If you find yourself loving any pleasure above prayer, any book better than the Bible, any house more than the house of God, any table better than the Lord’s table, or any person more than Christ…take alarm! — Thomas Guthrie
Following temptation will try to choke the last days believers:
1. Desire of becoming wealthy will trap the followers of Christ
“But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.” (1 Timothy 6:9, ESV)
2. Friendship with this world will make many an enemy of God
“You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” (James 4:4, ESV)
3. Our own evil desires will entice to fall-back
“But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.” (James 1:14, ESV)
4. Subject to be persecuted and killed, and will be hated by all nation
” “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. ” (Matthew 24:9, ESV)
5. Many will turn away, betray, and hate one another
“And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. ” (Matthew 24:10, ESV)
6. False prophet, teachers, miracles, signs & teachings, secularism, sins of the world, will try to chock-down the believers
” And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. ” (Matthew 24:11, ESV)
“But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith. But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men. You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra—which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me. Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:1-17, ESV)
