The Kingdom Series - “The Gospel of the Kingdom”

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The Kingdom Series - “The Gospel of the Kingdom”

“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come” (Matt 24:14).

     The gospel of the Kingdom of God was the focus of the Lord’s preaching (see Mark 1:14), and will be the primary emphasis of the church in the days leading up to the end of the age. Jesus without hesitation confirmed that the end will not come until the good news of the Kingdom of God is shouted as a witness throughout the earth. The Kingdom, Power and Glory of the Lord will be known as in no other generation in history.

     Just prior to the collapse of the Soviet Union, I was given the opportunity to be a part of a mission team into a part of the U.S.S.R. known as the Ukraine. For over seventy years communism had enslaved every aspect of the people’s lives. As for God, they were told He did not exist. If He did, it was only in the minds of the insane and unintelligent. Under communism the government is a ruthless dictator where it seeks to become the people’s master and god. 

Everything is monitored and controlled, except what God has spoken will come to pass.

     I’ll never forget sitting in the bus outside the gates of the Ukraine. The government officials were checking our passports and it was beginning to take much longer than anyone expected. We were wondering if we would be allowed to enter.

     While waiting we pleaded with God to help us get into the country. Then I heard in my spirit Matthew 24:14. I quickly opened my bible to the text to read what I believed would be a word from the Lord.

     It certainly was a word for me and for the entire team. Jesus made the decision to let us through the gates and the barbed wire fence long before the government officials did. As I reminded the others of the truth of that verse, permission was quickly granted for us to proceed into a land previously closed to the gospel.

     If you take time to read the beginning verses of Matt 24, you will discover events taking place on the earth similar to what you might find in a nightmare. There are massive deceptions, war, strange diseases, earthquakes, persecution, offenses, betrayals, hatred, false prophets and teachings and uncontrolled lawlessness. Then as a result of the deception we find many falling out of love with God, with one another and with the truth.

     Jesus makes one final comment about these days when He says, “but he who endures to the end shall be saved” (Matt 24:13). In other words, Jesus warned that prior to the greatest harvest and advancement of the Kingdom of God the world has ever seen that some will be so adversely affected by world events they’ll miss out on all they were prepared for. He even goes so far as to say they would even miss out on salvation. 

     Some will fall captive to offenses, false teachings, betrayals, deceptions and fears of what is happening around them. Yet at the same time others will endure to the end. This will not only lead to their salvation but to the salvation of multitudes and even entire nations. 

     Those who endure these things will be a part of the greatest advancement of the gospel and the Kingdom as the Gospel of the Kingdom is being preached, practiced and portrayed to every nation across the earth.

     The time has come to refocus our attention, arise and boldly announce the Gospel of the Kingdom “in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then (and only then), the end will come”.

David White