SWORD OF THE SPIRIT                                                                                               1159

“Last Days”

But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty… – 2 Timothy 3

Ever since the Resurrection of Jesus, people of faith have longed for and expected His imminent return. Great spiritual leaders such as Martin Luther and Jonathan Edwards fully expected the Lord to return soon as they lived through difficult and stormy times in church history. Likewise, we ask ourselves today how much more the Lord will tolerate before He returns. The Lord’s delay has given fuel to scoffers who, like in the days of Noah, scoffed at him and the ark he built.

… Scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” – 2 Peter 3:3-4

For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man…Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. – Matthew 24:38-44

Christians need to have the Word of God in one hand and honest news reports in the other (hard to find but still available). The lawlessness that is seen today seems to be unprecedented. People are no longer looting under the cover and secrecy of darkness but in broad daylight taking what they want and calmly walking out of the stores knowing that the store owners and employees as well as the local law enforcement will do nothing about it. (Reference recent events at Lowes in Keizer, Oregon and Walgreens in San Francisco, California)

… And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. – Matthew 24:11-13

Drug overdose, suicide and homicide are three out of the top six leading causes of death among American 15 to 49 year olds in 2017. The numbers have only gotten worse leading into the present day. Compare the leading cause from drug overdose to that of abortions in the same period. Abortions, murder of the unborn, were 862,320 vs. 44,224. Why? Because in the last days people are lovers of self, money, pleasure etc. Killing the unborn is big business. Harvesting their organs presents even greater profit.

For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good,  treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. – 2 Timothy 3

We think things cannot get any worse, yet they do. We wonder how much more will the Lord tolerate but we need to thank Him for His patience with us. He does not wish any to perish.

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. – 2 Peter 3:9

Mankind has been living in the last days since Jesus ascended into heaven and promised to return. Remember that a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like a day to our Lord. We measure the days by time, God sees the beginning and the end as now. We need to always be ready for at any moment He may say, ‘Enough’.

These are troubling times but Our Lord is our refuge and strength. He will see us through them.

Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by. – Psalm 57:1

We need not fear the last days or the Lord’s sudden return if we have accepted the free gift of salvation through Jesus.

For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. – Romans 10:13, 10:9

In the midst of all these troubling times, we have hope in the Lord and His love for us.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. – Romans 15:13