“‘For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?'” (Mark 8:36)
When God was first awakening my heart to Him I would ask questions about life and talk about things spiritual and people would get angry at me for doing so.
You see, I didn’t know it at the time, but I was meant to be a preacher.
And, how many of you understand, preachers are supposed to talk about the important things that no one else wants to talk about? (“Don’t you know I’m trying to live my life? I don’t need to be bothered by that God stuff.”)
Preachers are supposed to say things that everyone else is afraid to say. If a preacher doesn’t, who will? Brian Williams on NBC’s Nightly News? (I have nothing against Brian Williams. He just happens to be known well enough for the purposes of this post.)
Noah was a preacher. (I’m out of his mold.) He lived in an evil time. (Sound familiar?) They had canceled out prayer in the schools. (The analogy works.) They made it lawful to kill babies in the womb before they were born. (How can you as a believer vote for someone who supports abortion?) They wanted a world without God in Noah’s day. But he spoke of Christ (“a preacher of righteousness”). (2 Peter 2:5) Noah’s construction project said more than ten thousand sermons.
There was a flood coming. Mercy was still available. How do we know that? It is generally accepted that it took Noah approximately 100 years to build the Ark (though there are other points of view). It’s a picture of God’s enduring patience with wicked men.
We are living in a time of endurance (by God) ourselves. (Romans 2:4) Mercy is still available to us (as it was in Noah’s day). We can still repent. We can still turn to God for forgiveness of sins. But as it was true in Noah’s day that eventually judgment did come (2 Peter 3:6) so it will for us. (2 Peter 3:7)
It’s the first point on this next list of…
10 Things You Will Never Hear on NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams:
1. We will each stand before God in judgment. (Hebrews 9:27)
2. You can not gain heaven by being good. (Romans 3:10)
3. There is a literal place called hell. (Mark 9:43, 45, 47)
4. Many will lose their souls by their own choice. (Matthew 7:13-14)
5. Only one “religion” leads to God. (John 14:6)
6. Men and women are evil at their core. (Jeremiah 17:9)
7. Christ Himself will return to the earth. (Zechariah 14:4)
8. In the end, everyone bows before Jesus. (Philippians 2:10)
9. It is not too late to get saved (receive forgiveness for your sins). (Romans 10:9-10, 13)
10. God Himself overrules the lives of those who love Him. (Romans 8:28)
You might also be interested in:
About Pastor Mike
(To view old map,