“The bride prepares herself before she gets marry. She cleanses herself for the groom,” says Pastor Suleman Manzoor in the First Borneo Revival Convention in Sandakan.
…as Christ loves the church and gave Himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to Himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any blemish, but holy and blameless. (Ephesians 5:25-27)
“We make many preparations in our life. But our main priority is to prepare the way for the King of Glory.”
Life on earth is short (Psalm 144:4). But the life we will live for, is in eternity. So, it’s very important that we prepare for eternity.
Jesus says, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). There is no other way to life. But one way – His name is Jesus Christ.
“It is time for the Bride of Christ to prepare herself.”
The days of preparation began from John the Baptist. Like John, we need to prepare the way for our King. Because without the way, we cannot reach our destiny.
“Prepare your mind and your heart for the King of Glory. How many of you want to see Him? We talk about revival. But until King Jesus comes into your life, there is no revival.”
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.
To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne.
Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
(Revelation 3:20-21)
“The King is ready to intervene in your life. He is ready to manifest Himself because you are the light of the world (Matthew 5:14).
“Without preparation, there will be no revival. The Bride has to prepare herself or the Groom will not come.”
A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. (Isaiah 40:3)
“You know, sometimes, we can be in a spiritual desert. We look nice. We preach well. We sing good. We earn lots. We’ve nice styles. We do lots of things. But still, we can be in a spiritual desert.”
But God works miracles. He can make rivers in the wilderness (Isaiah 43:19) and turn deserts into pools of water (Isaiah 41:18).
“Stop playing ‘religious’ – We want to prepare for God but we don’t prepare ourselves.”
Like Martha, we busily prepare to ‘serve’ God with activities. But Mary chose to sit with King Jesus instead.
“We are so ‘busy’ preparing for so many things. But the King just want to be with us. He wants to seek fellowship.”
“It’s time to get straight! We talk about revival. But are we ready? Have we straighten our lives? Every mountain should be made low, for the LORD to come in.”
Before crossing the river, Joshua said to the Israelites, “Come here and listen to the words of the LORD your God” (Joshua 3:9). Joshua was speaking to the people of God.
“I am talking now to the people of God. The Word changes everything. Through the Word, God made all things. Jesus is the Word. Listen to the Word. Listen to God.”
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
He was with God in the beginning.
Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.
(John 1:1-4)
Joshua continued saying to the Israelites, “This is how you will know that the living God is among you and that he will certainly drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites and Jebusites (Joshua 3:10).”
Although there were obstacles, God went before them (John 3:11). It is God who removed all the kings of darkness from the land. So, God will too remove every king of darkness before us.
“Even though there is no way, God will make a way for you!”
“He says, ‘Take My Presence in every situation, and I will make a way for you!’”
God conquered the king of Canaanites. The Canaanites represent the Spirit of materialism.
“Before we enter the Promised Land, we need to tear down the King of Materialism.”
When a rich ruler came to see Jesus, Jesus asked him to sell everything he had and follow Him. He was religious and trained. Yet, Jesus saw his heart. It was controlled by the spirit of materialism.
“Revival is fire and fire purifies you and me.”
The ruler could be doing all kinds of Bible-reading and fasting. But his heart was not with the Kingdom of God.
“I believe God is preparing the body of Christ when we believe Him. God is raising the Joshua generation who will believe in the Word of God.
“You are the temple of the Holy Spirit! You are the carrier of God’s Glory. Wherever you go, He goes with you. Though you go through the valley of death, you will fear no evil.”
The Church is shrinking nowadays, because she is looking inwardly instead of outwardly. Did Christ come to save the righteous? No. Christ came for the sick and the sinners (Mark 2:17).
Pastor Suleman also shared what the other kings represent: Hittites represent the spirit of fear, Hivites represent the spirit of self-sufficiency, Perrizites represent the spirit of witchcraft, Girgashites represent the spirit of confusion, and Amorites represent the spirit of pride.
Church of Malaysia – Bride of Christ – let us all come together and repent before our God today: every single one of us.
Is there any spirits you have kept and lifted higher than God?
If yes, now is the time to capture, tear down, and uproot all these in Jesus name. ‘We (now) take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ’ (2 Corinthians 10:4-5).
Let us confess our sin to each other, because ‘if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness’ (1 John 1:9).
To prepare for Jesus to come, is to first prepare ourselves.
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Note: Special thanks to Pastor Sebastian Cheng, Sarah-Jane and Pastor Suleman Manzoor for the pictures published above.
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