Good Morning, Meetpastordan Readers…Here I am in less-than-sunny Jerseyville, Illinois. We came back here for a few days because Pam’s mon in undergoing surgery tomorrow morning. Since her surgeon is a former student of mine while at Washington University, and very good friend over the years, I wanted his opinion on an issue I’m dealing with that involves numb fingers. My primary care physician suggested a neurologist, but since I’m here, it’s a great time to hang with my friend, Ari, and get a first-rate diagnosis. But now, everyone at the Hillen household has gone to bed, so it’s a perfect time for me to start writing.
Not that I want to dwell on the obvious, but every day when I open my eyes, I awaken to a day that seems crazier than the one before. And as I talk to people throughout the day, they willingly share the same opinion, so I know I’m not alone in this observation. But truth be told, we should not be surprised by what we have seen happening, because it has been prophesized for thousands of years. Throughout the Bible, God has spoken through prophets concerning events in the future. Isaiah, Zachariah, Hosea, Apostle Paul, to mention only a few, have spoken of events to come, so that we would recognize the signs, and not be caught off-guard. Apostle Paul gave this warning to Timothy, his disciple, in 2 Timothy, 3:1-5.
“You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and will love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but will reject the power that could make them Godly. Timothy, stay away from people like that.” Remember, those words were written 2000 years ago, but now ask yourself, “how accurately do those words portray today’s culture?
Apostle Paul went on to say, “Evil people and imposters will flourish, and they will deceive others, including many believers who are not strong in faith.” But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught, for you know they are true, because you know you can trust those who taught you the Holy Scriptures.” (vs. 12-14)
Jesus also spoke of the end times in the Olivet Discourse, found in Matthew 24-25: He told His followers, “Don’t let anyone mislead you, for many will come in My name, claiming ‘I am the Messiah’. They will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately. Nations will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world, but all of this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come. These times will be more horrific than any time before, or any time to follow. You will be hated, arrested, persecuted and many will be killed because you are My followers; Many will turn away from Me, and betray and hate each other; Many false prophets will appear and they will perform great signs and wonders designed to deceive God’s Chosen Ones; Sin will be rampant, and the love of many will grow cold. You will see what the prophet Daniel spoke about – the sacrilegious object that causes desecration standing in the Holy Place. But the ones who endure to the end will be saved.
Immediately after the anguish of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will give no light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers in the heavens (and on earth) will be shaken. And then at last, the sign of the Son of Man coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all worldly people. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. He will send out His angels with the mighty blast of a trumpet, and they will gather His Chosen Ones from all over the world to join Him in eternal life.”
There are many more examples I could use regarding end times, but what do you see as striking characteristics in just these two examples? For instance, both talk about love growing cold; both talk about idol-worship; both talk about disdain for God; both talk about false prophets and their intent to deceive, and both speak of hatred and persecution. Jesus portrayed this time as “horrific”, more so than any time before, or any time to follow. If you believe these 5 characteristics do define our culture today, can you answer in your own mind “why” or “why not?” I will do the same, and I’ll present my thoughts.
Why would love grow cold? Could it be that we never really understood what love was? When the term is used in the Bible, it is referring to Agape Love, the deepest form of love. Agape Love is self-sacrificial love, the kind of love Jesus demonstrated when He was on this earth. It is “other” focused, not self-centered. Agape love means we desire to honor the other person, and we want them to know that, and to feel secure in that love. It is the opposite of conditional love (ie I’ll love you if…; I’ll love you when…) Agape Love is also the opposite of fear, anger, hatred and jealousy.
Why would idol worship be preferred? God wants us to submit to His will, but our sin-nature wants to focus on self. Our idol becomes the god we choose to worship, whether it be money, power and prestige, things that bring us pleasure, or things that exalt us. When we choose our own god, we are in control. Therefore, this false god now serves us. That’s more to Man’s liking than submitting to a God who doesn’t always “perform” to our liking, or is not on our time schedule. The truth of Isaiah, 55:8-9 totally eludes the afore mentioned way of thinking: “My ways are not your ways, and My thoughts are not your thoughts. As high as heaven is above the earth, so are My ways not your ways and My thoughts not your thoughts.” A man’s heart is proud; his eyes are haughty, and he is always in search of that next “fix” of self-indulgence. He foolishly depends on his god to fulfill his needs.
Why would there be disdain for God? The truth is, in order to grasp things of the spirit, one has to be of the spirit. Apostle Paul speaks to this truth in 1 Corinthians 18-28: “The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved by this same message know it is the very power of God. As the Scriptures say, ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and discard the intelligence of the intelligent.”
So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish. Since God in His wisdom saw to it that the world would never know Him through human wisdom, He has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe… To those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans. Few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And He chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important.”
All who are in Christ have received the gift, and the power, of the Holy Spirit. This was given to us so we could become the person God created us to be. Here is the take-away: The Holy Spirit empowers us to do things we cannot do through our own effort, and He leads us into all truth, including spiritual truth. As Apostle Paul said above, “Without the Spirit, the world will never know Him through human wisdom.”
What about false prophets and their intent to deceive? A false prophet is anyone who teaches and preaches falsehoods that are contrary to God’s will, but claims that these “new ideas, or enlightenments” are the “real truth” or the “new truth.” There have always been false prophets and there will always continue to be false prophets, because they are promoters of agendas that bring honor and glory to something, or someone, other than God. Worldly teaching, philosophies, and especially political movements that promote secular agendas, will often be willing to deceive in order to further their cause. That ungodly thinking leads them to believe that the ends justify the means.
What about hatred and persecution? God’s Word stands in striking contrast to worldly agendas. In order to establish something new, it is necessary to remove the existing pillars that define the intended target of change. God and His Word has to be at the top of the list, because it represents a major stumbling block to “progress.” By this, I mean it represents a moral compass and a message of freedom that is currently out of favor and under assault. History has shown that silencing the message, and the messengers, has been a favored tactic, and that is precisely why prophecies have been spoken about the future. As Jesus told His disciples when they asked about when these things would take place, His answer was succinct: “Watch and listen.”
I will close by reiterating Jesus’ powerful words. “These times will be more horrific than any time before, or any time to follow. But the ones who endure to the end will be saved.” Therefore… “watch and listen.”
Feel free to respond to this message, and please share it with other social media friends.
May God Bless You abundantly,
Dan Presgrave, (a.k.a. Pastor Dan)
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