Dear Friend of Light Bearers,
With this worldwide pandemic, it feels like we’re on the precipice of a great disaster.
Maybe we’re on the edge of eternity, too.
For those of us who know the story ahead of time, while we grieve with those who have lost loved ones, we can track with how the story goes and how the story ends. According to Jesus, pandemics, such as the one we are faced with now, are a sign of His second coming:
“You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows” (Matthew 24:6-8).
…things like wars and earthquakes and contagious diseases have always characterized human history.
The word “pestilences” here literally means contagious diseases. Jesus says that contagious diseases, along with war and earthquakes, are signs of His approaching return. But there is a vital piece of insight here, when Jesus says, “All these are the beginning of sorrows.” In the Greek it literally says these things will be “like birth pains,” or like a woman experiencing the contractions that lead up to giving birth. Any woman who has given birth, and any man who has observed the horrific process, knows that contractions are characterized by becoming more frequent and more intense until the child emerges from the womb. Of course, things like wars and earthquakes and contagious diseases have always characterized human history. But Jesus isn’t simply saying these things will happen just before His second coming, He is saying that these kinds of things will become more and more frequent and more and more intense.
And then Jesus says, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14).
Even as the signs of the end become more frequent and more intense, Jesus has commissioned His followers to spread the gospel throughout the world as the final sign that will hasten, or hurry up, His second coming.
From January until March, we printed over 3 million pieces of gospel literature.
With the coronavirus, we are living in very challenging times. One of the challenges is that people are losing their jobs and experiencing the stress of financial hardship. If that is your experience, we are praying for you. Don’t give up and don’t lose heart. Reassess, recalibrate, recharge, and proactively pursue the days ahead knowing that you are under God’s blessing.
Light Bearers is eager to make the most of this time by actually ramping up, rather than shutting down, our ministry endeavors to spread the gospel. We believe God wants to use this difficult situation to increase our reach rather than limit it, and we’ve seen Him do just that already.
For example, a couple weeks ago, in light of the quarantine situation, we decided to make ARISE Online free for 60 days. ARISE Online is our online Bible study course. The curriculum moves through Scripture in narrative form, expounding on all the key biblical doctrines within the course of the story. To our delight and astonishment, 20,000 people have signed up for the program.
I think this is the biggest gift and blessing from the lockdown. I’m from Spain. We have already been 5 weeks in quarantine and having the opportunity to do this course is just AMAZING. God is talking through Ty and He will continue through David, no doubt. —ARISE Online student
We are continuing to work feverishly in the publishing house as well. From January until March, we printed over 3 million pieces of gospel literature. Last month, we sent a container to Zimbabwe, and this month we sent two to Uganda. We are currently printing and preparing a container to go to South Africa.
20,000 people have signed up for the program.
Together we will continue proclaiming the gospel in every way we possibly can, even in the midst of this current crisis. If you’d like to partner with us, you can give any dollar amount by clicking the button below.
Thank you for your support of this ministry in the past and for your continued support at whatever level your financial situation allows.
We remain your partners in ministry,
Ty Gibson,
On behalf of the entire Light Bearers team
Ty Gibson
Ty is a speaker/director of Light Bearers. A passionate communicator with a message that opens minds and moves hearts, Ty teaches on a variety of topics, emphasizing God’s unfailing love as the central theme of the Bible. Ty and his wife Sue have three adult children and two grandsons.
