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Sample Chapter He Tied it with a Bow
I watched as the lady in
the jewelry store tied the gold string around the tiny white box into a
bow. There was a satisfying finality to it. The question had
been asked privately. The search was over. The woman I
wanted to spend the rest of my life with had been found. Blinded
to my faults by love she felt the same way. This ring would make
my intentions public for the whole world to see. It seemed somehow
appropriate that I gave a ring to my future bride on the day we
celebrate the birth of Gods promise on earth.
Among our friends and
relatives there had been talk of a wedding and hopeful expectations.
The rest of the world continued about their business oblivious to our
pending nuptials. God’s prophets spoke for centuries about the
birth of Jesus. Many Jews awaited the Messiah with hopeful
expectation. Most of the world, then as now, ignored the birth,
life death and resurrection of the savior.
As the day of our wedding
approached people sent gifts and rearranged their schedules to be
prepared for the day. Many only sent their regrets. When
Jesus was born Wise Men traveled great distances to bring gifts.
Wise men still rearrange their schedules and agendas to accommodate his
coming day. Sadly the majority ignores his invitation and will
spend eternity in hell with their regrets.
When our wedding day was
set it seemed so distant and far. As the day approached time was
filled with things to do. The last few weeks were a blur of
activity to make sure every detail had been checked for the tenth time.
I’m glad as the groom all I had to do was be fitted for a tuxedo and
show up.
Jesus spoke of the signs
that would precede his arrival for his church.
Mark 13:8 for nation shall rise against nation,
and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers
places, and there shall be famines, and troubles: these are the
beginnings of sorrows.
Paul wrote in
Thessalonians 5:2,3 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the
Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say,
Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail
upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
When labor pains start to
be more intense and come closer together you know a baby is about to be
delivered. All we hear today is talk about wars, famines,
earthquakes, floods and other natural disasters. These things have
always been but not with the frequency we see today. The leaders
of the world constantly talk about and work to bring about peace.
But the world is becoming a continually more dangerous and volatile
place.
We are living in a
wondrous age. Information on the Internet is vast on almost any
subject that can be thought of. Information can be gathered,
stored and retrieved at the touch of a button. Daniel described
this time perfectly in Daniel 12:4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the
words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to
and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.
How could a man living so
long ago predict a time of cars, airplanes, computers, fax machines,
telephones, pagers and the end without divine inspiration? He
couldn’t have. Paul described mans search for knowledge without
wisdom.
Second Timothy 3:7
Ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
The ring I gave Leigh Ann
was a symbol of my love and represented a large investment for me.
The ring was gold with a small diamond. Diamonds because they are
rare and hard to cut are very expensive.
Jesus was God in the
flesh, the incarnation. The wedding ring is a circle, it
symbolizes never-ending love. Jesus is never ending love.
The ring is gold it symbolizes purity. Jesus was completely pure.
But the diamond is the real picture of Christ. Diamonds are formed
from common coal. The tremendous pressure after the flood trapped
vegetation under layers of mud. The weight generated heat but the
vegetation could not burn for lack of oxygen. Coal was produced.
The area of the most intense pressure created diamonds.
Isaiah spoke of Jesus
outward appearance. He wasn’t head and shoulders taller than
everyone else like Saul. He wasn’t comely to look at like David.
He was raised in the house of a carpenter. The Bible says your
king will come lowly and riding on an ass. This was low class
transportation. It was little better than walking, which was what
Jesus usually had to do. Jesus said foxes have holes, birds of the
air have nests but I have nowhere to lay my head. Nathanael asked
Philip, “ Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Jesus was
thought by men to be as common as a lump of coal.
Jesus was always the
diamond! The weight of all sins proved Jesus was flawless.
He didn’t crack! He lived the perfect life so he could be the
perfect sacrifice. Under God’s judgment on our sins Jesus cried,
“Father forgive them they know not what they do.” Light
through a diamond produces an array of colors. God’s love shone
through Jesus in many ways. Jesus healed the sick, made the lame
walk, opened the ears of the deaf, and the eyes of the blind.
Jesus fed the multitudes,
cast out demons, washed the disciples feet. Jesus preached the
gospel and raised Lazarus from the dead. But Jesus’ greatest
love was on the cross. The sky was darkened as God turned his face
from his son because of our sin. Jesus cried, “My God! My God!
Why have you forsaken me? “ But he didn’t come down. He
didn’t call the legions of angels to destroy the earth. God’s
love shone the brightest when Jesus drank his cup to the bitter dregs.
Out of the darkness Jesus cried, “it is finished!” Salvation
was complete. His work was accomplished. Satan was defeated.
Three days later the light of resurrection morning dawned for the whole
world to see. The angel said, “Why seek ye the living among the
dead? He is not here he is risen. [He is risen indeed!]”
The day I married Leigh
Ann I made a promise to her before God. Only death will take me
from her. I am completely hers. The only way she can know
that I will keep my word is that I have kept it up until now. The
only way we know if anyone’s word is good or not is if they keep it.
Satan is a liar and the
father of it. He can’t be trusted. The Bible tells us so.
The Bible also says it is impossible for God to lie! The Bible
says Jesus is the way the truth and the life and no man comes to the
Father except by him.
God’s centuries old
promise was fulfilled in Jesus. The Old Testament saints salvation
was completed on the cross. Abraham, Moses, David, Daniel, the
prophets and countless other saints that are not recorded had faith in
God’s promise. But what tangible thing can we hold on to?
How can we be absolutely sure what God said is true?
Genesis 9:13 – 15 I do set my bow in the
cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the
earth. And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the
earth, that that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: And I will
remember my covenant, which is between me and you, and every living
creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to
destroy all flesh.
I have watched as a dark cloud passed over and the
earth smelled new from its washing. I have seen God’s rainbow
and been reminded he keeps his word.
Are you living a dark and
stormy life? Have you trembled from the lightening and thunder of
life and not known which way to turn? Have you been drenched in
the burdens of life, feeling forgotten out in the rain? Open your
heart and let the Son shine into your heart! The darkness will
leave and you will experience a rainbow in your soul! Can you
believe it’s really true? Sure you can. God said it! Then
he tied it with a bow.
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