Mark This!

  "But mark this: 

There will be terrible times in the last days. 

 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 love pleasure rather than God.  They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly

2 Tim 3

There are some passages of Scripture, God tells us to MARK. There are some things He wants us to know. 2 Tim 3 is one of those passages we are suppose to mark. It is a warning for those of us living in the last days. We are living in terrible times :(. What does it say people will be like in the last days?

"People will be lovers of themselves"- We are living in a "selfie" era. Worldly psychology calls this narcissism. I actually don't believe in "narcissism". Selfishness isn't a personality disorder, it's a sin disorder. Sin makes you selfish and it makes you stupid. Sin hardens your heart so your heart grows cold. Sin makes you throw relationships away because you only care about yourself. 

"lovers of money"- I think this is only gonna get worse as money gets more scarce. People think money can make you happy but it only makes you discontent. The more you have, the more you have to worry about. 

"boastful"- braggers, name-droppers

"proud"- haughty, finding their identity in accolades... not realizing everything they have came from God's gracious hand. 

"abusive"- someone who speaks evil, slanderous, causing deep harm without remorse, no fear of God

"disobedient to their parents"- not compliant, refusing to submit. This isn't talking about toddlers. This is written to "men/adults". Another passage says "children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death." Toddlers can't do that. There is a very real mindset right now that teens know more than their parents. That has always been a trap but I feel like it is out of control now. There is a "nobody tells me what to do" lie out there that is taking teens down left and right. :( They don't understand that there is FREEDOM found in submission. Rebellion leads to bondage.  Teens are rioting and destroying cities and actually killing their parents. You can read this stuff in the news. It's very real. And very sad. So many hurting parents right now. :(  

"ungrateful"- ungracious, unthankful, entitled :( 

"consider nothing sacred"- wicked, living controlled by bodily appetites with no fear of God, thinking that sin has no consequences, no convictions, giving no spiritual thought to how you live, no reverence for sacred places like THE WOMB, marriage, the family. Anything goes when nothing is sacred. 

"unloving"- without natural affection, hard-hearted toward family, unsociable

"unforgiving"- refusing to reconcile. This is the cancel culture, boundary-loving, therapy-living, bitter crowd who will throw relationships away over any offense. Letting bitterness control and identify them. They give no grace. These people justify estrangement and blame everything on others. Constant fault-finders. People who are actually going BACK into their childhood through hypnotic type avenues to FIND offenses. Always looking back, never forgetting what is behind and pressing forward. These people do not understand what Jesus did on the cross... FOR THEM.

"slanderous"- false accusers, siding with the devil. Anybody can accuse anyone of anything. Anyone can sue someone with a few dollars and a piece of paper. The enemy is known as the "accuser of the brethren". If you are falsely accusing someone and slandering them, you are siding with the devil. Jesus is an ADVOCATE. These people are the opposite of advocates. 

"without self-control"- powerless to live in control, addictions

"cruel/brutal"-  fierce and not tame. Mean-spirited people who cause great harm.

"haters of good"- opposed to goodness & good men, the woke mob, people who want to destroy things that are good, people who want to take down ministries and pastors. This is TARGETED attacks. This would also describe enablers. Enablers help harm things that are good.  Supporting what is evil is the same as hating what is good. 

"treacherous"- BETRAYERS, traitors. People who have been in intimate places of your life who turn against you and cause harm. Modern day Judas.

"reckless'- to fall forward/ headlong, acting before thinking, not counting the cost

"conceited"- means to "raise a smoke/wrap in a mist", to blind with pride, to render stupid

"lovers of pleasure"- constantly stimulating the appetites of the flesh, constant entertainment (phone, music, sports), dopamine chasers 

"having a form of godliness but denying its power"- these people look the part, call themselves Christians, take on the form, chameleon like. Can include people in full-time "ministry".

 "Denying" means to refuse something being offered/ to act entirely unlike himself. 

"Power" here is talking about life-changing power, miracle-working power, the power that comes from armies. This is the power that enables us to be like Jesus. 

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We are living in terrible times. We are living in the last days. It is easy to see these qualities in others but we have to know that IF WE ARE NOT SURRENDERED, if we are not walking in the light, this will be us. If we are not be transformed by the renewing of our minds, we WILL BE CONFORMED to this world. And this is a description of "people". 

Praise God that He enables us to participate in A DIVINE NATURE! This list is our nature. This sinful nature is in all of us and if we are denying the power of God, we are merely a "form"... a counterfeit.  The enemy uses those people to cause devastating pain in lives around them. We have to take an end times test and see where we are failing! Confess it and ask God to give us THE POWER TO CHANGE. This list should not describe us but it is gravity if we aren't pursuing Christ. 

Is this list me? Is it you? I hope not. We are living in the last days and we cannot get sucked into the tide of this generation. The enemy is doing all that he can to control our minds through the customs and behaviors of this world. The devil is using music, movies, social media, non-Biblical counselors (this is a big scary one right now), secular colleges, etc.. to conform us. And most of the time we don't even know it is happening! It is subtle. But it is a tide that takes you so far from safety, it is nearly impossible to swim back. 

The Bible says we need to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. To be constantly repenting in order to bear fruit. To evaluate ourselves based on our fruit- not intentions- FRUIT. All of that comes from a disciplined, surrendered life to Christ. And as we abide with Him, we will look more like Him and less like this list. 

This list is a list about "people". I don't want to be like "people". I want to be like Jesus. 

Let's take an honest look at our lives and our hearts. If you aren't being transformed by the renewing of your mind, you will be conformed to this list. Get in the Word. Confess your sin. Get away from this destructive stuff and start being fruitful. God wants to use you to change the world. Don't get robbed by your own flesh. Die to self and LIVE for the Lord. We are living in the last days. Today is the day to get right with the Lord. If this list describes you, REPENT. God loves you and He has the power to change you. He will bless you and restore the years that have been lost. He wants to give you healthy relationships. He wants to deliver you from unforgiveness and bitterness. Time is running out. No more putting it off, surrender now and watch God's forgiveness give you peace and purpose.

Much love,

Steph