Lessons From The Only Blameless Person...

Let me just confess now, I used to think Abraham came before Noah. He is one of the most pronounced first sets of individuals in Genesis (Abraham I mean). Meanwhile, Noah gave birth to Abraham's forefather- Shem. I don't even know why I thought Abraham came before Noah, but all I know is there is Abraham, and there is Noah. Actually, I was even supposed to drop a post of Noah before Abraham, but ehn, you can't blame me... Father Abraham is more pronounced than daddy Noah. In fact, if you were to mention popular people in the Old Testament, you'd have mentioned father Abraham like 3 times before you remember Noah (I know I'm not lying). Anyways it was during my personal Bible Study time that I finally agreed that Noah came before Abraham. How else would I have known he is from the descendant of Shem. It's good to do personal Bible study sha. 

Noah!!! The first thing that struck me about this man is that when God was speaking ahead of time about the flood He was going to use to destroy the earth, He said this first;

 

“The Lord observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil. So the Lord was sorry he had ever made them and put them on the earth. It broke his heart. And the Lord said, “I will wipe this human race I have created from the face of the earth. Yes, and I will destroy every living thing—all the people, the large animals, the small animals that scurry along the ground, and even the birds of the sky. I am sorry I ever made them.” But Noah found favor with the Lord." (Gen. 6:5‭-‬8 NLT).

The last sentence! Why did Noah find favour before the Lord?? That's where I'm going. If that's the only thing we take from daddy Noah, then we're good...

“This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless person living on earth at the time, and he walked in close fellowship with God." (Gen. 6:9 NLT)

Roughly (from my mental estimate, not from research), I want to guess those on the earth then should at least be up to a million. But the Bible said Noah was the “ONLY" righteous man then! That should do strike a chord in your heart! What I think most people leverage on is the stories they're told from the Bible. They never really take the time to study it by themselves. Some believers find it hard to sit with their Bibles for just 15 minutes, under the guise of, “I don't have the time." You ate. You slept. You went online. You spoke with someone. You did stuff, and you claim you don't have time. No, you do have time. It's just not priority for you. 

I love using myself as an example because God has helped me thus far. I didn't get to where I am now just yesterday. It took a process. Usually, I read my Bible at my own convenience, not because I love God. If you're doing what you do because you love God and you want to fellowship with Him, no matter how tight your schedule is, your one hour of daily prayers (which should be the least time a believer prays daily) and your Bible study (for as long as you want, but not less than 15 minutes) would be constant. Recently, because of my schedule, I read my Bible at night, and most times, I'm always tired and sleepy, but I made it a point of duty to always study the scriptures daily, and I set a target and time for myself. Until I exceed that time, I won't stand from there. I have sat on a cold floor before to read my Bible just so I wouldn't sleep off. On a normal Kinglady's day (my nickname is Kinglady), if I feel sleepy and I've not engaged in a particular spiritual activity, I'll go back to sleep consoling myself with the thought of, “God understands." 

I dare tell you that God doesn't understand how you claim to love Him and don't spend time with Him. If you've never been in a romantic relationship, at least, you have a relationship with someone or the other, or your parents at least. Most people have that one particular person they open up to, and you know how empty you feel when that person is not available to be spoken to even if you don't speak everyday. But you see God, He is not limited by time or space. He is always there waiting for you to fellowship with Him. He wouldn't force Himself on you, and I tell you, it aches His heart that you're far away from Him. He loves you, and you claim to love Him, you should act the part! If you do what you do because you love God, it'd not make it easier for you to do it, but at least, you have a good reason for doing it! Love is more of an action than it's a feeling. It's a sacrifice! You sacrifice your time and sleep and other legally important things to spend time with God (I hope you know what I mean by this...).

You may ask, “how does studying my Bible means I love God??" The Bible is God's Word. So you're literally sitting down to hear God speak to you (that's my definition of studying the scriptures). I don't know if it's just me but when I was still a student, anytime I'm studying, I start hearing my lecturers voice in my head, and depending on my level of attentiveness in the class, if the lecturer gave an example at some point, I'd remember. It's the same with the scriptures. If you study prayerfully (i.e. praying for the Holy Spirit to explain to you before reading) and also paying attention (not letting your mind wander), I tell you, you'll stand from your table each day refreshed! Even what your pastor dinnor (did not) teach you, you'll get it because the man of God cannot teach you everything. Even if Jesus does not come in the next 100 years, you cannot exhaust the Bible! New revelations by the Holy Spirit will dawn on you daily. You think studying the scriptures are for those who have gained momentum in the spirit?? Then you're joking, and I'm sorry to say, but we should check your salvation. 

I always try to drum this in that don't do something because you read it in one of TRC's articles, but actually because it did minister to you, and you understand and you have a more concrete reason for doing it! You know how “on top of the world you feel" when you're speaking to and with your favourite person... That's how it feels with studying the scriptures. I literally smile to my Bible just because I'm in love with Pops (God), and He gave a letter in order to help me understand Him, because the Bible from Genesis to Revelation is talking about Jesus (if you don't know before, you know now). Pastor Mildred said she literally drools over the Bible and I understand that feeling, because when I'm studying and I have lots of other Bible translations, it literally makes me feel giddy.

How did I get here?? Bro Noah abi?? Okay let's continue. More than it'll make me happy, it'd make God ecstactic to see you sit down with His Word, and I tell you, new revelations and understanding from the scriptures will dawn on you.

I was talking about what Bro Noah did (I'm not consistent with calling him daddy Noah, right?? Don't be angry. I'm still referring to the same person, but don't loose me. Follow me...).

So I was saying ONLY Noah was found to be the righteous man on earth! It's like saying only Kinglady is the righteous lady in Nigeria! (Definitely, we have others. It's only an example). It's only the guys they told us about that we know; there are definitely other families the Bible didn't bother to mention. That's why I said roughly, there should be about a million people on earth then, or almost a million. But God could only find one man who did His bidding! See, if you love God, you love God. If you claim to love Him without us seeing the proof, it's only a claim. It was very easy for Noah to have joined the rest of the bad gang in the world (if you ask me, if you're not in Christ, you're in the devil, and the devil's gang is a bad gang). 

It was much easier for Noah to be unrighteous but he choose to stand for God, and I dare say it's because he is righteous that you and I are existing today. You know why?? God would have wiped out the entire human race! Read it nah, that's what God said, until it was later said that Noah found favour in His eyes. 

“And the Lord said, ‘I will wipe this human race I have created from the face of the earth. Yes, and I will destroy every living thing—all the people, the large animals, the small animals that scurry along the ground, and even the birds of the sky. I am sorry I ever made them.'" (Gen. 6:7 NLT).

Noah stood out! In the midst of a wicked and perverse generation, Noah stood his ground in Christ. I don't know if his family was as righteous as he is, but if they weren't, because of his righteousness, God must have allowed them enter the ark with him. If Noah dared to be the only righteous man, he most likely would have taught his family the same, even his daughter in-laws joined the ark's train. In that your environment, with all the godless attitude every other person is putting up, are you joining them or you're standing out as the light of Christ?? Eeeiii... Hmmm... Are you ashamed to proclaim Christ where you are because others are not like you, and you don't want to be isolated?? Whether with your roommate or in your office, or in any congregation you find yourself, if God was to seek out a righteous person who stood for Him and found favour in His sight, would He pick you?? Would you pick you?? (Read that again).

I remember listening to a message of Pastor Mildred Kingsley-Okonkwo. She said one day, she went for a prayer walk and as she was praying in tongues, she saw a smoker and then immediately reduced her voice. She said immediately, the Holy Spirit cautioned her that, “how can you be ashamed of praying out loud in tongues when this smoker is not ashamed of smoking outside??" Eeei🔥. The word struck me! He is doing something bad, and not ashamed. She is doing something good and excellent and she is feeling ashamed. She said that, immediately she started blasting in loud tongues🔥 and the man looked at her strangely. She also stared back still blasting with capital letter tongues (capital letter tongues is the kind of tongue that sounds like bomb to your ears, and definitely not tush!) Are you ashamed of praying outside?? The sons of the bondwoman are not scared to pray even at the middle of the road. Meanwhile, they're not serving the living and true God. Whereas, you that you're serving the all powerful God, you're shy to pray outside or carry your Bible outside your bag... Ahhhhhhhh, there is trouble o. 

Please note: I'm not saying praying outside loudly and carrying your Bible outside your bag means you're righteous; I'm only trying to make a point that some things are proofs of your Christianity. Wait o, I'm not saying you should go about shouting on people's head in the name of praying. Calm down. All I'm saying is, “if you love God in secret, love Him in the open. If you stand for God inside your room, stand for Him in the streets and on the rooftops!"

Are you ashamed to dress modestly in the midst of carnally dressed individuals?? Yes, I was. In my secondary school, I hated attending end of the session party. I wasn't comfortable in my suit when I went for my SS 3 party. I felt I didn't dress like my friends. Meanwhile these same guys told me they liked my dress, but I wanted to dress like them. However, God used my mother to reset my brain. Thank God for that woman in my life. I for don follow devil go tey tey (I'd have gone far with the devil); because of the way some of my mates will dress I'll be feeling sorry for myself. If the ‘me' now meets the ‘me' then, I'll sincerely give her a resounding and head balancing clean slap to knock some sense into her head that I should have been proud of my dressing then, and they should be ashamed of their nakedness outside!!! I didn't want to dress to expose my body actually. I just wanted to wear something that looks like theirs (shey you get??). I have to explain so you don't think I wanted to go naked then. I still had small sense then sha. 

If someone dresses naked, they should be ashamed, not you who dressed to glorify the name of the Lord! If anyone should be ashamed, it should be those on the other side of Christ! Not those on His side!

What I want you to take home from Noah is that in his time, God found just ONE man righteous and worthy to be saved from the flood that's meant to sweep away the human race. You think because Lot was in Sodom and Gomorrah is why God told Abraham that He is going to destroy the city?? Noo... Let me show you what God said before informing Abraham...

“Should I hide my plan from Abraham?” the Lord asked." (Gen. 18:17 NLT). 

This was why God told Abraham, because he was also righteous! Abraham so touched God's heart that He couldn't bear to do something without telling him. 

How else do you think of great men of God prophecy that something is going to happen about the nation and we see it happen?? God told them! 

If God were to do something in your environment, and He had to tell some sets of people, can you make the shortlist?? 

If the rapture happens today, will you be part of those who would meet with the Lord in the sky?? Would you?? If God were to destroy some people from a particular tribe today, would you be spared?? This thing called “righteousness" is not by mouth. It's not action. It still baffles me till now how that God found only “Noah" to be faithful in ALL of the earth!!! Ahhh!!! Hmmm!!! May the Lord help us!!!