Are You in the Ark?

Matthew 24:37-39

Message No. 0664 | Twitter @GodandUs | www.wisdom-speaks.ca

The origin of the name ‘Sodom Gomorrah’ is probably unknown, but it is a bit curious how a city was named with such names, the meaning of which is ‘a place that is full of people behaving in a sexually immoral way.’ The twin cities were later known as Sodom and Gomorrah, and boy, did their name reflect their behavior? It got so bad that when, in Genesis 19, God sent two angels who disguised as men to Sodom, the men of Sodom aggressively arranged to rape them.

In Matthew chapter 24, Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives and taught His disciples what they must look out for as the signs of the end times. In verses 37-39, He taught:

But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying, and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.

In Genesis chapters 6 and 7, it was the wickedness of man that made God to decide it was time to destroy mankind and remove them from the surface of the earth, safe for Noah who pleased God and found grace before Him. God commissioned Noah to build and ark and gather into it those who listened to his preaching and warnings. But what did the people do? They laughed at him and continued in their reckless behavior, until the day when the rain started falling as Noah had told them. Noting that Noah was indeed telling the truth all along, they screamed and begged to be let into the ark, but it was too late, the ark was shot and only Noah and his family made it through the flood.

If people are paying attention, we can probably conclude that the events of recent years have placed the world at an inflection point. We are moving away from the values that our Maker placed in our lives into the wanton behaviors that made God to act in Noah’s time and in the city of Sodom. We are basically seeing things that the Bible calls abomination become mainstream, while the things God says are holy become the abominations of the world. People are punished for speaking or standing for what they believe as we gradually see the minority become the new bullies.

Our immediate action as Christians is to pray, but beyond prayers, may I ask if you are in the ark? We can sometimes jump into visible religious actions of praying and asking God to act and redeem people, while forgetting to check ourselves by asking the question: should Christ return today, am I ready? Will I be caught up with Him in the air? Noah built an ark as commissioned by God and those who were in it were saved. In today’s equivalent, the ark is our readiness to meet Christ in the air. Those of us who are ready will be caught up with Christ (1 Thessalonians 4:17) and the great tribulation shall ensue. It will be the end of the road for most people because the antichrist will make it practically impossible for the inhabitants of the earth to repent.

This is not a joke. If you don’t believe, please read Matthew chapter 24 in full and read other Bible chapters where the signs of the end time are described. We do not know how much time is left but we sure know that the events we are seeing around us tell us that something is in the offing. To bring His teaching close to His disciples, Jesus told the parable of the fig tree in Matthew 24:32-34:

“Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors! Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.

Are you in the ark? Should the Lord decide to come today, are you ready to go with Him?

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 PLEASE ACT NOW:
 If you are yet to give your life to Christ, you do not have a covenant with God and His promises do not apply to you. To come under these promises, please surrender your life to Christ today, by praying this prayer:
 Lord I know that I am a sinner and I am unable to save myself. I am sorry for my sins and I pray that you please forgive me. I am aware that Your Son Jesus died for my sins and I accept Him as my Lord and savior. I surrender my life unto you from this moment. Please take control of my entire being and help me to be obedient to your Word, going forward. Thank you, Lord, for hearing me. I have prayed in Jesus’ name. Amen.
 If you prayed the foregoing prayer, you have just been born again. Please find a Bible believing church in your area and ask to see the pastor. Let him or her know that you have just given your life to Christ and s/he will guide you on next steps in your journey as a child of God. The Lord bless you!