By Allen Olatunde
Galatians 4:3-5
INTRODUCTION
God is timeless and timely. He is never in hurry, always on time, never early, never late on any occasion and on any issue. Ultimate love of God was shown to the world at the fullness of time at Christmas. There is time for everything. God is never in haste. God released Jesus Christ into the world at the fullness of time. God became man to save the world from doom. Jesus was born when darkness was thoroughly influencing the world – Roman government and her laws prevailed, Judaism ideologists increased (Pharisees and Sadducees) and the world was empty of divine revelation, only philosophy strived – the search for wisdom to solve man’s problem.
REPLICA OF CREATION STORY AT CHRIST’S BIRTH
God created the earth and a time came when God’s attention was needed; it was prompt. God was not late to reform, transform and complete what He started.
• There was emptiness, shapelessness and darkness at creation (Genesis 1:2a “The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep…”) and these also occurred before Christ was born. The world was almost in total darkness of new culture and revolution, new language (Greek – everyone was forced to learn it as national language), new ideas, interpretations of scripture and tradition of elders, new government (Roman Empire and Sanhedrin), new religion and leaders (Buddha – Buddhism, Confucius – Confucianism, Zoroaster- Zoroastrianism, etc.), philosophers (Socrates, Aristotle, Areopagus, Pythagoras, Plato, Epicurus, etc.) – no access to divine revelation after the book of Malachi until the dawn when Christ was born. The darkness lasted for 400 years of war, enslaving, search for wisdom, search for God, and hatching of new cultures/values. Emergence of Christ opened up “Thus says the Lord”.
Monday, August 8, 2016
MOTHERHOOD
1 Samuel 1:21-28; Luke 2:41-51
INTRODUCTION
Motherhood is from the word mother and hood (which means cloak, lid, cover or covering). Mother that covers (protects her children and home). Online dictionary defines motherhood as state of being a mother; childbearing; and kinship relation between an offspring and the mother. I see motherhood as the covering for all children in a home including the husband, family, neighbourhood and communities. In Africa, mothers are heroines that mold, make and build nations. In the Bible, motherhood is a holy privilege from God. Eve conceived and confessed, “I have acquired a man from the LORD.” (Genesis 4:1b). Bible confirms the dignity and joy of motherhood in John 16:21 which says, “A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world”. In this lecture, you will be glad to know that God has destined you to be mother that shall build lives for God’s purpose.
EFFECTIVENESS OF LAW: WORKS OF LAW VERSUS FAITH TO SAVE AND SANCTIFY
By Allen Olatunde
Galatians 2:16 in verses
“Yet, we know that people don’t receive God’s approval because of their own efforts to live according to a set of standards, but only by believing in Jesus Christ. So we also believed in Jesus Christ in order to receive God’s approval by faith in Christ and not because of our own efforts. People won’t receive God’s approval because of their efforts to live according to a set of standards” (GW). (www.biblestudytools.com)
“Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified” (NKJV).
Galatians 2:16 in verses
“Yet, we know that people don’t receive God’s approval because of their own efforts to live according to a set of standards, but only by believing in Jesus Christ. So we also believed in Jesus Christ in order to receive God’s approval by faith in Christ and not because of our own efforts. People won’t receive God’s approval because of their efforts to live according to a set of standards” (GW). (www.biblestudytools.com)
“Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified” (NKJV).
PARENTS AND CHILD’S CAREER: RIVALRY OF VALUES AND WISHES
“…But you are worth ten thousand of us now” (II Samuel 18:1-3).
This was statement from the combatant followers of King David. When David was planning to go with them into a fiery war, they rejected his bidding because ‘a king must not die on the warfare’. They placed value on his live. The death of a king meant defeat to the nation at that time. Our lives have worth/value. God adds value to everyone He created. He made us in His own image, not with instinct like animals but with living soul from His breath to be intellectual, spiritual and socially coordinated. Your child also has value. Value of your child is beyond measure. As parent, do you know the worth of your child? However, we increase value by what we choose to do, know, allow or approve. Consent/approval of a parent to child’s career gives a very strong foundation to value. Your child has value such as intelligence, interest-level, talent, inquisitiveness, assimilating power, temperament and self-esteem which make him/her unique to you as parent, society and God. Your parental union with the child is God’s arrangement to search, add, increase and support the value you will discover or have discovered. Therefore, parents are natural guide and coach for children. They see things in a different way above and better than the children. What you see as value in them will surely affect their career; for career builds on one’s value. To discover value of a child, endeavour to know about the career choice of your child. Career choice begins from the first year on earth when future formation begins. The child with brighter future starts from the four corner of the house.
This was statement from the combatant followers of King David. When David was planning to go with them into a fiery war, they rejected his bidding because ‘a king must not die on the warfare’. They placed value on his live. The death of a king meant defeat to the nation at that time. Our lives have worth/value. God adds value to everyone He created. He made us in His own image, not with instinct like animals but with living soul from His breath to be intellectual, spiritual and socially coordinated. Your child also has value. Value of your child is beyond measure. As parent, do you know the worth of your child? However, we increase value by what we choose to do, know, allow or approve. Consent/approval of a parent to child’s career gives a very strong foundation to value. Your child has value such as intelligence, interest-level, talent, inquisitiveness, assimilating power, temperament and self-esteem which make him/her unique to you as parent, society and God. Your parental union with the child is God’s arrangement to search, add, increase and support the value you will discover or have discovered. Therefore, parents are natural guide and coach for children. They see things in a different way above and better than the children. What you see as value in them will surely affect their career; for career builds on one’s value. To discover value of a child, endeavour to know about the career choice of your child. Career choice begins from the first year on earth when future formation begins. The child with brighter future starts from the four corner of the house.
CHRISTIAN AND SELFISHNESS
By Allen Olatunde
Philemon 1-25
INTRODUCTION
The book of Philemon is found among the Epistles of the New Testament. More specifically, it is one of the Pauline Epistles. Yet more specifically, it is one of the "Prison Epistles" (along with Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians).The Prison Epistles were written while Paul was under house arrest in Rome (Acts 28:14-31; cf. Philemon 1, 9, 10, 13, and 23) for two years (Acts 28:30) in the early 60s A.D. awaiting trial before the Roman Supreme Court. As already indicated, the author of the epistle of Philemon was clearly the apostle Paul (Philemon 1, 9, and 19). He wrote the letter to show a Christian virtue to Philemon. Paul was opportune to claim wayward but saved Onesimus but he did not use his position to impose and override his followers which Philemon was one. This act is needed in the church of God. This study will x-ray the topic in three ways, namely: Christian, selfishness and selflessness.
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