Pumped about Jesus, Excited for the Church

You cannot love Jesus and not love His bride... the Church.

Jesus died for the Church, loves the Church, cleanses the Church, and is perfecting the Church. He is praying for the Church, He is calling His Church, He is coming for His Church. If Jesus cares this much for the Church, then so should everyone who dares claim to follow Him.

Psalm 45 is a Royal Wedding song about the King and His bride coming together. But theologically, it's the Lord and the Church coming together. And the writer is STIRRED in his heart for both the Lord, and His Bride the Church.

Psalm 45:1 (ESV) My heart overflows with a pleasing theme; I address my verses to the king; my tongue is like the pen of a ready scribe.

Then He talks about the Groom:
Psalm 45:2–3 (ESV) You are the most handsome of the sons of men; grace is poured upon your lips; therefore God has blessed you forever. 3 Gird your sword on your thigh, O mighty one, in your splendor and majesty!

It's wonderful to love the Lord. It is the first and greatest commandment. But loving one another is a close second. To love the body of Christ is to love the Lord himself.  So the moves from honoring the King to rejoicing over His bride:

Psalm 45:13–15 (ESV) All glorious is the princess in her chamber, with robes interwoven with gold. 14 In many-colored robes she is led to the king, with her virgin companions following behind her. 15 With joy and gladness they are led along as they enter the palace of the king.

Is your heart stirred by Jesus? That's wonderful. But to love Him is to love the Church. I know in our generation the "institutional church" gets a bad name. In fact, it's become "cool" to say, "I love Jesus, but I'm just done with the institutional church." Perhaps you went to a cold dead building filled with people who lost sight of who they are and WHOSE they are. That's too bad. But not all Churches are dead and Christ is still building the Church.

Praise the Lord!

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