LAST DAYS LIVING

October 5

Bible Reading: 2 Timothy 3

2 Timothy 3:1, “But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty…”

Though we are witnessing unprecedented troubles and uncertainty in these evil days, we ought not to be surprised. The Apostle Paul warned Timothy two millennia ago about what lay ahead. The “last days” began on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:17). On that day, the church was born and the good news of salvation by grace through faith in Christ was first declared. In spite of God’s provision of a Savior and a gospel of salvation by grace, mankind, generally speaking, has not responded and the spiritual climate in the world can only digress until the time of Jesus’ return.

The list of vices in 2 Timothy 3:1-5 is comparable to other such lists (Romans 1:28-32; Galatians 5:19-21; 1 Timothy 1:9-10).  These vices speak to the attitudes and activities to which man inevitably gravitates apart from God’s intervention.  In Adam, all have inherited a sin nature (Romans 5:12, 3:23).  The “heart (of man) is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick” (Jeremiah 17:9).  Men sin because they are born that way (Colossians 1:21; Ephesians 2:1-3).  Only Jesus can work to forgive and change us (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).

The list of vices begins and ends with references to misplaced love — “lovers of self, lovers of money…lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God” (2 Timothy 3:2, 4).  The last days will be characterized by people’s misguided devotion to things other than God.  The entire passage speaks to evil nature of a godless society and a godless society is by definition one that has no room for God.  In place of love for God are love for self, money, and pleasure.  Love for such things characterizes the day in which we live.  The world is enamored with love for fame, fortune and fun.  These pursuits govern its thinking and way of life.  “Whatever makes you feel good” trumps all other concerns.  Seemingly, every store has a lottery and lotteries make big money because people love money.  There is even a magazine called “Self.”  The problem is that we were not created to invest our lives in such things. We were created to know and love the One who created us.  To set off on our own course, divorced from His purpose and plan, is a recipe for moral catastrophe.  Those who do not love God are also those “not loving good” (2 Timothy 3:3).  The remaining vices listed speak to the attitudes and actions that prevail in hearts and lives when a people have no love for God or good.

How is a person to navigate through the countless difficulties associated with such a day?  What could possibly work to guide a person on a “God-ward” course in such a “god-less” environment?  Such a person will undoubtedly face persecution (2 Timothy 3:12).  What can help a person stay the course when the going gets tough? 

Paul admonished Timothy to continue in what he had learned from childhood through the Scriptures (2 Timothy 3:14-15).  It is those sacred writings which “are able to make (a person) wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:15).  The Bible is unlike any other book, for it is God’s word to us.  It represents that which has been “breathed out by God” (2 Timothy 3:16).  It is the inspired Word of God and is “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16).  With respect to the way of righteousness, God’s word works to direct us in that path.  It teaches us and outlines to us the pathway of right living (that which meets with God’s approval).  It reproves us when we wander from the path, reminding us that we have strayed.  It corrects us, instructing us in what we must do to get back onto the path.  It trains us so that we might stay on the path and headed in the right direction. Living in a world headed on a broad path leading to destruction, the Bible alone can guide us along the narrow way.

The Bible is elsewhere said to be a light to our feet and a lamp to our path.  In darkness, it is impossible to find one’s way apart from the provision of light from some external source.  God’s word is that light to us in the midst of this present darkness.  How are we to distinguish between right and wrong, good and evil, truth and falsehood?  How are we to know if a thing is in fact pleasing unto God?  What will work to help us to stay the course on the narrow path that leads to life when everyone else is headed in a different direction?  God’s inspired and profitable Word alone can do that.  We will “do well to pay attention” to it “as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your heart” (2 Peter 1:19).  Living in the last days demands of us a careful devotion to the Word of God and adherence to that which it teaches.  It has been said to represent to us Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth.  In these last days we need to pay careful instruction to them!

Dark and difficult days demand devotion to God’s Word, that we might be led by its light in the path of righteousness!

Thy Word is a lamp to my feet, O Lord,
And, trusting in Thee as my all,
Whatever of evil may cross my path,
I never, no, never can fall.

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Author: looking2jesus13

Jerry L. Conklin was born and raised in Hillsboro, Oregon. After graduating from high school, he enlisted in the United States Navy and served for six years in the Navy’s Nuclear Power Program. He was assigned to the USS *Omaha* (SSN-692), a nuclear-powered fast-attack submarine, where he served as a reactor-plant electrical operator. His military service took him to ports and locations throughout the world and provided extensive technical training, leadership experience, and an enduring appreciation for those who serve in the Armed Forces. Following his Navy service, Jerry earned a bachelor’s degree in Nuclear Technology from Thomas Edison State University. He worked at the Trojan Nuclear Plant near Rainier, Oregon, first as a reactor operator and later as a training specialist. After sensing God’s call to pastoral ministry, he left the nuclear-power industry and earned a master’s degree in theology from Western Conservative Baptist Seminary in Portland, Oregon. Jerry served for twenty-seven and a half years as senior pastor of Lewis and Clark Bible Church in Astoria, Oregon. During those years, he preached and taught the Scriptures, provided pastoral counseling, performed weddings and memorial services, trained church leaders, and served individuals and families throughout the community. He also served as a fire department chaplain and participated in a variety of community ministries. After retiring from full-time pastoral ministry, Jerry and his wife, Laura, moved to Heppner, Oregon. There he served for approximately four years as a chaplain with Pioneer Memorial Home Health and Hospice, providing spiritual and emotional support to more than 150 patients and their families. In 2023, the Oregon Association for Home Care honored him as its Chaplain of the Year. Jerry also helped establish South Morrow County Seniors Matter, a nonprofit organization created to address the needs of older adults following the COVID-19 pandemic. As chairman, he worked with community leaders and volunteers to develop a weekly senior meal program, a monthly veterans’ lunch, and other activities and services. The organization served hundreds of seniors, mobilized more than 200 volunteers, and received statewide and national recognition. In 2025, Jerry was named Heppner’s Man of the Year, and his community service was later recognized by United States Senator Jeff Merkley. International missions have also been an important part of Jerry’s ministry. He has made ten trips to Uganda, where he has taught at pastors’ conferences, preached in churches, participated in Bible-school graduations, distributed Bibles and Christian materials, and encouraged local pastors and ministry leaders. He developed the discipleship booklet *First Steps with Jesus* to help new believers understand and grow in their faith. Jerry is the author of numerous books, Bible studies, devotionals, and teaching resources, including works centered on prayer, Christian hope, spiritual growth, and the person of Jesus Christ. His decades of preaching and teaching reflect his commitment to presenting biblical truth clearly, practically, and faithfully. Jerry and Laura were married for nearly forty-two years and raised four children. They were also blessed with three grandchildren. Laura passed away in August 2025 following an eight-and-a-half-year battle with cancer. Jerry currently lives in Hillsboro, where he helps care for his elderly father. He continues to preach, teach, write, and serve others through pastoral and community ministry.

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