Siblings
There’s a lot written in the Bible about the End Times. Words spoken by the prophets, by Y’shua, and by Paul. Wow! We might wonder about their fixation. However, it may be that, as with us, when people try to make sense of the chaos and treachery around us, God’s words offer wisdom and direction. Paul’s perspective could be considered an expanded snippet from Y’shua’s prophecies. Consider Today’s Holy Nougat.
2 Timothy 3:1-2 NIV
[1] But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.
[2] People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,
Terrible Times
As with the weather sign, I find myself reverting to song when reading our Nougat. Do you remember the song, ‘Jesus is coming soon’? I suspect that, like many hymns of the faith, it is biblically based. The first lines tell us, ‘Troublesome times are here, filling men’s hearts with fear’. To me, those words echo Paul’s sentiment: the last days will be fearsome. Of course, it’s up to us if we approach the time as ones who’ve not been warned, or if we face it equipped.
Self-Check
Are we filled with trepidation when we contemplate Christ’s return?
Application
Siblings, it is not easy or joyous to be faced with the plethora of vices Paul outlined. No one wishes to be faced with proud, arrogant, abusive, unholy, deceptive ingrates. Well, most people don’t. Even those of us who exhibit some of those traits aren’t keen on dealing with such people. If however, we are warned, we will be on our guard, and we are less likely to be gullible. With the advanced tech around us, we find that no one is exempt from scams – sometimes our identities are stolen by scammers. It becomes incumbent on us therefore to protect ourselves from the enemy’s schemes.
The one, sure-fire solution that I can recommend for us as we deal with increased hostile, anti-Christlike behaviour is Christ Himself. If we are upset, angry, remorseful, abused, hurt, dejected, rejected, even if we’re not sure about how we ought to react to the new chain of events, Y’shua can help us. Whether perpetrator, victim or survivor, we have His guarantee that these terrible things will happen, but He can keep us.
Because Christ has conquered the grave through His resurrection, we can believe that He is able to protect us in these times.
Because we have the blueprint of what to expect before His return, we need not fear.
Because we know who and whose we are in Christ Jesus, the enemy’s schemes and tactics before Christ’s return only serve to strengthen us.
Because we recognise that the signs mean that the End is not yet, we can continue to share the Gospel with someone manifesting or facing those negative behaviours.
Because each day brings us closer to the End Times, and our earthly end, we live for Y’shua in the here and now.
Point to Ponder
What should we do when we see the terrible attitudes and values? Should we intervene?
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May all we seek be found in Christ
