in his letter to Timothy Paul provides a prophetic list of characteristics that will Define people in the last days among them one word stands out boasters this word could very well be one of the greatest signs we are overlooking in today's world 2 Timothy 3: 1:5 this 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 truce Breakers false accusers incontinent 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 never before in human history has the sin of boasting been Amplified and elevated to such a scale as it is now particularly through social media social media platforms like X Instagram Facebook and Tik Tok have provided people with the power to boast to Millions with just a few Taps while boasting has always existed this level of widespread instant exposure is unprecedented and it seems to be a sign we might have missed in understanding our place in the prophetic
timeline social media has redefined the way people boast 30 years ago for someone to boast to a large audience they had to be famous a public figure or a celebrity I remember growing up in the 80s Michael Jackson was by far the most famous person at that time [Music] [Music] some malls would even shut down for Michael Jackson to allow him to shop without being overwhelmed by crowds for example some of his former bodyguards and friends have mentioned that he would rent out entire malls like one in Las Vegas so he could have a normal
shopping experience I said on one of um one of my interviews it's my dream to go in a supermarket and just shop and be like everybody else and put things in a basket cuz I can't do it also in the'80s in the United Kingdom Princess Diana was one of the most famous people adored and closely followed by the public in the past Fame and influence were limited to a select few who had a platform from which they could broadcast themselves today anyone with an intern internet connection and a smartphone can reach thousands or even millions
of people this shift has birthed a new term Instagram famous these are people who are famous simply for having a large following on social media regardless of talent or meaningful achievement we live in an age where Fame is not necessarily tied to accomplishment or virtue but to self-promotion and an ability to capture attention often through boastful or exaggerated presentations of oneself before diving into Instagram famous individuals I researched the platform and found that the two most followed people are in fact the greatest soccer players of the past 20 years Cristiano Ronaldo with over 640 million
followers is one of the most prominent figures on the platform Lionel Messi follows closely behind with over 500 million followers then there are are individuals like Kylie Jenner and Kim Kardashian who each have hundreds of millions of followers their lives are constantly on display curated for public consumption presenting a particular image that many envy and desire but when we look closely we realize that much of what is being shared is not merely a slice of life but rather a carefully constructed display that often feeds into a culture of comparison envy and indeed boastfulness boasting is
not a new sin it's as old as Humanity itself throughout history people have been tempted to exalt themselves think of the Tower of Babel where people sought to make a name for themselves by building a tower that reached to the heavens or consider the Pharisees in jesus' time who stood on street corners praying loudly drawing attention to their righteousness Humanity has always been drawn to Pride and self-exaltation what is unique about today however is the scale through social media boasting is no longer confined to our local community or Social Circle it's Global with just a
few clicks we can broadcast our accomplishments possessions and curated perfect life to the entire world social media of course is not inherently evil it is a tool that can be used for good or for harm for example it can be a means to share the gospel encourage others or stay connected with family and friends but it has also become a powerful platform for pride and boasting look around at the content people share almost every post is about someone's latest accomplishment possession or experience rarely do we see the humble moments the failures or the struggles instead
social media is filled with highlight reels images and stories carefully selected to present a perfect enviable life this creates a culture where self-exaltation becomes normalized and humility is increasingly rare a lot of what you see on social media is fake people carefully craft an image using filters to present Flawless skin or an idealized version of themselves they post pictures of a perfect marriage smiling and happy while behind closed doors their relationship may be toxic and filled with struggles you might see selfies with Bright Smiles but what you don't see is that person crying themselves to
sleep the night before some boast of luxury flaunting designer bags and clothing yet they're sinking into massive debt just to maintain this facade remember social media is a highlight re it's not the full story don't let yourself compare or Envy what you see you're only seeing what people want you to see not the reality a lot of what you see on social media is fake social media has become a tool through which this sin is Amplified consider the culture it has created where almost every post shouts look at me look at what I have look
at what I've done the purpose of boasting is often to display oneself as Superior or to draw attention it's a form of Pride that at its root attempts to replace the reverence and Glory that should belong to God with attention on ourselves social media has turned this sin into a normalized celebrated activity for instance even pastors are falling into this trap today there's a phenomenon of celebrity past pastors individuals who use social media as a platform to promote themselves rather than the gospel some of these pastors post images of themselves stepping off private jets driving
luxury cars or wearing designer clothes this kind of content raises the question is this truly the image of a humble servant of God when followers see these images they may wonder if their leaders are genuinely following Christ call to humility or if they are more focused on worldly success and material wealth I'm not exaggerating some of these celebrity pastors look no different to A-list celebrities in terms of their Lifestyles as we read Paul's description in 2 Timothy 3: 1:5 we must take the time to examine our own hearts are we too caught up in the
culture of self-promotion do we use social media as a tool to draw attention to ourselves rather than to give glory to God social media isn't sinful in itself and it can certainly be used for good but we must ask ourselves if we are using it to boast to exalt ourselves or to gain the admiration of others am I showing of am I being filled with pride and being puffed up this culture of self-exaltation is everywhere people are building personal brands centered on themselves crafting personal Empires where they are the main attraction this is true not
only for influencers or celebrities but also for average people who spend time curating their image online to draw attention the Bible warns us against being lovers of ourselves but social media often pulls Us in the opposite direction it encourages us to put ourselves out there to promote our brand and to be seen but Jesus calls us to a life of humility to love others to serve others and to deny ourselves we must guard our hearts in these last days the Bible clearly warns us that people will become boasters and lovers of themselves social media has
made these sins more accessible and widespread than ever before with a platform that reaches potentially millions of people we can easily fall into the Trap of seeking validation attention ition and admiration from others this boasting culture is seductive it can ens snare even the best of us if we are not Vigilant as Christians we are called to be different we are called to humility Jesus did not boast of his power even though he was the son of God he chose to Humble himself to serve others to put others before himself are we willing to do
the same are we willing to resist the cultural pressure to boast and instead live lives that reflect humility and selflessness in this age of boasting social media can be used to serve the kingdom of God to encourage others to share the gospel but we must be cautious the culture of self-promotion is not easily resisted and if we are not careful we can find ourselves caught up in it drawing attention to ourselves rather than to Christ this world is obsessed with itself and as followers of Jesus we are called to be light in the darkness we
must guard ourselves from falling into the boasting culture and instead focus on humility and love for others as we consider the words of Paul in 2 Timothy 3: 1:5 let us remember that we are living in the last days the signs are all around us we see a world consumed by Pride by self-promotion by a desire for admiration this is a world that increasingly loves itself rather than God we must resist the temptation to join in we must be careful not to fall into the culture of boasting self-exaltation and pride that is so pervasive today
social media in its Essence is a powerful tool it is not a sin to use it but if it becomes a platform for self-promotion for boasting for promoting our own name then we must take a step back and examine our hearts James 4:6 the Lord opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble Proverbs 27:1 warns boast not thyself of tomorrow for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth let another man praise thee and not thine own mouth a stranger and not thine own lips this scripture reminds us of a fundamental truth none
of us can see even a moment beyond the present to boast about what we will do tomorrow or to speak confidently of our future without acknowledging God is to ignore our own limitations and God's sovereignty as human beings we often feel overly confident about what the future holds caught up in the illusion that we control our own destiny but God uses this verse to remind us that our knowledge of the future is finite and that ultimately we are dependent on him for everything my friends we need God more than we may ever fully realize he
alone determines whether we see another day whether our plans succeed whether our hearts beat another moment and whether we take our next breath our successes our achievements Every Blessing we experience is because of his hand in our lives we cannot force doors open or move obstacles on our own but God can he is the one who opens doors that no one can shut removes mountains and clears paths we need God and this verse humbly reminds us to recognize that truth and to let our lives reflect it in 2025 the world will continue to Journey down
a path marked by by a troubling absence of fear for God a trend prophesied in the Book of Revelation one of the most powerful moments in Revelation is the proclamation made by Three Angels who will fly across the sky visible and audible to people around the globe these angels will move across the world delivering messages that set the tone for the end times visible to everyone they will preach to the entire world from the deserts of Saudi Arabia to the islands of morius Revelation 14: 6-11 and I saw another angel fly in the midst of
Heaven having the Everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth and to every nation and Kindred and tongue and people saying with a loud voice fear God and give glory to him for the hour of his judgment is come and worship him that made Heaven and Earth and the Sea and The Fountains of waters and there followed another Angel saying Babylon is Fallen is Fallen that great City because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication and the third Angel followed them saying with a loud voice
if any man worship the Beast and His Image and receive his Mark in his forehead or in his hand the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the Holy Angels and in the presence of the lamb and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever and they have no rest day nor night who worship the Beast and His Image and whosoever receiveth the mark of his
name what we are focusing ing on is the message of the first Angel the Angel's Proclamation is not a suggestion the fact that the Angel's first words are fear God reveals two profound truths first it emphasizes the essential nature of fearing God this fear isn't a minor detail but a fundamental starting point for understanding and relating to him to fear God means to respect honor and recognize his Supreme Authority understanding that he alone holds power over life death and Eternity this type of fear is not a superficial respect but a deep reverent awareness of his
Holiness and Justice inspiring us to live righteously and humbly second this command highlights the state of the world the need for such a clear Urgent Message points to a world that has largely abandoned the fear of God a society that no longer respects his authority or Holiness is a society a drift increasingly embracing Rebellion blasphemy and moral Decay signs of a world headed towards judgment but as we step into 2025 we see a global Society moving in the opposite direction mocking what is sacred and dismissing the idea of fearing the almighty the first Angel's warning
serves as a call to remember who God is and how far the world has fallen from acknowledging him instead of embracing the fear of the Lord our world increasingly Delights in irreverence we see evidence of this lack of fear in the culture media and actions of society at large and the warning signs are only growing stronger our current trajectory is toward a time when the very concept of fearing God will seem foreign and even offensive to many the world is gradually losing the fear of God a shift evident in how Society views reverence and respect
for him in the past even criminals held a sense of respect for God that seems rare today for example it was once common practice for people including criminals to remove their hats when passing a church this act wasn't merely ritual it demonstrated an understanding that places of worship were sacred deserving of respect regardless of one's lifestyle or beliefs today however this sense of reverence has diminished replaced by an increasingly casual or indifferent attitude toward God and the sacred the absence of the fear of God has become startlingly apparent in recent events consider for instance the
recent Paris Olympics where the opening ceremony included a mockery of Leonardo V Vinci's the Last Supper this performance featured drag performers and entertainers making it inherently Blasphemous in nature out of all the stories and symbols that could have been celebrated they chose to focus on a moment held Sacred by Christians around the world showing no respect for what is Holy and pure this kind of display is not merely a lack of respect it's a blatant disregard for the fear of God this mockery is not an isolated incident but part of a larger Trend one that
will likely continue and grow in 2025 as Society moves further away from God we live in an age where even the concept of blasphemy is increasingly seen as outdated or unnecessary popular culture and entertainment often test the boundaries of what is sacred pushing the limits in ways that would have been unimaginable a few decades ago another notable example is the massive popularity of The Da Vinci Code a novel by Dan Brown and later a film directed by Ron Howard this work generated significant backlash as it presented a version of Christ's life that was not only
fictional but deeply offensive to many Christians the story suggested that Jesus Christ was married to Mary Magdalene and had a child creating a bloodline supposedly preserved through secret societies over the centuries this premise is not only false but also a grievous Distortion of the truth it is Blasphemous and wicked the audacity and sheer wickedness and sheer lack of the fear of God to invent and circulate such a narrative comes from a world that does not fear God a world that rather than revering him prefers to distort the sacred for profit and entertainment and as we
look ahead to 2025 we must brace ourselves for more of this disregard it is not merely about the content of these stories or performances it's about a pervasive Spirit of rebellion that despises what is Holy and delights in twisting it what people fail to realize is that this path leads to God's judgment the first Angel's message warns us that the hour of his judgment is come God's judgment is not some vague concept meant to frighten people into submission it is a very real very serious reality that is coming in our culture we tend to downplay
the idea of judgment we hear of God's love and grace and indeed these are Central to his character but they do not negate his Holiness and Justice God is Not only loving he is just and he will not Overlook unrepentant sin as we Face 2025 the world will Edge ever closer closer to that hour of judgment yet many remained blind to its approach when Jesus spoke of fearing God he used Stark powerful language in Matthew 10:28 he says and fear not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the soul but rather
fear him which is able to destroy both soul and Body in Hell Jesus does not present this as mere reverential awe he speaks of a fear rooted in the reality of God's power over both life and Eternity modern interpretations often soften the meaning of this fear suggesting that it merely refers to reverential awe but consider the power and authority of God the Creator who can cast both soul and body into hell this is not merely a God to be respected he is a God to be feared with genuine awareness of his sovereignty and judgment as
I have said in the past many preachers today have reduced the fear of God to a comforting concept devoid of any sense of dread or urgency imagine however standing face to face with a lion in the African Wilderness or a massive anaconda in the Amazon The Fear you would feel in that moment the Primal Instinct for survival the sense of power before you begins to approximate the kind of of fear we should have of God God is not simply a being to be admired from afar he is a consuming fire an all powerful Creator and
judge this kind of fear is not unhealthy it is a necessary recognition of who God truly is the Greek word for fear Phobos used in Matthew 10:28 and Luke 12:5 encompasses a range of meanings from reverence to dread and Terror when we choose to interpret this word as mere respect we dilute the weight of what Jesus is teaching Matthew 10:28 would lose its impact if we translated it as do not be in reverential awe of Those Who Kill the body but rather be in reverential awe of him who is able to destroy both soul and
Body in Hell such a rendering fails to capture the depth of the warning Jesus is issuing he is telling us to be genuinely deeply aware of God's Authority power and judgment as we move further into 2025 this lack of fear for God will only lead Society further into chaos rebellion and moral decline without the fear of the Lord people feel free to act according to their own desires ignoring the call to live righteously this absence of fear leads to a moral Decay where anything goes where truth becomes relative and where people openly reject the very
concept of divine Authority as Society loses its respect for God we also lose the foundation of moral responsibility and with it the guard rails that keep us from complete spiritual disaster in Revelation we witness a world so entrenched in Rebellion against God that even as judgments unfold people refuse to repent they are hardened in their Defiance emboldened in their blasphemy and unmoved by warnings this lack of repentance in the face of divine judgment will only grow worse as we move toward the final days a world that doesn't fear God will welcome the Antichrist and the
false prophet and they will fit comfortably into a society that has rejected God's Authority the Bible presents God as both loving and just merciful and holy Hebrews 10:31 says it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God these words capture the seriousness of God's nature he is not merely a comforting figure or A Gentle Spirit he is Holy and his judgment is real many today however prefer to ignore this aspect of God favoring an image that is more comforting more accommodating but God is not one to be trifled with his
Holiness demands our reverence and his Justice demands that sin be punished this is why the fear of the Lord is essential it keeps us grounded aware of who God is and aligned with his will a true fear of God leads us to repentance humility and a life that seeks to honor him without it we are left a drift guided only by our desires and human understanding which inevitably fall short the fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom and the beginning of a life that truly glorifies him as we move into 2025 let us
not be among those who dismiss or downplay the fear of God let us heed the Angel's message in Revelation and remember that the hour of his judgment is come this call is not just for unbelievers it is a reminder to us as followers of Christ to live in a way that reflects God's holiness let us pray that we would not be influenced by a world that lacks fear but instead Embrace a healthy reverent fear of the Lord in 2025 as the world drifts further from God let us draw nearer to him grounded in a fear
that leads to wisdom humility and a life that honors our creator and judge this fear is not something to shy away from it is a vital part of our faith a guiding force that aligns us with God's will helping us live in obedience and Readiness for his return King Solomon the wisest King in history and the son of David a man after God's Own Heart left us with a final message in Ecclesiastes fear God and keep his Commandments for this is the whole duty of man it's striking that Solomon didn't end his wisdom-filled book by
advising us to love God more pray more or give more to the poor instead his parting words urge us to fear God for a king known for wisdom Beyond human measure for inside into the deepest Mysteries and for unparalleled riches and power this instruction to fear God carries immeasurable weight Solomon understood the magnitude and incomprehensible nature of God a reality that should awaken in us a profound reverence God is unlike anything we can fully comprehend he exists outside our limits Beyond human knowledge and Imagination this is a being who has existed from eternity past a
concept so vast that our finite Minds cannot even grasp it our language itself falls short when we try to express the boundlessness the power the Majesty and the Eternal nature of God words like omnipotent Eternal and holy are inadequate mere glimpses into the essence of who God is he exists Beyond Time beyond space and beyond all that we know or understand this understanding is the foundation of true reverence the kind of reverence that Solomon was pointing us toward brothers and sisters one day we will stand before this God and no matter how much we may
try to prepare the moment we come face to face with him will exceed anything we could imagine in that instant all our ideas about his greatness Holiness and Majesty will pale in comparison to the reality the Bible describes God as a consuming fire and indeed when we encounter him the overwhelming immensity and purity of his presence will shake us to the Core his Holiness is a standard that far surpasses anything on Earth in that moment we will feel a fear unlike any other this is the fear Solomon spoke of a fear that recognizes God's rightful
place as the Eternal all powerful Creator it's a fear that draws us into alignment with his will that humbles us and that helps us live in a way that honors his holiness [Music] h
