Home Steps To Engagement

                                                                                                                                                             

At CrossRoads, our main goal is to be used of God to change lives.  To this end, we encourage everyone to become and Engaged Member.  In the Jewish wedding ceremony, when a man wanted to marry a woman, he would first redeem her by giving to her Father something of great worth.  Once this gift was accepted, they were considered husband and wife, however, they had to wait to be together.  This was more like the engagement period that we know now. The husband would return to his father's home and build a place in preparation for his new bride.  All of his friends would help him build so that he could finish quicker.  Men might be too eager to finish knowing that until they finish building, they could not get their bride.  To avoid cutting corners, the Father of the groom was the judge.  Only he could decide when the groom could return to his bride.  During this time, the absence sometimes proved to be too much.  There was a lot of adultery during this time of absence.  This is also why it was such a big deal for Mary to be found with child because she had not seen Joseph.  He would have been at his father's house preparing a place.

Jesus, the groom, redeemed us, the church-bride, on the cross by giving of Himself.  He then told the disciples that He was going to prepare a place for us and that when God-the Father said it was time, He would return to get his bride.  Spiritually speaking, Christians are in the Engagement period waiting for Christ's return.  And we do not want to be unfaithful.  We must live our spiritually Engaged to our Lord Jesus Christ.

We encourage each member of our church family to become an Engaged member.