Some years ago, God spoke to my heart by his spirit and told me I should preach the gospel. My perception at that time, of what that meant, is different than it is today. There is a big difference between religion and Christianity. My heart then was darkened by religion. I became like Jonah and ran away from God. God had great mercy on me and brought me to repentance. After a period of time, he began to reveal the life of his son to me, how Jesus walked and what he preached. Mark 1: 14-15 states: Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. The bible defines what the gospel is in 1 Corinthians 15: 1-4. The apostle Paul in his writings here states: Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand, By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures. Romans 1: 16 states: 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. What is sorely lacking in the church today is the gospel or power of God. Jesus speaking to his eleven disciples in Matthew 28: 18-20 states: All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 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 alway, even unto the end of the world. And again in Mark 16: 15-18 talking to the eleven he states: Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. The instructions that Jesus left the eleven Apostles is clear. He said to make disciples or Christians of all nations, to baptize them, and to teach people to observe or keep all things that he had commanded the eleven while he was here. He has not changed. It is to this end my efforts are directed.
