LIFELINK DEVOTIONAL

Wednesday, September 2, 2020

For the last two days we have laid the foundation for our study of the Last Days as revealed to us in Scripture.  We learned that we are already in the last days, and that as we live through them we are to keep our focus on Jesus Christ and His mission of redemption.  We are not to be distracted by searching for signs, but rather we are to be faithful and intentional witnesses of God’s grace to the lost world while we wait for the return of Jesus. If we can remember to keep those foundational principles in front of us, we are prepared to use them to help us understand the things that will be happening as Christ’s return approaches and how we should be living while we wait.

The first time the actual words “last days” are used in the New Testament is in Acts chapter 2 when Peter the Apostle preaches on the day of a Pentecost.

“But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’”  Acts 2:16-21

Before we get focused on what the prophet Joel said in the middle of this passage, let’s remember our first principle – keep the focus on Jesus and His mission. While there will be signs to observe, the focus of the last days is on the pouring out of the Spirit of God on all flesh so that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Everything that happens in the last days has one purpose ordained by the Father – to get people saved from their sin.

On Sunday we are going to dig into Joel’s prophecy and discover that the prophet has a lot to say directly from the Lord about how we are to live during the last days. But for today, please consider this:

Since God’s desire during the last days is that people get saved, and the Holy Spirit has been poured out to draw people to Christ for salvation, does it not follow that we should join the Holy Spirit in the mission of redemption and be the witnesses of Jesus Christ to the lost people of the world? 

I totally understand people’s curiosity about the last days. But I challenge you to consider this: while we are trying to figure out the signs of the last days and when Jesus will return, people around us are spending their last days preparing for eternal separation from God, and most don’t even know it. Of what value is it for us to know all about the last days while those without hope are plummeting towards their last day?

Won’t you join the Holy Spirit in the mission of redemption and become a bold and vocal witness of the grace of God found in Jesus Christ, so that people begin calling on the name of the Lord to be saved?

Pastor John

LIFELINK DEVOTIONAL

Tuesday, September 1, 2020

In my 67+ years I have lived through several uprisings of interest in Bible prophecy. When natural catastrophes like earthquakes, hurricanes, volcanoes, tornadoes, and fires seem to increase in frequency, people take notice and begin to ask, “Could this be the time of Christ’s return?” When territorial tension increases around the world, especially in the Middle East, people take notice and begin to ask, “Could this be the time of Christ’s return?” When political leaders rise to positions of power and international influence, people take notice and begin to ask, “Could this be the time of Christ’s return?” When people with spiritual influence claim to have discovered a new understanding of the Bible and predict the dates and times when prophecy will be fulfilled, people take notice and begin to ask, “Could this be the time of Christ’s return?”

I have experienced numerous such times of people taking an increased interest in Bible prophecy. But here we are, still waiting and wondering, “Could this be the time of Christ’s return?”

As we discussed yesterday, we are living in the Last Days as described in the Bible.  The Last Days officially began when Jesus came to earth some 2,000 years ago (See Hebrew 1:1-3). That’s a long time for the Last Days to last. There is a natural curiosity that comes with long waits. We want to know when it will happen.  We look for evidence and seek understanding.  Somewhere in the Bible there must be a clue that has been missed. Somewhere in the world something is happening that is a sign. We have a need to know.

But therein lies the problem. We have the need to know what Jesus has declared can’t be known. We desire evidence when Jesus requires faith. Jesus said, “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.” Then a few verses later He said, “Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” (Matthew 24:36, 44)

I remember when a few of my childhood friends and I heard the pastor teach on those verses, and in a selfish way we twisted the words to fit our own desires.  We were preparing for an important Little League baseball game, and we were worried that Jesus would come back before we could play. I remember saying to my friends, “So if I expect Jesus to return before the game He won’t.” Obviously that was not the application Jesus hoped I would make.

We are to constantly look for His return, but we are not to be overly invested in seeking to pinpoint the time. Instead, we are to focus on being ready. We will discuss the details o being ready in the next few days. But for today, let me tell you simply how to be ready: BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AND BE SAVED. You cannot be ready for the return of a Christ if you have not been saved by Christ. Repent of your sin. Turn to Jesus by faith and receive His forgiveness for sin. He will cleanse you and make you His child forever so you are ready to meet Him when He returns.

Pastor John