Eagerly Expecting the Bride to be Revealed!

In recent years watching major golf championships has become my favorite source of sports entertainment. A couple of weeks ago, as I was preparing for the 2011 U.S. Open Golf Championship, I found myself in quite a conundrum. My ten-year-old son had a baseball tournament in Pace, Florida during the final two rounds of the U.S. Open.

Thank God for modern technology and digital video recording. My problem was solved. I would avoid reading the paper and viewing ESPN while away at my son’s tournament, and watch the recorded version of the U.S. Open like it was live when I returned home.

As I was going through my recordings file, I noticed that it was full with recordings from news coverage of the Royal Wedding. My wife must have figured out how to use the DVR! I began to reflect back on the week leading up to the Royal Wedding and how obsessed she was with this event. Both my wife and my mother set their alarms to get up and watch this wedding live.

All throughout that week I would catch glimpses of what they were watching on television concerning the Royal Wedding. It seemed like reporters had analyzed everything possible about Prince William and Kate’s ceremony. You could feel the excitement surrounding the wedding while watching the coverage on television.

Of all the anticipated moments of the wedding, the most talked about topic was what Kate would look like in her wedding dress. Everyone was waiting in eager expectation to see Prince William’s bride in her white wedding dress. The reporter’s commentary about Kate and her dress couldn’t help but make me think about how the Bible uses the metaphor of a bride to describe the church, and a wedding to describe the union between Jesus Christ and His church, at the end of the age.

Ephesians 5:30-32 says, “30 for we are members of his body. 31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” 32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ (the Lamb of God) and the church.”

It was estimated the over 3 billion people watched the Royal Wedding. That is almost half of the world’s population. Wow!

The Bible teaches us that there is an event that is even more anticipated than the Royal Wedding. It is the revealing of the children of God in their future glory. All of creation is waiting in eager expectation for the consummation of the age that will be celebrated with the wedding of the Lamb.

Romans 8:18-19 says, “18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19 For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.”

One of the most sacred ceremonies we participate in as human beings is a wedding. The wedding ceremony never begins until the bride has made herself ready. The bride is always the one everyone wants to see. I guess God knew a wedding and a bride would be perfect metaphors to describe our eternal relationship with Him in future glory!

“7Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! 
For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. 
8 Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.” Revelation 19:7-8

Are you getting yourself ready? I hope so because I think more than 3 billion will be watching!

Don't Be a Weiner!

For there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. Jesus in Matthew 10:26

Personal decisions lead to public ramifications!

Anthony David Weiner is the U.S. Representative for New York's 9th congressional district, which includes parts of southern Brooklyn and south and central Queens. Weiner is a Democrat, and has held the office since 1999.

In June 2011, after having first denied doing so, Congressman Weiner admitted having sent sexually explicit photographs of himself to several female "followers" on Twitter, both before and since his marriage.

His perverse behavior caused many to ask the following question: Should Anthony Weiner resign from his position?

As I watched the news stations, it seemed that many people thought he should not resign. These people justified their position by stating that his behavior was a personal matter.

So, I want to ask a question: Does “personal” behavior determine who we are as people?

I would answer this question with a resounding yes. What you do in private will ultimately reveal who you really are in public. In fact, the true test of character is what you do when you think nobody else is watching.

It is deceptive to think your personal matters do not influence who you are as a person, and how you perform on the job. Your personal decisions forge your character. The first person in life you need to learn to lead is yourself. You cannot be a good leader without learning self-control through self-government. In other words, you shouldn’t govern others if you can’t govern yourself.

Once you are able to lead yourself, the next test of leadership is marriage. Contrary to popular opinion, honoring your covenant vows by being faithful to your spouse is a major qualification for occupational leadership. If we lower this standard in our society, we do it to our own demise. The breakdown of marriages is the number one social ill in our nation. How a person conducts himself or herself in a marriage reveals more about their character than any of their other actions.

It is also naïve to think that we can keep the choices we make in private from being revealed in public. What is done in secret will one day be revealed for all to witness. The fact that the Anthony Weiner scandal has been broadcast on every news station is proof of my point.

Finally, if Weiner decides not to resign, he will be lowering the standard of leadership of our elected officials. It’s not only the epitome of narcissism, but demeaning to the position of U.S. Congressman for him to remain in his job.

Do we really want a married representative sending lewd pictures of his body to women? I’m not afraid to proclaim that I don’t! If Weiner will lie and cheat on his wife, common sense tells me that he will lie and cheat on the American people who elected him also.

I hope and pray Anthony Weiner’s apology is sincere. I hope and pray Anthony Weiner experiences the grace of God. I hope and pray Anthony Weiner works things out with his wife. I hope and pray Anthony Weiner uses his influence in the future to be a better example. I hope and pray Anthony Weiner realizes that private choices lead to public consequences.

It is also my hope and prayer that our elected officials will practice self-government and raise the standard of leadership in our nation. Anthony Weiner could make restitution and begin this much needed leadership revolution by graciously and humbly stepping down.

Let’s learn from Anthony and don’t be a weiner!