The Wave of the Gospel

It was a great privilege to listen to Ps Peter Tsukahira’s teaching during one of the staff devotion at TCT. He shared with us a big picture message about how the Word of God has swept across the world since the history of mankind.

He traced for us from Apostle Paul 2nd missionary trip, when Paul received the Macedonian call in his dreams (Acts 16:9-10). It was the very first records of how the Holy Spirit has intentionally directed the missionary journey of Apostle Paul westwards. Paul and his team was prevented to go to Asia and Bithynia but directed to Macedonia which is the modern day Greece. The gospel to the Gentiles continued and went down to Rome eventually. [...]

In Rome, the believers were persecuted and oppressed as the people of Rome were required to worship the emperor himself. Those who stood firm in their faith to God became martyrs. The Roman Empire stood as the most powerful empire then till the invasion from the north. Pagans or barbarians (anyone outside the Roman civilization) came down from the north in search of food, land and everything else. The Germanic tribes (barbarians) expanded, clashed and overrun the Roman Empire in the late 5th Century. While the Germanic tribes entered Rome, the formerly suppressed gospel entered them. There was a great conversion to Christianity for these tribes. Pause and imagine a message of a Saviour from the Asian Province then was totally accepted by the barbarian tribes from Northern Europe.

Yes, these tribes were the ones who occupied and founded the modern day Europe. Holding on the new found faith and Word, they moved up north and began building their nations with Christianity as central. From laws to civilization to arts to technology to infrastructure, everything was built around Christianity. Yes, they even managed to convince the rest of the world that Christ is a blue-eyed, blonde hair Saviour from the western world.

(Just on Saturday, I played a game with my BB boys, dividing them into tribes, Visigoths, Ostrogoths, Franks and Romans). The Visigoths founded Italy, Ostrogoths founded Portugal and Spain and Franks France of course. The Celtic tribes became the British. Though they were not the most hardworking or most intelligent, they prospered and became the super powers in the world. The Great Britain. The blessings were on them when they held the Word of God central to every single aspect of their society. The fall came when the imperfection for men failed God and the further work of the Holy Spirit was stopped.

The faithful remnants continued to move west. They were in search of a new land to rebuild a new nation with the Word of God. Many died on the journey due to harsh terrain conditions. Finally they founded a land of Independence now known as the United States of America. Yet again a land built with Christianity as the central pillar. We all know how this nation rose in power till this very day as the ‘Big Brother’.

The Word of God did not cease in its movement sweeping around the world westwards. Revival swept across Africa, Korea (mega churches) and faster into Asia. With this wave of the gospel, we also saw the shift in the political and economical strength. In China, Christian movements are bringing the gospel back to Jerusalem.

In India, they are anticipating a revival greater than that in China. All these happenings are closing up on 2 conditions which will be fulfilled for the end of time to come:

1. Matthew 23: 37-39 - The Jews welcomes the Saviour back again.
37"O Jerusalem,Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. 38Look, your house is left to you desolate. 39For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.


2. "Matthew 24: 14 - The gospel is preached to every nation.
14And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

The wave of the gospel is moving faster than before! The wave of God’s Word has gone almost around the world westward from Jerusalem and now it is heading back there. It is hitting the 10/40 window (most unreached people group). Are you seeing it?

Are you still struggling with your daily life? Is your heart troubled with concerns from day to day? Now pause and think, no matter what is the condition of your heart, the wave of God is still moving. Are you catching His wave? Pause and pray. Ask God to help us to rise up from the sin that so easily entangles and catch His waves so we can stay in tune with Him. Amen.


Amos Ng
Ps Seng Lee's 12