Knowing God Personally

My Thoughts On Today's Verse.....

What's the power behind your life? One clear way to find out is to come to Jesus and ask him to search you and reveal anything spiritually unhealthy, anything unholy, in you. Opening ourselves up to the light of his scrutiny, to the truth of his Light, gives us a remarkable sense of freedom. We don't have anything to hide. Then God can do some truly remarkable things in us and through us because there are no distorted motives.

Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.—John 3:20-21

CONTINUATION......

2. A Decline in Character

“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” (2 Timothy 3:1-4).

Today’s culture has fulfilled every description in 2 Timothy 3. Daily, we hear about greed, deceit, and horrific crimes being committed by people who are unloving and unholy. Despising what is good, people have decided to live their lives based on the inclinations of their own hearts. Unfortunately, the Bible warns that our hearts are deceptive and full of wickedness (Jeremiah 17:9).

A definite sign of the end times, moral decline will continue until the day Jesus returns.

3. Doubt That Jesus Will Return

“…scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation” (2 Peter 3:3-4).“Scoffers” is an old fashioned term for skeptics. From the very beginning, Satan has cast doubt in people’s minds by saying, “Did God really say?”

Especially as we near the second coming, people will doubt and question God’s promise of Christ’s return. Even Christians will be tempted to grow complacent, forgetting that Jesus might return at any moment. Let us not become lazy, thinking that the end is far off; instead, let us take to heart the parable of the ten virgins, who, when the Bridegroom was delayed, “slumbered and slept” (Matthew 25:1-13).

“Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming” (Matthew 25:13).

Stephen Hawking’s solution for mankind is to find a new home on another planet—namely Mars. His lofty ideas, however, sadly ignore the ultimate purpose of man—to glorify God and believe in Jesus Christ unto salvation.

As we live in these last days, let’s not forget the reason for our hope. Let’s be spurred by the Holy Spirit to reach out to a lost and dying world with the truth about who Jesus is, what He has done, and what He will do.

But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells (2 Peter 3:13).