ALL THINGS WORKING FOR MY GOOD

"He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good. God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son...." Romans 8:28-30 (MSG)

Early this morning, the above scripture came alive in my spirit and while meditating on it, I remembered the story of the Clark Family. It was in the early 1900, the Clark family had a dream to relocate from Scotland to America. They planned, worked and saved towards actualising their dreams. After several years, they finally saved enough money to buy the tickets that will take them on a new ship to America. The entire family was filled with anticipation and excitement about their new life. However, seven days before their departure, the youngest son was bitten by a dog. The doctor treated the boy but quarantined the entire Clark family for fourteen days.

Therefore, the family’s dream was dashed. They were not able to make the trip to America as planned. The father, filled with disappointment and anger, stomped to the dock to watch the ship leave – without his family on board. The father shed tears of disappointment and cursed both his son and God for their misfortune. Five days later, the tragic news spread throughout Scotland that the mighty Titanic had sunk. The unsinkable ship had sunk, taking hundreds of lives with it. The Clark family would have been on that ship, but because the son had been bitten by a dog, they were left behind in Scotland. When Mr. Clark heard the news, he hugged his son and thanked him for saving the family. He thanked God for saving their lives and turning what he had felt was a tragedy into a blessing.

Beloved, has your dream ship left the dock without you on board? Are you feeling terribly bad today because of those missed opportunities? Do you feel like blaming or cursing God, your parents, spouse, siblings, Uncle, Aunty, Boss, colleagues for missing the cruise. Please hear what the Spirit of God is saying: It's intentional. God knows about it. You missed the ship because, it is not going to where God wants you to go. That plan was yours not God's. Please stop crying. Stop the blame game. All things are working together for your good. May I assure you that the God of All flesh doesn't make mistake. He is capable of turning what you felt was a big tradegy or great loss to a great blessing. So, I urge you to please celebrate God in the midst of those challenges this week with this powerful song composed by Pastor Travis Greene. The song is titled "Intentional".

INTENTIONAL

All things are working for my good, yeah
'Cause He's intentional
Never failing
I know that all things are working for my good, yeah
He's intentional
Never failing

All things are working
All things are working for my good, yes they are, yeah
All things are working for my good
All things are working for my good"

Good day and do have a blessed week in Jesus name. Amen

Maranatha!

Bro Okanlawon Taiwo

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HOME ON MY MIND

"The promise of “arrival” and “rest” is still there for God’s people. God himself is at rest. And at the end of the journey we’ll surely rest with God. So let’s keep at it and eventually arrive at the place of rest, not drop out through some sort of disobedience". -  Hebrews 4:9-11 (Message)

Few days ago, I came across a very wonderful hymn titled "Home of the Soul". The hymn was composed in 1912 by James Rowe (1865 - 1933). While meditating on the lyrics of this hymn, the Holy Spirit reminded me about some of the most challenging journeys I have embarked on in life. 

In October 2006, I travelled to a state in the northern part of Nigeria by air and was scheduled to return to Lagos few days later but the return flight was cancelled due to bad weather. My hope of leaving the location by air on the proposed departure date was dashed. After much hesitation, I decided to board a bus back to Lagos. The trip was a 24hour odyssey of pain and discomfort because I have never travelled such a long distance by road before. I was really tired and bored.  After several hours on the road, we finally rounded a bend, climbed the long bridge at Wawa village, and l saw the signpost with the inscription -"Welcome to Lagos- the State of Aquatic Spendour" at Berger bustop. And as we approached the final bustop, the air cooled, the sun appeared more spectacular, more serene, and brighter. I was sighing for my beautiful home; eagerly looking forward to embrace my darling Queen and lovely Princess. Few minutes later, that long and boring journey eventually ended and I was glad to be home at last. 

Life is a journey and we must endeavour to go through it with the end in mind. There may be some discomfort or pains on the way but one day, arriving in our mansion above (home) will make the journey on this earth seem like such a short drive, even if our life has been like one long road trip from the north to the west. We will eventually round a bend, feel a cool, fresh whisper of wind on our cheeks, knowing that we have been raised to a higher elevation and there we will be: in the splendor and glory of heaven, with Jesus, forever and ever. We will be so glad that we finally made it home.

"There is plenty of room for you in my Father's home. If that weren't so, would I have told you that I'm on my way to get a room ready for you? And if I'm on my way to get your room ready, I'll come back and get you so you can live where I live. And you already know the road I'm taking." John 14:2-4 (Message)

Beloved, where are you today in the journey of life? Where is your soul heading to? Heaven or Hell? If Jesus returns today, are you sure you will go with Him to that glorious home He promised us in John 14:2-4? Will your soul be among the redeemed ones that will enter that beautiful HOME OF REST? Will you reach the eternal shore? Are you a true child of God? If your answers are not positive, then, I urge you to please amend your ways now and surrender to the Saviour today. You will never regret that you did because the sand of times are sinking and we may soon be going home. Please don't be left behind.

This week, kindly let us meditate on the lyrics of this wonderful hymn as we trust God for grace to make it "home" whenever Christ returns:

HOME OF THE SOUL

If for the prize we have striven,
After our labors are o’er,
Rest to our souls will be given,
On the eternal shore.

Refrain
       Home of the soul, beautiful home,
       There we shall rest, never to roam;
       Free from all care, happy and bright,
       Jesus is there, He is the light!
       Oft, in the storm, lonely are we,
       Sighing for home, longing for Thee,
       Beautiful home of the ransomed,
       Beside the crystal sea.

Yes, a sweet rest is remaining
For the true children of God,
Where there will be no complaining,
Never a chastening rod.

Soon, the bright homeland adorning,
We shall behold the glad dawn;
Lean on the Lord till the morning,
Trust till the night is gone.

I don't know about you, but I'm seriously sighing for my home beyond the sky. How I wish you are too. May God grant us grace to finish strong and well so that we can all enter that beautiful HOME OF REST in Jesus name. Amen.

Good day and do have a fruitful week IJN.

Maranatha!

Bro  Okanlawon Taiwo

For more articles please visit - http://okanlawontaiwo.blogspot.com
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LET OTHERS SEE JESUS IN YOU

"Your very lives are a letter that anyone can read by just looking at you. Christ himself wrote it—not with ink, but with God’s living Spirit; not chiseled into stone, but carved into human lives—and we publish it." 2 Corinthians 3:2-3 (MSG)

“..You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven" - Matthew 5:14-16 (MSG)

Few days ago, while ministering, our guest minister - the wife of a Senior Pastor in the Mission sang a very wonderful song that stirred up a burning sensation in my spirit. The song is titled "- Let others see Jesus in you". It is an old Christian hymn that was composed by Baylus B. Mckinney in 1924. When the service ended, I kept on singing the hymn and the Lord led me to read the above Bible passages and the story below:

"A group of salesmen who traveled for a regional sales convention had assured their wives that they would be home for dinner on a particular Friday. However, the convention lasted longer than anticipated and they had to race to the airport. With tickets in hand, they barged through the terminal to catch their flight back home. In their rush, with tickets and briefcases, one of these salesmen inadvertently kicked over a table, which held a display of baskets of apples. Apples flew everywhere. Without stopping or looking back, they all managed to reach the plane in time for their nearly missed boarding, all but one. He paused, took a deep breath and experienced a twinge of compassion for the girl whose apple stand had been overturned. He told his colleagues to go on without him and that he will take a later flight home. Then he returned to the terminal where the apples were all over the floor. He was glad he did. The girl at the apple stand was totally blind! She was softly crying, tears running down her cheeks in frustration, and at the same time helplessly groping for her spilled apples as the crowd swirled about her, no one stopping or to care for her plight.

The salesman knelt on the floor with her, gathered up the apples, put them into the baskets, and helped set the display up once more. As he did this, he noticed that many of them had become battered and bruised; these he set aside in another basket. When he had finished, he pulled out his wallet and said to the girl, “Here, please take this cash for the damage we did. Are you okay?” She nodded through her tears. As the salesman started to walk away, the bewildered blind girl called out to him, “Mister….” He paused and turned to look back into those blind eyes. She continued, “Are you Jesus?” He stopped in mid-stride, and he wondered. Then slowly he made his way to catch the later flight with that question burning and bouncing about in his soul: “Are you Jesus?”

Beloved, what sermon is your life preaching everyday? Is your life pointing people to God or sending them away from Him? Can someone see Jesus in you? Do people mistake you for Jesus? Yes, God expects us to be so much like Jesus that people will find it so difficult to tell the difference as we live and interact with a world that is blind to His love, life and grace. According to 1 John 2:6, If we claim to know Him, we should live, walk and act as He would. Knowing Him is more than simply quoting Scripture and going to church. It’s actually living the Word as life unfolds day to day.

I urge you to please join me this morning to make the wordings of this powerful hymn below our prayer focus and action points this week and beyond.

LET OTHERS SEE JESUS IN YOU

While passing thro' this world of sin,
and others your life shall view,
Be clean and pure without, within;
Let others see Jesus in you.

Refrain:
          Let others see Jesus in you,
          Let others see Jesus in you.
          Keep telling the story, be faithful and true;
          Let others see Jesus in you.

Your life's a book before their eyes,
They're reading it thro' and thro'
Say, does it point them to the skis,
Do others see Jesus in you?

Then live for Christ both day and night,
Be faithful, be brave and true,
and lead the lost to life and Christ.
Let others see Jesus in you.

May I also use this opportunity to invite you to the October 2017 Holy Ghost service of the Redeemed Christian Church Of God.  Theme: Agent of Transformation. Date: Friday, October 6, 2017. Time: 6 pm.  Venue: Redemption Camp,  Nigeria. Ministering: Our beloved Daddy,  Pastor E.A Adeboye.

I wish you a blessed week and a glorious month, full of the manifold wonders of His Double Grace.

Happy new month. Good morning and God bless you IJN.

Maranatha!

Bro  Okanlawon Taiwo

For more articles please visit - http://okanlawontaiwo.blogspot.com
Follow on Twitter: @tammytaiwo
Follow on instagram: @lawontaiwo