Publishing the Gospel to the World
by Dr. Ken Matto
(Mark 13:10 KJV) And the gospel must first be published among all nations.
A few days ago I was reading Luke 21, Matthew 24, and Mark 13 and as I was reading these chapters, the above verse just jumped off the page at me and I had realized that the Lord was showing me that we seem to be very close to the end of time. With the Internet going into every nation in the world, the true Gospel is now being taken to every nation in the world. There are thousands of Christian web sites, many with sound, on the Internet in the USA alone, now add to that the countless numbers of Christian websites from other countries, and you have the Gospel going into every country on earth. If you couple that with Shortwave and a satellite service called Sky Angel, then you literally have the Gospel enveloping the earth.
There are some Christians who still insist on trying to set dates for the Lord’s return and they are totally wrong. The Bible gives us certain indicators that we can gauge the lateness of the hour of history. One of the main reasons I believe that we are very close to the end is the reason above. The Gospel is flowing through the airwaves twenty four hours per day, seven days per week at a rate never before experienced in history. Indigenous preachers and teachers can take one study off of one site and take it to literally thousands of people. No longer is there a wait for missionaries to come and teach. Normally a missionary went to a foreign land to bring the message. Now, the message is there in an instant. With the advent of solar power and portable satellite uplinks, there is no place in the world the Gospel cannot be preached or heard.
Another reason I believe we are near the end is that Satan has been loosed.
(Rev 20:7 KJV) And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, There seems to be a small window of time after the thousand years when Satan will be loosed and the increase of sin will be evident upon the earth. It seems the one thousand years represents a time when Satan has been controlled in that he was hindered in what he could do. We see this principle all the way back in Genesis. (Gen 15:16 KJV) But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full. God was talking about the coming captivity of Israel in the land of Egypt and was telling Abraham when they would come out. It would be four generations until the iniquity of the Amorite was full. In Numbers 21, we see the capturing of the Land of the Amorites when Sihon the king refused to allow Israel to pass through the land. With Satan on the loose, God is now readying the world for final judgment. Just as He waited patiently for the Amorites, simultaneously He was preparing their judgment. It is the same today, as He waits for the iniquity of the world to be full, He is simultaneously building His Church and then when the end comes, Christ, like Joshua, will bring the judgment of God on this world. It seems that Satan’s final push will quickly usher in the last day. Since Satan will come as an angel of light in the last days, we see the deceptions increasing everywhere.Another visible sign that we are near the end is the rise in pestilences.
(Mat 24:7 KJV) For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. (Luke 21:11 KJV) And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven. The word “pestilences” carries with it the meaning of “infectious disorders or plague.” If you notice the word is in the plural form. When we think of the word plague, we immediately think of the Bubonic Plague. The word “plague” carries with it the meaning of “an epidemic disease normally with a high mortality rate.” It also means “a sudden outbreak.” (Remember SARS?) So the word “pestilence” is basically generic in its application because it is a word of wide meaning. Now I don’t know if you have noticed in the past few years, the exponential rise in advertisements for Pharmaceuticals. You can’t watch TV for a period of a few hours without seeing multiple ads for various medications. When I was growing up, the most potent medication advertised on TV was Aspirin. Now there is advertisements for medications which deal with Chemotherapy, Cholesterol, Leg Blood Clots, Sleeping Disorders, Chemical Based Depression, Sexual Dysfunction, Feminine Burning and Itching, Bladder Control, etc. It seems there is an underlying message, that disease, in many different forms, is on the rise in this world. These advertisements also breed much fear among people. Many out there will read about a medication and its corresponding disease and then wonder if they have it. (Luke 21:26 KJV) Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.These three reasons, are sufficient to show the nearness of the return of Christ. While we do not know the day of His return, we do know it is certain.
(Luke 12:37 KJV) Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. While the Lord’s return is near, let us be working diligently until He returns. Our rest will come in Heaven. (Rev 14:13 KJV) And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them. The only works that are going to follow us are those who became saved under our ministries. If you do not have a ministry at present, go buy a pack of tracts, hit the street, and get a ministry, or you can buy another CD and stick it in your portable player, and then walk around like a zombie with earphones sticking out of your ears, unable to hear the crying of the unsaved souls. (Prov 21:13 KJV) Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard. (Mat 11:15 KJV) He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. (7/18/03)