THE RETURN JOURNEY

THE RETURN JOURNEY

"Jesus said to his disciples , ‘Do not be sad or afraid. Believe in God, and believe in me also. There are many rooms in my Father's house. I will go now so that I can prepare a place for you there. If it was not true, I would not have told you this. After I have prepared a place for you, I will return. Then I will take you so that you will be with me. You will be where I am. You know the way to the place where I will go.’ - John 14:1-4 (EASY)

There is an old story of a king and his jester who sometimes said very foolish things. One day, the jester said something so foolish that the king handing him a staff, said to him: “Take this, and keep it till you find a bigger fool than yourself.” Some years later, the king lay on his deathbed. His courtiers were called: his family and his servants also stood round his bedside. The king, addressing them, said, “I am about to leave you. I am going on a very long journey and I shall not return again to this place: so I have called you all to say goodbye.” Then his jester stepped forward and said to the king “Your Majesty, may I ask a question? When you have journeyed abroad visiting your people or paying diplomatic visits to other courts, your heralds and servants have always gone before you, making preparations for you. May I ask what preparations, your Majesty has made for this long journey that he is about to take?”. The king replied “I have made no preparations". The jester then said, “Take this staff with you, for now I have found a bigger fool than myself.”

"Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel" - Amos  4:12

Life is a two way journey and travellers are expected to make adequate preparations for the return trip back home. No matter how interesting, boring or challenging the journey may be, the return date is certain and cannot be changed. Some travellers may leave early, while others may leave at a later date, but every one must return home at one time or the other. Whether we are doing well in life or not, we must go home one day. Therefore, a wise traveller must live everyday planning, praying and looking forward to making the return journey home. However, there is a tendency for someone to be engrossed with the frivolities of life to the extent that no preparation is made for the return journey. Some people may allow the enticing offers and temporary comfort at the transit station to lure them to mortgage their eternal home and trash their return tickets. This is an absurdity and only a very big fool will choose to tread this dangerous path. I hope you are not a fool!

The Pilot that will fly the aircraft carrying believers to their final destination and mansions (John 14:1-4) had a very deep discussion with a prominent Jewish leader by name Nicodemus several years ago (John 3:14 -16). The summary of their discussion is that anyone that is not genuinely saved will be left behind whenever He returns. So, the best preparation anyone can made for the return journey is to repent of their sins and accept Jesus Christ as Lord and personal Saviour. 

"Jesus answered, “I assure you, everyone must be born again. Anyone who is not born again cannot be in God’s kingdom.”  “Moses lifted up the snake in the desert. It is the same with the Son of Man. He must be lifted up too. Then everyone who believes in him can have eternal life. Yes, God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him would not be lost but have eternal life.” - John 3:3, 14-16 (ERV)

Beloved, the earth is transit station. No man in his right senses will allow his actions and inactions at the transit station to ruin his chances of going home. So, may I ask you the same question that old clown asked the king several years ago? What preparation are you making for your return trip home? Have you surrendered your life to Jesus? Does the Pilot of the flight to eternity know your name? Is your name on the Flight's Kingdom Manifest or Book of Life? If your answers to these questions is not affirmative, then I plead with you to please repent today and start preparing for your ultimate return journey.  By the grace of God, I will see you on the golden shore when this life is over.  

One of my favourite hymn that describes our ultimate return journey home is titled "I'll Fly Away". The song was composed by Albert.  E. Brumley in 1929. May I urge you to please prayerfully meditate on the lyrics of this wonderful hymn below and trust God to keep you standing till He comes.

I’LL FLY AWAY

Some glad morning when this life is o'er
I'll fly away
To a home on God's celestial shore
I'll fly away

Chorus:
         I'll fly away, oh Glory I'll fly away when I die
         Hallelujah by and by I'll fly away

When the shadows of this life have flown
I'll fly away
Like a bird from prison bars has flown
I'll fly away

Just a few more weary days and then
I'll fly away
To a land where joy shall never end
I'll fly away

My prayer for you and my humble self is that, we will not miss the return flight to our permanent home on the celestial shore.  Our actions and inactions at this transit station will not jeopardise the glorious mansions built for us in the city of gold. And when the trumpet shall finally sound, we shall be among those who will fly to meet our saviour in the sky for the return journey/trip (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17).

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 the July 2019 Holy Ghost service. Date: Friday- July 5,  2019. Theme: Swimming In Glory - Part 7 (Born To Be Great). Time: 7pm (Nigerian Time). 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 God bless you in Jesus name, Amen.

Maranatha!

Bro. Okanlawon Taiwo

For more articles, please visit -
http:// okanlawontaiwo.blogspot.com
Twitter: @tammytaiwo
Instagram: @lawontaiwo
Facebook: Okanlawon Taiwo