“Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: 'The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son....” (Matthew 22: 1-2)
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“No one is devoid of the invitation to glory. Hide as we may, we are hailed by the angel. Ah, but we hear the hailing only in the 'hailing frequency': that spiritual ear that is buried at the very bottom of our being, buried under the louder shouts and bellows of a hundred hungry animals, the this-worldly desires.”--Peter Kreeft
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“In the beginning....the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.”--(Genesis 1:1)
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“The Spirit and the bride say 'Come!' And let him who hears, say 'Come!'; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.” --(Revelation 22:17)
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If the Bible is true... as I believe it is..., then God, the uncaused Cause of the universe, the uncaused Cause of all time, of all space, of all matter,... and of all subsequent creation flowing from them, must have created and designed water for his own Divine Purpose and for his own Glory.
Scripture, it seems to me, suggests that water carries with it a profound message,... a sublime yet powerful call to the spirit and soul of man. I believe that this God, this Author of all creation, uses water to help convey to us a message designed primarily for the heart.
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At the very beginning of Christ's earthly ministry, at the wedding feast of Cana, Jesus performed his first recorded miracle. He miraculously transformed water used for ceremonial washing and purification into the finest of wine so that the joy of the marriage feast might be complete. Three years later, in the upper room at the end of his earthly ministry, this same Jesus offered his disciples a joyful “wedding wine” of a different sort. He offered them a wine of invitation...a proposal wine. This Passover/Seder wine also signified purification and cleansing....but with a difference. With this “proposal” cup at the Last Supper, Christ invites his disciples to be cleansed and purified in spirit and to be joined in Him to Eternal Life and Glory. Through faith in Him, his Blood and his Resurrection, He offers to his disciples (then and now) a never-ending river of pleasure, delight and joy as his radiantly spotless bride in his Father's House.
“O Lord, you preserve both man and beast,
How priceless is your unfailing love!....
They feast on the abundance of your house;
You give them drink from your river of delights.” (Psalm 36: 6-9)
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Father, may the waters that we see around us in this your glorious creation remind us always of the Beauty of your Redemption Plan. May the waters also remind us of your love for us and the magnitude of the price that was paid to purchase us and to call us home. Help us to hear your whispered proposal on the shores of these still waters....
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“Poured Out for His Beloved”
(Golden Goblet for His Bride)
May the river's flow remind us,
May the stream, Lord, draw us near...
Give us Grace to see your Beauty,
Softly hail us....Give us ear.
May the spring of Living Water
Cause the spirit to be stirred;
May the peace of Christ be in us....
Wash us, Father, by thy Word.
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May the cup of Cana fill us...
May the Wedding Feast begin!
May that purifying water,
Lord, remove the stain of sin.
Help us taste the wedding water...
Help us taste the wedding wine!
Help us taste the glory 'round us...
Graft us, Lord, into The Vine.
Help us see here precious treasures,
Jewels placed before our eyes.
Gems of Beauty to attract us
To the shoreline's endless skies.
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May the Weight of Glory beckon,
And the Light of Truth prevail...
Through the Resurrection take us,
To the Ark behind the veil.
Perfect Passion of the Bridegroom...
For his spotless one He died.
Now poured out for his Beloved;
Golden Goblet for his Bride.
So, Lord, lift our eyes to Heaven
While we wait here on the shore;
Give us rest here by these waters...
Help us hear your Call to soar!
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“God provides resting places as well as working places. So rest and be thankful when He brings you, tired and weary, to streams along the way.” --LB Cowman
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“...Christ has made Death into life's golden chariot, sent to fetch his Cinderella bride out of the cinder fireplace of a world, through a far midnight ride, to his very own castle and bedchamber, where Glory will beget glory upon us forever.” --Peter Kreeft”
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“Then He took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, 'Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” (Matthew 26: 27-28)
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