| www.newhopebaptistmpls.org "Passionately Seeking & Speaking the Love of Jesus Christ" Dateline: Phillips West Everyone has some experience with weddings. Whether you have been a spectator or participant, we all know that the wedding day is all about the bride. The months of preparation culminate as the music starts, the crowd rises, and the bride proceeds down the aisle. No matter what circumstances have led up to this moment, there is nothing more beautiful than a bride on her wedding day. One of my favorite things to do is watch the groom and see his reaction as he sees her entrance. The Bible tells us that the church is the bride of Christ. As a husband, I will never fully understand all the preparation that a woman goes through in order to prepare for her wedding day but as a Christian I know that we must also prepare ourselves to be the bride of Christ. I also believe that many in the church today are not prepared for their wedding day with Jesus. Many people in the church are living as though their wedding day with Jesus will be preformed in a drive through chapel outside Vegas or a casual "take a number" affair at the local courthouse. Fact is the wedding with Jesus will take place on the biggest stage in the universe and there will be multitudes upon multitudes in attendance. It will be the greatest cerimony of all time. Matter of fact, too many of us have become too concerned about everyone and everything else in the day to day grind and we have forgotten all about the wedding with Jesus. Could you imagine a bride to be with anything other than her wedding on her mind? Are you ready for the wedding? Are you adorned in pure, white, linens or is your life stained by unrepentant sin? Are you awaiting the wedding with joy, hope, and excitement or is your life filled with doubt, worry, and dread? Unlike earthly weddings, it is not "bad luck" for the Jesus to see His bride in her dress before the wedding and He even helps in every aspect of her preperation for the ceremony. By the way, you need not worry about Jesus as groom, He has fully prepared for the wedding. Are you prepared? What would the groom's reaction be if the music started, the crowd rose, and you walked down the aisle today? | 