Ephesians 5:27...that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
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What
does it mean to wed? "To Wed" means to blend together or
unite inseparably. No wonder a diamond is used to symbolize this unbreakable
bond. The ancient Greek meaning of this gemstone is ἀδάμας – adámas, meaning "unbreakable," "proper," or
"unalterable".
1) Religious beliefs and values (morale);
2) Financial planning, spending (budgeting) and investing;
3) Family planning and environment (housing - location - time with extended family);
4) Travel and leisure (if interests are not mutual, you may find most if not all your spare time apart!);
5) Devotion, affection and passion (many marriages break down due to a lack of passion, attention and genuine affection).
Compatibility is the glue that holds couples together.
Did you know that God designed us to be compatible with Jesus? He
makes us compatible and unalterable with Him! Hebrews 10:14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
One day, we are
going to be presented to God as the Bride of Christ and we are entering into an
unbreakable, unshakeable eternity. There is a lot of preparation for our
"banquet" so it's time to get excited and get prepared!
Isaiah
62:5 For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.
In John 2:1-11 we read the story how Jesus turned water into wine. It doesn't surprise me
that His first miracle took place at a wedding. A lot of preparation goes into
planning a wedding - everyone wants it to be their "perfect day".
Make no mistake, this will be a perfect day, and Jesus has been planning it for
a long, long time.
John
3:29 He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.
One of
the most exciting parts of planning a wedding is selecting guest and sending out invitations; having all your loved ones present at your wedding will make your day a very special occasion.
Each time we
minister to others, we are effectively sending out an "invitation" to those who have not yet come to know the love of Jesus. The
best way to have a lot of guests at our wedding is to minister the Love of God through Jesus to others; this is what Jesus wants. Luke 19:10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. We are not to make light of His coming. Jesus does not want us to be so pre-occupied with our own lives that we forget to "send out invitations"...
Matthew
22:1-7 And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, and sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: and the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.
Jesus
is coming soon; He is coming for His Bride which is us. He wants to see us all there. He longs for His Bride and I don't think He will take
too lightly being "stood-up" at the altar...
Revelation
7:14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
A bride
wears white which symbolizes purity of the soul.
Jesus placed a great deal of emphasis IN cleansing us from our unrighteousness. We need to
be careful so that we do not defile ourselves so we can be presented as His perfect Bride. We need to stop focusing on the 'forgiveness' aspect of salvation and get ready to be joined to a Holy God. Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Our old-nature can creep up any time; it is our responsibility to keep in front of us Who we are going to be joined to. We have a new-nature so we should not continue in sin, but acknowledge that we are joint-heirs with Christ and live the Crucified Life.
Revelation
19:6-9 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, "Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.”
When
couples are about to wed, there is a lot of excitement stirred in their hearts.
They are anxious for one another - eager to start their new lives together.
There is real passion and a desire for one-another; This results in couples behaving
differently toward each other. Old thought patterns drop-off and new thought patterns begin. You no longer think in terms of "ME" but think in terms of "WE".
The
Threshold
Revelation 3:3 Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you.
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Traditional weddings were often described as kidnappings or bridal abductions.
It’s a symbolic meaning of where the groom would steal away the woman he wished to marry (some men would have their best man do this). This still remains a cultural practice in some parts of the world. A bridal abduction is where the man whisks his love from her home and takes her to be with him. Men have done this to avoid paying the bride price for her. Jesus is coming soon so when
He does, He is coming like a thief in the night - and He's already paid the price!The Ceremony
Revelation
21:9-11 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife. And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;
The setting here is really too wonderous to put into words. We will not truly understand it fully until we are there. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13:12 that "we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known". I also like what John said 1 John 3:2 "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." The Bible makes it clear that until we are there, we only get a 'glimpse' because this is not (yet) our reality.
The Veil
Song of Solomon 5:7 The watchmen that went about the city found me, they smote me, they wounded me; the keepers of the walls took away my veil from me. Traditionally, veiling is used for sacred things. In history, men wore veils - not women. Our sin is our shame; this shame has taken our veil away from us because we are sinners. Our (holy) veil was replaced with a cloth veil to cover our dishonour. 1 Corinthians 11:4 Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head. A cloth veil doesn't make us holy or acceptable; it's the veil (covering) that Jesus gave us that makes us acceptable. Hebrews 10:20 by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;.jpg)
The New Jerusalem
Jesus is LORD
Revelation
21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. I can't say how this event will take place but it sounds pretty magnificent!
Isaiah
54:5 For thy Maker is thine husband; the Lord of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called. Traditionally, husbands are the 'providers' for the family. God will always provide for us. When we dwell with him in heaven, we will never have to be concerned about not having provision.
1
Corinthians 13:10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. We will never have to deal with the problems we face here anymore. It will be a perfect paradise.
Revelation
22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. Imagine you are standing at
the alter and this is the wedding vow. This is Jesus asking "do you accept
that I will love and cherish you for an eternity". The "Come"
resembles your response as "I do".
And
lastly, we take on His Name. Revelation 22:4 and they shall see his face; and his name shall be IN their foreheads. Traditionally, spouses wore their wedding rings day and night, causing an indentation IN the skin so that the 'mark' is visible even when the ring is removed.
Ezekiel 16:12 And I put a jewel on thy forehead, and earrings in thine ears, and a beautiful crown upon thine head.
Jesus' first miracle was done at a wedding - and as we prepare for an eternity spent with Him, let us take seriously the complete and perfect joining to God by the power of the Holy Spirit through Christ Jesus the Son - who lives for evermore.
Let him who hears "Come"
Jesus is LORD
God Bless,
Maria
©Maria Morton 2022 All Rights Reserved
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