Questions Part 1

Where is Noah’s Ark?

Have you guys ever wondered where Noah’s Ark is? I guess we should first ask, what is Noah’s Ark?

When the world was so corrupts and God had relented His creation, He found one man righteous, Noah. Noah is tasked by God to build a big boat because God is going to flood the world. Let’s see what the bible says about this.

Genesis 6:11–18 ESV

11 Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence. 12 And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. 13 And God said to Noah, “I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth. 14 Make yourself an ark of gopher wood. Make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch. 15 This is how you are to make it: the length of the ark 300 cubits, its breadth 50 cubits, and its height 30 cubits. 16 Make a roof for the ark, and finish it to a cubit above, and set the door of the ark in its side. Make it with lower, second, and third decks. 17 For behold, I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life under heaven. Everything that is on the earth shall die. 18 But I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall come into the ark, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you.

Many scholars suggest that Noah likely lived in the Mesopotamian region (modern-day Iraq, Syria, and Turkey) because this area was one of the earliest centers of civilization. This region is also associated with early flood narratives in ancient texts like the Epic of Gilgamesh.

However, once the boat is built and the flood happens, we have a location of where the Ark lands or docks:

Genesis 8:4 ESV

4 and in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat.

Historically and geographically, this region is associated with modern-day eastern Turkey, near the borders of Armenia and Iran.

Now, has it been found? Well archaeologists have seen huge boat like shapes 15-20 miles from the Mountains of Ararat.

But to this day, they have not found any remains or actual pieces of the ship. This boat is to have been built over 4000 years ago and time erodes and destroys things.

So, to answer the question, Noah’s Ark landed on the Mountains of Ararat and probably eroded there over time as it wasn’t very helpful if there were no more floods.

Why did God let Adam and Eve sin? Why did God put the tree of knowledge of good and evil in Eden?

The Lord from the beginning had a plan and an ultimate way for salvation through Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:20

1 Peter 1:20 ESV

20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you

Jesus was meant to die and be the perfect sacrifice for our sins. He was made manifest long after Adam an

d Eve but would Jesus needed to die if we hadn’t sinned? No.

Sin was meant to enter into this world even though God didn’t directly cause it.

One of the fine lines that Christians wrestle with is do we have free will? Our Church lands in the middle where God is sovereign and over all of creation and knows and guides your steps. However, scripture also seems to show that humans have a choice and that we have a moral responsibility.

By God placing the tree of knowledge of good and evil in Eden, He let them choose to obey and love God or to not. Now did God, know what they were going to do, yes.

Berkley and I were watching our nieces last Monday and little baby Zoe (show picture) was crawling around and she’s so funny. Everything that she is able to pick up, she will try to eat. I know that if I place a chess piece in front of her, she is going to pick it up and eat it. Even though she has the choice to not eat it. I know she will.

This analogy doesn’t work perfectly, but I think when thinking of free will and God’s sovereignty, He is so much bigger than us. In fact, He is set apart from us, He is so holy. We have a choice and a moral responsibility but He still knows what’s up and His plan will be done.

So when we tie it back to Adam and Eve, He let them sin to give them a choice. To obey Him. Sounds like the succeeded for a while, but after some time and from Satan’s schemes, they gave in and ate the fruit.

Why did God let Adam and Eve sin? Why did God put the tree of knowledge of good and evil in Eden? He put the tree there and let them sin because:

1. He gave them a choice and we are not robots. We must choose to love God and obey Him. For Adam and Eve it is no different.

2. Because Jesus was always the plan. It’s a perfect plan that has somehow clicked in our minds since the death of Jesus. Christianity is the most popular religion, there have been thousands upon thousands of copies of the ancient manuscripts. Jesus was always the plan and 2000 years later we are still talking about Him. Jesus states this: Matthew 24:14

Matthew 24:14 (ESV)

14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations.

If Eve didn’t sin what would life be like?

Before we answer the question, I want you to read of a place where there is no sin:

Revelation 21:3 ESV

3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.

Revelation 21:4 ESV

4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

Revelation 21:27 ESV

27 But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

Do you have an idea of what this place is? Heaven. It is pure and clean, nothing detestable or false. Only those that are made pure by the love of God are able to enter into this place.

IF Eve didn’t sin, what would life be like? Heaven.

In Eden, before sin, there was perfect Fellowship with God:

In Eden, Adam and Eve walked and talked directly with God. He dwelled there. Eden was how it was supposed to be. Union with God. In Revelation 21:3, that we just read, it says that heaven will be a place that God dwells with believers.

In Eden, before sin, there was an Absence of Sin and Suffering:

Eden was initially free from sin, death, pain, and suffering—similar to heaven, where there will be no sorrow or sin (Revelation 21:4). This harmony made Eden a place of peace and joy.

However, my other answer to this question is more of an error code. Not saying it is wrong to ask this question, but when you try to do something on a computer and you get an error, I think of it as the same thing with this question. Because “if” questions are hard because there is no “if” with God. God’s plan was meant to be done and she was always meant to sin.

How do I get myself to believe in God if I haven’t for years? Does God care that I’m trying, even though I can’t believe it in my heart yet?

I wanna first answer the second question and that is yes. God sees your heart and cares for you.

1 Peter 5:6–7 ESV

6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

Remember when Abram had a baby with his servant, Hagar, and Sarai, Abram’s wife got really mad at her? Feeling mistreated and oppressed, Hagar fled into the wilderness.

There, she found herself alone and in despair, pregnant and unsure of her future. It was at this moment that God intervened in her life.

The angel of the Lord found Hagar by a spring of water in the wilderness. He asked her, “Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?”

When Hagar explained her situation, the angel of the Lord instructed her to return to Sarah and submit to her, promising that her descendants would be numerous.

He also gave her a prophetic message about the son she was carrying: he would be named Ishmael, meaning “God hears,” because God had heard her affliction.

In response, Hagar was overwhelmed with God’s care for her, and she said, “You are a God of seeing,” calling Him El Roi (Genesis 16:13).

Yes God cares for you and God sees you. You may not believe that or even feel that, but your belief in something or how you feel on something, does not mean it’s not true.

1 Samuel 16:7 ESV

7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”

To answer the first question now…

Before we ask our selves how do we believe, we must ask, what does it mean to believe?

Often times, believing is equated to a feeling or emotion. Do you believe in love, or do you believe in Santa Clause. It’s this tendency of if you don’t feel it to be true, then I guess you truly don’t believe. This does happen often and we have so many love songs and romantic movies that base in the premise. We try to maybe equate this to God. Can this happen with your relationship with God, absolutely. Does it happen always, no.

That can be discouraging, especially when we think of believing in Jesus and you don’t get this butterfly feeling and infatuation with God. Even though that can happen, believing in Jesus Christ as Lord, is a conviction that you have sinned. That you have made mistakes and messed up. It’s a conviction that there is something after life and you could never earn your way to heaven. It’s an understanding in your heart that only Jesus can save you because He has died on the cross for your sins and raised three days later to defeat death and sin. To believe in Jesus Christ is to have faith in all of what I just said. What is faith? Hebrews 11:1 answers this for us.

Hebrews 11:1 ESV

1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

It’s this assurance in all that i have said. However, this is something that grows. It is not always a light switch in feeling. It is true that at the time you are saved you are now made alive in Christ, but faith is a journey.

In Mark, Jesus and the disciples were in an area where people were arguing with them and there was a great crowd around them. Jesus’ reputation has been made known and many know of the power that Jesus beholds and the truth in His teachings. A father comes to Jesus and the disciples and brings his son who is possessed by a demon. I know that this man has hope that Jesus will be able to do something because that is why he brought the child. But the Father says “if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us” and Jesus responded all things are possible for one who believes. And in Mark 9:24

Mark 9:24 ESV

24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”

Jesus cures the boy from the spirit, the boy convulses, and Jesus seems to actually raise him from the dead.

I wonder to the person who asked this or to any of you if you feel in a similar boat, maybe you believe and you need help in your unbelief.

It is okay to be in a space where you don’t know for sure. It is okay to have doubts and questions. Would you pray those 5 words throughout this week. Would you pray to God “I believe, help my unbelief”?

I don’t think anything magical will happen, but trust that He is God. Trust that He loves you and died for you. Now make the commitment to follow Him. To Be with Him. To become like Him. And to now do what He did. Being a believer in Jesus is much more like a marriage then a feeling. Make that commitment to Him. To obey and to do what He wants. In spite of how you feel because feelings don’t dictate truth. Hold on to what this bible says because it is true. Time and time again people try to dispute it, but time and time again, the bible stands strong because it is true.

Remember that God is incredibly patient. In 2 Peter 3:9, it says,

2 Peter 3:9 ESV

9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

God understands that faith can be a process, and He’s not in a hurry to push you but instead wants to walk with you through your journey.

How do I know if God is real? What is the key to truly knowing God?