May 4: Celebrating His Victory.
HIS GOSPEL.
"This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come."--Matthew 24:14
Being part of a generation that was born without social media, I continue to be amazed at the way the whole world can be reached with the touch of a button. As our ministry is growing, I was curious to find out where, geographically, people are watching our videos. It was a sobering moment when consulting one of our internet video program hosts, I saw a world map with areas of our audience highlighted in shades of blue. I was stunned to see that areas of blue spanned the globe. Matthew 24:14 immediately came to my mind.
Jesus explained in general terms to expect difficult times, including false messiahs and pseudo-prophets, as well as wars, rumors of wars, betrayals, hate, famines, earthquakes, and lawlessness (Matthew 24:5-12). These things sound like our daily news, don't they? As a result, some will be misled, others will fall away and the love of many will grow cold, but Jesus says this will not yet be the end (verse 6). The good news is greater than the bad news: "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come" (verse 14). The phrase, "then the end will come" stands in contrast to the previous phrase "is not yet the end" (verse 6), highlighting that the wars, famines, and earthquakes do not usher in the end, but that the fulfillment of the gospel commission does. The scope of the proclamation is clearly delineated in the phrase "in the whole world." It literally means all the inhabited earth. The focus of the preaching is the gospel (verse 14; see Revelation 14:6). The word translated as "gospel/good news" was used secularly as the victory cry that the heralds brought from the battlefield. We are to herald Jesus' victory over evil, which He achieved through His perfect life, death, and resurrection. Hence the title of this devotional book: "Jesus Wins!" As important as the signs of the end may be, these are not to be our core proclamation; the gospel of Jesus Christ is the focus of our mission. May Jesus' sacrifice be preached to all the nations, and then the end will come!
My Response:__________________________________________________________
HIS GOSPEL.
"This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come."--Matthew 24:14
Being part of a generation that was born without social media, I continue to be amazed at the way the whole world can be reached with the touch of a button. As our ministry is growing, I was curious to find out where, geographically, people are watching our videos. It was a sobering moment when consulting one of our internet video program hosts, I saw a world map with areas of our audience highlighted in shades of blue. I was stunned to see that areas of blue spanned the globe. Matthew 24:14 immediately came to my mind.
Jesus explained in general terms to expect difficult times, including false messiahs and pseudo-prophets, as well as wars, rumors of wars, betrayals, hate, famines, earthquakes, and lawlessness (Matthew 24:5-12). These things sound like our daily news, don't they? As a result, some will be misled, others will fall away and the love of many will grow cold, but Jesus says this will not yet be the end (verse 6). The good news is greater than the bad news: "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come" (verse 14). The phrase, "then the end will come" stands in contrast to the previous phrase "is not yet the end" (verse 6), highlighting that the wars, famines, and earthquakes do not usher in the end, but that the fulfillment of the gospel commission does. The scope of the proclamation is clearly delineated in the phrase "in the whole world." It literally means all the inhabited earth. The focus of the preaching is the gospel (verse 14; see Revelation 14:6). The word translated as "gospel/good news" was used secularly as the victory cry that the heralds brought from the battlefield. We are to herald Jesus' victory over evil, which He achieved through His perfect life, death, and resurrection. Hence the title of this devotional book: "Jesus Wins!" As important as the signs of the end may be, these are not to be our core proclamation; the gospel of Jesus Christ is the focus of our mission. May Jesus' sacrifice be preached to all the nations, and then the end will come!
My Response:__________________________________________________________
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