Bro. Okanlawon Taiwo's Blog: September 2020

DON'T REFUSE YOUR PARDON

"Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land; but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.” For the mouth of the Lord has spoken"- Isaiah 1:18‭-‬20 (NIV)

Several years ago, a man was convicted for robbery and murder. He was sentenced by the Judge to die for his crime. His close friends however managed to get presidential pardon for him. But surprisingly, when this man was informed of this pardon he refused to accept it. The matter was referred to the Supreme Court and the Chief Judge ruled as follows: "A pardon is a piece of paper, the value of which depends upon its acceptance by the person implicated. It is difficult to see a person under the sentence of death who refused to accept a pardon; but, if it is refused, it is no pardon. So, the man who rejects his pardon must die."

Death sentence was passed on all human being when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden (Romans 3:23 & 6:23). In order to rescue man from this terrible judgement, God issued a divine pardon sealed with the blood of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ (Hebrews 9:12). This pardon is the gift of eternal life (John 3:15, 10:28, & 17:3). However, anyone who rejects this pardon for any reason will have to face the music. He/she will experience the agony of second death or eternal separation from God (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9).

Beloved, there is a divine pardon for you. However, you have to accept the pardon before for it can be invoked or exercised. So, dear friends, have you truly accepted God's supreme pardon? Have you received the gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus or are you still gambling with your eternal destination? It is not wise to allow the sentence of death to be executed when there is a valid pardon with your name boldly written on it. God is still begging you to receive your pardon from the verdict of sin and judgement ( 2 Corinthians 5:19-20, Isaiah 1:18-20). He will definitely not be happy if you continue to reject His offer of eternal life. Therefore, I beg you this day to please accept this divine pardon so that you can escape the terrible judgement of death hanging on the soul of every man.

"God's message is this: By Christ's death, God was bringing people of the world back to himself, as his friends. He would no longer keep their sins in his thoughts. This is the message that God want us to tell people. So, we speak to people on behalf of Christ. It is like this: When we speak, God himself is speaking to you. On behalf of Christ, we say to you, ‘Please come back to God, as his friends!’"- 2 Corinthians 5:19‭-‬20 (EASY)

One powerful hymn that describes the divine pardon that God issued to man in Isaiah 1:18-20 and 2 Corinthians 5:19-20 is titled "Gone Is All My Debt of Sin". Could you please prayerfully meditate on the lyrics of this hymn and trust God to help you to truly accept His supreme pardon from eternal condemnation.

GONE IS ALL MY DEBT OF SIN by M.S. Shafer, 1915.

Gone is all my debt of sin,

A great change is wrought within,

And to live I now begin,

Risen from the fall;

Yet the debt I did not pay—

Someone died for me one day,

Sweeping all the debt away—

Jesus paid it all.

Refrain:

Jesus died and paid it all, yes,

On the cross of Calvary, Oh

And my stony heart was melted

At His dying, dying call;

Oh, His heart in shame was broken

On the tree for you and me, yes,

And the debt, the debt is canceled,

Jesus paid it, paid it all.

Oh, I hope to please Him now,

Light of joy is on my brow,

As at His dear feet I bow,

Safe within His love.

Making His the debt I owed,

Freedom true He has bestowed;

So I’m singing on the road

To my home above.

Sinner, not for me alone

Did the Son of God atone;

Your debt, too, He made His own,

On the cruel tree.

Come to Him with all your sin;

Be as white as snow within;

Full salvation you may win

And rejoice with me.

My prayer is that the Holy Spirit will convict many of their sins and multitude shall come to the saving knowledge of Christ today. May God melt every stony heart and give us true heart of flesh. And may we receive grace to continually sing of God's faithfulness until we reach our mansions above.

Good day and God bless you.

Maranatha!

Bro. Okanlawon Taiwo

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THE PRICE OF DISOBEDIENCE

"The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it."- Proverbs 30:17

"The Icarus Paradox" is a Business Strategy term coined from an ancient Greek tale by Danny Miller, Ph.D in 1990. The story is about a young man called Icarus and his father who were imprisoned by King Minos of Crete. While planning to escape from the prison, Icarus's father made two sets of wings for himself and his son from beeswax and feathers. And the old man warned his son never to fly too close to the sun but rather to follow his path of flight at all times. However, immediately they flew out of the prison, Icarus ignored his father's warning. He was so excited about his ability to fly and he kept flying higher and higher towards the sun. Suddenly, the heat from the sun melted the wax in his wings, his feathers fell and he eventually plunged into the Sea and died.

"He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy." Proverbs 29:1

The scripture above clearly shows that disobeying parental (biological or spiritual) counsel/guidance carries serious consequences. Disobedience is like a wild fire. When Dinah touched that wild fire, she got her fingers burnt and her destiny ruined (Genesis 34:1-2). And for the rest of her life, she lived with that ugly scar, disgrace and deep pain on the table of her heart. Also, disobedience is a capital offense which attracts death sentence. Samson thought he could handle the consequences of his actions until he was crushed to death by falling bricks in the house of Dagon (Judges 16:30). The final judgment of God upon any disobedient child in Proverbs 30:17 cannot be reversed, appealed or overruled by anyone anywhere in the world. And that was why Samson's two eyes were plucked out by a raven and eaten by wicked eagle in Gaza (Judges 16: 21). Like Icarus, the same feathers/wings that enthrone Samson as a Judge in Israel was what eventually dethroned him through stubbornness and disobedience. What a paradox!

Beloved, disobedience is too expensive but unfortunately many pigheaded individuals in our generation are still eager to pay the huge price tag. What an absurdity! I hope you are not one of those disobedient people around. I hope you are not walking in the path that Dinah and Samson tread. If Jesus, the Son of God could obey His earthly parents, why can't you obey your own parents (Luke 2:51-52)?. Please repent and amend your ways today so that the time bomb of disobedience will not detonate and pluck out your two eyes like that of Samson's.

One special hymn that express the mind of God on this subject is titled "Obedience To Parents" . May I urge you to join me to meditate on the hymn below as we trust God for grace to obey our parents' godly counsel and warnings at all times.

OBEDIENCE TO PARENTS by Isaac Watts (1674 - 1748)

Let children that would fear the Lord

Hear what their teachers say;

With reverence meet their parents' word,

And with delight obey.

Have you not heard what dreadful plagues

Are threaten'd by the Lord,

To him that breaks his father's law,

Or mocks his mother's word?

What heavy guilt upon him lies!

How cursed is his name!

The ravens shall pick out his eyes,

And eagles eat the same.

But those who worship God, and give

Their parents honour due,

Here on this earth they long shall live,

And live hereafter, too.

My prayer is that everyone held hostage in the prison house of disobedience like Samson will be set free before today is over. And every Dinah already burnt and wounded in the house of Shechem (The Prince of the Land) shall be healed and restored. As the Lord liveth, every fetters of brass holding many people down in Gaza (the strong city of disobedience) shall be broken into pieces this day in Jesus name, Amen.

Good day and do have a blessed day.

Maranatha!

Bro. Okanlawon Taiwo

For more articles, please visit -

http://okanlawon.webnode.com

http:// okanlawontaiwo.blogspot.com

Twitter: @tammytaiwo

DEATH’S STING IS GONE

“O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. . .” - 1 Corinthians 15:55-57

A little boy and his father were driving down the road on a beautiful afternoon. Suddenly out of nowhere a bee flew in through the car window. Since the little boy was allergic to bee stings he became petrified. His father quickly reached out, grabbed the bee, squeezed it in his hand, and then released it. But as soon as he let it go, the young son became frantic once again as it buzzed by the little boy. The father sensed his son’s terror. Once again he reached out his hand, but this time he pointed to this hand. There, stuck in his skin was the stinger of the bee. “You see this?” he asked. “You don’t need to be afraid anymore. I have taken the sting for you.”

When the first man erred in the garden of Eden, death flew through the window into the world to wreck havoc on the soul of man (Romans 3:23). Then, death began to sting like bee with no regard for social status, age, background, qualifications, colour, language, location etc. It stings the rich the same way it stings the poor. The venomous toxin of that wild bee causes deep pain and agony to the family, friends and relatives of anyone stung by this bee.

However, it is important to note that the bee of death has lost it victory over every genuine child of God (1 Corinthians 15 54-57). Yes, death cannot have last word over Christians (Romans 6:9). Through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God loosed the pains of death (Acts 2:23-24). So, whenever we are stung by the bee of death, we only leave the world of the dying to the world of the living; we leave the imperfect life on earth to the perfect life in heaven.

"We know that when Jesus was raised from the dead it was a signal of the end of death-as-the-end. Never again will death have the last word" - Romans 6:9 (MSG)

Beloved, we don't need to be afraid of death because Jesus Christ has taken the sting out of death. Jesus took the sting of death when he hung on that old rugged cross to pay the ultimate sacrifice for the sin of man. By His death , the victory of death and grave was shortlived. But the question is, "how can I qualify to enjoy the victory over the sting of death". The answer is simple. You must become the son or daughter of the supreme being that is driving the vehicle of the universe. He took the sting for all His sons and daughters and not for strangers (John 2:12-13). You must become His son to escape from the terrible venom in sting of death. Please do it today!

One special song that reinforces believers victory over the sting of death is titled " O Death, Where Is Thy Sting?".

O DEATH, WHERE IS THY STING? By Stephen Popovich, 2016

O death where is thy sting?

Where, grave, thy victory?

O keys of hell, why change

Ye hands at Calvary?

Lo, on that hill

God’s wrath was placed,

Our sins erased,

And death made nil.

O sinner, set thy faith

On Him who bore thy curse;

The venom of that sting

Abideth on the earth.

But Christ arose

To be our way,

And sole escape,

From sin’s grim woe.

O saint, turn not behind—

Reach forth to things ahead;

Thy faith has made thee whole

And raised thee from the dead,

To be as one

With what awaits

Past Heaven’s gate

When ends have come.

O Lord, for Thee we watch,

Unto that blessèd day,

When whate’er form we take

Shall see Thee face to face;

For Thy great pow’r

Will resurrect

All Thine elect;

O wondrous hour!

May the Holy Spirit console every family that is mourning the passing of their loved ones at this moment. May God help to fill the great vacuum left behind by the departed souls. And as the Lord lives, afflictions shall not rise again in those homes in Jesus name.

Good night Prince Afolabi James Olugbemi. Afo, we earnestly look forward to that day when we shall meet to part no more. All Darians love you but God loves you more. Continue to rest in the bossom of your Lord and Saviour. Sun re oo.

Good day and God bless you.

Maranatha!

Bro. Okanlawon Taiwo

For more articles, please visit -

http://okanlawon.webnode.com

http:// okanlawontaiwo.blogspot.com

Twitter: @tammytaiwo

THE GREAT STEAMBOAT RACE

"For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world [wealth, fame, success], but forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?"- Matthew 16:26 (AMP)

In a steamboat race, one of the leading boat suddenly began to fall behind. The coal in the oven had been exhausted. Then, the sailor took some of the ship’s cargo and tossed it into the oven. When he saw that the cargoes burned like coal, he fueled his boat with the material he had been assigned to transport. Although, he ended up winning the race, but burned his cargo.

Life is a steamboat race and many people are running to win at all cost. The spirit of competition has made many sailors to device several ungodly means of surviving and keeping their vessel going in a time like this. Many are ready to cut corners just to win their race and be applauded. Like Esau, they are willing to mortgage their souls, forfeit their birthrights and throw their integrity in the waste bin for worldly riches and gains that are transient (Genesis 25:29-32).

Beloved, I hope you have not burnt your cargo/luggage like Esau. Hope you have not misplaced your priorities in life like Esau. Hope you have not thrown your birthright and rightstanding with God into the trash just for a single meal like Esau. Remember, how Esau wept bitterly to claim it back but the damaged was irreversible (Hebrews 12:16-17). His cargoes had been burnt by the strange fire in the oven of ungodliness and profanity.

Your life is too precious to be waste, so, don't throw your soul into the oven of hell for any reason. Don't let any worldly competition make you deep your hands into things that will cause you to cry like Esau when you reach the golden shore. Your cargoes may look like coals but they are not coals. Don't throw caution into the wind nor embrace the "quick fix" approach. But, rather go after God wholeheartedly and your story will change for good.

Friends, are all your cargoes still intact? Are your cargoes of salvation, consecration, sanctification, holiness still intact or have you thrown them into the oven? Have you thrown your virginity, dignity and integrity into the oven? What about the seven locks of hair upon your head? Where is the aura of God's glory and presence you used to carry? Are you sure you have not offloaded it into the oven? If you have, I urge you to please retrace your steps to where you lost it. Repent and plead for mercy today because without genuine repentance, am afraid your ship will soon capsize in the middle of the sea of life.

One special song that reiterates the question that our saviour asked in Matthew 16:26 is titled " What Will You Give In Exchange?".

WHAT WOULD YOU GIVE IN EXCHANGE? By F. J. Berry

Brother afar from the Savior today,

Risking your soul for the things that decay;

O if today God should call it away,