Our Last Days
Southaven,Ms
By: Mike Upchurch
Our Last Days
If you’ve been paying any attention to the world and culture around us, then you know that we’re in the last days, biblically speaking. It doesn’t take a spiritual giant to draw that conclusion. Paul wrote to Timothy of the signs marking the beginning of the end. Here are those remarks in the Amplified Version…..
“But understand this, that in the last days dangerous times [of great stress and trouble] will come [difficult days that will be hard to bear]. For people will be lovers of self [narcissistic, self-focused], lovers of money [impelled by greed], boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy and profane, [and they will be] unloving [devoid of natural human affection, calloused and inhumane], irreconcilable, malicious gossips, devoid of self-control [intemperate, immoral], brutal, haters of good, traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of [sensual] pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of [outward] godliness (religion), although they have denied its power [for their conduct nullifies their claim of faith]. Avoid such people and keep far away from them.”
2 Timothy 3:1-5
We could lay out end time prophecies to confirm these are the last days as well, but that’s not our goal here, and others are certainly better at chronicling those events anyway.
The purpose of this column is to address the possibility of YOUR last days.
I lost a good friend last week who passed away rather unexpectedly of a stroke. Another lifelong friend had a massive heart attack two weeks ago and couldn’t be revived. He literally was gone before he hit the ground. I’ve lost friends this year due to health issues, car accidents, and one was even struck and killed while attempting to retrieve an errant box from his truck which had landed in the road.
Their last days, or day for that matter, came unexpectedly. I don’t think any of them knew their end was coming. A friend of a friend died in an accident just this week when he lost control of his motorcycle and struck a guardrail. But this was the middle of the day along a straight stretch of road in a somewhat isolated and wooded area, and some believe wildlife may have run out into his path causing him to swerve. He was an experienced rider and that seems the only plausible explanation, as there were no witnesses.
The point to be made is that there was no warning which happened days before or even hours before these people would pass from this life. Their lives for the most part came to an abrupt end.
I’m sure if they knew in advance, there would be certain preparations they would have made; Insurance policies reviewed, funeral services planned, bank accounts put in order, Wills made out, etc. Perhaps even making amends with any enemies would be on the to do list as well. All the things that we should do anyway, just in case.
But the most important thing each of these friends could have done in preparation for their departure, would be to make certain their sins had been confessed and that their eternal future was secure!
And that is what I’m pleading with you to make certain of today. That you have a relationship with your Savior, who is Jesus, the Christ. The Bible is clear; only those who have accepted Him as Savior will be allowed entrance into Heaven. Only those whose sins are forgiven can escape eternal damnation. Again the Bible is adamant….
“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”
John 14:6
“that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, ” WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.””
Romans 10:9-11
Then He said to me, “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost. He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son. But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
Revelation 21:6-8
So, since we’re not certain if today or tomorrow or any other day is our last, we should prepare this moment to take care of spiritual business. In that way, should our life come to a swift and unexpected end, our eternal salvation is guaranteed. You might say “Pastor Mike, it seems that all you write about anymore is salvation and people being saved.” Yessiree, guilty as charged, but I must be sure every reader understands the significance of their present spiritual condition. If you’re saved then rejoice that you are, and proceed with your day. But if you’re NOT, well then, this would be about the perfect time to take care of that! After all, it IS the Lord’s day!
And that’s the way I see it!
Pastor Mike
