GO YE

These are the instructions that Jesus gave to his eleven disciples in Matthew 28:19-20, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” Also in Acts 1:8 during his last encounter with His followers, Jesus said, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

However, according to the history of the early believers they continued daily with one accord in the temple holding steadfastly to the apostles’ doctrine and in prayers, they had all things common, they fellowship breaking bread from house to house and they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ. Acts 6:7a states, “And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly.”

Ten years passed and the majority of believers were still in Jerusalem until in Acts 8:1b we read, “And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles. In both Matthew 28:19-20 and Acts 1:8 Jesus said he wanted the Word to be ministered abroad, beyond the walls of the temple and the city of Jerusalem, and it took persecution to make it happen.

The, “Go ye” is the mandate not just for the early church but for us too. Therefore, could it be that God allowed the pandemic to cause His people to go into the world. Before the pandemic, most churches held the majority of their services inside of their edifice and if you wanted to hear the Word it was necessary to go into the church. When establishments were told to shut down and shut-in it forced churches to find a new way to meet and communicate with their members and the world.

Social media platforms, digital talk, and video calling services became the answer to reaching church members. It also caused the Word to go out into the world. Before the pandemic the main vehicles used to hear the Word 24/7 were television and radio; however, now the Word is being spread using social media platforms and the great thing is, it is free.

I believe the pandemic has caused the world to suffer but amid all the negative effects, a harvest of souls has manifested with the ministry of the Word. Ministries are reporting they are reaching more people, souls are receiving salvation and the churches are receiving the financial support that is needed to keep them afloat.

Yes, God has a way of doing things and turning what the enemy meant for our destruction for our good, and to fulfill His purpose. So, I believe like the persecution of the church in Acts 6:7, this pandemic is our persecution that has caused believers to “Go ye”