The Bridge Groom is Waiting

The Bridegroom is waitingbyJoshua Williamson24/3/05Imagine for a moment.... we’re seated together at a royal wedding. Theinvitations have been sent, all the preparations have been made, the guestshave arrived, the music is playing, the flowers are spectacular - the sanctuary isdecked for king and queen. The bridegroom and his attendants take their placesat the front.The first strains of the wedding march begin to sound. We all rise.It’s hard to see from where we’re standing off to the side. Finally, we’re able tocatch a glimpse of the bride holding the arm of her father, as she begins to movedown the aisle toward her bridegroom.We crane our necks trying to take it all in. As she gets closer, we realisesomething is wrong! It can’t be - but yes ... her veil is torn, and its on an angle.She gets closer, and we see that it’s not just her veil - her hair is matted and indisarray. She looks like she just got out of bed. And her face - it’s filthy; she hasno makeup on.As she walks by the row where we are standing, we get a closer look at herdress. It’s unbelievable. Her gown is disheveled and wrinkled from top to bottom.It looks like it’s been stuffed in a drawer for weeks. Not only that - the once whitedress is covered with an awful assortment of dark stains.Have you ever seen such a sight? How can this be?Then we see the saddest sight of all, as she approaches her bridegroom. It’s alook of profound sorrow in his eyes as he realises that his bride - the one heloves with all his heart - didn’t care enough to get ready for the wedding.Brethren, there is a Wedding coming.It’s that Wedding toward which all earthly weddings are intended to point us. Thebridegroom is a holy Bridegroom, and He must have a holy bride.And our Saviour will have a holy bride. That’s why He loved the church and gaveHimself up for her. That’s why He took all those stains and blots on Himself.Ephesians 5:26-27 reads:He did this to make the church holy by cleansing it, washing it using water alongwith spoken words. Then he could present it to himself as a glorious church,without any kind of stain or wrinkle-holy and without faults. The Lord Jesus Christ, requires a spot less bride, a bride not given over to sin, abride that is not fulfilling the lusts of the flesh.But He wants a bride that has presented itself holy and acceptable to Him. Thisis the bride that has crucified the flesh, it has killed off the old sins of lying,stealing, looking with lust, hate, envy, foul language etc.This is the bride that takes it seriously when it says “Be holy as God is Holy!”As a bride and groom take time to prepare for a wedding, so should we also. Wealso should take the time to make sure we are in holiness. Are we dying to self?Are we angered by sin? Do we grieve when we see the fate of the wicked? Arewe doing something to save those lost in sin? These are all fruits of the Christianthat is striving after Holiness.Now as this article draws to a close, let me charge everyone reading this fromthe youngest to the oldest. Strive for holiness, seek it with everything you have inyou. Give up everything to get it. Because the bridegroom is waiting. Don’tdisappoint Him.Joshua wrote a side note: I must say, that the illustration used is not mine, but it was emailed to me by a freind. The rest of the writing is mine

That illustration of the wedding I heard in a Leonard Ravenhill sermon. God is coming back for a bride that is without spot or blemish. Ravenhill also said in a well known video interview: "if your living in sin at the very moment that Jesus Christ cames back I don't believe you'll be taken, you'll be left behind" because Christ is coming back for a pure and holy bride, not a prostitute! Not a broken down hooker! A holy, set apart, bride that has been watchfully waiting for the Groom coming. A virgin who has not fallen asleep but is awake, waiting, with her light brightly shining!!! A great book on holiness is "Go and Sin No More" by Dr. Michael L. Brown, forward by Bill Bright.

Laz Quote: A virgin who has not fallen asleep but is awake, waiting, with her light brightly shining!!! __________________________________________________Ok, this virgin is awake and no doubt arose from the dead and Christ has given her light.Right?I am sorry but I see something totally different here.I see perfection. One she is a virgin, which means that her house is completely swept clean of anything that would cause offense. Two, she awoke and arose from the dead, she followed Christ out of the grave. When we received Christ into our lives we are baptized in water, right? Many of us are still buried and we have not arose in newness of life. By rising from the dead she was granted light to enter the kingdom of God.Now those who have been perfected who are without spot or wrinkle can go in the rapture, but the poor soul who just was born again a few days proir who has entered the arena of trials and tribulation and he is struggling along and God is helping him to overcome and he lifts his hands up in his turmoil and worships God. So the next day he falls into temptation and gives into and then at that moment the rapture is taking place and he is left behind.too many wrinkles in that to be ironed out. You see you forgot that the power of the Blood covers that man even when he sinned. That is why Paul said, "Shall we sin that grace may abound" of course and thank God he said, "God forbid". But Paul gave the impression to the Romans that grace abounds because of sin, but then he threw that line in there to balance the whole thing out.Just because Ravenhill says it doesn't make it right, he is not the end all and where all.And furthermore, God made an end of sins through the death on calvary. I know that your interpretations of the letter of the word has wrinkles and you need to read the Spirit of the letter and see more then what your already seeing.For we are under a better convenant. 2Sam12:13 When the Prophet Nathan came to expose David of his sin, and when David confessed, Nathan declared unto David that "the LORD hath put away thy sin" denoting that his sin was put away before he even opened his mouth to confess.You remind me of myself when I was younger, so religiously stanch that no one is saved unless I see purity and holiness in them. I sent people to hell who didn't line up to the letter.I thank God that was beaten out of me.Karl

Matthew 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 other 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.

I have a question... what is a bridge groom?? Is that a NIV rendering of bride groom?? LOL!! :-P Krispy

I wanted to say that I really love you guys and enjoy the fellowship that I find here on this site. From other things you guys have posted about shows me the sincere heart you have after God and I feel blessed to be able to partake in these forums with you all. I have a genuine question. What exactly is the Christian standard, or the moral goal? If perfection is not the goal what is? If repenting from every sin is not the standard then what is? What sin is it "ok" for a Christian to allow into his life? Correct me if I am wrong, but the more I study the bible the more I feel forced to believe that perfection is the goal, that repenting from all sin is the standard, and that there is absolutely no sin that should be tolerated in the life of the Christian.