Claw Marks on the Ark!

The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch. And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits. A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it. And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die. [Genesis 6:11-17 (KJV)].

For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly……..[2 Peter 2:4-5 (KJV)].

In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights. In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark; They, and every beast after his kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind, and every fowl after his kind, every bird of every sort. And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein is the breath of life. And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the Lord shut him in. [Genesis 7:11-16 (KJV)].

And the waters prevailed, and were increased greatly upon the earth; and the ark went upon the face of the waters. And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high hills, that were under the whole heaven, were covered. Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered. And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man: All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died. [Genesis 7:18-22 (KJV)].

The fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained; And the waters returned from off the earth continually: and after the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters were abated. And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat. And the waters decreased continually until the tenth month: in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, were the tops of the mountains seen. [Genesis 8:2-5 (KJV)].

What a big boat it was and because of it the lives of eight humans along with a number of selected animals and birds were spared when God’s wrath was poured out upon the earth in a devastating judgment that is completely incomprehensible to our limited minds!

If we had been able to have been there when the ark settled back to earth as the waters receded and looked around the outside of the vessel we would have noticed a huge number of vertical markings a few inches long and maybe a quarter of an inch or so in width all along both sides.

Were those marks part of the original design when Noah and sons put it together? No, these marks were made as the depth of the water increased from the breaking up of fountains beneath and pouring down from the sky as noted in the Genesis record. They were made by the fingernails of numerous persons frantically trying to get inside the ark in their final moments of life. Remember that it was said that Noah and his family went in by the door and then God shut him in, which meant that the family was safe but everyone else was shut out!

Now the question – why were those claw marks on the sides of the ark? There are a few explanations as to why a number of people in a sense “engraved” Noah’s ark with their fingernails in the final moments of life!

First, some simply did not believe Noah who is described as a “preacher of righteousness” by the apostle Peter in his writings. Noah’s message was one of warning of judgment to come because of excessive wickedness and a call to repent of sins and be reconciled to a holy God, thus escaping the impending judgment. That, of course, is a very unpopular message to proclaim and there are many who simply rejected it – it was unacceptable. If you are going to speak in God’s name, then give us something that will make us feel good and we can go home with a healthy sense of “self-esteem!”

Second, there were likely those who believed that God is a “God of love” and would never do such a horrible thing as to bring judgment upon the people of the world. After all, we are good people and not deserving of the terrible judgment to which Noah makes reference!

Third, perhaps having heard Noah speak of judgment to come there were those who dismissed it by thinking, “That’s a far off thing – it will never happen in my lifetime, so I have nothing to worry about.” The Scripture stresses the present hour as the time to make things right with God, not tomorrow, or next week, or next year!

Fourth, among the crowd that heard Noah sound the warning trumpet of judgment there would have been some who said to themselves or to one another, “I’ll wait for a while and then I will give attention to this issue of making peace with God. I’ve got a lot of things I want to do yet before I become religious – God will just have to wait!” As previously mentioned, God always deals with us in the present – His call is always now, not later!

Fifth, of the crowd clawing at the sides of the ark as the waters rose higher there would have been some who had second thoughts about Noah now! They had written him off as a deranged fanatic who was really out of his head. Rain? No such thing existed at that time. Flood? Never happened and never will! The weather system was completely different with a kind of mist cycle in operation that nurtured the plant life. No rain nor downpours of the same had ever occurred. So Noah’s boat project and the warnings that went with it as it was constructed over 120 years of time likely became the subject of a lot of mockery and ridicule. Suddenly thought patterns changed -- maybe that old coot was right after all! I better get down there and get on board that boat before it's too late! Can you hear them yelling and screaming as they claw away at the sides of the ark? "Noah, Noah! Let us in -- please, please help us!" And then you hear the gurgling as water is sucked into their lungs and the voices are now silent -- the door into the ark has remained closed during the whole ordeal and for good reason - do you remember? The Scripture says that God shut him in!

Sixth, idolatry was a way of life for large numbers of persons. Yes, they heard about the God in Whom Noah had placed his trust but the deities they worshipped were different than that. The attitude was: “My religion is just as good as Noah’s and maybe a lot better because it is not so narrow and bigoted as his!”

In the 21st Century one does not have to look far to see identical attitudes existing as was the case in the times of Noah before the judgment of the flood took place! The warning is being sounded – there is a judgment that will take place upon an ungodly world. Only those who have taken refuge in Jesus Christ, and knowing Him as Savior and Lord will be delivered from the horrors of that judgment. He is truly our “ark of safety” now and in the future time ahead. If you have not already done so, ask His forgiveness, and receive Him as Savior and Lord today while you have opportunity. Tomorrow may be too late! Remember why there were so many claw marks on the ark!

He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. [1 John 5:10-13 (KJV)].

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. [Revelation 3:20-21 (KJV)].

Claw Marks on the Ark!

One artist's view of Noah's ark

Source of image: download-free-pictures.com

And the LORD said, "My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.".... But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.... The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.... And God said to Noah, "The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Make yourself an ark of gopherwood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with pitch." --- Genesis 6:3, 8, 11, 13, 14

The attempts of artists to portray Noah's ark can be rather interesting, since there are a huge number who have painted/drawn scenes of what is probably the most famous floating vessel in the history of the human race. Titanic is another name which would maybe come in second, but it stands in a class by itself with someone making the wise distinction that "Amateurs built the ark - professionals built the Titanic!"

The artist of the image posted above took rather great liberty in picturing the ark -- sort of looks like a giant hotel from a time long, long ago, does it not? On the positive side, it seems to be rather roomy, so there would not be a crowding problem.

Debate has fiercely raged as to whether there really was an ark built by a man named Noah with assistance by his three sons. Resources abound on the subject both in defense of the Biblical account of the flood event as well as denial that it happened. The Barna research group did release some shocking information not so long ago to the effect that only about 51 per cent of Protestant pastors hold to a Biblical world view in their preaching and teaching ministry! So it figures that among the 49 per cent bunch would be those who would deny and teach that no such thing as judgment by means of a universal flood by God ever happened.

The position of the guy writing this blog is that the flood at the time of Noah did happen. If you have a problem with that then that's your problem, not mine -- further, you'll have to take that issue up with God because He's the One Who reported it and was directly involved in it! Go ahead -- have a little conversation with Him about it.

Now on to the issue of those claw marks on the ark. I have preached on that title a few times. I submit that if we had been able to do a check of the ark once it settled back on solid ground, we would have seen vertical marks all over the outside surface of the vessel. Each would be a few inches long and there would have been quite a number of them. What caused them? Didn't you know? They were made by human fingernails! People in the area where Noah's "project" had been going on for quite a few years and who had heard him giving the warning (he was described by Peter as a "preacher of righteousness) of impending judgment, finally concluded, "Maybe that old coot, Noah, was right after all -- we better hustle down there and get on board before it's too late!"

But it was too late because God had shut Noah and his family inside, which meant that everybody else was shut out. One can say "No!" one too many times and after that the door is permanently closed!

Why those marks as people scraped the sides of the ark with their fingernails in a desperate effort to get inside? It was due to a number of things including:

• Deception -- we are good people -- in fact we are just as good as anyone else and better than some, such as that drunk who lives down the street and better than that hypocrite across the street who goes to church every Sunday!
  
  
• Defiance -- we will determine for ourselves what is right or wrong -- we make our own rules and we don't need some religious fanatic such as that Noah preaching to us all the time about our sins and the need to repent!
  
  
• Delay -- so what if judgment is coming as Noah says -- it won't be for a long time and I'll be long gone from this earth before anything like that happens!
  
  
• Denial -- God is good and He loves all of us -- God would never do anything nasty such as bring judgment -- that would be very cruel and it's not in His nature to act in such a way -- He just doesn't do those horrible things to anybody!
  

Lots more could be added under each point with illustrations as well, but this gives us a picture of what might have been at a very tragic moment in the history of the human race.

The sobering thing is this -- Jesus stated that the conditions which were prevalent at the time of Noah would again take place as human history flows. Such conditions will dominate minds and hearts of the vast majority of human beings prior to Jesus' personal and visible return to this world. They will be preoccupied and so busy about "living" that they give no serious thought about dying and ultimately standing before God to give an accounting as to what they did with their lives on earth!

Among a minority is the recognition that Jesus Christ, the living Son of God, is our "ark of refuge" in times such as these. By repenting of all sin, receiving Him as Savior and Lord into one's personal life, and resolving by choice to be obedient to Him each day, assurance is given and hope for a place in His coming eternal Kingdom.

Have you gotten on board? Or will you do as did a gigantic mass of people a long time ago for reasons cited above and find yourself desperately clawing as you try to enter a place of refuge only to discover too late that the entrance is permanently shut. Remember, the time came when God shut Noah and his family inside and everyone else was shut out!

And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, "Son of man, what is this proverb that you people have about the land of Israel, which says, 'The days are prolonged, and every vision fails'? "Tell them therefore, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "I will lay this proverb to rest, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel." But say to them, "The days are at hand, and the fulfillment of every vision. For no more shall there be any false vision or flattering divination within the house of Israel. For I am the LORD. I speak, and the word which I speak will come to pass; it will no more be postponed; for in your days, O rebellious house, I will say the word and perform it," says the Lord GOD.'" Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying, "Son of man, look, the house of Israel is saying, 'The vision that he sees is for many days from now, and he prophesies of times far off.' Therefore say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "None of My words will be postponed any more, but the word which I speak will be done," says the Lord GOD.'" --- Ezekiel 12:21-28

Penn State University Continues to Build on a Foundation of Notoriety!

.....The ceremony will be held March 29 at the HUB-Robeson Center. State College Mayor Bill Welch, who said he supports the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender community and its allies (LGBTA), will preside over the event. It is the first event of LGBTA's Pride Week. "I'd have no problem performing same-sex marriages, but it's not legal," Welch said.... --- from a Penn State campus news organization reporting on a scheduled commitment ceremony to be held for homosexual and lesbian couples on March 29, 2008

Penn State University continues to add to its list of accomplishments for top entry in the Notoriety Hall of Fame! In the central Pennsylvania region the news diet as it pertains to Penn State University is a steady stream of stuff that makes a cesspool smell like a rose!

Here are the kinds of things we are told as they unfold at the school which has a well known coach named Joe Paterno and a football team which has some members who have done more than their share in tarnishing the image of the school:

• Penn State football team players involved in brawls with various charges brought against them for such conduct
  
• sexual assaults
  
• underage drinking and arrests on that basis
  
• assaults, which often are connected to use of beverage alcohol -- seems the alcohol flows practically unrestricted around the university!
  

Now comes the latest blunder of blunders -- a "commitment" ceremony to be held on campus for couples who practice sodomy or lesbianism! One news release indicated there will be 3 male couples and 3 female couples. State College Mayor Bill Welch will conduct the ceremony for them at the HUB-Robeson Center. The mayor has been quoted as saying that he supports the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender community and its allies (LGBTA).

A couple of the males involved in the ceremony spoke of receiving strong support from the community and throughout the campus. They are both doctoral students at Penn State. One said, "We just want to show the public that we're just like any other committed couple who loves each other."

There will be a protest gathering at the same time as the ceremony is taking place. It has been organized by Gary Dull, pastor of Faith Baptist Church in Altoona.

Already a large number of petitions have been submitted in protest of the commitment ceremony. But Mayor Welch has indicated his intention to go ahead with the ceremony in spite of the protesting that is taking place.

This is but one of many unfolding events across the entire nation indicating the progress which has been made by those supporting the sodomite/lesbian agenda. With a lot of highly intelligent people, lots of financial support, effective strategic planning, masterful waging of psychological "warfare" and successful infiltration of the educational system and mass media these people are much nearer their goal of forced acceptance of their "way of life."

Those of us who still choose to believe that God's boundary lines for acceptable sexual intimacy is limited to a male and female within the covenant of marriage are finding our ranks diminishing. Perhaps in part due to an unwillingness by some to live with the negative labels of "homophobic," "mean-spirited," "unloving," "unchristian," etc. For those supporting the sodomite/lesbian agenda, this aspect of the psychological warfare is proving to be quite effective!

It is also very possible that some have capitulated and gone along with the strategy of "dialog" -- we sit down and discuss how we can agree to disagree, thus creating a "loving" environment and a "positive" attitude -- which translates into "live and let live!"

A few would agree -- probably very few -- that we are witnessing the predictions of Jesus being fulfilled before our very eyes -- He said that the human race would regress to the point that it would be like a rerun of the days in which Noah lived before the judgment of the flood and the days of Lot when he lived in a city by the name of Sodom!

And you know what? I'm not going to cite the book, chapter and verse numbers on that -- if you want to verify it, it's in the Bible SOMEWHERE! You know, that Book which gathers dust by the inch in many, many homes across this republic!

As for Penn State, will it qualify for an entry in Guinness World Records for doing more to gain notoriety than any other university has ever done?

Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!......... And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them. --- Isaiah 5:20; Romans 1:28-32

JOB DESCRIPTION: Critical Responsibility with Guaranteed Failure!

"Therefore you shall speak all these words to them, but they will not obey you. You shall also call to them, but they will not answer you. So you shall say to them, 'This is a nation that does not obey the voice of the LORD their God nor receive correction. Truth has perished and has been cut off from their mouth.’” --- Jeremiah 7:27, 28

"For you are not sent to a people of unfamiliar speech and of hard language, but to the house of Israel, not to many people of unfamiliar speech and of hard language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely, had I sent you to them, they would have listened to you. But the house of Israel will not listen to you, because they will not listen to Me; for all the house of Israel are impudent and hard-hearted.” --- Ezekiel 3:5-7

How would you like to be told by an employer that your job requires a lot of effort and the best you can give, but you are going to totally fail! That is what happened to men such as Jeremiah, Ezekiel and others a long time ago.

And what was the “job” these persons were supposed to do? They were to call the people of their time to repent of all sin and turn to Almighty God for mercy and forgiveness. That in itself was no easy task – but to make matters worse – they were told in advance that their message would not bring about the desired results. After people have been living in their sin for an extended period of time, they do not want to be reminded of the need to quit their rebellion and they often will turn on the messenger as would a dog infected with rabies!

And what does all that, if anything, have to do with U. S. citizens living in the opening decade of the 21st Century? Didn’t you know, it has everything to do with us – in fact, every bit as much as back in the 6th Century B.C. when God was attempting to bring a nation of people back to Himself – His “employees” were told in advance, however, that the mission would be a failure! In fact, Jeremiah was told 3 times not to pray for the people -- that God would not hear him, nor the people when they cried out in their panic! You don't believe it could happen? How about taking a little side trip into chapters 7, 11 and 14 of the book of Jeremiah and look for those statements!

We in the United States have had full access to God’s total revelation from the beginning in the 18th Century. Therefore we cannot plead ignorance when it comes to our widespread rebellion against His moral and spiritual standards. As a small spot of rottenness begins on a fruit or vegetable and is not removed, it is simply a matter of time before the whole fruit or vegetable becomes completely rotten and good for nothing but to be tossed into the garbage can!

Our national “rotten” condition is due to such things as:

• the increased tolerance within the ranks of those professing to be Christian in faith of many things which are contrary to God’s clear revelation – unbelief is spreading like a plague – that unbelief can simply be refusal to accept certain past actions and works of God as reported or a defiance in practicing a way of life which is explicitly condemned by God
  
• widespread idolatry in a great variety of forms of expression
  
• pandemic sexual immorality
  
• the trashing of the day of worship – less than half our population can make it to worship each week
  
• massive corruption of our young through many avenues of negative influence
  
• the greatest abomination of all – destruction of thousands of unborn children every week of the year!
  

God is calling persons to rise up, boldly bear witness to His truth, issue a clarion call to repent of sin (both individually and collectively) and commit to a life of obedience to His Son, Jesus Christ, as Savior and Lord!

Will you be one of them? A long time ago a man heard God ask, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Instantly Isaiah said, “Here am I. Send me!”

Are you willing to make a similar response? Remember, we are living in a setting that is identical to the ancient kingdom of Judah in terms of ethical, moral and spiritual conditions. So the response in all likelihood will be as you read above at the very beginning!

Remember too that Noah probably holds the record for keeping at it for the longest time with absolutely no success in the proclamation of his warning message beyond his immediate family of wife, 3 sons and their wives! He preached for 120 years while he and his sons prepared the ark. At the end of that time there came the moment when we are informed that “God shut him in.” That means that God had shut everyone else out and all they had to look forward to now was a devastating judgment and no hope of survival!

There will be a large number who will still insist that all of what has been discussed previously doesn’t have anything at all to do with us – this is a Christian nation and so, as the president has said many times over the years, God bless America!

"And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: they ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.” --- Luke 17:26-30

I Am a Bible Literalist? No, Not Always!

It's a bit of a risk to go on public record that you actually believe the Bible! Through the years there has been a well organized response directed to those who say they do believe the Bible. It varies a bit in the way the reactions are worded -- for instance:

• the Bible believer may be accused of worshipping the Bible -- that it is an object which consitutes idolatry simply because he or she has expressed a positive acceptance of all that the Bible reveals!
  
  
• the Bible believer is considered quite "low-brow" if he or she claims to believe all that is contained in the record from the first chapter of the book of Genesis to the last chapter of the book of The Revelation. That is, one is lacking in intellectual accomplishment if one believes the Bible "as is!"
  
  
• the Bible believer is considered to be a "literalist" if a statement is made, "I believe the entire Bible." Somehow the critic of the Bible believer wants to convey the idea that such a person takes everything in the Bible "literally" without question, and this constitutes a lot of ignorance on the part of the Bible believer.
  

Over the years I have had to deal with this issue from time to time. I have gone on record numerous times that I believe the Bible to be divinely inspired (by God the Holy Spirit) and the absolute authority on all matters pertaining to the Christian faith and how that faith is to be expressed in a fallen world.

One incident early on involved my appearance before the Board of Ordained Ministry of the W. PA Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. I made reference to Adam and Eve in responding to a question. Immediately one of the board members asked me if Adam and Eve were real people. I responded, "Yes." He then said, "You mean they lived in an actual historical time period?" I said, "Yes." He then said, "Don't you have a problem with that?" I replied, "Not me!" I tried to put a tone to it that said, "If you have a problem with it, that's your problem, not mine!"

To be accused of being a Bible believer is usually the same as being accused of taking the Bible literally in all that is recorded within its pages. I don't take everything in the Bible literally. For instance,

• in Psalm 91 it mentions about abiding under the shadow of the Almighty and a bit later it says, "He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler." If I took this literally, then God at this point is a Canada goose or a great horned owl or maybe a Rhode Island Red chicken, but I must confess I don't view God that way in this portion of Scripture!
  
  
• in Zechariah 2:5 it is recorded, "For I," says the LORD, "will be a wall of fire all around her, and I will be the glory in her midst." Now I don't take this to mean that God is in reality a wall of flames leaping hundreds of feet in the air such as we saw on news reports of the fires burning thousands of acres in southern California during fall of 2007!
  
  
• in John 8:12 Jesus says He is the light of the world. I don't literally believe that means that Jesus is a flashlight powered by Energizer batteries!
  
  
• in John 10:9 Jesus said that He is the door. Really, folks, I don't picture Him as a piece of paneled wood swinging on a couple of hinges with a brass door knob attached about 3 1/2 feet off the floor! No, I really don't -- if I were a strict 100 per cent "literalist" as implied by critics because I say I believe the Bible, then that is indeed how I would picture Jesus!
  

HOWEVER, there are many portions of Scripture which I do take literally and for which I do not apologize.

Some of these have been denied by those who pride themselves on being "liberal" and at times disagreement has become quite heated over whether such events and/or persons are historical fact or myth, legend, etc.

I've already mentioned Adam and Eve. Other recorded information which has been denied or highly questioned involves the world wide flood judgment at the time of Noah, the opening of the Red Sea when the Israelites left Egypt, the opening of the Jordan River at flood stage, and the great fish swallowing Jonah in the Old Testament. In the New Testament areas of dispute involve the virgin birth of Jesus Christ, His sinless life, the many miracles which He performed, His atonement for the sins of every member of the human race, His bodily resurrection from the dead following the crucifixion, His command to confront the entire world with His claims and call as Savior and Lord, and His promised return to this earth to rule it from Jerusalem at some point in the future!

While reading and in some cases, having done research papers on "theologians" who denied or seriously questioned many of those things mentioned above, I personally have never had a problem with what has been recorded in the Bible. I struggle at times to try to understand and grasp things at points, but I have never doubted that God did the things which are attributed to Him. In the Jonah incident -- the God I have known and been in fellowship with for 50 years could have kept Jonah alive in the belly of that fish for a year or longer if He had wanted to!

My God can do anything He wants to and when He wants to with no obligation to explain in detail to me how He did it or why He did it. The main expectation He has from me is that I approach Him in the spirit of a child and BELIEVE! In fact Jesus made it a demand that we become as children in our faith and relationship to Him -- part of that invovles our willingness to accept as a small child the truth of what God has done in the past, is doing now, and plans to do in the future!

"Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven." --- Matthew 18:3

By the way, how great is the God in Whom you claim to believe? Can He do things such as bring world wide judgment, open up a great body of water and dry the ground on which that water rested for centuries, keep a man alive in the belly of a great fish which He has prepared, make it possible for a young virgin to have a baby without a human male being in any way involved, raise the dead to life, etc? And can He touch the heart of a sinner in such a way that the sinner is brought to totally forsake his sins, seek forgiveness, and live a transformed life in obedience to the Savior Who was crucified for those sins?

As mentioned earlier there is one apology I have never made in the past and never will in the future -- that I believe the Bible, God's holy Word! Much of it I do take literally, but there are some exceptions as previously noted -- remember, God is not a Rhode Island Red chicken, though He covers me with His feathers and I take refuge under His wings! (Psalm 91).

I am Your servant; give me understanding, that I may know Your testimonies. It is time for You to act, O LORD, for they have regarded Your law as void. Therefore I love Your commandments more than gold, yes, than fine gold! Therefore all Your precepts concerning all things I consider to be right; I hate every false way. Your testimonies are wonderful; therefore my soul keeps them. The entrance of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple. --- Psalm 119:125-130

Are You One of the Few?

They are the remaining few as winter begins to approach. This year they managed to hang on a bit longer than usual. I am referring to what some of us call lightning bugs -- you know, that flying insect that has a flashing light at its rear end! In summer they have put on quite a display in the field across the road from our place as twilight fades into the darkness of night.

My day starts between 4:30 and 4:45 AM -- before retirement I got up at 4 AM each day -- now that I'm getting old I sleep in a little while! I do about an hour of devotions -- Bible reading guide I follow takes me through the Bible one time, a second time through the New Testament, plus roaming about in the Old Testament prophets in one year's time. There is a prayer time which continues as I leave about 6 AM for my 2 mile walk. In October it is dark in south central PA at 6 AM when we are on DST.

It was on those morning walks during our milder than usual October that I spotted some of them by the side of the road -- the firebugs, that is -- not many -- but they definitely attracted attention with their glowing light. They weren't flashing -- it was more of a steady glow in the grass by the edge of the road. I never failed to look at one as I passed by and that prodded me to remember some things.

First, Jesus said the human race would regress to the conditions which prevailed at the time of Noah before the flood -- wickedness and evil reigned as king and queen! He also said it would be like Sodom when Lot lived there for a time. See Luke 17:24-30.

Second, He said we are to be as lights in this world where evil is dominant and humans who are enslaved by it make up the vast majority of the population which is over 6 billion on this planet at the present time!

Third, as human history approaches its climax those few who display the truth, light, and love of Jesus Christ will be the targets of increased hostility and violence -- and why is this? Note a clear explanation in John 3:19-21:

"And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."

So to any reading this -- as the world finds itself immersed in intense spiritual darkness, are you one of the few still shining brightly and revealing clearly that forgiveness, salvation, peace, and hope are found only in Jesus Christ Who is Savior and Lord?

Don't forget -- you may be the only light in someone's darkness!

"You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." --- Matthew 5:14-16

"Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it." --- Matthew 7:13,14

A Day Coming When Even the ACLU Will Be Praying!

And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?" --- Revelation 6:15-17

It is one of the most notorious organizations ever spawned in recent times -- a putrid mix of lawyers who are resolved to save us from ourselves! Under the deceptive banner of "Separation of Church and State" this blinded (blind to what truth really is all about) group has launched very effective assaults against Christianity continually.

It is known as the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) -- but it is much more accurate to have the initials represent Anti-Christian Lovers (of) Ungodliness! By way of definition, anything or anyone that advocates and encourages conduct and policies which defy the will of the Creator of this universe and which hinders the revelation of Who God really is, is more than qualified to be placed in the category of ungodliness.

This group is dedicated to the absolute elimination of any reference to Christianity in public settings such as schools and government. This mad dog approach to this issue has come about due to a mistaken interpretation of a statement made by Thomas Jefferson about a "wall of separation" between church and state in our republic.

One cannot say that spiritual, moral, and ethical conditions have greatly improved in our republic since God has been "officially" banned by court ruling from a lot of places including public school classrooms.

But the day is coming when even the members of this infamous group will find themselves praying desperately -- even if they have never uttered a word of prayer before in their entire lives! Further, it is quite possible that they will urge others to pray, even in public places!

Perhaps it will be in the spirit of a sign a student in one of my churches told me about at the time the Supreme Court ruled that Bible reading and the Lord's Prayer were no longer acceptable practices in public classrooms. This student informed me that someone put a large sign on the bulletin board in his high school which read, "In the event of nuclear attack, the ban against prayer in this school building will be temporarily suspended!" The sign was on display for a little while before a school administration official quickly removed it.

Isaiah the prophet also mentions this time of a world-wide crisis of a different kind -- when God has made the decision to directly intervene in the flow of human history. It will be a time with which the nations of this world are completely unprepared to deal, and it is obvious that material wealth will not be of any significant use in bringing relief from the impending judgment. And as noted in the frantic praying recorded in Revelation 6, for the first time ever, millions will discover too late, that now Almighty God is calling for a personal accounting from each individual!

Their land is also full of silver and gold, and there is no end to their treasures; their land is also full of horses, and there is no end to their chariots. Their land is also full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made. People bow down, and each man humbles himself; therefore do not forgive them. Enter into the rock, and hide in the dust, from the terror of the LORD and the glory of His majesty. The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day. For the day of the LORD of hosts shall come upon everything proud and lofty, upon everything lifted up; and it shall be brought low;........ They shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, from the terror of the LORD and the glory of His majesty, when He arises to shake the earth mightily. In that day a man will cast away his idols of silver and his idols of gold, which they made, each for himself to worship, to the moles and bats, to go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the crags of the rugged rocks, from the terror of the LORD and the glory of His majesty, when He arises to shake the earth mightily. --- Isaiah 2:7-12, 19-21

I would be the first to admit it -- response to what has just been written will involve a high degree of mockery and skepticism on the part of a majority. Similar in a sense to what Noah likely experienced before God shut him and his family inside the ark! But as has been noted in the past, "There are no atheists in fox holes!" So, to the few of you who do believe that God means precisely every word He has recorded in that inspired record known as the Bible, hang on and be prepared in order that you will not be joining them in that last great "prayer meeting" where the shouts are totally in vain and there is no response from the other side!

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life." --- John 8:12

More on Issue of God and His Judgmental Wrath!

"But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you: cursed shall you be in the city, and cursed shall you be in the country. Cursed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. Cursed shall be the fruit of your body and the produce of your land, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks. Cursed shall you be when you come in, and cursed shall you be when you go out. The LORD will send on you cursing, confusion, and rebuke in all that you set your hand to do, until you are destroyed and until you perish quickly, because of the wickedness of your doings in which you have forsaken Me." --- Deuteronomy 28:15-20

Roland in his comment on the post just below this one mentioned one reason why God should not bring judgment and that is love.

God's love is far beyond our limited minds to comprehend. Heavy is the emphasis on His love and mercy throughout the Scriptures. Perhaps that is one reason why things have gotten badly out of balance over time -- the focus has been totally on and emphasis given to God's "love" to the point in some cases of denying the reality of Hell as a place of everlasting torment.

Perhaps you have heard it in one form or another -- "God is a God of love and He would never send anyone to Hell!" Plus a heresy which is also a back door approach to denying the existence of Hell -- we're all going to end up in Heaven which is commonly known as universalism.

Truth demands that we look at this thing in the light of a coin with its "head" side and its "tail" side. God is a God of love beyond doubt and we are at that time of year when Christians review again the proof of His love in the giving of His Son, Jesus, for the sins of the entire human race -- His death on the cross was the perfect sacrifice for every sin you and I have ever committed in our lifetimes! And so mercy and forgiveness are offered on the condition of repentance and faith placed in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

But, God is also a God of judgment and wrath, and this too is clearly spelled out in the Scriptures, beginning with the "biggie" -- the flood at the time of Noah! What isn't realized is that mercy was offered for about 120 years before that devastating judgment took place. It is noted in 2 Peter that Noah, in addition to constructing the ark, was also a "preacher of righteousness." Except for his immediate family, no one else listened.

God's methods in dealing with cultures of people are mainly two -- when His Word is not heeded, He begins a series of chastising actions which may extend over quite a period of time. This is suggested in some of the Old Testament prophets. As long as there is chastising, there is hope for revival, healing and reconciliation. You see mention of God's efforts in this matter in the book of Amos.

However, if the chastising doesn't produce the desired results, then God's agenda changes and judgment is initiated. That means all hope is gone -- nothing but devastation and destruction will result -- God will not respond to the prayers that are uttered at such a time. Before you jump on that with "God always answers prayer!" thing, check Jeremiah 7, 11, and 14 for statements in which God explicitly says not to pray because He will not hear! Note again in the post before this one regarding the reference to 2 Chronicles 36 and the statement "till there was no more remedy!" That meant in no uncertain terms that they had crossed over the line -- no more chastising actions which offered hope of forgiveness and reconciliation with God -- now it was total destruction and NO HOPE!

I urge everyone who reads this to spend a lot of time with Jeremiah and Ezekiel (who was a contemporary of Jeremiah, but among the earlier captives) and see what was pointed out by way of spiritual, moral and ethical shortcomings. You will be amazed at how up to date these two are! But it's also a bit discomforting as well -- it might cause us to conclude as King Josiah did when words were read to him out of a long neglected dusty scroll -- "We're in a heap of trouble with God!" (that's a paraphrase, but that's precisely what he meant!).

"Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God: blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country...... --- Deuteronomy 28:1-3