These are days like few others before them. Although events may for brief moments temper the prevailing winds of the times, we must admit that our society and our times are characterized by indulgence in all manner of living. "Life, liberty, and the pursuit of excess" has become the motto of the age.

It is not, however, our intention in these pages to launch a crusade against materialism and consumerism. Rather, we accept these as facts and turn to consider our present condition in the light of a period in human history that resembled our own in its unbridled celebration of pleasure. Approximately 5,000 years ago, human beings were preoccupied by earthly pursuits. While an entire civilization sank into the deep sleep that their life and times brought upon them, one man, Noah, remained free of the world's intoxication. So when God judged that age and determined to destroy the earth by a flood, only Noah and his household escaped.

Before His death and resurrection, Jesus Christ said that He would come again to execute judgment on the earth and that the days preceding His coming would resemble the days of Noah. Today, these words should resonate with warning. When He comes, how will He find us? Will we be found drugged by our careers, causes, pursuits, and possessions in the midst of a generation that has turned its back on God? Or will we be filled with His life, prepared for and expecting His coming?

Indeed, these are days like few others before them. These are the days of Noah.

The Editors

Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.
Ephesians 5:14