Greetings, radio friends. Once more in the precious name of the Lord Jesus, your Bible teacher of the year comes with the word of God, that imperishable, impregnable, indestructible word that foretells the future just as easily as it can write the past. And again we continue in Second Timothy chapter three and find that nineteen hundred years ago, approximately, The Spirit of God described the moral state of the world for the last days of the Christian testimony. We read verse one through five once again. This know, God wants us to know this is true, that in the last days perilous times shall come, for men shall be lovers of their own selves. Covetous, money lovers, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truth-breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despises of those that are good, traders, heavy, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying the power thereon, from such turn away. May God write these words in the power of His Holy Spirit upon our hearts and in our consciences, and effectively may they be manifested in our lives for our blessing. Now again may I repeat, the solemn charge by the Spirit of God of the moral conditions prevailing in the last days of the Church. Oh my beloved friend, the last days of Christianity do not indicate that the church has converted the world. That is not in the program of God either. God is saving men and women out of the world. And he is preparing them to take those whom he redeems out of the world to be with Christ in glory above. I wonder if you're saved. I wonder if you'll realize that the very conditions that we are reading of and speaking about indicate the coming of the Lord Jesus is near. Now listen to the fourth verse as we consider these words found in the fourth verse of our chapter today. For the Apostle goes on by the Spirit describing the character of men in the last days. They are traitors. They are traitors. Oh, beloved, how sad is the fact that men prevail today in this unfortunate and destructive characteristic. Traitors, all I could say many things. Traitors to God. Traitors to the Word of God. One of the saddest comments that I can make concerning this fact is that there are men. who once preached the truth of the word of God, but who have become traitors to the word of God. And this was foretold. May I quote the words of Paul in first Timothy chapter four, when he says in verse one, The Spirit speaketh expressly, saying that in the latter times, Some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons. And all my beloved, my heart aches. When I think of men who once held the truth, who once perhaps proclaimed the truth, but who now have turned against the truth, traitors to the truth of God, but this very same characteristic is found in other spheres of life. And you find men and women traitors to those promises that they may have made, traitors to those things that they once upheld and believed in. And ah, when you stop and think of the countries at large, when you stop to think of the political scene, the civil scene, as well as the religious, all the phases of humanity are sad to realize that the spirit of a trader is so prevailing upon every hand. Oh, beloved. This was foretold by the Spirit of God, through His servant Paul, to be a prevailing character of the last days. And along with it follows, very naturally follows, not only traders, but even heavy, meaning headlongs, heavy. And all they hold up a head, daring men to defy their character and defy their stand. You know, beloved, I'm frank to state. I see things and read things that are taking place today that would never have been permitted fifty or more years ago and even less. But in bold arrogance, in heavy spirit, men stand and defy the very principles of righteousness and of justice, the very principles of kindness and love, the very principles of decency. And they are heavy. Along with it, naturally follows. High-minded. High-minded. What's this mean? Well, beloved, it's nice to see the original text indicating the meaning of these words. High-minded? It means they are of vain pretension. Vain pretension. Vanity? Full of vanity. pretending to be what they're not, but in vain pretension they thus manifest their character and their spirit, as well as their actions, with vain pretension. Oh, beloved, could I suggest this? Well, you and I see the movements that are prevailing today from every direction. from every kind of source. What are these people trying to do? They are pretending that they are going to achieve their objective. And if I may interpret the word of God correctly, the word of God says these pretensions are in vain. Oh, look to God, that man who were out of Christ, that man who followed the dictates of the evil ones, and the wickedness of their own evil heart would realize that all their pretensions will never come to fruition. It's an impossibility. They may believe in some measure they'll achieve their objective. But oh, my beloved friend, I think of the words of the Scripture that say, not in man. And men boast, and men with their vain pretensions, proclaim loudly what they want, what they intend getting, what they intend to do. What to God that this spirit did not prevail, and that the humbleness and loneliness of Christ was in more evidence instead of the vain pretensions of men. Let's follow through. Not only traitors and heading and high-minded, but here are words that you will admit are prevailing today in the condition stated. Lovers are pleasures more than lovers of God. Now, beloved, as a Christian, and as a Christian who has followed the Lord, to some degree by his grace for fifty-four and more years. I look upon the world around me, and I know these words that we have just read are so clearly true. Men are lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God. What a pleasure-loving world we live in. It matters not, and may I say this very seriously, for this has been proved, it matters not sometimes how serious as well as dangerous to the physical life and to the body there may be circumstances in which some are, in the midst of danger, even if be the dangers of war. There are men who want to have their pleasures of sin even in the midst of such dangers. Why? They are lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God. My beloved friend, how many folks love God today? How many folks would rather go to hear the word of God How many people would rather be found in the fellowship of God's people and listening to the word of God and worshiping and praising the Savior, rather than being out in the pleasures that can be found and enjoyed? I am only to suggest to you that if you would only estimate or begin to estimate the money that is spent in pleasure today. Well, bless your soul. The money spent in the pleasures of this land would undoubtedly wipe out the national debt, would undoubtedly provide for the poor and the needy. But who wants to do that? Men would rather have their pleasures Instead of being in an economic condition that would be wise and proper, instead of doing good to all men, me first. I want my pleasures and I want nothing, not even my work, not even my family, not even my friends, not even my circumstances. I want nothing to interfere with my pleasures of life today. My radio friend, listen. The pleasures of sin will lead you to an eternal hell. And I'd rather be a lover of God. And I want to tell you I get pleasure in that too. I read in the word of God that the pleasures of sin are only for a season. And Moses gave up the treasures of Egypt. and the pleasure of sin, which was only for a little season, to follow God and to put His love in with God's people and lead them out of Egypt through the wilderness to the land of Canaan. My radio friend, listen, there isn't a question of doubt, and I say it frankly, upon the Christian testimony and upon many Christians today, pleasures take them away from the things of God. And it's one of the characteristics of the end of the Christian age. Oh, I would just ask this question. What are you? What am I? Am I a lover of pleasure more than a lover of God? Oh, beloved God, grant that you and I will see the responsibility not only for time but for eternity with its eternal blessedness and joy. It would pay for us to give ourselves in affection and devotion to God. But may I say, if we're a nation of pleasure lovers, we shall never be a nation that will love God. May God bring you and me personally to loving more, shall we pray? Oh, Father, may thy word search the heart and the conscience of every hearer. If I'm saved, bring them to Christ. If a Christian, to live for Christ. We ask it in Jesus' name and for his glory. Amen.