24:14—A Testimony to All Peoples. Ed. Dave Coles and Stan Parks. 24:14, 2019.
24:14—A Testimony to All Peoples is a collection of nearly fifty brief notes, descriptions, or essays describing a way (if not the way) the Holy Spirit is causing His church to multiply. The term the book uses is CPM or church planting movement.
This contains various testimonies and analyses of church growth, especially in Africa and Asia and other parts of the 40-20 Window (from 40° N. to 20° S. latitude). Some are anonymous or do not even name the country described for security reasons. The focus is on Matthew 24:14—That the end of the the present age and Christ’s return will not happen until everyone in the world knows about the Gospel. Even if Jesus did not explicitly say so, it is only the fair way to judge the earth.
We have noted this verse in other books describing coming revivals and God’s plan for the end times. As in these books, there is little speculation about Israel or world powers, but there is much about successful attempts to spread the Gospel.
Most of the church planting comes from native people in the same or similar culture they are ministering to. We reviewed in some detail the CPM in Northeast India in Bhojpuri Breakthrough. These things are happening in many other places in the world as well.
24:14—A Testimony to All Peoples is compiled partly for a Western audience. In a few places outsiders might be able to give some financial or material support. But more than that, it may be that we in the West can learn from our third world brothers and sisters. As one chapter suggests, “Passion for God, Compassion for People.” One writer said, “This is a battle for the souls of people.” No, it is not a physical war between nations or political alliances, but a spiritual conflict for the minds and wills of precious people. (See II Corinthians 10:3-5)
It seems that most of the “cultured despisers” of religion (to use Schliermacher’s term) are indifferent, but God’s kingdom continues to grow. As Isaiah 9:7 says, “Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end,” or as G. K. Chesterton put it in The Everlasting Man:
At least five times, therefore, with the Arian and the Albigensian, with the Humanist sceptic, after Voltaire and after Darwin, the Faith has to all appearance gone to the dogs. In each of these five cases it was the dog that died.
Jesus rules!