John 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
Matt 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
Luke 8:21 And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it.
^Peter calls the saints a royal priesthood (1 Pet. 2:9)
*He calls us friend, children, brothers, mother, but he’s not coming back for friends, brothers, sisters, fathers or mothers - he’s coming back for his bride! A wife that has made herself ready!
Isaiah 54:5 - For thy Maker [is] thine husband; the LORD of hosts [is] his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.
*He’s not just our maker & redeemer - a God to be feared reverenced - he is our husband.
2 Corinthians 11:2 - For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present [you as] a chaste virgin to Christ.
*His bride is a faithful bride that has no other gods beside him - his bride doesn’t cheat on him with the things that are unpleasing to him. He’s expecting a faithful, unblemished bride!
Revelation 19:7 - Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
Revelation 21:2 - And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Matt 25:1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
*They all had lamps [Ps 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.]
The wise were prepared with oil to make their lamps burn - the foolish had let their lamps go out.
Oil is whatever keeps the lamp (Word) burning in us - the Spirit is what gives the Word light (God is a Spirit) we mustn’t let the fire go out! You’ve got to pour oil in the lamp, trim the wick.
The bridegroom came & told the foolish -“I know you not.”
When you are first married, your desire is toward your spouse...you want to spend all your time with them, please them, share things with them - talk to them. If you’re not careful, after a while you let the fire burn out - you get used to them - their quirks, habits etc. you don’t strive to make each other happy anymore. You start searching for something to fill the void - you start feeling lonely or bored.
When we first receive the Holy Ghost, we can’t feel it enough! Where are we now? Do we long to feel his touch - hear his voice, or do we just go thru the motions, taking his love for granted?
We see God as our savior, a loving father, the creator of all things to whom we should fear & give glory to. And that is good & right, but it’s time we get intimate with God!
► Intimacy = closeness - the closer you are - the more intimate
In the natural, some come together to satisfy an urge - a husband & wife come together in love - there’s a difference.
You can’t get any closer, any more intimate than when a husband & wife come together, bound by love. It’s more than just a night together when you are joined in love with someone, you you have a deep respectful connection that binds you together.
►Gen 4:1 - Adam knew Eve & she conceived>
If we’re not seeing things birthed in our lives & in the church then we’re not intimate with him!
It’s time to get spiritually intimate with our groom... to ready ourselves for him, cherish his attention, be passionate about our worship of him! Desiring his presence! We need to know Him - know his touch - know his voice.
He’s coming after a church on fire like on the day of Pentecost > The fire, which is the Word sat upon them, then they were filled with the Word by the Holy Spirit.>
Acts 2:2 ... suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
John 14:12...He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do...
Acts 1:8 ...ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you:
*The church is not powerless - we are the cherished bride of Christ - adorned with His power!
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