Bold & Beautiful
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.
If these messages minister
to you, please consider sending a charitable gift of $5-$25 today, and maybe
each month, to help us bless families we know in Israel, whom we consistently
help through our humanitarian ministry. Your tax deductible contributions
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– Thank you very much.)
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Think On This with your friends.
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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
