Who Is A Bride Of Christ_ Proverbs 31

MESSAGE TRANSCRIPT

Hello brothers and sisters and YouTube family. Hope you guys are being blessed

I pulled a rhema a couple of days ago and it said “Teach on Being a Bride of Christ, Proverbs 31” hence that is what Jesus was addressing in the previous message concerning my self will. When I decided to work on something else rather than what he asked me to do. I’m still a working progress and he continues to show me how much pride I truly have, but there is always hope for us all. When we go back to heed his warning and do what he instructed. So Mother Clare, from Still Small Voice Channel did a teaching about this that was really thorough. So I decided to add some of her teachings and take some examples from Scripture in Proverbs 31 concerning being a bride of Christ.

This is from Mother Clare, teaching on “What is a Bride a Christ” Introduction

You know world events are shaping of very, very quickly. Obviously the time is now when things are coming to a head. The Lord has asked me to be very clear and straight with you about certain things. Especially, your identity as His Bride.

Who is the Bride of Christ? Who is going to be taken in the Rapture, which we firmly believe in. Just a note on that, the early church for the first 300 years, the sign of orthodoxy amongst the brothers and the apostles was the belief that there would be a pre-tribulation rapture and that was before Augustine and before all the political posturing and situations came into being. So, for the first 300 years you were not an orthodox Christian if you didn't believe in a pre-tribulation rapture. That's pretty clear at the start.

Now the Lord has asked me to define more clearly who His Bride is. Who is He looking for? What are the characteristics of His Bride? How can you recognize the true Bride of Christ? This is so important because there are standards. The Lord is not going to marry a harlot. He has some very important and intentional standards by which He chooses His Bride, His spouse. We want to be chosen by Him, we want to be assured that we are going to be his Bride. There are some things we need to take a hard look at.

If we just lightly skip along and say, "Well I'm a Christian, I received the Lord, He's my Lord and Savior, I'm going to be raptured," then we are kidding ourselves. We really don't want to have our heads in the sand right now. We really want to know where we are at with the Lord. Are we the bride of the world or the Lord's Bride? So, what I want to talk here is how can we recognize the Bride of Christ, the true Bride of Christ.

The first thing I want to say, which is very important I believe, is that the Bride of Christ is not the beautiful people. The Bride of Christ is not the financially successful, well dressed, well-heeled Christian people. There could be a Bride of Christ amongst those people, but that is not what He is looking for. That is not the sign of the Bride.

The sign of a Bride is really the crown of thorns. The Lord is looking for someone who resembles Him. Think about it for a minute: isn't it true that when you're looking for a spouse, you are looking for someone who has the same values that you have? They will have the same agenda in life, the same goals, a compatible personality, and a heart that will be totally in love with you and no one else. An uncompromising and faithful heart. These are some of the things the Lord wants in His bride.

And there are some people who are beautiful on the outside and financially well off who are His Bride and the Lord recognizes their crown of thorns and that circumcision from the world to God and the holiness in their hearts. I'm afraid right now in the Christian church, the Bride of Christ is more pointed at being the successful, dynamic, ground-taking people rather than the meek, humble, and lowly.

Jesus makes in clear in scripture that his Bride is apart of his church Ephesians 5: 24-27

For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. However, there is difference from the “ Church” and being a true “bride of Christ”. In John 3:29 John the Baptist says,” The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends to the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete”. So majority of Christians choose to be friends of the bridegroom. Friends of Jesus, but not a bride which is all about intimacy.

Jesus gives us a warning in Matthew 25 about the 10 virgins. All 10 were believers however only 5 where brides who stayed up and waited for the bridegroom. 5 had the oil of intimacy to endure in the waiting and didn’t fall asleep like the other 5 foolish believers. finally when the bridegroom came he received his 5 waiting brides into the chambers while the other 5 foolish believers he said “I never knew you”.

That is a stark warning to all believers as Jesus invites us all into intimacy to be his bride waiting for his return however some are fooled by the toil, allurements of this world and don’t preserver in the waiting. They fall asleep to lukewarmness and slothfulness spiritually and will not be ready when Jesus returns. A Bride of Christ is not gender based but this grace is for all believers who would live for Jesus, consecrating themselves to him now. Living in divine intimacy and relationship with him married to his heart, his will, and his suffering.

Proverbs 31 scripture has so much mystery and layers to this chapter. Not only is this chapter about the person of Blessed Mother, spouse of the Holy Spirit, but council from Bethsheba to Solomon her son, from a Mother to a son looking for a wife, from Blessed Mother speaking to us ladies about how to be a virtuous wife, but this is also Blessed Mother speaking to Jesus about finding his bride, The Bride of Christ as well!

I am going to take some of the verses from this chapter and really put us all to the question, if you are bride of Christ. Starting with verse 10 as a bride of Christ your worth is not found in your outwardly adornments but its in your character and virtues that make you priceless before God.

Verse 11- Her husband safely trust in her so that he will have no lack or gain - Can Jesus trust in you? Can he trust you with his innermost secrets and thoughts of his heart?

Verse 12- She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life- Are fully surrendered to Jesus willing to do whatever pleases him, abandoning yourself to his known will?

Verse 13- She works willingly with her hands, like a merchant ships bring her food afar - Are you using your gift to feed other’s spiritually and physically?

Verse 15- She rises late at night to give her house hold food. - A bride of Christ is a soul who is diligent, sowing into the kingdom. Even if it means lat night hours to work on the gifts and ministry the Lord has given them knowing that it will feed others

Verse 16- She considers a field and buys it -In Matthew 13:38 Jesus explains the field is the world. A bride of Christ is an intercessor who has a burden for part of the world, a nation, a region and carries that place in their hearts. Has purchased it by sowing in tears, prayer, and finically sowing into ministries in that area.

And with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard. -A bride of Christ carries a burden for souls just like your spouse, for the world. The fruit of your hands is the fruit of your work. As you sows in tears planting the vineyard of Gods love in souls all over the world. With intercession, prayer, with your love

Verse 17- She clothes herself with strength. -A bride of Christ strengths comes from your Joy in your spouse, Jesus. The Joy of the Lord is your her strength

Verse 18- Her candle does not go out at night. - A bride of Christ has the oil of intimacy. Doesn’t matter what trial you maybe going through your light of love for Jesus doesn’t go out.

Verse 19- She lays her hands to the spindle, and her hands rod the distaff. A Bride of Christ puts their hands to the plough and doesn’t look back (Luke 9:62). A Bride of Christ is a true disciple of our Lord. A true follower as it says Luke 9:61-62 Still another said, “ I will follow You, Lord; but first let me bid farewell to my family.” Then Jesus declared no one puts his hand to the plow and then looks back is fit for the kingdom of God” are you putting your family before Jesus?

Verse 20- She stretches out, yes her hand to the poor and needy - A Bride of Christ has a heart for the poor and needy around them. Showing charity and the love of Christ to the least of these, giving to them and loving them

Verse 23- Her husband is known in the gates. A Bride of Christ makes Jesus known, your love, your actions your life will make all those around you know about Jesus. You have influence on others to draw them to the Lord

Verse 25 Strength and honor are her clothing and she will rejoice in time to come A Bride of Christ is not concerned with the things of earth, but you seek honor only from above and not to please man. That is where your strength comes from as you long for your spouses return. Jesus coming back for his bride in the rapture!

Verse 26- She opens her mouth with wisdom and her tongue in the teaching of kindness. - A Bride of Christ is a teacher of love, 1 corinthians 13 are you back biting, being critical, judgmental, gossiping, tearing others down, talking about ministries and servants of God? All of these will hinder you in your walk and intimacy with Jesus and stop you from being taken in the rapture as his bride

Verse 27- She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness-A Bride of Christ is always looking out for souls, and is not lazy about the work the Lord has entrusted them to do

Verse 28- A Bride of Christ will be honored. From your work your spiritual and physical children will rise to call you blessed, Jesus will take great delight in honoring her

Verse 29 - A Bride of Christ fears the Lord. The fear of the Lord is your beauty. A pure soul who desires Gods will alone and doesn’t adorn themselves by worldly standard, but it’s an inner beauty. A soul that carries the presence and deep intimacy with Jesus that will be praised!

Verse 30- A Bride of Christ will bare good fruit.The fruit in your life will bring praises upon you.

In short, I believe the Lord is looking for someone who bears His image in their heart. He is looking to the man or woman who internally is wearing that crown of thorns, who is meek and humble in heart, and who looks after the needs of others. I have to say I don't see that in the modern church. I see it in some people but it's not the thing that is applauded. It's not the gross national product of Christianity. It just seems the GNP of Christianity is success, prosperity, good health, and all the things that come with it. Those who don't have those things don't measure up to the standards of the successful Christians so they're looked down upon.

Who do we want to please? Who do we want to be with? Do we want to be left behind with the world or do we want to be chosen by Christ as His Bride because we resemble Him. This is the time right now for us to get really serious about who we are before the Lord and who we are not and how deep our attachments to the world go in our lives... how much we're controlled by the world.

I entreat you, take time and ask the Holy Spirit to show you the areas of your life that are not circumcised, the ways in which you don't resemble the Lord. Truly, it's time for us to be very serious about finding out whether or not we're going to be taken in the Rapture, because it can happen at any time, any moment.

I know a pastor in town here (and who's now with the Lord). He had a very intimate relationship with the Lord in his last year and the Lord had told him the very same thing he had told me, "I am at the door and it can happen any moment...Any moment."

So we want to be ready. We want to be chosen to be His Bride. We want to be worthy to be His Bride. I'm not saying we have to be perfect but we have to be worthy in the sense that we've accomplished everything. If our hearts are riveted on Him and on pleasing Him, He'll make up the different. If our hearts are still attached to the world we're going to be tethered. We're going to see other people going and leaving and we'll be left behind tethered to our earthly agendas.

Seriously, is that what you want? Are you sure you are living for God and for God alone? Or are there questions in your heart? Has the Holy Spirit been dealing with you and bringing up metaphors to you like the wise and foolish virgins? Has the Holy Spirit been nudging you that you're not ready?

If we don't get ourselves together and get ready quickly, we stand the risk to be left behind in the most horrendous time in history, the most horrible, horrible time that this Earth will ever see. Is it worth it? Is it worth it? That is the choice you have to make and that I have to make.

I can feel the Holy Spirit grieving when I make foolish choices with my time, with my money, with my thoughts, and my prayers or lack of prayers. I feel that grief and I know that time is very short and I don't want to be left behind, so I have to look at these things about myself every single day and measure my intention, examine my heart, examine my conscious and see that I'm truly crucified with Christ.

God bless you guys until the next message

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