2 Timothy 3 And 4 (Nasb)

2 Timothy 3: 1 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;

The Spirit gives us dynamite power.

Avoid such men as these.

We need to be careful whom we choose as friends.

6 For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses,

We need to respect women as our girlfriend / wife / sister or daughter.

7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the Truth.

Are we learning about Jesus when we study or are we focusing on things that aren’t eternal?

8 Just as Jannes and Jambres (Egyptian magicians) opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, rejected in regard to the faith.

9 But they will not make further progress; for their folly will be obvious to all, just as Jannes's and Jambres's folly was also.

10 Now you followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, perseverance,

11 persecutions, and sufferings, such as happened to me at Antioch (A city of Pisidia that persecutes Paul Acts 13:14-52; 14:19-22; 18:22) at Iconium (Paul was persecuted in this city of Asia Minor)and at Lystra (One of two cities of Lycaonia, to which Paul and Barnabas fled from persecutions in Iconium Acts 14:6-23; Congregation whose elders were ordained by Paul and Barnabas Acts 14:23. Timothy was a resident of Acts 16:1-4)

what persecutions I endured, and out of them all the Lord rescued me!

12 Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

Please keep those who are persecuted in your prayers. See www.persecution.com

13 But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

Some people go from home tolow to medium to high to maximum security prisons.

14 You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them,

15 and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings (Old Testament) which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;

17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 4: 1 (I) solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom:

2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.

3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires,

4 and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.

Name it / claim it, mark it, park it, put it on the wall and frame it? :)

5 But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

Only about 5-10% have each spiritual gift, but all of us should appropriately share Jesus with others. Find out what the gifts are (1 Cor 12, Romans 12, Eph 4), figure out what yours are (with confirmation from Christian leaders), and use them for Jesus’ glory.

6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come.

John Wesley, founder of the Methodist church, wrote “So undoubtedly God had shown him.”

7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith

8 in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness (with many jewels?:), which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.

9 Make every effort to come to me soon;

10 for Demas, (Paul’s companion who deserted him) having loved this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica (Macedonia, they persecuted Paul) Crescens (disciple with Paul at Rome) has gone to Galatia, (This province within the limits of which these Celtic tribes were confined, was the central region of Asia Minor) Titus (a faithful Greek companion of Paul, left by Paul in Crete {who wrote to him}Titus 1:5 To rejoin him in Nicopolis Titus 3:12) to Dalmatia. (not a dog:) A mountainous country on the eastern shore of the Adriatic, a part of the Roman province of Illyricum. It still bears its ancient name. During Paul's second imprisonment at Rome, Titus left him to visit Dalmatia (2 Timothy 4:10) for some unknown purpose. Paul had himself formerly preached in that region (Romans 15:19). The present Emperor of Austria bears, among his other titles, that of "King of Dalmatia.")