MICHAEL CLARK
Rise Up, My Love!
A few years ago I had a strange dream. I was standing on a board sidewalk in front of a building in an old American West town, facing the muddy street. I heard a sound to my left and turning that direction, I saw an old horse drawn buckboard coming down the street . At the reins was a crusty old man; on the tail gate was a green, domed-top chest. Straggling along behind the wagon with her hand on the chest was a woman. She was in her early twenties and was wearing what had once been a beautiful long dress. It was tattered, torn, and splattered with mud, and mud was caked on her legs and bare feet. She was hunched over with her long hair hanging down over her face.
As the wagon rolled by in front of me, Jesus stepped out from behind me, pointed at the driver and ordered him to stop. The old man stopped immediately, and Jesus ordered him to turn the woman loose. The man replied that he didn't have any chains on her. I looked and he was right! The only thing that tied her to the wagon has her hand hold on the old green chest. In the next moment Jesus motioned for her to come up out of the mud and join Him. Then I woke up.
I didn't understand the full meaning of the dream at the time, but as I shared it with another brother a few days ago and we prayed about it, it all came into focus.
The driver of the wagon was the devil. The woman was Jesus' bride, the Church. She was in terrible shape and being lead along by the devil because she wouldn't let go of the chest! The Lord was saying to her, "Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away (Song of Solomon 2:10 )." The only thing that was holding her back from His loving invitation was her love of what was in that green chest.
Jesus asked the scribes and Pharisees when they came to test Him, "Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition (Matthew 15:3)?" He reached out to them over and over, but they refused to come to Him. He cried out, "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often l wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling. Behold your house is being left to you desolate (Matthew 23:37, 38)!"
Could the contents of that green chest be old, empty traditions? Is the Church willing and able to hear what the Spirit is saying today? Almost every denomination in existence was born out of the obedience of a few godly men who simply followed the Holy Spirit's prompting no matter what it cost them. Then men added their interpretation of what these men heard, and another denomination was formed.
But what is the Holy Spirit saying to the Church today? Are we willing to be obedient today or will it cost too much?
When we hold onto a blessing of the past and refuse to let go for today's blessing, we are like the children in the wilderness who tried to eat yesterday's manna. It had become wormy and putrid and their disobedience angered God. It is always easier to coast along and let another break trail ahead of us than expend the effort and face the rejection that comes with being a trail blazer. Someone once pointed out that those who persecute the current move of God are almost always those still following the last move.
The Church today is needlessly dragging herself through the mud of the world. We see men, even church leaders, selling their birth right for a pot of flesh or a few short-lived riches. Is this the Glorious Church, the Spotless Bride that has made herself ready for the Bridegroom? I think not. Jesus is calling us to repent. Hurricanes, earthquakes, massive floods, epidemics, civil strife, ethnic violence; what will it take to bring us to our knees in godly repentance?
Have you ever taken a good look at the structure of church life today and compared if to what the early church of the Bible was like? I have a hard time finding any similarity. The Spirit is calling us to forsake our hold on that old green chest, rise up out of the muck and mire of the world and empty church traditions and fall in love again with Jesus and Him only. Then will we hear the angels sing:
"...Hallelujah ' For the Lord our God, the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and HIS BRIDE HAS MADE HERSELF READY." And it was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen of the righteous acts of the saints (Revelation 19: 6-8)
"I, Jesus have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star (Revelation 22:16)"
Michael Clark
Post Palls, ID
2/1/94
