Arks of Covenant
Heb 11:7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.
The word ark has two applications in the Bible that are significant. The first is the ark that God asked Noah to build in order to save his family. The second is the Ark of the Covenant that confirms the covenant between God and His people to save them. Both arks are significant in our reasoning because they represent covenant. Both covenants carry the blood as a sign of God’s purpose for the redemption of man. Both carry with them the grace of God in preserving His people alive even though sin abounds. Both represent the mercy of God.
In these last days, we need to understand how God is using these covenants to bring about both mercy and judgement. Mal 3:1 Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts. Mal 3:2 But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: Mal 3:3 And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.
To this end, God warns us in the above verse about having faith that will carry us through the last days because of the Messenger and the message of the covenant. One of the really important questions Jesus raised before His departure from earth was; will men have faith when He comes back? Luk_18:8....Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? Without faith it is impossible to please God. The idea of preparation concerning the arks that God speaks of is two fold and prophetic. One is the move of God that will hopefully sweep in many souls into the body of Christ and the Kingdom; unlike the days of Noah, when only eight souls were saved in the entire earth. The other preparation concerns the ark of the heart where God dwells, in the inner most sanctum of a person. It is on this seat of one’s heart; if God is allowed to sit, that one will find mercy and help in time of need. Going into the throne room is precisely this. Heb_4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
In the last days, we need to focus on many things concerning our walk with God; especially the saving of souls. The saving of souls is dependent on how we perceive what God is saying to us in His word about our own participation in the harvest of souls just like He said to Noah. Faith is the key ingredient to the saving of a soul through grace. Grace continues to operate because of the existence of sin in this world. Therefore, faith too must continue to operate in order for people to walk in salvation. We who are saved are still subject to sin because we are in the flesh and left in this present evil world to save other souls. As a result, we can easily become victims of sin unless we operate in faith. Many Christians are easily turned aside to this present evil world because of pressures and temptations. Therefore, it was prophesied that there will be a falling away from the body of Christ. 2Th_2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
The preaching and teaching concerning the heart relates to the condition of a person who is saved. This is the ark of the heart that is referred too in this teaching. On the one hand, the saving of the souls refers to preparing the Church as the sanctuary of souls on earth (The Ark of Noah) and the preparation of the heart refers to the heart condition of a Christian (The Ark of the Covenant) which also needs preparation to enter eternity. We must seek to know God in a way we have never known Him before. When this activity of wanting to know Him is pursued by the Christian, there comes much stripping away of the heart to reveal the true condition of the heart. This stripping away was never understood as being needed by the individual till it started to do its work and expose what was hidden. Once the heart chamber is empty, the infilling of the new wine can begin and continue on an ongoing basis. As a result, further stripping along life’s journey is made welcome by the individual because the benefit becomes evident.
Faith allows us to glimpse into eternity and the secret place of the Most High. It is there that things are revealed and known. Understanding floods the soul and spirit of man and a new creature is formed, who belongs to God for His perfect use. The days of future covenant in Christ were ratified by God through the pages of the Old Testament on several occasions. One such time was in the wilderness of sin, Moses appealed to God to save the people and not cast them away because of their sin. God answered him in this manner. Exo 34:10 And he said, Behold, I make a covenant: before all thy people I will do marvels, such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation: and all the people among which thou art shall see the work of the LORD: for it is a terrible thing that I will do with thee.
These words of God are upon us today in a very powerful way. The Spirit of God is working this new covenant through Jesus (The Word) and is separating what is of God and what is not of God. The journey that we are on toward eternity is for the living. The dead in Christ have already entered into their rest with God and do not have to face the days we have to, on earth. The words of God in the Bible are relevant to us and so we must pay heed to what the word of God is saying to us. Heb 2:1 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. Heb 2:2 For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; Heb 2:3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; Heb 2:4 God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?
The word slip used in the text above describes the leaking of vessels. Christians do not realise that there is a leaking that takes place in us because of the pressures of life. The world still holds many attractions to the saved who do not necessarily know how to avoid them. This is why the preparation of the ark by Noah took one hundred and twenty years. God was preaching the gospel to them to turn them from their wickedness but they never listened. 1Pe 3:20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
The same is happening today, as described to us by Jesus. Mat 24:36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
Mat 24:37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Mat 24:38 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, Mat 24:39
And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. God is seeking to save man and so will send a Holy Ghost revival in the last days to save as many as will listen. Yet, at the same time, God will send a delusion upon the earth that, if it were possible the very elect would be deceived. Mat 24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. 2Th 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 2Th 2:9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 2Th 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 2Th 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 2Th 2:12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
The last days are going to require two things. One is, the genuine saving of souls and keeping them and the other is preparing them for eternity. This is not an easy task as many will buck what the preachers and teachers will teach. They will instead seek those who can tickle their ears. This is a hard thing to face for those who are in ministry because their hard work will often be destroyed by the deceptions of the devil who comes to steal, kill and destroy. Not everything or everyone will be of God in the body of Christ, the Church. The Church, which is the ark of God, to save and keep souls, is being infiltrated by so much evil, it is not funny. Furthermore, so many who say they are Christians live lives that deny that life of Christ that is being attempted to be taught to them by the Holy Spirit. This poses serious problems for those who are trying hard to walk a good Christian life because they have to do so amongst the tares.
These are serious and difficult times. Faith is going to be needed to sustain what is happening and what is coming to the earth. Not everyone will have that kind of true faith though they may look like they have that faith because of works such as, miracles, signs and wonders. Many will follow signs and wonders instead of Christ. To know Him, one must prepare their hearts based on what the Spirit of God is saying to them.
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Lots of love
Pastor Noble
04/03/18