Dark Days – But God ~ Ray E Horton

Scripture describes dark times as the end of the age approaches, BUT, God has the answer. Paul calls these “perilous times.” He prophecies to Timothy the state of the world in the last days, and we have been seeing it come to pass:

“Know this: In the last days perilous times will come. Men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, slanderers, unrestrained, fierce, despisers of those who are good, traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God, having a form of godliness, but denying its power. Turn away from such people” (2 Tim. 3:1-5). He adds, in vs. 7-8: “always learning, but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth… these also resist the truth, men of corrupt minds and worthless concerning the faith.”  Does this not describe the times we live in?

Paul adds in vs. 12-13: “Yes, and all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. But evil men and seducers will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But continue in the things that you have learned and have been assured of, knowing those from whom you have learned them, and that since childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise unto salvation through the faith that is in Christ Jesus.” In these times, we can expect an increase in persecution, and we too need to draw on the wisdom of the scriptures.

Jude has a similar message: “In the last days there will be scoffers who will walk after their own ungodly desires” (Jude 18), as does Peter in 2 Pet. 3:3.

But, take heart at God’s response to the growing darkness: (Acts 2:16-21) “But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel:

‘In the last days it shall be,’ says God,
    ‘that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh;
your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
    your young men shall see visions,
    and your old men shall dream dreams.

Even on My menservants and maidservants
    I will pour out My Spirit in those days;
    and they shall prophesy.

And I will show wonders in heaven above
    and signs on the earth below:
    blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke.

The sun shall be turned into darkness,
    and the moon into blood,
    before that great and glorious day of the Lord comes.

And whoever calls
    on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’”

God poured out His Spirit at Pentecost in the beginning of the “last days,” and, now, at the end of the “last days,” in recent years He has been pouring out His Spirit once more. And that outpouring is accelerating, and we will yet see it to a greater extent than ever before. It will be even as it was in Jesus’ earthly ministry: “The blind receive their sight and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them” Matt. 11:5). Jesus said it, that we will do greater works than He did.

We have seen only a smattering of what Jesus predicted would be true of us, and there is so much more to come of God’s glorious power being exhibited through us, since it is needed to overcome the darkness and fully evangelize the world: “Truly, truly I say to you, he who believes in Me will do the works that I do also. And he will do greater works than these, because I am going to My Father” (John 14:12).

So, let us stand strong, fully surrendered and available to our God, so that the light of Jesus will shine through. Let us leave aside all love of the ways of the world, which will one day burn, and not fear but rejoice that we have the privilege to live in these last days and be used for the advancement of the Kingdom, bring in the harvest, and hasten His return.