A DANGEROUS TERRAIN
THE SEED
“Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Luke 10: 30 ESV
The reading is the parable of a man who travelled from Jerusalem, a place of blessing and God’s favour to Jericho, a place cursed by Joshua when the wall was broken down by the power of God. When a Christian leaves Jerusalem to travel to Jericho, there is danger, some Christians still manage to go down the temptation route and find themselves in trouble. The process starts when you ignore the voice of the Holy Spirit, becoming wise within yourself, ignoring the words of God, compromising your faith and becoming lukewarm. These undoings will quench the Holy Spirit and gratify the flesh. There are many examples in the bible, Dinah, Samson, Judas etc. Like it happens today, they also went after the world in pursuit of pleasures in sexual immoralities, pornography, fraudulent practices and immoral living. The end was not good for them. It is difficult to suppress temptation, it will build up and after several repressions, it bursts open, leading to sin and failure. If you have found yourself as wounded as the man travelling to Jericho, there is good news for you and others in similar circumstances. God brought help in the form of a Samaritan to help the wounded man. God will send someone your way to help you out of that messy situation on Jericho road, and drag you back to Jerusalem again. Continue to pray and ask for forgiveness while you are there, waiting for the helper to come. Invite the Holy Spirit in and do away with those Holy Spirit-quenching habits.
BIBLE READING: Luke 10:30-37
PRAYER: Gracious Father, let the power in your Spirit enable me not to succumb to temptation. Amen
AGBEGBE TI O NI EWU
IRUGBIN NAA
Jésù dáhùn pé, “Ọkùnrin kan ń sọ̀ kalẹ̀ láti Jerúsálẹ́mù lọ sí Jẹ́ríkò, ó sì bọ́ sáàárín àwọn ọlọ́ṣà, wọ́n bọ́ ọ lọ́wọ́, wọ́n nà án, wọ́n sì lọ, wọ́n sì fi í sílẹ̀ ní òkú. Lúùkù 10:30
Iwe kika naa jẹ owe ti ọkunrin kan ti o rin irin ajo lati Jerusalemu, ibi ibukun ati oju-rere Ọlọrun si Jeriko, ibi ti Joṣua fi bú nigbati odi lulẹ nipa agbara Ọlọrun. Nígbà tí Kristẹni kan bá kúrò ní Jerúsálẹ́mù láti rìnrìn àjò lọ sí Jẹ́ríkò, ewu wà níbẹ̀, àwọn Kristẹni kan ṣì ń bọ̀ lọ́nà ìdẹwò tí wọ́n sì bá ara wọn nínú wàhálà. Ilana naa bẹrẹ nigbati o ba kọju ohun ti Ẹmi Mimọ di ọlọgbọn ni oju ara rẹ, kọju awọn ọrọ Ọlọrun silẹ, ti o ba igbagbọ rẹ jẹ ati di tutu. Àwọn wọ̀nyí yóò pa Ẹ̀mí run, wọn yóò sì tẹ́ ẹran ara lọ́rùn. Awọn apẹẹrẹ pupọ lo wa ninu Bibeli, Dina, Samsoni, Judasi ati bẹbẹ lọ. Gẹgẹ bi o ti ṣẹlẹ loni, wọn tun tẹle agbaye ni ilepa awọn igbadun ninu awọn ibalopọ ibalopo, awọn aworan iwokuwo, awọn iṣe arekereke ati igbesi aye panṣaga. Ipari ko dara fun wọn. O nira lati kọ idanwo naa duro, yoo dagba ati lẹhin ọpọlọpọ awọn ifiagbaratemole, yoo jade ti o yori si ẹṣẹ ati ikuna. Tó o bá ti rí i pé o gbọgbẹ́ bíi ti ọkùnrin tó ń rìnrìn àjò lọ sí Jẹ́ríkò, ìhìn rere wà fún ìwọ àtàwọn míì tó wà nínú ipò kan náà. Ọlọ́run mú ìrànlọ́wọ́ wá ní ìrísí ará Samáríà láti ran ọkùnrin tó gbọgbẹ́ náà lọ́wọ́. Ọlọ́run yóò rán ẹnì kan lọ sí ọ̀nà rẹ láti ràn ọ́ lọ́wọ́ kúrò ní ọ̀nà pálapàla tó wà ní ọ̀nà Jẹ́ríkò, láti tún mú ọ padà lọ sí Jerúsálẹ́mù. Tẹsiwaju lati gbadura ati beere fun idariji lakoko ti o wa nibẹ nduro fun oluranlọwọ lati wa. Pe Ẹ̀mí Mímọ́ wọlé kí o sì mú àwọn àṣà ìparun Ẹ̀mí Mímọ́ náà kúrò.
BIBELI KIKA: Lúùkù 10:30-37
ADURA: Baba Olore-ọfẹ, jẹ ki agbara ti o wa ninu Ẹmi rẹ jẹ ki n ma bọwọ fun idanwo. Amin.