Every Dog has Its Day?

The other day, I was on Facebook when I noticed my cousin had “liked” a page called New Ark Ministries. With my curiosity piqued I decided to click on their Facebook page. The first thing I saw on their page was this quote:

“SURPRISE! TELL EVERYONE! Pope John Paul II agrees with New Ark Ministries: ‘Also the animals possess a soul.’ God loves His animals. Mat. 16:15 "Go ye out into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature."

SURPRISED? You bet I was surprised! Was this organization implying that we are commanded to spread the good news of Jesus Christ to animals?

 

I sent them a private message. While I awaited their response, I did some research and found their webpage. The following is what I read in shock and disbelief. 

 

NEW ARK MINISTRIES

New Ark Ministry is the first worldwide ministry for animals. Its message is based solely on the Bible and motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to share the word of God to animals and meet their needs in His name without discrimination.

This is a non-denominational ministry, but we were delighted to find that Pope John Paul II declared in a public audience in 1990 that 'also the animals possess a soul and men must love and feel solidarity with our smaller brethren’.

We have 10 acres to roam, ALL ANIMALS great and small, whether they have fur, paw, feathers, hooves, skin or fin, are welcome to join us.

Come as you are, this is for your pets

WHAT THE HECK? The mission is to share the word of God to animals and to meet their needs in His name without discrimination”?

This must be some kind of hoax, I thought. Hey! My name is Brian not Manti.  :-)

They say that ALL animals great and small are welcome to come. I pondered if that would have applied to any tigers that Mike Tyson used to have around. Do you really think a pet tiger and I would be “welcomed with love and no discrimination?”

I don’t know about you, but I personally have never “been motivated by the love of God” to preach to ANY animal. Talk about twisting scripture and taking things way, way out of context! I am 110% certain that the most basic Biblical interpretation agrees that Jesus Christ commanded us to preach the Gospel to human beings only. Even those without Biblical knowledge or claim to be religious must certainly agree that Jesus wasn’t talking about preaching to animals.

After a few hours had gone by, I was contacted by New Ark Ministries. The following is an excerpt of our conversation. (Reader, be warned - I was really just toying with them and really was not concerned about my deceased dog’s eternal home or my other dog’s salvation status. I just wanted to see what New Ark was all about.)

of our days is up to God. Therefore I will respect all other faith traditions

Me:

My adopted greyhound that was 12 yrs old just passed away. Can I be reassured she is in Heaven? I just discovered your FB page and she was not baptized. I'm really concerned. Please help.

New Ark Ministries:

Hi Brian. We believe that all animals have a soul and do in fact go to heaven. We also believe what the bible says - the word should be preached to all creatures. We would love to post a picture of your Greyhound if you would like to send us a picture.

Me:

Thanks for your response. How exactly do I preach the word to my other dog? I'm too far away to attend service. Is there any specific scriptures like John 3:16 etc I should have him listen to?

New Ark Ministries:

Hi Brian - start by reading the book of james to your animals - out loud - and know that your animals dont necessarily have to be paying attention. They still hear it and will likely be more relaxed afterwards. God Bless you and your animals.

Me:

Thanks for all your help. I just have one more question. Since I am comforted that my dog Misty is now in Heaven, how can I be sure I can go there? I mean I don't want to end up in hell or anything. How can I be assured that I make it into Heaven?

New Ark Ministries:

Hi Brian - You will get to heaven if you believe Jesus Christ is your Lord and savior. Live your life and try not to sin and when you do, ask for forgiveness. Its all pretty simple really. God Bless you.

Read the Book of James to my dog to start with? Maybe I forgot to tell them that I am certainly no doctor with the surname of Dolittle. :-)

While I am somewhat relieved that New Ark Ministries’ belief is that Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven for us humans, I am truly dumbfounded by the time, effort, and energy they are spending on something as useless as preaching the gospel to animals and having church services for them.

As a pet owner, I do abide by Proverbs 12:10, which tells us that a righteous man cares for the needs of his animals. However, it is for the salvation of the souls of the lost family members, neighbors, loved ones, and strangers that my heart yearns. Let us concentrate on the task at hand of reaching all humans with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

In I Corinthians 9:16, the greatest evangelist of all time, the Apostle Paul, says this “Woe to me if I don’t preach the gospel”

I urge you dear brothers and sisters in Christ to seek God daily and with the help of the Holy Spirit we can “go into all nations and preach the gospel” to the ones who were made in the image of God himself

May God Bless You,

Brian W