The new year has begun, and with it the Church should begin a new preparation for the prophesied events that we are seeing fulfilled even now. World events are lining up with scripture, and wickedness grows greater. This also means for those in Christ, that the marriage supper of the Lamb is drawing near, and the marriage supper requires preparation from us:
"Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb (Jesus Christ) has come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And 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." Rev. 19:7-9
The verses above assure us that the call to make ready as the Bride by preparing ourselves for the marriage supper, and the call to righteousness represented by the wedding apparel of fine, clean, white linen, are the true sayings of God, Himself.
Jesus also sounded His Father's call as He told the parable of the king who prepared a marriage supper for his son (Mt. 22:1-14). Servants were sent out with invitations to the marriage feast, but those invited refused to come. Again servants were sent, and were commanded to say to those bidden, "Behold, I have prepared (make ready, prepare the minds of men to give the Messiah a fit reception and receive His blessings) my dinner: my oxen (root word: "alpha") and my fatlings are killed (sacrifice and immolation of the pascal lamb), and all things are ready: come unto the marriage."
Again, not only did the invited guests decline with the excuse of other, unimportant things to do, but also made light of the king's invitation and treated his servants with violence. The wrath of the king fell upon those who had refused in such a way. The servants were then sent out to invite anyone they could find along the streets to come to the royal wedding. Of those who came, it was still expected of them to be dressed appropriately in a wedding garment. About the one guest not properly attired, and who had no excuse, the king said:
"...Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
Jesus concluded by saying, "For many are called, but few are chosen."
Many are called and given the opportunity to attend the marriage of Christ and His Bride, but it is still a matter of free choice for man to accept. Only a few recognize the great importance of the event, and prepare appropriately. There are factors that enter into who accepts and who does not: who is prepared and who is not.
All things have been made ready for the marriage supper of the Lamb. We must make sure that we have made our preparations as well. As we resolve to make ourselves ready in this new year, Jesus gave us the principle by which we can begin. As the religious leaders of various types began to test and question Him regarding controversial topics of the Torah that had caused division and debate among the experts, Jesus broke down the law and expectation of God to an irrefutable principle, and to the place where we all can begin our preparation:
"Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." Mt. 22:35-40
The Church needs to hear and heed this.
The prophet Micah revealed that even considering the obedience to temple sacrifices, the true beginning point of our renewal and preparation in God was found in this way:
"Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God?...He hath shewed thee O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? Micah 6:6-8
True, effective preparation begins in the heart, and we will see that the preparation of the heart begins in the Word of God.
Paul's second letter to Timothy points out the challenge to Timothy and the Church in the midst of a last days spiritual condition of men that is the opposite of all that Jesus and Micah discussed above. Paul gives a complete description of that condition that is very much evident today, beginning with the fact that men have become "lovers of selves", and goes on from there until finally "...evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived." (2 Tim. 3:1-7, 13). However, we are to love God with all that we are, and our neighbor in the same manner, rather than ourselves. Paul exhorted Timothy in the face of this prevailing worldly condition, to stand firm in the doctrine that he has learned from Paul, as a spiritual example, and from the scriptures themselves, that prepare a man in perfection, or completeness in God, being sustained even through the inevitable persecution that will come to the Godly (v. 12, 14-17).
In our wedding parable from Jesus, there is a complete disregard for the king. His invitation is unimportant to those who received it. This is another factor that affects the choice and preparation of men. When questioned directly by Pontius Pilate, Jesus confirmed His kingship- not of an earthly kingdom, but of a heavenly kingdom, and Pilate even agreed crucifying Christ as "King of the Jews". However, the people would not have Christ as their King. They were invited to a royal wedding banquet prepared for them by God, but they received the invitation with belittling and violence. As men reject and lose the kingship of Christ in their lives, this is the moment when they become "lovers of self", and descend into the spiritual condition of which Paul warned Timothy. Scripture also bears witness to this in various places:
"In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes." Judges 17:6, 21:25, Deut. 12:8-9, Prov. 12:15
Also in Proverbs we see these same contrasting spiritual conditions:
"Every way of a man is right in his own eyes; but the LORD pondereth the hearts. To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice." Prov. 21:2-3
This is what the Prophet Micah had shown us earlier as well, and this is the same beginning point to which Jesus also pointed us in our complete and total love for God, and our neighbor. This is also where the Church's new preparations for the coming marriage supper of the Lamb begins.
*The above is based upon the 1/6 message to the Church from Dr. Kenneth Stevenson.
Again, not only did the invited guests decline with the excuse of other, unimportant things to do, but also made light of the king's invitation and treated his servants with violence. The wrath of the king fell upon those who had refused in such a way. The servants were then sent out to invite anyone they could find along the streets to come to the royal wedding. Of those who came, it was still expected of them to be dressed appropriately in a wedding garment. About the one guest not properly attired, and who had no excuse, the king said:
"...Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
Jesus concluded by saying, "For many are called, but few are chosen."
Many are called and given the opportunity to attend the marriage of Christ and His Bride, but it is still a matter of free choice for man to accept. Only a few recognize the great importance of the event, and prepare appropriately. There are factors that enter into who accepts and who does not: who is prepared and who is not.
All things have been made ready for the marriage supper of the Lamb. We must make sure that we have made our preparations as well. As we resolve to make ourselves ready in this new year, Jesus gave us the principle by which we can begin. As the religious leaders of various types began to test and question Him regarding controversial topics of the Torah that had caused division and debate among the experts, Jesus broke down the law and expectation of God to an irrefutable principle, and to the place where we all can begin our preparation:
"Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." Mt. 22:35-40
The Church needs to hear and heed this.
The prophet Micah revealed that even considering the obedience to temple sacrifices, the true beginning point of our renewal and preparation in God was found in this way:
"Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God?...He hath shewed thee O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? Micah 6:6-8
True, effective preparation begins in the heart, and we will see that the preparation of the heart begins in the Word of God.
Paul's second letter to Timothy points out the challenge to Timothy and the Church in the midst of a last days spiritual condition of men that is the opposite of all that Jesus and Micah discussed above. Paul gives a complete description of that condition that is very much evident today, beginning with the fact that men have become "lovers of selves", and goes on from there until finally "...evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived." (2 Tim. 3:1-7, 13). However, we are to love God with all that we are, and our neighbor in the same manner, rather than ourselves. Paul exhorted Timothy in the face of this prevailing worldly condition, to stand firm in the doctrine that he has learned from Paul, as a spiritual example, and from the scriptures themselves, that prepare a man in perfection, or completeness in God, being sustained even through the inevitable persecution that will come to the Godly (v. 12, 14-17).
In our wedding parable from Jesus, there is a complete disregard for the king. His invitation is unimportant to those who received it. This is another factor that affects the choice and preparation of men. When questioned directly by Pontius Pilate, Jesus confirmed His kingship- not of an earthly kingdom, but of a heavenly kingdom, and Pilate even agreed crucifying Christ as "King of the Jews". However, the people would not have Christ as their King. They were invited to a royal wedding banquet prepared for them by God, but they received the invitation with belittling and violence. As men reject and lose the kingship of Christ in their lives, this is the moment when they become "lovers of self", and descend into the spiritual condition of which Paul warned Timothy. Scripture also bears witness to this in various places:
"In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes." Judges 17:6, 21:25, Deut. 12:8-9, Prov. 12:15
Also in Proverbs we see these same contrasting spiritual conditions:
"Every way of a man is right in his own eyes; but the LORD pondereth the hearts. To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice." Prov. 21:2-3
This is what the Prophet Micah had shown us earlier as well, and this is the same beginning point to which Jesus also pointed us in our complete and total love for God, and our neighbor. This is also where the Church's new preparations for the coming marriage supper of the Lamb begins.
*The above is based upon the 1/6 message to the Church from Dr. Kenneth Stevenson.
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Prayer of Salvation for all who desire to receive Jesus as their Savior: Lord Jesus, I desire to know You, and to know Your salvation. I believe that You died for me, and that You were resurrected for me. Forgive me of my sins. Come into my heart, change me, fill me with Your righteousness. Inscribe my name in the Lamb's book of life. Baptize me in Your Holy Spirit, so that I can learn the truth of Your Word and ways, and be strengthened in my walk all the days of my life. You are the hope of my life, and You are my eternal life. I place my trust in You, Lord, for myself, and my whole household. Use me to do the will of the heavenly Father, Who sent You, in Whose name You came. In Your name, and in thanks and praise I pray, Amen.
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