Never Forget the Giver and Others – 090113
Message from the General Overseer, GOFAMINT – Pastor Dr. E.O. Abina
Deuteronomy 8:18 – And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.
Luke 12:16-21 – Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
The Lord Jesus was teaching on some important subjects namely: hypocrisy, the fear of God, and confession of Christ before men.
All of a sudden, one in the audience who was a bread-seeking hearer raised his voice and said: “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” But He (Jesus) said to him: “Man who made Me a judge and an arbitrator over you?” Then Jesus warned the audience, to beware of covetousness because one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.
The attitude of the material-centered hearer in the audience moved Jesus to tell the parable of this message. The principal actor in the parable is a rich but foolish farmer who was so blessed by God in his farming occupation so much that his already existing barns could no longer contain the crops which the land yielded. So he decided to break down the already existing barns and build bigger ones. After that, he would encourage himself that all that is left for him now is to enjoy, take ease, be in pleasure and merry, forgetting that amassing wealth is not the end of everything. But God called him fool, “tonight your soul will be required of you; then whose shall those things be which you have provided?” The Lord Jesus concluded the parable by saying: “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God”.
Let me just mention some of the mistakes of this rich foolish farmer lest we also fall into the same trap:
- In planning for himself, he forgot his neighbours. God blesses us so that we also should bless others. A believer is expected to share with others who are less privileged in the church and society.
- In counting his goods, he forgot the giver. Every child of God should realize the fact that whatever we possess in life is the function of God’s grace to us not a function of our wisdom. See 1Timothy 6:17-19. You must honour God who gives you power to get wealth.
- In providing for his body, he forgot his soul. One of the dangers of these last days is the love of pleasure. Unbelievers forget that their soul is much more precious than the worldly pleasure they give their life to. Believers dare not pitch their tent with them – Beware!
- In counting on many years, he forgot eternity. This same mistake is being made by many rich people today, who have no thought of the hereafter. Satan has so blindfolded them that they could no longer think of what happens after death. I challenge you to be wiser than this rich but foolish farmer. Where will you spend eternity? Be wise to give your life to Jesus today if you have not done so. And if you have been born again, learn to recognize God the giver of all things and share what you have with others, so that you may be rich toward God.
About markVisuals
Rejuvenate 