Maranatha - Awaiting Christ's Return

1 Cor. 15:52  In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

Tag: 2 Timothy 3:1-5

Peace Through Troubled Times – Lovers of Pleasures More Than Lovers of God

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On November 29, 2023

In Devotionals, Peace Through Troubled Times

2 Timothy 3:1-5  This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.  (2)  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,  (3)  Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,  (4)  Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;  (5)  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

Lovers of pleasures – is that not the type of person that the mainstream media wishes to capture? They try to attract your various senses in order to achieve the devil’s goals. What they are selling must “look” better, “sound” better, “smell” better, “handle” (touch) better, and “taste” better. The latest iPhone is $1,600! The sad thing is that Americans will stop at nothing in order to have the greatest and best.

A Google search revealed that low-income people spent their money on smartphones despite their lack of money. It is sad to think that the latest smartphone will take precedence over much-needed items for the home.

CellphoneSmartphone
College graduate98%93%
Less than $30,00097%76%
$30,000-$49,99997%83%
$50,000-$74,99997%85%

It isn’t wrong to want a smartphone. But, does it take priority over your love of God? To love things more than God is the issue in today’s Bible verses. It encompasses many areas. Do you love food more than God? Do you love nice clothes more than God? Whatever your heart is set on having, do you desire it more than you desire God? We see this prove out in church attendance.

In 2006, Gallup reported that the lowest rates of church attendance among the 48 contiguous states were in Nevada and the New England states of Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Maine.

How very sad to see my home State of Maine in this report, although it does not surprise me. Lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God are quite prevalent in our world today.

Even “religion” is guilty in this area. It almost seems like an oxymoron, but is it? People will cling to their religious upbringing over God’s Word! The Pharisees of Jesus’ day were guilty of this. But before you get too harsh with them, look at the church you attend. Are you obeying teachings from the pulpit only because the preacher said to? Did you compare what he said with what the Bible says on the issue?

Acts 17:11  These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

Popular social platforms, such as abortion, should not even be considered in religious circles! What born-again Christian can support abortion? That’s truly a lover of pleasure over a lover of God. What pleasure, you may ask? It’s the pleasure of convenience. Killing an unborn child is convenient if it is not “a good time” to have a child.

You must ultimately decide your own “platform.” Will your platform be built on the pleasures of this world or on the pleasures of God? If you are born again, your ultimate guide is your Bible. If God speaks against something, you must be against it; and vice versa. It’s the Scriptures that will open your eyes to God’s desires for your life. His Word should be your platform! God’s Word is the measuring stick for everything. (Acts 17:11)

Psalm 119:105  NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

If you are not truly born-again, there is coming a time when it will be too late for you to repent and be saved. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Peace Through Troubled Times – Jealousy

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On November 20, 2023

In Devotionals, Peace Through Troubled Times

2 Timothy 3:1-5  This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.  (2)  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,  (3)  Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,  (4)  Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;  (5)  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

Jealousy is a dangerous emotion in any relationship. Once it is introduced and it is not kept at bay, it is like a fast spreading fire through dry brush. It is not called the green-eyed monster for nothing! What exactly is jealousy? Noah Webster defines it as:

That passion of peculiar uneasiness which arises from the fear that a rival may rob us of the affection of one whom we love, or the suspicion that he has already done it; or it is the uneasiness which arises from the fear that another does or will enjoy some advantage which we desire for ourselves. A man’s jealousy is excited by the attentions of a rival to his favorite lady. A woman’s jealousy is roused by her husband’s attentions to another woman. The candidate for office manifests a jealousy of others who seek the same office. The jealousy of a student is awakened by the apprehension that his fellow will bear away the palm of praise. In short,jealousy is awakened by whatever may exalt others, or give them pleasures and advantages which we desire for ourselves. Jealousy is nearly allied to envy, for jealousy, before a good is lost by ourselves, is converted into envy, after it is obtained by others.

As we approach the Tribulation, we see this emotion more and more. The introduction of social media has exacerbated this emotion. We see people spending more time looking down at their phones than their surroundings. They can’t see who matters most to them. Our spouses, our friends take a back burner and realize that a cell phone has more importance than our relationship. Men have placed their own desires ahead of their families.

Is it any wonder that children act up to get their parents’ attention? Is it any wonder that a man wonders why his wife or girlfriend spends more time looking at her phone than paying attention to him? They are jealous of whatever means more to you than they!

Friend, if you are guilty of this, it is not what the Lord wants for you. Do you realize if you are, you are not only taking time away from your loved ones, you are also taking away from your time with the Lord? He is a jealous God and will not have you replace Him.

Exodus 34:14  For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:

Check your relationships! What’s important to you? Do you want to be responsible for allowing jealousy to destroy your relationships? Are you the cause? Start with the Lord and that relationship in order. Repent and move forward to those relationships in your life that actually mean something.

If you are not truly born-again, there is coming a time when it will be too late for you to repent and be saved. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Rapture and End Time News – After-School Satan Clubs

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On May 29, 2023

In Devotionals, Rapture and End Time News

To me, this is probably one of the most disturbing signs of the end times! We are watching Satan’s attack on our children happening right before our eyes. He managed to succeed in the abortion industry and now he is attacking the children who are alive. Did you ever imagine children signing up for this type of event? Parents are failing in their role to raise their children.

Launched in 2020 and promptly opposed by most parents, the clubs, associated with the Satanic Temple, are being pitched as an alternative to Christian after-school groups for those who identify as agnostics, atheists and religious minorities, such as pagans.

Last Monday, the Satanic Temple and the ACLU scored a legal victory after the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania ruled against the Northampton County school district, which banned the club from meeting on its grounds.

“In a victory for free speech and religious freedom, a federal court has ruled that the Saucon Valley School District must allow the After School Satan Club to meet in district facilities,” the ACLU said in a statement. Totally not Satanic?

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/after-school-satan-clubs-are-hot-hot-hot

2 Cor 11:14-15  And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.  (15)  Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

Is it any wonder that people fall for this kind of thing? Satan is diligently working to attract the lost to believe that his way is the way to joy and fulfillment. There can be no joy or fulfillment except it be found in Jesus Christ.

Joh 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

There is great judgment for those who lead children astray; not just Satan worshipers, but also the parents who allow it!

Luk 17:2  It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.

The Apostle Paul said this would be part of the signs that we are in the last days! He spoke of blasphemers, unholy, and despisers of those that are good. Oh how true this is! Think about it – could you have imagined seeing this type of after-school activity when you were at school?

2 Tim 3:1-5  This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.  (2)  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,  (3)  Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,  (4)  Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;  (5)  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

Just look at what they are promoting!!! The worst of seven things is “personal sovereignty”!

Exo 20:3  Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

Satan is doing his best to plant his wicked doctrine into the minds of impressionable children. They are in school and after-school events longer than they are in the home. They are being bombarded by this evilness. How can they escape if we don’t do something about it! We should be enraged but do we hear about these things in the liberal media? Of course not! Wake up!!!

The time is coming when it will be too late for you to repent. You will remember each opportunity you were given by God to be saved; you will remember each time you laughed it off and ignored it. Please Reader, repent and accept Christ into your life. (Act 16:31, Rom 10:9) I want to be sure that anyone who reads the posts on this blog can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are going to Heaven. Have you received Christ as your Saviour? If no, your sins are not covered by His sacrificial offering of Himself. You have not been redeemed by His blood. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Rapture and End Time News – Love Growing Cold

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On May 24, 2023

In Devotionals, Rapture and End Time News

Mat 24:12  And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

Born in the late 1700’s in Ireland, Adam Clarke was a studious itinerant preacher living in London. He is known for his commentaries on the Bible. I found his description of this verse extremely interesting:

The love of many shall wax cold – By reason of these trials and persecutions from without, and those apostasies and false prophets from within, the love of many to Christ and his doctrine, and to one another, shall grow cold. Some openly deserting the faith, as Mat 24:10; others corrupting it, as Mat 24:11; and others growing indifferent about it, Mat 24:12. Even at this early period there seems to have been a very considerable defection in several Christian Churches; see Gal 3:1-4; 2Th 3:1, etc.; 2 Ti 1:15.

Adam Clarke Commentary

Adam Clarke wrote this in the 1800’s and it amazes me that he recognized it in his day. How much more is it evident today!??

I also look at this verse, Matthew 24:12, as how cold men’s hearts have become because of the lawlessness and sin. The more it is allowed in a country, the more the country’s moral values decline. One of those moral values is abortion! Our elected officials can’t even stay on track! Their platform changes with the wind of change. Their political party changes direction to achieve a hidden agenda:

President Biden’s support for abortion is well-documented. He actually started his long political career as a centrist on the issue. In 1974, then-Sen. Biden told a reporter that a woman should not have the “sole right to say what should happen to her body,” and in 1982, he voted in favor of an amendment that would have allowed states to overturn Roe v. Wade. But Biden, like his party, has shifted dramatically in a pro-abortion direction.

For decades, Biden supported the Hyde Amendment that prohibits taxpayer funds from paying for abortions. He even voted in favor of the partial-birth abortion ban, but as a presidential candidate, Biden tacked hard to the left in the 2020 Democratic primary. Since that time, he has pursued increasingly aggressive pro-abortion policies.

https://harbingersdaily.com/abortion-champion-the-biden-admin-has-secured-its-place-as-the-most-forceful-defender-of-murder-in-the-nations-history/

How can one kill a baby when it is supposed to be in the most protected environment, the mother’s womb?!

Our country’s problems are evidence of what is inside of its citizens. The more the unbelievers cold-hearted beliefs succeed and the less Christians speak out, the more cold-hearted the country becomes!

During these end times, we see the difference between Christians and non-believers. We have become a loveless country. We have to place the blame where it is needed. This started with us, Christian. We are to be the light and the salt of the world. We are to shine the lost and point them to the Word of God for salvation. We are to cause the lost to thirst after righteousness. Because of our growing lack of love for the lost, we have reaped what we have sown (or not sown, for that matter). This began with us; it crept into the churches, then into our towns and cities.

Are you ashamed yet? Are you guilty of your love waxing cold? Yes, there will always be critics and unbelievers but that does not give us the right to ignore our duty as citizens of the Kingdom of God. Paul told Timothy what was going to happen in the last days and we are seeing this being fulfilled:

2 Tim 3:1-5  This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.  (2)  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,  (3)  Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,  (4)  Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;  (5)  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

Have you ever seen a more self-loving generation than our own? But rather than having our eyes on them, why not place our eyes on our own hearts to see if we are guilty of the same! We have to examine ourselves daily to make sure that we are practicing our faith! We can’t allow ourselves to grow cold toward the things of God. We can’t allow the things of this world to dictate our walk with Christ. Yielding ourselves to the Holy Spirit and using the gifts He has given to us to reach a lost and dying world will keep us “in the faith.”

2 Cor 13:5  Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

We can’t blame the world for everything. We need to do moral inventory and compare it to the Scriptures, not man’s definition of what is right. We all know man’s definitions change all the time. The Bible is our measuring stick and plumb line. It never changes – it is not God who moves away from us, but our hearts move away from God. Be vigilant!

The time is coming when it will be too late for you to repent. You will remember each opportunity you were given by God to be saved; you will remember each time you laughed it off and ignored it. Please Reader, repent and accept Christ into your life. (Act 16:31, Rom 10:9) I want to be sure that anyone who reads the posts on this blog can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are going to Heaven. Have you received Christ as your Saviour? If no, your sins are not covered by His sacrificial offering of Himself. You have not been redeemed by His blood. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

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