“But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.
“For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith. But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men.” (2 Timothy 3:1-9 ESV)
We are presently living in the last days that this is talking about. We are living in a time in history when the commandments of the Lord and what is moral, upright, pure, righteous, godly, honest, faithful, and obedient to our Lord is being twisted, altered, torn down, and nearly destroyed. This is happening in the gatherings of the church (not all, but probably the majority), in church denominations, in the government, in the media, in the educational system, including Christian schools, and in the field of medicine.
There is a massive web of deceit at so many different levels of government, religious institutions, and the media, et al. And there are people at these high levels within these institutions whose goal it is to deceive the people and to lead them to a false light, a false truth, a false gospel of salvation, and a false image of government and control. And so lies and liars abound just about everywhere you look these days. So it takes much spiritual discernment to distinguish the lies from the truth, for they are blended together quite craftily. We just cannot believe everything we hear.
And even though I am seeing that some prominent people in places of government and the media, in positions of power and influence, are currently making professions of faith in Jesus Christ, and we are hearing about very large gatherings of people worshiping Jesus, and of a spiritual revival taking place, be very guarded about this. Look into what they are actually believing and teaching to see if it lines up with what the Scriptures teach in their full context. For many are teaching and spreading an altered gospel message absent of death to sin and walks of obedience to God.
A lot of these movements are also very emotionally driven. And you will hear of large gatherings of people singing praise and worship songs and swaying to the music and lifting their hands in the air, and of baptisms, and they will claim that they are worshiping God – Father, Son Jesus Christ, and Holy Spirit. But worship of God first begins with self-denial, dying with Christ to sin, and surrendering of one’s life to God to walk in purity of devotion to him in walks of obedience to his commands. It is not worship of God if all it is is singing songs and waving arms, but without submission to the will of God.
So, just because someone claims to be a Christian and a follower of Jesus Christ, it does not mean that he is one, in practice. Sometimes people will claim to be Christians because they want Christians to vote for them, or to follow them, or to approve of them, or to believe them and what messages they are spreading. But know that the Scriptures warn us of those who have an appearance of godliness, but who deny its power. Outwardly they give off an image of being Christ followers, but inwardly some of them are ferocious wolves out to trick, to steal, to kill and to destroy the church.
So, as the saying goes, “You can’t judge a book by its cover.” And that goes both ways. What you may think you see outwardly may not be what is really taking place. You may be misjudging some people, accusing them of being false, when they are those who are telling the truth. Or you may embrace someone who has the right appearance outwardly, but who is a devil in disguise. And just because politicians proclaim what they are going to do for you, it doesn’t mean at all that they are really going to do that if elected. Words can be cheap if they are not followed up with action, in other words.
So, in order to not be deceived by other humans you must first of all be a genuine follower of Jesus Christ who is listening to what his word teaches us in how we are to live, and who then is walking in obedience to our Lord and to what his word instructs us who are followers of Christ. And then you must not accept everyone or anyone at face value for who they claim to be. But you should look into who they really are, and what they are teaching as the gospel message. And then ask the Lord to show you who is on his side and who is not, and what is really going on inside religious institutions and the government and media and the world of education and medicine, etc.
Pray for your eyes to be opened to the truth and that you would not be led astray by liars (thieves and robbers) who are out to destroy the church. And be willing to have some of your belief systems or concepts altered by the truth. For many people here in America, anyway, have been brainwashed from birth to believe certain things about our government and media and the church, and not all of it is the truth. Much of it is not. There is so much deception out there. We just need to pray for eyes to see so that we are not caught in these webs of deception by people who, in truth, hate us.
But, with regard to the subject of the gospel, it is not true that you can just make a public profession of faith in Jesus Christ and now all your sins are forgiven (past, present, and future), and heaven is now secured you, but regardless of how you live. The Scriptures teach that genuine faith in Christ Jesus results in self-denial, dying daily to sin, and following our Lord in walks of obedience to his commands. We may not do this perfectly all the time, but lack of perfection is never to be used as an excuse for deliberate and habitual sin. For if sin is what you practice, you do not have eternal life.
[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,15-17; 1 Jn 3:4-10; 1 Pet 2:24; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2]
For Our Nation
An Original Work / September 11, 2012
Bombs are bursting. Night is falling.
Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.
Trust Him with your life today.
Make Him your Lord and your Savior.
Turn from your sin. Follow Jesus.
He will forgive you of your sin;
Cleanse your heart, made new within.
Men betraying: Our trust fraying.
On our knees to God we’re praying,
Seeking God to give us answers
That are only found in Him.
God is sovereign over all things.
Nothing from His mind escaping.
He has all things under His command,
And will work all for good.
Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.
Men deceiving: We’re believing
In our Lord, and interceding
For our nation and its people
To obey their God today.
He is our hope for our future.
For our wounds He offers suture.
He is all we need for this life.
Trust Him with your life today.
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