Trying to Understand a Verse

 Trying to Understand a Verse - By Ron Ferguson - https://www.raptureready.com/2024/06/04/trying-to-understand-a-verse-by-ron-ferguson/ Over the course of one’s lifetime, opinions change as new evidence comes to the fore. As an example of this, back in about the 1980/90s, when speaking of the two witnesses in Revelation and,in particular, this verse – Revelation 11:10, “and those WHO DWELL ON THE EARTH will rejoice over them and make merry, and they will send gifts to one another because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth,” I used to say the reason forthe world being able to see what was happening was computers. (That was when people were starting to see international events.) Well, today we have mobile/cell phones, and that is the reason why. It is not someone sitting at a computer. The technology is now in place all over the world. When visiting some of the PacificIslands, I was surprised to see young people in more remote places still with mobile phones. Many things are still mystifying, and we won’t solve all of them. Too many people are too dogmatic about their opinions. In case you did not know, that’s how most Australians see Americans(I am speaking generally here). Please don’t take offense, as Christians are supposed to be different, tolerant, and understanding. I don’t really mean Christians. Someone like me has a mind that won’t rest, and it is annoying. I want calm sometimes. We try to fathom things out in our minds, bouncing from position to opinion (at least I do). I have spent a lot of time in these verses, and I have cited them on RR several times – 2 Timothy 3:1-2 “Realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come, for men will be loversof self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy.” The introduction to this Timothy chapter is the last days, and, in context, it has to be the last days of the Church age. The chapter begins with characteristics of the last days’ people andprogresses to this verse I want to speak on – 2 Timothy 3:13 “Evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.” A friend of mine says this chapter belongs to conditions in the church, but I don’t think so. This is the age for the world it speaks of, the Church age at its end. Of course, the age thedisciples asked the Lord about in Matthew 24 ends at the Second Coming. It is different, but I think it would share some of the same characteristics. We have, first of all, “evil men and imposters.” I can’t think of one area of the world where this is not now applying – politics, public/civil service, administrators, Hollywood, sportingfield, and so many more. I would absolutely love to say it does not include churches, but I can’t say that because it is true that some churches are like that. I am horrified in this last week to read of the happenings in the USA with the United Methodistchurch. It is reprobate. One thing about evil men and women is that they promote their own mindset of people into positions under them so that the whole is leavened by evil. Also, this is not sour grapes, but I amastounded at the number of positions everywhere where women now have control over men. Men are subdued in teaching, administration, and in my nation, in politics and government, on Boards and Commissions. Evil/wicked people are straight-out evil, but imposters pretend to be good but are like snakes underneath. It is horrifying to see them deceiving people because they themselves are deceived.That was partly in my mind in the last article of mine addressing climate change. People of a righteous disposition, because they are new creations in Jesus Christ, get upset at increasing evil and godlessness in the world. It is right that we get upset because all thisis an affront to the standards of scripture. We see that in Jeremiah as he lamented the sins and conditions of his own people. It does cause one to reflect and be sad, but I bring this up later. However, the other side of the coin is that we know we are not only citizens of this world in a loose sense, but our citizenship is in heaven from where our Lord will come in the Rapture.I really want to be alive for the Rapture and hope the years are not cheating me too much. There is one other part in that Timothy verse which is this: “will proceed from bad to worse.” It is in this area I try to do the assessment. I wonder if it might be a gradual step down overtime to the corruption that would be on the bottom or if it is an up-and-down movement but trending down overall with a rapid descent toward the end (where I think we are now). I hope that was not too confusing. In my nation, since the 1970s, except for a couple of spikes a bit upwards, the trend has been steadily progressing downwards rapidly with the current evil that is in government and society,the worst I have known. For you Americans, I must say that in the last 18 months I have been shocked with the state America is in. Naively, I thought the USA had a very good, solid Christian base, but now I understanddifferently. I wrote once that after the evil of the Obama years, the Trump term saw more of a decency, and someone wrote to me in the greatest attack for saying that. I have been called awful things bya few way-out readers of RR, but I don’t mind because there are so many such lovely, supportive readers (some who write to me). THE PRESENT DILEMMA The USA is heading for an election, and in my mind, I have this term, “will proceed from bad to worse,” and it won’t go away. What could be worse than Biden and all of his very wicked teamsupported by California and New York? Overall, it will get worse if the Lord tarries. In Australia, a disinformation bill is before this wicked Marxist Parliament, and if passed, Christians will have no right to use some scriptures, such as the homosexualones, and even preaching could be stopped. The days are getting so dark so quickly. Let me share this, and please understand this in the context – it is just my musings, trying to understand the Timothy verse. If Trump is elected, then things will hold steady as King Josiahdid after his wicked father, Manasseh, and before Josiah’s own wicked sons plunged it downhill again. I think (in that restless mind of mine) that Trump might not be standing for the election, or he might not win. It’s not what I want, but thinking… Biden will not contest the election. He does not know if he is in next week or last week. There is a Democrat conference coming up in June, and it would not surprise me if Michele Obama isasked to stand for the top office. Please don’t be mad at me. I am sharing what I don’t want to see, but these are the days of steep decline in evil and imposters. Everything will be done to keep Trump from standing becauseif he does, he will win, but I don’t see any viable candidate for the Republicans. I just feel things anywhere will not get better but will decline worse and worse. What I am trying to say is that conditions in the USA and elsewhere (US not being singled out) will get wickeder,and for that reason, I think the USA will be very much worse after the election. I don’t really want to get into politics because it is not my thing, and to be honest with you right now, it makes me depressed to see the state of things. It is sad. Those of us who livedthrough the 1940s and 50s and 60s know how things were a whole lot better. This is all in line with biblical prophecy, and from that point of view, we need to LOOK UP, not down. I believe the Lord is on the threshold of the door of heaven that will open, withJesus HIMSELF coming with the “COME UP HERE.” Maybe I have said enough, so I will end there. The Lord bless and guide us through these troubled times, and Lord, we pray for your people Israel. Amen. ronaldf@aapt.net.au