Season of lawlessness
Seasonoflawlessness by lcl
Lawlessness has been around since Adam and Eve couldn’t resist what they thought would benefit them. They were wrong in that they did not believe God saying they would surly die by eating the fruit. Instead, they believed Satan, that God was withholding something good from them. Perception is all important, but we will get back to that in a bit. Now, we are approaching end times when lawlessness will abound and magnify greatly. Be aware, to look for what is coming and to prepare.
2Ti 3:1 Know this also, that in the last days grievous times will be at hand.
2Ti 3:2 For men will be self-lovers, money-lovers, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
2Ti 3:3 without natural affection, unyielding, false accusers, without self-control, savage, despisers of good,
2Ti 3:4 traitors, reckless, puffed up, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 2Ti 3:5 having a form of godliness, but denying the power of it; even turn away from these.
2Ti 3:6 For of these are those who creep into houses and lead captive silly women loaded with sins, led away with different kinds of lusts,
2Ti 3:7 ever learning and never able to come to the full knowledge of the truth. 2Ti 3:8 But as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so these also resist the truth, men of corrupt mind, reprobate concerning the faith.
2Ti 3:9 But they shall proceed no further. For their foolishness shall be plain to all, as theirs also became.
2Ti 3:13 But evil men and seducers will go forward to worse, deceiving and being deceived.
2Ti 4:3 For a time will be when they will not endure sound doctrine, but they will heap up teachers to themselves according to their own lusts, tickling the ear.
2Ti 4:4 And they will turn away their ears from the truth and will be turned to myths.
2Ti 4:5 But you watch in all things, endure afflictions, do thework of an evangelist, fully carry out your ministry.
In addition, others are described as:
Rom 1:21 Because, knowing God, they did not glorify Him as God, neither were thankful. But they became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
Rom 1:22 Professing to be wise, they became fools
Rom 1:23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man, and birds, and four-footed animals, and creeping things. Rom 1:24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves.
Rom 1:25 For they changed the truth of God into a lie, and they worshiped and served the created thing more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. When men depart from God, they are not dragged back, but are given more latitude to sink deeper, and in so doing become more justified for what will befall them. It is their choice! The unwise listen to Satan more than God and refuse to believe God’s truth. Now, consider how important perception is. Man is very poor at knowing truth for we see only the surface of what is before us and cannot know the heart and truth of what is said. Wisdom only comes with time as actions clarify truth. Often, wisdom comes to late to be of real good. That is why we must continually ask God for wisdom given by His Spirit and His word. Then act on faith. One of the great errors in perception occurred when the Scribes were first trying to figure out who Jesus was.
Mar 2:4 When they could not come near to Him because of the crowd, they unroofed the roof where He was. And digging through, they let down the cot on which the paralytic was lying.
Mar 2:5 And seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, Child, your sins are forgiven to you.
Mar 2:6 But some of the scribes were sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, Mar 2:7 Why does this one speak such blasphemies? Who can forgive sins except God only?
They could not believe that God was behind the miracle before them. Tradition blinded truth and resulted in error. Thereafter, Christ spoke only in parables so those not of faith would not understand and could continue in their unbelief. Truth is reserved for those in faith.
Mat 13:10 And the disciples said to Him, Why do You speak to them in parables? Mat 13:11 He answered and said to them, Because it is given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven, but it is not given to them.
Mat 13:12 For whoever has, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance. But whoever does not have, from him shall be taken away even that which he has.
Mat 13:13 Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they see not, and hearing they hear not; nor do they understand.
Mat 13:14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah which said, “By hearing you shall hear and shall not understand; and seeing you shall see and shall not perceive;
Mat 13:15 for this people’s heart has become gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and they have closed their eyes, lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.”
Later, when the priests and scribes were fully committed in their error, they feared the people would believe Christ and would rise up against them. Recall, that the penality for false prophecy and false teaching was death by stoning.
Luk 20:19 And the chief priests and the scribes sought to lay hands on Him the same hour. And they feared the people, for they perceived that He had spoken this parable against them.
Luk 20:20 And they watched and sent forth spies, pretending themselves to be righteous men, so that they might seize upon a word of His, that they might deliver Him in this way to the power and authority of the governor.
Later, when the people chose Barabbas over Jesus they perceived that he was their savior sent to deliver them from the Romans. No doubt, that the priests encouraged this misconception that only spoke to a short-term salvation. God had a much larger view.
Today, there are surly those who see Barack Obama as a type of savior. Sadly, his actions and change do not help, but rather hurt, because he does not honor God and God’s truth. God continues to allow some eyes to be blinded because they are unwilling to change and know truth. Real change for good will only happen when people are willing to honor God and seek His laws.
Because satan has to lift up a lie, the real truth must be made a lie and called evil. Thus, Jesus had to be perceived as evil. Israel followed the leading of their priests instead of seeking God. Today, in like manner, Christians must be made to appear as evil for the church to be persecuted as Jesus was. Satan is at work again during this time of lawlessness.
In an appropriate irony the peace-loving conscientious nation of Jews and Israel has also been viewed as the evil cause of man’s troubles for the last 2000 years. Hamas and the people in Palestine are really the evil ones that are being lifted up in the United Nations even though they refuse to honor peace treaties and allow the existance of Israel. In actuality, the Jews are only trying to live, honor the God of Abraham and live today in the small land that God promised them. However, when Jesus returns to save the remnant of Israel, they will know their misconception as a lie. They will be so ashamed that they will kill their children if they try to speak for God as prophets.
Zec 12:9 And it shall be in that day I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.
Zec 12:10 And I will pour on the house of David, and on the people of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of prayers. And they shall look on Me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him, as one mourns for his only son, and shall be bitter over Him, as the bitterness over the first-born.
Zec 13:3 And it shall be when any shall yet prophesy, his father and his mother who gave birth to him shall say to him then, You shall not live; for you speak lies in the name of Jehovah. And his father and his mother who gave him birth shall thrust him through when he prophesies.
Zec 13:4 And it shall be in that day, the prophets shall be ashamed, each one of his vision, when he prophesies. And they shall not wear a hairy garment to deceive.
Eventually, this period of lawlessness will end and God and Israel will dwell secure and blessed together throughout eternity. Read Isaiah chapters 35, 40, 48, 60, 61, 62. Lessons can be hard, but this story has a happy ending for God loves His people.