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Archbishop Gloria GraceMonday, July 28, 2014
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THE CHURCH, THE BRIDE OF CHRIST (PART 1)

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hen Isaiah the Prophet of God prophesied the death of the Lord Jesus centuries before it was fulfilled: he asked who can declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living...(Isaiah 53:8).

After His resurrection from the dead, He commissioned His disciples twelve of which became the first Apostles, to take the gospel to the ends of the Earth, and make disciples of all men. He asked them to wait at Jerusalem for the fulfillment of the promise of the Father: to be filled and empowered by the Holy Spirit, first. When the Holy Spirit descended upon them after many days of intense prayers, they all spoke in tongues as the Holy Spirit gave them utterance. That day, the once nervous Peter stood up and preached to the crowd that witnessed with amazement the new languages these people were speaking, (for they were speaking the peoples various languages) and preached to them, and that day three thousand people were converted, and became Christians. The Church, the generation of Christ, was born.

The Church thus was birthed out of the suffering of Christ on the Cross. He appeased His Father's wrath against the world because of its sin by offering His soul as an offering for sin (Isaiah 53:10). He was afflicted, bruised, chastised, wounded and crucified for His would-be Bride, the Church. He bore her iniquities, transgressions and sorrows (Vs.4,5). Through His death He purchased her from the slave market of Satan, and from the bondage and hard labor of sin, sicknesses, eternal death and all curses, forgave her and brought her into His wealthy place, into the Kingdom of His Father. HE LOVES VERY HER MUCH and continually intercedes for her before God, and purifies her with His word. In her (The Church), He sees the labor of His soul, and is satisfied (Isaiah 53:11).

THE PURPOSE OF THE CHURCH

Before He left the Earth, He equipped her (the church) with His whole armor, gave her gifts, His righteousness, and justified her. He gave her the keys of the Kingdom; authority to represent Him here on Earth, to continue the work of salvation of lost souls, discipleship and perfecting of the saints.

The church therefore, is the official Embassy of the kingdom of God on Earth. Every born again child of God is an ambassador of the Kingdom, representing and bringing the kingdom to wherever he/she is.

Now therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ stead, be ye reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5: 20).

We (the Church) are the bearers of His light (the light of the world). As the light, we bring His light to people who sit in darkness and bondage of sin, reconciling them back to God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

As ambassadors, we have Kingdom diplomatic immunity and all the rights and courtesies of ambassadorship on Earth. His Spirit is with us as our companion to teach and guide us to all truths; His angels are in charge of us protecting and guarding us (Psalm 34:7; 91:11) so that not even a hair of our hair should fall to the ground (Luke 21: 18,); nothing shall by any means hurt us (Luke 10:19), because whoever touches us, touches the apple of His eyes (Zachariah 2:8), and challenges His power and authority. And He will defend his Bride with all the powers of Heaven. That's why He always says: Fear not, for I am with you(Isaiah 41:10).

The Church (the armies of God on Earth) having been given the keys of the Kingdom (Mathew 16: 18), expresses the purpose of God against the kingdom of darkness. Whatever she binds (disallows)on Earth, is bound (disallowed) in Heaven and whatever she looses (allows) on Earth is loosed (allowed) in Heaven. She pushes back (disallows) the activities of the gates of Hell through the resurrection power and the Victory given to her by her Bridegroom, the Lord Jesus. She expresses her victory through the Blood of Jesus Christ and the word of her testimony by faith, and continues to enforce and expand the Kingdom of God and the cultures of the kingdom on the Earth.

As the law enforcement agency of God, she enforces Kingdom rules and Kingdom living on Earth. She does all these by love, not by physical combat. Love is her language. Kindness, truthfulness, peace, endurance, gentleness are among her characters (Galatians 5: 22). For, she is exactly like her Husband, the Lord Jesus who loved her so much and gave Himself for her.

She is a kingdom of light (the light of the world) bringing light to those who sit in darkness (Mathew 4:16). She is the salt of the world.

You are the salt of the Earth; but if the salt looses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men(Mathew 5: 13)

Salt is for preservation. As the salt of the world therefore, the Church is the preservation of the world. Her righteousness, her intercessions, her holy living and her love are the preserving force for the preservation of nations. Without her presence by the Holy Spirit on Earth, the nation shall be decayed and perish. If there was a Church, standing on behalf of Sodom and Gomorrah, the Lord would not have overthrown the nation with fire and brimstone. Abraham's brief intercession preserved Lot and his family from being destroyed along with the nation.They were spared just because Abraham prayed.

The Bride of Christ, (we) the Church are royal priesthood. We are kings and priests unto our God. As priests, we co-labor with Him in intercessions and in bringing acceptable sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving unto God, our Father, and as kings, we reign with Him now and forever for the kingdom belongs to Him (...for thine is the Kingdom, and the power and the glory, Mathew 6:13).

In the prophecy of Isaiah 9: 6,7 it is written:

For unto us a child a child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called: Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace, There will be no end, upon the throne of David His kingdom, to order it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever.

For the kingdom is the Lord's; and he is the governor among the nations (Psalm 22: 28).

Revelation 5:10, And hast made us unto God kings and priests; and we shall reign on the Earth.

If we endure, we shall also reign with Him (2 Timothy 2: 4).

The church is an asylum to the oppressed, the depraved, the wretched, the needy, the widows, the fatherless children.

Obadiah 1:17, But upon mount Zion shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the house of Jacob shall possess their possession.

It is written also concerning the early Church:

...the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common...and great grace was upon them all. Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, and laid them at the Apostles' feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need (Acts 4: 32-35).

The Church takes care of the children of God, spiritually feeding and equipping them with the word of God as the Lord's armies; perfecting them as the Bride of Christ without spot or wrinkle, helping to bear their spiritual and physical burdens (Galatians 6:2). In Romans 12:13, Apostle Paul encourages the ...distributing to the needs of the saints.

Mathew 25: 33-45,: He will place the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.Then the king shall say to them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was hungry, and you gave me meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: naked, and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I as in prison and you came to me...Verily I say unto you, in as much as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

Then shall He say also unto them on the left hand, depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. For i was an hunger, and ye gave me no meat, I was thirsty, and ye gave drink. I was a stranger and ye took me not in; naked, and ye clothe me not, sick, and in prison, and ye visit me not..for verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

The Church therefore, shall always endeavor to help the needy among them, for that is one of the purposes of the church. The early Church had to set aside seven men full of the Holy Spirit for the distribution of the needs of the widows and the needy. As long as they did this, the grace of God continued to abound in the Church, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith(Acts 6: 1-7).

James 1: 27, Pure religion and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

Men of God therefore, are to check if their ministries and churches are fulfilling the purpose of God on Earth: Are you a Sheep Church or a Goat Church? (Are you sharing your wealth with the poor and the needy?) Are you fulfilling the great commission? Are you salt and light for the world?

May the God's grace be upon the Churches that are purposed to fulfill the purpose of Christ on Earth in Jesus name, Amen!

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