In the Last Days...

To fully appreciate this issue of Freshly Bru’d, you need to take a Bible and read 2 Timothy 3:1-5.  As I read this section of Scripture, I thought I was reading the daily newspaper or hearing the 10:00 p.m. news report.

The Apostle Paul mentions in verse one, ‘That in the last days very difficult times will take place.’ I looked up the word ‘difficult’ in a Greek Concordance and discovered it is used only in one other place in all of the New Testament.  That place is Matthew 8:28 describing a time when Jesus came to the region of Gadarenes.  He was met by two demon-possessed men who lived in a cemetery.  They were so violent (that same word difficult) that no one could go through that area.

Paul is saying in the last days ‘difficult’ or ‘extremely violent’ times will occur.  As he continues in verses 2-5 to describe these violent days, one of his descriptors is the word ‘brutal’ or ‘cruel’.

When my eyes gazed upon that word I couldn’t help think of the tragic loss of New Orleans Saints defensive end, Will Smith, shot six times and killed on April 9^th due to road rage.  His wife was also shot, but she is going to recover.  And you add to road rage, air rage skyrocketing, violent videos of fighting among teens going viral every day, and even an election cycle where candidates in both parties do well only by catering to anger toward government, you see that in the last days we will become ‘brutal’.

Someone may ask why is anger and brutality on the rise? One reason is because we live in what linguistic professor Deborah Tanner calls the ‘argument culture’ which drives us to indiscriminately approach the world -and the people in it- in an adversarial role.  This culture rests on the assumption that opposition is the best way to get things done.

When anger, cruelty, brutality takes a hold of any person it is obvious what is in control.  The Bible reminds us to allow the Holy Spirit to control you (Ephesians 5:18).

Let’s heed the advice of one of the writers to the Proverbs: ‘A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control’ (Proverbs 29:11).  CALM DOWN

Blessings,
  Mark
P.S. Hard to find fulfillment because there is nothing really worth getting out of bed for?  What if I told you there was something worth getting out of bed for everyday?  Would you be interested?  We will discover the answer to these questions this Sunday at 9:15 or 11:00.  Bring a friend to join you.