Monday 28 December 2020

The Last Days

 Scripture:  2 Timothy 3 v 1 - 5: "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

2  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3  Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 
4  Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away."

Hebrews 1 v 1 - 3:  "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
2  Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
3  Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;"

In the Old Testament book of Daniel he prophesied of the 70 weeks till the fulfilling of the coming of the Messiah.  The 70 weeks was in two parts:  The birth of Jesus and his ministry would be accomplished in 69 weeks from the time of the prophecy (measured in 69 years x 7) with the 70th week coming in as the time of Tribulation.  Daniel 9 v 24 - 27.

Daniel 9 v 27: "And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate."

Jesus said in Matthew 24 v 14 - 16: "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
15  When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
16  Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:"

This one week or 7 years is the Great Tribulation split in half because in the very middle the Antichrist announces himself as the Messiah.  This Antichrist is the abomination that makes the people left on Earth totally desolate.  The eyes of the Jews are opened to this imposter and they flee to the mountains of Petra in Jordan.

The Rapture has occurred, the Christians are gone, the Holy Spirit has gone, God has gone.  The Wrath of the Lamb has begun, He has left this world in the hands of Satan.  We do not want to be here for the last half of these 7 years of indescribable chaos.  

The only way of salvation in the last half of the Tribulation is to be martyred.  Millions of backsliders, and those who attended churches but never heard the full gospel will have a last chance to spend eternity in Heaven.  

This week of years has as parallel that started when God made Man and replenished the Earth in seven days.  If one day equals 1000 years as it states in 2 Peter 3 v 8, then after the resurrection of Jesus the last days started.  The last two days of the week, or the last 2000 years.

It needs a bit of a think to put this all in perspective.  We seem to think we are in the last days because tribulation signs are increasing.  Actually we are in the End Times of the last days.  

It's a good time to be alive because the long wait for the return of Jesus is nearly over.  All the signs of increasing calamities on Earth is not to bring fear and panic to Christians but to bring hope, joy and wonderful expectation of being in the fullness of the presence of Jesus forever.  Away from the horrors below, away from sadness, sorrow and shock.

We need to be ready to go without notice.  Have we got our passport up to date, The Lamb's Book of Life, with our name written in it.  There should be no delay between Repentance, Forgiveness, Water Baptism, and Baptism in the Holy Spirit.  In Acts 16 Paul baptised the jailer and his whole family at midnight as soon as they believed in Jesus.  

Some pastors think that there should be a waiting period to see if salvation is real before baptizing in water and the Holy Spirit.  People need the full package at once to be able to withstand the onslaught on new believers as demons try to compromise them into sinful activities before their faith grows.

Water Baptism gives a gap to your understanding when temptation comes.  You get a choice to sin or reject the temptation.  Before baptism sin controls you because your old nature that loves to sin has not yet been buried with Jesus Christ.  When the Holy Spirit power is upon you, you can rise up and fight the enemy and win.

So let's outsmart that wily devil and do what the Bible says to do.  If your pastor is unwilling because of church policy then go somewhere else and tick those boxes.  Do not be held back by any person or doctrine from ensuring that your name is on the passport to Life.  

We are close to the end.  This pandemic still dominates the whole world every day.  This time last year we were preparing and anticipating a wonderful 2020.  Now we face 2021 with many unanswered questions, loss of jobs, loss of income, world economy under stress.  Happy New Year seems a bit hollow.

Our hope is in You, Lord!  Jesus You are our only hope.  How people live without You baffles me.  Every moment of every day is lived in Your light.  You say the night will come in which no man can work. John 9 v 4.  Those will be dark days indeed, but we are grateful that You love us and watch over us.  As You brought the Hebrews through the Wilderness and fed them manna and quail, so will You sustain us in these last days.

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, You have a plan to rescue all who desire eternal life with You.  You have laid it out before us and we have free will to accept or reject truth.  When we accept it we must share it and make it known as widely as possible.  It matters not what people think or say about us, someone listens, hears and receives that truth.  We will meet them when the roll is called up yonder.  Father, we love You, and worship You in Spirit and truth.  In Jesus' name. Amen.