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By PASTOR BRANDON YOUNG
The last days began with the first coming of Jesus, and the prophet Joel spoke about these days. He said in Joel 2:28-32, “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.” This prophecy was fulfilled in Acts chapter 2 verses 14-21 when Peter stood up to address the crowd and he quoted the writings of Joel.
He went on to say in verse 22, “Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:” When Jesus was upon this earth, the world knew he was approved by God the Father because of the miracles, wonders, and signs that God manifested through his Son for the world to see. Jesus was different from societal norms, and it showed continually. This difference got the attention of those around Him, and here we are still discussing Jesus Christ in 2021!
We are living in the last days and in that final push before God sends his Son the second time, we will have the power of the Holy Spirit upon us greater than ever! God’s purpose in these last days is to empower his people with extraordinary outpourings of the Spirit until the whole world has heard of Him. As the world grows darker and eviler, those who know the Lord should shine as lights in the darkness proclaiming the goodness of God by their works that are completely unlike the worlds! Signs, wonders, and miracles were evident in the first church in Acts, and today’s church should also have the same. When we think of signs, wonders, and miracles, we automatically think of physical healings, but I believe they encompass more. If we choose to love in face of hatred, forgive others, and bless those that want to cause harm and curse us, we are truly a sign, wonder, and miracle in today’s world.
These types of actions will always draw attention, especially in a world filled with the opposite traits. The Holy Spirit living within each one of us elicits a response unlike anything the world does or says. In fact, when we follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit and conduct ourselves like Jesus Christ, we will become a sign, wonder, and miracle for others. The love of many will wax cold in the last days and people will simply forsake their faith when the world turns up the heat. During all this unbelief, darkness, and evil, Jesus says that the gospel will be preached through the whole world as a testimony to all the nations. The most effective way to preach the gospel is to live like Christ. His life demanded attention because it was so contrary to the world or what was considered the norm. In the face of persecution and wickedness, the true church of God is going to have extraordinary power, extraordinary zeal, extraordinary passion, extraordinary love for Jesus and others. The church must choose to let go of grudges and be a separated, peculiar people! The church must use power from the Holy Spirit to live holy and righteous lives, crucifying the flesh. We don’t think of this lifestyle being a miracle, but it does fit the definition. A miracle is a surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divine agency. Our flesh does not want to forgive and is all about self. It cannot love in the face of hatred. When we are filled with Holy Spirit, it is quite the contrary. We can forgive, love, encourage, and reach out to others even when it is most difficult. We can do these things that would be impossible on our own because we are moved by His Holy Spirit. This is a miracle, sign, and wonder to those around us! In these last days, the world must see something that is far better and different from what they have, and when they do, it will draw them to our Lord! Let’s allow the Holy Spirit to make us a miracle, sign, and wonder to those around us.
I wanted to take the time to let each of you know that my youngest brother, Kagan Young, who pastors Crab Orchard Free Will Baptist Church in Avery County, N.C., will be joining me in writing the Solution Column. I am thrilled that the column will be written weekly and I’m certain his articles will be a blessing to each of you. Thank you for taking time each week to read the Solution Column, and it is my prayer that it has helped in your walk with Jesus!
(The Solution Column is presented weekly by Pastor Brandon Young of Harmony Free Will Baptist Church, Hampton)