Marriage a Symbol of Jesus Christ and His Church

Marriage a Symbol of Jesus Christ and His Church - by Pastor Mike Taylor - https://pastormiketaylor.blogspot.com/2020/08/marriage-symbol-of-jesus-christ-and-his.html "For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church." (Ephesians 5:31-32) In keeping with the line of the "mysteries" that Paul revealed to us within his epistles, Paul showed us many revelations that were not revealed previously in any otherpassage of your bible. They were "hidden" from view and were not explained, until Paul was taught by the King of kings, Jesus Christ our Lord. Remember in past messages, Paul was taken into the Arabian desert for about 3 years and was given instructions andteaching of the meaning of passages found in your bible that no man had understood up until it was revealed to the Apostle Paul. This chapter is but another clarification of what a man united to a woman in Holy Matrimony means to Almighty God and why thatthis union is most sacred. And for that reason, this nation and the world is in grave danger. In chapter 5 of the book of Ephesians, Paul makes an astounding comparison that in reading this chapter, I had not previously understood myself what Paul was trying to explain: 6" Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. 7, Be not ye therefore partakers with them. 8, For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: 9, (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) (Ephesians 5:6-9) Thus Paul began to reveal the "mystery" that is found in the uniting of two people, one man to one woman in marriage. Paul begins to explain in detail further into thischapter found in Ephesians: 10"Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. 11, And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. 12, For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret." (Ephesians 5:10-12) Paul begins to go into detail of things that are done in darkness and to stay away from, but come into the light 14, "Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light."(Ephesians 5:14) The point of the chapter is to explain sacred meaning of the institution of marriage and what God expects of those who belong to Him... 22, "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. 23, 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. 24, Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. 25, Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26, That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,"(Ephesians 5:22-26) In a casual reading of this passage, you would think that Paul is speaking of the relationship between a man and a woman solely, but is that all Paul is trying to convey?Paul speaks of a "mystery" that is hidden from view and has not been understood previously. While pondering this and hearing a message by a dear brother in our church, I came to fully understand what Paul was driving at. Let us turn now to the Old Testamentwhen God brought the institution of marriage into being. 21, "So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh; 22, and the rib which the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. 23, Then the man said, "This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man." 24, Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh."( Genesis 2:21-24) One thing is curious here if you think about it. Is not God able to make woman as He made man? Of course He can. Can God not take the dirt of the ground and make anotherhuman and breath the breath of life into her? Also, why did God have Adam fall into a "deep sleep" to take one of his ribs to make Eve? Isn't God able to do this without needing Adam to fall into a deep sleep? But think of what a "deep sleep" symbolizes inscripture. Death is often referred to as "sleep"...or sleeping in the dust as explained elsewhere in scripture. Notice that God took a rib out of his side. Not from his foot or from his hand, or any other bone in his body...they were made to be one flesh..."flesh of my flesh, andbone of my bone". God brought Eve unto the "first Adam" and they became ONE. What, if anything is God trying to reveal to us here?, What is Paul revealing that is explained in Ephesians? Let us fast forward in time when Jesus was on the cross, some four thousandyears into the future from the 1st Adam being given a "bride" to be by his side. 33, "But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs: 34, But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. 35, And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe."( John 19: 33-35) The Second Adam, Jesus Christ our Lord hung on a cross and died a horrible death, but to prove that He was actually dead, a Roman soldier took a spear and pierced His side.In His death, "His sleep" God took out of His side below His ribs, a coming bride. By the death of our Lord and the piercing of His side, the redemption of His bride that had been lost at the Garden of Eden, was sealed. Fifty days later from the time of Hisresurrection, the Church would be born at Pentecost and Jesus was to be betrothed to His bride. 2, "And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3, And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4, And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance."( Acts 2:2-4) Thus the bride of Christ was born...the Church of the Living God. Almighty God has been adding to His body for now nigh, 2000 years and has not taken her, as of yet, tobe His bride, unlike when Eve was given to Adam and proclaimed her "flesh of my flesh, and bone of my bone". Paul proclaimed in this fifth chapter of Ephesians what God has been doing the whole time in forming His bride, from the flesh of His flesh and from the bone of His bone, 27, "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. 28, So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. 29, For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: 30, For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. 31, For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. 32, This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church."(Ephesians 5:27-32) Do you see the parallel comparison of the Bride of Adam the First, and the Bride of the last Adam the Son of God, the second Adam that gave His life for a bride holy andunblemished by the sins of this world? It is why the institution of marriage is so sacred and holy in the eyes of God, as it symbolizes Christ, the head of the Church, or husband of the Church, and His body, the bride of Christ of one man, one woman, as createdby God found in the 2nd chapter of Genesis. Any other variation conceived by mortal man, God calls an ABOMINATION before Him, as it mocks His creative plan for the spotless bride that is betrothed to His Son, JesusChrist. And God has prepared a bride for His Son, and when we see Him, we will be like He is.. 2 "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him ashe is. 3, And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure."( 1st John 3:2-3) LGBTQ MOVEMENT, AN ABOMINATION BEFORE GOD Satan relishes the ability to deceive mortal man, as he knows that man without God is prone to sins of the flesh and the pride of life. His sole purpose is to distort andtwist God's Word to make man an unclean thing in God's sight. 15, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16, For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world, 17, And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever."(1st John 2:15-17) Jeremiah wrote under Holy Spirit direction what Satan is counting on: 17:9, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? 10, I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings. 11, As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not; so he that getteth riches, and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end shallbe a fool."(Jeremiah 17:9-11) AS IT WERE IN THE DAYS OF NOAH There was another time, that what is happening in our generation, happened even then, and what did God do to them? Jesus proclaimed in Matthew chapter 24 what our generationwould look like: 24:37, But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38, For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be."(Matthew 24:37-39) This was a time of unmentionable evil that God regretted even making mankind, as their hearts were given to evil continuously. God destroyed the earth with water and wipedthe earth clean of mankind that He had made, all except for 8 souls that found favor in God's eyes. God destroyed all mankind save for those who found refuge in the ark God commanded Noah and his sons to build...Next time, it wont be by water that God destroysmankind who rebel against Him, but by Holy Fire that will again, wipe this planet clean. God condemns sins of the flesh, and for that matter any sin that goes against His written Laws of human conduct toward God and mankind. God hates sin, as it cannot be inGod's heaven. But the one sin that He calls an abomination must stink in His nostrils like no other. 22 "Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination."( Leviticus 18:22) Why? Because it is a mockery, a perversion, and a sin so great, that God will not allow those who commit such evil into the Kingdom of God coming. But abomination is justa word, until you look at the deep meaning of what God is saying here...From Wikipedia, this definition and explanation is given:Abomination (from Latin abominare, "to deprecate as an ill omen") is an English term used to translate the Biblical Hebrew termsshiqquwts ("shiqqûts") and sheqets. An abomination in English is that which is exceptionally loathsome, hateful, sinful, wicked, or vile. ROMANS CHAPTER ONE CONDEMNS LBGTQ PRACTICES Paul addresses the subject in Romans and cannot be more clear that God hates such sin with a everlasting hate and will not allow those who partake of this vice into Hispresence. 20, "For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; sothat they are without excuse: 21Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.22Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. 24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. 26For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving inthemselves that recompence of their error which was meet. 28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;"(Romans 1:20-28) Here God condemns homosexuality, being gay, Lesbian, bisexual, or transgender as an abomination unto His Holy Name. God tells those who partake of this evil what their endwill be: 9, " Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusersof themselves with mankind, (which includes all LGBTQ transgressors of God's natural order) brackets my emphasis.) 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God."(1st Corinthians 6: 9-10) SINS OF THE FLESH HAVE BEEN WITH MAN SINCE CREATION This is not a new occurrence, as man in his ability to do wicked deeds, sins against his own flesh by being joined to the same gender as himself/herself and defiles themselveswith what God has defined as gross sin. It has occurred all through the history of evil men, as even the Old Testament, not just the New Testament gives cases that God brought judgment and swift retribution for their crime against a Holy God and His laws. In each of the three instances in the Old Testament where homosexuality is shown in society, destruction immediately follows. The city of Sodom gave its name to this vilepractice and has served as the preeminent example of God's displeasure: see (Genesis 18:20-21; 19:1-29). Two lesser-known cases also show that a rise in homosexuality signals a quick decline and fall. Such was the case of the tribe of Benjamin that was nearlydestroyed because of homosexuality found in Judges chapters 19-21. And in 1st Kings in the reign of Rehoboam of Judah, the Bible records, "And there were also perverted persons in the land. They did according to all the abominations of the nations which the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel"(I Kings 14:24). "Perverted persons" is a translation of the Hebrew qedeshim, meaning "those practicing sodomy and prostitution in religious rituals". The next verses reveal the result oftheir sin: Pharaoh Shishak of Egypt marched against Judah and conquered Jerusalem, carrying away all the treasures of the Temple and the royal house (verses 25-26). History also records the debauchery of the Roman Empire and it's citizens using roman baths to commit heinous acts of homosexuality and the moral conduct of the empire contributedto their eventual downfall. Those who commit such acts, God says He will not allow them into His presence and they will be separated from Him for all eternity, where there is weeping and gnashing ofteeth. Some call it HELL, or the Lake of Fire. DO WE TURN A BLIND EYE? Some will say that we must be tolerant. We must love others as ourselves, just as the past "idiot in chief" tried to use the "Golden Rule" as his support for allowing allthings gay into this culture. In the last 50 years, the LGBTQ community has made steady inroads into this nation, and with the election of the past POTUS, (I won't use his name, as it is loathsome to me) he promoted all things gay and even made a executiveorder that June of the year is LGBTQ pride month. This for a minority community that has had the same rights that every American has always had, but they want special treatment. Not only is homosexuality out of the closet in America, it is entirely out in the open and militantly demanding its recognition and acceptance. With political power farexceeding their numbers, homosexuals now feel greatly empowered when they had an openly supportive President in the White House. Whoever thinks this nation is still many years from collapse needs to think again. The DOMA act (Defense of Marriage Act) was abandoned because the "idiot in chief" would not support it. Then the Supreme Court in all their arrogance went against God andgave legitimacy to the "union" (sic) of same sex individuals that must be recognized in every state. That "Idiot in chief"...let me rephrase that, YOUR IDIOT IN CHIEF, as he is not mine, had promoted all things gay and been at the front of blurring the linesbetween the sexes by letting transgender men or women use whatever public bathroom that fits their emotional stance at the present time. Of course, one cannot prevent perverts and pedophiles from taking advantage of this and preying on your daughter, youngson or wife while behind closed doors. The LGBTQ adherents have taken the sacred institution of marriage and common decency and thrown it to the ground and stomped all over it...and the present government allowsit, endorses it, and promotes it and for that, God will surely judge, if it has not already begun against this nation for the evil that we have done in the name of "political correctness". Not only is this nation condemning itself to eventual destruction,but every man, woman, and yes, even children that partake in this sin, or any sin of the flesh and does not turn away from their evil conduct by seeking forgiveness from Almighty God, dooms themselves to an everlasting judgment from God, into outer darkness,where "Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched". (Mark 9:44) You who practice such evil, do you see yourselves in this message? I pray it puts a burr under your saddle and God's Holy Spirit convicts you, until you can't be still butmust confess your sins before a Holy God and beg forgiveness and cleansing from One Person who can take away the sins of the flesh you have committed, Jesus Christ, the Son of God. You that have turned a blind eye, and taken the stance of live and let live and ignore what is happening all around you, or until you face it squarely when your wife ordaughter is defiled, what will you do? You can't do it alone my friend. No one can do it alone. The forces of evil are building exponentially as we approach the end of days....we were warned in God's Word: 12 "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickednessin high places."(Ephesians 6:12,) This world is quickly coming to an end. The climax of the rule of mankind is closing in on the last 7 years of his governance in which he has done a thoroughly terriblejob, according to what is righteous and good in the sight of God. Soon the coming time known as Jacob's troubles will be upon the earth. It may come sooner than anyone of us, Christian or otherwise, even thinks or imagines. My spirit bears witness with theSpirit of God, that this will not go on much longer. WHAT MUST YOU DO? We who are alive and fighting this battle against the rulers of the darkness of this world, must take on the whole armor of God, if we are even able to stand against theonslaught that has come and only will get exponentially worse. 13 "Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;"(Ephesians 6:13-18) Think you can stand by yourself? Think again. You don't have the power or the strength to stand against the wiles of the devil. Satan will have you for lunch and you willlikely succumb to the darkness that will overtake this world. I have preached till I'm nearly blue in the face as Tribulation is coming and the time grows short where a woman/man can be found in Jesus Christ and be removed from the coming wrath of God. Makeno mistake, friend, wrath is coming and if you think it's bad now, you haven't seen anything yet, and frankly, you don't want to...as calculating the death toll of this planet during this awful time, will be upwards of 80% of all humankind to the order ofalmost 6 billion people in 7 short years....there will not be enough people to bury the dead, and bodies will be lying around, decaying or being eaten by wild animals who are looking for food....and the SMELL!!....it will be a time of the most horrific andghastly in all of the generations of mankind. This ABOMINATION that is the LGBT "movement" is only the tip of the iceberg that will bring the wrath of God, much like it did in Noah's day when men were constantly doingevil. God has designed the coming tribulation for two things and I've said this time and time again. First is the complete annihilation of ALL rebellion on this earth by fire and Divine judgment and wrath. Second is the coming acceptance of Israel of theirMessiah that they rejected 2000 years ago. God has warned through Jesus Christ while on earth: 19 "For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be. 20 And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days." (Mark 13:19-20) Do you get the gravity of that statement by our Lord? No flesh will be saved, if the events were allowed to play to it's conclusion. Only those who accepted their Messiah,will be supernaturally protected and go into the Millennium as mortal men and women. Everyone else, "those that dwell upon the earth" will die horrible deaths by whatever means known to man either natural or supernatural. GOD WILL COME OUT OF HIS PLACE TO END REBELLION God has said in His Word in Isaiah 66: "For, behold, the LORD will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. 16 For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many."(Isaiah 66:15-16) To further give you the gravity of the coming wrath of God, Zephaniah wrote in 1:17- 18: 17 "And I will bring distress on men, so that they shall walk as the blind because they have sinned against the LORD. And their blood shall be poured out as dust, and theirflesh as dung. 18, Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath; but the whole earth shall be devoured by the fire of His jealousy, forHe shall make even a full end, yea, a terrible end of all who dwell upon the earth."(Zephaniah 1:17-18) Again in Isaiah 26: 17" Like as a woman with child, that draweth near the time of her delivery, is in pain, and crieth out in her pangs; so have we been in thy sight, O Lord. 18 We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants ofthe world fallen. 19 Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall castout the dead. 20 Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. 21 For, behold, the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more coverher slain." (Isaiah 26:17-21) But to those who call upon the name of the Lord, God has promised: "8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. 9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. 11 Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.," (1st Thessalonians 5:8-11) 8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."(Romans 10:8-13)." "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.". ( John 3:16-20) How do you believe? Believe that Jesus died for your sins and mine, that God the Father raised Him on the 3rd day according to the scriptures, and stands at the right handof God, as His only Son...the Son of God....repent of your sins that He has already paid for by faith believing, and thou shalt be saved! Leave your sins of LBGTQ practices and repent before Almighty God and He will receive you. ...Because the End of the Ageis at Hand and your chance at entering into the Kingdom of God grows shorter by the day. This is Pastor Mike Taylor, praying you find my Lord Jesus before the coming Tribulation begins as sin in this world is growing exponentially and it can't be much longer..socome Lord Jesus. . If you need prayer, counseling, or just a listening ear, email me at pastormiketaylor@yahoo.com , . God bless you all till we hopefully , MEET AT JESUS FEET