2 Timothy 3:1-9 – “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 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! 6 For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, 7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 8 Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; 9 but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was.”  NKJV

I never want to advocate violence or the inciting of violence and at the same time defend freedom of speech and religion.  I may not appreciate or agree with your view of things political, social, economic or religious but I defend your right to hold those views.  If you trash my nation or my God I will not resort to violence toward you for that is foreign to my faith.  If you attempt to harm my family or my person I will not passively allow you to do so.  You can question my Christianity for that statement and if I am wrong I pray that God reveal to me the right.  I do turn the other cheek and yet do not find it compatible with the Bible, as I understand it, to allow the rape or slaughter of innocent people.

There are those who feel that Christians should be totally passive while allowing violent religious and political sects to run roughshod over everyone.  There is little outrage over the systematic and mass killings of Christians by Islamist and yet if anyone stands against Islam they are labeled as hate-mongers.  What about the hate from the others? 

I am not trying to be political in this devotional but wanted to say those things to bring us to the point I feel is germane.  The Bible predicted and predicts a condition in the world that can be witnessed in the Headlines of various news sources worldwide.  PERILOUS TIMES!  The root of the problem is sin and out of that heart condition of man we see the revealing of narcissistic self-love, greed, excessive pride, blasphemy, disrespect, disobedience, totally lacking appreciation for that which one has, lasciviousness, void of love, vengeful, unrestricted character assignation, absence of self-control, brutality, treachery, treason, stubbornness, pleasure seekers and despisers of that which is good, wholesome and moral.  We see a condition, even in Christendom, where people profess a belief in God and the Bible but are totally void of any real evidence of His presence or power in their lives.

Education has long been touted as the cure all to end all the ills of mankind but when the institutions of higher learning became leftist socialist factories of indoctrination verse seven become apropos “ever learning but never able to come to the truth…”  Truth sets free but and as Pilate asked Jesus, “What is truth?”  Truth is Jesus and the message He brought to this world as revealed in the Bible.  We are living in the period the Bible calls The Last Days and I do not see conditions or people getting better as a whole but worse.  I believe there will be an escalation of violence, racial discord, religious discord, political discord paralleled by a revival of epic proportions transforming millions.  There is going to be chaos and calamity concurrent with restoration and renewal.  The question for us is, “Which one will we be a part of?” 

We will not escape the violence and wickedness of these last days but we can face them with the power, strength, grace and confidence of God’s Promises.  We can face them with our Eternal Destiny settled and when a person does not fear death they can do incredible things even in the face of that eventuality.  We know in whom we have believed and are persuaded that He is able to keep that which we have committed to Him against that day!

Do not let the condition of the world overly trouble your heart for if you belong to God you can dwell under the shelter of His arms and should you become a casualty you simply transition into that Eternal Realm.  SO DO NOT FEAR LITTLE FLOCK – – Our Father desires to give us the Kingdom.

            God bless you in this hour is my genuine prayer and desire!