Matthew 24:3-14 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.
When my father reached 95 years old, his memory and physical abilities had declined to the point where his primary care physician and the state Adult Protection Services agency determined that living alone and driving had come to the point where it was detrimental and potentially dangerous; he could no longer live on his own with merely part-time home health aide care and relocated into a deluxe Assisted Care Living facility near me that provided a spacious living apartment, with maid services, a medical team for his medicines, health monitoring and care, excellent meals prepared three times daily, a physical therapist to exercise him for strength, flexibility and agility, and multiple group activities. But, since I noticed that there was a lack of spiritual opportunities, I volunteered to start a weekly Bible Study and have been teaching through the Gospel of John to residents, including my father.
2 Timothy 3:1-5 “But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people”.
One of the resident member of this Bible Study was also a member of a Prayer group that met weekly, and discussed the possibility of combining the two groups with me leading the Bible Study portion of the Christian gathering. In a preliminary meeting with the Prayer group leaders, I enquired on what their desire would be for their study, since any book of the Bible or any biblical topic could be taught upon. Their answer was based upon what was going on in the world today [the wars in the Ukraine and Israel, the mass-murder shootings, the concerted effort to eliminate God and the spreading of the Gospel in Public life, the teaching of immoral sexuality, unnatural gender mis-identification, increased violent crimes and ungodly protests against established social orders based upon godly principles and standards, increase in drug abuse and chemical dependency, increase in human trafficking and pornography, the blatant disregard of parental rights over their children and indoctrination of globalist agendas; they wanted to be taught lessons on the End Times and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ found in the Word of God.
2 Timothy 4:3-5 “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”
I talk to fellow residents while going door-to-door weekly in our church’s Saturate USA evangelism outreach program and my fellow citizens voice their concerns about the decline of society and our culture in the same issues that the Prayer group members. The moral majority desires godliness, holiness, righteousness, God’s Moral Law and law-abiding citizenry for stability and security of society – a country where “In God We Trust & Obey". Ungodliness, unholiness, unrighteousness, godless secular humanist rule and the chaos of no moral compass that leads to cultural instability, insecurity, fear and social decline in society. It is Christ’s church that must be salt and light in society, spreading the Gospel of Jesus, going out and making disciples of Jesus to all nation, pointing to the only Way, the Trust and the Life unto Salvation and Eternal Life and advancing the Kingdom of Heaven. Repent and follow Jesus for the Kingdom is near.
2 Timothy 3:12-17 “Indeed, all who delight in pursuing righteousness and are determined to live godly lives in Christ Jesus will be hunted and persecuted because of their faith. But evil men and impostors of the faith will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in the things that you have learned and of which you are convinced and holding tightly to the truths, knowing from whom you learned them, and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings (the Holy Scriptures of the Bible) which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus, surrendering your entire self to Him and having absolute confidence in His wisdom, power and goodness. All Scripture is God-breathed [given by divine inspiration] and is profitable for instruction, for conviction of sin, for correction of error and restoration to obedience, for training in righteousness [learning to live in conformity to God’s will, both publicly and privately—behaving honorably with personal integrity and moral courage]; so that the man of God may be complete and proficient, outfitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
I am told over and over by these residents that they are glad to see the local church out in the neighborhoods doing what the church is supposed to do, making an impact on society for good, for God, and for salvation in Jesus Christ. Be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. That is what in the world is going on!
In Christ, Brian
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