Thought for the Month - June 2014

"It's the real thing" by Barry Adair

No guesses for what has been in my head this month?

Yes, "It's the real thing" is the well-known slogan used by Coca-Cola.

So why Coke you may be asking?

Well I'll come to that shortly, please read on.

Did you know that Coca-Cola has been in existence since 1886? Coke was initially sold in Atlanta (USA) in a pharmacy to a small number of customers. Today around 1.8 billion Coca-Colas are drunk every single day. All very impressive but it was the next statistic I heard that really caught my attention. Coca-Cola is now available in every single country in the world i.e. over 200 of them. It is not officially on sale in Cuba and North Korea but it is still widely available. Based on Coca-Cola's marketing figures, it has been estimated that 93% of the world's population has access to Coca-Cola!

I then thought back to the 'great commission' that Jesus left with the evangelical church over 2,000 years ago.

"And He said unto them, go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." (Mark 16:15)

Today the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is accessible by 57% of the world. Or put another way, 43% of the world's population is not aware of God's free offer of salvation. So then, in 130 years the marketing men at Coca-Cola have brought a fizzy drink to nearly all of the world's population and yet the church has taken over 2,000 years to reach just over half with the 'Good News'!

Let's be honest here, the comfortable western church often isn't very good in reaching out to a lost and needy world. It's too often the case that prayers are focused on God sending the people into our church. And yet in the Bible we are told to go, not to sit back and pray for others to come in. If we are born again of the Spirit of God, we are all evangelists (literally 'messengers of the Good News'). The Good News we have is for everyone. God doesn't want anyone to perish (2 Peter 3:9). Everyone on this planet should have the opportunity to hear or read the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. But like the Bible says…

"How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?" (Rom 10:14)

That job was left firmly in the hands of the church!

And if you are reading this and haven't heard of this gospel? Just hit on "Contact us", fill in your name and your postal address and we will send you a copy of God's Word, 'the Bible'. In a nutshell, the gospel is simply this…

God's
Only
Son (Jesus Christ)
Perished, to give us
Eternal
Life

i.e. humbly admit that you are a sinner before a holy God, and through the sacrifice that Jesus endured on a cruel Roman cross, God will forgive you.

For Christians reading this Thought, let us reach out to our friends, our work colleagues, our family and our acquaintances across the world. And let us support those on the front line in Missions by our finances and with our prayers.

One of Coca-Cola's marketing campaigns in the 70's was that it would "like to teach the world to sing". Well, I'd like to teach the world to sing too. And as for the song I'd like them to sing? This one would be high up on my list. It was written by Stuart Townend and sums up God's wonderful and free salvation to each and every person in the world…

How deep the Father's love for us,
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure

How great the pain of searing loss,
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory

Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice,
Call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom

Coke isn't the real thing but Jesus Christ is.

Until next month then (DV)…

(All Bible quotations are from the NASB)

Are you SURE that you have your place booked in Heaven? Read this if you're not!