It So Desires

It is one of the most erotic pieces of literature in the world, this romance novel. But you won't find it on the shelf of a used paperback book store. It's in the Bible. It's called the Song of Solomon or the Song of Songs. Our boy King Solomon wrote it for one of his 700 wives (yes, 700, the crazy man). She was the daughter of a prince, a dark-skinned Shulamite who cared for vineyards. And Solomon was obviously deeply in love and lust for this woman. So much so that he wrote eight chapters of mushy love in the form of a play or dialogue between himself, his bride and friends. And boy oh boy is it sexy. Now scholars will tell you this is a symbolic representation of Christ and the church - and perhaps it is - but you cannot hide the sexually suggestive verbiage. Here's a few just to give you an example:

"Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth." 1:2
"My lover is to me a sachet of myrrh resting between my breasts." 1:13
"His left arm is under my head, and his right arm embraces me." 2:3
"How beautiful you are my darling! Oh how beautiful." 4:1
"Awake, north wind, and come, south wind! Blow on my garden, that its fragrance may spread abroad. Let me lover come into his garden and taste its choice fruits." 4:16
"My lover thrust his hand through the latch opening; my heart began to pound for him." 5:4
"His mouth is sweetness itself; he is altogether lovely." 5:16
"I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine." 6:3
"Your stature is like that of the palm, and your breasts like clusters of fruit. I said, 'I will climb the palm tree; and take hold of its fruit.'" 7:8

I mean, hubba hubba. Hard to see the Christ/church representation in that. It's romantic, sexy love right there. You want to turn on your spouse, just read a few of those! Daddy likes to listen to the Bible when he's going to and from work. He says if he's listening to the Song of Solomon, it makes him want to rush home.

Now there are a few verses that I have to giggle at, simply because they aren't quite as romantic as the others, like: "Your hair is like a flock of goats descending from Mount Gilead. Your teeth are like a flock of sheep, just shorn," (4:1-2) That won't get you panting. But they make for good comic relief in an otherwise "better take a cold shower" poem tucked in the center of the Bible.

We bring the Song of Solomon up for a couple of reasons. First, to show you how exquisite these words of love are found right in the pages of Scripture, thus of great importance to our Father; and second, for you to remember how beautiful sex is in a marriage. This is divine guidance at its amorous best. So delight in God's words through Solomon. It's part of the Bible for a reason.

And with that, I'm going to go find my beloved. I have some Scripture to read to him.

Discussion: What do you think of the Song of Solomon? If this is a representation of Christ's relationship with the church, can you point to a few verses in the Song of Solomon that describe this?

Prayer: Father, we thank you for your beautiful creation of marriage and love making in it. May be always delight in one another ... and in your Word. In Christ we pray, Amen.

Transplanted

I transferred a bush from the front of our house to the back. It wasn't my favorite shrub. A boxwood, it was floundering in its location. So I moved it to the back yard and placed an  azalea in its place. The azalea is thriving. The boxwood dried up and died. It just did not like its new location. Not enough sun? Not enough water? Wrong soil? Too far gone before relocating to its new location? I'm not sure why it didn't make it, but the transplanting didn't work.

You couples may do a lot of transplanting location wise in your marriage. Brad and I have moved many times in our marriage, so we know what it's like to pack up everything and relocate. And it's not fun. While there are always challenges in a move, you can choose to make it work or flounder in your new location. We talked Dec. 29 about the importance of making your home just that, but we wanted to mention somethings to keep in mind should you ever relocate to make the transition smoother.

1) Find a church. Do this as soon as possible. When you are away from family, your church becomes that for you. You may have to do some "church shopping" during those first few weeks or months in a relocation, but finding a church home will make your acclimation to a new area so much smoother.

2) Get involved. You can do this in the church your find, but also find ways to get involved in your community. It will help you get to know the locals and fall in love with your new area. Some places have Newcomers Clubs which are great for making new friends and learning about an area.

3) Prior to moving, get all the information you need about getting a driver's license; connecting utilities and auto, home or renters insurance. Learn about time limits on acquiring official documentation.

4) Find the library. Aside from using the resources there, often you will get information on local events or connect groups.

5) Treat your move like a vacation and explore. See all the local attractions. This will be beneficial when you have out of town guests and want to take them to see the sites.

6) Talk to the locals to get advice on handymen, auto repairs, pest control, seasonal information, hole-in-the-wall restaurants and stores.

7) Become a fan. What's the local high school, college or pro team to support. Get a T-shirt, attend a game or event and start cheering.

8) Look at everyone around you as your new best friend ... cause they just might be.

These are just a few tips. The transition will not be easy. And our advice is to always give a move 365 days so that you can really get to know and love an area. You don't want to isolate yourself, dry up and shrivel like our boxwood. Dig those roots in and grow! You may find that you love every location the Father takes you to ... as we have.

Discussion: How do you feel about moving out of state or out of the country? When you've moved before, how long did it take you to get acclimated to the new area? What tips have you found helpful in relocating. Tell about the blessings of a new location.

Prayer: Father we have no idea what the future holds for Rob, Ayla, Tone and Kayla. You may have them moving to different locations or settled in one area for their whole marriage. Whatever your plans for them, we pray they thrive, grow and blossom! In Jesus, Amen.

A Wedding For The Ages

It's the greatest wedding in history. All the faithful have gathered to attend. This wedding has been anticipated for thousands of years. The bride is adorned, "clothed with fine linen, bright and pure" (Rev. 19:8). The groom - a King - is marrying the bride He has loved with everything He has ... even His life (Eph 5:25). The bride is the church - the faithful who believe Christ is the Son of God, sent to die for their sins, who rose again. The betrothal took place the moment Christ hung on the cross and rose again. The wedding will take place when He returns to gather us all to Him. "Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready." (Rev. 19:7) It will be the wedding for the ages. All will rejoice in this marriage. "Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty thunderpeals, crying out. 'Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.'" (Rev. 19:7)

That's what today is all about ... knowing that we, the betrothed, have that beautiful marriage to look forward to. It was on this day nearly 2,000 years ago, that Christ got on one knee and proposed, asking, "Do you believe?" "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not perish but may have eternal life."  Our response according to Paul in the book of Romans 10:9: "If you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." 

Jesus is Lord! He is risen! I do! I do believe!

It is the greatest "I do" you can ever say.

Ayla and Kayla (and now my sweet niece, Lindsey) have all said "yes" to their fiances. The "I do" will take place for all six of you within the next 17 months. What rejoicing will take place! So when you are standing there before one another, pledging to love "as long as you both shall live," know what gravity is placed on that vow. Because Christ has made the same vow. Your earthly marriage is truly a symbol of what the greatest marriage of all will be. So honor it. Cherish it. Delight in it. Work for it. Proclaim the beauty in it. Be faithful to it. Share the joy of it. Let what you do on your wedding day and throughout your marriage be an example of the bright and pure wedding yet to come of the Lamb and His bride.

As the lyrics of Holy (Wedding Day) by The City Harmonic say:

This is the story of the Son of God
Hanging on the cross for me
But it ends with a bride and groom
And a wedding by a glassy sea
O death where is your sting
Cause I'll be there singing
Holy Holy Holy
Is the Lord

This is the story of a bride in white
Waiting on her wedding day
Anticipation welling up inside
While the groom is crowned as king
O death where is your sting
Cause we'll be there singing
Holy Holy Holy is the Lord

Holy Holy Holy Holy Holy Holy
Is the Lord Almighty
Holy Holy Holy Holy Holy Holy
Is the Lord Almighty
Who was and is and is to come
Who was and is and is to come

Praise to the King of Kings! We adore You! Holy, Holy, Holy! Praise and honor and glory and power forever and ever! (Rev. 5:13) Καλή ημέρα του γάμου! (Happy Wedding Day - in Greek, the language of the book of Revelation and nearly all the New Testament). And Happy Easter! He is risen indeed!

Discussion: How important is the comparison of your wedding to that of Christ and the Church to you? Have you answered the question, "Do you believe?" giving yourself over to the Bridegroom?

Prayer: Glory to you Father God, who loves us so! How blessed we are to be so loved! Thank you for your mercy, patience, grace and perfect Son, Jesus Christ! We rejoice with all the angels in Heaven and proclaim the great mystery of faith, "Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again." We praise you in Jesus's name, Amen.

Venue Sweet Venue

We have a venue! Praise the Lord! What a load off that is! To know that you have found a beautiful location on the Manatee River not far from your apartment where you can have both your wedding and reception in the same place is convenient and comforting. It incorporates what you both love: Ayla near the water and Rob near the boats in the marina. With gulls and pelicans flying by, this will be a lovely place to stand before our Lord and say your vows, then celebrate as the sun sets behind.

There is lots to love about this location aside from its proximity to your home and the beautiful riverside location. There is also the organization of the banquet hall, its layout designed to accommodate weddings, nice-sized dance floor, bride's dressing room, excellent food (very important to you both) and large deck for an outdoor ceremony (not to mention a Plan B location indoors if it rains). And the fact that it comes with a wedding coordinator! Ahhhh, I know you both as full-time employees and your parents who are far away are grateful to God that we have found such a perfect full-service place.

There may be some folks who say, "But it's not a church." To that we would ask, "What is the church?" If the church is not a building, but rather a gathering of souls who love and worship the Father, then we should have the church covered. Plus with your Daddy doing the ceremony, God will be all over this. We will praise His name and lift Him high. If there are folks there who do not have a relationship with Christ, they will certainly hear about Him that day.

May this location be a holy place where God blesses your union, where He will be glorified, where you will have a sweet celebration and precious memories. Add where you can come back and reminisce and celebrate future anniversaries. 

Discussion: What are some hopes you have for your wedding/reception location? What are ways you planning to make this location a holy place for your nuptials?

Prayer: Father, we thank you for this beautiful place where in less than 10 months, Rob and Ayla will be united together in You. We pray for your Holy Spirit to be present and to bless not only Rob and Ayla but all who attend and the location itself. We also ask for prayers for those who will set up, prepare food, clean up, decorate and the coordinator who pulls it all together. In Jesus, Amen.

Is it Sunday?

This summer a friend and I were talking about the importance of going to church on Sunday. She said when her kids would get up on Sunday morning they would ask, "Are we going to church today?" to which their dad would respond, "Is it Sunday?" In other words, it is Sunday morning and this is what we do every Sunday morning, so yeah, we're going.

We feel the exact same way. It is a priority. It's not something we do if we feel like it, or if it fits the schedule, or if we're not tired or if it's Easter or Christmas. We go every single Sunday, typically even when we're on vacation. Not out of obligation or guilt. We go out of necessity. We go because we want to worship our Lord. We want to be connected with other Christians who love the Lord. We want to hear the Word preached, praise Him in song and learn whatever we can about the Father, Son and Holy Spirit on this journey. It's a recharge to face the rest of the week. It's not a club to visit or stay in, but rather a empowerment of sorts.

We were talking about this recently in a Bible class. We commented that the reason people like cellphones is they can take them with them everywhere they go. However, they have to be charged. So you plug them in. Once they're good and juiced up, you are back on your way, good to go. It's the same with church. You take Christ with you wherever you go, but you've got to be recharged.

We've heard the story many times about the pastor who visited a man who lived in the church's neighborhood but never came to church. The man said he could worship at home just fine. The pastor walked over to a fire in the hearth and removed a coal from it, setting it aside. The coal went out. He then returned the coal to the fire and it lit bright again. The pastor left, and the man went to church the following Sunday and thereafter. We need to be spiritually fed and worship the Lord surrounded by other Christians to have that fire lit in our souls and keep it lit. For those who say they don't want to go to church because it's full of hypocrites, we say, "There is always room for one more." The church is full of repenting sinners trying daily to do better. Can you become a better hunter if you never go into the woods? For you two, a better analogy: can you become a better cook if you're never in the kitchen?

Today is the first Sunday you two have been able to worship together in a long time. We know you love your church, hear a great message each week, worship fully and love the Lord. And we know you both notice on the weeks you don't go, what a void there is in the week.

We pray worship will always be a priority for you. The psalmist tells us "Better is one day in your courts, than a thousand elsewhere" (Psalm 84:10). Is it Sunday? Then it's time for church.

Discussion: Do you think weekly worship is important? What is it you like about church? What do you miss when you don't go?

Prayer: Lord, to lift our voices in song and Your name in praise is such an honor and joy. Lord we pray we are always inspired to want to come to Your house to learn, grow and love. We love you. In Jesus name, Amen.