Earlier today I was reading a newsletter from one of my favorite teaching pastors, David Wilkerson of Times Square Church, NY. I mention this because the timing of God is just sooo perfect. The newsletter was about end times, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. I thought to myself how this was such a timely message… how perfect it is that we are studying Daniel, one of the most prophetic books of the Bible. Time and time again, I am completely blown away at how God seems to “set” things up to be the right time and the right place.
Anyway, what stood out the most to me is when he pointed out Jesus’ strong words for those who scoff at his soon return…
“But what if the servant is evil and thinks, ‘My master won’t be back for a while,’ and he begins beating the other servants, partying, and getting drunk? The master will return unannounced and unexpected, and he will cut the servant to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 24: 48-51
And the next thing I read is something in which I totally agree, “I ask you, has there ever been a time when humankind was so wrapped up in covetousness?” Look at the condition of the world today. All we need to do is turn on the news. The Bible says that in the last days evil men will grow even more wicked and that there will be a great falling away. It says the love of many will grow cold, as so will the faith of many be shipwrecked. It says people will love pleasure more than they love God. There will be false teachers, and many of the elect will be greatly tempted.
God’s people know that He is the only sustaining source in these troubling times, and soon the world is going to know it too. Soon, people aren’t any longer going to want to hear messages of “self-fulfillment,” they are going to want to know about the reality of a Living God in a world that’s spinning out of control.
Nothing will hold back the triumphant moving of the Holy Spirit…no power in hell or on earth. Nothing will put out His fire or stop His rain from showering us. I’ll leave you with what God told us through the prophet Isaiah. He said He’s going to do some new, fresh things unheard of before, things we can’t yet perceive…
“For since the world began,
no ear has heard,
and no eye has seen a God like you,
who works for those who wait for Him.” Isaiah 64:4