Many years ago I performed my first wedding since being ordained more than a year and half. This isn’t earth shattering in the grand scheme of things, pastors, ministers of the gospel, keepers of the 4th flower, twice removed to the east honeysuckle humming bird church of the passionate No. 2 pencil, marry people everyday. So why does this particular wedding hold so dear to my heart? Glad you asked.

The young lady who asked me to do this most honorable occasion is someone who I have literally known since she was born. She was born in the same year as my son, in the same state, on the same island of Oahu. Her and her future husband are both teachers who I believe are striving to make a true difference in the heart and minds of those they teach. I only know a few teachers personally. All of whom are passionate about the children they have taught or will continue to teach. So I am very blessed to have been asked to be the one who will marry this young couple, especially as my first wedding.

There is something else that God has spoken to me about concerning this wedding. There is a movie called “Four weddings and a Funeral“, and I honestly have never seen this movie, but it caused me to reflect on my own time as a minster of the gospel. My first 3 duties after being ordained was to preside over 3 funerals. The first funeral was for my daughter -inlaws grandfather. My second funeral was for a 10 month old child. My third funeral was for the babies mother who committed suicide. First let me say that I was very honored to be asked to do these services and be a part of honoring them. It’s no small thing I believe when you are asked to oversee a funeral, especially from family and friends. I bless those families who have lost loved one, yet can be assured that their loved ones are seated securely with the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

So I was doing my first wedding, watching the bride who will be dressed in all her regal attire, preparing herself for the moment when she will say “I do” to her bridegroom. I have only seen a small part of the preparation period of this bride to this point. It is now a frantic time period as the wedding draws closer, that the “details” of the wedding are starting to stack up. “Did we do this? Do you want this and that? What’s your thoughts on this part of the wedding?” And the questions continue to stack up as the moment draws closer.

Our Lord and Savior Jesus was crucified, buried and rose on the third day committing himself to be sin on that cross, so that we as God’s children would be able to come to the Father in Heaven through the sacrifice and blood of Jesus. It’s only because of that blood, that life giving blood, are we saved from the fires of hell that we honestly deserve. So get to your point Frank. Alright I will. I believe that God was showing me through this time,  that death has to occur so that life, the life of Jesus can come fully through you and I. That we must have a mindset that Jesus wants to kill the carnal nature of who we are so that our spirit man can rise up and take hold of the destiny that has been placed within each one of us, since the time of our conception.

Side note: I believe that the Holy Spirit is implanting and speaking destiny to us as we are conceived in our mother’s womb. That we as infants in the womb are truly fellow shipping with our Lord and Savior so closely that our spirit man remembers that, and yearns to be in that state of relationship again. Hence the reason our flesh is never satisfied.

Seeing the process of the bride’s preparations helps me to understand in a small way, the way the bride of Christ should be preparing for the bridegrooms return, who is Jesus. Details. Matthew 25: 1-13 gives us a great picture of those who were concerned about the details those who were not. Preparation is essential and required of the bride to prepare for the coming of the bridegroom, whether down the isle or Jesus coming, both to me require preparation and effort in order that the bride is presented without spot or wrinkle. “He will love me regardless of what I look like.” This is true, the bridegroom will love the bride, but the bride must honor the bridegroom by preparing herself for his coming, and not take advantage selfishly, of His love for her.

This young lady, whom I had the most dubious honor in presiding over her wedding, is preparing to present herself as a bride whom her bridegroom will eagerly say the words, “I will”.

I am reminded that I the three funerals I was a part of is symbolic of the days of death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus and that we must die to ourselves in order that He may live fully in us. I pray the power of the Holy Spirit and the life giving love of the blood of Christ will bless this couple as they begin their journey.

I believe that prophetically the time of preparation is upon us. We are not to assume anything in our time on this earth. That we prepare for His coming as though it was going to happen tomorrow, today or within the next few seconds. That the time of morning who we were is past and the time of embracing who we are is upon us. I believe that we will start to see the remnant of the bride of Christ start to make herself manifest in power and understanding in the days to come. That no longer will the bride be satisfied with average, but that there will be a an excellence in spirit to prepare herself for the bridegrooms coming. Come to the wedding feast and adorn yourselves in the finery of the blood of Christ. The time of the light that will shine through His bride is upon us. In the coming days we will see the manifest presences of the Lord Jesus in our midst. We will see the power of the Holy Spirit releasing the captives from addiction, sickness and pain. We will see the love of the Father welling up in the hearts of the bride. I believe that we will see the power of God in such a way that it will change towns, cities, regions and countries. I know that God is looking upon His son’s bride and sending forth the angels of the Lord to carry out the missions that have been set before them in preparing the bride. Children of God will be crying out not in pain, but in victory as the angels are giving their marching orders concerning the bride. I believe that we will see a physical manifestation of the power and glory of our Lord Jesus in such a way, that there will be no way in denying it. That in the coming months we will be seeing and living

Matt 6:25-34

33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

I know that I personally fall short in many area’s of my own life, but I also know that I have to keep trusting in Jesus and realize that He loves me and believes in me because of the blood that covers me. Blessings