SATAN’S SUPERMARKET - 3

"Elijah was afraid and fled for his life; he took his servant and went to Beersheba in Judah. Leaving the servant there, Elijah walked a whole day into the wilderness. He stopped and sat down in the shade of a tree and wished he would die. “It's too much, Lord,” he prayed. “Take away my life; I might as well be dead!” - 1 Kings 19:3-4 (GNT)

Once upon a time, Satan was having a garage sale. There, standing in little groups were all of his bright, shiny trinkets. Here were tools that make it easy to tear others down for use as stepping stones. And over there were some lenses for magnifying ones own importance, which, if you looked through them, you could also use to belittle others, even oneself. Against the wall was the usual assortment of gardening implements guaranteed to help your pride grow in leaps and bounds: the rake of scorn, the shovel of jealousy for digging a pit for your neighbour, the tools of gossip and backbiting, of selfishness and apathy. All of these were pleasing to the eyes and came complete with fabulous promises and guarantees of prosperity. Prices, of course, were steep; but not to worry! Free credit was extended to one and all. “Take it home, use it, and you won’t have to pay until later!” old Satan cried, as he hawked his wares.

One day, while shopping, a customer noticed two well worn, non descript items standing in one corner. Not being nearly as tempting as the other items, he found it curious that these two items had price tags higher than any other. When he asked why, Satan just laughed and said, “Well, that’s because I use them so much. If they weren’t so plain looking, people might see them for what they were.” Satan pointed to the two items, saying, “You see, that one’s Doubt and that one’s Discouragement and those will work when nothing else will.”

"Doubt" and "Discouragement" are very destructive products which are always available in Satan's supermarket. Anyone who underestimates the power of these wicked items will get drawn in the ocean of life. Prophet Elijah not realizing how dangerous these items are before he carelessly picked them up from Satan's supermarket in 1 Kings chapter 19. If not for God’s mercy, that highly anointed and powerful prophet would have terminated a glorious destiny and archived his beautiful testimonies prematurely.

Beloved, Satan is still hawking his wares every day. I hope you have not bought one from him! I hope you have not  picked up the goods of "Discouragement" and  " Doubt" from the Satan's supermarket! Are you feeling discouraged and defeated this morning? Are you feeling like committing suicide? Then, it is obvious you have patronised Satan - that wicked businessman.  May I urge you to please drop these wicked and destructive items you bought from the enemy of your soul today. And, start to play the music of faith, even in the midst of incredible darkness and very soon, your light will shine forth and the tide will turn in your favour. As the Lord God of Heavens lives, before this month is over you will sing a new song in Jesus name.

Good day and God bless you.

Maranatha!

SATAN’S SUPERMARKET - 2 

"The blessing of the Lord–it makes [truly] rich, and He adds no sorrow with it [neither does toiling increase it]. When the whirlwind passes, the wicked are no more, but the [uncompromisingly] righteous have an everlasting foundation."Proverbs 10:22, 25 (AMP) 

Once upon a time, Satan was having a garage sale. There, standing in little groups were all of his bright, shiny trinkets. Here were tools that make it easy to tear others down for use as stepping stones. And over there were some lenses for magnifying ones own importance, which, if you looked through them, you could also use to belittle others, even oneself. Against the wall was the usual assortment of gardening implements guaranteed to help your pride grow in leaps and bounds: the rake of scorn, the shovel of jealousy for digging a pit for your neighbour, the tools of gossip and backbiting, of selfishness and apathy. All of these were pleasing to the eyes and came complete with fabulous promises and guarantees of prosperity. Prices, of course, were steep; but not to worry! Free credit was extended to one and all. “Take it home, use it, and you won’t have to pay until later!” old Satan cried, as he hawked his wares.

It is important to note that everything inside Satan's supermarkets and warehouses are fake. His products are inferior and will soon fade off because they are made from an evil raw material called SIN. So, If satan gives you riches be sure that riches will soon develop wings and fly away (Proverbs  23:5). If he offers you a wife then you have Chief Dr. Satan as your Father-in-law and you can imagine how miserable life will be thereafter ( Judges 16:1-5). If he gives you a child, no matter how many millions you lavished on him/her, the middle name of that child will be Fool, Pain and Sorrow (Proverbs 17:21). If you get a car from satan, then you have only succeeded in collecting a mobile coffin/ casket for your entire family. If satan gives you a house, then the description of your house will be "The Castle of Tragedy or Mansion of Sorrow" (Psalms  32:10). If satan gives you a job,  then you may have to spend every dime you earn to nurse his evil children like HIV AIDs, cancer, kidney failure, etc. If satan gives you alcohol, then he is sponsoring your final trip to his wicked slaughter slab (Proverbs 31:5). Hummmm! My dear friend, but why must you consumate these kind of terrible and unprofitable sale transactions with Mr Satan? Why? Why? and why?....

Beloved, satan is still hawking his wares and I hope you have not bought anything from him. If you have, then you may need to consider returning them before the grace period is over. Yes, It is never to late to say "No" to satan. It is never to late to set ablaze all his wares in your custody. Friends, I urge you to please turn your back at satan's supermarket today by saying "No" to his enticing offers and "Yes" to the only source of true and enduring riches - Jesus (Proverbs 10:22). Please don't forget that satan is not a fool but a very wicked businessman. A word is enough for the wise!

Good day and God bless you.

Maranatha!

SATAN’S SUPERMARKET - 1

"When she got him to sleep, his head on her lap, she motioned to a man to cut off the seven braids of his hair. Immediately he began to grow weak. His strength drained from him. The Philistines grabbed him, gouged out his eyes, and took him down to Gaza." - Judges 16:19, 21 MSG 

Once upon a time, Satan was having a garage sale. There, standing in little groups were all of his bright, shiny trinkets. Here were tools that make it easy to tear others down for use as stepping stones. And over there were some lenses for magnifying ones own importance, which, if you looked through them, you could also use to belittle others, even oneself. Against the wall was the usual assortment of gardening implements guaranteed to help your pride grow in leaps and bounds: the rake of scorn, the shovel of jealousy for digging a pit for your neighbour, the tools of gossip and backbiting, of selfishness and apathy. All of these were pleasing to the eyes and came complete with fabulous promises and guarantees of prosperity. Prices, of course, were steep; but not to worry! Free credit was extended to one and all. “Take it home, use it, and you won’t have to pay until later!” old Satan cried, as he hawked his wares.

According to my father in the Lord,  Pastor E.A. Adeboye, "You can call satan any name but don't ever call him a fool". Yes, satan is not a fool. He is a very smart, shrewd and wicked businessman with track records. In a bid to make profit, Satan usually offers his wares to willing buyers on credit  and then make them pay heavily when the credit period is over or lapses. That was exactly what he did to Samson in Judges 16:1-21, King Herod, king Saul (1 Samuel 15:23 ), Judas Iscariot (Matthew  27:4) etc. Satan lets his customers enjoy now so that they can pay heavily later on. He tricked them to mortgaging their glorious destiny because of temporary gratifications. He made Samson to enjoy the laps of Delilah before he  paid with his precious eyes. He forced Judas Iscariot and king Herod to pay with premature death. Hummmm! What a wicked businessman he is!

Beloved, Satan is still hawking his wares. I hope you have not bought anything from his supermarket on credit. If you have, then you may need to start thinking about the day you will be made to pay back for what you bought. How much will you pay to that wicked businessman- Satan?  Will he demand for your life like Judas Iscariot and king Herod? Will he demand for your eyes like Samson?  Friends, please be sincere with yourself this morning and return everything you bought from the devil's supermarket before your credit period is over. Please don't forget that Satan is not a fool but a very shrewd and wicked businessman. A word is enough for the wise!

Good morning and God bless you IJMN.  Amen

Maranatha!

MY HELP COMES FROM THE LORD

"But when the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener, Standby) comes, Whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of Truth Who comes (proceeds) from the Father, He [Himself] will testify regarding Me. But you also will testify and be My witnesses, because you have been with Me from the beginning."- John 15:26-27 (Amplified)

In the above scripture, Jesus introduced the ministry of the Divine Helper - The Holy Spirit to His disciples before His death. The disciples had come to depend on Jesus for everything, and when He announced that He was leaving them, they felt abandoned. Jesus would not be with them to answer their questions, to teach them or to offer solutions to the challenges of their daily lives. They had come to love Him deeply and His absence would be keenly felt. Jesus however gave them this assurance:

“And I will ask the Father and He will give you another Helper that He may abide with you forever. I will not leave you as orphans [comfortless, desolate, bereaved, forlorn, helpless];...”(John 14:16,18).

On the day of Pentecost, that promise was fulfilled when the Divine Helper (The Holy Spirit) descended mightily upon the disciples in the upper room (Acts 2:1-4). After that unusual encounter, those fearful and discouraged disciples were transformed into powerful proclaimers of the gospel. I believe those disciples left the upper room that day singing the hymn titled - "The Comforter has come" as they spread the glad tidings around.

May I urge you to please join me to sing that same powerful hymn as we partner with the our divine helper - Holy Spirit to spread the glad tidings everywhere we find ourselves on this planet:

THE COMFORTER HAS COME!

O spread the tidings ’round, wherever man is found,
Wherever human hearts and human woes abound;
Let ev’ry Christian tongue proclaim the joyful sound:
The Comforter has come!

Refrain:
      The Comforter has come, the Comforter has come!
      The Holy Ghost from Heav’n, the Father’s promise giv’n;
      O spread the tidings ’round, wherever man is found-
      The Comforter has come!

The long, long night is past, the morning breaks at last,
And hushed the dreadful wail and fury of the blast,
As o’er the golden hills the day advances fast!
The Comforter has come!

Lo, the great King of kings, with healing in His wings,
To ev’ry captive soul a full deliverance brings;
And through the vacant cells the song of triumph rings;
The Comforter has come!

O boundless love divine! How shall this tongue of mine
To wond’ring mortals tell the matchless grace divine-
That I, a child of hell, should in His image shine!
The Comforter has come!

Good day and God bless you.

Maranatha!

Bro Okanlawon Taiwo

THE MAN IN THE MIRROR

"Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what you hear! Those who hear and don’t act are like those who glance in the mirror, walk away, and two minutes later have no idea who they are, what they look like."  James 1:22-24 (MSG)

"The man in a mirror" is a very beautiful poem that I loved to read while growing up as a believer. The poem emphasizes on being integral and true to oneself in the light of God's word. It re-echoes the fact that the word of God is a mirror (James 1:22-24). It exposes what is really in our hearts, our sins, our shortcomings, the areas of life where we need to repent. When we look at ourselves in the mirror of God's Word, we can see where we need to change. Therefore, it is extremely dangerous to ignore what the mirror is revealing to us.

Eli the Priest ignored his ugly father figure in the mirror and he eventually paid expensive bill that wiped away his entire family (1 Samuel 2:22). Judas Iscariot ignored what the mirror was revealing to him about greed, and he eventually paid dearly with his soul and calling. Mathias became an Apostle in his place (Acts 1:26). Pharaoh ignored the way he looked in the mirror of God's word as presented to him by Moses and he later paid with the souls of uncountable soldiers who perished in the Red Sea (Exodus 14:30). 

Beloved, have you been responding wisely or foolishly to God’s Word? What do you see when you look into the mirror of God's word? What is the man in the mirror saying about you today? People may be giving you pats on the back but what is God saying about you? I hope the man in the mirror is not calling you a fool. 

Friends, I urge you to please quit acting foolishly and get things right with God now. Please do it today!

THE MAN IN THE MIRROR by Peter Dale Wimbrow (1934)

"When you get what you want in your struggle for self

And the world makes you king for a day,

Just go to a mirror and look at yourself,

And see what that man has to say.

For it isn't your father or mother or wife,

Who judgement upon you must pass;

The fellow whose verdict counts most in your life

Is the one starring back from the glass.

He's the fellow to please, never mind all the rest.

For he's with you clear up to the end,

And you've passed the most dangerous, difficult test

If the man in the glass is your friend.

You may fool the whole world down the pathway of years.

And get pats on the back as you pass,

But your final reward will be the heartaches and tears

If you've cheated the man in the glass."

My prayer is that you and I will receive more grace to become doers of God's word so that when the roll shall be called up yonder we shall not receive heartaches and tears as our rewards. 

Good day and God bless you.

Maranatha!

Bro. Okanlawon Taiwo

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IS IT REALLY A GOOD FRIDAY FOR YOU ?

"It was about twelve o'clock when the sun stopped shining and darkness covered the whole country until three o'clock; and the curtain hanging in the Temple was torn in two. Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Father! In your hands I place my spirit!” He said this and died.  There was a man named Joseph from Arimathea, a town in Judea. ...He went into the presence of Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. It was Friday, and the Sabbath was about to begin." -Luke 23:44-46, 50, 54 (Good News)

Few years ago, I came across a wonderful poem written by Rose Newman titled "His Love". The writer summarised the essence of  Easter and further explained why that dark or black Friday mentioned in the above scripture was called "Good Friday". Please join me on this beautiful good Friday morning to meditate on this wonderful poem below:

HIS LOVE

"Have you ever stopped to wonder
Why they called Good Friday “good”?
It seems to me that sad, black day
Could be misunderstood.

How His Father must have anguished
As He watched His dear Son die,
And not for crimes that He had done,
But for sinners such as I.

What kind of love could be so great,
To suffer willingly
The penalty for someone else;
His blood was shed for me.

But then when Sunday came around
And death had lost its sting,
That glorious morn’ was victory
For Jesus Christ, the King!

Now He’s alive for evermore.
The Father’s will was done.
Forgiveness, pardon, full and free,
By trusting in God’s Son.

It was a “good” Good Friday
For the thief who died there too;
He took his place in Heaven
When that long, dark day was through.

I am grateful to my Saviour:
My life to Him I owe.
I’ll serve and love Him always,
Because He loved me so".

Beloved, the Friday that Jesus Christ was crucified was not a good Friday for everyone in Jerusalem. For those who betrayed Jesus, it was the beginning of their dark days on earth and in Hell.  For those who surrendered everything to him, those who loved him like John the beloved, Mary Magdalene and the others disciples, it was a Victorious Friday, when the cleansing flood from Calvary swept the sting of (the second) death away. For the thief who repented on the cross,  it was indeed a good Friday.  For the second thief who was adamant and unremorseful, that friday was the beginning of his journey into the city of unending pains which is located in the dark dungeon of Hell.

"So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth." Matthew  13:49-50 (KJV)

“This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. .....Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him." John 3:16-18 (MSG)

Friends, if you have not yet surrender your life to Jesus Christ, the Friday cannot be a "Good Friday" for you. That is the hard truth!. And that is why you must repent today so that the precious blood that was shed for you on this day, over 2000 years ago can wipe away your stain of sin. Please don't delay it any further. If you are saved, please tell someone about Jesus today and am sure you will not miss your reward in heaven.

Good day and do have a fantastic and blessed Easter Celebration.

Maranatha!

Bro. Okanlawon Taiwo

THERE IS ROOM AT THE CROSS FOR YOU 

"Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene"  John  19:25 

In 1946, God inspired Evangelist Ira Forest Stanphil to compose one of the greatest hymn in church history.  The hymn which is titled "Room at the Cross" is a compelling invitation from the Lord to sinners to come, by faith, to the cross of Jesus, with their burden of sin, and claim His payment of sin’s debt as their own. Since then, this powerful hymn has being pointing souls to the vacant room of eternal joy and peace at the cross. The testimony below attests to this fact:

"Several years ago, a young man who was bent on taking his own life was walking near a church. The man had a gun in his pocket and was making his way toward a bridge, not too far from the church. His intention was to shoot himself near the edge of the bridge, letting his body fall into the water. As he passed the church, he heard the congregation singing "There’s Room at the Cross for You". He was so gripped by its message that he made his way into the church, postponing his mission of horror.There he found Christ as his Savior and was rescued from personal and spiritual disaster"

"For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God."-  1 Corinthians  1:18

Beloved, like that young man above, there is room for you too at the cross. Over 2000 years ago, Jesus Christ was hanged on the cross on a Good Friday. God used the pain and suffering of His only begotten son on that old rugged cross to usher us into an eternity without pain (Revelation 21:4). So, Easter is the celebration of the "Room" of new life that Christ built for us with His precious blood. So, if you have never experienced the joy of the new life in Christ, then today there is still room at the cross for you.  Accept Him today, don't put it off another minute.  But if you have, the best way to celebrate Easter is to tell someone about the vacant room of eternal rest, joy and tranquility at the cross. So, why not join me to sing that powerful hymn as we celebrate Easter this week.

Room At The Cross

The cross upon which Jesus died
Is a shelter on which we can hide;
And it’s grace so free is sufficient for me,
And deep is its fountain as wide as the sea.

Chorus:
      There’s room at the cross for you,
      There’s room at the cross for you;
      Tho millions have come,
      There’s still room for one,
      Yes, there’s room at the cross for you.

Tho millions have found Him a friend,
And have turned from the sins they have sinned,
The Saviour still waits to open the gates,
And welcome a sinner before it’s too late.

The hand of my Saviour is strong,
And the love of my Savior is long;
Through sunshine or rain Through loss or in gain,
The blood flows from Calv’ry to cleanse every stain.

“Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28).

Good morning and do have a glorious Easter Celebration.

Maranatha!

Bro. Okanlawon Taiwo

SELL EVERYTHING AND BUY WISDOM - 3

"...“Take this to heart. Do what I tell you—live! Sell everything and buy Wisdom! Forage for Understanding! Don’t forget one word! Don’t deviate an inch! Never walk away from Wisdom—she guards your life; love her—she keeps her eye on you. Above all and before all, do this: Get Wisdom! Write this at the top of your list: Get Understanding! Throw your arms around her—believe me, you won’t regret it; never let her go—she’ll make your life glorious. She’ll garland your life with grace, she’ll festoon your days with beauty.” - Proverbs 4:3-9 (MSG) 

Once upon a time there was a lion that grew so old that he was unable to kill any prey for his food. So, he said to himself, I must do something else I will die of starvation. He kept thinking and thinking and at last an idea came to him. He decided to lie down in the cave pretending to be ill and then who-so-ever will come to inquire about his health, will become his prey. The old lion put his wicked plan into practice and it started working. Many of his well-wishers got killed. But evil is short lived.

One day, a fox came to visit the ailing lion. As foxes are clever by nature, the fox stood at the mouth of the cave and looked about. His sixth sense worked and he came to know the reality. So, he called out to the lion from outside and said, How are you, sir? The lion replied, I am not feeling well at all. But why don’t you come inside? Then the fox replied, I would love to come in, sir! But on seeing, all foot prints going to your cave and none coming out, I would be foolish enough to come in. Saying so, the fox went to alert the other animals.

"God saw that human evil was out of control. People thought evil, imagined evil—evil, evil, evil from morning to night" Genesis 6:5.

Beloved, there is no doubt that the heart of man is desperately wicked. And according to Shakespeare, " there is no art to tell the mind's construction in the face". Like the wicked lion in the story above, there are many old hungry lions out there who are pretending to be a true friend. That is why we need to operate in divine wisdom at all times. We need God's wisdom to be able to read between the lines and to discern or judge what is true, right, or lasting at all times.

Friends, why not desire the baptism of the spirit of wisdom today. I have no doubt that God's wisdom will definitely  enable you discern all manifestations of falsehood , deceptions,  pretence and also guide against making wrong decision in marriage,  business, ministry and career.  

Good day and God bless you.  Amen

Maranatha!

Bro Okanlawon Taiwo

SELL EVERYTHING AND BUY WISDOM - 2

"After a moment the king said, “Bring me a sword.” They brought the sword to the king. Then he said, “Cut the living baby in two—give half to one and half to the other.”.............The king gave his decision: “Give the living baby to the first woman. Nobody is going to kill this baby. She is the real mother.” The word got around—everyone in Israel heard of the king’s judgment. They were all in awe of the king, realizing that it was God’s wisdom that enabled him to judge truly. 1 Kings 3:24-28 (MSG)

A lady lost her eyesight and became blind. She called a doctor and agreed to pay him a very big amount if he cured her. But she will not give a single penny if she is not cured. The doctor agreed and came to her house daily for treatment. However , he started stealing lady's furniture and other valu­able things from the house. He took away everyday one thing from lady's house. So he delayed curing the lady. He cured the lady after he had removed all the furniture & valuable articles from the lady's house. Now doctor demanded his fee from the lady. But she refused to pay the fees and said that she is not fully cured.

The doctor registered a case against her in the court. On being asked by the judge why she was not paying the fee, she told the court that her eye sight is not fully restored. She could not see her furniture and other articles in the house. The judge was very wise. He understood the matter and instead of sanctioning the poor lady, he punished the heartless and dubious doctor.

Beloved, oftentimes things are not usually the way they are presented. Like the Judge in the story above, we need God's wisdom to be able to read between the lines and give godly judgments on issues of life. In 1 Kings 3, King Solomon would have release the living child to the wrong mother if not for God’s wisdom. If he had relied on his emotion, feelings and logics he would have committed a  terrible blunder and gross injustice in the history of man. And that single blunder would have discredited his entire reign as a king in Isreal forever.

"....“Take this to heart. Do what I tell you—live! Sell everything and buy Wisdom! Forage for Understanding! Don’t forget one word! Don’t deviate an inch! Never walk away from Wisdom—she guards your life; love her—she keeps her eye on you. Above all and before all, do this: Get Wisdom!......” - Proverbs 4:3-9 (MSG)

Friends,  why not consider emulating King Solomon - the man who sold everything in order to buy wisdom - 1 Kings 3:9-14. Why not earnestly desire the baptism of the spirit of wisdom today. I have no doubt that God's wisdom will definitely enable you discern all manifestations of falsehood and guide against making wrong judgment/decisions in life.  

Good day and God bless you.  Amen

Maranatha!

SELL EVERYTHING AND BUY WISDOM - 1

 "When I was a boy at my father’s knee, the pride and joy of my mother, He would sit me down and drill me: “Take this to heart. Do what I tell you—live! Sell everything and buy Wisdom! Forage for Understanding! Don’t forget one word! Don’t deviate an inch! Never walk away from Wisdom—she guards your life; love her—she keeps her eye on you. Above all and before all, do this: Get Wisdom! Write this at the top of your list: Get Understanding! Throw your arms around her—believe me, you won’t regret it; never let her go—she’ll make your life glorious. She’ll garland your life with grace, she’ll festoon your days with beauty.” - Proverbs 4:3-9 (MSG)

One hot day, a thirsty crow flew all over the fields looking for water. For a long time, he could not find any. He felt very weak, almost lost all hope. Suddenly, he saw a water jug below the tree. He flew straight down to see if there was any water inside. Yes, he could see some water inside the jug!. The crow tried to push his head into the jug. Sadly, he found that the neck of the jug was too narrow. Then he tried to push the jug to tilt for the water to flow out but the jug was too heavy. The crow thought hard for a while. Then looking around it, he saw some pebbles. he suddenly had a good idea. he started picking up the pebbles one by one, dropping each into the jug. As more and more pebbles filled the jug, the water level kept rising. Soon it was high enough for the crow to drink. His plan had worked!

Beloved,  there is a limit to what we can achieve with our skill, physical and mental strength. Honestly, we need divine wisdom to excel in all our undertakings in life. Despite the hash economic conditions all over the world, those people who are truly connected to the source of  divine wisdom (Jesus Christ) will never be stranded in life like the crow in the above story. So, why not sell your ego, pride and buy divine wisdom today.

"But wisdom will make any job easier. It is very hard to cut with a dull knife. But if you sharpen the knife, the job is easier." -  Ecclesiastes 10:10 (ERV)

“Take this to heart. Do what I tell you—live! Sell everything and buy Wisdom!..."   Proverbs 4:3-9 (MSG)

Friends,  I therefore urge you to please spend few minutes today to call upon the only wise God to baptise you with the spirit of wisdom so that you will be able to resolve those seemingly difficult tasks with ease today/this week. Please let Jesus Christ (the wisdom of God) sharpen your knife of destiny so that you will not labour in vain this year and beyond.

Good day and God bless you.  Amen

Maranatha!

YOU MUST NOT QUIT THIS RACE!

"Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus , who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there , in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!" - Hebrews 12:1-3 (Message)

During the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, the last runner to finish the marathon was John Stephen Akhwari an athlete from Tanzania. He had a difficult race like many other althlete. He stumbled at one point, ended up with many bruises, and a broken leg! But he didn't quit. 17 out of the 74 altheles who started the race stopped on the way. But John didn't quit the race. Even though everyone else had already finished the race and gone home, but John kept at it. Finally, at 7 pm, He hobbled into the near-empty stadium. There were still about 7,000 people on hand to witness his finish, and all 7,000 stood, giving this battered athlete a standing ovation as he finished his last lap. When this dedicated marathoner was asked, "Why didn't you quit?" he simply said, "My country did not send me to Mexico City to start the race. They sent me here to finish."

"Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to completely finish His work" - John 4:34 (Amplified)

Like John Akhwari, we need to understand that God did not send us here only to participate in the race but to run it faithfully till we reach the finished line. In Hebrews 12:1, the bible says a great cloud of witnesses are eagerly waiting for us at the finished line to welcome us with standing ovation if only we don't quit . Yes, the race may not be as pleasant or easy as we might have though. We may have sustained many emotional, financial or marital bruises while running the race. Trusted friends, church members or even Pastors or General Oversears may have betrayed us on the way. Although, these excuses sound pretty good but the question is - are they tenable to the one who sent us to represent him at the Olympic of Life. The answer is a capital "No" . Non of those excuses can make the one who sent us to here to be happy if we quit the race like the 17 altheles at the 1968 Olympics before we reach the finshed line.

 "Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man,.........."-  Romans  2:1

Beloved,  I hope you have not stopped running the race to the Stadium of Eternity in Heaven! I hope you are have not quit, retired or resigned! I  hope you have not thrown in the towel. I hope you have not backslide. If you have, then God is calling you today to please amend your ways and be steadfast in your walk with Him. Live everyday to please the one who sent you here. Although, things may get tough along the journey and everything  around you may be screaming "Quit! Quit! Quit! ", but please remember that our God is not only a good starter but a perfect finisher (John 4:34, Revelation 22:13).  And there is no doubt that God wants to see you and I to finish strong and well.

My prayer this week for you and my humble self is that God will pour fresh fire into our soul to propel us to run until we arrived in the main bowl of the Stadium of Eternity to receive the applaud and warm embrace of the saints who had gone ahead of us. May you and I not miss the standing ovation of the cloud of witnesses that are eagerly waiting for us at the finished line in Jesus name.  Amen.

Good day and do have a blessed weekend, full of pleasant surprises.

Maranatha!

Okanlawon Taiwo

DON'T USE POTIPHAR’S PILLOWS AND HANDBAGS

"Joseph was a strikingly handsome man. As time went on, his master’s wife became infatuated with Joseph and one day said, “Sleep with me.” He wouldn’t do it. He said to his master’s wife, “Look, with me here, my master doesn’t give a second thought to anything that goes on here—he’s put me in charge of everything he owns. He treats me as an equal. The only thing he hasn’t turned over to me is you. You’re his wife, after all! How could I violate his trust and sin against God?” She pestered him day after day after day, but he stood his ground. He refused to go to bed with her. On one of these days he came to the house to do his work and none of the household servants happened to be there. She grabbed him by his cloak, saying, “Sleep with me!” He left his coat in her hand and ran out of the house" - Genesis 39:7-12 (MSG)


Some years ago, I travelled on an official assignment that was scheduled to last for four weeks. In the evening of the first day, I checked into an hotel to refresh, rest and plan for the next day's task. About an hour later, the phone in the room rang and I picked it. It was one of the ladies that attended to me at the Reception. She greeted me warmly and asked if I would like to have some "comfortable pillows and handbags " in my room for the night. Unconsciously, I repeated the word "comfortable pillows and handbags" three times before It occurred to me that I was talking to the first cousin of Madam Potiphar. I told her that I'm a child of God and do not need the things she mentioned. She responded calmly with "okay sir" and the conversation ended immediately. The next day, I hurriedly checked out of the hotel. 

In the above scripture, a certain woman liked Joseph and wanted him badly. The woman was the wife of Potiphar, a captain of the guard and an officer of Pharaoh. Anytime her husband is not at home, she tried to do everything possible to get Joseph out of his mind. In Potiphar’s house, nothing was withheld from Joseph, and he could have had anything except for his master's wife. But on one fateful day, Madam Potiphar decided to force a forbidding fruit down the throat of Joseph. She threw her "comfortable pillows and handbags" at Joseph. That was an offer any other young man would have jumped at, more so that no one was around, but Joseph did not. He refused to eat the forbidden fruit. He refused to compromised God's standard of holiness and purity. He told Madam Potiphar “How can I then do this great wickedness against God?”

Joseph was not a married man at that time, but he was in deep covenant relationship with God. The fear of the Lord ruled his thoughts and actions. The fear of God made Joseph to flee from the seductive grips of that strange woman. That was what gave him strength to resist the seductive power of that strange woman.  If Joseph had accepted to use that strange "handbags and pillows" offer that night, no one else would know about it, but he would have succeeded in mortgaging his place as Prime Minister in Egypt and off course in Eternity thereafter because of that momentary enjoyment. What a calamity that would have been?   

"But the man who commits adultery is an utter fool, for he destroys himself. He will be wounded and disgraced. His shame will never be erased" - Proverbs 6:32-33 (NLT)

Beloved, hope that you have not jumped on those evil "pillows" of Potiphar? Hope you are not carrying Potiphar’s wicked "handbags"? Why will you mortgage your [place in] eternity for a few moment of pleasure with that strange women/men? Why not flee from his/her seductive grips like Joseph? Why not avoid the destruction hidden behind that few moments of pleasure? If you have ever jumped on any destructive "pillow" or carryed any evil "handbag", I urge you to please repent today and cry to God for mercy.    

Please join me to meditate on the lyrics of this wonderful hymn below as we renew our commitment to a life of purity and holiness within and without till we see our Resurrected King. The hymn which is titled "No Compromise" was composed in 1913 by Haldor Lillenas. 

NO COMPROMISE

No compromise with evil shall be our battle cry,
For God and right must conquer, and sin and wrong must die;
Unflinching we are standing, uncompromisingly,
Beneath the flag of holiness forever we will be.

Refrain:
           No compromise, no compromise,
          This shall be our battle cry,
          For God and right we will boldly fight,
          We will keep the standard high.

No compromise with error, for Bible truth we stand,
Let none remove the landmarks erected by God’s hand.
With loyalty our watchword and faith in Christ our stay,
We’ll bravely storm the forts of sin and thro’ Him win the day.

No compromise with worldliness, no yielding to the wrong,
No lowering the standard that’s stood thro’ ages long;
With Jesus as our leader, His Spirit as our guide,
We’ll firmly stand for righteousness whatever may betide.

Good morning and God bless you.  

Maranatha!

Bro. Okanlawon Taiwo

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THERE IS SUNSHINE IN MY SOUL

"Jesus once again addressed them: “I am the world’s Light. No one who follows me stumbles around in the darkness. I provide plenty of light to live in.”  John 8:12 (MSG)

"There is sunshine in my soul" is a very beautiful hymn composed by a sunday school teacher - Eliza Edmunds Hewitt in the 18th century. For six months, Eliza was bedridden due to a serious back injury. And after six months on the bed, Eliza's body cast was eventually removed and she walked out of the house unassisted into the park. As she reveled in the joy of freedom and the beauty of the day, she was inspired to write the lyrics to this wonderful hymn.

Early this morning, I was led to sing that beautiful hymn and I perceived God is ready to beam his sunshine of peace, rest, perfection, healing, laughter, joy, celebration, fruitfulness into someone soul this forth month of the year. I perceive that there is going to be unending sunshine in someone's soul from today. I see Heaven dealing with everything that had bedridden your joy, testimony, health, marriage, breakthrough, business, career and  victory for the past three months of this year. If you know that you are the fellow that God is speaking to you,  then please join me to sing this beautiful hymn below:

"There is sunshine in my soul today,
More glorious and bright
Than glows in any earthly sky,
For Jesus is my light

Refrain:
Oh, there’s sunshine, blessed sunshine,
When the peaceful, happy moments roll;
When Jesus shows His smiling face,
There is sunshine in the soul.

There is music in my soul today,
A carol to my King;
And Jesus, listening, can hear
The songs I cannot sing.

There is springtime in my soul today,
For, when the Lord is near,
The dove of peace sings in my heart,
The flow’rs of grace appear.

There is gladness in my soul today,
And hope and praise and love,
For blessings which He gives me now,
For joys laid up above."

Beloved, Jesus is the sunshine in my soul today and I'm passionately looking forward to the day I will see his smiling face in that glorious mansion above. What about you? If you are not sure that you will see his smiling face in heaven, then I urge you to please surrender your life to the light of the world -Jesus today. A word is enough for the wise.

Good day and God bless you IJMN.

Maranatha!

Bro Okanlawon Taiwo

THE FIRE TRIANGLE

"Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out:........" Proverbs  26:20

A member of a certain church, who previously had been attending services regularly, stopped going. After a few weeks, the pastor decided to visit him. It was a cold evening. The pastor found the man at home alone, sitting before a blazing fire. Guessing the reason for his pastor’s visit, the man welcomed him, led him to a comfortable chair near the fireplace and waited. The pastor made himself at home but said nothing. In the grave silence, he contemplated the dance of the flames around the burning woods. After some minutes, the pastor took the fire tongs, carefully picked up a brightly burning wood and placed it to one side of the hearth all alone. Then he sat back in his chair, still silent. The host watched all this in quiet contemplation. As the one lone wood’s flame flickered and diminished, there was a momentary glow and then its fire was no more. Soon it was cold and dead. Not a word had been spoken since the initial greeting. The Pastor glanced at his watch and realized it was time to leave, he slowly stood up, picked up the cold, dead wood and placed it back in the middle of the fire. Immediately it began to glow, once more with the light and warmth of the burning coals around it. As the pastor reached the door to leave, his host said with a tear running down his cheek, “Thank you so much for your visit and especially for the fiery sermon. I shall be back in church next Sunday.”

For any fire to keep burning, at least three essential elements are required. These three elements known as Fire Tetrahedron or Fire Triangle are Fuel, Oxygen and Heat. If you removed one of these elements, the fire would be extinguished. According to the above scripture, one of the easiest way to put out a glowing fire is to remove the wood which is the fuel source from the fire. So, when an individual is separated or disconnected from his/her fuel source, the fire of God's mercy, glory and, honour burning around the fellow gradually dies off. For example, when King Asa allowed ego, pride and stubbornness to remove his wood from the fire, the flies of infirmity perched on his life and he never recovered (2 Chronicles 16:12). Also when Jeshurun allowed the tongs of worldly pleasure and comfort to pull him out of regular walk and fellowship with God, his blazing flame of greatness was quenched and God deleted him (Deuteronomy 32:15).

Today, many of us are like Asa and Jeshurun. We have turned our back on God because of worldly pursuit, pleasure, pride, ego, unfulfilled desires etc. Friends, why will you allow your comfortable bed, cars, gargets and lovely family (which are all blessings from God) to make you turn your back on your creator? Don't you think that sound very absurd. Haven't you realised that your wood is no longer glowing. Don't you know that your wood is getting cold every minutes and may become lifeless and useless very soon.

Beloved, when was the last time you attended bible study, prayer meeting, Sunday school, house fellowship, holy communium? Although, you still exhibit some traces of brilliance and smartness, but very soon it will become obvious that your fire has been put out. Why not humble yourself like the man in the above story and go back to God and His church this week. I am very sure that God and of course your Pastor will be very glad that you did. A word is enough for the wise.

Good day and do have a glorious week. God bless you in Jesus name. Amen

Maranatha!

© Bro. Okanlawon Taiwo

SIN, THE WICKED PENSION FUND ADMINISTRATOR - Part 1

"Work hard for sin your whole life and your pension is death......."- Romans 6:23 (MSG)

Few years ago, my wife and I attended the funeral service organised for an aged mother of an elder in our church. It was indeed a glorious exit, a befitting burial and celebration of life well spent for God's kingdom and humanity. While listening to the highly emotional and positive funeral orations rendered by the deceased children, grand children, in-laws, neighbours and church members, I recalled the popular saying: "every man lives for a funeral". That is, a man’s funeral tells what kind of a man he has been.

"They threw Absalom’s body into a deep pit in the forest and piled a great heap of stones over it. And all Israel fled to their homes. During his lifetime, Absalom had built a monument to himself in the King’s Valley, for he said, “I have no son to carry on my name.” He named the monument after himself, and it is known as Absalom’s Monument to this day" 2 Samuel 18:17-18 (NLT)

Unlike the above, Absalom's funeral service was very strange (2 Samuel 18:17). After his destiny was terminated prematurely, sin - that wicked Pension Fund Administrator whom he had worked hard for, showed up with his entitlement/ pension of shame and disgrace. So, instead of being laid away to rest in honour beneath the shadows of a noble pile, his mangled body was hurled in dishonour into a pit in the forest and covered with stones hurriedly. Sin succeeded in organising a very shameful funeral service for him and his funeral orations were not pleasant at all. It was very obvious that Absalom himself was the one that dugged the grave of shame and designed the monument of everlasting pains where his body was eventually thrown into.

Beloved, like Absalom, many people in this generation think it is unwise to live a holy life, to be true hearted and God fearing. They passionately crave for and enjoyed the pleasure of sin without thinking about what the end will be. Friends, hope you are not working hard for sin like Absalom. Hope you are not living daily without the end in view. Please don't ever forget that the pension of sin is sure and often very terrible. Sin never default. And since every man lives for a funeral, then we must be careful how we lived so that we will not dig grave of death and everlasting sorrow for ourselves like Absalom. I urge you to please make your way right with God today so that you will not end your journey on earth like Absalom. A word is enough for the wise.

Good day and do have a fruitful week. God bless you in Jesus name. Amen

Maranatha!

© Bro. Okanlawon Taiwo

SHALL WE GATHER AT THE RIVER

"Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life. It was shining like crystal and was flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the street of the city......Nothing that God judges guilty will be in that city. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and God’s servants will worship him". Revelation 22:1-3 (NCV)

One hot afternoon in July 1864, Pastor Robert Lowry (A professor of literature) was resting on his sofa, visions of heaven pervaded his senses. He saw the bright golden throne room and a multitude of saints gathered around the beautiful, cool, crystal, river of life. He was filled with a sense of great joy. He began to wonder why there seemed to be many hymns that referenced the river of death, but very few that mentioned the river of life. As he mused, the words and music to "Shall We Gather at the River" came to his heart. Since that day the hymn has become a favourite song at camp meetings, water baptismal services and funerals. It was sung in two Academy Award Winning movies: Trip to Bountiful (1986) and Three Godfathers (1916).

I woke up this morning singing the Yoruba version of this powerful hymn. The wordings of the hymn ministered to my soul and am eagerly looking forward to that day when we shall finally gather at that beautiful, cool, crystal river of life. The question however is will you be there? According to Revelation 20:15, if you name is not written in the book of life, you can't be there?. So, friends, Is your name in the book of life?

"....Then another book was opened: the Book of Life. The dead were judged by what was written in the books, by the way they had lived....Each man and woman was judged by the way he or she had lived. Then Death and Hell were hurled into Lake Fire. This is the second death—Lake Fire. Anyone whose name was not found inscribed in the Book of Life was hurled into Lake Fire". Revelation 20:11-15 MSG 

Beloved, please join me to sing this wonderful hymn as we look forward to that glorious and beautiful river of life.

Shall we gather at the river,
Where bright angel feet have trod,
With its crystal tide forever
Flowing by the throne of God?

Refrain:
       Yes, we'll gather at the river,
       The beautiful, the beautiful river;
       Gather with the saints at the river
       That flows by the throne of God.

On the margin of the river,
Washing up its silver spray,
We will talk and worship ever,
All the happy golden day.

Ere we reach the shining river,
Lay we every burden down;
Grace our spirits will deliver,
And provide a robe and crown.

At the smiling of the river,
Mirror of the Savior's face,
Saints, whom death will never sever,
Lift their songs of saving grace.

Soon we'll reach the silver river,
Soon our pilgrimage will cease;
Soon our happy hearts will quiver
With the melody of peace.

Good day and God bless you IJMN.  Amen

Maranatha!

Bro Okanlawon Taiwo

I'D RATHER HAVE JESUS

"Speaking to the people, he went on, “Take care! Protect yourself against the least bit of greed. Life is not defined by what you have, even when you have a lot.” - Luke 12:15 (MSG)

"This is the testimony in essence: God gave us eternal life; the life is in his Son. So, whoever has the Son, has life; whoever rejects the Son, rejects life. My purpose in writing is simply this: that you who believe in God’s Son will know beyond the shadow of a doubt that you have eternal life, the reality and not the illusion. "  - 1 John 5:11-13 (MSG)

Many people think that life can be built on the things that money can buy and they forget about the things that money cannot buy! Yes, it’s good to have the things that money can buy provided we haven’t lost the things that money can’t buy. According to Matt. 6:33, the good things that God wants us to enjoy are not the centre of life, but  rather are the extra benefits we receive when God is given the rightful place in our hearts. It quite obvious that anyone who lives for things and ignores God will lose both. But the fellow who puts God first will have God and the good things that God wants us to enjoy!

While meditating on the above scriptures early this morning, I remembered the wordings of an old time wonderful christian song titled - I’D RATHER HAVE JESUS! This song was written by  Rhea B. Miller in 1943 and sang in all Billy Graham's crusades. May I urge you to please reaffirm your desire to chose Jesus ahead of everything else in this fake gold museum of ours by joyfully singing this song with me today:

I'D RATHER HAVE JESUS!

"I'd rather have Jesus than silver or gold
I'd rather be His than have riches untold
I'd rather have Jesus than houses or land
I'd rather be led by His nail pierced hands

Than to be the king of a vast domain
And beheld in sins dread sway
I'd rather have Jesus
Than anything this world affords today

I'd rather have Jesus than worldly applause
I'd rather be faithful to His dear cause
I'd rather have Jesus than world wide fame
Yes, I'd rather be true to His holy name

Than to be the king of a vast domain
And beheld in sins dread sway
I'd rather have Jesus
Than anything this world affords today"

Beloved, Life is not found in things that fade, decay and lose their value. Life is found in a Person, and that Person is Jesus Christ, God’s Son! Yes, I'd rather have Jesus than the fake gold of this world. What about you? Are you still interested in chasing shadows in this fake gold museum? Are you enjoying the worldly applause and accolades even when you know that you are not at peace with God? Are you still swallowing in the deep ocean of secret sins in a bid to make ends meet?  Today, may I urge you to please surrender to Jesus Christ, so that you can start living for true riches … Riches that will last for all eternity. I hope you will chose Jesus today.

Good day & God bless you IJMN.  Amen

Maranatha!

Bro Okanlawon Taiwo

THE GATE OF INTEGRITY

"The integrity of the upright shall guide them: but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them" - Proverbs  11:3

The Great Wall of China is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It stretches over 6,400 Km and was built to protect China from the barbaric hordes to the north. The designers of the wall made it so high that it could not be scaled, so thick that it could not be penetrated, and so long that no one could go around it. Yet, during the first hundred years of the wall's existence China was successfully invaded three times, without the wall having been climbed or breached. So how did the invaders raid China? Well, the problem wasn't the wall – it was the gatekeepers! In each of these invasions the barbarians simply bribed the gatekeepers who opened the gates, so the enemies just walked right through -  (Worthy devotion, August 8, 2016)

Many people are still replicating the mistake that the people of China made several years ago. We concentrate more on erecting physical walls than on reinforcing our gates of integrity and moral uprightness. Our protective walls of stones are tall and mighty but our gates of integrity are practically damaged. We live in a world where “the end justifies the means” has become an acceptable school of thought.  A world where people can easily get whatsoever they want if they are willing to cut corners and act without the constraints of morality. A world where integrity isn’t talked about nearly enough. A world where paper qualifications supersedes your integrity. A world where people celebrate those who have succeeded in erecting mighty financial security walls around themselves and their families with proceeds of dishonesty, corruption or perverseness. This is a serious issue.

Beloved, may I remind you that lack of integrity carries some grave consequences (Proverbs 11:3). Yes, it does. Dishonesty or lack of integrity may provide instant gratification to you for awhile, but it will lead to irreparable destruction at the end. For instance, If Mr and Mrs Ananias and Sapphira had known the terrible consequences of their dishonesty or lack of integrity, they would not have erected the wall of Chinese around themselves in the early church (Acts 5: 1-11). Unfortunately, everyone watched as the same wall they had erected fell on them suddenly and crushed them to death. They never lived to enjoyed the gain of their dishonest dealings.

"But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?  And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things. And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him". - Acts  5:1, 3, 5 & 6

Beloved, If this couple were not given a second chance, you and I may not be given a second chance again. Hence, we must desist from building Chinese wall of dishonesty and lack of integrity around ourselves. So, If you and I must lose anything in life, it must not be our integrity. If we do, then we have lost everything. If we lose our money or property, we can get it back. Even, If we lose our job, we can get a better one.  But if we lose your integrity,  we have lost everything. Yes, It may take years to build a reputation of integrity, but it takes only a second to lose it. A single act of indiscretion, can destroy a lifetime of integrity. So, please never do anything that would destroy or damage your gate of integrity. Remember, if you must lose anything, please don't ever lose your integrity. 

A poet describes what a man of integrity stands for in a poem titled "Integrity and Honor". According to him, a man of integrity is honest, respectable, impeccable and most importantly have a relationship with God. That struck a cord in my heart! Beloved, will you like to be a man of integrity? Men of integrity are rare in our world today. So, will you like to be among those very rare gem in your generation? Then, you must surrender your life to Jesus Christ and walk with God everyday till you see Him in glory like Enoch (Genesis 5:24) .  

INTEGRITY AND HONOUR by Sun princess

Some men are not pretentious
They have integrity and honor

I admire these men most greatly
They walk with God by their side

Someday I wish to have a friend
Like these men with character

Respectable, honest, impeccable,
only thing is they are very rare

Like a shiny dazzling diamond
So precious, flawless, and valuable

Integrity and honor are so beautiful
and some men have it absolutely"

My prayer for you and my humble self is that God will grant us grace to be numbered among those rare gem in this generation. May God uphold and strengthen us to walk with him like true men/women of integrity. God will grant us more grace to be honest, respectable and impeccable in all our dealings in this world. And everything that dishonesty and lack of integrity has destroyed in our lives shall be restored in Jesus name. 

On behalf of my esteemed father in the Lord, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church Of God, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, I want to invite you to our 67th Annual Convention with the theme "AND GOD SAID". Date: Monday 5th to Sunday 11th August, 2019. Time: 8:00 am (Morning session), 3:00 pm (Afternoon session) & 8:30 pm (Evening session). Venue: Redemption Camp, Km 46 Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Ogun State, Nigeria.  Ministering: Our beloved Daddy G.O - Pastor E.A Adeboye and other anointed Ministers of God.

Good day and happy new month, full of many August visitors of joy, victory, laughter and testimonies in Jesus name.

Maranatha!

Bro. Okanlawon Taiwo

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THE TERMITE OF THE SOUL

"The sins of some men are conspicuous (openly evident to all eyes), going before them to the judgment [seat] and proclaiming their sentence in advance; but the sins of others appear later [following the offender to the bar of judgment and coming into view there] " - 1 Timothy 5:24 (AMP)

Several years ago, there was a big flourishing tree in the middle of an ancient Village. The tree had developed a very deep root system that makes it practically impossible for it to be uprooted by rain and stormy wind. The strong root systems also provides massive support for its  flourishing branches and ever green leaves. Over time, this big tree became an envy of every other tree in the village.

On one sunny day, the villagers suddenly discovered that this enviable tree had fallen. But to their surprise, the tree was not pulled down by severe rains, storms or earthquake. When they closely examined the inside of the tree, they saw several insects. Obviously, that mighty tree was pulled down or destroyed by those small insects - termites. For a long time, the small insects were busy quitely and secretly eating the soul of the tree and nobody in the village knew anything about it. The tree looked good outside but its trunk/soul was being destroyed by those small termites from within. The evil mission that was impossible for strong stormy wind and earthquakes was orchested with ease by many tiny insects that appeared to be harmless. 

It is unfortunate that many people are like that enviable tree in the middle of the village of life. Even though they still look very charming and glamorous outwardly, the termite of the soul (sin) had secretly devoured them completely from within. They are nothing but a mobile corpse and a calamity going somewhere to happen. The termite of the soul has secretly eaten up their glorious destiny and may soon dump their carcass inside that Horrible Lake of Fire (Revelation 21:8). 

Sin is a highly destructive termite and cancer of the soul. It is more deadly than Zika, Ebola or Lazza fever virus. It secretly destroys the soul of a man from within. The bible and history is full of many great destinies that have been destroyed by this evil insects. Yes, those small sins may appear harmless, but they are capable of secretly digging grave for someone in Hell. Please don’t ever think that because God has not done anything now means it is alright to continue in sin. Our God is simply patient, wanting us to get rid of it ourselves (2 Peter 3:9-10). 

"God isn’t late with His promise as some measure lateness. He is restraining himself on account of you, holding back the End because he doesn’t want anyone lost. He’s giving everyone space and time to change. But when the Day of God’s Judgment does come, it will be unannounced, like a thief. The sky will collapse with a thunderous bang, everything disintegrating in a huge conflagration, earth and all its works exposed to the scrutiny of Judgment." - 2 Peter 3:9-10 (MSG)

Beloved, in case you are like this enviable tree, there is a way out for you. God can help you fumigate your soul with the blood of His dear son- Jesus Christ so that you will not be pulled down prematurely by the terrible termite of the soul. But you have to confess your sins now and repent before the door of repentance is closed. There is no repentance in the grave (Hebrews 9:27) 

The lyrics of this wonderful hymn below describe how the Great Emancipator - Jesus Christ broke the terrible fetters of sin and set us free completely from the chains of eternal sorrow and affliction. May I urge you to please prayerfully meditate on this powerful lyrics:

ONCE I WAS BOUND BY SIN'S GALLING FETTERS By Haldor Lillenas (1885-1959)

Once I was bound by sin’s galling fetters,
Chained like a slave I struggled in vain;
But I received a glorious freedom,
When Jesus broke my fetters in twain.

Refrain:
Glorious freedom, wonderful freedom,
    No more in chains of sin I repine!
    Jesus the glorious Emancipator,
    Now and forever He shall be mine.

Freedom from all the carnal affections,
Freedom from envy, hatred and strife;
Freedom from vain and worldly ambitions.
Freedom from all that saddened my life.

Freedom from pride and all sinful follies,
Freedom from love and glitter of gold;
Freedom from evil temper and anger,
Glorious freedom, rapture untold.

Freedom from fear with all of its torments,
Freedom from care with all of its pain;
Freedom in Christ my blessed Redeemer,
He who has rent my fetters in twain.

My prayer is that the Glorious Emancipator will break our fetters in twain and establish our Glorious Freedom. The power of the Holy Spirit will rage through the enclaves of our soul like a consuming fire to destroy the colony of termites that is eating us up secretly. Every enviable tree destroyed by the termite of worldliness, envy, hatred, pride etc shall be restored before Christ returns. 

Please join us at the Garden of Prayers for our Night of Evidence and Prophetic Sunday Services tagged "Glorious Evidence" on Friday 20th and Sunday 22nd September 2019. Venue: RCCG, Kingdom Life Parish, 109, Shasha Road, Abati Bustop. Egbeda, Lagos. Nigeria. Time: 8am. 

Good morning and God bless you.

Maranatha!

Bro. Okanlawon Taiwo

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HIDDEN IN THE CUSHION OF THE SEA

"Then the Lord said, “Behold, there is a place beside Me, and you shall stand there on the rock; and while My glory is passing by, I will put you in a cleft of the rock and protectively cover you with My hand until I have passed by". Exodus 33:21-22 (Amplified) 

Several years ago a submarine was being tested and had to remain submerged for many hours. When it returned to the harbor, the captain was asked, "How did the terrible storm last night affect you?" The officer looked at him in surprise and exclaimed, "Storm? We didn’t even know there was one" The sub had been so far beneath the surface that it had reached the area known to sailors as "the cushion of the sea." Although the ocean may be whipped into huge waves by high winds, the waters below are never stirred.

Many times in our lives, storm occurs without any warning. No one has a life without storms. Yes, life is often filled with storms. We must however learn to find Christ as our “cushion in the sea or safety in the storm!"  Our mind can only be protected against the distracting waves of worry, if it is resting completely in the good providence of God. There, sheltered by His grace and encouraged by His Holy Spirit, we can find the perfect tranquility that only Christ can provide.

At a very tender age of six weeks,  the storm of blindness rocked the boat of Fanny Crosby (1820-1915) after a surgical mishap. From that day, Fanny could no longer see with her natural eyes, but she could see with her heart. She could not explain what a human face looked like, but she knew the face of God. And in the midst of that terribly storm, she was able to  locate the cushion of the sea. The prefect peace of God that surpasses all understanding invaded her soul and she wrote and published thousands of beautiful hymns, many that are still sung today. One of those beautiful hymn is titled" He Hideth My Soul".

Beloved, no matter the turbulent storms around us today, God can hid us in the cleft of the rock (cushion of the sea) and cover us protectively with his hand as he did to Moses in Exodus 33:12-13. May I urge you to please join me today to prayerfully sing this beautiful hymn as we trust God to hide our spirit, soul and body from every turbulent storms of life.

He Hideth My Soul

A wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord,
A wonderful Savior to me;
He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock,
Where rivers of pleasure I see.

Refrain:
      He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock
      That shadows a dry, thirsty land;
      He hideth my life with the depths of His love,
      And covers me there with His hand,
      And covers me there with His hand.

A wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord,
He taketh my burden away;
He holdeth me up, and I shall not be moved,
He giveth me strength as my day.

Refrain

With numberless blessings each moment He crowns,
And filled with His fullness divine,
I sing in my rapture, oh, glory to God
For such a Redeemer as mine!

Refrain

When clothed in His brightness, transported I rise
To meet Him in clouds of the sky,
His perfect salvation, His wonderful love
I'll shout with the millions on high.

Refrain

Good day and God bless you.

Maranatha!

© Bro. Okanlawon Taiwo