PERILOUS TIMES
Second Timothy Chapter Three

July 17, 2011

Second Timothy chapter three speaks of the last days. Paul says that in those last days—PERILOUS TIMES SHALL COME. Every generation since the days of the Apostles has thought that it would be the last generation. Every generation since the days of the Apostles has been wrong. This generation is no exception. Many today are saying that we are living in the end of time. Only time will tell if this generation is the last one. For all I know the Lord will not return in the twentieth century. Nineteen centuries have passed and He has not returned, so He could very well by pass this century also. He may not even come in the twenty first century.

There are two things that we know for sure from this third chapter of Second Timothy—one thing we can be sure of is that perilous times shall come. It may be that there have always been perilous times, but it is a fair statement to make when we say that no generation has lived at any more perilous times than this one. The other thing we know for sure is that in the last days times will be perilous. When you put the two together — Perilous times and the last days it makes us suspect that we may very well be living in the last days.

There is no need to document the fact of perilous times. To say so is enough. The reason for perilous times is because of sin. This may seem like a very simplistic answer when we consider that sin has always been here, but again most would admit—not like it is now. The book of Revelation speaks of the time when the devil shall be unloosed for a season and he seems to be loose now in a way that he has never been loosed before. In the last days perilous times shall come.

Paul had a lot to say about those times in this chapter. He does not talk about the events that will take place. There is no Outline of events or signs that we can look for, but he speaks of the character of the human race in that day. He mentions about twenty one characteristics of men in the last days. Time would fail to mention them all so we have chosen a few as time permits.

LOVERS OF MONEY

One of the characteristics of men in the last days is that they will be lovers of money. People have always been lovers of money. The scripture is full of warnings on this matter for all generations, but it is easily seen that the love of money has never had the effect before that it has had on this generation.

Consider the drug traffic. We are constantly amazed at the amount of money that it takes to sustain the drug needs of some people. When you think of what the effects of drugs are on the body, it makes you wonder why anyone would want to raise it and sell it. The answer is simple, MONEY, MONEY, MONEY, MONEY, MONEY.

Look at the booze industry. If you feed vodka to a cat or if you feed moonshine to your hogs you had better not let anybody know about it. If it gets out you would be sentenced to jail for cruelty to dumb animals. You can't get by with it. However, it is alright to sell it to a man. It has been pointed out that there is only one death from the bite of a mad dog in our country to every ten thousand deaths caused by drunkenness. Yet we shoot the mad dog and license the bartender. If logic has anything to do with it we would be a lot better off if we shot the bartenders and licensed the mad dog. Why does this condition prevail? I have heard it many times. Think of the revenue. The reason is MONEY, MONEY, MONEY, MONEY, MONEY.

How about tobacco? The warning is posted on every pack of cigarettes. Something about this product's being injurious to your health. Think of lung cancer. Think of the danger the non smoker has when he inhales the tobacco smoke blown out of the mouth of the smoker who may have cancer. That in itself is enough to make our times perilous. Why would any decent person want to raise that weed? The answer again is MONEY, MONEY, MONEY, MONEY, MONEY.

Think of pornography. If you have the right physical equip­ment you can take your clothes off and pose for the photographer and your picture will be put in a magazine for all to see. Why would a person do this? Very simple — MONEY, MONEY, MONEY, MONEY, MONEY. If there is enough money in it—the despicable becomes respectable. I would like to say more but I must hurry on.

DISOBEDIENT TO PARENTS

Another characteristic of men in the last days is when Paul said disobedient to parents. Now I know that people have always talked about the younger generation. Ever since Adam was fifty years old people have said what will become of the younger generation. I must admit also that the biggest improvement in so­ciety would be if the young people never did anything their par­ents did. However we must confine this statement of Paul to the areas to disobedience of children to Christian parents.

About twenty five years ago some people were complaining about the younger generation. How could things ever get any worse. I said at the time if you think this generation is something just wait until they have had time to spawn another generation. That next generation is going to be a doozy, Ladies and Gentle­men the doozies are here. Many are afraid to be on the streets be­cause of the doozies. We live in perilous times.

WITHOUT NATURAL AFFECTION

Another area that Paul mentioned is when he said that they would have no natural affection. While it is true that he no doubt was referring to lack of love of husbands and wives and their children including child abuse, it no doubt included also sexual per­version. What could be more unnatural than that?

Deuteronomy 23:17, 18 Moses said, 'There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a Sodomite of the sons of Israel. Thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore or the price of a dog into the house of the Lord.' The scripture speaks of the queer as a dog. Revelation says that the dogs will be shut out of heaven. Why does the Lord call queers dogs? Why not call them elephants or hogs or horses or monkeys? The reason the queer is called a dog is because the male canine is the only animal that will try to have a sexual experience with another male dog. It is scriptural to refer to queers as dogs. Don't call them gays call them dogs. This is another reason why Paul would say that in the last days we will live in perilous times.

LOVERS OF PLEASURE

Another reason for the perilous times is found in Paul's statement that men would be lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God. He did not say just lovers of pleasure, but lovers of plea­sure more than lovers of God. Everybody knows that we live in a sports crazy world. Every week there is a championship game in one sort or another. The east is playing the west or the north is playing the south, or the northeast is playing the southeast, or the northwest is playing the southeast and if none of these games is scheduled then they come up with a championship game where the all stars in the center of the country are playing the all stars around the edges. The Lord's work must be pushed aside so that the game can go on. Even on radio and television—the game must be aired and the gospel is pre-empted. On one "God is Just A Prayer Away Broadcast" one time about half way through the program they pulled the plug and started broadcasting a hot air balloon race. I could not believe it. Could it be that people actually preferred a hot air balloon race to the gospel of Jesus Christ? The radio station was giving the community what they thought they wanted. In their opinion, and it was an expert opinion, their audi­ence was more concerned about hot air than the Holy Spirit. This is an indication that we live in perilous times.

A FORM OF GODLINESS

Another characteristic of men in the last days is the having of a form of Godliness and denying the power thereof. Religion will become an empty form. All shell and no kernel. There are many ways this can be seen but I will apply it doctrinally. Take the subject of baptism. A^. person is immersed we had supposed into Christ, but there is no  change in the lifestyle. They go on living the same kind of life they always lived indicating that there had been no true repentance, no dying to sin. All there was to it was an empty form. They had denied the power thereof.

Then again there are some who may have been sincere who said that they were saved before they were baptized. They were saved before the Lord said they were saved. Remember Acts 22:16, 'Arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins...' To them the baptism was an empty form also.

Then take those who never knew what happened. As infants they had a wet finger applied to their face and when older considered themselves Christians. They may never even have repented of their sin when old enough to know better and yet they consider themselves members of the body of Christ. Again baptism was an empty form. The power had been denied. The power of obedience to Jesus Christ and His Word. We live in perilous times. Could these be the last days?

THE ARRIVAL OF IMPOSTERS

Then there is the arrival of the imposters. They shall wax worse and worse deceiving and being deceived Jannes and Jambres are mentioned. Jannes and Jambres are the traditional names of two of the magicians in Pharoah's court that withstood Moses and Aaron.

Moses and Aaron changed the water into blood and the magicians of Pharoah did the same. Then they brought on the pla­gue of frogs and Jannes and Jambes did the same. Then came the lice. Jannes and Jambres could not duplicate this feat. They said this is the finger of God. After this was the plague of flies, sick­ness of cattle, boils, hail and fire, locusts, the thick darkness and last of all the slaying of the first born.

Tradition has it that Jannes and Jambres pretended to con­vert to the Hebrew religion and that they later persuaded Aaron to make the golden calf. While I cannot vouch for this it is certain that they withstood Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt.

The imposters of the last days will abound also. Paul reminds Timothy that all who would live Godly in Christ will suffer persecution. You can't preach like Peter and Paul and not expect to share in the same opposition. As it was then so it is now, the Bible is the answer. Paul told Timothy to abide thou in the things which thou has learned and that from a babe thou has known the sacred writings which are able to make thee wise unto salvation. All Scripture is inspired of God and is profitable; profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness. The man of God by this book is furnished with everything he needs to have in the last days, whenever they come. The Bible is sufficient for us whether these are the last days or not. One thing for sure these days we live in are the last days for us.