Scriptures tell us that the church’s faith and fondness for Christ will rapid
ly decline in the end times. Jesus said “When the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” (Lk.18:8) Paul prophesied that the end days will be “perilous times” because men will be “lovers of their own selves.” (2Tm.3:1,2) Both the Ephesian and Laodicean churches in Rev. 2 & 3 demonstrate these truths as one left their first love (fondness) while the other lost their first loyalty (faith).
However, though God informed us of the church’s trending failure, He has also assured us of the fact that not all will be of that trend! Let’s fact check one of the most oft repeated missionary mantras. “More people will die and go to hell if fewer missionaries go to the field.” Of course, the Lord Jesus admonished us to pray that the Lord of the harvest would send forth more labors. Nonetheless, Biblical thinking shows that God does not need more to do more…sometimes He does more with less! Let’s review a few examples. 1. God trimmed back Gideon’s army from 32,000 to 300 prior to giving them a dramatic victory over a Midianite army of 120,000. 2. Due to the faithfulness of Daniel alone, a heathen King testified to millions of the might, morals, and majesty of “the living God.” 3. After Peter was restored, thousands repented and received Christ at Pentecost. 4. Phillip went down from Jerusalem to Samaria and preached Christ seeing the conversion of hundreds! Truly, even a few godly men of spiritual integrity can plant and water trusting that the increase to come will be that which the Lord brings.
Interestingly enough, since the increase is indeed spiritual in nature and not measurable by human eye or intellect, I am convinced that many missionary ministries in these perilous end times are Isaiah-like! Isaiah was faithful to preach the mighty message of God to Israel through the reign of five kings only to end his ministry with people’s hearts wearied of his words, the derelict nation swept into destruction and bondage, and he himself sawn asunder in a log! He would not have been a prime candidate for local church missionary support…yet he achieved a “good report of faith” with God! His ministry accomplished everything God intended for it to accomplish—to hold thousands of people accountable to the righteous Word of God!
Therefore, though we should always be praying for more missionaries to go into the harvest field, we do not have to focus on the many who are not going but on the integrity of those who are going—that they would be filled with faith in God, fueled with love for God and deliver the righteous Words of God! God can and will do more through the integrity of a few than the inept spirituality of the many—whether we can quantify it or not. That’s a fact! Thank you for praying to that end!
Weeping and Rejoicing!
Rodney Myers — GFF General Director