As the Days of Noe Were

"Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are
drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober,
putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet,
the hope of salvation."  I Thessalonians 5:6-8

"But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.  For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." Matthew 24:37-39

The following message is from Minister B.H. Clendennen.  As with everything posted on this blog, it is shared with the hope that the reader will take the message in prayer to God, seeing what He has to say about the matter.

That said, there are a few of things I want to mention. The Scriptures speak of a time of "tribulation" and a time of "great tribulation".  I believe this is often a distinguishing between the earth having to deal with Satan's wrath vs. the wrath of God.  Clearly the church has, is, and shall experience Satan's wrath as he continually persecutes God's people...and is given permission to do so by God (Daniel 7:25).  Jesus Himself tells us to expect tribulation from Satan in the world (John 16:33; Revelation 2:10).  Yet the Bible also says we are saved from the wrath to come, which is a reference to God's wrath (I Thessalonians 1:10, 5:9).  For more on the rapture, please see:  What Can We Know About the Rapture?

One thing that struck me when I was first saved, was reading the Book of Revelation and seeing how obstinate the people were as God poured out His wrath.  This was not a people who did not know what was going on.  They knew that they were experiencing God's judgment.  They knew it was God Himself who was sending these plagues upon them.  Yet they would not repent (Revelation 9:20-21, 11:10).  Now that is a hard-hearted people.  God had extended mercy by having His own Son butchered for the sin of the world.  God had been longsuffering, giving space and time to repent.  God even sent forth judgment as a witness to His fury with sin.  However nothing turned the hearts of these people.  They did not respond to mercy.  They did not respond to longsuffering.  They did not even respond to punishment.  There is only one option left: damnation.  The Great Tribulation - God's wrath - is poured out on those who will not repent (Revelation 2:22).  This is important to consider when we examine when the rapture will occur and what the outcome will be of those who go through the great tribulation.

• There will be a parallel between the day of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and the days of Noah
• The greatest alarm in the church is that there is no alarm in the church
• If you are going to be ready when Jesus comes, then you must be ready all of the time.  He will come in the "twinkling of an eye" leaving no time to make up your mind (I Corinthians 15:52).
• If you were ever really born again, then you know there is nothing like your first love.  When you were first saved, Christ was everything; there was a love for Him and nothing else mattered.  Today, much of the is gone as the church has become careless.
• The Bible says it is possible that you can become so overcharged with the things of this life and with overeating that the day of the rapture take us unawares.
• If you love your house, your property, your wife, your children, more than Christ it is because those things have become your god and you will not make the rapture.
• If you love Jesus more than you love your own life, then you will be able to love everyone else much better.
• Know for certain that a man can miss the rapture.  Even Paul said that he had not yet apprehended it, but pressed forward to obtain that for which he was apprehended (Philippians 3:11-14).  A man can have known God and walked with God, but in a time of carelessness, miss being ready for His return.
• In Noah's day, only 8 were saved.  At Jesus' Second Coming, likewise only few will be saved (Luke 18:8).
• Parents are the spiritual covering for children.  If a parent neglects this responsibility, the children will suffer.
• Only those who are filled and controlled by the Holy Spirit will be part of the rapture.
• There is a lot of religion today, but very little spirituality.
• It is absolutely natural for a living organism to grow.  Likewise, if a church is spiritually alive, it also will grow naturally.
• When you read the Scriptures to prove your beliefs, then you will always wind up at the wrong end.  Yet when you read the Scriptures with the intent of God showing you where you are wrong, then you will always find an answer.
• "Self" is the only inroad that Satan has into our lives.  Overcome "self" and we can overcome all. 
• Don't seek worldly things, but seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.
• It doesn't matter if you were filled with the Spirit last year or yesterday.  You must be filled at the moment of Jesus' return or you will have no oil, no spiritual life.  You will be a foolish virgin.
• If you are engaged in this world, you will never hear the trumpet sound.