Midnight of the saints

The day has come and gone. Uneventful as to massive earthquakes, the graves opening to release billions of bodies into the sky, dragging along with them allegedly a mere two hundred million souls of those who had not yet been unbodied till that moment, to ‘meet the Lord in the air’ according to words of pure vanity never written or thought by the apostles but stuffed into their mouths by teachers of unwisdom.

Fractious, factious, unfriendly, fiery purveyors of fantasy, egged on as always by the evil one, peddling dispensations that never were in the mind or word of God, nevertheless so sure of themselves that they are willing to wreck the work of God, to despoil the vineyard of the Lord, to hold up to the world’s ridicule the precious promise of the Christ to come again, all to succor their own vain hopes, to exalt their names above the Name.

It is the midnight of the saints, their time of tribulation, the hour of their testing, the furnace of their purification, the deepest darkness against the bright dawn of the true resurrection of the dead, but also the time when the angelic hosts offer their praises, unseen by the eyes of worldly wisdom, unheard by the ears of those deafened by the roar of the lies spawned by their divisive delusions. Yes, we are all still here, and Christ Jesus is still among us.

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.

They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these teachers oppose the truth. They are men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone.
2 Timothy 3:1-9

Keep reminding God’s people of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. Their teaching will spread like gangrene.

Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have departed from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some. Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: ‘The Lord knows those who are His,’ and, ‘Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.’

In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use. Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work. Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.
2 Timothy 2:14-26