Perilous Times - They're Here Now!
 
Elder Wm. Doyal Thomas
Now In Glory   

We are surely living in times of great peril. Who can question this? The evils of the day are growing greater and we are being overwhelmed, it seems, with the wickedness that is upon us. However, I believe that we are privileged to live in these awesome times, as no generation has lived before us. It is a privilege to live now, and to serve God NOW!
   
I do not mean to say directly, nor to infer in shadowy terms that others, in other times have not lived in times of great peril, filled with opportunity as well. There have been many generations (perhaps all generations) who lived in times of great distress and danger. There have been many (perhaps all) who were raised up in their season to bear the consequences of their sins and the sins of those who went before them, for sins surely are visited upon the children unto the third and fourth generation. (Deutonomy 5:9)
   
But, because I believe in the imminent (Pre tribulational) outgathering of the saints, I declare that this present generation can know that should He come soon, as I believe He will, that great and wondrous blessings are ours now, as we await Him. He could come in the next moment, in the mere twinkling of an eye, and so, we who presently live and look for Him are blessed with singular opportunity to be found serving His cause when He comes. Just think, child of God, you and I could be alive and active in His service when He comes. We could hear the summons, "Come up hither," while still dwelling in these tabernacles of clay that live and have activity evident in them, as opposed to those who sleep, their bodies having gone back to the dust.
   
And what about the opportunities and privileges that living at this time affords us? Is it not a wondrous joy to be living in a time that allows us to witness such an outpouring of the many prophesies of the end times? We see these prophesies being unfolded and fulfilled before our eyes, and all who have ears to hear, eyes to behold, and hearts to perceive can say with John, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus."
   
Considering now the subject of the title to this message, I invite your attention to Paul's Second Epistle to Timothy. "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, high minded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." (II Timothy 3:1-7)
   
Without question, these present times are perilous times. Each and every day, as it unfolds, presents much evidence that the world of mankind in general, and the world of men and governments in particular are rushing headlong to sure destruction. When we look, we see evil becoming manifested more openly, and displayed with less regard to the outcome. The world does not hesitate to flaunt its evil for all to see. There is no regard for decency and morality. We see adults and children living in such a deplorable state of immorality and degeneracy until there seems to be no lover level of debauchery left for mankind to plunge into.
   
Yet, each passing day gives proof that "men and seducers shall wax worse and worse." Surely man is now, and has been since Adam's fall, and the fall of his progeny along with him, in a state of total depravity. All natural (mental and moral) faculties of Adam's race are totally void of any capacity or desire to live holy and pleasingly before a Thrice Holy God. (Romans 8:7) Total depravity is a reality. But "total" does not equate to "absolute." Man has not yet sunk to the lowest level of sin and evil that he will sink to as the days roll on and on. Man will increasingly grow more and more wicked as sin continues to have its devastating effect upon creatures who have and do oppose God, and who rebel against His holy and righteous laws, precepts, and statutes.
   
"This know also . . ." is clearly a part of the prediction that God causes Paul to write concerning the apostasy of the last days, or the final times of this present age. The apostasy among men in general, and of professing Christendom specifically is told us, so that we may know what is happening as we see it begin to wind down to conclusion as this present age also concludes. And this age will be concluded when the shout, "Come up hither," is heard by the saints of God as He calls them to Himself in resurrection of their dead bodies, or in the changing of their living, mortal bodies into the glorified, immortal bodies that is their sure portion, according to His purpose and promise.
   
Child of God, we may know some things when we see these conditions develop before our eyes. We can know that the out gathering (rapture) of the saints is close, even at hand. We can rejoice to expect the Lord to come for us at any time, even at any moment. He has promised, and that emphatically, that He will gather the saints before the time of Jacob's trouble is to come upon the nation of Israel who have rejected Him, and upon the whole world of unbelieving, rejecting, rebels who have and do still oppose Him. He is coming! He is coming!
   
When is this rapture to occur? No man knows, and no man can know. It is utter folly to try to pinpoint the time, for God has chosen to keep that time known only to Himself. It makes no sense to attempt to fit all the things that are presently occurring worldwide into a predictable schedule or time table for the Lord to follow. I confess that the matter is most intriguing to the natural intellect of mortal man, even those who are saved. It seems to lay hold on us all as we observe, read, and listen to all that is reported by various means; this desire to "sort it all out." But we must not be lured into the trap of attempting to "set dates," or to imagine that we have it figured out. We must not practice this folly.
   
When we truly consider that God has all things scheduled, and that He has correctly and wisely done so, we should be contented to rest in His omniscience, knowing that He has well chosen. We should not attempt to ascend in knowledge to that level of knowledge that applies only and exclusively to Him. It is not sinful to suppose that we can know what God has determined to withhold? Consider carefully, dear child of God. Think about what your attempts to know of this time means. Does it not mean that you are striving to go beyond what God has been pleased to reveal? Is this not a sin of presumption? It surely is a grievous sin. Do not so sin.
   
Clearly, the text that we have cited says that "in the last days perilous times shall come." It says that. I have said that clearly we are living in the last days, and I believe that is the case. But how long is "the last days?" I do not know, and neither does any man know how long the span is. It could be a longer time than any of us imagine. It could end at any moment.
   
The fact that perilous times are upon us is evidence that we are also living in the "last days." Again, I remind myself and you that perilous times have been with us for a long time already. And so, the "last days" have also been with us for a long time, when speaking in relative terms. A lifetime is a long time, relatively speaking, when compared to a day, a week, a year. But how long is a lifetime when viewed through God's eyes? It is but a moment in eternity, or even in view of the present age which is now about 2,000 years already. How long is "the last days?" Who can know? Who would presume to seek to know? God has decreed!
   
Seeing that we surely live in the last times, can it be doubted that many of the evidences of the perilous times are enumerated in the long list of human actions, motives, and attitudes of the text verses that were cited as we began? "For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy." (verse 2).
   
Do you know of any historical period when this verse was more clearly seen than the present? Are men lovers of their own selves? (humanism teaching them that they should and must be "all that they can be", while they openly display their admiration for themselves and for their so-called attainments, i.e. "entertainment", "sports super stars", etc. etc.) Are men covetous, wanting their own lusts to be fulfilled at all cost, without regard to the rightfullness or wrongfullness of those desires? Are men boasters and proud? Do men elevate themselves, in their own minds, to a position which is far, far above the sinful and degraded position that God's word declares that they occupy? Does pride run rampant in the lives of men, to a degree seldom if ever seen before? Do sinful men strut around as proud as peacocks, bragging of their "accomplishments", which more often than not are phony and shamefully claimed, and were they actual, often times are not commendable? I think that I have known some who, if they have done all that they claim to have done, they must be at least 120 years old, instead of the 1, 2, or 3 score years that they have actually lived on God's good earth.
   
Have you known of a more blasphemous generation than this present generation? Do men, women, boys, and girls openly and vehemently curse God and make light of Him and of all those who seek to serve Him, or even to speak favorably of Him? Do they conduct themselves shamelessly, and then dare God or man to take offense? I see from young people, both male and female, open displays of lewdness and vulgarities beyond description. And supposedly mature adults the same, or worse, were that possible. I see lasciviousness and debauchery on every hand, in every media system that is available to all, including the children of our land. I see open pornography, called, "free expression" everywhere, and men taking great pride in their "open-mindedness" to what is clearly an abomination to God, and offensive to His people. Even many who are probably not saved are often offended by the crass displays of ungodliness that is rampant.
   
Man and governments are out of control. They run after every imaginable god, and curse those who suggest that they are acting contrary to that which is good, right, and proper. And since governments are made up of men, (actually mankind, for ever greater numbers of females have departed God's order and have entered into world affairs) the acts of government are really the acts of men who are totally depraved and have run in full opposition to God, His precepts, statutes, commandments, laws, and judgments. Is it any wonder that circumstances of life are in such deplorable condition? Men are deplorable, and consequently, their actions reflect that fact.
   
"Without natural affection, truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away." (Verses. 3-5)
   
"Without natural affection," What can that possibly mean? What can it mean? Can I know what it means? Is that statement open to discussion, as to it's meaning? Does it have more than a single meaning? Multiple meanings? What ever you want it to mean? What does it mean?
   
"Without natural affection," clearly means, "apart from the affection that is natural." Now, since that definition is correct, it also conveys to any who will read that ANY affection that is not in full accord with, or after God's natural order must be
   
"UNNATURAL," thus, an obvious abomination to God, and to all who hold the truth of God's word to be good, decent, and orderly. A queer is a queer, is a queer, is a queer.
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It sickens me and cheapens everything that is decent and honorable in God's sight, and in the sight of His people to be bombarded with the constant barrage of lies that are told our people from the very top to the very bottom of government, society, religious establishment and all others that homosexuality and lesbianism is "natural" for those who were, they claim, "made that way." I resent that lie. I deplore that lie. I say that is a lie. God did not make men and women "that way." Sin, exercised as a choice and as a practice has made them "that way." And some who were reportedly 'That way," God has saved, and from that moment forward they were not 'That way."
   
Dear reader, the teaching that I have sought to describe, that all levels of human society, (including mainline religious systems) that homosexuality is just an "alternate life style" has had, and is having a devastating effect upon our people. Television is one of the most destructive tools that is at Satan's disposal, and he is using it mightily to degrade society, beginning with our precious children, (while men slept) with such rotten, ungodly, unholy garbage as that lie.
   
I call your attention to one TV sitcom, "Full House," which shows three apparently normal young men, living under one roof, bringing up three young girls. Is that wrong, preacher? Is it natural? In these kinds of cases, the motive is to gradually and gently teach children that this represents the same, or an equally correct home environment that God has structured and sanctioned. But God, or any reference to matters religious, except some Roman Catholic influences is seldom mentioned in this, and numerous other "family oriented" programs such as this. But the point is, multitudes are being fed a constant diet of this kind of "entertainment," that is actually designed to break down traditional, God honoring values and teachings so that perversion will be more easily fed to a delighted, happy, entertained, unsuspecting generation of people. Success? You know that Satan is doing what he desires to do at this time, and he is about the business of opposing God and all that is of God. He will ultimately lose, thank God, but for now, he is the "prince of the power of the air."
   
I can not begin to tell you of our so-called national educational policy and it's devastating effect on mankind. By the way, what business does the federal system (government, elected or appointed) have in "education," or perhaps ninety (90) percent of the other aspects of our lives into which it has intruded itself during this 20th century?
   
Are you familiar with "America 2000/Goals 2000"? You're not! Shame on you! You desperately need to look into this. This massive document is the current published aim, goal, and policy of our government to "socialize", "communize", and "humanize" our nation and her people, while completely removing God and any and all mention of Him and all that is good, holy, and proper from our society. When? By the year 2000!
   
And this has been slowly working for many years, and only recently was it written into clear and unmistakable terms. Only now have the "powers that are behind the scenes" felt secure enough to put it into writing is these terms. They have reasoned that the past 100 years or so have been so successful in brainwashing the people, and enough of the opium of "secular humanism" has had sufficient time to do its evil work, no one will pay attention to this or any other document. Who reads? And they are right! It has had, and is having that effect. Satan has been very active, and he still is hard at work with his many allies, even among the people of the Lord.
   
Do any of you who read this message think that I am off in left field someplace? Are you questioning the silly preacher who cries "wolf' when there is no wolf to be seen at the very door? Do you think that I'm some kind of nut that has finally gone off the deep end? Do you not see? Do you not hear what is going on before our very eyes and within clear earshot of us?
   
We have been told, in writing, what the ungodly "elitist" have in mind for us all. Oh, truly these are perilous times, and "Goals 2000" is but the tip of an iceberg. The end times are near, and the times are perilous, and we of the Lord's people find ourselves looking for the Lord to call us out of this present evil world, for that is the only deliverance that we have from the evil workings of Satan and his many allies, even all the ungodly of the world who would presently have us believe that they are true God fearing patriots who love this land, and long for all to be well for its citizenship.
   
I call upon all the people of the Lord at this very time. There is not a moment to lose. Remember who we are, and remember who our God is. Humble yourself, and pray, and call upon Him, and He has promised to not only hear our prayer, but to heal our land. Pray Christian! Pray some more! And when you have done so, call all your brothers and sisters in Christ and pray some more. It is time to be up and about the Lord's business in the dark and evil days.
   
Truly we live in the last days, and in the midst of these perilous times. Truly this is the case, and we are seeing more and more of the things that God has told us about taking place, even today as you read this. I am willing to risk any criticism, from any of you. I believe that I have been compelled to alert you, as best I can, of the great dangers that are all around us.
   
I close, for this time. But I am not finished. I will, the Lord willing, say more later. I must. I am convinced and convicted that it is my duty to tell all who will hear.     "From such turn away."