WHERE ARE YOU HEADING TO? church- The BRIDE of CHRIST; Meditation John 3:22-36

1. Jesus came to Judea and he stayed their for a while and baptised. John the Baptist was also baptizing people for repentance in the same place. (V22,23)
2. Again, the Jews questioned John about his witness about Christ and that many people go to Christ, than to himself. ( V24-26)
 3. John confirms again his witness that nobody receives anything unless it is given to them from heaven and that he himself is not CHRIST but the one sent before him. (V27,28)
4. He speaks about Christ being the bridegroom of the bride, the church, he himself being the friend of the bridegroom. He also rejoices for hearing the voice of CHRIST. (V29)
5. He further endorse the testimony of CHRIST, as something that he speaks of what he has seen and heard as they are the words of God and God has given his Spirit without measure in him. (V31-34)
6. He wanted Christ to increase and himself to decrease. (V30)
7. If we can receive his testimony we know that God is true. (V33)
8. The Father God Loveth Christ and has given him authority over all things. (V35)
9. Hence if we believe in Jesus CHRIST we will have everlasting life, but if not we shall not see life as the wrath of God will abide on us.

Life Application 1:
WHERE ARE WE HEADING TO IN LIFE - As the BRIDE OF CHRIST ?
Every born again Christian, washed and redeemed by the blood of Christ are a part of a heavenly church - The bride of CHRIST.

Let us go through a few scriptures:

And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Revelation:21:2

And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.
Revelation:21:9

The great city, the new Jerusalem is going to be the bride.
And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
Revelation:21:10

What is this new Jerusalem?
1. This is a place where the saved in Christ are going to be.
And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.
Revelation:21:24

2. This is the place where there is no need for sun or moon.
And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
Revelation:21:23

3. There will be no abomination or filth and only if our name is there in the lamb's book of life we can be there.

And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.
Revelation:21:27

The church is the bride of CHRIST.
For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
Ephesians:5:23

Christ has bought the church by giving himself for it.
Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
Ephesians:5:25

And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
Colossians:1:18

The church is the bride of CHRIST.  Christ being the bridegroom and you and me are going to be the part of this bride church

We are knit together to be a part of the bigger body of CHRIST.
And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.
Colossians:2:19

How does CHRIST wants his bride to be?
1. God wants his church to be blameless.

That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
Ephesians:5:27

That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
Philippians:2:15

2. Washed by the blood of the LAMB.

And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Revelation:7:14

3. Subject to Christ:

Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
Ephesians:5:24

4. A Royal priesthood
Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
1 Peter:2:5

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;
1 Peter:2:9

Life Application 2:
Witness of John the Baptist:
1. John never hesitated to lift up Christ, though he is decreased. (V30)

2. He did not hesitate to acknowledge that he is not CHRIST, but only the one who came before him (v27,28)

3. He testified that CHRIST is the one who came from heaven and he knows the things of heaven than any one else. (V31-33)

4. He acknowledged that CHRIST is full of Holy Spirit without measure.

And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
1 Corinthians:15:45

5. And moreover it was revealed to him that CHRIST is the bridegroom for the bride called CHURCH. (V29)

6. Christ is given all authority in heaven and earth. (V35)

And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Matthew:28:18

7. If we believe in Christ we will have eternal life. But if we do not believe we are under eternal damnation.

And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
John:5:29

God wants us to look up to the heavenly Church than the one on Earth today. We might see a lot of disorders in the churches of the present age. But Christ wants us to adorn ourselves each day as brides waiting for our groom. Let us also along with the Spirit say 'come'

And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
Revelation:22:17

May the Spirit of God reveal you more.

Parts of a Man : part 3; meditation 3: 1-8

Today I would like to meditate on the parts of a man- as a part of today's meditation.
Man is made of three parts according to the Holy Scriptures.
1. The body
2. The soul
3. The spirit.

1. Body:
Our body or the outer man is the outer covering that serves as a shell for the inner man, that comprise of soul and spirit.

Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
Romans:6:12
This body and its lusts will die one day. It is mortal. It is not eternal.

2. Soul:
Soul is your mind. Soul is the place where we feel emotions, like happiness or sorrow. You can see this example below.

A. Soul can be bitter:
And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore.
1 Samuel:1:10

B. We have desires in our soul:
Then said Jonathan unto David, Whatsoever thy soul desireth, I will even do it for thee.
1 Samuel:20:4

C. We can develop soul ties with others.
Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.
1 Samuel:18:3

D. Soul can be vexed.
And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death;
Judges:16:16

E. Soul delights in comfort of God.
In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul.
Psalm:94:19

F. Our soul can praise God.
Let my soul live, and it shall praise thee; and let thy judgments help me.
Psalm:119:175

G. We seek God with our soul
The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.
Lamentations:3:25

H. We meditate the word of God and diligently keep it with our soul.
Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons' sons;
Deuteronomy:4:9

I. Soul, when we die goes either to heaven or to hell. Yes, he is our inner man.

For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
Mark:8:36

The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.
Ezekiel:18:20

Dear brothers and sisters,
Your soul is a precious entity. Both God and demons need it. There is war that is raged against our soul.

Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;
1 Peter:2:11
This is why we need to fear God more as he can destroy both our body and soul to hell.

And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Matthew:10:28

3. Now let me give you a glimpse of your Spirit man.
A. the spirit of man searches our inward parts.
The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly.
Proverbs:20:27

B. The spirit of man is created to be with God and one day it will go back to him.
Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?
Ecclesiastes:3:21

C. The spirit of man knows everything about him.
For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
1 Corinthians:2:11

D. the spirit of man goes to God that made him.
Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
Ecclesiastes:12:7

E. We seek God early with our Spirit.

With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.
Isaiah:26:9

F. The spirit is willing when it comes to things of God. But the flesh is weak.

Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Matthew:26:41

 The experience of being born again happens completely in the spirit.

God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
John:4:24

We were dead in our sins but we are quickened in the spirit, when we are born again.
Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
Ephesians:2:5

Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.
Ephesians:5:14

THE FLESH AND SPIRIT CONTRARY to one another:

No flesh ( body and soul) can remain without sin before God's eyes..

Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
Romans:3:20

This is the reason why Christ calls us to be born again, that we will not fulfil the desires of the flesh.

This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
Galatians:5:16

For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
Galatians:5:17

Flesh and blood can never inherit the kingdom of God.

Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
1 Corinthians:15:50

Flesh profits nothing. It is the spirit that quicken us.
It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
John:6:63

 Jesus insists on being born again (v7) as it is a true occurrence though it may not be comprehended by many.
People born of the spirit are also led by the Spirit of God...and hence their ways May not be understood by many.( V8)it is written,
But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
1 Corinthians:2:15

God invites for a closer walk with him. We become the SONS of God as we walk with him everyday and choose to being led by him.
Today is the day! Receive Christ in your heart and believe in him. You will be BORN AGAIN... God bless you.