Now Think On This
by Steve Martin
“Come here, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb." (Revelation 21:9, NASU)
Often we heard in our churches and ministries these past decades (at least in the several my wife and I were involved with) that the Lord Jesus (Yeshua) would have a chosen people, empowered to take the Gospel to the nations. Looking around, I was somewhat skeptical, and rather uncertain, that that was going to happen. Even while working with ministries and churches during that period, I could see that the reality within revealed deep problems. Churches were splitting. Ministry staffs were dealing with ongoing personnel problems. People were continually getting hurt. Many left the walk after all the talk.
Doubt and unbelief fought often against the faith I had. It didn’t take much spiritual discernment to see it as a battle also going on in the rest of my family. It may not have always manifested on the outside, but I could tell they felt the strain in their spirits too.
On the American scene and elsewhere, Christians were going backwards. Giving up rather than leading on.
Living as those around them culturally, the light of the world wasn’t shining too bright through lukewarm believers. Separation from the world became very thin, weakened on every level. Strong, Biblical teaching gave way to watered down messages. Ear -tickled congregations grew substantially. The true, Living Word of God, the foundational Scriptures, sat on the back pew as the “abundant grace and all forgiving love” sayings of the day were declared.
What power the church once had no longer had enough spirit to stop the millions of babies from being aborted; marriage from becoming just civil law rather than the sacramental institution it was established as; and the rich getting richer while all the time the poor among us got poorer.
It would certainly take a miracle to change the direction the church as a whole was going. The ugly bride wasn’t going to make it to the ceremony at this rate.
It seems that the enemy of our souls, who himself thought he had defeated Jesus at the cross, was again ruling and reigning. Evil continues to abound, as Muslims murder Christians worldwide. The devil has taken over the seven mountain spheres that some have spoken about. Churches have died off, literally, as the previous generation has gone on. Most young people have never stepped foot in places once revered as holy.
At least that is the way it seems. In fact, that was just last month.
But the Son is going to rise.
Seated on His heavenly throne, since His ascent following His resurrection from the dead, Jesus (His given name Yeshua, meaning "salvation" in Hebrew), is about to be given the go ahead by His Father to return to this planet.
The signs of the times are on high speed, accelerating as they check off the fulfillment of prophecy set before time began. From all eternity, the Father God’s plan and purpose has been to give His Son a beautiful Bride. He will keep His word to Yeshua.
Again I will repeat the written Word of God. “Come here, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb." (Revelation 21:9, NASU)
How is this going to happen?
It is up to the Father to make it happen. We do not have the power within us, apart from His Holy Spirit, Ruach HaKodesh, for it to come to pass. But He does.
After Jesus’ return to heaven the first time, as promised He sent Holy Spirit to the chosen Jews, as He Himself was, and is. The power needed to accomplish His will had been given to them, to begin His church.
“When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.” Acts 2:1-4, NASU
I believe the Lord will again send His Holy Spirit in a most powerful and dramatic way, to fill us, work through us, and bring in the last day harvest before His soon coming return. Through the fire without and within, and the pressure from our surroundings, even as coal is compressed into a diamond, we will experience that which it will take to get us to where we are going.
The nations will be reached; His Gospel will be preached, and the gates of hell shall not prevail.
Out of what is coming on the earth will come forth a bold and beautiful bride, made up of both believing Jews and grafted-in Gentiles, transformed by the saving grace of Almighty God. We will not fall back in fear, cowardliness or weakness, but will be empowered to carry out His mission.
When it is all said and done, we will be transformed and ready to be handed over to the Groom at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.
I believe it. You can too.
Now think on this,
Steve Martin
Founder
Love For His People. Inc.
Love For His People, Inc. is a charitable, not-for-profit USA humanitarian organization started in 2010 to share the love of the Father in the nations.
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Now Think On This #193 “Bold & Beautiful” by Steve Martin
Date: In the year of our Lord 2015 (10.20.15) Tuesday at 8:45 pm in Charlotte, NC
All previous editions of Now Think On This can be found on this Blog, and on the website: Now Think On This
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