Last Days, are we living them?

Are we living in the last days? I was surprised to see that Dawn set this forum up, but I guess I shouldn't have been. I did not ask her to, but she knows that I believe we ARE living in the last days. I have done many online studies regarding my understanding of the end of time. The Lord laid it on my heart several years ago to prepare for the last days, which is actually how I got started on the whole homesteading journey. Those who have known me for several years now have heard me tell them they need to learn to become self-sufficient, because there will come a day when Christian's can only rely on God and one another for our very survival. I believe we are entering those days. What are your thoughts?

Katrina

Surprised that I would set this up???? LOL! You definitely should not be surprised that I would set this up, after all we just need to take a look around at what is going on and read the signs of the times. Each day that I turn on the news and see what is being done I become more and more convinced that this is the time we are living in....What a scary time, yet totally spectacular!

Dawn~admin

As a Christian I don't consider it a scary time. Exciting, yes! Oh, I know things will get rough, but just think of the opportunities to witness!!

It is a bit scary. Very exciting too! We are watching Revelation unfold..

Dawn~admin

I believe we are watching Revelation unfold too.. prophesies being fulfilled at an increasingly rapid pace!

I can only wish that others around us would grasp the fact that we are in the end time. There are church's that have their focus on things other than faith and growth, there are family members and others we pass each day that are clueless, and than even more sad there are some who have been in the faith who know what's going on but have been beat down to a point that they no longer walk with the Lord. End time is here..... There will come a time that we will only have our individiual walks with God to help us with our everyday needs. I pray that I am in that place before it happens.
Christine

harthur72 wrote:I can only wish that others around us would grasp the fact that we are in the end time. There are church's that have their focus on things other than faith and growth, there are family members and others we pass each day that are clueless, and than even more sad there are some who have been in the faith who know what's going on but have been beat down to a point that they no longer walk with the Lord. End time is here..... There will come a time that we will only have our individiual walks with God to help us with our everyday needs. I pray that I am in that place before it happens.
Christine

Welcome to the group Christine. It's true that most churches are missing it, but that shouldn't surprise us since the Bible tells us that in the last days that man will not stand sound doctrine, but would rather have their ears tickled. Too many churches have become nothing more than social clubs. But God has always had a remnant, a people that hunger after Him, and I believe that we are seeing the divide between the remnant and those who are lukewarm. It seems that those who hunger after God are developing more of a hunger and those who were lukewarm are drifting farther away from Biblical teachings.

Sonshine wrote:

harthur72 wrote:I can only wish that others around us would grasp the fact that we are in the end time. There are church's that have their focus on things other than faith and growth, there are family members and others we pass each day that are clueless, and than even more sad there are some who have been in the faith who know what's going on but have been beat down to a point that they no longer walk with the Lord. End time is here..... There will come a time that we will only have our individiual walks with God to help us with our everyday needs. I pray that I am in that place before it happens.
Christine

Welcome to the group Christine. It's true that most churches are missing it, but that shouldn't surprise us since the Bible tells us that in the last days that man will not stand sound doctrine, but would rather have their ears tickled. Too many churches have become nothing more than social clubs. But God has always had a remnant, a people that hunger after Him, and I believe that we are seeing the divide between the remnant and those who are lukewarm. It seems that those who hunger after God are developing more of a hunger and those who were lukewarm are drifting farther away from Biblical teachings.

The true church isn't "missing it" at all. The true church is the remnant that is trying to seek Jesus in their every day living. The unfortunate part is that the wheat and the tares are sitting beside each other in the pews. Imagine being the Pastor who has to lead these sheeple. The divide is becoming wider and wider. Frankly, I look at today as the day of salvation and don't worry about tomorrow. While I have an "academic" interest in end time events, I have to admit I don't spent alot of energy on them because I can't change them and the remnant already sees their relevance and the rest don't care. Sad, but true. <3 Janet

Hi Janet,
It's true we can't change them, but I believe we can prepare for them. Especially Spiritually. There's a lot of people out in the world and even in the churches that are searching for answers. There's an uneasiness right now in the spiritual realm, because Satan knows his time is coming to an end. I believe that this is a great time of harvest, but we need to be prepared to give an answer, in season and out of season. As the word says, the harvest is ripe, but the laborers are few. Those that are seeking more understanding will be better equipped to help those who are confused and lost.

Oh my yes, I agree. We should be informed as any good soldier should be and that means always being ready to give an answer and always being ready to witness. Its' just very easy to become apathetic over the lukewarm attitudes of most "so called" Christians. I have more respect for those who are hotly for or against the Faith. With the ones "for" we have allies and for those "against" we have opportunities for evangelism. But far too many have allowed themselves to receive just enough to be innoculated. Sorry for being so cynical. It's one of those days, I suppose I think I ought to sit tight and quiet for a while

LOL I know where you're coming from. I get frustrated and want to shake people to try to wake them up. But that won't get me anywhere, so, I bite my tongue, take a deep breath and ask God to use me to reach them. Don't you dare just sit tight now, I love input from others, especially one that is so onfire for the Lord.

You are so right parsons wife. Most of the lukewarm don't want to talk about it,they just want to go with the statisquoe. Every night on the news or just trying to find something decent to watch. It is getting rediculuse. I have know douts of it. My husband and I have even talked about what we may have to do when the persacution gets bad.

come on guys.
As a struggling luke warmer myself Kinda hard on the luke warmers and the sheeple aint ya?

crisco41 wrote:come on guys.
As a struggling luke warmer myself Kinda hard on the luke warmers and the sheeple aint ya?

I don't believe we're hard on them, but we are concerned for them. Revelations 3:16

Loving the sheeple is being honest enough with them to let them know that all is NOT well. Sadly, far too many of us are lukewarm and will find every excuse known to man to avoid being faithful. More people were interested in tonight's episode of LOST than whether or not they prayed or read the Word of God today. It's heartbreaking and it's two or more generations gone. In this week's WORLD magazine there is an article on how we've just become a nation that believes in, well, nothing really. We may call ourselves CHristians because we go to church, but we depend on God for nothing and the church for even less; neither are we dependABLE. Sad, but true

Parsons wife, I agree. Some people consider themselves Christians just because their parents were. It's sad, but people aren't being taught the Word of God these days, and they aren't reading the scriptures for themselves.

I at one time was very much on fire for the lord. I found great peace iand joy in him. I could see a change in my family. I do not know how to go back to that. When I go to church it rings hollow. When I pray it feels empty. When I read the word I feel lost in a bunch of words that make so little sense to me. I am lukewarm, in fact at this time in my life I feel pretty much spiritually dead. It isn't that I don't want to love God. I just don't know how to get that relationship back.
Perhaps there are many lukewarm or lost christians that like me have let the burdens of life shut their hearts. I don't know. I do feel sorry for us. Because I do know what it feels like to rely on the Lord.

Crisco, I do know how you feel. It seems as though there are "seasons" of life. Sometimes we are so on fire, but at other times we do feel dead. But I also believe that it's at those times we walk by faith. It's not gone, but we just don't "feel" it. And as we know, we don't have to rely on feelings alone, but trusting that what God has promised, He will do. That the work he began in us is still there.

I think those of us who were once 'on fire' and had great zeal are the ones who can burn out over time. The trials of life wear us down. That's where I have been for several years - you could call it battle fatigue. I'm not the same person I was 20 years ago, but maybe that's not a bad thing... now it's not by my might or power or zeal, but a quieter and simpler faith, and life...

just a few thoughts...

Your right Sonshine, it is concern. What kind of brother and sisters would we be if we weren't.
It is also true what parsonswife has said,that alot of Christians to day allow themself to get so wrapped up in their day to day lives and for get to include God in it. I think what the young people call what we are trying to do is "keeping it Real".
In other words just stating the facts as we see them.
Im sorry to hear that Crisco, I has happened to many of our brothers and sisters. It has even happened to me. I can't exactly tell you how to get back to where you were,but I know it has been many tragadies that happened over a period of time. The biggest one was basicly becoming crippeled with Arthritis and then a back injury which befor it was all said and done had me in a wheel chair. To make a long story short I rode a
wheelchair into a hospital for back surgery and walked out all on my own the next day.(mirical for me) I still have some nerve damage,but I can walk and do basic things that I us to take forgranted. I don't any more and each day I thank him for the strength to do all the things I do on a daily bases.
I will pray for your restoration.

You are so right marie, It's like seasons in our lives.
we just need to be still and know that he is still there and is just give us a rest.

Wow, sqeezinby.. that WAS a miracle! You had a wonderful surgeon with God given wisdom and guidance!

Yeah, I don't think it's the same as being lukewarm.. It's just different. The desire is actually still there, isn't it.. it just takes a different form. I understand about the physical problems too.. we have this mortal flesh and it will fail us sooner or later. But we are talking about the soul, the one that is immortal.. And that's what God is interested in, too.

Dear Crisco,
Sometimes the days of our lives are simply "blah". That's life in this world. But, it is to our advantage, as Christians, to surround ourselves with other living Christians, read the Word and study it, meditate on it. Fast once a week or so. As the Revelation says to the church in Ephesus, "do the things you did at first". This is good advice no matter what the state. I remember in about the tenth year of my marriage I thought to myself that I was tired of this stuff and didn't "love" my dh any more. I was a Christian but had become touched by the world, but had enough sense, (PTL) to come to the Word and to the Lord for counsel. He told me that when I was mad at my husband or felt empty toward him to bake his favorite dessert. For months my dh reveled in lemon pies. It seemed for weeks I baked lemon pies every night when I got home from work. But, it worked. My spark of life came to flame and it's lasted another 20, though I think my dh could use a pie from time to time It is the same with our relationship with our Lord. To keep a relationship alive we must do things for that one we love; we must spend time with the one we love; we must talk daily with the one we love and, finally, we must read the love letters we've received. I still have a bag of love letters from my dh from 30+ years ago and another bag of love letters from our son who was in the military. And I still read them when I get down or angry from time to time. Do the things you did before and, in time, if your heart is set on restoration, it'll come. God bless you and keep you with a strong hedge of protection. Frankly, the enemy is just looking for a crack in our armor so he can creep in and take our joy. Don't let him continue to do so. <3
Our God is a mighty tower of strength. Love, janet

You were able to say all that I was thinking and feeling on the subject and just couldn't put it in to words I guess. You are so right on the subject. just keep doing.

crisco41 wrote:I at one time was very much on fire for the lord. I found great peace iand joy in him. I could see a change in my family. I do not know how to go back to that. When I go to church it rings hollow. When I pray it feels empty. When I read the word I feel lost in a bunch of words that make so little sense to me. I am lukewarm, in fact at this time in my life I feel pretty much spiritually dead. It isn't that I don't want to love God. I just don't know how to get that relationship back.
Perhaps there are many lukewarm or lost christians that like me have let the burdens of life shut their hearts. I don't know. I do feel sorry for us. Because I do know what it feels like to rely on the Lord.

Crisco, I think we've all been through those dry spells. When we pray and it seems our prayers are just bouncing off the ceilings. That's when we have to dig in, and keep digging in till we hit the spring of living waters. So many times when we pray and it seems like the prayers just sit there, if you would just pray a little longer you'll get a break through. Remember Jesus had told the people to go to the upper chamber and "tarry". I think we live in such an instant type of world, that we're use to everything happening right away. But Jesus wants us to spend time with him, not just a quick prayer or a quick scan through the Bible, but really spend time with him. He wants to be our best friend. Talk to him just like you would your best friend. Tell him your frustrations, your joys, your fears, every aspect. David is a good example of how God was his best friend. David wasn't afraid to get mad and even yell out at God that he was mad. Yet David is known as a man after God's own heart. God wants us to be real with him. Too often people think that prayer is using flowery words, but prayer is just having a conversation with our Lord. Another thing, it IS a conversation, so take time to listen to that still, small voice. One sided conversations aren't very beneficial.

14But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:
15For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.
16But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;
17And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
18And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
19And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:
20The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come:
21And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Came across this yesterday.. Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came down, and the people were amazed that they were speaking in their own languages. Peter says this is what was prophesied by Joel, that in the "last days" God would pour out his Spirit.. So, how does that fit in with today's "last days" scenario.. ?