Warning Of Perilous Times
Devotion 8 – Warning of Perilous Times
2 Tim.3:1-5 – “But know this,
that in the last days perilous times will come: For
men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud,
blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving,
unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure
rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power.
And from such people turn away!”
Paul, in his letters to Timothy, warns that in the
last days we would be living in difficult or perilous times. During that time, Paul himself was already living
in very threatening and hazardous times and had gone through many extreme
trials and sufferings for the gospel’s sake.
Here is a list that still falls short of all he had
suffered. It comes from 2 Corinthians 11:23-33:
2 Cor.11:23-27 – “Are they
servants of Christ? I know I sound like a madman, but I have served him far
more! I have worked harder, been put in prison more often, been whipped times
without number, and faced death again and again. Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me
thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was
stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day
adrift at sea. I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced
danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people,
the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in
the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be
believers but are not. I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless
nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have
shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm.”
·
in labours
more abundant
·
in
stripes above measure
·
in
prisons frequently
·
faced
death often
·
from the
Jews five times he received thirty-nine stripes minus one
·
three
times he was beaten with rods
·
once he
was stoned
·
three
times he was shipwrecked
·
a night
and a day he has been in the deep
·
on long
journeys often and in perils of waters, robbers, Jews, Gentiles, city,
wilderness, desert, sea, false brethren
·
in
weariness and toil and in sleeplessness often
·
in hunger
and thirst and in cold and nakedness
Adding to
that, he was:
·
given a
thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet him (2 Cor.12:7).
·
abandoned
by all friends, while imprisoned (2 Tim.1:15).
·
despaired
even of life (2 Cor.1:8).
·
no
kindred spirit who would be concerned for the welfare of the Philippian church
(Phil.2:20)
Thirteen
of the New Testament epistles were authored by Paul and of those thirteen
epistles, four of them were written while in prison - Ephesians, Philippians,
Colossians, and Philemon. Yet, he warned that in the last days, more ‘difficult’ times were coming. Is he warning the churches
of greater persecution and trials that what he had suffered?
Unfortunately,
the last days’ ‘difficult times’ that Paul
warned us is not just referring to greater persecution and trials, but also
that they are due to the growing worldliness of the church as the believer’s
heart becomes self-centered instead of God-centred. More and more believers indulge in growing
their own world of comfort over the kingdom of God, and it will become more and
more difficult to teach, preach, and practice the unadulterated truth of God’s
Word. They will reject the power of the Holy Spirit or the grace of God in
their lives that make them godly. In other words, they are unchanged
believers. This is happening all around us, more so than ever before.
2 Tim.3:7 - “always learning and never able to come to the knowledge
of the truth”
Today,
we have no lack of teaching through conferences, books, internet, etc. But
sadly, the Church is growing towards worldliness rather than holiness.
Only the fear of the Lord in the hearts of the
Saints will set one apart from this group of people!
Unite our heart to fear the Lord
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