Are we really in the last days? Here are my (Pat's) notes on a short teaching by Dr. J. Vernon McGee, never more relavant than right now.
Dr McGee was talking about the apostle Paul’s ‘deathbed epistle’, 2 Timothy, written from Rome shortly before he was beheaded. In it Paul warns of the last days of the church and now, nearly 2,000 years later, we seem to be there.
Dr McGee's daily Through the Bible radio program has been running for many years in America and many parts of the world. You can listen or download it free on www.ttb.org
Dr McGee says that the last days of the church are not the same as the last days of the nation Israel, which refers to the Great Tribulation. The last desperate days of the church are marred by peril, by apostasy, by false teachers fleecing the sheep.
There are 19 ugly descriptions of this time, all of which are manifested today. Men are lovers of themselves, covetous, boasters, proud (haughty), blasphemers, railers (complaining all the time, always finding fault), disobedient to parents (rebellious children), unthankful (never thank God), unholy (profane), without natural affection (Rom 1:27), truth breakers (irreconcilable), false accusers, incontinent (without self control), fierce (savage, violent), despisers of the good, traitors, heady (reckless), high minded (drunk with pride), lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God (entertainment, athletics, like the old Roman circuses), having a form of godliness but denying the power of it (going through the rituals of religion, but lacking spiritual life, in the dead, cold churches).
Then there are those who worm their way into homes and influence weak-willed women (of course they can do this now via TV and internet!), and lastly men of depraved, reprobate minds (and how that is openly displayed today!), people who reject and oppose the truth of God’s Word, the Bible, instead dabbling in dark supernatural power *.
As for that, there are psychic fairs here in the UK, psychic ads in newspapers and magazines, psychic TV shows. I even saw one psychic beating what she called her 'dragon drum'. This is very, very dangerous, dear folks! Satan, who is described as a dragon in the Bible, is always on the look-out for a point of entry into our minds and souls for his loathsome demons.
So do not ever, EVER, try to get in touch psychically (using meditation or mental power) with anything or anybody, dragon or otherwise.*
What a depressing litany of evil attributes! How can anyone still think, as many have taught, that the church is going to reform society and make the world fit for Jesus to return?
The Bible teaches just the opposite, that things will get ever worse.
Dr McGee warned of a time when even in the West of moving into an orbit when real believers will be persecuted, and with Covid passports, that is just about here now.
When Christian persecution comes, we will see then who is really standing for Jesus Christ.
Paul went to his death knowing that he had won the crown, kept the faith, fought the good fight, but he foresaw a time of apostasy.
What is apostasy? Dr McGee tells us: ‘total desertion of the principles of faith’ as defined in Webster’s dictionary. It is deliberate error, not ignorance, intentional departure from the faith.
‘An apostate is one who knows the truth of the gospel and doctrines of the faith, but he has repudiated them, rejected them.’
He says the ultimate outcome of gospel preaching is not the conversion of the world ushering in the Millennium (the 1,000 year reign of the Lord Jesus). On the contrary, there will be an apostasy which will almost blot out faith in Jesus from the earth.
For, as the Lord Himself said, when He returns will He find any faith on the earth? His question is put in such a way to require the answer ‘no, hardly any faith left.’
Dr McGee says there are two departures coming: departure from the true faith and the departure of the true church from the earth in the Rapture, caught up to meet the Lord Jesus in the air (1 Thes 4 and 1 Cor 15).
He says this is not in keeping with the social gospel of today which expects to transform the world. ‘The visible church has entered the orbit of an awful apostasy,’
So there we are - Dr McGee's teaching could not be more relevant. I put his free Through The Bible teachings on a little MP3, and can listen anytime, anywhere. Just go to www.ttb.org and copy and paste them. Or they can send you a flash drive with Dr McGee's teachings of the entire New Testament! Then you can put it all on your computer in just a few minutes, and then on to an MP3 or whatever device you have. And if you want to lay up some treasure in Heaven, send a donation to keep the program going, or better yet, set up a standing order!
* Footnote: If you have gotten into the dark supernatural by psychic dabbling, ouija board, tarot cards, horoscopes, palm reading, drug use, yoga, reiki, or any other occult doorway, you must call on the Lord Jesus Christ. Only He can help you.
You need to put your faith completely in Him and you need to find knowledgeable Christians who can pray for you and with you. And you need to renounce the occult in all its deadly forms, and get yourself on to God's narrow way (Matthew 7). Put your trust in Jesus' death, burial and resurrection. Beg Him to forgive your sins. Get baptized (full immersion). Find a church or home church, where you can take the bread and wine and remember the Lord's death until He comes. Burn any occult books, smash or get rid of any occult junk.
Alan and I were both into spiritualism, psychic things, and we will never be able to thank the Lord Jesus enough for getting us out of all that. Nothing, but nothing, good comes of it. Satan, the old dragon, the Father of Lies, comes to steal, kill, and destroy. Jesus, maker of heaven and earth, came to give us life and hope.
