Difficult Times Ahead
2 Timothy 3:1-5 But know this: Difficult times will come in the last days. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, without love for what is good, 4 traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to the form of godliness but denying its power. Avoid these people!
Actually, the description of mankind in 2 Timothy 3:1-5 has been the signs of our emerging societies since the fall in the Garden of Eden. Mankind has displayed these evil characteristics since Abel was murdered by his brother Cain. Regrettably time has only served to magnify the hideousness of these traits. The flood was a temporary elimination of the problems, unfortunately for all of us, it’s results were short-lived.
We’ll start with Canaan, a grandson of Noah, who was cursed by Noah as a result of the actions of his father Ham. The land that Canaan settled was given to his uncle Shem and the land that was given to him, he turned away from. If you carefully read the scriptures, you’ll see that the land called Canaan was populated by 12 tribes: the Sidoions, Hittites children of Heth, Jebusites, Amorites, Girgashites, Hivites, Arkites, Sinites, Arvadites, Zemarites and Hamathites. These are the nations that were holding the land of Canaan when Moses sent Joshua and other Israelite men to scout it out as they prepared to enter in. It was these men that came back and told Moses that Nephilim are in the land and they were afraid because they were giants and the Israelites were as grasshoppers in comparison. These 12 tribes of Canaan were people that God wanted completely destroyed from the land. I personally believe that when God flooded the entire world, it was not only to rid the world of sin, but to destroy the Nephilim who were Giants and the offspring of fallen angels. It’s obvious that somehow, the bloodline of fallen angels had made it onto the ark, possibly through the wife of Ham, because it’s made clear that Noah had not sinned against God.
Noah’s great-grandson, Nimrod (son of Cush and grandson of Ham), who was the king of the land of Shinar was responsible for the construction of the Tower of Babel which was an attempt to reach Paradise. This is when Heavenly Father decided it was time to confuse the language so that the people would have to disperse upon the Earth as this was His plan from the beginning. The people congregated with others who were speaking a similar language and they then migrated all over the Earth becoming the foundation of the nationalities and civilizations we know today.
From the birth of Noah’s grandson Arphaxad (s0n of Shem), two years after the flood, until the birth of Abram was only 292 years (how soon we can forget history). Noah lived 350 years after the flood and Shem 500 years. Abram’s life overlapped Noah’s life by 58 years. According to Genesis 25:7 Abram whom our Heavenly Father renamed Abraham lived for 175 years. According to Jewish tradition, Noah, Shem and Abraham lived together for 39 years. Abraham is the Patriarch of the Hebrew nation Israel.
Genesis 15:5-6 (God) He took him outside and said, “Look at the sky and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” Then He said to him, “Your offspring will be that numerous.” 6 Abram believed the Lord, and He credited it to him as righteousness.
Therefore Nimrod a great-grandson of Noah and Abraham 8th generation great-grandson of Noah, both lived pretty much at the same time in the scope of history and they both knew Noah as well as the history of the flood and why God had made the decision to destroy the entire world. It seems unconscionable that in the brief period of time that Noah lived after the flood – only 350 years, knowing full well the penalty that the world had paid for it’s sins that the world was already descending right back into sin.
***Noah was Abraham’s great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great-grandfather!
Struggles in the Christian Life
2 Timothy 3:10-17 But you have followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, and endurance, 11 along with the persecutions and sufferings that came to me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. What persecutions I endured! Yet the Lord rescued me from them all. 12 In fact, all those who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. 13 Evil people and impostors will become worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed. You know those who taught you, 15 and you know that from childhood you have known the sacred Scriptures, which are able to give you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
This past year, I read a book entitled “Hearts of Fire”. It was 8 stories about 8 courageous women who showed me what persecution is in today’s world. These 8 women were faithful and committed to Jesus Messiah – Yeshua Hamashiach. They endured physical, mental and emotional pain beyond anything I could conceive. They were tenacious in there refusal to bow down and determined to share the Gospel of Christ at any cost!
To receive your complimentary copy of “Hearts of Fire” click on the link below.
https://www.persecution.com/heartsoffire/?_source_code=WB86K20
Jesus ~ Amazing Grace! 