Recognize the last days

[Elder-Shawn Denise Briscoe]

2 Timothy 3 -

I want you to know that the LORD GOD Most High is an awesome GOD. This week I was reading that in England where it is also Spring. They have been dealing with flooding and winter snow storms. In a month the LORD GOD willing the season of summer will be among us. It makes me wonder; where in the USA or other countries where we share the same season; will it be the total opposite of what we are accustomed to? I believe that CHRISTians are comfortable and lazy. I believe that CHRISTians don’t have a clue as to what is going on; what to do consistently or what to watch out for consistently. When Washington, DC experienced an earth quake that everyone felt; people were running out of their homes and saying that GOD is judging and not pleased with what HE sees. Yet, as time went on people went right back to their own devices; forgetting all about GOD and the fear that struck their hearts during that earth quake. This chapter in 2 Timothy is a guide to CHRISTians what we are witnessing in the last days. Ask yourself; have you witnessed any of these?

• Men / women will be lovers of themselves. Meaning they are selfish and think of only what they can get or what someone can do for them. (I gotta get mine)
• Men / women will be lovers of money. Women for centuries have sold their precious bodies for money as well as men. Men / women will do anything and everything to get money and they will not care who it hurts. Getting an education and working does not provide them with the bank roll they desire so crime is their only answer. (so they think)
• Men / women will boast / brag about their escapades to others. Many times what they are saying are lies because they want to appear more than who they really are. So they feel they have to exaggerate themselves to get noticed.
• Men / women will be filled with pride and 100% of the time it’s false pride. Pride is what got Lucifer kicked swiftly out of heaven because pride will cause us to lift ourselves up to a place we are either not ready to be or not assigned to be.
• Men / women will be blasphemers. Their mouths are always filled with abusive words towards themselves; others and using the name of GOD in a disrespectful way.
• Children are disobeying parents more and more. Parents have either allowed the government to tell them how to train up their children. Parents are horrible allowing their children to grow up without good and respectful structure and they ignore them. Parents are horrible because instead of talking to their children they use profanity and abusive hitting to get their message across.
• Manners have gone out the doors or windows. What happened to being appreciative of the good others have done for us? What happened to saying thank you and no thank you? What happened to offering a female your seat? What happened to opening a door for a female? What happened to guarding our conversation so not to offend a female or our elders? What happened to respecting all people? What happened to females being noticed by covering themselves up; yet, being stylish as they leave something to the imagination of males? What happened to males not wearing their pants up over their bums and having a belt on? Somebody please tell me what happened? (just something for you to think about)
• Remember the days when sitting on church steps was considered a no-no? Remember when people would not stand in front of a church and use profanity? Remember when people would not use profanity in front of their elders? Remember when people thought that the very use of GOD in a way that was not religious was considered unholy or blasphemous? Remember when family time included reading the bible? Remember when the entire family went to church and not just the kids so that the parents could have some quiet?
• Did you know that just because a person tells you that he / she loves you; does not really mean that he / she loves you? Many people use the phrase I love you too flippantly and as soon as something go wrong. Bang-bang your shot; stabbed; poisoned; evicted or cut off. This is only to show that people are unloving. We need CHRIST JESUS truly living within us for us to have the ability to love.
• JESUS said that we have to forgive. After all HE forgives us; so who are we not to forgive. Only one lost in sin could be unforgiving.
• We hear people all day long tell cruel, evil, mean tales about others. Slandering of another has become the norm not only in the lost sinner but in the Christian as well. True born-again CHRISTians must learn to keep their mouths closed at the proper time; who says that we must agree with the conversation going on around us. Learn to have nothing to say if we can’t think of anything kind to say.
• People have lost their authority to having self-control. Self-control is activated when we realize that we are the one who actually has the brain, the intelligence, the mouth and we are living. We give our authority over to inanimate objects all the time; why?
• Some people are becoming more and more harsh / brutal with each other. People are acting ferocious and unreasonable.
• Some people do not appreciate the good that others do.
• Some people have become traitors to their parents and children; just to get what they want.
• If you are like me a natural leader; you are headstrong. We must daily surrender our will over to JESUS and allow HIS will to be done in our lives. It will not be easy in the beginning; however, consistently give your will over to JESUS and before you know it; HIS will is apart of your desire daily.
• No person has a right to be arrogant or snobbish; I remember all too well being said that I was this way by someone I greatly care about. They were very wrong; I believe that because this person really does not know me; really has no idea of the people I socialize with; really has no idea with the things that I am involved in. This person sees or saw me as being arrogant. We must all realize that as far as human kind go; we are all related all over this world because we all come from Adam and Eve. Then once we become born-again CHRISTians we must realize that we are sisters and brothers and when we see each other out on the street. We should acknowledge each other; it’s not about knowing names but it is about recognition and relationship.
•  At some point in time we all must sit down and ask ourselves these question. What and who is more important than my relationship with JESUS? Are these pleasures more important to me than my relationship with JESUS? All too often Christians are putting sports; family; transportation and other foolish things they have control of to stop them from fellowshipping with their sisters and brothers on Saturday or Sunday. I realize that some Christians have to work on Saturdays or Sundays; so if you are off during the night that bible study is going on at your church; what is your excuse?
• A form of godliness. All too often I see people going and coming from church and yet they live a lie. At the very least would it not be wonderful to put into practice what was preached / taught from the pulpit? But unfortunately I don’t witness much of that; I hear people still taking ownership of why their bodies hurt. I still hear people use profanity as if it’s a second language. I still witness people acting out as lost sinners. I still see people going to the clubs scantily dressed. I still see couples who are fighting like professional boxers with their words. I still see kids acting like Bay-Bay’s children. I don’t get to see many people walking in the ways of the Almighty GOD. So that tells me; that there are many who are pretenders in the church building and that they have perfected the form of godliness but actually are not GODly at all because the power of GOD is not evident in their lives. JESUS said that we will know them by their fruit.

Timothy was a wonderful evangelist and we can learn much from him and all that he went through. I believe that we can follow his lifestyle by applying it to today. If you have not been persecuted for your faith in JESUS; maybe it’s because no one realizes that you believe in JESUS. No one has seen you turn away from your old ways. No one has seen a change in you that can only come from CHRIST JESUS HIMSELF. The LORD JESUS is faithful and HE has and HE can deliver us. We have to have a determined desire to live GODly in CHRIST JESUS and be willing to suffer the persecutions that will come. If you don’t believe me or you think that it’s only happening in other countries like China take a look at California and how just to have bible study in your own home a permit must be issued which will show the number of people expected to be there and for the purpose of them being in the home. Look how marriage between the same sexes are being accepting in this country and before too long; all fifty states will be on board with the decision. Mainly because true, blood washed, born-again CHRISTians are allowing Christians to speak up for them. They are not speaking in love; many are violent towards homosexuals. This sin is no different than adultery and fornication. True, blood washed, forgiven, merciful, loving with the Grace of GOD through JESUS CHRIST CHRISTians must stand and believe in their convictions of GOD’s Holy Word. We are not given a spirit of fear but of power and of might. We must know the Holy Scriptures for ourselves because they are the only thing that will make us wise for salvation through faith in CHRIST JESUS. The Holy Scriptures regardless of what others say has been inspired of the LORD GOD. HIS Word is profitable, beneficial and gainful. HIS Word is able to reproof, rebuke, put us to shame and bring us to reproach for correction. HIS Word will instruct us in HIS righteousness and we will grow into completeness and thoroughly equipped for every good work in GOD through CHRIST JESUS. http://about.me/amfbministry