The Model to Follow Pt.1
Submitting to one another in the fear of God. Wives, submit to your own husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as also Christ is the head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
! Cor. 11:3
But I would have you to know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.
This is the start of a series that the Lord has placed on my heart to share with the body of Christ. Marriage is a beautiful thing, and it's a covenant that the Lord does not take lightly. One of the things that He said to me was in order for my people to prosper in their marriages they first must understand the things Christ requires from us to become His bride.
Marriage is the greatest lesson in which He teaches us about our relationship with Himself. The interesting thing about marriage is the same things a man looks for in a woman the Lord looks for in His bride. So this post has a natural application as well as a spiritual one. And in order to qualify to become Christ's bride we should study the characteristics of the Bridegroom and seek to become compatible with Him. Our Lord will only be wedded to those who are like Himself, yes to those who are conformed to His image.
Christ is coming for a MATURE and GLORIOUS church, who has made herself ready...
Rev. 19:7-8
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. And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saint.
Christ will not have an immature bride. He will not share His throne with those who have refused to grow up, or with those who do not look like Him. Not every believer has the privilege of reigning with Christ
...if we endure, we shall also reign with Him if we deny Him He will also deny us. (2 Tim 2:12)
Becoming His bride we must be overcomers...
Rev. 2:26-27, 3:21, 21:7
And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations. He shall rule them with a rod of iron; they shall be dashed to pieces like the potter's vessels as I also have received from My Father.
To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be His God and he shall be My son.
The bible says there were many what the bible call "fair virgins" in the book of Esther, but only one was chosen to be queen. Only one had the privilege of standing next to the king and issuing his authority from the throne. Even King Solomon had a lot of virgins, but if you read the Songs of Solomon you will see it was only one that captured his heart.
When Jesus used the parable of the ten virgins He was not talking about, nor was He talking to unbelievers. The fact that they were virgins indicated that they were blood washed believers.
Matt 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 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."
They were conscious of the Bridegrooms return. (Unbelievers are not looking for His coming).
The main point of this parable is not whether the virgins are saved or lost, but which ones were worthy to participate in the marriage supper. The virgins who were welcomed into the marriage feast had oil in their lampstand and was burning for Jesus. the oil represents the anointing and the anointing comes from having an intimate fellowship with the Anointed One.
The virgins without oil had neglected their relationship with God and they were denied access to the feast. Verse 12 tells us that Jesus Himself said, "I do not know you!" In this passage of scripture the word "know" is a greek word which means to recognize immediately. THE MARRIAGE FEAST IS FOR THOSE WHO HE KNOWS INTIMATELY.
Even though there are millions of believers in the world not every virgin (or blood washed believer) will take part in the wedding feast, nor will they be ready to rule and reign with Christ
The Bride of Christ is a smaller group within the church who will come to glory and unity...
But first there are qualifications that the Bride must fulfill..
Stay tuned for Part 2 where we will find out some of the qualification our Bridegroom is looking for...
God bless you
Prophetess Shaquita Jones
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