This Know Also

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. for men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy. Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God (2 Timothy 3:1-4). 

We are indeed, in perilous times, dear one. We are to know the times we are in, and when the signs become evident, and glaringly obvious, we have indicators of the day of the Lord fast approaching. 

... lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God

I want to ensure you understand my intentions, prior to continuing our time together. I want everyone to be redeemed through Christ the Lord; I want everyone to go to heaven; your soul resides in a body, and when you die, it is your body that expires, but it will be picked up once more for eternal use, on judgment day, and it will either be glorified in the presence of God because you believed on the one whom he hath sent for your salvation, namely Jesus, or be a stinking heap of raw and rotting hideousness. Our souls reflect our future state, and if you are godly, you will be like God in all his glory once you are judged; alternatively, if you are like one of Satan's crew of corrupt and cankerous criminals, you will look and sound and smell, rotten, on that final day, before eternity begins for you, outside the gates of heaven, far and away from the One that made you to worship and adore him. I want the best of the best for everyone: how very wonderful it would be, if all humans that currently walk the earth, started loving each other, caring for one another, sharing their plenty and even the little they have, like family members, living lives of service, rather than self-indulgence. God incarnate, took on flesh, to model godliness for us, but we are warned, that in perilous times, people would behave in ways that are far removed from all that Jesus modelled and taught. 

Do you see what I see? Can you add names beside each of the behaviours?

Our behaviours and the words we speak, shout loudly, of who we are: 

Lovers of their own selves

Covetous

Boasters

Proud 

Blasphemers

Disobedient to parents

Unthankful

Unholy

Without natural affection

Trucebreakers

False accusers

Incontinent

Fierce

Despisers of those that are good

Heady 

Highminded

Lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God

It was while reading Matthew Henry's commentary on these verses that I learned that men who gave up their Bibles to persecutors were called traditores, meaning traitors. This, we saw happen figuratively. when churchmen did the wicked bidding of governments all over the world during the cv assault: these weak willed men forsook the assembling of the saints, in favour of securing their future status as employed pastors and preachers - in other words, they were traitors, hirelings that didn't have Shepherding skin in the game, and they quickly and easily rolled over, when told to by persecuting, godless governors. 

Dear one, it is treacherous, pure treachery, to forsake the living God in word, in deed, in your very being. If someone wanted me to hand over my Bibles, I would refuse at the risk of losing my life: the Word of God is more precious to me than my bodily existence. The Bible is the one item I count as more valuable than anything I can place my hands upon within my home. The Word of God does not rust or rot; I will never find it empty and hard to bear or carry. It is manna for my soul when I read what is written there, and it makes me weep to think of all the men, women, and even children, that have been martyred because wicked men, are despisers of those that are good. Chinese Christians risk life and limb when they dare to disobey government authorities, by owning, studying, and sharing God's Word. By comparison, many of our society members risk their very souls, by electing to go under the knife or needle, in an attempt to beautify their features, or extend human existence, with potions and poisons, that men have mustered up to make oodles and oodles of cash, at the expense of their paying customers.  

I have had a hard time looking away from the train wreck that humanity has now become. Souls are in peril; we are in perilous times, and people are encouraged to just be themselves, do what is right for you, you do you boo, but this is dangerous, ill-conceived, misguided advice. A friend of mine wondered, What is our purpose, and this ought to be the question on the lips of every human being, at one point or another. The answer: We are here to believe in the one whom God hath sent, and with our whole soul, glorify God the Father, with every ounce of our God given energy. It is in gratitude for life that we turn to the one that made us and say Thank-You, I owe you my everything. 

Now we turn our gaze to you, dear one. You are a contributor in this one life you live. You have a say and a way, and others see you, whether you believe this to be true or not. God made you, as you are, and he made you with reason, and with a purpose in mind. What you think, say, and then do, or do not do, has impact on your own soul, and influence out in the world. Who you are is reflected in how you interact with those around you, and dare I say, you will be known as godless, or godly, depending on the you that shows up, when you are alone, and when you are in company. It is purity of heart that makes a Christian: not perfection, not yet, but a desire to be just like Jesus, that matters the most to God. 

God loves cheerful children that love his Son, and I ask you, Do you love Jesus? If you love Jesus, will you live your life in a way that makes your love for him, most evident? 

Dear one, would you rather die, than hand over your Bible, to persecutors? 

I was told, years ago, and repeatedly, that if I did not stop talking about Jesus, I would no longer be tolerated. I chose my Saviour over the person that could not stand my love for the Redeemer. My eternal soul is more valuable to me than any one person, any one keepsake, any dollar in my pocket, or any property I currently reside on. My Bible is worth all the silver and gold in the world, and there isn't a person on this planet, that can convince me otherwise. 

How about you? 

What, pray tell, matters to you more, than anyone, and any thing?