I’m not too sure everyone sees the difference in people today, as compared to twenty years ago. It is so common now to ridicule and malign the name of Jesus Christ…for whatever reason. Take for instance, any statement in the left wing media about the Bible or Jesus Christ and you will read comments such as calling HIM: “Sky Daddy.” We have Scripture that describes this most offensive action by those who do NOT know our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. What needs to be understood here is the future destination of those individuals speaking such blasphemy.

2 Peter 3.3-8:

“Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.

For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:

But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.”

I purposefully separated those verses to bring attention to them in the hope of showing that they were written about 3000 years ago. Low and behold, what those Scriptures say is coming to fruition today, just as the Lord prophesied.

First, we must understand that the majority of the unsaved do not “think.” They find it easier to live according to “strings of thought.” Thus we read they are “walking after their own lusts.” Bible students are able to see this as predominant in today’s society. Then we have, “Where is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.”

Obviously, these scoffers have forgotten the Flood of Noah.

These scoffers do not understand that GOD does not do things according to man’s wishes or in the timeframe man “thinks” things should be done. The arrogance of these individuals is so palpable that it has overwhelmed the knowledge of God in others who are struggling. They have come to the point that 2000 years is far too long a time to wait, as far as the Rapture is concerned. It is this very idea that turns many from believing the Word of God. It would appear these folks have a limited ability to see what the past has proven and why it is so necessary for us to be watchful…no matter the timeframe.

It is also important to watch, as the Bible proves and verifies the lives and contributions of those that lived so long ago; the reason we believers live the lives we do today. An example would be: The Israelites after their Exodus from Egypt. Our lives are dependant upon understanding WHY God did some of the things that HE did. What the result for certain actions are and how we can avoid the same pitfalls. Thus, our lives should be more righteous according to the perfect will of God as is written in HIS Word!

In other words, we should be as Jesus is and continually say, “Not my will, Father, but thine will be done.” What would this world be like if the majority of people upheld that one statement and literally meant it? Suffice it to say, everything and everyone would be very different. Sadly…that is NOT the case! The ultimate “oxymoron.”

“For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished” (2 Peter 3:5).

That verse is verification that our lives are according to our single choice, accepting the gift of Jesus Christ on the cross or not. The single most important action word would be “willingly” ignorant. Thus we have the scoffers.

“But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men” (2 Peter 3:7).

It is equally assured by God, that there will be a judgement and an end result for ungodly people. This is the part that stokes the anger of those that choose NOT, to follow Jesus Christ! Judgment requires there to be an authoritative figure which the Bible student knows, is GOD. Thusly, there is a punishment for the perpetrators breaking God’s Laws. Knowing this inately, the scoffers CHOOSE to shake their fists at God, another complete “oxymoron.” Understanding the consequence of their SIN should send them running to the Lord for immediate salvation.

If one is not “thinking” one will never know the need for their salvation. Do you now understand how this “oxymoron” continues to profoundly devastate “thinking” on the part of the scoffers?

Oddly enough, there has never been this measure of “defiance” and lack of “thinking” in the world before. It makes the Bible student wonder how this “delusion” by God has been going on? It is this exact point that one would need to understand — that God does not have a “timeframe” as we know of it. We are inferior beings as compared to God, which should bring about great humility in each of our lives, saved or not! To that exact end, we humans fail again, proof that we are a fallen species. It makes evident our need for Jesus Christ! Thus the “oxymoron” issue. How can any one of us be so arrogant and then scoff at our Lord and Savior, the ONLY ONE who can possibly save us? Is any of this making sense to you?

“But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (2 Peter 3:8).

Time is NOT relevant to God!

We humans are the ones with the problem of time!

Point in case, we do well to remember the things of twenty years ago, or maybe it could be our gathering together and our patriotism, as a result of the Twin Towers in New York. Is it not true that we must put things down on paper in order to remember significant events in our lives, for the “posterity” of those after us, in an effort to say, “Don’t repeat our failures in your life?”

How is it then that we fail to see the Bible as the inerrant Word of God?

How is it, we have so many scoffers, and then we read in the Bible where the road to heaven is narrow…and FEW will find it and that so many will walk the broad road that leads to ETERNAL DESTRUCTION? Is it just me or do others understand these verses as well? Obviously there are way too many people still asleep. What are they going to do as the alarm sounds and Jesus Christ stands in the clouds, calling HIS own to HIMSELF?

The question will then be, “Am I truly Saved?”

Or have I been doing nothing else than giving HIM…lip service?

I hear many people saying, that once the Rapture takes place, then they will believe. Obviously they want a “miracle” to take place…FIRST.

What most do not understand, once the church of Jesus Christ, those who truly belong to Him are removed, the Holy Spirit will reduce HIS influence with those that remain. In that moment, the “great delusion” of God will grow exponentially throughout all the people left behind. They will believe the lie of Satan! There will be little choice for people to convert to Jesus Christ. Simply the threat of death to any believer will overcome many in those days, as is it written in the Word of God. It is true, there will “Tribulation saints” but the cost for such a belief will be horrendous! The stakes are against them from the beginning. Simply saying in that day, “I was wrong” will not be enough resolve for most and many will suffer at the hands of others.

“For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” 2 Corinthians 6:2, emphasis added).

It is the perfect time for us to come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, today is that day! It is ignorance to count on our abilities as humans when it come to the saving grace of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It is critical to understand that we cannot do anything without HIM.

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned” (John 15:4-6, emphasis added).

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

I was sitting here this morning, having finished my Devotions and I began to reminisce about when I was a small child. Life was very simple then. As I look back from today, innocence was everywhere! We had all the four seasons: spring, summer, fall and winter. We had rainy days and dry days and even some days, when the sun was bright in the sky and the temperature hovered around 105 degrees F. HOT! I mean it was so hot you could fry an egg on the concrete. All you needed was a little butter and an egg! We would look across the open plain and watch, as the heat would arise, warbling in the distance─you know what I mean here.

Oh, and all those Sundays, when we would get dressed up in our Sunday-go-to-meeting clothes and we would be pulling at our collars. It was so hot! The ceiling fans would be set on high and we would all be working toward sitting directly under one of them! I also remember (maybe you do too) those swamp coolers that looked like huge, square, machines hanging from everyone’s windows. Garden hose attached to them and you could hear the water trickling inside and then we would run into the house and stand in front of it and feel the coolness. Oh, what a treasure those were back then, because before that all we had were fans.

On occasion my wife and I would recall those hot days and we remembered how the ice cream man was our only true friend. For a nickel, my wife could get her Dreamsicle and I could have my run-of-the-mill cherry flavored Popsicle. For the next ten minutes all was well on earth and our street was quiet — as we kids would settle under a shade tree and enjoy our treats. What happened to those days…and what happened to those ways

When it was really hot, you picked up the garden hose and got a cool drink of water. If you fell off your bike, Merthiolate was applied and a band-aid and off you would go again playing outside until it was dark, playing hide-and-go-seek in the late evening and catching lightning bugs in a jar. We hurt ourselves, but we learned how to get up and dust ourselves off and go at it again. When did we loose our innocence? When did the ice-cream man become a child molester or a criminal, unable to get a better paying job, after prison? What ever happened to moms being home and watching all the kids, ‘till dad came home from work? What happened to all those shows like, “Gunsmoke” on Saturday nights? If I had to explain it, it would be, “We gave away our innocence!”

“Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit. The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings” (Jeremiah 17:7-10, emphasis added).

We gave away our innocence to Satan and his ilk! We have too many ways to SIN! Technology has made it easier for us to SIN in relative peace and seclusion, but it is still SIN nonetheless! God does not need to watch us commit SIN, HE already knows we will SIN because HE already KNOWS the intent of our hearts long before we ever SIN, long before we were ever knit together in our mothers womb! As a matter of fact, God knew each and everyone of us before HE ever created the universe.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.” (Ephesians 1:3-6, emphasis added).

We have made everything easier for ourselves and we have nothing to show for all our effort. It’s sort of like playing a 3D game. Nowdays, you can spend hour upon hour, fight like the dickens and then quit, walk away from the computer, having done nothing! Not one single thing has been done that would advance you or anyone else in any regard. You have simply wasted time. Now taking into account you and I will get only 70-80 years on this little planet, was that wasted time worth it?

Come on now, think on this for a moment: How many hours would you say, you spend on something that will amount to nothing, but expended time and effort…for nothing? All you have accomplished is to waste that amount of time and then get to SUBTRACT it from your 70-80 years…right? And so, somehow…I’m crazy for this info?

“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6).

Brothers and sisters, we as parents are responsible for how our children grow and learn and obviously…there are a lot of parents that have dropped the ball here! Oh, but we are so educated and intelligent! Have you ever heard of “educated” idiots? Well let me say, they are everywhere now days, everywhere you look and then you wonder why our lives are the way they are? Let’s back the boat up here a little, we need to reassess WHO has forgotten whom, who has left whom out in the open…We…the parents…have forgotten to bring up our children…according to the Word of God!

I know…I know…how can I sit here and make accusations of others? I am using the Word of God and HE…is telling you and me…WHO is responsible! That is the exact point! That is, as many like to say, “Where the rubber meets the road.” Go ahead and say what you will, but the time and day is coming when each of us will face Jesus Christ and we will have to give an accounting to HIM…for what we have done and for what we haven’t done! Trust me on this, no one is going to get away with anything…God knows everything!

Having said that, how will you respond…when HE looks into your eyes? WOW…what a concept to have to ponder!

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”(John 3:16).