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: End Times

Are We in the End Times? Day 5

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On November 24, 2021

In Devotionals, End Times

Photography by Cecelia Becker

(2Ti 3:2)  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

Good morning! Who else is excited about diving into God’s word today? I know I am 🥰 It excites me to know that anyone of us can open our Bible and be taught by God Himself! We don’t need anyone to interpret what the words mean. The Holy Spirit is the Author of the Bible and He is the One who will teach us! Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

Today’s word is a small and simple word; but is it really? It doesn’t seem like it would be indicative of the end times but if you hone in on its meaning and how it is used, you will come to realize that it most certainly does apply to these end times. It’s like peeling back the various layers of an onion, isn’t it?

Let’s look at the modern definition in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary:

Definition of proud:

1: feeling or showing pride: such as a: having or displaying excessive self-esteem b: much pleased c: having proper self-respect

But now, let’s look at the definition according to Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary:

Having inordinate self-esteem; possessing a high or unreasonable conceit of one’s own excellence, either of body or mind. A man may be proud of his person, of his talents, of his accomplishments or of his achievements. He may be proud of any thing to which he bears some relation. He conceives that any thing excellent or valuable, in which he has a share, or to which he stands related, contributes to his own importance, and this conception exalts his opinion of himself. Proud is followed by of, before the object, supra.

Arrogant; haughty; supercilious.
A foe so proud will not the weaker seek.

Daring; presumptuous.
By his understanding he smiteth through the proud. Job 26.

Ostentatious; grand; as proud titles.

WOW! 😮 Can you see why I turn to this dictionary instead of today’s modern English dictionaries? It allows me to understand what the real intent of the word was and when it was put into the English language. So now let’s look at the Greek word used for “proud” in Strong’s Concordance:

ὑπερήφανος
huperēphanos
hoop-er-ay’-fan-os
From G5228 and G5316; appearing above others (conspicuous), that is, (figuratively) haughty: – proud.
Total KJV occurrences: 5

The scriptures that contain this Greek word are found in:

(Luk 1:51)  He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
(Rom 1:30)  Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
(2Ti 3:2)  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
(Jas 4:6)  But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
(1Pe 5:5)  Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

Can you see that none of these have a positive connotation? In fact, the last two verses referenced above say that God resists them. It’s truly not a good thing to be considered proud. But let’s forget about us for a moment and let’s see how the Lord feels about it:

He scattered the proud in the imagination of their heart;

He marked them with the rest of those who will suffer the wrath of God in Rom 1:18-30;

He said they would be prevalent in the end times;

He resists them and gives grace to the humble.

No where do we see that God views pride as a good thing, friend. You can do a word search for yourself in the bible and you’ll discover the same thing. So how does this tie in with the end times, you may ask?

How many people do you personally know that are truly humble? I can name a few in my church, my Pastor and a few close friends. But with those I come in contact with that are not believers, I see how much more pride has filled their hearts. The unbelieving world doesn’t see their own sinfulness. They don’t want to be told they are sinners. They don’t acknowledge Jesus Christ, the Lord in their actions! Their pride leads them to believe that they are on the right path, which as a result is the path to destruction.

If you are one of the prideful, ask God to create in you a clean heart and renew a right spirit within you (Psalm 51:10). Be humble and admit your sin of pride. After all, the first sin of pride came from Lucifer himself!

(Eze 28:17)  Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.

The phrase “lifted up” here is defined as swelled with pride. Here lies the very first sin committed and it was from Lucifer! He is the father of lies.

(Joh 8:44)  Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

If you happen to be reading this and are not saved, it is no coincidence. God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Jump to Day 6.

Are We in the End Times – Day 4

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On November 23, 2021

In Devotionals, End Times

Photography by Chris Michaud

(2 Ti 3:2)  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

As I continue with this devotional series, I literally shudder at the relevance of these scriptures for a time such as this! My heart aches and wants to explode with desire to reach those who are lost and Christians who are misguided! Lord, I pray that You would draw those who need these scriptures so they can be alerted to just how late it is in Your prophetic clock! In Christ’s precious name I pray!

Today’s alert is the word “boasters.” I love Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary because it defines exactly what the English word meant at the time the King James Bible was printed! His definition is below. Because the definition needs expanding, I’ve also included the definitions for “vaunt” and “ostentatious”:

BOASTER, n. One who boasts, glories or vaunts ostentatiously.

V’AUNT, v.i. [L. vanus. This ought to be written vant.]
To boast; to make a vain display of one’s own worth, attainments or decorations; to talk with vain ostentation; to brag.
Pride – prompts a man to vaunt and overvalue what he is.

OSTENTA’TIOUS, a. Making a display from vanity; boastful; fond of presenting one’s endowments or works to others in an advantageous light.
Your modesty is so far from being ostentatious of the good you do –

Showy; gaudy; intended for vain display; as ostentatious ornaments.

Now that you’ve read through these, does it open the meaning of boaster to you? With the invention of the internet and social media, we see people boasting so much more than before. In the past, we were limited to newspapers and boasters were really not something to write about, unless they were politicians. But today, we are truly in the “I” generation. Everything is about me, me, me! Narcissistic people are everywhere. They are obsessed with their own image, their own progress, and they have an exaggerated idea of their own importance. What once was prevalent in politicians and the pharasitical attitudes of church leaders, is now running rampant in the human heart. Is it any wonder that Christ said:

(Luk 18:8)  I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

The believer is held to a higher standard than the world. We should not be caught up in the “I” generation’s belief system. We should not be boasters. In fact, Scripture says:

(Pro 27:2)  Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips.

Social media is filled with apps that record one’s actions and words. You don’t have to watch them for long until you see people boasting about themselves. It’s really not something I would have thought of when I first was saved in 1980. Of course, social media was just starting and it wasn’t used for this purpose. Perhaps that is why I see today’s word so clearly.

If you are a believer who is guilty of this, I pray that this post will speak to your heart. As Prov. 27:2 says above, it’s not up to us to praise ourselves. Let it come from someone else and then be humble about it.

If you happen to be reading this and are not saved, it is no coincidence. God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Jump to Day 5.

Are We in the End Times? Day 3

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On November 22, 2021

In Devotionals, End Times

Photography by Bob Sabo

(2 Ti 3:2)  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

Isn’t today’s picture appropriate for the word, “covetous”? It’s like you are looking out into the world and desiring what it has, doesn’t it? We know this cardinal isn’t doing that but use your mind’s eye 😉

The word “covetous” is very much an indicator that we are in the end times! The minute something new comes out in the world of fashion or technology, lines form in order to purchase it. Look at the latest iPhone releases! Who would imagine paying $1,000 for a cell phone! Or even paying $800 for a pair of sneakers! 😲

Let’s see what we can glean from today’s word. Noah Webster defines the negative aspect of the word covetous as:

COVETOUS, a.

Inordinately desirous; excessively eager to obtain and possess; directed to money or goods, avaricious.

Never has there been $1,000 cell phones in history but we sure have them today. The sad thing is that Christians, as well as the rest of the world, will gladly pay this! Why? This is truly the definition of avaricious! People have the insatiable, inordinate passion for property!

Strong’s Greek word for covetous is:

φιλάργυρος
philarguros
fil-ar’-goo-ros
From G5384 and G696; fond of silver (money), that is, avaricious: – covetous.
Total KJV occurrences: 2

As you can see there are only two occurrences of this Greek word in the New Testament: once in today’s verse and the other is in Luke 16:14:

(Luk 16:13-14)  No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. (14)  And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him.

It’s interesting to note that the ones who were covetous in Luke 16:14 were the Pharisees! They were the leaders of the Jewish faith! Wow! Furthermore, what did the Pharisees do when they heard they couldn’t serve God and riches? They laughed, ridiculed and mocked Jesus! How applicable is that to the world today??? Today’s world is definitely laughing, ridiculing and mocking Jesus, aren’t they? They may not necessarily all be using words, but their actions certainly do.

Is it any wonder that this action is included in a sign of the end times? Remember, Paul was making a point with Timothy so that he would be able to recognize the signs. Even though the end times didn’t occur in Timothy’s lifetime, it surely is a warning to us! All believers should be honing in on what to expect when Christ will allow the antichrist to usher in the Tribulation. All believers should recognize these signs and know that the end is at the door!

Dear friend, don’t be naive! Be a reader and student of God’s word! Recognize where we are in God’s timing and don’t be deceived.

If you happen to be reading this and are not saved, it is no coincidence. God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Jump to Day 4.

Are We in the End Times? Day 2

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On November 19, 2021

In Devotionals, End Times

Photography by Chris Michaud

2 Tim 3:2  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,  

I once read an acronym “JOY” to describe what the believer’s priorities should be: Jesus, Others, You. Priorities based on this acronym will result in “joy” in the Christian’s heart! It used to be that way once upon a time. One only needs to read history books to find out what communities would do when someone’s barn burned to the ground. Everyone would set aside their own chores to help build a new barn for their neighbor. It is a practice that is still done in the Amish communities. Not that I approve of their doctrine, but I applaud their moral compass. They have managed to keep the world out of their daily lives.

The world does not have this desire any longer. They love themselves first and their thoughts are all about being self absorbed. We can see this evidence in the decline of church attendance and the moral decay of believers. But are we taught this in God’s word? No! In fact, quite the oppositie. The bible says:

We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother. (1 John 4:19–21)

“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matt. 22:36–40)

We are taught that our goal is to love God first – it’s not to be our goal to love ourselves.

The world’s idea of self love revolves around doing anything that makes one feel good and look appealing to others. People take “selfies” and post them online for the world to see. Who truly cares? They go to the gym so they can have the best built body. They get plastic surgery, tattoos, piercings – all so others notice them. However, that is not what the Bible teaches us.

Is it any wonder that it is one of the signs of the end times? It is the first sign mentioned in 2 Tim. 3:2! We are known as the “me generation” and it is very evident in today’s world.

If you happen to be reading this and are not saved, it is no coincidence. God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Jump to Day 3.

Are We in the End Times? – Day 1

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On November 18, 2021

In Devotionals, End Times

Photography by Chris Michaud

2 Ti 3:1  This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.  

In the 40+ years that I’ve been saved, I’ve seen such a change in our world. People are no longer tender toward God’s word like they used to be. That’s why I picked today’s topic to be the first new post in this next series on my blog. We are going to cover 2 Timothy 3:1-9.

Granted, one can say that the events described in other parts of Scriptures can depict the times in which they were written. However, Paul goes into much detail in these nine verses.

Paul continues to say to Timothy in verse 13:

(2 Ti 3:13)  But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

There was a time when the evening news would report facts but in the years of my salvation, I’ve seen the development of the media’s agenda against truth, having been purchased by the rich and powerful. All events today are pointing toward a one-world government. You may think that I am a conspiracy theorist but that’s the furthest thing from the truth. I am going to let the Scriptures prove my point and not the media. God’s words are truth and everything in its prophetic pages will come to past.

(Mat 5:18)  For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

(Luk 16:17)  And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.

The Apostle Paul begins this chapter by telling Timothy that perilous times shall come. I’m sure that Christians who lived during Nero’s reign thought they were living in perilous times. However, Paul was being very precise here. Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary defines it as:

PER’ILOUS, a. Dangerous; hazardous; full of risk; as a perilous undertaking; a perilous situation.

The Greek word for perilous only appears twice in the New Testament: Matthew 8:28 (where it refers to the word fierce) and here in 2 Tim. 3:1 referring to the end times. The word is defined as:

χαλεπός
chalepos
khal-ep-os’
Perhaps from G5465 through the idea of reducing the strength; difficult, that is, dangerous, or (by implication) furious: – fierce, perilous.
Total KJV occurrences: 2

The Greek language has several words to define one English word (examples are “love” and “wine”). But when you see a specific Greek word used only twice in the New Testament, we should be on alert. We should wonder why!

We are to have inquisitive minds when it comes to references like these. Jesus was very careful as to what was to be put in His word. His Holy Spirit’s job was to document God’s word so mankind would have access to it.

(2Pe 1:20-21)  Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. (22) For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

(2Ti 3:16)  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

Therefore, we know that each word, each jot and tittle, is in the Scriptures for a reason. The Lord chose the word “perilous” so that we would pay attention. Its uniqueness is what I’m trying to convey to you. Why do I think we are living in the end times? I believe we are because the world has become fierce, not just in a particular country but all over the earth. Sin is prevalent and is running rampant. The world says that certain sins are now good and good is now sin (example: abortion). Isaiah prophesied of this back in 740-700 BC:

(Isa 5:20)  Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

We lived in very dangerous times where neighbors 2343 reporting unvaccinated people to authorities, Covid-19 passports were being implemented in various countries, and people couldn’t travel without one (as in Australia). Have we ever been in this kind of situation – ever? It may have been true in Hitler’s time but not all over the world as it was then. The next pandemic’s framework has been set. This is definitely one of those things that we believers consider “perilous.” The whole world is transitioning and it’s coming to a point where nations will want a global solution to their problems.

So strap yourself in and we will work through each verse and compare that verse with the world’s end-time temperature. It’s not like we can do a lab experiment or run a series of tests. But what we do have is God’s word and it is never wrong.

If you happen to be reading this and are not saved, it is no coincidence. God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Jump to Day 2.

For the Master’s Use

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On October 8, 2021

In For the Master's Use

Photography by Bob Sabo

Are you a Christian ready for the Master to use? Do you allow yourself to be used of Him? So many are aching and in need of a tender touch or kind word in today’s world. This is a two-week devotional originally written 2008 in hopes that a Christian would come across it and find it helpful!

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