Recently the Lord began to prompt me about some things that are being said throughout the body of Christ and spoke the title of this blog to me.
Fiction by definition means “an invented story or explanation”.
Many Christians are quoting 2 Timothy 3:1-9 and declaring that we ARE IN the LAST DAYS. Are we really in the last days? Did the Apostle Paul have some prophetic insight of the future some 2000 years later? Let’s take a look at the Scripture that I mentioned.
“But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! 6 For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, 7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 8 Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; 9 but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was.”
In order to understand this term “last days” we need to take a look at another Scripture. Acts chapter two records the event of the day of Pentecost (out pouring of the Holy Spirit) and the Apostle Peter makes a tremendous statement when the people that are gathered around question what is going on.
Acts 2:14-17: 14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. 15 For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. 16 But THIS is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 17 ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams.
Peter tells the crowd that “THIS” (the event that you CURRENTLY see unfolding before your eyes) IS what was spoken by Joel the Prophet. We can CLEARLY see that the event (Pentecost) that took place in Acts 2 is defined by Peter as an event of the LAST DAYS terminology. These were the “last days” of an old covenant and its practices. Jesus made a NEW COVENANT with ALL that believe in His name and follow Him, not one covenant for Jews and one for gentiles. (See Galatians 3:26-28)
Given this insight from Acts 2 we have to understand that the writers of the New Testament used the same terminology with the same meaning. When Paul writes to Timothy he is letting him know that during these “last days” this is what you are going to see happen, but don’t be discouraged because just like Jannes & Jambres “these” will progress no further. (2 Tim. 3:8)
I understand that currently things in the world look like a fulfillment of Scripture, but they are not. I believe that the church at large (not all, but some) have lost their identity and their true assignment.
Jesus has called us to be…..
- Light… Not reflections of ourselves as many are doing now, but a reflection of the PURE & TRUE light (JESUS)!
- Salt… A purifying agent in the world that brings healing, deliverance, and restoration.
- Leaven (yeast)…. Jesus said “To what shall I liken the kingdom of God? 21 It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened.” (Luke 13:20-21). We are to fill ALL things with the love and power of Jesus Christ, UNTIL ALL has been filled.
- Disciples… For the most part I believe that we have not made disciples of Jesus, but disciples of men. Leaders tend to force what they believe on other believers and some become angry when questioned about what they teach. EVERY believer needs to and should know the voice of Jesus, so that they will know what is true and what is not. Also, disciples of Jesus have a purpose to build the kingdom, and change the world around them.
- Love… This is the GREAT commandment that Jesus left for us to fulfill. Love God, love one another, love your neighbor, and love yourself.
If you believe that ANY kingdom (seen or unseen) has more power and authority than Christ’s kingdom, then you truly do not understand the message of the KINGDOM!!
I want to encourage you to make these your “last days” of believing that things are getting worse, and start believing & demonstrating the TRUE message of Christ’s victorious, and ever advancing kingdom.
