Welcome!
Passage: Gen 6, NIV 84
Today: Nothing but leaves!
9 This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God. 10 Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth. 11 Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. 12 God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. (Gen 6, NIV 84)-emphasis added
When the sons of God married the daughters of men, the resulting generation became corrupt. Before blaming the children, it is about the parents
It is our choice(s) that make the difference; priority matters
God created man. But they forgot it. So, God wanted to send a reminder!
5 The Lord saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. 6 The Lord was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. 7 So the Lord said, “I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth—men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air—for I am grieved that I have made them.” (Gen 6, NIV 84)-emphasis added
God’s heart was filled with pain because of the mankind He created
These people must have had their own places of worship and priests, for sure!
Just like today, people as well as priests were not much interested to hear what God had to say!
God is more grieved about the “people of God” than the “people of the world”. Today, we see preachers preaching that God will judge a nation because of the sins of the nation. God is more grieved about what is going on inside His home (church) than outside. That is what we see throughout the Bible
Salvation is needed more inside the church than outside!
Noah preached to all the world, but finally ended up saving just his family!
If the opposite had happened, what would we say? If Noah was able to save a thousand other people, but not his own family, what would we say?
We would say, Great job Noah; you saved a 1000 people!
Ministering to own family is the toughest; ministering to strangers is easy!
Noah could be considered one of the most successful evangelists/prophets ever!
God cares about the fruit, while we care about the “leaves”
If a certain preacher comes with all the “looks” and styles, we will say, “come on man of God!”; and if he says all the best about us, he gets a good gift!
God’s rating on that person could just be the inverse (opposite) of ours!
12 The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 13 Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. 14 Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it. (Mark 11, NIV 84)-emphasis added
“Nothing but leaves!” That is another name for many of the leaders we see around us today. From a distance they look good; as you get closer, you will know!
May we not be like that fig tree. We can’t be “seasonal”! God is good all the time
Have a blessed day!
BG
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I admit that I have been very good in having all the leaves-making myself look like a “good Christian” to others, but had been without fruit. I am sorry Lord. Help me to bear more fruit than leaves. Thank you. Amen
What God counts is what really counts!