Christianity News Daily
By Evangelist Peter Gee, Editor in Chief, Christianity News Daily
As The Year 2026 Unfolds.
As the year 2026 continues to unfold, time advances with a quiet but relentless certainty. Since January first, multitudes have awakened to new mornings, celebrated births, planned futures—and many others have quietly stepped into eternity.
Every single day, thousands leave this world permanently.
For some, that departure meant entrance into the presence of God through Jesus Christ.
For many others, it meant eternal separation.
Scripture does not soften this reality:
“And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.” (Hebrews 9:27, NKJV)
Death is not the end of existence. It is the doorway to final destiny.
And because this is true, the mission of the Church cannot be optional, seasonal, or secondary.
It must be central.
It must be urgent.
It must be relentless.
The words of Christ Himself establish this certainty:
“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)
This single sentence from the mouth of Jesus Christ is one of the most important prophetic guarantees ever given to humanity.
The end does not come randomly.
The end comes after a completed mission.
The Olivet Discourse: Christ’s Prophetic Framework
Matthew 24 records Jesus’ response when the disciples asked:
“Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” (Matthew 24:3)
Christ did not give a date.
He gave a sequence.
He described deception:
“Take heed that no one deceives you.” (Matthew 24:4)
He described false religion:
“Many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.” (Matthew 24:5)
He described global instability:
“You will hear of wars and rumors of wars… nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.” (Matthew 24:6-7)
He described societal distress:
“There will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.” (Matthew 24:7)
He described persecution of believers:
“They will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.” (Matthew 24:9)
He described apostasy:
“Then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.” (Matthew 24:10)
He described doctrinal corruption:
“Many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.” (Matthew 24:11)
And then He described the spiritual condition of humanity:
“Because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.” (Matthew 24:12)
But the discourse does not end with darkness.
It culminates in a divine certainty:
“He who endures to the end shall be saved.” (Matthew 24:13)
Then comes the anchor of hope — the verse that stabilizes the Church’s mission:
“This gospel… will be preached in all the world… and then the end will come.” (Matthew 24:14)
The end of the age is not primarily tied to politics, technology, or economics.
It is tied to evangelism.
The Unstoppable Gospel
Human institutions rise and fall. Empires collapse. Philosophies shift. Cultures evolve.
But the words of Christ cannot fail.
God Himself declared:
“So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please.” (Isaiah 55:11)
The gospel is not merely a religious message. It is the very power of God.
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes.” (Romans 1:16)
No political system can silence it.
No ideology can erase it.
No opposition can ultimately stop it.
Even persecution has historically accelerated it.
The early Church understood this. After threats and imprisonment, they prayed not for safety but for boldness:
“Lord… grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word.” (Acts 4:29)
And the result?
“The word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly.” (Acts 6:7)
The Church grows when it proclaims Christ.
The Church weakens when it replaces proclamation with comfort.
The Great Commission Is Not a Suggestion
Before His ascension, Jesus issued His final earthly command:
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations.” (Matthew 28:19)
Mark records it even more directly:
“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:15)
Acts clarifies the power behind it:
“You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me… to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
This is not the assignment of missionaries only.
It is the identity of the Church.
If the Church stops evangelizing, it ceases to function as the Church.
Paul explains why evangelism is indispensable:
“How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed?
And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?
And how shall they hear without a preacher?” (Romans 10:14)
Faith does not come by culture.
Faith does not come by tradition.
Faith comes by hearing the Word:
“Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17)
Why the Mission Cannot Pause
Many believers today are distracted by internal debates, secondary doctrines, and worldly pursuits. Yet Scripture reminds us of God’s present posture toward humanity:
“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise… but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)
The delay of Christ’s return is not indifference.
It is mercy.
Every extra day is an opportunity for salvation.
Every sunrise is an evangelistic time.
Jesus Himself said:
“The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few.” (Matthew 9:37)
The shortage is not of sinners.
The shortage is of witnesses.
The Gospel Message Itself
The Church must never forget what the gospel actually is.
Paul defined it plainly:
“Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day.” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)
The gospel is not moral improvement.
It is redemption.
Humanity’s problem is sin:
“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)
Sin produces death:
“The wages of sin are death.” (Romans 6:23)
But God’s solution is Christ:
“God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)
Salvation is received by faith:
“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.” (Acts 16:31)
Not by works:
“For by grace you have been saved through faith… not of works, lest anyone should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)
And the promise is universal:
“Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13)
The Words of Christ Give Life
Jesus made an extraordinary claim:
“The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” (John 6:63)
He also declared:
“I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” (John 8:12)
The gospel does not merely inform.
It transforms.
It brings spiritual resurrection:
“The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live.” (John 5:25)
That is why preaching matters.
The message itself carries divine power.
The Church’s Urgent Responsibility
Believers are called ambassadors:
“We are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us.” (2 Corinthians 5:20)
This is staggering.
God appeals to humanity through human voices.
Every Christian becomes a living proclamation that reconciliation is available:
“Be reconciled to God.” (2 Corinthians 5:20)
Silence is not neutrality.
Silence leaves souls uninformed.
Ezekiel’s warning applies in principle:
“If you do not speak to warn the wicked… his blood I will require at your hand.” (Ezekiel 3:18)
The Final Global Witness
Revelation reveals that the gospel will ultimately reach everywhere:
“I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people.” (Revelation 14:6)
Matthew 24:14 will be fulfilled completely.
The only question is whether we participate in the mission — or neglect it.
Paul understood the urgency:
“Woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!” (1 Corinthians 9:16)
Why This Matters in 2026
We are living in a time of rapid change, moral confusion, and spiritual uncertainty. Yet Scripture predicted exactly this:
“In the last days, perilous times will come.” (2 Timothy 3:1)
People would become:
“Lovers of themselves… lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.” (2 Timothy 3:2-4)
Therefore, the apostolic command remains unchanged:
“Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season.” (2 Timothy 4:2)
Not when convenient.
Not when popular.
Always.
A Call to the Church
The mission is simple:
Pray.
Proclaim.
Persevere.
Jesus said:
“Lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!” (John 4:35)
The Church does not need reinvention.
It needs recommissioning.
The early believers:
“Did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.” (Acts 5:42)
And the result:
“The Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:47)
The Coming Conclusion
One day, Matthew 24:14 will be complete.
The final soul will hear.
The final witness will be given.
Then:
“The Son of Man will appear in heaven… and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” (Matthew 24:30)
History is not endless.
It is moving toward a Person.
Jesus Christ will return.
Final Appeal
The gospel gives life.
Christ alone saves.
“Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)
Today remains an open door:
“Now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:2)
Therefore, the Church must not grow silent.
We must preach.
We must reach.
We must endure.
Because Jesus promised:
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.” (Matthew 24:35)
And until the gospel reaches the whole earth, the mission continues.
The end will come.
But first — the world must hear.
