Prepare

"He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom,
who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice.
So this joy of mine has been made full."
(John 3:29)


"I am engaged to be married…in a spiritual sense that is, and I can’t wait!"

My darling husband a few day’s ago snuck my wedding ring out of the house, had it cleaned and brought it back to me shiny and brilliantly gleaming. I haven’t taken my eyes off of it. As I have been admiring the beauty of the diamond and thinking about the day he first put the ring on my finger, my mind has been filled with memories of being so in love and exited about the engagement period. I didn’t think about anything else, I couldn’t wait to tell everyone, choose bridesmaids, find a dress, plan our wedding and send out invitations. But most of all I couldn’t wait to be his bride, to stand before him and pledge to love, honor and respect him and to go home with him and be his wife. But do you know.. I am still engaged and exited about preparing myself for my groom, my Spiritual Husband Christ Jesus.

As I think about this I can't help but wonder, is this spiritual engagement any different, do I give as much thought and preparation to my Lord as I did while I was betrothed to my earthly groom? How can we take some of the lessons learn't from our earthly experience and apply it to our spiritual?

The first lesson I will be spending time studying is, “Counting The Cost”. Even as a builder pre-pares to build a house, making sure he has a solid foundation to build on, a bride-to-be has to pre-pare herself and know the commitment she is making and Who she is making it to.

28) “For which of you, wanting to build a tower, doesn’t sit down first and compute the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? 29) Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish the tower, all who see it will begin to make fun of him. 30) They will say, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish! 31) Or what king, going out to confront another king in battle, will not sit down first and determine whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32) If he cannot succeed, he will send a representative while the other is still a long way off and ask for terms of peace. 33) In the same way therefore not one of you can be my disciple if he does not renounce all his own possessions”.
Luke 14:28-33

“Counting the cost?” Have you thought as a bride what possessions you've had to renounce to be a wife to your husband? Your last name, living with your parents, your home, relationships with the opposite sex..
I leave you with this thought as we prayerfully contemplate these passages.

(Luke 14:33)
“Likewise therefore every one of you who does not renounce all his own possessions cannot be my disciple.”

The word Possession in the Greek is Huparcho;
which means" to make a new beginning".

Translated Words
been, being, belonging, exist, existed, owned, possess, possessions, private means, property

The complex double negation is potentially confusing to the modern reader and has been simplified in the translation.
The application of the saying is this;

Discipleship requires that God be in first place. The reference to renunciation of all his own possessions refers to all earthly attachments that have first place.
(resource from bible.org)


Renounce all earthly attachments that have first place.. such contemplations to think about and act upon as we look to those things that have first place in our heart.

Blessings,
Laurie

What's A Girl To Think?

"Forsaking All Others". This was my previous post in the series titled, "Preparation Of The Bride". Before I continue in this series I want to address our earthly marriages for a moment. What does it mean to forsake all others and how far are we willing to go to do just that? What is the depth of commitment and what length do we take to maintain that commitment?
I have set some pretty high standards for myself as a married woman and I have placed some rather large borders in my life to guard my heart, protect my mind and keep my ways pure before the Lord. Do you know the schemes and devices the enemy is capable of? Are you aware of the most innocent of situations that he can take and turn into all out warfare against the frailty of our hearts and minds?
The area’s of concentration for me are first my thoughts and then relationships I choose “not” to have with the opposite sex.
Today I would like to deal more with our thought life because it is true what is said, “Our mind is the enemies playground”, that is if we don’t take provisions to protect ourselves.

I have lived now for the past seven years committed to a promise I made to the Lord, a covenant with my mind, that I might not think or dwell on lustful thoughts that might cause me to sin against God and in turn sin against my husband. I was reading in the book of Job at the time, this passage to be exact, "I have made a covenant with my eyes; How then could I gaze at a virgin? (Job 31:1)
As I read and think I understand this passage, I am struck with thoughts of Job and the desire of his heart to remain pure, to not have lust in his heart for a young virgin, which in turn would come, if he was to “gaze” upon a young maiden. So if I was to make a covenant with my mind, what then, how could I even “think” on things that would cause me to stumble and in turn sin against My Lord?
{to gaze}
verb
look steadily and intently, esp. in admiration, surprise, or thought :
{to think}
verb
• direct one's mind toward someone or something; use one's mind actively to form connected ideas :
• have a particular mental attitude or approach :
• have a particular opinion of :
• call something to mind; remember :
• imagine (an actual or possible situation) :
• expect :
• concentrate on imagining what if

Oh your thinking, “That's impossible”! Well your right, it is impossible without the careful attention to the details of this kind of promise. Who is the covenant keeper? Our Loving Father who is so intimately aware of every thought that we have even before it takes fruition is the keeper of the covenant and He equips us with all the tools we need to obey Him! When I made this covenant, it was actually with Him and He became the procurator of this promise. Oh my dear sisters, God is so faithful to always remind me of this promise and to bring my attention to the near fatal thoughts that can cause a severe stumbling. Once He brings it to my attention I have the choice to think on pure thoughts, His word, songs, hymns, or spiritual songs, or I can deny the power of the Holy Spirit and live in an ungodly manner with myself only to blame. So what are the tools we utilize to help in the protection of our minds? His Holy scripture, prayer, replacing bad thoughts with good thoughts, fleeing temptation, worship, praise, adoration...

A few scriptures come to my mind;
”Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You”. (Psalm 119:11)

“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honorable, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things”. (Philippians 4:8)

“...and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ”, (2 Corinthians 10:5b)

“Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you”. (James 4:7)

“Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. (Ephesians 6:13)
Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, (Ephesians 6:14)
and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; (Ephesians 6:15)
above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. (Ephesians 6:16)
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; (Ephesians 6:17)
praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints”-- (Ephesians 6:18)

There is so much freedom living the abundant life in Christ Jesus with a mind that has been cleansed by God’s Word. Knowing that our husbands can rest safely in the knowledge that they not only have us in a physical sense, but they have our heart and mind as well. Trust enlarges her borders when our minds are true to the marriage covenant.

Blessings to you my dear sisters.

Dear Abba Father, thank you for the power of Your Word and the faithfullness we have in You..the Keeper of the covenant. Thank You for the power of the Holy Spirit Who enables us to keep our thoughts pure especially when we as woman are inundated with so much of the world. Give us a vision of the heavenly promise in Christ Jesus that our eyes would be fixed on You, the Perfecter and Finisher of our faith. Help us to be obedient to You as well as honoring to our husbands. All strength, honor and glory are Yours!
In the name of the LORD Jesus..Amen.

Put Off

It was May, 1987. I remember how crisp the air was with streaks of white clouds whispping across the sky. The gentle breeze was moving the branches of our olive tree in the front yard while I could begin to see shoots of new growth on the fruit tree’s in the backyard. The songs of the birds who had just begun to invade our yard again after a long hiatus in the south could be heard inside the house as we sat at the breakfast table.

For my mom and I, there were thoughts of last minute preparations to complete, gifts for the bridal party, table favors, arrival time for the photographer, last fittings, rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. So in all the last minute details of the wedding preparations I wasn’t really thinking of the “trousseau”...but my mom was. She had planned all along to set a special day apart for just her and I to go shopping to the fashionable clothing district of Los Angeles. This was indeed special because we were considered country bumpkins living as inlanders of Southern California where avocado, orange groves and eucalyptus trees reigned in place of Sacs Fifth Avenues and Gucci store front windows. As intimidating as it was I felt safe in the confines of my mothers elegant way of dressing and her confidence with sales attendants. Dressing for her has always been an art form and she was accustomed to the finest. But for me, I was (and still am) most comfortable with Levi's, tennies and a nice tee shirt.

I recall my mom saying to me, “Laurie, it’s time you shed yourself of that old wardrobe and make room for something new.” Words to live by, words of wisdom. I continually hear in my heart of hearts, “Put off that old man Laurie, put on the new man in Christ Jesus.”
My moms wisdom was nothing new, I don’t think her intent was spiritual, but the implications were enormous. This everyday practical act of “taking off” is necessary in order to put on the righteous acts of Jesus.

Ephesians 4
21) if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, 22) that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, 23) and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24) and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.
25) Therefore, laying aside falsehood, SPEAK TRUTH EACH ONE of you WITH HIS NEIGHBOR, for we are members of one another. 26) BE ANGRY, AND yet DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27) and do not give the devil an opportunity. 28) He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need. 29) Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. 30) Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31) Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32) Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.


“So what do we put off?” Lies, anger, stealing, unwholesome speech, denial of the Holy Spirit’s conviction in our lives, bitterness, jealousy, strife, slander, malice... Such clothing is unbefitting to a virgin bride who’s oil lamps are full with the intent of being recieved into the kingdom at His call. Our clothing has been washed in the blood of the Lamb and should have the appearance of white linen with finely woven strands of love strewn throughout and cloth spun with faithfulness, faithfulness of one who’s life reflects the image of the Beloved. “Put off” dear sisters the raggedy and soiled garments from days of old so that you can “put on” the bridal attire.

Blessings to you dear sisters in Christ.
I leave you with Paul’s encouragement to us all..

“Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace”.
Ephesians 4:1-3


In His love,
Laurie