Bruce Collins, Evangelist

The personal website of Bruce Collins

Last Days
 
“But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!” (2 Timothy 3:1-5, NKJV)
 
“Knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts,” (2 Peter 3:3, NKJV)
 
What are the  Last Days?
In the New Testament, the term “last days” is found four times.  The first is in Acts 2:17 and refers to the pouring out of the Holy Spirit on the believers that were gathered in Jerusalem fifty days after the Lord’s resurrection.  This event is where the New Testament church was born and is the beginning of what we call the “the church age.”
 
In Hebrews 1:2, the last days refer to the Lord’s time on earth.  He has spoken to us in these last days. 
 
In James 5:3, James is criticizing his Jewish brothers for the way they are living in the last days and then makes reference to their need for patience until the Lord comes.  
 
I would suggest then that we are living in the last days and those days started with the Lord’s birth and will continue until He comes again.
 
What are the Characteristics of the Last Days?
1.  Perilous times will come.  People say times have always been perilous or dangerous or difficult.  And that is true.  But Paul says perilous times “will come.”  Never has that been more true than it is today.  Times are perilous because we are able to kill each other with weapons of mass destruction and with chemical and biological warfare.  We have seen how easy it is for the food supply to dry up and for energy to be insufficient to meet our needs.  But the real problem in the last days is the description of what people will be like.  
 
I don’t want to go through the whole list but Paul certainly describes our day.  It seems people will be religious but they will not believe in the power of the Gospel.  They will be more concerned with money and pleasure than being concerned with lost souls in need of salvation.  They will be looking for political solutions to the world’s problems and not to the Lord and His word.  At least that is the way I interpret this passage.
 
2.  Another characteristic of the last days according to Peter has to do with scoffers.  They will be mocking the promise of the Lord’s return.  And interesting enough Peter seems to understand that two thousand years might be involved before the promise is fulfilled.  He tells us that one day is like a thousand years and a thousand years as one day as far as God is concerned.
 
What About Us?
I would like to believe that the criticisms found in Paul’s passage and in Peter’s passage have to do with unbelievers.  But what scares me is that Paul also says, “But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them,” (2 Timothy 3:13-14, NKJV).  Apparently believers can be deceived.  I would hope no believer would intentionally deceive.
 
The lies, the lies.  How can one tell truth from error today?  Even Christians choose sides and believe the people who tell them what they want to hear. There is only one way to keep from being deceived, and that is to continue in the things which we have learned AND BEEN ASSURED OF.  I have been assured that Christ died for me and that I am saved.  I have not been assured that there is a man on earth who has the answer to the problems of this world.  That is why I am going to try to stay away from political solutions and am going to continue to preach that the times clearly indicate that salvation is urgent.  May we never act like those in the world today whose character is all about the here and now instead of about eternity.
 
The only person I can believe all the time, everytime is the Lord and His inspired Word.  I would believe that we need to be careful with what and who we believe since EVIL MEN AND SEDUCERS will increase and get worse.  We are all open to lies that are repeated with seeming authority and that are repeated over and over again.  We need to pray that we are delivered from deception and that we who are saved properly represent the Lord.  Let us tell the truth like He did.  Let us be the standard of good in contrast to evil as He was.  Let us make sure that we are willing to sacrifice ourselves for the sake of the Gospel rather than sacrificing others to accomplish our purposes.  
 
Let us act like the Lord. 
 
Bruce Collins
 
Meditation for the week of June 12. 2022

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