"These know also that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fears, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God, having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof. From such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses and lead captive silly women, laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Janus and Jambres withstood Moshe, so do these also resist the truth.

Men of corrupt minds reprobate concerning the faith. But they shall proceed no further. For their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also will. Now, brothers and sisters, listen. We have already covered two chapters in this letter. The Apostle Paul wrote this letter at about 67 AD. He's ready to die. He knows very well that Nero is going to kill him. According to 2 Timothy 4 and verse 6 and 7, Paul said to Timothy, Paul is writing to Timothy, Paul is writing to Timothy who was already involved in ministry in the city of Ephesus. Paul was now at Rome. He was in prison. He knew very well that in short time he is going to die.

And this second letter that he wrote to Timothy will be the final biblical account that we have about the writing of Shaul, Paul. He is now ready to pass away and he is handing over, you might say, the batan, the responsibility to another brother by the name of Timothy. Timothy is to teach others. The others are to teach other groups and so on. And that's where you and I come in today at the last days of the church age, the assembly days. Soon the Lord is coming. Yeshua is coming to take his people to be with him in glory. He is going to restore our nation Israel to himself.

And he is going to take this world and rule over this world as king of kings and lord of lords. Melech Hamlachim and Adon Ha'adonim. So in concern for the welfare of the believers, this is including you and I and all believers around the world that will hear the message and will teach others, he writes this last letter, 2 Timothy. We have talked about in the previous chapters, how he knew what things are going to rise up in the last days. And he encourages Timothy to be a man of God. And we could encourage all of us to be a man and women of God who live for Yeshua the Messiah and follow him and continue on in the spiritual growth that is needful so much among the people of God.

And so now, what we learn in this third chapter, that there is an anticipation for the apostle Paul of things that will happen in the last days of the ecclesia, of the assembly, of the church days. You see, just like there was failure in the history of our forefathers, the people of Israel, who failed, especially as time went on, before the Messiah came, and ultimately Israel, our nation, did not accept the Mashiach at his first coming. In a very similar way, the professing church had failed as well. In fact, brothers and sisters, the fall of the church is far greater than the fall of Israel by virtue of the fact that the assembly, the church, has far greater truth, far greater understanding, the complete canon of scripture, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit of God.

And Paul, in anticipation, saying to Timothy, Timothy, I want to tell you what is going to happen in the last days of what we know today, the ecclesia days. And so notice how he began. Actually, in the third chapter, he's emphasizing three things. He gave instruction to Timothy for effective ministry in the last days. If you want to be effective in your ministry, in whatever the Lord has given it to you to do, you have to listen to what Paul is saying to Timothy in the third chapter of this epistle. You want to be effective in your life as a believer? Whether you are a brother, whether you are a sister, whether you are an old individual or young individual?

Do you want to have your life effective here in this world? You and I need to listen to what Shaul Paul is saying to Timothy in this third chapter. Now, mind you, we are only going to speak about the first nine verses. But in this particular third chapter, Timothy is exhorted to do three things. The first nine verses, Timothy is then to turn away from all those who live ungodly in their life today. That's the first thing, verses 1 to 9. Secondly, he is also called to follow those who do live a godly life. This is verses 10 to 12. And finally, the third instruction for effective ministry is Timothy is to continue with the instruction that is given to us in the Holy Scriptures.

If we are going to be effective in our life today as believers, we have to, number one, turn away from those who live an ungodly life. Number two, to follow those who live a godly life. And number three, to maintain and to continue with receiving the instructions that are found in the Holy Scriptures in the Word of God. Now, in this ministry meeting, we are not so much going to talk about to follow after those that live a godly life. Not so much even after to continue with the instruction that is given to us in the Holy Scriptures. But specifically, to turn away from those who live an ungodly life here in this world.

Not because we are to be holier than thou, superior than somebody else. Not at all. The opposite is. The believer is called to reach out to the unbelieving world. To reach out to the straying believers. To reach out to those who deviate from the things of the Lord. And to seek to bring them into a relationship with the Lord. Not to be sectarian. Not to think ourselves better and superior than somebody else. But certainly to turn away from that which is dishonoring unto the Lord. And so notice that, first of all, in verse 1 of 2 Timothy chapter 3, the Apostle Paul is saying those words to Timothy.

Timothy, he says, I want you to know this also. I already told you a few things earlier. How to be a man of God and how to conduct yourself. Chapter 1 and chapter 2. But now, Timothy, I want you to know also that in the last days, peerless or dangerous times shall come. Timothy, of course, is younger than Shaul Paul. He is maybe timid a little bit. Maybe gets sometimes influenced by others. And maybe he has some fear because there are those that oppose him. And those are giving him a hard time in his walk with the Lord. So the Apostle Paul prepared him when he said, Timothy, listen, I want you to know that.

Things are not going to get better. You think that things are going to get better? I want to tell you, Timothy, that in the last days, the Hebrew expression is, Be'acharit hayamin. Dangerous or violence times shall come. Things are not going to be easy. And I want you, beloved brothers and sisters, to understand that when Paul writes to Timothy this second letter, we must distinguish the events that he's speaking about in the second letter to Timothy from what the Apostle Paul wrote about the world at large in Romans chapter 1. In Romans chapter 1, he speaks about the pagan, unbelieving world. The moralist, the pagan, and the religious individual.

But here in 2 Timothy, he's speaking about the professing church. He doesn't speak so much of those from without, but he's speaking about those who claim to be part of the family of God. You remember what we read in 2 Timothy chapter 2, in verse 20? In a great house, there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and earth, some to honor and some to dishonor. Timothy, you see, the house of God, which is the pillar and the ground of the truth, became a great house. And in this great house, you have those who claim to be believers and those who are not believers.

That's number one. But also within those that are believers is that those who are vessels of honor and there are those who are vessels of dishonor. Well, Timothy, what are you going to do about it? Are you going to continue on with the way that the believers influence the believer? Are you going to continue on to follow those who do not walk with the Lord, who are vessels of dishonor? You see, God wants to use us, beloved brothers and sisters. God delights to have his people, useful people that are vessels unto honor. And at times Satan attacks us, at times the world influences us, and at times the flesh rises, the sinful nature rises within us.

But we are called to be vessels of honor. And we are to be prepared to be useful for the master. And so he's saying, in the last days, I'm going to tell you, Timothy, perilous time in Hebrew, it's called a tim kashot, shall come. Now notice he used the word in the last days. In other words, there are less days that are going to be a period of time that is going to be very difficult. But again, I would like you to distinguish between the last days of Israel's history and the last days that speak about the restoration of Israel in the tribulation time. Here he doesn't speak about the tribulation days.

He doesn't speak about Israel specific history, but he's speaking about the days in which you and I live in today, in the Ekklesia days. There will be a last days as we have it in the seven churches of Asia Minor, beginning with Ephesus, things were very good, Revelation chapter 2. But things are going to deteriorate as we arrive to Revelation chapter 3 in the church of the Laodiceans. Every man does that which is right in his own eyes. The Lord is outside knocking on the door, want to get in. There's all kind of false teaching that is creeping in. All kind of false practices that are creeping in.

Things are no longer the way it started 2,000 years ago in the city of Jerusalem by the early disciples in the land of Israel. Things are different. And we can see it today. You can walk in the streets of Toronto. Every place you have this church and this building and this group and this group. And everyone has his or her view about the things of God. And if we are not studying the Word, if we are not under the guidance of the Holy Spirit of God, we are bound to be drawn into all kind of views, many voices, many opinions that exist in Christendom today, in the professing church in the days in which we live in today.

So Timothy, he said to him, Now when you use the word last days, it is so interesting that it began with the coming of the Lord into this world. And it will continue until the Lord will come and take his people to be taken out of here, out of this earth. Turn with me to Hebrews chapter 1, verse 1 and 2. The New Covenant uses the same expression. It's the same Greek word, also the same Hebrew word, that really speak about these last days. Notice what it says in Hebrews chapter 1, verses 1 and 2. God, who at sundry time and in diverse men expect, in time passed unto our fathers by the prophets, verse 2, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, or Son-wise, or through the person of his Ben, his Son.

Whom he has appointed heir of all things, and by whom he also made the world. You see, these last days are the days in which the Messiah came to this world. He died on the tree. He was buried and he was placed in a sepulcher. He rose on the third day. He ascended to heaven. And he was now sending the Spirit of God to form what we know to be as the body of Messiah, Acts chapter 2. The church, the ecclesia, began in Acts chapter 2. So, he called the people to himself, and now we leave about 2,000 years later, and we find ourselves very quickly that we are in those last days.

But it began with the coming of the Messiah, and it continued on, beloved brothers and sisters, throughout the generation. 100 years, 200 years, 300 years, 400 years. We are now 2,000 years since the birth of the ecclesia, and we are living right here at the end. And what's happened, we are now can see very clearly why things are in such a condition, because the Lord predicted it. He knew what was going to happen here in this world in the last days. Now, here's another word. Turn to 2 Peter, chapter 3, verse 3. Here, Peter wrote about the last days. And look what he says. Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after 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 the creation. Well, you notice that. The apostle Peter, just like the apostle Shaul Paul, both of them, guided by the Spirit of God, can tell us, listen, I'm telling you what's going to happen in the last days. There will be a difficult time, dangerous time. There will be a time where mockers and scoffers will come, and they're going to say, Where is this Yeshua of yours? You said that he's going to come. Look at this. Time passes by. He's not here. He is not here. He is not coming. And you know, we often hear this expression by many who says, Well, you were talking about Jesus, Yeshua, the Messiah.

Well, we heard about him. We read many times ago. People preached the gospel to us many, many years ago. And look, he still hasn't come. The promises that he gave us in his word are not true. But beloved brothers and sisters, there is an anticipation of this taught in the word of God. The Bible, the Hebrew scriptures, and as well the Brit HaChadashah, the New Testament teaches us that in the last days, things will be in such a condition. perilous times shall come. Dangerous, violence, difficult time. Not so much with the world. Of course, things are going to be bad outside in the world. But he's speaking about Christendom.

Those that you might say, under the umbrella that is called, I believe, in the Lord Jesus Christ, in the Lord Yeshua, the Messiah. So, this is the instruction that Paul gives Timothy in verse 1. Now, in verse 2, 3, and 4 of 2 Timothy chapter 3, Paul gives us some characteristics that will characterize those that are going to be in those last days. Look at some things, beloved brothers and sisters. Because there are at least, if I'm correct, 17 characteristics here, found in verses 2, 3, and 4 of that which will prevail in the last days. Let me read those to you. Not just for men. These men here, or verse 2, is not talking about those who do not name the name of Yeshua.

These are the men and women, people, who are under what is called the great house. Who name the name of the Lord in a professing church in Christendom. He says, for men shall be, number one, lovers of their own selves. Number two, covetous. Number three, boasters. Four, proud. Five, blasphemers. Six, disobedient to parents. Seven, unthankful. Eight, unholy. Nine, without natural affection. Ten, truthbreakers. Eleven, false accusers. Twelve, incontinent. Thirteen, fierce. Fourteen, despisers of those that are good. Fifteen, traitors. Sixteen, heady. Seventeen, high-minded. Lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God. Notice that amazing things that the Apostle Paul is saying to Timothy about the last days.

Yes, they began when the Messiah came and he died on the tree and was risen and exalted. But it continues on. And as we draw near to the second coming of the Messiah, to the rapture of the assembly of the true believers, to the restoration of the nation of Israel, to the establishment of the Massianic Kingdom, as we approach and draw nearer to the last days, he says, look the condition of those that claim to be part of the people of God. And so notice, beloved brothers and sisters, and I want you to notice the three areas that he mentioned here in 2 Timothy 3, verses 2, 3, and 4.

He's speaking about the personal condition, he's speaking about the home condition, and he's speaking about the society condition in which we all participate here in this world. And I just want to highlight those three areas. First of all is the personal condition. You know, he's already telling us that in the last days of the church of Christendom, the professing church, there will be, first of all, a problem in the personal condition of many who will not follow the things of the Lord. You notice that three times he used the word love, in verse 2, and twice in verse 4. And in all these three times that he used the word love, is instead of love for God, instead of love for the Gospel, instead of Ahava in Hebrew, love for souls, notice it says, men shall be lovers of their own selves.

This is under, you might say, the personal condition that will exist in the last days. Very selfish. You know, one of the verses that we have been taught since we were little boys in our homes, that is, in Israel and in Jewish world, is, And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. Avta et Adonai Elohecha. We have been instructed. Timothy was instructed. You will see it in a moment. But look at the things that will prevail in the last days of Christendom, before the Messiah is going to come to take the believers out of this world.

He says, listen, men shall be lovers of their own selves. In verse 4, it says, lovers of pleasure, and then continue, more than lovers of God. In other words, he says, what God have intended for us, that we will love Him and respond to Him for what He has done for us. And instead of loving God, as we are being taught through the Word of God, Israel in the past, the church in the present, instead what happens is that men become lovers of themselves to the extent that pleasure and self-will will be superseding love for God. And that will characterize the last days of the church age.

And Timothy was exhorted by Paul. Timothy, I want you to know that in the last days, perilous times shall come, for men shall be lovers of their own selves, verse 2, and in verse 4, lovers of pleasure, more than lovers of God. Now, brothers and sisters, we are all by nature love ourselves. You know, this is very human. But God wants us to respond to Him and to love Him, to love His Word. And you know, people forget that in the presence of God, there are pleasures forevermore. Psalm 16. And we read of Moshe of Moses in Hebrews chapter 11. He chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasure of sin for a season.

You know, sin is pleasurable. But when we sin to the extent that we deny God His rights in our lives and that we insist on the things for ourselves and not on the things for the Lord and setting the Lord aside, the condition, the internal condition that will prevail among the professing Christians or the professing believers in the last days is definitely a sad condition. Under personal condition, men in general, not everyone, because there will be those who will love the Lord and will love His Word, but that will be characteristics that will exist in those days. And we live in those days. Look at secondly, not only under personal condition, but what about our home?

You know, many times in our own home, we stumble and we fail. And you know, brothers and sisters, Satan, when he attacks the home, when he attacks the relationship between parents and children, husbands and wives, family relationship, he defeated much. All what he needs to do is to attack the home and he will be successful because it's going to continue on like a snowball in other areas of life. And so what he says here, Paul to Timothy, listen, notice again, verse 2b and verse 3a. Not only on a personal level that men will be lovers of their own selves, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God.

Now, verse 2 tells us that secondly, it's going to be on a home setting, on a home base. It says the brokenness that will exist at home, and I'm reading now, it says that the people will be disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, and false accusers. Look at this, this is now, you might say, taking us from a personal condition to the home setting. It says, listen, disobedience to parents. You know, one of the laws that God had given our own nation, Israel, in the Decalogue, in Aseret HaDibrot, in the Ten Commandments, children, obey your parents. It was given in the law, in the Torah that God had given our forefathers.

The Lord Yeshua, the Messiah, have taught through the Apostle Paul in Ephesians, the importance are the children to obey your parents. Ephesians teaches this, Colossians teaches that. For this is right. This is the first commandment with a promise. And yet, notice that. Paul is saying to Timothy, Timothy, I want you to know that in the last days, perilous times shall come. Then, from the personal condition, he's now driving it to what will exist in a home setting. Children will be disobedient to parents. They will be unthankful. They will be unholy. They will be without natural affection. Think about the natural affection. You know, what is the natural affection?

It's where a husband loves his wife. And the wife loves her husband. It's when the children love their parents. And parents love their children. It's where brothers and sisters love each other. And where the love relationship, which is natural. It's God given to us, every one of us in our own home. Every one of us who had parents remembered the love that they have had towards us. I remember the love of my mother towards me so vividly. The sacrificial love. It was natural. Parents love their children and children should respond to their parents in love as well. But look at the condition that Paul is saying that will exist in the last days.

Disobedience. Unthankful. Unholy. Without natural family love. Natural family affection that one needs to have towards each other. Even the friendly, you know, the Bible teaches us of the agapeo in the Greek, unconditional love. and also the phileo, the love that has to do with a relationship. Without this natural love that should exist between one another. Even as two friends that used to love each other and care for each other, they will, instead of being cared for each other, things will develop into a condition that there will be trucebreakers. We made a commitment, we will break it. False accusers. We will blame him and he will blame him and there will be a blame accusing one another and then incontinent, this is without self-control in verse 3.

Fears despises of those that are good. That's the condition, beloved brothers and sisters, that Timothy was told by Paul that will prevail in the last days. And we can see it. We experience it. in a time when we are not right with the Lord, we practice this when we allow our flesh to have its own way. And no wonder that now Paul is saying, listen, these are the conditions that will prevail in the last days of the ecclesia, of the assembly, of the church, of Christendom. Those that are part of this great house mingle with vessels of honor and vessels of dishonor, this is the condition that will prevail.

And you know, it is so beautiful to see young boys and girls who love the Lord, who obey their parents, who honor their mom and dad, who respond to their parents, who respond to their brothers and sisters, who assist and help. You know, it's such a beautiful thing to see it. It is an evidence that the Spirit of God is working in their hearts. You know, it's so beautiful and I see it in some of young people that I know. It's so precious to see the respect that they have for the elders, the respect that they have for the Word of God and for the people of God.

And it's so beautiful. They can be used by the Lord for service as they grow up and minister in the last days. They can be used by the Lord. But when you don't see it, and when there is all this chaotic situation, and this disrespect, and the disobedience, and disobedience did not begin now, it began already a long time ago when Adam and Eve have disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden, Gan Eden. When Adam disobeyed God right there and then, when God said to him, in the day that you will eat out of this tree, you shall surely die. Mot tamut. But Adam disobeyed God.

He took the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and he plunged the whole human race into that condition of sin. That's why you and I are called sinners because we have inherited a sinful nature. But God wants to restore man to himself. That's why he gave the Messiah who died for us on the tree. And so these are the things that will prevail. So on a personal level, no love for God. On a home level you might say there will be disobedience. But it's going to spread beyond that. Not only in our personal life and in our home life, it's going to spread to all society.

Notice again, this time verse 4, they become traitors, heady, high-minded. Notice this, traitors, in other words, the society now, it goes beyond only a home setting and a personal setting, it goes to society at large. Traitors, heady, you know, thinking themselves superior and high-minded, thinking that they know much more than others, thinking that they are able to do it on their own. And this is the characteristic that will happen personally, home-wise, and all society at large. And you might say it, beloved brothers and sisters, again, Paul is speaking about Christendom, he's talking about those who name the name of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. They are under this umbrella, they are part of this great house.

But in the last days, that's the condition that will prevail. And so now, beloved brothers and sisters, in verse 5 of 2 Timothy chapter 3, the apostle Paul shows us that these men or these women or these individuals in that great house who profess the name of the Lord, who have these kind of characteristics in their life, they have only a form of godliness, but they really deny the power thereof. Notice that? It says in verse 5a, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof. In other words, they are really a religious people. They have a religion without reality. They name the name of Jesus Yeshua HaMashiach, but in reality, it's not part of their life.

It's nice to be part of a company who named the name of the Lord. it's nice to even claim that I'm a child of God, but if one haven't accepted the Lord into his heart, if one is not saved, is not forgiven, he has a merely form of godliness, but denying the power thereof, denying the truth of what the gospel presents. What does the gospel present? it presents before us the necessity of confessing our sins, of turning to the Messiah, and of changing our lives. And now to live in the power of the Spirit of God, with the Lord's help, to continue to live for him.

Yes, we will stumble. Yes, sin is easily beset us. Hebrews teaches us. Yes, the danger, because of our old nature, there is oftentimes failure in our life. But it's not something that ought to characterize a believer. It is something that characterizes a person who is far away from where the Lord desires him to be, when you read the list of the 17 that is found here in verses 2, 3, and 4. So really to have a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof, that means that there is no life in that individual. That the Spirit of God hasn't been indwelt that individual. That the power of the gospel haven't affected the life of that individual.

It's merely a form, but no power. Merely a facade, as we say it, or a religion, but not reality. Now, turn with me to two verses. Romans chapter 1, first of all. Romans chapter 1 is the first verse. Look what Paul said, talking about the power of the gospel, of the message of the gospel, and denying the power of God is denying the gospel. Paul said in verse 16 of Romans chapter 1, I am not ashamed of the gospel of the Messiah. Why, Paul? Why, Paul, you are not ashamed of the gospel of the Messiah? He said, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes.

To the Jewish people first, but also to the Greeks, to the Gentiles, to the Goin, to the nations of the world. The gospel is the power of God unto salvation. If a person rejected the gospel, and just maybe sing the song, and attend the buildings, and attend the church meetings, and being part of Christendom, and never have accepted the Messiah, Yeshua, he is not saved, he or she are not saved. Paul says, I am not ashamed of the gospel of God, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth. One has to believe that Yeshua is the Messiah, and accept him as his or her Lord and Savior.

Notice there's another verse that I need to read in 1 Corinthians chapter 1. There it's verse 18. Again, Paul is now writing to the Corinthians, and he said to them, for the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness. This is the one who rejects the Messiah. But he said, but to us which are saved, it is the power of God. The preaching of the fact that the Messiah died on a Roman cross, and was buried, and rose again, for us who are believers, it is the power of God unto salvation. But for them that are perishing, that reject the Messiah, it is foolishness. It didn't affect them.

See, brothers and sisters, what Paul is saying to Timothy, that if a person truly have accepted the Messiah, it's not merely a form of godliness. We are not to be religious people, merely religion without reality, it's going to affect our lives. It's going to change us from within. Why? Because we have a new nature. We have a divine person indwelling the believers. This is Ruach Hakodesh, the Holy Spirit of God. And he is a divine person. He has given us new life. All those that are in the Messiah, Yeshua, new creation. 2 Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 17, it ought to change our lives. Now, that doesn't mean that we are all of a sudden going to be a perfect people, no, because we still have this sinful nature and we have conflicts every day within ourselves.

The Spirit lusters against the flesh and the flesh against the Spirit and they are contrary to each other as Galatians 5 teaches us. But the believer who is guided by the Spirit of God, who are growing spiritually, he or she are to separate, turn away from those who live life that had been characterized by those 17-fold characteristics that we mentioned in verses 2, 3, and 4. Timothy, things ought to be different in the life of the man or the woman of God. I'm challenging you, Timothy, that in the last days you ought to know that that's what will characterize the people that will profess in general to be those that belong to the Lord Yeshua the Messiah.

But then notice what he said to him in verse 5 and I'm back to 2 Timothy chapter 3 and verse 5 having a form of godliness but deny the power thereof, then he telling him, Timothy, from such turn away. Timothy, from such you, Timothy, are to turn away. Now notice Paul is very gracious. He doesn't say to Timothy, Timothy, I want you to assume that you are superior than those. He doesn't say, Timothy, I want you to think high-minded of yourself and to think that you are some kind of a great individual, holier than thou. No, Timothy, turn away because that's not the way to live your life as a believer in Yeshua the Messiah.

Pray for them, reach out, minister to them, encourage them to turn back to the Lord. If those who are not saved, teach them, minister to them the gospel. Those believers who swayed and have gone astray, encourage them, lead them forward, but turn away if they are insisting in living this kind of lifestyle. Turn away because it's not going to help you. It's not going to help you. Years ago, I remember when we were sitting and learning from the Word, I remember some of the older brethren who used to teach, they say, and I always felt it so important, always when you reach out for friends, find some friends that you can look up to and learn from.

Find some that you can reach out and say, wow, you know, I would like to learn some more, let's spend some more time in the things of the Lord. Find those that are walking with Yeshua so you can grow with them. On the other hand, reach down to those who have a need and seek to grow and learn. So in one hand, you'd like reaching out to grow spiritually and walk with the Lord and reaching down to minister to others and to lift them up and bring them closer to the Lord. This is a true ministry. It's not sectarianism, it's not legalism, it's not assuming that one is superior to the other.

It is ministry to turn away from that which is wrong, from that which is not becoming ungodly, but also to reach out and to minister to those that have a need because after all, we all a time find ourselves not always where we should be as believers. A time we need somebody to lift us up and to encourage us. When we fall, go by the wayside, we need somebody who said, come on, let's go back to the things of the Lord. Let's draw each other closer to the Lord. We all need that. And so Timothy is exhorted in verse 5, from such turn away. Religion with no power is not benefiting.

Religion external without internal condition is not benefiting. Timothy from such turn away. And we are exhorted to move forward in the things of the Lord. Let me just read one more verse that come to my mind. Romans 16. Go to Romans 16 with me for a moment. Verse 17 and 18, Paul said, I beseech you you brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Yeshua the Messiah but their own belly and by good words and fair speeches they deceive the hearts of the simple.

Paul said this to the Romans in 2nd Thessalonians chapter 3 Paul also said and I'm reading verse 6 and 7 he said now we commend you brethren in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ Yeshua Hamashiach that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walk as disorderly and not after the tradition which ye received of us for yourself know how ye ought to follow us for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you Paul said this to the Thessalonians in 2nd Thessalonians chapter 2 and we can go on to the epistle of John John wrote in the second epistle he also gave warning to those that are believers to be careful and Paul said here to

Timothy from such turn away it cannot help you spiritually it will not lead you forward in the things of the Lord you will find that it's going to suck from you the spiritual energy that you ought to have if you are going to serve the Lord and if you are going to behave in a right way in such days as these are now notice that let's move along verse six and seven of second Timothy chapter three he gives us a description he shows us who are those that are influenced by those who have merely a religious external outward religion without inner reality who are those that are influenced by them he just give us here

one point but throughout the scripture we find this out notice what it says it says in verse six and seven for of these sorts these kind he says these men of verse two they which creep into houses and they lead captive silly women laden with sins led away with diverse lusts and he continues in verse seven ever learning but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth you see what happened is that these kind of men or these kind of people who really not walking with the Lord and are part of Christendom where you might say as we find here vessels of dishonor those that simply does not submit to the word of

the Lord what do they enter in learning and learning and learning and learning and ever learning but never come to the ABC the knowledge of the truth of the word of God you see what happened is that these men of verse 2 influence others that ultimately never been led to the truth going in a circle merely religion and the ABC the fundamental truth of the word of God they don't arrive there because they are being influenced by those that teach falsely by those who do not give good practices in their life by those that are as it says here that are on a personal level on a home level and society level they haven't been

benefiting others and people are following that and people are allowing them you see here he's speaking about these silly women in verses 6 and 7 but if you read in other passages look what it says in Jude verse 3 and 4 it says beloved beloved when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation it was needful for me to write unto you and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend contend for the face which was once delivered unto the saints for there are listen to this verse 4 certain men crept in unaware who were before of old ordained to this condemnation ungodly men turning the grace of God into lasciviousness and

denying the only Lord God and our Lord Yeshua Hamashiach Jesus Christ Yeshua Hamashiach you see what he's saying you see what happened they crept in and then it says that God knew that a long time he knew that ahead of time but they crept in they turning the grace of God into lasciviousness denying the only Lord God and our Lord Yeshua Hamashiach and I don't have to tell you that those today that knock on our doors they claim to be witnessing for Yeshua for Yehovah for Jehovah but they tell you that Jesus is not divine you see that Yeshua is not God the Son that the God of our fathers the God of Abraham Isaac

and Jacob is not the one that came in a person of the Son and was born as men through the virgin Miriam in the city of Atlechem that Yeshua of the New Testament is not the Jehovah of the Old Testament you see what false teaching they creeping in and today you have a great great groups of people so many that deny the sonship of the Messiah the divine nature of the Messiah the humanity of the Messiah the virgin birth of the Messiah and teaching false teaching and of course here we don't have only false teaching we also have false practices so there are various aspects of this that we learn here from the scripture you

see they are creeping in they are teaching things that are wrong they are practicing things that are wrong and we are all instructed to separate not to assume that we are superior but to simply separate Timothy from such turn away because ever learning and ever come to the knowledge of the truth you know it's rather sad it's really rather sad it just shows us brothers and sisters and again we all have this failing nature we know our hearts are deceitful and sinful that's why we need constantly the grace of God but with the Lord's help we are able to learn and to grow and to mature and to become more useful for the master and

he says listen those that are influenced by such false religious individuals those are the ones that you are to separate from because ultimately people who know the word they cannot influence but they only influence those that do not know and they are ever learning and never arrive to the knowledge of the truth that expression the knowledge of the truth is mentioned three times in the letters that Paul wrote to Timothy it does say in 1 Timothy chapter 2 it says in verse 3 and 4 for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior who will have all men be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth God want men

to be saved but also come to the knowledge of the truth not only to be saved and not grow but saved and grow and come to the knowledge of the truth because there is a lot of false teaching that exists in Christendom today now let me conclude here with the last two verses for this ministry today verses 8 and 9 here is those individuals who are resisting the truth you see what it says here in verses 8 and 9 Paul give us information that we never knew of names of individuals who historically the history of our people Israel when our forefathers were in the land of Egypt and Moshe came to take our forefathers out

of bondage into liberty to the promised land Moses have experienced resistance and notice what he says now as Janice and Jambres names that you have never read about you never heard those names before as Janice and Jambres withstood Moshe Moses so these also resist the truth men of corrupt minds and reprovate concerning the faith you see Paul introduced to us something here that you and I never read about what we knew when Moshe came to Egypt and he said to Pharaoh let my people go there were those who resisted what Moshe have been teaching and saying and these Janice and Jambres are twins you might say two individuals that are mentioned in 2nd Timothy chapter

3 who are actually historically years long before they were already then resisting the truth of the God of Israel and his messenger Moses he called them Janice and Jambres in Hebrew we call it Janice and Jambres two individuals they apparently are an Egyptian individual in fact I would like you please turn to Exodus chapter 7 you will not find their names in Exodus chapter 7 but you will find what they have done those were magician Egyptians who resisted Moses and have been counterfeit whatever Moses did with the power of God they did with the power of Satan look at this Exodus chapter 7 and read verses 10 11 and 12 and Moses and Aaron went

into Pharaoh and they did so as the Lord had commanded and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants and it became a serpent then listen to this verse 11 Pharaoh also called his wise men and the sorcerers now the magicians of Egypt they also did in like manner with their enchantments they cast down every man his rod and they become serpents but then Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods and you notice they have done exactly the same thing what Aaron and Moses did cast the rods serpents are appearing they cast their own rods they are magicians Moses did it in the power of God Yanis and Yambris have done it in

the power of Satan they they did the same thing they appeared to be so real they appeared to be as if they are serving God they appeared to be as if their God is similar to the God of our fathers the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob and Moshe and Moses the God of Israel but they were not they were magicians they were sorcerers they were the ones that were opposing the God of Israel but they did things very much the same they were counterfeits look at a little bit further on in the same chapter Exodus 7 and verse 20 there it says and Moses and Aaron did so as the Lord commanded and they

lifted up the rod and they swore the water they were in the river and in the sight of Pharaoh in the sight of his servant and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood well look at the counterfeit and the fish that was in the river died and so on now notice in verse 22 and the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantment and Pharaoh's heart was hardened neither did he hearken unto them as the Lord had said notice that the magicians have copied exactly what God have done through Moshe and Aaron you see beloved brothers and sisters this is Janice and Jambres they oppose the things of God through

Moses they oppose the things of God through the servant of God the God of Israel said let my people go the enemies of God drawing the people of God back to the world back to Egypt and so quickly one more verse I want to read in chapter 9 of Exodus and verse 11 they did not continue this forever because in chapter 9 and verse 11 we find out notice that and the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils for the boil was upon the magicians and upon all the Egyptians and the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh and he harkened not unto them as the Lord had spoken unto Moses in other

words they could only go so far and no more and the lesson it is beloved brothers and sisters is this when when when a person is characterized by these 17 fold characteristics found in 2 Timothy chapter 3 verses 2 3 and 4 influencing so many away from the truth of the word of God those that are ever learning ever learning ever learning never come to the knowledge of the truth it's an evidence that something is wrong something is not kosher we say in Hebrew not kosher something is not right and here is the final exhortation that we have here in these verses 2 Timothy chapter 3 and verses 8 and 9 he's speaking about Janus

and Jambres who oppose Moses and by the way I mentioned that before that there are four twins in 2 Timothy three twins are those that are not living for the Lord one twin are those that do live for the Lord in 2 Timothy chapter 1 and verse 15 we have those twins that turn away from the truth we find them they call Pygillus and Hermenius it says they that have turned away from me from the truth 2 Timothy chapter 1 and verse 15 then the second twins are found in 2 Timothy chapter 2 and verse 17 those that are heard from the truth we read of them in verse 17 of Hermenius and Pilatus who

concerning the truth have erred this is again second twins the third twins are mentioned here in chapter 3 and verse 8 and 9 it says Janice and Jambres these ones have actually the one who resisted the truth and then the fourth twins are found in chapter 4 of 2 Timothy and verse 19 Priscilla and Aquila these are those that maintained the truth there are those who turn away from the truth there are those who have erred from the truth there are those who resist the truth but there are those who maintained the truth they are not perfect they are failing like many others but they lean on the grace of God to help them to

continue on in the truth that they have learned so Paul saying now in verse 9 of 2nd Timothy chapter 3 he said but they shall proceed no further for their folly shall be manifest unto all men as theirs also was and I were just the same like Janice and Jambres Janice and Jambres eventually could not compete with the God of Israel could not maintain to do the things that God of Israel have done through Moses they will have an end the same thing those that teach false teaching you know brothers and sisters listen God's word will remain the same it will never change God's people are called to submit to God's word when we don't

do so we deviate it from the ways of the Lord because the truth of God will never change it will never change in relationship to our people Israel and it will never change in relationship to the body of Messiah the truth of God will remain people try to change it people add to the word of God or subtract from the word of God but the word of God will remain the same we are either taking side with this or we don't and I can assure you beloved brothers and sisters when we don't we will find that we will never be able to please the Lord to honor him and grow spiritually we will find ourselves

empty we will find ourselves not benefiting others when we take the things of God and deny them and not accept it for what he does say so Paul and I'm concluding is encouraging Timothy Timothy how are you going to behave in a dangerous time the first thing Timothy verses 1 to 9 turn away from those that live this kind of life turn away from that which is not in accordance with the will of God and God will sustain you God will bless you and he will honor you and you can be useful servant among the people of God