Month: October 2015

Categories
PWTE Daily Devotion

Clothing That Reveals WHO We Are

Bent's Fort, La Junta, Colorado

One day we will see the clothing of Christ that covers us.

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

All who are victorious will be clothed in white. 
I will never erase their names from the Book of Life,
but I will announce before my Father and his angels that they are mine.
Revelation 3:5 New Living Translation

I don’t know much about military uniforms, but I do know that they signify a person’s status. This uniform hangs in St. Vrain’s room which sits on top of Bent’s Fort. Visitors often stayed in his room when he was away on business.

Bent's Fort, La Junta, Colorado
Bent’s Fort, La Junta, Colorado

Lieutenant James Abert used his room while recovering from an illness at the fort. He was a topographical engineer surveying the west for the U.S. Army. Wearing his uniform at Bent’s Fort communicated his status to others.

We Christians are often accused of looking like everyone else and not communicating our true status as children of God. We lie, cheat and steal like the rest of society.

Sin has soiled our clothing and reveals that we are broken like all of humanity (Romans 3:23), but we also know that we wear the garments of Christ’s righteousness this side of the grave (Galatians 3:27). We are both sinners and saints. This is not an excuse to steal, cheat and lie. There is no excuse. God calls us to be vigilant in our attempts lead a godly life.

We are called to speak the truth in love.

We are called to live with integrity.

We are called to defend our neighbor’s property.

We know that we often fail in our calling, and so we daily return to the cross. We daily return to our loving Savior’s arms for forgiveness.

As we stay vigilant through the power of the Holy Spirit, we know that one day God will reveal our true clothing for all to see. People will see the purity of Christ’s clothing covering us. Through this clothing we’ll enter the feast of the Bridegroom.

I know that you and I are frustrated with how we act, but may we take heart that in the end, those who remain faithful will see their true clothing.

Copyright Douglas P Brauner

Categories
Discipleship

Here Comes the Bridegroom – by Christine Joy

Christ will come in power to receive his bride.

We, as Christians, are waiting for Jesus to come back, to take us all home. His Triumphant Return! That has such an auspicious ring to it. As Joel 2:1 and 11 says, “Blow a trumpet in Zion; sound an alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming; it is near, For the day of the Lord is great and very awesome; who can endure it?” And how about Matthew 24:30-31: “Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”

God in His full glory coming to earth: Judgment Day. Sounds quite terrifying- even for us Christians. God’s power always and appropriately strikes fear in the hearts of all mankind. While this is very much true, I need to remember something else from the Bible. Then the picture changes.

WeddingGod has given us the depiction of a bridegroom and bride to represent Jesus Christ and His church. Song of Solomon is full of the passionate love they have for each other. Many times the Bible references the excitement and joy a bridegroom has when he leaves his chamber to go get his bride and bring her to his home. That picture – of an eager bridegroom – crosses all cultures and time. We can envision what his face might look like- helplessly grinning; the deep love for his bride quickening his step. How he doesn’t really see anyone else but her. We get it. Do we see that this is the picture God also wants us to have when His Son comes to get us to be with Him forever?

Jesus’ Return will be glorious- full of power and might and thunder and glory and trembling. But it will also be driven by a bridegroom whose face is full of love and fervor and excitement to get His bride – you and me – and bring us home.

Copyright Christine Joy

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Christine Joy is Midwest raised with a Colorado heart. Her four children have recently emptied the nest and her husband says they are “back where they started”. She is continuing her love of Bible Study while exploring her interest in writing.

Categories
PWTE Daily Devotion

Finding Rest in a Violent World

Bent's Old Fort, La Junta, Colorado

God calls us to find our rest from this violent world in Jesus.

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

Return, O my soul, to your rest; for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you.
Psalm 116:7 English Standard Version

Many dangers confronted travelers on the Santa Fe trail. What do you do when your wagon wheel breaks? What do you do when food and water are scarce? What do you do when someone threatens your life?

Bent's Old Fort, La Junta, Colorado
Bent’s Old Fort, La Junta, Colorado

The sight of Bent’s Fort comforted these travelers. They knew that they would rest once they were safely behind the walls of the fort. In the safety of the fort they wouldn’t worry about their wagon, food or other dangers. Yes, the fort had its struggles otherwise the small prison would have been unnecessary, yet people could trust that the structure of the community would deal with these problems unlike their journey outside the walls.

The psalmist who wrote Psalm 116 had been saved from death. He sings that the cords of death had entangled him (v. 3). He knew of the dangers that humanity faces in a fallen world, and so do we.

Where do our souls find rest on our pilgrimage? They find their rest in Christ who conquered the storms of life by being consumed by these storms on his cross. He was separated from his Father that we might know rest in God. He was pulled away from the fellowship of others that we might find rest in the community of those he declares to be saints.

The world in which we live is a violent place. Some of us, if not many of us, reading this blog have experienced the cords of death wrapped tightly around our feet, yet God gives us rest. It is God who has redeemed us this side of the grave and who will save us when he declares that it is time for this brutal world to see his Son in all of his glory.

May we, along with the psalmist, declare that we are God’s servants (v. 16), servants who know that he is our resting place.

Copyright Douglas P Brauner