To Samaria and Even to the Ends of the Earth

Mother said at the autumn feasts, “When you preach the gospel after receiving the latter rain of the Holy Spirit, you will feel different than you did before.” Relying on the words of Mother, our brothers and sisters in Zion all around the world have been preaching the gospel. As a result, the joyful news is pouring in from all over the world that many of the heavenly children are returning to Zion. They say, “We preach the gospel to the same people at the same place, but they are completely different than how they used to be.”

Hearing this, I come to realize that the prophecies of the Bible are being fulfilled exactly as written. God said that the gospel of the kingdom of heaven would be preached to Samaria and even to the ends of the earth. Trusting in the words of God, let us preach God’s teachings to all people around the world and run powerfully toward heaven, wrapping up this year and preparing for the new year.

The Scriptures that say it must happen in this way

The night Jesus celebrated the Passover with His disciples, He was arrested by the chief priests and the Pharisees after He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane. At that time Peter, one of Jesus’ companions, drew out his sword and cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant. Then Jesus told him to put his sword back in its place and said.

“Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?” At that time Jesus said to the crowd, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I sat in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest me. But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled.” . . . Mt 26:53–56

The “writings of the prophets” mentioned here refer to the Bible that the prophets wrote as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. The reason Jesus was helplessly seized and arrested was not because He had no power to stop those who came to capture Him, but because He wanted to show that all the prophecies of the Bible must be fulfilled. Then He accurately fulfilled the prophecy that He Himself would bear our sins and also the prophecy, “He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth” (Isa 53:6–8).

God is faithful and His word never fails. Not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Scriptures that say it must happen in this way, until everything is accomplished (Isa 55:10–11; Mt 5:18).

The gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world

The Bible also says that the gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations. As this prophecy is also written in the Bible, it must be fulfilled without fail.

“. . . he who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations . . .” Mt 24:13–14

The Bible states that it must happen in this way. It is written that the gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations. So, this must also come to pass.

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Mt 28:18–20

He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” Mk 16:15–16

If Jesus had turned away from the path He had to follow and had chosen an easy, comfortable path, who would have borne the sins of mankind and carried the painful cross? The Bible predicted it, and the prophecy came true. Jesus had to walk the path to fulfilling the prophecy. Likewise, the children of heaven must go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation, making disciples of all nations and baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. This is the mission that has been entrusted to the children of heaven in the age of the Holy Spirit.

God carries out the work of preaching the gospel

By whose power will the prophecies of the Bible about the gospel work in the last days, which say it must happen in this way, be fulfilled? Let’s take a look at the prophecy of Ezekiel.

“ ‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness. I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land. I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land. I will tend them in a good pasture . . . I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign Lord. I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice.’ ” Eze 34:11–17

A day of clouds and darkness refers to the last days. God said He would search for the lost and bring back the strays. So, God is the primary agent and the driving force of evangelism. The gospel work is carried out by God who said, “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jews persecuted him. Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working.” Jn 5:16–17

Heavenly Father is still working. He personally manages Zion, carrying out all the work of salvation—searching for the lost, binding up the injured, and strengthening the weak. So, the mission given to us is not difficult to do at all. Since God Himself accomplishes all the work of salvation as prophesied, all we need to do is walk with God.

Let down the nets, trusting in God’s word

Without walking with God or trusting in God, we cannot save souls. God said, “I will do it.” So, it becomes hard to preach the gospel if we exclude God and try to do it ourselves. When we trust in God’s word, God will be with us and open the closed minds of listeners.

Those who go out preach the gospel, believing firmly that God has already opened the doors for preaching, will experience something completely different about the gospel. Trusting in God’s word brings such gracious results. We can confirm it through an incident that happened in the time of Jesus, 2,000 years ago.

. . . He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men.” So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him. Lk 5:1–11

Simon Peter was an experienced fisherman who knew his business well. However, although he worked hard all night, he didn’t catch anything. Then Jesus said, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets.” Relying on Jesus’ words, Peter let down the nets, and as a result he was able to catch a large number of fish, which filled both boats almost to the point of sinking.

He let down the nets at the same place with the same method. Why, then, did he get a different result than before? It’s because he did it with the belief that it was God who did all these things. When we rely on God’s word, we can obtain such gracious results.

It is the same with the gospel work today. God said that the gospel would be preached to all nations, and the children of Zion go out and preach by relying on the word of God. So, they are producing completely different results than before, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world.

To be entrusted with the gospel

God, who accomplishes the work of saving mankind, has made us co-workers in the gospel to lead us to the path of blessing.

For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you. On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts. 1 Th 2:3–4

Since we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, let us diligently preach the gospel to those who have not yet heard it. The whole world is our mission field (Mt 13:38). Let us ask God for the blessings of the Holy Spirit all the more and preach God’s word to everyone we meet, without hesitation, so we can bear the abundant fruits of the gospel.

They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever. Rev 20:9–10

Unless we preach the good news of salvation, mankind cannot have a bright future. God does not want anyone to go to the place of punishment and be tormented day and night forever, but everyone to come to repentance and be saved (2 Pe 3:9; 1 Ti 2:4). That’s why God has asked us to preach the gospel to seven billion people. A brilliant future has been reserved for those who accept the good news of salvation.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Rev 21:1–4

To take us to the glorious world where there is no pain or suffering or death, God has told us to lead all people into His arms. Following this request from God, we should preach the truth of life powerfully to all people around the world. People say that nothing in the world is easy. However, the gospel work is so easy as long as we walk with God. Everything comes easy for us if we let down the nets by relying on God’s word.

God’s children who resemble God

Peter didn’t catch anything although he let down the nets dozens of times and even hundreds of times throughout the night. However, when he let down the nets as Jesus had said, he got amazing results. Let us put out into deep water and let down the nets by relying on God’s word, too. I would like all of you, members of our Zion family, to pray diligently that the gospel will be spread to Samaria and even to the ends of the earth and to preach diligently, supporting one another in the work of the gospel and walking together hand in hand with Heavenly Father and Mother towards heaven.

There are some difficulties on the path of evangelism. God can always let us walk on a smooth path, but He allows us to suffer temporarily so that we can resemble Christ who bore the cross and walked the thorny path. We can feel the love of God who makes us perfect through suffering.

Remember that God is still working to recreate us as the spiritually perfect beings. We are in the process of becoming the ones who resemble God by keeping God’s commandments such as the Sabbath and the Passover, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, etc.

Our God Elohim has opened wide the road to Zion. So, our gospel will only be successful from now on. All we have to do is walk that path. However, God sees our efforts in the process—how hard we try to obey God’s will.

Our efforts are so small compared to those of Heavenly Father and Mother who have sacrificed and suffered greatly for the gospel. I earnestly ask all of you, God’s children, to move Heavenly Father and Mother by sparing no efforts to preach the gospel of the kingdom to Samaria and even to the ends of the earth.