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- Written by: Don Goulding
Your eyes will see the king in his beauty and view a land that stretches afar. (Isaiah 33:17) (NIV)
Jesus is the source of beauty. Luminous purple nebulas reach through space, and transparent feathery creatures swim in the sea, because the King of beauty made them. A beautiful Creator spoke beautiful worlds into existence.
Ezekiel, Daniel, and John tried to describe their revelations of Jesus on his throne. He was fiery, rainbow shrouded, stallion mounted, and glowing like the sun in its glory. For those already in paradise, Jesus is the center of every fascination. If we’re able to get any words out when we see his face, I’m sure we’ll stammer, “beautiful.”
The tragedy of Jesus redefined perfect beauty. He came from an unflawed existence into our world to perform the most heroic deed in all of history. Though he possessed everything, he lay desecrated under the foot of men. God called this unprecedented humility beautiful when he raised Jesus to the throne at his right hand. The final splendor of the risen Christ is more awesome than the first, because his obedience is proven by voluntary sacrifice.
It’s my destiny to share this new beauty of Jesus. I was made to reflect God’s dignity, but sin got in the way. Body, mind, and spirit were corrupted. I became ugly. Now I have a second chance to follow Jesus into overcomer’s beauty.
Adopt trust in the face of hardship, and that’s beautiful. Give to others when you yourself are hard pressed, and that’s beautiful. Overcomer’s beauty is forged in turmoil. Overcomer’s beauty is what our risen Lord shines from his throne next to God, and it’s what we will share through eternity.
Prayer: Jesus, help me be beautiful as you are beautiful.
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- Written by: Don Goulding
And let us take thought of how to spur one another on to love and good works, not abandoning our own meetings, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and even more so because you see the day drawing near. Hebrews 10:24-25
If you invite me to your house for dinner, I’ll be delighted. If you say, “Please, don’t bring your wife, we really don’t like that woman,” I will decline.
My wife is my greatest treasure, and where I go, she goes. We’re a package deal.
The church is the bride of Christ, the apple of his eye. We can’t say we love Jesus, but want nothing to do with his bride. Jesus and his church go together.
People in the church are hypocritical. I should know because I’m one of the hypocrites. We say things that offend, and we judge unfairly. The bride of Christ has warts. But we cannot commune with Jesus Christ and run from his betrothed.
My responsibility is to find a fellowship of believers that needs my spiritual gifts, and bind myself to them in body, mind, and soul. I need to stick it out through good times and bad, even when they offend, or we disagree about noncore doctrine.
I’m not perfect, and neither are church goers or leaders. We need to help each other beautify the bride for the return of the groom. Time is of the essence.
May I invite you to dinner? It’s actually a banquet. It’s the wedding celebration of the Lamb (Rev. 19:9). Jesus will be there, as will his bride. I hope you say yes.
Prayer: Holy Groom, use me to prepare your bride.
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- Written by: Don Goulding
In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of Godʼs angels over one sinner who repents. (Luke 15:10)
Gaunt buffalos flaunted their holy status by heedlessly blocking rickshaw traffic. Arching palms cordoned flooded rice paddies, and in the center of it all, a purple and red tent fluttered over hundreds of worshipers in Andhra Pradesh, India.
Dani noted that during all our time in India she never saw duplication between saris. On this day, the ladies didn’t hold back on their vermilion, chartreuse, and tangerine. Worship music pulsed with the rattle of metallic shakers and the thromb of a lap drum.
“You, and not the many shrines around you, are the temples of God. Let Jesus cleanse you now, so God can enter his temple.” As I spoke, the Holy Spirit ignited the crowd.
At the invitation, the entire congregation came forward and mouthed prayers of repentance. Tears ran and they pressed up on their toes, closer to God. There is nothing so pure, so attractive as a repentant heart, and here were hundreds.
Repentance cracks a whip that purges my temple of pride. It drives out the rabble of self-rule to leave me cleansed, quiet, and sacred again. It’s into this space that the Spirit of Jesus rushes.
Humility, not great features, and brokenness, not firm skin, are the marks of true beauty. The repentant heart is an irresistible attraction to jubilant angels. The human that admits errors and lays down earthly claims is such a rarity that Yahweh ranges the earth seeking them. When he finds these precious ones, he proclaims a celebration in heaven. And I know he found plenty in India that day.
Prayer: King Jesus, make me beautiful in your sight through repentance.