The Kingdom Continues to Grow

05/20/24 • 2 min

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A great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. . . . Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. — Acts 8:1, 4 History has shown that the church has often grown during times of persecution. While the early church was growing rapidly in Jerusalem, it also began to spread widely as people scattered from persecution and “preached the word wherever they went” in the surrounding territories. At the college where I serve as a campus minister, I often see a similar thing happening. Christian students come to the college from Africa, Asia, and South and Central America. Many of these foreign students have a passion for sharing the good news of Jesus with friends and classmates. It is exciting to see the kingdom of God advancing as Christians from other lands reinvigorate the church here. It is also exciting to see the kingdom welcoming newcomers among students who did not know Jesus before they came to this land. I routinely meet people who are unhappy about the number of immigrants coming to the “West” from around the world. But for those who are kingdom-minded rather than country-minded, those objections pale in comparison to the joy of seeing God’s kingdom growing. Lord God, thank you for Jesus, who bled and died for us and then called us to be his witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, “and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). We rejoice and marvel at the growth of your kingdom! Amen.

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God’s Growing Kingdom

Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. — Acts 2:5 On the day of Pentecost, God-fearing Jews from many nations were staying in Jerusalem. They were gathering to celebrate the Feast of Weeks that God had established for his people Israel some 1,500 years earlier (Deuteronomy 16:9-12). They all converged on the temple on Pentecost (fifty days after the Feast of Passover) to bring offerings of the firstfruits of their harvests. That day people from many nations heard the good news of Jesus for the first time. And about 3,000 believed and were baptized (Acts 2:41). Scholars estimate that the world population was about 300 million people at that time. That is 1/27th of today’s population. It took 1,800 years for the world’s population to grow to a billion. Prior to the 1800s there were few formal immigration laws. But with the world’s population at over 8 billion today, almost every country has decided to regulate immigration. Christians are free to differ and disagree over the details of immigration laws. However, as immigrants, migrants, refugees, and others cross borders today, many hear the gospel for the first time. God’s people have the opportunity and responsibility to share the gospel with them. And as the gospel is shared, many people continue to enter God’s kingdom each day! That of course is a good thing—regardless of our views on immigration. Lord, we pray for every person who has left their homeland to find a new home. Enfold them into your kingdom, we pray, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

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A Great Multitude

There before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. — Revelation 7:9 In our campus ministry we gather at 5:30 on Thursday afternoons for a time of worship, Bible study, and prayer. We also break bread and enjoy fellowship together. On one occasion, we had 16 people gathered from nine different countries. They were from Africa, Asia, Europe, the Caribbean, and North and South America. Sometimes people say that Christianity is a “Western” religion, but God’s kingdom is made up of people from all over the world! Sadly, in Europe and North America, the church is growing stale. Countless congregations across Canada, the United States, and Western Europe have closed. Many others are struggling to remain open. Weekly attendance at worship services has been decreasing. Yet newcomers from other lands are breathing new life into our worshiping communities. Though many newcomers arrive in the “West” lacking financial resources, they often come with an amazing, infectious passion for Jesus Christ. We do well to embrace and enfold our brothers and sisters in Christ, seeking together to build revitalized worshiping communities. This helps us to glimpse what John describes in Revelation 7. It is hard to find anything more beautiful than worshiping together with people of every nation. Lord, thank you for breathing new life into our churches through newcomers from all nations. Keep growing your kingdom, we pray, in Jesus’ name. Amen.