Bearing Witness to Every Nation of the Kingdom of God

Notice first that it is the Gospel of the Kingdom that will be preached. The Gospel of the Kingdom has been lost, it seems, for many centuries. Now the Gospel of the Kingdom is being restored to the churches. That the Gospel of the Kingdom has been lost, or nearly so, can be observed by glancing at the Statement of Belief of any Christian denomination. One might see few or no references to the Kingdom of God.

We have changed the Gospel of the coming of the Kingdom of God to the gospel of going to Heaven. Is this true?

Second, the Gospel of the Kingdom is to be preached in all the world. We often hear people saying this door or that door is closing to the Gospel. As far as man is able to work, this may be true. But when God the Father authorizes the opening of the doors to every nation on earth, they shall open and no power can hinder!

Third, the Gospel will be preached for a witness. God wants to restore to His churches the concept of witnessing. When the Holy Spirit baptizes us we are given power to bear witness. While it is necessary souls be saved, saving souls and bearing witness are not quite the same thing. It can happen that a true witness has been borne and no souls have been saved.

The problem with emphasizing the saving of souls is that the preacher may tend to water down the Words of God, the demands of discipleship, in order to "win people for Christ." We have seen this done with undesirable results.

The true prophet of God is to give the whole counsel of God. Then the Holy Spirit does His work of convicting sinners and bringing them to the Master.

It seems in America there is a great deal of ministry but in numerous instances a true witness is not borne. The love of God has been overemphasized and the wrath of God has been given little attention or ignored altogether.

We are not saying we should teach continually about Hell, for that is not how we are to feed the Lord's sheep. However, we should be presenting both the goodness and the severity of God, the love of God and the wrath of God, and point out that the Christian who continues to live in the lusts of the flesh, who does not bring forth the fruit of Christ in his or her life, is in danger of being cut out of the Vine. There are many warnings in the New Testament directed toward the believer who neglects his salvation. And they are severe!

Fourth, the end shall come after the witness has been borne to God's satisfaction. This is not referring to the end of the world but the end of the Gospel witness. After the latter-rain revival, and before the Lord returns, there will occur the burning sun of tribulation. The Gospel witness will be driven from the cities of the earth. The two witnesses will be "killed," so to speak. The remnant of saints will be forced into hiding until the Lord returns in the clouds of glory.

During this time there will be no Gospel witness in the major cities of the earth. It will be impossible to pray. The darkness will prevent people from coming to Christ for salvation or being filled with the Spirit of God. The only place where one can be saved will be where the remnant are hidden away under the hand of God.

And the Lord will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defence. And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain. (Isaiah 4:5,6)

And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call. (Joel 2:32)

To be continued.