The verse found in the picture above is from II Timothy 3:1.
Usually when you mention "last days" every ones ears perk up.
What? Last days? Well, we've been in the last days since Jesus showed up here on good ol' planet Earth in the form of man. As John Wimber use to say, when asked about whether or not he thought we were living in the last days..."I don't know. But I know this.....we are "laster" than we've ever been.
If you read II Timothy 3, you'll see that according to what Paul wrote, in these last days, they would be classified as "Perilous". Another way of saying it, is that they would be stressful. Paul was given insight by God's Holy Spirit to see that society would devolve to such a degree that the moral compass would be cast aside and every man (and woman) would do what seemed right in their own eyes. Such behavior would create an atmosphere of chaos and stress. What happens when we are under stress? The real "Me' shows up. You will see the truth about what a person believes when they are under stress. As the Message Bible puts it, "The faith-life" of an individual comes to the surface and is revealed when stress and pressure are applied.
Then Paul goes on to give us a list of character defects that will be prevalent in these last days.
Men will be lovers of self - Isn't it weird that this is No.# 1 on the list. Selfishness? That is the number one defect that every person in addiction possesses. They want what they want and they want it right now. In fact, when asked why they use, the number one reply I get is "I like the way it makes me feel." That may sound reasonable, but behind it is a very dark and dangerous attitude. Basically what is being said is, "I don't care who I hurt...I don't care what I do..."I don't care how much money YOU have to spend on me to get me out of jail, clean up all my messes....I use because I like the way it makes me feel." If that isn't selfishness or, as Paul puts it, lovers of self, then I don't know what would qualify.
Lovers of money - Money = power. Or so the thought goes. It is amazing to hear the amounts of money spent by individuals to maintain their lifestyle of using drugs. I have heard upwards of two million dollars spent by one man over a number of years to feed his addiction. Such numbers don't contain what was spent on lawyers, court fees and fines.
Boasters, proud - I run into people whose very life reflects the damage and destruction sin has produced because of their addiction. There is nothing in them or their life that would point to anything of value, yet they boast and brag about how bad they have been. They have used more, drank more, stolen more, slept with more women, been in jail more times than anyone else. They have become so spiritually blind and numb that they see no good within themselves.
Blasphemers - angry at God. Blaming God for every wrong and bad thing that has happened to them, never seeing or understanding that they have brought such things upon themselves. Yet, even with such attitude, I have seen the love of God break down every wall and every excuse and bring that individual to a place of repentance and salvation.
Disobedient to parents - Funny part about this one is that we see a "new kind" of parent that brings their son to treatment. A parent that equates love with enabling. They believe that by keeping their son's out of jail, and by spending all their money to clean up their sons mess it will show their son how much they love them. This "love" is actually killing the son. It keeps them from seeing that there are consequences for their bad choices. What we see from the son's is a total lack of regard or respect toward Mom and Dad. In fact, Mom and Dad are merely tools to be used to feed that selfish nature in the addict.
Unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving - Do I really need to explain this one? Here again we see the destructive nature of a selfish individual.
Without self control - All of these character defects result in one thing. A loss of control. Instead of recognizing that we are created in the image of God, we take God and create him in the image of ourselves. In fact, our sin nature is exalted to the status of "god." We worship at the altar of "Me". We make sacrifices to the god of "Me." Isn't that truly the heart of someone trapped in a life of drugs and alcohol? It's all about me? Yet with this acknowledgement of our flesh, sin nature running everything, an individual will hate themselves. Swearing to never use again, they will get up and go to find more of their drug of choice so they can use. repeat this process over and over and eventually you are just so bone tire and wore out that you don't even fight it anymore.
Ahhh...but there is a solution.
Not found in a program.....
Not found in steps....
But in a person.
A Power greater than ourselves that could restore us to sanity.
That person?
Jesus Christ.
It is His presence and His Power that makes the steps work.
It is His salvation and His mercy that make a program work.
It is Him and Him alone that can break the chains of addiction and alcoholism (aren't they the same? I think so!) and give freedom to all who come to Him.
That is good news!
God on you...
mb
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