Are We There, Yet?

"This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come" (2 Timothy 3:1).

Paul's warning to Timothy lists the things we would be able to see (and have seen) announcing the last days.  THIS IS NOT AN ANNOUNCEMENT BUT CONTINUED WARNING! In several verses, he told Timothy what would happen. Men (mankind) would become:

Lovers of themselves (forgetting about God and the natural love towards others)

Covetous (allow their envy to always keep them seeking ways to "take" what others have-by force or deception)

Boasters (always bragging about themselves and what they have done)

Proud (arrogant--thinking they know everything)

Blasphemers (Deny the power of Holy Spirit or lie on what He has said or done)

Disobedient to parents (children thinking they should tell parents what to do and attempt to run their parents' homes, never respecting authority).

Unthankful (never able to show gratitude to anyone)

Unholy (seeking to appease flesh without regard to right-living)

Without natural affection (seeking to do those things with others that should not be done with--children, members of the same-sex, incest, etc.)

Truce-breakers (cannot keep their word or will not keep their word)

False accusers (will lie to save their own behinds, without regard to how their lie will affect the lives of others)

Incontinent (lack of self-control--emotionally and physically)

Fierce (always ready to mow down anyone who gets in their way)

Despisers of those who do good (hate seeing people do what is right)

Traitors (will turn on people and country in a heartbeat)

Heady/Highminded (never consider themselves wrong and they more than anyone else)

Lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God (always seeking ways to please themselves and flesh more than they seek God's direction)

Having a "form of godliness" but denying the power thereof (religious without relationship with God and denounce the Power of God's Word as if it doesn't exist).

With the list of things that we will see when the last days are upon us, Paul tells us that we should "turn away" from these types of people when we see them doing these things. Basically, we are to have no fellowship with people who refuse to live as God as designed or reject God.

Of course, many people understand we have seen the hallmarks of everything Paul has said, generation after generation--the time simply gets closer. When will people begin to understand that civilizations have ceased to exist because of disobedience to God? When will true Christians, those in relationship with God (not just readers of The Word), understand that it is our job to be a "watchman on the wall" and warn people about their behavior and the impending dangers if the behaviors do not change?

We can praise God for His goodness and His abundant blessings and know that His desire for us is to have abundant life, but we cannot have what he has promised if we do not fulfill our role--all of it. It's not just about praying.  It's not just about preaching.  It's not just about teaching.  It's not just about praising and singing and worshiping. It also includes "warning the people" when they stray from God's Word. Are we doing it? Are these indeed the last days?