#DailyDevotion Christians, Do Not Fear. We Are Living In The Last Days
Acts 2:14-31 14Then Peter got up with the eleven, raised his voice, and addressed them: “Jews and all you who live in Jerusalem, understand this, and listen to what I say. 15These men are not drunk, as you suppose. Why, it’s only nine in the morning. 16No, this is what the prophet Joel spoke about: 17“In the last days,’ God says, ‘I will pour out My Spirit on all people. Then your sons and your daughters will speak God’s Word, your young men will have visions, and your old men will have dreams.18In those days I will pour out My Spirit on My servants, both men and women, and they will speak God’s Word. 19I will give you startling wonders in the sky above and marvelous signs on the earth below; blood and fire and a cloud of smoke; 20the sun will turn dark and the moon to blood before the coming of the Lord’s great and splendid day. 21Then everyone who calls on the Lord’s name will be saved.”
So the very first thing that should set your britches at rest and peace is you never have to wonder if you are living in the Last Days. St. Peter clearly says Pentecost is in the Last Days. Every prophecy of Scripture that talks about the Last Days you can be assured was initiated no later than Pentecost, though I’m pretty sure Jesus before his crucifixion pretty much indicated since he was on earth, these were the beginning of the Last Days. I bring this up because I hear so many Christians wondering in fear if these are the Last Days. Well quit fearing it. We are. Not only that, this should only be something feared by non-Christians, pagans, witches, sorcerers, and those who do evil at will. Their judgment is upon them if they continue in that path. For the Christian it ought to be great joy because it only means our salvation is near. The only people who should be fearing the Last Days are those who are not entering the Kingdom of God on the other side of things.
The Good News is Jesus has poured out his Holy Spirit upon all flesh, convicting them of sin “they don’t believe in Me; 10of righteousness because I’m going to the Father and you won’t see Me any more; 11of judgment because the ruler of this world is judged.”(John 16) This outpouring of the Holy Spirit does not make believers out of all people, but He does remove the barriers the devil has put up to keep us from believing. He prepares us to hear God’s Word, to be repentant, and to believe. In those whom God has chosen, the Holy Spirit convert s our hearts, makes them His dwelling place and creates faith in us to trust Jesus and provides the means to keep us in this salvation until the revelation of Jesus. It is as the prophet Jeremiah said in chapter31, “33.…I will put My law within them and write it on their hearts, and so I will be their God, and they will be My people. 34… because they will all know Me, from the least to the greatest of them says the LORD, because I will forgive the wrong they did and not remember their sins anymore.”
Peter also in saying “everyone who calls on the Lord’s name will be saved” is pointing us to Jesus. Jesus is the name of the LORD. John writes in chapter 1, “12But to all who welcomed Him, who believe in His name, He gave the right to become God’s children.” Jesus says in John 3, “18If you believe in Him, you’re not condemned. But if you don’t believe, you’re already condemned because you don’t believe in the name of God’s only-begotten Son.” It is not so much the act of calling that saves us but the faith that calls upon his name that justifies us. Believe on Jesus’ name today in these Last Days, call upon it and be saved.
Gracious God and Father, pour out your Holy Spirit upon us that we may believe in Jesus your Son, call upon his name and be saved in the judgment. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.