"And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached as a witness unto all nations, and then the end will come." (Matthew 24:14)
The Bible tells us a lot about beginnings, but it tells us even more about the end. We are told to look forward to this day, and to accelerate its coming (2 Pet 3:12). We are instructed to pray, "your kingdom come, your will be done" (Mt 6:10). The final words of Scripture are a prayer for Christ's return to this earth: "Even so, come . . ." (Rev. 22:20). In one way or another all of history is headed towards this day. Christ will come again. He promised it and he meant it. But in the meantime, we have this amazing assignment to prepare the entire world for this moment. In fact, the end the Bible speaks about really is just another beginning. It is the end to an old order based on fear, deception and greed. It is the beginning of a new order based on love, truth and generosity. God's kingdom is the exact opposite of every system we have created. The only way it can thrive is for the old order to pass away. This is the end Jesus is talking about. It is the most hopeful event in the Bible--with one exception, of course. If you are the enemy, this end is bad news in every way. It is the end of their rule and influence in our world. For this reason, the Devil does everything in his power to keep the Great Commission from being completed. He knows exactly what awaits him when it is finished. Just the same, Jesus promises us here--this will happen--the gospel will be preached to all nations. It is a prophetic statement about the overcoming power of the gospel. It will go to the ends of the earth. At some point, the last person in the last village of the last tribe will hear the gospel, and the trumpet will sound. Depending on where you stand, this is either the most frightening moment in history or the most compelling.
Heavenly Father, use us this day to accelerate the coming of your Kingdom here on earth.
#bringhimback
The Bible tells us a lot about beginnings, but it tells us even more about the end. We are told to look forward to this day, and to accelerate its coming (2 Pet 3:12). We are instructed to pray, "your kingdom come, your will be done" (Mt 6:10). The final words of Scripture are a prayer for Christ's return to this earth: "Even so, come . . ." (Rev. 22:20). In one way or another all of history is headed towards this day. Christ will come again. He promised it and he meant it. But in the meantime, we have this amazing assignment to prepare the entire world for this moment. In fact, the end the Bible speaks about really is just another beginning. It is the end to an old order based on fear, deception and greed. It is the beginning of a new order based on love, truth and generosity. God's kingdom is the exact opposite of every system we have created. The only way it can thrive is for the old order to pass away. This is the end Jesus is talking about. It is the most hopeful event in the Bible--with one exception, of course. If you are the enemy, this end is bad news in every way. It is the end of their rule and influence in our world. For this reason, the Devil does everything in his power to keep the Great Commission from being completed. He knows exactly what awaits him when it is finished. Just the same, Jesus promises us here--this will happen--the gospel will be preached to all nations. It is a prophetic statement about the overcoming power of the gospel. It will go to the ends of the earth. At some point, the last person in the last village of the last tribe will hear the gospel, and the trumpet will sound. Depending on where you stand, this is either the most frightening moment in history or the most compelling.
Heavenly Father, use us this day to accelerate the coming of your Kingdom here on earth.
#bringhimback