Come, Lord Jesus!

Come, Lord Jesus!
"But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God" (2Tim. 3:1-4). Saint Paul says to Timothy and to each of us, the years leading up to Jesus’ return will be difficult. Because of man’s ongoing rebellion against the Lord, ungodliness will continue to increase. In our culture today we see opposition to Jesus growing daily. Sins once condemned, have gained wide acceptance. Many have bought into Satan’s lie that we can live without the Lord and find happiness, prosperity, and peace in our lives. Satan’s deception first tempted mankind to find satisfaction outside of God’s will just after the dawn of creation, and he’s still at it today.
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This prophetic passage lists many traits that will all be common before Jesus’ return: Lovers of self. Self-centeredness and Selfishness, that is (placing priority on what will profit one most and wanting to keep what one has) will be rampant. Men will be lovers of Money! The acquisition of wealth to gain power, possessions, and passing pleasures will be ever-increasing. Men will become Boastful. Never forget, it was Pride that caused Satan to be forever cast from heaven and it still prevents people from submitting to Jesus’ authority to this day. Arrogance and anger, which fracture relationships and damage lives, will dominate society. Paul also describes other characteristics of this coming age, which include abusive behaviors, unforgiving attitudes, lack of self-control and other forms of ungodliness. We are warned to avoid such men as these! It’s easy to see the striking similarities between our corrupt world today and Paul’s description of the years before Jesus returns. While discouraging, these prophetic signs are also precursors of Jesus’ promised return to set all things right. Friends, our only help for today and hope for tomorrow is Jesus Christ! We must not be deceived by the empty promises and schemes of men, or even the conclusion of the current crisis we are in today. Place your hope in Jesus the Good Shepherd; only He can restore souls. Come, Lord Jesus!  
Grace and peace always,

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