Season will follow Season and a call to Prayer and Fasting

“Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it. The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground because of humans, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done. “As long as the earth endures, seed time and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.””
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭8:20-22‬ ‭NIV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/111/gen.8.20-22.niv

People make a lot of predictions don’t they? What is a prediction? Google defines it this way, “a thing predicted; a forecast.” Instantly we think about the weather. What is today’s forecast? Cloudy with a high of 8 degrees with a chance of afternoon rain and meatballs. Meatballs? Why not kale? How did we get from predicting the weather to food?

We are such predictable creatures. We get up in the morning and we think about the future. What the weather will be like. What we will eat. What our day will look like with the activities we have planned. It’s called life on earth, as planned by self and hoping to have some fun, love and fulfillment on the way. There is nothing wrong with fun, love and fulfillment unless it is self-centred or about the big “ME.” In fact when someone consistently lives for self it leads to evil. This is not just a prediction. It is the truth ten times out of ten.

Noah found favour in the eyes of the LORD (Genesis 6:8). Noah was a man who put his trust in God. While the world around him was enjoying wicked and selfish pursuits, Noah thought about pleasing God and living for Him. Ultimately his relationship with God, the Creator of all life and elements, saved his life. Noah was instructed to build an ark (big, big boat like a cruise ship) for himself, his family and the living creatures that God brought to him. This ark would be his salvation from the global flood that would wipe away God’s creation and bring a new start. Why? Find an answer by reading more about Noah in the Holy Bible in the first book called Genesis chapters 5 to 9.

Is the coronavirus God’s punishment upon the earth? Is it the new flood to wipe out selfish humanity? Today’s forecast is cloudy with a chance of COVID-19. Death and destruction is serious stuff. This is where the skeptic will say, “God is sadistic!” Google can you define that… “deriving pleasure from inflicting pain, suffering, or humiliation on others.” “How can a loving God allow this to happen?” some ask.

How would you answer a skeptic who believes God is sadistic? I told my skeptical friend that God is a God who provides. He provided Noah with a plan of salvation through the ark. This is not a make-believe story! Ask any evolutionary minded scientist about the earth experiencing a catastrophic flood. They will agree, “Yes it happened!” [Visit creation.com for more insight here!] I’ll be the first to admit I don’t know why God sent the flood over the entire earth, but I know it wasn’t done with pleasure. God’s holiness demands the punishment of sin or He would cease to be a Holy God. One of the best books I ever read on the holiness of God is R.C. Sproul’s book, “The Holiness of God.”

Here is the encouraging news! Jesus is God’s final and perfect plan of provision for salvation from sin and its wage of death and eternal separation from God. The Ark is a foreshadowing and foretelling of Jesus’ life and purpose on the Earth.

Today, Jesus is our Saviour as He was to Noah and His family. Jesus died on the cross for our sins! Have you entered into a relationship with Him? No matter what the predictions are out there about life on this planet – season will follow season as long as the earth endures because Jesus is the Beginning and the End of our timetable.

The last book of the Bible Revelation reveals the words of Jesus, ““Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.” The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.” Revelation‬ ‭22:12-17‬ ‭NIV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/111/rev.22.12-17.niv

Is it time for you to step into a relationship with Jesus as Noah stepped into the Ark with his family? Your salvation awaits by saying and praying, “Jesus be my Saviour. Forgive me of my sins! I turn from the big ME and turn my life over to You! Make me a new person by Your Holy Spirit and teach me to follow You every day.” Let that door of self and the old nature close behind you and hang on to the adventure of your life. It won’t be easy, but it will take you to God’s place of peace as you keep abiding in Jesus our Ark of salvation.

A Call to Prayer and Fasting

If you are able, and your health permits, I would like to ask you to fast and pray at some point this weekend for God to be glorified in this time that is comparable to the time of Noah. Fasting is abstaining from food in order to focus on worshiping and seeking God in earnest prayer. Fasting can not be done by those who have diabetes or have certain medical conditions, but such a person can fast from T.V. or the internet for at least a day. During this time of fasting repent of your sins (confess them and turn away from them). Ask God to show His love and mercy for the sick, the dying, for the lost and the mentally ill. He may ask you to show an act of kindness to the ones you are praying for. Visit https://tearfund.ca/donate/ Pray for God to visit the elderly, the lonely and the faint at heart. He may ask you to phone someone. Pray for God to strengthen our governing leaders and front-line workers (medical staff and first responders) with wisdom and knowledge as they fight COVID-19. Pray for peace and calm for all of us as we put normal life on hold. Pray for humble sacrificial cooperation and goodwill for all in our nation, province and Lanark county. Pray the prayer Jesus taught his disciples, “The LORD’s Prayer.”

Join the national & global call to prayer and fasting at https://www.evangelicalfellowship.ca/COVID-Prayer

When you pray God will provide His rainbow! The rainbow is the sign of God’s promise to Noah that He will never flood the earth again (Genesis 9:12-17). God’s covenant with Noah was fulfilled at the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus! God made a new covenant in the blood of Christ who died in our place that we might live forever. That rainbow now encircles His throne in Heaven.

Remember it might be cloudy out there, but God’s rainbow will eventually shine through because God is Holy and Loving!!!