Christ’s Bride- Are We Ready?

Revelation 21:1-8

1  Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2  And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3  And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4  He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” 5  And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6  And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.”

A lot of people, among the ‘church” crowd hang onto these words from the unveiling (what the word revelation means)… Rightfully so to!! John is given a prophetic glimpse of what God’s blueprint for our future together with Him, those who have called on Jesus’ name, believed in Jesus’ bloodshed and death as the sacrifice for mankind’s sins; plus His resurrection from death to life, of which upon faith we are then justified through believing… The questions though, that have always plagued me since I first read this passage are:

How many are actually saved that are in or go to church?

How many are looking forward to heaven that don’t have the Lord of heaven?

How many long for the Lord’s return, but don’t live at all for the Lord in their faith?

How many are not prepared as a bride (Christians) for her husband (Christ)?

 

God is certainly and literally going to make a New City, New Earth and a New Heaven – perfect and unblemished, where no sin has touched any part of the New Creation (which we know is what matters)… Yet – I cannot shake the reality of the inhabitants; after all the Bible teaches us that “we are a city on a hill”, “we are the temple of God”, “we are being built together into a dwelling place for God”, “we are like living stones being built into a spiritual house”…

In the building up, preparation and the adorning of bride – all things are put into place in a brides life to be ready for married life, practices, plans, purposes are all geared toward that day when two become one and dwell together until “in death they do part”… in this case NO MORE DEATH means a forever covenant of two as one, husband and wife, Christians and Christ… where the effects of sin are no longer present… yet, that is reserved for those who are in Christ, betrothed to Christ, preparing for Christ’s return for them… it is not for those who take no step of faith and do not act on that faith… seeing real change in the their life in preparation for being join with Jesus forever…

Have you ever met a bride in love who did not want to be prepared and ready for her wedding day – excited, delighted and determined to be the best wife ever? Have you ever seen a husband that did not want to prepare for and be ready –  ecstatic, dramatic and dedicated to being the best husband ever? So, it is with Jesus (the husband); so, it should be with believers (the church – the bride)…

That is why the Lord has John follow up the Revelation with those whose who say but don’t do, those who claim faith but live in fear… believers that live in disbelief…

7a  The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But as for the…

cowardly (deilos: timid, dread, fearful),

the faithless (apistos: disbelieving),

the detestable (bdelussō: literally to stink, be disgusted, abominable, detest – especially of idolatry),

as for murderers (phoneus: killer, always of criminal or at least intentional homicide),

the sexually immoral (pornos: male / female prostitute, pornography producer, participant and partaker, fornicator),

sorcerers (pharmakeus: a drug, spell giving potion, druggist or poisoner, magician),

idolaters (eidōlolatrēs: image servant or worshipper),

and all liars (pseudēs: untrue, erroneous, deceitful, wicked, false person / people),

 

How many ‘Christians’ in ‘church’ have the afore mentioned in their lives, not preparing for the Lord’s coming?

How many practices the afore mentioned that reveal they are not heeding what Jesus, His Word and the warning He gives?

 

You see, the World and Satan are using all these things as we live in prophetic times – where every headline that cries COVID, CORRUPTION, ANTI-CHRIST, MARK OF THE BEAST, INFLATION, VACCINE, VACCINE PASSPORTS, MASKS, CAN’T BUY or SELL, TRANSGENDER, W.E.F., GREEN NEW DEAL, LGBTQIA, ABORTION, E.S.G.’s, SOCIALISM, DEFUND the POLICE, PALESTINE, B.L.M. etc… etc… etc… to keep us in the Satan’s system and the world’s ways… the most recent research from George Barna tell us that less only 6% of Americans hold to a Biblical worldview, while 2/3rds of Americans profess to be ‘Christians’. (https://www.christianpost.com/us/only-6-of-americans-have-a-biblical-worldview-survey.html)

7b their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.

 

These are Jesus’ words about those who do not prepare for His coming and His making ALL things new… No wonder, so much is said by in the Bible, by the Law, the Prophets, the Apostles and of course God Himself about the need to be in covenant relationship with the Risen Savior, born again by the Spirit, through faith – that is true belief in the Gospel that is Jesus!! Simply – Jesus died and rose again, He went to the cross to shed His blood for the remission of our sins, He came back to life to offer us new life in His victory over death and sin… and the ONLY WAY to conquer the world, is to have the One who has overcome the world – that is Jesus, and the only way to have Jesus is by God’s grace through faith!!

 

Ephesians 2:8  For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God

 

Heb 10:19-25  Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

 

Hebrews 10:37-39  For, “Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay; but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.” But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.

 

Discerning the Days Ahead,

Readying the Remnant for the Rapture,

Remember, God Loves You and So Do I,

 

Pastor Daren

 


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