulle.

So that was fun. But do you get the idea? This is a momentous occasion that typically even the most rough-and-tumble get cleaned up nice for.

This is where we are at in our text. Please read Revelation 21.

We’re here finally. The dark times are over, all hard lessons learned. The last bit of polishing, smoothing and styling are done. The Bride is ready to present to her (literally) perfect Groom.

It’s been a long time coming.

Revelation 21:5-6 “And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life.” NLT

Here is fulfillment. Here is where His promises are fulfilled, and all the faith and blind trust (but not always blind right? Haven’t we seen evidence of Him at work?) comes to fruition and we can actually put our hands on the tantalizing…

Revelation 21:7 “All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings…” NLT

…and the vows are spoken!

Rev 21:7 “…and I will be their God, and they will be my children.” NLT

That’s vow He’s been saying all along. He loves you so much, Dear One.

The bride. Just have a look. This is beauty. True, lasting beauty. Her heart is pure, sweet genuine smile on her face, a smile driven from endless gratefulness for a gift she can never repay. This is it. And an angel presents her.

When the Bride is presented, she shines and sparkles. (I believe God loves glitter and sparkly just as much as our inner Princess does. Don’t you agree?)

And her Groom wipes every tear from her eye (Revelation 21:4) whispering, “I love you more than you will ever know. You were so worth it. I’m glad you’re here. You will never have any more pain or any tears ever again. You are Mine.”

Oh that will be heaven. And it will literally be Heaven.

Are you reading this beautiful account?
It is so beautiful. Read it slowly, and picture in your mind what your Prince has in store for you!

I encourage you to look at verse 19, and then do an image search for each of those precious stones mentioned. And we are those precious stones, yes? See the beauty! And in it, see and feel a bit of God’s heart. He loves you so so much!

One thing too, I’d like to discuss, is the pearl mentioned in verse 21.

Revelation 21:21a “The twelve gates were made of pearls—each gate from a single pearl!” NLT

The ‘pearly gates’ are more rightly called the Pearl Gates, for they are not ‘pearl-like’ but each of the twelve gates is an actual pearl.

Go with me for a moment – remember how a pearl is made? Would these large of pearls even be possible without our awesome God?

I love pearls for this reason – they truly are a beauty birthed from discomfort; the waxing beauty out of pain, and the longer the pain, the greater the beauty.

Perhaps why God chose pearl gates? Beauty from pain. Beauty received only at the time of restoration, when God cracks open the shell, and holds the pearl in His loving hand. And the gates are pearl.

Beauty from pain.

Walk through it, Dear One. Walk into His beautiful presence as the pure, beautiful Bride of Christ.

A Bride Ready

Text: Matthew 25:1-46

Give me oil in my lamp

Keep it burning

Oh, Lord don’t let the fire go out

Give me oil in my lamp

Keep me praising

You are what I am about

Keep me praising Hosanna

Keep me singing

Help me praise in a way that You love

Keep me praising Hosanna:

“O Lord save me,”

And find me faithful when You come

-NR 6-30-13

Read our text Matthew 25, especially taking a look at verses 1-13; then we will take a look at a little background for this story. It is likely familiar to most of you and I’d like you to dig a little deeper with me.

There were 3 stages to a Jewish wedding in that day: engagement, betrothal, and marriage. The engagement stage was a formal agreement between the fathers of the guy and the girl. Betrothal was a ceremony where mutual promises were made.

Source

These two stages have already passed in our parable in this passage from Matthew. We are ready for the third called marriage. This took place approximately a year later, (source) when the bridegroom came at an unexpected time for his bride.

She would wait with her bridal party until they received the signal to go – that the bridegroom is coming.

The procession would then begin – with 10 lamps, each carried by one of the bridesmaids.

In our parable, although all appeared ready, only half were truly ready. The girls who were not ready had no oil when it was time to go, and their lamps could not be lit, which would keep them from joining the procession and the wedding party. They wanted to borrow from the ones who were prepared.

But sisters, it doesn’t work that way, does it? Not here.

David Guzlik draws out the parallel to depict the oil in the lamps as a representation of the Holy Spirit (received at the moment of salvation: Ephesians 1:13-14, Romans 8:9).

We can’t depend on someone else’s preparedness for our own salvation.

The girls who did not have oil in their lamps were caught unprepared – and while they slept, their lamps went out, because they did not bring enough oil with them. These same girls thought they could go get some oil just before the wedding, once they heard the signal to go, but by the time they returned, it was too late and they were not admitted into the wedding celebration.

Ladies, we don’t know when our Groom is coming. Let’s be ready.

The groom said to them “I don’t know you.” (See also Matthew 7:21-23)

I like the way Spurgeon put it:

"The foolish virgins had professed to be the bridegroom's friends, yet they were proved to be not even his acquaintances." (Spurgeon)"When that door is once shut, it will never be opened. There are some who dote and dream about an opening of that door, after death, for those who have died impenitent; but there is nothing in the Scriptures to warrant such an expectation. Any 'larger hope' than that revealed in the Word of God is a delusion and a snare." (Spurgeon)

You get one chance at your second chance. Brides, understand this. Any chance at all is a second chance. We were born sinners. Every last one of us.

Psalm 51:5 “For I was born a sinner--yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.” NLT

Romans 5:12 “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned” ESV

Romans 3:23 “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard.” NLT

He forgives and offers a second chance, but now is the time!

2 Corinthians 6:2b “…Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation.” NLT

Don’t be one of the foolish bridesmaids who waited until it was too late.

What are you waiting for anyway? A life with our Groom may not always be easy, but you will always be accepted, you will always be loved, and sister, you will always be forgiven. What better life is there?

Please take the time to look at these verses.

Romans 10:9 “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” NLT

Acts 16:31a “…Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved…” NLT

John 11:26 “And everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” ESV

John 6:47 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.” NLT

Are you already a child of God? Are you reading this, already a saved soul, holding the glorious promise of new life in Heaven? I’m so glad! Me too – and I can’t wait to meet you there. Glory! Won’t that be glory to meet all the sisters from across the world in faith on that wondrous day? I can’t express to you how that gives me excited chills. I love you so much.

So for a bride already prepared, what is the call to action here?

I see one- more clearly laid out in the rest of Matthew 25, especially verses 14-30.

You get one life, what are you going to do with it? How do you want your Groom to find you upon His arrival?

Good. Faithful. Responsible. (Mt 25:14-30)

Active. Compassionate. Hospitable. Attentive. (Mt 25:31-46)

Christlike.

Isn’t this the point? Living it out? What would be the benefit of saving people who never changed? Since our purpose on earth is to bring God glory, then why would He want to save and preserve those who do not?

In Matthew 25:41-43 all I see is self-centeredness. And isn’t that what we are saved from?

I want to close with these verses from 2 Peter.

2 Peter 3:9-11 “The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment. Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live…” NLT

You ought to live holy and godly {Christlike.} lives.

You do not know when your Groom returns (2 Peter 3:10).

Give me oil in my lamp and let me always be ready, burning, warming, lighting my world.

Let me be ready for my Groom’s return.