Serendipitous

 “I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn over what is going to happen to me, 
but the world will rejoice. You will grieve, but your grief will suddenly turn to wonderful joy."  
John 16:20

It’s Easter morning and still dark outside.  I couldn’t sleep and got tired of trying.  Sitting in my chair with a cup of coffee, the word that comes to mind is: serendipitous.   Not a word I am used to using, I decided to look it up.  It means to discover by chance in a happy way.  I can’t help but think of Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of James, after Jesus crucifixion.  The Bible says that they too were up early on that very first Easter morning.  Still dark out, they went to visit the tomb where Joseph had placed Jesus.  They had been there.  After being by Jesus side during the crucifixion, and witnessing the horror of their loved one's death, they had followed Joseph who wrapped the body in linen and placed it in a tomb.  A large rock had been rolled in front of the entrance.  I cant imagine the grief they must of have felt or the fatigue that surely had set in.  Yet, there they were, up early and eager to go to the tomb to be as near Jesus body as they could.

But, nothing could have prepared them for what happened next!  Matthew 28:2 says, ^“Suddenly there was a great earthquake! For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled aside the stone, and sat on it.”   Can you even imagine?  Expecting to face a long hard day filled with sadness and grief, the two Mary’s instead witness a demonstration of God’s power accompanied by the appearance of an angel!  That’s Serendipitous! 

Maybe today, you need God to “shake” things up in your life and add a little serendipity while he’s at it!  I know I do.  Last week I was pretty down.  We received confirmation that a family member has a terminal illness and has little time left to live.  My grief was compounded by the fact that this relationship is fractured and has been for a long time. This week I resolved in my heart to let it go. It’s a complex situation that will take a miracle to end well.  

Are you facing the end of something difficult?  A job, a relationship, a ministry, a dream, or desire you had?  When Jesus died, it appeared to his disciples that everything they had hoped for also died.   And yet, what the two Mary’s are about to discover, is what they thought was the end, was in fact, just the beginning!   

With the large stone rolled away from the entrance to the tomb,the two women ventured inside.  And what did they find?  Not Jesus!  The Bible says they “were puzzled”.  I guess so!!!  Who wouldn’t be?  But, the angel said to them,   “Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Remember what he told you back in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again on the third day. Then they remembered that he had said this.  (Luke 24:6-9)  

Yesterday, I was just going about my day, when I remembered a promise God gave me many years ago. And yet, everything about my current circumstances would say, "Sistah, you got that one wrong".  You know what I mean?  I don't always hear God right. But, this morning, as I am studying this passage, I sense God's spirit telling me to "Be still and know I am God."  

Time will tell I guess.  How about you?  Are you willing to let some time go by before you give up on God's promise?  Can you let the vision of what you thought was going to happen die, and wait to see how God is going to resurrect it?  Maybe it will be when you least expect it?  Serendipitously!

Mary and Mary were both surprised and elated that Jesus was alive.  The Bible says that "they rushed back from the tomb to tell his eleven disciples—and everyone else—what had happened."  (Luke 24:9)  ,On this Easter morning, let’s allow ourselves to feel the excitement and wonder of the resurrection.  Let's not forget, but instead remember: 

• Let's remember the cross and the love of our Savior how endured so much so we could live.
• Let's remember the promises God has made to us.
• Let's remember to share what God has done for us with others.  

Death.... It's really scary!!

“Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them.

 He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain.

All these things are gone forever.”

Revelation 21:3b-4

I was with a group of My Sistah’s one night last week.  We had so much fun laughing and sharing a meal together.  Eventually the conversation centered on our favorite subject Jesus.  Unplanned as it was, each of us shared how our faith in Christ had been shaped, not through the good times, but through trials.  Losing loved ones, receiving life altering diagnoses, surviving betrayals…these were the things we thought would be the end of us, but later thanked God for. Why?  Because nothing can replace the assurance and blessing of knowing God alone brought you through a dark night into the light of a new day.  It changes your relationship with him, and it changes the way you look at the future.

How are you feeling about your future today?  I read a book once that said the Christian life is like a journey filled with hills and valleys. When standing on the hill, it’s so easy to look behind and see where we came and how we got there. Translated: we appreciate how God worked in the valley we just walked out of and marvel at the new perspective we have as a result. But when we are in the valley, our vision is short sighted and our perspective limited. Hill or Valley?

Maybe today, like me, you would say Valley.  It’s dark, it’s been a long trial, and you are wondering how much longer.  Well, Sistah…you’re not alone!!  Literally.  God is with us in whatever we are going through in the form of the Holy Spirit.  Like an engagement ring given to a bride before her wedding day, the Holy Spirit is something given to us when we say Yes to God.  Ephesians 1:13-14 says, “… When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance ….” (NIV)  As God's chosen bride, he promises to be with us from now into eternity.  He is right by our side no matter what!  (The modern Greek word for "deposit" is arrabon; when translated it means"engagement ring"!)

The Israelites were betrothed or engaged to God in Egypt.  Soon after, they camped in the wilderness and God’s presence joined them in the form of a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire at night.  The Bible says that they marched out of Egypt boldly.  However, their confidence quickly faded when God’s presence led them down a road that ended at the edge of the Red Sea.  With nowhere to turn, and Pharaoh and his army gaining ground behind them, they were hemmed in,  confused, and afraid of dying.   They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? (Exodus 14:10)  

Fear and anger can be a tough thing. This week I went to a doctor’s appointment with someone and listened as they received the difficult news they had very little time left to live.  Questioned were asked, options discussed, and we left the room wondering what to do next.  Sitting in the lobby of the doctor’s building, we did our best to offer support and encouragement.  But as the news settled in, emotions escalated and sadness quickly turned to anger.  Words were spoken that were difficult to hear and won’t easily be forgotten.  Like the Israelites, facing death led them to lash out at others.

How do we face the future, even death, without feeling out of control and afraid?  The other day, I thought of a hymn I used to sing in church.  ….”In the sweet by and by, we shall meet on that beautiful shore.”  The words are a reference to the Israelites  experience.  Because God parted the Red Sea, making a path across to the other side, they were able to unite on the opposite shore.  This event pictures a day in our future when all the trials of this world will be behind us, “by and by”, and we’ll get the chance to be reunited with loved ones who have gone before to heaven’s “beautiful shore.”  We face the future with confidence not fear, because God is with us and makes a way where there seems to be no way. 

The peace I have about-facing death isn’t something I’ve always had as a Christian.  Most of it came as a result of being with my older sister Debbie when she passed away about 15 years ago.  Debbie had Down’s Syndrome, and although I knew at a young age her life expectancy would be short, I wasn’t prepared when her health spiraled and the time drew near. 

Taking care of her those last few months of her life however ended up being such a precious experience.  Her childlike faith made her journey home easier for all of us.  We had long talks about heaven, who she would get to see and what it would be like.  When she was afraid, I would tell her, “Jesus will come and take you by the hand, it wont be scary.” 

The day she passed away, this is exactly what happened!  Bedridden, she had no energy, no ability to talk, and she slept most of the time.  My grandparents and I were at her bedside, waiting and watching.  But, suddenly, without any warning, she sat up in bed!  Her eyes were as big as any I had ever seen.  I began calling her name, asking if she needed anything.  It felt like I was invisible because she fixed her gaze at the ceiling and said, “Okay I am coming home… Ya I am coming home.  Okay, yes, I will come home”.  Then, she went limp, her body fell back into the bed and her heart stopped just a few hours later.

This experience was such a gift.  It strengthened my faith and eradicated any fear I had of dying. I know where my sister is, and I know where I am going:  Home.  What a “blessed assurance” that is!

~Laurel Bahr

Until the Veil is Lifted

I had the wonderful experience recently of reading the C. S. Lewis novel “Till We Have Faces” and was enthralled.  The story is a twist on the myth of Cupid and Psyche and seemed to me endless with deep analogy to the Christian experience.  The main character, Orual, wears a veil which both hides her ugliness and gives her a certain power among her people.  She has deep grievance against the gods and is allowed to come before them to present her complaint, after which she says:

 The complaint was the answer.  To have heard myself making it was to be answered.  Lightly men talk of saying what they mean.  Often when he was teaching me to write in Greek the Fox would say, “Child, to say the very thing you really mean, the whole of it, nothing more or less or other than what you really mean, that’s the whole art and joy of words.”  A glib saying.  When the time comes to you at which you will be forced at last to utter the speech which has lain at the center of your soul for years, which you have, all that time, idiot-like, been saying over and over, you’ll not talk about joy of words.  I saw well why the gods do not speak to us openly, nor let us answer.  Till that word can be dug out of us, why should they hear the babble that we think we mean?  How can they meet us face to face till we have faces?

This part tugged at my spirit and I pondered it for several days, puzzling over whether I fully comprehended the meaning. 

At the same time, I was conflicted spiritually over a personality flaw of mine that was rearing its ugly head.  I struggle at times with criticism (of self and others), over-sensitivity, and the need for approval which lately and especially from teenage children seems very elusive.  I have confessed my sin of looking for approval anywhere but to God; I have committed to always place him first; I have prayed for the Spirit to change my heart; I have deplored and repented of my self-centeredness; and I have cursed hormones.  And yet in certain situations, I continue to react as I always have done and feel trapped in this pattern. 

Romans 12 tells me to “no longer be conformed to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of my mind”  and I truly want to.  I know that means knowing His Word and letting its truth renew my thinking and attitude.  It means rejecting the old patterns and letting His Spirit transform me into a new person.  Seeking more insight on how to be transformed, I was led to 2 Cor. 3:11

“But whenever a man turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.  Now the Spirit is the Lord and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is Liberty.  But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.”

Wow, insight for my current struggle, but also light on the subject of  the book.  How can we meet God face to face until we have faces?  Some might accuse God of facelessness, but it is we who hide behind a veil.  We cannot truly see God with the veil down, nor do we let God see us. Orual hid her ugliness behind a veil which both protected her and imparted a sense of power.  We have been doing the same since our beginnings in the Garden.

 A beautiful aspect of our spiritual union with Christ is to know and be known, fully, face-to-face.  God comes to us and reveals his face to us in Christ.   Only in Christ is our veil taken away.  When we come to Him to lift our veil, we express a willingness to trust and find our protection in Him alone, forsaking all others, even ourselves.  In His face we see beauty, power, truth, honor, faithfulness and all that is good.  We see the Lord’s love and acceptance written all over his face.  As we look to Christ, we begin to reflect his glory, little by little, and as our ugliness begins to fade and we are transformed more and more into his image, becoming the bride he chose from the beginning.

~ Jan Seirensen

Bridal Veils

 “Since we have confidence to enter 

the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 

by a new and living way opened for us through the veil, that is, his body…

let us draw near to God with a sincere heart

 and with the full assurance that faith brings”

Hebrews 10:19-22a

Many weddings include old and new traditions. Did you know in the past it was a tradition for the bride to carry a bouquet of garlic that supposedly protected her from evil? Can you imagine a bride reeking of garlic as she walked down the aisle? Swapping that tradition with carrying a bouquet of fragrant flowers is definitely a good change.  One beautiful old tradition that is still included in many weddings is the bridal veil.  Only after the vows are said is the groom allowed to lift the veil and kiss the bride.

The biblical story of Isaac and Rebekah’s wedding includes a bridal veil.  Since Abraham could not find a suitable match for his son locally, he sent his chief servant to search for and select a bride for Isaac. The servant’s prayer was answered when he found Rebekah. Not only was she beautiful and from the right family, she was willing to come with him and be married to a man she had only heard about, never seen.  After a long journey, Isaac was spotted in the distance. Rebekah “took her veil and covered herself” so he could not see her until after the wedding.  The veil acted as a separation between Rebekah and Isaac until they knew each other intimately as husband and wife. 

(Genesis 24:42-66).

The story of Isaac and Rebekah foreshadows the wedding God the Father has planned for his son Jesus.  Like the chief servant did for Rebekah, the Holy Spirit moves those who are willing towards intimacy with Jesus. When we accept Him as our Savior, we become His and gain full access to Him.  He also wants full access to us, but sometimes we keep part of our hearts veiled. 

My husband John and I recently celebrated our 11th anniversary. We used to joke that no matter how long we were married, we would still be newlyweds.   But the honeymoon can’t last forever.  Time together and with God has revealed some deep recesses in our hearts we had covered with veils.  We had a choice whether to keep these barriers up, to hide behind them, or tear them down and allow ourselves to be fully known.  I have to admit, it has not been easy, but we have gained a new appreciation for each other. We understand each other better and have a deeper level of intimacy.  I am glad we aren't newlyweds. (Even though we act like it at times).

What gets in the way of our intimacy with Jesus?  Sometimes it’s little things, like being too busy to spend time alone with Him, or not involving Him in our decisions and plans. Other times, we back away from close relationship because we feel guilty and fearful of being exposed, or don’t want to stop doing something we know is wrong. We may even be disappointed by the way our life has turned out, and feel He doesn't care that much for us after all.  

Are any of these veils keeping you from intimacy with Jesus? What would it take to convince you that He is worthy of your time, your loyalty, and your trust?

God also used to wear a veil as a barrier, dividing us from Him.  In the temple, a thick curtain separated the outer sanctuary from the Holy of Holies, where God’s presence resided.  Only the high priest was allowed to enter, and only once a year.  Jesus made an incredible sacrifice to remove that barrier.  At the moment when He, hanging on the cross, gave up His spirit, “the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split.” (Matthew 27:51) God shook the earth, split the rocks, and broke the heart of His Son so you could be close to Him.  

Is that enough to convince you that He deserves full access to your heart? Jesus, like a gentleman, allows you to choose whether or not to be close to Him. Like my choice to move towards deeper relationship with John, like Rebekah's choice to leave everything she knew and marry Isaac, you can choose to remain at a distance or draw close to Him.

Will you choose to lift the veil that is keeping you from intimacy with Jesus?

­~ Billene Westerman

Telling our Stories- Shame & Healing

You will again have compassion on us.
You will overcome our wrongdoing.
You will throw all our sins into the deep sea.
Micah 7:19

I asked Jesus to be my Savior when I was in the 4th grade. I loved Him and knew He loved me. But in high school, I got swept up in the world of fun and boys. I passed up a scholarship to college and married my high school boyfriend instead. Ten years later, the marriage ended in a painful divorce. Instead of turning to God, I sought love and acceptance from others. This led to a decision I deeply regret.

The + on a home pregnancy test gave me the news. When I called my boyfriend, he said not to tell anyone and wait until the weekend to talk about our plans. Over the next two days, I daydreamed about our future together. With this news, I just knew that he was going to propose. The song “Love Will Keep Us Together” was my constant theme.  But Friday night came and reality hit. The man I hoped to marry had made some plans of his own to take care of the “problem”.  An appointment was already scheduled for the following Friday. He would pay for everything and take care of me over the weekend. I only had to take one day off work.  His smooth talk and my fear of his rejection convinced me this was for the best. 

The following Friday came; I wanted to run. Instead, I followed through with his plan. I had an abortion. I cried about it all weekend. I remember soaking in a hot bath, sobbing - drowning in regret, loss, grief and shame. Even the prescription pain pills could not take away my heartache. When I tried to share my pain with my boyfriend, he insisted we not talk about it. It was in the past now and there was no reason to bring it up…ever. So I buried the pain and shame deep inside.  I successfully hid the fact that I had an abortion, eventually even from myself. This became a “truth” so deep that if asked, I honestly could tell you I never had one. I believed it.

I ran fast and furious down the path of life to suppress the memory. I got a second job.  I found something to do every night. Keeping busy masked my pain, but I would lay awake late at night contemplating suicide, and not know why. My secret sin lay deep in my heart, completely covered over with the cloak of shame, guilt, regret and fear.

A second failed marriage brought me back to the God I knew as a child. He became my one true love who would never leave me or forsake me. I began allowing God access to my heart. God is patient and a gentleman. He waits for us to partner with Him. He does not force us to deal with anything we are not ready to see.

Twenty-three years later...I had grown to trust Gods love for me. I prayed for His guidance and experienced new peace and joy. Still, I struggled with some recurring problems I couldn't seem to shake. I often over-reacted emotionally, would get hurt easily and become defensive.  I ran from confrontation. I felt rejected over little differences of opinion.  Something in my heart needed healing.

God used my growing self-awareness to remove the cloak that covered my shameful past.  He lovingly brought to my remembrance the painful choice I had made. My abortion was fully exposed because God wanted me to experience forgiveness. He gave me the courage to share it with my husband and one of my “Sistahs”. Instead of the feared rejection, I was accepted and encouraged to seek healing. God directed my steps to a local post-abortion ministry.  As I shared my story with others in the group, I experienced compassion and love. And guess what else? I re-discovered my voice!  I am able to talk about my abortion now. God has forgiven my sin and healed this pain of my past.

So why would I share this part of my story with you?  It's not easy, but I want God to use it to encourage you to seek healing no matter what you've done. I am thankful that He set me free from the guilt and shame of my sin. What He did for me, He can do for you!

~Billine Westerman

What Not to Wear Part 2

Are you drawn to “before” and “after” pictures?  I am.  Maybe it’s because they give me hope that I can be transformed! I like the TV show What Not to Wear for this reason.  The two hosts, Clinton and Stacy, find an average woman who needs help with her appearance and surprise her with a complete head to toe makeover. I find it entertaining that these women often think they have it “going on” in the fashion department, despite what’s obvious to everybody else.  Stacy and Clinton, with a little humor and a large dose of truth, begin by giving her a reality check about her choice of clothes. They say things like, “that short skirt is sending the wrong message”…or “this big shirt hides your cute figure”.  After showing her what NOT to wear, they show her the styles that would enhance her identity and offer her a $5000 shopping spree.  But before she can shop for her new wardrobe, she has to throw away all of her old clothes!  Surprisingly, she might be reluctant to part with her outdated styles, or might break the new fashion rules when left to shop on her own.  By the end of the show, she has discarded the unattractive “before” look and surprises her family and friends with a beautiful “after”.

Each of us have a similar story; there’s a “before” we met Christ, and an “after”.  We have experienced a spiritual makeover with a new wardrobe, a robe of righteousness.  But we don’t always feel righteous.  Sometimes instead we feel humiliated and embarrassed by our pasts.  The Bible refers to this as Shame.

• Shame can be a result of things done to us.  If you have experienced any form of physical, emotional, or sexual abuse, it is not uncommon to feel in some way it was your fault.  This can lead to shame.
• We can also experience shame when things are done for us.  It’s not always easy to receive help.  If you've ever stood in a line for food, clothing, or housing assistance, you may be familiar with what it feels like to despise your neediness and feel shame.
• Finally, shame can be a result of things done by us; things we live to regret. For example, our past sins may lead us to feel shame. Many women who have had an abortion or struggle with overeating know what this feels like.  And although there are consequences for sin, when we put on shame it is the wrong thing to wear. 

Are you struggling with feelings of shame from things in your past?  If so, God wants to help remove that and instill in you a confidence that you are loved despite your past. 

Israel struggled with shame and insecurity, even though loved and chosen by God to be His bride.   Her shame was a result of things done to her in Egypt;  in her youth she had been a victim of slavery.  But, later Israel experienced shame by something done by her; she committed adultery by following after other gods.  In both cases, God reassured her of his faithfulness to her as her husband.  “Fear not; you will no longer live in shame.  Don’t be afraid; there is no more disgrace for you.  You will no longer remember the shame of your youth (Egypt) and the sorrows of widowhood (Idolatry). For your Creator will be your husband; the LORD of Heaven’s Armies is his name!" (Isaiah 54: 4-6)  God didn’t want Israel to live in shame. 

Like many of you, I didn’t know that I had a problem with shame.  It was actually quite a surprise that shame and pain from rejection early in my childhood were at the root of some emotional problems I was experiencing as an adult.  I experienced freedom when I confessed the feelings of pain and shame to God, just like I would confess my sin.  

Isaiah 53 4-5 says, Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted.  5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.  

Have you ever thought of bringing Jesus your pain and suffering and asking him to carry it for you?  So many things are just too big for us to handle.  But he can and wants to…be our Savior in every sense of the word.

The Cinderella fairy tale provides such a vivid picture of  what this experience can be like.   Like so many women, Cinderella was dressed in shame from abuse, transformed and seen for her true beauty, but then returned to her gown of slavery.  She was unconvinced the Prince would love her if he knew her past.  But   Prince Charming searched for Cinderella, and when he saw her in her true condition, he still loved her.

That’s like Jesus…He’s seen our true beauty and is not content to watch us cover it up with shame.  He will pursue us until we allow Him to place the lost slipper back on our foot and live like the royalty we are.  It doesn't matter what people say about us, or how we feel, what matters is the truth God speaks.  He says in Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

             

Far too many of us Sistahs are feeling dirty, worthless and ashamed of ourselves.  It’s no way to live!  Not when Jesus has already taken the punishment, pain and shame on your behalf, and keeps pursuing you.

What are you choosing to wear that doesn't belong in your wardrobe anymore?  Are you feeling shame about something done to you (you were a victim of domestic violence, you experienced sexual abuse as a child, your husband left for someone else, you were fired from your job, you weren't liked by your peers), by you (you cheated on your taxes, had an abortion, lied about a friend, gossiped), or for you (needed help to pay rent, went on public assistance)?  Take some time today, get alone in prayer, and imagine Jesus on the cross.  Can you picture His face?  Set that shawl of shame you've wrapped around your life at the foot of the cross, and ask Him to take it.  His suffering accomplished more than forgiving your sin – He also came to give you a happily-ever-after with Him.  If the slipper fits, wear it!

 

~ Marsha Craig and Laurel Bahr

What Not to Wear

Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! 
For the wedding of theLamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready
 Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.
Rev 19:7-8

My son Kenney's wedding is two months away, and I am already on the hunt for the perfect "mother of the groom" dress. This is something I didn’t do when getting ready for my daughter’s wedding and lived to regret it.  We put so much time and attention to the details of the wedding itself, but when it came to my dress, I settled for one I came across at Ross.  It was a Calvin Cline…not bad…I liked the style and color all right.  And hey, it was only $25.00!  I tucked it in my closet assured of the fact I would lose the 10lb I figured would be required to have it fit properly. The problem was, I didn’t lose the weight.  Trying it on wedding day morning, I was more than a little concerned how tight it was….but I took a deep breath, sucked it in,  and got the zipper up.  All day I was praying it would hold.  Well, it didn’t!  10 minutes before I was to be escorted down the isle to my seat, I felt the zipper give way.  I dashed to the bathroom, pulled it off, and gingerly tried to get the zipper working again.  Luckily, it went back together.  I packed myself back into the dress, draped my shawl around my back, and headed down the isle!  Can you say “Stressful!!”

Here's a picture of the dress I ordered online for Kenney's wedding. It's pretty structured, but I love the jacket, and the pearl necklace Mike gave me should go perfectly with my new “wedding suit.” Wedding clothes are important; I’ve learned the hard way they aren’t something to figure out at the last minute.

My clothing malfunction reminds me of the parable of a wedding banquet told by Jesus:  “But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. He asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?’ The man was speechless. Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’” Without Jesus righteousness covering our sin, the Bible says that we fall short of God’s holy standard even if we are good people.  We won’t be “dressed” in the right clothes when we stand before God’s throne.

How sure are you that you have the right clothes?  My friend Marsha works as a hospice nurse and has witnessed many people dying.  The most heartbreaking was a man who was difficult to please but warmed his way into her heart.  He declined a chaplain and prayer because he was not “religious”.  When he was close to death, he cried out “I can’t get in, I can’t get in!” with a desperate look on his face.  She left his home with a heavy heart, wondering if he realized too late, that he was not prepared.

How do we make sure we are prepared for the wedding banquet God has prepared?   The Bible says that at salvation, a miraculous spiritual makeover takes place. Jesus takes on all our sins, sorrow and shame and in exchange we are given his righteous standing before God.  We are given a picture of this in Zechariah 3:4: “Take off (her) filthy clothes...“See, I have taken away your sins, and now I am giving you these fine new clothes.”  Fine linen was what a Jewish bride or groom wore during the days the Bible was written. Mentioned 105 times in scripture, fine linen symbolizes holiness, righteousness and virtue.   This is the spiritual clothing that God has given us to wear; we don’t have to earn it, just put it on.

If you could stand in front of a spiritual mirror, what do you think your clothes would look like? Have you ever asked God to forgive your sins?  Have you told Jesus that you believe he was God’s only Son that died on the cross for you, and confessed him as your Lord and Savior?  If you have, then God wants you to rejoice, knowing that you have the righteous clothing that you need: “I am overwhelmed with joy in the Lord my God! For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness.  I am like a bridegroom in his wedding suit or a bride with her jewels."  Isaiah 61:10-11; NLT