THE BRIDE

 What an awesome thing to behold if the church comes together as one people, united under God Almighty. What an awesome sight to witness God’s glorious church of a rainbow-color worshiping together and bringing heaven down to earth. I believe God longs for a ‘Rainbow- color Revival’ in His church, where God’s people assemble together around the table of the Good News, the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

          There are so many dying around us and around the world, especially our young people. Many are feeling empty and hungry for something and do not know what. But what the emptiness and the hunger stem from is an emptiness of God and a hunger for God. It is a hunger for Jesus Christ and Savior of the world.  May the power of the Holy Spirit burn within the church and equip the saints of God to proclaim a gospel that will satisfy the hungry and emptiness of souls.

I believe God longs for Christ Bride, the Church, to experience a ‘Rainbow Color’ awakening that will spark a reformation of a complacent church.  

          We came through the Lenten season up to the resurrection of Jesus. It was during this time that the disciples got discouraged at the cruel sight of Jesus’ crucifixion. They lost hope in the idea of continuing on in the footstep of Jesus. But Jesus’ resurrection brought about a reformation of the disciples lives and sparked a fire in them to advance the New Testament Church. The Church today needs a fire, the Holy Spirit fire.

          When the fire of the Holy Spirit comes to the church, the church will no longer look the same as it is today.  And when the gospel is preached those who are feeling empty and spiritually hungry will run to the cross of Christ and be made satisfied in Him.

          John in his gospel tells us that Jesus declares, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me.” John 7:37. And Isaiah tells us, “Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you that have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, without money and without price.  Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen, so that you may live. Isaiah 55. Those who are feeling empty and hungry for God come to the water of the Word, eat, drink and live.  

TO RESCUE

The essence of the Gospel is ‘salvation’. Salvation is to seek and to save what was lost. It is to seek and rescue what was lost from the power of sin. Notice, the phrase ‘what was lost’. I invite you to look at a bigger picture. We are often tempted to narrow down the ‘seek and save’ to humanity only. But think of it, ‘to seek and to save what was lost’ also include the whole creation. Ever wonder why there is so much compassion shown towards the animals? At times it seems more compassion is given towards animals than to humans. It is because the Gospel is given for the animals also. It is given for God’s whole creation. The Gospel, although it is about the life, ministry, crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection of the living Christ, it is not just words on the pages of the Bible. The Gospel is the Good News, the Word of God alive through God’s people in the world. We are ambassadors of Christ, called to do the gospel, and to be the Gospel, to all nations and languages for Christ’s sake. We are God’s hands and feet in the world through Jesus Christ. We are to seek and rescue that which is lost through the saving Gospel of Christ. Therefore, the essence of the Gospel is ‘salvation’. Salvation is to rescue that which is lost from the power of sin. And Jesus Christ came to seek and to save what was lost. Luke 19:10.

BIG QUESTION:
What does Christ means to you?
How do you see the Gospel used in your church to rescue the lost from the power of sin?

BEHOLD THE CHURCH

          What an awesome thing to behold if the church comes together as one people, united under God Almighty. What an awesome sight to witness God’s glorious church of a rainbow-color worshiping together and bringing heaven down to earth. I believe God longs for a ‘Rainbow- color Revival’ in His church, where God’s people assemble together around the table of the Good News, the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

          There are so many dying around us and around the world, especially our young people. Many are feeling empty and hungry for something and do not know what. But what the emptiness and the hunger stem from is an emptiness of God and a hunger for God. It is a hunger for Jesus Christ and Savior of the world.  May the power of the Holy Spirit burn within the church and equip the saints of God to proclaim a gospel that will satisfy the hungry and emptiness of souls.

I believe God longs for Christ Bride, the Church, to experience a ‘Rainbow Color’ awakening that will spark a reformation of a complacent church.  

          We came through the Lenten season up to the resurrection of Jesus. It was during this time that the disciples got discouraged at the cruel sight of Jesus’ crucifixion. They lost hope in the idea of continuing on in the footstep of Jesus. But Jesus’ resurrection brought about a reformation of the disciples lives and sparked a fire in them to advance the New Testament Church. The Church today needs a fire, the Holy Spirit fire.

          When the fire of the Holy Spirit comes to the church, the church will no longer look the same as it is today.  And when the gospel is preached those who are feeling empty and spiritually hungry will run to the cross of Christ and be made satisfied in Him.

          John in his gospel tells us that Jesus declares, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me.” John 7:37. And Isaiah tells us, “Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you that have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, without money and without price.  Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen, so that you may live. Isaiah 55. Those who are feeling empty and hungry for God come to the water of the Word, eat, drink and live.  

SEARCHING

Many people, especially our younger generation are searching for God. They want to know, who is this God that is talked about, called upon, and proclaimed. Yet, many have not come to know or find this God. It seems like a dilemma, both in the world and sadly, in the church. 
Is there an answer to this dilemma? 
Does the church have an answer?
The Gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salvation. What then is the Gospel?
The Gospel is the good news about Jesus Christ. 

When the life of Jesus is told or preached – when his birth, his life, his ministry, his death, burial and resurrection is told or preached, we have the good news. Although the good news seems obscured by his oppression and his death, the good news came to life or became clear at his resurrection. So Jesus’ life –ministry, death, burial and resurrection, especially His resurrection is the ultimate Good News and the essence of salvation.

What then is salvation? The dictionary has several meanings. One is “Deliverance from the power or penalty of sin.” So one could say, salvation means to be delivered, rescued or saved from something that is not good for us or for our relationship with God. 
According to Harper Collins Bible Dictionary, the term ‘salvation’ has lost its original meaning. It states that the word salvation is rooted in God’s divine help, especially in circumstances where God’s people face an adversary. God comes in and rescues and delivers from perils. Salvation also includes deliverance from other forms of conflict, especially relating to people’s relationship with God.

 The Gospel or the Good News is in direct correlation with salvation. In a nutshell, the Gospel is the essence of salvation.

 KJV Mark 16:15, Jesus told his disciples, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”
 NIV Mark 16:15 “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.” 
NRS Mark 16:15 “Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation.” 

In the language of Christianity, the God for whom people are searching is found in Jesus Christ, the one who died on the cross to atone for sinful humanity. Jesus is the one whom Isaiah wrote about in the book of Isaiah Chapter 53 saying, “He was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed.”

The devastation of Jesus’ life became the Ultimate Good News at His resurrection. The Good News is the Gospel and the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation. The Gospel is the essence of salvation for seekers.

 Many people are searching for answers how to be saved from all kinds of things in the world, which ail or afflict them. In other words people are seeking for salvation; they are seeking to be saved or to be rescued from something that is not good for the physical, mental or spiritual health. And everyone likes to be healthy.

What then is the answer for those who are still searching?

The answer then lies in the Gospel – the Good News about Jesus Christ, which is the power of God unto salvation – the power of God to save, rescue or to deliver the one who searches for God, and bring an end to the search.

 I believe a person, who is searching for God, is like one who is lost in a vast forest or wilderness. He walks until his shoes are worn, his feet have blisters, he is hungry for food, and thirsty for water with no end in sight. He decides to look for streams of water between the rocks and trees of this vast forest. And the irony here is that the streams of water is not lost, it is right where it is supposed to be in the forest. And it is the one who is thirsty that has to find it. When he finds it he rejoices and drinks and lives, or he drinks and lives and rejoices.

The Good News is God is not lost, and Jesus calls us to God through His Gospel.

When the Gospel is preached – the life, ministry, death, burial and resurrection of the risen Christ, the one who is searching for God will be saved from his wilderness whatever his wilderness may be and his search for God will come to an end. He will rejoice that he has found that for which he searches.

By: Pastor Salome