Can the second coming of Christ be close at hand?
This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God: II Tim. 3:1-4. KJV
Those of us who are known as “senior citizens” have witnessed a great transformation in our beloved land during our lifetime. I well remember the days when the name of God was held in high esteem, and many of the principles of His holy word the Bible, memorialized in our founding documents, were considered the final and ultimate authority for questions of justice and morality. Sadly, I believe most of us will agree that this is no longer the case in the United States of America.
First, the Bible was removed from our public schools along with prayer, because a few misguided judges declared that honoring Almighty God, and teaching children the immutable principles laid down by God to guide the affairs of men somehow violated a national founding principle they called “The separation of church and state.” This was a terrible lie, but like the Nazi doctrine known as The big lie, if a lie is told often and convincingly enough, soon the masses will believe it. It is not found in the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, or even in the commentaries on the Constitution known as The Federalist Papers written by Madison and Hamilton. A mere cursory study of the writings of our Founders will forever remove any doubt that they fully understood that our nation would not survive without the blessing and guidance of God, and a people living lives in accordance with His holy commandments.
It is not surprising then that not long after the removal of the Bible and prayer from schools, the moral standards in our nation began to deteriorate, with the corresponding results of skyrocketing illegitimate births and rates of crime of all descriptions, along with a growing disrespect for the law and those that are charged with its enforcement. Now, fifty plus years later we are reaping as a nation the fruit of the seeds that were sown. But, like tiny seeds that spring up into plants and trees many times their size, so have these seeds produced a fearsome harvest, far beyond what anyone could have imagined. Just look around my friends, and we can plainly see the results of turning our backs on Almighty God.
Oh, but wait you say, are there not thousands of churches all across our land? Indeed there are, but I would submit to you that only a small percentage of the vast majority of the churches in America still preach and teach the Glorious Gospel of Christ, that the Bible calls, “The faith once ( for all) delivered to the saints.” Jude 1:3. KJV. Most of them have either ignored the substitutionary death, burial, and resurrection of the Son of God, Jesus Christ, or they add all sorts of the works of man to His finished work on the cross for you and me, which totally contradicts the clear teaching of the Bible. Salvation comes only by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ. For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast. Eph. 2: 8-9. KJV
We at Baptists for Life of Wisconsin are celebrating our 25th Anniversary in 2015. It was begun by a group of fundamental Baptist churches, burdened with the modern day holocaust of abortion, in an attempt to help stem the tide of national infanticide that was sweeping the nation with the passage of Roe-v-Wade in 1973, and to share the Glorious Gospel of Christ with women in need of comfort and forgiveness of sin.
Dear friend, God hates the shedding of innocent blood. Psalm106:38 tells us that shedding innocent blood pollutes the land. In Proverbs 6:17 we find that it is one of seven things that are “an abomination unto Him.” No nation that turns its back on God will escape judgment. (Psalm 9:17) I am convinced that we are living in the last days before the return of Christ, and the description of them found in II Tim. 3:1-4 fits the present day perfectly. When Jesus returns for His own, the Age of Grace will be over. The Bible book of Revelation describes the fate of those who reject the gracious offer of salvation through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.
Oh sinner friend, won’t you today admit that you are, in fact, a sinner in need of redemption through faith in the sinless, spotless Son of the Living and True God? He shed His precious blood on the cross of Calvary for you, so that you might receive forgiveness of sin and eternal life in the glories of heaven. He paid the price of your salvation in full, and nothing can be added to it.
Devotional written by:
Philip Croom, Member of Waunakee Baptist Church
Vice President, BFLW Board Member
Member, Board of Directors of the Access Women’s Center, Madison, WI