Are You Truly A Bride? Broadcast Transcript from April 28, 2021 with Angela ~

Good Afternoon Blessings Beloved – thank you for joining me today on this ROF Ministries Broadcast.  Yayyyy, I am so very, very excited about our talk today and about those to come!  As a matter of fact I am so very excited to talk about THE BRIDE OF JESUS, I can hardly contain myself.  My heart is full of joy to overflowing, I am probably going to gush a lot!  I sure pray you are uplifted with the hope of Jesus’s appearing from this day forward and that He stirs within you much loving peace to just hold on and keep looking to Him, the one who your soul loves.

Let’s hit the ground running, I can’t wait any longer!

Why are we even doing this study and why does it even matter?  And also, feeling so low most of the time I thought – for sure being the Bride was about furthest from my grasp and yet, after all these years – there is a constant in my life of yearning, longing for and awaiting Jesus’s return and embrace.  He put this in us – and we cannot explain it, define it (although I am going to try) let alone qualify for it…  And every single time I even try to make myself ready, I fall on my face like a toddler learning to walk and I’ve never really gotten the fact, I am loved just because – I am loved.  Some of you are the same as me.  So in all this…  I am gonna share a pearl – the main requirement to being appointed as the Bride – like all things is much simpler than humans tell you, is this…  THE BRIDE IS IN LOVE WITH JESUS.  Whew – now we can get somewhere, can’t we?  Did you hear the most important part?  IN LOVE, not loves Jesus, but is IN LOVE WITH HIM.  Many believe it is the same thing, but it isn’t.  You can love many people, but only a special one are you IN LOVE with and sadly many have not ever experienced this high level of love which supercedes the flesh and lusts and loving someone for what they can do for you – narcissistic love – focuses on yourself, not the other person.  These people even in their time of giving – give to get something beneficial to them.

When you are IN LOVE with Jesus – you have chosen the better part – HIM, just HIM…  Not because He feeds you, nurtures you, protects or guides… IN LOVE replicates intimacy – and HIS BRIDE has an exchange of love with Him – His Bride reciprocates His love and SHARES IN IT…  Here’s the pearl – as the Bride – Jesus can actually partake in and receive love from You…  And that is the element reserved only for a select few – HIS BRIDE.  Jesus loves all, yet, He does not share in love with all… 

You remember how upset the disciples got when Mary was sitting at His feet anointing His body with oil because they wanted to sell the oil for profit and thought she was wasting oil?  Same concept…  Mary represents the BRIDE WHO IS IN LOVE with Jesus and HE RECEIVED LOVE FROM HER…  the disciples represent those who love Jesus, they are very caught up in works, deeds, etc… 

Today’s subtitle is —  ARE YOU TRULY A BRIDE?

If you are a Bride – during this season you are mocked and scoffed a lot.  You also are longing for and loving His appearing – which just happens to be mostly WHY you are mocked and scoffed by those who are caught up in signs and theories, or those simply not ready or prefer He has delayed FOR ANY REASON whatsoever, Those with this spirit of accusation mostly have a mind of carnality focused on the World too much (like the disciples were – they think logically, not Spiritually), it is obvious they are not IN LOVE with Jesus – although they say they love Him and the saddest and worst part is – we are mocked and scoffed not because we believe He is returning – most often they do too – but because we LONG FOR it. 

So for those of you who are truly IN LOVE with Jesus and the pain of being separated from Him most days causes your heart to ache for more of Him, I dedicate this Bride study to each one of you – as I consecrate all the pearls I will share unto the Glory of One – our Bridegroom, Jesus, the love of our life and for which we lay down every ounce of ourselves for the betrothal to Him and what awaits us when that day of consummation fully arrives. 

Those who have this spirit of accusation pointed towards us are found in 2 Peter 3, which I will read in a bit, but first lets clarify what manner they come in to rail against us.  This spirit mocks by saying Jesus is not coming soon, often saying you are foolish for longing for His return and in essence without saying it – they are saying, “Where is He?”  If you remember Jesus upon raising from the tomb appeared only to females and His own disciples mocked and questioned these females in such a way – the same is happening to us now.  Please note – they don’t deny His coming – they mock the promise which comes with it by mocking those of us longing for it.  Again, they do not mock His coming – but the promise it brings to those who are earnestly awaiting and longing for what that day brings.

Let’s read it by the Written Word – 2 Peter 3

This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance:

² That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:

³ Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,

⁴ And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.

• Pure minds
• Mindful
• Last days
• Scoffers who walk after their own lusts – desires, not Jesus as their focused desire
• Say – where is the PROMISE of His coming
• It happened then and is happening now

⁵ For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:

⁶ Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:

⁷ But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

• Those who do not hold to the promise of His coming are WILLFULLY doing so ignorantly, asleep, not able to discern, ungodly – just as in the Days of Noah

⁸ But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

⁹ The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

• Due to the Lord’s beautiful heart of compassion, He is longsuffering to delay His coming so all these will repent.

¹⁰ But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

¹¹ Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,

¹² Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

• LOOKING FOR AND HASTING (earnestly desire) unto the coming day of the Lord – Did you hear that?  What manner are we supposed to operate in?  What conversations are holy and we are to be having?  Regarding Jesus’s return, looking for it always, including speaking of it…

¹³ Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

• I don’t know about you – but I cannot wait until the new heaven and new earth where only righteousness exists

¹⁴ Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.

• Those who look for His return are diligent – found in Him, without spot and blameless

¹⁵ And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;

¹⁶ As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.

• These words are hard to understand by logic – only the spiritual knows that which is revealed spiritually the clarity of the word. 

¹⁷ Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness.

• Beloved – Bride – you have been given pearls of wisdom spiritually to this truth but beware to heed to and entertain the error (practices/beliefs) of the wicked or you too may fall away and not remain steadfast in looking for and earnestly desiring the Day of the Lord.

¹⁸ But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever. Amen.

• Increase in your knowledge about Jesus – (tree of life – not knowledge of good and evil) – more confirmation on what He has had us on this particular journey lately.

This teaching is so much more about our personal and intimate relationship with Jesus than anything else, so that we may grow and deepen our love for Him – it is getting harder to endure the scoffers, but the Promise of His coming is so strengthening, isn’t it?  We are not here to point out what flaws others have – that is not the purpose of our study – but rather let His words embrace you, hold you tight and tell you – He’s got you, beloved.

You know, I am mocked a lot, made fun of and all sorts of things – especially when I say I am homesick for Jesus – I’ve been laughed at for even believing I am betrothed to Him, now I am starting to just laugh with them at myself – Why?  Because I know something they don’t…  I also know if they are not earnestly desiring His return from a love of the heart – He likely is not coming for them…  So if you are like me – you’ve got a secret, a secret and promise of the heart between you and Jesus, hold that closely, lest it be used against you – and never forget this, its something I encourage my own soul with every time this happens to me –

Revelation 3 – I’ll read it all to get the context because I don’t like taking Scripture out of context, then I will share my pearl of the message…

⁸ I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.

⁹ Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.

¹⁰ Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

¹¹ Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

• Resembles some of us so much – seems like we are losing strength by the day and everything is falling apart around us – yet – we’ve kept His word in our hearts and not denied Jesus’s Name when mocked
• Obviously the attacks are coming from within the brethren in this passage, not from without the church – so it is those we fellowship with
• If we keep patient with Jesus and continue to wait He will make sure we are kept from the hour of temptation coming upon everyone else
• BUT HERE IS MY FAVORITE PART – the part I cling to constantly… over and over again…  All those who lied to us and about us…  Guess what?  THEY WILL KNOW JESUS HAS LOVED US all along… Every single time someone betrays me, abuses me, curses me, lies to me or hurts me – I lovingly look unto my Beloved, to Jesus and think… One day, that person is going to know JESUS LOVES ME and if He loves, I don’t need anyone else’s love to make it through this life or the one to come.  Just His.

I never seek vengeance – I just am not like that – it has nothing to do with me, its all Him residing within me – the only type of vengeance so to speak I do have within me is that all those who hurt me realize on that day – JESUS LOVED ME when they didn’t.  That’s all.

So I have a heart test for us all – Holy Spirit please enlighten us to how You know us better than we know ourselves.  Please help us search our hearts and see ourselves in truth, giving us the gift of repentance and preparation in that should Jesus return sooner than we think we are ready of the heart – pure and seeking Him above all else in the World, including people, places, power or things.  Amen.

The heart test – keeping it real with the Lord and mainly ourselves…

If you knew Jesus was coming tomorrow evening – is there anything whatsoever you would have to do to be ready?  And if the answer is yes, you are not ready for His coming and for many of you – you are pleading with Him to delay His coming in an unrighteous way.  Okay… breathe, you all still love me?  That was harsh wasn’t it – please forgive me, sometimes I do not like delivering that sort of message.  It will only get better from here – I promise.

Now…  Before you start making a laundry list of do’s and don’ts…  which is not what the Lord means by being ready – let me re-phrase that question…  Are you sooooo IN LOVE with Jesus that you not only can barely await another day without His return, but earnestly desire it that NOTHING would stand in the way of you running towards Your Bridegroom at His appearing? 

You see… when we think of readiness… we immediately go to performance don’t we?  A checklist of how worthy or unworthy are – but THE BRIDE IS IN LOVE with JESUS…  She is covered by His love, ugh…. You have to see this – it is a matter of the heart, not performance.  I know this is hard to grasp but we’ve never been loved like that, have we?

Which is why…. Jesus is a jealous lover… He knows only His love can satisfy the wayward soul, the problem is, we don’t know it quite often.

So this is an awesome place to stop for today – I don’t expect a lot of participants in the Bride study, maybe we will be pleasantly surprised – realizing there is only a remnant, but for those who truly are in love with Jesus or seeking to fall in love with Him, I promise you will be loved on in so many ways throughout our Bridal study.

You all… Please don’t try to awaken love before its time, in yourself and especially others.  Let’s leave those details for Jesus, our Beloved, Who perfectly knows how to embrace the hearts of His own.  He’s got this, just like He’s got us, He’s got all His own and He has an appointed plan and purpose for all of us, in His own will and timing.

I’m really excited and so looking forward to walking this journey of love with each of you.  I pray you have a joyful Jesus day today and know just how much He loves you and so do I.