2 Timothy 3:1-4 states, “There will terrible times in the last days.” People will be lovers of themselves. (Selfies, obsession with how many people “like” them) He said people would be lovers of money (and the stuff it buys). I’m reminded of an older Veggie Tale where Larry has a new ATV and Bob says, “Boy, I bet that makes you happy.” Larry says, “Well, there’s the trailer, too.” They go back and forth for awhile until an exasperated Bob says, “So how much stuff do you need to be happy?” Larry responds, “I don’t know, how much stuff is there?”
2 Timothy goes on to say people would be boastful, proud. An article I read awhile back claims our culture is experiencing, “an epidemic of narcissism.” Look at who our culture has chosen as our gods: we worship athletes, music performers, TV and movie stars, the rich and the famous, the beautiful. Why? What makes them worthy of our adulation? We turn to these boastful, arrogant people to they tell us how we should look and live, what we should think and believe, who we should vote for. Why? How did they earn the right to do so?
And abusive. Apparently spousal and child abuse numbers are soaring during the “safe at home” lifestyle. Since the 2016 election of Trump, the level of abuse heaped on people who have the audacity to disagree is mind-boggling. Do you remember the Thanksgiving after the 2016 election when news commentators suggested that the topic of politics be banned from the dinner table? How sad. I can’t even imagine what this 2020 Thanksgiving will look like. Will we even get together with family?
Timothy wrote that children would be disrespectful and disobedient to their parents. The prime example that sticks in my mind occurred several years ago in a mall gift shop. A (10-11 year old) girl was looking at something next to me. I heard her mother come up to her and say, “While we’re here, let’s look for a present for XX” The girl replied, “That’s not what we’re here for; I am so sick of you wasting my time.” I whirled around, expecting the mom to angrily and firmly escort the girl out of the store. Nope. Mom said, “Sorry. We’ll just go then.” Really? True story. At the time I thought it an isolated example but I have since learned otherwise; children tend to rule today’s households. (Is 3:4) Although this Bible verse refers to pre-capture of Jerusalem, it also has application to the end times.
One birth pain sign that has always stood out to me is that people will not tolerate the truth but will be lovers of the lie. They will not put up with sound teaching but will seek out others who tell them just what they want to hear. (2Tim 4)They have taught their tongues to speak lies. (Jer 9:5) We live in a society that thinks everyone’s opinion holds equal validity and that truth is subjective. Ask someone for the evidence they use to back up the opinion they’ve expressed and the general response is, “Well, it’s true for me even if it’s not true for you.” Nope. Anything less than 100% factual is a lie.
We’re told that at the end times people would be unholy. We live in a global society that makes mock of God. Openly. Over the top. Blatantly. Not a very smart decision. Ultimately, God will not be mocked. (Gal 6:7) We’re told that in these times people would have a form of godliness but lacking the power. (2Tim 3:5) Claiming that Jesus is the only way to have eternal life is a very inconvenient truth.
We’re told that these times just before Jesus returns would be like the days of Noah. (Lk 17:26) Genesis 6:5 says that in Noah’s day the earth was corrupt in God’s eyes, full of violence with people’s thoughts and hearts evil all the time. At that time the economy was good, people were eating and drinking and having wedding celebrations. They trusted the future. For 150 years Noah built the huge ark in plain sight. No doubt people asked him what he was doing and no doubt Noah told them, but people chose not to know truth. Willfully blind. Rain and flooding had never happened before, therefore why would it happen now? It was completely unexpected.
We are just like that generation. Our culture matches Noah’s. God is giving us plenty of warning that trouble is coming. We can choose to believe it and be prepared or we can choose to pretend all is well and continue to turn a blind eye. But as the Church, we cannot say we weren’t warned.
Please, neither off-handedly accept nor reject what is said in this blog. Check it out. Look it up for yourself in the Bible. If you are a child of God, you are in good hands and there is the most wonderful eternity waiting for you. If you are not a Christ follower, now is a really good time to honestly explore the truth claims of the Bible,
Ringing the Bell 