We were blessed to have Dr. B.J. Pruitt with us for the weekend. He is the Apostolic covering for our church and my pastor personally. I wanted to highlight a few things that were said over the weekend in this week’s blog.
2 Timothy 3:1 ( NKJV )
But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:
I think it is safe to say that this scripture is coming to pass before our eyes. The word perilous means dangerous. The next few verses in this chapter give us a list of things that could be a description of the problems in our culture today. We live in times when the temptations to sin are very great. We live in times when what is evil is called good and what is good is called evil. It is hard to believe that popular thinking could have fallen so far from the scriptural standards.
We also live in dangerous times financially. I am 56 years old and I have never seen our economy in such a fragile state. After WWII most of the world owed us money. Now our great nation is in debt to many countries around the world. If China alone were to demand payment it would break our economy. Unemployment is higher than ever in my lifetime. People have lost homes, jobs and retirement security. Although there is a responsibility on big business to understand that they must take care of their workers and practice their business responsibly, government control and interference threatens their ability to do business at all. Without them where do the jobs come from?
Government spending is out of control. Present policy is moving more and more people to dependence on a government that, without major changes, cannot maintain the present levels of spending. Speeches about how bad it is for people in America to go without health care will not pay for providing it to millions of people. Someday the piper will have to be paid and then what?
We live in perilous times politically. The threat of nuclear terrorism is unthinkable and yet not thinking about it won’t make it go away. Instability in the middle east is a well understood threat to the entire world. The resurgence of Russia as a world power player threatens to send us back to the cold war. China is a potential threat of immense proportions and our economic dependence on their godless system should make all of us pray.
All of this sounds bad and is bad, but I am not without hope. As a matter of fact I believe God is fully aware of the times in which we live. I believe Paul’s words to Timothy were prophetic and can be taken as a sign that God has it all under control. I believe that this is a time of great opportunity for the church. When perilous times arise people begin to seek answers. They need comfort and they need to find a place of refuge. I believe that the church has those answers and can be that place of refuge. The important thing is that we must be ready when the hurting come knocking at our door.
Let’s look at the 14th and 15th verses of this chapter.
2 Timothy 3:14-15 ( NKJV )
But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
Just before these verses Paul recounts the trials he has been through and declares how God delivered him from them all. He tells us that to follow God means we will be tried, but in the midst of trial there is a way to see victory. We must continue in the things we have learned. If we build the truths of the Word of God in our lives they will put is in a place above the times in which we live.
This involves two areas. One is the obedience we must cultivate to the word. When there is danger it is that much more important that we live according to good character and Godly principles. Sin and lax behavior opens the door to the dangers all around us. When we build our house on the rock of hearing and doing the Word of God in everyday life, we will be able to navigate through the dangers and remain strong in times of trouble.
Second, as we build the Word of God into our lives faith is produced. We learn how to access things that others do not know how to access. When others do not have enough we can have more than enough. When others have fear we can have real peace. When others worry about health care we can have divine health and offer healing to the world. This is God’s plan. Not just that we be taken care of, but that we be a beacon of light to the world.
Matthew 5:13-16 ( NKJV )
“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lamp stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
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