Though I am loathe to admit it, my daughter rose from bed at 04:00 to witness the nuptials of Prince William and one Kathryn Middleton. I am given to understand that approximately 1 billion of her fellow humans did likewise. I appreciate the “romance” of the proceedings, and I understand – at some marginally intellectual level – the ‘draw’ to these events, but frankly, I can’t be bothered. This isn’t because I am not a romantic (I’m not), and it isn’t because I could care less about ‘royalty’ (I can’t). It isn’t even because I can’t stand what qualifies as “newsworthy” any longer (I can’t). So, why can’t I be bothered by this grand event? Simply put, because this isn’t the royal wedding I am waiting for!

What could possibly rise above the event witnessed this morning? What could have more pomp, richer surroundings, and more meaning?Well, first some “backstory”. There was a King who had power over all that was known, and He had a bride who He cherished deeply. He lavished active love and relationship on His bride, but eventually she grew more enamored with the creatures and surroundings in her garden than with her King. One day, she broke the only rule in the land, effectively divorcing her husband, the King. She was forced to leave the garden, and she had a difficult life with many ups and downs (mostly down).

The King watched and grieved from a distance, but nothing could be done; she had broken the only rule. Finally the King – in His infinite wisdom – sent His Son (in disguise) to live with His bride, walking with her, talking with her, and experiencing what she experienced. This Plan culminated with the Son taking on the consequences of the rule that had been broken – in full – and paying for that Fall with His own life. The King had won back His bride, but she still didn’t accept that great gift!

Over many years, the King reached out to His bride and for brief moments it ‘felt’ like she was beginning to admit that the debt was paid, the battle won; that she could return to Him, but it didn’t happen. The King – and all His host – strained at the bounds of the palace as they tried to reach the bride, but the King knew it wasn’t time. As the bride suffered and grew older, the entire palace wept for her. Finally, the land the bride lived in was in constant battle and natural disasters raged across the landscape. Her very existence was coming to an end. The King knew this was the time. He and His hosts left the palace to go to the lost bride to bring her home at last.

The King and his hosts appears in a moment, and all the land sees them and trembles. The masses had relegated Him to the ages as a myth, a story told by children to other children; certainly not real, and definitely not all-powerful. Yet, here He is – in power and glory – white, shining as a thousand suns! Undeniable, and present. The earth shakes under the force of His army, and He raises up His bride, and takes her home to His palace. He has been preparing her home for thousands of years, and now she will see it! They can be together forever.

THE Wedding

The renewal of their vows, THE wedding, will take place outside a city with golden streets. This city has 12 gates, each made from a different precious stone. The groom will sit on a throne so bright that one can barely look toward it. That throne will be surrounded by angels with several wings, raising their voices in praise to the King and His Plan for His bride. The bride herself will stand on a sea of glass that is fed by a river, over which is a tree whose fruit changes each month; the Tree of Life. The bride will sing in praises to her King, and the vows they renew will never again be broken. After this wedding, the King will sit down with His bride and eat, and drink. He has not done this for thousands of years, as the Son vowed would come to pass. Once again relationship rebuilt, the bride renewed, and the King’s Plan complete!

Men and women of the Lord, that bride is US! We are those for whom He died so that we could be reconciled to Him. This Plan, in place for eternity past, to save those that were lost; to bring us back to Him, into perfect relationship as He intended from the beginning. How awesome, and how humbling a thought that He would do this for us after we were unfaithful in so many ways. You and I will stand together on that sea of glass and sing praises to Him, we will partake in the cup with Him, and we will rejoice with Him in Heaven for eternity. THAT is the wedding I am waiting for, and nothing we can do here take even one step toward the royalty, the environment, and the meaning of our heavenly reuniting with God the Father through Christ the Son.

For those of you who are reading this that have not yet accepted Christ as your Savior, I urge you to pray right now. Ask the Lord to guide you as He draws you to Him. Be part of this glorious resurrection. He loves you, and wants you to live with Him for eternity. Don’t let this pass!

P.S. I am aware, that in the quick telling of this story that I have left out some critical theology and the judgment(s) entirely. Forgive my license and know that I know these things will come to pass as well, but I haven’t entire days to write these entries!

What is “leadership”? Is it a skill? A quality? Is it innate? Can it be learned? If you can get people to follow you.. a lot of them, are you a leader? Hitler did that. Was he a good leader? I’d like to suggest that Christian leadership is a bit different than what we view leadership to be today, and then discuss why I believe that’s the case.

First off however, let’s ask ourselves why it is important to ask ourselves about Christian leadership as men. Why should we try to be good leaders? I suggest that the church is not being the church it needs to be, and one of the largest reasons is because we are not turning out men that lead! Too many of today’s leadership books are written from a secular perspective. Too much Harvard Business School, and not enough of the New Testament in these books! There are critical pieces of leadership from a Christian perspective that are not in these books.

Christian leaders are required to lead people into a personal discovery of God’s purposes. This is not an aspect of corporate leadership. Ray Kroc, President and CEO of McDonald’s was asked about his priorities in life. He correctly stated his priorities as God first, family second, and McDonald’s third. He then followed up this rousing display of integrity with the statement, “..until Monday morning; then they reverse”. Men, God is first and if you recognize that, recognize that He doesn’t move! Ask yourself in your daily coming and going, “Am I leading people toward goals that may be leading them away from god, or that are not leading them TO god”? The Christian leader is not free to merely vision, lead, mobilize, and push. We must discern, and lead people with the idea that they come to god.

Christian leaders are required to reflect something of the divine image. You cannot reflect that which you are not pointed at. In word and deed, we must live our conviction that we are His and He is ours. We must have character. There was a President recently that left office and a two-question poll was taken of him. The first question was, “Was this man a good President”? 80% said yes. The second question was, “Was this President a good man”? 80% said no. You can be a good secular leader and be a bad man. You cannot be a bad man and be a good Christian leader. We must treat people as if they are created in the divine image. Imageo Dei matters – all the time – to the Christian leader. People are not units of labor that we make to work at a given rate and compensate them, they are children of the King.

We are intended to have a unique impact on the communities we are in. We must act in a Christian way regardless the surroundings to impact others for His church.

Character. Let’s dig in a bit on this. A man, Joseph, born in Cyprus, moved to Israel, was a landowner, a Levite. Many people talking about a crucifixion. This guy though, had been raised from the dead and was all over the news. This is likely because women told the men this story, and men often have trouble believing what women tell them they thought up. Messiah eh? He didn’t do what their messiah would have done, and weren’t then sure if it was him. Some were starting to think that it was. This man (Joseph) believed it, and was in the minority. He became a follower of The Way. They stopped calling him Joseph, and started calling him Barnabas. Means son of the prophet. Prophets may encourage, but they have funny ways of doing it (think Nathan and David). Barnabas also means “encourager”. His character was allied, aligned with, his name and actions. He did what he was named and it matched his character. Today we have ‘image’, and precious little character. Plastering over the cracks of your character and appearing righteous (image) means little to the Christian. Character means everything. Reputation or “image” is what people think you are in the daylight. Character is what God knows you are in the dark.  (read Acts 11:24) Barnabas is described as a good man, full of the Holy Spirit, and in faith.

Stuart says, I was a bank auditor. Accept nothing, question everything; and my theology training began (the Bereans approach). So I hear that Barnabas was a “good man” and come back with Romans, saying that there are no good men. Barnabas took the law of god seriously, and lived a life that encouraged and helped others, and people saw that. No one has intrinsic goodness as viewed by God, by viewed by men, Barnabas was good, and had moral fiber. Ask yourself, “Do I want to have a ministry for the Lord or do I want to entertain my personal desires and have my special needs fulfilled”? What matters and what lasts?

Filled with the Holy Spirit; this is contrasted with being drunk. I have been drunk, more times in my distant past than I care to admit. You drink, your inhibitions leave. You are captivated, motivated, and activated. The drink gets you, then your motivations change, and then your actions change. It piques my curiosity, changes my desires, and finally stimulates my action. Drink does this negatively, and I’d like to suggest that the Holy Spirit, drunken regularly and in as much quantity as beer in this fine state, will do this positively! As Christian leaders, we should drink of the Spirit freely, allowing Him to captivate our hearts, motivate our thinking, and activate our lives in service to Christ.

Faith, has different dimensions. There is a cognitive dimension; I believe something is true. There is an emotive dimension; because I believe it, I am moved by it. It has an evaluative dimension; I am moved in this direction by what I am convinced is true, and it matches with reality. A man of faith can tell you how Christ changed his life as a result of what he knows. He can tell you why he does what he does and why it matches with the Lord’s will and guiding. A Christian leader makes others want to be like him.

When it is said and done with you, will you be remembered as a good man, full of the Holy Spirit, and in faith? Are you a Christian leader?