Preparing For Perilous Times

2 Timothy 3:1–9 KJV 1900

1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, 7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 8 Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. 9 But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.

Prepare for what is coming

My job as your pastor is to help you prepare for the end times.

Perilous times shall come

God is so good in helping us understand what is coming

1 Chronicles 12:32 KJV 1900

32 And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their commandment.

Men that had understanding of the times

God gave these men wisdom to instruct as what is coming

God gave me a responsibility here to help navigate

Obedience = winning

Disobedience = losing

God is kind to give warnings to His people

Always instructing

teaching

helping

Because He loves and wants the best for His people

Persecution has always been present for the church

World wide perilous times shall come

shall come = ἐνίστημι

en-is'-tay-mee

From G1722 and G2476; to place on hand, that is, (reflexively) impend, an event regarded as threatening and significant that is about to happen

(participle) be instant: - come, be at hand, present.

Surrounded, encompassed, cannot be escaped

Prayer will not be able to stop this end times

Our nation will face perilous times

2Ti 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

guard yourself from waxing worse and worse

Deception

Mat 24:4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.

Mat 24:5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

Mat 24:6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

Mat 24:7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

Many are being deceived

Wars are coming = the most sophisticated technologies will not be able to stop what is on the horizon

“The Kill Chain”

The weapon systems we have cannot communicate sophistically with one another

When it comes to talking to each other, however, the F-22 and F-35 pilots currently must use secure voice links.

While these two fighters have a ways to go until they share the same communications and sensor systems, there’s at least one thing they already have in common: they’re budget busters.

Mat 24:8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

A woman’s birthing pains

infrequent

frequent

to Constant

There is an intensifying of the sorrows worldwide

Drought

Famines

Slavery

Volcanic activity

Moral depravity and deterioration

Political corruption

Spiritual compromise

Marriage vows don’t mean anything anymore

Not only in the world but it’s in the church

Infanticide

Women leaving their children

Men leaving their families

χαλεπός

khal-ep-os'

that is, dangerous, or (by implication) furious: - fierce, perilous.

the idea of reducing the strength; difficult

stealing of strength

How do we respond to the impending danger

How do we prepare for what is “at hand”?

Thankfully the Lord has given a way to prepare

God is so kind to us

The passover was an OT foreshadow of the work the Messiah would accomplish

Joh 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

The blood of the passover lamb was what was required by God in eqypt to escape the death angel; and the blood of the Lamb is still required by God today - not blood on the door post but blood that covers and washes away our sins.

We must let other know!

We do not worry about the perilous times we respect God’s word and respond properly.

God will prepare His church through

We are called to spiritually strengthen our families

our marriage

our church

When we do not protect ourselves from sin it weakens us and our ability to operate in a way that pleases the Lord and protects us.

Turn to Matthew8:28-34

Matthew 8:28 KJV 1900

28 And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way.

"Fierce" is used to describe men that were demonically possessed.

Sore

χαλεπός

khal-ep-os'

Perhaps from G5465 through the idea of reducing the strength; difficult, that is, dangerous, or (by implication) furious: - fierce, perilous.

Cruel, scary, stealing strength

Jesus went where no one else wanted to go

Jesus didn’t run from difficulty, danger, and peril. Jesus was fearless and made the demons run.

Notice that the demon is set upon destruction. If he may not destroy the souls of men, he will destroy swine.

This is the mark of evil. It is always destructive; whereas the Spirit of God is restorative and builds up from the ruins of Satan’s work a new heaven and a new earth, both in the soul and in the universe.

All the city besought Jesus to depart, because men count their gains more valuable than His presence.

It’s interesting that the city was content to live with the demoniacs as long as there were profits to be made.

The same spirit rules in the commercial world of today. Let us beware. What shall it profit to gain the world, if we lose our souls?

Just as Jesus did not cower at the presence of those indwelled by the demons, so should Christ’s body, His church be courageous in the face of danger and peril to come, praying and preparing.

One of the reasons for the perilous times, I believe, is to produce a genuine prayer life in believers.

If the church hides from the conflict, we are not fulfilling our purpose.

I’m genuinely burdened for the children

If our heart is divided between the love for this world and love for Christ we will take the low road.

2 Corinthians 2:14 KJV 1900

14 Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.

We will be called to go through perilous times, but there is a Great Tribulation on God’s calendar.

God’s word teaches in Revelation 7

Rev 7:4 And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.

During the tribulation, when most of the world is following the Antichrist, 144,000 Jews will be sealed by God—12,000 from each tribe—for special service. God has kept track of the tribes, and He knows who is who.

Shouldn’t we be ready to give the gospel?

Aren’t we here on purpose ?

Do we not have a divine appointment?

This is our time to live for Christ!

Joh 9:5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

1Jn 3:8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

Mat 5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

We are raised up to be bright for the Lord

The World will be dark but the darker the World the Brighter we should be.

We are people of faith not fear

2 Timothy 1:7 KJV 1900

7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

We are called to be bold

We are called to be

Are you ashamed of Christ

When have you given someone the Gospel

Power = miraculous strength

The church is not to cower but to be actively powerfull

Matthew 11:12 KJV 1900

12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.

Pro 28:1 The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.

The righteous are bold

Full of faith

Full of the Holy Ghost

Acts 6:5 KJV 1900

5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch:

Stephen was full of faith

Power was not from him but from the Holy Ghost

Acts 11:24 KJV 1900

24 For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith: and much people was added unto the Lord.

There was an outpouring of God’s power to project the Gospel

We need God’s power just like they did

Move closer together in the church

There was a devotional I would get as a young man - the verse that was posted on the front of the devotional was

Matthew 5:16 KJV 1900

16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Matthew 5:10–15 (KJV 1900)

10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

In dark days, we are the light

You are the light

giving light to all

Shine bright while

persecuted for righteousness

say all manner of evil against you falsely

Shine bright and you will bring glory to your father

Isaiah 60:1–3 KJV 1900

1 Arise, shine; for thy light is come, And the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. 2 For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And gross darkness the people: But the Lord shall arise upon thee, And his glory shall be seen upon thee. 3 And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, And kings to the brightness of thy rising.

Darkness will cover

But the Lord