In Matthew 24, Jesus delivered to his disciples his basic teaching on the end of the age.  It involved wars and rumors of wars, nation against nation and kingdom against kingdom, famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in many different places. He warned them that believers would be hated for His name’s sake, betrayed even by family and other so-called Christians. Because iniquity (lawlessness) would abound the love of many shall grow cold. Into this atmosphere the Antichrist will be able to set up his systems of control and abomination. This is the bad news but, good news is coming!

The fourth Strategy is to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom.

“So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” – Isaiah 55:11

Jesus declared “the Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations” and it will not return void (empty)! Now you may think that because the verb ‘preached’ is used that it only applies to preachers or pastors but, you would be wrong. It applies to every believer. When the Holy Spirit fell on the Church, He fell on them all –

“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” – Acts 1:8

The Holy Spirit himself bears witness with our spirits that we are children of God and we bear this testimony within us –

“The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,” – Romans 8:16

Those who are faithful to the Lord not only bear this testimony within themselves but it becomes their seal of overcoming.

“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.” – Revelation 12:11

As we near the end, and I believe it may be very near, the Holy Spirit will once again be poured out on all flesh in what is called the ‘later rain’. This will supercharge even the most meek believer to boldly give witness to the glory of God in Christ Jesus.

“Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.” – Joel 2:23

“Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.” – James 5:7

The former rain came only moderately and the disciples turned the whole world upside down! What will the latter rain be like? God is not going to bring in the final harvest until He pours out the latter rain.

Everybody has friends and enemies, neighbors and family that need to know the Lord. Our witness to them can be as simple as a smile or a helping hand. Or it can be sharing the Bible with them or prophesies concerning our present time. It can be as simple as giving them a good book or movie that will start them thinking about their relationship to God. Then we pray for them, trusting the Holy Spirit to do His work. If we are faithful to the work set before us, God will be faithful to finish the work.

God bless you as you determine to be a sewer of seed or a gatherer of what someone else has planted.