Bride or Whore?

When Jesus had come to die for HIS people, HE had come to a nation of Jews/Israel which constituted Pharisees, Sadducee, scribes, tax collectors, harlots, fishermen, temple guards, soldiers, farmers, husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, religious, leopards, those feared HIM, the sick, the healthy, rich, poor, and other typical lay believers. In a nut shell, this was the church. God's people constituted all kinds and types of believers. 

In those days, the Pharisees, Sadducee, and scribes were the religious teachers, pastors, and ministers. Just as many believe today, in those days, they all thought they were saved as they had said they were the seed of Abraham. They had believed their salvation was so assured. Today is no different, all Christians basically believe their salvation is so assured. 

The bible describes the Kingdom of God through many parables. The bibles describes the church constituting of wheat, tares, sheep, goats, hardened soil, rocky soil, thorny soil, and fruitful soil. The bible describes the church as the bride of Christ but yet the bible also describes the church as being a harlot. 

Basically, all believers believe they are the Bride of Christ and as many are led to believe HE is personally returning for them even though many do not know HIM personally and as many are still living in SIN. All believers whether their faith is retarded or in error, they all believe they are all going to be saved. This is the same thinking as the Pharisees had as they all believed they were the seed of Abraham. 

Are all the Bride of Christ? No, all are not the Bride of Christ. In fact, the Holy Spirit has taught us that many are considered whores. Many want to be the Bride of Christ but many continue to cheat and use God and thus are whores. Many are but baby Christians who complain and throw tantrums at God. 

When a person becomes saved, are they automatically the Bride of Christ? When a person is physically born, are they ready to be married? No, a baby must grow to physical and mental maturity to be married off. A baby or child does not have the physical capacity to marry or consummate the marriage. A baby or child would not understand the intimacy between two lovers. A baby or child must first learn and receive the Father's love. A baby or child must grow, be fed, be nurtured, and bask in the Father's bosom as the Father prepares the child to be wed off one day. 

Spiritually, this is the same concept. Baby and childish Christians cannot comprehend intimacy with Christ until they grow up in Christ which takes time, healing, cleansing, praying, worshiping and feeding of the Word. But the general Church attempts to marry off a baby Christian in which they do not have the spiritual capacity and thus many become frustrated, confused and lost. Many self proclaimed internet "prophets" put fear into the the baby Christians as each year they claim the Lord's Return through their false prophecy. The baby Christians who are not even of spiritual age go into panic mode and many of their faith are stumbled. Many baby and adolescent Christians are trying to prepare for the wedding but they are not part of the Bride as they do not have the spiritual capacity to understand spiritual intimacy. Can a physical baby or child understand physical intimacy as two mature lovers are able too?

As we read the whole bible, there is a timeline and we see God treating HIS people as one person or one body. There was a birth, youth, growing, and then at the end there will be a marriage. As the nation grew and at certain times, the child or body was given information. There was an appointed time when the law was given. There was an appointed time when Grace would come. And now there is also an appointed time for the marriage of the Lamb. God was a Father to HIS people at first. When we grow to spiritual age and maturity, HE will call us friend. When we are called friend, there is a promise in the bible that whatever we ask in HIS Name, HE will grant. This is why many Christians cannot get their higher prayers answered as they are not at the level of friendship but still on milk. If my small child ask me to buy them a vehicle to drive, will I answer such request? Of course not and a spiritual child cannot ask for higher spiritual  things for they are not able to handle it. If I bought my child a car to drive, it would be disastrous. God may not answer our prayers for our own good.

Jeremiah 3:19 “I thought to myself, ‘I would love to treat you as my own children!’ I wanted nothing more than to give you this beautiful land— the finest possession in the world. I looked forward to your calling me ‘Father,’ and I wanted you never to turn from me.

Why are so many pastors, their wives, and other Christians in Hell? Many pastors are trying to marry off baby Christians when they need to be fed milk, nurtured, loved, healed, and prepared for the marriage. Baby Christians need to be discipled which means they need time to grow in Christ through Word, prayer, worship, be cleansed, and healed. But rather, they are fed confusion, not loved, not nurtured, and rushed to be married to Christ with idols of hurt, unforgiveness, lusts, rejection, and etc. As baby and adolescent Christians try to find intimacy with Christ, since they do not have the capacity to know intimacy because of their spiritual age, rather than coming to know Father's Love, they come to use HIM. They come demanding things. They come with tantrums. They do not come to KNOW HIM but have come to use HIM. They come with their sinful nature of selfishness, coveting, lusts, and their prayer requests cannot be answered because their motives are considered evil. As a result, rather than becoming the Bride of Christ, they have become Whores. 

Romans 9:27 (AMP) And Isaiah calls out (solemnly cries aloud) over Israel: Though the number of the sons of Israel be like the sand of the sea, only the remnant (a small part of them) will be saved [[a]from perdition, condemnation, judgment]!

The current church is spiritual Israel. We must examine ourselves and discern what types of spirits may be lurking in our hearts. Do we have a Pharisee spirit? Do we have a leopard spirit? Do we have harlot spirit? Do we have a religious spirit? When Jesus does return and HE looks at the pool of believers, how will HE consider YOU? Will you be the remnant HE saves or will you be the tare, goat, or whore? 

If you know you are a baby Christians, rather than trying to grow up so fast, learn to just feed on milk, be content and ask for a Thanksgiving heart, be nurtured and healed by the Holy Spirit, read, worship, and pray without ceasing. Do not be in so much fear of the Lord's Return and being not ready. Do not be in such a hurry to do God's work. You must first grow in HIM and come to spiritual maturity. Slow down, be still, and come to know the Father's Love first. 

Pastor Steve Yong Kim