I've got several things I want to try to address, but we have been dealing with the last days starting last Sunday, and we drew our thought from Genesis chapter 49. Pastor's there in Tennessee, and he preached at Brother Norris' meeting on the last days, and God just began to deal with my heart about the process of his thoughts. And I'm gonna use some of those thoughts as far as he only dealt with two of them. I'll look at one of those this morning in a different direction, but just kind of burdened my heart about the importance of being aware of where we're at and what's going on in our life. He didn't read this verse. I will use the verse that he read as his text verse in the introduction. I didn't read it last week, but I think it's relevant. And I just appreciate God speaking to my heart through him and just allowing me to go this direction. And I trust God will help us as a church body in these days. Genesis chapter number 49, verse number 1, the Bible said, And Jacob called unto his sons and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days. That's the phrase. I'm interested in. Jacob's about to die. He's closing out his journey on this earth. He gathers his sons together who would be the 12 patriarchs that represent the nation of Israel this day in which we live. And he let them know individually how the last days were going to affect them. He says in verse 2, gather yourselves together. and hear ye sons of Jacob and hearken unto Israel your father. And so he took that text and we took that chapter and the list of names that are given to the sons of Jacob, which again represent the 12 tribes of Israel. And what Jacob had to say about his sons, what he prophesied, that they would represent and how the last days would affect them. We apply those things to our life. How are the last days going to affect you and the potential that they have to affect you? Not only the way you think, but the way you live. Not only the way you think and the way you live, but the way you look this morning. All of that is a result of the effects the last days are having on your life. In other words, 30 years ago, you probably wouldn't look the way you look this morning with the shoes you wear, the clothes you wear. Now, I'm not being critical of that this morning. I'm just saying that we all are affected by the society that we live in. Some of that maybe is not a very bad thing to that degree, but it can, amen, be a very bad thing. Here is the text and it's a verse that I have never noticed in my Bible reading before that Brother Saxton brought out in his message, 1 Chronicles chapter 12. It'd be worth you turning there, maybe making a note of this verse or jotting it down and looking at it later. There is a message within this verse in itself. The Bible said in First Chronicles chapter number 12 and verse number 32, and of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times. Are you there yet? Some of you still turning. And of the children, verse number 32 of chapter 12, and of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times. to know what Israel ought to do. That's interesting, isn't it? We don't know much about Issachar except what Jacob said about him in Genesis chapter number 49. He's not a main character in the Bible of the 12 tribes of Israel, amen, not like Levi, amen, or Judah, or any of those tribes. But the Bible said of Issachar in this verse that he had an understanding of the times, his lineage did. And in that understanding of the times, he told Israel what they ought to do. In the latter part of that verse, it said the heads of them were 200. So they were 200 leaders or princes among the tribe of Issachar. The Bible said that all their brethren were at their command. It's interesting, isn't it? So three things that you could develop and teach, expound upon, or preach down the road. When it comes to the children of Issachar and these men, that understanding of the times, number one, they had insight. They understood the times. In other words, they could perceive by their surroundings and the actions of those around them where things were headed. It's amazing how ignorant we are of the effects that the world around us is having on us at times. We get so caught up living in this generation that we live in that we ignore the times and we are ignorant of what the Bible says about the day and the outcome of these days that we're living in, but it's a car new. They had some insight. They could perceive and had an understanding of the era of time they lived in. Not only did they have insight, they had instructions to give. Amen. In other words, by looking at what was going on in the world that they were living in and the times that they were living in, they had the ability to collect ideas and thoughts and principles and then unveil those thoughts to the children of Israel and instruct them. They knew, what I'm trying to say is, they knew how to combat the negative effect that those actions would have on the spiritual life of the people of God. It would be wise that, amen, when we hear men of God preach and labor and labor in the Word of God about the society that we live in and the generation that we serve in the will of God, and they begin to tell us the effects that it's going to have on our life, we might be well off spiritually to pay very close attention concerning the instructions that they give. They had insight, they had instruction, and they had influence. The Bible said all their brethren were at their command. So God's people paid attention to them, obeyed their commands. They just didn't think, well, that's just, it's a car's opinion. Ah, that's just the way they see it, amen. We look at it a different way. No, they realized the importance of what they had to say, and they took it to heart, and they realized that how they felt about what was going to happen was truly going to affect their family. Amen. That's a very serious matter. And I trust that that verse maybe will ring a bell in your heart about the days to come. So we began on our, and we could read a lot of verses. I got Matthew 24, if you'd like to turn there with us, please. We'll try to read some verses there, and then we're going to go to Sectivity chapter number 3, and I've had more singing this morning than I anticipated, so I'll just stop when I get to get to where I can stop and maybe pick up tonight, because I'm not going to be able to deal with everything we need to look at this morning. But we're talking about the last days, the end times. Now that can be intriguing because it's prophetical. We're not dating, we're not setting dates, and all we're doing is preaching the Bible in reference to what we see around us. So in Matthew chapter 24, I'll read verse three and then I'm gonna skip down to verse number seven. The Bible said in verse three, and as he, speaking of Jesus, sat upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately saying, tell us, when shall these things be? Things be. You see, he's talking to them about things that are going to come to pass. They're just wondering when it's gonna happen. Are you interested in that? Or are you just all tied up in your right now? not concerned about the tomorrows of your life and the tomorrows of your children and grandchildren. So the disciples said, tell us when shall these things be and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and that's what they sang about this morning, and the end of the world. So that's the question. What's going to happen? What's going to take place in these last days? So here's what he said to them in verse seven. For nation shall rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. No denying that. And there shall be famines. and pestilences and earthquakes in diverse places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. They shall deliver you. And we understand that there's the tribulation period, the time of Jacob's trouble interwoven within these statements, but we're talking about things going on that will be prevalent and that will be relevant, amen, in the end day. You young folk need to listen to what I'm saying this morning. So he said, they shall deliver you up to be afflicted and shall kill you. And ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. Then shall many be offended and shall betray one another and shall hate one another. Many false prophets shall rise and shall deceive many. The cause of iniquity shall abound. The love of many shall wax worse, or shall wax cold. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. Now we're going to 2 Timothy chapter number 3. Very familiar passage of Scripture. I'd have to look at my ledger, but if I'm not mistaken, the very first message that I preached at the Pleasure View Baptist Mission in the storefront in Irvington, Kentucky was brought from this text on perils before the promise. And if I'm not mistaken, I think that's the first message that I preached, amen, to this church when it was only just a few folks. In verse number one of chapter number three of 2 Timothy, the Bible said, this know also that in the last days, that's what we're talking about. 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, truce breakers, false accusers, inconfident, fierce, 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 diver's lust, ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth. Men of corrupt minds reprobate concerning the faith. I'm interested in one word He said in Matthew's Gospel chapter 24 verse 12, the love of many shall wax cold. He says in verse 2 of 2 Timothy chapter 3, for men shall be lovers, lovers of their own selves. I want to preach this morning with the Lord's help on the last days, the love of the last days, the love of the last days. Brother Sexton used this title, amen, in one of his messages. I feel like the Lord has dealt with our heart about it. We said the expression the last days is used here in Genesis 49 for the first time of about 14 references or occurrences in the Old Testament. The expression has always been taken, amen, by the Jewish leaders as messianic. an eschatological expression referring, amen, to what we know that the apostles addressed the Lord Jesus concerning the end time. So last Sunday we looked at and answered a question concerning the outcome of the last time, of the end times, and also made a statement. So when did this era of time that we're talking about, the last days? When did this time frame begin? We went to Hebrews chapter number one, where God, who at sundry times and in diverse matters spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son. So with that being said, when Jesus began his earthly ministry on the authority of Hebrews chapter one and verse number two and verse number one, we can establish that the last days began when Jesus began to expound the truth that he expounded to the world that he lived in. Then we looked at Genesis 49 at the effects of the last days when Jacob begins to discuss with his sons, amen, what would befall them. And we use that as an application to determine what could potentially affect you as an individual in the last days. In that passage of Scripture, some call it Jacob's judgment seat, there was a review There was a rebuke and there was potential award. But here this morning, we wanna think about the characterization of love in the last days. During that period of time known as the last days, the affection and care that people would have one for another in more ways than you can imagine will be diminished. Now you young people, you little girls, little boys, listen to me. Love is a very strong subject in the Bible. That's your question. Amen. What kind of life do you have when it comes to the aspect and subject of biblical love? And so, I'm not gonna preach about love's a very big subject. I'll close out the message with, amen, the kind of love we should have, but I can't spend a lot of time there, because that's not the subject matter. The subject matter this morning is the kind of love and the characteristics of that love that will be manifest and evident in the last days. It'll be a love that's personal. He said in our text, and keep your Bible open, amen, to 2 Timothy chapter number three, he lets us know, amen, that this love would be a personal kind of love. For men shall be lovers of their own selves. It would be a love that is selfish. It would be a love that is self-centered. It would be a love that is consumed solely with self-interest. Is that the kind of love you have this morning? Your love, your passion, what you care about, does it just revolve around who and what you are and what you are about? It's outlined through the first part of this list of sins. He says that men, amen, would have an issue with covetousness. That is a greed. Covetousness is a greed that drives people to seek wealth at the expense of others. That's what basically it is. It's always wanting what someone else has. Yet always wasting your time and your money on foolish things, but always going home at the end of your day after you've squandered everything that you have, amen, through the course of that day or that week and sitting around wanting what everybody else has got. That is a love, that is a personal love, that is a love that considers no one else but simply you. Is anybody listening? Talks about boasters. These are individuals, amen, that are characterized by arrogance and a desire for recognition, most of the time at the expense of the character of others. You ought to think about that statement. Amen, always gotta talk about you. Your conversation revolves around you, what you potentially can do and what you have done. You're never gonna talk about the bad points of your life, just the good things. And even if it has some slant of questionable concerning who and what you are, you're always gonna turn it around on the positive end some kind of way with your art, amen, of verbiage. Amen. And it goes right along with the next word that's listed and that is proud. Amen. It is a, this thing of boasting is basically the verbal aspect, amen, of expressing your pride. to those around you. I've said this before here. I was at a local business a number of years ago and there was a business gentleman there in that business. I don't know if he was purchasing something or was just there for whatever reason. I walked in, who are you? He said, and I introduced myself and yeah, what do you do? And so at that time, you know, of course I was pastoring and building, building houses, different things of that nature. And that's kind of what he was into. And he began to talk about him and about his accomplishments and about all that he was doing. I don't know why he asked me who I was or what I did, because it was of no interest to him at all. After he walked out the door, the wife of the business owner, she was an elderly lady, and she was sitting behind the counter, and she made this statement. She said, if I could buy him for what he's worth, and sell him for what he thinks he's worth, we could all retire. Amen. That's what that's about. That is a self-centered passion. and it is going to be more prevalent and more powerful in the last days. So you better stop long enough to realize the day that you're living in and the effects that this day is having on your life, primarily this morning on who and what you are in love with. He says there'll be blasphemers, there'll be people in this last day that are so consumed with themselves, amen, that they will show no respect whatsoever for anything that is sacred nor the dignity of godliness. They don't have, they don't even think twice about saying derogatory things about God, the people of God, the church of God. Amen. Godliness in general. Amen. And if you're around people like that, amen. and you hear them always talking about, amen, the people of God, their life, how they're living their life, the direction of their life. They're always, amen, amen, having a blasphemous spirit and attitude, amen, toward things that are godly and are righteous. You know what they are? You should stop. You young folks should stop and you should think, that right there is nothing more than an evidence of the fact that I'm living in the last days. Amen. He says, not only are they show no respect for sacred things and godliness and the dignity of the things of God, they'll be disobedient to parents. That's a message within itself. Amen. But your attitude toward your mom and dad this morning, young lady, amen, toward those that are godly in your life, all you are is just letting everybody around you know that things are wrapping up quick. Amen. That you are so consumed about what you want and what your desires are that you have no respect, no consideration whatsoever, amen, concerning the authority that God has put in your life. Amen. If you got a godly mom and dad, you should thank the Lord this morning. You got a godly mom and dad, or you got a godly mom, that might be the case this morning, or a godly dad. It might be a single situation in the parental realm in your life, but they love God. They have a desire to see you succeed in the will of God. you should rejoice every breath you breathe, amen, that they desire for your life to be successful and productive and of a godly nature. And if you discount that, you disrespect that, you have no concern at all, amen, of the fact that they love you enough, that they provide you a nice place to live, they clothe you, they feed you, they want what's best for you, and you are quick to disobey their wishes. You're just a beacon, a revolving light that's flashing to the world that these are the last days. Said they'll be unthankful. Amen. You say, what are you saying, preacher? I'm saying that this love is personal. When someone's saying unthankful, When someone's unthankful, they're just eating up with themselves. We did a project for a neighbor this week, donated the time and everything. He had a fire, his building burnt, and he don't go to church, don't know the Lord in that regard, but so overwhelmed with what to say. because nobody's ever done it. The Amish donated a bunch of the material, we donated, me and the boys donated the work, built him a building, gonna continue to try to help him get some things. A man that he lost, lost about every tool he had and everything else, just trying to be a blessing. Not because we're trying to be a blessing so we can say we are a blessing. We didn't do all that so I could tell you we did this morning. But I'm saying that is because he don't even know the Lord more thankful than some of you, amen, that's supposed to be saved. And have everything at your disposal, amen, everything placed in your hand and have no sense of gratitude. When's the last time you children ever just went up to your mom and to your dad, amen, and just told them you're thankful for them? Been a while probably, boys. Amen, the shoes on your feet, amen. Dobo, this morning I said, where's the batteries at for that suit? We just laughed. Amen. We're just naturally unthankful. We are naturally entitled in our mind. We just think that everybody in the world, amen, owes us everything we have. But I'm gonna tell you what, when you realize, left to yourself, left on your own, you would have nothing, amen, and you would be, amen, in a vulnerable state. Amen, I promise you, you would learn to be thankful. but to be unthankful, to be unappreciative, amen, to show no respect and honor to those that make provisions for you in your life is just a beacon light saying that we are living in the last days. Then he uses the word in our text unholy and I still think all of those, everything that I've said revolves around a personal love. You're just interested in you. You're not interested in honoring God. You're not interested in honoring the Word of God, amen? And you just do what you do, live the way you live, go down the path you're going and the holiness of the Bible and trying to live a godly life. Brother Keith, amen, had to address that issue in his meeting just this past week. Some young fella, amen, discussing with a bunch of other young people, amen. Well, the preacher don't even know what being holy is and all they're wanting to do is excuse their carnality and pretend like God accepts it. whether it be the way they look, what they wear, how they talk, where they go, what they listen to, and the list could go on and on and on. That is a love that is simply of a personal nature. So here's the thing this morning. You wanna know how the last days are evident and described? Just take a look at what you are in love with and how, amen, what the emphasis of that love is. If the emphasis always points back to you, If my love and the infinites of what I love and what I care about and my compassion, if every bit of that just simply points back to me, I'm just a revolving light. Amen. Saying that it is the last days. So this love will be a love that's personal. Love yourself without any consideration. or care for others around us. So much could be said. In verse number three of what we just read, he said there'll be without affection, without natural affection, there would be truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent. So not only is this love that's going to wax cold, listen to me, there is a love in the last day. It's just gonna wax cold. Amen. You remember me preaching years and years ago on Cain loved Abel to death? You remember that message? Preached on Cain loved Abel to death. For you that don't know anything about your Bible, Cain slew his brother, Abel. He killed him, he took his life. And I preached on Cain loved Abel to death because the Bible says that we're to love one another not as Cain. Not as Cain. So Cain loved his brother. Anybody listening? So there is love in this day that we're living in. So don't think just because we're living in the last days that love is going to end. That emotional aspect of who we are and what we are about, the ability to be passionate is going to exist in the last day. but it'll be a love that's personal, a love that centers on you and me. It'll be a love that's perverted. He says without, and I know it's Sunday morning, but he said it'd be a love without natural affection. And I could preach on the sodomy that is relevant in our world and how unnatural that is, We could talk about, amen, the perversion that goes on in our society from a sensual perspective. And we could all stand up and we would all have to have our head stuck in the sand not to stand up and say, we're living in a day of unnatural affection. where men are saying that they're women, where women are saying that they're men, and Brother G, I addressed that somewhat in the opening assembly this morning, but we're living in a society that is demented, they are deranged in their mind, amen, they have no concept of anything that is of a natural, biblical way of living. You see, to be a love that's perverted, Amen. I mean, people treat their pets with more respect, more care, and more honor than they do, amen, their own family. Now, I like pets. I got, I don't know, a bunch of dogs. My dog, Boone, who I'd wheeled everything that I owned to, Well, it was a few Saturdays ago, we were up here working and I bring him up here with me and he's out there playing in the mud hole with the kids and running around. And so when I got ready to go, you know, he was gone. And he runs over here to the store and people over there would throw him something to eat or whatever. I've had him ever since he's six weeks old. And I guess he's about, he was about nine or 10 years old. And so he, you know, he was just a part of our world, at least mine, not my wife's too much. You know, that's another story itself. You know, chewing up plants and chairs and things like that. He wasn't too popular at the house at times. But then I'd walk in the house in the evenings, amen, in the dark when the fire's going and she'd have him sitting there by the rug in front of her. So I could never figure all that out. You just dwell with them according to knowledge, and it's an ongoing learning process, as we always say. Amen. Amen, Brother Danny said. Y'all write that down. Brother Danny's the only one that said amen. And so, we went over to the store, some of them went over there and they said, yeah, he was over here, people were asking. And I forgot to put his collar on, I'd snapped his electric collar off, keep him in the boundaries when I bring him over here. So I didn't have, they was asking, whose dog is this? He's friendly, you know, jump in the car, jump in the back of the truck. There were people over here feeding him, so somebody just got him. He gone, dog gone. I have a, well, I haven't went into some kind of grieving process. And I like the old dog. I'd like to have him back. If you're out there on the internet world listening, I want my dog back. And I'd say, man, I miss Boone being here. So I just, you know, I encourage myself in the Lord. You ever done that? I just think, well, some little old kid might need a dog, you know, and picked him up. And so I'm good with that. But you'd be amazed, you go to Colorado and places out west, you go through the bank, drive through, they don't have suckers for kids, they got dog biscuits, because every car you see's got a dog in it. And so I, what are you saying, preacher? I'm saying we're living in a day when people are without natural affection. I mean, they're messed up in their mind. What are you saying, preacher? I'm saying we're living in a day when there is a love that exists in our land and in our world that is of a perverted nature, twisted. Said there'll be truce breakers. It's of a perverted nature. You know, you've been around people that even though you sat down with them, you try to resolve a problem or a dispute, but they are never able to settle that dispute and get past the disagreements. They'll say, we're fine. We forgive you. Or forgive us. You know, get it all straightened out. And then a few days later, amen, it's right back up again. They can't ever get any, that's what they've dealt with constantly in the Middle East and in all these cease fires, that they make a truce and then all of a sudden the bombs fly again. Truce breakers. So if that revolves around, you see that is a perverted love, amen, that is in a man's mind that will not allow him, amen, to make peace with others. Consume with himself false accusers. constantly, amen, lying about other people and just so many things are listed in here. I mean, we deal with that as a church body. We understand when you stand for the truth and you try to honor God with your life and you preach the Bible, amen, we understand where that goes and people will accuse you, falsely accuse you of anything and everything and some things that you could never even imagine being accused of. Well, they're doing this, and they'll get them a little social media page with two or 300 people, amen, that if you put their brain on a razor blade, it'll look like a BB rolling down a four-lane highway, because they just don't have no, amen, common sense whatsoever, and you'll have to think about that for a little while, amen, for it to register how small that is. But I'm just telling you, and they'll falsely accuse people. They'll say things about individuals that are perverted. They're liars. Ungodly people. And they will tell people those things. Tell children those things. Tell other people those things. And those children will know it's a lie, but it's amazing. They say this, and I don't know how it's true, but they say if you tell a lie long enough, People will start believing it. You tell it long enough, you'll believe it yourself. But they're liars. And if you listen to it, you know they're lying. You know it's falsehood. What you ought to do instead of trying to let them influence you and mess your mind up and destroy your ability to be right with God, what you ought to do is just think, man, this is the last days. Or he would never say that to me. She would never say that to me. In a normal setting, we must be living in the last days. You see, this love that's in the last days, it's of a personal nature, but it's of a perverted nature. Amen. It's a love that revolves around incompetency. What does that word mean, preacher? It basically means that they have no control over their passions and lust, and we're living in that day. Drunk, the Bible said in the book of Revelation, on the wine of their fornication, they are consumed with sensual sins. What are you saying, preacher? I know it's an odd message for Sunday morning. but we are living in the last, as one man said, the last of the last days. No, without natural affection. Truth, you know, I realize that as long as we live in this world and we are human beings in a fallen body, living in a cursed world because of the fall, I understand we're gonna have problems. As the sparks fly upward, Job said, man's born into trouble. Man that is born of a woman is a few days in- I understand that. There's contention and strife and situations that come up. We're all affected by sin, and sometimes the sin, amen, that we are involved in affects others around us. There's always collateral damage sometimes to have to deal with. But God's people, you know what they wanna do? They wanna deal with it. God's people wanna get it behind them. God's people wanna move forward with their life. God's people, as much as within them is, want to be at peace. Amen? And those, amen, that are of not that mindset, they're just simply not God's people. That's just as simple as that. Amen. So we live in this world of love that is of a perverted nature. It's of a personal nature. Then in verse three and four, just give me this one here and I'll be done here in just a moment. In verse three and four, he says, in the latter part, there'd be fears, despisers of those that are good. Are you young folks listening to me? You young guys and young ladies. He said they'd be fierce in this day, despisers of those that are good. He said traitors, heady, high-minded. That's what, now I didn't make this up. I didn't just write this this morning because I woke up and read the news. and seeing the world we live in. I just didn't write this down, amen, on my own will because I see these things. This is in the Bible, written over 2,000 years ago by the apostle Paul, letting us know what every one of us should expect in the day that we live in. It'll be a love that's personal, eat up with self. It'll be a love that's perverted, eat up with sensual sins and perverted mindsets. It'd be a love that persecutes, fears, despisers of those that are good. Why? Look at me, look at me. Everybody look at me. Why would you despise somebody that's good? What sense does that make? Someone that's just trying to do right. Someone that's just trying to honor God. Why would you despise those people? Simply because you are manifesting a perverted generation that exists in the last days. He said they'd be fierce. You know what that means? That means they're vicious and they're aggressive. I'm just telling you this crowd will stop at nothing to disparage the church of the Lord Jesus, amen, to break down and bring down the people of God and anything that's right and holy. I'm not trying to depress you this morning, I'm just trying to get you to understand the times. Despisers of those that are good, that doesn't make any sense as we've already said, but Jesus said if you were of the world, you know what? The world would love his own. So there is a love in the world. He said, if you were of the world, the world would love his own, but because you are not of the world, but I've chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Now that ain't a good statement to have to swallow this morning. It's just the fact. And I didn't write the book, I'm just preaching it to you this morning. I'm just telling you, if you were of the world, the world would love you. Now let me tell you what that means. If you were of the Democratic Party and you believed everything that they believed concerning the moral aspect of their agendas and everything else, Brother Josh, you know what? They'd love you. And when it comes to the so-called Republican Conservative Party, if you just agreed with everything they wanted to do, support the gambling and the dope and all the things they want to support, the river of liquor that runs through, you know what? Even the Republicans would love you. But I don't care how much you smile. I don't care how many babies you kiss. The world's not gonna love you, Brother Raymer, are they? They're just not gonna love you. Reason being is, if we're living in the last days, and I believe that we are, they're gonna have a love that persecutes. There's gonna be a love that exists. You understand these fellas? But that love's gonna persecute. They're gonna despise the good. And I'm gonna tell you what, it doesn't make any difference. Jesus said, I've come to send a sword. There's gonna be a division. Amen. Moms and daughters, dads and sons, brothers and sisters, brothers and brothers, sisters and sisters, there's going to be, and I don't care how much you don't want it to exist, and I don't care how passive you try to be to just get along with everybody and not ruffle the water or ruffle the feathers, it's going to exist. You know why it's going to exist? Because we, son, are living in the last days. Amen. Now that depressed you? I don't mind it depressed you because we just got through shouting about Jesus coming. And Jesus can't come unless we're living in the last days. So if we're going to rejoice and anticipate the coming of the Lord Jesus in the clouds to catch us out of here, we got to realize this is the world we're going to live in. Talks about them being traitors, heady, high-minded. You see, it's a love that persecutes. It's a love that disparages. It's a love that hurts. Now, I wish that I could tell you that sticks and stones may break your bones, but words will never harm you or hurt you, as the saying goes. But ever who wrote that, they just hadn't lived in the world Cause sticks and stones, they may break your bones, but words cut like a knife. False accusers, amen. People of this nature, they despise those that are good. They are very vicious and aggressive because they are wicked. Are you listening? Now you can hang your head low, you can ignore what I'm saying and try to just go out like everybody else does and just live your life, don't even think about the last days, but if you don't realize what I'm preaching is a reality, you'll never be an effective witness. You're never gonna walk with God. You're never gonna be what Jonathan testified his longing and desire was for his life in a relationship to the Lord. You're gonna have to realize that this world Amen, this world is not a friend of the grace of God. Amen, it's a love, amen, that persecutes. I'm gonna stop right there, and I'll pick up tonight with the rest of it, Lord willing. I know that's a hard place to stop, but let me tell you something about, and this is a message within itself, a partial message, I guess. And I'll close out again. But you see, how do you overcome that, preacher? How do you get out of that? I mean, how do you get away from the power that this has in affecting our life? Well, you just have to live by the example of God's love to man. That simple as that. You don't have to allow the end time and the last days to affect your love. You see, just the opposite, God's love was a selfless love. God commended his love toward us. You listening to me? Listen to me here now. God commended his love toward us, and that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. That's a selfless love, John 3, 16, selfless. It's a sacrificial love. God's love's a sacrificial love. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Christ laid down his life for you and I as a sacrificial love. God sent his son, that's a sacrificial love. You ever sacrifice for the benefit of others? I'm talking about done something just simply to be a blessing to someone else that took your time, maybe a little bit of your treasure, a little bit of you. Does anybody listen? You see, this is the love of God that we are to exemplify in our life because we are of God. It's a selfless love, a sacrificial love. It's a suffering love. You see, charity suffereth long. In other words, charity has the ability, and that word suffering, and that takes a little different than how we would look at it, but you see, charity suffereth long and is kind, envieth not, vaunteth not itself. It's not puffed up. You see, God's love is a love that suffers. In other words, you're here this morning simply because God just made a choice to put up with me and you. Because the truth be known, just what we thought last week, not did, just what we thought last week, or to put us in hell, God's put up with every one of us. Isn't that amazing? And true biblical love suffers. Lastly, it is a serving love. And I'll say that again at the conclusion of the message, just so you know how to love in the last days that we're living in. He said, for brethren, ye have not been called unto liberty, only used not liberty for an occasion to the flesh. He says in Galatians chapter five, verse 13, he says this, but by love, serve one another. So biblical love, godly love is a serving love. You serve one another, just a part of each other. Now listen to me and I'm done. I know it's been different. But do you have the love of God, is that being shed abroad through you, who I am, what I am? God help me. If you're here this morning and you're not saved, you don't know the Lord is your savior this morning. You've never been, you can't love like this because you can only love like this if you're born of God. Because if you're not saved, then the only love you're gonna have is the kind of love I just preached about. But if you're saved, you can have the same kind of love God had toward you toward others. You have that ability. Because God is love and God is in you. I prayed for people that apparently I don't even know who they are. I don't even know who they are, but I'm told, I hadn't read it, so I can't prove it, but I'm told by other people that they despise me in this church, and I don't even know who they are. Never met them in my life, really. But I prayed for them. If that's the case, I prayed God would help them. Amen. Now that's not natural. I prayed for a man and a woman this morning that God had saved their soul, and they've done nothing but try to hurt this church and this ministry. For what reason, I have no idea, but I prayed God to try to help them. Not God try to help them, that God would help them. Now, that's not, natural men can't think that way. From a natural perspective, I'd like to see God hit them in the head with a ball bat, just like you. But when I stopped long enough to consider what I was and who I was before the grace of God entered into my life, I realized the bondage that their soul is in, and the captivity that the devil has over their mind, and how they desire to take captive other people's minds. That's why they're doing what they're doing. And that's why I'm preaching what I'm preaching this morning, so you'd understand that these last days are gonna manifest that kind of passion. So are you saved this morning? Do you know the Lord? There's a love in the world we live in, but there's a love that's beyond this world that brought Jesus to the cross of Calvary to provide the means by which you and I could be born into the family of God and be saved. And this morning, this morning, you can know the Lord. You can get out of the boundaries of this fleshly love, this perverted personal love, this persecuting love. You can find out something about a sacrificial love that'll bring you to a place of satisfaction like you've never known before. That is the love of God.