Article

 Harris Gregory - September, 2025

[Matthew 24:14 KJV] 14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the

world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

In this present age, we are always surrounded by the noise of the troubles of this world. This same noise is what Jesus says will accompany these last days (Mt 24: 1-13). The fear of international conflict and persecution. The sorrow that comes with offence, betrayal, and hatred. The confusion that comes with a bombardment of false information. The waxing cold of love for God due to a great abounding iniquity. All these things will come and attempt to bury the message of the gospel, but it will be unsuccessful. If anything, it will only help it to shine brighter. For where there is fear, the gospel reveals a “pardon for sin and peace that endureth”. Where there is sorrow, the gospel enables “[His] own dear presence to cheer and to guide”. Where there is confusion, the gospel tells us “as [He] hast been, [He] forever wilt be”. And as the iniquity around us cools the love of those who once walked with us, the gospel promises, “Great is [His] Faithfulness, Lord unto me.”

For those born again, this noise can feel like birth pains—it hurts a great deal, but we know and have the promise of new life to make it worth it. For those who do not yet know Christ, they have no promise of life and with each day their window of opportunity narrows. This gospel is so imperative because there is coming a day when God’s grace will no longer be extended. From the beginning God promised His spirit would not always strive with man forever (Gen. 6:3), and so there must come a day when the bill comes due,

[Ephesians 2:4-7 KJV] 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (…) 6 And hath raised [us] up together, and made [us] sit together in heavenly [places] in Christ Jesus: 7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in [his] kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

God has provided a way of salvation, desiring to spare His creation from His righteous wrath. Christ, reading from Isaiah said,

[Luke 4:18-19 KJV] 18 The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

This same spirit and burden rests on the Church, as His body, and He invites us to partake in this wonderful ministry of reconciliation while it is still day. Therefore we must be steadfast in the faith and resolute in our view of “This Gospel” that it is good news, it is power, and it is addressed to all even if they might reject it.

This gospel is good news—

[Luke 2:10-11 KJV] 10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

Oh, what a glorious message to receive! Good tidings of great joy, and there was no greater ones to receive this message of good news than shepherds. These shepherds were ordinary men, not men of renown and prestige like the priests of their day, yet it was necessary they receive this message for God was doing a new thing. This new birth promised the fulfillment of the law, and doing away with the sacrifices of livestock and grain so that God might accept the sacrifices He truly desired. King David, once a shepherd, said, 

[Psalm 51:16-17 KJV] 16 For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give [it]: thou delightest not in burnt offering. 17 The sacrifices of God [are] a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

The burden of the Law was soon coming to an end, that God might reach all repentant souls and restore His relationship with them. God desired a relationship with all of His creation, not just the priests and not just with Israel. God had always been far greater than the dwelling place that man could make for Him, and He was eyeing the hearts of men as His new tabernacle. He had heard David’s cry for a clean heart and a right spirit, and He had remembered His promise to replace hearts of stone with hearts of flesh. “Oh what good tidings of great Joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day a savior, which is Christ the Lord.” Just as God had used a shepherd to deliver the children of Israel, God had sent the shepherd who would deliver all from the bondage of sin and death, and into the liberty of eternal life, that would call all who were weary and heavy laden with the burden of the law unto Himself and instead give them His yoke full of grace and rest.

Though the setting of His birth was humble, this message had royal implications. For just as David was called out of the pasture and anointed to reign over a kingdom, so too would Jesus fill the office of shepherd and king to establish a government and peace whose increase shall know no end (Isaiah 9:7). Within that manger laid, “the Rod out of the stem of Jesse (Isaiah 11:1).” Within that manger laid the one upon which, “the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon (Isaiah 11:2).” He would soon cause “the wolf to dwell with the lamb, the leopard to lie down with the kid,” but not yet. That time, we wait for with earnest expectation, but here He came to serve as a lamb, that he might take away the sins of the whole world (John 1:29) and be the “Root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and His rest shall be glorious (Isaiah 11:10).” That was the reason for these good tidings. The angels cried,

[Luke 2:14 KJV] 14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

It was a joyous occasion when the shepherds heard of His birth. Though they might not have fully understood all that Jesus would do and become, they could rest assured in one thing—this was God reaching down to bring peace, making a way for us ordinary men and women to once again have a relationship with Him. By Christ’s humility and obedience came the promise of a new beginning and where there was once only depravity, there could now be righteousness. Where there was once enmity, there could now be peace. Where there was once wrath, there could now be mercy. And where there was only death, there now could be life. Isn’t that good news! Good enough to carry us through anything we suffer here below, “Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come, let this blest assurance control: that Christ has regarded my helpless estate, and has shed his own blood for my soul.”

This gospel is power—

[Romans 1:16 KJV] 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

Paul spoke so boldly because of His understanding and experience with the power of the Gospel! Before his conversion, Paul was a learned man but He still had that stony heart—for the power of God through the gospel and the spirit had not yet transformed him into something new. Paul had experience with “a form of godliness,” through his learning of the law and the prophets, but it was the divine power of the Gospel that replaced his “threatening’s and slaughter (Acts 9:1)” with joyous proclamation. When Paul left for Syria and Cilicia all that was reported to the churches of Judea, was “that he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed (Gal 1:16).” That’s a testimony of power and this power is what grabbed a hold of many of our souls, some before we even knew how to read and study the word for ourselves. It is this power that makes This Gospel so imperative.

Men can’t logically explain why anyone should forgive their neighbor 490 times, at most we’re told to give people 3 strikes, but after being transformed by the gospel of the kingdom, knowing what great debt you’ve been forgiven, you’ll offer your shirt to the man who steals your coat, and go a second mile with a man who demands the first. No amount of scholarship in self-help literature can produce the level of change that was seen in Paul, much less compel someone to travel to Arabia to preach. People marvel at the transformation they see in born-again believers and I’m reminded of when Peter was called to tell the high priest by what power and in who’s name the lame man was healed. Peter’s answer, being filled with the Holy Ghost, was to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ declaring,

[Acts 4:12 KJV] 12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

This Gospel has power because it’s His Gospel, this is the message He sent out to the world, and when this Gospel is preached He will respond with Power.

The enemy loves when man, through man’s wisdom, reads his own plan of salvation into the gospel. For he loves nothing more than to take those things that are sacred and peculiar to God and make cheap copies devoid of power and in mockery of God’s will and plan. If we look at the Gospel through man’s wisdom, we’ll keep grace only for forgiveness and strip Jesus’ blood of the power to instantaneously deliver and sanctify us from all sin. If we approach the gospel with man’s wisdom, we’ll take repentance out of the equation because the flesh does not know how to yield to the spirit till it is nailed to the cross with Christ through repentance. This gospel of the Kingdom was not the product of man’s design, nor is it confined to man’s wisdom, for God’s ways are higher than our ways and his thoughts higher than our thoughts. How fitting we find that consolation before God says His word will never return void but will accomplish whatever He desires it to accomplish.

If man could reason himself into righteousness, there would be no need for a divine savior. Man thought he could save himself by completing the works of the law, but that precious lamb still came and thanks be to God for there was only one man who grew up as a tender plant, a root out of a dry ground, who had no form nor comeliness, who possessed no beauty that we should desire him. Only one man who was despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. One man from which we hid our faces and withheld our esteem. One man to bear our griefs and carry our sorrows. Only one who was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities, chastised for our peace and striped for our healing. His name is Jesus and He went preaching “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel (Mark 1:15).”

Only one man was oppressed and opened not his mouth, taken from prison and from judgement, cut off out of the land of the living. One man made his grave with the wicked, yet he had done no violence neither had any deceit proceeded from his mouth. His name was Jesus and he told Thomas, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). Only one man did it please the lord to bruise, and whose travailing soul satisfied the justice of the Father (Isaiah 53:1-10). Only one man could cry out,

[Mark 14:36 KJV] Abba, Father, all things [are] possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.

Only one man could say, “It is finished. (John 19:30)” Only one man could be planted in the tomb, as wheat is in the ground, and raise from dead that He might give to others that same resurrection power. He paid it all, He completed the work, He fulfilled the will of the Father, He sets the conditions for salvation and men need the power of His gospel to have any hope of being right before God and changed into a new creature.

This Jesus died on a Cross and Paul, having experienced the full power of the cross said this,

[1 Corinthians 1:18-31 KJV] 18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. 20 Where [is] the wise? where [is] the scribe? where [is] the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. 22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: 23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; 24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

This confusion of the gospel is not something that should shock us for Jesus warned, “Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying I am Christ; and shall deceive many…And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. (Mt 24:4-5;11).” Paul marveled at how quickly the Galatian church left this gospel in favor of a perversion that men had conjured up and was swift to reemphasize,

[Galatians 1:9 KJV] 9 … If any [man] preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

Paul was so concerned with the perversion of the gospel because he knew that this Gospel came by a revelation of Jesus Christ and that revelation had the power to do things that nothing in this world could offer. It is in this gospel we find power and consolation and can sing, “In the Cross, In the Cross, Be my glory ever, Till my raptured soul shall find, rest beyond the river.” 

Finally, this gospel is for all—

No man struggled with this point more than Peter, who had spent so much time with Jesus, yet failed to comprehend that this gospel message was for the gentiles also. But God always sends clarity when and where clarity is needed! God sent a vision that resulted in Peter preaching boldy to the Gentiles, “Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: but in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him. (Acts 10:34-35)” This message, later confirmed by the outpouring of the Holy Ghost, only served to reemphasize what Jesus had already spoken to Peter and the rest of His disciples. The church learned quickly, and it was confirmed by many signs and outpourings of the holy ghost, that redemption was to anyone who would fear Christ and who through regeneration could bear those fruits of the spirit.

It’s so easy to think lowly of Peter for holding on to this belief for so long, but sometimes we can be guilty of waiting for people to get cleaned up before we extend the gospel to them. Peter knew it wasn’t His heritage that saved him, but boy did he want the Gentiles to look like he did. I’m sure he thought, “Those gentiles look like they won’t accept this message, they look like they don’t want to live holy, they look like this and they look like that.” If we’re not careful we will judge someone’s ability to be regenerated, not by God’s power, but by the standards that we, as regenerated and sanctified believers, are held to by the word. But that which God can cleanse let us not call common. For it's not by strict living and following a religious code that we obtained righteousness but only by the love that drew salvations plan, only by the grace that brought it down to man, only by God spanning that mighty gulf through calvary have we been enabled to live by this word.

By the same power and authority that God engrafted the gentiles does he still regenerate the unbeliever. Even if the enemy tries to convince you they’re too far gone, even if you can’t comprehend how anyone could get them out of that nasty pigpen God’s hand is not shortened and his ears are not dulled. You might be convinced to think He’s written them off but His Spirit’s still sending them moments of clarity so that they might come to themselves and determine to return to the Father. When those moments come, and we won’t always know when unless we’re full of spiritual discernment, they’ll need to know how to get back home and who better to proclaim that narrow way than those who can testify of the moment “that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared (Titus 3:4-7).”

Paul said he was “Pure from the blood of all men (Acts 20:26)” not because the Ephesians accepted his message but because he, “had not shunned to declare” unto them the whole counsel of God. Paul knew that Christ had set him free but now he could be guilty of keeping that gospel to himself. Oh that we would not be content with our own salvation, just to find ourselves guilty in failing to proclaim this Gospel of the kingdom. It is for this purpose we live and have been sent out with a Gospel full of good news, power, and great hope:

[Rom 10:13-15 KJV] 13 “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” But how can they call on one they don’t believe? How can they believe in one they have not heard of, how shall they hear without a preacher, and how shall they preach without being sent? 15…“How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!”

Let us therefore shod our feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace (Eph. 6:15), so that we can be steadfast in the faith; pressing toward the mark that we, and as many as the Lord our God shall call, shall endure to the end.

God bless you!