THE MONETIZED BELIEVERS

THE MONETIZED BELIEVERS

"Don’t be naive. There are difficult times ahead. As the end approaches, people are going to be self-absorbed, money-hungry, self-promoting, stuck-up, profane, contemptuous of parents, crude, coarse, dog-eat-dog, unbending, slanderers, impulsively wild, savage, cynical, treacherous, ruthless, bloated windbags, addicted to lust, and allergic to God. They’ll make a show of religion, but behind the scenes they’re animals. Stay clear of these people" -2 Timothy 3:1‭-‬5 (MSG)

Many years ago a young man went to China as a missionary with an income of $2,500 annually. A company decided that they wanted this young man to work for them and offered him a position with a $5,000 salary. He declined the offer, and it was raised to $7,000 and then to $10,000, but he still declined. The company asked him if the salary was his sticking point and he answered, “Oh, the salary is big enough, but the job isn’t.”  (The Speaker’s Quote Book, Roy B. Zuck)

One salient admonition that every believer must pay closer attention to now is the warning on the risk of monetising or  commercialising our kingdom's service as we approach the end time ( 2 Timothy 3:1-5). Unfortunately, this serious admonition seems to have fallen on the deaf ears of many believers in this generation. The spirit of monetisation has possessed the church and almost everything in the kingdom can now be monetised and commercialised with ease. There are now many money-hungry men and women behind the pulpit more than ever before. Many anointed singers and instrumentalists have commercialised their gifts in order to satisfy their lust for the ephemeral. Some Ushers and Treasurers have monetised their service by stealing from God like Apostle Judas Iscariot (John 12:4-6). Many believers insatiable appetites and greed for earthy gains and pleasure have turned them to caricature of their real self. Like Gehazi, many Christian have mastered the act of running after Naaman to receive gratifications for their kingdom service and exploit (2 Kings 5:15-27). While some believers  have monetised their kingdom duties by outsourcing it to the few active workers in church. They claim that they are too busy to serve, thereby, monetising their service with tithes, offerings and gifts for their pastors. They believed that their pastor should understand better moreso that their cheques are coming into the church purse regularly. Humm!  What a myopic mind-set!  What a serious blunder! They seem to have forgotten what Jesus Christ says in Matthew 6:24 about danger of monetisation in the kingdom. 

“You cannot serve two masters at the same time. You will hate one and love the other, or you will be loyal to one and not care about the other. You cannot serve God and Money at the same time"- Matthew 6:24 (ERV)

Friends, what have you monetised or commercialised in the kingdom?  Is it your talents, gifts , calling or anointing? Are you one of those "monetised believers" in the kingdom today? Please repent today before the gate of mercy is closed against you. Like that young missionary in the story above, don't monetise or commercialise your service to God. Always remember that serving God is a special privilege and the greatest adventure in the world. Serving God does not only pay, but pays the most and the best (Exodus 23:25-28, Job 36:11). Wholehearted Kingdom service gives incomparable dividends and out-of-this world order of divine blessings which is immune to all kinds of sorrow (Proverbs 10:22). It also secures posterity and procures longevity, health and vitality. Engaging in Kingdom duties is the master key to a life of fulfilment, sweatless triumph and supernatural joy. When we are ‘on the go’, serving the interests of the Kingdom, we will always return with joy, which secures our harvest (Luke 10:17).

"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord"- 1 Corinthians  15:58 

One special hymn that expresses the mind of God on kingdom service is titled "It Pay To Serve Jesus". As you meditate on the lyrics of this powerful hymn,  please trust God to cast out every spirit of monetisation that is wrecking havoc in body of Christ in our generation. And in case you have never surrendered your life to Jesus Christ,  then today would be a good time to make that a reality. The fountain is still flowing for you. Please come to the Lord right now and let Him use your life to preach to the world that it really pays to serve Jesus.

IT PAYS TO SERVE JESUS by Frank Huston , 1909

"It pays to serve Jesus, I speak from my heart,
He'll always be with us, if we do our part
There's naught in this wide world can pleasure afford;
There's peace and contentment in serving the Lord.

CHORUS
          I love Him far better than in days of yore
          I'll serve Him more truly than ever before,
          I'll do as He bids me, whatever the cost,
          I'll be a true soldier, I'll die at my post.

And oft when I'm tempted to turn from the track,
I think of my Saviour, my mind wanders back
To the place where they nailed Him on Calvary's tree.
I heard a voice saying, "I suffered for thee."

A place I remember where I was set free,
'Twas where I found pardon, a heaven to me.
There Jesus spoke sweetly to my weary soul,
My sins were forgiven, He made my heart whole.

How rich is the blessing the world cannot give,
I'm satisfied fully for Jesus to live;
Though friends may forsake me and trial arise,
I am trusting Jesus, His love never dies.

There is no one like Jesus can cheer me today.
His love and His kindness can ne'er fade away,
In winter and summer, in sunshine and rain,
His love and affection are always the same.

Will you have this blessing that Jesus bestows,
A free full salvation from sin's bitter throes?
O come to the Saviour, to Calvary flee,
The fountain is opened, is flowing for thee."

Finally, if you are not a "monetised believer", please join us for the Global Outreach Day 2020 (GO 20) on Saturday 30th May, 2020 as we witness Jesus to everyone in our neighbourhood and communities. It is my prayer that the Great Shepherd whom you are serving faithfully will continue to take care of your needs and also bless you abundantly with things that money cannot even buy in Jesus name. Amen

Good day and God bless you.

Maranatha!

Bro. Okanlawon Taiwo
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HE WILL CARRY YOU

HE WILL CARRY YOU

"...He shall gather the lambs in His arms, and carry them in His bosom" - Isaiah 40:11 (KJV)

The arm is a symbol of strength. As human beings, we lean on the arms of our parents, friends, family, relatives,  neighbours, colleagues, and superiors at one point in life. We believe in them absolutely and often lean upon their arms for support and protection. The presence of these people provides some level of confidence, strength and sense of security. For instance, while growing up we enjoyed the secured arms of our mothers. Even though a mother's arm may be frail physically but love makes it strong. When a mother's arm is folded around a feeble child, all the power of the universe cannot tear the child away. God comes to us first in our infancy, through our mothers, who carried us in their arms. Those loving embrace are only dim revelations of God's everlasting arms for a time. When we are of age, our mothers eventually leave us after teaching us a little of God's tenderness but God Himself remains when they are gone, and His arms never unclasp (Isaiah 46:4).  

"Listen to me,... I have helped you since you began to live inside your mother. And I have carried you since you were born.  I will do that even until you are old. I will do it until you have grey hairs. I am he who will supply everything. I will supply everything that you need. I have made you and I will carry you. I will supply everything that you need. And I will save you." - Isaiah 46:3‭-‬4 (EASY)

Anything that God carries cannot be miscarried. His everlasting arms are so strong, secure and powerful (Isaiah 26:4). Out of His eternal clasp we can never be taken or snatched (John 10:28). What a great assurance! What an uncommon privilege! On the other hand, anything that exist outside the merciful and loving grips of His everlasting arms will end up a total disaster and complete miscarriage sooner or later (John 15:6). God does not want the later to happen hence He released Jesus Christ to bring eternal life to humanity (John 17:2-3). Have you accepted His offer of eternal life? It is only those who have accepted His offer that can enjoy divine support, protection and preservation in a time like this. Friends, why not accept the gift of eternal life today by walking boldly into the everlasting arms of God and His son -Jesus Christ. As the lord lives, His everlasting arms will uphold, carry and preserve you till the end of age. In Christ, you are snatch proof! Yes, no power of hell or scheme of man can snatch us from His hand.

"I give them eternal life, and they will never perish—ever! No one will snatch them out of My hand!" John 10:28

One wonderful song that re-echoes what Jesus Christ says in the above scripture (John 10:28) is titled "In Christ Alone". This hymn stir up believers' faith that God is truly our protector and saviour; that our lives are in His unshakable hands. 

"IN CHRIST ALONE" by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend, 2001

In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This Cornerstone, this solid Ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My Comforter, my All in All,
Here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone! – who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe.
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save:
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied –
For every sin on Him was laid;
Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain:
Then bursting forth in glorious day
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me,
For I am His and He is mine –
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death,
This is the power of Christ in me;
From life’s first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand:
Till He returns or calls me home,
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand.

It is my prayer that every backslider or prodigal will return into the loving grips and warm embrace of Jesus Christ and never to go back to their vomit again in Jesus name. The Holy Spirit will enlist multitude for eternal life in Christ Jesus. We shall receive grace to place our hope, assurance, and destiny in the right place - on the solid foundation of Jesus Christ. By His grace, we shall stand strong till Christ returns to call us home. And till Christ returns, no power of hell or scheme of man will be able to pluck us from the everlasting arms of God. 

Good day and God bless you.

Maranatha!

Bro. Okanlawon Taiwo
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THE COMPANY OF JONADAD

THE COMPANY OF JONADAD 

"But don’t fool yourselves.....“Bad company ruins good manners.” Think straight. Awaken to the holiness of life. No more playing fast and loose with resurrection facts. Ignorance of God is a luxury you can’t afford in times like these....."- 1 Corinthians 15:33-34 (MSG)

One day a farmer grabbed his gun to shoot at a flock of pesky crows. Unfortunately, he didn’t see his sociable parrot that had joined the crows. After firing a few shots, he walked over to the fallen birds and was surprised to find his parrot badly ruffled with a broken wing. When the farmer’s children saw the injured bird, they asked, “Dad, what happened?” The farmer simply replied, “Bad company.”

"Don't make a goat your friend if your skirt is made of plantation leaves, or else it will strip you naked" is an African proverb that reinforces the danger of keeping bad company as illustrated in the above story. It is obvious that hanging around people who are a bad influence carry grave consequences. For example, Jonadad's bad influence on Ammon fuel the fire of lust and ungodliness that eventually terminated his glorious destiny prematurely ( 1 Samuel 13:2-32). David did not know that his calm parrot had joined the league of wicked and polluted crows in Israel. After two years, Ammon got hit by the powerful gun of judgment, his wings got broken, and his destiny truncated prematurely. Obviously,  Ammon paid dearly for his association with Jonadad. What a poisonous or destructive friendship! 

"Amnon became ill because he wanted his sister Tamar so much. But she had never slept with a man and it seemed difficult for Amnon to do anything to her.  But Amnon had a friend called Jonadab. He was the son of David's brother Shimeah. And he seemed to know what to do about anything." - 2 Samuel 13:2‭-‬3 (EASY)

Friends, there are still many smart Jonadad everywhere in our world today. They have been planted in churches, offices, politics, schools etc to enlist multitude for shame and eternal destruction. Unfortunately,  many Ammons are walking sheepishly into their wicked trap. In fact no one knows that your sociable parrot is hanging out with those filthy crows. But it is a matter of time, if you don't turn your back on the company of Jonadad, your obituary will soon be announced like that of Ammon (2 Samuel 13:32). This may sound hard but it is the truth. 

"I wrote  to you in my letter that you should not associate with people who sin sexually..... I meant you must not associate with people who claim to be believers but continue to live in sin. Don’t even eat with a brother or sister who sins sexually, is greedy, worships idols, abuses others with insults, gets drunk, or cheats people" - 1 Corinthians 5:9‭-‬11 (ERV)

In Corinthians 5:9-11, God warns us to avoid the harmful influences of everyone in the company of Jonadad around us. These people have the tendency to pull us into sin and wreck our lives, and they often use their wrong influences to accomplish that goal. Therefore, may I urge you to please walk away from the company of Jonadad. Turn your back on those fornicating, lying, occultic, rapist, herberlist,  homesexual,  drunkard, fraudster, adulterer, rebellious friends of yours. You cannot afford to make a goat your friend if you don't want your covering of leaves  to be eaten by goat. Please don’t hang out with them again if you don't want to end your journey on earth like Ammon (Psalms 1:1-4). 

One great poem that clearly mentioned some of the consequences of  keeping company with bad friends is titled "Bad Friends". Could you please prayerful read this poem and trust God to help you walk away from every company of Jonadad that you are in already. In case you are not yet saved, please surrender your life to Jesus Christ today. Remember, ignorance of God is a luxury you can’t afford in times like these.

BAD FRIENDS by Qiniso Mogale

Friends can be our worst enemies
Friends are often our foes
Friends are better placed to plan our downfall
Friends can In fact be our downfall
Be wary of friends.

Friends can be snakes
Friends can be back stabbers
Friends can be Judas Iscariot's
Friends can be sell outs
Our enemies at times prove to be best friends
Our enemies at times have our backs
Friends become poisonous.

Let's choose friends wisely
Let's take time in our selection
Lest we regret our choices
Lest we dread the day we met them
Lest we curse the day we allowed them into our lives.

Lets chose our friends wisely
Many are in hell because of bad friends
Many are in jail because of bad friends
Many are divorced because of evil friends
Many are in debts because of corrupt friends.

My prayer is that God will rescue every Ammon languishing in the prison houses (company) of Jonadad before this week is over. Every enemy pretending to be our friends shall be exposed. We shall receive grace to choose our friends wisely going forward. May we never go to hell because of the bad influence of our friends. And may God save the soul of everyone that is enjoying the evil  company of Jonadad this day in Jesus name.  Amen

Good day and God bless you.

Maranatha!

Bro. Okanlawon Taiwo
For more articles, please visit -
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THE MASTER BRIDGE BUILDER

THE MASTER  BRIDGE BUILDER 

"When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.  The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen. This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise" - Isaiah  43:2,19-21

A young girl was taking a train ride through the country, and the train was scheduled to cross two branches of a river and several wide streams. The water seen in advance always awakened doubts and fears in the child. She did not understand how it could safely be crossed. As they drew near the river, however, a bridge appeared, and furnished a way over. Two or three times the experience was repeated, and finally the child leaned back with a long breath of relief and confidence. She said in trusting content “Somebody has put bridges for us all the way!” (Culled from the American Messenger, 1922) 

Surviving after the COVID -19 pandemic will continue to throw up many economic, psychological and emotional challenges to people and businesses all over the world. It is anticipated that many organisations may downsize, some may fold up while others may have to do everything possible to reduce their overheads drastically in order to remain in business. The terrifying current and striking echo of economic hardship looming around COVID -19 is strong enough to send paralysing fear down the spine of many people all over the world. Like the girl in the above story, the question many people all over the world are asking today is "How are we going to cross this river COVID -19 without drowning financially,  emotionally,  maritally and spiritually". 

Friends, the Almighty God had already answered the above question in Isaiah 43:2,19-21. He promised to build many bridges across the river in such a time like this. He promised to make ways in the wilderness in such a time like this. He said categorically  that no river is strong enough to submerge His children's glorious destiny in a time like this. It was obvious that "The Master Bridge Builder" and "The Way Maker" already knew that we would pass through this route long time ago and he had already made necessary arrangements for our survival in a time like this. If you are genuinely saved, then, please relax because your businesses and jobs will survive the terrible storm of COVID -19. But, if you are not yet saved, please surrender your life to Jesus Christ today. As the Lord lives, this season will end in praise for you and your household (Isaiah 43:21). Are you still doubting the Omnipotent One? Please hold fast your confidence and trust in God until the end (Hebrews 10:35, Hebrews 3:14). Our God is too faithful to fail.  

"The person who is right with me will live by trusting in me. But I will not be pleased with the one who turns back in fear. But we are not those who turn back and are lost. No, we are the people who have faith and are saved"- Hebrews 10:38-‬39 (ERV)

One song that re-echoes the unshakeable agenda of God to build bridges of salvation, deliverance, provision, preservation and healing for all his children in such a time like this is titled "Jesus Built A Bridge". As you meditate on the lyrics of this wonderful hymn, please trust God to help you experience a true relationship with the Master Bridge Builder who is also called "The Way" and you will not drown or be stranded in such a time like this (John  14:6) . 

JESUS BUILT A BRIDGE by Poet Voices, 1991.

One day they nailed a carpenter to a rugged tree
thinking he would never build again
there they nailed him through his hands and feet
still he carried out a master plan.

Refrain:
          Jesus built a bridge to heaven, so that I could find a way up to Him
          Jesus built a bridge the only way he knew;
          With only three nails, and two pieces of wood,
          With one rugged cross, Jesus built a bridge.

The Father looked from heaven to a world below
And it seemed there was no way to claim His own
So to the world HIs Son, the Master builder had to go
To make a way to bring God's children home.

My prayer is that many will experience the saving power in the blood of Jesus Christ - the son of the Great Carpenter who specialises in building bridges across turbulent rivers before this season is over. The Master Bridge builder and Way Maker will confirm His promises by unveiling all the wonderful bridges he has built for us all the way. And we shall receive grace to praise Him for His faithfulness till we see Him in the city of Gold above.  

Good day and God bless you.

Maranatha!

Bro. Okanlawon Taiwo
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