Self Loving in the Last Days

Dr. Michael USF writing you into the last day, no matter how hard these days may be, no matter how trying those times might become, no matter how challenging the situation is called was, is and always made on his throne.

God was and is an almost will be for his people. God was, is and always will be ready to give us victory in the midst of trouble. It seems quite evident the last days meeting welcome to leading the way with pastor and author of the new path never Dr. Michael USF will show you from the pages of second Timothy that the last days kind of defeat but it's time for God's people to stand to be victorious in the Army of the living God.

You are an encouraging reminder that today on leading the way before Dr. Yousef begins.

Please remember to tell us that you listen on this station when you get in touch with us online at LTW.Ord or when you call us 866-626-4356. Knowing how you can that helps leading the way to be good stewards of God's provision. So join me now in listening to leading the way audio with Dr. Michael USF. Those of you following in the series of messages. Remember how at the end of chapter 2 in the beginning of chapter 3 will literally see the apostle Paul right before our eyes makes him extremely sharp turn. You can actually call the uterine about this a sharp turn from what he was saying to Timothy in the first two chapters and what he is saying here in this third chapter in the first two chapters to Timothy, who was pressuring the church in Ephesus, as if speaking to all of the future leaders of the church of Jesus Christ and his telling about what's going on right now. At that moment in history where there are and to make this sharp turn and says in the last days, and here he makes a prophetic word. A prophetic instruction about what will happen in those last days in the Scripture. Generally speaking, the last days represented anytime from the first coming of Christ to his second coming was always called last days but 2000 years into it. We certainly are much closer to the second coming them where ever been before.

And those characteristics that he describes here in second Timothy chapter 3 verses 1 to 9 have no doubt existed in the time of the apostle Paul in the first century. But here's the difference is the difference we gonna see these dreadful days these dreadful characteristics to be on the increase to grow in intensity to experience it almost on a daily basis in fact. The best description and the best understanding of this comes from the lips of Jesus in Matthew chapter 24 the Lord Jesus Christ said of course is always been earthquakes and is always been wars, laws, business, environmental catastrophes always but the Lord Jesus Christ explains yours better in the last days. All of these things are going to increase in frequency and Jesus said the slacker award in the childbirth as the labor pains intensify as the labor pains become more frequent. You know that the baby is about to be born because of the words of Jesus. And that means that baby birth is referring to his return to his second coming and what we're seeing today is that evil has been so intensified far more deeply entrenched all across the globe, not just in America of what we are seeing today is that evil now being accepted and glorified. What we're seeing today is more than any other time is not just small pockets of rebellion here and there, but what we are seeing now is that the whole world is in turmoil and so on. Verse one of chapter 3. The apostle Paul is a set text a sharp turn to the word but is a conjunction but and it indicates literally a change of direction from the current situation to what is coming toward the end of time. Paul said realize this or understand this or don't be surprised about this or this will come to pass for certain. In other words, don't let that stuff melt your heart when you see it. In fact, there is a deeper meaning for the word that he uses here it is used when somebody is surrounded by wild beasts or raging sea. It gives the idea of a fears situation and settlers here for situation right now. It gives the idea of a situation. It's so hard to cope with and that is why I want to tell you at the outset, no matter how hard these days may be, no matter how trying those times might become. No matter how challenging the situation is called was his own always be on his throne. God was and is an almost will be for his people. God was, is and always will be ready to give us victory in the midst of trouble in verses 229 Paul gives us a sketch.

It's a portrait of these people who will trouble trouble not only us but all the believers will trouble the believers I will summarize them in three ways to help you understand first of all he says about these people he talks about their moral conduct their moral conduct and secondly he talks about the religious zeal area of religious zeal and family. He talks about the militant fanaticism in three verses shortly versus the apostle Paul gives us 19 characteristics 19 expressions by which he describes the wickedness of the people who are responsible for causing us pain or causing us heartache.

The first and the last is almost like the two bookends the first and the last summarize what's inside those 19 characteristics. First is the love of self is gonna be so obvious is going to be so prominent is going to be so explosive in the last is that they're not lovers of God and everything is in between 17 other characteristics.

In fact, for out of the 19 descriptions uses the word love all, but it is a misplaced love is misplaced.

Love, then the other 15 descriptions of what is happening in our society that we see it happening today. The breakdown of relationships between people in regard please those who love themselves so much. Become proud and arrogant and abusive. The next five descriptions are seen in many a home in the world outside of the believing people of God, seeing children disobedience to their parents instead of respect of their parents. As the Bible commands like I have a word with young people listen a couple minutes. That's all. The first thing you need to know that none of us parents including your parents. A perfect I did not have perfect parents and was not a perfect parent so you got that you need to get that strength your parents are not perfect your parents like me are not always right, but there are your leaders under God. You do not have to agree with them. I have to agree with every decision they make. You don't have to analyze every decision they make and you will not have to contradict every statement to make.

But God said I didn't say it, God said about your parents for that is right.

As I said. He did not say they are always right Nolan or but your obedience is always right. Unless you're in a situation of what we see on television or read in the papers were dreadful twisted parents want their kids to do wrong things and send the news that God has to come first is to be obeyed first, God said, although your father and mother and do it now, less the time, and you regretted not only disobedience is going to be so prevalent. Toward the end of time, but also ungratefulness ungratefulness. My goodness gracious. There will be devoid of appreciation the world owes me something the government owes me something, goodness, look at the politicians running for office farming very thing we all do everything Paul said one thing that will help us realize that we are living in the last days is when you see children devoid of moral affection. I know that's not the case in Christian homes circular homes that I know in this church, love, affection, gratitude, respect often characterize the good and godly families that I know in this church. But what you need to know and what you need to do is to remind our children that is not always the case in other homes and while they come across situations in school and sports were the things are very different. They need to help them. They need to show the love of Christ with them. The remaining words here in this catalog go beyond the family. They go to the culture at large to go beyond children or parents.

It goes for the whole society and it is backbiting and scandal mongering and lack of self-control.

We are seeing in the media. Night after night after night.

This characteristics that stems from backbiting and mongering really is just that when you think about the scandal mongering and the love for scandal and gliding out right lying there are Cable News Network's… Dedicated to backbiting and scandal mongering I will mention names night after night. Gus backbiting scandals, the words jump out of the pages here because an increase in the backbiting and increase in scandal mongering results from absence of restraint. The results from absence of moral decency and absence of the truth and my beloved friends. I can tell you I know you will agree with me that no amount of legislation. No amount of knowledge normative education normative indignation is going to cure this only the gospel of Jesus Christ is going to change our culture. The moral conduct. Secondly, in verse five he talks about the religious zeal they pursue their immorality with religious zeal.

It might come as a shock to some of you that these people Paul describing here have religious zeal. In fact, throughout the Old Testament, the prophets thundered against false religion religion that is devoid of morality. I am us who was in the north and Israel, and the prophet Isaiah, who was in the South in Judah and Israel itself during the reign of Jeroboam the second.

There was a boom and religion and religious activities.

But there was at the collapse, immorality, and I am us to eight we are told that immorality had invaded the Jewish religion. The Jewish believers. The prophet Isaiah deplores the same thing in Judah in the south. He told us how God feels about that into religion is what he said God is saying when you spread forth your hands I hide my eyes from you even though you make many prayers, I will not listen, says the Lord.

Beloved.

This is a religion of self.

This is the religion of self-serving. This is the worship of the environment and the worship of immorality. This is the religion of self-indulgence. The one thing that will be so highlighted in the last days according to the word of God that there will be output religion but not power in that religion, or they will go to a church or they will go through a liturgy over drop a couple of bucks in the plate, but there will not be or have any power is out which are it's her a religion and form only, not power. It's an outward show without inward reality, it's a religion without moral demands. It is an impression without confession limit please please beloved Tim arrived to face combines form and power true faith combines spiritual worship and godly living.

True faith talks the talk but also walk the walk. True faith helps us suffering sinners. How and where to go to get forgiveness and healing and relief and help for the future. Religion without moral conduct is a good religion religious zeal without Christ is a misguided zeal to say the least. Which leads me to the third characteristic of their fanaticism, fanaticism, militant fanaticism, we seeing it now these godless lovers of self, not only profess a religion at a very superficial level as an in an outward level but they want to ram this kind of immorality down the throats of everybody else.

Listen to me they are on a mission. Then I want every church to conform to them. Militant fanaticism there are hostile toward biblical morality.

They would assail anyone who disagrees with them. So much for tolerance are very accused those who uphold biblical morality as unloving. They are forever conniving and scheming as to how they gonna invade in silence, Bible believing Christians. You have to think Paul was writing for today. Verse six he talks about how they take advantage of week women but I daresay we commend as well for those same people they despise motherhood they belittle godly women.

They play on hurtful past instead of healing from it that they paint a bleak picture that all men are evil as they manipulate emotions that they dominate minds and they intimidate the unsuspecting recent dollars on national television discussing a new study which showed that 50% of pastors in America are afraid to preach on biblical morality. They collect controversial subjects wise that because those fanatics, those militant fanaticism who want to religion without biblical morality they have succeeded in intimidating these pastors is heartbreaking to say the least. And when I use the word heartbreaking. I don't mean it lightly and I don't take it lightly, because when I say that my personal heart is broken, the truth, my beloved friend. The truth is they want to destroy biblical Christianity as we know it in the succeeding in some circles.

And Paul is saying those people are weak in character. These people are misled by deception. Those people play upon false guilt. Look at verse eight. Those salespeople of deception alike. Janice and Jim press who are Janice and Jim Braswell that the two magician Pharaoh's magicians who when Moses perform miracles in this stick become a snake and so forth very slow black magic imitated Moses his miracles another not mentioned in the book of Exodus, but there are mention in the Jewish literature and the Jewish writings and what Paul is saying is this, that these false teachers and the churches who are opposing the truth like these two Egyptian magicians that using black magic.

Moses taught the law. Paul preach the gospel both preach God's truth for their generations of their time and therefore those who reject the infallible word of God, both old and New Testament are preaching black magic, but is what I want to tell you is your brother in Christ, and I want to say to you, do not be afraid or intimidated by those backdoor religious traders, even if their few weak ones have been taken by them, even if their falsehood becomes fashionable, even though their anti-biblical teaching is accepted by society. We must stand firm and never never never want never give up on biblical truth. Never give up saying God there is good news this and if you think this is hard to hear. It's much more difficult to prepare, but the good news is the last verse in the section. Thank God for the good news, thank God that the gospel is good news. Thank God that Jesus is the good news. The last verse, verse nine, the good news, but they will not say that with me.

They will not get very far because, as the case of those two men. The folly would be clear to everyone member Jesus said the world is a field in which his see, that's the gospel is being planted wheat, but he also said Satan is coming right behind us as we saw the seed of the gospel he comes right behind us and he shows the weeds in the middle of the week right there in the middle and many a church. Many so-called evangelical churches in beloved were seeing Satan right now with his seed. His weeds in the middle of the church somewhere while silver and Paul is saying draws who will go through these experiences don't be intimidated. Don't be infected. Don't let the weeds come of your wheat don't get carried away with the flood, but stand uphold the truth boldly against the prevailing tide of culture, why, why is saying that because soon and very soon you will and I are going to be caught up in there and meet Jesus in there soon and very soon will hear the shout of the archangel soon and very soon we're going to hear the trumpet sound soon and very soon we will see the judge sitting on the judge's bench soon and very soon will see him appear in his glory soon and very soon we shall reign and rule with him soon and very soon he will contact his faithful ones home, and he shall wipe away all of our tears soon and very soon we will be with him forever and ever and ever and ever. How many of us and ever and ever and ever. The question is will you be there. You're listening to Dr. Michael you sent and this is leading the way. There are multiple ways to listen to the powerful teaching of Dr. you sent the radio subscribed to the podcast download the leading the way and more details about all of these when you click the listen link@ltw.org. After all we've experienced in recent years. There is nothing that's more encouraging in hearing about lives being changed by the power of the gospel might like to share a quick story that the leading the way team heard about a new question a, searching for radio stations to play in the background at work young man stumbled upon leading the way, knowing it was Christian content initially wanted to tune away. The story of Lazarus being raised from the dead was so compelling S this experience planted the seed to learn more about Christ desire to hear more Bible stories. Soon he accepted Jesus as his savior and he's continued listening to leading the way to deepen his understanding of the Bible and to grow in Christ printers.

It is a powerful example of how leading the way with Dr. Michael you sent is changing.

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