The Last Days

“In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.” Acts 2:17

The “last days” referred to in this verse are the days leading up to the day of the LORD, when Jesus returns to rule over the earth. On that day, every person who has rejected Christ will be judged. Those who are not born again will spend eternity in hell. Although no one knows exactly when that day will be, Jesus tells us in Matthew 24:32-34 that, just as you can predict the coming of summer by observing the fig tree, so you can know that Jesus’ return is close by observing certain signs and the fulfillment of prophecies. Watch this video and see just one way that God is fulfilling the prophecy that originated in the book of Joel and is referred to by Peter in Acts 2:17.

 

 

God of the Whole Wide World

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Sometimes we forget that there is a great, big world out there beyond the boundaries of America. What He is doing in other parts of the world, He can do here. Watch this video to see what God is up to in other parts of the world.

 

Sin in the Camp

“Israel has sinned and broken my covenant! They have stolen some of the things that I commanded must be set apart for me. And they have not only stolen them but have lied about it and hidden the things among their own belongings…I will not remain with you any longer unless you destroy the things among you that were set apart for destruction. Joshua 7:11,12

After the battle of Jericho, God told Israel to set apart the things made from silver, gold, bronze, or iron for Him. One man, Achan, disobeyed and his disobedience brought judgment on Israel. They were soundly defeated at Ai, a battle they should have easily won, because God was angry with them.

In our churches today, the pews are full of people who are sinning against God. They may be cheating on their spouse or planning to divorce them. Maybe they have lied or gossiped about someone and brought dishonor to that person. Perhaps a young couple is living together outside of marriage. Or It could be one of those “little sins” that we hardly think is worth mentioning. But, any sin, in God’s eyes, is serious. In 1 Corinthians 5:6 Paul says, Don’t you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old yeast…” In other words, get rid of sin or it will spread through the whole church. Why, then, do we look the other way when we see people, who call themselves Christians, openly sinning with no thought of repentance? God turned His back on the nation of Israel because of one man’s sin. Do we really think He doesn’t notice? Maybe God has left our church and we don’t even know it!

Safely Saved or Radically Forgiven

“Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?” 2 Corinthians 13:5 (NIV)

So—what if you examine yourself and find that you are safely saved? You are saved from hell and going to heaven, and that (and your sporadic church attendance) seems to be the only difference between you and your neighbor who is lost. You own a Bible, but don’t read it. You know you should pray, but you’d rather watch TV or spend hours on the computer. You work hard for your money and all that you own, and you jealously guard it. Your free time belongs to you and is for your enjoyment. Church is a place where you go to drink coffee, eat donuts, joke with your friends, sleep through the sermon and then go home and take a nap.

Or—are you radically forgiven? You can’t understand how a holy God could sacrifice His only Son so that you could call Him Father. You love God’s Word because it is a way to get to know your Father better. It is living and active in your life—it changes the way your see yourself and the world God created. When you think about the salvation God has provided for you, you want to share it with others. Prayer is time spent with your Father, and you want to keep that appointment with God every day, no matter how busy you may be. You realize that everything you have--your money, your time, and your special gifts, came from God and belong to God. You want to serve Him out of a thankful heart, and glorify Him in all you do and say. You are no longer the master—you are the servant.

You see, the gospel message is not just about being saved from hell. It’s about Christ coming to live His life in and through you—your body is now the temple of the Holy Spirit. You have the power that raised Christ from the dead, living inside you. You are no longer a slave to sin but have victory over it. It changes you and everything about you!

The Kinder, Gentler Church

“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” Matthew 10:34 (NIV)

What is being preached in our churches today? Is it the full counsel of God or do we prefer a kinder, gentler approach to delivering His Word? No one wants to hear that they are miserable sinners who deserve the wrath of God, and only the blood of Jesus can save them. It’s much more pleasant to hear that God loves them and has a plan for their life. There’s nothing wrong with that message—it’s a good message. But it’s not the whole story. There are two sides to every coin. If people don’t understand what their salvation cost God the Father and His Son, they’re not hearing the whole story. If people hear that all they have to do is ask Jesus into their heart to be saved, how does that prepare them to become His disciples? One might think that they have no further obligation other than to say a prayer and attend church when it’s convenient. Jesus saves—that’s great! What about our part of the bargain? What about the fact that God’s Word says we are not our own, we were bought with a price? That we are to be holy, for He is holy? That we are to love Jesus more than anyone or anything—including our family, our possessions, even our life? Those are hard teachings but Jesus didn’t sugar coat the Truth and neither should we. I think this is why our churches are so weak today—people are not being told to do the hard things. In the end, it leaves the church with nothing but baby believers who are not challenged to grow in their faith. Worse yet, they are being robbed of the promise of abundant life. The abundant life is not about “having it all”.

“He who loses his life for my sake will find it.”

Taking the Church's Temperature

“My house will be called a house of prayer.” Matthew 21:13. (NIV)

Vance Havner (1901-1986) was a popular revivalist who boldly proclaimed the word of God for seventy-three years. The following excerpt is from the book When God Breaks Through: Sermons on Revival by Vance Havner.

“I think prayer is the thermometer of a church. What a church is on Wednesday night is what it is, not what it is on Sunday morning. You can’t tell much about a church on Sunday morning. You’ve got the morning glories and all the rest of them. But it’s Wednesday night when you can find out what a church is like—how many people care enough to come to pray.”

If prayer is the measure of a church’s temperature, I think we are in trouble. God says He wants His house to be a house of prayer--not preaching, not programs, not fellowship. We are very busy doing things, neglecting that which is most important. Prayer should be the very heartbeat of our churches—but today, there is barely a pulse. In Revelation, Jesus describes the church at Sardis saying, “I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.” They were doing things that gave the appearance of life, but they were really on life-support. What was His advice to them? “Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent.”

God said, “My house shall be called a house of prayer.”

How Does God See the Church Today?

Is It This?

“I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent.” Revelation 3:15-18 (NIV)

Or This?

“For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” 2 Timothy 4:3

Or This?

“These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.” Isaiah 29:13

Or This?

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common.” Acts 2:42-44

God of the Second Chance

“Turn to me now, while there is time. Give me your hearts. Come with fasting, weeping and mourning. Don’t tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead. Return to the LORD your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish.” Joel 2:12-13 (NLT)

We have an amazing God. No matter how disobedient Israel was, no matter how many times they turned from Him to worship other gods, no matter how evil and corrupt their leaders were, God still called out to them to return to Him, even as he was about to send calamity on the nation. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is the very God we call “Father” today. Pray that we will not take His mercy and compassion for granted. Just as with Israel, there will be consequences if we do not return to Him in sincere repentance. Verse 14 says, “Who knows? Perhaps he will give you a reprieve, sending you a blessing instead of this curse.”

The Future

“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.” 2Timothy 3:1-4 (NIV)

What does the future hold for our children and grandchildren if there is no revival? The verses from 2 Timothy are a description of what it will be like in the days before Jesus’ return. It sounds like today. If Jesus comes back tomorrow, are we ready? Are our families ready? Can God bring revival to His people one more time? I believe the answer is yes. But we must do our part every day, realizing that the time is short:

Humble ourselves

Pray

Seek God’s face

Turn from our wicked ways

Are you willing?

Take It Personally

“The LORD says, “I was ready to respond, but no one asked for help. I was ready to be found, but no one was looking for me. I said, ‘Here I am, here I am!’ to a nation that did not call on my name. All day long I opened my arms to a rebellious people. But they follow their own evil paths and their own crooked schemes.” Isaiah 65:1-2 (NLT)

Imagine that your grown child is a busy executive, and that you stop by the office one morning just to say hello. The secretary announces your visit, but says that your son or daughter is busy at the moment and that you should have a seat in the waiting room. One hour passes, then two, then three. You decide to come back after lunch. When you return, you wait patiently for another three hours and then ask the secretary to have your son, or daughter, call you at home. The end of the day comes and you still have not heard from them. How do you feel? Sad? Angry? Unloved?

Have you ever thought about the fact that the almighty, all-knowing, ever-present God of the universe is waiting on you each day? Let’s personalize the verses from Isaiah 65:1-2. “The Lord says, I was ready to respond, but you did not ask for help. I was ready to be found, but you weren’t looking for me. I said, ‘Here I am, here I am!’ to you but you did not call on my name. All day long I opened my arms to you, but you followed your own wicked path…” Is that any way to treat your Father?

God's Response to Isaiah's Plea

“I was ready to respond, but no one asked for help. I was ready to be found, but no one was looking for me. I said, ‘Here I am, here I am!’ to a nation that did not call on my name. All day long I opened my arms to a rebellious people. But they follow their own evil paths and their own crooked schemes.” Isaiah 65:1-2

This is stunning. The God of the universe was ready and willing to respond to Israel, but no one called on Him, no one was looking for Him. He knew they were rebellious, but He still kept His arms open to them all day long. Israel chose to go their own way and make their own plans apart from God. Isn’t this true of the Church today? God’s people are going through the motions—we show up at church, we serve on committees, read the Bible and pray when it suits us—but are we really getting in touch with God? Do we consult with Him about how we live our everyday lives? In the book of Revelation, Jesus has this message for the church at Sardis: “I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.”

Do we really think that “going through the motions” is enough to satisfy God? Is that why Jesus died on the cross? Is He the guiding force in our life or just an afterthought? Jesus says there will be a price to pay if we do not wake up!

Isaiah's Plea

”Oh, that you would burst from the heavens and come down! How the mountains would quake in your presence! As fire causes wood to burn and water to boil, your coming would make the nations tremble.” Isaiah 64:1-2

Isaiah’s heartfelt cry should be ours today—that God would visit us in His awesome power, that the whole world would acknowledge Him and fear Him. Isaiah goes on to list some reasons why God has turned His back on His people.

“We are constant sinners.” (verse 5)

“When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags.” (verse 6)

“No one calls on your name or pleads with you for mercy.” (verse 7)

We can’t just point the finger at others and blame them—we have to get honest and search our own hearts. Notice that Isaiah didn’t say “They are constant sinners.”—he said “We are constant sinners.” Intercessors must identify themselves with the sins of the people. That is called humility. Remember the prayer of the Pharisee, ”I thank you, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else.”?

Desperation

“For thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘Once more in a little while, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea also and the dry land. I will shake all the nations…’” Haggai 2:6-7

What is it that makes people desperate for revival? What is it that will make the Church desperate for God? Jesus has said that He is coming back—all signs point to the reality that it may be very soon. Are we ready? Are our loved ones ready? God has been shaking our world, but it seems that we are all asleep. Think of the things that have happened and are happening in America—terrorist attacks, violence in schools and work places, earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, drought, the possibility of global financial collapse—these things wake us up only long enough for us to hit the snooze button. Meanwhile our society, and the values that once made America great, are deteriorating rapidly. Proverbs 28:2 says, “When there is moral rot within a nation, its government topples easily”. The Church really doesn’t have much to offer these days—the same sins that have overtaken the world have overtaken the Church. We tolerate adultery, divorce, abortion, lying and cheating—not wanting to “offend” anyone. What about the offense to God? What about being holy and set apart for His service? We are asleep—oblivious to the shaking that is going on all around us.

Ask God to open our eyes to see the world (and the Church) as He sees it. That should make us desperate. Repentance is the key. If we get our lives right with God, maybe that will cause unbelievers to be desperate for what we have.

Pray for Our Pastors

“Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel.” Ephesians 6:19

In these verses, Paul is telling the Ephesians how to pray for him. I think these are excellent words to pray for our pastors. I once heard someone say that a church will never be more spiritual than its pastor. Those of us that want to see revival should be praying fervently for these men of God, that God would bring personal revival to their hearts and that it would spread throughout their congregations. I’ve never heard of a revival that caught fire without the pastor! If your pastor seems to be asleep at the wheel, God is perfectly able to wake him up through your prayers. And don’t just pray for your pastor, but for pastors all over the world. Here are a few other suggestions:

Pray they will be drawn into a deeper walk with God through prayer and God’s Word

Pray their hearts will be broken over the spiritual condition of their churches

Pray they will have God’s priorities with their time

Pray for their marriages and family relationships

Pray they will be equipped and empowered by God’s Spirit

Pray they will be humble in God’s sight

Pray they will fear God and not man

Pray they will have courage to say the hard things

Pray for protection from the enemy’s schemes

God Speaks

“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ’Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’ Isaiah 6:8

I don’t believe that God is silently standing by—He is speaking. But who is listening? Being God’s spokesperson doesn’t require a seminary degree—but it does require a heart that is humble. Isaiah saw the holiness of God and, in that instant, saw himself as he really was—a man of unclean lips. What God saw was a broken and contrite heart. I hope you will pray with me that God raises up a godly person like Jeremiah or Isaiah, who fears God and loves the Church enough to say the hard things. But, maybe it’s you that He wants to use to stand up for Him. You may not be a pastor or leader that addresses large crowds, but you can live a holy life, confront sin, and pray for our churches, our communities, and our country.