Month: April 2023

GOD’S WORD FOR APRIL 30 ~ ~ 2Corinthians 4:14 ~ ~ “knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you.” God the Father raised Jesus up, and He will also raise us up, and present us to His Son to live with Him forever.

Romans 6:8 ~ ~ “ Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,”

Lets look in the Resurrection box and see what else is in there from the Bridegroom.

Another benefit of the Resurrection is that believers are united with Christ

When we believe in Christ, we are united to Him in faith . Union with Christ means that when God looks at us, He does not see our sins, but the perfection of Christ. It means that we have died with Him and will also live with Him.

Isaiah 1:18

“Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.

This is difficult to understand, but it is a spiritual truth clearly described in the Bible.

Jesus prayed for this union in His prayer to the Father in John 17:20-23

“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.”

Jesus and the Father, along with the Holy Spirit are one. Now, Jesus wants us to be, in a sense, one with them. Certainly not equal to them, certainly not gods, but one in desires and affections with our God.

What a wonderful thought, especially when we were so far from them in our sins, and will be sinful and rebellious in our flesh until we die from this world. It’s all by grace!! All by the Love of the Almighty!

We are just creation, He is the Creator of all! We are unjust and He is entirely Holy and Just. Appreciation of His magnificence can’t even find a place in our minds!

He controls the universe! He puts the stars in place and knows them by name! He controls the wind, storms, and moves mountains!!!

He controls rulers of nations and punishes the evil doers.

And yet, He cares about the sparrow, and determines when its life will end, being there with her.

He cares about our thoughts, feelings, sorrows and joys, and is there with each of us too.

I was contemplating this one day when my lively, playful dog, Bambi, was stalking a squirrel in a tree. That squirrel was her life at that moment. She would not move, no matter what it took, but in her excitement, her entire body was quivering. Her Creator was there with her, getting pleasure out of her seriousness in doing what He created her to do. He was also with the squirrel, watching the dog carefully, but also not moving. He created that little guy that way. The birds, ants, lions, reptiles and germs. He’s with every individual all the time! It’s true. His Word says so.

Yet, He was with me, in my thoughts and prayers at that moment too. He was with you at that moment and every moment, also. Every person all over the world had His full attention even as He was smiling about Bambi’s excitement with her task.

He was with the CEO at the pivotal board meeting that would determine his future. He was in the room with the dictator, signing the document that would cost the lives of many people, or save many.

Yet, He was watching the would-be criminal as his anger surged through his veins even as the drugs he just shot, and deciding to pull the trigger or not. God was there too, as He was with the would-be victim in his fear.

His size, power and intelligence cannot begin to enter our puny minds. We are nothing in the whole scheme of things, and yet, He takes pleasure in being with us!!!!!

How could that be? How could He choose to come here, become one of us, and die FOR US?

How could He do that? Because of Love. Because, of all the other things that He is, the most important is that GOD IS LOVE.

1 John 4:8

He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

How could a believer not be excited about an everlasting future with Him?

How could anyone not want to believe and enjoy what we were created to enjoy?

We don’t have to understand it, we never really will, at least in this life.

But we can tell Him we want to believe. Please take that step. He’ll help you to the next step.

GOD’S WORD FOR APRIL 29 ~ ~ John 11:25 ~ ~ “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.”

We, as the bride, got a big package delivered from our Bridegroom. It is His Resurrection.

That event brings at least ten gifts to His bride. There are many benefits that are wrapped up in the fact and event of the Resurrection that mean a great deal to believers.

Romans 4:25 He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.

Justification means to “be put right with.” Because of our sin, humanity is cut off from a right relationship with God

Rom. 6:23  For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

If we’re saved, we know that Christ died for our sins. The resurrection is vital in that it proves the reality of that. If He died and stayed in the tomb, He would soon have been forgotten just like all the others at that time who were claiming to be the messiah. They thought the Messiah would be a political if not a military warrior who would free them from Rome. He would have been written off as just another failure at that attempt if He hadn’t been resurrected. It proves many things as we will see when we go on.

The resurrection ended the separation between us and God that sin had created. As Christians, we believe that Jesus will come again and those who have died in the faith are now with the Lord and those of us who are alive will join our Heavenly King and be a part of the kingdom that has no end.

Without someone stepping in to correct the separation situation, we cannot have the relationship with God that He intended. In the death of Jesus Christ on the cross, God put our punishment on Christ so that we could be justified before Him The resurrection of Jesus confirms that God accepted Christ’s sacrifice for sin on the cross and gives us access to a right relationship with Him. …..if we will accept it.

2Cor 5:21  For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

That means, we have been made acceptable to Him and placed in a right relationship with Him by His gracious lovingkindness because of Christ’s death and the proof is His Resurrection.

God is just (righteous) beyond our knowledge. Perfection is what He is and perfection is what He must demand. It’s Who He is.

Although He is all merciful, and all gracious, that cannot take the place of His justice or He would cease to be Who He is.

It must all be in balance, and perfect. He couldn’t have a less than perfect person in heaven. It just can’t be.

The only solution was to make us perfect. The only way that could come about is through trading places with a perfect person, aka Jesus. He paid our eternal fine, so to speak, and we are forever united with Him…perfectly. This is justification.

If He hadn’t been resurrected, then we could not be resurrected at the end, and it would all fall apart. But He was, so the offer still stands for your perfect future, besides having fellowship with Him in this life.

None of this will be yours, though, if you haven’t acknowledge His Lordship in your life, and that He is the one who saved you from your sins. You don’t get the benefits without joining with Him.

GOD’S WORD FOR APRIL 28 ~ ~ John 14:26 ~ ~ “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”

Jesus, our great Bridegroom, sends us another gift—the Holy Spirit. He told His Apostles in John 16:7

“Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.”

John 14:25-26

“These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”

When you become a Christian, you receive the Holy Spirit in your life to help you live a godly life while on earth. Jesus says this in John 16:8 when He is talking about the ministry of the Helper — the Holy Spirit. “And when He comes, He will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.”

He is the one who shows us that we’re sinners, and deserving of God’s wrath, and He also is the one who comforts us in our sorrows and fears in this world, and assures us of our forgiveness after we make our commitment to salvation through Jesus.

He will always point us to Jesus, never to Himself.

He is the one who shows Jesus to us and helps us to remember the scriptures that we need during stressful and trying times.

He also was the one who hovered over the deep during creation, as we see in:

Genesis 1:2

“The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.”

The Holy Spirit has many names and titles in the Bible that reflect His attributes and roles.

Some of the names are: Counselor, Comforter, Advocate, Spirit of Truth, Spirit of Grace, Spirit of Life, Spirit of Christ, Spirit of Holiness, Spirit of the Living God, Spirit of Knowledge, Spirit of Glory, Spirit of Revelation, Breath of God, Paraclete, and the Anointing.

The Spirit is also symbolized by breath, wind, fire, water, oil, light, and a dove¹. However, the Spirit has no official personal name and is sometimes simply called the Spirit or the Spirit of Jesus.

The Holy Spirit is one with the Father and the Son in the Trinity. This is a concept that our human minds can’t wrap around, but we are assured of its truth by the Word in many places. They are truly One God, yet sometimes they act independently. There is an order. The Father is on top, and the Son always respects Him and always pleases Him.

John 10:29

My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.

John 8:29

And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him.”

The True and Wonderful God never rests from doing things for us. He never stops showing us His love. Here He tells us this:

2 Chronicles 16:9

“For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is completely His….”

He’s ALWAYS with you.

GOD’S WORD FOR APRIL 27 ~ ~ John 15:13 ~ ~ “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

FRIENDSHIP—-today’s gift that the Bridegroom sent!!!

Jesus calls us His friends!

Moses and Abraham are called Friends of God too.

James, the half brother of Jesus, tells us that Abraham was a friend of God. James 2:23

“And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God”

God treated Moses like a friend, too. He talked to him face to face. We see this in Exodus 33:11

“ So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. …”

Jesus called His apostles friends several times, at least.

John 15:15

 “No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.”

John 15:14

“You are my friends, if you do whatsoever I command you.”

Anyone who is in Him and obeys Him is His friend!!!

In Luke 12:4 we see Jesus talking to His apostles, saying, “And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.”

I suspect that there were many times when He called them friends as they traveled together for three years, living together, eating together, walking together, talking and joking. I think they were more than friends……..I think they were buddies.

He answered the Pharisees’ complaints this way, as told us in three of the gospels:

Mark 2:19, Mt :15; Luke 5:34

And Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast.

He didn’t keep it a secret. He didn’t mind that, even though He showed the leaders that He was the Son of God, He still wasn’t embarrassed to call His apostles His friends.

He’s not ashamed to call us friends either. We may be a little uncomfortable at times with that. After all, He is the Great God and Creator of the Universe and beyond, existing from everlasting to everlasting. Power beyond measure, and Love spreading just as far. …………and can He call US His friends, ………Casually…..like Joe Blow next door? It’s mind boggling, yet, I think, when we get to know Him in eternity, it will come naturally to us…..just as natural, I suspect, as falling on our faces in rapturous worship of Him. That’s just the way He is!!!!

GOD’S WORD FOR APRIL 26 ~ ~ John 1:12 ~ ~ “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:”

Here comes another delivery for the bride!—–

We hear people talking about being children of God all around us. They think that everyone who is born is automatically a “child of God.”

This simply isn’t true. We are not born as children of God because we have been tainted and literally cursed because of the sin of our first parents, Adam and Eve. They were children of God in the beginning, but then they chose satan over God their Father and Creator. This was a free choice because they plainly knew what would happen if they made that choice. But they chose to believe the lies of the devil instead of the Truth of God.

So they were driven out of their home, for their own protection. God wasn’t angry with them. He is just and justice must be done. Besides that, He had a plan of salvation for them so they wouldn’t have to be in hell forever. To fulfill that plan, He had to keep them from eating of the tree of Life in the middle of the garden, which would force them to live forever in that horrible Godless state.

We are born into that Godless state that they were in, but when we accept the plan of salvation that God made for us, we will escape that horrible destination and live a joyful eternity with Jesus Christ and the Father.

The moment that happens——-the moment we make that choice and tell Jesus we do——We become sons and daughters of the Great and Mighty God of the Universe!!! We are truly Sons and Daughters of the Only True God!!!! And this, not of anything we did, nor could do, but despite what we’ve done. It is all because of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross to pay for our sins.

Here are some scripture proofs to show this gift that our wonderful Bridegroom gives us while we wait for our marriage ceremony!!!!

Romans 8:14

“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.”

Romans 8:19

“For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.”

Galatians 4:6

“And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”

Abba is the Greek name for “Daddy”. We can jump in His lap, throw our arms around His neck, and say, “Daddy” because we have been adopted by the Great and Mighty King!

As Paul tells us in Ephesians 1:5-8:

 “having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence.”

And this in:

Philippians 2:15

 “that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,”

1 John 3:1& 2

“ Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.”

This is why people don’t understand us. They resent us, persecute us in other countries, because it is a spiritual battle. God made a prophesy in the Book of Genesis after Adam and Eve sinned.

He said this to satan in Genesis 3:15:

“And I will put enmity between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her Seed; He shall crush your head,
And you shall bruise His heel.”

Jesus is the seed (descendent) of Eve, and He did crush the head of satan at Calvary. Jesus made an open show of defeating him.

Ephesians 4:8 tells us:

“When He ascended on high,
He led captivity captive,
And He bestowed gifts on men.”

He put an end to the captivity of mankind by satan, which was given him by Adam when he sinned.

But Jesus took captivity, and it’s ruler, satan, captive, and crushed his head.

It was total victory, and instead of taking gifts for Himself, He gave gifts to us!!! Our Victor, Lord, Savor and King, gave His gifts to US!!!!

And what’s more, He brought us home to His Father to be adopted as His brothers and sisters, with one Father!!!! The King of Kings!!!!!

What a gift for an undeserving bride!!!!!

GOD’S WORD FOR APRIL 25 ~ ~ 2 Corinthians 5:17 ~ ~ “ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

Col 2:13 ~ ~ “And when you were dead in your sins…He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our trespasses.”

Another gift the Bridegroom sends His bride, while she’s waiting for Him. ……Jesus sends His spiritual Bride, namely the church and Messianic Jews, which is all those who have recognized Him as the Lord of Lords, and King of Kings in their personal lives, is complete forgiveness of sins, which results in us being a new creation.

The spirits of every man and woman born since Adam, are dead. Our spirits are our connection with God. At the fall of mankind, when Adam sinned, he and Eve died spiritually immediately. Their connection with God was severed. They later died physically, but from that time on, no one is born with a living spirit. We’re all born disconnected from God, and with a rebellious spirit deep inside of us. We may not feel like it, but it is there. It’s called the sin nature, and we will all have it for our entire life on this earth.

Romans 3:23

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

But, once we submit to Jesus Christ, our spirits are made alive, and we are again connected with God through Jesus! We, too, will die physically, but our spirits will never die, and we will be with Him forever. We will have a new body, which we’ll talk about as another gift from our Bridegroom.

Here is what happens when we take that step, and receive the free gift:

Romans 3:22-24

 “but it is the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus.”

Because when Christ went on that cross, we were all “in Him” spiritually. He died for each one of us.

He actually died AS each one of us, as only He could do. That’s why Paul says in:

Gal. 2:20 ~ ~ “ I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives 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.” Contemplate that for a while. While we died with Him, yet we live through Him. And will live with Him forever.

Romans 8:1

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

1 Corinthians 1:30

“But of him are you in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:”

We are a new creation, because we then spiritually aren’t like any other group of people. We are a unique group of people not because we’re better than anyone else!! On the contrary, it’s because we know that we AREN’T GOOD at all, and cannot save ourselves. That is what makes us unique, or, as the Word says in Titus 2:14 ~ ~

“Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all sin, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”

Or, as Peter describes it: 1 Peter 2:9

“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should shew forth the praises of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;”

Once we are saved, we are in Christ, and we will be able to discern spiritual things. Paul is saying here that the things of this world, that we can see and hear with our eyes and ears, are temporary, and they will be destroyed, but the things of the spirit are eternal,

Paul says it like this:

2 Cor 4:18 ~ ~ “While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

These are all fantastic gifts that come to us free, by pure grace, from our Bridegroom, if we spiritually drank the cup at the betrothal ceremony with Him.

Lots more to go—-it’s never ending!!!! This Bridegroom keeps on giving if we are willing to receive it!

GOD’S WORD FOR APRIL 24~ ~ Deuteronomy 7:9 ~ ~ “Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments”

In the traditional wedding feast, we have been in the interim time between the betrothal and the wedding feast for the last 2,000 or so years ~ ~ since Christ celebrated His last supper and drank from the betrothal cup with them. Remember, in the wedding rituals, the groom goes back to his father’s house to build a new room onto the house for himself and his bride. Jesus did this after His resurrection. He is building that for his bride now. That’s you and me if you’ve received Him as your Lord and Savior.

John 14:2

“In My Father’s house are many rooms; if that were not so, I would have told you, because I am going there to prepare a place for you.”

While the groom is building the house, he is sending gifts back to the bride, and Jesus is to His bride on earth, (those who are His by their decision) Remember this~ ~ if you want to believe He is whom He says He is, but just don’t know for sure, please ask Him to show you. Intent is all He needs, if you truly want to obey Him. He will make it clear and real to you if you want that. You can say with the father of the child in Mark 9:24

“Immediately the boy’s father cried out and said, “I do believe; help my unbelief!”

When we admit that we have sinned, and repent of it, knowing that Jesus paid the price for our sins, then we obtain salvation, not because of anything we did, but because Jesus paid our price for our sins. That price is death—-eternal separation from God. Jesus was separated from His Father for a limited time on the cross, but in that time, He took on what would be an eternity for us. Therefore, we don’t have to spend eternity in hell to pay for our sins, because He has already done it.

Once we have accepted that fact, we can know that our spirits have been brought to life and we are able to connect with God through Jesus.

At that time, we have another gift, we are grafted into the Vine, which is symbolic of Jesus, because we now obtain all our strength through Him, just as any branch obtains its strength from the root of the main vine.

The other branches on that vine, are the Chosen Race, the Jewish nation, who will forever be God’s chosen people, after their eyes are opened to see Him as their Messiah. By clinging to their Messiah, we tap into all the promises that they inherit. Together we are the Bride of Christ.

He told the Jews this:

 “The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; but because the Lord loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt”.

And so it is with us. We weren’t chosen because of anything good in us, because, short of our connection with Him, there is nothing good in us. It’s His Word, and His Covenant (agreement, or promises) which cannot be broken, that we have a chance to accept the gift of salvation and join with the chosen people as the bride to be wed to the Bridegroom, and qualify for all the promises of His chosen people.

For a while, we’re going to focus on the gifts that the Bridegroom is constantly sending back to us, His bride, as we wait for the Father, (who, remember, is the only one who knows the time of the marriage)

to tell His son, “Go get Your bride!!!” And so, we will forever be with the Lord!!!

But, I want to be perfectly clear, that the promises are only available for those who have accepted Jesus as their Messiah, Bridegroom, Lord and Savior. Just loving Him in your own strength, and not having submitted control of your life to Him, will not qualify for being a member of the bride.

Please, make that decision today, so you will be happy for eternity. The alternative is hell, and misery forever. It’s a clear message! Today’s gift is salvation and grafting into the True Vine.

Another gift tomorrow….Please make sure you’re in line for that!

GOD’S WORD FOR APRIL 23 ~ ~ Song of Solomon 4:7 ~ ~ “You are all fair, my love,
And there is no spot in you.”

This part of the wedding, (when the bride is carried to the wedding feast) is called the Nisuin “Lifted up” as she is lifted up and carried away to the Wedding Banquet and place prepared… The bride was “taken” in procession to her new husband’s house; ‘…In many coloured robes she is led to the king; behind her the virgins, her companions, follow. With joy and gladness, they are led along as they enter the palace of the king.” – Psalms 45: 13-15.

In the Old Testament – the groom left with an escort, carrying a dome shaped canopy (called a Chuppah) to lift up his bride, and carry her away “lifted up” (final step of preparation) to her new home. And, with the sound of the “trump” (Shofar) he announced his arrival in the middle of the night.

In the New Testament – Yeshua (Jesus) will come to “Rapture” us away, meeting us in the clouds, and carrying us to our new home; “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump.” – I Corinthians 15:52. This sort of wedding procession is still common in the Middle East today. The bride carried under a canopy painted with gold crescents; later the newly married pair would sit under this Chuppah during the festivities and there would be a great feast, which could last several days to a whole week. 

When our Groom, Jesus, comes back, what will this world be? Even He asks this question about the time of His return: Luke 18:18 ~ ~ “…..Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”

Groom (Yeshua) appears and finds some believers being born again and longing for His return …BUT sadly some nominal believers who are not! This is symbolic of the return of the groom in the Ancient Galilean wedding when he went to fetch his bride …some bridesmaids were found WITHOUT oil in their lamps and fast asleep …and so they were SHUT OUT from the Wedding Banquet even as the DOORS closed and locked from inside so nobody could get in.

In the same way when Yeshua (Jesus) returns “at midnight hour” for His Bride and when least expected the Bride of Christ MUST be ready always and NOT asleep! Some WILL be “left behind” because they were NOT ready and their lamps not filled with the OIL of the Holy Spirit when the BRIDE (the true Church) is finally “lifted up” and carried to meet her BRIDGEGROOM in the air.

Revelation 19:7

“Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.”

Everything on Earth is “a fore-shadow” of what is to come! We are chosen as the Bride of Christ, and we are meant to dwell with Him for Eternity. The Father’s house in the Galilean wedding is the perfect picture of Heaven. The Groom gathers His Bride, brings her to the Father’s house for the “Marriage Supper of the Lamb.” Married forever! Yeshua (Jesus) will marry His Bride at the time of the Rapture. 

This is where Jesus will fulfill His promise to drink of the fruit of the vine in His Father’s Kingdom, that he made at the Last Supper with His apostles: Matthew 26:29

“But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”

He enacted His betrothal at the last supper, (where He had His apostles drink the wine, then He did). then He went to endure the wrath of God for the sins of the Bride (both Jewish and Gentile together) which is His main wedding gift to her, and protection for her. Then He went to His Father’s House to get the room ready for the wedding feast, and our home with Him!

HE WILL BE BACK!!!

The people who didn’t make it to the feast knew that the bridegroom would come any night, they were told that he is coming, just not the exact day or hour. They could have been watching. They could have been ready, just as the other 5 bridesmaids could have been ready with their extra oil. So everyone today could be ready.

Being ready is first of all being saved, then living for Him, knowing that all things depend upon Him and Him alone.

Are you ready? Do you have your oil? Are you listening for the Shofar?

The parallels here should give us a new depth into everything our Savior said and did while on earth. His mind was ever on His Bride…………..and still is, as He is even now preparing our home with Him.

It should show us the reality and depth of the promises in His Word for us, as a husband to His bride.

It should increase our faith in our future home and life forever.

But most of all, it should move us to tell others who are perishing about life in Christ Jesus. Many companies will send free tracts. It’s only a matter of putting them down somewhere or handing them out. We don’t even have to have a talent for speaking, just hand out a tract.

Don’t let people miss their eternal marriage!!

GOD’S WORD FOR APRIL 22 ~ ~ Revelation 22:17 ~ ~ “And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.”

In the Ancient Galilean Wedding, the FATHER alone makes the decision that it is time. He wakes up his son, the groom and his groomsmen In John 3:29, JOHN THE BAPTIST calls himself the “friend of the groom” or a groomsman, when he said this: “He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled.” He understood what was going to happen to connect heaven and earth. He knew the connection with a traditional wedding.

The father of the bridegroom wakes his son up and says, “Go get your Bride, now is the time.” Then the groom would arise immediately at what could be midnight to fetch his bride and the wait was finally over! He would blow the shofar to wake up the whole village. Those who are awake would be ready for the bridegroom’s return for his bride and would join the procession and join in the feast. A shofar is simply a ram’s horn which is used for attention for various events, particularly in the temple.

The groom, accompanied by his male friends would go to the house of the bride making a parade with torches through the streets. The procession of men to the bride’s house was neither quiet nor reverent as the groom was sounding the “SHOFAR” to warn that he was collecting his bride amidst dancing, singing and laughing.

The bride must have thought of the Song of Solomon 2:8 ~ ~

“The voice of my beloved! Behold he comes, leaping upon the mountains and skipping upon the hills.”

At the sound of shofar, the Bride and her bridesmaids wake up and trim their lamps. The shofar also wakes the town, but only those who are prepared will attend the wedding banquet. There is only a short time between the first blast of the shofar and arrival at the grooms house, so anyone not ready won’t make it.

After a year of waiting and preparing, the bride and groom are finally together, reunited, forever.

1Thes 4:17 ~ ~ “…..And thus we shall always be with the Lord.”

The bride is then carried in “a canopy” to the groom’s house “lifted into the air,” off the ground and escorted back to the father’s place.

This is a perfect picture of the rapture of the saints in 1 Thes 4:17~ ~ “Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.”

 All she had to do was to be ready in her wedding attire—pure white. We too, must be pure white when Jesus comes, as a result of the greatest of all the wonderful gifts our Bridegroom has sent to us. FORGIVENESS OF SINS AND PROTECTION FROM THE WRATH OF THE FATHER THROUGH THE SON.!

Isaiah 1:18

“Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.

Romans 8:1

“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”

Romans 3:24

“being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,”

The bride wouldn’t know ahead of time that he was coming but she would be waiting expectantly, fully prepared with some of her maidens. When she heard the sound of the SHOFAR those who were ready would arise with her to meet her groom. We too are waiting for the SOUND of the TRUMPET to meet our Groom!

The Ancient Galilean Wedding is symbolically the same way the Church will be “lifted up” and escorted to the Father’s house in the “Rapture”. All we must do is be pure and ready for the return of our Groom and that, through the shed blood of Jesus Christ our Lord, AND our Husband.

There are many differing beliefs as to the timing of the rapture in relation to the tribulation, but we shouldn’t be thinking about those differences. Jesus made it very clear that we should look up, waiting for Him, and this picture of the Galilean wedding makes that even more clear. Trying to figure out the exact order is very near to setting dates when we’re watching the events happen.

The bride and groom in the example didn’t worry or make expectations about the timing, they just concerned themselves with being ready every night, just in case, because no one knew but the Father only.

GOD’S WORD FOR APRIL 21 ~ ~John 14.2-30. ~ ~ ““I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”

While the Bride is making her wedding dress, the dresses of her maidens, and preparing for the personal things for their house, the bridegroom is building and preparing their home and the wedding feast. This would be an addition onto his father’s home. He had full responsibility for those things, and he did not know when the wedding would be, but he had to have enough food grown and stored for the entire town to eat their fill. This would mean growing a variety of things he wasn’t accustomed to, if he couldn’t afford to purchase that much. Since the feast was always in the middle of the night, he had to have enough lamps, oil, rugs,(since they ate in a reclining position on the floor) dishes, cups, and anything else the guests may need, while having the home itself large enough to accommodate possibly the entire town if they all come, and have it look appropriately presentable so his bride, or his father, would not be embarrassed. It wouldn’t matter how long it took for him to accomplish this, and he was assured by the agreement, if not by trusting his bride, that she would wait for him, but his heart would grow more anxious by the day, so he would work very hard.

He would furnish it, decorate it, and have it as much the way he thought she would want it as possible. His goal is to please her in every detail.

This is what Jesus left earth to do for us, His bride. He told us so:

John 14:2

In My Father’s house are many mansions (rooms) if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

NOW we see why He said “If it were not so, I would have told you”…because in the betrothal ceremony they were to be perfectly honest, and divulge anything that might not be exactly what the other would want.

John 14:28 ~ ~ “ You have heard Me say to you, ‘I am going away and coming back to you.’ If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, ‘I am going to the Father,’ for My Father is greater than I.”

We should rejoice, just as the bride always rejoiced. There was another rule in these betrothals, and that was that the bride always had to upgrade to a better home than she grew up in!!! This is another reason why Jesus said “if it were not so, I would have told you” because a rabbi even had to inspect both homes and make sure it was an upgrade! Jesus assured us that His Father was greater, and that His house is greater than what we have known.

Jesus said In Mark 13:32 ~ ~ “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”

This is how it was in a traditional Galilean wedding. Not only does the father of the groom choose the bride, but he and only he knows when the groom should go and pick up his bride. Galilee is the only place with that tradition!!!!

The groom lets his father know that all is ready. The father inspects everything, says nothing, and they all wait.

Everytime anyone goes to bed from that time on, including, of course, the bride and groom, but also the grooms mother, and the bride’s parents, and the entire town who was interested in the couple, would have had to have their lamps ready in case they were called that night.

The bride and her maids slept in their wedding clothes. There would be no time for anything because everyone would rush to the groom’s home for the feast. This is what Jesus was talking about in:

Matthew 25:1-13 ~ ~

“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.

“And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins arose 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, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.

“Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’”

“Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.”

In this Jesus was referring to His second coming, because He is the Bridegroom. All signs indicate that this event will happen very soon. After that, there is no more chance for salvation.

The oil for the lamps is a symbol of the Holy Spirit Who indwells believers. If you haven’t made the commitment to the Lord Jesus, read those verses above again. See what happened to the ones who did not have the oil and weren’t prepared for the bridegroom coming. Please, please, I implore you, don’t take the chance. Be prepared. Study the Bible and make your commitment to Jesus.

You will lose nothing but your sins!!!!