THE END TIMES AS IN THE DAYS OF NOAH AND LOT

In Matthew 24 and Luke 17, Jesus gave us a clear warning and indication of what this world would be like near the time of His second coming. Looking forward to the time just before His return, Christ saw the scene of this world and it was a mirror of what it was like back in both Noah's and Lot's day.

Matthew 24:37-39 ...'But as the days of Noah 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.'

Luke 17:28-30 ...'Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.'

Why did Jesus say that in those days people were 'eating and drinking, marrying, building and planting'? Are these things evil? No. So what point was Jesus making? That even though the 'world' for them was about to end, they continued living life as normal, focusing on this life as if nothing was about to happen.

Please understand this important point friends. Even though God was about to destroy the world with a flood in Noah's day and Noah gave the warning of the coming destruction, the people ignored the warning and continued living for self. And the same is taking place today. Even though Jesus is sending warning after warning to the world today, man continues to live for self, as if nothing is going to happen. Worst still, even many of us who DO know this world is about to be destroyed continue to live life as normal, eating and drinking, building, marrying, and holding onto sin!

Now take a look at what else the Bible says people were like in the days of Noah and Lot.

IN NOAH's DAY - Genesis 6:5,11,12 ...'And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 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.'

Is the world full of violence today? Yes! Protests, riots, murders and wars rage across the whole world, with man scheming evil continually!

IN LOT's DAY - Jude 1:7 ...'Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.'

Has the world today given itself over to fornication and going after 'strange flesh'? Yes, absolutely! Fornication and sodomy is all around us!

Oh friends! Not only is this world today full of violence and sexual immorality, including homosexuality, these evils have now been turned into ENTERTAINMENT! That's right! This world is now ENTERTAINED by the very things that God DESTROYED the old world and Sodom for. Just look at all the television programs and movies. They are FULL of violence, fornication and sodomy. And even God's professed people are ENTERTAINED by it all! Have mercy!

Romans 1:32 ...'Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.'

2 Peter 2:4-6 ...'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; And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly.'

Oh that the scenes of iniquity practiced in these last days would make a deep impression on the minds of God's professed people. God's Spirit is now being withdrawn from this world and the angel of mercy is about to depart! Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision; for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision! (Joel 3:14)

There is another description of what sin the people of Sodom committed, and we find that description in the book of Ezekiel, the 16th chapter. Let us take a look at what it says:

Ezekiel 16:48-50 ...'As I live, saith the Lord God, Sodom thy sister hath not done, she nor her daughters, as thou hast done, thou and thy daughters. Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good.'

There are two points to make here. God is speaking to Jerusalem - His people (vs.2-3), and God is saying that even Sodom did NOT commit the sin that His professed people committed. Meaning, God's professed people committed a worse sin than Sodom. And this is something that the majority of God's professed people today don't realize. But let us first look at Sodom's sin above.

"Pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy."

Can you see the sin of Sodom? It wasn't all about homosexuality. Yes, that was an abomination which Sodom committed. But look at the ROOT of Sodom's sin - LOVE OF SELF! Just look at how rich many of us are today and look at how little sacrifice we are willing to make for the gospel and for the needy. Do we REALLY BELIEVE in Jesus Christ? Well, what did Christ do?

Philippians 2:5-8 ...'Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.'

THE SON OF THE MOST HIGH GOD made Himself of 'no reputation, taking the form of man' and 'humbled himself, even unto death.' Do you see the SACRIFICE that was made for YOU? Well, do you see the SIN in then accepting that sacrifice and still living for yourself, being 'full of bread' and 'idle' and 'not strengthening the hand of the poor and needy'? Do you see the SIN in not making a sacrifice for the gospel message? It's time to wake up friends from our 'slumber.' It's time to wake up from our Laodicean condition, before Christ 'spues us out of His mouth' (Rev.3:16).

But what about God's professed people committing a WORSE sin than Sodom, as Ezekiel 16 says? What did God's professed people have that Sodom didn't? The LIGHT OF THE TRUTH. And what did God's professed people in those days do? Turned away from the light unto sin. So if God gives us light and we turn away from that light, then we are committing a WORSE sin than Sodom! Remember that!

Matthew 11:21-24 ...'Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you. And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.'

I'm sure that Noah would have preached to the people watching as he built the ark, warning them of the judgment to come. And 2 Peter 2:7 confirms that Lot 'vexed his soul from day to day with the unlawful deeds' of Sodom. So Lot would also have been warning the people of Sodom of their wicked ways. But neither groups of people would listen to the 'present truth' of their time and judgment came swiftly upon them unawares!

And the same is happening around the world today! The people are dull of hearing the truth!

"The fearful doom of Sodom stands forth as a warning for all time, and especially for those who live in the last days. The destruction of Sodom was a symbol of the destruction that will come upon the finally impenitent, when tempests of fire come from above, and fountains of flame break forth from the crust of the earth. The fate of this ancient city should be a warning to all who live for self, and who corrupt their ways before God. The sin of Sodom is the sin of many cities now in existence, that have not been destroyed as was Sodom. Ezekiel says, "Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fullness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me; therefore I took them away as I saw good." The warning that was given to Lot comes down to us who live in this degenerate age,--"Escape for thy life." [But] the voice of the tempter is crying peace and safety. The evil one would have you feel that you have nothing to fear, and bids you eat, drink, and be merry. Which voice will you heed, the voice of heaven, or the voice that lures you to destruction? The Redeemer of the world, the compassionate Friend of man, discloses to our eyes the fact that there is a sin greater than the sin of Sodom. It is that of sinning against greater light. To those who have heard and have not heeded the gospel invitation to repent and have faith in Christ, the sin is greater than was the sin of Sodom. To those who have professed the name of Jesus, who have professed to know God, and to keep his commandments, and yet who have misrepresented Christ in their daily life and character, who have been warned and entreated, and still dishonor their Redeemer by their unconsecrated lives, the sin is greater than that of Sodom." (Signs of the Times, Oct.16, 1893, par.6-7)

It doesn't take a genius to figure out that we are living in the time Jesus talked about. A time like the days of Noah and Lot where violence, wickedness, sexual immorality, homosexuality, love of self and idleness would control the minds of men and women alike. Take a look around you, turn on the TV and you will see a world FULL of evil, corruption, violence and sexual immorality. Which means we need to turn it OFF and stop being ENTERTAINED by sin!

God's Spirit is still striving with man, to convict him of sin and to turn man to Christ Jesus through faith, to obey Him and keep His commandments. But as the verse in Genesis 6 says ... 'My spirit shall not always strive with man.' ... God will give everyone a chance, which He is doing right now, to turn to Him with all their hearts and to turn away from sin. But if they choose to continue to ignore the promptings of the Holy Spirit and the warnings from God's Word, then His spirit will be withdrawn and the day of judgment will come upon them swiftly unawares.

Just as John the Baptist had a message of repentence to prepare the world for the first coming of Christ, so is God sending another message of repentence to prepare the world for the second coming of Christ. But just like the judgments that fell upon the old world and Sodom, when Jesus returns, there will be no more chances. So please heed the call. Let us turn from our sins and surrender our lives fully to our Lord Jesus Christ.

Revelation 14:12 ...'Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.'

2 Timothy 2:19 ...'Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.'