The broken windows theory, is when one window in an empty building has been broken, others who come along and see it will think that someone got away with it and throw their own rocks to break more windows.
This is an interesting concept because when applied to the morals of a culture, we see that relaxing moral standards results in more people relaxing their standards until the entire culture is corrupt and immoral.
It is very difficult to convince anyone of their sin and need for Christ in a culture that is supports and promotes sin all around them.
If you don't believe this theory all we have to do is compare the lifestyles of normal law abiding citizens of 70 years ago to now. By law abiding I mean those who adhere to Biblical standards, even if they did not know they were Biblical, the Christians in the culture influenced the society as a whole and even non-believers agreed with the standards of Christians, because they saw that the morals were better for the culture as well as personally better.
Now days we have nearly everyone negating the standards and morals of the Bible, holding them in low regard if not out and out contempt for them.
Crime has increased while demented thinking has overtaken most of the culture.
2 Timothy 3 describes the mentality of the end times, in this vein of thinking there lurks complete and total rebellion against the principles of our country that made it powerful in the beginning.
Without moral and ethical standards the country declines, diligence and excellence in anything is no longer important. Lives are destroyed as people begin to accept a lower standard, families disintegrate into hopelessness.
We are on the precipice teetering, ready to fall over the edge at any moment. Anyone who thinks we can bring this country back to morality and unselfishness is living in a fantasy of their own. God describes these end times, they do not get better they only continue to decline into the morass of evil until we reach the tribulation, at which time there will be no goodness left, only heartbreak and terror everywhere all the time.
The answer to this mess is for individuals to find Christ before that time, giving them the hope of the rapture and the ability to live in this terrible place, in hope, hope not in restoring the earth or our country, but personal hope in the promises God has for those who have been born again.
Believers will be Spiritually and emotionally protected in these difficult times, perhaps not always physically, but nothing can touch their regenerated soul that is kept by Christ until He comes for us.
For unbelievers there is no hope, they will not have the protection emotionally, spiritually or physically from the horror that is coming in the tribulation.
Those who do not know Christ must have their eyes opened to the salvation that is in Christ alone before it is too late.
Tuesday, March 13, 2018
Evidence of the Last Days
Nelson Baerga
ABSOLUTE EVIDENCE OF THE LAST DAYS
2 Timothy 3:1-5, "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, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away."
COVETOUS - inordinately or wrongly desirous of wealth, greedy
BOASTERS - braggart, self-centered, egotist
PROUD - high opinion of oneself or one's own importance
BLASPHEMERS - insult or disdain of God/Jesus/Spirit or Scripture
UNTHANKFUL - thankless, ungrateful, unappreciative
UNHOLY - godless, impious, profane, irreverent
TRUCEBREAKERS - implacable, irreconcilable, unappeasable
INCONTINENT - lacking self-restraint; uncontrolled, unbridled
FIERCE - intense or ferocious aggressiveness, cutthroat
TRAITORS - betrayer, disloyal to belief, sellout
HEADY - rash, impetuous, heedless, careless, bullheaded
HIGHMINDED - arrogant, haughty, puffed up, conceited
2 Peter 3:3-4, Knowing this first, that there shall come in the LAST DAYS scoffers, walking after 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 the creation.
ABSOLUTE EVIDENCE OF THE LAST DAYS
2 Timothy 3:1-5, "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, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away."
COVETOUS - inordinately or wrongly desirous of wealth, greedy
BOASTERS - braggart, self-centered, egotist
PROUD - high opinion of oneself or one's own importance
BLASPHEMERS - insult or disdain of God/Jesus/Spirit or Scripture
UNTHANKFUL - thankless, ungrateful, unappreciative
UNHOLY - godless, impious, profane, irreverent
TRUCEBREAKERS - implacable, irreconcilable, unappeasable
INCONTINENT - lacking self-restraint; uncontrolled, unbridled
FIERCE - intense or ferocious aggressiveness, cutthroat
TRAITORS - betrayer, disloyal to belief, sellout
HEADY - rash, impetuous, heedless, careless, bullheaded
HIGHMINDED - arrogant, haughty, puffed up, conceited
2 Peter 3:3-4, Knowing this first, that there shall come in the LAST DAYS scoffers, walking after 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 the creation.
Born Again for Real
Ephesians 1:13-14
"13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory."
When someone has been changed into a new creation by Christ, he is no longer the old anymore and will never get it back.
Ephesians 2:10
"10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."
When Christ saves us because we have confessed our sinfulness and believed in His sacrifice as counted to our sin, then we are born again. We can never go back to the old man again. Our Spirit is saved and counted as being in heaven with Christ. We are saved permanently.
God seals us with the Holy Spirit, we cannot become unsealed, we belong to Him.
We are not sinless: This was written to believers who are saved for eternity.
1 John 1:9 "9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
If we sin after we are born again it is the weakness of the sinful flesh not the Spirit Who lives in us. God deals with those He loves through discipline not in throwing them away.
Hebrews 12:5-7 "…5 And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, or lose heart when He rebukes you. 6 For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastises everyone He receives as a son.” 7 Endure suffering as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?…"
When we die our Spirit goes to heaven but our body cannot go because it is sinful.
If someone sins and is not sorry and even defends their sin they have never been born again. Those who have been born again grieve over their sin when they do it and eventually confess and stop because of the conviction of the Holy Spirit.
1 John 3:8-10 "…8 The one who practices sin is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the very start. This is why the Son of God was revealed, to destroy the works of the devil. 9 Anyone born of God refuses to practice sin, because God’s seed abides in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. 10 By this the children of God and the children of the devil can be distinguished: Anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is anyone who does not love his brother."
A born again believer is not sinless, they do sin less, because they hate sin and quickly confess and turn from it. They do not "practice" sin as a lifestyle.
Those who practice sin and have no guilt about it, even defending it have never been born again in the first place. They are pretenders and need to become born again for the first time.
"13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory."
When someone has been changed into a new creation by Christ, he is no longer the old anymore and will never get it back.
Ephesians 2:10
"10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."
When Christ saves us because we have confessed our sinfulness and believed in His sacrifice as counted to our sin, then we are born again. We can never go back to the old man again. Our Spirit is saved and counted as being in heaven with Christ. We are saved permanently.
God seals us with the Holy Spirit, we cannot become unsealed, we belong to Him.
We are not sinless: This was written to believers who are saved for eternity.
1 John 1:9 "9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
If we sin after we are born again it is the weakness of the sinful flesh not the Spirit Who lives in us. God deals with those He loves through discipline not in throwing them away.
Hebrews 12:5-7 "…5 And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, or lose heart when He rebukes you. 6 For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastises everyone He receives as a son.” 7 Endure suffering as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?…"
When we die our Spirit goes to heaven but our body cannot go because it is sinful.
If someone sins and is not sorry and even defends their sin they have never been born again. Those who have been born again grieve over their sin when they do it and eventually confess and stop because of the conviction of the Holy Spirit.
1 John 3:8-10 "…8 The one who practices sin is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the very start. This is why the Son of God was revealed, to destroy the works of the devil. 9 Anyone born of God refuses to practice sin, because God’s seed abides in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. 10 By this the children of God and the children of the devil can be distinguished: Anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is anyone who does not love his brother."
A born again believer is not sinless, they do sin less, because they hate sin and quickly confess and turn from it. They do not "practice" sin as a lifestyle.
Those who practice sin and have no guilt about it, even defending it have never been born again in the first place. They are pretenders and need to become born again for the first time.
They Rage When Evil is Exposed
We live in a world that rages at anyone who exposes evil but are not angry at the evil itself. Think about it!!!!
Isaiah 5:20 "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that count darkness as light, and light as darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!"
Isaiah 5:20 "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that count darkness as light, and light as darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!"
The Forgiveness of Christ
When Christ was walking on earth he would say to people, "your sins are forgiven" , when they were repentant and wanted to be forgiven.
However, when He was on the cross he didn't say this to those who murdered Him, He asked the Father to do it, because Christ was not forgiving them, He was asking the Father to extend forgiveness to mankind at that point. That does not mean they were forgiven, except and unless they wanted to be forgiven.
Forgiveness is always available and extended, but is only received when there is confession of sin.
1 John 1:9 "9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
Did we see that, "IF we confess." Why do so many people miss this. Without confession there will be no change in behavior. Even the secular self help groups realize this.
Confession is not just for feeling better about ourselves, forgiveness is not just to feel better about ourselves, these things have a purpose and that is to redirect the attitudes and actions of those who need cleansing.
If we want to obey God we expect nothing less than what He taught and the way He operates.
We are commanded not to be bitter and to refrain from revenge, that does not mean that we extend forgiveness when there is no confession.
Forgiveness is for the reconciling of a relationship, when someone is not sorry for their sin then our forgiveness falls to the ground to be trampled on, it goes no where and does nothing for the other person.
We can treat others respectfully and without malice even if the relationship is not reconciled, there is no automatic bitterness in us because an offender will not be sorry.
Many do not understand that forgiveness is a part of the believer, in their inner soul, but it can only be accessed by a desire for a relationship to be reconciled.
Not all relationships will be reconciled, some people are just bad influences on us and bring strife to the relationship.
2 Corinthians 6:17
"17 “Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate,” says the Lord. “And do not touch what is unclean; And I will welcome you."
Proverbs 14:8
"8 The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way, but the folly of fools is deceiving."
The bottom line is this: as believers we desire to forgive others and we desire to be forgiven when we have offended, its in our heart all the time, ready to do so when there is a show of sorrow over sinfulness.
You see, we cannot only be concerned about our own feelings, we must learn to care about what is good for others. It is not good to forgive, to reconcile when someone is not interested in changing their ways. We can love them with prayer and help them if they are injured, but we cannot have a relationship with those who continue their evil behavior without remorse.
However, when He was on the cross he didn't say this to those who murdered Him, He asked the Father to do it, because Christ was not forgiving them, He was asking the Father to extend forgiveness to mankind at that point. That does not mean they were forgiven, except and unless they wanted to be forgiven.
Forgiveness is always available and extended, but is only received when there is confession of sin.
1 John 1:9 "9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
Did we see that, "IF we confess." Why do so many people miss this. Without confession there will be no change in behavior. Even the secular self help groups realize this.
Confession is not just for feeling better about ourselves, forgiveness is not just to feel better about ourselves, these things have a purpose and that is to redirect the attitudes and actions of those who need cleansing.
If we want to obey God we expect nothing less than what He taught and the way He operates.
We are commanded not to be bitter and to refrain from revenge, that does not mean that we extend forgiveness when there is no confession.
Forgiveness is for the reconciling of a relationship, when someone is not sorry for their sin then our forgiveness falls to the ground to be trampled on, it goes no where and does nothing for the other person.
We can treat others respectfully and without malice even if the relationship is not reconciled, there is no automatic bitterness in us because an offender will not be sorry.
Many do not understand that forgiveness is a part of the believer, in their inner soul, but it can only be accessed by a desire for a relationship to be reconciled.
Not all relationships will be reconciled, some people are just bad influences on us and bring strife to the relationship.
2 Corinthians 6:17
"17 “Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate,” says the Lord. “And do not touch what is unclean; And I will welcome you."
Proverbs 14:8
"8 The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way, but the folly of fools is deceiving."
The bottom line is this: as believers we desire to forgive others and we desire to be forgiven when we have offended, its in our heart all the time, ready to do so when there is a show of sorrow over sinfulness.
You see, we cannot only be concerned about our own feelings, we must learn to care about what is good for others. It is not good to forgive, to reconcile when someone is not interested in changing their ways. We can love them with prayer and help them if they are injured, but we cannot have a relationship with those who continue their evil behavior without remorse.
The Devils are at Work All the Time
Have you ever been doing something that you enjoyed, perhaps gardening, driving down the road to somewhere or just sitting in your house and all of a sudden for no reason at all there was a sense of dread that came over you? Nothing devastating but a minor sense that something just wasn't right?
I am convinced now more than ever that when this happens we are experiencing demonic oppression. The feelings that come over us do not make us depressed just cautious, but nothing happened to bring it on. The feelings that come make no sense and are not associated with any event.
In my life there have been times like this, when it happens I begin to think rationally and even pray, soon the feeling is dispelled. I then return to normality as though the feeling never came.
Psychologists would say that the feeling must have been triggered by something in our past, but I think its deeper than that, a spiritual attack to disorder our thinking. Devils may use past experiences to trigger feelings of worthlessness, but when there are no thought patterns when this occurs, I have to believe it is not from the past. The psychologists do not take into account the spiritual world because most do not believe in it, so they rationalize something else.
When we look all around us today we often see things that just don't make good sense. Irrational responses from people that don't fit with the experiences, a sort of over the top reaction to an innocent or benign statement, even a helpful one that was meant to encourage and instruct.
As we see the increase of end times mentalities as described in 2 Timothy 3, we realize where these irrational responses are coming from. They are fleshly as well as demonic. When we walk in the flesh basing our life on feelings instead of fact, it will cause many problems that are unnecessary. The devils are all about causing problems where there need not be any.
When we are walking with God we evaluate things, we don't simply lean into feelings as though they are facts, we think things through to appraise events for accuracy.
When an entire culture bases most of what they do on how they feel, we will see much error, even devastation.
Why do most people divorce, the answer is easy, they are acting according to their bad feelings over perceived hurts. When those in a marriage refuse to consider the needs of others, their responses will be based on how they feel rather than what is truth. And, their responses will be based on what they personally want, not what is good for both of them.
More than half of our population today is choosing not to marry, this is pure selfishness. Those who shack up refusing to make a commitment, while wanting all the perks of those who are committed for a lifetime, are selfish, indulgent and ruinous to relationships. The divorce rate is higher among those who live together first before marriage, the answer is simple, when there is a mentality of lack of commitment to someone no matter what, then there is constant turn over in relationships. If one doesn't work out you throw it away and get another.
Not only do the shack up couple leave a bad example of lack of commitment to the younger generation, they dishonor their parents in a lifestyle of self indulgence.
Just because parents now days don't feel dishonored by the sinful lifestyles of their adult children, does not mean they are not dishonored. But than again how can the adult children act properly when they come from homes that taught them divorce was an option and remarriage was the solution for a better life.
The younger generation has been taught by example that when things get tough just bail out. There is no such thing any more as doing the "noble" thing, until the hardship or hurt passes, there's just "I don't like this so I throw away those that won't give me what I want", mentality.
Children have not been considered in the mix when people divorce and remarry, they are merely force to go along with the decision of the immature adult, when it is the children who are harmed the most by the break ups.
Many parents can no longer expect their children to make commitments in marriage when they broke vows and had no commitments of their own.
There is a saying, "more is caught than taught", meaning children learn far more by example than they do by words. Words only have value when they are backed up by actions.
There is another saying that the old folks taught me over the years, "Your actions speak so loud I can't hear a word you're saying."
You see, how can divorced and remarried people train their children to remain in marriage for the rest of their lives, when their parents will not do it themselves. How can the divorced and remarried person teach commitment, honor, endurance and the art of working things out, when they have not done it themselves.
Divorced and remarried people are teaching their children by example to throw away people, to choose not to bother to work things out and never do anything for the sake of the children.
And we wonder why there are so many adult children who are shacking up without commitment? Just take a look at the example they were given to live by, no one really matters, nothing else really matters, except your personal happiness.
What is the solution, its a tough one because it isn't likely that our culture is going to turn around to begin again to obey the Bible, but there are those who have not yet divorced and remarried who might be tempted but decide to go the way of God and tough things out for the sake of their children and their spouse.
By tough things out I mean, seek solutions until there is growth for a better marriage. We can actually get through problems in marriage, we don't have to bail out and get another one.
Children want their two natural parents, that's how it works, family break up is devastating to the children, their pain of losing a parent to divorce and the double pain of seeing that parent with someone other than their mother or father is further devastating, compounding the grief the child has to endure because parents cannot get along like grown ups should. They cannot play nice, the way they teach their children to do. Why would a child take a divorced and remarried parent seriously when they are told to "play nice", their own parents won't do it, why should they?
You know it is interesting, I get treated disrespectfully on occasion because of my views on divorce and remarriage, without any thought of the devastation these actions take on our culture or their children....and I am the bad one for saying its bad. Go figure! Like I said earlier, these are irrational days without nobility based almost entirely on feelings, the shallowest part of our being.
2 Timothy 3:1-5 "2
“Difficult Times Will Come”
3 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.
2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,
3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good,
4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
5 holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these."
I am convinced now more than ever that when this happens we are experiencing demonic oppression. The feelings that come over us do not make us depressed just cautious, but nothing happened to bring it on. The feelings that come make no sense and are not associated with any event.
In my life there have been times like this, when it happens I begin to think rationally and even pray, soon the feeling is dispelled. I then return to normality as though the feeling never came.
Psychologists would say that the feeling must have been triggered by something in our past, but I think its deeper than that, a spiritual attack to disorder our thinking. Devils may use past experiences to trigger feelings of worthlessness, but when there are no thought patterns when this occurs, I have to believe it is not from the past. The psychologists do not take into account the spiritual world because most do not believe in it, so they rationalize something else.
When we look all around us today we often see things that just don't make good sense. Irrational responses from people that don't fit with the experiences, a sort of over the top reaction to an innocent or benign statement, even a helpful one that was meant to encourage and instruct.
As we see the increase of end times mentalities as described in 2 Timothy 3, we realize where these irrational responses are coming from. They are fleshly as well as demonic. When we walk in the flesh basing our life on feelings instead of fact, it will cause many problems that are unnecessary. The devils are all about causing problems where there need not be any.
When we are walking with God we evaluate things, we don't simply lean into feelings as though they are facts, we think things through to appraise events for accuracy.
When an entire culture bases most of what they do on how they feel, we will see much error, even devastation.
Why do most people divorce, the answer is easy, they are acting according to their bad feelings over perceived hurts. When those in a marriage refuse to consider the needs of others, their responses will be based on how they feel rather than what is truth. And, their responses will be based on what they personally want, not what is good for both of them.
More than half of our population today is choosing not to marry, this is pure selfishness. Those who shack up refusing to make a commitment, while wanting all the perks of those who are committed for a lifetime, are selfish, indulgent and ruinous to relationships. The divorce rate is higher among those who live together first before marriage, the answer is simple, when there is a mentality of lack of commitment to someone no matter what, then there is constant turn over in relationships. If one doesn't work out you throw it away and get another.
Not only do the shack up couple leave a bad example of lack of commitment to the younger generation, they dishonor their parents in a lifestyle of self indulgence.
Just because parents now days don't feel dishonored by the sinful lifestyles of their adult children, does not mean they are not dishonored. But than again how can the adult children act properly when they come from homes that taught them divorce was an option and remarriage was the solution for a better life.
The younger generation has been taught by example that when things get tough just bail out. There is no such thing any more as doing the "noble" thing, until the hardship or hurt passes, there's just "I don't like this so I throw away those that won't give me what I want", mentality.
Children have not been considered in the mix when people divorce and remarry, they are merely force to go along with the decision of the immature adult, when it is the children who are harmed the most by the break ups.
Many parents can no longer expect their children to make commitments in marriage when they broke vows and had no commitments of their own.
There is a saying, "more is caught than taught", meaning children learn far more by example than they do by words. Words only have value when they are backed up by actions.
There is another saying that the old folks taught me over the years, "Your actions speak so loud I can't hear a word you're saying."
You see, how can divorced and remarried people train their children to remain in marriage for the rest of their lives, when their parents will not do it themselves. How can the divorced and remarried person teach commitment, honor, endurance and the art of working things out, when they have not done it themselves.
Divorced and remarried people are teaching their children by example to throw away people, to choose not to bother to work things out and never do anything for the sake of the children.
And we wonder why there are so many adult children who are shacking up without commitment? Just take a look at the example they were given to live by, no one really matters, nothing else really matters, except your personal happiness.
What is the solution, its a tough one because it isn't likely that our culture is going to turn around to begin again to obey the Bible, but there are those who have not yet divorced and remarried who might be tempted but decide to go the way of God and tough things out for the sake of their children and their spouse.
By tough things out I mean, seek solutions until there is growth for a better marriage. We can actually get through problems in marriage, we don't have to bail out and get another one.
Children want their two natural parents, that's how it works, family break up is devastating to the children, their pain of losing a parent to divorce and the double pain of seeing that parent with someone other than their mother or father is further devastating, compounding the grief the child has to endure because parents cannot get along like grown ups should. They cannot play nice, the way they teach their children to do. Why would a child take a divorced and remarried parent seriously when they are told to "play nice", their own parents won't do it, why should they?
You know it is interesting, I get treated disrespectfully on occasion because of my views on divorce and remarriage, without any thought of the devastation these actions take on our culture or their children....and I am the bad one for saying its bad. Go figure! Like I said earlier, these are irrational days without nobility based almost entirely on feelings, the shallowest part of our being.
2 Timothy 3:1-5 "2
“Difficult Times Will Come”
3 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.
2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,
3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good,
4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
5 holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these."
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