Podcasts about his bride

Fr. Dom calls all Catholics to wake up and stand firm. The Church is not an institution to critique from a distance. She is a living, supernatural reality. She is the Bride of Christ. When you attack her, you attack Him. When you defend her, you honor Him. This homily is a direct charge for Catholics to reject passivity, confront the idols in their own lives, and reclaim their place as protectors of God's household.In this homily, you are confronted with the reality that the Church is not optional. She is not a social club, a human institution, or a cultural relic. She is divine. She is the unsinkable ship. She is the Bride of Christ, brought to life through His blood and water. Attacking the Church is attacking the Bride of God. You are called to honor her, defend her, and deepen your own fidelity to her.You'll hear how Ezekiel's prophecy points directly to Christ's crucifixion, how Jesus' cleansing of the Temple reveals the righteous anger of God, and how St. Paul's warning about the destruction of the temple applies to every single man today. The message is simple: if you refuse to fight, you will lose the soul entrusted to you. Christ did not die so men could drift into lukewarmness. He died to raise men into warriors who defend His Bride.THREE POWERFUL QUOTES FROM THE TRANSCRIPT“The Catholic Church is the unsinkable ship on a stormy sea. The gates of hell shall not prevail against us.”“If someone said your wife was evil, you would cleanse the temple. That is exactly what Jesus did.”“If anyone destroys the temple, God will destroy that person. Jesus is not a pacifist. He loves us too much.”KEY TAKEAWAY FOR MEN TO APPLY IMMEDIATELY Identify one idol in your life — anything that steals time, devotion, or obedience from Christ — and remove it with the same zeal that Christ used to cleanse the temple. Do not delay. Fight back.Send us a text Support the showPlease prayerfully consider supporting the podcast on our Buy Me A Coffee page. to help grow the show to reach as many men as possible! Thank you for your prayers and support. Be sure to follow us on X for more great content. As always, please pray for us! We are men who strive daily to be holy, to become saints and we cannot do that without the help of the Holy Ghost! Subscribe to our YouTube page to see our manly and holy faces Check out our website Contact us at themanlycatholic@gmail.com

From Sunday 9 November 2025, Dr. Jimmy Winfrey has a message titled "His Bride by His Side"- Eph 3:1-11fbcmw.org

The next step in the story of God's promise to bless Abraham's family turns out to preview an even greater story -- How God sent His Son into the world to find His Bride and bring salvation to the ends of the earth.

"The Divine Pursuit"Genesis 24The Book of Genesis Series - In The Beginning, GodGuest Pastor Casey SteenNovember 2, 2025How to VOTE BIBLICALLY - highlighting Virginia's proposed Constitutional amendments on Abortion & Marriage https://youtu.be/Y8z8xTFsOn8How should Christians respond to wickedness in the world? https://youtu.be/2OJUIM9YRwAShould Christians pay attention to POLITICS? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ak82aD16r04Have you heard the news about the FUTURE of Oasis Church?https://www.oasischurch.online/futurePastor Casey's previous message at Oasis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUlUW09BSNUSERMON NOTES:- Genesis 24- The Divine Pursuit- This is the story of how God Pursues YOU.    Abraham → God the Father    Isaac → God the Son    Rebekah → The Church, the Bride    The Servant → The Holy Spirit, sent to call, invite, draw, and bring home the Bride.- 1 Corinthians 15:26- THE FATHER DESIRES A BRIDE FOR HIS SON Genesis 24:1–9- 1) Abraham Sends His Servant  “No one can come to me unless the Father draws him.” — John 6:44- 2) The Servant Has One Mission  Bring the Bride to the Son.  “He will glorify Me.” — John 16:14- THE SPIRIT WORKS TO REVEAL THE BRIDE - Genesis 24:10–61- R.C. Sproul: “The work of salvation is not a negotiation between God and man; it is a sovereign initiative of divine grace.”- Charles Spurgeon: “Prayer is the slender nerve that moves the muscle of omnipotence.”- THE SERVANT SPEAKS OF THE SON (v. 22–49)- “He will not speak of himself… He will glorify me.” (John 16:13–14)- If a “spiritual experience” does not lead you to love Jesus more — It was not the Holy Spirit.- THE BRIDE SAYS YES (v. 50–61)  Just as we love Jesus, whom we have not yet seen (1 Peter 1:8).  Faith is not merely believing in God.  Faith is leaving everything to belong to Him.- THE BRIDE MEETS THE SON (v. 62–67)A love story where God gets His Bride.Oasis Church exists to Worship God, Equip the believers, and Reach the lost.We are led by Pastor Nate Clarke and are located in Richmond, VA.Stay Connected:Website: https://oasischurch.online Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oasischurchva/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OasisChurchRVA/

We're sure you've heard by now that we are entering into a Building Campaign. This Sunday, Pastor Jeff Moes will take a moment to share with you “The What” of our Building Program—what exactly are we building? But even more than that, I want to share “The Why.” Why are we building?We are kicking off a brand-new series entitled FOR the ONE. We want to challenge each of you to think of “the one” person in our lives who doesn't yet know Christ as their Savior—the one person we desperately want to see surrender their life to Jesus.This week's message is entitled “Who Cares?” Who cares about the lost people of this world—and if we don't, why don't we? We'll look at Luke 15 and see the heart of our Heavenly Father toward the lost.We want to challenge you that if this is the heart of our Father, then it should also be the heart of His Bride—the Church.Also included in today's podcast - a special testimony from Shauna Reed-Oetken. Shauna shares how her father, who was at one point a self-proclaimed atheist, found Christ through Sunnybrook. --For the ONEWebsiteFacebookInstagramSunday SetlistConnect with us!How can we prayer for you? Let us know.Want to hear more stories like Shauna's? Read here.

In 1 Peter 3, Peter continues his theme of holy living, showing that submission and honor within marriage are not signs of weakness but rather are reflections of Christ's strength and love. Marriage is not man's idea — it's God's grand design from the very beginning. Throughout Scripture, we see many references to this beautiful design for marriage. In Genesis 2, God Himself created woman, brought her to the man, and spoke the covenant of marriage into existence: “The two shall become one flesh.” He performed the first marriage, joining husband and wife together for His glory and their good. Ultimately, marriage is patterned after Christ's covenant commitment to the Church, and through this physical picture of the relationship between Christ and the church, shows us His love and glory. Marriage is from God, by God, and for God. It reflects His covenant love — the same love Christ has for His Bride, the Church (Ephesians 5:31–32). When we understand that God is the one who joins a man and woman together, we value and protect marriage with deeper reverence and joy. ________________________________________ Links to Sermon Notes & Answers: ➤Sermon Notes (Blank): https://www.sheridanhills.org/_files/ugd/30fec2_a1561399e6274dc994f7f9f24f0dd798.pdf ➤Sermon Notes (Answers): https://www.sheridanhills.org/_files/ugd/30fec2_2fa8c1aac56843b593658b3e0820dd0a.pdf ________________________________________ Subscribe to this channel to catch weekly expositional sermons from the Bible. ________________________________________ Explore more sermons and information: https://www.sheridanhills.org/watch-new ________________________________________ Follow us: ➤Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sheridanhills/ ➤Twitter: https://twitter.com/sheridanhills01 ➤Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sheridanhills/

If we could only wrap our minds around how much Jesus adores us, has faith in us, we are His Bride and the whole concept of grace really has its roots in the marriage canopy followed by the seed of faith and multiplication. That's why He told us….

The Bible never hides the mess that happens when sinful people collide. It doesnt take much to recognize that since Adam and Eve were promised a descendant who would crush the head of the serpent, the story of Gods people is one of dysfunction. All who make up Jesus family tree include broken and messy people. When we come to Genesis 29, we meet Jacoba deceiverand Leah, the woman no one wanted. But their story began long before this moment. God had promised Abraham that through his descendants would come a child who would bless all nations. That promise passed to Isaac, and before his twins were born, God declared,The older shall serve the younger (Gen. 25:23). Jacob deceived his aging father, stole his brothers blessing, and fled for his life. Alone in the wilderness, with only a stone for a pillow, God met him in a dream.I am the LORD, the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go (Gen. 28:1315). God didnt appear to Jacob because he finally got his act togetherHe showed up in Jacobs mess. Thats the beauty of grace: God steps into our brokenness, keeps His promises, and accomplishes His plan through imperfect people. Later, God gave him the name Israel, but for the purpose of this sermon, we will continue to refer to him as Jacob (Gen. 35:9-21). Outside of Eden We Want Rachel (Gen. 29:1-20) When Laban heard his nephew had arrived, heran to meet him, and embraced him and kissed him, and brought him to his house(Gen. 29:13). Jacob stayed with his uncle for a month, and during that time he fell in love with Labans younger daughter, Rachel (v. 18). Why did Jacob love Rachel? The text tells us:Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. And Leahs eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful in figure and appearance(vv. 1617). Were not told exactly what it means that Leahs eyes were weak. Some think she was cross-eyed or simply lacked the beauty that her younger sister possessed. Whatever the case, the contrast is clearLeah was plain, but Rachel was striking. Even their names hint at the difference:Leahmay mean wild cow or gazelle, whileRachelmeans ewe or lamba softer, more affectionate name. Rachel was beautiful, and Jacob was captivated. When Laban offered to pay Jacob for his work, Jacob didnt ask for wageshe offered seven years of labor for Rachels hand. Laban agreed.So Jacob worked seven years to pay for Rachel. But his love for her was so strong that it seemed to him but a few days(Gen. 29:20, NLT). Rachel was the apple of his eyethe treasure of his heart. To Jacob, life with Rachel promised the happiness he had always longed for. And isnt that what we all want? On this side of Eden, every heart searches for a Rachelsomeone or something we believe will complete us. We might not call it Rachel, but we chase it in our stories, our dreams, and our longings. We dont want Leah. We want Rachel. If the Bible repeats something, we need to pay attention to it. But, if the Bible repeats something three times, it elevates it to the superlative degree as something super important. Three times we are told of Jacobs love for Rachel: Now Jacob loved Rachel, so he said, I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel. (Gen. 29:18) So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him like only a few days because of his love for her. (Gen. 29:20) So Jacob had relations with Rachel also, and indeed he loved Rachel more than Leah, and he served with Laban for another seven years. (Gen. 29:30) Guess how many times we are told that Jacob loved Leah. Zero. In fact, when it comes to love, here is what we are told: Now the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, and He opened her womb, but Rachel was unable to have children (v. 31). Outside of Eden We Get Leah (Gen. 29:21-30) After Jacob completed the seven years he had promised his uncle, he was ready to receive what his heart had longed for.Then Jacob said to Laban, Give me my wife, for my time is completed, that I may have relations with her. So Laban gathered all the people of the place and held a feast(Gen. 29:2122). Finally, Jacob believed life was about to become sweet. The wedding celebration began, the food was served, and the wine flowed freely. When the bride was brought to himveiled and under cover of nightJacob, likely feeling content and confident, welcomed her.Now in the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to him; and Jacob had relations with her.... So it came about in the morning that, behold, it was Leah!(Gen. 29:23, 25a). Morning light brought a brutal truth. The woman beside him was not Rachelthe love of his lifebut Leah, the weak-eyed daughter whose very name meant wild cow. Jacob was furious. He had been deceivedjust as he had once deceived his brother Esau. His dream of happiness, shattered.And he said to Laban, What is this that you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served you? Why then have you deceived me?(v. 25). But Laban, the master manipulator, calmly replied,It is not the practice in our place to marry off the younger before the firstborn. Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also for the service which you shall serve with me for another seven years(vv. 2627). Jacob was trappedused for free labor once again. He was tricked into taking the daughter he hadnt chosen, and bartered into another seven years for the one he loved. Unfortunately for Leah, she was stuck in the middle of all the drama. Outside of Eden There is Still Hope The marriage that Jacob was tricked into began with a week-long celebration. Laban insisted Jacob complete the festivities with Leah, giving enough time for her to become pregnant. Yet Jacob was eager for the days to end, and as soon as the week was over, he immediately married Rachel. Driven by the selfish motives of both Jacob and Laban, Leah found herself trappedcaught between their desires and loved by no one. Leah was rejected, while Rachel was cherished. The striking irony in Leahs story is that, while she was overlooked by everyone else, God loved her: Now the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, and He opened her womb, but Rachel was unable to have children (v. 31). Despite Gods blessings with each child, Leahs deepest longing, which was for her husbands love, remained out of reach. After every birth, Leah hoped that her husband would finally love her, yet that hope was continually unfulfilled. Consider how Leah responded after each of her first four child were born: Leah conceived and gave birth to a son, and named him Reuben, for she said, Because the Lord has seen my affliction; surely now my husband will love me. (v. 32) Then she conceived again and gave birth to a son, and said, Because the Lord has heard that I am unloved, He has therefore given me this son also. So she named him Simeon. (v. 33) And she conceived again and gave birth to a son, and said, Now this time my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons. Therefore he was named Levi. (v. 34) And she conceived again and gave birth to a son, and said, This time I will praise the Lord. Therefore she named him Judah. Then she stopped having children. (v. 35) I wish Leahs story ended with her praising theLORD, but it didnt. She continued to seek Jacobs affection by giving him what Rachel could notchildren. Just as Sarah gave Hagar to Jacob, Rachel followed the same pattern when she could not conceive, unwilling to trust Gods timing. What followed was a rivalry between Leah and Rachel, each striving to win Jacobs love by giving him more sons. Both even gave their servants to Jacob, and through them, four more sons were born. In time, God blessed Leah with two additional sons and a daughter, yet her longing for her husbands love was never fulfilled (seeGen. 30:1921). Rachel, meanwhile, bore only two sonsJosephand, finally,Benjamin, the only son Jacob named. Then they journeyed on from Bethel; but when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth and she suffered severe difficulties in her labor. And when she was suffering severe difficulties in her labor, the midwife said to her, Do not fear, for you have another son! And it came about, as her soul was departing (for she died), that she named him Ben-oni; but his father called him Benjamin(Gen. 35:1618). Application The irony in Leahs story is striking: although she was overlooked by her father, unloved by her husband, and scorned by her younger sister, she was shown favor by God. Leah became the mother of seven children, including Levi and Judah. Through Levi, the priestly lineage was established, and through Judah, the royal line was formeda line that ultimately led to the birth of Jesus Christ! The promise God made to Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob... was Leahs promise. Listen to the prophetic blessing pronounced upon Judah by Jacob in Genesis 49:8-10, As for you, Judah, your brothers shall praise you;your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies;your fathers sons shall bow down to you. Judah is a lions cub;from the prey, my son, you have gone up.He crouches, he lies down as a lion,and as a lion, who dares to stir him up? The scepter will not depart from Judah,nor the rulers staff from between his feet,until Shiloh comes;and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples. The ugly wife was loved by God! Leah couldnt have seen it then, but the beauty God would bring through her lineage is staggering. Her name may meanweary,exhausted,gazelle, or evenwild cowyet through her would come the Deliverer promised to Adam and Eve, to Noah, to Abraham and Sarah, to Isaac, and now to Jacob. She was the wife no one loved or treasured, except God Himself. From Leahs sons came the tribe ofLevi, the tribe set apart to oversee the worship and sacrificial life of Israel. From the Levites, God appointed theHigh Priest, chosen from Aarons line, to mediate between God and His people. Upon his chest he wore a sacred breastplate adorned with twelve precious stones, each set in gold and engraved with the name of one of Israels tribes. Thefirst stone,sardiusa deep red rubyrepresentedReuben, whose name meansBehold, a son!Thelast stone,jasper, representedBenjamin, meaningson of my right hand. Leahs legacy was not measured by Jacobs affection but by Gods covenantal love. Through the unloved wife, God brought forth the priesthood that pointed to the Great High PriestJesus Christ. Conclusion Now, permit me to show you something from Revelation 4-5. In Revelation 4, John is invited to see the heavenly throne room of God. Notice what it is that John sees: After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things. Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and someone was sitting on the throne. And He who was sitting was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance. John is ushered into heavens throne room, and what captures his attention is that the One seated on the throne radiates with the colors of jasper and sardiusthe first and last stones on the High Priests breastplate. This is not accidental imagery. It is intentional revelation. What shines from the throne is He who is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. When you pair the meanings of those names Behold, a Son and Son of My right handyou hear the gospel proclaimed from the very throne of God. Who is this Son at the right hand of the Father? Revelation 1:1718 gives the answer: Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and Hades. The One radiant like sardius and jasper is none other than Jesus Christ. And how do we know He sits at the right hand of the Father? Because Paul who himself was from the tribe represented by the jasper stonedeclares in Romans 8:3134: What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring charges against Gods elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, but rather, was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. This is the One who is worthy to open the scroll in the Fathers hand. Revelation 5:5 tells us, ...behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to be able to open the scroll and its seven seals. The elder tells John to look at the Lion of Judah. But when John turns, he doesnt see a lion. He sees a Lamb. A Lamb standing, as if slaughtered... (Rev. 5:6). Jacob chased after a beautiful woman whose name meant sheep, but through Leahthe unloved, weary wifewould come the Lamb of God. The Lamb who stands before the throne as the triumphant Redeemer. And all of heaven erupts in worship: Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered to receive power, wealth, wisdom, might, honor, glory, and blessing (Rev. 5:12). What is the point of Leahs story? God redeems what is ugly, weary, and rejected. He takes what the world despises and uses it to accomplish His glorious plan of redemption. This is why the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders sing a new song to Leahs descendant: Worthy are You to take the scroll and to break its seals; for You were slaughtered, and You purchased people for God with Your blood from every tribe, language, people, and nation (Rev. 5:9). And here is where the story turns deeply personal. We are Leah. We are the unlovely bride. We are the weary, broken, and undeserving. But instead of being repulsed by us, Jesus loves us. He makes us His Bride. Paul writes, For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom. 8:3839). Leahs story ends not in sorrow, but in the songs of heaven. The woman who was unloved became the vessel through whom the Lamb of God would come. The tribe she bore would point to the Great High Priest, and the Son of her bodys lineage would one day stand at the right hand of the Father. Worthy is the Lamb who was slain. That is our story too. If you belong to Christ, then your shame, your weariness, and your rejection are not the end of the story. The throne is. The Lamb is. His love is.

The Bible never hides the mess that happens when sinful people collide. It doesnt take much to recognize that since Adam and Eve were promised a descendant who would crush the head of the serpent, the story of Gods people is one of dysfunction. All who make up Jesus family tree include broken and messy people. When we come to Genesis 29, we meet Jacoba deceiverand Leah, the woman no one wanted. But their story began long before this moment. God had promised Abraham that through his descendants would come a child who would bless all nations. That promise passed to Isaac, and before his twins were born, God declared,The older shall serve the younger (Gen. 25:23). Jacob deceived his aging father, stole his brothers blessing, and fled for his life. Alone in the wilderness, with only a stone for a pillow, God met him in a dream.I am the LORD, the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go (Gen. 28:1315). God didnt appear to Jacob because he finally got his act togetherHe showed up in Jacobs mess. Thats the beauty of grace: God steps into our brokenness, keeps His promises, and accomplishes His plan through imperfect people. Later, God gave him the name Israel, but for the purpose of this sermon, we will continue to refer to him as Jacob (Gen. 35:9-21). Outside of Eden We Want Rachel (Gen. 29:1-20) When Laban heard his nephew had arrived, heran to meet him, and embraced him and kissed him, and brought him to his house(Gen. 29:13). Jacob stayed with his uncle for a month, and during that time he fell in love with Labans younger daughter, Rachel (v. 18). Why did Jacob love Rachel? The text tells us:Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. And Leahs eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful in figure and appearance(vv. 1617). Were not told exactly what it means that Leahs eyes were weak. Some think she was cross-eyed or simply lacked the beauty that her younger sister possessed. Whatever the case, the contrast is clearLeah was plain, but Rachel was striking. Even their names hint at the difference:Leahmay mean wild cow or gazelle, whileRachelmeans ewe or lamba softer, more affectionate name. Rachel was beautiful, and Jacob was captivated. When Laban offered to pay Jacob for his work, Jacob didnt ask for wageshe offered seven years of labor for Rachels hand. Laban agreed.So Jacob worked seven years to pay for Rachel. But his love for her was so strong that it seemed to him but a few days(Gen. 29:20, NLT). Rachel was the apple of his eyethe treasure of his heart. To Jacob, life with Rachel promised the happiness he had always longed for. And isnt that what we all want? On this side of Eden, every heart searches for a Rachelsomeone or something we believe will complete us. We might not call it Rachel, but we chase it in our stories, our dreams, and our longings. We dont want Leah. We want Rachel. If the Bible repeats something, we need to pay attention to it. But, if the Bible repeats something three times, it elevates it to the superlative degree as something super important. Three times we are told of Jacobs love for Rachel: Now Jacob loved Rachel, so he said, I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel. (Gen. 29:18) So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him like only a few days because of his love for her. (Gen. 29:20) So Jacob had relations with Rachel also, and indeed he loved Rachel more than Leah, and he served with Laban for another seven years. (Gen. 29:30) Guess how many times we are told that Jacob loved Leah. Zero. In fact, when it comes to love, here is what we are told: Now the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, and He opened her womb, but Rachel was unable to have children (v. 31). Outside of Eden We Get Leah (Gen. 29:21-30) After Jacob completed the seven years he had promised his uncle, he was ready to receive what his heart had longed for.Then Jacob said to Laban, Give me my wife, for my time is completed, that I may have relations with her. So Laban gathered all the people of the place and held a feast(Gen. 29:2122). Finally, Jacob believed life was about to become sweet. The wedding celebration began, the food was served, and the wine flowed freely. When the bride was brought to himveiled and under cover of nightJacob, likely feeling content and confident, welcomed her.Now in the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to him; and Jacob had relations with her.... So it came about in the morning that, behold, it was Leah!(Gen. 29:23, 25a). Morning light brought a brutal truth. The woman beside him was not Rachelthe love of his lifebut Leah, the weak-eyed daughter whose very name meant wild cow. Jacob was furious. He had been deceivedjust as he had once deceived his brother Esau. His dream of happiness, shattered.And he said to Laban, What is this that you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served you? Why then have you deceived me?(v. 25). But Laban, the master manipulator, calmly replied,It is not the practice in our place to marry off the younger before the firstborn. Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also for the service which you shall serve with me for another seven years(vv. 2627). Jacob was trappedused for free labor once again. He was tricked into taking the daughter he hadnt chosen, and bartered into another seven years for the one he loved. Unfortunately for Leah, she was stuck in the middle of all the drama. Outside of Eden There is Still Hope The marriage that Jacob was tricked into began with a week-long celebration. Laban insisted Jacob complete the festivities with Leah, giving enough time for her to become pregnant. Yet Jacob was eager for the days to end, and as soon as the week was over, he immediately married Rachel. Driven by the selfish motives of both Jacob and Laban, Leah found herself trappedcaught between their desires and loved by no one. Leah was rejected, while Rachel was cherished. The striking irony in Leahs story is that, while she was overlooked by everyone else, God loved her: Now the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, and He opened her womb, but Rachel was unable to have children (v. 31). Despite Gods blessings with each child, Leahs deepest longing, which was for her husbands love, remained out of reach. After every birth, Leah hoped that her husband would finally love her, yet that hope was continually unfulfilled. Consider how Leah responded after each of her first four child were born: Leah conceived and gave birth to a son, and named him Reuben, for she said, Because the Lord has seen my affliction; surely now my husband will love me. (v. 32) Then she conceived again and gave birth to a son, and said, Because the Lord has heard that I am unloved, He has therefore given me this son also. So she named him Simeon. (v. 33) And she conceived again and gave birth to a son, and said, Now this time my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons. Therefore he was named Levi. (v. 34) And she conceived again and gave birth to a son, and said, This time I will praise the Lord. Therefore she named him Judah. Then she stopped having children. (v. 35) I wish Leahs story ended with her praising theLORD, but it didnt. She continued to seek Jacobs affection by giving him what Rachel could notchildren. Just as Sarah gave Hagar to Jacob, Rachel followed the same pattern when she could not conceive, unwilling to trust Gods timing. What followed was a rivalry between Leah and Rachel, each striving to win Jacobs love by giving him more sons. Both even gave their servants to Jacob, and through them, four more sons were born. In time, God blessed Leah with two additional sons and a daughter, yet her longing for her husbands love was never fulfilled (seeGen. 30:1921). Rachel, meanwhile, bore only two sonsJosephand, finally,Benjamin, the only son Jacob named. Then they journeyed on from Bethel; but when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth and she suffered severe difficulties in her labor. And when she was suffering severe difficulties in her labor, the midwife said to her, Do not fear, for you have another son! And it came about, as her soul was departing (for she died), that she named him Ben-oni; but his father called him Benjamin(Gen. 35:1618). Application The irony in Leahs story is striking: although she was overlooked by her father, unloved by her husband, and scorned by her younger sister, she was shown favor by God. Leah became the mother of seven children, including Levi and Judah. Through Levi, the priestly lineage was established, and through Judah, the royal line was formeda line that ultimately led to the birth of Jesus Christ! The promise God made to Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob... was Leahs promise. Listen to the prophetic blessing pronounced upon Judah by Jacob in Genesis 49:8-10, As for you, Judah, your brothers shall praise you;your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies;your fathers sons shall bow down to you. Judah is a lions cub;from the prey, my son, you have gone up.He crouches, he lies down as a lion,and as a lion, who dares to stir him up? The scepter will not depart from Judah,nor the rulers staff from between his feet,until Shiloh comes;and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples. The ugly wife was loved by God! Leah couldnt have seen it then, but the beauty God would bring through her lineage is staggering. Her name may meanweary,exhausted,gazelle, or evenwild cowyet through her would come the Deliverer promised to Adam and Eve, to Noah, to Abraham and Sarah, to Isaac, and now to Jacob. She was the wife no one loved or treasured, except God Himself. From Leahs sons came the tribe ofLevi, the tribe set apart to oversee the worship and sacrificial life of Israel. From the Levites, God appointed theHigh Priest, chosen from Aarons line, to mediate between God and His people. Upon his chest he wore a sacred breastplate adorned with twelve precious stones, each set in gold and engraved with the name of one of Israels tribes. Thefirst stone,sardiusa deep red rubyrepresentedReuben, whose name meansBehold, a son!Thelast stone,jasper, representedBenjamin, meaningson of my right hand. Leahs legacy was not measured by Jacobs affection but by Gods covenantal love. Through the unloved wife, God brought forth the priesthood that pointed to the Great High PriestJesus Christ. Conclusion Now, permit me to show you something from Revelation 4-5. In Revelation 4, John is invited to see the heavenly throne room of God. Notice what it is that John sees: After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things. Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and someone was sitting on the throne. And He who was sitting was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance. John is ushered into heavens throne room, and what captures his attention is that the One seated on the throne radiates with the colors of jasper and sardiusthe first and last stones on the High Priests breastplate. This is not accidental imagery. It is intentional revelation. What shines from the throne is He who is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. When you pair the meanings of those names Behold, a Son and Son of My right handyou hear the gospel proclaimed from the very throne of God. Who is this Son at the right hand of the Father? Revelation 1:1718 gives the answer: Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and Hades. The One radiant like sardius and jasper is none other than Jesus Christ. And how do we know He sits at the right hand of the Father? Because Paul who himself was from the tribe represented by the jasper stonedeclares in Romans 8:3134: What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring charges against Gods elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, but rather, was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. This is the One who is worthy to open the scroll in the Fathers hand. Revelation 5:5 tells us, ...behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to be able to open the scroll and its seven seals. The elder tells John to look at the Lion of Judah. But when John turns, he doesnt see a lion. He sees a Lamb. A Lamb standing, as if slaughtered... (Rev. 5:6). Jacob chased after a beautiful woman whose name meant sheep, but through Leahthe unloved, weary wifewould come the Lamb of God. The Lamb who stands before the throne as the triumphant Redeemer. And all of heaven erupts in worship: Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered to receive power, wealth, wisdom, might, honor, glory, and blessing (Rev. 5:12). What is the point of Leahs story? God redeems what is ugly, weary, and rejected. He takes what the world despises and uses it to accomplish His glorious plan of redemption. This is why the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders sing a new song to Leahs descendant: Worthy are You to take the scroll and to break its seals; for You were slaughtered, and You purchased people for God with Your blood from every tribe, language, people, and nation (Rev. 5:9). And here is where the story turns deeply personal. We are Leah. We are the unlovely bride. We are the weary, broken, and undeserving. But instead of being repulsed by us, Jesus loves us. He makes us His Bride. Paul writes, For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom. 8:3839). Leahs story ends not in sorrow, but in the songs of heaven. The woman who was unloved became the vessel through whom the Lamb of God would come. The tribe she bore would point to the Great High Priest, and the Son of her bodys lineage would one day stand at the right hand of the Father. Worthy is the Lamb who was slain. That is our story too. If you belong to Christ, then your shame, your weariness, and your rejection are not the end of the story. The throne is. The Lamb is. His love is.

The husband role in marriage pictures Christ's loving relationship to us! 1. How Christ loves us, His Bride. (v.25-31) 2. This profound mystery refers to Christ and His Church. (v.32) 3. We keep reforming marriage with true love and respect. (v.33) What does the Reformation have to do with marriage? What is a good thing to find, and what is its true origin? Prov.18:22. Who should respect marriage? Hebrews 13:4a When do people forbid marriage? 1 Timothy 4:1-5

How does the Lord respond to His Bride's discouragement over her present failings? Song of Songs 1:8–11 looks forward to the evening sermon on the coming Lord's Day. In these four verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that the Lord responds to His Bride's discouragement over her failings with encouragement and instruction. The devotional reflects upon the believer's identity and hope, rooted in the Bride's longing for sanctification and the Bridegroom's loving response. It emphasizes that spiritual growth is not found in novel methods or self-reliance, but in faithfully following the well-worn paths of the faithful—through the ordinary means of grace and the pastoral ministry, which Christ has appointed and employs. The Bridegroom's declaration of the bride's incomparable worth—comparing her to His prized filly among Pharaoh's chariots—affirms the dignity, value, and divine purpose of His church (and His elect), not by inherent merit, but by union with Christ. This dignity is being progressively adorned by God Himself, Who is actively refining His church through a Trinitarian work of sanctification, culminating in a glory that surpasses all earthly splendor. The passage calls the church and individual believers to hold fast to this truth, especially in seasons of discouragement, recognizing that their worth is defined not by failure or external appearances, but by the unchanging love and sovereign work of Christ, Who is both the Author and the Finisher of their faith.

Jesus speaks of His second coming as a wedding—referring to the Church as His Bride. As the Bride is on earth doing the work of preparation, what is the Groom doing in Heaven?   Pastor David Simmons takes us through a journey of the ancient Jewish wedding answering that question. He details out the historical three-part wedding ceremony, relating each part of the ceremony to what Jesus has done and is doing—right now in Heaven—for His Bride, the Church.   So what is the Groom doing while the Bride prepares herself? Take a listen and find out! Spoiler alert: He's not just sitting and waiting.    Thank you for tuning into Pathpoint's Sunday message. We invite you to join us for our Sunday Experience every week at 10:30 a.m. where we have powerful worship, spirit-led ministry time and wisdom-filled messages. It is our desire to elevate every believer's spiritual IQ in preparation for Christ's return. Visit our website at www.pathpointfellowship.com for more information about our church and who we are. We would love to pray with you - if you have a prayer request, visit https://www.pathpointfellowship.com/prayer. To give or donate online, visit https://www.pathpointfellowship.com/giving. To dive deeper and gain spiritual skills for life, visit https://www.pathpointfellowship.com/school-of-spiritual-empowerment for information on PFC's School of Spiritual Empowerment. We believe God has something specific for you and pray you experience revelation and wisdom in this message.  

Marriage is a picture of Christ and His Bride, the Church.

A Bride for the Promise: God's Hand in Abraham's Final TestIn this powerful episode, JD Williams and David Paxton take you through Genesis 23 and 24, revealing one of the most profound and prophetic moments in Abraham's life. The transition from Sarah's passing to the union of Isaac and Rebekah.  A story rich with faith, obedience, and divine orchestration.Video Version Available upon release at 9:00pm ET/8:00pm CT athttps://youtu.be/0zmRuV_xkhETonight you'll follow Abraham as he secures the Cave of Machpelah in faith, witness the servant's sacred oath to find a bride for Isaac, and experience Rebekah's willing heart as she answers the Spirit's call. Through each you will see the beautiful prophetic picture of Christ and His Bride, the Church, fulfilled in Isaac's love for Rebekah.Each moment reveals God's eternal hand guiding His covenant people and points to the soon return of our Lord. When the Bridegroom comes for His Bride.Be sure to subscribe, like, and comment to help us reach more believers with the truth of God's Word.For more information or to partner with us to spread the Gospel worldwide, we invite you to visit LastChristian.net. Where you can learn about our listener-supported ministry and become part of sharing the message of salvation to every nation.

A Bride for the Promise: God's Hand in Abraham's Final TestIn this powerful episode, JD Williams and David Paxton take you through Genesis 23 and 24, revealing one of the most profound and prophetic moments in Abraham's life. The transition from Sarah's passing to the union of Isaac and Rebekah.  A story rich with faith, obedience, and divine orchestration.Video Version Available upon release at 9:00pm ET/8:00pm CT athttps://youtu.be/0zmRuV_xkhETonight you'll follow Abraham as he secures the Cave of Machpelah in faith, witness the servant's sacred oath to find a bride for Isaac, and experience Rebekah's willing heart as she answers the Spirit's call. Through each you will see the beautiful prophetic picture of Christ and His Bride, the Church, fulfilled in Isaac's love for Rebekah.Each moment reveals God's eternal hand guiding His covenant people and points to the soon return of our Lord. When the Bridegroom comes for His Bride.Be sure to subscribe, like, and comment to help us reach more believers with the truth of God's Word.For more information or to partner with us to spread the Gospel worldwide, we invite you to visit LastChristian.net. Where you can learn about our listener-supported ministry and become part of sharing the message of salvation to every nation.

What is the Song of Songs about? Song of Songs 1:1 looks forward to the call to worship in public worship on the coming Lord's Day. In this verse of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that Song of Songs is about the King of kings and His marriage of marriages in His love of loves. The Song of Songs titles itself a divine, poetic masterpiece, is not merely a human love story but an allegory pointing to Christ's eternal, sacrificial love for His church, the bride. Rooted in the rich literature of corresponding Scripture, it is a song of songs—exalted in both form and content—designed to imprint divine truth on the mind, stir deep affections, and move the will of the singer and hearer. Though attributed to Solomon, the king's flawed history underscores that the true focus is not on his marriage but on that of Christ, the King of Kings—Whose love is the love of loves. The book's poetic, dense language, together with corresponding Scripture, especially Psalm 45 and Ephesians 5, reveal that the Song is about Christ and His Bride. It is the most excellent song, the central narrative of Scripture, in which all of God's redemptive history finds its fulfillment in Marriage Supper of the Lamb.

The word Ecclesiology—from the Greek ekklesia (assembly/church) and logos (word/study)—has been lost, twisted, and misunderstood. Many have been discipled to see the Church through the eyes of a critic, not the heart of a contributor. But to understand Jesus, you have to understand His Bride. In this message, we dive deep into:The Church as the Bride of Christ — Ephesians 5:25-27What it means to be washed by the Word — James 1:22-25Becoming a radiant church filled with His Presence — Psalm 34:5 Living holy and blameless before God — 1 Peter 1:15-16This isn't about a perfect church—it's about a purified one.A people surrendered, sanctified, and united under one name: Jesus. It's time to stop spectating and start sanctifying.Where you see a flaw in the Church is where you're called to sacrifice for it. We don't just attend the Bride—we are the Bride.Let's be radiant together.

Are You Ready for the Marriage Feast? (audio) David Eells – 10/12/25 “Hurry” Repent, Bride Escapes V. W. - 3/11/19 (David's notes red) I had a dream which I think is an encouraging exhortation. It was daytime, and I was standing in a tunnel that was made to walk through. The ground was covered with sand, and the light was coming in from the outside, so I could see. This was a short tunnel, and it somehow led into a longer tunnel. I was alone in this tunnel. After I woke up, I asked the Lord what this tunnel represented, and I believe he showed me that it meant death to self to rise on the other side. (like a baptism) And I asked for a scripture about the tunnel, and received by faith, at random, 2Ki.20:5 Turn back, and say to Hezekiah the prince of my people, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee; on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the Lord. (The third day is resurrection of the Man-child Jesus, and Hezekiah represents the end time Man-child who is caught up to the throne of God on the third day. V.W. here represents the Bride.) While I was standing there, I heard a man just outside the tunnel. There was a lot of brush and some small trees outside where he was. He was advertising his product, which was shoes (or something to spray on your shoes). The advantage of the shoes was for the protection of the person wearing them, “that fire would not hurt them and that smoke from fire could not be smelled on them”. (The shoes represent the walk of repentance and faith) (Dan.3:27 The satraps, the prefects, the governors and the king's high officials gathered around and saw in regard to these men that the fire had no effect on the bodies of these men nor was the hair of their head singed, nor were their trousers damaged, nor had the smell of fire even come upon them.) (What these 3 lost in the fire was their bonds, which represent the flesh.) He had a loud voice as he proclaimed this and it seemed he really wanted whoever heard him to wear the shoes, and he was urgent about it. But I did not see anyone out there because it was a rural area. (Mat.3:3 For this is he that was spoken of through Isaiah the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make ready the way of the Lord, Make His paths straight!) (The repentance spirit in the John the Baptist ministry is crying loudly urgently to those in the wilderness or rural areas to prepare them for the coming of the Lord. It is urgent that we hear and repent quickly before He comes in the Man-child ministry. It will be too late to be in the Bride body once the Man-child ministry starts. Jesus chose the Bride then. John said, “He that hath the Bride is the Bride Groom”) Then I realized I had those shoes on, and they were white dressy sandals. (Eph.6:14-16 Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, 15 having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 withal taking up the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one.) After a while, I saw he had a torch that was a large stick. And he started lighting the brush and small trees on fire. He was still proclaiming these shoes, and I thought he was demonstrating how the fire could not hurt the shoes or the smoke from it be smelled. So I took off my right sandal to see if he was right. I smelled it and there was no smell of smoke, and I put it back on. (Fire, representing judgment, will come before Jesus manifests in the Man-child ministry body. Therefore we must be ready to walk through it without being burned. Isa.62:11 Behold, Jehovah hath proclaimed unto the end of the earth, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. Mat.3:10 And even now the axe lieth at the root of the trees: every tree therefore that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Mat.3:12 whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshing-floor; and he will gather his wheat into the garner, but the chaff he will burn up with unquenchable fire. Mat.5:22 but I say unto you, that every one who is angry with his brother shall be in danger of the judgment; and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council; and whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of the hell of fire. I had been standing there this whole time listening to this man. Then he came into the tunnel with the torch and with urgency and in a loud voice was saying to me, “Hurry up, Hurry up”. (He meant to hurry and run through the tunnels.) “I am right behind you with this torch.” (Hurry, saints, repent and believe so the fire doesn't catch you). After I woke up, I asked the Lord what I was supposed to do quickly and received by faith at random, Luk.22:54. And they seized him, and led him away, and brought him into the high priest's house. So I think the Lord is telling me to hurry up with denying myself and dying with Christ. I started to run and felt like he was getting closer. I asked for a word about my running in this tunnel and received by faith at random, Rom.4:16 For this cause it is of faith, that it may be according to grace: to the end that the promise may be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all. (Repentance must come before faith, with which we are accounted as righteous and are given grace as power to obey.) At first it seemed like I was climbing, and I had to use my hands also. I knew I could not look back and I was not afraid, but knew I had to hurry to get to the end of the tunnels. Php.3:13 Brethren, I count not myself yet to have laid hold: but one thing I do, forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before. 14 I press on toward the goal unto the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, be thus minded: and if in anything ye are otherwise minded, this also shall God reveal unto you: I did not think of him as an enemy, but someone who was admonishing me to run faster. As I was running, I could hear from outside the tunnel other brethren cheering me on. Heb.12:1,2 Therefore let us also, seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising shame, and hath sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Even though he was behind me with the torch and I thought he was getting closer to me, I did not feel the fire. I got through the first tunnel and into the 2nd longer tunnel. On the path where I was running, I saw broken glass on the right side. (Representing the pain of walking with our cross of death to self. The nail in the feet of Christ represents this.) I didn't like running on the glass and it made it harder to keep running, but I did not trip. I asked the Lord for a word by faith at random about this glass and received Lev.19:37 And you shall observe all my statutes, and all mine ordinances, and do them: I am the Lord. I found these verses about not stumbling. Psa.119:165 Great peace have they that love your law; And they have no occasion of stumbling. 1Jn.2:10 He that loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no occasion of stumbling in him. Jude 24 Now unto him that is able to guard you from stumbling, and to set you before the presence of his glory without blemish in exceeding joy. The glass in the path made me think of going to the left side where the ground was clear and smooth, but I didn't have time. (We must endure the pain of walking contrary to the world). I know I got through the 2nd tunnel because I came out on the other side and saw some of the brethren, and we were standing on a large rock that was up high. After I woke up, I was hearing the song in my head, “We want to see Jesus lifted high”. (Psa.61:2 From the end of the earth will I call unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.) So I did most of what I needed to do today. I believe that something is going to happen very soon where the extra food, water and gas is going to be necessary. I've never had dreams like this that the Lord impressed me to hurry and get something done. I also had a dream about the Man-child and Bride coming right after this dream to get supplies. I believe from this that the anointing of the Man-child and choosing of the Bride are not far behind the preparations.   Exhortation to the Bride-to-Be T. C. - 02/26/2013 (David's notes in red) I had this dream on Monday night after the prayer meeting. I was going to grab a pair of everyday shoes (because in the dream I did not realize that we were preparing for a wedding), when the mother (or woman in charge) set out the proper pair of pointed-toe formal dress shoes in pearl white satin material. (This wedding is to the King. The Bride will have the most elegant and pure shoes, representing her walk with Him, so watch your step, saints.) The shoes were set on a counter and I only saw the front of the shoes. I thought, oh, this is really going to be dressy! Then I looked across the room and got a quick glance of the white wedding dress; it was elegant and brilliant, unlike anything I had ever seen -- something royalty would wear. I then saw the husband/groom; he had a serious look on his face. I knew in the dream that the Groom and bride had already been married, and that is why I saw him as the husband. (The serious look represents his authority over the betrothed woman. In the Biblical Jewish marriage betrothal, or erusin, the woman was legally married but she remained in her father's house. She could not be with another man unless she got divorced from her betrothed. The wedding, or nissuin, meant only that the betrothed woman, accompanied by the virgins, friends of the groom, etc., were taken from her father's house to the house of her husband and the marriage consummated.) I only saw the dress and the shoes, not the bride. That is when the mother/woman in charge explained to me that the bride had died. (The Bride is dead to self; she is dead to her natural father's house, which will be represented in her works.) However, by having the wedding it would bring her back to life. (She will be given resurrection life through the filling with the Holy Spirit.) I knew in the dream the bride's wedding gown was going down the aisle by itself, and if the people at the wedding would believe, that is when they would see her body appear in the gown. (We should believe in order to fill that gown.) Then the scene changed. I saw myself standing in a white slip and I could see that I was pregnant. My husband was in the room talking with me. (The Bride will be spiritually very pregnant with the life of the seed of Christ's Word or she will not be in the Bride company.) There was an excitement about being together for the celebration after the wedding. (This is the seven-day wedding feast, representing the seven year tribulation where all feed on the bread and wine of the Word and nature of Jesus.) In the dream, I had a vision and saw myself walking down the aisle in a wedding dress, which showed me pregnant but not full-term. (The full maturing of the Bride will come when she walks with the Man-child, just as it was with Jesus when John said, “He that hath the bride is the Bridegroom”.) At this point, I knew I needed to take a shower to get ready. (Hurry, brethren! Time is running out to get cleaned up in our walk and works.) When I turned on the shower, I reached in with my right hand and felt the water. The temperature was just lukewarm. (The lukewarm will not be in the Bride.) I knew I needed to wait for the hot water tank to heat up the water before I could get in the shower and get dressed for the wedding. Then I woke up. I wanted to go back to sleep so I could finish the dream. When I was writing down the dream, I was getting very excited thinking about it. I asked for a word and the Lord gave me 2 Kings 6:7. My finger went down on the word “put” but I felt led to read 1-7. (2Ki.6:1) And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell before thee is too strait for us. (2) Let us go, we pray thee, unto the Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell. And he answered, Go ye. (3) And one said, Be pleased, I pray thee, to go with thy servants. And he answered, I will go. (4) So he went with them. And when they came to the Jordan, they cut down wood. (5) But as one was felling a beam, the axe-head fell into the water; and he cried, and said, Alas, my master! for it was borrowed. (6) And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he showed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither, and made the iron to swim. (7) And he said, Take it up to thee. So he put out his hand, and took it. (Going to the Jordan means going to the wilderness and, in this case, it is to build a house. So will the Bride. Also, the axe head floated supernaturally in the water, just like we have been given supernatural gifts in the water of the Word. But the text given is an exhortation to put out our hand and take the supernatural gifts of God, like righteousness, holiness, purity of walk and works, for the Lord said, “Take it up to thee.” So he put out his hand and took it.) After typing out the dream, I asked for another word and got Colossians 3:6 and felt led to read 1-6. (Col.3:1) If then ye were raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated on the right hand of God. (2) Set your mind on the things that are above (So, seek ye first the Kingdom; there is no time left for distractions.), not on the things that are upon the earth. (3) For ye died, and your life is hid with Christ in God. (4) When Christ, who is our life, shall be manifested (when the baby, “Christ in you”, is at full maturity), then shall ye also with him be manifested in glory (He will be born for the world to see). (5) Put to death therefore your members which are upon the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry; (6) for which things' sake cometh the wrath of God upon the sons of disobedience.   Too Late for the Wedding Feast B. A. - 05/03/2014 (David's notes in red) Concerning the title, Too Late for the Wedding Feast, this is also Too Late for the Bride because she is the Bride before the Wedding Feast starts and she is on time. See Supernatural Warnings to Prepare for the Bride. I dreamed I was walking around Israel. (“Walking around” means worldwide and “Israel” represents the Church)  I was in sackcloth and ashes. (A symbol of grief at the apostasy of the Church -- worldwide and local.) I was praying in the Spirit for mercy for the “rebellious” house. (The rebellious house represents the group below who has rebelled against UBM and this is also happening worldwide. The Church is not the Bride and is often opposed to her, as we see in the Song of Solomon.) Then, suddenly, I was shown a banquet room (the Wedding Feast/Tribulation) with a very long table, and a group of people standing by the table waiting to be seated. One by one, each person was led to their seat. I watched as everyone was seated. I saw that there was a smaller group sitting on the right of the table with a very large gap separating them from the group on the left of the table. The Lord was showing me that there was a large gap representing a “wide” spiritual difference between these two groups. (The long table represents the spiritual food with the true sheep on the right side of this feast and the goats to the left of it. Below we discover that both of these groups represent the factious people who were taken into captivity but one-third of them on the right repented before the Wedding Feast and two-thirds did not and fell away to go into Tribulation bondage to the beast.) At this particular point in the dream, I woke up and I looked over at the clock and it read 4:43 or one minute before 4:44 or tribulation. (This is the second revelation of one minute left. Two other times, we also received 11:59 in dreams or one minute to midnight when Israel left Egypt for the wilderness tribulation. In the last two days before this revelation was given, I had looked at the clock at 11:59 two times. When the Trib starts, so does the 7-day/year Wedding Feast and the Bride is chosen before then so that she can be honored in the feast. There are two groups who need to be on time for the feast: the invited guests and the Bride. If anyone is late, they cannot be in the Bride.) As I fell back to sleep, I watched as the people seated on the far right of the table were being served broccoli (symbolizing trees with life. [This is food recognized to be healthy; in this case, spiritual health food. The first-fruits of our broccoli crop was harvested today.]) This was served with white sauce (the pure Word). At that point, I became very jubilant as I saw that this group had repented and were eating pure, nourishing food again! Praise the Lord! (This could be the part of the factious who repent before the Marriage Feast, as B.A. believes.) However, I noticed that the group seated at the far left of the table had not been served. They were not ready for this feast. (They have refused the healthy food from Heaven, the Word, which causes one to mature and be healthy, like the Bride.) And, as I was considering this group, I saw a large axe come down over the gap that separated the two groups of people at the table and cut the table in half. (This is like the bridge that fell in B.A.'s dream between the factious and righteous. This is also the dream we had of the house divided by a crack between the tall, righteous and glorious people on the right and the short, stunted, angry, factious people on the left who were prevented from attacking the righteous by a wall with no knob on the door in the wall. When the crack broke, there was no foundation under the factious side of the house as it fell away.) I watched as the group of people on the left fell away. (In Jesus' parable of those invited to the marriage feast, He threw out the one who had not on a wedding garment [meaning they were not dressed up with the works of Christ], for many are called but few are chosen. Mat.22:1 And Jesus answered and spake again in parables unto them, saying, 2 The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a certain king, who made a marriage feast for his son, 3 and sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the marriage feast: and they would not come. 4 Again he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them that are bidden, Behold, I have made ready my dinner; my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come to the marriage feast. 5 But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his merchandise; 6 and the rest laid hold on his servants, and treated them shamefully, and killed them. The factious assassinate the character of those who call the Church to the feast. 7 But the king was wroth; and he sent his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. Just like what happened physically in 70 AD, the Lord sent a spiritual Beast army to destroy apostate Jerusalem, the false Bride, and her people.) 8 Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they that were bidden were not worthy. 9 Go ye therefore unto the partings of the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage feast. 10 And those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good (from among the saved and unsaved): and the wedding was filled with guests. 11 But when the king came in to behold the guests, he saw there a man who had not on a wedding-garment.... Representing the works of Jesus: Rom.13:13 Let us walk becomingly, as in the day; not in reveling and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and jealousy. 14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to [fulfil] the lusts [thereof]. Rev.19:8 And it was given unto her that she should array herself in fine linen, bright [and] pure: for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Back to our text in Mat.22:12 and he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding-garment? And he was speechless (we call this clueless). 13 Then the king said to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and cast him out into the outer darkness; there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth. 14 For many are called, but few chosen. Notice the cutting off of those on the left and the cutting off of the bridge of those on the left below. Meaning they will not have an invitation or be in the Bride, for they have not put on the works of Jesus.) Just then, I woke up again and the clock read 5:13, or grace had been given to the rebellious house that had repented. (The one-third on the right.) I asked B. A., “Could you tell what percentage the people on the right were?” She said about one-third on the right repented and returned. She said, “From what the Lord showed me, some will not make it back in time for the Bride company (which is finished before the Marriage Feast). About the same time this revelation came to us, in our morning prayer meeting, we received a text from the Lord by faith: Dan.5:5 In the same hour came forth the fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. 6 Then the king's countenance was changed in him, and his thoughts troubled him; and the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another. Belshazzar, the Babylonian king, was celebrating the conquering of God's people by drinking wine (blood) from the gold and silver vessels (God's people) which were taken from the Temple in Jerusalem during the falling away (1-5). Daniel, the Man-child, interpreted the Father's writing of judgment on the wall, and the king was slain by the Medio-Persian Empire, headed by Cyrus. It was his decree in Ezra 1 that the first-fruits from among God's people in the Babylonian captivity return to build the Temple in Jerusalem. In effect this is being accomplished by President Trump. And also his plundering of Babylon paid for this. It was said of Cyrus, Isa.44:26 that confirmeth the word of his servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers; that saith of Jerusalem, She shall be inhabited; and of the cities of Judah, They shall be built, and I will raise up the waste places thereof; 27 that saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers (He diverted the Euphrates River to conquer Babylon); 28 That saith of Cyrus, [He is] my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure, even saying of Jerusalem, She shall be built; and of the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid. 45:1 Thus saith Jehovah to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him, and I will loose the loins of kings; to open the doors before him, and the gates shall not be shut: 2 I will go before thee, and make the rough places smooth; I will break in pieces the doors of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron. (The army went under the bars across the lowered Euphrates and the gates along the Euphrates into the center of the city were unlocked. They invaded and conquered because of God and so shall we. On 6/01/14, Jim Tofflemire wrote: “I saw a D-Day Normandy invasion movie recently and I felt the Lord told me the revival and Trib would be a grand production of God like that, and we need a lot of preparation” (to set the captives free by a war with the principalities and powers and rulers of this darkness through prayer and faith). 11 Thus saith Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker: Ask me of the things that are to come; concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands, command ye me. 12  I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens; and all their host have I commanded. 13 I have raised him up in righteousness (Christ, hidden in the type of Cyrus), and I will make straight all his ways: he shall build my city, and he shall let my exiles go free, not for price nor reward, saith Jehovah of hosts. ... 15 Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour. This conquering of the Northern army brings to mind another text the Lord has given us many times. At a time when the Northern army was invading Israel and Judah, which Joel likened to an army of locusts for multitude, there came up a cry for mercy from the inhabitants of Zion, the Bride, just like Esther did and everything was turned around for those who escaped captivity. Joe.2:12 Yet even now, saith Jehovah, turn ye unto me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: 13 and rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto Jehovah your God; for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness, and repenteth him of the evil. 14 Who knoweth whether he will not turn and repent, and leave a blessing behind him, even a meal-offering and a drink-offering unto Jehovah your God? 15 Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly; 16 gather the people, sanctify the assembly, assemble the old men, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts; let the bridegroom go forth from his chamber, and the bride out of her closet. 17 Let the priests, the ministers of Jehovah, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O Jehovah, and give not thy heritage to reproach, that the nations should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the peoples, Where is their God? 18 Then was Jehovah jealous for his land, and had pity on his people. Notice a cry for mercy from the Bride turned the Beast captivity around and brought the great revival of the Latter Rain. Remember that Babylon left Jeremiah, to prophecy to the people of the Promised Land, while the rest had been taken to captivity. Let us cry for those in captivity with fasting and prayer.   Last Supper Before the Feast B. A. - 10/12/2012 (David's notes in red) Before sharing this word with the broadcast audience, I asked the Lord to give me a Word concerning this and another revelation. With eyes closed, I flipped my Bible open and put my finger down on (Jer.26:2) Thus saith Jehovah: Stand in the court of Jehovah's house, and speak unto all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in Jehovah's house, all the words that I command thee to speak unto them; diminish not a word. I had a short dream last week where I was in a large house (the UBM house). I heard noise coming from the kitchen, so I went to the kitchen to see what was going on. I saw David Eells at the stove, cooking a meal. (David here represents the end-time David ministry preparing a spiritual meal.) I asked David if I could be of help and he replied, “Sure. Go through the entire house and tell everybody the meal is ready, and it's important to be on time”. (This is the Last Supper, which was a parable to prophesy the crucifixion of the body and blood of Christ for the Church to eat or partake of. The Church was told: (Joh.6:53) Jesus therefore said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, ye have not life in yourselves. (54) He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life: and I will raise him up at the last day. (55) For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. (56) He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood abideth in me, and I in him. So I went through the house and spread the word that dinner was ready and everyone needed to be on time at the dinner table. Soon, everyone took their seat at the dinner table. David then brought the food to the table and told everyone, “I'm glad you all made it to the table on time, as this is the last regular meal before the feast”. We were all very joyful and sang praises to the Lord. (All of the disciples or witnesses of the Man-child were at the table to partake of the bread and wine, representing the future sacrifice of the body and blood of Jesus. Notice that this was a “regular meal before the feast”. It was a spiritual type of what was to happen in the Marriage Feast of seven days of tribulation. (Mat.26:26) And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it; and he gave to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. (27) And he took a cup, and gave thanks, and gave to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; (28) for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many unto remission of sins. So we see, the Last Supper or type of the Marriage Feast came first; then the crucifixion; and then they partook of that sacrifice of the body (Word) and blood (nature) of Jesus through repentance and faith. This latter is the manifestation of the Marriage Feast and will go on for the seven years of tribulation. In this way, we can understand David's command to gather the guests as Jesus' command to gather the guests. “Go through the entire house and tell everybody the meal is ready, and it's important to be on time”. (22:4) Again he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them that are bidden, Behold, I have made ready my dinner; my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come to the marriage feast. We have seen in revelations from God that the Davids are going through crucifixion, death and resurrection to be prepared to receive the anointing to lead the flock through tribulation wilderness. It was so with Moses, Joseph, David, etc., before they reigned. In crucifying these Davids, the apostates are crucifying Jesus again, just as their forefathers did. (25:40) And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of these my brethren, [even] these least, ye did it unto me. However, the benefits of this sin will raise up the body of Christ through the anointed Davids in whom Jesus will live through the Word and crucifixion.   Marriage Supper M. L. - 03/20/2014 (David's notes in red) A dream of standing near the beginning of many, many small round tables as far as the eye could see in any direction. The tables were covered with white tablecloths and four chairs per table. It was my job to see that a small two-tiered wedding cake was exactly centered on each of the tables. This cake was to be divided equally among the four people who would be seated there. (Those who are invited to the Marriage Supper.) Knowing that these cakes were the exact likeness of a larger one that was at the table of honor. (This is the table of the Groom and His Bride.) The tables did not yet have their place settings or name cards, but knowing that that would take place soon. (The trials and testing to come in the tribulation marriage feast will prove who it is who is invited to the Marriage Supper in Heaven. The foolish virgins do not bear fruit and will not be invited.) (Rev.19:7) Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready. 8 It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. 9 Then he said to me, Write, Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he said to me, These are true words of God. (Mat.25:1) Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, who took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. 2 And five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 For the foolish, when they took their lamps, took no oil with them: 4 but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5 Now while the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. 6 But at midnight there is a cry, Behold, the bridegroom! Come ye forth to meet him. 7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are going out. 9 But the wise answered, saying, Peradventure there will not be enough for us and you: go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. 10 And while they went away to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage feast (The Greek word here, gamos, should be translated “marriage”, not “marriage feast”, for this is the whole marriage ceremony. This would give a person who knows about the marriage customs to discern what part of the marriage is being spoken about. The virgins escort the Bride and Groom to the Groom's home in Heaven after the Marriage Feast of seven days (tribulation) where there is a Marriage Supper. The foolish virgins who have not borne fruit do not go to Heaven, as Jesus said here.): and the door was shut. 11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. 12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. 13 Watch therefore, for ye know not the day nor the hour. Luk.12:35 Let your loins be girded about, and your lamps burning; 36 and be ye yourselves like unto men looking for their lord, when he shall return (Greek: analuo, meaning “depart; break up”, as in Philippians 1:23. This is the only place in the NT that this word is translated “return”. Those at the Marriage Feast will break up to go to the Marriage Supper; the Groom will “depart” from the Marriage Feast with the Bride to be escorted by the virgins to the Marriage Supper in His heavenly home and some will not be counted worthy.) from the marriage feast; that, when he cometh and knocketh, they may straightway open unto him. 37 Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them sit down to meat, and shall come and serve them.   Get Ready, Bride Jacob Patek - 01/04/2012 (David's notes in red) I had this dream this afternoon that I would like to share with you. I work shift work, so that is why the dream was in the afternoon. I woke up at 12:30 pm and asked myself if I should get up at that time or not. I ended up going back to sleep and this is the dream the Lord gave me. I have had two brothers who encouraged me to type this out and send it in. It was not until this afternoon (1/05/12) that I came to find out that brother David had given a study on the Bride. I had been talking with a sister in the Lord the night before I had the dream. While I was at work, I had prayed that the Lord would give His permission for His daughter's hand in marriage and continued to pray that He would lead and direct me in wisdom, teaching me to not cover my head and be the spiritual head that He has called me to be. This is the dream: I was in my house preparing to go to a fellowship. I was in the living room while a female friend was in the bathroom, who was also getting ready. She was putting on a bridal gown. This girl was my age (mid-20s). While still in my dream, I was sitting in the living room, and G. W. called me and told me he had to tell me about a dream that he had just had. He said that in his dream, I was getting ready to go to church with a girl. She was putting on a bridal gown, and once we made it to the fellowship, there would be a man who would walk in during the middle of the message. He would walk in and say, “I am here for my bride.” The brother who was giving the Word would then say, “Take your bride”. Then the man who walked in said, “You will have to do the ceremony”. (Men who share the word with the Bride serve in the ceremony of the Wedding Feast, as seen below.) I could see the man kneeling at a cross that was in the middle of the room. At this point in my dream, G. W. stopped talking, and my female friend and I were there. I could now see more detail, as it was from my perspective and no longer G. W. talking about his dream. (Here he begins to see in his dream the confirmation of G. W.'s dream above. This symbolizes that the dream is doubled and is guaranteed by God to come to pass shortly. (Gen.41:32) And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh, it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.) The brother giving the message was speaking English but he had an interpreter. The man walked in through the large double doors at the front of the building. I remember the doors being 20 feet tall or so and the man who walked in was very meek in appearance but quite tall. (He is head and shoulders above all the rest; a giant of the Kingdom.) He had on a white suit or robe and his hair was a brilliant white. He was standing in the doorway and the light that was coming in from behind him through the open doors was brilliant and bright. He said, “I am here for my bride”. The brother giving the message said, “Take your bride”. And sure enough, the man said, “You will have to perform the ceremony”. At this time, I noticed the girl I had come with started to get up. She was walking toward the door through which the man entered. This is when the man grabbed her by the arm gently and with care and he looked at her with great affection. He did not say anything, but in my spirit I heard him say, “I am here”. (He is here in spirit.) The moment he said this, the girl who was my age turned into an old woman dressed in a dress that was a brilliant white, just like the light that was coming through the doors. (She has the maturity and righteousness of many years.) At this, I fell prostrate on my face and began to weep. It was a joyful cry. Now I was watching from a third-person point of view. I could see myself lying on the floor and weeping while the ceremony was taking place. It was over in an instant. Then we were leaving the meeting. The man was walking with us, then was no longer there. I didn't see where he went but the moment he left, in my spirit I heard, “I'm coming back for her. Make sure she is prepared”. Then she turned back into a woman of my age and we proceeded back to my house, where I began to tell her about all that had happened and about G. W.'s dream and it coming to pass. She laughed and kind of shrugged it off, and then I said I had the video on my phone of G. W. and I talking about it. G.W. called me in the beginning of my dream but on the video we were sitting down on the same couch face to face. As I started to play it, G. W. called me in real life and woke me from my dream. (This is confirmation to us again that we are about to begin the ceremony, and the bride needs to be ready. So cut the sin and get ready or miss a once-in-forever chance.) I told him, “Man, I have to tell you about this dream I just had”. We were both very encouraged, and I pray that you are too.   The Bride Is Almost Complete Eve Brast - 04/30/2016 (David's notes in red) I had a dream this afternoon that is very encouraging for us. I dreamed I was standing in the middle of the driveway as you top the hill to the Shaw's house. It was sunny outside with almost a white sunlight, like when the sun is close to or at the noon position. (This is the perfect day because there are no shadows; darkness is defeated before the Sun/Son.) I saw all the local UBM brethren clearing all the vines and weeds away from the Shaw's house. Some were pulling with their hands and others with tools. (Exactly like we were doing in real life today when helping to clean and trim, and weed around their house.) Between where I was standing and the front corner of the house was a large square tower made of white stones. (The white stone tower is the Bride who is being put together as her members are sanctified. Mic.4:8 And thou, O tower of the flock, the hill of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, yea, the former dominion shall come, the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem.) Three of the sides were complete and we were six or seven stones (people sanctified) away from completing the fourth and final side. (Pray for these six or seven saints to be set free.) The stones were all about a foot or so in diameter and the tower was larger at the base and more narrow as it reached the top. 1Pe.2:5 ye also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Although this is a promise for the true Church, the principle is the same but the Bride comes to this maturity before the Church and is therefore more beautiful to the Lord. It was flat on top, almost like a huge stone altar. As the brethren cleared away the wild vines and weeds out of the flower beds surrounding the house, they would uncover these stones, and then they would supernaturally disappear from the beds and reappear in their perfect position in the tower, which was almost as high as the roof of the house. (As the lives of these living stones were freed from the weeds and vines of bondage.  Then they were supernaturally and spiritually resurrected out of dirt burial to be in the Bride.) Then I woke up. I thought of the Shepherd of Hermas when I began to meditate on this dream and what it meant. (The tower was in the building stage there too and it was said that the stones could go into the tower as long as it was being built but after it was finished, no more stones could be included.)   When the Bride Is Sanctified, Judgment Comes Anna Stewart - 04/27/2016 (David's notes in red) The dream I shared on the conference fellowship last night was where Matthew and I were in an old red '90s model F-150 pickup (which we don't really have in real life) and we had three bales of hay in the back. We were driving up this narrow one-way dirt road up a mountain (Zion) and the farther up we got, the less hay we had. I said, “By the time we get to the top of the mountain, we won't have any hay left”. (This represents the further up Zion we go, the less flesh we have, since Peter said “all flesh is as grass”. (Hay is dead grass or flesh. The three bales being that which comes from the earth in spirit, soul, and body.) Being in an old red truck may be the first way that the apostles gave us and the red being covered by the blood and the ride being in the rest.) 1Co.3:10 According to the grace of God which was given unto me, as a wise master builder I laid a foundation; and another buildeth thereon. But let each man take heed how he buildeth thereon. 11 For other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 But if any man buildeth on the foundation gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13 each man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it is revealed in fire; and the fire itself shall prove each man's work of what sort it is. 14 If any man's work shall abide which he built thereon, he shall receive a reward. Wood, hay and stubble would not abide in fire because it represents the works of man.) When we got to the top, there was a meadow and I saw a tornado (When the Bride is mature enough to be chosen, then come Judgments like large earthquakes, volcanoes, economic crash, martial law, etc.), but I wasn't scared. As it touched down, the sky went black (The gross darkness, volcanic activity, blackouts, a time of judgment). I could see stars and all the other planetary stuff which you could never see with the naked eye, and straight up above were these two bright lights. In the dream, I knew that there were two suns. (When the Bride is chosen. This could account for the earthquakes, which bring the Man-child when she reaches the top to be chosen.) And then in the dream I was telling Michael what had just happened, so that's why I wanted to share it.   Most Don't Make the Cut One other thing I wanted to share. We had eight lambs this year, and I was believing we wouldn't lose any, as we usually lose at least one to something or other, and we didn't have any bottle babies, which might have been a first. But two were born dead, then just recently one died of an unknown cause, two went missing, which must have been coyotes, but we have never had any go missing before, and one got its head eaten off through the fence (coyote?). I just thought that it all kind of lined up with the parable of the sower pretty well because God calls His people sheep. The stillborn sheep would be the wayside ones because they never had life; the missing ones are the ones sown on the rocks because they fell away when temptation arose (I know that they strayed away from the others when they were eaten because the others were not frightened, which they always are for a few days when something scares them). The one that died of who-knows-what was then picked by birds, and the one who lost its head would, I guess, be the third group who didn't bring fruit to perfection. And then, of course, that leaves the last two living ones to be the ones who were sown in the good ground. Even though it was sad what happened, I saw it as kind of a parable and a warning too, because just like the parable of the sower, only 1/4 of them made it. One other thing is that my nieces wanted to name some, so they decided on Marly and Charley. Then Mallory was like, “I know, I'll name mine Jesus!” So Tasha decided to rename hers God. I told them that might get a little confusing, “God, get out of the hay!” “Jesus, don't be so greedy”. Etc. So we stuck with Marly and Charley. I just thought it was interesting that Marly was going to be Jesus, but stuck her head through the fence out of curiosity and got taken out. Because everybody plans on manifesting Jesus, but fence-straddlers (or those halfway through the fence) won't make it. Below I will share an excerpt from Hidden Manna For the End Times -- Chapter Three: “When Do We Go?” The ceremony is according to ancient Jewish custom. It begins with the Marriage Feast as the groom in the Man-child feasts with the Bride for seven day/years. During this time, She has all the rights and advantages of a wife, except the marriage is not consummated. At the end of the tribulation, the virgins escort the Bride and Groom to the Groom's home, where the Marriage Supper is served.   The Marriage Feast Excerpt from our book, Hidden Manna For the End Times After seven days of the marriage feast, God's people will go to the Groom's home. Jacob served seven years for each of his wives and he had a marriage feast of seven days for each of them (Gen.29:18-28). This is a parallel revelation. These seven days represent the last seven years or the seventieth week of Daniel, the Tribulation. Samson kept a seven-day marriage feast for his betrothed but left without taking her on the seventh day so she was given to another man just as the harlot will, in our day (Jdg.14:12-15:2). Jesus will feast with His Bride in spirit for seven days/years, after which they are escorted by the virgins to the Groom's home in heaven where she will legally be His. This Hebrew custom is shown in The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, 1976, page 97 under “Marriage”. My notes are in parentheses. The bridegroom was the king for a week (seven-day/year wedding feast). During the whole week their majesties wore their festal clothes, did not work, and merely looked on at the games – except that now and then the queen joined in a dance. Accompanied by his friends (John the Baptist was a friend of the Bridegroom in John 3:29) with tambourines and a band they went to the bride's house (which is obviously on earth) where the wedding ceremonies were to start. The bride richly dressed, adorned with jewels (Psa.45:14-15), usually wore a veil (meaning submission in 1Cor.11:5-13), which she took off only in the bridal chamber. Escorted by her companions (the virgins), the bride was led to the home of the bridegroom (heaven). This is clear. After the seven days/years of the feast, representing the Tribulation, on the eighth day, which is the day of circumcision when the flesh is cut off, the Groom, the Bride, the friends of the Groom, and the virgins, all leave dressed in their new bodies to go to the Groom's home in heaven. It will be just as when Moses and all Israel left Egypt together. Even the dead in Christ will join the procession. (1Cor.15:51) ...We all shall not sleep, but we shall all be changed, (52) in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump... That the Lord takes His people after the seven days/years of the marriage feast is clearly proven by Scripture. As we have seen, a great multitude comes out of the Great Tribulation to the throne of God. (Rev.7:9) …A great multitude…out of every nation…standing before the throne and before the Lamb…. (14) …These are they that come out of the great tribulation…. Only after “the great tribulation,” this “great multitude,” which is made up of all who attend the marriage, announces that the Bride is ready and the marriage is come. (Rev.19:1) After these things I heard as it were a great voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying…. (7)…the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. (8) And it was given unto her that she should array herself in fine linen, bright [and] pure: for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. (9) And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they that are bidden to the marriage supper of the Lamb…. Notice that the marriage supper is in heaven, after the seven-day feast on earth. Let's go back and look more closely at what will be eaten at the marriage feast. Jesus said, “Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, ye have not life in yourselves” (Joh.6:53). What does this flesh and blood symbolize spiritually, for Jesus said, “It is the spirit that giveth life; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I have spoken unto you are spirit, and are life” (63)? Jesus' flesh was the unleavened bread: the manna of the pure Word of God. (51) I am the living bread which came down out of heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: yea and the bread which I will give is my flesh, for the life of the world. (Joh.1:14) And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us... The wine represents the blood of the life of Christ, Who is the Word. (Lev.17:11) For the life of the flesh is in the blood... Those who are obedient to attend will feast on the flesh, bread, and wine of the eternal life of Christ for the last seven days of the Tribulation. God is preparing the Man-child ministry of Revelation 12 to walk in the steps of Jesus and to once again serve this feast to the true disciples of our day. I will share more on this later. Although, to a lesser extent, this marriage feast has been served on earth since Christ first came, it is the last seven days that the majority of God's people will feast on the pure bread and wine. Natural Israel was invited to come and partake of this marriage feast in the Gospels, but most had worldly excuses and failed to feast on the life that Jesus served. (Mat.22:1) And Jesus answered and spake again in parables unto them, saying, (2) The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a certain king, who made a marriage feast for his son, (3) and sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the marriage feast: and they would not come. (4) Again he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them that are bidden, Behold, I have made ready my dinner; my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come to the marriage feast. (5) But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his merchandise; (6) and the rest laid hold on his servants, and treated them shamefully, and killed them. (7) But the king was wroth; and he sent his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. This was the end of the Jewish age, when in 70 A.D. the Romans slaughtered the Jews and burned Jerusalem. As they were rejecting the feast, the Gentiles were invited to partake. (Mat.22:8) Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they that were bidden were not worthy. (9) Go ye therefore unto the partings of the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage feast. (10) And those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good (Gentiles and Jews): and the wedding was filled with guests. John the Baptist pointed out that the disciples were feasting on the Word of Jesus as a marriage feast and as a type and shadow for our day. (Joh.3:29) He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, that standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is made full.   The Marriage Supper All who have been sanctified through the feast will be ready to leave for the Groom's home in heaven. (Luk.12:36) And be ye yourselves like unto men looking for their lord, when he shall return (Greek: analuo, “depart”) from the marriage feast (seven days); that, when he cometh and knocketh, they may straightway open unto him. Analuo is not translated “return” anywhere else but is correctly translated “depart” in places like Philippians 1:23 where Paul speaks of departing this life. The encyclopedia is clear that the groom, his bride, and friends, “depart” from a marriage feast of seven days and are escorted by the virgins to the groom's home. (Mat.25:1) Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, who took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. A common false teaching is that the virgins here are the bride who leaves before the seven-year tribulation. That is not only contrary to the Hebrew custom I cited above from the encyclopedia, but other experts on this say the same. I quote the famous The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah by Alfred Edersheim, Book III, Chapter IV. My comments are in parentheses. On the evening of the actual marriage (after the seven-day marriage feast) the bride was led from her paternal home (on earth) to that of her husband (in heaven) ….covered with the bridal veil, her long hair flowing, surrounded by her companions (bride's maids or virgins), and led by the friends of the bridegroom…some carried torches or lamps on poles (ten lamps)…. Here it is clear that the Bride and virgins are two separate entities, just as in all cultures. After the seven-year marriage feast, the virgins will accompany the Bride to the Groom's home. In Book V, Chapter VII, Edersheim explains the parable of the Ten Virgins with their lamps thus: According to Jewish authorities, it was the custom in the East to carry in a bridal procession about ten such lamps. … Ten was the number required to be present at any office or ceremony (to witness the kethubah or marriage document)…. He also says here: The ordinary Jewish marriage-procession where the bridegroom, accompanied by his groomsmen and friends, went to the bride's house, and thence conducted the bride, with her attendant maidens and friends, into his own or his parents' home.

What does it really mean that the Church is the Bride of Christ? This biblical metaphor is often misunderstood, watered down, or even avoided altogether. Some turn it into an overly individualistic “me and Jesus” relationship, while others cringe at the intimacy of the language. But covenant and the Bridegroom theme run through the entire story of Scripture — from the prophets to the parables to Revelation's promise.In this message, we begin our series The Bride by unpacking the deep covenant roots behind this imagery. From Jewish betrothal customs to Jesus' words at the Last Supper, we see that covenant is more than comfort — it costs, it consecrates, and it calls for exclusivity. Communion isn't just tradition; it's covenant. Waiting on Christ isn't just delay; it's preparation. And being His Bride isn't just metaphor; it's our identity.Join us as we explore:The cost of covenant and the exclusivity it demandsWhy Jesus calls us His Bridegroom and not just “friend”Communion as covenant faithfulness, not empty ritualHow the waiting season is preparation for the wedding feastThe hope of a place Jesus is preparing for His Bride✨ This series isn't about romanticized worship lyrics or cultural views of marriage — it's about recovering the biblical weight of covenant. The Bride is not me… it's us. Together, we are the Bride of Christ.

The return of Jesus isn't just the end of the story. It is the pinnacle of God's victory and the beginning of our eternal hope. In Revelation 19, we see both the Great War that brings judgment and the Grand Wedding that brings joy. For the enemies of God, it is a moment of fear. But for the Church, it is the long-awaited union with our victorious King.Jesus will return in royalty, victory, and majesty. He is the Groom coming for His Bride.

In this broadcast, we conclude a study of why we can have confidence in the Pre-Tribulation Rapture of the Church. Far from being a topic of fear or speculation, the rapture points us to Christ's promise to deliver His Bride before the coming storm of judgment. This is a message of assurance, comfort, and urgency as we live in expectation of His soon return. Watch this teaching and be strengthened in the hope of Christ's return! Presentation Graphics & Study Aids Presentation Slides (PDF) Presentation Slides (PowerPoint) Study Outline (PDF) Study Outline (Word)

Ephesians 5:31-32, "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This is a great mystery, but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church".The Galilean Wedding was a central symbol in the teachings of Jesus, who used its elements, such as the surprise midnight arrival and the sealing of the covenant with a cup, to explain prophecies of His own return and His relationship with His church. Thanks for joining with us as Brother Jeff dives into the mysteries and  the revelations of salvation regarding Christ and His Bride, The Church. Support the showGrowing our inner man as we connect with God's Word

Explore the divine blueprint of God's Temples and learn how they reflect His ultimate Temple: redeemed man in Christ. We're designed to be Temples of the Living God, in the image of Christ, the perfect human Temple of God. In union with Him, by His Spirit, He transforms us into His image from glory to glory. God's will for us as His Temples is to be filled with His Spirit, who indwells our holy of holies (SPIRIT), and also wants to fill our holy place (SOUL) and our BODY. The Tabernacle with all its furnishings was made according to a Divine Pattern (Ex 25:9,20, 26:30, Num 8:4, Acts 7:44, Heb 8:1-6). So, the earthly Tabernacle was made after the image of the heavenly Temple. The primary fulfilment of the typology of the Tabernacle is Jesus Himself. God came down to dwell among His people, by dwelling in a perfect human Tabernacle (John 1:1-14). The prophetic picture of the Tabernacle was perfectly fulfilled in the human nature of Jesus (Col 2:9). He was also filled with God's glory through the indwelling Spirit. He was the perfect prototype human Temple of God, the basis for all future human Temples of God. By His death & resurrection, He made it possible to multiply Himself in us, like a seed planted in the earth & rising again in multiplied form (John 12:24). When anyone receives Jesus, they are put into union with Him and become living stones in His Temple built on Him, their living Foundation, and He begins to change them into His image - first, by recreating our spirits in the New Birth, then by transforming our souls, and finally by glorifying our bodies. So, Christ is not just the fulfilment of the Tabernacle pattern, the perfect human prototype Temple, but also, the transforming power that changes us into His image as God's Temple, on the basis of His death & resurrection, so that we also become Temples of God, like Him. Thus, the pattern of the Tabernacle of Moses is primarily fulfilled in Christ, and 2ndly in us, His Body. God now lives in us, and wants to shine His glory through us. To make this all possible, on the Cross Christ fulfilled the Law of the Burnt Offering (Lev 1:1-12) & the Sin Offering (Lev 4:1-35). During the first 3 hours on the Cross, He offered Himself up as a sweet-selling burnt offering to the Lord (Eph 5:2). He identified with us and offered Himself for us, offering up His perfect human righteousness to God, to be accepted on our behalf, so that in Him we might be possess & be covered in His righteousness. On the basis of this aspect of the Cross, His righteousness is offered to us as a free-gift. From noon until 3pm, He fulfilled the type of the Sin Offering. He who knew no sin became sin for us on the Cross (2Cor 5:21). God signified this in the heavens by turning the sun to darkness, a picture of the radiant Sun of righteousness being covered with the darkness of our sin. In His Atonement, He paid the penalty in full for all our sins, so we can be forgiven, if we trust in Him. As our Sin-Offering, He took our sin and the punishment we deserved, releasing God's forgiveness & mercy to us, and as our Burnt Offering, He released His righteousness & life to us as a free-gift of grace. Christ's Altar of Burnt Offering is the everlasting power source for all of God's human Temples forever, for He gave Himself for us to release His everlasting righteousness & life, which will uphold us for all eternity. The truth that His Sacrifice is forever effectual in satisfying God and in releasing His grace to us is revealed in the Law of the Burnt Offering (Lev 6:8-13). His act of obedience in offering Himself up for us on the Cross provides for us an abundant everlasting source of grace (Rom 5:8-21). By His once for all perfect offering, He gave us His righteousness, grace & life, as our everlasting possession. As one moves toward the Holy Place of worship, after the Altar of Burnt Offering was the Laver (Ex 40:30). (1) He sacrificed Himself on the Cross for His Bride (represented by the Bronze Altar), so that (2) He might sanctify & cleanse us by the WASHING of His WORD (the Bronze Laver) - Eph 5:26. The LAVER represents God's WRITTEN WORD, which reveals His LIVING WORD – Christ, the source of eternal life (John 5:39-40). As we look into the Mirror of God's Word, the glory of the Person & Life of Christ is revealed to us, and His Spirit cleanses us from sin & sanctifies us to God (2Cor 3:18). The more we're cleansed & sanctified, the closer we can draw near to God to fellowship with Him and know Him (Heb 12:14, Matt 5:8). The Holy of Holies represents the spirit of man, in which was: “the Ark of the Covenant, in which were the Golden Pot of Manna, Aaron's Rod that budded & the Tablets of the Covenant” (Heb 9:3-4). These 3 items in the Holy of Holies correspond to the 3 items in the Holy Place, for the soul is made in the image of the spirit, designed to express & manifest the life & nature of the spirit.

Explore the divine blueprint of God's Temples and learn how they reflect His ultimate Temple: redeemed man in Christ. We're designed to be Temples of the Living God, in the image of Christ, the perfect human Temple of God. In union with Him, by His Spirit, He transforms us into His image from glory to glory. God's will for us as His Temples is to be filled with His Spirit, who indwells our holy of holies (SPIRIT), and also wants to fill our holy place (SOUL) and our BODY. The Tabernacle with all its furnishings was made according to a Divine Pattern (Ex 25:9,20, 26:30, Num 8:4, Acts 7:44, Heb 8:1-6). So, the earthly Tabernacle was made after the image of the heavenly Temple. The primary fulfilment of the typology of the Tabernacle is Jesus Himself. God came down to dwell among His people, by dwelling in a perfect human Tabernacle (John 1:1-14). The prophetic picture of the Tabernacle was perfectly fulfilled in the human nature of Jesus (Col 2:9). He was also filled with God's glory through the indwelling Spirit. He was the perfect prototype human Temple of God, the basis for all future human Temples of God. By His death & resurrection, He made it possible to multiply Himself in us, like a seed planted in the earth & rising again in multiplied form (John 12:24). When anyone receives Jesus, they are put into union with Him and become living stones in His Temple built on Him, their living Foundation, and He begins to change them into His image - first, by recreating our spirits in the New Birth, then by transforming our souls, and finally by glorifying our bodies. So, Christ is not just the fulfilment of the Tabernacle pattern, the perfect human prototype Temple, but also, the transforming power that changes us into His image as God's Temple, on the basis of His death & resurrection, so that we also become Temples of God, like Him. Thus, the pattern of the Tabernacle of Moses is primarily fulfilled in Christ, and 2ndly in us, His Body. God now lives in us, and wants to shine His glory through us. To make this all possible, on the Cross Christ fulfilled the Law of the Burnt Offering (Lev 1:1-12) & the Sin Offering (Lev 4:1-35). During the first 3 hours on the Cross, He offered Himself up as a sweet-selling burnt offering to the Lord (Eph 5:2). He identified with us and offered Himself for us, offering up His perfect human righteousness to God, to be accepted on our behalf, so that in Him we might be possess & be covered in His righteousness. On the basis of this aspect of the Cross, His righteousness is offered to us as a free-gift. From noon until 3pm, He fulfilled the type of the Sin Offering. He who knew no sin became sin for us on the Cross (2Cor 5:21). God signified this in the heavens by turning the sun to darkness, a picture of the radiant Sun of righteousness being covered with the darkness of our sin. In His Atonement, He paid the penalty in full for all our sins, so we can be forgiven, if we trust in Him. As our Sin-Offering, He took our sin and the punishment we deserved, releasing God's forgiveness & mercy to us, and as our Burnt Offering, He released His righteousness & life to us as a free-gift of grace. Christ's Altar of Burnt Offering is the everlasting power source for all of God's human Temples forever, for He gave Himself for us to release His everlasting righteousness & life, which will uphold us for all eternity. The truth that His Sacrifice is forever effectual in satisfying God and in releasing His grace to us is revealed in the Law of the Burnt Offering (Lev 6:8-13). His act of obedience in offering Himself up for us on the Cross provides for us an abundant everlasting source of grace (Rom 5:8-21). By His once for all perfect offering, He gave us His righteousness, grace & life, as our everlasting possession. As one moves toward the Holy Place of worship, after the Altar of Burnt Offering was the Laver (Ex 40:30). (1) He sacrificed Himself on the Cross for His Bride (represented by the Bronze Altar), so that (2) He might sanctify & cleanse us by the WASHING of His WORD (the Bronze Laver) - Eph 5:26. The LAVER represents God's WRITTEN WORD, which reveals His LIVING WORD – Christ, the source of eternal life (John 5:39-40). As we look into the Mirror of God's Word, the glory of the Person & Life of Christ is revealed to us, and His Spirit cleanses us from sin & sanctifies us to God (2Cor 3:18). The more we're cleansed & sanctified, the closer we can draw near to God to fellowship with Him and know Him (Heb 12:14, Matt 5:8). The Holy of Holies represents the spirit of man, in which was: “the Ark of the Covenant, in which were the Golden Pot of Manna, Aaron's Rod that budded & the Tablets of the Covenant” (Heb 9:3-4). These 3 items in the Holy of Holies correspond to the 3 items in the Holy Place, for the soul is made in the image of the spirit, designed to express & manifest the life & nature of the spirit.

Ephesians 5:31-32, "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This is a great mystery, but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church".The Galilean Wedding was a central symbol in the teachings of Jesus, who used its elements, such as the surprise midnight arrival and the sealing of the covenant with a cup, to explain prophecies of His own return and His relationship with His church. Thanks for joining with us as Brother Jeff dives into the mysteries and  the revelations of salvation regarding Christ and His Bride, The Church. Support the showGrowing our inner man as we connect with God's Word

In the last few years, the End Times has become a hot topic in evangelical circles. Most pastors won't touch this topic with a ten-foot pole while others are interested, albeit with a bit of skepticism. This podcast adheres to the Pretribulational and Premillennial view of the End Times. Our guest authors also hold this theological position but while we might know enough to be dangerous…they are experts. Here they share many reasons as to why Jesus will return soon for His Bride via the Rapture. In this podcast we will cover some of the 100 questions people ask about the End Times. Please watch and learn from these two scholars on the coming events that we will all soon be part of.We, Scott and Gabe, need to know if you guys like the content. Honestly though, every like, subscribe, and follow shows us that our conversations are helping you. We are on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Anchor, and any podcasting platform. Support us on every platform below! #hearthebookpod https://www.amazon.com/Prophecy-Illustrated-Guide-Tough-Questions/dp/0736983678Instagram: @hearthebookpodBuy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/hearthebookpodYouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UC8AAn7YxgYVoWa7RmeojyFQFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/hearthebookpod/Twitter: https://twitter.com/hearthebookpodAnchor: https://anchor.fm/hearthebookpodThank you to Brook Sprague and Michael Card for their music in our podcast!https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvI-t0MK5kgMJw7REobBCbQSong: The BookID: 362574Writers: Michael CardPublishers: Mole End Music

Ephesians 5:21-6:4 A slave was once considered a piece of property with no rights, and was to maintain an attitude of inferiority and subservience. Sadly, this is similar to many people's idea of biblical submission in marriage. But Christian husbands are not to be tyrants ruling over their wives with an iron fist  –  instead, they are to manifest the same attitude that Jesus has toward His Bride, the church. Stay with us now as Dr. Reeder takes us to Ephesians 5:21 – 6:4 and brings us today's teaching … PART 1 of his message entitled: Essential # 4: Servant Leaders and Sacrificial Lovers – A Display of Christ's Love For His Bride.

August 31, 2025Today's Reading: Luke 14:1-14Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 16:29-17:24; 2 Corinthians 10:1-13:14; 2 Corinthians 9:1-15“Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 14:11)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.It has been said that pride was the cause of the devil's fall from a good angel into an evil one. This view was held by some early Christians, and also by Martin Luther. About pride, Luther also said, “Whoever trusts and boasts that he possesses great skill, prudence, power, favor, friendship, and honor has also a god, but not this true and only God." (LC I:1.10). Pride is defined as the love of one's own excellence. But where one loves himself and his excellence above all things, he turns himself into his own false god.  Jesus, God's Son made man, knows pride is dangerous. So He teaches the wedding feast parable. Those taking the highest place at a wedding reception will be humbled and forced to sit lower. There is no higher place at a wedding reception than the seats where the bride and groom sit. Imagine the audacity of a guest kicking the groom out of his place of honor! But that's what pride does. Pride kicks Christ, the Bridegroom of the Church, out of His central place of honor.What is the lowest place at a wedding reception? Perhaps the lowest place I can think of is if the wedding is in the middle of winter, and they have valets parking the cars. A shivering valet sits, waiting for the next car, but is not welcome to eat or drink. This would definitely be the lowest place at a winter wedding. So it will be for those who upstage Christ. They will be taken from the banquet, forced to do uncomfortable labor, and unwelcome to eat at the heavenly feast.But those who take the lowest place will be raised. These are repentant Christians who look in faith to Jesus for their salvation. So you who tremble because of your sins and rejoice in the Gospel that frees you, will be raised to honor on the Last Day. Christ, who died and rose, is the bridegroom. The Church is His Bride. So the sinner who trusts this Gospel for his salvation is raised to the highest place, the place of the Bride, along with all believing Christians. A bride rejoices in the love of her bridegroom and the new union they have together. So it is for the Church who believes in the Gospel of Jesus' love, rejoices to hear it again, and is united even deeper in love and faithfulness together at the very end.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.O Lord of grace and mercy, teach us by Your Holy Spirit to follow the example of Your Son in true humility, that we may withstand the temptations of the devil and with pure hearts and minds avoid ungodly pride; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.Rev. Robert Mayes, pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church and Zion St. John Lutheran Church, Beemer and Wisner, NE.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Study the early Church Fathers, Scripture, and Christian history alongside FLAME's conversational voice to see for yourself why their teachings from Scripture are important to study, and live out, today.

Ephesians 5 shows us that marriage is not just about husband and wife, but meant to be a picture of something bigger: how Christ loves His Bride, the Church. His love is agape - sacrificial, faithful, and steady. It calls us to lay down pride, to forgive, to serve, and to live in a way that points back to Him. This matters because we live in a world where it's easy to walk away when things get hard. But Jesus never walks away from His Church, even in our brokenness. If we belong to Him, we can't treat His Bride like an option. Our hope is in the One who loved us first and showed us what real commitment looks like. Join us as Stacey Cutshall reminds us that loving God and loving His Church are not separate. Even when the Church is messy or painful, we're still called to love it. Because when the Church loves like this, even through hurt and hardship, it becomes the clearest picture of Jesus to a watching world.

Jesus Delivers Us (10) (audio) David Eells -8/13/25 Saints, I'm going to continue our teaching how Jesus delivers us and our authority over the demons. I'm going to go over the last dream by SG I shared with you and give more of the interpretation. Let me make a point first. I was warned in a dream about a plot of the factious enemy. When the Lord told us that we would be able to cast it down, He made sure I found the dream that we shared last time, called “Getting Ready for the Storm.” It was given to me months prior on a piece of paper. I had shoved it in my Bible, and I became so busy that I forgot about it until the right time, when the Lord reminded me of it. He led me directly to it. You see, I had taken my Bible out of its holder, and I was fixing the loose binder. I had glued it and I was waiting for it to dry. I had many papers stuffed inside my Bible, not helping the binding, and I wanted to study because I had some things on my mind. I wanted to see what the Lord would say about them, but instead the Lord told me, “No, go through those papers and get them out of your Bible. Get the ones you don't need out.” As I was doing that, I ran across this revelation. It would have been lost forever if the Lord hadn't stopped me at just the right time to look at it. As soon as I started reading, I realized what I had. Let's examine it line by line to understand what God is revealing to us.   Getting Ready for the Storm by SG (David's notes in red) A few of us were outside a big house that was more than one-story high. (This represents God's house.) We were trying to get a platform or something apart before the storm was to come. (Before I found this dream, the Lord had given me a dream or vision in the middle of the night concerning my children, symbolizing UBM, who were with me. In this warning from the Lord, the wind started picking up. I looked around to see where the wind was coming from and noticed a great big tornado coming towards us. I told all the children to get in my car. This represents a place of safety, or the Man-child's way of rest and peace. With cars, you just start them up, push on the pedal, and they go. You don't have to pedal them. It's not man's works. So, all of them got in the car, except for one person. That person took off running towards the tornado. I realized that this represented the faction movement. This person was behaving like Judas did when he ran to the faction of the Sanhedrin to turn Jesus over to them. This revelation given to S.G. months before mine was all about getting ready for the storm. Also, the Lord showed S.G. that this rebellion was happening outside of the house. As I read her dream, Adonijah's faction rebellion to usurp David's throne came to me (1 Kings Chapters 1-2). This is where Adonijah was seeking a platform that was outside the house of God, and according to her dream, it needed to be taken down. This step comes before the storm of my dream arrives; otherwise, there will be trouble.) We needed to unscrew some bolts or something like that. (This represents taking down their strength through spiritual warfare. Bolts are the strength of holding things together.) We started to see wolves and dogs (symbolizing demons) trying to come against us. It was dark outside. There was thunder, lightning and blowing wind. All these represent the spiritual storm. We went inside the house. (Inside the house is a place of provision and safety, and it represents abiding in Jesus Christ, abiding in the temple of God, abiding in the house of the Lord. This usurpation was taking place outside the house of the Lord. The Church is going to go through a crucifixion at the hands of factious people. Factious people all believe that they are in the house of the Lord, but they're not, because they are in hatred, criticism, and rebellion.) We went inside the house. Many others from local UBM were in different rooms praying. Some were kneeling down, while some were standing and commanding the wolves and the dogs to go! It was all happening so fast. It was as if we were in the midst of a storm on a ship out to sea. Things were coming from all directions. We were just commanding those things to cease and go. (In this, we see that God is preparing us for tribulation. The Church will learn to do spiritual warfare. Isn't it wonderful that you can go through so much and yet be at peace? This is because you know from experience that you have authority over all the power of the enemy, and so the enemy has to obey your command. When Jesus sent out His disciples, they came back rejoicing because they had received the revelation that the demons were subject to them (Luke 10:17-20). Jesus said that He beheld Satan fallen from heaven (Luke 10:18). We see “Satan fallen from heaven” is a revelation that will be given to the “woman,” the Church, in the wilderness (Revelation 12:9), although this revelation is being given to the Bride and the Man-child now.) Things were coming from all directions. We were just commanding those things to cease and go. (This represents spiritual warfare training for the coming Passover and tribulation. We have a Passover coming, but we must not be in unforgiveness, criticism, anger, or judgment when that Passover comes. There's no sacrifice for willful disobedience (Hebrews 10:26) and you are going to reap what you sow if that happens (Galatians 6:7). During the Passover in Egypt, the Lord was in full control of the Destroyer. (Exo.12:23) For the Lord will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side-posts, the Lord will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you. The Passover was performed for those who had eaten all of the lamb. (Exo.12:10) And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; but that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire. God's people were delivered, even while Egypt was not. The world went under the curse, and the worldly do go under the curse, but God's people who had the blood on their doorposts were delivered.) At one point, it settled down a little. But then I was going outside and touching a gate that was open. It seemed like it shocked me. Then I couldn't speak, as if the enemy were trying to silence me. (Any open “door” will let the enemy in to hinder and sabotage God's work. If the saints are silenced, the enemy will win. We have to take authority over the enemy by the spoken word.) I was able to say, “No! In the Name of Jesus!” I said this as loudly as I could, and started to fight in the spirit. It started to get windy and rough again. (This is training and conditioning. We have to be conditioned like the military does with its people. We have to be conditioned to face the enemy fearlessly, having confidence that (Gal.2:20) … it is no longer I that live, but Christ living in me… and being practiced in using our weapons (2 Corinthians 10:4; Ephesians 6:10-17).) I saw David and Michael, and other brothers and sisters praying and taking care of the little ones. (These “little ones” are those who are not yet practiced in spiritual warfare. They are not confident in their weapons. Even David didn't want to put on Saul's armor (1 Samuel 17:39). He said that he hadn't proven or tested it. He wasn't used to Saul's armor, but he was used to his sling, and it was all he needed to take out Goliath (1 Samuel 17:49).) It was so chaotic and noisy! But everyone was doing their part in the warfare. A few of us would go up and down stairs, helping each other to fight. (This represents helping people at different levels of maturity.) We were strong and didn't give up. No one was frightened. (That's how you get when you enter into the rest. You just know that God has heard your prayers, that you have authority over the enemy, and so on.) But we were more determined when we saw the enemy come against us. As far as I could tell, there were no casualties. (That's important because when there is faction, somebody is taken out. In my dream, it was the guy who was running towards the tornado. So we sought the Lord because we didn't want anybody to be taken out, and we also asked the Lord to have mercy and to spare anybody whom the devil planned to use in this regard. Father heard our prayers. He showed us that we had authority to cast down this faction attack, yet I didn't know this confirmation of not losing anyone to faction, “no casualties,” had been hidden in my Bible all along. Glory be to God!) And before I woke up, I heard myself say two or three times, “I have to wake up and write this down.” (And then I woke up. God has a sense of humor, doesn't He?) S.G.'s Notes: I sensed we had the victory, even though I had left the whole scene (without seeing the end) when I woke up. I felt good about the dream, sensing that we were all working together. Even though the enemy was trying to bring chaos, the fight was done with order. We all knew what we were to do, and we did it. (This expertise in warfare has come through years of practice in dealing with the factious. The Lord's Man-child and Bride are being put through this training in order to go forth and bring wisdom to God's people, just as when Jesus and His Bride were first anointed. You, who are hearing and reading this now, are also gaining this knowledge and wisdom.) I asked the Lord for a Word to correspond to this dream. My finger went down on “our captain.” (2Ch.13:12KJV) And, behold, God himself is with us for our captain, and his priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you. O children of Israel, fight ye not against the Lord God of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper. This is the story of Jeroboam's faction against Israel. What were the chances of randomly landing on a faction verse? Jeroboam led Israel away in a faction from the house of David (2Ch.11:15) and he appointed him priests for the high places, and for the hegoats, and for the calves which he had made. He set up the false “Jesus” of the golden calves and, following the failed ambush he set up against Judah, he ultimately lost his kingdom and life to Abijah, the son of David. These misled people were all trusting in their golden calves, making priests who were not ordained of God, and following a leader who was a wicked, factious person, yet here they came to attack a people who still serve and sacrifice to the real, true God. The factious group attack a people who have the temple of God in their midst like Jerusalem and who are serving God. What is the chance of them winning? Zero! (2Ch.13:13) But Jeroboam caused an ambushment to come about behind them: so they were before Judah, and the ambushment was behind them. (The factious army was before Judah, and the ambushment was behind them.) (14) And when Judah looked back, behold, the battle was before and behind them; and they cried unto the Lord, and the priests sounded with the trumpets. (15) Then the men of Judah gave a shout: and as the men of Judah shouted, it came to pass, that God smote Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah (He was a son of David.) and Judah (was the house of David) (16) And the children of Israel (the faction) fled before Judah; and God delivered them into their hand. (17) And Abijah and his people slew them with a great slaughter: so there fell down slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men. (In our literal war with the factious they are spiritually dead and many are physically dead.)(18) Thus the children of Israel were brought under at that time, and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied upon the Lord, the God of their fathers. (19) And Abijah pursued after Jeroboam (the factious leadership), and took cities from him, Beth-el (“house of God.”) with the towns thereof, and Jeshanah with the towns thereof, and Ephron with the towns thereof. (20) Neither did Jeroboam recover strength again in the days of Abijah (The faction was over.): and the Lord smote him, and he died. S.G.'s Notes: Then, the Lord gave me the word “tumult” from H1993 “Strong's Concordance” which means “to make a loud sound, to be in great commotion, roar, be in an uproar, to rage, war, clamor.” I looked up a few verses with the word “tumult” in them. One of the Scriptures, Psalm 83:2, I received twice in twenty-four hours: (Psa.83:2) For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: And they that hate thee have lifted up the head. (What were the chances of her randomly landing on a paragraph the next morning containing the word “tumult”? Praise God for His divine direction! Amazingly, Psalm 83 details the total victory God's people experienced when all their enemies came together to ambush Judah. This event is like the Sennacherib scenario (2 Kings 19) or the northern army that was conquered by the visitation of the Lord when He brought revival and the latter rain (Joel 2). How wonderfully God puts things together!) Psalm 83 is about a faction against God's people. It is called “A Song, a Psalm of Asaph.” Let's read it in its entirety. (Psa.83:1) O God, keep not thou silence: Hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God. (2) For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult; And they that hate thee have lifted up the head. (3) They take crafty counsel against thy people, And consult together against thy hidden ones. (4) They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; That the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. (5) For they have consulted together with one consent; Against thee do they make a covenant (All the enemy came against them to take them out. Has that ever happened to natural Israel? Yes, and natural Israel is a parable for the Church.): (6) The tents of Edom (They were the sons of Abraham but they made themselves enemies to the chosen people of Israel. The Edomites persecuted their own brothers.) and the Ishmaelites (They did the same thing.); Moab, and the Hagarenes; (7) Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek; Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre: (8) Assyria also is joined with them; They have helped the children of Lot. (All these people fought against Israel. They made themselves the enemy of Israel, and all of them paid for it because they were all conquered.) Selah. (9) Do thou unto them as unto Midian, as to Sisera, as to Jabin, at the river Kishon (Give these enemies total defeat, including the loss of their head.); (10) Who perished at Endor, Who became as dung for the earth. (11) Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb; Yea, all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna; (12) Who said, Let us take to ourselves in possession The habitations of God. (There was no chance of this happening; their failed plan to usurp the House of God was completely cast down.) (13) O my God, make them like the whirling dust; As stubble before the wind. (14) As the fire that burneth the forest, And as the flame that setteth the mountains on fire, (15) So pursue them with thy tempest, And terrify them with thy storm. (16) Fill their faces with confusion, That they may seek thy name, O Lord. (17) Let them be put to shame and dismayed for ever… This is what the Lord is doing with the factious. They are meeting with failure because of their evil schemes, and they don't even know that they've been taken by the devil. They don't know they are a captive of his will. If they get the revelation of what they have done, as people do who are delivered from demons, they are going to be shamed. This is good because it will make them very strong, as it did the Apostle Paul. He was shamed and wanted to make up for his attacks against his chosen brethren in every way possible (Acts 8:3,9:21; Galatians 1:13,23). He was the strongest of all the apostles. (Psa.83:17) Let them be put to shame and dismayed for ever; Yea, let them be confounded and perish; (18) That they may know that thou alone, whose name is the Lord, Art the Most High over all the earth. God is so good! He has a plan, and He can certainly tell you what it is. He is an awesome Savior in all things. Praise be to God! If we're going to make war against demonic entities, we cannot be deceived as to the enemy's identity and how to conquer him. We cannot be “ignorant of his devices”, although there are some laughable things in this next dream I'm going to share with you. It's all about the devil's devices, and it fits together very well. God is so amazing when His gifts, such as dreams, come together through His people to edify them, and God has many of these gifts in reserve that He can release at any time. Well, for quite a while we've been calling these things that take over God's people in the faction “stupid” demons. Sometimes we just look at each other when we hear things the factious say. We shake our heads, thinking, “How is it possible that anybody could believe such a thing?” Factious demons make people so stupid that they don't even realize what they're doing. Factious people don't recognize how idiotic their excuses are for disobeying God's Word, and it's a shameful thing, but they will understand more and more as they come out from under their demon-induced stupor. We praise God for their elects coming release! We've been praying for it. These are our friends whom we love. We know that God will give us all the victory through our warfare. Now let's look at the dream and the interpretation so that we can better understand the warfare that's needed.)   The Invasion of the “Stupid” Demons – Part 1 by S.S. (David's notes in red) I am in a meadow praying for all of UBM. In this dream, I am only praying for what the Lord gives or leads me to pray for them. And I am weeping for them while praying. Then I am standing in a hall with four doorways. As I look at the first doorway, a man comes out and says in carnival talk, “Let me tell you something lady! If you really want to know how to pray and get all the distractions out of your life, this is how you do it.” (“Carnival talk” is “make-believe.” It's talk to satisfy the lusts of the speaker, who wants to get something over on you. They are known for being slick salesmen and luring in the gullible public to their sideshows. Deceiving spirits keep people from knowing the real power of prayer by substituting their silly notions, and by doing that, they also keep God's people from knowing or discovering the demon's power.) In the doorway was a chin-up bar. He begins to hang upside down from it, and he starts swinging by his legs. He says, “You see, this is how you get rid of the demons! They can't hang around because you are upside down.” I reply, “What? That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard.” (That's exactly what we're talking about with these “stupid” demons. This is deception. The demons try to foist their power, what they're able to do, upon the people of God. Some people are made useless because they listen to the devil, instead of God, about spiritual warfare.) And then, I look closely at him. He is a cartoon walrus. (This may sound silly on the surface, but a walrus represents one who is full of flesh. Walruses get up to four to five thousand pounds; they're just monstrous. Also, it's interesting that their tusks are enlarged canines, which they use to pull their body, their flesh out of the water. In other words, they use their mouth and their teeth to separate themselves from God's Word, the “water,” for the sake of their flesh. That's like this deceptive demon represented by the carnival barker. A carnival is a place where they take advantage of you and make money off of you.) Then I look at the second doorway. There I see one large rat, three medium rats, and one baby rat. (Rats are unclean beasts and bearers of disease. People generally like to get rid of them.) And the biggest one is saying, “Don't be a rat! Don't be a rat!” To “rat” is to tell on somebody, to betray them by revealing incriminating information. The three medium ones are saying, “Don't tell! Don't tell!” And the baby rat is sniffling and trying to hold up his pants at the waist, saying with a very small voice, “Don't tell the truth! Don't tell the truth!” (Jesus promised in (Joh.8:32) and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. You will not be in bondage with the truth. Truth and prayer reveal the works and the power of the enemy; they give you wisdom so that you can destroy the enemy even before he makes his attack. It will be like the Sennacherib scenario, where the enemy is destroyed before they are able to shoot a single arrow into Jerusalem (Isaiah 37:33-36). The enemy is prevented from shooting into the Bride because God is defending her.) In the third doorway, I could see a classroom holding small grade-school desks, the type with a place for books under the seat. And the teacher is showing them how to pray a mantra. There was one little girl who couldn't do it. She could not remember the prayer. (Much of immature Christianity prays like this, trying to call up the power of God without heart and without faith. The only thing that answers mantras is demons. The Lord Jesus told us, (Mat.6:7) And in praying use not vain repetitions, as the Gentiles do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. This reminds me of when the nuns taught us to pray the Rosary for whatever we needed from God. We were told that if we did enough of these prayers, the “Hail Mary's” and “Our Father's,” we might get an answer, but it was all just praying a repetitive prayer, a mantra. The Lord doesn't want prayers like that; He wants prayers from your heart. He wants to have personal communication with you. (Jas.5:16) … The supplication of a righteous man availeth much in its working. We know and understand what He wants, but some people do not, and their rote prayers are not the kind that God hears. Going on with the dream.) With his fingers, the teacher is thumping the girl's head saying, “You're not trying hard enough! You are not trying hard enough.” (Salvation in all of its forms is not by works of man or works of law, but through repentance and faith in God. (Eph.2:8) For by grace have ye been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, [it is] the gift of God; (9) not of works, that no man should glory. People who tell you that you are not trying hard enough and who don't direct you into faith towards God are just going to frustrate you. When this happens, you will never arrive at your “destination.” So, of course, demons try to get people caught up in this kind of legalism because the demons know their human victims are not going to get any answers that way. They know the people will end up in frustration, losing their faith, and falling away. The demons have been doing this for thousands of years.) Continuing, I had been looking at the girl from the side, but she suddenly turns and looks my way with a sideways, downcast glance as if to say, “Did I show you my true colors?” (Yes, those oppressed under the law are not justified; therefore, their prayers are hindered.) And then she turns into a cartoon wolf. All the rest of the class are wolves, also. (Anybody who is under the law like that will never come to maturity. The law cannot perfect (Romans 3:20; Galatians 2:16; Hebrews 7:19; etc.) Those who seek God only for “fire insurance” haven't been changed in heart, and they will be dangerous to the body when their true colors are ultimately seen. They are just tares amongst the wheat (Matthew 13:24-30) and therefore, the true Church is being sanctified from them. There is an ongoing separation of the tares from the wheat. The Lord Jesus said, (Mat.13:30) Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather up first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn. We all may have gone through a time of legalism, but then we learned what was wrong with it, and we didn't stay there. If somebody stays there until the end, they are not justified before God. They are not accounted righteous before God, and they will lose out. It makes no difference if they call themselves a “Christian.” It's dangerous to stay in legalism after we've been redeemed from it. (Gal.4:4) But when the fulness of time came, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, (5) that he might redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. Demons try to get people caught up in situations where they won't get answers from God. Demons fear our prayers of faith and justification, so they use every trick they have to get us off track one way or another. They're not stupid; they just make people act stupid. All of this is to hinder us from doing spiritual warfare.) Continuing: And I say, “Oh Lord! This dream is dumb! I don't even like cartoons!” Cartoons are not real. (In this case, they're deceptions, figments of imagination that are not from God.) Next, I'm looking at the fourth doorway where a group of people are getting ready to pray. Someone announces loudly, “We're getting ready to pray now. We're getting ready to pray now.” (We are not supposed to cease from praying. The Lord says we are to (1Th.5:17) Pray without ceasing. This even includes prayers coming from our thought life.) The next word spoken is, “Let everyone pray in tongues for a little bit.” And all the people change into cartoon characters. (There's nothing wrong with speaking in tongues; it's very good, but the way some people speak in tongues is not so good. Some are putting on a cartoon show. Also, If a person has not repented and is not walking by faith, what would the Holy Spirit pray through them? Well, since He's praying for their good, He may be speaking judgment to turn them around or turn them from their sins, but many times that's not the thought of some when they're praying. They're thinking that this is the way to peace and prosperity when, instead, the Holy Spirit says, (Isa.26:9) With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee earnestly: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness. It's true that sometimes people don't get honest with God until they go through judgments. A sister, who had suffered for many years under these tormenting spirits of rejection, would get in bad shape, and each time we would pray for her. The Lord was faithful to heal her, but then she would get in bad shape all over again. My thoughts were, “Okay, something's wrong. There's a foundation that we're not discovering.” Many times I brought up the subject of unforgiveness to her, and many times she would tell me, “Oh no, David! I don't have any unforgiveness toward anybody,” but I knew what she really meant was, “No, I don't want to kill them right now!” It was obvious that she was holding on to unforgiveness. Anyway, her husband and I would pray for her and she would keep going through this cycle, until ultimately, she had a stroke and was sagging on one side. I don't know how near death she came, but it was during this time that she was forced into being very honest with God. And sure enough, she discovered that she had unforgiveness towards her ex-husband and some other people. The Lord had turned her over to these tormentors, just as He said He would do in His Word. When she repented of this unforgiveness, her husband and I got her up out of bed and started marching her down the hall, walking by faith, but one side was not cooperating. We marched her around the kitchen island a few times, when, lo and behold, the power of the Lord hit her! He straightened her right up from the effects of the stroke. She was healed, and this breakthrough happened because she finally came to the place of being honest. The Holy Spirit is saying, “Sometimes people won't repent without this trouble.” (Isa.26:10) Let favor be shown to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness; in the land of uprightness will he deal wrongfully, and will not behold the majesty of the Lord. (11) Lord, thy hand is lifted up, yet they see not (The Lord is making war against their enemies, their flesh and the demons therein.): but they shall see [thy] zeal for the people, and be put to shame; yea, fire shall devour thine adversaries. If you really want everything that God has that will make you better, you're willing to go to your cross, and you may even be praying in the Spirit for yourself to go to your cross. A lot of prosperity-minded people think that praying in the Spirit is the fix-all. They think that praying in the Spirit is going to bring peace and prosperity, with their enemies conquered, and so on. Ultimately, this is very true, but only if they have repented and are walking towards the Lord, but many people are like this sister. They don't know what's been holding them back all this time, but the Lord can show them, just as the Holy Spirit did for this sister. And since the Holy Spirit knows that some people need chastening, it's a delusion to think that praying in the Spirit, real or supposed, will always bring peace and prosperity, but demons like to delude. Repentance and faith are the foundation for prayer. The Holy Spirit intercedes for us according to the Will of God, not our carnal will. We know His goodwill comes to those who love Him, and we know to love Him is to keep His commandments (John 14:15). Remember, the Bible says, (Rom.8:26) And in like manner the Spirit also helpeth our infirmity (We have problems sometimes. We don't see the things we need to see. We don't know ourselves as well as we think.): for we know not how to pray as we ought… It is so true! God gives us the gift of speaking in tongues because we don't know what we should pray, but the Spirit does know what to pray. (Rom.8:26) … but the Spirit himself maketh intercession for [us] with groanings which cannot be uttered; (27) and he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to [the will of] God. So once again, we gain wisdom concerning the work of the Holy Spirit in us in how to defeat the enemy, which sometimes entails bringing us through chastening. (Rom.8:28) And we know that to them that love God all things work together for good… What about those who don't prove their love for God by their obedience? What if it's more important to them to seek the world, cater to their flesh, and keep the old man alive? In such a case, what comes to them for good would be chastening. (Rom.8:28) … all things work together for good, [even] to them that are called according to [his] purpose. At the beginning of this revelation, S.S. said, “I am only praying for what the Lord gives me to pray, and the way the Lord leads me to pray for them.” That's good! That's very important! Going on with the dream. People began putting their thumbs on their temples and waving their hands like wings, making exaggerated thumb movements. Have you ever heard of people doing such things? (Mat.23:5) But all their works they do to be seen of men: for they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders [of their garments], (6) and love the chief place at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, (7) and the salutations in the marketplaces, and to be called of men, Rabbi.) Continuing: And their tongues were about twelve inches long, and their eyes were as big as saucers. (There are religious spirits that make God's people do silly things to impress the people around them, all the time thinking that they are being spiritual. People can become pretty stupid when they have those spirits.) I said, “Enough is enough! When are people going to behave themselves?” (The prayers some people pray are simply in vain. They're useless because the people haven't repented, yet they think they're going to receive. That's no better than repeating a monotonous mantra. The Holy Spirit, through Paul and Jude, called letting the Holy Spirit pray through us “praying in the Spirit.” (Eph.6:18) With all prayer and supplication praying at all seasons in the Spirit, and watching thereunto in all perseverance and supplication for all the saints. Good things come from praying in the Spirit. (Jud.1:20) But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, (21) keep yourselves in the love of God… Have you prayed to build yourself up in the faith? Praise be to God! It's the act of being a vessel through whom the Spirit of God will pray for God's Will. It's not a blank check for your will. It's necessary for those who are repentant and not afraid for the Will of God to be manifested. (1Co.14:14) For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prayeth (Notice that the Holy Spirit prays through our spirit.), but my understanding is unfruitful. (Your understanding is “unfruitful” because you don't know what you're saying.) (15) What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also… Are you that determined that you should pray in these ways? I hope so; it's very important, but it's also important to do it right and not care about what other people think. It's important to be at rest with the Spirit of God, allowing Him to speak through you. (15) … and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also. I do that and love it. I feel edified when I sing in the spirit. Paul told believers to be (Eph.6:18) With all prayer and supplication praying at all seasons in the Spirit… He also said, (1Co.14:18) I thank God, I speak with tongues more than you all. Praise God! Now, let me say that if we are addressing the assembly in the Spirit, that is, addressing the assembly in tongues, there should also be interpretation. If we're not standing up to address the assembly, it's permitted to speak in tongues in the assembly, and interpretation is not required. Paul said for us to be “With all prayer and supplication praying at all seasons in the Spirit,” but that we should be praying with the understanding, too. If we are simply addressing God in tongues, our understanding is not required; however, if we are speaking to a group, they need to understand it. It will do no good to speak to them in tongues unless there's an interpretation. Speaking in tongues is not necessarily the same as the gift of tongues. The gift of tongues and its companion gift of interpretation are for the purpose of standing up to address the assembly. These gifts are for the Body, and they're on an equal footing with prophecy. Any person who is baptized in the Holy Spirit can speak in tongues, and it's very good to speak in tongues because (1Co.14:4) He that speaketh in a tongue edifieth himself (He “builds” himself up. Some people think that's a negative statement, but it's positive because you're building yourself up in the Holy Spirit.); but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.  

Pastor Kara asked, "How do you make your wedding stand out in a myriad of marriages?" God had the same thought and gave direction for how we, His Bride, would stand out differently amongst a cacophony of cultures. Join us to learn more about how the Church is described as the Bride and our relationship to Jesus mirrored in marriage. 

Send us a messageThere is a beautiful parallel that is evidenced within the Jewish Wedding Feast, and the betrothal of Jesus with His Bride – which is His true Church.Within this sacred ritual is held glorious revelations of His Great Love for us – what it cost Him to make us His Own – and the certain reality that He is Coming back  for us to meet us in the sky – in majestic Resurrection power at the Rapture.And as we await that longed for moment – which by all the prophetic signs unfolding before us – is going to happen very soon – I pray that by way of reminder we will draw more deeply to our First Love – Who first Loved us – and Who chose us before the foundation of the world. (Ephesians 1:4-5) In order that we would be found to be holy and blameless before Him – and readied in Holy Spirit sanctified power.Faithful is He who calls you – and He also will bring it to pass. (1 Thessalonians 5:24)Support the showVisit our website: https://agapelightministries.com/

In today's message, Pastor Brian Carroll takes us to the final chapter of the Bible, where Jesus offers both a gift to His Bride—the Church—and an invitation to the lost. As we approach the end of Revelation, we're reminded that the story doesn't close with judgment, but with an open call: “Come.” This is The Invitation.

Peter Michalak brings the Word as he reminds us to be the Church that Christ envisioned for Us, His Bride, and to truly become an Acts 2 church that thrives on Community & Fellowship, united by the Blood of the Lamb. As always, thank you for your generosity!  If you would like to give to Destiny Church, please click this link and then click the giving tab! https://destinychurch.me/ Or text destinychurchgive to 77977!

Sunday, August 3, 2025 – Pastor Mike continues the study of the Assemblies of God 16 Fundamental Truths, focusing on Truth 13 – “The Blessed Hope.” The last four Tenets of the Assemblies' 16 Fundamentals all deal with future events yet to come and are the most exciting to discuss. Today, we’re talking about “The Blessed Hope,” which is the next major event on God’s prophetic timetable: the “Rapture of the Church.” The rapture is called the blessed hope, not because we are wishful that it will happen, but because it is a guaranteed promise based on the Bible’s words. The blessed hope is when Jesus returns in the clouds to take His Bride, the Church, back to His Father’s house in Heaven. That’s what we’ll explore in more detail. Worship and study with us, and you’ll be encouraged, knowing we can be confident in experiencing all that God has prepared. Watch until the very end, as Pastor Mike has a special announcement he shared with the congregation this morning regarding his future tenure at Center Point.

Sunday, August 3, 2025 – Pastor Mike continues the study of the Assemblies of God 16 Fundamental Truths, focusing on Truth 13 – “The Blessed Hope.” The last four Tenets of the Assemblies' 16 Fundamentals all deal with future events yet to come and are the most exciting to discuss. Today, we’re talking about “The Blessed Hope,” which is the next major event on God’s prophetic timetable: the “Rapture of the Church.” The rapture is called the blessed hope, not because we are wishful that it will happen, but because it is a guaranteed promise based on the Bible’s words. The blessed hope is when Jesus returns in the clouds to take His Bride, the Church, back to His Father’s house in Heaven. That’s what we’ll explore in more detail. Worship and study with us, and you’ll be encouraged, knowing we can be confident in experiencing all that God has prepared. Watch until the very end, as Pastor Mike has a special announcement he shared with the congregation this morning regarding his future tenure at Center Point.

by Elder John Morgan Owens (preached on July 13, 2025) As we began to see yesterday, marriage is an institution created by God for the purpose of reflecting the relationship between Christ and His Bride, the Church. Join us today as Elder John Morgan Owens continues to teach us from the Bible about marriage, and...

God is going to bring a shaking to our Nation. And in this shaking, there is going to be a lot of fruit falling from the tree. Today Pastor Stan shares the incredible testimony of Katie, who died in a flood and the Lord showed her the future of America. There is also a great revival coming and this just proves that Jesus is alive, and He is coming to get His Bride. 00:00 Intro 01:20 Katie’s Testimony 18:26 Final Words 22:00 Our Sponsors

God is going to bring a shaking to our Nation. And in this shaking, there is going to be a lot of fruit falling from the tree. Today Pastor Stan shares the incredible testimony of Katie, who died in a flood and the Lord showed her the future of America. There is also a great revival coming and this just proves that Jesus is alive, and He is coming to get His Bride. 00:00 Intro 01:20 Katie’s Testimony 18:26 Final Words 22:00 Our Sponsors

Jesus wants His Bride, the Church, to be known for what she does, not only for what she doesn't do.In other words, Jesus wants Christians to care for the hurting, to see them and to meet their needs personally.In fact, in Matthew 25:35-36, He says, "for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me," saying that when any of these benevolent deeds were done to the least of His brethren, it was done to Christ Himself.When we minister to those in need, we are doing it unto Christ the Lord. Imagine having the opportunity to serve Jesus a meal, or to visit Him in His time of need? We wouldn't hesitate!In this lagniappe edition, I exhort believers to answer the call to serve the way Jesus does - an exhortation I am experiencing ever so personally this week!!(RAR2025EP29)

Only Jesus - Matthew 17:1-13When the child of GodLooks into the word of GodAnd sees the Son of GodThey are transformed by the Spirit of GodInto the image of GodFor the glory of God-Warren WiersbeJesus said some of them would get to see Him as the glorified Son of Man - 16:27-28Today's passage fulfills what Jesus spoke of in 16:28 – Jesus' transfiguration was a preview of His coming Kingdom spoken of in Dan. 7!Jesus' ‘inner circle' got to see Him as the glorified Son of Man - 17:1-2The word for transfigured is the word metamorpoo (G 3339), which occurs 4 times in the New Testament. It means to change from one form into another, to transform (see Rom. 12:2; 2 Cor. 3:18).Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we KNOW that when He appears we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who thus hopes in Him purifies himself as He is pure. - 1 John 3:2-3Jesus brings together saints from different ages - 17:3Moses was the great lawgiver and Elijah was the great prophet. Together they represented the Law and the Prophets (the entire O.T.) that testified that the Messiah was coming to deal with sins and rule on earth.And behold, two men were talking with Him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke about His departure, which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. - Luke 9:30Let us rejoice and exult and give Him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure – for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. - Rev. 19:7 (see also Dan. 12:3)God the Father sets Peter straight! - 17:4-6For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified. - Mark 9:6Peter's problem was that he was elevating Moses and Elijah to equal status with Jesus, and diminishing the glory due Jesus alone!You may remember that when Moses met with God on Mount Sinai clouds of thick darkness surrounded him (Ex. 20:21; Deut. 4:11); but here it is a bright cloud that envelopes them (The dark cloud represented the imposing Law, while this bright cloud represented the hope of the gospel).Jesus alone raises His disciples up - 17:7-8Jesus keeps teaching His disciples - 17:9-13We were eyewitnesses of His Majesty. For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, and the Voice was borne to Him by the Majestic Glory, “This is My Beloved Son, with Whom I am well pleased,” we ourselves heard this very Voice borne from Heaven, for we were with Him on the holy mountain. - 2 Peter 1:16b-18And 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. - John 1:14 (see also 1 John 1:1-3)What should our response to Jesus' transfiguration be?When the Lord Jesus is revealed from Heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. - 2 Thessalonians 1:7b-8Jesus doesn't want to save you by just scaring you to death at the thought of judgment. He wants you to respond to His lovingkindness!Or do you presume on the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? - Romans 2:4Henceforth 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. - 2 Tim. 4:8

In this episode, we confront a growing trend in contemporary Christianity: the desire to have Christ without His Church. Many today seek a personal faith disconnected from any visible communion, doctrine, or shared life with the Body of Christ. But is such a divorce possible—or faithful? We begin by exploring modern attempts to follow Jesus while distancing from the Church, examining the roots of this spiritual individualism and the dangers it poses. Then we turn to the Lutheran Confessions, where Luther clearly affirms that the Church is not only a human community but an article of faith: “I believe that there is on earth a little holy group and congregation of pure saints...” (SA III.XII.1–2; Large Catechism, Creed, III). The Church is where Christ is present with His Word and Sacraments. Finally, we present a better way forward—a way rooted in love for both the Bridegroom and His Bride. To love Christ is to love His Church. To receive Him is to receive His gifts in the fellowship of believers. Join us as we seek a faithful and joyful reintegration of personal faith with the life of the Church, where Christ is truly known and received. ----more---- Host: Fr. Jason Braaten Special Guest: Fr. Mike Grieve ----more---- Become a Patron! You can subscribe to the Journal here: https://www.gottesdienst.org/subscribe/ You can read the Gottesblog here: https://www.gottesdienst.org/gottesblog/ You can support Gottesdienst here: https://www.gottesdienst.org/make-a-donation/ As always, we, at The Gottesdienst Crowd, would be honored if you would Subscribe, Rate, and Review. Thanks for listening and thanks for your support. 

Instead of rushing past the familiar line “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life,” we're invited to slow down and receive it not just as a doctrinal statement, but as a personal proposal from the Groom to His Bride. Don't pass over the Passover, don't pass over the proposal, and above all—don't pass over the Person of Jesus.

Solomon's covenant marriage to the Shulamite is a picture of God's love for His Bride, the Church. God's love is more than a commitment. It's a covenant that is binding, unbreakable, irrevocable, and irreversible. 4 Things Covenant Love Is: Covenant love is providential. Covenant love is permanent. Covenant love is pure. Covenant love appreciates the past. Join Pastor Phil Hopper for the final sermon in the Living Your Love Story series through the Book of Song of Solomon. Be encouraged with biblical principles and learn about God's vision for covenant marriage.

Instead of rushing past the familiar line “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life,” we're invited to slow down and receive it not just as a doctrinal statement, but as a personal proposal from the Groom to His Bride. Don't pass over the Passover, don't pass over the proposal, and above all—don't pass over the Person of Jesus.

Instead of rushing past the familiar line “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life,” we're invited to slow down and receive it not just as a doctrinal statement, but as a personal proposal from the Groom to His Bride. Don't pass over the Passover, don't pass over the proposal, and above all—don't pass over the Person of Jesus.

Get ready- He's coming for His Bride. In this episode, Pastor Steve goes over Revelation chapter 19, where we see Jesus coming for His Church. ALL are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb, but it is up to each of us to accept the invitation. ---------SUBSCRIBE ▶️ Receive our latest videos:https://www.youtube.com/c/PastorSteve...ABOUTPastor, author and speaker Steve Berger is known for his straight talk in dealing with various hot-topic cultural issues that many pastors avoid. In 2021, he founded Ambassador Services International with his wife, Sarah. He serves on the Executive and Pastoral Advisory Boards for Promise Keepers International, and the Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast Board, and is Pastor Emeritus of One Church Home in Fairview TN. Whether preaching or writing, in great joy or pain, Steve longs to be a proclaimer of the grace and hope that Jesus came to offer. Since June of 1987, he has been married to Sarah, the love of his life, and together, they have four beautiful children and five grandchildren.LEARN MORE

Vintage City Church // Revelation 21:9-22:4 // David MitchellIn Revelation 21:9-22:4, John is shown the City of God, a perfect Kingdom in which God dwells with His Bride, the Church.

As the Bride of Christ, the Church has been eagerly anticipating His return for over 2,000 years. Song of Solomon 3 describes the return of Solomon for his bride which foreshadows the coming of Jesus. He came first as a shepherd, but when he reappears, he is a majestic king. Like Solomon, Jesus came first as a Shepherd. But He will return as a majestic and triumphant King for His bride, the Church. The excitement that Solomon's bride felt at his return is the same excitement the Bride of Christ should feel as we long for Jesus to come again. The three stages of the Hebrew wedding mirror the relationship between Christ and His bride. 1.) Betrothal Just as the bridegroom signed the Ketubah and promised to return, Jesus has promised to come back for His Bride. We are currently in this betrothal stage, called to remain faithful and ready. 2.) Consummation. The bridegroom's unexpected return to carry his bride home is a vivid picture of the rapture, where the Bride of Christ will be reunited with the Bridegroom. Only the Father knows the day or hour. 3.) Celebration. The wedding feast symbolizes the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, where Christ and His bride will rejoice together. We are living in anticipation of the great celebration that will happen when Jesus comes again for His bride. Jesus is coming for his bride very soon! We know it's soon for three reasons: 1) The Jews are back in the Land—prophecy fulfilled in 1917. 2) Israel is reborn as a nation—prophecy fulfilled in 1948. 3) The Jews are back in Jerusalem—prophecy fulfilled in 1967. As the bride of Christ, we need to be ready by working and watching for the return of the Bridegroom! We must keep our lamps burning, living the abundant life—fully awake, alert, and filled with the Spirit. Join Pastor Phil Hopper as he explores the prophetic beauty of Solomon's return for his bride and its connection to the rapture and the Bride of Christ.

Leslie continues the He Is series with an inspiring reminder that Jesus is enough to satisfy us at the soul-level, no matter our season of life or circumstances. Many women struggle with finding contentment during singleness, while others feel frustrated and dissatisfied in marriage. It's all too easy to base our happiness on human relationships instead of our relationship with Jesus Christ. While it's true that God designed us for relationship with others, it is not true that He alone isn't enough to fulfill us at the deepest level, even if every form of human companionship is stripped away. As Leslie shares in this episode, the entire Bible is a love story — a romance between Jesus Christ and His Bride. Our earthly marriages are meant to showcase the ultimate marriage that we will one day share with Him. But even if we never experience earthly marriage, we can be completely fulfilled by our relationship with Jesus Christ. To learn more about our 2025 Set Apart Conference, https://setapart.org/2025-set-apart-conference/. For more resources from Leslie, visit https://setapart.org/. To learn about our 2025 Ellerslie Discipleship Programs, visit https://ellerslie.com/be-discipled/. To support Set Apart Ministries, visit https://setapart.org/support/.