THE LATEST FROM TIM SPYKSTRA:
To The Place Where I Belong
A 31-Day Devotional on John 13-17
THE LATEST FROM TIM SPYKSTRA:
To The Place Where I Belong
A 31-Day Devotional on John 13-17
Are You Glowing
Is your wife glowing? I will never forget being at a men’s conference hearing a speaker say, “If you have been married for 7 years and your wife is not glowing chances are you are not loving your wife correctly?” I have never forgotten that challenge and in fact have used it many times in pre-martial counseling.
World wide Valentine’s Day was celebrated over the weekend. I saw lots of men running to the store on the 14th buying flowers and chocolate to demonstrate their love. But we all know love is so much more than gifts on Valentine’s Day. It involves tons of time and sacrifice to to give your heart to another.
We were blessed this past weekend to be in Masiphumelele Township and share this special weekend with dear brothers and sisters in Christ from the Gospel Outreach Church. Two of Oceans’ Board members Ken & Danell Czarnecki also took part in this joyful gathering. Danell had a powerful teaching about being the beautiful bride of Christ. She took us through several Scriptures describing the Jewish marriage process and how it correlated to the believers marriage to Christ.
It was masterfully done and the Holy Spirit used it to bless and encourage many who needed to hear what faithful love really looks like. So many have been hurt through broken vows and promises realizing the Hallmark view of love can’t come close to touching the deepest need in their heart.
One of the texts that Danell used was from 2 Cor. 3:18:
“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”
It was shared how when Christ died on the cross the veil in the temple was ripped from top to bottom as a sign that those married to Christ have full access to His unending love. This visual correlates with the Jewish ceremony when the groom lifts the veil covering his bride’s face and has an intimate face to face encounter.
When we experience Christ’s love as shared in the Gospel story and encounter by faith His glorious face we will glow like a bride on her wedding day. There is an old song which said “they will know we are Christians by our love…” We could also add “they will know we are Christians by our glow.” An encounter with our Bridegroom Jesus will bring about a glorious transformation piercing our hearts with a perfect love which can’t be contained.
His Spirit causes us to glow with the radiance of the our Bridegroom’s glorious face, we are changed more and more into the image of His limitless love. We need to search our hearts and maybe our faces as well and ask ourselves, “Do I glow?” Have I encountered the love of Jesus my Bridegroom? Have I gone into the bridal chamber and given my heart fully over to His forever love to trust Him completely to keep His wedding vows?
How a love starved world needs to see the glorious Bride of Christ arrayed in Heaven’s transforming love. I have found as a husband, dad, grandfather, friend, etc. I can’t make anyone glow-but the Jesus I keep trying to look at surely can.
At the end of our time together a young boy in the service wanted to receive Christ. I’m not sure he understood all that was going on but I’m convinced He saw the glowing, loving face of Jesus reflected in His Beautiful Bride.
