FIRST BIBLE LESSON:
LUKE 18:16-17
But Jesus called them
unto him and said: "Suffer the children to come unto me, and forbid them
not; for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, whosoever shall
not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter
therein.
SECOND BIBLE LESSON:
LUKE 9:47-48
"And Jesus
perceiving the thoughts of their hearts, took a little child and set him by
him, and said unto them, whosoever shall receive this child in my name,
receiveth me; and whosoever shall receive me receiveth him that sent me; for he
that is least among you all, the same shall be great."
GOLDEN TEXT: MATTHEW
19:14-15
But Jesus said:
"Suffer the children and forbid them not to come unto me, for of such is
the kingdom of heaven," and He laid his hands on them and departed
thence."
Brethren, this is spiritual nourishment which we are
going to acquire this morning. It is a nourishment which has existed from time
immemorial in its prepared form and we are only going to partake of it.
Beloved brethren, God's admonition on the relationship
between adults and children has been made known since time immemorial, I am
therefore not going to tell you something new. Indeed, as our Lord Jesus Christ
said, when the Comforter comes He will not speak of Himself, He will only
recall all that had been said and clarify to you what may not have been
understood. So it is going to be today. Therefore make no mistake today, to
credit Leader Olumba Olumba Obu with the final authority on this subject, as we
derive all that we do and say here from the scriptures. You are our witnesses
on this score. You will no doubt agree with me that the whole process can be
likened to a school where children are taught and they are later put to a test
as a means of ascertaining that they actually understood what they learnt. We
here just revise what we learnt from the scriptures, as we come to the final
days that are already here.
MY ADVISE AS WE GET
CLOSER AND CLOSER TO THESE DAYS IS THAT GOD IN HIS INFINITE MERCY IS GIVING YOU
THIS GRACIOUS OPPORTUNITY FOR REVISION SO THAT IF YOU NEVER HITHERTO BELIEVED,
YOU SHOULD DO SO AND ALSO IF YOU DID NOT REALIZE THAT THE END OF THE WORLD IS
IN SIGHT, YOU SHOULD IMMEDIATELY DO SO. GO AND TELL THE WORLD THAT THE END OF
THE WORLD IS DRAWING NEAR.
On this note, I feel it is incumbent on me to remind
you of what God said about children; His relationship and His regard for them.
It is on this basis that God looks at the people of
world as little children. That statement of Our Lord Jesus Christ that the
kingdom of God is like little children is not clear to the world. You are aware
that the world is moving forward and not backwards. What is this progress of
the world? It is the children who are born. What you have not seen, the little
children will see; what you cannot do, the little children will do and where
you cannot reach, they will reach.
It is quite pitiful at this end of time to observe how
you curse your children when you pronounce woe unto them. If you go to a
person's house and see how he treats his children, you marvel at it, because he
treats them like beasts. Very many children, as soon as they hear the voices of
their parents, they would want to vanish because of fear. Some of them quake at
the sight of their parents. Even a person who is not capable of fighting his
equal will always wage war against his children at home. Even a fellow who
pretends to be quiet here becomes a talkative at home with his children. In
deed, most people who claim to know Jesus appear to be very cruel with their
children.
Brethren, it is not easy to know how to bring up
children. We should think very seriously about this because our attitude
towards children leaves much to be desired. Children need to be studied and
cared for. They just come into this world in innocence and do not know what is
in the world. They are like tombstones. If you want to know the nature of
children, compare a newly born child with a goat, sheep, or calf, it does not
understand, it looks blank. We do not know that our trouble is based on the
fact that we fail to know how to get on with children. You only ask God to give
you children, but you do not know how to bring them up in the fear and love and
knowledge of God. If I tell you the task involved in caring for and bringing up
children, you will realize what a great task your parents had.
Among the whites, one who is a millionaire is
satisfied with a lone child because his preoccupation is how to bring up that
child in a proper way. IT IS NOT DIFFICULT TO REAR CHILDREN, RATHER WHAT IS
DIFFICULT IS HOW TO NURTURE THEM IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD. The trouble of many
parents arise from the shabby parental habits and maltreatment of their children.
Parents do not always have regards for children. You complain that your child
is useless and is not worth anything. Who is responsible for this? It is due to
your useless attitude. You also complain that your children do not know God,
you are the cause. Name any person whose parents do not know God but they came
up to know God, and got related to him, and I will tell you many people in the
Bible who followed God from the good examples of their parents. WHAT YOU SOW IS
WHAT YOU REAP.
To bear children should not be the our first duty on
earth, but rather our first duty should be to lead a righteous life that is
acceptable to God. However in your case you begin with going to soothsayers,
necromancers or you consult oracles and mermaids, you drink concoctions and you
also wear charms in order to get children. What will become of these children
when you get them through such means? You do not want to know God, you do not
love God; you steal, fornicate, curse, abuse and call people names. If you lead
this type of life, what will become of the children you want to bear? You want
money, cars, ships, houses, and many children, but you do not want to know God
and keep His commandments. You do not want to know anything about goodness,
righteousness, nor do you want your children to know and appreciate the way of
God. What will be the fate of the children you crave to bear?
Do you know that all your blessings come from your
children and the blessing of your children derive from your pattern of life;
and so the symbiosis of the life of the parents and the children has much
influence on the shaping of the life of the children. Remember what Our Lord
Jesus Christ said, "Suffer the little children and forbid them not to come
to me, for such is the kingdom of God."
Then He called the children and blessed them. Little
children make up the kingdom of God, but you do not recognize them and do you
bless them? Specifically, what about your own children? Do you bless them and
draw them close to you to appreciate your life?
I do not mean blessing them with wealth when you build
houses for them, buy them new clothes and prepare delicious food for them. WHAT
I MEAN IS THAT YOU SHOULD BLESS THEM WITH THE WORDS OF GOD. BRING THEM UP IN
THE FEAR AND KNOWLEDGE OF GOD AND TEACH THEM THE WAY TO RIGHTEOUSNESS,
EMPLOYING SIMPLICITY, HUMILITY, PATIENCE AND UNDERSTANDING. THIS IS THE
GREATEST LEGACY YOU CAN LEAVE FOR YOUR CHILDREN.
Those who were here yesterday, heard a story on a
similar subject: THE KINGDOM OF GOD. THIS IS TO SHOW YOU THAT BRINGING UP
LITTLE CHILDREN AND MAKING THEM RESPONSIBLE HUMAN BEINGS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT
THING TO DO, FOR THE WORLD DEPENDS ON THE CHILDREN AS THE FUTURE GENERATION.
It is true that the environment plays an important
role in the molding of a person. Why evil men are born is the resultant effect
of what the parents have been doing. It is what they sowed for their children.
The evils you commit come back on your children. If you steal, your children
will be given to roguery. If you fornicate, they will take to fornication. If
you indulge in witchcraft, concoctions and charms, your children will indulge
in the same practices. When you therefore procreate a child, that same blood of
roguery or witchcraft will recur. If I should take you any longer, you will realize
that all that happens stem from our ignorance in the treatment of children.
BEFORE WE CAN HAVE GOOD CHILDREN WE HAVE TO REFRAIN
FROM DOING EVIL COMPLETELY AND BE DETERMINED TO DO GOOD. INSTEAD OF ABUSING AND
CURSING, YOU BLESS; INSTEAD OF PRONOUNCING WOES, WE ENCOURAGE. BY SO DOING,
THEY WILL BECOME GOOD CHILDREN. You are true witnesses to the fact that no
person speaks good words to children, most people have no regard for their
children and they console themselves by saying: "Provided they live."
What are they living for?
The reason why Our Lord Jesus Christ compared the
kingdom of God to little children is that little children are like blank sheets
of paper, an empty pot and it is your duty as a parent to fill the pot and
write on the blank sheet of paper. All you fill in the pot or write on the
paper will show in the adult life of the children. You are aware that babies
when they are born, are motionless and you have to move them about; they must
be molded by parents as to the formation of the parts of the body. Any mistake
by the parents leaves permanent deformities in the children.
Whatever comes out of the life of a child is what was
put in. God has made it clear that we should treat little children kindly. WE
SHOULD DESIST FROM CURSING THEM, PRONOUNCING WOE ON THEM, CALLING THEM FOOLS
AND SAYING WHAT THEY DO TO YOU WILL BE DONE TO THEM BY THEIR CHILDREN. IN SHORT
PREDICTING THEIR DOWNFALL. WHEN YOU SPEAK LIKE THIS WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR
CHILDREN WILL BECOME? THE REASON WHY A COW IS MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE THAN A HUMAN
BEING IS BECAUSE WHEN A COW DELIVERS, IT WILL USE ITS TONGUE TO LICK AND CLEAN
ITS CALF'S BODY.
You have been hearing how parents bless their
children. Blessing is important. Abraham blessed Isaac and Isaac blessed Jacob.
If Isaac had blessed Jacob and Esau at the same time there would not have been
any trouble. But instead of blessing Esau, he told him he had already blessed
Jacob and that there was no blessing left for him. He added that Esau would be
subject to his brother Jacob, whereas it would have been simple to bless the
two of them for the sake of peace. As a result of this, Esau and his
descendants became subjected to Jacob. That is exactly what happens when you
curse and abuse your children. When you pronounce curses on your children they
are cursed.
Again Jacob called his twelve children to bestow his
blessings on them. He pronounced curses on his children, from the first son
down until he got to Joseph whom he blessed lavishly saying: he would be
wealthy, and also an elevated tower, wise, fruitful and many other good things
and that all would be subject to him. Was it impossible for him to bless all
the children? Who was the cause of the trouble?
What is the cause of trouble in your family? Who is
responsible for its lack of performing well? It is the curses you pronounce on
them. What have your children done to you to prompt your ill-treatment of them?
You always remain with them with heavy hearts and long drawn faces whereas they
do not know anything. You should lead, and guide, and teach, and mould and be
easy with them. You should always look at them with smiles instead of being
fastidious.
If your child is a thief it is because you have been a
thief. Whatever he has done, he learns from you. WHY DO YOU NOT USE KINDNESS,
PATIENCE AND TRUTH TO REAR THEM IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD? BY SO DOING YOU WILL
REMOVE SEVERAL PRONOUNCED CURSES ON YOUR FAMILY. As to the
question of eating, most of your children do not eat from your plate and with
your spoon. Which is greater, your child or your spoon? You do not allow your
children to go near your bed, not to talk of them sleeping on it. You would not
even allow them to touch your bed. Is it how God has told you to treat your
children?
Instead of thinking of how you will lead a life of
good example to the children, you go about stealing, fornicating, indulging in
preparing concoctions and charms and consulting oracles before them. What type
of life do want them to live when they grow up? God says:"I WILL VISIT
THE INIQUITIES OF THE FATHERS UPON THE CHILDREN; UNTO THE THIRD AND FOURTH
GENERATION OF THEM THAT HATE ME; AND SHOWING MERCY ONTO THOUSANDS OF THEM THAT
LOVE ME AND KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS."
Think of how such a family will be blessed. Is the
light of God shinning in such a family? Now, one person has a hundred children,
the hundred children bear one thousand children and the thousand bear ten
thousand and the multiplicity thus continues.
What is the sense of having so many children without
the knowledge and awe of God? Which families were Sodom and Gomorrah? Who were
their great ancestors? Nothing happens without a cause which cannot be traced.
Sodom and Gomorrah descended from the first son of Noah. The first son of Noah
was cursed by the father. He went away, the descendants waxed in wealth and
knowledge and they became prominent people who established the two cities of
Sodom and Gomorrah. Why did Noah curse the first son? Because he saw his
father's nakedness and laughed at it. If Noah had led a good life, he would not
have been drunk and would not have slept naked and his first son would not have
laughed at his nakedness.
This curse passed unto his children and his
grandchildren. It was however the second son who when he discovered his
father's naked body, covered his nakedness and took him to a place of rest.
Later on, when Noah returned to consciousness, he was told that the first son
laughed at him while the second son covered his nakedness. It was because of
this that he cursed his son. This is an example of the "woe onto you"
you pronounce on your children. Noah cursed his first son, later the curse
passed onto his descendants who were finally destroyed in Sodom and Gomorrah.
Of what use was the destruction to Noah who pronounced the curse?
FIRST BIBLE LESSON:
LUKE 18:16-17
"But Jesus called
them unto him and said: "Suffer the children to come unto me, and forbid
them not; for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, whosoever
shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter
therein.
PARENTS' NEGLIGENCE OF CHILDREN:
Brethren, have you heard the lesson? Why do you bear a
child and abandon him? Why do you impregnate a woman and when she bears a
child, you run away from the child and the woman? Why do you bear children but
later on you drive them away, asking them who was their mother? Whose duty is
it to care for a child, is it the mother or is it the father's responsibility?
or is it the joint responsibility of both mother and father? Do you know that
to reject a child is to reject the blessing of God, life and all other good
things? If you reject him do you know what the child will become? You who
commit abortion, do you know what that child is coming to do or who he is -
whether he is John the baptist, Jesus or Moses.
When Pharaoh wanted to exterminate all Israelite male
babies in Egypt, the mother of Moses, because of her love and humility, did
everything to save the life of Moses. If she had been negligent and the infant
Moses had been killed, who would have delivered the children of Israel from
Egypt?
After the departure of the three wise men, the angel
advised Joseph and Mary to take the child Jesus, to Egypt because Herod was
seeking to kill him. If the parents did not obey the angel, and the infant
Jesus had been killed, who would have redeemed the world? We therefore have a
responsibility for all little children.
You are indebted to God, unless you nurture them and
bring them up in the fear and knowledge of God. You have to teach, guide, and
love them whether, they are your own children or the children of other parents.
If you do this you will receive blessing from God.
Till today, many communities are still crossed about
twins and their mothers. They kill the children and in some places, kill their
mothers too. And some say that they do not want two babies, why? But for the
timely arrival of Christian Missionaries who would have rescued the twins and
their mothers. Today some of these twins have become prominent persons in the
society.
You who deliver a number of children and abandon them
with the father and run away in favor of prostitution, thinking that you want
the father to suffer, where are you going to? When you abandon your children
you cannot receive the blessings of God. Because of such attitude, the children
suffer. Some parents who have separated, adopt the attitude of throwing their
children from father to mother and vice versa. You do not know you are
torturing the children who themselves have come in the likeness of God.
This gospel is not a simple one that one can easily
understand and practice, especially when it comes to the question of proper
care for the children. Look at a situation where mothers were taking their
children to Our Lord Jesus Christ for blessing, but His disciples prevented
them and ordered them to be taken away. Unless you begin to change your
attitude towards children, things will never be good in the world.
Here is an illustration: There is a huge tree which
needs to be cut down and you have an old blunt axe as well as knives which are
no more useful. You are like these blunt implements. When God sends these
little children, who are like sharp axes and knives, capable of cutting down a
tree, you reject them and mistreat them. How foolish are you? The word of God
preached to you enable you to know how to handle little children, how to
nurture them when they are growing up and at different times. It is only when
you know the Word of God you are able to bring up your Children in the fear and
knowledge of God.
You say you want to serve God and that if you were to
see God that you would do everything for Him, but, the little children sent to
you are the likeness of God, therefore whatever services you would have
rendered to God, if you had seen Him, render to these children. If you want to
prostrate to God, prostrate to these children. If you want this world to be
good, you have to develop good attitudes towards the children and bring up
children with good attitudes. Do not curse them, but always bless them, be simple,
tolerant, loving and show merciful and peaceful attitudes. Use humility to lead
them to the type of life God wants them to live.
Do you realize that whatever you do to a child, he
will grow up with that upbringing? If you beat, curse or torture him, he will
apply the same attitude and when he becomes a parent, he will behave the same
way you behaved towards him. If we continue with such attitudes, when do you
think the world will be reformed? Is it because you regard them as defenseless
and that no person would ask you questions?
Most of the times, you abuse your children because you
feel they have not sufficiently provided for you. What have you done yourself,
upon all the blessing of God for you? Are you not ashamed of yourself when you
cannot provide for your children and you rather turn around to ask the children
to provide for you. It is not the children who should provide for the parents
but the reverse should be the case. Where would the children get these things
from in order to supply to the parents. If you serve and provide, you will
receive blessing from God. These are the Children of God, the Christs of God,
they therefore need to be cared for properly. From now on, do everything as if
you are doing unto God and this goes with blessings.
The father of Abraham did not know that the son he
bore will be the father of many nations. Was he himself the Father of many
nations? When the mother of Moses delivered Moses, did she know that Moses
would be the person to deliver the Children of Israel from Egypt? When Mary
delivered Jesus, did she know that Jesus would be the Christ, the Messiah, and
the Supreme ruler of the universe?
I cannot enumerate all the good things which have been
done by men born of good parents. Do you realize that any good thing you do for
these children, you do same for God? We should help the children, we should
supply their lack. The attention of the parents should be focused on the
nurturing of children, speak good of them, care for them, provide for them,
whether you know them or not, whether black or white. It is only in this way
that you can be blessed. Do not order them about, let them be free to speak and
do not hush them up. Do not starve them and do not be difficult with them. The
whole world should stop maltreating children.
SECOND BIBLE LESSON:
LUKE 9:47-48
"And Jesus
perceiving the thoughts of their hearts, took a little child and set him by
him, and said unto them, whosoever shall receive this child in my name,
receiveth me; and whosoever shall receive me receiveth him that sent me; for he
that is least among you all, the same shall be great."
Have you heard that lesson? You are now looking for
God in the sky, and Jesus to come down from the clouds. What about the children
in your midst? Do you receive them and are you happy with them?
The whites have gone very far from the blacks in this
direction. A black man may go overseas and stay there for ten to twenty years
but may come back as a black man. This is because he fails to imbibe the white
man's attitude towards children. Our Lord Jesus Christ said that any person who
receives children receives Him and that any person who receives Him receives
the person who sent Him. Have you received them? Are you happy with them? Have
you accepted Christ? You have always driven away the children who come to you.
Sometimes children are very much surprised at the way they are beaten by the
parents. You beat them up and say that they should die if they want to die.
You complain that your child does not respect you. Do
you respect your child? Who should respect the other? Don't you hear that the
three wise men travelled all the way to worship the infant Jesus? Do you
respect and accept children? Our Lord Jesus Christ was a child. If you do not
accept these children as the kingdom of God, you cannot enter into it. Those
monstrous eyes which you show to your children, have you ever shown them to
your equals? Or do you do this because you feel that they have not got any
person to protect them? Is it evil for a visitor to come to your house or is it
evil for a brother to call at your house to give you solace? Do you know that
these children are definitely sent to help you; they are sent to put right what
was wrong and to amend the mistakes you have made? You say that you have run
out of luck. Have you ever wished your children good luck?
We should now ponder over these questions and retrace
our steps because the children are greater than us. They are the great prophets
and apostles of old who have now reincarnated. They are greater, they see better
and they think clearer and they are purer than we are. If you are not as pure
as they are you have no share in the kingdom of God. Now that you call the
children names, have they ever followed you to fornicate, steal, smoke and
drink? The children do not know anything, for they are as harmless as doves.
Why do you oppress them and blame them? Are you not the person who taught them
to steal and to fornicate and tell lies? You take them to soothsayers, and juju
doctors, you direct your daughter to meet with a man. If she refuses you curse
and disown her. You ask her to tell lies. When she refuses, you drive her away
from your house. You teach the children all the evils they commit, left for
them alone they would not hurt a fly.
If you were a rogue, you have to forsake stealing and
live a life expected of you by God. The children are sent to you in order that
you may care for them. You should therefore try to care properly for them. In
this kingdom, many people claim that if it were in their youthful days they
would have done this or that. Now that you are old and weighed down with your
sins, what about these little innocent ones? Would you not give them the chance
to perform by nurturing them well? Let us hear the Golden Text.
GOLDEN TEXT: MATTHEW
19:14-15
But Jesus said:
"Suffer the children and forbid them not to come unto me, for of such is
the kingdom of heaven," and He laid his hands on them and departed
thence."
Brethren, see what God has revealed to you, to show
you that God loves little children. In your house, you do not allow the
children to come; you always drive them away, saying, that you do not want them
to soil you. Our Lord Jesus Christ advises us not to forsake the little ones
because the kingdom of God is like them. He blessed them. What lesson has Our
Lord Jesus Christ now taught us? If Our Lord Jesus Christ went as far as
acknowledging and recognizing little children, holding them up and blessing
them, then every person should be aware of the significance of blessing
children. That blessing bestowed on little children by Our Lord Jesus Christ,
has passed on to all the children of the world. Till today, Our Lord Jesus
Christ is still the friend of little children. He walks with them, converses
with them, sings with them and blesses them. Let us emulate the example of Our
Lord Jesus Christ by feeling free to talk to children, eating, with them and
singing and conversing with them.
Do not worry yourself about having many children, yet
you are not able to care for them. Rather be happy with the few that you have
and care for them in the knowledge and fear of God. It is wrong to say you have
no child. What about all the children around? Who owns them? They are the
children of God, and if they are God's children, they are your children.
Therefore, you should care for them. Whoever wants children is foolish and
whoever wants many children is equally foolish. Any person who cares for
children, cares and ministers unto them is great in the sight of God.
Little children constitute the kingdom of God. Both
God and Christ are in little children. They work and bless through them. WHOEVER
MINISTERS UNTO LITTLE CHILDREN WILL BE BLESSED BY GOD. IF THERE IS A PERSON WHO
HAS NEVER GONE TO CHURCH BUT STAYS AT HOME WITH LITTLE CHILDREN, CARES FOR
THEM, TEACHES THEM, BLESSES THEM, AND IS THANKFUL TO GOD FOR THE CHILDREN; AND
IF THERE IS ANOTHER PERSON WHO IS A BISHOP WHO DRIVES A LUXURIOUS CAR, WHO
BETWEEN THESE TWO IS A MAN OF GOD? The whole world should love little
children, care for them, nurture them, in the fear and love of God, in this
way, you will bring up a generation of good people. It is foolishness for one
to say the children nowadays are senseless or useless, for it means their
parents are first, and equally senseless and useless. It is reflection of the parents'
attitude. The reason why John the Baptist is great is that Elizabeth his mother
was a lady devoted to the services of God, and his father Zacharias was a high
priest. The union of the two brought about the greatness of John the Baptist.
Why was Christ born of Mary? It was because Mary was a
virgin who served God diligently and Joseph was also devoted in the services of
God. It was because of Mary's chastity and devotion that she became the mother
of the Son of Man, Son of God, Christ the Messiah and God incarnate. If it were
you, you would have caused Mary and Jesus to be killed, because there was a law
that any woman betrothed to a man, if she becomes pregnant without her
husband's knowledge should be killed.
Who is that man to whom a beautiful girl is given in
marriage and who has no intimate knowledge of the girl but finds that she is
pregnant and would not cause a lot of trouble or divorce her. We are told that
Joseph was making secret plans to divorce Mary, but the angel of the Lord
appeared and warned him that she was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit.
If it were today, even if you were warned by the angel you would have sent away
the woman. This is to demonstrate to you that Joseph was devoted to God and
because of this Our Lord Jesus Christ was born unto him.
There is nothing you can teach little children, but do
not look down on them, rather look at them with mercy, with tolerance, with
patience, with respect. The whole world should live properly with children. We
should speak well of them, act well and think well of them. Let us pray God to
use the children for the original purpose for which he intended to use them.
Brethren, I do not want to take you on a long winding
course. Those who have ears to hear let them hear. May God bless His Holy
Words, Amen.
THANK YOU HOLY FATHER.
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