According to Investment Business Daily: “President Obama’s bid for U.N. Secretary-General Has Begun.” “Who would the U.N. like better as secretary-general than an American who wants the world’s lone superpower placed firmly under the rules made by the U.N. General Assembly, the vast majority of whose members are undemocratic and pine for redistributed U.S. wealth? Now the U.N., acting similarly, can make him “president of the world.” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s term expires in early 2017. If Obama were his successor, the U.S., even under a Republican administration, might not veto an ex-U.S. presidential in the Security Council.”

HOW DO WE KNOW WE ARE IN THE END-TIMES? Christ tells us we will be able to see the signs when this will occur.

2 Timothy 3:1 – 5a – “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.”

No one has ever known, while on earth, the exact time of the end. They knew, through prophecy, what would happen prior to the Day of Judgment. However, I suppose throughout the ages people were lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, etc. rather than lovers of God.

Paul’s warning deserves our full attention. We are living in the last days and we should not be surprised at the moral degeneration of society around us. The man’s state of depravity encompassing us is what we as Christians are to minister.

A. When people misdirect their love toward themselves and material pleasures there can be no love left to direct toward others. Then moral corruption normally results.
B. Here are other reasons for moral corruption:
a. Boastful, proud – An inflated self-importance.
b. Abusive – People who speak disrespectfully to others.
c. Disobedient to their parents – Behavior that breaks the fifth Commandment.
d. Ungrateful – Cannot appreciate others or give gratitude for favors.
e. Unholy – Disregard God in order to live only to please themselves.
f. Without love – People who love only themselves.
g. Unforgiving – Cannot allow for other people’s mistakes or weaknesses.
h. Slanderous – Enjoy spreading gossip and malicious reports about others.
i. Without self-control – Cannot restrain their feelings or actions
j. Brutal – Live like untamed animals
k. Not lovers of good – People who hate anything good
l. Treacherous – Ready and willing to betray anyone
m. Rash – People who act foolishly and carelessly and normally head-strong
n. Conceited – Narcissistic, very high opinion of themselves
o. Lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God – People who are so misdirected that they can think only of themselves. Having a form of godliness but denying its power – People who practice a form of godliness.
The Apostle Paul warns us not to be deceived by people who only appear to be Christians. Watch them closely for their daily behavior as it will give them away. Do Americans have leaders who say they are Christians but their actions do not show it?

2 Timothy 3:12 – 14 – “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.”

To become A Christian there is no guarantee that we will not be persecuted. In some nations it is against the law to be a Christian. If we stand up for Christian principles, we can expect opposition and hostility from the world as we see it now happening.

Revelation 13:7 – 8 – “It (the Antichrist) was given power to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world.” (My reference)

Revelation 14:12 – 14 – “And the smoke of their torment will rise forever and ever. There will be no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name. This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus.”

If you ‘study’ the entire Bible, you have to see that we are in the end times. Are we hearing politicians saying they are a Christian for political purposes only? Scripture tells us many Christians will be deceived in the later days. People will become leaders, worldwide, who are more influenced by demonic sources than the Holy Spirit. It is up to each of us to determine the difference. Soon it will be more difficult to witness for Jesus Christ because political correctness will call us all kinds of names.