6 “AS THE DAYS OF NOAH WERE, SO SHALL ALSO THE COMING OF THE SON OF MAN

Every New Year’s Eve, we have a special service to remember what we have learned from the previous year, and look forward with faith toward the next year. 2008 began with prayer and dedication, and has proven to be a year of growth through much trial and testing.

The year began with Sister Megan moving from Ohio to be a part of the church. I think many of you read her testimony in the Spring 2008 Ark Builder. She was not raised in a Christian home, but from the Christian influence she had, she sought the LORD, and found Him. In striving to be Biblical, she found Living Faith Christian Fellowship. She has been growing in the Lord, and has a growing testimony for Christ.

In February, the Roger’s family (Bro. Mark’s sister & family) moved up from Texas with Grama Bullen (Bro. Mark’s mother). They came up thinking their house was sold and would have a dual closing with the house they were to purchase. This all fell through. God had better plans — plans that thoroughly tested faith and patience. It is amazing how many places seemed like the ONE, only to fall through, or be out of reach. We are grateful that God continues to open doors and will give them just the right place. Grama Bullen purchased a mobile home at an auction down the road from the Bullen’s. The mobile home was moved onto Bro. Bullen’s property and set up by a trailer mover. Bro. Bullen and his sons moved the 24x28 Garage and set it up on a foundation against the mobile home as it had been before — that was quite an adventure. Now, Grama Bullen is just across the valley.

This past Summer the Alberts Family moved in from Illinois. They also had a challenging time, but we are rejoicing to see how God continues to open the way for them. They were able to purchase 80 acres across from the Bullen’s, and we are observing the continued building of a home on that property. At the present, they are living in a spacious apartment that the LORD provided. On December 16^th, God blessed them with a precious little baby girl, Sarah Esther Alberts.

Also in this eventful year, the Longden’s were able to purchase a nice home on some acreage about 10 minutes away from the church. Bro. William’s parents also moved down from Idaho, and moved into a mobile home on some property right next to the Longden’s home. They are not members of the church, and we are praying for their conversion. We ask that you also hold them up in prayer.

We have been blessed with visits from a number of seeking souls and godly families. One of these families, the Tarrant Family, is trying to move up as soon as God will open the doors. This is proving to be a test of faith and patience, just as the others have been. They are expecting a new arrival in April, so maybe God is waiting to open doors after the baby comes. Hold them up in prayer as they need to sell their home, and Bro. Tarrant needs to find work in MO.

After a long and eventful year, we ended with another New Years’ Eve service. The Wallace family was up from Louisiana, and spent the week with us. Tuesday afternoon (12-30) the men spent a few hours distributing Gospel tracts around Kirksville, while the ladies had a ladies meeting at the Bullens. Then Wednesday (12-31) we had special meetings from 2pm to past midnight with singing, preaching, fellowship, and prayer. We ended 2008 and began 2009 in spiritual preparation. It was a blessed time of revival. What will 2009 hold? Perilous times are upon the church. Apostasy is evident all around us. Most professing Christians have been thoroughly vaccinated against the truth of God’s Word by a false gospel and promise of life, which is based on a grace turned into lasciviousness. We ask for your continued prayers as we strive to stand for the truth in this wayward generation.

According to the World Book Encyclopedia, vaccination means, “The injection of any dead or weakened viruses or germs into the body for the purpose of developing bodily resistance to diseases...They are tested so that they will be strong enough to cause the body to develop resistance to the disease, but weak enough so they will not cause serious symptoms of the disease before the body develops its resistance.”

In order to render you immune to a disease, a weakened form of that disease is injected into you. This injected virus is too weak to have the affect of a healthy virus, and only produces mild versions of the normal symptoms of the disease until you build resistance to the virus. Now, when the true healthy virus is introduced, you will not be affected by it, or have any of the symptoms it causes. This is called vaccination or immunization.

There is a vaccination that is to be feared above all others being performed. We are not speaking of the physical vaccinations received before starting school, etc. No, I want to speak to you about a dangerous vaccination taking place worldwide. It is not the vaccination against disease, but the vaccination against TRUTH!

Just as dead or weakened viruses are injected to build resistance against the affects of the healthy virus, so weakened and perverted “truths” are being spread to build resistance to the life changing affects of the truth of God’s Word.

Daily on radio or TV, and weekly in churches and colleges, false teachers are injecting people with false concepts which bring false security, a false sense of closeness to God, and that build resistance to the life changing power of Christ’s teachings.

When vaccinated people are confronted with the true preaching of the Word of God, they are enabled, by whatever vaccine they have received, to resist God’s convicting Spirit and rest in their church membership, baptism, religious activities, heritage, “unconditional security” doctrine, “education”, or “success” -- therefore remaining deceived and condemned to hellfire.

The teachings of Jesus Christ, when presented properly, will transform a sin-loving rebel into one who loves righteousness and hates lawlessness — one who desires to please God, serve God, and help his fellow man do the same. Satan fears this more than any thing. He is working to keep people from understanding God’s transforming TRUTH.

A church that seems to teach the Bible, but allows the members to live in disobedience to the teachings of Christ is actually vaccinating the people against what God really expects and demands of His children. These church members are left feeling “safe”, “close to God”, and “forgiven”; when, in reality, they are not pleasing God at all, and missing out on salvation. They are playing right into the Devil’s hand.

If a pastor allows sub-Christian lifestyles to gain acceptance without preaching against them, he is endorsing them by default. This “lukewarm”, sub-Christian living is actually a vaccine against true Christian living. When a true disciple of Jesus Christ lives a zealous, “hot”, Christian faith, he is now thought of as a “fanatic” or “extremist”.

Once a person is well versed in the sub-Christian concepts he is almost impossible to convince that he is in danger of God’s judgment. They can’t imagine God expecting more from them, and see no need to change. This is not a new thing. This was happening even in the first century at the church of Laodicea. Listen to what Jesus said to that church:

“I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:” Revelation 3:15-17

The healthy virus of pure TRUTH will cause a person to love God, love right, love serving Christ and others, and love obeying ALL the teachings of Jesus Christ and His apostles. These spiritual symptoms, when free from the hindrances of half-truth vaccines, will change hellish homes into heavenly homes; bad marriage relationships into good marriage relationships; liars will change to honest people; immodest and bold women will become modest, submissive, veiled (I Cor. 11), and with a meek and quiet spirit; “macho” and selfish men will become holy and unselfish; money hungry men will become good fathers and husbands; independent career women will become loving wives and mothers who stay home to train their children (and home school them); those who dressed in jewelry, fashion, and costly clothes, will dress plain, modest and humble; “entertaining” churches will become holy, reverent, meetings of worship, prayer, and learning; TV and radio addicts will repent and start reading their Bible and training their children to be Christ-like; and this unhindered truth will cause the youth to have godly chaste courtship, not this unholy “dating game”.

The virus of TRUTH is not to be feared like Satan has worked to make you believe. The deadly vaccines of weak and watered down “truths”, injected by false teachers will lead you to Hell. A living faith in Jesus Christ that causes you to follow ALL He taught brings you to salvation, not destruction. Christ is the great doctor of your soul; and if you really believe in HIM, you will take the WHOLE PRESCRIPTION.

Only those who follow Christ and strive to obey ALL He taught can lay their head on their deathbed in true peace with no regret! Only those who follow and obey Christ will be joyful and happy on Judgment Day. Those who have chosen to follow false concepts, which appeal to their selfish nature and carnal appetites, will find only hell at the end of their poor deceived life. (I John 2:3)

If someone confronted you with the need to repent of your sinful ways, and begin following Jesus Christ in obedience to ALL He taught — What would you do? Would you be willing to forsake your “lifestyle” and obey ALL the New Testament? If you really understood, you would. You would gladly forsake your false teachers, your disobedience to Christ, and your false security -- if you really understood who Jesus is, what He did for you, and what He wants for you.

It takes people with sincere hunger for truth to break free from this spiritual vaccination, and let the virus of pure truth have its full affect on their lives. Being that it is a spiritual vaccine, you have the responsibility before God to break free and follow TRUTH. The delusion of security produced by the vaccine will be shattered to reveal your true condition before God if only you will seek God with all your heart in perfect honesty, and study HIS Word without bias.

MY STORY: I was raised in church, went to Christian college, and pastored a Baptist Church. Then I began to study what the early first century believers taught and practiced. Then I realized I wasn’t really obeying what the Bible was telling me — I HAD BEEN VACCINATED! I read my Bible and yet went on in blind disobedience to so many things!

Why didn’t I see it before? How could I read it, and yet not SEE it? Why didn’t my church and college tell me all this? I Was too secure and content with my modern churchianity, and found I really wasn’t following Jesus Christ the WAY he had taught.

Taking up the cross and following Jesus Christ touches EVERY ASPECT of your life! Are you striving to live the First Century Christian Faith or satisfied with an Americanized Churchianity? Does your pastor meet Bible qualifications (I Tim. 3:1-13; Titus 1:6-9)? Are you taught to observe all things Jesus taught (Matt. 7:21-27; 28:19-20; II Thess. 2:15; 3:6; I John 2:3-5)? Are you taught to renounce the world’s values, amusements, fashions, idols, philosophies, love of money, etc. and strive to live a holy life (II Cor. 6:17-7:1; I John 2:15-17)? IF NOT, then you are not in a true church of Jesus Christ, but a vaccination clinic.

I know you aren’t perfect, neither am I. Are you WILLING to strive? Are you WILLING TO OBEY CHRIST IN EVERY AREA? Are you WILLING to FOLLOW? Are you willing to suffer for what is true and right? The #1 requirement for being a true Christian is a LIVING FAITH that produces a WILLING HEART. This obedient faith is the only kind of faith God will accept. God will only save those who are humbly, joyfully, and reverently obeying and following His Son. Please consider your soul and your family’s future. CHRIST IS WHAT YOU WANT, THOUGH YOU MAY NOT HAVE REALIZED IT YET.

“And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.” I John 2:3-6