What Do We ‘Make’ of That?
In July 70 AD, Roman General Titus and his forces set up battering rams to assault the walls of Jerusalem. The attacks began in April and would continue through the months of August and September culminating in the demolition of the Temple and of Jerusalem itself leaving a million and a half Jews slaughtered in their streets and homes. Jesus prophesied of this day in the Olivet Discourse. “There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” (Mat. 24:2)
The wonderment about the Temple with which the disciples had spoken moments earlier turned to bewilderment as they considered the implications of Jesus’ words! Of course, their first concern would have been our first concern as well: “When shall these things be?” (Mat. 24:3)
As the disciples knew neither day nor detail of Jerusalem’s demise…just that it was inevitable…so it is with us. We do not know how much time we have before the rapture of Christ’s Redeemed and the rise of the Antichrist’s reign. Considering that, what are we to be ‘making’? The Great Commission Church should not be presently enamored with the ‘making’ of Christian kingdoms but instead gripped by the shortness of time for ‘making’ quality disciples!
In the forty years from Pentecost to the fall of Jerusalem, the church was born and spread from the Middle East to Northern Africa and Europe. Their urgency of ‘making disciples’ was based on the imminence of Christ’s return…and that motivated them! Our missionaries today are laboring with that same motivation! Will we pray for them with the same urgency with which the early church labored and our missionaries of today labor? I trust you are and that you will continue to do so.
Weeping & Rejoicing!
Rodney Myers, GFF General Director