All you can do with a rat is kill him or let him be.”
              –Charles Portis (True Grit)

    “But this is a people robbed and plundered; All of them are snared in holes, And they are hidden in prison houses; They are for prey, and no one delivers; For plunder, and no one says, ‘Restore!'”
              –Isaiah 42:22 (NKJV)
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It has been several years ago when in the middle of the night I could hear the claws of the cat running up and down the hallway grasping at the carpet.  It was unusual that I thought I better check what was happening.  Upon entering the hallway I saw a long, narrow tail go around the corner and into the girls’ room followed by a rushing cat.  It was a rat.
    I grabbed hold of a rifle and went cautiously into the closet and slowly began shifting through the pompoms and shoes in the closet.  Behold I saw a tail sticking out of a tennis shoe.  I wasn’t about to grab the tail for I had visions of that rat turning around and biting me on the arm, so I took what was in my hand and brought the stock of the rifle down where I expected the head to be in that shoe.  Once, that did it, but to make sure I smashed its head again.
    My father-in-law enjoyed reading and during World War II he found his books were missing.  Because of his rank his cot was close to the stove.  One night he was wakened with something pulling at his hair–a rat.  He grabbed the poker from the stove and as the rat moved under the boards he stabbed it through the opening in the slats.  The next day he received permission from the officer in charge to tear up the boards of their tent where they found dozens of rats.  They were the ones stealing his books for their nests.  Needless to say they had a rat-killing party.
    Rats, there are few things more despicable.  They are carriers of vermin.  Disease is spread by them, in fact, the rat was the primary carrier of bubonic plague–the Black Death–in Europe.  I was surprised that it came into the house with a cat, but it met its demise.  Rats tend to thrive in dumps, slum areas, garbage dumps.  Hmmm, look at Portland, Seattle, Minneapolis, they are now a haven for rats, but it seems that they were also created by rats.
    Man thinks that he is more enlightened today.  But look around and you will quickly see that is a false notion.  In spite of good intentions on the part of man (or some men), the world remains one of war, poverty, hunger, disease, and uncertainty.  Man with all his wonderful knowledge lives like a rat.  He continues to do evil, and when I speak of evil it is not just the murder and the killings and the riotings, but it is also the sneaky ministrations of people in “high” places.  Look at them sometimes and the evil oozes from them.
    Some do not truly want to do evil, but it is in the heart of man to do so.  Yet there are those who delight in evil and in bringing it upon others.  People are lost and they seek to eat the flesh of those left in the streets.  They consume what they can and bare their teeth at those who are against them.  Through these streets we must walk, whether to school or work.  The rats may scatter and hide in the shadows, or they may band together and attack the unsuspecting wayfarer.  It seems that we have gone too easy on the rats of society.  Because of that they have multiplied, they have lost their fear of man, of good.  They have spread evil, poison, and vermin in society.  Perhaps it is time to issue a “writ on the rats”.
    This world represents and is, in fact, evil.  Yet, you must walk in this world.  Carry your weapons with you, whether they be physical or spiritual.  Be sure you are wearing the armor of God and know how to use the sword of the Spirit.  The rats are scurrying around looking for things to gnaw on and devour.

You have to be ready to roll with whatever the weather, the land, and other men throw at you.”
              –Lou Bradshaw (Blue Valley)

    “But the path of the just is like the shining sun, That shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.”
              –Proverbs 14:18(NKJV)
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Oh, the storms may be raging, the winds howling, the rain beating down, and the floods rising, but in spite of the weather this is the day the Lord has made.  The life may be facing its own type of storms:  worry, fret, debt, doubt, disease, and on…, but in the midst of your day whatever it may be like, it is the day the Lord has made.
    Part of the problem is that we do not live the concept of Psalm 118:24.

         “This is the day the LORD has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” (NKJV)

No, we may recognize that the Lord made the days, and we ho-hum recognize that it is another day upon us.  Woe is me, another day of sorrow, of rain, of corona, of storm, of terror.  Woe is me.  If the day is bad, that’s your fault.  It is a day the Lord has given you, what are you going to do with it?  He has determined the weather, He has allowed the circumstances you are going through, whether you are to be sick or well.  He knows if you have good service at the restaurant or bad, whether or not the attendee at WalMart griped at you for not wearing a mask.  The important things is, what are you going to do about it.  The “Coach” John Wooden always instructed his players to “make each day your masterpiece.”  What kind of day will you have depends upon you.  Joseph Alleine lived by this maxim, “Let us live this one day well!”  Tomorrow will have its own problems, take care of today.
    “There will never be another day like today.  We may say that we will go to the same work, but with the same people, and go home to the same family but every day in individually distinct.  Every day has different circumstances, conversations, and opportunities.  This could be a day that something happens so that you remember it for the rest of your life, or this could be an average day with nothing spectacular happening, but it is still God’s day.  We need to be less concerned with the days in our life and more concerned with life in our days.” (Larry Turner)
    What you do with the day is up to you.  God has given it to you, how you use it and accept his gift can be a gift back to the Lord.  See, we may accept the day, but do we accept it with rejoicing and happiness, glad that it has been given to us?  Paul reminds us about the day, “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18, NKJV))  This is a day given to you therefore, “Rejoice in the Lord always.  Again I will say, rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4, NKJV)  Take advantage of the day; take advantage of every opportunity that comes you way, whether great or small.

It doesn’t take much guts when you cover your face and ride with a mob.”
              –Elmer Kelton  (Texas Standoff)

    “Do not fret because of evildoers, nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.”
              –Psalm 37:1 (NKJV)
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There has been much said during this time of “virus” about it being the “end times.”  That being said, is it really?  Now, don’t be alarmed that I wrote that.  I am not one of those scoffers, but I do believe that we can spend too much time in wonderment and not continue to be doing what we are called to do.  Is the Lord on the horizon?  Could be, or He could wait a very more years, but I doubt very much longer or there would not be many of the elect left.
    Paul very clearly describes what it will be like in the last days.  He tells us, “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come.” (2 Timothy 3:1, NKJV).  In other words, the way of life will be perilous, dangerous, difficult, grievous, or terrible.  Jesus said those days would be “a time of distress such as the world has never known (Rossier, Matthew 24:21).  No it is not the Day of the Lord, for that will follow after these “times.”  Barclay says that this will be “a time of terror, when evil would gather itself for its final assault and the world would be shaken to its moral and physical foundations.”  The “perilous times” lead up to the Rapture of the Church and the following Great Tribulation; it is therefore, a prelude to the evil that was to come.
    One more description of the word, “perilous” is used to describe the demoniacs that met Jesus among the tombs.  They were violent and dangerous.  Plutarch used to the term to describe an ugly wound (Barclay).  Perhaps one that is festered and full of gangrene.  Barclay continues, “There is an idea of menace and of danger in this word.  In the last days there would come times which would menace the very existence of the Christian Church and of goodness itself…”
    Second Timothy 3:2-5, then goes on to describe characteristics of those “perilous times.”  

         2 – For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
         3 – unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good,
         4 – traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
         5 – having a form of godliness but denying its power.  And from such people turn away!  (NKJV)

Read that description and then look at the news.  Every aspect of that is seen.  Hatred is unfettered like it has never been before.  Life will never go back to what was once called “normal.”  People cry for a normal life, but it will not be that way unless one can call evil, normal.  And if that isn’t bad enough, Paul continues to write, “But evil men and imposters will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived” (3:13, NKJV).  
    With all of the dreadful words being said, I want to get to the main idea of my note this morning.  In the message last Sunday, one phrase jumped out at me.  “Perilous times are precious times.”  How can that be?  When people, whether friends, family, or even strangers, go through an ordeal together there is a bond.  In the West there was a saying that “he’s a man to ride the river with,” meaning that in tough times he’ll do his part and you are glad to have worked side by side with him through the ordeal.
    In the days of this corona, what have you done to help someone else?  How have you continued to minister?  How important has friends and family become?  You should be in the custom of giving encouragement, helping their faith to grow, exhorting them to continue through.  “And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom.  To Him be glory forever and ever.  Amen!” (2 Timothy 4:18, NKJV)
    Stand strong, continue in the doctrine, be ready and on the alert.  Remember the hope that is yours and let your faith grow knowing that God is with you in these “perilous times.”