“Kingdom Living in Perilous Times”
By
Bishop M.L. Maughmer, Jr.
Scriptures:- Genesis 6:1-8, 11-13 ; 2nd Timothy 3: 1-7. Matthew 24:36-38.
Text Scripture:- 2 Timothy 3:1 “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come”.
Shall = expected, definitely will happen.
OPENING:- Let me open this message with a brief explanation of the phrase “Last Days” because there is some confusion about this in Christiandom.
Let me suggest to you something I believe is vital to understanding the Bible and what is going to happen and that is the difference between the last days and the end time. Now some might say there is no difference and that is based upon ones belief. There are Pre-Tribulationist, Mid-Tribulationist, and Post-Tribulationist. Being Pre-Trib. This is what I believe.
UNDERSTAND *:- The last days is the period at the end of these present days that are immediately prior to the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for His Church - better known as the Rapture. The Tribulation/Great Tribulation is not what is considered the last days that is the wrath and judgment of God.
WATCH THIS:- because there can be some confusion when it comes to this right here. The last days take place while the church is here, when the church is raptured away then the Tribulation and Great Tribulation take place for a period of 7 seven. This is during the Marriage Feast of the Lamb when we are with Him in Heaven – basically a 7 year honeymoon if you will. How can I say that, let me back this up with scripture. The Bible says in Deuteronomy 19:15 “…at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established”. Scriptures are witnesses, a witness testifies to what they know, the Bible says in John 5:39 “ Search the scriptures for in them ye think ye have eternal life and they are they which testify of me”. WATCH THIS:- Jesus said in Matthew 24:34, Mark13:30, Luke 21:32 “Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled”. This generation – another word for generation is Age. So this generation or this age of the church you, you, you, and me will not pass until all these things be fulfilled. Although some of us may pass on the church age will not pass away until all these things be fulfilled. UNDERSTAND - the church age goes from the Day of Pentecost to the Rapture of the Church..
The Bible has a lot to say about the last days, it warns that we will be faced with extraordinary pressures and challenged with extraordinary opportunities and in order to be able to take advantage of the opportunities and survive the pressures we need to understand what the Word of God says.
Moses says in Deuteronomy 29:29 “The secret things belong unto the Lord our God; but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law”.
UNDERSTAND there are 2 things The Secret Things and The Revealed Things.
The number 2 conveys the meaning of a union, division or the verification of facts by witnesses. A man and woman, though two in number, are made one in marriage Genesis 2:23 - 24. There is also the union between Christ and the church 1Corinthians 12. The testimony of God is divided into Old and New Testaments. His agreements with mankind are divided into Old and New Covenants. The first man, Adam, sinned and brought death and destruction into the world. Jesus, however, as the second (or last) Adam brings the hope of the resurrection and eternal life 1Corinthians 15:21 - 22, 45 – 49. At the minimum, the testimony of at least 2 people were needed in the Old Testament to convict someone of a crime or sin. The validity of this teaching was confirmed by the Apostle Paul 1Timothy 5:19, Titus 3:10. In the End Time, two witnesses will appear on the world scene to testify and uphold the truth of God against the Beast and the False Prophet Revelation 11 – after the church is gone! Jesus sent the disciples out in pairs so that they could not only testify about his teachings and miracles, but also be witnesses of those who accepted or rejected the gospel Mark 6:7 - 13. Two can also convey comparison and contrast. That is extremely important and I will get into a contrast shortly.
There are 2 things the secret things and the revealed things. The problem is today that many people are trying to figure out the secret things which are God’s and they do not obey the revealed things which we are to act upon!
Example:- There are people, not all are bad, that spend countless time, energy, and money trying to pin-point or predict when Jesus is coming back, when Jesus Himself said in Matthew 24:36 “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only” – That’s Secret Things. HOWEVER; in verse 37 Jesus reveals something He says “But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be”.
**REMEMBER:- The last days is the period at the end of these present days that are immediately prior to the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for His Church - better known as the Rapture. The Tribulation/Great Tribulation is not what is considered the last days that is the wrath and judgment of God – it’s the End Time.
There are 2 sides of the last days – remember I said the number 2 conveys comparison and contrast, there is the good and the bad. Many people can’t see both sides of the truth, some only focus on the good and some only on the bad; however, we must be able to see both sides.
Isaiah 60:1-3 says “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising”. This was addressed to Zion which was Jerusalem; however, Zion includes ALL of GOD’S people.
UNDERSTAND there is a contrast between God’s people and the World. There needs to be a contrast in the last days between the people of God and the world.
CONTRAST:- simply means - to be strikingly different! There has always been and will always be a contrast between God’s people and the world. The Bible says “Come out from among them and be ye separate, saith the Lord… 2 Corinthians 6:17”. Romans 12:1 says “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God”. In Leviticus and Peter also reinforced it “Be ye holy for I am holy”. Hebrews 12:14 says “…….holiness without no man shall see the Lord”. There is a difference and that difference is Kingdom Living.
A preacher friend of mine told this story of a man and his parrot. This man took his parrot everywhere with him. One Saturday night the man took the parrot to the club, the parrot looked at the people how they were dressed and how the acted, the next day the man took the parrot to church, the parrot looked around and said same crowd. The parrot could not tell the difference between the crowd at the club and the crowd at church. There needs to be a contrast, there needs to be a difference like night and day.
LET ME RUN DOWN A RABBIT HOLE RIGHT HERE:- In Genesis 15:5 the Bible says “And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, (count)if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be”. This was a promise to Abraham about his seed. UNDERSTAND;- this has a 2 fold meaning, just like every other scripture in the Bible there is a natural meaning and a spiritual meaning. The 1st meaning is the natural – God tells Abraham that his seed (descendants) will be uncountable, there will be so many. The 2nd meaning is spiritual God is showing Abraham and letting us know that your seed is going to shine in dark times. God shows him the stars – WATCH THIS:- you only see stars at night in darkness. God is showing Abraham that your seed is going to shine in darkness (PERILOUS TIMES) because I shall arise upon thee and my glory shall be seen upon thee. WHY – because Abraham lived a righteous life.
Galatians 3:7 Paul says “Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham”. Therefore as Abraham’s seed we are to shine in darkness. Perilous times are dark times and it is in these perilous times that we are to shine the brightest. You do that by Kingdom Living in Perilous Times.
Matthew 24: 38 says “For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark”. Now you could probably have 7 different preachers stand up here and give 7 different interpretations of that 38th verse, but let me simply say it like this – “For as in the days that were before the flood - they were living in perilous times”.
When we think of that word “perilous”, we think maybe dangerous, great in suffering, terrible – and all of these would be correct – but there’s more. The translated word for “perilous” in this verse is Strong’s G5467; chalepos, which means: 1) hard to do, to take, to approach 2) hard to bear, troublesome, dangerous a) harsh, fierce, savage.
Daniel 7:25 says “And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time”. Now I know this scripture is talking about the anti-Christ.
WATCH THIS:- the problem with many today is that they are focused on a man, they are trying to figure out just who this anti-Christ is or will be. They say President Obama, Prince Harry, and many others are the anti-Christ. That’s the natural but the 2nd is spiritual, the Bible says in 1 John 4:3 “… that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world”. Remember this is a spiritual warfare.
Daniel 7:25 says “And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time”. To “wear out” means to wear away, to harass constantly, to cause to lose its usefulness. The devil desires to wear you out. Jesus told Peter in Luke 22:31 “And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat”. Sift is to thin out, to reduce, to shake up. It literally is a perilous time.
Matthew 24: 38 says “For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark”.
WHY did Jesus use this to describe what it was going to be like before He returned for the Church. Let me put this together the days that were before the flood - represent the perilous times in the Last Days, Noah represents the Church, the Ark represents the Rapture, the flood represents the Judgment of God the Tribulation period – End Times.
the days that were before the flood - represent the perilous times in the Last Days. The culture of Noah’s day was a culture that had turned totally against God and was based in self-centerness, self-gratification, self-reliance, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good.. The very imagination of the people was only evil continually. The modern term is post-modernism. Post-modernism is defined as a spiritual and philosophical condition of our culture which rejects all concepts of truth, structures of authority and meaning of life. They live according to the rule do what thou wilt. There is no value for life, wrong is called right, right is called wrong. It is a culture that has turned totally against God and is existing in self-centerness, self-gratification, and self-reliance. The mind-set of the people is high-mindedness, they are lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good. Violence has filled the earth and everywhere is threatened by terrorism.
Genesis 6:12 says “And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth”. All flesh is corrupt, parents killing children, kids killing parents, barbaric behavior is becoming the norm of our society, we have run amuck because there is no accountability. People have made up in their minds there is no God so they feel they don’t have to answer for anything. We are living in apostasy everyone is doing what they feel is right in there in own eyes.
Perverseness is the norm of society. It is considered a crime of hate to preach the unadulterated Word of God. Our President declares transgender abominations (Obamanations) can use whatever bathroom they want to use and if you stand up against it you will be charged with a hate crime. Same sex marriage is considered legal and if you fail to give them a license or bake them a cake you will be arrested he is trying to change times and laws: the spirit of anit-Christ is ruling the White House and trying to wear out the saints of God. A major goal of the homosexual movement is to alter the way society understands the basic family structure.
T.V. is perverse and making a mockery of everything Holy, compromising preachers selling out for filthy lucre getting on T.V. acting like everything unholy and calling themselves Holy Vessels of God and that they are doing Kingdom work, movies perverse, what they are teaching the children is perverse, society is leaning to its own understanding, desires and not reverencing God. They are listening to everything except the word of God.
Amos 8:11 has come to pass “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD”.
Noah preached for 120 years it’s going to rain, the people mocked him and called him crazy because it never rained before. They wouldn’t hear the words of the Lord coming out of Noah’s mouth, but they just kept on like everything was normal, they were eating and drinking, marrying and given in marriage – WATCH THIS- those things aren’t nesseccarilly wrong, but they didn’t fear God. Today, which is the last days there are scoffers walking after their own lust saying where is the promise of His coming, they are eating and drinking marrying and given in marriage carrying on like everything is alright and they are not taking heed to the Word of God – these are perilous times.
Be encouraged Noah – which represents the church – found Grace in the eyes of the Lord Genesis 6:8. He knew how to live in Perilous Times.
KINGDOM LIVING IN PERILOUS TIMES. A definition:- The Kingdom of God is the realm in which God’s will is actualized. Thus heaven is a part of the Kingdom of God angels are citizens in the Kingdom of God. People and evil spirits who, through their resistance to God’s will, find themselves outside of the Kingdom of God. People come to inhabit the Kingdom of God when their wills become aligned with God’s Will. Thus, the Kingdom of God is available to any who are willing to surrender their will to God’s. When a person makes their will, their mind and their body available to God as tools in the hands of His will, then they are living in the Kingdom of God or what I am calling here Kingdom Living. Kingdom living simply means: we live with an awareness of the kingdom of God, we understand that the kingdom is within, we experience the blessing of His sovereign authority, we are subversive to the Will and move of God. Kingdom Living is living in the power and submission of the Holy Ghost, the Kingdom of God consist not in words but in Power 1 Corinthians 4:22 - Kingdom living is powerful living.
Remember Noah represents the church – Genesis 6:8 says “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord”. The reason Noah found grace is because he lived the Kingdom life style.
There are 5 things about Noah that portray his kingdom living. 5 is the number of grace.
1. Noah was a just man – just = righteous. Righteous morally right or justifiable, virtuous, following moral or religious laws, uprightness, acting right. You want to find grace in the eye of the Lord you must live the kingdom life and be just (righteous). Regardless of what the rest of society is doing you have to hold the banner of Holiness. You must call right right and wrong wrong. When perilous times rise and people come against you and turn their back upon you - you must stand and having done all to stand stand. Having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness, your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked, And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.
2. Noah was perfect in his generation – He was without spot or blemish. He had failures true, but was solid as far as God was concerned. He was above reproach. You want to live the kingdom life in perilous time your character must be solid. There is a saying that goes your reputation is what people say about you your character is what God says. Don’t let your good be evil spoken of.
3. Noah listen to God – He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches…” Listening to God is like listening to anyone-before you can hear Him, you must be ready to listen. Just as in a conversation, you cannot hear the other person if you are talking or if your mind is distracted. So it is with God. If you want to hear Him speak, you must be quiet and you must be focused on what He is saying. Listening to God requires making time for Him, make ourselves available to God with the proper attitude and learn discernment. Listening to God requires a deliberate choice to shut out the chaos around you and focus your thoughts. You want to live the kingdom life in perilous times you must listen to the voice of God.
4. Noah was obedient – He did what God told him to do in spite of what the world thought. The word obedience is defined as: compliance to the plan; conformity to the pattern; observance of the rules; adherence to the standard; and submission to another's will. Obedience is the "bottom line" in the Christian life. Obey those that have rule over you. Obey the laws of God. Bbiblical obedience means, simply, to hear, trust, submit and surrender to God and obey his Word. Obedience means doing what God says in the timing and manner He says to do it. UNDERSTAND:- delayed obedience is still disobedience. To live the kingdom life in perilous times we must, be obedient. Obedience is better that sacrifice.
5. Noah had Faith – Hebrews 11:7 says “By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith”. Hebrews 11:6 says “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him”. There are 3 things about Noah’s Faith. 3 is the number of fullness. Past, Present, Future – Father, Son, Holy Ghost, Death, Burial, Resurrection, 3 deaths at Calvary 1 died in sin, 1 died to sin, 1 died for sin.
1. Noah’s faith was based on the Word of God. He was divinely warned. Faith, to be properly placed, must be based on what God says. Some people have faith in faith. If they have enough faith or believe hard enough, God is obligated to make about anything happen. But the problem with some people’s faith is that it is not based on what God has said: the Bible.
2. Noah’s faith was that it involved things not yet seen. Noah had never seen a worldwide judgment. He had never seen a worldwide flood. He had never seen an ark like God wanted him to build. 2 Corinthians 5:7 says “For we walk by faith, not by sight”.
3. Noah’s faith is that it moved him to action. It was not a passive faith; it was an active one. Moved with godly fear, He prepared the ark. His faith led to his obedience.
If you want to live the Kingdom life in Perilous times you gotta have faith, the kind of faith that produces action. Having faith to stand when all hell is breaking lose. You need the kind of faith that makes you say I’m doing a good work and I can’t come down. Faith that when darkness is all around and it seems like death is certain you need the faith that will cause you to say If I perish I perish but I have to live this Kingdom Life in perilous times. You need kingdom faith the kind of faith that will make you say if they slay me yet will I trust Him.
I don’t know about you but I am determined to live the Kingdom Life in Perilous times si I can have 2 testimonies.
1. That I have found grace in the eyes of the Lord.
2. So I can say like Paul – I fought a good fight, I kept the faith, I finished my course, I live a Kingdom Life in perilous times. I am now ready to receive my crown because I am an overcomer.
I want to hear God say you lived a Kingdom life in perilous times - Well done my good and faithful servant enter in the joy of the Lord.
If you want that testimony you need to understand Kingdom Living in Perilous Times.
Bishop M.L. Maughmer, Jr.
