Escapism Isn't

 2 Timothy 3:1-5 

1. But understand this: In the last days terrible times will come. 
2. For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money , boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 
3. unloving, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, without love of good,
4. traitorous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 
5. having a form of godliness but denying its power. Turn away from such as these!

Anything or anyone that captivates a person's attention away from the Word of God is destructive to a person. The word captive can be used as both a noun: 

• A prisoner
• A person who is enslaved or dominated

and an adjective:

• Made or held prisoner
• Kept in confinement or restraint
• Enslaved by love, beauty, etc.

Captive, therefore, means:

• To attract and hold the attention thereof
• To enchant
• To capture, to subjugate (to bring under complete control, to master, to conquer; to make subservient, enslave

     You may say that every decade has its problems and you would be half right. But it has been centuries since Jesus went back to heaven to prepare a place for us and His return is always imminent.           Therefore, since He left people have been living in the last days. These last days are the days leading up to His return. Even the last hour. 

1 John 2:17-18 "The world is passing away, along with its desires; but whoever does the will of God remains forever. Little children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have arisen, whereby we know that it is the last hour."

     We need to recognize that what separates us from God now will be the very thing that separates us from God then: sin. Everything named in 2 Timothy 3:1-5 is sin; these things separate a person from a right relationship with God. 

     We see the results of such sins even more so as the counting of days ends and the counting of hours before Christ's return draws near. All of these sins have kept people away from God's presence, have kept people away from prayer with Him, have kept people away. Period. 

We are made aware of this immediately: 

• Terrible Times will come: difficult days, dangerous days, furious days; days of weakness and reduced strength
• Lovers of Themselves: self-loving, selfish
• Lovers of Money: avaricious, greedy, covetousness
• Boastful: one who gives one's self airs in a loud and flaunting way
• Arrogant: proud, disdainful, haughty
• Abusive: blasphemous, slanderous, evil-speaking
• Disobedient to their parents: who will not be persuaded, contumacious: willfully and obstinately disobedient, stubbornly perverse or rebellious
• Ungrateful: ungraceful, unthankful, unpleasing
• Unholy: wicked, profane
• Unloving: devoid of affection, hardhearted towards kindred
• Unforgiving: without libation (without truce, without covenant); implacable (unable to please or placate, unyielding)
• Slanderous: accusing falsely, unjustly criticizing to malign and condemn, accuser, backbiter; malicious, false, defamatory statement or report; calumny: a false and malicious statement designed to injure the reputation of someone or something
• Without self-control: powerless, impotent, lacking self-control, inclined to excess: without self-discipline nor self-restraint; unable to have power over one's self
• Brutal: not tame, fierce, savage
• Without love of good: not loving that which is good; a hater of that which is good; someone who is hostile to the things of God
• Traitorous: betrayer; treacherous: faithlessness, untrustworthy, unreliable; perfidious: deliberately faithless, deceitful
• Reckless: headlong: hasty, without deliberation (careful consideration before decision); impulsive, rash
• Conceited: foolish; having a cloudy (muddled) mindset-moral blindness resulting from poor judgment which brings further loss of spiritual perception; having an exceptionally favorable opinion of one's abilities, appearance, etc.
• Lovers of pleasure: strong desire, sensuous pleasure that is pleasing only to self, self-gratification; the satiation of bodily desires at the expense of others. Rather then Lovers of God: God-loving, friend of God
• Having a form of godliness but denying Its power: external appearance, resemblance, looks like the real thing but isn't

     Escaping from God's presence now is escaping from God's presence in eternity. Whether the choice is made to believe or not, it is still a personal choice that each of us makes. There is no one to blame but us.

     When we recognize ourselves, our actions in any one of these descriptions, we must turn to God, repent of our wicked ways and seek His forgiveness, which He will surely give to the repentant heart. His Word will enter into us and begin to change us into the person we were created to be. His Spirit will mold us and transform us by God's power. 

     Nothing we can do will change us. Nothing we say will transform us from sinners to sinners saved by grace except belief in the Name of Jesus Christ, the Living Word of God. 

     What is our defense against God's judgment on sin except Jesus Christ? 

    What is our hope and expectation of God except His only begotten Son Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God which takes away the sins of the world? 

     The Lord Is My Hope and My Salvation. Is He yours?

     Now is the time to get on our knees and pray. Don't fret about the words coming out of your mouth. God wants to hear our hearts not our words.