Upon hearing the appalling news that Planned Parenthood was harvesting aborted baby organs for profit, I fought back tears, and thanked God for the two gifts of life He has given my husband and me! (Psalm 127:3) I was, however, unsettled by the shocking number of babies aborted to date. What an unnecessary and tragic loss of silly giggles, clumsy hugs, sloppy kisses and tiny, innocent voices happily shouting, “I love you, mommy, daddy.” The satanic Holocaust resulting in the death of six million Jews stunned the world. People were horrified! Yet, the deliberate deaths of nearly fifty-five million innocent babies have caused nothing more than muted protest across our nation! How, I questioned, could we have fallen SO far from God? Then, recalling what the Bible tells us about the days of Noah and Lot, I had my answer. We are living in the last days!

“? God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.” (Genesis 6:12) As we look at both the days of Noah and Lot it is imperative that we fully grasp the obvious parallels between those days and the days in which we live. Scripture has provided signs of the last days by means of world conditions that will crescendo up to and after the Rapture of every born-again believer (I Thessalonians 4:16-17). They will worsen through the seven year Tribulation Period (Revelations 6-18/Matthew 24:21), and will end at His glorious Second Coming! (Zechariah 14) By linking the conditions of both the days of Noah and Lot (Luke 17:26-30), Jesus Himself reveals that violence, wickedness, sexual depravity, and homosexuality will not simply be in the world, but will fill the earth all at one time, in the days leading up to His return.

Those conditions are here and building rapidly!

Noah’s Days: “…the earth? was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.” (Genesis 6:11,13) Today because man has turned from God hatred is fueling men’s hearts resulting in bombings and shootings in schools, theaters, malls, the work place and public events. An atmosphere of lawlessness is emerging as law enforcement is under attack. Tension between races is explosive! Crime is on the rise and murder statistics are sharply increasing! Across the globe, savagery and blood shed are escalating! Islamic terrorists are fixated on destroying America, Israel and her people! The entire Middle East is embroiled in war, and Christians are slaughtered daily in a ruthless attempt to eradicate Christianity. There can be no doubt that violence has again filled the earth! But there is more?

“?And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his (man’s) heart was only evil continually.” (Genesis 6:5) Our world in a nutshell! (Romans 1:29-32) Homosexuality is legalized, the transgender lifestyle is encouraged and awarded, fornication is excused, the murderous act of abortion is readily accepted, the entertainment media glorifies the dark and vulgar themes of violence and sexual depravity, while the voice of true Christianity is being silenced! But there is more?

Lot’s Days: “? Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh” (Jude 7). Although opposition to homosexuality rankles many, God’s Word distinctly describes homosexuality as an abomination unto God! (Leviticus 18:22/Romans 1:27) Yet America has become the twenty-ffirst country to legalize same-sex marriage. The world is repeating the evils of Lot’s days! “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil:?” (Isaiah 5:20).

God is longsuffering (II Peter 3:9) but He will exact righteous vengeance that will be eternal and rightly deserved upon those who deny Him! (Romans 1:18) So, what does that mean for each of us? It means we urgently need to remember the flood of Noah (God’s judgment) and the fire and brimstone (God’s judgment) of Sodom that destroyed many, leaving but a few. (Genesis 6 and 19) It means each of us needs to repent of our sins, ask the Lord for forgiveness, thereby receiving eternal salvation through the shed blood of Jesus (Ephesians 1:7). That means if we do not have Jesus Christ as our personal Savior, we will forever suffer judgment in eternal torment! (Mark 9:43-48/ Revelation 20:14). Just eight people entered through the ark’s only door, having trusted the Lord to save them! Have you entered into the Ark of salvation through the one and ONLY door that promises everlasting salvation? “I (Jesus) am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved?” (John 10:9) Do not be deceived by those who teach there are other doors to salvation. There are none! There is no side door of works, baptism, church membership, religion or religious rituals leading to salvation. There is no back door leading to universal salvation! There is only ONE door and that door is Jesus Christ! Please “enter in” now and find eternal life!

Folks, we are in the last days, but not knowing the exact time of the Lord’s return (Matthew 24:36), “?now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (II Corinthians 6:2b)

Nancy Hamilton is an author of Christian books and a member of Souls Harbor Baptist Church. She can be reached at website wordsontheword.com and by e-mail at hladynoah@gmail.com. houghts of Faith is a weekly column written by various ministers.