Profile of End Time Man
Evolutionists speak of Cro-Magnon man and Neanderthal man, so I decided to use the term of End Time man for this lesson. Some Baptists call each other Neanderthals and I thank God that I am a Neanderthal and not one of the other group. It also seemed fitting since the evolutionists have the origin of man all wrong that I use a term they would relate to so that they will not get the terminal stage of man confused by their foolishness. (Rom. 1:19-23)
I am also calling this description a profile after the concept of profiling that is used by the police in attempting to track down a serial killer or other criminal. By the criminal¡¦s acts, they can determine that they are looking for a 25-year old white man that is a high school drop out and hates his mother. Employers also use profiling to assure that they hire good employees, by a series of questions or tests and comparing them to the ¡§stats¡¨ or profiles.
It is not an exact science. It does have some success because all criminal activity or bad behavior stems from the three root sins. These are the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life. Also, because the spirit of man can know the things of a man. (1 Cor. 2:11) Unfortunately, people who have hearts that are deceitful and desperately wicked are attempting to analyze people with the same problem. (Jer. 17:9) It is hard to be objective. You need a third party that can objectively analyze your statistics. God is the only one that can effectively analyze the data and they have thrown Him out of the mix thus becoming the blind leading the blind. (Luke 6:39) Actually, since He wrote the book on mankind, they could save themselves a lot of trouble and help more people if they would just use His protocols and salvation therapy. Thus to help these folks out, I submit God's racial profile of End Time man.
This has been our profile since the fall, but as a terminal illness progresses the symptoms increase and worsen until death releases the victim from its clutches so also is the experience of terminally mankind.
2 Tim 3:1-9
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
Have we ever lived in a more perilous time? Perils and wars were once limited to relatively small regions until WWI. Since that time, we have developed the ability to toast the planet by nuclear warfare. We can wipe out the race by biological warfare. Diseases that were confined to one area can know be spread around the world by one person on a world tour by air. Yes, we live in the most perilous times that the world has ever known.
While all this is true, I believe that Paul was emphasizing the peril that would come to true followers of Christ. We live in a perilous time for the general populace, but it is even worse for the believer. Many brethren are suffering persecution worldwide and we are seeing the beginnings of sorrows here in America. You can do and believe almost anything in this world and be ¡§tolerated¡¨ and even defended if your actions are outside the pale of societal normalcy unless you are a bible-believing Christian who wants to flesh out their faith. If you are a doer and a not hearer only, you are in for big trouble. You see the word perilous can also be translated as fierce and that is also very true.
Now, if you rewrite the Word and deny everything in it that offends your culture you will get along just find. If you are into a "I'm OK, Your OK" mode with all the other religions or non-religions you have nothing to worry about. If you are willing to accept the leaders and writings of the other faiths on an even par with Christ and the Bible then you are in the Ministerial Association and the local Wiccan leader will slap a big Earth Mother kiss on your cheek.
Ah, but preach the Bible as the verbal-plenary inspired Word of God that is the only source of wisdom and rule of life and you are asking for fierce trouble. Quote Acts 4:12 with zeal and conviction and you are an ignorant and intolerant person that is dangerous to unity. Call sins, sins, and name them one by one and you will counting many curses as well as blessings. No, being a Christian is not for sissies these days. It is going to take men and women of commitment and conviction to survive the perilous times we are in and those to come. Let¡¦s look at the folks we will have to deal with and see why times are tough.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
Just looking at this first group of traits, you just want to say, ¡§Yeah, no kidding!¡¨ Do you know any conceited people? Well, maybe not. After all conceit is a fault and they have no faults. OK, do you know people who will take care of number 1 and only number 1? Yep, I bet you know a few of these. They have mirrors on their bedroom ceilings so they can always wake up and see someone they love and trust.
Know any covetous people? Have some trouble with this yourself? The Greek here is philaguros or fond of silver. Do we love money? Why are game shows, gambling casinos and lotteries so popular? Everyone wants a ton of money and they want it now. Since they are lovers of their own selves, most of the time they are going to spend it all on themselves. Statistics show that most of the sudden millionaires are bankrupt within five years of their winning. Why? They buy too much stuff and forget about the taxes on a $200,000 house as well as what it takes to maintain it. They love money and all the goodies it can buy, so they want lots of money.
How about those boasters? These are the guys who know it all and they have done it all and worn out the T-shirts. Surely, they are the people and wisdom will die with them. If they hear anything you say they do well at hiding it. If you say something worthwhile they let it alone for a few days and then bring it up in a staff meeting like it was their idea. The really good ones then tell the Boss that you would make a great asset on their team to get the idea implemented so that they will get the bulk of the credit if it works. After all, they not only had the idea, but also the ability to pick the right team. That is when you get real tempted to load up the shot gun with rock salt and rock their world or moon as it were!! During the cold war, we often heard things that the Russians claimed they invented first like the telephone and such. Lately, we had Al Gore inventing the Internet. Listen to athletes and politicians if you need examples of boasters.
Tied into the boasting is pride. These folks boast because they are proud. The Greek also implies being haughty or being conspicuous that you think you are above other people. These folks have neck pains from their nose being so high in the air and have eyestrain from looking down at everyone at the same time. People who feel that they are above the law are proud. Laws are for the peons, not me. Just read the papers and you will find scores of these people from local to national levels in all walks of life.
After you have been so proud for so long that you are not like other men, it makes sense to you that you are a god. Therefore it is not problem to blaspheme God. You have no need of Him. You have come so far without Him that you assume that you can excel above Him. Ask lucifer, if haughtiness and pride comes before a destructive fall before you seek to get that high. (Isa. 4:12-17, Prov. 16:18)
Please note that since this was a prophecy when Paul penned it and that no one blasphemes anyone, but Christ or the other members of the Trinity. You never hear anyone asking Buddha to damn anything. They do not use Allah¡¦s name in vain. Try sticking a Buddha in a jar of urine for art¡¦s sake and display it in Thailand. I hope your health and life insurance premiums are current.
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
Without natural affection means to be hard hearted against your family or kin. Honey, it has been a long time since families were like the Waltons or Cleavers. Most families fight like rabid cats and dogs and will not speak to each other for years over stupid things. Women can drop their babies into dumpsters or toilets without remorse. Instead of picking up knitting needles they run to men who use needles to destroy that innocent life that God has knitted together. That is definitely hard hearted against the closest kin a woman will ever have. Fathers are no better. Even if they are "happily" married, they spend more time or their job or at their hobby than they spend with either their wife or children.
Ask the American Indian about truce breaking. They have experienced a long history of this. Why do you need a host of lawyers on staff at a major corporation? Contracts are quickly broken. The fine print requires interpretation to prevent your company from losing though you might renege on your promises or provide a defective product to consumer or retailer. Marriage is a contract that is easily gotten out of without society¡¦s disapproval. It was once a shame to get a divorce, but now it is considered a given and we make pre-nuptial arrangements to protect the parties¡¦ assets when the corporation dissolves. Only the contract made by the sovereign states to form a more perfect union do we believe indivisible and eternally binding. All others just require a good lawyer. A handshake that once sealed deals for millions of dollars is now just a ritual and that smile is mainly because one has felt that he has suckered the other one completely. Let the buyer beware!
Ever been accused falsely? Many lawsuits are false accusations. I¡¦m the idiot that poured hot coffee in my lap, but I¡¦m suing the maker of the cup and the vendor who sold me the coffee. People trying to hide their own mistakes will point at another coworker or the other shift as the blame. The joke is that the new guy on board or the guy that just left made all the mistakes. It is seldom our shift or us personally that makes them. Only when we cannot shift the blame do we take responsibility for our errors or our sins.
Incontinent does not just mean you need Depends„µ though it is a good illustration. Due to weakness or disease, some folks cannot control their bodily functions. In the fullness of the meaning in this passage, the age will be filled with people unable to control their mental functions. People are impulsive buyers and end up in massive credit card debt. They marry and divorce on a whim. They bounce from job to job because they have no sense of stability. Have a bad day and you quit. We have a host of addictions that control us and have drugs to control the addictions. We are literally out of control.
Tied into that lack of control is savage fierceness. We have an angry population that vents that anger in road rage, spousal and child abuse. We cannot control our actions that get us fired and then we cannot control our anger over being fired resulting in supervisors and coworkers dying. We get into red faced, neck swollen rage over the slightest inconvenience or ineptness of someone. I had a coworker once that disagreed with something I said and smashed his hand into a metal bin and broke his wrist. I was just glad he hit the bin and not me. Guns are not what causes violence. Fierce incontinence and lack of natural affection are the causes. Take away guns and it will knives, Molatov cocktails, and blowing up cars in crowded places. Outlaw knives, gasoline and cars and there will be another method to vent the anger. Unless we cure the root of the problem no ban or license will prevent the carnage we see around us.
We certainly despise those who are good or at least trying to be good. When I was a hippie and a loud mouth blasphemer that believed Christ was an alien, I was never picked on for any of those beliefs. I was encouraged to continue in my lifestyle by many people. I was even taught ways to steal, drink, curse and carouse better by peers and elders. Then I became a Christian and was trying to find God¡¦s will and do good things. Only then was my lifestyle and beliefs ridiculed. People spent all kinds of energy to sway me from my faith and actions.
For many years, the majority held the things I now believe and seek to practice as good and needful. In the 60¡¦s that changed and now people who have those values are mocked and sometimes persecuted. We have gone to calling good evil and evil good. Even so-called ministers promote ungodliness. Why they bother to call themselves Christians is a puzzle to me. Start the "I Do What I Want and Nuts To God Club" or "I Serve The God That Pleases ME Association." At least that would be honest. Calling yourself a Christian and then denying the Book and His Blood is a sham.
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
Because of all the other characteristics being ME oriented, it is easy to see why people would become traitors. Their loyalty is only to themselves. Look at all the books that come out from "friends" and family dishing out dirt on celebrities. It works really well if the person is dead and cannot defend themselves. Recently, we had a case of a government agent being a spy for years. I can imagine his goal was to retire from the agency and getting that check then moving to some country that would not extradite him in case he was found out. If they did not catch him he would have a nice check from the country he betrayed as well as the Judas money he received. Fortunately, he was caught. How many others were not and what damage did they cause by their treason? Even the former President has been accused of this.
On our level, how many times has someone promised to keep your secret and did not? Sometimes, it is an honest mistake. At other times, your secret was revealed to someone they felt would be a better friend for them. We spoke before of ideas being stolen. Never share anything unless you have a copyright or can prove you had it first or someone else will publish your best seller or patent your invention. We truly live in an age of trust no one.
Heady and highminded go together. Heady means to fall forward or headlong into something usually as a rash move. Since highminded means to be inflated with self-conceit you can picture one of those Thanksgiving Day parade balloons. The Greek also carries a concept of enveloping yourself with smoke. You are so puffed up that it is like you are surrounded with smoke and cannot see the reality of your condition. Then you are so top heavy with your big head filled with pride that you have to run to try and keep it up straight. Unfortunately, you cannot run fast enough and your big head causes you to fall forward usually off a cliff or at best smashing your face into the ground. Hmm, how¡¦s your pride? Let us be careful not to fall because of it. (1 Cor 10:12)
Is it a surprise that an age so filled with these other things that people are lovers of pleasure more than God? There are way too many fun things going on for people to attend church. They may attend the home events of their favorite team religiously, but their church attendance fluctuates more than the stock market and they are usually home sleeping like a bear. The only bull they experience is bull headedness.
Even among born-again Christians God help Himself if a service conflicts with a sporting event. It has gotten so bad that we have come to where we have to incorporate a Souper Bowl service during the Super Bowl or you won't see your congregation. I know Paul used a lot of athletic illustrations in his preaching, but I can imagine him wishing the NFL, AL, NHL, etc. accursed for setting up events during worship services or Sundays. The way he preached, he could never get a good message in during halftime.
If you really want to have a great attendance in your service, forget "Bring A Friend Day." Get some Christian athletes in to speak and sign autographs and you will fill the house. If you are not "fortunate" enough to live in a town with a team then go to plan B. Have a singing or a supper and they will also flock to the church house. Entertainment and food always works. Remember the feeding of the 5,000? Crowds followed for awhile. Maybe they were hoping for filet Mignon and a baked tater next time.
Need folks to teach or go on Visitation? Good luck!! However, get a "Church Night at The Arena (Ballpark, etc.)" thing going and you will have lots of folks to attend and they will even help arrange good seats. Some of you are saying, "Man, he is really down on sports!" I am agin 'em only because it is such a waste of time and money and because so many Christians worship at the diamond instead of at the altar. God will never ask you the team records at the Bema. You and He will be discussing your batting average and earned runs. If you are doing all that God wants you to do and you want to watch a game now and then it is no sin. If your sports addiction keeps you from Church and using the talents He gave you for Him then it is sin.
Sports are not the only problems. The phrase lovers of pleasure comes from the root word from where we get hedonism which speaks to sensual pleasure or lust. Surely, we can easily see that in our society. Sex is everywhere. Things are sold to make you feel good or look good. Everything is designed for the senses. Clothing is not just for covering or utility. It is designed to make you desirable or to at least make you feel like you will be desirable.
Ladies, the designers are not making clothes for modesty. A woman is commanded by Scripture to be attired in modest apparel. They are designing them to turn men on and cause them to hit on you. If you haven¡¦t figured that out by now, I am amazed. My fear is that you have figured it out and you enjoy it while you would deny it. God is not interested in having Goochie Girls. Ask a Hispanic sister what they are.
If as a Christian man, I am to treat you as a mother or sister than you need consider your ways and not wear the attire of a harlot. I am not to look at you sensually, but neither are you to attire yourself in such a way that it is easier to see you as sensual and not a sister. If you make it difficult for a brother who wants to be godly imagine the thoughts of the lost guy who thrives on sensuality. Don¡¦t give him pleasure. Oh yes, guys you are meant to exalt Him and not your stud and hunk qualities, so be careful of your attire as well.
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
Being a lover of pleasure more than God does not mean many in this age will not be religious. Religion is flourishing. The problem is that it that it is just a form. They have a building and rituals. They sing hymns and read from the Bible or a facsimile thereof. Their ministers have all the right degrees and wear the appropriate garb. They have regular meetings and give money.
They deny the power therefore. Many deny the Book, the Blood, the Virgin Birth, the Resurrection, Hell, Salvation and all the other doctrines of faith. They are just shells and sepulchers. They are modern Sadducees. Many of the ministers are just blood-sucking hireling wolves fleecing sheep.
What do you do with these lads and lassies? You disavow, deny and refuse to have any contact with them. Don't waste your time watching their shows and reading their books. Remember the exhortation of Philippians 4:8. Be like the Treasury Department and study the real thing so intently that a counterfeit will just jump at you even if all you see is a minute flaw. You will still know it is a fake. Rebuke the error when you come across it and if there is a name to be called, call it and move on. Paul called names, but he did not waste a lot of time on them. He had a mission of truth to carry out and that was what was important. God can handle the phonies. You strive to be real and you do that by staying in the Book and in fellowship with Him!
6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,
Not only did these guys fleece the flock corporately, they would in their travels sneak into houses or specifically into families. The custom was to take a traveling prophet or priest into your home and support him and help send him on his way. These lads would hang out for long periods of time and ultimately seduce the wife of the homeowner. They would literally take the woman captive by their "charisma" and "holiness." Some of these women were foolish and fell for the lines these men gave. Some were already heavy with sin and had no problems giving in to their various lusts. There are women who like seducing preachers so they would have thought it be a big deal to sleep with the prophet. A type of groupie, the only difference is it is preachers and not rock stars or politicians she likes to notch on her garter. Ultimately, the word was given that if anyone stayed more than three days, he was a false prophet. It is safe to say that it is hard to seduce most women in a three-day stay so it was a good call.
History has shown many a woman to fall prey to these types of men. Many monks in the Middle Ages told women that having sex with them would be a holy thing. Some were possibly told that it was way to have some of their sins forgiven since it would be a holy union. Insane concepts but unwise or guilt ridden people are apt to fall for anything. Modern cults have had women who willingly give themselves to the leader of the cult or to whomever he tells her to be with. In the Oneida group of NY, which was the first real commune, the practice was that within the commune every woman was every man¡¦s wife and every man every woman¡¦s husband. Legal wife swapping since it would not be adultery in their concept. In Waco, husbands gave over their wives and daughters to a mad man that claimed to be Christ. In the cases that Paul was speaking of it appears that the husband was unaware of the affair. These knew about it and Paul would have surely called them foolish men!
7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
These guys were theologians. They had to know Scripture to be able to twist it to make these insane ideas sound like truth. In many cults, there is plenty of Kool-Aid® in their doctrine, but it only takes a tad bit of cyanide to kill you. With all their study, they never came to the knowledge of the truth. Praise the Lord, that is their problem and not a mandate of God. Studying and coming to the knowledge of the truth has saved some folks that have been wrapped up in a cult. However, once you are in the elite of the group and enjoying the benefits while hearing the lies so long, it becomes really tough to see the truth even though it is right in front of you. After all, satan does not want you to see it anyway. (II Cor 4:4) He¡¦ll keep you fat, dumb and happy until you drop into Hell.
8 Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.
These lads and lassies are likened to Jannes and Jambres. Who are these dudes? They are the magicians who stood against Moses and tried to perform the same miracles as he did. These men of shriveled minds just did not want to give up their faith even though the truth was kicking their behind. These guys are rejected of the faith because they rejected the truth so evidently set before them.
9 But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was. (KJV)
Ah, but at the end, their game only went so far. God through Moses did things they could not copy. Their foolishness or folly was made manifest to the whole kingdom when all the plagues hit and they could not save the firstborn. One day, all the false prophets and the folks that fit into the other characteristics of end-time man will see their foolishness as will everyone else.
Can you see, Brethren, why these are perilous times for us? You have people whose lifestyle and worldview are completely antithetical to us. They do not like us and they are not supposed to anyway. Jesus said that if we were of this world these folks would love us. We ain't and they don't. We have false prophets running around giving all the rest of us a bad name to people who do not like us in the first place. That is two strikes. It would be three strikes because they crucified the Master except when Christ arose, He knocked this old world out of the park and His grand slam won the game because He brought us all home! (Just so the sports fans don¡¦t think I have excommunicated them or something) If you really desire to be His disciple, be prepared. All Hell may break loose, but we serve the One who has conquered Hell and its minions! End Time man is running out of time so there is not much that they can for themselves or to us. They may make our lives difficult and some of us will die, but one day we will come back with Him. Praise His Name!!
The time for playing church is over. You must grow up and commit yourself to Him. His will not yours that should be your battle cry. Obedience is needed to be blessed and ready to do battle. Andrew Murray said that we should trust God to give us the faith to vow total obedience and then trust Him for the heart to keep it and the strength to carry it out. We live in a war zone and only by trusting and obeying will we see personal victories in this war. Shall we take that vow of obedience and serve the King or cower in our flesh in this perilous time? Arise, O soldiers of the Cross and gird your armor on. Today the noise of battle and tomorrow the victor's song!
Unbelieving friend, do you see yourself in this profile? You can have a different one!! Realize that you are a sinner and come to Christ for the forgiveness of that sin. Accept His payment on the Cross, as your payment and receive Him as your resurrected Lord and Savior. Your profile will change to a son of God and your eternal home from Hell to Heaven! The old song says, "we¡¦ll never get out of this world alive." That is not true. You can be in this world and yet not of it and one day leave it more alive than you have ever imagined!!!
