Introduction - Part 2

The term “Warrior Bride” has been coined around the Body of Christ for some time. There is no more apt description of the Church of Christ in the final days than this term. This picture phrase captures the essence of a Bride who will reign and war with her Bridegroom. What does it mean to become the “Warrior Bride” of the end time church? To merely provide definition of terms is not enough. As the Warrior Bride takes up her cross, the believer must understand the heart and soul of that one whom we wish to become. What does it mean to our family, church and business life? As I set out upon this quest myself, the remainder of life seems to be illuminated in the light of “Her” and her reflection of the Bridegroom. Her Groom stands waiting, ready – as she prepares herself for the battle and the intimacy yet to come.

          Preparation is the filter through which our understanding of warrior and bride must come prior to coming to both the war and the wedding day. To prepare diligently is the role of the ones of the Church who wish to be a part of her activities. This corporate body combines with each other to blend and weave unique gifts and treasures. Walls crumble, barriers are broken down and territories unit to override the traditional structures men have set up for division instead of unity. This beautiful, glorious picture of what we are becoming aids us in our understanding of the past, present and future. As we submit to the leadership of our Commander/Bridegroom in both training for warfare and preparation for the intimacy of His Chamber, our hearts are made stronger and our spirits softer to His voice. We can recognize His whisper on the battlefield or in the Bridal Chamber. This dichotomy extends to virtually every aspect of which we are becoming.

          Not all will take up this quest. It costs. For some, perhaps most, it will cost all that is dear. For others the price may be their very lives. Always though, the reward is great for those in pursuit of this vision.

          Our understanding of this particular picture, that of Warrior Bride, relies heavily upon the term to which we naturally cling. The walls of our gender must also be brought down to gain insight into both sides of this standard. Just the term itself would imply a male/female blending towards a common attitude of the Commander/Bridegroom. Our present cultures would demand a male versus female outlook. What we fail to understand is that this Warrior Bride is made up of a marriage of male and female. A consummation if you will, of our inherently different qualities to help us become less ourselves and more a corporate body. “Neither Jew nor Greek, male nor female.” Our learning from each other demands the mutual respect required; acknowledging the qualities which must be present in each other.

          In western culture, the engagement period between future bride and groom is a time of preparation. It is also a time to develop greater and deeper trust, respect and faith in each other. It would seem to be the crucible of the love, a testing ground to face issues at a deeper level in the light of upcoming commitment.

          Of course, those issues can be ignored in giving priority only to the wedding day. Finances don’t have to be discussed, balancing a budget doesn’t have to be faced, and personal issues of discipline and character may be excused to be dealt with at a later time.

          It has been my understanding that if you do not love, respect and honor your mate prior to marriage, the wedding day does little to enhance these qualities. The same is true for our Bridegroom and us. Trusting Him with our money, our future, our lives, doesn’t really have to happen in light of getting in to the Marriage Supper. Personal issues of character can be excused and ignored in the hopes that no one will notice them and we can slip on by. I believe, truly that all who name Jesus Christ as their Saviour will enter the gates of heaven. Of this fact, there is no dispute.

All of those who wish to make themselves ready for this Beloved Commander/Bridegroom must actively pursue those qualities, which may be foreign and uncomfortable. True intimacy can be very disconcerting to most of us. A warfare mentality could make the most intimate man or woman timid. If we are to complete the picture, however, we must gain the insight needed from both sides. Despairing not, we plunge ahead wanting to become all that we are to be. Even in the wanting of that completeness, there is an acknowledgement that we do not know what we ought, but we pray with Paul that the eyes of our understanding may be enlightened.

          The issue is one of relationship. Has trust developed between our Beloved and us? Have we in all our honesty cried with the Psalmist “Search me, Oh God” Again, I sense His mercy as we understand that it is not in the perfection of our lives, but the ‘trying’ of our lives that our Bridegroom can know that our love is sure. Second thoughts and holding back have no place in having our Beloved’s confidence. He has need of a Bride who is sure and has demonstrated where her loyalty, love and faith abide.

The Warrior Bride

INTRODUCTION

          God has something to say.

          God has been talking to and with people for years. Communion with Him has been the topic of scores of books, sermons, conferences, songs and devotionals. All saying the same thing – God still has something to say. His method has not changed; His voice is the same. St. Luke heard it audibly through Jesus’ own voice. St. Francis of Assisi heard it in the cathedral of his heart, and Billy Graham still hears it today. The voice of God. Its tonality is peace, its declaration is victory, and its shout is the thunder.

          The eternity of this voice shocks us, shakes us and keeps us up at night. It robs us of our sleep, reminds us of our promises and redeems our safety as a whisper in the dark. Like a candle dispelling the blackness around us, His voice wraps us up and carries us to the brightness of His glory.

          Embracing and obeying the voice of our Lord comes at a price. The more we embrace, the higher the price. There is nothing sweeter, nothing purer and nothing harder than hearing that call to bear our cross. Sometimes we feel that our service alone constitutes our cross. More often our service for Him is just that – service. The cross comes as a ‘follower’ – someone who does service – becomes a ‘disciple’ – someone who owns a cross. It is how we hear the voice that distinguishes the two. Service measures our love in a quantitative outpouring of devotion and love, it is measurable. Lots of service, in our minds, means lots of love. This is a fair assumption as the outpouring of love in service is certainly a distinguishing factor of our love. The cross we bear however is an immeasurable love that only the one directing our steps with the Cross can determine.

          There are distant light barely visible along the horizon. They are the reminders that the time of our redemption is drawing nigh. Our Beloved waits astride His white horse to come and collect His Bride. It is not long before we behold what has been our wanting for an eternity. We must become people of vision and faith rather than a group of reactionaries, responding to our humanity instead of our Beloved’s passion. We need to offer ourselves to be tested in the crucible of our intimacy. Our Bridegroom is waiting for a Bride who is sure of her faith, love and hope. She is one who knows where her faith lies, one who doesn’t have to search for her love and one who doesn’t need circumstance to guide her hope. Our faith needs to be strong and sure. It is something that needs to be counted on no matter what may come.

          Contrary to the popular belief, our Bridegroom is not really all that concerned with the Marriage Supper. Oh, He’s anxious and wants us to be there, but His desire is for what follows the Wedding Feast. We are being designed and fashioned to reign with Him, to judge with Him. As a King would lean an ear to His confidante, the Queen, before rendering judgments and decisions, so too our Beloved wants to trust us with His ear. He is not so concerned with the dawning of eternity as much as the eternity itself. The wisdom, trust and faith we have exhibited here will enable us to have our Bridegroom’s confidence later.

          I would submit that His pride in us is not in the perfection of our trying, but in our attempt of the trying. Once we engage in Boot Camp or preparations for intimacy, it becomes clearer and clearer that we are frail. Our attempts at becoming the reflection of Him, who we love, falter greatly. The blessed hope is that once we realize we need the Bridegroom to show us the way, the less we depend and rely on our own efforts.

A personal, private affair is this love. This love can be heard in the sweet whisper of the still night just before death. This love can be heard in the song sung over a soul redeemed and reborn at the expense of years of prayer and tears.

          The Voice that is the object of our passion continues to call for surrender. His message has remained unchangeable throughout the annals of history. Paul declares it best –“For me to live is Christ, but to die is gain”. The call to press on from the finish lines of our faith moves us if we allow it past our wills, past our minds and into our hearts.

          The place it finds us matters little, as some are in great service for our God, but remain unchanged by the renewing passion of the Voice of our God.