400 Years Or The End Of The World?
Dr. Ralph Winter passed away last month. He was named one of America's 25 most influential evangelicals by Time magazine in 2005 and has been a major influence in international missions.
Dr. Winter wrote an interesting paper that I read about six years ago. It described how God's kingdom is spread, even when we do not share the gospel do as we have been commanded to do. He noticed a 400 year cycle.
What happens is that about every 400 years something dramatic happens. Those events either force people out to spread the gospel, or they force outsides into Christian cultures where the outsiders then hear the gospel. We are at the point in that 400 year cycle when something dramatic happens.
On the other hand many signs point to the return of Jesus being very near... in particular Israel being in possession of their land.
Things are coming to a head at an increasing rate. North Korea is threatening to attack everyone and anyone who does the slightest thing to oppose them. The failed ideas of socialism are being imposed in America, with the predicable results of the division of society, and increased personal misery that will result in riots and violence answered by tyranny. Political unrest in Iran driving Ahmadinejad to create a crisis that takes Iranians attention off politics. The pot seems to be reaching a boiling point.
What should we be doing? What can we do? All of these events are bigger than us.
We should be obeying God. When is the last time you shared the gospel with a non-believer? How much support (prayer, encouragement, financial...) to you provide for those engaged in a full-time ministry of sharing the gospel?
Something is happening. It could be the peak of a 400 year cycle, it could be Jesus will return soon... but the answer is the same. Tell as many people as you can about what Jesus has done for you. Lead them to understand sin, its consequences and salvation through Jesus Christ.
Dr. Winter wrote an interesting paper that I read about six years ago. It described how God's kingdom is spread, even when we do not share the gospel do as we have been commanded to do. He noticed a 400 year cycle.
What happens is that about every 400 years something dramatic happens. Those events either force people out to spread the gospel, or they force outsides into Christian cultures where the outsiders then hear the gospel. We are at the point in that 400 year cycle when something dramatic happens.
On the other hand many signs point to the return of Jesus being very near... in particular Israel being in possession of their land.
Things are coming to a head at an increasing rate. North Korea is threatening to attack everyone and anyone who does the slightest thing to oppose them. The failed ideas of socialism are being imposed in America, with the predicable results of the division of society, and increased personal misery that will result in riots and violence answered by tyranny. Political unrest in Iran driving Ahmadinejad to create a crisis that takes Iranians attention off politics. The pot seems to be reaching a boiling point.
What should we be doing? What can we do? All of these events are bigger than us.
We should be obeying God. When is the last time you shared the gospel with a non-believer? How much support (prayer, encouragement, financial...) to you provide for those engaged in a full-time ministry of sharing the gospel?
Something is happening. It could be the peak of a 400 year cycle, it could be Jesus will return soon... but the answer is the same. Tell as many people as you can about what Jesus has done for you. Lead them to understand sin, its consequences and salvation through Jesus Christ.
Labels: evangelism
posted by BrickBalloon
Read This Post In Our: Christianity in America Blog Archive
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