Ogundipe oluwatoyin amos The Bible Calendar for 6th June 2024.
Deuteronomy 18: 9–19: 21
Joel 1
Luke 11: 37–54
POINTS:
1. Judgement for A False Witness
3. Solemn Assembly.
4. Pharisees’ Hypocrisy.
1. JUDGEMENT FOR A FALSE WITNESS
Much innocent blood has been shed through reports of false witnesses, even though the Ten Commandments condemned the act, but people for one reason or another will perpetrate the evil. Moses says no one should be killed without eyewitnesses not one but two, and the elders should inquire for the reality of the witnesses if the witnesses say the truth they shall be the first to cast a stone on the accused before the others, but if the inquiry discovers falsified information in the witness of the witnesses, they should be judged exactly instead. This is to put an end to the falsehood act because of hatred or love of money. Till today, many still engage in the acts of false witnessing, they lie against someone and they stand till they condemn such to discipline or death. But the leaders of homes, companies, societies, and churches should make serious inquiries before passing their judgment on the people, and if found false, punishment should be imposed on the false witnesses. There are false witnesses in the higher order, those who post false information on social media, those who disseminate the information without examination, and those who destroy people’s characters falsely, many lie against people and say what they didn’t know about such people, especially at the verge of promotion of such person. These evil people increase daily, in fact, if care is not taken the righteous ones will be lured to promote such false information. We need to be careful because God will judge the false witnesses therefore do not join the multitude to do evil. Even on social media, before rebroadcasting any information, examine the truth attached to such information, not by personality posted such information or how religious, not how political or influential the post may portray; or else you will find yourself escalating false information. Be wise, remember, the measurement we measured for someone shall be measured back to us.
2. SOLEMN ASSEMBLY
God has many tools to punish the people who are disobedient to His instructions. Such tools are to devour things that contribute to man’s pride. Something usually precedes famine, it may be a lack of rain, pestilence, war, or disasters; this will render the efforts of the people of the land wasted which will result in famine. Prophet Joel asked the elders of the land to take note of the situation they were going through which was not normal. He wanted people to come to their senses and seek the Lord, for the situation is a result of the visitation of the Lord inquiring about their sins. He called for a solemn assembly that will make them seek the mercy of God and the scriptures say if my people that are called by my name humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face and change from their evil ways, I will hear from heaven, I will forgive their sins and I will heal their land. Likewise the situation of the Christians in many nations as they are terrorized and persecuted, and many were killed without anyone to fight for them. Some of them console themselves by attaching the happenings to the perilous time or end time syndrome, but they fail to call for a solemn assembly to change their situations, and even when they call, they handle the solemn assembly with levity and therefore it has not much effect. Prophet Joel said the people should announce fasting, the priests who are today’s Christians should weep in the cities and they should gather in the house of God to pray and to plead for the mercy of God. Many alerts of dangerous plans against Christians and innocent people are heard yet we fold our hands instead to call on God, meanwhile, we have no gun to fight even if we are given a gun we cannot shoot but the spiritual weapon that we have is what we fail to use. The present situation of the world this time needs serious prayers, and we should rise up individually, with family and church, denominationally, and all Christian churches. Let us arise to silence the pranks of wicked people who plan to wage war against us, remember the weapon of our warfare is not carnal but might through God to put down the stronghold.
3. PHARISEES’ HYPOCRISY
Jesus condemned many attitudes of the Pharisees which were hypocritical for they went to extremes in all their doings. The Pharisees were the elite of them and were expected to keep and teach the word of God in their time, but they turned to scriptures to match their purpose and to enrich themselves. They did things in a way that people would recognize them as the holy people of God and they rendered many to unbelievers. They kept the outer purification and did something else in the secret. To the extent that these people operated in the market to collect tithes of vegetables and go from town to town to collect the tithes even on Sabbath day, they told people not to work on Sabbath but they had their ways of doing things. The teachings of Jesus Christ often touched them for His preaching was revealing their secrets hence they considered him to be a preacher preaching against them. Also, many politicians and elites will not like to go to the church where the truth will be spoken, for they will not like anyone condemning their attitude. Many in the church today have turned themselves into Pharisees through their behaviors, they keep wrong identities in their doings and they push people to do the work that they cannot do. Many will not contribute to the church yet condemn how the pastor or the presbytery go by spending. Let us do as we speak because one of the major characteristics of Pharisees is do as I say not as I do; but people learn through practicality rather than theories, therefore live in your sermons and teachings. May the Lord give us the grace to do what we preach so that we may not be condemned at His second coming in Jesus’ name.
Pastor M. O. Shodipe
For question: 08056044717
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