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Thoughts of...Last Words
A person’s last words are very special words. The words are chosen carefully and speak of issues that weigh the most in that person’s mind.
Moses led his people out of bondage in Egypt and to the brink of the Promised Land. At 120 years old, although every bit as strong as ever (), Moses was called home by the Lord (). Knowing that this day was coming (), Moses made his last words count.
He spoke of making God-honoring choices (Deut 30:15-20).
“See, I have set before you this day life and good, and death and evil, in that I command you this day to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, that you may live and multiply and the LORD your God shall bless you in the land where you go to possess it. But if your heart turns away, so that you will not hear, but shall be drawn away and worship other gods and serve them, I denounce unto you this day, that you shall surely perish, and that you shall not prolong your days upon the land, where you pass over Jordan to go to possess it. I call heaven and earth to record this day against you; I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. Therefore choose life, that both you and your seed may live: That you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cleave unto Him. For he is your life, and the length of your days, that you may dwell in the land which the LORD swore unto your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.”
A very courageous man, Moses also spoke words of encouragement (Deut 31:1-6)
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“I am a hundred and twenty years old this day. I can no more go out and come in. Also the LORD has said unto me, ‘You shall not go over this Jordan.’ The LORD your God, He will go over before you, and He will destroy these nations from before you, and you shall possess them. Joshua, He shall go over before you, as the LORD has said. And the LORD shall do unto them as he did to Sihon and to Og, kings of the Amorites, and unto the land of them, whom He destroyed. And the LORD shall give them up before your face, that you may do unto them according unto all the commandments which I have commanded you. Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them for the LORD your God, He that does go with you. He will not fail you, nor forsake you.”
And at the very end, Moses exhorted his people to obey the Lord (Deut 32:45-47).
“Set your hearts unto all the words which I testify among you this day, which you shall command your children to observe to do, all the words of this law. For it is not a vain thing for you; because it is your life and through this thing you shall prolong your days in the land, where you go over Jordan to possess it.”
Moses’ successor, Joshua, made his last words count, also. He challenged his people to be faithful to the Lord their God, the One, True, and Living God (Joshua 24:13-15, 23).
“And I have given you a land for which you did not labor, and cities which you built not, and you dwell in them, of the vineyards and oliveyards which you planted not do you eat. Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve Him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt and serve the LORD. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD…Now therefore put away the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto the LORD God of Israel.”
The man who had and tried everything in place of God came to that conclusion. Solomon’s last words convey the central issue of life (Eccl 12:13-14).
“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter. Fear God, and keep His commandments for this is the whole of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good, or whether evil.”
The Apostle Paul used his last words to fire a warning about God-honoring choices and faithfulness to those of us living in the last days (2 Tim 4:1-4).
“I charge you therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, Who shall judge the quick and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom. Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears. And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”
So did the Apostle Peter (2 Peter 3:3-10).
“Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.’ For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished. But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same Word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.”
The most riveting last words are those of the Lord Jesus Christ. He dictated very pointed words to the Church in the second and third chapters of The Revelation. His words of “I know your works,” and “To him that overcomes,” are proclamations we must all individually reflect on this day.
To Ephesus, the Pre-occupied Church and church member, Jesus said,
“Nevertheless I have against you, because you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you are fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto you quickly, and will remove your candlestick out of his place, except you repent. But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate. He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit is saying unto the churches. To him that overcomes will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.”
To Smyrna, the Persecuted Church and church member, Jesus said,
“I know your works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but you are rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. Fear none of those things which you shall suffer. Behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that you may be tried; and you shall have tribulation ten days; be faithful unto death, and I will give you a crown of life. He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit is saying unto the churches. He that overcomes shall not be hurt of the second death.”
To Pergamos, the Politically Correct Church and church member, Jesus said,
“But I have a few things against you, because you have there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. So have you also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate. Repent or else I will come unto you quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit is saying unto the churches. To him that overcomes will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knows, except he that receives.”
To Thyatira, the Prosperous Church and church member, Jesus said,
“Notwithstanding I have a few things against you, because you suffer that woman Jezebel, which calls herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce My servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. And I will kill her children with death and all the churches shall know that I am He that searches the reins and hearts. And I will give unto every one of you according to your works. But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak, I will put upon you no other burden. But that which you have already hold fast till I come. And he that overcomes, and keeps My works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers, even as I received of My Father. And I will give him the morning star. He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit is saying unto the churches.”
To Sardis, the Powerless Church and church member, Jesus said,
“I know your works, that you have a name that you live, and are dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God. Remember therefore how you have received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore you shall not watch, I will come on you as a thief, and you shall not know what hour I will come upon you. You have a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments and they shall walk with Me in white for they are worthy. He that overcomes, the same shall be clothed in white raiment and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before My Father, and before His angels. He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit is saying unto the churches.”
To Philadelphia, the Persevering Church and church member, Jesus said,
“I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, and no man can shut it for you have a little strength, and have kept My Word, and have not denied My name. Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie, behold, I will make them to come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you. Because you have kept the Word of My patience, I also will keep you from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. Behold, I come quickly. Hold that fast which you have, that no man take your crown. Him that overcomes will I make a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go no more out and I will write upon him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, which is new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God and I will write upon him My new name.”
And in the most startling of all last words, Jesus said to Laodicea, the Putrid Church and church member,
“I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I would you were cold or hot. So then because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of My mouth. Because you say, ‘I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing,’ and know not that you are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that you may be rich, and white raiment, that you may be clothed, and that the shame of your nakedness do not appear; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock. If any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me. To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His throne. He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit is saying unto the churches.”
Are you making choices that honor God?
Are you knowing and understanding () and obeying the Word of God?
Do you understand the times in which we live ()?
Which of the seven letters dictated by the Lord Jesus Christ was written to you?
I plead with everyone receiving this message to pray about these questions. Ask the Lord to give you your letter. Read it very carefully and then choose this day whom you will serve. Make your last words count for all eternity. May the last words of Moses, Joshua, Solomon, Paul, Peter, and the Lord Jesus Christ not be lost words.
Last words. Words for the ages (, , ). Let him who has an ear hear what the Spirit is saying.
Pastor Doug
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