Ogundipe oluwatoyin amos The Bible Calendar for 3rd June 2024.
Deuteronomy 14: 22–15: 23
Songs of Solomon 5: 2–6: 9
Luke 10: 25–42
POINTS:
1. Care for the Saints
2. The Defiled Wife
3. Neighbour’s Responsibility
1. CARE FOR THE SAINTS
It is very important to take care of some sets of people in the church, it is the ordinance from God to add them to our responsibilities individually and collectively. Moses ordered the Israelites to take care of these groups of people so that poverty could be eradicated in the land. He mentioned the Levites which are the servants of God today, the strangers, the fatherless, the widows, and the poor; taking care of them will make God happy and continue to bless those who cared for them. The tithes here were divided into two, one is yearly and another is to be within three-year intervals. The yearly one is the one to be paid at the end of harvest by the farmers having known that the Israelites were farmers. The vegetables and grains are harvested yearly, but cash crops are harvested three years after planting. According to Moses, all should pay their deducted tithes from their produce to the Levites and the tithes should be used to take care of strangers, needy, fatherless, and widows. But Paul divided the widows into three categories, first is the young widows under sixty years, and he asked them to remarry, the second set of widows are those who have children, and he instructed that they should be cared for by their children that they may not be a burden to the church, and the third is the widows that have no child to take care of them and they are above sixty, these are the ones the church and her members should compulsorily take care of. Today especially in the urban areas we are living by salary, wages, or market gains, tithes have to be deducted and paid accordingly. Moses said there shall be no poverty in the land, this shall be obtainable if we play our role as Christians and extend the hands of love to the less privileged in the church as the Early Church did that they have all things in common and distributed what they have to all according to their needs.
2. THE DEFILED WIFE
Many Christians have been defiled by Satan, the world and flesh they formerly rejected, and the husband they are waiting for may not be able to marry them at His second coming. The tone of the fourth song of Solomon above sounds like a woman whose husband cuts unaware. When she opened the door the husband couldn’t wait because He was disappointed at the position He met her. She ran after Him but she could not find him, she suffered at the hands of the city guards but she could not find him. This should be a lesson to all who are waiting for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to make sure they are not defiled by the devil and the world. It will be very painful if after keeping our faith for years we land in suffering and shame for lack of patience. Many factors can defile a Christian, economic factors, marital factors, and love of the things of the world, to mention a few; but all these are no excuses for anyone because keeping our first love for Christ will secure our steadfastness in the Lord. Remember the love of the world is the enemy of God, the world may come with her tricks, we just need to be sensitive because we know we are serving a jealous God. Remember where your love has been getting cold and make an amendment immediately that you will not be defiled by the devil, may the Lord establish us in Jesus’ name.
3. NEIGHBOUR’S RESPONSIBILITY
Who is my neighbor? This was a question the rich man asked to justify himself, saying he has been doing all that the law says, but yet he failed to know who his neighbor is. The Priest and the Levite in the parable of Jesus hold firm to the law and leave the wounded merchant uncared for, but the Samaritan man faced the risk and saved his life in danger. Many people have died especially in Nigeria, while some are half dead and wounded because they lack care in a time like this because those that could have saved them were afraid of the law. We need to learn from this Samaritan and go the extra mile to save our neighbors not minding the cost or negative sides of the goodness. Many will not be able to care for other people because they want to satisfy their own children but the person you help will also know you as a father and your mind will be at rest. Somebody says the people you fail to train will not allow your trained children to have rest. Anyone you have the power to help, please assist them as they may be the ones that will help you in the future because the way up is the way down and what goes around comes around. Your neighbors may not be as Christian as you are, yet you have a responsibility to perform, in fact, your goodness towards them may preach the gospel to them more meaningfully than your speech. We are the light of the world and everyone around us must enjoy the love of God with us; therefore show kindness to your neighbours whether Christian or non-Christian. May the Lord help us to be kind to everyone around us in Jesus’ name.
Pastor M. O. Shodipe.
For question: 08056044717.
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