ChristianPatriot.com July 2, 2009

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Rev. Robert M. Celeste

Thursday July 2^nd, 2009, Last days, Perilous times Timothy 3:1-2 keyword: Secede

Are we in the last days? Are times perilous? And if so, for whom? Is this the time Jesus spoke of when He said “But as the days of Noe (Noah) were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe (Noah) entered into the ark,” Matthew 24:37&38

So, what are these signs of Noah that Jesus was referring to? Perhaps, just perhaps, as I believe, Jesus elaborated further to us on these last day signs through the pen of His Apostle Paul. For Jesus did not tell us it would be impossible to know when He would return, He said “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but My Father only.” Matthew 24:36

So, could we be in the last times? And just what does Last days mean? What does perilous times mean?

1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent (without self control), fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4 traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: (2 Timothy 3:1-5 ACP/KJV)

Guys, it is time to wake up, it is time to get off your collective backsides and start spreading the word of God. It is time to do the work of an evangelist. It is time to realize that Christ may just rapture His church at any moment.”

I firmly believe that end times prophecy is not to be used to try to scare the unsaved and the unrepentant into seeking Christ and giving their lives to Him. No, instead I see end times prophecy as a way to light a fire under the sleepers in the Church of Philadelphia. Let me ask you a question; What if God sent the angel Gabriel to you right this very instant, and he said to you, “I am the angel Gabriel, I stand before God day and night, He has sent me to deliver a message to you. God saith, ‘I will rapture My church in fifteen days.’” and then he left. What would you do? I mean what would you really do?

Would you stop what you were doing and immediately get out and start evangelizing?

Would you question yourself asking if you really saw what you knew you saw and do nothing?

Would you go out and use your line of credit to buy things to make these next fifteen days really comfortable, like a new car, a new boat and $15.00 a pound steaks, justifying those purchases by telling yourself that when your creditors come looking for you they will realize that you are gone to be with the Lord and start to seek Christ?

What would you do?

Let me tell you what I think would happened to an unsaved, unregenerate person who had the same encounter with Gabriel. I think they would do nothing. Oh they would think about it, they might ponder it, but then, in the long run, they would do nothing till after the rapture took place. Rich Christianio has an excellent movie called “The Appointment” that does an excellent job covering a like subject.

So, I don’t use prophecy in evangelizing, not unless an unsaved person brings it up by asking me questions concerning it. But I do use end times prophecy to try and wake up sleeping members of the church.

That said, let us look again at what makes up the Biblical description of what Jesus meant when He said: “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but My Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” Matthew 24:36-38

While there is more, today we shall start with Paul’s second letter to Timothy.

Let’s start with the words “last” and “days” as in “in the last days” of verse one.

That word “last” is, in the Greek eschatos, pronounced es'-khat-os and it means literally the final days of an era. So, if you were counting down, say from ten thousand days to one day, it would be day one.

The word “day(s)” in the same verse, verse one, is hemera, pronounced hay-mer'-ah and means day, i.e. (literally) the time space between dawn and dark, or the whole 24 hours. The Greek word hemera,can also mean a time period, such as a week, a month or even an indefinite time period, but as “day”, in the creation of earth and in Exodus 20 , when taken in context, can mean only a 24 hour day, “days” used here, when taken in context, cannot mean a 24 hour period, because first it is plural, “days” and primarily reason is that Jesus uses the term “sorrows” (see Matthew 24:8) for the time period just before rapture. I would suppose that the word “days”, “hemera”, means a specific period of time. And that, that time period would be the times referred to by Jesus as the time frame of “Sorrows”.

In verse one we also find “perilous times”.

That word perilous is chalepos, pronounced khal-ep-os' and means a time when strength is reduced, a time that is dangerous, by implication a time that is furious and fierce, a time that is perilous. While these “perilous” times will be difficult for all, they will be extremely dangerous for Christians. Read the hate crimes bill as an example.

The word “times” is kairos, pronounced kahee-ros' meaning of an uncertain affinity, it also means an occasion with a set or proper time, a season, (due, short, while) and simply time or a while. Kairos, means a time period, such as a week, a month or even an indefinite time period. But as “day” in Genesis one’s reference to creation and in Exodus 20:8-11,when taken in context, can mean only a 24 hour day, “times” used here, when taken in context, cannot mean a 24 hour period, because first it is plural, and as with “days” , we have to look at the primary source of our use of it in context, the Lord Jesus’ use of the term “sorrows” in Matthew 24:8 to describe the time frame just before rapture. I would suppose that the word “times”, as is the case with the word “days”, means a specific period of time. And that time period would be the times referred to by Jesus as the time frame of “sorrows”.

So, you can see that verse one’s translation in 1611 is still extremely accurate today, for words do have meanings.

Now let’s start looking at the first eight of what makes up those times that remind us of the times of Noah.

For men shall be lovers of their own selves. (Men shall be philautos, pronounced fil'-ow-tos they will be selfish and lovers of their own self.) Have we not become a society where we put ourselves ahead of all others? Do we not spend more and more time seeing to our own needs and comforts?

Covetous; (philarguros, pronounced fil-ar'-goo-ros, meaning in love with money and the things it can buy.) Do you tithe ten percent of gross, net, or what is left after paying everything else first? What has become the number one thing in the lives of most? God or things bought with money?

Boasters; (alazon, pronounced al-ad-zone literally meaning those who brag about possessions, wealth, sexual and business conquest, etc.) How often do you hear “Hey come check out my new car” or “Look here at my new girl friend” or “man, taxes are terrible, last year I paid over X thousand of dollars”. How I would love to see a campaign ad that said “I serve Christ day and night and will, if you choose me to be your elected public servant, strive daily to do nothing that will offend Him.” Unfortunately instead most lie about their qualifications, not by understating, but by overstating, boasting.

Proud; (huperephanos, pronunced hoop-er-ay'-fan-os conspicuously making yourself to appear above others. One who is haughty and self servingly proud.) Not only individuals, but nations. The United States of America is head over heals in debt. In debt by borrowing so as to be the big shot on the block with the biggest plane for the President, the biggest and best foreign aid, the most powerful military, the ones able to spend the most on all kinds of foolishness such as funding of the United Nations. Remember this “ Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.”

Blasphemers; ( blasphemos, pronounced blas'-fay-mos, it means impious towards God, railing against God, insulting God and using His name in inappropriate ways.) I hear the unsaved using the name of the Lord more than I hear the Saved. How often do you hear someone calling on the name of God to damn someone or something? As a child I was taught to bow my head before uttering the name of Jesus. That is no longer taught.

Disobedient to parents; (apeithes, pronounced ap-i-thace' literally one who disobeys his or her parents including step parents. One who is unpersuadable, and/or contumacious, a disobedient child.) The other day I heard, at my own dinner table, a 50 year old ordained Methodist snap at his 82 year old ordained fundamental pastor father. All too often I hear of children sneaking around behind their parents’ back, lying to their parents, calling their parents names, and saying no or ignoring their parents when told to do something or stop doing something. God has said “Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.” Yet, outside of Christian homes parents and step parents are all to often treated with disdain and like dirt. Perhaps this is the reason so many teens commit suicide, are afflicted with sexually transmitted diseases, and the like.

Unthankful; (acharistos, ach-ar'-is-tos, thankless and ungrateful. Not only to man, but to God.) Been to a public restaurant lately? Notice how the one receiving the meal thanks everyone except God? Not long ago I helped a man, and he was too busy asking God to damn people and things while blaspheming God to even thank me.

Unholy; (anosios, pronounced an-os'-ee-os, it means wicked.) Understand this, if one is not holy, one is wicked. If your kids do not know and serve Christ, they are wicked! Look around, look at all those you love who are unsaved, they are wicked and are going to the lake of fire for all eternity! There are no wicked in heaven.

Read this carefully: “It is done! I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end! I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be My son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” Jesus said that.

Let us end there for today. There is much, much more to the description of the times Jesus refers to as “in the time of Noah”. It is important for you to see and understand these times so that you can see just how perilous and short the times are.

The Lord could come at any time. I personally think it to be within the next ten or maybe even the next twenty years. I actually expect to be alive at the time the Lord raptures His church. If you go to ChristianPatriot.com/form, you can tell me what I can do to help you evangelize.

You don’t have to start by going out into the streets and preaching, but how about inviting a few friends in and showing them the movie “Fly Wheel” or the movie “Time Changer”? You can get either or both through us, for very little money, at The ChristianPatriot.com store.

Guys, don't get one of those letters from hell that ended the thought on May 5th, of 2008. (christianpatriot.com/05_05_2008.htm)

Guys, there is nowhere, that I know of, on earth that is a safe haven for Christians. This study along with the horrific legislation coming out of Washington, has convinced me that in order to have a safe haven for Christians, states need to start seceding. I would much rather face the corrupt, Christ haters in Maine state government and within the various secret and open police forces of Maine rather than the dedicated Christ hating satan serving 100 plus secret police of the US Government.

The only way to avoid the new federal hate crimes bill is for states to secede. The only way to avoid the new laws proposed to eliminate Christian home schooling, is for states to secede. All of the laws that seem designed to eliminate Christianity and further the agenda of satan, are for the most part coming out of the federal government and courts. More on this as the series continues.

Lord God, Creator of the Universe, thank You. Into Thy hands I place all things, do with me and this web site as You would please, use it Lord to achieve what You would achieve with it and me. Thank You Father, for it is in the name of Your Son Jesus that I surrender all that You have entrusted to me, and all that You will entrust me with. Amen,

All Scripture, unless otherwise noted, is from the ACP/KJV

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