God's doing something really great in the world. Did you know that He always has been? In a world when the news is filled with horrible stories and depressing reports it's easy to lose sight of how God is at work. From the day Adam and Eve were kicked out of the Garden of Eden, God has been working to restore man's relationship with Him. In the Old Testament we see how God showed Himself to the Israelites, and showed Himself to the nations through the miracles He did for the Israelites. Then came the turning point of all History: the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Jesus was not born into a position of power and esteem. No, the King of the Universe, of all Time, of Everything that ever Was, Is, or Will Be, was born in a manger in a stable. Jesus did not become wildly popular. Crowds followed Him at times, but as soon as they figured out that He wasn't the kind of Messiah they were expecting they fell away. At the time of His death and resurrection, the number of followers was very, very small.
But Truth doesn't just go away, and it cannot be silenced. From very small numbers Christianity has grown. Harsh terrain and language barriers cannot stop the spread. Even persecution cannot stop the Gospel from changing lives. Two Sundays ago I heard the testimony of a man from Pakistan who was persecuted for His beliefs. He cannot return to Pakistan, but before he left he helped to found over 20 churches, and He still continues work there and in other countries where Christians suffer for proclaiming Jesus. Last Sunday, my Sunday school class watched the movie the End of the Spear about the 5 missionaries who gave their lives bringing the Gospel to the Waodani tribe in Ecuador. Church history is full of examples of those who have given up everything, including their lives for the sake of the Gospel.
What difference does it make? All of the difference. Nothing but the Truth could be this powerful. Nothing but the Truth could survive so much or grow from so little. And nothing but the Truth could be so transforming.
Did you know that Brazil is the #2 sender of missionaries? South Korea, India, South Africa, the Philippenes, Mexico, China, Columbia, and Nigeria (and othes) all send out notable numbers of missionaries. Did you know that there are missionaries from Honduras to other countries? I've met some of them! This is huge! The scale of the Gospel is gigantic. It spans all Time, and all continents. It is meant for all peoples.
We serve an Awesome God who is doing Awesome things!
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