What do you look like?

Are you unkempt, so depressed that when you get dressed in the morning it’s all you can do to “put on your cleanest dirty shirt”?(that’s a Johnny Cash) line. I like Johnny Cash because he didn’t hide his struggles and God loved him that way. Something I have been thinking about lately is the bride of Christ. I realized that when I think about the Bride of Christ I used to think only about the “church”. But I think God gave me some insight about what His bride looks like.

It’s not just the pretty people that go to church and smile and say the right things. I tried to be a good looking Christian, it worked for a while but I couldn't’t keep from being who I really am. Who am I? Consider your own failings ALL OF THEM, in some ways I’m probably a lot like you. Some one else I think most of us resemble. That guy on the cross next to Jesus. About to die, guilty and with no way out. I hardly ever hear about this guy.

Lets call him Bill. Bill probably spent most of his life hearing the Jewish law feeling guilty because he couldn’t live up to all six hundred of them. I’m guessing Bill’s up bringing wasn’t very religious. Or lets say that Bill came from a good home but fell in love with a Samaritan girl, they got married by a soothe seer because non of the Rabbis would do the ceremony, be-cause, it was against Jewish law to mix with Samaritans. Sooo Bill and his Samaritan bride were shunt from Jewish society. Where do they go now?

They can’t go to Samaria; the Samaritans hate the Jews as much as the Jews hated the Samaritans! Bill and his Samaritan bride fell on hard times. So in order to get food to eat or something to sell to get money for food, Bill started stealing. This worked for a while but then Bill’s wife got pregnant. Now they needed extra care and money! So Bill became desperate and took bigger risk’s and became careless in his thievery and got caught. He tried to steal a horse, a capital crime punishable by death. As Bill’s helpless pregnant wife looked on he was tried and found guilty. Whipped and nailed to a cross. There were two other guys next to him. One who just kept running his mouth about his innocence. Bill knew him, they “worked” together a couple of times. The other guy didn’t say much. Bill’s head throbbed, his body was racked with pain, he was thirsty.

He thought of his guilt, the position he placed his innocent wife and their unborn child in. He thought about the guy next to him, he’d seen this guy around. Heard him teaching, saw him feed people. He knew his name, Jesus, he’d been tried and beaten Just before his own case came up. I can’t believe he’s still alive he thought to himself. How could anyone survive what this Jesus had just been through? As this thought meandered through Bill’s guilt ridden conscience the silence was broken.

Bill’s “friend” started insulting him (Jesus), "You are the Messiah, aren't you? Save yourself and us!" Bill had enough, gripped with the terror of facing his own death and remembering how his wife had begged him “to listen to the prophet” he spoke up.

Luke 23:40 NIV
“We have been condemned justly, because we are getting what we deserve for what we have done, but this man has done nothing wrong”. Bill’s heart began to pound in his chest”. Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom!". Jesus raised his head and turned in Bill’s direction. Bill began sobbing uncontrollably. He realized who was about to speak to him. "I promise you, today you will be with me in Paradise."

How many “loser” druggies, pimps whores, God haters, murderers, just go down the list! Have in their dying moments through the mercy and grace of God realized what there destiny was and cried out in a desperate attempt for rescue “JESUS SAVE ME!”.

This is what His Bride looks like; those that never served Him a day in their life but were rescued moments before they left this life forever. They never got baptized, they never professed their faith publicly. They looked nothing like the Pharisaical (legalistic Christian) mindset or modern day Pharisee says they should look like. It also includes all the John and Jane Does that know Jesus but decided to impress men with “all they could do” for God. It includes those that were called and waited for God to reveal His direction. His Bride includes those that don't look like us, those we disagree with. Those that come from situations you and I wouldn't live in for any amount of money and probably wouldn't visit if we were asked to!

The LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”
1 Samuel 16:17

self righteousness

We all have a mask. Some of us pretend to be transparent only to grow bitter in the secret frustration of our self righteousness. What object or person will we clothe in scorn to justify our un-forgiveness.