Until the Whole World Hears

The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”

1 Peter 4:7-8

I have felt the need to share my testimony for several weeks now. As the apostle Peter pointed out in the words above, “the end of all things is near,” and that is truer today than ever before. With the end drawing near, Peter wrote to the scattered believers of his day to be alert and sober minded so that they could pray.

What do we pray for at times like these? There are certainly enough things to pray about, but I believe the most important prayer we could pray as believers is that God would draw individuals to Himself. Furthermore, we should ask God to use us in the process.

Although life has yet to go back to normal for many of us and we still face social restrictions as a result, we live in a day of age in which we have the incredible opportunity to have a voice online, whether that be through blogging, social media, email, or some other means.

Today, I want to use my voice to share about the most important decision I have ever made, and I want to invite others who have made a similar decision to do the same and to challenge others to do likewise. Until the whole world hears.

And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”

Matthew 24:14

So, without further ado, this is my story:

My background is a bit different from most people I know. My siblings and I grew up attending a Messianic Jewish congregation with our parents. We are not Jewish, but my dad had a big heart for Jewish people and a desire for them to believe in Yeshua ha Mashiach (Jesus the Messiah), so we went to a culturally Jewish congregation that preached that Jesus was the Son of God and Savior of the world.

As a result of my upbringing, I believed at an early age that Jesus had died on a cross to save the world from its sin. John 3:16 is a verse I memorized quickly.

 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

John 3:16

Unfortunately, I didn’t truly understand what any of this meant and held onto the idea that I could earn a place in heaven by being good. My ideas completely changed one evening, however.

My mom and I were finishing up my Bible lesson for the day (I was homeschooled at the time), and she asked me the last question on the page.

“Are you saved?” she read.

I racked my brain to try to understand what that meant. Was I in some sort of danger?

My mom’s next comment was most alarming.

“If you are not saved, then you are going to hell.”

I was both terrified and confused by those words. What did she mean by this?

My mom explained to me that I was a sinner, reminding me of times when I had lied or fought with my siblings, and because of my sin, I was separated from God. Nonetheless, God loved me so much that He sent His Son, Jesus, to be the sacrifice for my sins. Jesus lived a perfect life, then He died on a cross and rose again so that I could spend an eternity with Him if I so chose. It wasn’t enough for me to just have this knowledge, however. I needed to place my faith in Jesus.

That night, I earnestly prayed alongside my mother, recognizing that Jesus had come to save me from my sins and asking Him to forgive me and to be my Savior and Lord.

It was by no means an eloquent prayer. I was only eight years old at the time and probably didn’t even know the meaning of such a word. But that didn’t matter. God was looking at the sincerity of my heart.

My life did not change that much outwardly after beginning a personal relationship with God. After all, I was a young child that had barely begun to live. Nonetheless, I felt God’s love for me like I never had before.  I also began to notice pride in my life and began to feel convicted by it. Over the decades, God continues to work on my pride and other areas in my life, and I can see how He is continuing to mold me to make me more like Him.

A little over a year ago, I could sense God inviting me into a deeper adventure with Him, and I started this blog as a means of recording that adventure. I have enjoyed writing about what He has been teaching me ever since then.

I invite you to look through my past blogposts to see what I have learned throughout this past year, but I want to invite you even more to consider the testimony I shared above. If you have never made a similar decision to place your faith in Jesus, would you consider doing so now?

We have all realized how fragile life is after a year like last one. Don’t let the moment pass you up.

*For a more detailed version of the gospel message, I recommend the following website:   http://www.4laws.com/laws/englishkgp/default.htm