Worship
Scripture
“And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”” -Luke 22:17-18, ESV
“‘Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. You know the way to where I am going.'” -John 14:1-4, ESV
The Urgency of Gospel Witness
I am getting ready to board a flight to Europe to go and share Jesus with the people there—to release the Kingdom of God and display the very power and presence of Jesus. Pray with me for many to be saved, many healed, and many delivered.
People need to know two things: Jesus has gone to prepare a home in Heaven for them, and He is returning to come and get them. The hour is imminent. We must tell as many as we can that He is returning soon!
Understanding Biblical Wedding Customs
In the days of Jesus, when a bridegroom was seeking to ask for his bride’s hand in marriage, he would offer the cup of the fruit of the vine. If she drank of this cup, she was agreeing to betrothal and to be consecrated to her bridegroom. Thus began the preparations for the wedding day. The bridegroom would go and build and prepare a room in his father’s house. It is there they would celebrate, and it is there that they would reside. He would work to build a place that would accommodate his bride. Upon completion of this place, the bridegroom would wait for the father to release him to go and get his bride.
When the father simply said the word, the bridegroom would go. It would be in the night watches, which would require the bride and her attendees to have their lamps trimmed with oil. For a whole year, no one knew when the bridegroom would come—no one except the father, once he gave the word.
“But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.” – Matthew 24:36, ESV
“But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut.” -Matthew 25:6-10, ESV
During that year of consecration for the bride, she would make preparations for her wedding day and the arrival of her bridegroom. She would always be dressed and ready with her eyes watching and waiting.
“Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”- Revelation 19:7-8, ESV
Then the hour would come! The father would suddenly tell his son, “It is time. Go and get your bride!” He would go in the night with the shofar (the trumpet) in hand. As he would reach the place where she lived, he would blow the shofar for all to hear. The bride would arise, and those who had their lamps filled with oil and were awake and ready would take the bride to the wedding feast. The bride would be literally carried off the ground to her wedding. She would not walk there or waste any energy to make the journey. She would be carried in grace to the place prepared for her by her bridegroom.
The guests who were also waiting with the bride in great expectation would be permitted into the wedding feast and the door behind them was shut. No one was permitted to attend once the door was shut.
The Gospel’s Promise
You, Jesus’ radiant beautiful bride, are in your bridal preparation season being made ready for your Bridegroom. We are in a process of sanctification, having our hearts prepared, that we would long for our Bridegroom. Because of the precious sacrifice of Jesus, His blood washed us, cleansed us, robed us, and changed us forever. We now bear the righteousness, holiness, perfection, and the glory of Christ. It is what Jesus did for us because of the cross and what we received as a result of His death and resurrection. He came to you with a cup of betrothal. If you accepted it (upon salvation), you decided to be consecrated and set apart for Him. This is your high position and glorious inheritance.
“Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.” -Ephesians 5:25-27, ESV
He did all the work for us, and because of His grace, we receive every benefit of the sacrifice Jesus made for our holiness and salvation for all of eternity. And He will do all the work again when that trumpet sounds and He calls us up!
“For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.” -1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, ESV
For seven years following the departure of the Bride, God’s wrath and judgment will be poured out on the wicked and on Israel. Salvation will continue to go forth to the ends of the Earth. The saints in the tribulation period will be born and will require patient endurance. Many will be martyred and beheaded during this period of time—for those who come to know salvation during the tribulation.
Living in Light of His Return
This is why, precious Bride of Christ, we must share the gospel now, while we are still here. It’s time to throw off distraction and sleepiness while we await the arrival of our Bridegroom. It’s time to get other lovers out of the chambers of our heart so that we have single-focused devotion for only Him. It is time to consecrate ourselves afresh to Jesus today in preparation for the sound of His coming, having our lamps filled with oil, wearing our bright and clean garments that He has given us. It’s time.
“For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.” -2 Corinthians 11:2, ESV
Lord Jesus, awaken us and make us eager and ready for Your return. May we be consecrated afresh to You today. Fill us, Holy Spirit, with hunger for the Son’s return, that we cry day and night, “Maranatha, come Lord Jesus!” We are getting ready and can’t wait to see You because we love you so much!
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