"What Will the Bride of Jesus Christ Look Like?"

As I prayed and asked the Lord what to write about this week, I begin to see in the natural what he was trying to tell me in the spiritual. A certain clothing store and appliance store carries a brand of clothing called "wear it and declare it". Suddenly, it occurred to me, how this could apply to a life of a follower of Christ. We are his bride, but are we wearing it and declaring it?

What will His bride, the church, look like waiting for their groom, (Jesus), to come? I thought of all the ways that we are to reflect Christ and who he is. So, as I thought about his bride I begin to form a picture in my mind. What would she look like? In writing this I started to look at "His bride" in a whole new light.

When we think of a bride, we all have pretty much the same vision in our heads. We see her as beautiful, graceful, and smiling & her face shining with expectation. We see her in her attire, a white satin gown, with lots of lace and frills and matching earrings, necklace and bracelet. Her hair is perhaps pinned up, her make-up is flawless and shoes are perfectly matched to her dress. She has waited for months, or perhaps years, to walk down the aisle and to marry her groom. She will have all eyes on her that day, because this is her special day. The music must be perfect, the tables must be set with the finest china and the guests will all be there waiting for her. That's pretty much the picture we all get of what the bride will look like.

Now, I'd like you to take a look at the "bride of Christ". You will see that it's not the outside appearance, but the heart of the bride that is on display here. As I said, the bride of Christ is a representation of his church. So now let's take a look at what the bride of Christ will look like.

The bride of Christ is not just beautiful, but she is a warrior. What is she warring against? All evil. (1 Thes 5:22-2)3 - 22 Abstain from every form of evil. 23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Luke 10:19 - Behold! I have given you Authority and power to trample upon serpents and scorpions, and (physical and mental Strength and ability) over all the power that the enemy (possesses); and nothing shall in Any way harm you. God has given us power and authority, the devil may have power, but he doesn't have Authority unless we give it to him.

The bride is a warrior and if you look close you will see she is prepared to STAND for EVERYTHING that her bridegroom represents. Her bridal gown is beautiful and white, but you won't see beautiful dainty shoes on her feet. Watch carefully now, as she lifts her dress and you catch a glimpse of her combat boots. (Deuteronomy 11:24). In exchange for her beautiful bouquet, she will carry a mighty glistening sword, which represents the word of truth (Eph 6:17) . She will grip the sword tightly with both hands & (2 Corinthians 6:7) she will use it to cut the enemy to pieces. (Exodus 15:9). Why, because she is a warrior for Christ, because she is in Christ. Out of her mouth she will confess her love and affection, for the one that she is promised to. She will share with others why Christ came, and how they too can experience freedom in him. (Matt 25:35). She will praise him with thanksgiving and she will dance upon the kingdom of darkness.

Her eyes will be fixed on her Father, and she will only do what she sees her Father doing. (John 5:19). Her heart will be sealed with a fire (Songs 8:6) of passion and desire for her King. She will be determined to fulfill the purpose and the destiny to which he has called her to. She will not reach after a title or career or even a name. She knows that when she seeks his kingdom and all his righteousness, that all things will be added unto her (Matt 6:33). She won't be looking for her bridesmaids, but she will be searching for the her faithful warriors (Ezekiel 32:12). Ones that will come along side her and have the same passion for truth and righteousness as she does.

She will have authority in all heaven and earth. (Joel 3:10) She will be a worshipper, with a pure heart, (Psalm 51:10) & clean hands. She will be holy, consecrated, and set apart (Psalm 4:3) for the masters use. She will not compromise the truth but speak with a boldness & confidence of her groom. She will be humble, (Psalm 25:9) and a servant of God & filled with His Holy Spirit. Rivers of living water will flow from her (John 7:38) and her head will be anointed with oil (Psalms 45:7) . She will be (Ephesians 5:27) sanctified, faithful, steadfast, on purpose. She will be called a house of prayer & a fisher of men (Mark 16:15.). She will trample the enemy's territory and set the captives free. (Luke 4:18). She will be a mighty force to be reckoned with. She will have violent faith and she will take the kingdom of heaven by force (Matt 11:12) She will be ready and waiting and looking for her bridegroom's face as he may come in the middle of the night. (Revelation 3:3)

Do you recognize this bride? Perhaps, this paints a different picture then you had thought.

TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, today I embrace the call of a soldier. Let me stand for everything that you have called me to be. I submit my will to you and I ask you to use me to glorify and represent your heavenly kingdom. Let me be your hands, your feet and your voice, that I may take your message to a lost and dying world. In Jesus name, Amen.

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