Kathmandu, Nepal.
This month we are in Nepal, a country with several unreached people groups. We are working with church plants and evangelizing throughout the valley. We spend every morning in a room in someone’s house teaching and preaching. This is what the church in Nepal looks like. There are few members, and fewer church buildings.
I have found a sense of urgency since I’ve arrived here in Nepal. I’ve started reading Revelation. A book that is so heavily debated in the church that I think sometimes we miss the point of it. It was given to remind us (and first century Christians) of the King who is reigning in this current moment and will reign for eternity. It was given to us to remind us that the things of this Earth WILL be lost. It is a book that ushers in hope, truth, warnings, and urgency. I am here to spread the gospel. I am here to spread the news that Christ has come and died for the atonement of our sins. I can’t afford to pass people in these villages with the assumption that they’ve heard. This isn’t America where a church is always down the road, and the only issue is figuring out what denomination we find to be most appealing to us. Some of these people here have never heard the gospel. I can’t write off their unbelief as a choice. They are in the darkness because the god of this age has blinded their eyes (2 Cor 4:4). Here’s the main idea of Revelation: Jesus is on the throne now (Rev 5:6) and forevermore (Rev 22:3-5), so get the message out to the nations (Rev 7:9). That’s it. Not for us to debate when He will come or how exactly He will come. We have to realize that we hold the truth and the light with the message of salvation. We can’t just withhold that from the world. We can’t sit on this treasure we have. I can’t just pass Nepali people with the assumption that God is going to bring truth to them in “his way” and maybe it will come by a more knowledgeable and upright Christian. No, WE who call ourselves Christians are how He has chosen to usher in his Kingdom. Like the Church in Sardis (Rev 3:2), we need to wake up!
If we truly want His kingdom to come, let’s start spreading it. Let’s find a sense of urgency and proclaim the gospel to all peoples. What is the worst that is going to happen? Do we fear rejection? Do we fear suffering? reading about God Almighty on the throne (Rev 4:2-3) how can we think that anything is out of His control?! This is not a blog on Revelation to say the end is coming, so repent before it is too late. No. This is a blog on Revelation saying My Lord is reigning. It’s about time I started acting like it. It’s about time my one goal became to make His name known. It’s about time I started ushering in His kingdom and the way I can do that here is spreading the truth, the news, the reason for the hope we have, the gospel, no matter the cost socially, physically, or financially.
So let’s focus every part of our lives on Him, because I’ve read the end of the book, and He is all that remains.
Find encouragement in this truth of what will happen:
“The seventh angel sounded his trumpet and there were loud voices in heaven, which said ‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever.’ And the twenty four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying: ‘We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign.'”
Revelation 11:15-17 (NIV)
