PRIDE: THE SIN THAT GOD SERIOUSLY WARNS US AGAINST

Proverb 6:16-23

Revd. Dr. J.A. Aworinde

Pride is one of the banes of the modern age while humility is one of the greatest needs of the present age.  One of the sins the Bible constantly warns us against is the sin of pride.  In proverb 6:16-17.  Pride is the first in the series of things God hates.  In the Beatitudes, our Lord puts humility first.

Characteristics of a proud Person

1.         Haughty eyes

2.         Seen one self as the only wise and whose life is exclusively made for

3.         Deliberately ignoring and undermining what is good in others.

4.         Run down syndrome

5.         Over-confidence in oneself

6.         He would always wants to be first and seen

7.         He would always puffs up

8.         He exhibits peacock syndrome in the home, place of work and church

God does not take pride lightly

Is. 2:11-12:     The lofty looks of man shall be humbled and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.  For the day of the Lord shall be upon everyone  that is proud and lofty and everyone that is lifted up and he shall be brought low.

Is. 3:16:          The Lord say: Because the daughter of Zion are haughty and walks forth with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go.  The Lord will smite with a  scab the crown of the head.  He will expose their secrets parts  He  will take away the brabery.

PEOPLE ARE PROUD WHEN THEY MISTAKE ELITISM WITH WISDOM.  The fear of the lord is the beginning of wisdom.  Academic knowledge without the grace of being born into the family of God will only move a man away completely from God.

PEOPLE BECOME PROUD BECAUSE OF THE LITTLE OPPORTUNITY THEY HAVE     

-       Pride leads to the missing of both Divine and human blessing.

-       It blinds people eyes and minds to new idea.

-       Pride encourages oppression in our society.

-       Pride often leads to inglorious end

-       Many students have failed because of pride.

But humility

Leads to answered prayer ( II Chronicle 7:14, James 4:10) enables one to enjoy the favour of God.  Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord and he shall lift you up. (James 4:10)

It enables one to gain victory over enemies (Psalm 149:4)

Humility helps one to enjoy the mercy of God (II Ch. 32:26)

*Without humility a man cannot learn, because the first step to learning is the realization of our own ignorance

Do you realize that you need the grace of humility and not pride.

1.     In order to enjoy the priviledge of answered prayer

2.     In order to enjoy the favour of God

3.     In order to enjoy the mercy of God

4.     In order to be pleasing unto God (Is. 57:15)

5.     In order to enjoy divine guidance in all your ways (Psalm 25:9)

Be grateful for what you have

A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet. He held up a sign which said: ‘I am blind, please help.’ There were only a few coins in the hat.

A man was walking by. He took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat. He then took the sign, turned it around, and wrote some words. He put the sign back so that everyone who walked by would see the new words.

Soon the hat began to fill up. A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy. That afternoon the man who had changed the sign came to see how things were. The boy recognized his footsteps and asked, ‘Were you the one who changed my sign this morning? What did you write?’
The man said, ‘I only wrote the truth. I said what you said but in a different way.’
What he had written was: ‘Today is a beautiful day and I cannot see it.’

Do you think the first sign and the second sign were saying the same thing?
Of course both signs told people the boy was blind. But the first sign simply said the boy was blind. The second sign told people they were so lucky that they were not blind. Should we be surprised that the second sign was more effective?
Moral of the Story: Be thankful for what you have. Be creative. Be innovative. Think differently and positively.
Invite others towards good with wisdom. Live life with no excuse and love with no regrets. When life gives you a 100 reasons to cry, show life that you have 1000 reasons to smile. Face your past without regret. Handle your present with confidence. Prepare for the future without fear. Keep the faith and drop the fear.
Great men say, ‘Life has to be an incessant process of repair and reconstruction, of discarding evil and developing goodness…. In the journey of life, if you want to travel without fear, you must have the ticket of a good conscience.’
The most beautiful thing is to see a person smiling…
And even more beautiful is, knowing that you are the reason behind it!!!

I’d probably want to change above to : Be thankful and be grateful to God for what He has given you. Do not fear the future as God has promised to take care of you as He has taken care of the birds in the air.
God never breaks His promises! Stay close with God always!

THE AMAZING GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH

The God's newly established church. Amazing Grace Baptist Church, Papa yaku, Ogbomoso, Oyo state.

BEING A GOOD STEWARD

BEING A GOOD STEWARD
Malachi 3:6-12
Revd. Dr. J.A Aworinde

The reasons why people don't pay tithes and offerings?
-Because of carnality. some people have locked out and programme God out of their life.
-Because of wordliness. This is when wordly activities and pleasure occupies the most important areas of ones life.
-Because of anxiety. Too much responsibilty, i.e, worry about many things.
-Lack of appreciation. When believers failed to appreciate the gift of life and pardon of sin through Jesus Christ.
-Lack of trust. It is a lame excuse to assume that your money will be embezzled by the church officials. After you pay your tithes and offerings in the church, it becomes the property of God-Can a man eat gall and still continue to enjoy himself and not feel the seriousness or the serious effect of its bitterness?

*Being a good steward is not a new issue. Malachi 3:6,7a
*Don't argue with God about the issue of tithes and offerings. Malachi 3:8
*One of the cardinal point for one to be a good steward is to be a good tither.
*God himself is the best giver, He has every right to demand from you.
*Many people are working and struggling under closed heaven because of their failure to give their tithes and offerings.
*Sometimes prayer is not the solution to your problem, but taking a practical step of paying tithes and offerings.
*There is nothing more when God blesses you, but God does not just blesses because He is a wise Investor, he doesn't invest anyhow.
*Jesus in his teachings supported the payment of tithes and offerings. Matthew 23:23
*Everyone on earth pays tithes and offerings.  There are various ways in which people pay it, some people pay it to seek the merciful face of God and to receive blessings, but others pay it as a result of their punishments either in form of sickness, court case and all the likes.
*When you faithfully pay your tithes and offerings you acknowledge that God owns everything. Haggai 2:8
*When God blesses you, he want you to be a blessing to the Church of Christ.
*The moment a man stop breathing he stop living and the moment a man stop giving he stop receiving.


Note: Instead, remember that the Lord your God gives you the strength to make a living. That's how he keeps the promise he made to your ancestors. Deut 8:18.CEV

Remain blessed in Jesus name

THE NINE LEPERS WHO FAILED TO SAY THANK YOU

THE NINE LEPERS WHO FAILED TO SAY THANK YOU
LUKE 17:11-19
Revd. Dr. J.A Aworinde

Facts from the passage we've read:
- Jesus encountered ten lepers
- They were afflicted with leprosy
- They were counted defiled by the society
- They were even spiritually unclean
- They were kept away fom public worship and social gathering
- They were object of shame
- They became object of ridicule

=>The ten lepers asked for mercy but they received healing which is a divine intervention of the Lord.
You will receive divine intervention before this year runs out in Jesus'name.
=>The lepers requested for arms but they obtained divine mercy in form of healing through Christ.
=>They received solution or answer to their problems because they had faith.
=>Nine of the ten lepers that came to Jesus failed woefully in saying thank you.
=>Are you an ingrate like these nine lepers?
=>How often do you forget to say thank you for God's goodness over your life.
=>Don't take God for granted. It is an act of ingratitude.
=>Pride hinders you from saying thank you.
=>Don't allow yourself to be carried away by the excitement of your achievement in life to say thank you to the source.
=>Out of ten lepers, only one remembered to say thank you, but alas He was a stranger.
=>You might have received blessings from God, but have you not forgotten to say thank you to the Lord and the instruments he used for you?
=>How will you appreciate God today?
=>Is God not expressing disappointment over your life due to your act of ingratitude.
=>It is one thing to receive blessing from God, it is another thing for it to be perfected. It is your gratitude towards divine blessing that brings about perfection of such blessings.
=>The leper who remembered to appreciate God was physically sound  and spiritually sound, but the other nine were only physically healed.
=>Gratitude expressed by the Samaritan leper brought about sound body through divine mercy and saved soul through faith in Christ Jesus.
=>Appreciate your Creator with something that will cost you a price.
=>Learn how to say thank you and express it wholeheartedly.
=>May God instill in us the heart of appreciation.

Remain blessed in His Presence!