Saturday, November 28, 2009

Blessed in Watching and Keeping

Rev 16:15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.


He's coming but we don't know when. It's proper to give warning when you go visiting isn't it? In some cases to ask permission to visit. Having Ol' Aunt Agna show up on your doorstep without nary a phone call or even a post card, well that's not a very pleasant surprise is it? Imagine standing there in your bathrobe, hair all sticking out this way and that, the remainder of last night's wrinkle cream caked in a few wrinkle crevices, with coffee on your breath and a few dribbles of it on that bath robe and there she is, Ol' Aunt Agna smiling away with every white hair on her perfectly coiffed head in place, a delicate patting of powder on her face, red rosy cheeks and sparkling blue eyes. She's happy to be there, happy to surprise you and now expects you to be happy to see her when all you can think about is...OH NO! Why didn't she call first! I would have prepared, I would have been ready! I would have had the numbers to a few decent motels close at hand. Too late. You could shut the door in her face, you could tell her she's got the wrong address while using a fake accent, you could apologize and tell her to come back later that the kiddos are all sick and very contagious. But she's not old and senile, or rather she's not senile just old and she'd know that if you tried to do anything but invite her inside her little surprise would have been a very bad one and who wants to hurt sweet Ol' Agna's feelings? The old woman never hurt a flea. The thing is, you really do love Ol' Aunt Agna and would love to have her visit, you just wanted to be prepared for her, ready for her arrival. You wanted your untidy house tided, your unruly mop of hair tamed, you wanted the children in their best clothes, not flopped about in their raggedy but very comfortable jammies. Had you known she was coming you would have been happy to see her there on your doorstep.


How many people have that sort of relationship with Christ? You want Him to visit, you want Him to return to redeem you from earth and take you home with Him to heaven to live a life of eternity in love with Him. Yet perhaps you want to know when He's coming so you can be ready, rather than be ready at all times for Him. How many people consider it a waste of time to be watching when you don't know when to expect Him? Being in a constant state of readiness and watching is perhaps considered tedious? If so, if that's the way of it don't you realize that you won't be happy in heaven? You aren't prepared. Your heart isn't caught up with the Lord's love.


Think of it this way--

Your lover is called away overseas unexpectedly and tells you they don't have a clue when they'll return it could be tomorrow or next year, possible two or three years, it's a top secret mission. You watch your lover go and now begins the waiting. Every day could be the day of your lover's return. This is someone you've truly fallen deeply in love with and it's unthinkable that the love would disappear. You're prepared to wait for eternity for your lover to return. Every day you wake up and wonder, is this the day? Will my lover return today? On the chance that your lover just might come back you make sure you're ready. No, you don't go all out everyday with party streamers or dusting off the special occasion balloons, but you are prepared in your heart for the return of one so dear to you. You are ready, truly ready at any time of the day for your lover to come back, ready to welcome them with open arms. There isn't a moment that you'd ever think - 'I hope they don't come back just yet, I'm not ready.' You don't even care if you're in your old night clothes or in the middle of a meal. You don't care if you're in the middle of a work project that means the security of keeping your job, you'd still embrace your lover with all the joy and happiness you possess.


There's a big difference in how we watch and wait for Christ to return, isn't there? We can be ready at all times, eager for Him no matter the situation we are in- or we can have reservations about things. If we have reservations we have to ask ourselves if our love for Christ is first and foremost. Our love. We can't put things like our readiness in front of that love, if we do then we have our eyes on ourselves and you know something- we will NEVER be ready in and of ourselves it's only through that love of Christ we are made ready. He won't see the wrinkle cream or the tangled hair, He won't be looking for clothes from the best designers. He's not interested in the dust-free house. Christ wants to be welcomed with open, loving arms ready to embrace Him without a thought at all to self.


Rev 16:15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.


Keeping our garments, guarding our garments, and what garments are we talking about here?


Rev 3:5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment

Rev 3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

Rev 19:8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

Isa 61:10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.


The white raiment is Christ's righteousness not ours. We need to guard the gift of Christ's righteousness given to us to cloth us. If we aren't covered in Christ's righteousness then we will be naked and all our shame, all our sins, all our unrighteousness will be visible.


Mat 22:12 And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.
Mat 22:13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.


No wonder we are to guard, to keep our garments they are garments fashioned by Christ Himself to prepare us for the great day of the wedding between Christ and His bride- His church- His people.


We need to look forward to Christ's return, to be eager for Him to come at any moment in time and in our watching we need to forever keep upon us Christ's righteousness- not our own filthy rags. We will be blessed in Him by His mercy and grace now and forever let us be found ready.


Amen.

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