"This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 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. ...ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." 2 Timothy 3:1-5, 7
I don't sit around and ponder how bad things are and get all upset over the events worldwide that point to this being the time towards the end. But I have been thoroughly warned in scripture of the conditions that represent fallen man at his worst. And I can see that the Bible has made quite a case for this era in time meeting scriptural criteria for the season of time called the 'end times.'
My point is to remind you that the times that we are in have been carefully understood by God and before each day passes, God sees what is about to take place and because God loves us so much, God told us about many events, times and season of life before they happened. I love that about God. Not only did God give us a road map to find our way, he told us about the hazards along the way, where each road would lead and what to start to look for when you were coming to your destination.
If you look at the verse in Daniel, "many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased," before the time of the end. This was written about 2,500 years ago, when all that we know as technology did not exist in any form. If the Bible had said, 'many shall run to and fro and man shall increase in knowledge,' anybody could have said that. After all we predict things that we think are going to happen based on what we know all the time. Sometimes we are right and sometimes we are wrong. But this verse in Daniel says, "and knowledge shall be increased."
It is clear to me that Daniel didn't come up with this on his own, but he was instructed by the Lord through real visions and real meetings with real angels, just like he said. There is a huge difference in personally increasing in knowledge and increasing the knowledge that is available. No one can deny that we are in the most technologically advanced time in history, but more than that, because of the computer age, knowledge is being expanded at such a rapid rate that today we can only learn tidbits of a select field of study, and even in that the knowledge is expanding so fast that no one can keep up. "Knowledge shall be increased."
What does this mean? I believe that God prepares the way for each person in each generation to understand the times they are in so that they will live life to its fullest in the designed era of time that they are in. The Bible is full of opportunity to get to know about your own personal bents and characteristics better as well as see the world as a whole and to understand why things are the way they are, NOW.
I believe the scripture provides enlightenment to your current situation; answers to your questions and direction to move forward with success. But just as denying that you are sick when you have a sickness won't heal you , neither will denying the signs of times stop the clock. The balance of how to live in the end times and yet enjoy life is found in the scripture.
Note: I sure get a lot of rebuttal whenever the words 'end times' comes about. But I get a lot of rebuttal about Jesus, the cross, the Bible itself, the stories in the Bible, the parting of the Red Sea, the virgin birth, Jesus raising from the dead and just about every other significant event in the Bible. What do you think the results are going to be if generation after generation Christians believe less and less of what God has said? I can tell you for certainty that Christians will have no power of persuasion and non-Christians will create their own god. Look, if you don't believe the Bible and have no interest in following Christ, why not just admit it. If this is how you think, you are fulfilling scripture yourself. "Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. ...ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth."
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