HISTORY IS REPEATING ITSELF

*"Just as it was in the days of Noah: so also will it be in the days of the coming of the Son of Man." What were the hearts of people like? Genesis 6:5: "The Lord saw how great man's wickedness on earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time." Genesis 6:8: "But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. Noah was a righteous man ... and he walked with God." Suddenly the flood came, and everyone and everything perished except Noah and his family in the ark (8 persons.)

*Just as it was in the days of Lot: What were the hearts and life-styles of the people like? "The Lord said, 'The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great, and their sin (sodomy) so grievous, that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached Me.'" (Genesis 18:20, 21) It was! "Then the Lord rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the Lord out of the heavens. Thus He overthrew those cities, and the entire plain, including all those living in the cities, and also the vegetation in the land. But Lot's wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt." (Genesis 19:24-26) Only Lot and his two daughters were saved.

*What is life like on planet earth today? "For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the One (Holy Spirit) who now holds it back, will continue to do so till He is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one (the Antichrist) will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of His mouth, and destroy with the splendor of His coming. The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan, displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs, and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie, and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth, but have delighted in wickedness." (2 Thessalonians 2:7-12)

*What of those who love the Truth (Jesus) and so are saved? "Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him. According to the Lord's own Word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left to the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore, encourage each other with these words." (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

*On a recent Saturday, an energetic group of several families from Paxton, IL came to the Camp to help us with some yard work. As we were working together, my wife happened to think of something. Addressing the four young children of one of the families, she said, "Would you kids be interested in seeing something your great-grandfather made many years ago?" She led them into the chapel where we have church and showed them the beautiful hand-made pulpit that has stood as a focal point for the teaching of God's Word for about 40 years.

*In our current congregation where that pulpit stands, is a young lady who represents the fourth generation of one of our camp families. Her great-grandmother, grandmother, and now her father have over the years been involved in the clubs, church, and camp ministries.

*God has, to the fourth generation, blessed us with faithful supporting friends, and to the fourth generation, has brought salvation and a living faith to our neighbors here.

The Watts children
standing in front of the pulpit
built for the camp chapel
by their great-grandfather Kernon Watts