As in the days of Noah...

Matthew 24:36 - 39

36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. 37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 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, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, 

so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.

If you have followed my "blogs" for any number of years, you have no doubt come across the many posts I have written regarding Jesus' return. Some time ago, I shared here what I believe are vital truths revealed in the Parable of the Fig Tree in this same chapter (Matthew 24). Countless persons have written countless pieces regarding all that is contained in Matthew twenty - four and twenty - five. While it would probably be helpful if I re - posted what I believe is revealed in the Fig Tree Parable so that a contextual backdrop could more precisely convey what I want to share in this post, I will allow you, my reader to review those points. 

(I also always feel compelled to say that I understand the variance in doctrines and opinions that exist regarding Jesus' return. I make no effort to defend my position, only to state it. It is up to each believer/Christ follower to search the Scriptures (diligently) for answers to one of the most important questions mankind could entertain.)

In this post, I want to focus on one statement that Jesus made in response to the questions the disciples asked at the beginning of the chapter. I have the verses from which the statement comes at the top of this post. Here's the statement:

But as the days of Noah were, 

so also will the coming of the Son of Man be

Jesus does give two things that people did in the days of Noah that caused them to miss getting on board the ark. He assigned those same things to the time of His return. (People were eating and drinking; marrying and giving in marriage.) However, here are some things that need to be considered.

1. People have always been scurrying about consumed by self interest. Was there a deeper and more catastrophic issue that affected those who failed to be saved in the ark? I say there is. That "deeper and more catastrophic issue" is simply that everyone except Noah and his family ignored God's Word. Think of that "word" as a promise. It was not a happy, positive promise that caused people to look forward to the event with joy and excitement but it was a promise nonetheless. God said, "I am going to destroy the world with a flood." Proof of the pending fulfillment of the promise was in the ark itself. But, people were too busy with their own lives; they had grown so far away from God that His Word meant nothing; and, they did not believe He would keep His promise and destroy the world.

2. So it is today. God has said that there would be another day of great judgment only this day will be the end of all things. No rain, no boat, no saving of animals, no flood; just the end of all things. The same deeper and more catastrophic issue engulfs our world today as it did in the days of Noah. The most frightening fact however, at least for Americans and others who claim to be "Christians" in Western Culture do not believe that God will keep His promise to return. Even believers are scurrying about engulfed in self interest. There is at least one unique issue that is engrained in Western societies, (Americans included) that those in Noah's day did not contend with. That is that hope is being placed in political figures and governmental systems. 

3. I ask you, my reader; can YOU present a case for Christ's coming? It is folly to think that Jesus did not give us signs of His return. The day and hour, no, no one knows, but the "time," a resounding YES. What part does Islam play in this unfolding drama that will result in the dropping of the final curtain of history. Is the greatest deception that any politician could perpetrate on a nation that which claims that they (he or she in this case) can solve the "Radical Terror" problem being faced now by the whole world. There is NO one, be it POTUS, a Supreme Court, a Congress or Senate; no Prime Minister or Parliament, NO coalition of military forces, NO shift in ideology or change in terms used to describe the enemy is going to stop the clock from ticking and the fast approach of Jesus' return. 

Throughout history, God has used pagan armies to bring judgment on his people. Philistia, Assyria, Babylon, the Medes and Persians, Greece, Rome, Germany...to name a few. Are there parallels that also should be considering when we see God's judgment approaching? I'll let you answer that. But, I ask again, does Islam play a part in the judgment of America and in the signs of the times just before Jesus' return. With eight to ten million Muslims here as citizens, is there cause for concern? You'll have to figure that out.

There is one more parallel when talking about "the days of Noah." Just as Noah prepared an ark whereby people could be saved from God's wrath; so is there a boat of safety today. Only this "boat" is not made of gopher wood. This boat is the life and safety of the new birth provided in, by, and through Jesus Christ. Are YOU on board? Regardless of what comes in the days, weeks, and months ahead are you safe in the knowledge that you belong to Him? Have you repented of your wickedness perpetrated by your own self interest and have you experienced the new birth? 

The end is coming. Are you ready? Whether you believe that or not, well...just as the people who watched Noah build the ark, you'll have to decide. But know this. There will come a day when the door will be shut and it will be too late. 

R & R Guaranteed! (A Recipe for Revival!)

A Recipe for Revival - Guaranteed!

The Promse:

“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; 

and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, 

and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8 NKJV).

The Premise:

What if we really believed what Jesus said? I'm sure there is a name for a literary device that explains something simply by repeating it. I have to repeat Acts 1:8 to help explain how I think a sweeping revival would come if we believed that - 

we would receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon us -

so that -

we would be witnesses to Christ in...

...witnesses where? Well, Jesus told the disciples that they would be witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the end of the earth because that's where they lived. 

Since we don't live in Jerusalem, Judea, or anywhere near Samaria, how would WE fulfill this command/promise? Where is OUR Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the end of the earth?

Where do YOU live? Gayle and I live in a small town in Southwest Ohio called Springboro. If the commands and promises found in Scripture are relevant for every generation then Jesus is telling me that the Holy Spirit would come upon me so that "I" could be His witness in Springboro (my Jerusalem); in Ohio (my Judea); in the U.S., and to the end of the earth. We read that and affirm the fulfillment of that promise/command because we know that after the twelve disciples had tarried in Jerusalem with quite a number of other believers, the Holy Spirit did come just as Jesus said He would. Within days, thousands of new Christ - followers were added to the Kingdom. Our faith, literally, is a product of the twelve disciples obeying Jesus and following His step - by - step procedure for taking the Gospel into all the world. 

While we can imagine a lot of grand and glorious things, if we're honest, we have trouble believing that an entire community could be reached with the Gospel, much less moving beyond our city to our "Judeas" or "Samarias." But, I know of a way...

I mean, it's no big secret or new revelation. It is however, something that would require surrendering our desire to preserve our tribal rules and customs. In other words, we would have to trust God to work in HIS church through HIS Spirit and HIS Word and move beyond the walls that divide God's people. Let me explain how I believe this would result in an unbelievable move of God in my "Jerusalem" and yours!

What about the public school(s) in your community?

More than likely, if you're reading this, you know that I am a substitute school teacher. I just finished my third (2015/16) school year. If we're even relatively close, you probably also know the intense burden I've had for one particular local school district (because I felt like the Lord placed this burden on me in March, 2015). I began to pray for and work towards a revival in this district. It is after I started praying with an unusual passion for this school that I began hearing things at every school in which I served as a substitute.

I began to hear students in every school talk about their church and/or some related activity. I know, this isn't an earth shattering piece of information...or...is it?

Then, it hit me! While I can and I think should apply Jesus' command/promise in the first chapter of Acts literally, for myself, the context tells us that Jesus was speaking to the first disciples. By the time they made it to that upper room there were 120 assembled (Acts 1:15). Of course we know that it was the witness of that 120 that spread like "wild fire" and resulted in thousands being saved in just a few days. So, Jesus told the disciples, and He's telling us that we are not supposed to fulfill Acts 1:8 alone, we're supposed to do this together!

Realistically, can your church win the whole of your "Jerusalem?" And yet, that is our command. How could the Gospel spread throughout a community rapidly? Bear with me and let me get back to the students in your local school who attend a church. Let's play what if? This will connect the dots and actually spark a revival in your area - in your "Jerusalem."

What if, you and a group of folks from your church (youth included) drove through the parking lots of all the churches in your neighborhood and asked the Lord to anoint the lips of the ministers in that church, What if you and a group of others prayed that the pastors, youth ministers, Sunday school teachers, small group leaders - all of the communicators of the Gospel would haven an anointing on their lives like never before?

What if the group from your church also began to pray for the students who attend that church? What if you prayed that God would open their hearts to His Word just like He did Lydia's in Acts 16? What if you kept praying this audacious prayer until God answered those prayers because it is His will and He said whatever we ask in His name, according to His will, He would answer...

What if?

Can you see how that would work? Can you see that praying that all ministers would communicate God's Word with power and that the students who hear God's word would receive it, would bear much fruit and result in revival because our schools would be set on fire.

There are at least four reasons why I think this simple recipe for revival isn't used -

1. We fear anything happening outside our tribe because we wouldn't be able to control it.

2. We want our tribe to control it so that we would get the glory.

3. We don't really trust God to work in HIS church to achieve His goals because we have a preconceived notion about how God's work should be done, and

4. We simply don't have the time and are unwilling to pay the price for widespread revival.

Do we love our kids? I mean, do we REALLY love them? Do we want them to be saved? Do we want our schools to be set free from sex, drugs, and an ever increasing level of violence not seen in any past generation? Could 25, 100, 500 kids be set on fire with a passion for Jesus and His Word. Could life transformation come to an entire school district? Would that revival spill out into an entire community and to surrounding communities? Would THAT revival extend to the end of the earth?

Jesus said that it would...

What on earth are we waiting for?