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Topic: Endurance (03/22/04)
TITLE: Intimacy / Experience By Scott Hicks 03/25/04 |
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Jesus is coming back for a bride, not a blind date. Once you experience God’s manifest presence, you can’t forget it. It has been said by many, that: A few seconds in the manifest presence of God will change your life forever. Everyone in the Bible that had ever experienced His manifest presence was changed forever. In (2 Timothy 1:12) the Apostle Paul proclaimed: I “know” whom I have believed. We must face the fact, that we must experience the one whom we believe. The bride of Christ can’t continue pursuing “only” truths “about” Him. We must get to know Him personally. If we do not get to know Him personally; we will never find intimacy with Him.
The more that we strive to experience His presence, the closer we will become to our bridegroom. When it is time for the “marriage supper” of the Lamb, we will know our bridegroom intimately. The marriage supper of the Lamb is for Him and His bride. Jesus is not preparing for the “blind date supper of the Lamb!”
One of the truths about experiencing God is you learn the things He expects of His bride. In order for us to prepare for the marriage supper, we have to get a few things ready ourselves. Jesus has gone to prepare the place for the supper and marriage. The bride’s responsibility is to stay here and invite the entire world to come. Jesus can’t have a marriage without a glorious bride. Jesus died for you to become His bride. He is now preparing the place. He desires to see everyone attend the marriage. Are you going to be there, or are you going to leave Him standing at the altar? He is at the “altar” even now. Before the marriage date arrives; make your arrangements to meet Him at the “altar” for rehearsal. You have to rehearse intimacy with Him now, because when the day of the wedding comes; it’s too late!
It doesn’t matter what you have done in your past. God doesn’t care about your past; He cares about your future. He is inviting; both the ones that have accepted Him as Lord, and those that haven’t yet. First, you have to accept Him as your personal savior. If you already have, then you can’t stop at knowing things “about” Him. You have to get to know Him. Even if you are a born again Christian that has accepted Him as your savior; the question is: Do you know Him? Will He know you when the time comes for the marriage supper in heaven, or will you be a blind date? Even if you are saved, you can’t be a blind date when the marriage day arrives and expect to attend the marriage supper. You will show up at the altar and say “Lord, Lord, I am your bride”, and He will say: “Depart from Me, I “know you” not.”
Do you “know” whom you have believed?