The days of Noah
What will the end be like? Will we go out with a bang or a whimper? Our Lord says things will be quite ordinary. Now, I know the end times are dramatic, which they already are. Forget wars and rumors of wars. We have genocides, a billion babies aborted, without an eye that blinks. We have children drugged and castrated to celebrate the rainbow, but not that of Noah.
What will the last days look like? People buying and selling on Black Friday, people marrying and given in marriage, whatever marriage may or may not be.
So, what's the key? Well, Noah must have been mocked mercilessly for spending all his time and money on building an ark in a dry place. A life not well lived . . . until, of course, the rain came. First, sprinkles. No big deal. Then heavier rain. Well, I mean, there is always a flooded basement. But then, it didn't stop. And those who laughed watched as Noah's foolish ark started to float, while they watched from the roofs of their houses, and then were themselves swept away.
What does this all mean? Find a place on the ark, that is, the Church faithful. Not just any church posing as church, but a place where the truth is spoken. Baptism is compared to Noah's ark. Those who were with the Lord on the Sea of Galilee were safe as are Christians who cling to Christ and as are members of Christ's body the church. In the days of Noah, it mattered to be part of Noah's family. So also now, in these last days, what matters is to be members of Christ's family, to be aboard the ark that is the Church.
The world may not end in a flood, but a hard rain's going to fall. And when the ark's doors shut, they are shut forever. But not yet. So, take the side of God's rainbow, not the rainbow flag. Christ has won for us all salvation. It'd be a pity not to book a room.
The Rev. Dr. Peter Scaer is chairman and professor of Exegetical Theology and director of the M.A. program at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Ind.
Be Informed
The Supreme Court is set to hear two major cases regarding religious liberty in the new year. It will hear “appeals by two Catholic schools that are facing lawsuits from former teachers who allege the schools terminated them for age and disability reasons in violation of federal law. The schools say their decisions about employees who perform religious functions are protected by the First Amendment.” Click here to read more from the Wall Street Journal.
Be Equipped
As the number of “exvangelicals” and “non-religious millennials” grows, what will the impact on the culture be? Jon Brown explains.
Be Encouraged
“Some of the loudest voices for tolerance today have little tolerance for traditional Christian beliefs. So as you go about your daily life, just be ready. Because you’re going to be asked not just to tolerate things that violate your faith; you’re going to be asked to endorse them. You’re going to be asked to bow down to the idols of the popular culture. So you need to prepare your minds for action, men and women. You need to show that we can love God and love our neighbor at the same time through words and deeds. And you need to be prepared to meet opposition.”
