The Last Days Are Here

Good evening everybody! It is especially good to be with you tonight. It is a great opportunity and a true blessing to be with the people of God. We are here tonight, of the same mind and of the same spirit.

God’s people have much in common don’t we? And there is much to which we can relate. Have you ever noticed how easy it is to have a heart to heart talk with fellow believers? Whether it is within this assembly or not, there is a kindred spirit among the people who love Jesus Christ. There is a commonality and a love, among the people, whose God is the Lord!

This week, we have participated in, and have bore witness to a very contentious political presidential race. Without going into any specifics, let me just say that my thoughts and feelings toward this whole shenanigan, is probably a whole lot like yours!

God is Sovereign over the affairs of men. What the enemy means for evil against us, God means it for good. All good things are from the hand of God.

Every event in life is a result of the sovereign plan of God. That is, God is free and able to do all that he wills;

Romans 8:28 NASB95

28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

Life is full of challenges. Trials are a part of the process. And we must, as children of God, keep our composure, and run with endurance, and persevere in hope.

Hebrews 12:1–3 NASB

1 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you may not grow weary and lose heart.

No matter what, we must run with endurance that race that is set before us, with our eye fixed of Jesus. Our Lord endure hostility by ungodly men, and today He sits at the right hand of the throne of God.

We should lay aside the sin which so easily entangles us and run the race of faith. The faithful saints of God, they knew how to run the race of faith. They opposed Pharaoh, they forsook the pleasure and prerogatives of his court, they passed through the Red Sea, shouted down the walls of Jericho, conquered kingdoms, shut the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, received back their dead by resurrection, were tortured, mocked, scourged, imprisoned, stoned, sawn in two, had to dress in animal skins, were made destitute—all for the sake of their faith.

Tonight, we will hear from the Apostle Paul. This prophecy is two thousand years old, and now we see it coming to pass today.

In a letter to Timothy, Paul foretells of the last day difficulties...

2 Timothy 3:1–8 NASB95

1 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, 4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these. 6 For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, 7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, rejected in regard to the faith.

Anyone who has been a student of the Bible knows that it would be foolish to think that we can save the world. As a church body, we have studied the book, and we know how it ends. This world is on a collision course with the judgment of God. Humanity and the world certainly seems to be ripe for judgment and disaster.

As we observe the times in which we live, how are we to reconcile the events of these last days? How must we live in the presents of a declining world? Some might say, we’ll survive. But I believe that we can thrive in these times, you were made for these times. You are the victor, why?Because Jesus is the Lord of all and we are in Him and He is in us! We are One with the One whom they tried to destroy, but to no avail! He rose victoriously and He has ascended to the Throne of God. At His appointed time, he will snatch us out of this cesspool of wickedness. But as surely has He has gone to prepare a place for you, He is coming again!

If your not ready, I would be getting ready to go if I were you. If you have not surrendered your life to Christ, I would do so immediately! You don’t want to be left behind with the godlessness and the lawlessness that this world will see.

Now look again, if you will…Paul says to Timothy...

2 Timothy 3:1 NASB95

1 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.

Some are saying, what is going on in America? What is going on in America is what has been going on around the world for a long while. The stage is being set for globalism, the stage is being set for the one world-order, with a one-world leader who is the antichrist who is going to come out of the reunified Roman Empire.

I am not qualified nor do I have authority to set dates. But we do know this...

The Bible teaches that as the return of Christ moves closer, realize this, that the world will experience perilous, violent, dangerous, hard times will come.

We should not be caught off guard, we should not be surprised that all of these things that will come. Now, let not your heart be troubled, do not be dismayed, do not be panicked. Just remember, the Morning Star appears after the darkest hour of the night. Are you looking for His appearing?

Paul gives a long list describing the depravity of men of these times...

2 Timothy 3:1–4 NASB95

1 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, 4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,

Jesus said that, “because lawlessness has increased, most peoples love will grow cold.”

They will have no love for others, they will love money. Men will grow increasingly selfish, seeking more and more by any means. While civilization is coming apart at the seam, men will be prideful and arrogant at their achievements.

We live in a time when man’s word means nothing. People will tell a lie then cover it up with two more. It is tragic.

The churches are emptying out and the prisons and jails are running over with violent people who have no self-control. Right now, crime and violence, riots and mobs are running the streets of the liberal cities of America.

But the evil will not only be predominant in the world, but the evil will undoubtedly make its way into the church.

The leaders in the church will foster false systems of belief and corrupt God’s standards of living, but they are charlatans of religion.

Look at this....

2 Timothy 3:5 NASB95

5 holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these.

Like the Pharisees, church leaders would present themselves in fine outward apparel present themselves as wise men, with great knowledge. In reality, they will be religious fakes, phonies, sheep's in wolves clothing. They masquerade a servants of God and teachers of His Word, but in all reality, they are servants of Satan and purveyors of his lies. As Jesus called the scribes and Pharisees who opposed Him, they “are of their father the devil, and they want to do the desires of their father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. Satan is a liar, and the father of lies”

2 Timothy 3:6–7 NASB95

6 For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, 7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

There will be an explosion of knowledge. The knowledge may increase, but not the truth. This generation is looking for something new. May I suggest to you “if it’s new, it’s not true. It is so critical that we stay with the truth, be not deceived!

We have seen the false teachers of the prosperity gospel, who make there way into the home by way of television. A favorite target of these particular false teachers are those who are weighed down with sin, who are weak and vulnerable. Some who are weak in truth and weak in virtue, and they are heavy laden in their sin and the guilt it brings.

Moving from one false teacher to another, can be confusing. That is why it is so important that we are biblically sound in doctrine, in what we teach. It really is difficult in these last days, to find a church that is sound in doctrine.

Now look lets look at...

2 Timothy 3:8 NASB95

8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, rejected in regard to the faith.

Jannes and Jambres were magicians in ancient Israel, who opposed Moses by imitating and mimicking His miracles. The church is in the midst of a spiritual warfare, a warfare that will intensify as Christ’s second coming draws nearer. As we move forward, we need to be vigilant in our doctrine, eager to received the word of God, carefully examining the Scriptures closely.

We must be vessels of honor for the Lord. It is a difficult task for many Christians today who want instant answers to their questions and immediate resolution of the problems, but we must be patient.

As we move closer to the return of our Lord, the escalation of violence against the kingdom of God by the kingdom of darkness will intensify. There will be times of calm, but Gods Word tells us about an ever-increasing wickedness, which will culminate in the appearance of Antichrist, the ultimate deceiver and enemy of God except for Satan himself.

The spiritual battle is real, but Satan, who is orchestrating all this mess, is a defeated foe. We know that Satan’s final defeat is certain, aren’t you glad? I’m getting about fed-up with his attacks aren’t you? The Lord has a place of torment prepared for him and his foot soldiers. Its hot all the time, without a single drop of water.

Paul assures us...

2 Thessalonians 2:8 NASB

8 And then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming;

For now, the church will continue to experience expanded assaults from the adversary.

The attacks against God Himself and against His truth and His righteousness comes in many forms and from so many sides.

But we are not called to win God’s battles single-handedly and are presumptuous and foolish to try. He does, however, expect us to yield to Him all that we are and have and to be will to be used wherever and in whatever way He leads.

There was a king who had dreams, and his spirit was troubled and his sleep left him. Daniel came to the king and assured him, in his troubles, there is a God in heaven. If you are anxious in your spirit and can’t rest, may I remind you that there is a God in heaven!

God reveals mysteries, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will take place in the end of days. The prophet Daniel told the troubled king, “This was your dream and the visions in your head while in you bed. He tells the king of the rise and fall of the earthly kingdom of Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece,and Rome. But then he tells of an everlasting Kingdom, and this is the one that we belong to. This is the one that we are citizens of.

Daniel 2:44–45 NASB

44 “And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever. 45 “Inasmuch as you saw that a stone was cut out of the mountain without hands and that it crushed the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold, the great God has made known to the king what will take place in the future; so the dream is true, and its interpretation is trustworthy.”

Daniel was a man in touch with God. I hope that you stay in close touch with God.

Though Christ is now the chief Cornerstone to the church and “a stone that causes unbelievers to stumble”, He is not yet a smiting Stone as He will be when He comes again. The Stone (Messiah) will crush and end all the kingdoms of the world.

But the church has not and will not conquer the world’s kingdoms. The church is not a kingdom with a political real, but the future Millennium will be.

Thus Nebuchadnezzar’s dream clearly teaches premillennialism, that Christ will return to earth to establish His rule on the earth, thereby subduing all nations. The church is not that kingdom.

These times are difficult, but we have a God in Heaven who has predetermined the times and epochs that we will face. We must trust Him thru it all!

We must put on the whole armor of God, for there is a battle still going on. It’s spiritual warfare.

We know the ultimate outcome is certain, that victory already belongs to Christ and His church.