Recently there was a talk by the PM about overcoming the crisis of the lifetime. He was talking about COVID-19. To say that this is a crisis of a lifetime is not an exaggeration because it is not just a health crisis but also an economic, social, and political crisis. Indeed, COVID-19 has been earth-shattering in many ways. There was a particular phrase that the PM mentioned, “There are tectonic shifts taking place.” For us Christians, is this the real crisis of the last days? No doubt, the external environment we live in is a very tough one but the real crisis for a Christian is not external but internal; it is spiritual. The real crisis is when we are not prepared to meet our Lord. We turn to Revelation 6:17;

”For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?””

For us, the real tectonic shift is when Christ comes again. When Christ comes again, it is not just earth-shattering and this is not just in a figurative sense but literally; it is heaven and earth shattering. Therefore, the real crisis is the real question listed here: who is able to stand on the great day of His wrath?

Today, the speaker will discuss a few crises for us Christians in the Last Days.

1. The rise of scoffers

We turn to 2 Peter 3:3-4;

knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to 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 creation.”

V3 says that the first thing coming in the Last Days is the coming of the scoffers. What do they scoff at? V4 says that they question where the promise of His coming is. The first crisis is to question the second coming of Christ, “There is nothing to be ready for because Christ is not coming!” They even have evidence. Everything has been running since the beginning and when they look around, there is no sign of Christ coming again. The real reason listed here is that they want to walk according to their own lust. Because if Christ is not coming, there is no judgement. If there is no judgement, there is nothing for them to answer to! They can do whatever they want in their lives.

A thought experiment:
If we know that Christ is coming tomorrow, will we dare to sin? Obviously, not. We would probably be praying till He comes again.

In 1984, the speaker went back to Sabah, Malaysia, for holiday. He was about 7-10 years old then. He heard a “vision” (not from God) because it talks about when Jesus Christ would come again. Someone saw the first 2 digits of when Christ would come again. He saw ’19’ and the last two digits were blanked out. We can definitely say that such a vision is not from God because Jesus says that no one knows the day or hour of that Day. The speaker was very young then and didn’t know any better. He then thought, “Perhaps this is true?” because there was no prediction of the exact, day, hour, and even year. It was a range of years. It had a great impact on the speaker when he first heard it because many thoughts went through his mind. He did some calculations and thought there was at most 15 years before Jesus Christ came again. He didn’t have the Holy Spirit then and wondered if he had enough time to pray for the Holy Spirit. It was very unsettling for the speaker.

The nearness of His coming wakens our spiritual sensitivity. The closer we feel that He is coming, the more watchful we are. The further we feel that He is coming, the less watchful we are. When the scoffers scoff at Christ’s second coming, they do so to soothe their own conscience so that they would have the courage to indulge in their lusts. A clarification: it is not that we need to predict when Christ comes again in order to be vigilant because such predictions are not good. The most insidious part is that you will be vigilant, but only for a short while. When the time comes and goes, you will drop all your vigilance.

In 1844, there was a Millerite movement led by a man named William Miller. He predicted that Christ would come on 22 October 1844. We can imagine what they all did because they truly believed in that prediction. They sold all that they had and prayed all the days leading up to 22/10/1844. We can imagine how illusioned they were. It became infamously known as ‘The Great Disappointment’. The speaker finds this phrase so appropriate because those who believed such predictions will ALWAYS be disappointed. This is because their faith has not been founded on the right foundation. The disappointed ones are also no different from the scoffers. The scoffers walk by sight just as the disappointed misplace their beliefs on men. But the Word of God always pulls through.

To overcome the first crisis of being a scoffer, we must always turn back to the Word of God. We read 2 Peter 3:5-7;

For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

Here it says that it was by the Word of God that creation came into existence; it was by the Word of God that the world during Noah’s time was destroyed. Peter says here it was by the same Words of God that the world is held together, reserved for judgement. In fact, the rise of the scoffers themselves prove that the Word of God is true. The disillusioned and disappointed also prove that the Word of God is true. They will always be disappointed because Christ says that no one knows when Judgement Day is.

The scoffers and disappointed are also similar in some ways.

Scoffers say, “It (Christ’s second coming) has never happened, it will never happen.”
Disappointed say, “Either it happens now, or it will never happen.”

The scoffers don’t want to wait, but the disappointed don’t want to wait indefinitely. Waiting is something difficult while waiting vigilantly is even more difficult. No one likes a surprise examination.

When the speaker was in Junior College, his teacher walked into class saying that they will have a surprise test that day. They all looked at each other and asked why they were not informed. The teacher replied, “Because it is a surprise!” They all scored badly but fortunately it didn’t count for anything. That test was a surprise they didn’t want to count. If the test counts, we would want to know exactly when the test is. The day of the Lord is special. It is a complete surprise to everyone yet it counts for everything. Both the scoffer and disappointed forgot that Christ will count according to His time, and not our time. Read v8;

But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

Some have forgotten. The scoffers have forgotten. To them, God has delayed but God never delays! God is always on time. V9;

The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

In other words, He is right on time regarding His promise. Oftentimes, we don’t want any delay. Just like a little child – whatever he wants, he wants is now. The speaker’s daughter now attends the nursery class at 10am every Sabbath. Sometimes, she will be ready by 9am and then turn to him, “Class, class!” She wants him to turn on his iPad and turn on Zoom for class. They have no concept of time. She would sit down on the chair and say, “Friends! Start!” Her current lifetime is very short. She is only 2 years old. If she was asked to wait an hour, it would be a very long time for her. We have to remember that God is eternal. To us, 1000 years is many lifetimes but 1000 years is nothing to God; it is likened to 1 day. God is never late and will definitely come in His own time. The question is: will we be still found waiting when He comes?

2. Weighed down by the cares of life

Turn to Luke 21:34-36;

But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

Unlike the scoffers, many of us on an intellectual level believe in His second coming. Instead, we face another kind of crisis. Here, Jesus Christ reminds us that our hearts may be weighed down by carousing, drunkenness and cares of this life. In other words, we become so distracted by the things of this life we become oblivious to the second coming.

The first thing mentioned here is ‘carousing’. Carousing means merry-making and drinking wine. This would refer to the pleasures of this life. Recall the rich man in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. He was clothed and ate well everyday. He enjoyed himself so much, he never thought that he would end up in Hades.

Presently, we have even more pleasures to be distracted by. There are endless things for us to surf on the internet. Of course, many of these things are neutral and really are harmless by themselves. However, they become a danger when we are so involved in pleasure-seeking it becomes the goal of our lives and we seek only to stimulate our senses; we become oblivious to His coming.

We can also be distracted by the cares of this life. Many times, we have many immediate concerns but we decide to put God aside and solve our problems first and leave thoughts for the future, the second coming, and matters of God for later. The problem is: when will that future be? Very often, our problems are also never-ending and therefore we never have enough time to leave for God. These 2 things, pleasures and cares of this life, can make a person a drunk. A drunk doesn’t know what is happening around him and hence v35 says;

For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth

A snare is used to catch animals. The psalmist always says that he is like a bird caught in a snare. If a bird sees the snare, it would avoid the snare. if the bird is caught in the snare, it means that it didn’t see the snare.

There was only once when the speaker saw a bird caught unaware. The speaker used to stay in a multipurpose hall in church whenever he returned to Sabah. Sometimes, he will stand and watch birds fly from one side of the hall to another. One day, the worker in church closed all the windows from the other side. The sunlight came from the other side so it was very bright. There was a particular bird that didn’t realise that. The speaker was standing by the railing and saw the bird fly from one side to another. Then it flew right across the 2 badminton courts. The bird thought that it could fly through the glass, whammed into the glass and dropped down. This also caught the speaker by surprise and hence he ran to take a look. It was too late and he ran to his mother, “I just saw a bird, it looks like it doesn’t have a brain!”

Sometimes, we may be like this bird. We think that our future is bright, sunny, and everything looks good ahead. We think that we can continue flying and flying forever. Until, the snare catches us unaware.

How do we avoid being caught unaware? How do we overcome distractions in this life? Jesus’ solution here is to ‘watch and pray’. ‘Watch and pray’, that you may be counted worthy. ‘Watch and pray’ is the solution to prevent ourselves from being drunk.

Turn to Ephesians 5:18;

And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,

Here Paul contrasts being drunk with wine and being filled with the Holy Spirit. Why? Recall the day of Pentecost. The Holy Spirit came and the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit. The mockers said, “They are filled with new wine!” To the world, the one filled with the Holy Spirit looks like a drunkard. It is not just because he speaks in tongues and people think that he is drunk but because he looks so different in every aspect of his life that he looks drunk to the world. Hence, the world would say to him, “You are oblivious to the things in life!” In reality, these people are the most in-tuned with spiritual reality.

Hence, Paul says to not be drunk with wine but be drunk with the Holy Spirit. There are 2 wines you can be drunk with. You are either drunk with the wine of the grape-coloured, the world, or with the new wine of the Holy Spirit. The one filled with the Holy Spirit is not drunk according to the Bible because the Day is always in His mind. He knows there is a possibility that he may be counted unworthy. Therefore, he always watches and prays that he may be counted worthy. Do we also live, watch, and pray with the end in mind?

3. Specific spiritual challenges to be on the lookout for

Turn to 2 Timothy 3:1;

But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:

There will be perilous times in the last days. What does it mean? Read v3-4;

unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,

The world we live in makes it difficult especially in the Last Days — it is hard to keep the Word of God. Here it says that men will be lovers of themselves. All the other characteristics stem from the fact that men are very self-centred in the Last Days. The speaker was reading Quora the other day and someone asked a question, “My child insists on wearing a mask, how do I convince him otherwise?” Many asked him why he didn’t want his child to wear a mask because this is good. But this is men in the Last Days; they only think about themselves and not of others.

Here it also mentions that they are boasters and proud. In other words, “Think of how great I am!” There is no gratitude and they are traitors. Everything revolves around their own benefit and they’re willing to do anything to benefit themselves.

“Rugal, despisers of good”
They’re willing to do anything as long as it benefits themselves.

Read v7;

always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

How can we always learn but not come to a knowledge of something? Is it because they’re not smart? The fact is that it has nothing to do with intellectualism. V6 says that its because they want to follow their own lusts;

For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts

They don’t want to listen to what is good but only to what they want to hear. But we learn the Truth not for academic knowledge; we learn the Word of God not to stimulate the mind; the Truth is supposed to set us free. If there is no desire to give up the self, you will never understand the Truth. Therefore, v5 says;

having a form of godliness but denying its power

In other words, godliness is just a means of gain to them, “It is not about giving up myself. Everything is about how this can benefit me, even godliness.” He is his own god.

How can we overcome this self-centred crisis in the Last Days?
Read v10-11;

But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra—what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me.

1. Learn from the examples of the people with great faith in the Bible
Paul asked Timothy to follow his example. Sometimes, we look at the wrong examples and we excuse ourselves because, “That person in church is also like that. Therefore, I can also be like that!” But Paul asked Timothy to follow his example and not the wrong examples of the self-centred men in the world (and sometimes even church).

2. Be willing to pay a price
Read v12;

Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.

There is a price to be paid for our faith. To give up the self, you must be willing to endure sufferings. Oftentimes, we still ask God, “What benefit can I get?”

Actually, God is asking us, “What can you give up for Me?”

What are we willing to give up for our faith? V12 says,

“All who desire to live godly life will suffer.”

3. To overcome the self, the scripture is indispensable
Read v15;

and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

Paul tells us that the scripture makes us wise for salvation. Unfortunately, in the Last Days, people don’t like to learn from the scripture. They feel that these are things they already know because they read the Bible often. Hence, they want to listen to something new; something that would scratch their itching ears. But Paul tells Timothy that it is the scripture that will make us wise for salvation. If we continue in all these things as Paul told Timothy, we can be confident to meet the Lord when He comes again.

The question is: when Christ comes again, would we have become indifferent like the scoffers? Would be we weighed down by carousing, drunkenness, and the cares of this life? Will we be like the self-centred man who denies godliness? Or, will we be ready to meet Him?