Judgment Is Coming!

2 Peter 2:1-9

God’s divine order of creation was altered, after man entertained sin, thus initiating inevitable judgment upon the earth. God hates sin, because it’s very intent is to perform the opposite of what He designed man to do. Man was created in God’s image, to do those things that please Him, yet sin caused men to desire not God’s will, but their own.

As the one who created and sustains all things, God has every right to execute judgment as He desires. Contrary to those who believe God will save all people, because He is so loving, and kind, and compassionate, God will pour out His wrath on all unrepentant sinners.

In time past, God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, delivered them into chains of darkness, and left them to await their final judgment. In the days of Noah, mankind had become so wicked, to the point God was extremely sorrowful for what the people had done to themselves. In the same way a parent expresses sorrow for a child who rebels, God was sorry that the people chose sin, rather than a relationship with Himself. God said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from off the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenth me that I have made them.” (Genesis 6:7). God the Father would have showed mercy on the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, had He found ten righteous men there. Unfortunately, none except Lot was found righteous in the sight of the Lord.

Today, churches and religious institutions are littered with false teachers, prophets, and other evil agents, who secretly have brought in damnable heresies among the Saints. Unfortunately, many are being deceived by false doctrines, and are falling away from the faith, but judgment is coming to all who deny the truth of the Gospel, and turn men away from following Christ.

“Beware! God spared not the angels that sinned, and you will meet the same fate, if you don’t repent!” – Ell

Be ready for Christ’s coming

Matthew 24:36-44

Of all the signs that have been revealed, and prophecies manifested to this day, no one can determine the exact time Christ will return to the earth. Christ Himself is unaware when He’ll come back for the Saints, as He awaits the command of His Father; the only One who knows. Jesus told His disciples how His second coming can be compared to the time of Noah, and how God warned him of the flood, without revealing the exact time it would come. Noah’s obedience to God’s command to build an ark, according to certain specifications, saved him and his family, out of everyone on the face of the earth. In Noah’s day, men had become so corrupt, until God shortened their lifespan, then destroyed all the corrupted humans from the earth. Genesis 6:6 reads, “And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.” God not only destroyed man, but also beasts, creeping things, and fowl of the air. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord, and was spared, so that his family could replenish the earth once more.

Whether men believe it, or not, Jesus is coming back. Just like it was in Noah’s time, men today are living as if they’ll never die, and care nothing about God’s warning to submit themselves to His authority. In addition, just as countless men and women were destroyed for ignoring Noah’s warning, many today will suffer the same consequences, for choosing to ignore God’s warning as well. There are movies that have been produced which try to depict the actual events of the end-time, or armageddon, but the Bible puts it plain and clear, so that all can be warned of what’s to come.

Jesus mentioned in verses 40 and 41 how some will be taken in the midst of working, while others will be left behind. I’m under the assumption this event will take place after the rapture, based on the text in verses 29-31 (that’s for another lesson). Will you be ready when Christ returns? Are you living in expectation of that wonderful, yet terrifying day? What did you do today to prepare yourself to see God in peace? Was most of your time spent working, complaining, worrying, or crying over things that have little to no relevance to your eternal security? The clock is ticking, and time is winding up, as Jesus prepares to make His second big entrance in the earth. Ready or not, here He comes!

Walk in love

Ell

Remember Lot’s wife

Luke 17:22, 26-37

Have you ever forgiven someone more than once, but for the same thing? How does it make you feel when the person you love, constantly hurts you, but your love for them extends beyond your pain, and you willingly forgive them for every mistake? It’s unfair how we’re treated, at times, by those we were commanded to love, but the power of love is so potent, until it gives one the ability to forgive, and forget.

Have you ever considered how many times you’ve hurt God, by constantly falling short of His glory, yet He continues to forgive you? For God so loved the world, He gave us Christ. There’s no greater gift one can receive, than the gift of salvation. Since the beginning of time, until now, the world has become more and more wicked, but God is still in the forgiving business. It matters not how many times we slip or mess up, God’s love never runs out, and is available to cover our mountain of mistakes. I’ve made countless mistakes in life, some of which were even repetitive, but God forgave me of them all, after I confessed, then turned away from those unfruitful activities.

God is truly merciful, and His grace is sufficient, but the day is coming when His love will close up shop, and relocate to a new, and better territory. The end-time prophecies are nearing their completion, and Christ is soon to return to the earth, so it’s time for us to prepare ourselves to soon leave this troubled, and sin-sick world. I know some people dislike discussing the revelations of Scripture, because it tends to frighten them, but the end of this heaven and earth is inevitable, and the only way to see God in peace is, to ensure that you’re engrafted into the body of Christ.

History is soon to repeat itself, just like during the time of Noah, when God sent a great flood to destroy all the wicked people who refused to turn their hearts to Him, and in the time of Lot, when God destroyed the irreparable Sodom and Gomorrah, after he and his family (except his wife) had fled safely away from those wicked lands. Similar to these historic events, Christ will return and destroy multitudes, leaving some to go into the Millennium. My mind often wonders, what was so important that Lot’s wife couldn’t let go of, to receive her salvation. Her simple command was to run, and don’t look back, but there must have been something in her heart that wasn’t godly, that she couldn’t release. Such a sad position to be in, thinking that your wife, your heart, your rib is in sync with your walk with God, but turns out she was keeping secrets that caused her to miss her deliverance.

Is there anything on this earth, worth you missing eternity with God? It hurts to know that there are people who will look back when Christ comes, and will miss their deliverance. Just like the rich ruler who found it rather difficult to give up his wealth to follow after Christ, many in the last days will become so in love with their material possessions, that they’ll miss the opportunity to accept Christ as their Savior. Many have yet to taste, and see how good the Lord is, so they are left believing that their possessions hold more value than Christ’s salvation. On the contrary, being rich in Jesus is worth more than silver and gold, and is the only way to truly live a life that’s purposeful and meaningful on this earth.

If you stop and think for a moment, you’ll notice the subtle, yet effective strategy of satan in this time. He allows distractions, including politics, wars and rumors of wars, and the like, to keep our attention long enough to distract us from focusing on preparing ourselves to meet God. Even our careers are set up to keep us overwhelmed to the point we can’t wait to take a vacation, and relax. The devil is very cunning, and knows what it takes to get us off guard, but we must be cunning as well, yet humble; recognizing that time is nearing its end, and we will all face God for ourselves. What will He say when you finally see Him face to face? Will you hear, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord”, or will God’s final words to you be, “I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity”? The choice is up to you. Either choose Christ and accept His free gift of salvation, or hold fast to the things of this world, and suffer the consequences that come with it.

Walk in love,

Ell

Noah to Abraham, faith in action

Hebrews 11:4-10

🎵🎶 Faith, faith, faith just a little more faith🎵🎶. That’s a song I learned growing up in church. As kids, my siblings and I would sing these types of songs well, not because we understood them, but because we memorized the words and tune. Nearing year 37 of my existence on this planet, I can now sing every word of that song, and know full well what they mean. I can even add a few verses of my own, with all the faith experiences I’ve had in my brief lifetime.

Faith is trusting what we can’t yet see, because of Who we believe in. The writer of the book of Hebrews said, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1). He went on to teach that it’s impossible to even please God without faith. Knowing that there’s this “one” thing required that prompts God to immediate pleasure, you’d think that all believers would grasp this truth and run with it. Sadly, many who profess they love God are living faithless lives daily. It takes faith to move effectively in the will of God. Placing your trust in things other than God, creates room for doubt, worry, and disbelief to settle in your heart and mind.

Noah was a man of great faith. He trusted God to do things he’d never seen or heard of before. During Noah’s days, God set dew on the crops to provide water for their nourishment, but hearing that God would eventually send rain and cause the earth to flood must have put a big question mark over Noah’s head. Yet, Noah kept his faith in God, because he believed that God’s words were superior to anything that could come from any other source.

Abraham is considered by many as, the Father of Faith. He also trusted God, while believing without knowing all the juicy details of where God was leading him. The problem with many Christians is, they won’t move until they know everything God has planned. If God showed us all the details of our lives, then we’d easily lose faith in Him, because we’d have all the knowledge we needed. But we are to trust in the Lord with all our heart, never depending on our own understanding for guidance.

Abraham left nearly everything behind, except a few loved ones, as he embarked on a new journey with God at the helm. Some preachers and teachers use the term “blind faith” when referring to trusting God without knowing your destination. But this is what godly living is all about; total dependence on the leading of the Spirit. There’s no man, woman, or demon who knows and cares for you like our Heavenly Father does. So why trust in things that have little to no power at all?

The Word of God give us all the information we need to live a faithful life that pleases Him. Turn your eyes away from worldly distractions, and fix them on the unseen God. Some may ask, why do you believe in a God you can’t see? Here are a few scriptures that reveal how God is clearly seen:

“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun” (Psalm 19:1-4).

“But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee: Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee. Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this? In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind” (Job 12:7-10).

“For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse” (Romans 1:20).

Seek peace,

Ell

Families and nations descended from Noah

Genesis 9:18-19, 10:1-4, 6-8, 21-23

Genealogy in Scripture is probably the least favorite among all themes many prefer to study. However, despite the difficulty in pronouncing the unique names of those in earlier scriptures, it’s very important to know where we all came from. Everyone alive today came from one of the three sons of Noah. After the flood, God told Noah and his sons to be fruitful, multiply, and bring forth abundantly in the earth. It’s been said by some, that Noah’s sons could possibly have been triplets, due to the order of how they are listed in Scripture. Whether they were triplets, or not, they obeyed the command of God.

Men of varying colors and types came into existence from Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Japheth had seven sons, Ham had four, and Shem brought forth five sons. Shem was probably mentioned last in the table of nations, because from his seed, was the line from whom the Messiah would come. His seed would also be the important subject of the remainder of the Old Testament. In any case, all of us came from one of these men, so we are either brothers and sisters to one another, or cousins. That’s pretty cool, right? Just because we’re all different colors, or speak varying languages, doesn’t discredit the fact that we’re all from the same bloodlines.

It’s amazing how people take pride in a country, nation, or color, while ignoring the fact that we’re all related anyway. Racism runs rampant in our society, which causes some to act in violence toward others simply because of the color of their skin. From the words of Rodney King, “Can’t we all just get along?” There’s only one race, and it’s not Black, White, Hispanic, Chinese, nor any other. We are all of the human race. The enemy causes division amongst the people because he loves to see us fall, but we are all family, and should love each other the same.

Take pride, not in the color of your skin, but in being a part of God’s wonderful and fearful creation. Be colorblind when showing love to others, and allow the Holy Spirit to guide you along the way.

Seek peace,

Ell

God’s covenant with Noah and animals

Genesis 9:8-17

When God established His covenant, or alliance with Noah, it was straight forward, and didn’t require anything on Noah’s part. Covenants typically required conditions that both parties would vow to keep, but God handled this one on His own. God gave a list of promises stating that He’ll no longer curse men with a flood, neither will it destroy the earth again. God stamped this covenant on all generations including Noah’s, and all to come after.

God’s sign to remind Himself, and His people that His covenant was sure, was the beautiful rainbow He set in the clouds. God said, “I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth” (Genesis 9:13-16).

It’s impossible for God to lie, and His Word proves this fact over and over again. Noah witnessed, firsthand, God fulfilling His word, as he and his family were the sole human survivors of the flood. In essence, they could rest assured knowing that God would keep His covenant as well. Isn’t it promising to know that God always keeps his word? In life, I’ve met many who say things with their lips, yet their actions never follow through. But God isn’t like men who use words for manipulation or selfish gain. Instead, His words are for edification, blessed assurance, and purposes to make His people better.

“God commended His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him” (Romans 5:8-9). This promise from God is also certain, and will soon be fulfilled. The sign that God will keep His promises to our generation is the cross, where Jesus died. I believe every word God spoke in his Word, and I know that if I obey His will, I’ll see those promises He has for me be revealed.

Seek peace,

Ell

Noah’s steadfast faith

Genesis 6:9b-22

How is it that some people can experience tough times and seem to break down halfway through, whereas others have a tendency to not only go through hard situations, but come out as if they were never phased at all? The key to having faith in God goes beyond simply believing. One must have consistency in their faith, in order to get God’s attention. It’s in our consistency, where our faith and strength is developed. God not only preserved Noah and his family because of their pure bloodline, but God saw that Noah had faith that was tried and tested. God knew that He could trust Noah to follow His commands to the letter; and Noah did just that. Verse 22 reads, “Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.”

In the very midst of worldwide corruption and violence in the earth, Noah kept himself, and his family in the presence of God. He could have easily turned to the ways of the world, because sin is only a choice. Yet, Noah chose to serve God, and refused to let His flesh overpower his will to do God’s work. When we chose to acknowledge God in all our ways, we will clearly receive His instructions for our lives. There are those who seem lost and confused concerning their purpose in life, because they are on the fence between trusting God, and following the advice of their peers. But when we trust God in all things, and obey his commandments, then we can look forward to a rich and promising future.

Men today have lost their place in God, because they’ve turned to other things that God despises. Families are disfunctional because fathers aren’t fulfilling the role God originally set for them. My advice for men today is to mirror the life of Noah (pre-flood), and take back the position of authority God gave you. Let God see you just and perfect in this generation, as He saw Noah in his. Our world is full of corruption, violence, and all sorts of sin, but we can be consistent in our faith, just as Noah was. To be found righteous in the eyes of God, we must first walk with Him. The same way parents tend to, and cares for the needs of their children, God attends to every need of those adopted into His royal family.

Like Noah did in his time, look not to the left, nor the right, but keep your eyes fixed on the Lord Jesus Christ, and be consistent in walking in His holy ways.

Seek peace,

Ell

Surviving people and animals disembark ark

Genesis 8:1-5,13-19

God looked on the earth as the rain poured from the heaven, water descended from the windows of heaven, and even more sprung forth from the depths of the earth for 150 days. It took a good while for all except Noah’s family, and the creatures preserved in the ark, to perish. The mountains of Ararat must have been the highest of peaks in this area, because this is where the ark finally rested, as the waters had gone down. I’m not 100 percent certain, but it seems logical. The waters continued to subside until Noah could see the tops of other mountains begin to show forth in the distance. When the waters were completely dried from the earth, God was ready to begin anew with this righteous bloodline.

I wonder what Noah witnessed as he removed the covering of the ark, and looked upon the earth. Were there piles of dead men and animals lying across the vast lands, or were they forced into the new masses of water that assembled from the flood? Whatever he saw, I’m sure he was grateful to finally leave the ark and walk on dry land. God instructed Noah and his family to leave the ark, take the animals as well, then repopulate the earth. Of all the commands God gave men, I can rest assured this one was always the easiest to obey 😁😆😉.

Spending a little over a year on the ark gave Noah and his family a lot of time to commune with God, and consider how important it is to obey Him. Just knowing that you were the only survivor of every living thing that exists on the earth should be more than enough to prove that obedience to God is first priority. When we face moments in our lives where we’re confined or constrained to limited resources, we must use this time wisely, and not to murmur and complain. Instead, we should consider the reason God has us in the place we’re in at the moment. Maybe He’s removing things in our life that needs to die so we can live, or He’s possibly allowing time for our faith to grow and mature in preparation for greater seasons in our lives.

Whatever the reason for your seasons of isolation, remember not to worry, nor fret, because being obedient to God will only yield positive results. God loves us so much until He’ll allow us to go through times of seemingly endless abandonment, just so He can disconnect us from things that could hinder or block our purpose. Anything that keeps you from obeying God, He’ll cause it to die, if necessary, to save your soul.

Seek peace,

Ell

The flood destroys all earthly life

Genesis 7:17-24

As Noah and his family were kept safe in the ark, the flood waters continued to pour down from the heavens, as well as spring up from the depths of the earth. So the earth was cleansed from top to bottom. The waters rose so high until they covered even the highest mountains. God made certain to completely wipe out all living things from the earth. Some believe that the flood was only in a particular place during that time, but the Bible clearly states in verse 21, “And all flesh died that moved upon the face of the earth, both, of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man.” That undoubtedly sounds like a universal flood to me. Not even the birds that flew high in the skies, could escape the great flood.

God kept the word He spoke in chapter 6 and verse 7 when He said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from off the face of the earth; both man and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.” Warning always comes before judgment, but when God’s patience runs out, His judgment is inevitable. Well, we’ve been warned time and time again that Christ will return to judge the earth. We can either take heed to these warnings and prepare ourselves for His coming, or neglect to adhere to God’s Word and be lost for all eternity.

When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal. (Matthew 25:31-46)

Seek peace,

Ell

Wild and domestic animals climb aboard

Genesis 7:11-16

Growing up and hearing the story of Noah and the ark, I was always curious to know how he managed to get hundreds of various types of animals to cooperate, and willingly board the ark. The mind of a child can create some strange, yet interesting imaginations. I was always under the impression that Noah and his sons took forever to board the ship, because they were running around frantically trying to subdue the tigers that were chasing after the deer, and redirect the birds that were flying everywhere except towards the ark. In my mind, it was like animals gone wild! Come on, you can’t blame me for my wild imaginations; I was only a kid. The more I grew and matured in the Scriptures, I came to realize that God orchestrated the assembling of the animals, because on his own strength, Noah could never accomplish such an impossible task.

As Noah and his family took their place on the ark, the hand of God guided every beast after his kind, all the cattle after their kind, every creeping thing that creepth upon the earth after his kind, and every bird of every sort, in the ark. Animals were preserved because they too serve a purpose in God’s wonderful creation. All animals have important roles in the ecosystem as well. Some animals help to bring out the nutrients in nature, while others help in decomposition, carbon, and nitrogen cycle. All animals, insects, and even micro organisms play a role in the ecosystem as well. For example, bees are responsible for pollinating all the plants around us. In fact, they pollinate almost one third of everything you eat. Apart from providing us with a fine food product, and work for thousands of bee keepers around the world, they also help in pollination of most common plants around us. The purpose of the cow is to provide milk and meat, leather, and labor for man. Everything God preserved serves a purpose, including the cockroach. I always said that Noah should have left those pesky roaches to drown, but I now understand why God created them. Cockroaches live in warm, tropical areas and feed on decaying wood and leaves. They help break down this organic debris; in the process, they add nutrients to the soil through their waste. They’re also a food source for small reptiles and mammals. But their most important role is decomposing; beginning the process of shredding dead and decaying organic matter into smaller bits to be eaten by recycling bacteria. Without roaches, far more dirt would pile up all over the world. Imagine that 😄!

I could spend hours writing about how important each creature is that God made, but my purpose is to express how God preserves what He values. Your value begins with the fact that you are made by the hand of the Creator, in His very image. It was not the will of God for the people in Noah’s day to perish, but that they live in obedience to His will, but their opportunity passed them by. The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee (Jeremiah 31:3). The fact that God still preserves you by giving you the breath of life daily is because He wants to get the best out of you. We are some amazing creatures! We’re not alive for the sole purpose of accumulating wealth, gaining prestige, or making our names great on the earth, but we were commissioned to share with the world, God’s message of salvation. Unfortunately, many are being led astray (as were those in the days of Noah) by worldly temptations and distractions.

After the flood, God received Noah’s burnt offering, as it was a sweet savour in His presence. God promised to never again curse the ground any more for man’s sake, because the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth. God also promised to never wipe out all living things again, as He previously did. God blessed Noah and his sons, and established a covenant with them.

When our lives are centered on godly living, we cannot go unnoticed when God’s hand passes by with blessings. Our focus shouldn’t be simply on getting things from God, but when we seek first His Kingdom and righteousness, things will be added without having to ask. This world is wicked, and we see it’s manifestations every day. Although we are in this crazy would, we don’t partake in its doings. Shift your focus from self, to others, then watch God pour increase in your life daily.

Seek peace,

Ell