SISTER TITILOPE EYINLA (EXHORTATION)
COLOSSIANS 2:3-7
” 3 In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words. 5 For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ. 6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: 7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.“
There is a reason why the words we keep hearing are coming forth. Treasures are hidden in God’s word. We have to treasure the word of God so that we can mine the rich treasures embedded in it. God’s word helps us to be rooted in Christ in the journey of faith. In that faith journey, God is the beginning, the in-between and the ending. Faith comes by hearing God’s word but there is the place of knowledge and understanding. As we have received Christ, we should continue in Him. There are things out there to distract us from walking in Him.
PASTOR OLUWASEYI OSANYINBI
LUKE 12:13-15
“13 And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me. 14 And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you? 15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.”
The world is structured such so that people are regarded and appreciated based on the things they have been able to acquire over a period of time. There is this usual trend of evaluating people based on what they wear and the things they possess so that they can be put in their proper classes. So, when people do not have the means to acquire possessions they become agitated. God specializes in taking the poor from the dunghill and setting them among princes. David was a great example of a grass-to-grace story. He came from a family where he was regarded as a persona non grata but he turned out to be the symbol of the Israeli dynasty.
LUKE 12:16-21
“16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: 17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? 18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. 20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? 21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”
No matter whom you are, no matter your religion, God will always bless you if you are enterprising. That kind of blessing follows the simple law of sowing and reaping. God created man to work and once a man stops working, according to God’s definition of ‘work’, he may no longer have a reason to live. The rich man in our text got to a point where he taught he had laboured enough and he decided to take it easy in his foolishness and he died. We must always endeavour to be rich towards God instead of heaping treasures for ourselves on the earth.
I PETER 5:7
“7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”;
ECCLESIATES 3:11
“11 He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.”;
LUKE 10:38-42
“38 Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word. 40 But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. 41 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: 42 But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”
Never come to a place in your life where you don’t need God. He did not create us to be self-dependent or human-dependent. He enjoys it when we trust Him. Whenever you have a need in your life, you must always realize that it is an opportunity for God to show his awesome power. When Jesus visited Mary and Martha, Martha was concerned and worried about putting up a good show in hosting Jesus. Just like Martha, we worry about so many things. In fact, some people worry that there is nothing to worry about. However, we must understand that Jesus cares for us and so we have to hand our worries over to Him. We must train ourselves to the point that we give up our right to worry. When we worry, we shorten our lives because we will have to collapse under the pressure of the loads that God should be carrying. Challenges will always come but we must have it entrenched in our hearts that there will always be a way out with God. Of course, we don’t have to run away from our problems. We are required to plan but we are not expected to worry. Make your plans and hand them over to God. Don’t make God’s problem your problem. He is strong enough to handle every situation. Worrying shows that we do not trust God and that is sin. Whatsoever is not of faith is sin. We must know that our redeemer lives because there are troubles awaiting us in the future. This knowledge is what will keep us all the way.