While ministering at the October 31 Sunday first service at The Fountain of Life Church, Pastor Lara Adesanya likened human life to wood, steel and reinforced bridges.
According to her, a wooden bridge is like a life without Christ. Such a life, she said, has no substance, is not reliable and cannot be trusted, even as she noted that it caves in if climbed on with a heavy load.
She suggested that “The world of such a person can collapse at any time if a weightier situation confronts such a bridge/life.”
The cleric further explained that the steel bridge is the life of nominal or backslidden Christians who know Christ but have neglected Him, His Spirit and Word.
Such a life, she stated, still follows the desires of his or her fleshy nature. Though they would not collapse easily like the first bridge, they would find it difficult to withstand the tough wind and storm of life.
“It can still be shifted by wind or storm, and even though it would not collapse immediately, it would shake and therefore bring fear to one.
“The third bridge, which is concrete, solid and strong, is the regenerated life of a kingdom oriented believer who does not only talk about Christ but lives the Christ-like life.
“Such a life feeds regularly on the Word of God, producing the fruit of the Spirit as the evidence that they are abiding in God,” she stated.
Speaking from 1 John 2:15-20, Galatians 5:19-21, Roman 1:22-23, John 7:37-38, Galatians 5:22-23 and John 15:4-5, Pastor Lara Adesanya suggested that believers need to isolate themselves to be in the presence of God, adding that abiding in Christ is not just talking about it, but showing the tangible evidence of submitting to Christ.
She said, “Abiding in Christ is not a visitation but habitation. It is a dwelling place and not a perch-and-go place. At that place, you cannot be easily dissuaded or moved to do irrelevant things. You just have to make that time for God to grow. You have to learn to feed consciously on the Word of God no matter how short the time is.”
Speaking on how to become the reinforced bridge, the cleric mentioned that being genuinely Born Again, allowing the Holy Spirit in one’s life, giving love to others and forgiving one another are ways to reflect Christlikeness.
This, she agreed, will not be easy, noting that the flesh would try to interrupt. She further asserted that “The flesh will fight you, but the Holy Spirit in you will direct and guide you to resist the temptations with the Word, forgiving others.”
She, therefore, urged believers from John 21:6 and Galatians 5:16-19 to connect to Jesus Christ, who is the bridge and connector that links them to the Father.
This, Pastor Lara Adesanya concluded, would help them hold fast to their faith in Christ.
“More than any time before, we need the Word of God more than anything because it is the Word of God that will sustain us,” she stated.
