PORTRAIT OF LAST DAZE MEN

 Greetings True Believers...how's your world?

"But realize this...that in the LAST DAYS...difficult time will come..."
(II Timothy 3:1)

Well..."difficult times" are upon us... and getting worse.  At the same time, in the face of "difficult times"...other things are going on that are not so bad.

"And it shall be in the LAST DAYS...God says...that I will pour forth My Spirit upon all mankind...." (Acts 2:17)

In these LAST DAZE we are in a war...a spiritual war...that is manifested in flesh and blood...in our nitty gritty lives...in the form of hu-man beings.  We are encouraged in Ephesians 6:12 about the struggle that we are experiencing..."For out struggle is NOT against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in THE HEAVENLY PLACES." 

In 67 A.D. Paul calls us into this war as soldiers. "Suffer hardship with me as GOOD SOLDIERS OF CHRIST JESUS." (II Timothy 2:3)  Here is a description of men,
wo-men, hu-mans in these LAST DAZE found in II Timothy 3.
For men will be:

1.  Lovers of self
2.  Lovers of money
3.  Boastful
4.  Arrogant
5.  Revilers
6.  Disobedient to parents
7.  Ungrateful
8.  Unholy
9.  Unloving
10 Irreconcilable
11 Malicious gossips

12.  Without self control  13. Brutal  14.  Haters of good  15.  Treacherous  16.  Reckless
17. Conceited  18.Lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,

 Now that is a pretty vivid picture of LAST DAZE MEN...but the key description to me is..."Holding to a form of godliness...although they have denied it's power." (II Timothy 3:5)  They are..."always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." (II Timothy 3:7)

What can we do in these LAST DAZE to counteract these men...so that we will NOT turn into these men? The answer to that question is found in II Timothy 3:10 as Paul encourages Timothy to follow him.

"Now you followed my (1) teaching (2) conduct (3) purpose (4) faith
(5) patience (6) perseverance
(7) persecutions and (8) sufferings."

In all of the persecutions  that Paul endured..."out of them, the Lord rescued me!" (II Timothy 3:12)

As the LAST DAZE progresses... it is not going to get better...but worse. "But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived." (II Timothy 3:13)

 "You...however, continue in THE THINGS you have LEARNED and become CONVINCED of KNOWING from whom you have learned them..." (II Timothy 3:14)

What we can do...is hinged on the WORD OF GOD.,,the sacred writing which are able to give wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

In this world...on this BALL OF CONFUSION...The WORD OF GOD is rock solid.  This is why we need to be washing and renewing our minds with THE WORD OF GOD.  Paul encourages Timothy...and us..how to become "adequate & equipped for every good work" (II Timothy 3:17)...that is hinged and based on the WORD OF GOD.

In II Timothy 3:16 lays out how the WORD OF GOD will prepare us for these LAST DAZE and DIFFICULT TIMES.

"All Scripture (Word of God)...is God breathed (inspired by the breath of God...the Holy Spirit) and profitable (beneficial) for (1) teaching (2) reproof (3) correction (4) training in righteousness."
(II Timothy 3:16)

In these LAST DAZE...we have THE WORD OF GOD...and THE SPIRIT OF GOD.  Remember the second verse at the beginning of this Rambling...speaks of the LAST DAZE.

"And it shall be in the LAST DAYS...God says...that I will pour forth MY SPIRIT upon all mankind...." (Acts 2:17)

FINAL WORDS...FINALLY

In troubling times...we do not have to live and walk in fear...but be in the Word...faith comes...walk by this faith and not by sight (things revealed to the senses.)...and live by faith as you have faith continually. (Romans 10:17; Romans 1:17; II Corinthians 5:7; Hebrews 11:1; Mark 11:22)

You will either be in a DAZE...or His DAYS will be yours to walk as more than a conqueror.


We do NOT deny reality...but we do deny the reality of these LAST DAZE MEN to rule our lives.  We walk in TRUTH...and Jesus says in His prayer to the Father..."Thy WORD is TRUTH." 
(John 17:17)

Love and Undazed Kisses
Rodney "Adequate and Equipped" Boyd