Bible Prophecy
No, this a isn’t rerun of my previous article. It’s the same verse. The same prophecy. A connected struggle, but an additional challenge to our faith and future headline we can bet on.
Bible prophecy doesn’t only foretell politics, but there are many prophecies that tell the spiritual climate at the end of the age. In these prophecies, we see the world at large, but also the condition of the church. Most of the prophecies generically tell that the last days will be filled with wickedness and lawlessness, like the days of Noah and Lot. In his second letter to Timothy, the Apostle Paul dives into details about this wickedness. He writes,
But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people. – 2 Timothy 3:1-5 (NIV)
When I shared this verse in the previous article, I zeroed in on verse 1 which says people will be “lovers of themselves.” Unfortunately, most of the headlines associated with that prophecy look like our current newsfeed. In that article I mentioned verse 5 reveals that the “last days people” in mind are professed Christians. Notice I qualified Christians. We can debate their actual spiritual state and allegiance, but let’s focus on the actuality of this prophecy being fulfilled.
Lovers of Pleasure
This prophecy in 2 Timothy reveals that people will be lovers of pleasure. In that prophesied time, one’s personal pleasure will be their ultimate goal.
Then professed Christians will be lovers of pleasure more that God. Professed Christians will put more effort into carrying out their pleasure than they do in serving God. Professed Christians will invest more money into seeking pleasure than into ministry. And professed Christians will spend more time in their pleasures than in worship and on mission.
I doubt I need close this article with my typical snarky future headline samples, where I try to express the prophecy’s fulfillment is already happening. You see it’s happening. This reality hits too close to home. It’s a major reason our churches are empty and why we’re missing younger generations.
Heed This Warning
I try in these articles to stick to the facts of what the Bible predicts for future headlines without providing much commentary. But we need to burn this 2-Timothy-3-warning into our hearts and posted everywhere we look. We need to heed this warning as an understanding of our culture, but even more as a warning for ourselves. We are each at great risk of becoming lovers of pleasure rather than a lover of God.
Further, we need to know that we’re at an even greater risk of becoming poster boys and girls for this prophecy because of three unique factors to us here in the states.
First, we’re at a great risk of becoming lovers of pleasure rather than God more than anyone in the history and the world because we live in a time period where more forms of pleasure are available than at any other point in history. The Book of Ecclesiastes is an inventory of Solomon trying all the pleasure he could find. Think how long that book would be today. Solomon wouldn’t live long enough to try them.
we’re at a great risk of becoming lovers of pleasure rather than God more than anyone in the history and the world because we live in a time period where more forms of pleasure are available than at any other point in history. Share on XSecond, we’re at a greater risk than anyone in the world because of the wealth and availability of pleasure pursuits here in America. Very few others in the world have the opportunities of time, wealth, entertainment, activities, and possessions than we do.
Third, I believe coming out of the covid shutdowns has made us more materialistic, activity-driven, and entertainment-driven. Going a couple of years without going and doing has pushed us to relish in it even more. Just look up camper and boat sales numbers for one reference. This increased going is why church attendance numbers haven’t returned.
A future headline is that people will become lovers of pleasure more than God, and as twenty-first century Americans, we’re at the greatest danger. This is a future headline that we should lean into and heed as a warning.
This article first appeared in Jake’s syndicated column Stand Firm & Live Epic as published in The Baptist Trumpet and other publications. After three months the articles are adapted and published here. To read the articles at release subscribe here.
Executive Director of Stand Firm and lead pastor of Epic Church NWA in Springdale, AR and multiple award-winning author, Jake has a B.A. in Bible and Pastoral Studies from Central Baptist College, and an Advanced Masters of Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Former regular contributor to the Baptist Press and WND News with popular conservative voices such as Pat Buchanan, Ann Coulter, Ben Carson, Chuck Norris, Greg Laurie, Ben Schapiro, Joel Richardson, and others. He now is a weekly contributor for Israel, Islam, and the End Times and Armageddon News. He has authored books such as the, award-winning Spiritual Prepper from WND Books. Award-winning devotional books, Invincibleand For Uncertain Times, he authored the ground-breaking children’s book, Jesus and His White Horse from CrossLink Publishing. He is also a regular guest on national and international radio and streaming web shows, along with hosting his weekly live streaming program Talking Stand Firm and weekly podcast Stand Firm Parents.
