II Timothy 3:1  This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3  Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4  Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
6  For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,
7  Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
8  Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.
9  But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.

Wicked people do not like to be called out for their wickedness. There are people in high places who want to be seen as morally upstanding people, and they think they can allow wickedness to be practiced under their authority without being personally held accountable. Because they have power, they think they can silence those who would expose them for their filth. We see that in government and in educational institutions and elsewhere. It is true that wickedness is abounding.
As we see in the above verses, this is not a new problem. In the Old Testament there were men who withstood Moses. It is assumed the two men mentioned in verse 8 were magicians working for Pharaoh. They worked under the power of the devil and they could duplicate some of the plagues that God sent against Egypt. They could not end the plagues, but they could bring trouble on.
God allows wickedness to be practiced for a time. He limits its reach. He also holds those who practice the evil to account.
Pharaoh did not personally cause the plagues, but he employed magicians to do his dirty work. As mentioned they could not control the effects of their actions. They perished, but so did Pharaoh.
We are living in perilous times now. Our public education system is so corrupt that no God fearing parent should allow their child to attend that system. That is not just the case with the elementary and secondary schools. That is the case in our colleges and universities as well. They have become propaganda houses. They are intent on indoctrinating those who attend with an anti-God philosophy. The children are being exposed to wickedness. Those children like the generation before them, are the future leaders of our country. It is no wonder we have such corrupt governments now already. Many of those in places of authority, not just in education, but also in many pulpits are brainwashed into accepting a very perverse way of thinking just as God stated in our verses. They have seared their consciences so that they do not care about the wickedness they have accepted and are promoting.
Sadly, in many cases the law is on the side of the wicked because many judges and lawyers have also been trained in this same wicked system. God directed the apostle Paul to warn about this almost two thousand years ago. Every born again Christian has access to the Truth and we have known this is the case. The sad reality is that many professing Christians do not believe the Word of God is completely trustworthy.

Romans 1:18  For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

Too many people hold the Truth in unrighteousness. Those who accept the perversions fit into that category.
What is needed today as in any generation is for those who are saved to take God’s Word as Truth. We need a humility that can only come from true repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. Those who are saved must ask God to examine their hearts daily to be sure that they are not slipping into apostasy.
There is hope for man, but that hope is only found in knowing the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord. Those who are truly saved have a message that is essential. It is a message that must be believed if a person wants to have that true hope.
The apostle Paul lived in a time of great governmental and societal corruption. In fact, there was much religious corruption as well. He had been a part of that corruption until he met the Lord on the road to Damascus. He was broken then and he was a changed man from the time of salvation. Ananias was afraid to go and pray for him because he had a bad reputation. God assured him that Saul was a changed man. Ananias believed God and he went and prayed for Saul, that he would receive his sight. Saul was baptized and he was then taught the truth. Saul had been well trained as a Pharisee. However, in Philippians 3 he talked of that past training as dung. Jesus Christ retrained Saul for the ministry. He also changed his name to Paul. Paul demonstrated the fruit of the Spirit after he was saved.
In II Corinthians 5:17 we read:

II Corinthians 5:17  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

That is the message that needs to be preached today. God’s gift of salvation makes a difference. Man’s philosophy of salvation is nothing to write home about. It might make some minor changes in the recipient, but it is not life changing like God’s salvation.
It is important to listen to the Holy Spirit as He seeks to guide the lost person to true Biblical salvation. The Holy Spirit indwells the true child of God and He encourages growth in the true child of God. Be sure you are receiving true Bible teaching. If you are saved, your spirit will know if it is true or not. If you are truly saved, you will be reading God’s Word every day, and you will know if you are being deceived by what you hear from others. If you are truly saved you will want to be in a true church. Your spirit will not be satisfied with the apostate churches that clutter the landscape.
Pastor Bartel