The Forerunner…

I’ve always wondered why throwing of the bouquet has become part of a wedding party. Is it just about throwing and catching a bunch of flowers? The bride turns her back on the assembled maidens and tosses her bouquet away as a way of discerning whom ‘destiny’ has next selected from all the unmarried females present to be the next bride. Even though old traditions are hard to break, but brides must be mindful that just because something has been around for a long time, doesn't mean that fashioning new customs isn't perfectly acceptable and perhaps even preferable. The new alternatives they design may in time become traditions in their own right. Same goes with a relay race; the current runner must pass a baton to the person running the next session. The sprinter concentrates on his race, running past the glare of a cheering crowd, even if they are jeering, he focuses on whom to hand the baton to. In Scriptural illustrations, leaders had been confronted with challenges that had threatened their advancement. Stark realities like Joshua being faced with a Jericho wall that had to be brought down; yet being saddled with a people who were untrained in war tactics, tired and coming from a background where their self-esteem had been ridded. They aimed at confronting a well-equipped Canaanite army! Every breakthrough is usually confronted by at least a wall, seemingly hopeless situations like the thick wall of Jericho that appear impenetrable. No one walked faithfully with God without facing such situations! “Now these things occurred as examples”…. 1 Corinthians 10:6 (NIV). David had to confront a blood-thirsty giant, Gideon had to fight 300,000 war-men with just 300 soldiers, Joseph got betrayed by his own siblings and sold into slavery, yet he was to become a world power! Moses was cornered on the banks of the red sea with the fiercest armies intimidating him, Esther tried to gain the world with a prideful king, Daniel was thrown into the lions’ den because he maintained his stand! Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego got condemned to a fiery furnace for loving their Creator! Jesus was humiliated, crucified and buried in a tomb; all of the hopes of generations yet unborn were thought to be buried and forgotten! Everyone of these was ready to close the book on their situations, but No, they were forerunners! They all charted courses that no one ever dared and they stood out as starting a new order! I leant that when all has failed, God shows up. He who promised is always faithful. Just when Samuel led Israel at Mizpeh to repent before God, the Philistines opposed and drew near to battle Israel. …. “but the Lord spoke with a mighty voice of thunder from heaven, and they were thrown into confusion, and the Israelis routed them and chased them from Mizpah to Beth-car, killing them all along the way”. 1 Samuel 7:10 & 11 (TLB) It is with a forerunner; like a spider, he breaks past a web before advancing. So, it is that I throw my bouquet and pass my baton to you only, regardless of who you are, qualified or condemned by human opinion. God sees you and knows that you have feared Him and lived a straight-forward life. To you, Jesus asked, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: The very Stone which the builders rejected and threw away has become the Cornerstone; this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes? I tell you, for this reason the kingdom of God will be …. given to a people who will produce the fruits of it. And whoever falls on this Stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom It falls will be crushed to powder [and It will winnow him, scattering him like dust]”. Matthew 21:42-44 (AMP) I am a Forerunner and that translates my new name! Catch the bouquet! ayanfeLAMPROS http://www.ayanfelampros.blogspot.com NOTE: NIV (New International Version) TLB (The Living Bible) AMP (Amplified Bible Version) Phone Contacts: 0802 828 6163, 0803 5100 530.