Three years ago, my church body embarked on a mission to reach the people of North St. Louis. A business plan was laid out, with a five-year plan for fulfilling this mission: a plan that was presumed to require over a million dollars to accomplish. A couple years shy of the proposal, the mission has seen each facet of the ministry come to fruition at a fraction of the cost. The missionaries have earned the favor of the impoverished community, they have brought hope to a commercially dead area of the city, and most importantly, they have done everything for Christ's honor and glory. There is no separation between the earthly function and the heavenly purpose of the ministry, for nothing is done that is useless to the building of His Kingdom.
I wanted to share this testimony from my discipler, because it demonstrates how much God will bless the ministry of those who fully submit to His eternal purposes, even here in the United States. I look forward to ministering with my brothers and sisters in St. Louis for years to come and seeing urban areas across the U.S. restored for His glory.
Showing posts with label His bride. Show all posts
Showing posts with label His bride. Show all posts
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Friday, October 28, 2011
for many, a haunting reality
I'll take the road less traveled by
That's what my father always said
Now he works in an office
With a whore in his bed
My mother sleeps alone at night
Dreaming of all her regret inside
I wanna tell her that I love her
Oh and if I could
I would've given her so much better
Cause no don't you tell me
That that man is my father
Oh just some hooded conceiver
Who tried really, really hard to please her
So I'm returning to my gladness
When I was only ten
Playing football in the front yard
And sweating with my friends
I remember when I was thirteen
It was October something
I was standing on that front lawn listening
That was the first time I heard You calling
As the sun was cooling down
And the moms were about to drive their kids around
And they say, "Blah, blah, blah, blah"
And they say, "Blah, blah, blah"
They give us truth deceiving
I don't think that's truth at all
And they say, "Blah, blah, blah, blah"
And they say. "Blah, blah, blah"
They give us love that's leaving
I don't think that's love
Oh and the steeple people
Oh they're so happy not knowing You
So boldly do they pervert Your truth
Oh did they think we wouldn't grow up
Did they think we couldn't throw back up
The sour milk they've been pouring down out throats
Oh they have raised one pissed off generation
With kids that have to start taking care of them
Like "Hey mom, get to work on time"
And "Hey dad, would you come home tonight?"
And "The both of you, stop drinking so much wine"
And they say, "Blah, blah, blah, blah"
And they say, "Blah, blah, blah"
They give us truth deceiving
I don't think that's truth at all
And they say, "Blah, blah, blah, blah"
And they say, "Blah, blah, blah"
They give us love that's leaving
I don't think that's love
-- "Sour Milk" by Wild Sweet Orange, from We Have Cause To Be Uneasy"
That's what my father always said
Now he works in an office
With a whore in his bed
My mother sleeps alone at night
Dreaming of all her regret inside
I wanna tell her that I love her
Oh and if I could
I would've given her so much better
Cause no don't you tell me
That that man is my father
Oh just some hooded conceiver
Who tried really, really hard to please her
So I'm returning to my gladness
When I was only ten
Playing football in the front yard
And sweating with my friends
I remember when I was thirteen
It was October something
I was standing on that front lawn listening
That was the first time I heard You calling
As the sun was cooling down
And the moms were about to drive their kids around
And they say, "Blah, blah, blah, blah"
And they say, "Blah, blah, blah"
They give us truth deceiving
I don't think that's truth at all
And they say, "Blah, blah, blah, blah"
And they say. "Blah, blah, blah"
They give us love that's leaving
I don't think that's love
Oh and the steeple people
Oh they're so happy not knowing You
So boldly do they pervert Your truth
Oh did they think we wouldn't grow up
Did they think we couldn't throw back up
The sour milk they've been pouring down out throats
Oh they have raised one pissed off generation
With kids that have to start taking care of them
Like "Hey mom, get to work on time"
And "Hey dad, would you come home tonight?"
And "The both of you, stop drinking so much wine"
And they say, "Blah, blah, blah, blah"
And they say, "Blah, blah, blah"
They give us truth deceiving
I don't think that's truth at all
And they say, "Blah, blah, blah, blah"
And they say, "Blah, blah, blah"
They give us love that's leaving
I don't think that's love
-- "Sour Milk" by Wild Sweet Orange, from We Have Cause To Be Uneasy"
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
intentionality
A little more than fourteen years ago, I was sitting on a jungle gym in the park, talking with a girl who I had recently grown to appreciate. During our conversation, I mentioned nobody in particular as I indicated my desire to "date around" during my final summer before college. My friend nodded in "understanding." Shortly after, I asked this girl to prom -- we had a great time. Two weeks later, I pragmatically expressed that we should be a couple because it was already assumed. She said okay.
What began as a "practical" approach to spending time with one another soon became the burden I had foreseen that day in the park. I spent my summer on family vacations and camp counseling; she sat at home writing very heartfelt letters as I traveled. I couldn't reciprocate. In the back of my mind, I knew college would tear apart anything or anyone that I brought with me. But this didn't make me less of a jerkface. She had wanted to be with me all along, and I dragged her heart so that I could fill the empty places in my summer schedule.
Leaving work on Friday, July 4, I noticed an envelope attached to my windshield wipers. My girlfriend did what she knew I wouldn't: she broke off the relationship. She recognized the inequality in our feelings for one another, and couldn't afford to allow her heart to receive further pain. She showed character, and I was able to weasel away without a poor reputation. Whatever.
I had been taught to date only Christians, not have sex, and define the relationship. I followed all of these rules, but I was not blameless with her heart. Preparing her for a disinterested relationship did her few favors. Her heart was broken, and I was the cause. I wish I could say that this was the last time I held a woman's heart like puddy with no intent to commit. But greener pastures were just as tempting through my college years, and had I never loved a girl and been left myself, I may have never been reformed.
In the nine plus years since my last date, God has shown me the purity of being intentional in my relationships, including my platonic friends. I began to realize how many people I "needed" to know, simply for the feeling of worldly approval or personal value. Those on the peripheral might say that my personality changed -- that I became introverted. Extroversion however is defined by how one "refuels" rather than how outgoing one is: to be replenished externally as opposed to internally. In this regard, I am still very much an extrovert. But the depth of my relationships has dwindled the number to a handful, and I owe this to intentionality.
For the first time in my life. I have no purposeless relationships. There are no take 'em or leave 'em friends that are contacted merely for the sake of larger numbers. One of the reasons I deactivated my Facebook last year was to determine just how many "friendships" were on life support. Indeed, my expectations are now further aligned with reality.
It brings its share of difficulties in this culture. Whereas the American church promotes the idea that singles are better served when congregating in massive come-and-see parties, I must demonstrate spiritual authenticity and vulnerability with those in my life. When given the choice to comfort myself or spend hours in conversation with a hurting friend, my commitment is sealed. If one of these friends asks for prayer and I offer, this is held as an expectation and not merely a nice thing to say. I'd stand in the gap for any of them in warfare, and this takes precedent to any personal pleasure.
Does this torture the flesh that still loves the intensity of crowds? Sometimes. I have to continually bear in mind what is being produced. Where I find fruit, I know the Spirit is at work. And as much as I was personally satisfied dining on megachurch dessert, my life and my relationships produced nothing. I spent my days making merry with whoever gave me the time of day, and never fully committed my heart to any of them.
You might say, "But you gave so many hours to those kids!" Yes, I did. But the difference between offering your services and offering your heart is vast. It's the difference between spending the summer with someone crazy about you and giving your heart to someone you cannot live without. American ministry "subjects" are fully replaceable. We may like some congregants better than others, but inevitably it's a game of collection rather than one of substance. We don't feel we can give our hearts too recklessly for the sake of one, because the demand to be diplomatic is too high.
I like that I'm able to express when I am angry, frustrated, tired, confused, or heartbroken. I love that within my intentional relationships my mess will be considered, even if they don't have an answer for me -- even if I'm the one in leadership. That's certainly worth the ole' one-two punch to my flesh. The Bride of Christ is built upon intentional people sharing in His life with one another. No more dating around. No more summer flings. My brothers and sisters are in this thing for the long haul -- hearts out and vulnerable.
And physically, God has used these principles for His Church to teach me a thing or two about committing to a bride. These past ten years, my heart and mind have been unable to even consider another woman once they've been drawn to one. Monogamous intentionality, if you will. A purposeful relationship is like seeing with tunnel vision: this one woman should receive the firstfruits of everything God has left me to offer.
What began as a "practical" approach to spending time with one another soon became the burden I had foreseen that day in the park. I spent my summer on family vacations and camp counseling; she sat at home writing very heartfelt letters as I traveled. I couldn't reciprocate. In the back of my mind, I knew college would tear apart anything or anyone that I brought with me. But this didn't make me less of a jerkface. She had wanted to be with me all along, and I dragged her heart so that I could fill the empty places in my summer schedule.
Leaving work on Friday, July 4, I noticed an envelope attached to my windshield wipers. My girlfriend did what she knew I wouldn't: she broke off the relationship. She recognized the inequality in our feelings for one another, and couldn't afford to allow her heart to receive further pain. She showed character, and I was able to weasel away without a poor reputation. Whatever.
I had been taught to date only Christians, not have sex, and define the relationship. I followed all of these rules, but I was not blameless with her heart. Preparing her for a disinterested relationship did her few favors. Her heart was broken, and I was the cause. I wish I could say that this was the last time I held a woman's heart like puddy with no intent to commit. But greener pastures were just as tempting through my college years, and had I never loved a girl and been left myself, I may have never been reformed.
In the nine plus years since my last date, God has shown me the purity of being intentional in my relationships, including my platonic friends. I began to realize how many people I "needed" to know, simply for the feeling of worldly approval or personal value. Those on the peripheral might say that my personality changed -- that I became introverted. Extroversion however is defined by how one "refuels" rather than how outgoing one is: to be replenished externally as opposed to internally. In this regard, I am still very much an extrovert. But the depth of my relationships has dwindled the number to a handful, and I owe this to intentionality.
For the first time in my life. I have no purposeless relationships. There are no take 'em or leave 'em friends that are contacted merely for the sake of larger numbers. One of the reasons I deactivated my Facebook last year was to determine just how many "friendships" were on life support. Indeed, my expectations are now further aligned with reality.
It brings its share of difficulties in this culture. Whereas the American church promotes the idea that singles are better served when congregating in massive come-and-see parties, I must demonstrate spiritual authenticity and vulnerability with those in my life. When given the choice to comfort myself or spend hours in conversation with a hurting friend, my commitment is sealed. If one of these friends asks for prayer and I offer, this is held as an expectation and not merely a nice thing to say. I'd stand in the gap for any of them in warfare, and this takes precedent to any personal pleasure.
Does this torture the flesh that still loves the intensity of crowds? Sometimes. I have to continually bear in mind what is being produced. Where I find fruit, I know the Spirit is at work. And as much as I was personally satisfied dining on megachurch dessert, my life and my relationships produced nothing. I spent my days making merry with whoever gave me the time of day, and never fully committed my heart to any of them.
You might say, "But you gave so many hours to those kids!" Yes, I did. But the difference between offering your services and offering your heart is vast. It's the difference between spending the summer with someone crazy about you and giving your heart to someone you cannot live without. American ministry "subjects" are fully replaceable. We may like some congregants better than others, but inevitably it's a game of collection rather than one of substance. We don't feel we can give our hearts too recklessly for the sake of one, because the demand to be diplomatic is too high.
I like that I'm able to express when I am angry, frustrated, tired, confused, or heartbroken. I love that within my intentional relationships my mess will be considered, even if they don't have an answer for me -- even if I'm the one in leadership. That's certainly worth the ole' one-two punch to my flesh. The Bride of Christ is built upon intentional people sharing in His life with one another. No more dating around. No more summer flings. My brothers and sisters are in this thing for the long haul -- hearts out and vulnerable.
And physically, God has used these principles for His Church to teach me a thing or two about committing to a bride. These past ten years, my heart and mind have been unable to even consider another woman once they've been drawn to one. Monogamous intentionality, if you will. A purposeful relationship is like seeing with tunnel vision: this one woman should receive the firstfruits of everything God has left me to offer.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
dressed in white
Ever since I explored the characteristics of God's blessed priesthood in Ezekiel 44, I have been enamored with the idea of "wearing" these priestly garments. He tells the priesthood not to wear anything that makes them sweat, nor to wear these garments outside the inner courts where their Inheritance resides (v. 17-19). I began looking at other places in His word where clothing was considered significant.
Dress was a huge deal in the establishment of the law; there were regulations against the priests wearing dirty, blood-stained, or torn clothing -- which was symbolic of grief. Through good and hard times alike, the priesthood was to represent the purity and holiness of God to the people. They were to acknowledge this sanctity in a visible way, regardless of how far the people's hearts were from Him.
I also considered Peter's reinstatement in John 21:18, who is told by Christ:
*************************
Don't get me wrong, God has given us plenty of wonderful and beautiful things on this earth by which to be dazzled. The mountains, beaches, skies, and storms are SOOOOOOO good. But there is nothing more beautiful and awe-inspiring on this earth than a bride dressed in white.
Do you see why God refers to His Church as the Bride? In our blameless, pure state, there is nothing more precious or lovely than the unity and blessing that are found in Him together. The greatest deterrent to becoming a blameless bride is pride. It is pride that says, "I do not need my beloved," or "I am better off with other lovers." She sees the riches of the world as a more noble pursuit than the comfort and protection of a husband that would give his life for her.
This pride is represented within the church of Laodicea in Revelation 3. I think the church is really stupid for promoting an emotional response to verses 15-16 -- particularly among young people -- as a means to get people to "buck up" and live their faith more zealously. I know that I once got "re-saved" as a result of this passage. But Christ does not tell the church to better itself to become more scorching. No, he asks the church to cast aside the faulty perception that it has everything it needs. He tells us to take an honest look at our real state.
Dress was a huge deal in the establishment of the law; there were regulations against the priests wearing dirty, blood-stained, or torn clothing -- which was symbolic of grief. Through good and hard times alike, the priesthood was to represent the purity and holiness of God to the people. They were to acknowledge this sanctity in a visible way, regardless of how far the people's hearts were from Him.
I also considered Peter's reinstatement in John 21:18, who is told by Christ:
I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.Jesus was informing Peter of the literal manner through which he would pick up the cross of Christ, but in a metaphorical sense, Peter is also being told that his life no longer belongs to himself. When we offer Jesus his due Lordship, we are asking to be dressed according to his own righteousness. We see this in multiple passages.
- He can clothe us with joy in the midst of sorrow. (Psalm 30:11)
- The righteous woman is clothed in strength and dignity. (Prov. 31:25)
- His people are asked to clothe themselves with strength. (Isa. 52:1)
- The brokenhearted are clothed in garments of salvation and robes of righteousness. (Isa. 61:1)
- Our shame and filth are removed and replaced with fine garments (Zech. 3:3-5)
- We clothe ourselves with Christ to dismiss the desires of the flesh. (Rom. 13:14)
- Death is swallowed when we clothe ourselves with imperishable things. (1 Cor. 15:53-54)
- Citizens of heaven long to be clothed in their eternal dwelling. (2 Cor. 5:2-4)
- Representing His holy people, we should clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. (Col. 3:12)
- We are to clothe ourselves in humility towards one another to receive the Lord's favor. (1 Pet. 5:5)
- Rather than be influenced by those around us, we are to hate the clothing stained by corrupted flesh. (Jude 1:23)
*************************
Don't get me wrong, God has given us plenty of wonderful and beautiful things on this earth by which to be dazzled. The mountains, beaches, skies, and storms are SOOOOOOO good. But there is nothing more beautiful and awe-inspiring on this earth than a bride dressed in white.
Do you see why God refers to His Church as the Bride? In our blameless, pure state, there is nothing more precious or lovely than the unity and blessing that are found in Him together. The greatest deterrent to becoming a blameless bride is pride. It is pride that says, "I do not need my beloved," or "I am better off with other lovers." She sees the riches of the world as a more noble pursuit than the comfort and protection of a husband that would give his life for her.
This pride is represented within the church of Laodicea in Revelation 3. I think the church is really stupid for promoting an emotional response to verses 15-16 -- particularly among young people -- as a means to get people to "buck up" and live their faith more zealously. I know that I once got "re-saved" as a result of this passage. But Christ does not tell the church to better itself to become more scorching. No, he asks the church to cast aside the faulty perception that it has everything it needs. He tells us to take an honest look at our real state.
"You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see." (v. 17-18)My first thought is, how are we to "buy His gold" when we aren't as rich as we think we are? But God doesn't want us to even hold onto our filthy idea of righteousness -- He wants us to cash all that junk in for the clothes He would have us wear, so that we can find our purity and righteousness in Him! He can clothe His Body in that wondrous white dress, covering our nakedness and healing our blindness. God intends His Church to be beautiful and set apart once again, but we must come to the end of our own sacred cows of wealth and ask Him to lead and love His beloved wife.
Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. (v. 19-20)I want to invite Him in to dress me in His righteousness. I want to see His Bride sitting at the royal table and next to Him on His throne. This has always been her rightful place: to be the object of His greatest affection.
"Therefore I am not going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her. There I will give her back her vineyards, and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. There she will sing as in the days of her youth, as in the day she came up out of Egypt
"In that day," declares the Lord, "you will call me 'my husband'; you will no longer call me 'my master.'" (Hosea 2:14-16)
Monday, August 29, 2011
a tale of two covenants -- part 2
Have you ever read or heard something that made your jaw drop and slowly state, “Woooooo…that makes so much sense?”
During my regularly scheduled blog hop, I stumbled across some articles on marriage that forced me to evaluate how my church upbringing and my wounds have sent me way off track in my “pursuit.” In fact, my church upbringing and my wounds have perfectly ruined any attempt at a “pursuit,” so that “pursuit” is no longer an appropriate word for what I have been doing.
These truths also gave me a biblical understanding of why I hate being pursued by women so much, and why it is unnatural according to God’s natural order, beyond the typical gender role agenda of the traditional church.
First, let’s explore a couple simple proverbs of which you may already be acquainted:
Truth #1: We cannot know love without knowing God. I’m sure many of us claim this truth as believers, but consider how many people we would acknowledge to “be in love” that do not know God. For example, if someone would ask about them, I would say that my parents love one another. But my dad doesn’t know God, so how can he love? And then I look at the fruit: I see selfishness, rudeness, jealousy, and all sorts of things that Paul tells us are contrary to love. Not to sell my dad short -- he holds an affinity for my mom that has contributed to nearly 38 years of marriage. One might even say, there are lingering remnants of the Lord’s glory within my dad’s attempt at love.
I could ease the argument, and say that my dad simply loves in a different way than God, but this would contradict Paul…
Truth #2: Man’s love for his bride is to mirror God’s love for the Church. Here’s where things get dicey; I may lose you ladies. Having grown up in the church, one of the truths that I did not grasp until late in my 20s is that Christ apprehends man. For years, I was under the impression that if I wanted more of God, I had to seek Him on my own terms, hoping to chase some elusive deity until He saw my desperation and gave up hiding. And while there is some apprehending to be done on our behalf, we do not have a relationship with God because anything that we have done. Our Father chose us, he predestined us, and he made himself known to us (Eph. 1:3-14).
Do you realize that you would have no right to apprehend God if He had not first chosen to make himself known to you? You may understand this theoretically, but consider this: without God making radically aggressive moves towards us, our lives would be lived in complete separation from our Creator. You understand love because this is what was required: that His Son would serve as the sacrifice for our sins, so that Christ could present His perfect Bride, the Church.
Reconcile what Paul is truly expressing. In the same way that God radically and aggressively pursued mankind to demonstrate the existence of love -- an existence that would not be known apart from Him -- husbands are expected to love their wives. This correlation brings about two uncomfortable conclusions for the 21st century:
As man and woman desperately seek God in a passionate response to His love, man comes to find that while God has given him vision and purpose for serving his Father, it is not good to be alone. What better expression in service to God than to model His love for mankind? So God establishes the standard of the righteous and upright woman for the man -- bone of his bones, and flesh of his flesh -- and the man decides it is time to honor God through marriage. He sets out to see if his journey can be successful. He demonstrates his love to the women in his life: serving, protecting, and leading them selflessly -- loving according to the 1 Cor. 13 foundation established by God and not the world. He contains his heart for passion and romance until its due time.
Woman sees the heart of the upright men in her life, and she responds to their love in kind. She serves, comforts, and guards their hearts selflessly, not presuming to present herself as a bride, but as a sister. As the groom comes calling, he will search the hearts of those that have responded to his love, and will ask the chosen one’s hand in marriage. She has the decision to accept his offer according to the love demonstrated to her; she may reject it based on the same standard, which she should know fully well according to the love that her Heavenly Father has lavished on her. Any “love” that does not mirror the Father’s love will not stir her heart, for this “love” is foreign to her, and not really love at all. The groom that presents his heart as one after the Father’s will be loved if the woman has understood love according to the Father.
Quaint, huh? Final truth…
Truth #3 The man who loves his wife -- and the wife who loves her husband -- are in fact loving the image of God that they recognize in one another. This is why all other love is not really love at all. The marriage that God intended, reflecting the glory of His own love for His children, must be represented by two people that seek Him first. The reason that a man receives favor from the Lord when he finds a wife is that she demonstrates everything feminine that he adores in his Creator. The reason that a woman receives comfort from the Lord when she is found by a husband is that he demonstrates everything masculine that she admires in her Father.
Does that sound attractive to anyone in this world?
During my regularly scheduled blog hop, I stumbled across some articles on marriage that forced me to evaluate how my church upbringing and my wounds have sent me way off track in my “pursuit.” In fact, my church upbringing and my wounds have perfectly ruined any attempt at a “pursuit,” so that “pursuit” is no longer an appropriate word for what I have been doing.
These truths also gave me a biblical understanding of why I hate being pursued by women so much, and why it is unnatural according to God’s natural order, beyond the typical gender role agenda of the traditional church.
First, let’s explore a couple simple proverbs of which you may already be acquainted:
He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord. (18:22)Throw in a dash of Paul:
A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life. (31:10-12)
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleaning her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. (Eph. 5:25-28)John will close out our study:
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son in to the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. (1 John 4:7-11)Break it down…
Truth #1: We cannot know love without knowing God. I’m sure many of us claim this truth as believers, but consider how many people we would acknowledge to “be in love” that do not know God. For example, if someone would ask about them, I would say that my parents love one another. But my dad doesn’t know God, so how can he love? And then I look at the fruit: I see selfishness, rudeness, jealousy, and all sorts of things that Paul tells us are contrary to love. Not to sell my dad short -- he holds an affinity for my mom that has contributed to nearly 38 years of marriage. One might even say, there are lingering remnants of the Lord’s glory within my dad’s attempt at love.
I could ease the argument, and say that my dad simply loves in a different way than God, but this would contradict Paul…
Truth #2: Man’s love for his bride is to mirror God’s love for the Church. Here’s where things get dicey; I may lose you ladies. Having grown up in the church, one of the truths that I did not grasp until late in my 20s is that Christ apprehends man. For years, I was under the impression that if I wanted more of God, I had to seek Him on my own terms, hoping to chase some elusive deity until He saw my desperation and gave up hiding. And while there is some apprehending to be done on our behalf, we do not have a relationship with God because anything that we have done. Our Father chose us, he predestined us, and he made himself known to us (Eph. 1:3-14).
Do you realize that you would have no right to apprehend God if He had not first chosen to make himself known to you? You may understand this theoretically, but consider this: without God making radically aggressive moves towards us, our lives would be lived in complete separation from our Creator. You understand love because this is what was required: that His Son would serve as the sacrifice for our sins, so that Christ could present His perfect Bride, the Church.
Reconcile what Paul is truly expressing. In the same way that God radically and aggressively pursued mankind to demonstrate the existence of love -- an existence that would not be known apart from Him -- husbands are expected to love their wives. This correlation brings about two uncomfortable conclusions for the 21st century:
- Men are not expected to idly sit back and wait for their beloved to present herself.
- While a woman can know love through the Father, she cannot know love in a marriage relationship apart from their husband first demonstrating his love for her.
As man and woman desperately seek God in a passionate response to His love, man comes to find that while God has given him vision and purpose for serving his Father, it is not good to be alone. What better expression in service to God than to model His love for mankind? So God establishes the standard of the righteous and upright woman for the man -- bone of his bones, and flesh of his flesh -- and the man decides it is time to honor God through marriage. He sets out to see if his journey can be successful. He demonstrates his love to the women in his life: serving, protecting, and leading them selflessly -- loving according to the 1 Cor. 13 foundation established by God and not the world. He contains his heart for passion and romance until its due time.
Woman sees the heart of the upright men in her life, and she responds to their love in kind. She serves, comforts, and guards their hearts selflessly, not presuming to present herself as a bride, but as a sister. As the groom comes calling, he will search the hearts of those that have responded to his love, and will ask the chosen one’s hand in marriage. She has the decision to accept his offer according to the love demonstrated to her; she may reject it based on the same standard, which she should know fully well according to the love that her Heavenly Father has lavished on her. Any “love” that does not mirror the Father’s love will not stir her heart, for this “love” is foreign to her, and not really love at all. The groom that presents his heart as one after the Father’s will be loved if the woman has understood love according to the Father.
Quaint, huh? Final truth…
Truth #3 The man who loves his wife -- and the wife who loves her husband -- are in fact loving the image of God that they recognize in one another. This is why all other love is not really love at all. The marriage that God intended, reflecting the glory of His own love for His children, must be represented by two people that seek Him first. The reason that a man receives favor from the Lord when he finds a wife is that she demonstrates everything feminine that he adores in his Creator. The reason that a woman receives comfort from the Lord when she is found by a husband is that he demonstrates everything masculine that she admires in her Father.
Does that sound attractive to anyone in this world?
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