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The Door to Eternity from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo.

People who try to live right when the world has gone wrong have always gotten God's attention. We would not even be here today unless some of those people had swum against their current culture. Consider the story of Noah:

(Genesis 6:9–10 NKJV)  This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God. And Noah begot three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

(Genesis 6:11–12 NKJV)  The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.

(Genesis 6:13–14 NKJV)  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.

If Noah had not "walked" with God, there would have been nothing to save. It was a "Godless" time when people sought pleasure and did not seek God. Some angels even fancied humans and created a new race of giants. The Lord rebooted the Earth, but you can't kill an angel with a flood, so they are now bound in chains awaiting the coming judgment. 

(Genesis 6:4 NKJV)  There were giants on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.

(2 Peter 2:4–5 NKJV)  For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly;

God's secret weapon was Noah, a righteous man living in a wicked world. While everyone around him partied on like it was 1999 B.C., Noah kept building his ark. It took him 100 years to finish this 450-foot-long yacht. Imagine how many trees had to be cut down and moved to the site. Imagine the abuse Noah took and the taunts of those around him. How many Noah jokes could people come up with in a century? How many of Noah's sons does it take to drive a spike?

It was also a demonized culture, and Noah and his sons labored on building the ark for twenty-five, fifty, seventy-five, a hundred years before it was complete. The Earth was filled with violence, and Noah was a preacher of righteousness. Without the Lord's hand of protection, Noah and his sons would have certainly been dead. Noah preached, and the people ignored him.

We can learn a lot from Noah, for he did "all that the Lord commanded him" (Genesis 6:22). Noah rested everything on the word of God and obeyed Him. He suffered ridicule, backaches, and splinters. Noah's walk with God was not a peaceful stroll in the park either. He marched in obedience to God while the current culture marched in unison in the other direction. You will find this character in all of God's servants throughout Scripture. 

Who is the person God saves? The one who believes in God's promise to them and it is counted as righteousness. After all, what is simple faith? Believing in God enough to take action. We are saved by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ and confessing with our mouths that He is our Lord (Romans 10:9).

Remember the woman that touched the hem of Jesus' garment? She said to herself, If I can touch the hem of His garment, I will be healed, and she was. Then the Lord Jesus said, "Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well." What was her faith? She believed and took action on it (Matthew 9:21). 

We don't have to be perfect, but we should make what God wants a priority in our life. We live in a similar culture as Noah, and violence abounds. Consider what the Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy about the last days:

(2 Timothy 3:1–5 NKJV)  But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!

I know people in my family that check all those boxes, and the people they hang out with are even worse. Paul said some of these people would even have a form of godliness while doing all those things. #ChurchFace. 

Are you marching in obedience today or going with the flow? When I first got saved, I could say "Jesus," and all my friends would scatter like roaches in a crackhouse when a light turned on. Jesus Christ is the light of the world, and darkness flees from His presence. It's not you they flee from, but Who is inside you. 

Jesus said that when He returned to Earth, it would be like the days of Noah:

(Matthew 24:37–39 NKJV)  But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 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, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.

Do you know what the scary part is? The people were too busy enjoying themselves to realize the door of the ark was now closed, and their fate was sealed tighter than that door. It was too late to cry out to God when the rain began to fall. They had the last 100 years to listen to Noah's preaching and repent, but they didn't, and now it was too late. The door was sealed.

No one knows the day or hour, but one thing is certain: When God closes the door, the party is over. There will never be another Earth-destroying flood, for God promised Noah and put a rainbow in the sky as a sign:

(Genesis 9:11–13 NKJV)  Thus I establish My covenant with you: Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood; never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth." And God said: "This is the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you, and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth.

The Apostle Peter said that it would be fire next time: 

(2 Peter 3:7 NKJV)  But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

I don't know if I will see the Lord Jesus Christ return in my lifetime, for no one knows the day or hour. But being that we are all one heartbeat away from meeting Him right now, my advice is to "Live ready to die." For just as it was in the days of Noah, so shall His coming be. His return will happen as fast as a bolt of lightning. It will be instant, terrifying, and visible to everyone. 

(Matthew 24:27 NKJV)  For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.

Some will be taking a bite of supper, and bam, Eternity's door shuts. Then God's children who accepted His invitation will join Him in the after-party as the Earth becomes a giant bonfire.

(2 Peter 3:10 NKJV)  But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.

So live your life, and enjoy it, but include God in your plans along the way. Planning to do something means you haven't done it yet. Don't let your relationship with the Lord be one of those things. I leave you with some advice from the Apostle Peter:

(2 Peter 3:11–13 NKJV)  Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

You can pray this with me if you like: 

Prayer: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. I thank You for thinking of me and giving me an opportunity to escape the coming judgment. Lord, I thank You that the door to eternal life is open and for the plans You have for me right here and now. I give my heart to You today. Use me as You like. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!