The Sad Departure that Leads to Eager Expectation

On Thursday October 14, Jenny and I had our rehearsal dinner for our upcoming wedding. After a sweet night of enjoying good food, friends, and family, I had to leave to go an hour and a half home to San Diego. Jenn and I had a long distance relationship for quite a long time, but the distance never caused any trouble in our relationship. However, on this night, my sad departure would lead to eager expectation. What I mean by that is that on that night I learned one of the coolest lessons God has taught me through her. You see, it was sad because it was a sweet night and we did not want to leave one another, but it led to eager expectation in both of our hearts because the next time I would see her, and she would see me, was when her dad would be walking her down the stairs at our wedding to give me her hand in marriage.

Instantly, when I saw this mixture of sadness and excitement in her eyes, I could not help but think of what Jesus said to his disciples in John 16. Jesus tells his disciples that he would be leaving them soon, that he is returning to the Father (16:5), and that the Spirit will come upon them (16:7). Then, John 16:16 hit home like never before. It says:

A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me."

That night I left and could not get the look on Jenny's face, especially her eyes, out of my head. She knew I had to leave, but at the same time, she knew that the next time we saw one another would be especially sweet. In the same way, Jesus left his disciples, but did not leave them without hope. Our hope, as those justified by the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ, is that Jesus will return to capture his bride (Matt. 24:31; 2 Thess. 1:10). We do not have to live this life filled with sadness because God the Son has left us, but we can have a hope that is sure because our God never lets us down. Our Jesus is preparing his elect a place to live with him and worship him forever (John 14:3). One of my favorite passages about what our life will be like in heaven is Revelation 19:5-10. The Apostle John is having a vision about how Jesus has fulfilled his promise to capture his bride. In the vision, his bride is in a beautiful state of worship and are glorifying Jesus, for he alone is worthy.

On October 17th, I got to watch by beautiful bride walk down spiral stairs and into the covenant of marriage with me. It was amazing. What it was, in all reality, was a small glimpse of how our Savior will come back to get his bride. He will not leave us. It is okay to be sad but eagerly expectant, but we DO have a true hope in the person and work of Christ. I am so stoked about my marriage and how it is used as a means to fall deeper in love with God. "Hallelejah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns (Rev. 19:6b)." Grace and peace.

Side note: Another sweet lesson I learned was the love it must have taken for God the Father to send His Son to take on flesh and die for enemies. That day, Jenny's dad gave her away to me. I watched his eyes and understood a little bit better what it must be like to give away one you love with all your heart. Our God loves us so much, enough to give His only Son to live the perfect life that we could not live, pay the price of eternal punishment that we deserved on the cross, and rise from the dead to give us life. Praise Him, HE IS WORTHY!

Church Discipline: A Necessary Means of Grace

The words "church discipline" might make some just instantly stop reading, but I highly suggest you read the lyrics of this song by Stephen the Levite. I have been part of a church that does not practice biblical church discipline and I am now part of a church that does. I always saw it as such a necessary means of grace in the Bible, but never saw it played out. Over the last 9 months I have watched what it looks like to be in a truthful community that practices church discipline as a means of grace, for the purpose of restoration, and I can honestly say it is very necessary in the local church and every believers life. One of the most dangerous things a local church can do is avoid church discipline to make their members feel more comfortable, or avoid it for keeping "numbers. Check out these lyrics and let me know what you think about this topic:

This idea started back in the garden/ when Adam and Eve sinned and God sought to pardon them/ He discharged them, placin' a flamin' sword at the gate along with the cherubim charged to guard it// One could argue it started back even farther with Satan/ I see what you're sayin' but please peep the point I'm makin'/ there's a basic distinction that separates them/ the goal of man's displacement was restoration// We see the contrast in Gen. 3:15/ the serpent's eternally cursed, but The Seed redeems/ In conjunction with judgment we read of a dream/ of a world free of the enemies schemes// But there's a process proceeding the promise/ it's hard, yes, but by His mercy it's not death/ 'cause if they would've ate from the tree of life in their dyin' state/ their resurrection could never take place// And that's the Lord's grace and sanctification/ that shapes men and claims a nation so pagans praise Him/ the big picture I'm givin' is/ mentioned throughout scripture when sinners are driven out for dissin' Him// so keep listenin'/ the topic is not a popular one but you know how we get it in/ it's church discipline, the grace is doubted/ but the body of Christ has A.I.D.S. without it// yeah

"Authority and Church Discipline" x3 "If excommunicated what body would they be missin' in"

If a brother or sister offends you talk to 'em/ if the issue is in scripture then walk through 'em/ if they still ain't listenin' bring witnesses/ prayin' the evidence of the 2 or 3 is convincing, if// it still doesn't work, take it to the church/ the Lord's official spiritual judicial system on earth/ and they'll determine whether to bind or loose them/ scrutinizing the proof for a final resolution// to loose 'em is to render a dudes sin forgivin'/ due to viewin' the true fruit of repentance/ binding 'em means finding 'em guilty/ drawin' a line between the fly and the filthy// 'cause when a few of 'em gather in His authority/ He's in the midst of them, judging and ruling accordingly/ So the Lord is takin' responsibility/ making Himself the true object of hostility// 'cause when you're handing a man over to Satan/ for the destruction of his flesh in order to save him/ and the whole church cuts communication/ cats with punkish views of love start hatin'// but true love is to hate sin/ trustin' that God provides through his prescribed means to break men/ but they'll see when the prodigal comes back/ and they slaughter a beast and the party is dumb phat//

"Authority and Church Discipline" x3 "They turn to the steeple and return to the sheepfold, isn't that just like God's people?"

A few more things for us to consider/ unforgiveness over time becomes bitter/ and bitterness can spread just like a virus/ infecting the whole body with plank in the iris// it blinds us of our own sin, then close friends/ have to tell us we're lunchin' and if we don't listen/ then the whole process is starting up again/ the sin that we tossed out leavens the whole lump again// another counter-productive part of the process/ is the broadcast of slanderous gossip/ even if all the information is true/ the resulting view, of the person or issue is skewed/ then you feel strange and ought'a confront them/ but pride reminds you where your info comes from/ and who wants to be caught in hypocrisy?/ nobody. so you lock your thoughts away and you toss the key// but that won't stop the beef/ cause sooner or later, what you believe becomes your behavior unless you plot for peace/ it's hard not to see, somebody's got to speak/ if not the sin cycle repeats, it's got to cease// The process done properly shows love to everybody/ and the gospel is preached inaudibly/ The God of Peace squashed the beef at the cross of Jesus/ modeling peace-making for the whole flock to see//