Daily Encounter: A Week-day Devotional by a staff of ACTS International.

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

"And He [Jesus] said to them, Go into all the world and preach and publish openly the good news (the Gospel) to every creature [of the whole human race]."¹

I vividly recall how, when visiting the Holocaust Museum in Washington, DCâ€"a profoundly sobering experienceâ€"how deeply I was moved when reading the words credited by some (but disputed by others) to Martin Niemöller:

    First they came for the Jews
    and I did not speak out   
    because I was not a Jew.
    Then they came for the Communists
    and I did not speak out
    because I was not a Communist.
    Then they came for the trade unionists
    and I did not speak out
    because I was not a trade unionist.
    Then they came for me
    and there was no one left
    to speak out for me.

The plan to kill Jews today may be even more destructive than in the Holocaust. I say this because President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran has expressed doubt that the Holocaust ever happened.² He has also declared openly that he wants Israel wiped off the map, and it appears that in the not too distant future his country may very likely have nuclear weaponsâ€"a frightening thought as an ever increasing number of extremist Muslims are determined to kill not only Jews, but Christians, Americans and other Westerners, and pretty much all who refuse to convert to their evil form of radical religion. Their barbaric philosophy is "convert or have your head cut off."

We Christians know that the only hope of the world is the saving gospel of Jesus Christ, but what will we Christians do about it? Will we again remain silent as so many did for so long during Hitler's reign of terror? I was also horrified to learn that we Western countries refused to allow Jews to immigrate to our countries even when we knew what Hitler was doing. Consequently, six million Jews were sent to the death chambers.

According to a survey of Christians in America by the highly respected Barna Group, only 29% of Christians see the need to explain their faith with non-believersâ€"which is down from 39% [more than] a year ago.³

Perhaps more than ever we need to take seriously Jesus Christ's last commission to His disciples to "go into all the world and preach the gospel to everyone everywhere." Never before has this been as possible as it is today. 

May every one of us ask God daily to use us to be an effective witness for Jesus.

Also, please go to www.actsweb.org/announce.php for a very simple and non-threatening way to share God's love and message of salvation with family, friends, and contacts. And please support in prayer and finances organizations that are actively involved in reaching people with the gospel message of Jesus Christ.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, I'm available. Please use me to be an effective witness for You and do all that I can to help spread the gospel around the world. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus's name, amen."

1. Jesus (Mark 16:15, AMP).
2. Reuters, Friday, December 9, 2005; Page A18. http://tinyurl.com/3x72lb
3. The Barna Update, http://tinyurl.com/27csc5

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