But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power and from such, people turn away. — Timothy 3:1-5

Have you noticed the world decay around us? It’s hard to miss. What would you expect in a culture that has been rejecting biblical truth and morality for decades?

▪ 79 percent of Americans say “people can believe whatever they want, as long as those beliefs don’t affect society.” Only 35 percent believe moral truth is objective and absolute.

▪ 69 percent say any kind of sexual expression between two consenting adults is acceptable.

▪ In 2004, 60 percent of Americans opposed same-sex marriage. Fifteen years later, 61 percent support it.

▪ The fastest-growing religious demographic in America is those who have no religious affiliation.

God cannot lead those who will not follow or give what we will not receive. Nor can a holy Father bless that which harms his children. Storm clouds are brewing and in fact the rain has already begun to fall. We are a culture in crisis, reckless driving is rising, the number of altercations on airplanes is exploding, the murder rate in cities is surging, drug overdoses are increasing, Americans are drinking more, and nurses say patients are becoming more abusive.

Teachers are facing a rising tide of disruptive student behavior; drug deaths have risen continuously for twenty years but shot up especially during the pandemic. The FBI states that hate crimes have surged to the highest level in twelve years. Meanwhile, giving to charity is steadily declining both to religious and secular causes.

Brooks sees “a long-term loss of solidarity, a long-term rise in estrangement and hostility” and adds, “This is what it feels like to live in a society that is dissolving from the bottom up as much as from the top down.”

What’s causing the high rates of depression, suicide, and loneliness that dogged Americans even before the pandemic and that are the sad flip side of all the hostility and recklessness we see daily in our world.

What is the answer? Evangelist Bob Pittman has an easy answer. We as a culture, even Christians are thinking and focusing on the wrong things. He suggests that we, especially Christians stop thinking about the fallen world and focus on four things.

▪ Hang out with the right people and encourage each other. That includes both your body and your mind.

▪ Remember that you are a citizen of another world. This world hates us because of the cross because it is a reminder that this world is lost. The world worships whatever satisfies its appetite. Remember that we become citizens of this world by being born and a citizen of heaven by being born again. We need to remember that no matter how bad this world gets, we are just passing through.

▪ Remember that Jesus is coming soon and that’s a fact.

▪ Remember that when Jesus comes there are going to be changes, bug changes. The choice is ours to go to heaven or not is our decision and one we need to make now.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. (Phil 4:8)

Change your thinking and you can change your world.

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SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

Chippie the parakeet was simply minding his own business and singing his song one day when his owner decided to clean out his cage with the vacuum cleaner. The phone rang and the lady went to answer it and that was when things began to go horribly wrong for little Chippie.

Without the guidance of the woman, the business end of the vacuum cleaner sucked up the bird and sent him to the dust bag. Realizing what had happened the woman tore open the vacuum and ripped apart the bag to find Chippie, fearing the worst. However, Chippie was not dead but merely stunned and covered with dust.

The woman decided that he needed to be revived and ran to the bathroom sink. She turned the water on and stuck Chippie under the flow. Now Chippie is cold and wet from the sudden bath. So the owner decides to dry the bird off but not with a towel. She gets out her hairdryer and blows the bird off. Chippie goes from being sucked up, to being nearly drowned to being blown over.

The owner was asked by a friend a few weeks later about how Chippie was doing, she replied: “Chippie doesn’t sing much anymore, he just sits and stares.

Have you ever felt like Chippie? Ken Weliever – The Preacher Man

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QUOTES YOU CAN USE

Look not for burdens, rather look for blessings. Ken Whitten

Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” MOTHER TERESA

Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.”

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing. GEORGE BERNARD SHAW

Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.” WILL ROGERS

Cowardice asks the question, is it safe? Expediency asks the question, is it politic? Vanity asks the question, is it popular? But conscience asks the question, is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but one must take it because it is right. MARTIN LUTHER KING

I wonder how many people I’ve looked at all my life and never seen. JOHN STEINBECK

The purpose of life is a life of purpose. Robert Byrne