The Bride (12-07-08)

Ehp. 5:31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and the two become one flesh.” 32 “This is a great mystery and I am applying it to Christ and the church,” 27 ”so as to present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or anything of the kind – yes, so that she may be holy and without blemish .”

For those of you who know my personal prophecy you’ll recall that there were two prongs. One to be a man sought out for my financial knowledge who would bless the people of God with money and two a marriage counselor. This prophecy is over twenty years old and I have walked in the light of that word all this time. A couple of days ago the light I walked in appeared to be darkness when God unraveled this great mystery spoken above. It is this revelation I choose to share with you.

In my prophesy the financial side seemed predominant. This idea was only enhanced by my divorce from Dana, the wife it was spoken over. I continued in faith with the suspicion that the marriage side was suspended by the lack of faith of my partner and that the financial part was in tact because my faith could alone see it come to pass. This was logical to me since marriage is not something one can do alone. Also divorce did not seem like the best qualification for a marriage counselor. Well I got married again and I began to suspect that my new wife could be grafted into the promise and that the marriage ministry could be reborn. Unfortunately my wife known to you as “happy Jack” was not too happy about it. Again I was resigned to a one prong ministry. As faith would have it this marriage ended in divorce.

Now I know God keeps His word but was He obligated to keep the marriage prong when my bride would have nothing of it? I didn’t think so. I know the scripture about the promises of God being irrevocable but didn’t think it applicable in this free-will scenario. I’ve learned this foolish.

I’ve married again and this wife delights in God’s promises even under severe trial. Suddenly this prong seems like it will come to pass. I know two divorces would not be the normal course but even Christ took this path. Here is how the mystery unfolded for me.

There is a type of lesson where Jesus is the second Adam. A lot can be learned from this examination but I would have to say it is not wholly true. Sure He was God’s man to restore all to God what Adam forfeited. He was human, subject to sin, a living soul with independent free will etc. I went into a further examination. In John 1:30 John the Baptist testifies “After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.” Surely this is true of Adam also. What was the nature of Christ before Adam? As I scanned all my knowledge on this subject I found some clues in the creation story. There is a term “prevenient grace” which alludes to God having the redemption plan in place prior to creation as a contingent of the possibility of sin and death. Was redemption the plan of God as the result or the means? The mystery to me is that Christ created man by His word symbolized in type by Adams loss of rib for the same reason alluded to for Adam. Speaking of Christ “it is not good for man to be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner.” (Gen 2:18) Redemption was a means to ultimately create the Bride. Ephesian says that we were called before the foundation of the world for His good pleasure. Christ ultimately left His estate and His Father for His bride. This entire show, all that we know as existence is to present the bride to the groom. If this be true I asked myself how can the financial side be primary and the marriage part possibly be voided? This would be out of character. Now it is obvious that blessing the people of God with money is a wedding gift secondary to the marriage prong. Again this is reiterated in that Eve was created before the fall. Redemption though a prevenient measure was a means to cure the breach of death that stained the bride while at the same time using death as the remedy. This was symbolized by Adam’s sleep for Eve’s creation. His sleep was not for her sin but for her existence. This put a whole new light on Christ and His work.

Symbolically here Eve was not a moral failure but innocent. Adam in type had to die to create the church. Death became the vehicle to create the bride and to remove the stain of death from her garments. If you can see and understand that this whole God-man relationship was for love of the bride then every story in God’s word will take on new importance. God’s first act after sin was to prophesy the groom and to cover through death with a new garment. Everything points to the wedding. Of course the wedding parable becomes more clear. I will say that Christ was the first and third Adam and that the second Adam was only a shadow and type used to bridge the gap between “After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.”

How foolish of me to think my marriage prong was suspended. It is the eternal truth. What more could be at the center of our Lord’s heart. Sure Dorean is a financial blessing ultimately but more importantly it was for the perfection of the bride for the wedding. The Body of Christ is not the individual redeemed but the redeemed corporate or collective working to the glory of our groom, “to present the church to himself in splendor.” Suddenly it makes sense why in my individual suffering I had to rely upon other parts of the body. Dorean is more about the bride than the wedding gift of finances.

Fortunate for me God’s promises are not revocable. I did obtain a bride who teaches me in microcosm what a great work Christ has done in macrocosm. As I would give all to bless her Christ has done all the more. Please ponder your status in the bride and what love has been lavished upon you and by whom. This is my problem with the retards, they have no consciousness of the wedding plans and no respect for the bride. If I would punch them in the mouth for such insults to my bride what is Christ entitled to do? Sure He has grace but try an obtain it without repentance. Think you’ll be at the wedding? In what esteem do you hold His bride. He makes it obvious in what esteem He holds her.

As much as I would like to give you a financial wedding gift Dorean for me is more about my primary interest which is to see your marriage. As Christ did not let my marriage promise fall to the dust, as He insisted even through divorce and trial to nurture our union, He does more for you. I wager my life that the gift that is Dorean was set before the foundations of this world at this time to be revealed as an endowment for His bride. I have a personal prophecy that has come true as a proof text in microcosm what He has done for you in macrocosm.

When I finish with prison I am going to have a tremendous wedding celebration where I showoff my faithful bride. Something tells me Christ is ahead of me on His plans. I respect His bride and in you I see all the splendor of the groom. “Lord deliver the gift Dorean to your lovely bride. Do not let the financial promise though secondary fall short anymore than you allowed the marriage promise to fall short. Your bride, your love, your splendor, lavish gifts upon her Lord.” I could take this truth an show you its theme in every prophecy, but lack the venue. Do the study yourself and you will discover that the light you have walked in is like darkness.

Phase one will repost tomorrow. Marriage celebrations are long and phase one is very near the beginning.