Intro
This is Dreamwalker1960. As a reminder you can read the transcripts of all my podcasts at dreamwalker1960.com. You can use most podcast platforms if you wish to listen. All you need to do is do a search for Dreamwalker1960.
Until further notice the messages that accompany this notice will be part of the “Come out of her my people” series. They will be harsh. They will cause people to get upset. This is as it should be. They must question the way they think and live. So, they can seek to follow Christ and not the world.
Discussion
The younger people are starting to awaken to the Truth, or are they?
Paul was led by the Holy Spirit to talk about the last days and what to look for.
2 Timothy 3:1-7 NKJV – But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Let’s continue hearing what is within this third chapter of the second letter written to Timothy the pastor of Ephesus. For it is important to the full context of this letter.
2 Timothy 3:8-17 NKJV – Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was. But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra—what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me. Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
We are not done yet. Just because the chapter ends, doesn’t mean the context of the letter does. Therefore, let us continue into chapter four.
2 Timothy 4:1-7 NKJV – I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
This constitutes the full context of this section of this letter to Timothy. We see within the warning about how those that teach falsely will work. Actually reaching a point to where they will be telling people fables.
2 Timothy 4:3-4 NKJV – For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.
In recent years one of the greatest fables has become world famous. By the mere fact that it was and is so popular shows it is of the world and not of God.
For if it was of God most would despise the show called “The Chosen.”
It has created many that think they are now going to heaven and now call themselves “Christian.” When that is the furthest thing from the Truth. Most actually fit the description of those within the first few verses of chapter three of the second letter to Timothy.
2 Timothy 3:1-5 NKJV – But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!
Those that truly seek to be in followship with God through Jesus Christ are given one instruction.
“And from such people turn away!”
Why? because they will, in time, do one of two things. Either turn you away from God, or they will attack you.
2 Timothy 3:12-13 NKJV – Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.
Many actually believe they TRULY follow God through Jesus Christ. However, this is the furthest thing from the Truth.
The biggest clue. How they live. Most that call themselves “Christians” still live exactly like they did before they accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior. For it is easy to become saved:
Romans 10:8-10 NKJV – But what does it say? “THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
However, even though you are saved the moment you confess that Jesus Christ rose from the dead and is you Savior. You are not guaranteed a place in the service of God. In fact, you can lose your salvation. Most of 2 Peter chapter 2 covers this. Note the last verses of this chapter:
2 Peter 2:20-22 NKJV – For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: “A DOG RETURNS TO HIS OWN VOMIT,” and, “a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.”
This can be corrected. All it needs is the true desire to be a servant of God through Jesus Christ. To become a disciple.
This, however, is a difficult path and requires knowing that most that now accept you. Especially those that call themselves “Christian” will reject you.
Yes, you heard that correctly. Most will turn against you.
The starting point.
Matthew 16:24-27 NKJV – Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.
Luke 14:25-33 NKJV – Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it— lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.
Re-read these last verses again. For they pertain to now just as they did then.
Most are within “the great multitude” that now profess they are Christian and say they follow Him. Yet, what does Christ say to them?
“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.”
This means we are to not think about ourselves in any form. We are to adhere to the greatest commandment:
Matthew 22:37-40 NKJV – Jesus said to him, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
God is to be the focus of our existence. The way to help achieve this is by studying the Word of God in its base language when it was first placed on parchment. This makes you realize that what is being stated here is the Truth.
That we are to avoid anything of the world beyond what is needed to make it to the next day. Even if our earthly income allows us to have more. We shouldn’t seek after it because then we are no longer friends with God but the world.
James 4:4 NKJV – Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
1 John 2:15-16 NLT – Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.
The main reason to live a needs-only lifestyle is that it will help us focus upon God who is to be the center of our existence. Not us like most that teach their false teachings that are people pleasing.
Galatians 1:6-10 NKJV – I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed. For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.
People pleasing messages are sweet like sugar. Those that teach the True Gospel are to be like salt. Bitter to the taste. However, it improves the meal.
Luke 14:34-35 NKJV – “Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is neither fit for the land nor for the dunghill, but men throw it out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
God Bless