The True

Made Ready

Pure. Holy. Blameless. Radiant. Bride.

Those are all words God uses to describe His church—you and me—as He presents us for the “wedding of the Lamb” (2 Cor. 11:2, Eph. 5:27, Rev. 19:7).

Our family had the great honor of attending a dear friend’s wedding this past weekend. The bride is a lifelong friend—in fact, she was the flower girl in our wedding (yes, that officially makes us old)! We had a fantastic time celebrating the new union as two families came together to bless and affirm the formation of a new family in pursuit of God’s glory.

As we participated in the celebration of the wedding reception, I couldn’t help but be reminded of the scriptural parallels on display. The bride and the groom had been preparing for this day. There was evidence of that preparation, right down to the tables that had been set and the food that was available to us. But even more important was the preparation of the people involved. Two families had clearly been preparing to join together, and two individuals had been preparing to join as one—a decision marked by vows and a covenant before God.

We ask this question a lot here at The Equipped: Why? Why is this depiction of marriage, a bride, and a wedding feast the one used to describe our relationship with Christ? What is it about the unique marriage relationship that causes God to point to it as the illustration for how we should relate to His son? Our passages above points to three reasons:

First, God desires our complete devotion. He is jealous for us, and He has promised our fidelity to His Son (2 Cor. 11:2).

Next, the image of a bride and her traditional white adorning is a reminder of the purity, holiness, blamelessness, and radiance we take on when we accept the atonement of salvation (Eph. 5:27).

Finally, the wedding celebration marks a specific and important moment towards which all preparations are pointing. Just as the wedding ceremony and subsequent rejoicing are the payoffs for all prior preparation, the wedding of the Lamb is the moment for which you and I are making ourselves ready! It is the occasion on which we will “rejoice and be glad,” and in which we will “give him glory” (Rev. 19:7).

Friends, the day of rejoicing is coming. The wedding feast that marks our union with Jesus will last for all eternity. It is cause for great rejoicing and celebration even now. It is also cause for a reminder of the duty that is now ours. The bridegroom waits for His bride who is without wrinkle or blemish, and the Father asks and offers that you and I be made ready.

U.S.

Ready to Rumble

President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump will debate each other at least twice in advance of the November presidential election, according to an agreement reached this week by the presumptive nominees. It had previously appeared doubtful that any debates between the two candidates would take place, as each has been skeptical of the Commission on Presidential Debates, the organization which has long overseen the details of U.S. presidential debates.

According to the agreement, debates will be held on June 27 and September 10 in advance of the general election on November 5, 2024. In accepting the invitations, President Biden said, “Over to you, Donald,” and former President Trump responded, “Let’s get ready to rumble!”

Analysis and eternal perspective: Generally speaking, it is positive the two candidates have come to an agreement on terms for public debates. The health of a democratic republic like the one in the U.S. relies on voters’ ability to observe and evaluate the candidates. Debates are one important component of that process.

That said, it remains to be seen how much insight the debates will yield for voters. The current political landscape in the U.S. is far less fluid in terms of undecided voters than it once was, and recent presidential debates have not significantly altered the electoral landscape. Most observers expect the candidates to speak largely to their natural base of voters, and it is likely the tone will be decidedly acrimonious.

As Jesus followers, we should navigate carefully and with a decidedly eternal perspective. As we discuss frequently here at The Equipped, it is a blessing of liberty to be allowed free and open debate on matters of civic importance. That freedom is neither universal around the world nor across the arc of human history. We should remind ourselves in advance that the airing of stark contrasts is in fact evidence of a contested process, which is necessary for true self-governance.

Even so, competing views and stark contrasts do not change the fundamental charge for us as The Equipped. We are to “go and make disciples” (Matt. 28:19). This charge is a redemptive one. It is one that involves speaking a transcendent truth that invites each of us out of what this world has to offer and into an eternity with our Savior. It is neither permissive of untruth (each of us is required to leave our sinful self behind) nor concerned with earthly gain or conquest. In fact, just before issuing the charge to ‘Go and make disciples,’ Jesus reminded His disciples that all authority in heaven and earth already belonged to Him (Matt. 28:18).

Campaign seasons—including presidential debates—tend to divide us. We as The Equipped should be intentionally and persistently determined to interact with this dynamic in a way that draws others into a relationship with the saving grace of Jesus Christ. It is ok—potentially appropriate, even—to have a strong preference about an election outcome. But we should also be brutally honest in our own self-evaluation of priorities. The commission given to us by the One who holds all authority in heaven and earth must always be more sacred to us than which human being occupies the Oval Office for the next four years.

World

Iran President Dies in Helicopter Crash

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi is dead after the helicopter he and other Iranian leaders were travelling in crashed in northwest Iran. Raisi was viewed as a possible successor to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the current Supreme Leader of the theocratic government in Iran. Mohammad Mokhber has been named acting president.

Analysis and eternal perspective: As is customary in the theocratic Iran, the president’s death sets off several days of official mourning in the country. The Iranian people’s participation in the mourning is anything but voluntary, however. Iran is by most accounts the largest state sponsor of terrorism and proxy violence in the world. The Iranian regime funds and supports Islamic violence far beyond its borders, including attacks on Israel by both Hamas and Hezbollah. This iron-fisted approach is deployed inside its borders as well, and the Iranian people live under constant oppression and coercion.

As Jesus followers, our hearts should be compelled toward the freedom of the Iranian people, and not just an Earthly freedom but an eternal one. As the Iranian people participate in compelled mourning over the death of a national leader, we should be motivated to find ways for the Good News that is the death and resurrection of Jesus to be proclaimed anew to each and every soul. God sent His one and only son for the purpose of offering eternal life to each soul, including those who currently mourn in the streets of Iran.

Each of us is but a vapor here on Earth (Jam. 4:14). But eternity has been set within us (Ecc. 3:11), and that hope serves as an anchor for our souls (Heb. 6:19). May we offer it to as many as we can reach!

World

Arrest Warrants

In a move that triggered swift and vociferous objection in the United States and beyond, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for leaders of both Israel and Hamas for alleged war crimes. President Biden called the warrants issued against Israeli leaders “outrageous,” and U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member James Risch called them “absurd.”

Analysis and eternal perspective: Criticism of the ICC’s action stems from more than just geopolitical alliances. While international law is the subject of great debate and widely varied adherence, the ICC’s claim to any legal jurisdiction is rooted in the Rome Statute, which was adopted by the United Nations in 1998. Currently, more than 120 “state parties” are signatories to the statute, which indicates a voluntary participation in the Court’s actions and processes.

Notably, while Palestine—though not formally a State—became a signatory in 2015, Israel is one of many nations (a list that includes the United States) that is not a signatory. As such, the ICC has no legal jurisdiction over Israel, making its declaration of arrest warrants for Israeli leaders without any force of law.

Substantively, it appears the ICC’s intent is to create a moral equivalency between Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, and Israel’s subsequent response to that attack.

As Jesus followers, we should value the worth of every life in harm’s way and should persistently pursue peace (Ps. 34:14). We should also, however, take a clear and sober view of actions like these that depart from any legal mooring, as they do more to exasperate the situation than they do advance any true and lasting peace.

The Beautiful

Preparing for Beauty

Things of beauty—be they food or flowers or people—are of maximum worth after they experience a period of preparation.

Food carefully prepared turns into a feast.

Flowers intentionally picked and arranged become a centerpiece.

You and I, when refined by a saturation in God’s Word and a proximity to His being and mission, are transformed into the very object of His affection.

If you find yourself in a time of stretching and difficulty, ask God what it is He is working in you. Through the preparing, may you be made ready!