Celebration | The Bride He Desires | Ps Jeremiah Soliman

Welcome to the Neuma Church Podcast. Wherever you are in the world, we are so glad you've joined us. Our prayer is that this message will reveal more of who our Heavenly Father is, as we all grow deep in intimacy with Jesus. Enjoy this message. Today we're going to come around the Word. As we're in this month of celebration, I actually want to talk to us today about something that the Lord has been brewing in my spirit for well over a month. And it's not just a message that I feel like is for this house, like Pastor Dom said, but I actually feel like this is what the Lord is speaking across His body right now. And we're going to read later in Revelation, but the Lord says, He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches. And we have to become attentive. We have to become aware of what Holy Spirit wants to say. And when He's speaking, I was actually talking to my brother who lives in Germany now, and he was telling me that the minister at their church last week was preaching along the same lines. And there's just this theme right now across the body of Christ of the Lord preparing His bride for His return. The Lord preparing His bride for His return. And sometimes we can pull away. We can pull away from this discussion because we think the Lord is tarrying. But like a thief in the night, the Word says the Lord is coming. Like a thief in the night. And we need to be ready for His return. And we are the bride, but He is the perfect bridegroom. He's the perfect bridegroom. You can go and read in Hosea chapter 2. It talks about the Lord says, I will betroth you to me forever. There's this picture all throughout Scripture of the bride and the bridegroom coming together. It's a picture. Look, Ephesians chapter 5, for example, the passage that we love to talk about with marriage, husbands love your wives. It's actually the Lord talking about the church. He's talking about the church and the bride and what Jesus did for that bride. And I believe we are in an hour where we need to pay attention and prepare ourselves for the return of the Lord. Jesus tells His bride in Matthew 25, 13, to watch, which is actually this Greek word, which means to keep awake. We can't afford to fall asleep in this hour. We have to remain watchful. We have to understand the times and the season that we are in because judgment begins in the house of God. So I want to talk to you today about becoming the bride that the Lord desires. I want to talk to you today about what it looks like in your life and my life to be transformed into His perfect bride. How many of you know that the Lord is not coming back for a second grade bride? He's coming back for a bride that looks exactly like how He intends it to look like. He is not a compromising God who will say, I'll take these qualities, but the one I've suggested to you, no, no, I won't take that one. No, no, no. The things that He says are the things that He desires. His word is unchanging. So I actually want to take us through today what it looks like for you and I as His bride, because we are His bride to become. We are His bride to become transformed into the bride that He desires. And I actually want to say this. Jesus is the perfect bridegroom. He is the perfect bridegroom. I was listening to something significant this week and it absolutely smashed my mind. The story in John chapter 4, which we're also familiar with, where the woman at the well is chatting with Jesus and Jesus says to her, you've had five husbands and the man you are with now being the sixth one also. But Jesus comes to her. He comes to her as the perfect bridegroom, as the seventh man. As the seventh man, He is the perfect bridegroom. And there are things that we might have been married to on this earth, our desires, our pleasures, but the Lord is coming to us as His perfect groom. So I want to take us to Revelation chapter 2 today. And I just want to show you seven things that the Lord is coming back for. And Revelation chapter 2 and 3 takes us on a journey through seven churches at the time that this was written in Asia Minor or better yet known as modern day Turkey. And these seven churches were known as the lampstands. You can go and read about it in the previous chapter in Revelation chapter 1. But there were seven key churches in this district of Asia, Asia Minor at the time. And John sees in the Spirit, these things that are to happen. And the Lord begins to speak to him about these churches. And He begins to speak about the things that He loves about them and the things that He wants them to pay attention to. And I want to take us on this journey today so that we can be prepared as a bride for His return. So go with me to Revelation chapter 2. We're going to look at the seven churches. The first one is in Ephesus. Ephesus was a thriving church. It was booming. It had big numbers. They were doing really well. But this is what the Lord said to this church in Ephesus. To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, These things says he who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven lampstands. I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil, and that you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and you have found them liars. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and you have persevered, you have patience, you have labored for my name's sake, and you have not become weary. Nevertheless, I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember, therefore, from where you have fallen, repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place unless you repent. But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. And he who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. So we see here, this church had works, it had labor, it had patience, there was an intolerance for evil, they exposed false apostles, there was a perseverance and endurance about them, all good things, things of the Holy Spirit, things that we ought to do as believers. But one thing with this church that the Lord found is that they had forgotten their first love. They had forgotten their first love. And I wonder how many of us fall into this thing of works where we do things for God as a substitute for loving Him well. I serve in this area, I serve in that area, I lead a life group. Okay, but how well do you love Him? Because that's the thing He's looking for. I said this in the first service, but you know, the problem with this is when we do works without love, we fall into performance. But when we love and we do the works, we're presence-led. We become presence-led people. The Lord does not want us to become a people of performance. John 17, 3 says, This is eternal life, that they may know you. How well do you know? How well do you know Him? And this is the thing. He refers to this, the Lord refers to this as first love. I want to say this, first love is not the same as love. They're very different. Pastor Dom and I, we dated for a whole year, doing long distance. We were overseas. She was overseas at the time. We had a massive time difference. But when we first, that was when we first started dating. And the first love that we had, it's like a burning love. I would stay up all night. I'd go to work. I'd go to work sleepless the next day. We'd stay up on FaceTime to one another. We'd send gifts. We would do anything. The drop of a hat. That's what first love is. So I want to actually question us today and look inside. Do I just love the Lord or do I first love the Lord? Because they're very different. We can love Him or we can love Him with all of our mind, strength, soul, and everything within. That at the drop of a hat, yes, Lord. Yes, Lord. First love is very different. And this is the first thing that the Lord is looking for. No one wants to marry somebody that doesn't love them. I can tell my wife, you know, how much I love her, but I've got to show her how much I love her. Whereas these guys, they were indulged in works, labor, patience, but it was all without love. So the first characteristic the Lord is looking for in you and I when He returns, is a bride of first love. The second we find in chapter 2, verse 8. This is the church of Smyrna. And it says this in verse 8. And to the angel of the church in Smyrna, write, these things says the first and the last, who was dead and came to life. I know your works, there it is again, tribulation, poverty, but you are rich. And I know the blasphemy of those who say they are, Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested and you will have tribulation 10 days. Be faithful until death and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death. So the Lord doesn't actually, He doesn't actually rebuke this church for anything. He actually commends them for their endurance, their suffering, their works, their tribulation, their poverty, their resilience against blasphemy, which leads us to the second thing that the Lord is looking for in His bride. It's a resilient bride that will suffer with Him. And we don't talk about suffering enough in the body of Christ. We love a good time in the river of God. We love to get in His presence and in the glory. But could I suggest we're missing a whole other dimension of the Lord when we don't partake of His sufferings? One of the most beautiful poetic things I read was from a lady by the name of Basilia Schlenk, a German nun who passed away. And she talks about how Jesus tarried in Gethsemane. It was in the painful places that the Lord is. And sometimes we say, God, where are you? Lord, where are you? I don't feel you in this season. I can't hear your voice, but He's actually in the low place. He's in the place of suffering. Jesus tarried in Gethsemane. Jesus tarried in Gethsemane. See, this church in Smyrna, they'd suffered much persecution. They knew what it meant to suffer with Christ. They were trialed and poor in spirit, but they were rich in grace. And true love leads us to enduring with the one we love. It doesn't quit when they're tough times. Rather, it's displayed more than ever. And He desires, He desires that we would endure so that we would glory with Him. What kind of husband would I be to my wife if she was going through a terrible period of pain, loss, grief, and I left her on her own? No true lover does that. It's the same thing with the Lord. We're to partake of His sufferings. And maybe we don't necessarily know what this means in its fullness here in the West. The Eastern churches do. Our persecution might look a little bit different. Our suffering might look a little bit different. It might look like being mocked for our faith. It might look like being tormented for our faith from others. But I want to say to you this, a godly bride suffers. This is what 2 Timothy 3.12 says. All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. How many people? All. All. All. All who desire to live godly. I desire to live godly. And I pray that you do too. But in order to live godly, you're going to go through sufferings. And it's not because God is some psychomaniac who loves to see you suffer. No, God does not create suffering. But the Lord uses the suffering that is inflicted upon us to produce a few things. Things like character. Things like courage. Things like godliness. Things like joy. That can only be found through suffering. Things like rewards. Paul wrote it like this in Philippians 3.7-11. What things were gained to me, these I have counted as loss for Christ. Yet indeed, I also count all things lost for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, whom I have suffered the loss of all things. I count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the Lord, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if by any means I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. How many of us truly deny ourselves? You know, Jesus said, if you do not deny yourself and take up your cross, you have no part in me. You have to deny yourself. And you know, when Jesus said, you must eat of my flesh and drink of my blood, people were so offended. They left. There was multitudes of people that left following Jesus when He spoke this word about suffering with Him. They were offended by it. So do we become offended when we talk about enduring and partaking of His sufferings, or do we embrace it? Because I tell you, if we suffer with the Lord, surely we will glory with Him also. So next time you're like, God, where are you? I don't know where you are. Maybe He's in the low place. Maybe He's in the broken place. Maybe He's in the places of humility. Maybe He's in Gethsemane waiting for you. The third bride that the Lord is looking for is an uncompromising bride. Verse 12 of chapter 2 says this, This is the church in Pergamos. And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write these things, says he who has the sharp two-edged sword. I know your works and where you dwell, where Satan's throne is. A lot of people attest that to potentially being the Roman Empire at the time, the persecution that was happening. But you hold fast to my name, and you did not deny my faith, even in the days in which Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. But I have a few things against you, because you have those there who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality. Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. Now you might be reading this, and you're like, what on earth is the Nicolaitans and the doctrine of Balaam? Basically, this church at the time had a sect called the Nicolaitans, and they were a corrupt sect that were actually teaching false doctrine to the church. They were corrupting the church. They were saying things like, it's okay to fornicate. They were saying things like, it's okay to eat things that are offered to idols. And then with the doctrine of Balaam, you can go and read that in Numbers chapter 22 to chapter 25. But the doctrine of Balaam, long story short, the Lord delivers Israel of being cursed by Moab. And then they actually engage with some of the Moabites in sexual immorality. But there was this false doctrine that was being taught in this church. But the Lord is not coming back for a church of false doctrine. He's not coming back for a bride that compromises on truth. We need the truth of His word. He is the word, but we need the truth of it in its fullness. What does Jesus say in John chapter 17? He says, sanctify them by your truth, and your word is truth. The Lord is coming for a bride that knows the truth. What does the Father seek after? Those who worship Him in spirit and truth. He wants an uncompromised, know the truth, live the truth bride. You know, I look at kind of the current state of a lot of churches and praise God, the Lord is doing a new work in many churches. But we've gone through seasons as a church, as the body of Christ, where we've taught seeker sensitive stuff, stuff that'll tickle the ear of people. But I really believe that the day of preaching the gospel watered down for the sake of relevance is over. The Lord is not interested in us becoming relevant by twisting the truth. The Lord is interested in you and I becoming radical by standing on the truth of His word, especially in these times that we live in. You know, it's like the truth about my wife doesn't change when somebody comes and tells me a lie. Why is that? Because I know her. I know her heart. I know her intentions. It's the same thing with the Lord. It's the same thing with the Lord. So how much of our knowledge and perception of God is actually because of our reality and encounter with the Lord and reading and encountering Him through the word or how much of it is actually secondary faith through other people's perceptions of God? Father wants us to know Him and to know the truth because the truth sets you free. Okay. The fourth one that the Lord, the Lord is looking for as He returns and is preparing, He is looking for a pure, holy bride. Go with me to verse 18 to the church of Thyatira. And to the angel of the church in Thyatira writes, these things says the Son of God who has eyes like a flame of fire and His feet like fine brass. I know your works, your love, your service, your faith, and your patience. And as for your works, the last are more than the first. Nevertheless, I have a few things against you because you allow that woman Jezebel who calls herself a prophetess to teach and seduce my servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality and she did not repent. Indeed, I will cast her into a sickbed and those who commit evil deeds will commit adultery with her into great tribulation unless they repent of their deeds. I will kill her children with death and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the mind and hearts and I will give to each one of you according to your works. Now I say to you and to the rest in Thyatira as many as do not have this doctrine who have not known the depths of Satan as they say, I will put on you no other burden and hold fast what you have till I come and he who overcomes and keeps my word, my works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations. So this church in Thyatira was very similar to Pergamos. It had works, love, service, faith, patience but it didn't deal with sin in the church. There was this spirit of Jezebel and you can read about Jezebel in Kings. She was a seducer. She had false prophets that worshipped Baal. There was sexual immorality, a whole bunch of things but you see in this verse that they had opened the door in this church to that kind of behavior but have a look what the Lord says. He says this in verse 21. I gave her time to repent and she did not repent. The Lord is coming for a holy bride that does not tolerate sin. This church was tolerating sin. They weren't dealing with the sins. They weren't dealing with this spirit within the church. When you actually read commentaries on it, it talks about how the ministers literally had the authority and the power to deal with it and they did not. So we need to look internally because if the Lord is coming back for a pure and spotless bride, we need to ask ourselves, what are the sins that I tolerate in my life? What are the cycles of sin, whether they're habits, thoughts, patterns, behaviors that I tolerate because the Lord will not have that. He wants to tolerate that. are holy and a pure bride. And the Lord is wanting to deal with the spirit of Jezebel in the church right now. This thing of control because I would say this, the Lord does not want to harlot. He's a jealous God. You can go and read Ezekiel chapter 23 where the Lord condemns the harlotry of the nation because he was not interested in you and I loving multiple people being sin and him. He's interested in us having one lover. The Lord is not into polygamy. He's not interested in it. He wants us to love him with everything and him to be our only lover, not lovers of sin. He does not want mixture. This is why the apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 11 says, for I am jealous with you, for you with godly jealousy, for I have betrothed you to one husband that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. The Lord wants us to be presented to him in holiness, in purity. And I believe right now he is purifying his bride. He's cleaning his bride. It's no secret we've seen scandal after scandal across the churches, across the nations. What is that? Why all simultaneously? Because the Lord is preparing his bride. He's cleaning his bride. You know, if the Lord walks through the temple and he cleans it and you and I are now the temple, what does that mean? There's a cleansing that needs to happen in us. He's still interested in his temple being clean. So what are the things we need to deal with? And I'm preaching this to myself. As I read this text, I'm like, Lord, please deal with the sins in my life. I cannot let this become a barrier between you and I. this is what the prophet nate johnson a very pure man of god an amazing prophet of god said recently he said we are in a moment when rain is coming and god is sifting his true prophets we are entering a moment of breakthrough unlike anything we have ever seen in the body of christ amen we are in the era of the revealing of jesus through a mighty people and in that moment again jezebel has sent a threat to the camp of the remnant like the day of elijah we must watch out for jezebel we need to watch out for this church as the lord begins to pour out you can feel over the last few weeks the water levels rising as the lord continues to pour out his glory over this church there will come opposition this spirit which looks to distract us but can i tell you when the lord truly comes in real revival there are sins that are long-standing that the lord deals with those things cannot remain anymore and i didn't emphasize this in as much in the first service but i really feel god's hand is on this right now that the lord is calling us higher by his grace and his mercy and this is not by works he is leading us and calling us into holiness you go and read thessalonians chapter 4 and you will see that the lord is calling us higher by his grace and his mercy and he talks about walking in holiness the lord wants us to walk in our call of holiness because that's the kind of bride he is coming back for because our god is holy and he will not settle for anything less than us also being holy and we can't do this by the flesh we can only do this by the spirit of god who gives us grace amen amen okay the next church that the lord is coming back for the next thing in the bride he is looking for is in revelation chapter three verse one and this is the church in sardis and it says this and to the church to the angel of the church in sardis write these things says he who has the seven spirits of god and the seven stars i know your works that you have a name that you are alive but you are dead be watchful and strengthen the things which remain that are ready to die for i have not found your works perfect before god remember therefore how you have received and heard hold fast and repent therefore if you will not watch i will come upon you as a thief and you will not know what hour i will come upon you you have a few names even in sardis who have not defiled their garments and they shall walk with me in white for they are worthy he who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments and i will not blot out his name from the book of life but i will confess him his name before you and i will not be clothed in white garments and i will not be clothed in white garments and i will not before my father and before his angels he who has an ear let him hear what the spirit says to the churches so this church had works but it was dead in soul service it was powerless it was hollow it had become religious and it had made a name for itself not jesus hypocrisy and decay were the sins that were charged upon sardis the church had a great reputation it had a name it was flourishing it was known for its purity of doctrine unity order decency everything had appeared well with this church but this church was not really what it had reputed to be there was a form of godliness but not the power there was great deadness in their souls and services deadness in the spirits of their ministers in their prayers in their preaching in their converse their works were hollow and their prayers weren't filled with desire their inward man was wanting does this sound familiar sometimes the Lord is coming back for a power filled, not a religious bride, the Lord is done with our religious boxes, he wants us to not just proclaim that we love him and we follow him but to actually act like it, to actually walk in that manner, could you imagine if I said to my wife, I love you, I love you, I love you all the time and I tell her how much I love her but I never show her, in fact my actions are the opposite, do I really love her? Can I say this, the Lord did not say greater words than this shall you speak, he said greater works than this shall you do, greater works than this shall you do, like I said before we need to love the Lord but we also need to walk in his power, we need to walk in his power, this is a distinguishing marker of those who are truly close to the Lord because what happens is, when you're close to father, suddenly you begin to reflect him and these things just follow, that's why the Lord said these signs shall follow, they'll follow, markers of those that are truly close to father, heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons, preach the gospel, they're markers, they're markers and the Lord is calling us to walk in his power because it's not sometimes enough to just tell people, we need to sometimes display, that too, he wants to release his power through you and I, we are his earthen vessels that he wants to release his glory through and that's why 2nd Timothy chapter 3, 1 to 5 says this, but know this, that in the last days, pearliest times will come, for men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power, from such people turn away, from such people turn away, the apostle Paul's telling Timothy, don't even have anything to do with those kinds of people in the house of God, who say that they are godly but do not display the power of God, who do not walk in the power of God, the Lord is going to show you, the Lord is going to show you, the Lord is going to show you, like I said, this is not condemning, this is calling us, I want us to begin to walk in the power of God, because in the last days, this is what is needed, for us to walk in the truth, walk firm, walk in love of Jesus, but also to display his power and his glory and his authority on this earth, he has given us this earth as dominion, he has given us a sphere of influence, domain, this is our metron that the Lord has given to us, that we need to outwork his power, and his glory, he wants to make himself manifest, but are we partnering with that on the earth, this is the next thing that the Lord is looking for, a power-filled non-religious church, and I really believe the Lord is done with religion, the Lord is done with how we love our pretty services, the Lord is done with how we come in and we lift our hands and then the next thing you know on the Monday, we're back to our, no, no, no, no, the Lord's done with those times, he's calling us to walk in our true identity, these things are not things, you know, that you even have to force or make happen, they're actually part of your identity in Christ, we just have to step into it, it's like the Lord's like, here's this door of power that I've opened up to you, a gateway on the cross, are you going to stand there and look at it, or are you going to step into it, he's like, just step into my power, step into the glory and the authority that I have already given you access to, the second last thing that the Lord is looking for, or addresses in the churches that we see here, is in Revelation 3, 7 to 13, and this is the faithful church in Philadelphia, and it says this, and to the church, to the angel of the church in Philadelphia, write, these things says he who is holy, he who is true, he who has the key of David, he who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens, I know your works, see that I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it, for you have little strength, have kept my word, and have not denied my name, indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say they are Jews and are not, but lie, indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you, because you have kept my command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial, which shall come upon the whole world to test those who dwell on the earth, behold I am coming quickly, hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown, he who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of God, and he shall go out no more, I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God, I will write on him my new name, he who has an ear, let him hear what the spirit says to the churches, the Lord actually doesn't rebuke this church, he encourages them, he exhorts them, they were a faithful bride, they had works, the Lord had opened doors to them, opportunities, they had little strength, but they were still faithful, they were steadfast in the word, true to his name, and had perseverance, and this is what the Lord is looking for, for a bride that will persevere, you know, like we spoke about earlier with the church in Smyrna, if persecution comes, we're going to have to have perseverance, we're going to need endurance in the Lord, and I refer again to the wedding season, because obviously Dom and I got married earlier this year, but you can come into a wedding season, and you can, it's getting really close, but then you get really fatigued, all the preparation, all the work that it takes to get things ready, that's why some people get cold feet. But in the same vein, just like the Lord is returning as the bridegroom, and we his bride, we are to remain faithful, and to persevere, we need to persevere, you know, this year, even as a church, has been a year of perseverance for us, we've gone through the trial, we've gone through the hardship, and it's not in vain, the Lord is doing something new, you can sense it, you feel it, we have persevered through difficult season as a church, but the Lord is now like, okay, you've persevered, come and receive, come and let me just wash over you, you know, it's easy to deny love when you're tired, but he's after a faithful bride, and that's why Jesus in Matthew 24 13, he says, he who endures to the end shall be saved, let us continue to remain and persevere in the Lord, in all seasons, in all seasons, and the last thing that the Lord is looking for, as we go to Revelation 3 14 to 22, is a burning bride, a bride that is on fire for the Lord, and it says this, and to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, these things says the amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God, I know your works you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then because you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of my mouth. Because you say I am rich, I have become wealthy and have need of nothing and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich and white garments that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed. Anoint your eyes with eye salve that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into him and dine with him and he with me. The Lord commends this church for nothing. He does not exhort them for anything. Rather, he says you're lukewarm, you've called yourself rich when you're poor, you're wretched, you're naked, you're miserable, you're blind. Laodicea was a diluted church. It thought it was burning, but actually in the Lord's mouth, it was really distasteful. They called themselves rich, wealthy and without need. And as I was mulling over this, I was like questioning. I'm like, Lord, am I diluted and diluted or am I burning? Am I diluted and diluted like this church? Thinking that it is truly burning, but actually is not. The Lord is after a bride that is burning on fire. That's why he says he even uses this word zealous. Be zealous and repent. The Lord wants us to burn for him. Lukewarm Christianity is repulsive to the Lord. One foot in the world, one foot in God. That's why he even says, I wish you were hot or cold, not the in-between. Because if you're cold, I can send somebody to you and I can send you to the Lord. I can send somebody to go and ignite you. And if you're hot, continue to burn. It's distasteful to the Lord. Jesus said it like this. Who is not with me is against me. With the Lord, there's no middle of defense. You're either all in for him and burning with zeal for God, or you are cold and stale. No in-between in his eyes. And I believe the Lord is pouring out a fresh oil, a fresh fire over his body right now. I truly believe it. We saw it last week that the Lord was pouring out his glory. I went to the 4 p.m. service after and he continued to do the same thing. I have not seen the Lord come in that manner for quite some time in such fire. And I really believe we are in the day of Matthew chapter 25 of the parable of the foolish virgins, that there are the five wise and there are the five foolish. And it's the ones with oil in their lamps that get to see the Lord. It's the ones that are burning and full of the glory of God. That get to have the reward of the bridegroom. So I ask us to look inside and ask, Father, do I have oil in my lamp or am I running dry and going to my neighbor and saying, give me oil? Is my oil dependent on somebody else? Or am I burning for you in this hour, Lord Jesus? And I believe he wants us to burn. I truly believe it. I truly believe that there is an open heaven for a baptism of fire in the Lord again. And this fire is a fire of first love, it's a fire of holiness, it's a fire of purity, it's a fire of zeal. And it comes in one simple step. The way that the Lord says, I think five to seven times to the churches, this one word, repent. Repent. This is the bride that the Lord is after. I know that this can be a hard pill to swallow, but this is the words of the Lord. Look at this. It's all in red. That's the words of our Lord Jesus. This is what he desires. He desires that we would look like this, that we would taste like this, that we would smell like this. And he who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches. These are the seven things. To become a bride of first love, to become a bride that will partake of his sufferings, to become an uncompromising, unwavering bride. To be pure and holy, to be power-filled and non-religious, to be faithful and to burn. And Revelation 22, 17 is our response. And the Spirit and the bride say, come. And let him who hears say, come. And let him who thirsts, come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely. And this is on offer today for us to drink from the river of life right now. Thank you for joining us. We hope that you enjoyed today's podcast. And we realize that not everyone has had the opportunity to respond to the good news of the gospel. And for this reason, in all of our services and platforms, we want to extend to you the opportunity to follow Jesus. The Bible teaches us that we have been created for a relationship with God. However, sin, which is essentially disobedience, independence, and disbelief, or us simply missing the mark, entered the world and separated us from God. Romans 6, verse 23 says that the wages of sin is death. And a debt was owed. And the Bible tells us that he, Jesus, demonstrated his love for us, that while we were still sinners, he died for us. And that's why we're here today. And we're here today to tell you that we have been created for a relationship with God. And we're here today to tell you that we have been created for a relationship with God. And we're here for us. Jesus paid the penalty for our sin. John 3.16 says, For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. God so loved the world that he gave us Jesus, that whoever believes in him will be saved. All that is required of anyone is that they believe in Jesus, the Son of God, who came, lived, died, and rose again so that we could be forgiven, made right, and given the right to become children of God and to have life forevermore with him. Today you can begin a relationship with Jesus. To believe in him is to simply to respond with faith in our hearts and confess with our mouths that he is Lord, and we do that through a simple prayer. Follow along with me. Dear Jesus, I believe that you are the Son of God. I thank you that you love me. I thank you that you love me. I thank you that you love me and came to forgive me of my sin. I repent from my old way of life and I turn to follow you. I receive the free gift of eternal life and I ask that you fill me with the Holy Spirit so that I can live a life of following after you. I thank you that I am born again as a child of God and that I am a new creation in Christ Jesus. Amen. If you prayed this prayer for the first time, we would love to connect with you and connect you to your new life. And if you would like to be a part of the next step and the local church in your area, you can contact us on our website at newmark.church. Thanks for listening.