This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, high minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. [2 Tim 3:1-7 NKJV].
We are warned what it will be like in the last days. Among the passages of Scripture that have been given to us, we have this revelation from Paul on what people will be like in the last days. Not all of them, I might add, as the effect of the Holy Spirit working through the Church puts a restraining hand on what people might get up to. How many ideas and changes in the nation’s law might have been made, if it were not for those who oppose some of the ideas put forward by members of Parliament and others in high positions, and were they not restricted by those who wish God’s law to be upheld. It is not always Christians that put the restraining effect on some ideas. There are still many good honest people who know what is good and wholesome and can see the final outcome of some of the ideas put forward. However without the Holy Spirit’s influence the world would soon drift into anarchy.
Let us look at the list in Scripture and let’s see how it compares with how people are in this day and age. Unfortunately many words written in these verses are indeed true of many people today. We certainly live in perilous times. Perhaps if we travel by Underground in England or go to a concert we may be very conscious of what might happen. Also natural disasters are becoming more frequent, which has the relief organisations begin to run out of money and personnel to go to the locations of disaster to help those in trouble. The shortage of money for these relief agencies is evident, because people are out for themselves and don’t see why they should finance the relief organisations. Nations are spending millions on weapons and armaments while in many places the people starve. Because of some selfish desire millions of people are being displaced and become refugees, putting more pressure on the nation they flock too, and bewildering the relief agencies.
While the Police and Ministry of Justice struggle with youth crime, the country is faced with youngsters robbing shops and people with much more violence than necessary, terrorising old people and shop owners. Late one night, I am told, the police and welfare workers patrolled a city and detained and took home all the youngsters under 13. They found in many cases a broken home, with the one parent left, either didn’t want to know about their child, or had no idea they were out so late. Some of the children were as young as 9, and in some cases the parents were under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The children were often out of control of their parents. In some cases violent out of control tempers or alcohol had driven these children, for their own safety, out of the home. The parents were without natural affection for ether their other partner or their children.
The way some of the rulers are behaving is hardly the right way. If you want peace it is not good to send rockets over that country, or even in the case of Hamas and Hezbollah send armed rockets actually into Israel. This from territory given up by Israel in order to promote peace!
There is now an organization being formed in New Zealand to prevent Christianity being taught in schools. They are starting a campaign to remove the Bible in Schools teams from teaching the Bible once a week. I notice they are not trying to stop evolution being taught. This seems to be a bit one sided to me. Christianity is part of our heritage in New Zealand and the National Anthem is based on help from God for our nation. Many a converted prisoner has testified that Christ changed his life when all the rehabilitation by the prison service didn’t do a thing to help. If we are not careful we will have a nation full of young people who have never heard of God’s love or the way of life God planned for mankind. In the USA it is not permitted to hold Christian meetings of any sort in Schools and Universities.
We seem to be moving from a condition in the Christian Church worldwide similar to that of Philadelphia [Rev3:7-13] in the past century to the present day where it is fast becoming like the church at Laodicea [Rev 3:14-22]. One pastor in the USA said they meet many devout Christians who cannot find a home church in their town due to the error that is taught. Many years ago I met a young man who had abandoned his training at his seminary as he ceased to have the belief that had put him there in the first place. I found out he had lost confidence in the Church and was wandering lost. The main reason seemed to be he did not believe the Bible as the inspired of God. After counselling his belief in God’s word was restored and he returned to finish his training. The last I heard of him he was much sought after as a preacher of the truth and was moderator in the Methodist church. Without the whole Word of God we will never come to a fullness of the truth.
Jesus said to religious leader Nicodemus, you must be born again. John 3. To trust in the words Jesus said, repent of your sin and turn your life around. The world is entering the last days, it is fast becoming chaotic with leaders not knowing what to do. It starts and finishes with people and as mankind forgets God and the Church becomes more complacent so the condition of mankind will enter the period told us in 2 Timothy 3. Are you ready for Christ’s return. To meet Him in the air and hear the words “well done you good and faithful servant.”
Brian D. Papworth
P.W.M.I. in the South Pacific.