Letters From Grandpa #55
- LETTERS FROM GRANDPA
- 55
Dearest Grandchild,
The Bible teaches that there were “heroes” and “men of renown” on the earth in the days of Noah (Gen. 6:4). These men considered themselves so smart and powerful that they didn’t need God. They were so arrogant that they dismissed with a smile the preaching of Noah. Peter warned that the same kind of arrogance would be present in the last days. “First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, "Where is this 'coming' he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation." But they deliberately forget that long ago by God's word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.” (2 Peter 3:3-7)
There is overwhelming evidence that there was indeed a world wide flood. In fact there are marine fossils on top of our highest mountains. The scoffers, however, refuse to even consider a biblical explanation to this reality. Since they are following their own evil desires, they invariably resort to some tortured and twisted way to explain reality without God. These were the bvery kind of people Noah confronted before the flood. The King James Version calls them “giants”. “There were giants in the earth in those days;” (Gen 6:4 KJV) Other versions call them “heroes” and “men of renown”. These were “movers and shakers”of their day. They rise like cream on milk in every generation. They are the champions and kings admired by others. They are often superior in body and mind. Puffed up by their own importance, they naively assume they can thumb their nose at God and live any way they want to. In the days of Noah, the thoughts of these men were only evil continually. The same kind of men have the same kind of thoughts in our own generation.
When the flood came, however, these big shots died just like everyone else. Human strength and scholarship are no match for God. Remember! Mortality equals death. You and I, of course, will die too. Death waits patiently for everyone. While the scoffers may bask in their 15 minutes of fame they still can never escape death. Please don’t be lured into following such scoffers for when the blind lead the blind both fall into the ditch
The flood of Noah was not just caused by rain, but also by the springs of the great deep bursting forth (Gen. 7:11). This was probably accompanied by volcanic eruptions. Illustrative of the power of volcanoes was the eruption of Mt. Pelee on the Island of Martinique. It happened May 8, 1902. In less than five minutes the city of St. Pierre was completely destroyed and 30,000 people died. Unfortunately, death does not discriminate. The college professors died just as quickly the most ignorant peasants.
Similarly, millions have also died from floods. On Aug. 18, 1931, for example, the Yangtze
River flooded in China. By some estimates this single flood resulted in the deaths of 3.7 million people. Sadly, the proud and lofty scoffers died with a mouth full of mud just like everyone else. Unfortunately, one thing we learn from history, is that men do not learn from history. That’s why we still have scoffers on the earth today.
Consider this quote from a book on The Flood by Rehwinkel: “As in the days of Noah, so the world today has reached an unprecedented stage of material and technical progress. There never was a time in the history of man when physical advantages, comforts, luxuries, and leisure were so widely distributed as in our age. We harnessed the forces of nature and have compelled them to do our bidding. We have gone up into the heavens and brought down lightning, no longer the terror of man, and have forced it to bear our burdens, to run our errands, and to furnish us with amusements in our leisure hours. We have gone down into the bowels of the earth and have brought up its treasures, liquids and solids, that they might minister to our needs, pleasures, and comforts. The arts and sciences flourish among all the civilized peoples. Superstition, ignorance, and illiteracy are rapidly disappearing. Human suffering is being alleviated, life is prolonged, and men even speak of the time when death will be abolished.”
So our modern day “heroes”, like those in the days of Noah, naively assume that they too can write their own rules. They eat forbidden fruit with impunity and show contempt for any consequences. Unfortunately, they are dead wrong! As Peter said, these scoffers will follow their own evil desires and deliberately forget the flood (2 Pet. 3:3 - 7). The Judgement of God on sinners with a flood is indeed an inconvenient truth that rebellious people prefer not to think about.
The late Harry Randall Truman, was a crusty old codger who became famous for a few months before the eruption of Mt. St. Helens. He arrogantly challenged the mountain: “**** you, volcano, come at me, bro.” On May 18, 1980, he got his wish. At 8:32 a.m. the volcano erupted. Within 15 seconds the whole north face of the mountain collapsed. Superheated gas radiated outward at nearly supersonic speeds and everything within eight miles was instantly destroyed. A mushroom cloud rose 12,000 feet into the air and by 8:50 a.m. rivers of hot mud were moving at over 90 mph sweeping away everything in their path. It was a sad, but predictable end for Harry Randall Truman. His death was much like that of other scoffers in the days of Noah. God has promised a different form of destruction, however, for scoffers at the end of this age.
Peter put it like this: “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.” (2 Peter 3:10) Then he added: “Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be?” (2 Peter 3:11) Please think about it!
Yes! When Jesus comes again it will be like it was in the days of Noah (Matt. 24:37). Even if you are a famous “hero” you will never be able to escape the judgement of God. The only thing that will matter on Judgement Day will be your personal relationship with Christ. Noah built an ark to save his family (Heb. 11:7) and we need to be diligently to save our families too.
Here are the dying words of some famous unbelievers who scoffed at God:
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Caesar Borgia: "While I lived, I provided for everything but death; now I must die, and am unprepared to die."
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Thomas Hobbs: "I say again, if I had the whole world at my disposal, I would give it to live one day. I am about to take a leap into the dark."
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Thomas Payne: "Stay with me, for God's sake; I cannot bear to be left alone”.
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Voltaire: "I am abandoned by God and man; I will give you half of what I am worth if you will give me six months' life."
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Robert Ingersoll: "O God, if there be a God, save my soul, if I have a soul!"
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Napoleon Bonaparte: "I die before my time, and my body will be given back to the earth. Such is the fate of him who has been called the great Napoleon. What an abyss between my deep misery and the eternal kingdom of Christ!”
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David Strauss: "My philosophy leaves me utterly forlorn! I feel like one caught in the merciless jaws of an automatic machine, not knowing at what time one of its great hammers may crush me!"
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Anton LeVey, author of the Satanic Bible and high priest of the worship of Satan. "Oh my, oh my, what have I done, there is something very wrong…there is something very wrong….”
Please contrast these forlorn comments with the last words of Paul: “For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day — and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” (2 Tim 4:6-8)
Someday we will all meet God face to face. Please live your life in preparation for that day!
I love you,
Grandpa Boyce