THE HOME: MADE, PURCHASED, OR GIVEN PT12

Heart of the Staff

March 2024

This is a season in which many wedding engagement announcements and/or invitations are sent and received.  As I settled down one evening, I was glancing at our framed wedding pictures and thinking about our various occasions.  It reminded me of my own dating, selections of ring, time of proposal, announcements, and marriage to my wife, my bride.

The thoughts and reminders brought me to this section of my dad’s sermon series that I have been sharing in the Heart of the Staff posts and where the next post was to continue.

The church is like the engaged bride.  She has the seal of the engagement ring through the work of the Holy Spirit and is waiting for the wedding date to be set and should be preparing herself for the final union.  “Let us be glad and rejoice and give honour to Him; for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready.” Revelation 19:7.  When the Lamb comes and receives His bride, they will never be separated again, but He will take her to His own house forever.

What is the preparation for this coming?  The blood of the Lamb upon you.  It may be strange but significant.  The first recorded miracle that Jesus performed was the turning of water to wine that the wedding guests might drink.  Read John 2:1-11.  Then later He used the emblem of the fruit of the vine to represent His shed blood given for the remission of sins.  “And He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”  Matthew 26:27-28.  Then He added, “But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s Kingdom.”  Matthew 26:29.

The blood of the Lamb taken in faith as the purchase price for the remission of sin is the preparation given unto men.

This home is made and prepared by the Lord Jesus.  You are purchased for that home by the blood of the Lamb.

The purchase price is given to you, and the invitation given that you might receive.

It is sealed when you by faith receive.

May someone be blessed, come to know Christ, or be closer to Jesus by continuing to share what my dad committed himself to do for Jesus.

Bro. Jim