Will You Say I Do?

We have been studying about the marriage supper of the Lamb and what the significance is as being the Bride, the church is! What a wonderful idea when you really consider it. A wedding to the most amazing man that will never let you down, will always be there for you and will never ever leave you. He sees the absolute best in you and wants you to have an eternal future with Him in heaven! Who wouldn't want all this?

The Lord has given us boasting rights! The Book of Romans is justification before God, faith that saves.

Romans 15:17 ~ "In Christ Jesus then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God."

The Book of James is justification before man, faith that works.

2 Timothy 4:6-8 ~ "For I am already being poured out as a drink offering and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing."

We need to let others judge our lives as Christians based on what they see us doing and saying, to see if that is true in our lives. Jesus says we will be known by our fruits. Are you ready to have your fruit inspected? We shouldn't have to tell others that we're a Christian, they should be able to tell things are different, just by how we act and what we say.

We should be able to share that confidence in our life by what God has called believers to do; build that hospital, school or university; help feed the poor and needy; help on the mission trips. We shouldn't be boasting about ourselves, but about what God is doing. Those are the righteous acts, the ones that point the way to Jesus and glorify Him.

2 Corinthians 5:8-10 ~ "Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil."

Isaiah 61:10 ~ "I will greatly rejoice in the LORD; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels."

If God is for us, who can be against us? Who cares?

Don't you want to know the true meaning of life? It is the one question we all ask ourselves at some point in our life. Jesus has invited us to know happiness.

Revelation 19:9a ~ "And the angel said to me, "Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb!"

To be blessed is true happiness found in Jesus Christ. The invitation to know Christ is global! The Lord is calling out.

Matthew 11:28-30 ~ "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

What will your response be?

Jesus has invited us to celebrate!

Revelation 19:9a ~ " Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb!"

Those who are called at not the Bride, the church, no those called are friends of the bridegroom. No one will be unhappy in heaven. When you die as a believer there will be no resting in peace, the celebration the moment you breathe your final breath on earth and take your first breath in heaven, is when the celebration will break forth and you will be alive as you have never been before! Our funerals are almost morbid and somber, while funerals in the deep south for a black brother or sister, is done right! They are breaking into song, worshiping and praising God that their brother or sister is with the Lord!!!

John 3:29 ~ "The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete."

Blessed are those who are called (invited) to the marriage supper of the Lamb! These are the believing Tribulation saints who died for their faith in Christ, and the Old Testament saints that died believing in the coming Messiah, and the believing Israel will be there too. A bride is never invited to her own wedding. She is the wedding. Jesus isn't invited to this wedding, because it takes a bridegroom, (Jesus) and a bride (The church) to make a wedding. Everyone else is simply guests of the wedding for all eternity.

Matthew 22:1-14 ~ "And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. Again he sent other servants, saying, "Tell those who are invited, See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast. But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his servants, and treated them shamefully, and killed them. The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.' And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. And he said to him, ' Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?' And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, 'Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be a weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen."

Jesus has invited us to relax.

Revelation 19:9b ~ "And he said to me, "These are the true words of God." 

1 John 1:1-4 ~ "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life - the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father, and was made manifest to us - that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete."

John 1:1-3, 14 ~ "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." 

Psalm 107:20 ~ "He sent out his word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction."

Aren't these the very promises you would want from your husband or wife fulfilled with absolute certainty?

Don't you want unconditional acceptance?

Revelation 19:10 ~ "Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, "You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."

John saw his new home!! He was so excited, he fell down in worship. The brethren have this testimony, that Jesus Christ is our future! What can you say about heaven?

John had something to say. The witness of Jesus, specifically the Tribulation believers but limited to them, what is your testimony today?

Heaven is where we will talk about Jesus and the Father and the Holy Spirit, about what He id and what is happening around us forever. John knew what his future held. To see this entire marriage paraphrased, read Genesis 24. It parallels the story of Abraham, which is the epitome of God, the Father, who is searching for a bride (the Church) for his son, Isaac (Jesus). He find Rebekah for his son and along the way His servant, Eliezer, (Holy Spirit)  gives Rebekah gifts telling her all about Isaac and her future. She is so excited about Isaac that she falls in love with His nature and character without ever having to see him. She can't wait to marry him.

This is what Jesus is doing right now, sitting on a throne at the right hand of the Father, relaxing until the day of His wedding.

Do you take this Lamb, to be your personal sacrifice, to have and to hold, in honor and peace, to accept Him and His love for you? Do you promise to trust Him, to believe in Him, and to be forgiven of all your sins on account of Him?

Will you say I do?