2 TIMOTHY 3:12-14: “Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. But evil people and impostors will flourish. They will deceive others and will themselves be deceived. But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you.” NLT
OBSERVATION: There is a battle for truth today! Never before have we been bombarded by so many voices vying for our attention. With the rise of social media and the fact that everyone can become a newscaster by starting a podcast, the internet and the airways are filled with competing voices. Each one is convinced they hold the corner on the truth.
Who are we to believe?
If this were not enough, with the rise of AI, the lines of truth and falsehood have become even more difficult to define. Each day, AI becomes more refined. Social media is filled with purported news clips created by someone who has nothing better to do than spin a tale and see how many will take the bait. We are living in the Wild West once again!
Those using AI to twist the truth have become the modern-day ‘Snake Oil Salesmen’!
What is the church doing in the midst of all this confusion? While there are faithful shepherds who warn their flocks of this rising deception, many continue with business as usual, preaching a message that blesses but fails to challenge. It leads people to the mountain but not to the Cross. It looks at the world through rose-colored glasses rather than through the lens of Biblical Revelation.
Oh, how we need the faithful exposition of God’s Word in our churches!
What did Paul tell Timothy? Did he tell Timothy that things were going to get better and better in the last days? Did he encourage Timothy to proclaim a message that would make him popular with the masses? What did Paul tell young Timothy?
“You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!” (2 Timothy 3:1-5 NLT)
Was Paul talking about the world? NO! The world has been evil from day one. Paul was talking about the visible church in the last days. The world does not act religious; the church does. The world does not continue the exercise of religion while denying the power that makes a person godly; the church does. The world does not adjust the Gospel to fit their carnal lifestyles; the church does. Paul was warning Timothy of the visible church in the last days.
Throughout Scripture, there have always been the visible people of God and the faithful remnant. Just as only a few Jews remained faithful to the covenant of God, in the last days, so there will only be a remnant that remains faithful to the Gospel. I wish this wasn’t true. I wish Paul had written something different. Yet, we are witnessing this happen right before our eyes. One by one, whole movements of God that once proclaimed the faithful Word of God are leaving the fold, preaching another Gospel, another Jesus!
This can be depressing unless we continue reading! The true follower of Jesus Christ was never promised a rose garden in the first place. To faithfully stand up for the truth of the Gospel and to proclaim the whole counsel of God’s Word carries a cost. We proclaim the blessings of the Gospel but so many times omit the cost. While salvation and the pathway to heaven are fully paid for by the blood of Jesus Christ, the pathway of discipleship is filled with costs!
“You know how much persecution and suffering I have endured. You know all about how I was persecuted in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra—but the Lord rescued me from all of it. Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” (2 Timothy 3:11-12 NLT)
Now, before you throw your hands up in despair, before you are tempted to give up, before you begin to believe all is lost, listen to the exhortation of Paul to young Timothy. We are not left powerless. We are not left without direction. We are not left without hope. God has given us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, and we hold the keys to the Kingdom of God and to our continued victory in Christ Jesus!
“But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you. You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:14-17 NLT)
How do we navigate through the difficult times ahead? By taking heed of the Holy Scriptures! How do we discern what is true in a day when there are so many voices? We check everything with the Holy Scriptures! How do we walk in wisdom in a day when falsehood abounds? We abide in the Holy Scriptures! How do we check our hearts for sin and equip our lives for righteousness? We read and meditate upon the Holy Scriptures!
Why can we rely on the Holy Scriptures?
- They are God-breathed!
- They are inspired by God!
- They are the revelation of His Nature!
- They are the source of all truth!
- God uses them to purify and prepare us for every good work!
The Holy Scriptures are our final source of all matters that pertain unto life and godliness!
Heavenly Father, this morning I run to Your Holy Scriptures! I take shelter in the midst of the storm in Your Holy Scriptures. Purify me. Prepare me. Equip me. Change me into the image of Your Son, Jesus Christ, my Lord! In a day when everyone is claiming to be the source of truth, grant me the grace to abide in Jesus, the Living Word, the author of Your written, objective, and faithful Holy Scriptures!
In Jesus’ Name!
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Excellent post! Thank you. 🙂
You have mixed up the biblical last days with the events going on today. “Paul was warning Timothy of the visible church in the last days.” Those “last” days ended almost 2,000 years ago. Jesus told His disciples many would see and still be alive to witness those things!
This portion is from my book “Israel, Rapture, Tribulation How to Sort Biblical Fact from Theological Fiction”
“Dispensationalists look at the world—with its wars, crimes, famines, and earthquakes—and conclude the end must be near. They see the moral climate and think the Church no longer holds sway over anyone. The wicked appear to be in control of most governments and many of the world’s institutions.
But is it really worse today than it was for the early Church? Today there are millions and millions of believers worldwide. Christians are no longer being thrown to the lions, burned at the stake, or pulled apart on the rack. There are no Jewish mobs stoning Christians or putting them in jail. There are TV ministries and Christian radio programs. You can travel from coast to coast in the USA and hear Christian programming all the way. Churches exist by the thousands around the globe. There are outreach programs, campaigns, and rallies all over the world. The Church is expanding in many countries. It is growing behind the former Iron Curtain in Europe and behind the Bamboo Curtain in China.
While the previous paragraph is certainly true, it can also be rightly argued that more Christians are being persecuted and martyred for their faith today than in the early days of the Church. A bit of historical evaluation is needed. According to the most recent United Nations estimates elaborated by Worldometers, as of December 2017 the current world population is close to 7.6 billion. At the time of the birth of Jesus, the earth’s entire population was just 300 million (smaller than the current number of inhabitants of the U.S.A.), and of that number, about 45 million lived within the Roman Empire.
Let us return to the Church on the day of Pentecost. Everything—and I mean everything—was standing in the way of the Church. The establishment in Rome was hostile right from the beginning. The world was seemingly being ruled by the devil. Even “God’s people,” the Jews, targeted every Christian and, allied with the power of Rome, stopped at nothing (including murder and deceit) to terminate the small band of believers. The early Christians were indeed “a conscious minority surrounded by an arrogant militant paganism.”
With many Christians still besieged today, what an opportunity we have for growth! The whole world lay before the early believers, and they saw this as a great opportunity. So should we. The fields are white unto harvest. Do we share Paul’s philosophy or the pessimistic and hopeless Dispensational outlook of men like Cornelius Vanderwaal, who said, “God’s church has no right to take an optimistic triumphalistic attitude.” But I will say, in lockstep with the early Church, we have every right to a triumphant attitude, for all power is given unto us through Christ (Matt. 28:18). “And greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world” (I John 4:4).
Have we forgotten what was given to the early Church? Power! “But ye shall receive power, after the Holy Ghost is come upon you” (Acts 1:18). “For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power” (I Cor. 4:19). “And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to usward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ” (Eph. 1:19–20). “For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power” (I Thess.1:5). “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (II Tim. 1:7). The early Church also recognized God was with them. “If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Rom. 8:31).
The early Church knew the Spirit gives life, and along with that life came the power: the power to live for the Lord and the power to change the world. The entire world? Yes, because when an individual changes, that changes the whole family; when the family changes, that changes the community; when the community changes, that changes the city; when the city changes, that changes the state; and on and on until the whole world becomes the kingdom of God.
This nation may have seemed to turn its back on God, but “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (II Chron. 7:14). In addition, as author Ayn Rand has said, “There are no ‘waves of the future’… and any trend can be stopped.” And “Any step can be retraced if men understand where they’re going.” Any portion of life the devil has taken can be retaken. To the Dispensationalist I would offer another thought from Ayn Rand: “It is not as late as you think.” The world is not coming to an end. So wake up and get to work assembling the kingdom!”
If you email me at eldermike547@yahoo.com and give me your address, I will send you a copy of my book. You might just come away with a vision of victory for our future and this worlds future.
My HOPE for the world’s future!
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.” Revelation 21:1-7 NLT
Sure, that is the hope for most Christians. However, until that time…
“WHAT THE DISPENSATIONAL BELIEF HAS WROUGHT
Has belief in the pessimistic Dispensational view of the future made Christians ineffective in our culture? I believe it has. Dispensational teaching leads to the belief we do not have time to change the world. The Dispensational notion of an imminent departure holds that all we can do with the time left is to pull a few souls out of the fire before Jesus pulls His Church out of this world.
Tim LaHaye stated it well when he wrote:
Most knowledgeable Christians are looking for the Second Coming of Christ and the tribulation period that He predicted would come before the end of the age. Because present world conditions are so similar to those the Bible prophesies for the last days … they conclude that a takeover of our culture by the forces of evil is inevitable; so they do nothing to resist it.
One Dispensationalist told me after reading Tim LaHaye’s words, “This is where they are wrong. We are called to be faithful servants working until He comes, regardless of world conditions.” I agreed wholeheartedly. However, when you teach a fatalistic future, you get people who believe and behave as Tim LaHaye stated. If you preach and teach faith, you will get people who have faith. If you preach and teach love, you will get people who have love. If you preach and teach Dispensationalism, you will get pessimistic and fatalistic people. And if you teach victory and hope for all Christians, victory and hope would prevail.
Gary North also writes about Dispensational belief and the paralyzing effect of the anticipated rapture that has permeated most fundamentalist Churches:
For over 160 years, pastors and authors have been telling Bible-believing Christians that Jesus is coming soon to “rapture” His Church to heaven.
This means that nothing a person can do to build a legacy on earth will survive the 3.5–year Great Tribulation period that will begin 3.5 years after the “secret” Rapture. This means that an investment in graduate school or any other long-term capital project is a very high-risk investment.
Here is a major reason why modern fundamentalism has not built universities, medical schools, law schools, and all the other institutions that produce wealth and leadership in the modern world. This is why fundamentalist Christians have been sitting in the back of humanism’s bus for over a hundred years. They believe that the Church’s time on earth has just about run out. They are willing to make sacrifices only for projects that will pay off in the short term. They have been paralyzed by Rapture Fever.18
Many understand the Dispensational mindset very well. On the Quora forum, a question-and-answer site found on the internet (8/2019), was this question; Do you fear the events the Bible says will occur? Peter Wheeler answered this way:
Not really. What I do fear, however, are the Evangelicals who are so convinced that we’re nearing the “End Times” that they don’t give a damn about protecting the planet, our environment, and resources for the future, since they don’t see the need. Or, that they’re so eager for the coming “End Times” that they seek to hasten the fulfillment of the “prophecies” in the hopes that they’ll bring about the Second Coming, thus escalating conflicts and wars in the Middle East.
I’d much prefer a world run by non-believers, since they’re the ones eager to protect the planet for future generations.”
From chapter one of book:
ISRAEL, RAPTURE, TRIBULATION How to Sort Biblical Fact from Theological Fiction
Mike:
My post sure seemed to trigger a hot-button with you. All I can say is that you took a turn around a corner I was not even headed to. My entire point was for holding fast to the Holy Scriptures in a time where many are leaving the faith and churches are leaving the doctrine of inspiration for a rationalized view of the Bible. If you follow my blog closely you will be hard pressed to find a pessimist view of life or an unwillingness to engage in the affairs of mankind and the preaching of the Gospel. Thank you for your thoughts but I have been down the Preterist road before. I have really never had a dialogue with someone with this view but I have been told how wrong I am for holding my views. We should end the debate and proclaim Jesus to a hurting world. This is much more important than our eschatology. Blessings!
“My entire point was for holding fast to the Holy Scriptures in a time where many are leaving the faith and churches are leaving the doctrine of inspiration for a rationalized view of the Bible.”
Well, maybe I misunderstood, but it seemed you were using a few verses to point out we are living in the end times & last days, right near the coming of the Lord.
Yes, it is a hot-button with me. Without looking for end time & last days teaching, the last two days as I was scrolling through my phone, two different sites were using the recent earthquakes in various countries as proof of bible prophecy being fulfilled, that Jesus is coming soon. A recent message in our Sunday School class, taught us we are living in the last days, right before Jesus comes. This kind of teaching is being taught all around us. In fact, next to the grave of my wife, a preacher was buried a short time ago, who gave a date when the Lord was to return. He was wrong. A friend of mine, had set a date a few years ago when the Lord was supposed to return.
I was around in 1988 when Edgar C. Whisenant’s booklet “88 Reasons Why the Rapture Will Be in 1988.” Many in my church believed that message. It caused great harm. Many came into the church right before it was to take place, and when they found out they were lied to, never came back.
Back in May 2000, as Irvin Baxter tell it, “The Bible prophesies a war for the near future in which two billion people will die.” How near? “The next few months.” He published this prediction in the USA Today, on May 22, 2000.
I’m not angry with you. In fact, I pray for your ministry every day.
I end all of my books concerning doctrinal issues with these words.
“Let us not condemn those we may disagree with, but approach our differences with reason, deliberation, and consideration. Let us search the Scriptures as those noble saints at Berea, to confirm the truth, as they did with the words Paul preached unto them.
Presenting what I believe is the truth on these issues is not a condemnation or reviling of those who understand the Scripture a bit differently. It’s not a repudiation of those whom I may call friends who still haven’t seen the light on these teachings. It’s an attempt to point them in the right direction, and into a deeper relationship with our Lord. May the Lord help us all to make that an overpowering desire.”
“I have been told how wrong I am for holding my views.” I have been on both sides of this issue.
My book is not a scathing attack on Christians who hold to and teach Dispensationalism. It is not meant to demonize or denounce their beliefs as heresy. Nor is it a personal assault on the integrity or the character of the many pastors who would disagree with me. If I condemn them, I also have to chastise myself because I taught home Bible studies for years using the Dispensational framework. A false teacher, which is what I was when I taught Dispensational doctrine, does not even know the error he is teaching. Thus, it is unfortunately easy and common to teach false doctrine, for it is not obvious. They say there is nothing worse than a reformed smoker, who points out all the faults of those who still indulge. My goal is to encourage a deeper understanding of the Scriptures.
The teachings in my book result from many years of Bible study. Some of these teachings may seem strange to many contemporary Christians, but what is written here is as “old as the hills,” and has been believed and taught by many men of God for generations. I just ask you to hear me out—you will be glad you did.
“We should end the debate and proclaim Jesus to a hurting world. This is much more important than our eschatology. Blessings!”
Yes, I agree, but many still teach and preach this doctrine, thus, it cannot be put aside. I will end our debate with this email.
The book offer is still open to you or anyone else. Maybe you will start to understand, once you have read the scriptural evidence.