-------Perilous Times-------

2 Timothy Chapter 3 opens with this dire warning 1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:

Most people believe the last days to be the time just before the Lord Jesus Christ returns to earth. They fail to realize that the last days actually began with the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We have been living in the "last days" now for approximately 2,000 years. Naturally, we are much closer to the Lord's return now than we were 2,000 years ago but does this verse apply to us today?

Has not man always lived in perilous times? Is there anything more perilous about life today than the perils our grandfathers faced a hundred years ago? If you study the rest of Timothy Chapter 3 you will find the reason that man is living in such a perilous time is that man puts his own needs and desires above everything else even if the desires are sinful.

What makes our society so different from what we had a century ago? One thing that comes to mind is the breakdown of the family. We are the offspring of a society that believed in free love (i.e. have sex with whomever you want to) and opening the mind to new experiences with these wonderful new hallucinogenic drugs. Men and women divorce for the most trivial reasons and their children grow up to carry on this cycle.

Women used to stay at home and raise the children. Now the children are dropped off at the babysitter's so the woman can earn the money to pay off that credit card they used to buy the latest electronic toy for their child to play with. Morals are not being taught in school or at home.

A hundred years ago no one wondered if they would be shot if they went to school. Now a child is likely to be sent home if he or she brings a squirt gun to class. Teachers can no longer discipline their students and live in fear of them. First, we had students killing students now we have adults killing anybody on a school campus. In the last 2 months alone, there have been 4 incidents of school shootings.

Random killing was almost unheard of a century ago. Islamic terrorists have changed all that. The sad thing is these acts of violence are taught by their Qu'ran so a fundamentalist Islamist has no choice but to be a terrorist. This makes everyone who is not of the Islamic faith (especially Christians and Jews) a target of Islam. Now they have or will soon have nuclear weapons. And they will use them. This makes the world of today the most perilous in history.

Drug abuse is rampant and people will kill to get the money to satisfy their habit. Viruses are growing resistant to antibiotics. Earthquakes strike frequently all over the world now. This did not occur a hundred years ago. The sheer number of motor vehicles on the road assures that someone will die in a crash every day. The number of super storms have increased.

Recognizing the fact that we live in a dangerous world and could be dead by tomorrow, does that mean we should live in fear?

31 Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. Matthew 10

32 Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Luke 12

14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father." 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, Romans 8

7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1

So we may boldly say: "The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?" Hebrew 13:6

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. 1 John 4:18

Yes, perilous times are here but we are commanded not to fear because we are in the Lord's hands.

Copyright 2006 by Gary Goodworth