There is no doubt that we are living in perilous times. I believe we just might be in what Jesus called the “last days.” How long are the last days? Only God knows that! But, we are seeing prophesy fulfilled right before our eyes:

“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, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power.” (2 Timothy 3:1-5).

“And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars” (Matthew 24:6).

“For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places” (Mathew 24:7).

“You must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires” (2 Peter 3:3).

“They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths” (2 Timothy 4:4).

Now listen carefully to this one…

“The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons” (1 Timothy 4:1).

Something tells me that you agree with me that these things are happening at an alarming rate. And sadly, many are following. Christian leaders are falling off the “faith” wagon and turning to other things. 

The New Testament authors speak a lot about the “end days.” Why? Well, they don’t want us to be alarmed or mortified. These words are simply a warning.

During the day in which we live…

Lies abound! Evil flourishes! Corruption is swarming like a plague of hungry locusts. Hatred has filled the minds of millions. Murder is an every day occurrence. Christians around the world are persecuted daily. And in our country, we are slowly losing our freedoms.

Oh my! You know I could go on and on…

If we were to travel back to the early days of the church, we would see…

Persecution threatening the survival of the church.
Deceiving spirits.
Evil in the minds of government leaders.
Corruption in the midst of daily life.
Idolatry taking center stage.
Heresy seeping into the church.

And so much more…

But, it’s important we understand how the early Christian leaders handled all these things. What did they do?

They NEVER backed down from truth.

They spoke it in love, even if it meant that they put their relationships in jeopardy and their lives at risk. Even if it meant that they were the most unpopular person present.

When the Apostle Paul arrived in Athens, we read that “he was greatly distressed to see the city full of idols” (Acts 17:16). But then we read further: “So, he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there” (Acts 17:17).

Paul, Peter, Timothy, Silas, Barnabas, and a slew of others never wavered in their faith. Paul’s letters to the churches are bursting in truth. He heard about the stuff going on, and he wrote to set them straight. 

Today, we are bombarded on all sides by lies. It’s easy to sit back and do nothing or hope that our Christian brothers and sisters will speak up for truth. It’s easier to sweep things under the rug than to take a stand.

Stephen would not bend (Acts 6-7). He looked into the faces of 71 Sanhedrin judges – the Supreme Court of that day. He knew he could die… and maybe even violently. But he was not going to let them slander his Lord. He would defend the One who gave up His life for him.

He stood up for TRUTH till he breathed his last.

I believe that God wants you and I to defend His Name and His Word, too. It’s time that the church rise from their comfortable pews and hold out the torch handed to them – the torch the early believers carried high.

You can do this in your neighborhoods, in your work place, in your social circles, in your homes, and on social media.

It’s time we let fear go and we stand up for God. When we do that, He will stand up for us.

You do not need to argue. Reasoning is okay, but arguing is not.

Here’s an important thing to ALWAYS remember: we need to be in God’s Word daily to know what He says. If we’re not, then we might be like many others who have fallen away. We won’t understand what the truth is.

And when you and I encounter the holiness of God (through His Word), we will be jumping from our seats ready to defend Him. Because it will hurt our hearts when others show contempt for God.

I know I will try harder to speak TRUTH. Will you join me?

Blessings,