The Best Destination Wedding EVER

The Best Destination Wedding EVER                 

Most of us have attended many weddings and some of us have attended a destination wedding. That is one in which the ceremony is held many miles from the home of the bride. Very often the venue is some exotic or personally meaningful location. 

For any wedding there is preparation, especially for the bride. A major part of her prep is herself. She wants to be and look as beautiful and perfect as she possibly can.

We, who are Christ followers, are preparing for the best destination wedding EVER—and we are the bride!

It might be hard for you men to see yourselves as a bride. Nonetheless this is the reality for the body of Christ—His church.

Many times in Scripture, God’s people are likened to a woman. One of my favorites comes from Ephesians 5:25-27: “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of the water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.”

These three verses provide valuable information about Jesus’ relationship with His church—the church being the body of Christ as a whole—a collection of all who follow Jesus, both male and female. From this passage we learn:

• Jesus loves the church so much that He gave Himself her.
•  Jesus Himself will set apart and clean up His church. He has taken away the stain of sin and has provided His Word with its continuous cleansing action in our lives.
• Jesus will present the church to Himself a glorious, perfect, unblemished, holy, virgin bride. 

Paul said, “For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:2b).

So, Church, just as an engaged woman prepares herself to be presented to her betrothed, we’re preparing ourselves for our Bridegroom, Jesus. We anticipate that glorious day of the consummation of the body of Christ to our Beloved.

In God’s revelation to John, He described the final judgements and the elimination of Satan and all evil. Then God gave John a glimpse of the best destination wedding EVER: 

And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying, “Amen! Alleluia!” Then a voice came from the throne, saying, “Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, both small and great!”
And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!  Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.”  And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.


Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God" (Revelation 19:4-9).

There’s no human way to describe this cosmic event, when the bride of Christ is eternally united with her Bridegroom—her Deliverer—her King.

This destination wedding will be held in a venue that’s out of this world—Heaven! 

 

And the reception! Oh my, the reception will be, by far, the best EVER as well—even beyond our imaginations! This event is called the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.

Think about the most posh wedding reception or dinner party you’ve ever attended, then multiply that a bazillion times. The Marriage Supper of the Lamb will be even better than that. And we’ll not need to concern ourselves with calories or carbs, chemicals or pollutants. Everything will be beyond perfect.

We will all be the honored guests along with our Husband, King Jesus.

Guilt of past sins will never cross our minds again, cross words will never again be spoken to us nor by us, every tear will have been wiped away and there will be no fear, death, hurt or pain—EVER again.

We certainly have a lot to look forward to. Our own destination wedding is on the horizon and our Bridegroom is longing to draw us into His arms.

 ©Connie Wohlford 2016

Darkness Will Not—CANNOT Comprehend His Light

Darkness Will Not—CANNOT                     

                 Comprehend His Light

Do you ever feel like there’s lots of darkness in our world?

It often seems like we’re surrounded by darkness and sometimes that it’s closing in. Doesn’t it?

Notice, I said “seems like.” Seems like is not the reality for those of us who are in Christ. Yes, there’s a lot of darkness out there. But we don’t have to let it penetrate. Let’s never forget the encouraging words of the apostle, John.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing that was made was made. In Him was life and the life was the light of men. And the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it” (John 1:1-5 NKJV).

We who are in Christ have Christ in us. Therefore, His light is in us and cannot be overpowered by darkness. (Read those two sentences again.)

Look at the word used here in the New King James Version in verse 5—comprehend. “And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” Other translations use such words as overcome and understand. 

According to Strong’s (#2638), comprehend, katalambano (kat-al-am-ban-oh), has three interpretations:

1- To seize, lay hold of, overcome. As such, verse 5 could read, “The darkness could not gain control of it.”

2- To perceive, attain, lay hold of with the mind; to apprehend with mental or moral effort. As such, verse 5 could read, “The darkness is unreceptive and does not understand it.” [WOW! We could camp out there for a while because lost people cannot understand why we think the way we think and do the things we do.]

3- To quench, extinguish, snuff out the light by stifling it. With this, verse 5 could read, “The darkness will never be able to eliminate it.”*

SO—

“Light and darkness essentially are antagonistic. The Christian’s joy is in knowing that light is not only greater than darkness but will also outlast the darkness.”*

Therefore—

As we are very aware of the many facets of darkness, both near and far, we must guard against allowing it to penetrate us. And we have the means by which to do so.

We have the full armor of God—it’s our responsibility to wear it and wield it.

We have the Holy Spirit—each of us has the responsibility of giving Him full access to our spirit and soul.

I’d like to close with these words from Isaiah:

Then they will look to the earth, and see trouble and darkness, gloom of anguish; and they will be driven into darkness.

 

Nevertheless the gloom will not be upon her who is distressed, ...

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined.

You have multiplied the nation and increased its joy; They rejoice before You according to the joy of harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.

For You have broken the yoke of his burden and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian.
For every warrior’s sandal from the noisy battle, and garments rolled in blood, will be used for burning and fuel of fire.

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.  –Isaiah 8:22; 9:1a, 2-7

In the midst of widespread darkness, let us not forget that we once walked in darkness but we have seen a great Light—for unto us a Child is born. He is the Light which no darkness can comprehend in any sense of the word. Hallelujah! –Amen.

Your comments are welcome.

*Spirit Filled Life Bible, Thomas Nelson Publishing, Word Wealth, p 1573

©Connie Wohlford 2016

Alone in the DARK

Alone in the DARK                                              

We were born into sin. 

That’s what Psalm 51:5 says. Ugh! 

Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me. -Psalm 51:5

Its author, King David, had acknowledged his own sin with Bathsheba and was recognizing our propensity to sin, even with the first intake of oxygen into our tiny lungs. We’re also reminded that Adam and Eve’s original sin brought about the curse of pain in childbirth. So in sin we were born and into a sin darkened world we arrived.

That was our pathetic beginning—each one of us.

But our Creator was not shocked by this dilemma nor was He content with our destructive situation—so He sent His Son. Jesus came to bring life and light and hope into a dark world and the hopeless state of mankind.

God didn’t just decide one day that he would reconcile the world. It was all planned out all along. 

The apostle, John, gives a glimpse of God’s redemptive plan with these words: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ... In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it” (John 1:1, 4 & 5).

Throughout John’s Gospel, he declares the work and the glory of Jesus the Christ so that all, through Him, might believe and have the life and light as well as the eternal destination of Heaven.

  

Are you alone in the dark? If you have not received Jesus as your personal Savior, your soul is in darkness.  

 

Step out into the light and walk in the Light by believing and receiving Jesus right now.

Photo by Mayur Gala - From UnSplash

Simply trust that Jesus is the only Son of God, just as the Bible says, and pray this prayer: Father God, I believe Jesus is Your only Son and that You sent Him to bring salvation to me. I receive Him now into my heart. I ask that You forgive me of my sins and help me live for You. In Jesus name—Amen. 

Praise God, for those who believe and receive His gift of Salvation today!

Thank you for stopping by my blog. Do stop in again next week for a continuation of God’s remedy for darkness. 

Please feel free to comment below.

©Connie Wohlford 2016