Even when Jesus walked the earth, there were those who pretended to be righteous.

They wanted to deliver Him to the power and authority of the governor. They wanted to catch Him in something so the government could contain, control, and ultimately condemn Him.

But He perceived their craftiness (Luke 20:23).

And so should we!

There are those all around us who pretend a “woke righteousness”; but make no mistake, their goal is to squash the ways of Christ.

They pretend to be enlightened, righteous, and full of love, but they truly hate the ways of God.

They don’t want Christ to rule over them, or anyone else. They seek their own will and their own glory.

They pretend to be open-minded and peaceful, while they seek to force their destructive ways on others.

Through the words of His servant, Paul, God warns us of those, who have the appearance of godliness, but deny its’ power.

Slow down and read the words below, think about our world, ask the Lord to help you follow God ever closer in these hard days—

“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.” (2 Tim 3:1-5)

Paul goes on to say, “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 Tim 3:12-17)

The world is hard.
Scripture is God-breathed to help us.

Now, more than ever, we need to cling to the Word!

Evil people and imposters will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

We don’t want to be deceived! We desperately need to daily walk in truth from the Word of God.

And it is precisely THERE that we will be thoroughly equipped for all that comes at us!

“Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.” (I Thess 5:23-24)

He will surely do it!

readtheWord

livetheWord

readLuke

If you wish to receive this devotional in your email inbox, go to https://kimjaggers.com/blog-2/ and click follow. And I’d so appreciate your prayers as I study and write. ❤️