Perilous times ... that are easy to miss.

But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of stress. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, inhuman, implacable, slanderers, profligates, fierce, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding the form of religion but denying the power of it. Avoid such people. For among them are those who make their way into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and swayed by various impulses, who will listen to anybody and can never arrive at a knowledge of the truth. (2 Timothy 3:1-7 RSV)
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These times are already here. People hold a form of religion but deny the power of it, and boast of how rude they are to others thinking it means they're a prophet or something.
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The characteristic that comes to mind today is the characteristic of being "inhuman" or "lacking natural affection" as it is phrased in another translation. There is something that the rule oriented focus does to the human mind, it burdens it until it only does what it is told ... to the point of no longer having a natural reflex ... to help others when it would seem appropriate to anyone whether born again or not.
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I meditate on this and remember that the core teaching is to treat others as I would like to be treated, to love God with all that I am ... but If i cannot display natural affection towards those made in God's image ... that I have seen ... then ... how will token gestures be even mildly acceptable when offered to God that I have not seen .. as the scriptures say.
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think on mercy . think on compassion . remember what love is .
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if you never had love as a child . think of God as a different kind of Father . do not continue the abusive relationship .
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In everything say "thank you" not just with your lips . but with your heart . very often we exercise our hearts with worry and stressing over things that cannot be changed .. and scheming over the things that can be changed .. but find exercises that break this pattern.
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Say with your heart exercises ... may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
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Amen.

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Gregory Thompson
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