START YOUR DAY RIGHT DAILY DEVOTION
(KJV) Acts 2:17
And 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:
THE LAST DAYS / ACTS 2:17
1. In the Old Testament, “the last days” were considered the time when God would act in a powerful way to judge evil and save His people (Isaiah 2:2-21; 3:18 – 4:6; 10:20-23; Hosea 1 – 2; Joel 1 – 3; Amos 8:9-11; 9:9-12).
2. The New Testament reveals that “the last days” began with the first coming of Christ (by birth) and the first outpouring of the Spirit on God’s people. These last days will end with the Lord’s second coming (Mark 1:15; Luke 4:18-21; Hebrews 1:1-2). This specific time is characterized as the age of judgment against evil, authority over demons, opportunity for salvation from the human race and the presence of God’s kingdom (His power, purposes and way of life both on earth presently and into eternity). At the conclusion of this age, the Lord will remove His church from the earth (1 Thessalonians 4:13 – 5:3) and bring His most sever judgments on the world (Matthew 4:21-22; Revelation 6 – 19).
· God’s work in these “last days” will be accomplished by the power of the Spirit (Matthew 12:28).
· “The last days” involve God’s power working through Christ’s followers to invade the realm of Satan, to destroy the devil’s work and to reclaim lives for God. But the warfare has only begun; it is not yet completed. Satan’s evil activity is still present in a powerful and destructive way (Ephesians 6:10-18). Only the second coming of Jesus (when He literally returns to earth at the end of the tribulation period) will bring to an end the activity of evil forces and complete “the last days” (1 Peter 1:3-5; Revelation 19)
· “The last days” represent a time of bold evangelistic ministry that will spread Christ’s message of spiritual salvation to those throughout the world who do not yet have a personal relationship with Him. It is a time of calling everyone to turn from their own rebellious way, to put their faith in Christ and to experience the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8; 2:4, 38-40; Joel 2:28-32). During this time, Christ’s followers must do all they can to communicate and show the saving work of Christ through the power of the Spirit, keeping in mind that a final judgment is coming (Romans 2:5) – “the great and glorious day of the Lord” (Acts 2:20). We must be alert at all times for the day when Christ will return to free His people from the sinful world (John 14:3; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17).
· “The last days” officially bring the active presence and activity of the kingdom of God, which now comes with full power (Luke 11:20). We must experience and use that full power as we face spiritual warfare (2 Corinthians 10:3-5; Ephesians 6:11-12), opposition and suffering because of our devotion to Christ (Matthew 5:10-12; 1 Peter 1:6-7).
SONS AND DAUGHTERS WILL PROPHESY
Peter associates the speaking in other tongues (Acts 2:4,11) with prophecy (Acts 2:17-18). This means that speaking in other tongues is one form of prophesying, which basically is using one’s voice for the service and glory of God under the direct influence of the Holy Spirit. In the book of Acts:
1. The 120 “were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them” (Acts 2:4).
2. The Holy Spirit came on Cornelius and his household, and Peter “heard them speaking in tongues and praising God” (Acts 10:44-47).
3. The disciples at Ephesus, when “the Holy Spirit came on them, spoke in tongues and prophesied (Acts 19:6).
4. Other signs or expressions of the Spirit through Spirit-filled people include prophetic dreams and visions (Acts 2:17; 10:9-23; Joel 2:28).
5. The Spirit will be given to empower all of God’s people (Christ’s followers) without respect to age, gender or status (Acts 2:18).
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Some of our Post That Might Interest You, All Out of the Current Book / Chapter
- THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD / ACTS 2:33
- MY SERVANTS, BOTH MEN AND WOMEN – IN THOSE DAYS / ACTS 2:18
- SPOKEN BY THE PROPHET JOEL / ACTS 2:16
- PETER’S PENTECOST SERMON / ACTS 2:14-40
- WINE / ACTS 2:13
- FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT / ACTS 2:4
- A VIOLENT WIND … AND … TONGUES / ACTS 2:2-3
- PENTECOST / ACTS 2:1
- JOINED TOGETHER CONSTANTLY IN PRAYER / ACTS 1:14
- YOU WILL RECEIVE POWER / ACTS 1:8
- WITH [IN] THE HOLY SPIRIT / ACTS 1:5
- GIFT MY FATHER PROMISED / ACTS 1:4
- MY FORMER BOOK / ACTS 1:1-2
- I WAS NOT DISOBEDIENT / ACTS 26:19
- PAUL’S GOD-GIVEN COMMISSION / ACTS 26:17-18
- HIS WITNESSES TO OUR PEOPLE / ACTS 13:31
- SAUL WHO WAS CALLED PAUL – PAUL FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT /ACTS 13:9
- LAID THEIR HANDS ON THEM / ACTS 6:6
- FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT / ACTS 13:52
- FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT / ACTS 9:17
- HOLY SPIRIT CAME ON THEM AS HE HAD COME ON US AT THE BEGINNING / ACTS 11:15
- WASH YOUR SINS AWAY / ACTS 22:16
- PROVE THEIR REPENTANCE BY THEIR DEEDS / ACTS 26:20
- SUFFER FOR MY NAME / ACTS 9:16
- THEY BELIEVED … THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST / ACTS 8:12
- WHEN THEY HEARD THIS / ACTS 11:18
- THE HOLY SPIRIT CAME ON THEM / ACTS 19:6
- SPEAKING IN TONGUES / ACTS 10:46
- GOD DOES NOT SHOW FAVORITISM / ACTS 10:34
- THEY RECEIVED THE HOLY SPIRIT / ACTS 8:17
- HAD NOT YET COME UPON ANY OF THEM / ACTS 8:15-16
- THEY WERE ALL FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT / ACTS 4:31
- THEY WERE BAPTIZED / ACTS 19:15
- THIS CORRUPT GENERATION / ACTS 2:40
- REPENT AND BE BAPTIZED / ACTS 2:38
- FOR YOU AND YOUR CHILDREN AND FOR ALL / ACTS 2:39
- WORSHIPING … AND FASTING / ACTS 13:2
- KEPT BY THE HOLY SPIRIT FROM PREACHING / ACTS 16:6
- GUIDED BY GRACE HOME
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