Passage of the Day: Romans 7: 4 … 4 So, my brothers, you also died to the Law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God.
My Journal for Today: Extending the discussion of our union with Christ, Paul uses the marriage metaphor (see yesterday’s devotional and Romans 7: 1 – 4), representing our union with Christ. This is a common New Testament metaphor for our relationship with Jesus, the Bridegroom, Who died so that He could be reunited with His Bride (the Church) for eternity at the wedding feast of The Lamb. As you’ve no doubt read before, Paul also uses this metaphor powerfully in Ephesians 5: 22 – 33, as he discusses the Christian covenant marriage and instructs married Christians on how to pursue marriage as Christ pursued His relationship with His Bride. [See the Eph. 5 passage linked here.]
Our union, as converted, born-again Christians, is a forever union of the Bridegroom, Christ, with His Bride, the Church; and Paul is certainly right when he calls it (in Eph. 5: 32), “… a profound mystery.” But it is only through this covenant union with Christ that we, as Christians in His Body, the Church, can become fruitful for God (as seen in today’s verse as well as Jesus’ discussion in John 15: 1-16 - also linked here).
And Dr. MacArthur, in today’s Strength for Today devotional, helps me and his readers understand what these spiritual fruit might be, … defined as ”any righteous act that glorifies God.” This can consist of Paul’s insightful list of Spirit-born attitudes/attributes in Galatians 5: 22 – 23. But, it can also include such things as praise to God (see Hebrews 13: 15), being God’s agent as He ushers souls into His kingdom (see Romans 1: 13), giving to those in need out of love for God (see Romans 15: 26 – 28), and/or righteous living (see Philippians 1: 11).
God always gets the glory when we live as His Bride. So, as we live as Christians, may we be the Bride of Christ, preparing ourselves for the wedding feast of our Bridegroom, the Lamb of God. (see John 14: 1 – 4 and Revelations 19: 7 – 9 – do PLEASE not pass over these verses without meditating on their meaning for your life!, especially that passage in Rev. 19 – to which I’ll link you here). This study has certainly touched me with conviction. Perhaps it will any reader here as well.
My Prayer Today: To God be the glory as Your Bride prepares her linens. Amen
Showing posts with label Wedding Feast of the Lamb. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wedding Feast of the Lamb. Show all posts
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Friday, December 31, 2010
2010 – December 31 – God’s Universal Invitation
Study from God’s Word… The rest of the Revelation to John and to all who read the conclusion of God’s book and His eternal invitation! … Passage for Reflection: Revelation 22: 17 … NIV The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.
My Journal for Today: Dr. LaGard Smith, to whom I’m most grateful for his insightful devotional, The Daily Bible Devotional, from which Dr. Smith has taken his insights from The Daily Bible in Chronological Order, reminds me, and his other readers, of the joy we feel when we get an invitation to a very special occasion, especially one to which we had dearly coveted being invited. Maybe you can recall being invited to the wedding of someone you loved dearly. Maybe it was an invitation to someone’s retirement party, … a grand shindig honoring someone you wanted dearly to honor with your presence. But whatever the invitation in your memory, it brought joy to your heart when you opened it and read your name being added to the list of those invited.
Well, my friend, how about the invitation – from God Himself – in today’s highlighted text, … that invitation to all whose names are written in God’s Book of Life; and if you’re one of those, as am I, who knows his/her name is in that Book, reading God’s invitation to the wedding feast of the Lamb has to bring great joy and consolation to your heart.
BUT … and there’s one of those giant BUTS of contrast … you are only invited if (and that’s a whopper of an “IF”) you are one who’s openly declared, in faith, from your heart of hearts, that you’re a sinner whose sins have been forgiven by the blood of Jesus begin shed on Calvary and who has repented of those sins in humility to receive God free gift of His saving grace.
My dear one, … that invitation above, from Rev. 22: 17, is for YOU … if Jesus, The Christ, our Messiah, is absolutely your LORD and SAVIOR. And if that’s the case, I will see you at the wedding feast of the Lamb; and we’ll be sharing together at that eternal post wedding party in glory.
I hope you know that you know that you know that you know that you – ABSOLUTELY – are invited to the party of parties. Because, if you’re reading here, and you have doubts, I would exhort you to do what is declared to any who desire their name to be in God’s Book of Life, finalizing that by doing what the Apostle Paul declared in Romans 10: 9 – 13 [linked here]. And dear one, if you’ve done that, I’ll see you at the party!
My Prayer for Today: Lord, Your invitation has come to me in Your sealed envelope of assurance. I look forward with glorious anticipation to our wedding feast. Amen
==========================
Blogger Bill's Year End Note: ... To any friends who might be reading or interested, ... this is my last entry for the journaling I've been posting this year from my trek in my commitment to read through the entire Bible in 2010. And, ... only by God's enabling grace and a bit of my own tenacity, I've completed this discipleship task; above being my last blog for the year, utilizing the The Daily Bible in Chronological Order, edited by F. LaGard Smith, as well as his companion devotional book The Daily Bible Devotional.
For those who've been studying along with me this year, I thank you for your co-discipleship in this task. I've been encouraged that you'd help me out to be accountable for this somewhat daunting exercise. I've grown from this discipline; and you've encouraged me along the way. And for this, I'd like to thank you and wish you a very HAPPY NEW YEAR as we enter 2011.
This upcoming year, I'll be continuing to blog/journal my daily devotions in this place; but this year I've decided to go back to an "old friend" of mine, utilizing a powerful devotional book, which I’ve used before, Strength for Today, by John MacArthur . If you feel so led, I'd be honored and uplifted by having you follow along with me as I continue to pursue my deepening relationship with Christ through His Spirit.
Blessings from the Berry Patch into 2011 !!! ... Bill
My Journal for Today: Dr. LaGard Smith, to whom I’m most grateful for his insightful devotional, The Daily Bible Devotional, from which Dr. Smith has taken his insights from The Daily Bible in Chronological Order, reminds me, and his other readers, of the joy we feel when we get an invitation to a very special occasion, especially one to which we had dearly coveted being invited. Maybe you can recall being invited to the wedding of someone you loved dearly. Maybe it was an invitation to someone’s retirement party, … a grand shindig honoring someone you wanted dearly to honor with your presence. But whatever the invitation in your memory, it brought joy to your heart when you opened it and read your name being added to the list of those invited.
Well, my friend, how about the invitation – from God Himself – in today’s highlighted text, … that invitation to all whose names are written in God’s Book of Life; and if you’re one of those, as am I, who knows his/her name is in that Book, reading God’s invitation to the wedding feast of the Lamb has to bring great joy and consolation to your heart.
BUT … and there’s one of those giant BUTS of contrast … you are only invited if (and that’s a whopper of an “IF”) you are one who’s openly declared, in faith, from your heart of hearts, that you’re a sinner whose sins have been forgiven by the blood of Jesus begin shed on Calvary and who has repented of those sins in humility to receive God free gift of His saving grace.
My dear one, … that invitation above, from Rev. 22: 17, is for YOU … if Jesus, The Christ, our Messiah, is absolutely your LORD and SAVIOR. And if that’s the case, I will see you at the wedding feast of the Lamb; and we’ll be sharing together at that eternal post wedding party in glory.
I hope you know that you know that you know that you know that you – ABSOLUTELY – are invited to the party of parties. Because, if you’re reading here, and you have doubts, I would exhort you to do what is declared to any who desire their name to be in God’s Book of Life, finalizing that by doing what the Apostle Paul declared in Romans 10: 9 – 13 [linked here]. And dear one, if you’ve done that, I’ll see you at the party!
My Prayer for Today: Lord, Your invitation has come to me in Your sealed envelope of assurance. I look forward with glorious anticipation to our wedding feast. Amen
==========================
Blogger Bill's Year End Note: ... To any friends who might be reading or interested, ... this is my last entry for the journaling I've been posting this year from my trek in my commitment to read through the entire Bible in 2010. And, ... only by God's enabling grace and a bit of my own tenacity, I've completed this discipleship task; above being my last blog for the year, utilizing the The Daily Bible in Chronological Order, edited by F. LaGard Smith, as well as his companion devotional book The Daily Bible Devotional.
For those who've been studying along with me this year, I thank you for your co-discipleship in this task. I've been encouraged that you'd help me out to be accountable for this somewhat daunting exercise. I've grown from this discipline; and you've encouraged me along the way. And for this, I'd like to thank you and wish you a very HAPPY NEW YEAR as we enter 2011.
This upcoming year, I'll be continuing to blog/journal my daily devotions in this place; but this year I've decided to go back to an "old friend" of mine, utilizing a powerful devotional book, which I’ve used before, Strength for Today, by John MacArthur . If you feel so led, I'd be honored and uplifted by having you follow along with me as I continue to pursue my deepening relationship with Christ through His Spirit.
Blessings from the Berry Patch into 2011 !!! ... Bill
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