Gleaning from the Past (7)

The enemy thought that he will be able to stop the spread of the gospel by killing the lead apostles, but as one historian has said, “the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church,” so it was confirmed. Thus, although the Emperor and Proconsuls were able to kill the apostles and disciples of Christ, they couldn’t kill the gospel and the young Church. The church grew mightily even without the two leading apostles– Peter and Paul. The One who has said, “I will build my church,” was faithful to His words and shepherded her. Satan has tried ever since the inception of the church to shut it down. He has done that on countless occasions. He breaths fear, threats, and death on God’s people, but whatever he plans for evil, God turns it for the good of the church. He earlier tried to use Saul of Tarsus to discourage Christians. Again, what the enemy meant for evil turned out to be good.

We should always have this confidence and courage in God that He will always be faithful to His word. No one can stop the church, it doesn’t matter how they try. They can go to the breadth and length, but the church of God will stand. The church has seen the worst. It has been in the minority, and it knows how it feels to be in the minority. Even when the church was in the minority, God guided and protected her. Common people sent the gospel to places that had not been reached. Some died through persecution. Others died because of poor health, but the gospel and the church live on. The death of Paul and Peter definitely cost the church in some way, but on a different side, God communicated to all of us that it is not about Peter nor Paul, but it is about Him. So, all will fade away, but He will endure. This is so encouraging to us all. Sometimes, when a prominent leader of the church dies, we weep as if without them the church and the gospel will not go on again. The death of Peter and Paul shows that God knows how to use different people. Whether we like it or not, our time on earth will expire. When that time comes, God will bring people who are worthy to continue the battle to the next phase. The gospel will not die. The church will not reach a point where it will cease to be the bride of Christ. God is faithful, and He will superintend over her as He has done for the past 2000 years.

Brothers and sisters, persecutions, threats, and deaths may come knocking on our doors. We should never be afraid. When our work on this foreign and pilgrims’ land has come to an end, He will call us home. If we are in this earthly tent, as Paul said, it is to the benefit of the church. Yet, if it will be to the benefit of the church, we must labor day in and day out for the kingdom. If we eat and make merry only, we being in the body will not be beneficial to the church in any way except disgracing her with shameful sins. Therefore, let us live each passing day as if we were dying the next day. Let us labor for God and His church today while we have the time, strength, and resources to do so. However, if we leave this earthly tent, we know that we are going to our Father and brothers who “were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised” (Hebrews 11:39NIV). Let us work tirelessly for the kingdom today because we will not live on this land forever. A time will come and we will have to go home. Are we using our time, money, and strength for the church and the spread of the gospel? Are we laboring for her? We must answer these questions each passing day. Peter and Paul left the scene, and the gospel continued to spread because their message was not centered upon them. It was centered on Christ. After all has been said and done, is God going to commend us? Are we going to receive the promise together with the heroes of the faith? Soli Deo Gloria

Michael Yaw Tano

tanomichael65@gmail.com

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