Transcript: The Bride's Preparation for the Marriage of the Lamb

Music Music Even though it's not Mother's Day, my thoughts go back to reflect on the fact that Mother's Day is one of the biggest commercial sales day, and if not the largest in gifts and flowers, and even telephone calls in the honor of mothers. This is good, and it's thoughtful of all who take the time to thank their mothers for the difference that she made in their lives. God's holy word gives instruction to believers that we should honor our mothers and fathers. Our culture has designated a special day and set it aside in paying special tribute to say, I love you mother and thanks for being my mom and so on. Well there's a story that I'm reminded of that happened a number of years ago. I was asked by a pastor of the church that we were attending at that time if I would share a brief story with the congregation about something which pertained to motherhood. And the story that I shared on that day, Mother's Day, over 18 years ago, is a time when our only child, son Aaron, was home visiting. He had just graduated from college and he was living about 350 to 400 miles away from home. Aaron and I were on our way into the city to go shopping and as we drove along we were enjoying our visit and talking back and forth and just catching up on lost time. You know how that is. It was somewhere along the drive into the city I said to my son, You know, Aaron, I really enjoy having your home and I really enjoy your company. I really love you, my son. I said to him, I told him that I thank God daily for him. And precisely at that moment an overwhelming and great love for my son washed over me. I thought in that moment a mother could never love a child more than I did before this moment happened. As I was sitting there feeling this great love for my son, I was overwhelmed with the audible and powerful words saying, If you feel this great love for your son, how much more does my father in heaven love you? I realized in that brief moment I had a glimpse of the love that the Father has for me And has for you I wanted to freeze that moment in those words in time I know the love the Father has for us Is on a different plane But the Holy Spirit allowed me a glimpse Of that love in that very moment I told my son that day I'll always be your mother, Aaron but there comes a time when our children grow up and they become a friend as well and I appreciate having you as my friend too my son looked over at me and smiled and took my hand and held it as we drove on into the city and I thought I am blessed and I love the benefits of being a mother God truly demonstrated his love to me that very moment By opening up the window of heaven And pouring into me his great and overwhelming love And his words to me that day when he said If you feel this great love for your son How much more does my father in heaven love you Certainly made great impact upon my life truly God honors mothers and he even shows how his son Jesus Christ took care of and made provision for his own mother Mary as he hung from the cross Mary the mother of Jesus called the virgin mother she was his beloved mother whom he loved very much look with me please in the gospel of John 19 breaking in on verse 14 where Pilate stood before the people and said Here is your king Pilate said to the Jews but they shouted Take him away Take him away Crucify him Shall I crucify your king? Pilate asked We have no king but Caesar the chief priest answered Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified so the soldiers took charge of Jesus carrying his own cross he went out to the place of the skull which in Aramaic is called Gogotha and here they crucified him and with two others one on each side and Jesus in the middle verse 19 Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross it read Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews many of the Jews read this sign for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city and a sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. The chief priest of the Jews protested to Pilate, Do not write the king of the Jews, but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews. Pilate answered, What I have written, I have written. When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them in four shares, one for each of them with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. Verse 24 Let's not tear it, they said to one another. Let's decide by lot who will get it. This happened that scripture might be fulfilled, which said, They divided my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing. So this is what the soldiers did. Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister Mary, wife of Clopas and Mary Magdalene. Verse 26 when Jesus saw his mother there and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby he said to his mother Dear woman, here is your son and to the disciple here is your mother from that time on this disciple took her into his home and I would like to point out the twofold purpose of the scripture we can see and admire the power of divine grace in action here through the precious words of our beloved Lamb Jesus Christ. Do not miss this, please. Jesus is providing for his mother as he hangs from the cross. His last hours on the cross, I remind you, our Savior has been beaten beyond recognition and hangs naked with his body being supported by nails driven in his hands and feet. His very last concerns are for his mother The Blessed Virgin, as scripture calls her Is standing by under heavy trial We do not find the mother of Jesus reported by scripture Losing control or tearing at her hair Or rending her clothes or making loud wailing outcries But with wonderful composure standing by the cross Her friends at her side and be certain She and her friends were strengthened by the divine power of God to endure the patient process of which she was fully aware of and the reason of why he had come. She knew her purpose. She knew she was called and chosen to be the mother of the long-awaited Messiah. Scripture comforts us with the words, I will never leave you nor forsake you. I'll never give you more than you can bear. And when under great trial, the words, My grace is sufficient for you, are a comfort and a promise of the grace given to us all as the children of God. You see how tenderly Jesus provides for his mother at his own death. We can believe here that Joseph, Mary's husband, has long since been dead and that Jesus had taken full responsibility for her in supporting her. But dear saints, I want to tell you the prophetic meaning of those last words of Jesus to his mother and to John the beloved disciple who stood near Jesus' mother. The Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, was a type of two things here. She was a type of church that is often, according to Scripture, represented as Jesus' mother, as the one who prevails in pain with him, as she burrs him forth and burrs him forward into the hearts of believers, and especially those who are ministers in the church of the living God, who, as apostle, Paul had said he would prevail in birth for the souls of men and women. John the beloved disciple represents the New Testament commandment of love left to the believers of Jesus Christ and this commandment states love the Lord your God with all of your heart and all of your soul and all of your mind Matthew 22, 34 hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees the Pharisees got together one of them an expert in the law tested him with this question Teacher, which is the greatest commandment of the law? Jesus replied, Love the Lord your God with all of your heart and all of your soul, with all of your mind. This is the first. Declares, no longer will they call you deserted or name your land desolate, but you will be called hespila, acceptable, pleasure and desire, and your land beulah, your husband, which means married means husband and dominion for the Lord will take delight in you and your land will be married verse 5 as a young man marries a maiden so will your sons marry you as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride so will your God rejoice over you I've posted watchmen on your walls O Jerusalem and they will never be silent day or night you will call on the Lord give yourselves no rest and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the heart, the praise of the earth. Well, Jerusalem and Zion are interrelated in their terminology. Jerusalem is called the millennial city and in a prophetic sense, Zion is referred to as the future capital of Israel in the kingdom age. It is going to be the eternal city into which the church of Jesus Christ will be received. Zion is a symbol of God's people who obey him out of reverential love and holy fear. The term woman is a loving concern and a term of endearment in loving kindness. And the book of Revelation makes many references using the term woman when referring to the church. Revelation 12 verse 1 says, A great and wondrous sign appeared in heaven. A woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and a crown of twelve stars on her head, which represent the twelve apostles. She was pregnant, and she cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. This is the holy prodigy of Jesus Christ. We're about to come forth. Dear church, in these last days that are just before us. Verse 3. And another sign appeared in heaven, an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crown on its head. Its tail swept a third of the stars out of heaven and flung them to the earth. And the dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth so he might devour her child the moment it was born. Verse 5, Matthew 23, when Jesus died upon the cross, it was his final hour. And let me add, it was a long-awaited hour for all of heaven. It was a time of great sorrow. And yet, it was a time of great expectation and afterwards great jubilation. God the Father had promised his son a bride for his great sacrifice in offering himself on the cross. as the atonement for each one who accepts him as their Messiah. He would have a bride that would come out of the church and these would co with him for all of eternity because they too willingly sacrificed their lives for him while they drew breath on the earth Revelation 19 verse 7 says Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory for the wedding of the Lamb has come and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, clean and bright was given her to wear. The bride has made herself ready. The bride represents the corporate church here and is represented as a chaste, pure virgin dressed in clean white clothing and is often called his undefiled one in the Song of Solomon. She attends Christ by instilling in the hearts of the saints the mandates and requirements of his holy word and the means of grace by which his precepts and commandments are maintained in the church. She provides and imparts the sincere milk of the word by which believers as newborn babes are nourished and grow in grace and knowledge and wisdom of their Lord. And just as the Blessed Virgin Mary in conceiving and bringing forth Christ is the distinguished type of every believing soul whose scripture defines as his sister, his brother, and his mother. As Jesus Christ was formed within Mary's womb, so is he formed in every true believer's heart and soul. As the Holy Spirit came upon Mary, the Virgin Mother, by the power and the overshadowing of the Most High God, we see a lively prophetic view of the manner and type in which the very image and character and nature is formed within the hearts and souls of the saints. The mother of Jesus Christ was a pure virgin bride and so are true believers represented in Scripture as the same. They are those who have not defiled themselves with relation with other women, for they are as pure virgins. Revelation 14.4 declares, These are those who have not defiled themselves by relation with other women, for they are pure as virgins. These are those who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These are they who have been ransomed and purchased and redeemed from among men as firstfruits for God and the Lamb. No lie was found upon their lips, for they are blameless and spotless and untainted without blemish before the throne of God. the term not defiling themselves by relations with other women means they are pure from any involvement with idolatry and spiritual adultery they are presented as unspotted virgins to their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ the mother of Jesus was a pure virgin and so are believers in God's church represented as this type in these verses they are represented as chaste virgins to Christ because they have not defiled themselves with spiritual adultery with air, heresy or apostate lies they have grown in maturity to hate sin just as much as their bridegroom hates it the beloved virgin brought forth her son in great pain and so is Christ brought forth in the hearts of believers many times with repentance and shame and stabbing pain in their consciences was sorrow for sin. All of these may be appropriately compared to the pains of the woman in the throes of childbirth. We can know that the mother of Jesus was careful to watch over her son when he was a little infant, and she tended to him with great and careful attention, and making sure that he would not be hurt or harmed. She was careful to feed and nourish him, and she was attentive to every need that he may have had to promote his health and growth, as any loving, tender mother would do as they watch over and care for their children. And dear church, it should be this way with you and I as well. You should watch carefully over your heart to ensure that Jesus Christ is built into the very fabric of your being. Just as the picture and description that we see with the loving mother, this should be the lively image of the love that you as a Christian ought to have as you nourish your heart and soul every day and guard over it with careful attention to make sure that the enemy does not come in to steal the truth that has been planted by precious Holy Spirit as you have spent time in the Word. This should be a vivid picture of the care that the church, especially leadership in God's church, should have regarding the interest of Jesus Christ that have been committed to their care. Paul declares in 1 Thessalonians 2.4 1 Thessalonians 2.4 But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. Even so we speak not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts. Verse 5. For neither at any time did we use flattering words, as you know, nor a cloak for covetousness. God is our witness. Nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, when we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. Verse 7. But we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children so affectionately longing for you we were pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of our God but also our lives because you have become so dear to us for you remember brethren our labor and toil for laboring night and day that we might not be a burden to any of you as we preach to you the gospel of God Paul says that we might have been burdensome as apostles of Christ but we were gentle among you even as a nursing mother would cherish her children it was his deepest heart's desire to impart the truth to them because they had become so dear to him Paul loved his bridegroom and he loved the bride and these are the true attributes of God's genuine servants 2 Corinthians 11.1 Paul declares Oh that you would bear with me in a little folly and indeed you do bear with me for I am jealous over you with godly jealousy I have betrothed you to one husband that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ Oh that I might present you as a chaste virgin to Christ he says you see this is the final stage of union of the bride with our Lord Jesus Christ the marriage of the Lamb will be the greatest of all celebrations there will ever have been and this means that all the hidden combined members throughout every generation will be given their resurrected and glorified bodies and will be seen fully in their likeness to Christ at the marriage supper of the Lamb 1 John 3, 2 declares, Dear friends, now we are the children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made fully known to us. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Just as those around the cross who stood in hopeful expectation of the long-awaited Messiah, their Redeemer, their Bridegroom, They were looking up at him on the cross. And dear church, we too must always look up to keep our eyes fixed on the author and finisher of our faith. Colossians 3.1 says, Since then you have been raised with Christ. Set your hearts on things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things. For you died and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Jesus asked his heavenly father in the garden before he was arrested and taken to be beaten and suffer a horrible and brutal death upon the cross. Oh, he said, Father, he prayed that those whom the father had given to him would be with him in heaven also. In John 17, 24. Father, I want those that you've given to be with me where I am and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you love me before the creation of the world. Only those who truly have learned the fear of the Lord, that is the true awe and adoration and reverence, will see Christ's glory. This is an honor and a privilege. The Holy Spirit sees to it and brings together those who reverence the Lord their God so they may encourage one another in Christ. Hebrews 3, 7. So as the Spirit says, Today if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion during the time of testing in the desert where your fathers tested and tried me for 40 years. You saw what I did. And that is why I was angry with that generation. And I said, their hearts are always going astray. They have not known my ways, so I declared an oath in my anger that they shall never enter my rest. Verse 12. See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. Verse 14. We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first. And the confidence that you have first, dear saint, is when you learned of the one who has a heart full of love for you. And the very one who has extended the invitation and asked you personally, will you be my bride forever? He says, I will put my signet ring up on your finger and a crown of life upon your head. I will clothe you in a beautiful gown designed especially for you and one that is adorned with beautiful costly jewels and precious stones. He says, will you be mine and mine alone? This is the question that has been proposed to you and me and every other believer from the foundation of time. This, dear saint, is the sharing in the confidence of Christ. let us never let down I exhort you never lay aside your sword of truth and never, never neglect your first love let us consider the heart of the blessed virgin the mother of Jesus Christ look at the heart of this young maiden in the song she sang her song once she learned that she would be the mother of the promised Messiah and the song is called Mary's Magnificat And it's found in Luke 1, verse 46. Luke 1, 46. My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit is rejoiced in God my Savior, for his regard of the lowly state of his maidservant. For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. For he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is on those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown his strength with his arm, and he's scattered the proud in the imaginations of their hearts. And he's put down the mighty from their thrones and exalted the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped his servant Israel in remembrance of his mercy. In verse 46, Mary said, My soul does magnify the Lord And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior First of all Mary's song was a song of faith There was so much that lies within the very depth of this young maiden's heart That it came from the very bottom of her soul We typically do not give much attention to the mother of Jesus because certain religious denominations overplay her role in their worship of her. It seems for some they make and give more attention to Mary as a glorified deity than to Jesus Christ, the very one who died upon the cross for the sins of mankind. Dear one, only Jesus Christ alone can save us. the young maiden Mary certainly had gone through many difficulties once the announcement of this wondrous birth was made known and promised to her and we can just imagine what must have gone through her mind as she was listening to the angel who brought her the news she must have had many questions and thoughts racing through her mind as to some of the consequences that might seem ridiculous and even impossible to many as she might try to explain this whole account Still even in spite of her sharing what the angel told her she would be subject to many merciless and cruel remarks and innuendos that would bring great harm and damage to her character. Here we have the highest honor that could ever be bequeathed and entrusted to a woman, and in the ridicule of many would be her greatest possible dishonor through mocking, rude comments, snide and shameful remarks and also the shunning and turning away that must have occurred time and time again in her young life. And we've read where Joseph had suspicion over seeing his promised bride with child before their wedding. only divine revelation from God could bring the reprieve and the direction for his future as being the selected one to step into the role as surrogate father to the very son of God God knew all of this before he selected these two vessels to be the honored ones to raise his son and prepare Jesus for the purpose and the mission in which he was sent to do on behalf of all of mankind Mary could have been greatly troubled if she would have been influenced by her carnal feelings or been controlled or persuaded by her external circumstances so all of this brings us back to what must have sustained her during this most challenging time of her life it was her awesome and astounding faith that causes us as a reader of her account to be so impressed at her age and her matchless faith, because no other woman then had been blessed with the awesome trial and test of their faith as Mary had been when she sang her song that we are privileged to read in Mary's song today. She sang, Oh, my soul does magnify the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. Being truly blessed and steeped in faith, she believed that this grand announcement was far beyond all of the persecution that she would face down the line she was indeed blessed before the actual accomplishment of the birth and the things that the angel had told her on that day it caused her to sing out from the tips of her toes in the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to bless and magnify her Lord unbelief would have screamed out and said no this is more than you can handle you better give thought to this thing before you make a commitment and fear would have had its foot at the door saying don't tell anyone because they'll all think that you're crazy but dear ones that did not happen because faith could not help but sing out from the very depths of Mary's soul and her heart and she left us with the evidence of her faith and that her song which she sings out in a most sincere and sweet offering unto her Lord, her God. How many of us today want the evidence of success before we'll offer our song unto the Lord as a sweet sacrifice, as the fruit of praise from our lips? We want the evidence of facts before we will sing. but faith was Mary's leading motivation to accept the invitation to birth forth the Son of God the long awaited Messiah that she had grown up hearing and being taught about all of her 14 or 15 years before the angel appeared to her that day I wonder how many of us miss the many blessings that God presents to us in the challenges and trials that we are faced with and miss the songs that he intended to flow from our lips in praise of his wondrous intentions and blessings that lie before the trial. You and I dare not wait to see the success and accomplishments before we sing our songs. It is called faith, dear ones. If you wait, you will spoil your song. Many trials that we read about in scripture and testimonies given over the years bring in many awesome songs that have been around for hundreds of years, have been born out of terrible and horrendous adversities, misfortune and pain. I would be negligent if I did not speak or mention the greatest account of the one who suffered more than any human being on the face of the earth for his atoning sacrifice for the forgiveness of sin for all who would choose him as Lord and Savior. Isaiah prophesied about Christ's coming a thousand years before it happened. Isaiah 42, verse 1 Here is my servant whom I am uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight. I will put my spirit on him and bring justice to the nations. He will not cry out or his voice be raised up in the streets. Verse 3, a bruised reed he will not break and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice. He will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on the earth. And his law, the islands, will put their hope. Verse 5, this is what God the Lord says. He who created the heavens and stretched them out Who spread out the earth and all that comes out of it Who gives breath to its people and life to those who walk on it I the Lord have called you in righteousness I will take hold of your hand And I will keep you and I will make you to be a covenant For the people and a light for the Gentiles To open eyes that are blind To free captives from prisons And to release from the dungeons those who sit in darkness Verse 8 I am the Lord, that is my name. I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols. See, the former things have taken place and new things I declare. Before they spring into being, I announce them to you. And what was prophesied in Isaiah did spring forth into being. It was announced and it was birthed forth into a wonderful redemptive plan of salvation for all of mankind. Man only has to choose and accept for himself the wonderful invitation that is given. Even in the New Testament, in Matthew 12, verse 15, aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. Many followed him and he healed their sick, warning them not to tell who he was. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah. Here is my servant whom I have chosen The one whom I love In whom I delight I will put my spirit on him And he will proclaim justice to the nations And he will not quarrel or cry out No one will hear his voice in the streets A bruised reed he will not break And a smoldering wick he will not stuff out Till he leads justice to victory In his name the nations will put their hope Our beautiful and most glorious Savior, King and Bridegroom Jesus Christ Is the bruised reed that did not break He endured the cross And the name above all names was given to him The name above all names is the name in which every person Must choose for themselves to take unto themselves In order for eternal salvation to be their own after the initial suffering that Mary went through I remind you it was character assassination it was shunning and rejection that she had faced and endured in the suffering that her beloved son went through right before her very eyes Simeon had prophesied to her when he said in Luke 2.34 as he held the Christ child in his arms Behold this child is appointed and destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel and for a sign that is spoken against and a sword will pierce through your own soul also that the secret thoughts and purposes of many hearts may be brought out and disclosed and that happened Mary knew this child her son would be the Messiah to come and rescue Israel and that he was the promised king. She was holding the future of all mankind in her arms until the day came that she was looking up on the cross and remembering what scripture had prophesied about his death, burial, and resurrection. Simeon's words were being replayed over and over in her mind when she recalled when he said, A sword will pierce through your own soul. and also the secret thoughts and purposes of many hearts will be brought out and disclosed. Surely that sword did pierce her heart as she looked up at her son whom she nursed at her breast and comforted many times as a child, and seeing the great pain and agony that he was going through, and finally seeing him take his last breath, must have felt like to her that the sword had gone in all the way, piercing her heart to the very core. We see the suffering and the sorrow that the beloved Virgin Mother of Jesus Christ had endured. And we know that it was her faith and the power of the Holy Spirit who sustained her. and we have seen the wonderful analogy of the Blessed Virgin in contrast to the Virgin Church that Jesus Christ is going to have out of the whole church at his marriage supper soon to come it is not far it is not far away dear ones this marriage supper is not far away we have another message called the greatest wedding feast ever that you may hear by going to our website www.shininglight7ministries.com Again, that is www.shininglight7 that is a numerical number 7 ministries.com Go to the opening page and you will see Audio Christian Teachings and you will find this message The Greatest Wedding Feast Ever near the top of the list of teachings. I announce to you today that Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation. He indeed is triumph and he is about to judge the living and the dead. It is not far. The time is very near. I ask you, are you preparing yourself for this great and wonderful day? He is the foundation of eternal life. He is a refuge to those who are in distress. He is a support to the afflicted, a hope and defense to those who are hopeless. And in a word, all those who believe on him and in him shall never suffer eternal death. May all peoples of the earth choose him as their Savior, in order that their souls may be clothed with a gown of salvation. Our beautiful Savior came, poured his life's blood out for his church. He poured out his precious blood. Scripture says water also spilled out of his body. And we know by his blood that we are covered and atoned for. And that water is prophetic in speaking of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said he would pour out his spirit upon his people. And in the New Testament, Jesus gives us the promise in John 14 verse 15. If you love me, you will obey me. You will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another counselor to be with you forever, the Spirit of truth. Then the fullness of the Spirit of God was poured out in the baptism of the Spirit on Pentecost. Acts 2.17 In the last days, God says, I'll pour out my Spirit in all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions. And your old men will dream dreams. even on my servants both men and women I will pour out my spirit in those days and they will prophesy I'll show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below blood and fire and billows of smoke and the sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord and everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved Jesus left us a wonderful promise the promise of his spirit to lead and guide us into all truth. John 16 verse 12 says Jesus says I have more to say to you much more than you can now bear but when he the spirit of truth comes he will guide you into all truth he will not speak on his own he will speak only what he hears and he will tell you what is yet to come he will bring glory to me by taking what is mine and making it known to you and all that belongs to the Father is mine and that is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you. The third person of the Trinity will teach all true believers the truth Please understand that this is a divine and supernatural appointment The truth in these scriptures are from God the Father spoken through His Son. And the Holy Spirit is given to each believer by the Son, and He alone reveals the future when in verse 13 He says that He will reveal what is yet to come. He will make known to you. He won't leave you in the dark. The Spirit of Truth also glorifies and magnifies Jesus in your heart. He does not glorify Himself, as some people these days are teaching. Father God promised His Son Jesus Christ a bride. And it will come to pass that Jesus shall inherit His promised treasure that He has longed for since the beginning of time. All of heaven awaits this glorious moment. Jesus did not leave his church to be orphaned or fend for themselves. The greatest gift left to the church is the promised Holy Spirit who works passionately towards this promise and glorious appointed time in history that is yet to come. It is an unraveling dear church right before our eyes in our day and time. the Holy Spirit works among the heirs who will co-reign with Jesus Christ the bridegroom he is passionate about the bride for the bridegroom he's jealous over her and let me tell you this to the degree that you turn your heart to him is the measure that he will pour out to you if you have no passion or desire for him he does not force you to love him to the degree that you give him your carnal mind he will give you his mind, the mind of Christ to the degree that you give him your emotions will be the degree to which he will fill you with his joy and peace and the more you let the divine life of Jesus Christ grow within you the more his divine nature becomes your nature remember precious Holy Spirit will not violate your desire and building relationship with him, which eventually should end up in a wonderful, sweet fellowship. He knows you will suffer loss of promises if you do not obey him, but he will not force you to do anything. I have said it before and I'll say it again. God will have a bride for his son Jesus Christ, and this bride will be those who truly love him and stand in awe and reverent and holy fear of him. This reverent fear is something you cannot work up within yourself. No way. It just won't happen. This is only something called a divine work that the Holy Spirit within you can do when you submit and long for Him and Him alone. You see, reverence in the Greek Hebrew dictionary means having a profound awe and respect for God. This is because of His majesty and holiness. and when you catch the revelation and awe of his greatness and desire him he arouses a feeling of reverence in you so that you can truly worship him in spirit and truth the work of the spirit this is true worship dear saints it is from your heart and not from your head Jesus was there at the beginning when the father desired to create man in his image and likeness our heavenly father desired to have a large family. He desired to have multitudes of millions who love him and share in the riches of his glorious kingdom forever and ever. Jesus was there and his name is wisdom. Proverbs 8, verse 12 declares, I, wisdom, dwell with prudence and find out knowledge and discretion. The fear of the Lord is to hate evil, pride and arrogance in the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate. Counsel is mine and sound wisdom. I am understanding. I have strength. By me kings reign and rulers decree justice. By me princes rule and nobles, all the judges of the earth. I love those who love me and those who seek me diligently will find me. The church of Jesus Christ is built on the rock and wisdom is his name. It is time for the church to grow up and mature into what she is purposed to be. It is time for church leaders to wake up and feed their flocks and train up their flocks and release their flocks to do the work of Jesus Christ. Church is not a building program filled with social events for people to feel good. This will not feed the sheep or even suffice to feed them. Too many people are leaving church today because of error, heresy and apostasy that is being set up by false apostles, prophets, evangelists, teachers, and pastors. We read recently in the news that a church has opened its door to gay teenagers. They can come to church and could identify with each other and help to foster spiritually according to the pastor. He said this program is the first that he knows about. Lesbian teens went to their pastor and asked why they couldn't begin a program geared just to homosexuals. The pastor says, quote, they ask why we can't do this, and he said, I decided there was no reason not to. The church's involvement with this program now includes Emanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church, New Brunswick, and a Presbyterian chaplain based in New York City. We have whole organizations that are apostate to the core, in the church today, that are spewing out air and heresy, and many people are just plain ignorant of what they are doing, sitting under their teachings. They have no idea what these apostate leaders are doing. People are not reading their Bibles to know the truth. Precious Holy Spirit will not interfere in their lives because they are too busy for Him. People become discouraged and stop going to church. Church programs and social clubs were not enough to fill what God's people really needed. You see, church is not a building. It's a living organism made up of people. It is a spiritual body of believers who need spiritual food and water. God is speaking and mightily moving in this day and hour, saying to the church and warning her through his word in Jeremiah 23, verse 1, Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture declares the Lord and therefore this is what the Lord the God of Israel says to the shepherds who tend to my people because you've scattered my flock and driven them away and have not bestowed care on them I will bestow punishment on you for evil you have done declares the Lord Now I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of the countries where I've driven them and will bring them back to their pasture where they will be fruitful and increase in number. And I will place shepherds over them who will tend to them and they will no longer be afraid and terrified nor will any be missing, declares the Lord. Well, in the New Testament, Jesus gives warning to leaders of the church when he declares in Luke 12, 42. The Lord says, Who then is the faithful and wise manager whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at proper time. 43. It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. I tell you the truth. He will put him in charge of all of his possession. But suppose the servant says to himself, My master is taking a long time coming. And he then begins to beat the men servants and maid servants. In other words, if the leader becomes abusive and harsh and he starts to eat and drink meaning that he lives apart from the truth. Well, the master of that servant will come on the day that he does not expect him and in an hour that he is not aware of which means suddenly he will come and says he will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with unbelievers. Sounds very serious. It is very serious. 1 Peter 5.2 gives a mandate to leaders. be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care serving as overseers not because you must but because you are willing as God wants you to be not greedy for money but eager to serve not lording it over in those entrusted to you but being examples to the flock and when the chief shepherd appears you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away and finally in the book of Ephesians 4.11 He gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers to prepare God's people for works of service so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in faith and the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature. Hear that? Become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. And dropping down to verse 22, please. you were taught in regard to your former way of life to put off your old self which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires to be made new in the attitudes of your mind and to put on the new self created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Truly, this is the church of Jesus Christ. She has been made new in the attitudes of her old ways and is created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Jesus is the head of his church and his blood covers her. He is getting ready to crown her and she will weep nor wander anymore. Just as Jesus provided for his physical mother Mary called the Blessed Virgin. He is still providing for his spiritual mother called the church and his virgin bride who will be selected out of the church because they were faithful to the end. just like the Blessed Virgin, the Mother of Jesus, who suffered greatly in every area and aspect of her life. The Holy Spirit has started things in motion and is presently clearing the way for the Bride of Jesus Christ to come forth and take her place. Judgment has begun in the house of God. We haven't seen anything yet. The world is in a mess, and Jesus has begun the purging of all things that hinder or offend His kingdom in fulfillment of His will for His beloved virgin church. The Holy Spirit must be allowed to deliver us from self-righteousness, from pride, narrow-mindedness, and controlling an argument of attitudes that are odious and obnoxious to God. We must allow Him to deliver us from the theological and philosophical reasons that we have in ignorance and immaturity and allow his Holy Spirit to teach, to train, equip, and release the people into service in these last days. God is demanding maturity in the church today. Denominational pride or independent self-willed and proud spirit will separate a Christian leader from the bride of Christ, just as it separated Judas from being one of the initial twelve apostles who turned the world upside down with their testimony of Jesus. our Heavenly Father sacrificed his son for the church and he is saying that it's time for each one of us to take this Christian walk and way serious because his son is returning very soon there is much work to do yet church and just as Paul was jealous over the church in his day we too should have a godly jealousy over our souls and lives and be praying for others around us for our family members, our friends and co-workers, that God will be merciful to save their souls and bring them into his everlasting kingdom of love. Leadership in God's church should have a goal-oriented jealousy, and that is the burning desire to present those in their realm and scope of ministry and authority to be presented as pure and spotless bride church to Jesus Christ, the Most Worthy One. the virgin bride church of Jesus Christ will not be an immature weak or feeble bunch of misfits but she will be one large grand assembly with multitudes of joyful millions who have qualified and have been chosen to sit at the king's table and eat with him in this awesome and wondrous wedding feast they are those who love their king and sacrifice their lives on the earth They live their lives for him. They will be married to Jesus for all of eternity. The beloved virgin church will be those who are dressed in pure white shimmering garments, seated at the wedding supper wearing their crowns of life, waiting for this day and hour to be united with their bridegroom Jesus the King. They are the ones who learn to sing in the midst of adversity and birth forth the songs of praise that will be remembered and recorded in eternity and added to Mary's song.