This thought just dawned on me while I was walking out to check the mail...
Jewish Marriage Tradition:
In Jewish tradition, it was customary that when a man was getting ready to marry a woman, he would go off and build a house for them to live in. (Often times a second floor to his father's house) His father usually would have to inspect it before he could go get his wife. Once he has his father's approval on the house, it would be tradition that at night when everyone was asleep, he would go as a thief in the night and bring his new wife to the house.
Symbolism:
John 14
1Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
2In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
4And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
5Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
6Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
7If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
Well for starters, we as Christians are obviously the bride of Christ. He's come to claim us, and He has gone to build mansions in Heaven for us in His Father's Kingdom for us to live in. Once these places our prepared and ready for Jesus to come back, He will come as a thief in the night to claim us, during a time in which the majority of the world is asleep. Now there's something to note here. I think that ladies may understand this concept better than men, but if you knew that any night, the man of your dreams is going to come pick you up and take you to a your new place, I would think that your bags would be packed and ready to move on a word. It would become all you would ever think about so much that it may annoy your friends how much you think about it. You would probably spend many sleepless nights waiting for your knight in shining armor to come pick you up.
Revelation 19
7Let 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.
8And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
9And 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.
We need to be rejoicful that at any moment our "ceremony" can begin. I mean, again, if you were about to marry the person of your dreams, you would constantly walk around with a smile on your face and be glad. And in this, you would have a desire to bring glory to this person.
Now this all said, what kind of message would it send to Jesus if He came and found you asleep? It may send the message that you're not excited to move with Him. Or that you're life has just carried on same as usual after knowing that He's gone to prepare a place for you for eternity. Or maybe, it might send the message, you never believed in His promises and didn't trust Him. At very least, it would send the message of a foolish bride.
Worst yet, what if Jesus comes back as a thief in the night, and walks in on you committing adultery on Him? You think He's going to still take you? You think He'll still take you if He finds you cheating on Him with your lusts? Remember, God should be our everything. Our bags should be packed, and we should be ready to be with Him at any moment, because the rest of the world is sleeping and committing fornication. But we have a higher calling, we have a calling to serve our bride groom.
The best passage I've found that depicts this point is found in Jeremiah 2. Look what it says:
2Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the LORD; I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown.
3Israel was holiness unto the LORD, and the firstfruits of his increase: all that devour him shall offend; evil shall come upon them, saith the LORD.
4Hear ye the word of the LORD, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel:
5Thus saith the LORD, What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain?
6Neither said they, Where is the LORD that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, that led us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and of pits, through a land of drought, and of the shadow of death, through a land that no man passed through, and where no man dwelt?
7And I brought you into a plentiful country, to eat the fruit thereof and the goodness thereof; but when ye entered, ye defiled my land, and made mine heritage an abomination.
8The priests said not, Where is the LORD? and they that handle the law knew me not: the pastors also transgressed against me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal, and walked after things that do not profit.
9Wherefore I will yet plead with you, saith the LORD, and with your children's children will I plead.
10For pass over the isles of Chittim, and see; and send unto Kedar, and consider diligently, and see if there be such a thing.
11Hath a nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods? but my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit.
12Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith the LORD.
13For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.
I wonder how many people today have tasted of God's goodness, but gone and traded their fountain of living water for broken cisterns that hold no water. We need to repent and prepare for eternity with our bride groom. Are you able to say that you're ready? Are staying up praying and seeking God? Are your bags packed ready to leave the world, or are you still living in it hoping that Jesus takes longer to build your place in Heaven? Are you committing fornication with the wicked, and indulging in that which Satan has placed in your way to try to steal you away from Jesus.
Take a look at these verses in Proverbs 31 and just put them in the context that we are Jesus' bride...
11The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.
12She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.
13She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.
20She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.
21She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.
22She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.
23Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.
24She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.
25Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.
26She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.
27She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.
28Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.
29Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.
30Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.
31Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.
If Jesus were talking about His bride, can He say all of things about us? Go through all these and see if Jesus can say this about you. If not, we need to start conducting ourselves in such a matter worthy of being called Jesus bride. Not that we deserve it, but because He's chosen to make us royalty. It's high time we start acting as if we're of Heavenly royalty.
My biggest fear is that people who think they're saved, will hear these words that Jesus said, in Matthew 7:
21Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
It would be devastating for anyone who thinks that they are Christian to hear these words. To hear our bride groom say, "I never knew you, depart from me" Then go on to call you a worker of iniquity. So let me ask you, how much do you know the one you claim to be wedded too. How much do you communicate with Jesus threw prayer? How much do you walk with Him? The chapter goes onto say this,
24Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
25And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
26And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
27And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
Be wise, and be prepared to walk as Jesus walked as if you were interested in your bride groom.
So my question to everyone would be, Are you living in such a way that you're ready to leave the world, or are you asleep and attached to the evil things of the world? Are you committing fornication with the world. Or have you learned to love the things you use to hate, and began to hate the things you once loved? These are genuine signs of change and that you are saved, as you begin to base your standards of things you enjoy based on what God's ways are. There's no bigger tell tale sign of salvation than this. These are the people who truly know what it's like to walk with God, and know Him. These are the people that Jesus is looking to wed.
Revelation 16
15Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
My biggest fear is that people who think they're saved, will hear these words that Jesus said, in Matthew 7:
21Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
It would be devastating for anyone who thinks that they are Christian to hear these words. To hear our bride groom say, "I never knew you, depart from me" Then go on to call you a worker of iniquity. So let me ask you, how much do you know the one you claim to be wedded too. How much do you communicate with Jesus threw prayer? How much do you walk with Him? The chapter goes onto say this,
24Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
25And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
26And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
27And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
Be wise, and be prepared to walk as Jesus walked as if you were interested in your bride groom.
So my question to everyone would be, Are you living in such a way that you're ready to leave the world, or are you asleep and attached to the evil things of the world? Are you committing fornication with the world. Or have you learned to love the things you use to hate, and began to hate the things you once loved? These are genuine signs of change and that you are saved, as you begin to base your standards of things you enjoy based on what God's ways are. There's no bigger tell tale sign of salvation than this. These are the people who truly know what it's like to walk with God, and know Him. These are the people that Jesus is looking to wed.
Revelation 16
15Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
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