#187 – What About the Faith in the Last Days?

Yesterday on The Morning Meditation we looked at Waiting Christians. The things that we are waiting for are too wonderful to fully describe.

Today on The Morning Mediation:

WHAT ABOUT THE FAITH IN THE LAST DAYS?

Genesis 49:1 “And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days.”

Jacob was a prophet. He gathered his sons together and told them what was going to happen in the last days. Why inform one of the inevitable? Can we be given information which will enable us to keep it from happening? I believe, first of all, that prophecy lets us know that God has a plan and knows what is going to happen. He is not surprised at what is happening, He predicted it! Second, I believe that the knowledge of what is going on can allow those who want to know and serve the Lord, avoid being responsibly involved in it. Acts +2:40 says, “And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.”

Jeremiah prophesied that Babylon would win against Israel in war, take them captives into Babylon, and in substance told the people how to respond to the defeat. He told them it would happen, and they could not keep it from happening, and how they would fare the best by going along and accepting it as the will of God.

God has definitely given us prophecies of the last days. Let’s notice just a few things that are happening in our day as a fulfillment of prophecy.

First, there are an increasing number of false teachers who are a fulfillment of prophecy. 2 Pet. 2:1 says, “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.” Peter continues in chapter 3 and verse 3, and I believe, speaking of the same class of false prophets, “Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts” (2 Pet. 3:3). These false teachers “deny” the Lord. The word “deny” translates “arneoma” which means, “to deny or refuse.” It is not necessarily the denial of His existence but His right to control and exercise His Lordship. There are those who change the meaning of Scripture in order to avoid obedience. The way Christ exercises His Lordship over us is through the authority of His Word. To read a verse as a text, and then preach a sermon that does not explain the verse, is a practiced way of preaching one’s opinion that has no basis in Scripture at all, and sad to say, is a common practice of our day. There are a lot of “damnable heresies” and some go so far as to “deny” the Lord that bought them.

Second, there is a departure from the faith that is prophesied in God’s Word. Paul said, “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron” (1 Tim 4:1-2). The words “latter times” definitely identifies this as a prophecy of the last days. The word “times” translates “kairos” which means “a fixed and definite time, the time when things are brought to crisis, the decisive epoch waited for.” That fixed time is the last days of the church. Paul is teaching Timothy (and all other preachers) how to behave themselves in the house of God: chapter 3 and verse 15 says, “But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.” A local church can have the right doctrine and practice when what is described here is going on. Paul tells Timothy that what I am saying is the Holy Spirit’s message, i.e., The “Spirit speaketh expressly.” Then he says “Some shall depart from the faith.” Thank the Lord for words like “some.