Joshua Phoong—Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Now it shall come to pass in the latter days [that] the mountain of the LORD's house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it. Many people shall come and say, "Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths." For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

(Isa 2:2–3)

All of us in the True Jesus Church long to see the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy—that the church of the last days will be a glorious church. We want to see monumental growth of our church with the gospel spreading far and wide, touching the hearts of men from all nations. We desire that many more can come to the true church to seek the Lord, accept the truth that leads to salvation and eventually be among the chosen ones of the Lord who will receive eternal life. Yes, this is indeed what we long for and hope to see in our lifetime. But rather than just waiting for this prophecy to be fulfilled, we can play a part in making it a reality.

We are reminded in Romans 10:14 that the people of the world cannot call or reach out to our Lord Jesus Christ unless they hear about Him and believe in Him. Yet how can they believe in Jesus if nobody preaches the glad tidings to them?

Hence, we must start to preach the gospel to all nations in a serious and committed manner. This is a commission, which Jesus has personally entrusted to us. For this reason, every one of us in the True Jesus Church must play our part well, so that the church in the last days will truly be glorious.

SOW TODAY FOR TOMORROW

“Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap” (Gal 6:7)—what we are today is a result of what we have done in the past, for we reap what we have sown previously. More importantly, what we will harvest tomorrow will be determined by the efforts that we invest today.

We thank the grace of God that many of those who walked the path of faith before us have sowed abundantly. They have followed the Lord’s instruction and have traveled far and wide to preach the gospel. Jesus’ great love inspired them to live their lives no longer for themselves, but for Christ (2 Cor 5:13–15). Today, our church reaps the rewards of their past sacrifices; we in this generation of the True Jesus Church have benefited from the seeds that they have sown.

Those who live for the world are chained to this world; as their pursuits are that of the physical world, they find it impossible to comprehend how we can exchange everything that the world offers for a life with Christ and for Christ. Yet for those of us who have tasted His grace and love, serving Him humbly and dedicating our lives to Him is only a reasonable service to repay His love.

It is this love that moves us to share the word of God with our relatives, friends, neighbors, and even with strangers. It is this love that has allowed the true gospel to be spread, from where it first started in China, farther and farther to various towns and cities, provinces and countries. Today, the true gospel has reached about sixty countries, covering almost all continents.

Yet if we examine the spread of the gospel, we will see that we are only beginning to establish the truth in most of those countries where the word of God has been preached. There are still many more places that the word has not reached; there are countless people to whom we have not preached. Do they not deserve to hear the truth? Are we contented with what we have already done? What about the many other countries of the world, more than one hundred, where the truth has yet to be preached?

How will our church fare in the future? What will become of the True Jesus Church? The answer depends on how and what we sow today. We will reap what we have sown.

SOWING IN TEARS, REAPING IN JOY

Sowing is difficult, for it requires much effort and demands great sacrifices. But Ps 126:5–6 tells us that those who sow in tears will reap in joy. If we continually go forth in tears, carrying seed to sow, we shall undoubtedly return with rejoicing, bringing our sheaves with us.

It all boils down to the choices we make in our lives: are we willing to sacrifice for the Lord and spread the good tidings? Are we prepared to sow in tears? If we are unwilling, then we shall have no part in reaping the harvest.

What then of Isaiah’s prophesy? Will it still come to realization? We know that God’s word will never fail. Consequently, this prophecy will definitely be fulfilled; if not through us, then through others who are willing to take up the great commission.

Esther too was entrusted with a great commission—the commission to save her people. When she was unwilling, Mordecai reminded her:

“If you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise … from another place but you and your father’s house will perish.” (Est 4:14)

Similarly, if we are not serious about the commission that has been entrusted to us, woe will come upon us. God’s promise for those who sow in tears stands firm (Ps 126:5–6). However, it is our choice whether we want to be among those who reap in joy.

If we are already sowing the seeds of the gospel, let us be patient. Just as physical seeds need time to grow into a harvest, the seed of the gospel takes time to sprout and grow. During this period of growth, we may grow restless and become weary. Yet consider the farmer: just as he waits patiently for his fruits to ripen for the harvest, we too must wait for the appointed time of our Lord. Therefore, as Paul encourages, “let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart” (Gal 6:9).

As long as we continue to plant and water, God will give the increase (1 Cor 3:6). Then the church of the last days will indeed be a glorious church, fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah.