As in the Days of Noah - By Vanessa Panas -
Luke 17:26-27 "Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all."
When Noah was building the ark, he was laughed at. Nobody believed that the destruction he warned of was really going to happen. When the flood gates from beneath the earth and above the firmament opened, the earth began to flood quickly. The people ran for their lives, these same people that laughed at Noah, who now remembered what he warned them of as they perished; but it was too late.
Matthew 24:37 "But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be."
When Jesus was asked how it would be in the last days, He told us that the last days would be as the days of Noah. People will go about their everyday lives having no idea what lies ahead. They'll be shopping, working, marrying, divorcing, celebrating new births and living in sin, not knowing (believing and receiving) God or His Son that He sent.
Without belief in Jesus, there is no salvation. As we look around us, it's easy to see and believe we are indeed living in the last days. Has there ever been a more selfish or self-absorbed world? The reason people don't see the times of the signs is because they don't see or know the signs, and they are blindly living every day.
2 Timothy 3:1-7 "For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, truce-breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth."
People all over panic when they misplace their cellphones. People are absolutely addicted to their cellphones. A mother in China was on her cellphone while her two-year-old daughter walked in front of a moving car and was killed. In another instance, a mother was on her cellphone while her small child drowned several feet away; she never saw her child struggling to stay afloat. Cell phones have reshaped our society.
Reality television has reshaped our society. We watch other people on television behave in the most outrageous ways; the more outrageous, the more we love it. Our young girls look to people like Kim Kardashian as a role model.
From wickedness to war and suffering, there are many signs of Jesus's Second Coming. One of the signs of the end times is that people will be lovers of themselves. There has been no other time in history where people have been more lovers of themselves than now.
Facebook has its own good side. You can keep up with old friends and meet new friends, share family photos, discuss politics or just chat. But then there are the millions of people that have the need to show you what they ate for breakfast, when they fight with their spouse or other family members and what they fought about. They share what they wear for the day, how they put their makeup on, and yes, even when they use the bathroom.
With sites like YouTube, Facebook and Twitter, everyone seems to be looking for their 15 minutes of fame. Cell phones are always handy to snap the next best pic or a great video that will garner likes on their page. People have recorded themselves committing criminal acts such as rape, and even murder. They put it all out there for you to see, and people watch. People have watched as someone has taken their own life and they have laughed at it.
The term "selfie" has turned into selfishness. It doesn't matter who gets hurt to many people across the world; if it gets you a few likes or comments, it's worth it.
Many times, no matter where you go, you can see people that are together physically but so busy on their phones, in their own world, that they don't even speak. I've witnessed married couples eating dinner together in a restaurant and never looking up from their phones to acknowledge one another. People are so self-absorbed and self-involved that there is no other way to describe them that fits as well as the way God's Word described them - Lovers of themselves.
If one is so self-involved and unaware of the world around them, will they even recognize they are living in the last days that Jesus described? Or will be they be lovers of themselves and ignore the signs Jesus gave them?
Men and women of the last days are also called covetous. With the good there is always the bad. People have become so jealous of what someone else has that it's all they think about, and it's what they think they have to have for happiness. Everybody posts the best side of themselves on social media, the best view of their home, their brand new car, and their child's honor-roll grades. Those that may not have a big, new house want that house. Those with an older car want their Facebook friend's new car. They want their child to get the A's or hit the homerun.
But, while you're coveting what they have, maybe they are truly missing something in their life that you have. If you weren't so busy coveting what they have, you could be working towards those things. You'd have more time for God too.
When have people boasted more about themselves? Now when people boast about how much money they make or boast about their mansion and vacations, they have an audience of possibly thousands. And people on the Internet boast about everything, which brings us to pride!
It was pride that caused Satan to feel he could be God. There are so many people that make silly claims such as "all I have is my pride." You have more; you just don't know where to look. Pride has been the downfall for many people. Pride is what makes a 5'5, 135 lb. man think he can win in a fight against a 6'5, 250 lb. man, even if he doesn't want to and knows he will lose. Pride will make a man seek vengeance on someone they feel has wronged them, oftentimes forgetting or not caring about the consequences.
Pride has caused family and friends to stop speaking. There's a difference in having pride in your work or pride in your child for something; it's another to let pride dictate your thoughts and actions. This is the kind of pride Jesus warned of. This is worldly pride. As a Christian, Jesus took you from the world and set you apart.
Blasphemy against God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, is a sin. It's something people have always done, but it's something people weren't so quick to shout and were usually ostracized for it until the last few decades. Now, it's cool to blaspheme the name of God. Not only do many people not know (believe and receive) God, but they openly blaspheme His name. They not only blaspheme the Father, but they blaspheme the Son.
Jesus said He is "the way, the truth, and the life." He said He is "the only way to the Father." You will answer for your words just as you will be judged for your actions. You are not saved by works, but you will be judged for them if you are not saved through Jesus Christ. Just because you don't believe in Him, doesn't mean He doesn't exist. Just because you don't agree with Him, doesn't mean you won't have to give an account to Him. Jesus said every knee will bow and EVERY tongue will confess that He is Lord.
Disobedience to parents is another sign. The younger generations and now many in my own generation (42 years) have zero respect for authority of any kind. From teachers to police officers, the lack of respect is evident all around us. Respect starts in the home. If children are not made to respect their parents then they will not respect authority outside of the home either.
Today's younger generation tells their parents what they are going to do or not do. In many instances the parent has substituted parenting with a cellphone or TV. If you don't show your child affection, discipline or structure, don't expect a loving child or a child that listens. We have an entire generation of selfish, self-absorbed adults that throw temper tantrums when they don't get their way because, when they threw temper tantrums as children, it was tolerated or ignored.
Satan doesn't want your children to be obedient to you. When they learn obedience at home at a young age, they have a much easier time being obedient to God.
When you have a generation of disrespectful people, they aren't thankful for very much. There are people that could win a million dollars tomorrow but be angry that they have to pay taxes instead of being thankful for what they won. Many people, at the first sign of trouble, jump ship and blame God, while praising Him only as long as things are going well.
Be thankful for the health of your family; be thankful for your job. Most of all, be thankful that you have a Lord and Savior that forgives and loves. Be thankful for all blessings that God has given you. Be thankful for all you have, even if it doesn't seem like much. It's always more than what someone else has. America is home to the richest poor people in the world.
Another sign is unholiness. The Catholic Church is filled with priests and bishops that come in Jesus's name and claim holiness and righteousness, but are living unholy lives and teaching unholy and false doctrine. The pope has made the claim that one does not need Jesus Christ for salvation. In Revelation, God tells His people to come out of her, this false and unholy church.
Revelations 18:4 "And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues."
The Bible says that in the last days men would be without natural affection; Men would be truce-breakers and false accusers. There are people in this world that truly hate others. When someone can look at a baby and murder that innocent and beautiful child, they are without natural affection. They are violent, hateful and without empathy. A truce breaker is someone who doesn't honor his word, an oath, a contract or a treaty. We see dishonest people in and out of government that are truce breakers.
When someone accuses another falsely, they do it with the intention of causing harm. God hates liars, and when you accuse a Christian falsely in certain parts of the world, it means death. They are despisers of those that are good. When someone despises you because you are a Christian, remember that Christ was hated first and it is because of Him that you are hated.
Incontinent means lack of self-control. Look all around you and you see clearly that people have a lack of self-control. I've seen people in stores scream and yell at the cashier for not moving fast enough. We have our youth unable to control their mouths or tempers with anyone in authority. We have adults whose lack of self-control produced children unable to control themselves today; and they wonder why.
There are fierce dividers with respect to God all over. People everywhere, including this country, think it's okay to verbally attack or assault someone for being a Christian. They are trying to force them to choose between their God and baking a cake that celebrates same-sex marriage. Christians are accused of bigotry and homophobia, but it's not Christians demanding you convert or die. It's not Christians throwing homosexuals from building rooftops. We are hated because of Him.
Revelation tells us of the persecution those who wait to turn to Christ. Satan, when he is thrown out of heaven for good, will make war with the saints. Who do you think the saints are? Christians are. He knows he will have a short time of 3 ½ years to persecute Christ's seed. The Bible also tells us he WILL overcome them. He won't win the war, but Christians will face the fiercest persecution they've ever faced.
The Bible also describes these Christians as those with His testimony and who follow His commandments. What is His testimony? It's Christians confessing Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. With His word we confess He is the son of God. His commandments are the Ten Commandments given to Moses.
Revelation 12:17 "And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ."
Jesus warned us that men would be traitors. Watching the news lately, the word "traitors" is being used quite a bit to describe the FBI and the Obama administration. Whether you're a Democrat or Republican, you should be outraged that our law enforcement and government tried to have our duly elected president framed for treason. They would also be considered false accusers.
The one thing that the United States has a long and great history of that many others do not is a peaceful transfer of power. For the first time in our nation's history, the previous administration attempted a coup on the newly elected president.
Luke 12:2 "For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known."
Heady and high-minded people are all around us. Merriam's dictionary gives the definition of heady as "willful and violent." Crimes have exploded in places like Chicago; this city has tough gun laws, yet has extremely high gun violence.
In the Bible, high-minded means "pride and arrogance." The arrogance around us is astounding. The arrogance of the FBI is shocking.
The Bible tells us that men in the last days would be lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God. There's not much that people won't use to replace God. When Nike came out with the slogan "just do it" 30 years ago, that wasn't an accident. It led the way for self-entitlement. It's all about Me, me, me. People have been told for so long that they can do whatever they want as long as they are happy, that when they don't win something they want or get what they want, they take to social media to cry, plot revenge, and take to the streets, smashing windows and assaulting police officers.
We were warned that in the last days men will have a form of godliness but will deny His power. When you become a Christian, the Holy Spirit begins a change in you; you will not desire to be part of the world. You cannot truly confess Jesus and continue to live in unrepentant sin. Even Satan believes in Jesus.
There are teachers in the church teaching God's word on Sunday but living unholy lives throughout the week. Many Christians do the same.
2 Timothy 3:5 "Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away."
Unfortunately, the pope is the person many think about when they think of Christianity. Catholicism and Christianity are not the same, and the pope does NOT speak for Christianity. The pope has a form of godliness but denies God's power. Priests within the Catholic Church come in His name but do not know Him. From these, we are to run away.
It is these false "Christians" that blaspheme His name. The Pope is a false prophet and false teacher. He recently prayed in Istanbul towards Mecca with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and has made many incompatible comparisons between Christianity and Islam, and between God and Allah. He has made many false statements about Jesus Christ.
Jesus told us, "Call no man your [spiritual] father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven" (Matthew 23:9), yet the Catholic Church calls the pope Holy Father and calls priests father. Catholics that attend mass believe they must confess their sins to a priest, who in turn forgives them after they perform works. Example: Pray the Our Father and ten Hail Mary's, and you're forgiven. This is not the way that leads to salvation.
Be awake and sober minded; don't live like the world. Open your Bible and you will know exactly what Jesus tells you.
1 Thessalonians 5:2 "For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night."
Did Jesus not say He would come like a thief in the night? Are you prepared and expecting it if a thief wakes you at night? Jesus will come when people least expect Him. He will come when people are self-absorbed and do not know Him, just as in the days of Noah when they didn't know God. Remember, if you do not know Him, He will NOT know you. If you deny Him before men, He will deny you before His Father.
In the book of Daniel, it tells us that the last days will be a time of strife and trouble that the world has never known before. The Bible tells us the love of men shall grow cold towards one another. Women are having abortions in the U.S. at a rate of about 4,000 a day. Child abuse is rampant; theft, murder and rape have skyrocketed across the world. People have lost empathy for their fellow man. Drug-addicted persons will steal from their own mother or do even worse for drug money.
The world's heart has indeed grown cold. As a Christian, this is not the case. He took you from the world and set you apart. Jesus said His greatest commandment is to love your neighbor. Christians every day prove their kindness and willingness to help, whether monetarily or by volunteering. They show love and concern for their fellow man.
Accept Jesus into your life today; there is true happiness when you Know Him, for God loved the world so much that He sent his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him has eternal life.
Matthew 24:5 "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.'"
Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but by Him.
Vanessa Panas
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