“Look the tabernacle of God is with men and He will dwell with them. They shall be His people and God Himself will dwell with them and be their God. God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. There shall be no more death. Neither shall there be any more sorrow nor crying nor pain, for the former things have passed away.” (Rev. 21:3-4)

The Holy City, New Jerusalem, the final dwelling place for those in Jesus Christ, will measure one thousand four hundred miles on each side; its length, breadth, and height equal. The city is made of pure gold… clear as glass and is decorated with precious stones and single pearls as gates! In this kingdom, we shall see God face to face and His name will be on our foreheads. We will serve God and rule with Him forever!

The great divide between teams is becoming increasingly clear as we have recently witnessed a Christian man with young children being gunned down in broad daylight, murdered for all the world to see, and then the celebration and mockery of his death! It is shocking how dark and twisted the world is becoming. As children of the Most High, we should not fear death or tribulations to come. The church age is winding down.  At the appointed time, our earthly bodies will be exchanged for glorified bodies! We will finally be with our Lord and even rule over angels if you can imagine that! Let us rejoice knowing the victory over the dragon, the ancient serpent, the adversary, Satan, belongs to our Lord Jesus Christ, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords!

Are you a sinner or a saint? Are you a chosen and faithful one? Saints of God, the bride of Christ, are bought with a high mohar, an extremely high price, the blood of the only son of God! Saints are born again, washed in His blood, and baptized into Jesus Christ. They have received the gift of life. They are ready for the marriage supper, they have the correct garments on, the whole armor of God. They are ready for their groom!

If you have not already, receive Jesus Christ today. This is the great exchange of all time, our sin for His righteousness.  You will never be the same again, you will be changed into a new creation, into a brand-new wine skin, raised to life with Jesus.

Eve was deceived by the old serpent in the garden of Eden, she took the bait, and consequently humanity received a sin nature. God already had a plan from before the foundations of the earth to save humans from the consequence of this massive failure. Nothing is a surprise to the Alpha and the Omega. God sent His only Son on a mission trip to earth to save us from death. This is incredibly good news! Jesus came to remove our corrupted sin nature by paying the price for us… a gruesome horrific death. He was the only one who could atone, the only spotless lamb, the only sinless human. The sin of the entire world was placed on Jesus at the cross, and He bore it all! Can you imagine the weight of it?

Satan tried to stop the ‘one who would crush his head.’ He tried to keep Him from completing His mission. He worked through King Herod, killing all the baby boys in Bethlehem born around Jesus’s birth. Satan tried again with the great temptation of Jesus those 40 days and nights in the desert. In the final attempt, Satan entered Jesus’s disciple Judas, to have Jesus arrested, tortured, and crucified, which backfired big time… big!

Jesus perfectly completed His mission on earth, the redemption of humanity. Satan lost. Jesus Christ won the victory for the Father, and for you and me. May we follow suit and complete the mission the Father has for each of us in our fleeting time on earth. Let us hold fast, as this life is just a vapor considering eternity.

In the ancient Jewish marriage customs, the potential bride is chosen, usually by the father of the groom. The girl says yes by drinking from the cup of wine offered by the groom.  A ketubah, a marriage contract, is signed in which the groom promises to work, provide, support, protect and to live together as husband and wife. A mohar or bridal price was paid for her in money, goods, and/or service.

The betrothal or engagement began up to twelve months before the wedding. During this waiting period, the couple are legally considered husband and wife! Meanwhile, the groom goes back to his father’s house to prepare a place for them, as the bride prepares herself for the wedding. She waits for him to return at an unknown hour.

At the appointed time, the groom’s father announces to his son, today is the day, get your bride. He and his friends then walk the streets to the bride’s house in a parade of sorts, with joy, musical instruments, and celebration. The bride is overjoyed by the realization that her groom has finally come for her! He would then take her and her friends to his father’s house for the ceremony, consummation, and the marriage supper, a spectacular feast that had been prepared. The grand celebration included dancing, singing, the best wine, and of course feasting. It would continue for up to a week!

The Jewish marriage institution in part was to protect, place value, and give security to the bride. In the pagan marriages of the time, a man could spot a woman on the streets and marry her by bringing her to his house, have relations, and then could dispose of her if he wished. There was no protection for the woman who could be discarded so easily. If the Jewish husband wanted a divorce, he would have to give his wife the mohar, what was agreed upon in the ketubah!

Our groom will come to get us, His bride, for the marriage supper of the Lamb where we celebrate the joyful, intimate, and eternal union with Jesus. Jesus said, “I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom” (Mathew 26:29). What a communion, what a glorious celebration it will be!

Believe God. Trust Him. Surrender all and remember Jesus’s words, “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with Me to give to each one according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning, and the End, the First and the Last.” (Revelation 22:12-13)

Do not let this world pull you away from your betrothed. There are too many distractions and deceptions, do not succumb to it. Seek God first. Make Him number one in your life, the one you think about and honor, the one you yearn for, just like the bride preparing herself for her husband. The muslins bow before Allah at least three times a day. The Indians honor their Hindu gods in puja rituals, and the Buddhists live an entire life of service to their god! Doesn’t the one true living God, the Creator, the great I Am deserve more from His people than these false evil gods? Let us proclaim like the line from Lauren Daigle’s song “First,” You are my treasure and my reward, let nothing ever come before I seek You first.