by David Brenneman
"Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived." 2 Timothy 3:12-13.
"Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things? And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he will be revealed. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness." 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12.
The other day something happened that I have rarely ever heard in a public place, in a store even. Discussions on the true state of the world. Of the evil of these end times in which we're living. Several men talking about what the Bible says about it and what we're living in today.
What I contributed to the conversation was to consider how bad bad is as God defines it. Bad to us isn't what's bad to God because our ways, our views, on life are stained by sinful worldviews.
Evil is among us. The Church's power in Christ Jesus can both resist and defeat it. Indeed the Bible says that the very gates of Hell will not be able to take the onslaught of the Church.
So why are so many people embracing this world today rather than resisting?
Evil men and impostors...these are from within the Church. Getting people to accept and believe falsehoods. Telling them what their itching ears want to hear. Not telling them what they need to hear.
It's been a sort of common joke that common sense is dead. People who actually are still yet critical thinkers are rapidly becoming a rarity. Those who speak up are ganged up on to be silenced.
One second after you have breathed your last, your decision of either accepting Christ Jesus as your Savior and Lord or rejection of Him is going to be evident to you.
While yes this world is absolutely not getting any better, the reason has always been because of sin.
Whereas evil is both gaining ground, the true Church isn't assertive enough. So in the truest sense things really are going from bad to worse.
Where are you in regards to the offer of salvation through Jesus Christ alone? Millions of people died last night. Some from accidents while driving or riding with someone else. Some from natural causes. Some from nothing more than they weren't able to handle life and they took their own.
While indeed life is harsh these days, nobody was promised a rose garden. Whether you are saved or not your life is going to have ups and downs. Good times or harsh times. The promise of God in Christ is that when you place your faith and trust in Him, you're never going to face anything alone ever again.
I work with many people who aren't saved and I can't imagine how difficult their lives are with what they say they are going through. They are on their own under that crushing weight.
What's worse is our society has crafted laws to keep the truth of God from them in the workplace.
Tolerance is 'preached' by the unbelieving in our world but at the same time they force what they believe onto the rest of us. This is not how trust is built.
Evil is getting worse. Our tolerance of it is also increasing.
Literally our pain threshold is increasing in dealing with this present darkness.
It's ever more important to know that you know that you know that you are saved. That the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ alone is yours.
The Bible says that no one knows the day nor the hour when Jesus is going to come back. It's going to be so quick that the world will go into crisis mode immediately. THE Antichrist will show himself and the way the world will be...the world will follow wherever he leads.
You cannot wait to the last second to receive that free gift if you cannot know what is going to be that last second.
Nothing in your world that you call living life is more important than setting that question: where are you going to spend eternity?
As for me and my house...we know this world is not our home. We're just passing through. We know that Jesus came, lived a sinless life, was cruelly beaten and crucified. Arose 3 days later as both Christ and King.
We know and believe that Jesus is our Savior and Lord. Read Romans 10.
How evil is evil? It's replete with deceptions. Truth twisted and now accepted by the world as new truth.
Those who believe Biblical truth are canceled, ostracized, mocked, scorned, murdered. That's the kind of evil in our world that's going from bad to worse. Jesus said it would be just as it was in the days of Noah. In those days selfishness ruled. Everything about faith in the Lord was rejected by mankind.
"But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these." 2 Timothy 3:1-5.
Please don't wait any longer. If you haven't come to Christ for salvation yet...think long and hard about it. The curtain will fall so fast that you're going to miss it. The Bible says that it will be in the twinkling of an eye.
For those reading this who are saved...live it out no matter what your life is like no matter where you are. Pray without ceasing. You are not alone.
All that remains of history is this short period between now and the Great Tribulation, and a 1,000 year reign of Jesus Christ. No centuries, no millennia. After the reign of Jesus Christ, time ends and eternity is where all mankind will be. Either in torment paying for their own sins or in peace with Jesus Christ.
Revelation 3:20 "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me."
All NASB 1995 and NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. (C) Lockman Foundation.
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