Ascension Day. Who would have known that it’s a holiday. But here
it is indeed. I was thinking of it last night while scrubbing a sink full of
dishes. A song kept ringing through my mind that says, “He’s coming for a pure
Bride…the Lord is coming for His Bride, make way for the Lord”. Suddenly my
heart beat a bit faster, and a smile touched my lips. What an awesome day to
celebrate for sure. Most who wander across this post will probably realize what
the words mean in the song. But just in case – God frequently has used the
analogy of Himself as a bridegroom and
His people as a bride. He loves us deeply. However, He definitely is marrying
down. His bride has often been foolish and has chased after other things in
spite of His great love. But part of becoming a Christian is that He begins
turning your heart toward Him again, away from the things you used to chase
after, towards purity… Well, for the sake of time we have to move on quickly. After
Jesus died and rose again, a short time later He ascended to heaven. But with
His leaving was a promise that He would return for His “bride”, His church.
Considering a pure bride brings lots of thoughts to mind. Bridal
magazines filled with the soft, flowing, white dreams of so many. But really most
of the time a white dress is only like a shell representing purity, but with something
of filthy dirty things inside of the person wearing it. But that isn’t the kind
of Bride He is coming for. His bride may not be all fancy and polished on the
outside, but He is making her glorious within. I look inside my own heart and
mind, feeling the guilt for a moment of what it must be like to stand as unholy
and unclean with all the junk inside. But then I delight to think that how He
sees me is made new. His word says that He is making all things new through
Christ. Pure and right and blameless. Not what we were before. And not due to
our own effort of trying and trying and trying, but because Christ has lived
and died for us, and now pleads on our behalf to the Father. He changes us from
the inside until finally, finally it is seen in outward ways.
Anyways, as I celebrate this day that I have never corporately
celebrated before, I rejoice to ponder the reality that the Lord really is
coming for His bride. As was His promise, He ascended, but will come back in
similar fashion to claim His bride. Delighting to make way for the Lord.
…as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present
to Himself the church in all
her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. Ephesians 5:25-27
Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.” It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean;
for the fine linen is the righteous
acts of the saints.
Revelation 19: 7-8
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