Bride of Christ – Post #6

Taken from my handwritten journal, dated Sunday, January 12, 2025

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. But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 2 Corinthians 11:2-3


I am grateful for the salvation that allows us to be referred to as “chaste”, Jesus exchanging His own perfection with our corruption!

Me: Good morning, Father!

Abba: Good morning, Jon!

Me: In 2 Corinthians 11, Paul is writing to the Corinthians who are being led toward the legalization of Judaism as it was practiced (formerly by Paul!). Would you help me understand more about this bride-of-Christ verse?

Abba: Paul is relating his (and My) affection and sense of fatherly responsibility toward the Corinthians. In the culture of the day, fathers arranged marriage for their daughters. The daughter was expected to respect the wisdom of her father to act/choose in her best interests. The method you are used to has the daughter choosing a mate for herself, often based on how she feels about it emotionally. In Paul’s culture, the daughter would not have been regarded as having enough experience to make a good decision and the emotional aspect would have been seen as obscuring potential trouble, due to the rationalizations that can accompany strong desire. You should see, therefore a sense of the father’s responsibility to protect his daughter. Paul is expressing this same desire for protection of the Corinthian believers from being deceived. Paul is reflecting My jealousy that my children have an unsullied relationship with Me.

Not all fathers are wise. Not all arranged marriages were truly in the best interest of the daughter. There were marriages to establish political (and other) alliances. I AM not like that, which Paul knew well.

Old Covenant expressions of this desire incorporate an aspect of punishment for disobedience (Exodus 20:5, 34:14, Deuteronomy 4:24, 5:9, 6:15, Nahum 1:2) but the aim is for relationship:

And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might (Deuteronomy 6:5)

All the punishment for sin has been borne by Jesus. Yet, those who are determined to stand on their own righteousness, can have whatever they say (Mark 11:24, Romans 3).

Me: Thank You Father, that the New Covenant offers a way through Jesus to break the natural “passing down” of iniquity to children (Exodus 20:5).

Abba: In Jesus, this generational contamination is broken for those who accept salvation and walk in it.

Me: Thank You Father! I love You!

Abba: You are welcome! I love you!

Bride of Christ – Post #5

#5 in a series of inquiries concerning the bride of Christ. Taken from my handwritten journal entry, dated 12-28-2024.

I am grateful for your word telling what is to come!

9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife. 10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, 11 Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal; 12 And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: 13 On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates. 14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 15 And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof. 16 And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal. 17 And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel. 18 And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. 19 And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; 20 The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolyte; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst. 21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls: every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass. 22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. 23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. 24 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. 25 And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. 26 And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it. 27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life. Revelation 21.

[Isaiah 54 speaks of some similar precious-stone construction. Isaiah 65 contrasts the idolatrous and those who seek the Lord, explicitly prophesying of Jesus (a seed from Jacob). Also included there is a reference to the mountains of God.]

Me: Good afternoon, Holy Spirit!

Holy Spirit: Good afternoon, Jon!

Me: Can You please help me with these descriptions of the bride of the Lamb as the new Jerusalem?

Holy Spirit:

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Matthew 23:37

The buildings of a city do not choose. Rather, it is those who reside within. The new Jerusalem is established under the New Covenant. It is peopled by those who are in the Lamb’s book of life, not by those who “would not”, but by those who have said “Yes!” and “Amen!” to the Lamb’s proposal. (Even as a marriage is predicated on the bride saying, “Yes!”.

Notice the spectacle of the new Jerusalem “coming down out of heaven from God”. (Rev 21:2,10) This exact phrase is used twice to make sure you take notice of it. The new Jerusalem is of God. Remember Jesus’ words, “I go to prepare a place for you” (John 14:3). And “I will come again and receive you unto Myself; that where I Am there you may be also.” This is expressing Jesus’ heart the same as Matthew 23:37, but a NEW Jerusalem was required to bring this desire to fruition.

Me: Thank You Holy Spirit! I love You! How marvelous that Your word has made these things that will be known from of old!

Holy Spirit: You are welcome! I love you!

Bride of Christ – Post #4

Fourth in a series of posts retrieved from my hand-written journal, seeking more insight on the subject of the bride of Christ. The previous installments are #1, #2, and #3. This one was dated 12/26/2024.

1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 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. 3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. 4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. 5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. Revelation 21


Me: Good morning, Jesus!

Jesus: Good morning, Jon!

Me: This passage contains so many things! From a new heaven and a new earth to You specifically entreating us to observe that You have made all things new!

Jesus: Has it not become clear? “You must be born again” before you are able to see the kingdom of God (John 3). I Am making you new, a proper resident of the new Jerusalem. As you are renewed, you are making yourself ready / prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. For My bride loves Me with an unquenchable love. Love I have birthed in her heart; her heart in which there is no spot or wrinkle nor any such thing, holy and without blemish (Eph 5:27).

You wondered that the new earth “no longer had any sea”. But the word is all the water one could want, perfectly cleansing (Eph 5:26).

Me: Thank You Jesus! I love You!

Jesus: You are welcome! I love you!
(See Isaiah 65:17 and 43:19)

Bride of Christ – Post #3

This is the third post in a series seeking insight on what the word has to say on the bride of Christ. It is transferred from a hand-written journal entry from December 19th. The two previous related posts are here and here.

5 And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. 6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. 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. 8 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. 9 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. Revelation 19

Me: Hello, Jesus!

Jesus: Hello, Jon!

Me: I was amused by the mental picture of a disembodied voice coming from the throne issuing a call to worship. And the rocks did not need to cry out (Luke 19:40), because the response was like thunder from “a great multitude”! The closest thing I have ever experienced was being in a football stadium filled with men singing praise to You. That seems a weak comparison to what is described here. I love what this thundering chorus gives voice! “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!”

Jesus: I Am also rejoicing at the sight of My bride who has made herself ready in righteousness!

17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. 21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. 2 Corinthians 5

And how has My bride made herself ready? By participating in a great exchange: her sinfulness exchanged for My righteousness. And note the help by those engaged in communicating the need (the ministry of reconciliation) and the very mechanism of cleansing: the word of reconciliation. Remember from a couple of days ago,

That he might sanctify and cleanse it [the church] with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. Ephesians 5:26-27

Has My bride been fully reconciled to My desire for her to be without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing? All who have accepted My salvation are, in their spirits, without blemish. What remains is to be transformed from the inside out. Help others to understand. This is the ministry of reconciliation. Speak forth the word of reconciliation while you have breath, looking toward the glorious day of the marriage of the Lamb.

Me: As an aside, I have found that I am unable to reliably ascertain whether one is “in You” or not. I have been proved apparently wrong about it even in close relationships.

Jesus: That passage is not one intended for you to judge another one way or the other. I am the Judge (Matt 7:22-24, 25:23).Your part is to do what I said, speaking forth the word of reconciliation, looking to your own relationship with Me.

Me: Thank You Jesus! I love You!

Jesus: You are welcome! I love you!

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Bride of Christ (Post #2)

This is second in a series, from hand-written journal of December 16th, 2024. Previous installment is here.

And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord. And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name. And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. He hath helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever. Luke 1:45-55


Me: Good evening, Jesus!

Jesus: Good evening, Jon!

Me: The last time you offered insights into several things about the meaning of “the bride of Christ”, Most notably, your desire to be one with us (with me!). Would you say more?

Jesus: What would you like to know?

Me: Where does the scripture reference Your bride?

Jesus: Let’s start today with Ephesians 5:25 – 27, that I showed you before:

Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.


Have I not given Myself for you? In not the very purpose of My word your sanctification? If you continue to allow My word to change your heart you will be completely transformed. These things are true in My Spirit which is alive in you forevermore. If you allow Me, I will remove all blemishes. (John noted in the beginning of John chapter one that I Am the Word. I Am doing the washing.)

Look what exchanged between Peter and I: “No!”, said Peter, “You will never wash my feet!” I answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with Me.” (John 13:8)

Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. (Ephesians 5: 22-24)

You must let Me serve you in this washing, Even as I told Peter, who was not exclaiming “No!” out of pride. Rather he spoke out of his (accurate) sense of his own unworthiness. I Am not blind to the nature of your sin. Yet I took it upon Myself, despising the shame that you were already bearing, because I love you and I want you to be “without spot or wrinkle or any such thing”. I Am making you holy and blameless. Nothing is too hard for Me.

I have never overruled your free will. I am not about to start doing so. It is up to you whether you will submit to the washing of the water of the word. Look back to My prayer that we be one (John 17). My word never returns void but always accomplishes that which I send it to do (Isaiah 55:11). I have sent it to make us one.

Me: Thank You Jesus! I love You!

Jesus: You are welcome! I love you!

Photo by Jose Vasquez on Pexels.com

Bride of Christ – Post #1

I am grateful to be home relaxing today!

(Excerpt from hand-written Journal entry, dated December 1st, 2024)

In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. (John1:1-2, 14)

Me: Good evening, Father!

Abba: Good evening, Jon!

Me: [My wife] expressed concern that I commented that as a man, I didn’t have an emotional understanding of what it means to be ‘the bride of Christ’. There are many things about it that are obscure to me. Such as, there being many of us, whereas we understand proper marriage to be monogamous.

Abba: Then, let’s start with that!

John:17

11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.

20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;

21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:

23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.

25 O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me.

26 And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.

So, Jon, not many, but one, in love.

Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. Genesis 2:24 (See also Ephesians 5:31, Mark 10:8, Matthew 19:6, Ephesians 5 (all))

For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Ephesians 5:30-31

Me: Thank You Father! I love You!

Abba: You are welcome! I love you!

Triple Decker

Triple Decker

Happy New Year! Out with 2024. Welcome 2025! We pray all the blessings of God will fill your 2025 to overflowing!

In the silly picture above, we have Covid napping in Ola’s open dog crate at the bottom, Stella still incarcerated in the middle, and Vander, Covid’s brother passed out on top.

Stella was delivered by a friend who declared, “I can’t keep another cat”. Apparently, we can.

Incidentally, at the time of this post, Stella has passed a two-week quarantine and has now been released into the cat population, with only minimal hissing and feline posturing.

[I may not have introduced Ola before. Ola is a good-natured “cataheeler” (catahoula-blue heeler cross) whose owner was killed in a car wreck, broadsided by a texting driver. All our critters have some kind of rescue story. We didn’t go looking for a single one of them.]

Come to think of it. I have a rescue story. Thank you, Jesus, that you did come looking for me when I was still a stray!

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. John 14:1-3

Unimaginable Gift

Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the LORD: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged.

Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished.

Thus saith thy Lord the LORD, and thy God that pleadeth the cause of his people, Behold, I have taken out of thine hand the cup of trembling, even the dregs of the cup of my fury; thou shalt no more drink it again: But I will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee; which have said to thy soul, Bow down, that we may go over: and thou hast laid thy body as the ground, and as the street, to them that went over.  Isaiah 51:1, 6, 22-23

Beginning in verse 1, above, we see admonition to look in two directions that we might remain mindful. Attentive, first, of the Lord our creator who has made us in His image and His intention that we would walk after Him in His way. Heedful, second, we are not to forget the pit from which we have been pulled, our incarceration before the release afforded us by Jesus. We will only be able to maintain our way on the upward path through gratitude in our relationship in Him and humility that remembers our inability to extract ourselves from the mire. We were utterly unable to turn away from the downward trail we were trudging until we accepted the finished work of Christ and His guiding hand to turn us to the upward way.

Though the heavens be removed and the earth fail, the salvation that God has made available to all who willingly receive it endures forever, because it rests on the eternal foundation of His own nature, which changes not. This salvation is offered freely, a gift beyond human comprehension, more priceless than we have yet understood. Though we ought to remember the pit of the past, increasing appreciation of the life we have been handed does not lie in that direction, but in adoration of the Giver.

Finally, observe verses 22 & 23. Our old lives accrued only wrath. Now, some assert that God’s wrath was vengeful anger directed at His own disobedient children. However, an honest reading of the word will reveal that His heart has ever been for our welfare and not for our destruction. (Deuteronomy 28, Jeremiah 29:11). In Jesus, we find an incalculable love, holding Him to bear all the oppressions of the fetid pit in which we wallowed. No more will the tyrant oppressor walk all over us, for our Savior has imputed to us soaring freedom on wings of light and love.

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Merry Christmas, my friends!

At Least …

… the moles are happy.

Liberty

Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. 2 Corinthians 3:17-18

Yesterday, we attended the 30th Annual Quad-Cities Prayer Breakfast at RiverCenter in Davenport Iowa. The location is some 150 miles east of home. We had an invitation from the organizer, who, with his wife, have become good friends over the course of the past year. The venue held, probably 1600 attendees. The couple to my right at our table had driven from Cleveland, a trip of 500 miles. There was awesome special music by recording artist Steve Amerson. The keynote speaker was Governor Mike Huckabee. His talk centered on God bringing good out of some challenging events in his life as he expounded on Romans 8:28.

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

All morning, the verses from 2 Corinthians 3 that open this post kept coming to mind. This passage was not something mentioned by anyone during the event, but was something God was putting on my heart. Meditating on it further, I can certainly see that the message of Romans 8:28 is addressed solely to believers and the passage in 2 Corinthians 3 is addressed likewise. None other are indwelt by the Holy Spirit or might see that change to be more like Jesus (increasing glory). We ought not to lose sight of the fact that God is bound by nothing, save His own nature and unbreakable word of Truth. We are made in His image and are intended for unfettered liberty. At some level, we know this intuitively. Tyrants oppress. The law restrains. But one who walks in the love and grace of the Almighty transcends both.

What enables this joyous transformation to work in the willing?

And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 1 John 1:4-6 (KJV)

It operates by His undimmable goodness.