You
see God will get real musical when the Bride is ready for marriage.
Apostle John, writing in Revelation 19 says that all of heaven
will erupt with glad rejoicing and Hallelujahs amid mighty thunderings
and roaring waters and the sound of multitudes singing and all
because the "Bride" has got herself ready. Many in heaven
will worship and fall down and a great marriage feast will be
prepared. Those invited are greatly privileged, excited and happy
to be there.
Who
will be there? What about you and me? What are our chances?
If
we are not there, where will we be? If this is fact and not fiction
then it is most serious and needs investigation. Then will be
too late to investigate.
Paul,
the apostle, writes to brothers and sisters in God’s family that
they should not be ignorant of these things and goes on to say
that they should not sorrow for those that have died because Jesus
will come back to the skies, the clouds, with a mighty shout from
the arch-angel and a huge blast from the trump of God. So God
plays the trumpet!
At
the shout and the trump all those that have asked forgiveness
and given their lives to Jesus to follow Him as Lord and have
died will rise from the dead and meet Jesus in the clouds and
those still alive at that time will have ’lift-off’ and meet with
them and Jesus in the clouds. From that time they will always
be with their Lord. All this info is in Paul’s first letter to
the Thessalonians chapter 4.
Interestingly,
Acts chapter 1 tells how the disciples watched as Jesus lifted
off the earth, rose into the sky and disappeared behind a cloud.
As they stand gazing upwards two angelic men arrive and say, "Why
are you gawping up into the sky (and who wouldn’t!) this same
Jesus you have watched go into heaven will come the same way."
Perhaps
the key issue for us is, "How does the Bride get herself
ready?" Here’s my conviction:
1.
One has to turn from selfish ambition and decided to follow
Jesus as King. In accepting Him as Lord and King we need to
discover that our efforts are useless and there’s a need to
obey and let His wisdom, correction and resources come via the
Holy Spirit.
2.
He commands us to love each other like He does. That’s super-human
but He comes to make it possible.
3.
Relationships develop that give a strength of love and acceptance
that joins us into a community that is His Body, the Church.
Ephesians 4.16 describes how this works.
4.
This community starts to function as a hospital for the hurt,
a home for the lonely, a family for the future, a building for
our protection, an army to share His victories and glory, and
grows to be a Bride preparing herself with right living ready
for marriage to Jesus.
Come
on, tell me, is there a more exciting way to spend our lives on
this earth?
I’d
be privileged and excited to tell you more. Do contact me!
Colin
