Revelation of Jesus Christ Ministries

Co-Laboring With the Lord in Faith

Just recently the Lord spoke to me saying it is time for His people to stop following behind Him, and begin to follow alongside of Him. The Lord is calling forth His people to be as mature sons & daughters that will co-labor with Him. As it says in 2 Cor. 5:20, we are called to be ambassadors for Christ. The word ambassador comes from the root word "presbeuo" (pres-byoo-oh) meaning 'to be the elder' - a representative of one who is a ruling authority. A look at a little history of ambassadors would tell us that Ambassadors would be chosen from the ranks of mature, experienced men. To be an ambassador for Christ requires one to walk in spiritual maturity. Spiritually speaking, one who is mature is one who is solid in believing, speaking and being led by the word/spirit of God. (James 3:2 & Eph. 4:14)

As the Lord spoke to me about walking alongside of Him, He also said, "My Spirit is sweet and fragrant and is ready to be poured out upon the earth as that of a fine, rare, highly valued and sought after fragrant oil. (as He spoke this to me, the room filled with His fragrance - as that of a sweet smelling perfume.) Come up here, says the Lord, co-labor beside of Me, not behind Me. It is time for your every step to be in step with My every step." (The word can be read in it's entirety on the ministry website.)

Matthew 10:1 And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.

Jesus gave power to His disciples.

The word ‘disciple’ comes from the Greek word ‘mathetes’ (math-ay-tace) - which in turn comes from the verb manthano. Manthano's root word is ‘math’ - and it is a word referring to; ‘thought with effort put forth.’ That means you put some action to your thoughts. To have a thought without an action coming as a direct result from it can be likened to James 2:17 wherein it says,"faith without works is dead." Just as faith merits action, there must also be an action stemming from a thought in order for it to become alive and productive.

A disciple is someone who learns from and follows both the teaching and the teacher, but not in thought only. A disciple follows with effort put forth, thus resulting in a disciple being one who is an active participant.

Mark 16: 17 & 18 says; And these signs WILL follow those who believe, in My name they WILL cast out demons; they WILL speak with new tongues, they WILL take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they WILL lay hands on the sick, and they WILL recover." (emphasis mine)

The word ‘Believe’, comes from the Greek word ‘pisteus’ (pist-yoo-oh) which means - to trust in, have faith in, be fully convinced of, acknowledge, rely on.

In other words, it’s what we know to be so true that we act upon it without the presence of doubt. Actions prove belief ! You have heard the saying, 'Actions speak louder than words', - it can be very true. Our words are powerful and have the authority to change the course of situations, but if we do not have the faith to put action along with our words, then our words are in vain. Take for example; If we say we love someone, but all the while behave in a manner to them that is cruel and wicked, our words of love are empty, because we have not brought them into agreement with an action that affirms the words we speak. Likewise, faith will produce the behavior reflecting - faith.

If we truly believe what we say we do, then we also have the faith to act upon it regardless of what the circumstances around us appear to be. Having faith means that we do not require proof prior to our actions. And as we stand in faith on the word of God, declaring it without doubt, we can expect evidence to be produced because of our faith. (Heb. 11:3) It is pleasing to God that we go to Him believing that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him out, (as the word states in Heb. 11:6) because His desire is to reward us. Plain and simple - He is good and is faithful to His word.

Faith in the word of God is the staple ingredient for us to live a victorious life as an overcomer. The Lord already cleared the way before us, now the only thing we need to do is simply & unwaveringly believe Him at His word ! How do we do that? Rom. 10:17 tells us that faith comes by hearing the word of God.

Luke 10:19 Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

I want to place a special emphasis on a portion of that verse....Over ALL the power of the enemy ! We have been given authority over who? the enemy ! Does the enemy have power? sure, but it doesn’t stand up to the power that the Lord holds ! Jesus has authority over ALL the power of the enemy and He has imparted it to us !!

A few years ago, while I was praying for a friend to be healed the Lord said to me, "It's hammer time!" For me, the words 'hammer time' was associated with a rap song and because I know that the Lord will speak to us using terms that we are familiar with, I was inspired to look up the definition of the word "rap". rap - 1) To strike with a quick, smart blow or series of blows. 2) To utter suddenly and forcibly; to deliver with a bang.

God is saying that it is time to rap the heads of our enemies into fine powder with the hammer of His word and the power of His Holy Spirit that lives within us. (When we speak of the enemy's head, we are referring to his authority.) God said, "When the enemy tries to take a stand against you, do not hesitate, strike him quickly with the hammer of My word, take back all that was stolen and move on without breaking your stride."

Jeremiah 23:29 says; Is not My word like a fire? says the Lord. And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?

Through Jesus Christ, we have been given authority over the enemy and all that he would try to come against us with. The word authority means, legal or rightful power, a right to command or to act.

The Lord has already provided us with everything we will ever need; deliverance, healing, provision, protection, wisdom - we need only to believe Him for it. (Matthew chp. 6)

The Lord told me once that one thing the enemy fears more than anything else is that we will come to realize that he fears us - and the authority that we have been given. If we don't recognize that we have it, we don't walk in it and the enemy has nothing to fear. But if we know we have it and walk in it, that's what makes him tremble in fear because he knows his deceptions have no power over us.

When we truly grasp with understanding unto believing that the demonic is actually fearful of us because of WHO is within us - that’s when we will walk in the authority and power that we have been given. This is the indisputable truth; when we speak the word of God - believing Him at His word - the demons and anything that does not line up with the will of God, must submit ! If you don't see the submission the first time you take authority and speak to the mountain, then do it again..,and do it again & again if necessary, until your breakthrough comes.

His power is alive and flowing through us, and once you receive the breakthrough in one area, your faith will become stronger and you will find that you have faith to move mountains that are a little larger than what the last ones were, because you are attaining the understanding unto believing & that simply means that the word no longer remains as only head knowledge, but also becomes written on the tablets of your heart.

The enemy's goal is to make sure that we come into agreement with every bit of doubt, fear and intimidation he possibly can in effort to result in us being overcome, instead of being the Overcomer. The enemy can only be successful if we allow him to be, and when we place our focus on ourselves & our circumstances instead of looking to the Lord & His report, that's when we become intimidated & discouraged by the enemy's lies and the battle begins to take on the appearance of being hopeless. The Lord once told me that my greatest enemy was discouragement. When we make a place of agreement with discouragement we tend to shortly, there-after, give up. As believers, we must see the enemy as he really is...underneath our feet !!

Eph. 1:16-23;"....making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

Through Jesus Christ we have been endued with power from on high & the Spirit of God living within us is mightier and more powerful than any enemy of ours’ - which is first an enemy of God's. Since we know that He is seated above all principality and power, and we are seated in the same heavenly places with Him (eph.2:6).....,"What then shall we say to these things; If God is for us, who can be against us?" Romans 8:31

Jesus has not given us His authority that we might walk in it 'just in case' we really get desperate. He's given us His authority to walk in as a way of our daily life. Walking in His authority is actually more than just a right that has been given to us, it's our responsibility. As joint heirs with Christ, we have a responsibility to walk in His authority taking dominion. He has called us to be good stewards of His kingdom while we are here on earth, and walking in His authority goes hand in hand with being a good steward of the kingdom.

It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch. "Mark 13: 34

For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. Matthew 25: 14

Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master when he comes, will find so doing. Matt. 24: 45-46

He has given us the power of His Spirit; that we may speak His word with authority; to reveal His truth and good news of salvation; to break off the stronghold of bondages; to heal sickness and disease; to overcome poverty; and to set free those who are tormented by demons.

Jesus said in Matthew 16:19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

How amazing is that?! We have been given the keys to bind up that which opposes the will of God and to loose His promises...not only in our own lives, but also in the lives of others !

Recently, a friend shared with me a story she had read about a man of God who while on a walk, stopped to ask another man, who was not a believer in Christ, if he had anything that he might need prayer about. The unbelieving man replied that he had a blind eye. After several prayers and words of commanding healing into the eye, his eyesight was restored. To the glory of God, because of the incredible healing power of Jesus Christ displayed through the man of God, not only was the other man's natural vision restored, but the eyes of his heart was also opened & he willingly received Jesus Christ as Lord & Savoir that day. We can only imagine the many other people whose lives are being touched by this man's testimony of the healing and salvation he found in Jesus Christ....all because one man dared to believe God at His word !! Praise God !

We may be in a time of warfare, but the warfare is to be shifted from travail and feeling the pressures of grueling war, to a warfare that is fought in the celebration of praising Jesus Christ and in the authority of speaking His word in the faith that moves mountains. We find our rest in having faith in His word. The report in the world may be sounding bleak and hopeless, but the report of the Lord has not changed. "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it." John 14:12-14

And although we have authority over the demons and all that opposes the will of God, that isn't even the best news yet nor is it the place of our refreshing and joy. We have been equipped with power and authority so the enemy can no longer rob us of our inheritance, but our true rejoicing comes from our names being written in the Lamb's Book of Life !!! What an awesome Lord we have...He has given us victory in life and in death !

And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Mark 16:20

Saints, let your faith arise.... (Numbers 23:19) God is not a man that He should lie....,if He has said it, then it is the absolute truth & we are nothing less than victorious by receiving it as such.

Jesus said, If you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there', and it WILL move; and nothing will be impossible for you. Matt.17:20

AMEN !

 WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A sudden surge of pirate attacks off the coast of eastern Somalia in recent days has prompted the U.S. military to put out a new alert to mariners, warning of increased danger in the region.



As Piracy surges U.S. warns of Dangers off the coast of Somalia coast!
Washington CNN.

International naval patrols have been stepped up in the Gulf of Aden following increased pirate attacks.

The warning came shortly before a U.S.-flagged ship was believed hijacked early Wednesday off Somalia.

The pirate attacks, which took place south of the area patrolled by U.S. and coalition ships, shows pirates are changing their tactics and taking advantage of tens of thousands of square miles of open water where fewer military ships patrol, according to U.S. military officials.

"They [pirates] are going where we are not, they are looking for targets where there is limited coalition presence," according to a U.S. military briefing document shown to CNN.

Coalition ships mainly patrol in the busy sea lanes of the Gulf of Aden between Yemen and northern Somalia as ships come out of and head toward the mouth of the Red Sea.

"Despite increased naval presence in the region, ships and aircraft are unlikely to be close enough to provide support to vessels under attack. The scope and magnitude of the problem cannot be understated," according to a news release from the U.S. Navy.

Between January and February, only two pirate attacks were reported off the east coast of Somalia, according to the International Maritime Bureau, which tracks piracy attacks worldwide.

In March, attacks in the same area spiked to 15, according to the bureau, and the attacks have continued into April.

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On Monday, pirates seized a British-owned cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden. Also on Monday, a fishing trawler was hijacked and used to hijack other fishing vessels in the area, the bureau said.

Pirates typically use small boats with a limited range to attack ships just a few miles off the coastline.

The new warning says recent attacks have occurred hundreds of miles off the coast, suggesting that pirates are using more "mother ships" -- a practice of using bigger boats with longer range to launch smaller pirate ships from farther out to sea, according to Pentagon officials.

The U.S. Department of Transportation's Maritime Liaison Office also issued a warning to mariners April 1.

"Recent activity suggests that pirate activity off the east coast of Somalia has increased. Attacks have occurred more than 400 nautical miles offshore," according to the warning.

The warning suggests ships traveling along the coast of Somalia and Kenya move to the east side of the Seychelles Islands and Madagascar, hundreds of miles east of those coastlines.

Pentagon officials say pirates are holding 15 ships off the Somali coast. And according to U.S. Navy statistics, pirates attacked four ships between Saturday and Monday.

The area involved -- off the coast of Somalia and Kenya as well as the Gulf of Aden -- equals more than 1.1 million square miles, roughly four times the size of Texas, or the size of the Mediterranean and Red Sea combined. The length of the Somali coastline is roughly the same length as the entire Eastern Seaboard of the United States, according to U.S. Navy statistics.

"We continue to highlight the importance of preparation by the merchant mariners and the maritime industry in this message," Vice Adm. Bill Gortney, commander of the Combined Maritime Forces, said in a statement.

"International naval forces alone will not be able to solve the problem of piracy at sea. Piracy is a problem that starts ashore," he said.

This year, the U.S. Navy started Combined Task Force 151, a multinational coalition that uses naval ships to fight piracy in the Gulf of Aden region. Navy officials say about 12 to 15 coalition ships are patrolling in the Gulf of Aden and the off the coast of Somalia. 

 (prophecy spoken through Taffie Furr on Oct. 28, 2007)

I hear the Spirit of the Lord saying, Oh My Church, My Bride I beckon you unto Me and I speak to you to draw near and come closer. For in this place, says the Spirit of the Lord, My glory shall shine upon you and you shall speak of things that you have not before heard of.

Draw closer to Me for in that place, says the Spirit of the Lord, is My abiding love and in that place My love shall fill you in such a way that you shall be a vessel that pours, that pours out My love to those around you, to those in need, to those who are hurting and in that they shall be drawn and beckoned unto Me. For do you not see even in the very crisis you are vessels that pour out My goodness so that others can see that I am in the midst, that I am near, that I Am who I Am? says the Spirit of the Lord.

The Spirit of the Lord says, There is a word, I have given you a word in your heart to meditate upon and I say let this word fill you and be alive within you and in this word you will speak according to My word and that very life that fills you will be as a river of life to flow and refresh and you shall not be dormant. For you have asked, ‘what am I to do, what am I to say?’ And I speak to you, says the Spirit of the Living God, allow Me to ordain your steps. Allow Me to speak through you for I shall give you the words and the Word I have placed within you.

And I hear the Lord saying, The merchants of the sea. Take note of the merchants of the sea for the enemy wants to use the merchants of the sea as a pawn in his hand. There is a merchant ship that has set sail that the enemy sees as an easy target of assault. There is soon to be much, much heard about, much viewed about the things of the water, the vessels of the water. I am hearing ‘the riverboats and those vessels that are in the water‘. Our attention will soon be drawn to those says, the Lord.

There is a rejoicing, a rejoicing because eyes have been opened, because ears have been opened, because hearts are made ready to receive, says the Lord! Rejoice My people! Rejoice My people because the day is upon you.

The Lord says, as a cloud covering the earth so shall My Spirit descend upon the earth. There has been much talk of My glory. You are about to talk and rejoice because you are about to see, says the Spirit of the Lord. The talk shall not be of what is to come, says the Spirit of the Lord, but the talk shall be of what is here.

Oh rejoice, My children rejoice! I say dance! I say sing! I say do what I tell you to do for you are free in Me! Go with My Spirit! If you hear My Spirit say lift your feet in the dance, lift your feet in the dance for you shall be moved by Me, says the Spirit of the Lord.

The Spirit of the Lord says, do you know that praise breaks the chains? I have given you power. I have given you power over all the enemy, over all his deceptions ,for you walk in My truth, says the Spirit of the Lord. For I am truth and I am in you and so My truth is in you and it has power to crush every lie and every deception of the enemy. Rejoice! Rejoice! Rejoice! Says the Spirit of the Lord.

The Lord says, revival, but not revival in the way that you have known. Not revival, says the Spirit of the Lord, that belongs to the dead. Not revival of that which does not have My Spirit in it, says the Lord. The Spirit of the Lord says, I send revival as a train. I send revival as a great locomotive. In the United Sates there is a revival coming into the land and it shall move as a locomotive passing over the land going through areas and it has a determined destination into each place, says the Lord.

I speak of revival of what is truly of My Spirit and what is truly of My presence and My true anointing shall come upon My people. And that which is of old, I speak of that which is of old doctrine and religion, I say to you that it will become so dried that it will crumble. It will crumble and become as fine dust that cannot remain and the wind of My Spirit shall blow it away, says the Lord of Hosts….,says the Lord of Hosts.

I hear Him saying, and it is by this name -the Lord of Hosts, that this locomotive

His Mighty Army

Recently, as I was praying about the situation and present conflict in Israel, the Lord reminded me of a word He gave me to speak on April 13, 2008.  He beckoned me to go back to it and read what He had said.  As I read through the word again, the Holy Spirit quickened within me that what He had spoken then is for this present time now.  God is always faithful, and if we look close enough, we will find that He always gives us direction & insight well before it's due time in the natural...because He's good.  In the following word, God spoke to us of the situation, the strategy we are to implement, and the promise that follows our obedience.

WE ARE HIS BRIDE !!!!

Recently, when invited to minister, I was asked if I would teach about the Bride of Christ. As I inquired of the Lord in regards to this particular teaching, He took me in a slightly different direction than what might be expected. He told me to teach it - by establishing firmly, that we - the Church, are indeed His Bride.

I am in no way an expert on ancient Jewish weddings. Fortunately, among the many members of the Body of Christ, there are those who have been given the gift and anointing that enables them to do extensive research on such things. The rest of us are blessed to be able to draw and glean from their well of knowledge they've acquired from such research. It was so exciting to me to discover that what I found from those who spent many years studying the ancient Jewish weddings was confirmation on what I was hearing the Lord speak to me about them. So, from the joint supply of the Body of Christ, extending from research to the revelatory gift, this is being brought to you. Glean from it, and then allow the Holy Spirit to take you into an even deeper level of insight, revelation and understanding about being the Bride.

The relationship of the Bride actually began with Abraham. God established a covenant with Abraham, extending it down to all of his descendants. In so doing, God established Israel as His chosen people, and through the covenant that He made with them, He became married to Israel and all the natural descendants of Abraham.

In Isaiah 54:5, the Lord says to His people Israel; For your Maker is your husband, The Lord of hosts is His name; And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel; He is called the God of the whole earth.

So, right there, God, Himself states that He is Israel's Husband. He makes it perfectly clear by defining that God and their Husband are one in the same.

But Israel began to turn to idol worship, which in Jeremiah chp. 3, the Lord addresses this to His chosen one - Israel - telling her that by this practice she is defiling the land and committing adultery. In verse 14, He offers her forgiveness if she will only return to Him and come away from her adulterous ways, telling her "for I am married to you," .

You see, when the Lord establishes a covenant, He does not take it lightly. When God makes a covenant, He establishes it to be an everlasting covenant, only to be released out of it by means of death. A covenant comes by way of agreement. Both parties involved in the covenant must have come into a mutual contract of agreement that has bound them together within an established union. When the Lord makes covenant, He faithfully keeps His word in it, and likewise, He expects everyone who establishes covenant to remain faithful to the agreement.

When you worship the Lord, you are offering up and surrendering your heart and adoration unto Him. Worship is suppose to be a time of communion with the Holy Spirit that releases to Him, and receives from Him, intimate affections. Just as In Jeremiah, the Lord said Israel was defiling the land by turning to other gods, in Matthew 15: 8-9, Jesus speaks about it also being defiling to render lip service in worship while your heart is given elsewhere.

Just as in the natural, it would be defiling to the marriage for a spouse to give their affections of the heart to another outside of the marriage, it's just as equally defiling for one who is in covenant with the Lord to turn their affections to another, placing that person or thing above the Lord in their heart....whether it be a job, a person, money, or even a ministry.

Why is it so important to the Lord that your heart be actively involved in all that you do and say in His presence?

Romans 10:10 It's with the heart one believes unto righteousness. - Matthew 6:21; For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

The place that you put the abundance (or focus) of your attention, will eventually be the place that you surrender the adoration of your heart over to also.

Even though Israel turned her affections to another, God loves His Bride, with a fervent passion. Listen to what He says to her about the day that she turns aside from all others and back to Him;

Hosea 2: 16; And it shall be, in that day, says the Lord, that you will call Me ‘My Husband’, And no longer call Me ‘My Master’ verses 19 & 20; I will betroth you to Me forever; Yes, I will betroth you to Me In righteousness and justice, In loving kindness and mercy; (20) I will betroth you in faithfulness, And you shall know the Lord.

When He says, "and you shall know the Lord", here in this scripture, the word "know" in it’s Hebrew meaning is the same meaning as what is used in Genesis 4:1; Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, I have acquired a man from the Lord.

This use of "know" & "knew" is describing the sexually intimate relationship of a husband and wife in marriage. Now if the Lord is telling His people, that His will is for them to "know" Him, He is talking to them about having a relationship with Him that is deeply intimate and is within the covenant of a marriage.

In America, our process of marriage goes something like this; we see a significant other that we are attracted to, we date, we fall in love, we become engaged, and on an agreed upon date, we go through a somewhat short wedding ceremony by exchanging vows with one another and signing some paperwork that makes it all legal….and we’re off and married ! This process can be as short or as long as what we desire it to be.

In an ancient Jewish wedding, the process is a little different than what most of us are use to.

The wedding was performed in two stages; the first being the Betrothal and the second being the Consummation.

Betrothed means to engage or promise in marriage by a mutual contract.

Consummation means to be carried to the utmost extent or degree; to bring to completion.

Because the Betrothal stage of the marriage process is what pertains to the present stage of the Church, that's what we will focus on primarily. Although, being betrothed to one another was similar to being engaged to one another, it is different than how our culture considers the engagement portion. For the most part, our engagement is established only by trust and integrity that the other person will be true to their commitment and follow through as planned, with the absence of anything legally binding .

In an ancient Jewish wedding, the betrothal was considered to be a binding, legal contract, and was recognized as marriage. To break it, a certificate of divorce must be given. And it was possible for the betrothal process to take on the average up to 12 mos. to complete.

I have listed, the steps involved in the Betrothal portion of an ancient Jewish wedding, each followed by scriptural reference of the new covenant Jesus established with His Church. It is my prayer that you are blessed as you discover and understand that our Lord and Savior truly established us in the most intimate covenant there is...the covenant of marriage.

1) The first step in the wedding process comes when the man, who is ready to take a wife, chooses the woman that he wants for his bride, and receives his father’s blessing for the marriage process to begin. He will then invite the woman to his father’s house. And she of course, knowing the custom well, knows that at that time she has the choice to accept his invitation or reject it.

Jesus said in John 15:16 "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.

When the woman accepts the invitation, she then enters into the father’s house, to meet with the father and his son. The father, son and the bride, all know that this is the first stage in the wedding process and this step is to be taken seriously.

Rev. 3:20; Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.

2) The Father and Son will at that time present a marriage contract to the bride. Within this contract are promises that the son makes to the bride, telling her what he will do for her within their marriage covenant.

2 Peter 1:3-4; as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4) by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

It also states what the bride’s obligations are within the marriage covenant.

1 Peter 1:15; But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct.

And there must be a purchase price - so it also lists the price that the man will pay for his bride.

1Cor. 6:20; For you were bought at a price, therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

Acts 20:28; Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.

3) The man and woman will then drink a sip of wine from the cup to seal the contract of marriage. By the both of them drinking from the cup, they are signifying that they have now become one, and they both know that the marriage contract has at that point been made official and legally binding.

Luke 22:20; Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you."

The disciples were very acquainted with the wedding ceremony and marriage covenant and so they understood well that as they drank from the cup, they had become as one with Jesus, and all that He had, became theirs also.

4) The father and son give gifts to the bride, as proof that the marriage contract was sealed. This was evidence that could be seen by others that there was indeed a binding marital contract.

Eph. 4:7 -8 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8) Therefore He says; "When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men."

2 Cor. 1:22; who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.

Ephesians 1:13 - 14; In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth , the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14) who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

5) Now the bride would place a veil upon her face that all could see and know that she was set apart for her husband only. She now belongs to him and to him only. No one else is allowed to look upon her, because she is a married woman. Even though they have not yet consummated the marriage, they are considered legally married. They have taken the vows, and she is to walk in purity, reserving herself for her husband.

Romans 12:1; I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

1 Cor. 6: 17; But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.

6) At that point, the husband and wife will part ways for a time. The husband will go away with his father, to his father’s house to prepare a bridal chamber for his bride. As they depart from one another the son would say to his bride something like; "I go prepare a place for you and when my father tells me it is ready, I will come and receive you unto me". During this time, the husband and bride will not actually be together, but she will have the promise of the gifts to take with her that ensures her, he will return for her when the preparation of the bridal chamber is complete.

John 14: 2 - 4; 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. 3)And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also, 4)And where I go you know, and the way you know.

7) It is up to the father to tell the son when the chamber is complete and is time to go receive his bride unto him. The son does not know when the father will decide it’s time, only the father knows the time he will choose.

Matthew 24: 36; But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.

Matt. 25: 13; Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.

The next step of the ancient Jewish wedding was the consummation process. But just prior to the consummation process, the bride would disrobe, and dip down into a pool of water to signify that she is cleansed and sanctified for her husband.

Eph. 5: 26 - 27; that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27) that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.

Hebrews 10: 22; let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

This is crossing over a bit into the consummation portion of the wedding but I want to throw this in, because it’s so awesome. As I said previously, no one knows, not even the son, only the father knows the time that the bridegroom will return to receive his bride, because the father is the one who appoints the time. It was common for the bridegroom to return in secret, suddenly and unannounced prior to his arrival, and often times he would arrive late at night.

Matthew 24:44; You also must be ready therefore, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not expect Him.

Matthew 25:6; And at midnight a cry was heard; "Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!"

Once the bridegroom receives his bride unto him, he will then bring her to the marriage supper !!!

Whenever I teach or, make mention of the Bride, I almost always get a huge response. There are those who respond with excitement and a passionate desire to know the Lord more so, as being His Bride. There is also the belief among many that Israel is the only Bride.

Yes, God is married to Israel, so therefore, Israel is His Bride. But ! Let's read in

Romans 10: 19-21; But I say, did Israel not know? First Moses says: "I will provoke you to jealousy by those who are not a nation, I will move you to anger by a foolish nation." 20) But Isaiah is very bold and says: " I was found by those who did not seek Me; I was made manifest to those who did not ask for Me." 21) But to Israel he says: "All day long I have stretched out my hands To a disobedient and contrary people."

Romans 11:11; I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles.

verse 17; And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree,18) do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.

Although, God's original plan was of His chosen people Israel, through Jesus, we, His people brought in by the new covenant became grafted in and share in the same marriage covenant and inheritance as what the natural olive tree does. Jesus and the Father are one (John 10:30) and ALL that Jesus has are the Father's and ALL the Father has are the Son's (John 17:10), therefore we have become grafted in to being a chosen people. We have become one and the same and are also His Bride !!! Praise be to the Lord !

The Apostle Paul recognized that we are in a marriage covenant with the Lord. Romans 7:4 Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another - to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God.

2 Cor. 11:2; For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

The betrothal stage of the wedding of the Church took place while Jesus was on the earth. That's when this marriage contract was made legal. That's why we can walk in the same power and authority of Christ, because we have been given his name and sealed with His Spirit, and in all the spiritual realm, it is recognized as a legal and binding contract.

Let's talk about our relationship with the Lord as His Bride. How often is it that we approach Him in timidity, unsure that He wants us to get close and intimate with Him?

Let me say this; a husband delights in his bride approaching him, desiring intimate fellowship. In the same manner, our Lord and Bridegroom, delights in us as we approach Him, being confident that He welcomes us unto Him, in a rich, deeply personal, and intimate relationship. He has already told us that He wants us to know Him as a husband and wife know one other within the marriage bed. That may seem way out there to you, but it's nonetheless true.

Spiritually speaking, we can have that deep intimate relationship with our Lord. He created us to know Him in a fellowship of deep communion. And we should not fear approaching Him in that way. He has given us the liberty of His Spirit to boldly seek to know Him more and more, in a deeper intimacy everyday than what we knew Him in, the day before. And because there is so much depth to the Lord, it's more than just a possibility to know Him more deeply with each and every passing day. How delighted our Bridegroom would be if we made it our quest to know His heart because we have drawn near enough to hear His heart!

Here's the thing, it's impossible to know someone, really know them close-up and personal, unless you spend time with them, and make it your focus to learn everything you can about them. I'm not talking about knowing about them, because you are merely told about them, rather, getting to know them because you are interacting with them directly - and frequently.

Now that we know, that we know, that we know, we are called to be His Bride, let's not keep a distance from Him. Let's get really close and personal with Him, as His Bride. Remember, He created you for Him - for His eyes - for His pleasure. He sees you as the most beautiful creation there is...when He looks at you, He sees you as the most beautiful and most lovely that there is. When He looks at me, He sees me as the most beautiful and most lovely that there is. Each and every one of us, individually unique, are the most beautiful and the most lovely of all to our Bridegroom, who is waiting for us to draw near to Him.

So, when your Lord, your Husband, beckons unto you to enter into the secret place with Him, don't hesitate, answer His call and go to the place of the deep with Him, surrendering your heart fully unto Him with confidence that He is willing, eager and delighted to receive you. YOU!!!