Key verse: “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.”

Without any doubt we are living in "the last days" which were prophesied and preached about throughout the bible. These days might be considered by many as unparalleled, unprecedented, and unpredictable times. Paul called them "perilous times" and these days we are living in are marked by:

• The Depravity of Flesh - sin that was once only committed in secret is now the considered a social norm. The depths of sin and wickedness is at an all time high and climbing in our day. 
• The Deception of Man - Paul warned that these days would be a time when men would deceive because of their our self being deceived. The bible states a time would come when they would call good evil and evil good and I say the days that shall come, have come. Truth has fallen in the streets and some are wondering aimlessly through life not understanding what truth even is in our day.
• The Deadness of Churches - churches are caving in to winds of compromise and contemporaneity. In place of the manifest genuine Spirit of God which is a necessity, they are opting for a generic manufactured spirit of godlessness which is necrotic to cause of Christ. It may have a "form" of Godliness but Paul says there's no power and "from such turn away".   

It is important to understand that God has chosen you and I to be apart of this generation living in the last days just prior to our Lord's return. And with every generation prior He has never left His people without some instructions and information to help us KNOW what to do in order to be successful in our christian walk; because in spite of the climate we live in Jesus is still alive, God is still on the throne, the Bible is still as relevant as tomorrow's newspaper, and the true church is still marching on. So lets examine what the bible says concerning these perilous times and what we need to know:

• Our Salvation Is Permanent -
  • “For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.” (2 Timothy 1:12)
    • The word "persuaded" is a legal term used when the jury and the judge have rendered their verdict that cannot be overturned. It means to be "thoroughly convinced" and because of that truth we need not be ashamed of Him and His salvation. One has said, "the darker the night the brighter the light" and so it should be with those who are saved in our day. We should shine as lights in this dark world we live in being confident of our salvation!
• Our Strength Is Powerful -
  • “O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation, thou hast covered my head in the day of battle.” (Psalms 140:7)
    • We need strength in the day of battle and the good news is, we have all we need in Christ. Though our adversary, the Devil, is walking about seeking whom he may devour, I'm happy to report to you that "HE IS ABLE". The captain of our salvation stands tall on the battle field and if we just heed His command He will, without fail, lead us to the victory.
      
• Our Scriptures Are Perfect -
  • "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works." (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
    • As mentioned already, the instruction manual still works and is still relevant. In a day when many are trying to rewrite the bible, I believe we should simply reread the one we already have. His words are a light unto our path and lamp unto our feet. The Word of God, which is the bible is said to be profitable for doctrine (tells me what is right), for reproof (tells me what is not right), for correction (tells me how to get it right) and instruction (tells me how to keep it right). 

What To Know In Perilous Times!

Key Verse: "And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do."

If the bible is the preserved, inerrant, infallible word of God, which it is, then God must have thought this story to be very important for everyone to know; its one of the few stories found in all four of the synoptic gospels. If we count the verses revolving around this story you will find more is said about Jesus and his ability to feed this multitude of people than you will find about His virgin birth. There's no mathematical equation to explain the miracle of Jesus feeding this group of over 5,000 people with five loves of bread and two small fishes; but Jesus knew what to do...

• There's A Problem That Does Not Surprise - (vs.5)
  • Jesus asked a question to the disciples that surpassed their mind...
  • When Philip answers in verse 7 he does so with human reasoning and understanding and states its impossible to feed them with such little money they have...
  • Andrew finds a young man with a lunch bag and believes, again, that the means the lad had was not enough...
    • Application: In spite of what was on the disciples mind, the money they had and the means at their disposal, Jesus was unphased for He knew what He was going to do even before asking any questions. When we get to a place where a circumstance boggles our human reasoning, we face financial burdens, or we feel like we just don't have what we need to accomplish the task before us, we are prone to panic, worry and stress but your heavenly father knows what you have need of before you ask Him and you can rest assured he is unbothered by the situation... 
• There's A Plan That Didn't Make Sense - (vs.10-11)
  • The little boy approaches Andrew with his five barley loaves and two small fish and says, "I ain't got much but I what I do have, you can let Jesus have it."
    • Application: When we need the Lord's help we have to be willing to place what we do have in his hands by faith and let him work the situation out...
  • If we do the math there's roughly 420 people each disciple is responsible for and each disciple is given 1/6th piece of fish and 1/2 loaf of bread and Jesus tells them to go feed the 5,000... Could you imagine what was going through their thoughts at this point? They knew Jesus was accustomed to feeding sparrows but this isn't a crowd of sparrows that weigh only ounces, these are people!
    • Application: No doubt we all have "sparrow feeding faith" that is, when our faith is directed outwards, but things change when our faith is needing directed upwards concerning His ability to work something out in our lives. These disciples and the people that might have known the details of the situation are probably thinking "this doesn't make any sense" but a lot of what Jesus does for us and his ability to work miracles can't be explained, and that's what makes it so great. We must simply trust Him and His abilities.
• There's A People That Were Satisfied - (vs.12)
  • The bible says "they were filled" so not only did Jesus feed them, but He filled them. It's one thing to get enough to slate the hunger pains, but it's another to be stuffed.
    • Application: We serve a God that is more than capable and even responsible of taking care of our needs, but at times He also supplies our wants. No matter what you're facing just know that He can provide.
      • "Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness." (Psalms 107:8-9)

Jesus Knows What To Do!

Key verse: "And there came a man of God, and spake unto the king of Israel, and said, Thus saith the Lord, Because the Syrians have said, The Lord is God of the hills, but he is not God of the valleys, therefore will I deliver all this great multitude into thine hand, and ye shall know that I am the Lord."

This chapter records two separate battles between the small army of Israel and the vastly larger army Syria. Israel had been led off into dark and depraved days of idolatry. The king who sits upon the throne in Israel at this time is Ahab whose wife was Jezebel and she despised the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. These were terribly wicked times for the nation, but in spite of Israel's rebellion they were still the apple of his eye…

Topically in this chapter we are reminded of:

• The Realization of Human Experience
  
  • Israel had just fought the first battle on top of a mountain and God had given them the victory; but before the dust settles their adversary was already making plans for the next one.
    
    • The christian life is much the same, it sometimes seems like before we can rest from one battle we can already see the next one in the distance. One trial or trouble after another. If this sounds familiar, just remember you are not alone and you are not without the strength of God's word. The greatest apostle of the new testament could relate in 2 Corinthians 4:8-10 where Paul writes "We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.” 
      
• The Results of Holy Expectations
  
  • God was on the side of his people Israel. Even in spite of their faults and failures he still loved them and his promises remained steadfast and His word that was sent by the man of God gave the Israelites faith and hope for an "expected end" not because they deserved it but simply because God said it. 
    
    • No matter the circumstances or situations you as child of God are faced with you can rest assuredly, that if you are saved by His grace, He has your best interest in mind and you should never expect any less than for God to simply be God. Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” Not that there's power in our positive thinking, but there is power in resting on the God's word that He hasn't forsaken us and He has a plan and therefore we can remain faithful and just keep fighting until He shows up and the results He promised will be in our favor. Peter put it like this after his valley experience in prison: Acts 12:11 "And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews."
      
• The Reassurance of His Execution
  
  • The first battle was on Israel's terms and turf; the mountain top. The second one was to be fought on the Syrian's terms and turf; the valley. I can imagine the thoughts going through the minds of those young, inexperienced men as Ahab relayed the information to them about the arrangement of the next fight. The reason for the change of location was because the Syrians said that God was only God on the mountain, but He is not God in the valley, I can also imagine how many of those young Israelite men might have caught wind of what was said and how that might have impacted and impaired thoughts and caused them to question things such as, "what if the Syrians are right and God won't be with us in that valley..." but thankfully the man of God came with a message from God and reminded the king of Israel that in spite of what the enemy has said God's going to prove his God no matter the location or elevation.  
    
    • As one song writer correctly penned, life is easy when you're up on the mountain and we talk of faith when life's at its best (lyrics paraphrased). I personally will admit, even as a pastor, preaching faith is far more easy than practicing it, especially when in "the valleys" of life. In those times the human mind can become fertile soil where Satan plants his seeds of doubt. One doesn't have to be a biologist to know that the lushest place of any given forest is always in the low lands; but it's also the place where the most growth can occur. When faced with having to deal with the troubles and trials of life we can sometimes find ourselves forgetting that even though we fighting in the valley that doesn't change the truth of who God is and his ability to execute his plan just prove He is God and beside Him there is no other. Paul put it like this: Romans 8:37-39 “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
      
      He is still God... Even in the valley...