Perilous Times Are Here
Stick Figure in Peril by Flickr User Kenneth Kiffer Fong, CC License = Attribution, Noncommercial
Click image to open a new tab/window to view the original image and to access the user’s full photo stream at Flickr.
Because peril is a serious subject, let me start out with some lighter fare. The image above is from a Flickr group called Stick Figures in Peril. People post images of warning signs, and then group members comment on them. For example, on the above image, someone wrote, “Skipping like a girl will get you shot.” It’s a fun group since some of the warning signs are not exactly evident, especially if they’re in languages other than English. Plus, many of the stick figure warnings look less like people, so they will not have gender or age issues, and the comments often make fun of the figures themselves. For example, many will say something like, “Don’t do this, or you’ll end up with a detached head and no hands.” The older images have more comments of course.
As for the serious subject, we have this warning in 2 Timothy 3:1 (KJV): “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.” In other Bible versions, the words used instead of perilous include hard, grievous, terrible, distressing, difficult, terrifying, dangerous and trying. Some versions are more detailed and give other descriptions. They say there will be times of stress, much trouble, times of difficulty, and violent periods of time. In The Living Bible (TLB), Paul speaks to Timothy this way…
You may as well know this too, Timothy, that in the last days it is going to be very difficult to be a Christian.
And so it will be, and so it is, but what kinds of peril do we most often hear reported or complained about these days? Stepping away from what the Bible calls “perilous” for a moment, let’s think about some troublesome times I’ve heard about just in my lifetime. My grandfather worked three part-time jobs before he came into a career. It was difficult to find full-time work, and even with all the jobs he put in, it was hard for him to feed his family. His family of five shared a small travel trailer on a lot, and their most frequent meal was pinto beans and fried potatoes. (Those years did teach my grandma how to make the best beans and potatoes though, hence my strong desire for those foods now.)
Anyway, those were truly difficult times, but my grandparents persevered until they were able to buy a home. Once they both has jobs, times got much easier for them. They went from a hand-dug pool to a professional pool, and eventually they got a retirement home with riverfront property. But even when times were better, they were frugal and thrifty about most things, like only using the pot belly stove for heat while everyone was awake. I lived with them for some of those days, and only using upstairs heat meant my downstairs bedroom was really cold, but it also meant a few more times out to eat too.
When people complain about being poor in today’s society, it usually means they can’t afford a smart phone with an unlimited plan, a flat screen television, and premium cable. They feel left out if they don’t have a computer and high-speed Internet. Oh, and don’t even think of telling them to be satisfied if they don’t have steak for dinner and a refrigerator full of 2-liters. Where my mom and her siblings would’ve been grateful for hot dogs to go with their beans and potatoes, people are selling their food stamps for cigarettes and then griping if they run out of soda. I’m telling the truth here. And I’m not saying everyone should have to deal with eating from food banks where you get mostly canned mixed vegetables (I still think Veg-All is disgusting) and off-brand mac and cheese. I’m just saying that people complain when they could have it much worse. They could have to work for a living and still struggle for beans and potatoes.
Now, though, let me tell you what the Bible calls perilous times. I’ll share 2 Timothy 3:1-5 from The Message Bible…
Don’t be naive. There are difficult times ahead. As the end approaches, people are going to be self-absorbed, money-hungry, self-promoting, stuck-up, profane, contemptuous of parents, crude, coarse, dog-eat-dog, unbending, slanderers, impulsively wild, savage, cynical, treacherous, ruthless, bloated windbags, addicted to lust, and allergic to God. They’ll make a show of religion, but behind the scenes they’re animals. Stay clear of these people.
The KJV Bible lists the last of verse 4 and first of verse 5 like this…
“…lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.”
And doesn’t that explain perfectly why we are where we are in the last days? The real power of God can change everything. Religion is a form of godliness and only changes some things. Ethereal power (angels, miracles, etc.) have their place, but that’s still not the power people deny. The power too many of us are missing now is truth and balance; trusting that God is on His throne, in control, and absolutely knows best even when we don’t understand. We put too many things in our own thoughts and understanding, so we end up with statistics like those shown in a recent article where 63% of active Christians think sex outside of marriage is fine. The article calls them “sexual atheists” and makes very good points.
Yes, perilous times are here in so many ways, but if you know Yahveh as your Lord and Savior, you know from His word that none of this comes as a surprise to Him. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and is just as able to deliver us from these end times as He was to deliver Israel from her enemies of old. He can and will govern our lives and minds if we let Him. We have the power of His Holy Spirit to carry us through. His wisdom from Proverbs 3:5-6 (Amplified Bible) gives us a perfect promise…
Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths.
When I Said, “I Knew It.”
Having ears, they hear not, and eyes, they see not. They are blind leaders of the blind. And so is every person who does not listen to the word of God.
I said it when Todd Bentley came on the scene. I said I felt in my spirit that something was wrong. I quoted Scripture. I had many discussions with other followers of Christ. Some were downright heated. I warned that people needed to look beyond the “miracles” to see that something was wrong, but they kept worshiping him and his miracles as if he were the Messiah. And when it was finally revealed that he was having his 2nd affair with a staffer, & that his own wife had medical issues and was never brought out for any of his “amazing miraculous prayer,” he just quietly slipped away. And I said, “I knew it.”
Now, I’m saying the same thing about Barack Obama. I felt it back in 2007 when I first saw him in front of a room full of people. This was before it was announced that he was officially a nominee; before I knew he founded the criminally-acting organization of ACORN; before I knew his law office was suing banks that refused to write the risky loans that got us into the housing troubles we’re in now; before I knew his parents were Communist; before I watched him take 6 weeks to produce a birth certificate that most of us could provide for only the amount of time & money it takes to get to the county seat where we were born. Surely, the President of The United States of America could snap his fingers and an office full of employees would drop everything to pull the file, make a certified copy, have it notarized, and put it in the next overnight package out the door. 3 business days max. But, I digress.
Everything I saw in that first event was before I watched him blame the housing problems on his opponent, before our government got so big for its britches that ordinary citizens could go to jail as criminals for violating laws they didn’t even know existed (and will even more when they are jailed for tax debts incurred under Obamacare), and before I watched him divide our country more than unify it. It was before all the proof out there that, like Todd Bentley, the “winds of change” do not always blow with the Spirit of God.
What I saw that first night was a dark power. An evil being born that held more sway over the people than what I saw with Bentley and those who supported him, wrapped him in a robe, put a “special” ring on his finger, and called him “blessed of God” and “specially anointed.” The way people threw their arms up in the air and practically worshiped the man on the stage like he was some kind of rock star… well, it scared me then and it scares me now. It scares me that on the night before the election, so many are still so swayed that they would call themselves Christians and still vote for someone who thinks it’s okay to kill the innocent via abortion. It scares me that the candidates are even close when so much of what Obama has done is against the constitution, for bigger government, and opposite the foundations laid by the founding fathers of this country.
But I should not be surprised after reading Proverbs 28:5 where the book of wisdom says, “Evil men do not understand justice, but they who crave and seek the Lord understand it fully. ” Every person I have heard so far that is still in support of Obama has been that way for selfish reasons. They, or someone they know or are close to (or maybe related to) is in need of something the man has said he will provide. They cite his provisions for health care or other “free” supplements to their lives without noticing that he is also saying he will tax the very people from whom he is now getting all the provisions so many fear they will lose under Romney. They do not cite how great Obama will make our country for their children and grandchildren; only what he will do for them in the here and now. That smacks of pure selfishness. And, since the word “evil” means “minus God,” it makes sense. As it was in the days of Noah, men’s thoughts are continuously “minus God,” even in “the church world.” They are focused on what answers they can get from a man and not from God.
So, I urge and beg those who even begin to think they love God Almighty to humble themselves and pray, and turn from their wicked (selfish) ways and vote for one who is more apt to truly love our country. Vote for one who’s party does not vote to remove God from the party platform. Vote for one who’s pastor has not damned our country. Vote for one who’s wife has not complained of how she hated our country. Vote for one who supports Israel rather than bowing to her enemies. (And for those still thinking of voting for Paul, he said Israel was her own problem, so even if I was not urging you to change your vote to keep the balance toward Romney, I would urge you to change it to keep us from losing the benefits we gain with God by being an ally to the country where God will someday place his throne.)
And whatever happens tomorrow, I know that Yahveh, God Almighty, is still on His throne, and I know that the righteous will not be forsaken. I know that God will protect us, and I even know that He will forgive those who vote for the ungodly Obama in ignorance and selfishness. Yet, even as I know these things, I still put out my plea to unseat this man who has continually lied to us from promises of a balanced budget to new jobs that he only managed to give to the many new czars he placed in charge of his many new committees. Please be led by the Spirit of God and not by the spirit of selfishness or greed that would make it okay to believe the report of a liar instead of the report of the Lord. I am convinced in my spirit that it would be a grave mistake to bring the man in for another four years. I believe he will walk away with information that will create damage even with a lost election, but I believe it will be even worse if he maintains his commandeering position. (One former high-ranking official from the Pentagon even warned that if Obama wins this election, it will be the last free election we know in this country. I don’t claim to know prophetically if this is true or not, but I do believe in the depths of my heart that we are in danger from the first election and will be in even more danger from a repeat.) Please do not be one of the blind that needs to repent later when our country ends up in bondage and those like me are saying, “We just knew it.”
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It’s About (End) Time
One problem with an abundant memory can be how to focus on just a little piece of it. For the subject of tonight’s post, my mind has taken me all over the place. I’ve searched my blog to make sure I haven’t already written about “end time revival” (I did), and I’ve checked for other posts on time or with pictures of clocks and watches. My mind has also sent me looking for pictures on Flickr about driving through history, scattered things, time and watches, and more. Oh, and I’ve been remembering lots and lots of songs.
For music, my playlist includes gospel songs about revival; ApologetiX parodies like Stay in the Light (from “Stayin’ Alive”) and Life Restored from (Last Resort); and finally, the song above from a television show I’ve never seen but heard my husband talk about. (Yes, even things that I’m not familiar with but have been spoken to me by others seem to stay in my mind.) I hope Hubby and others enjoy the trip down TV memory lane, and if you want the full lyrics, including the ones that were changed when the astronauts went forward in time, visit TV Acres.com.
In today’s reading from Deuteronomy 30:1 through Deuteronomy 30:6, Moses gives Israel a prophecy of their future–and what may well still be in the future for all of us. The first thing Moses says to them is, “When the time arrives that all these things have come upon you, both the blessing and the curse.” He continues by bringing it to their attention that a day will come when they have experienced all the blessings and curses written in the Torah. At that time, they will be scattered to wherever God has driven them as a result of their disobedience.
While this may sound hopeless, it’s not. Moses tells them that these events will make them finally start thinking about what has happened. Moses even tells them they will return to God (that’s a really good thing) and listen to His words and obey with all their heart and being. Moses adds to their hope by telling them that in those says, God will reverse their exile and show them mercy. God will gather them from all peoples where they have been scattered. Paul speaks of this in the eleventh chapter of Romans, beginning at Romans 11:1-2a (Amplified Bible) where he says…
Moses tells them that even if someone was scattered to the far end of the sky, God will gather them back. He will personally go and get them Himself! And, when God brings His people back, He will make them prosper more than their ancestors, and the best is still ahead. When He brings them back, God will circumcise their hearts, so they will love Him with all their heart and all their being, and thus shall they live.
I love that last line…thus shall they live! Circumcised in heart and loving God with all that is within them, thus shall they live. I cannot imagine a better way to live. I cannot imagine a better definition for life. A people who were in the wilderness are home. A people who were scattered are gathered. A people who were dull of seeing and hearing and understanding are fully aware and fully in love with their Creator. This sounds like an end time revival to me; a happy ending. It’s about (end) time!
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September 9, 2014 Posted by Crystal A Murray (aka CrystalWriter) | Bible Study, Nonfiction, Torah Commentary | Bible Commentary, Bible study, circumcised in heart, Complete Jewish Bible, Deuteronomy, end times, hope, Israel, Moses, revival, Scripture, Torah commentary, Torah Portions | Leave a comment