Bro. Okanlawon Taiwo's Blog: September 2021

COMPASSION; THE GASOLINE FOR EXPLOITS

"But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd"- Matthew 9:36

During one of D.L. Moody's evangelical tours, some ministers visited him to enquire about the secret of his exploit. Moody took the men to the window of his hotel room and asked them what they saw. One by one, the men described the people in the park below. Then, as Moody looked out through the window, tears began to roll down his cheeks controllably. "What do you see, Mr. Moody?" asked one of the men. "I see countless thousands of souls that will one day spend eternity in hell if they do not find the Savior." (Culled from Today in the Word, February 1, 1997)

The difference between those who weep and those who laugh at the pitiable condition of sinners is compassion. Dictionary defines compassion as the humane quality of understanding the suffering of others and wanting to do something about it. Compassion is the approved gasoline for powering the engine of a believer for profitable Christians service. This gasoline drove the engine of Jesus Christ from His highly exalted position in Heaven to the humble manger in Bethlehem. He accomplished the reconciliation agenda and executed many mighty works for God on earth. It was practically impossible to achieve such great feat with the gasoline of worldly gains.

Beloved, what is driving or powering your engine? Is it personal gains or compassion? It is obvious that the engines of many believers are powered by worldly gains. The pulpit and pew of many churches are filled with many worned out or knocked engines powered by gasoline of greed and personal gains. The lackadastical attitudes of believers to soul winning clearly attest to this fact. We are only interested in serving God if something will come out of it. Affluence, power and position are now the motivating factors for kingdom service. There is no more gasoline of compassion in the engine of many christians. We lack empathy for sinners and backsliders. This is very sad!

Friends, the Great Shepherd is looking through the window today. If you are not yet saved, please surrender to Jesus Christ to escape from hell. If your engine is among those knocked or grounded ones in the kingdom today. Please cry to God for mercy before it is too late. Then, please join me to meditate on the lyrics of this wonderful hymn below.

COMPASSION HYMN By Keith & Kristyn Getty

There is an everlasting kindness

You lavished on us

when the Radiance of heaven

came to rescue the lost;

You called the sheep without a shepherd

to leave their distress

for Your streams of forgiveness

and the shade of Your rest.

Chorus:

What boundless love, what fathomless grace

You have shown us, O God of compassion!

Each day we live, an off'ring of praise

as we show to the world Your compassion!

And with compassion for the hurting,

You reached out your hand

as the lame ran to meet You

and the dead breathed again;

You saw behind the eyes of sorrow

and shared in our tears,

heard the sigh of the weary,

let the children draw near.

We stood beneath the cross of Calv'ry

and gazed on Your face,

at the thorns of oppression

and the wounds of disgrace;

for surely You have borne our suff'ring

and carried our grief

as You pardoned the scoffer

and showed grace to the thief.

How beautiful the feet that carry

this gospel of peace

to the fields of injustice

and the valleys of need

To be a voice of hope and healing,

to answer the cries

of the hungry and helpless

with the mercy of Christ.

It is my prayer that the God of compassion will grant us grace to weep for lost souls like D.L Moody. Every sinners or backsliders that crosses our path shall be rescued by the power of the Holy Spirit in Jesus name, Amen

Good day and God bless you.

Maranatha!

Bro. Okanlawon Taiwo

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YOUR CHARACTER IS YOUR GREATEST SERMON

"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)

St. Francis of Assisi once invited a young man to join him on a trip to town to preach. Honored to be given the invitation, the man readily accepted. All day long he and Francis walked through the streets, byways, and alleys, and even into the suburbs. They rubbed shoulders with hundreds of people. At the end of the day, the two headed back home. Not even once had Francis addressed a crowd, nor had he talked to anyone about the gospel. Greatly disappointed, his young companion said, "I thought we were going into town to preach." Francis responded, "My son, we have preached. We were preaching while we were walking. We were seen by many and our behavior was closely watched. It is of no use to walk anywhere to preach unless we preach everywhere as we walk!" (Our Daily Bread, December 15, 1991)

The above story re-emphasizes a salient truth that the Holy Ghost taught the church at Corinth about Lifestyle Evangelism. A preacher's greatest sermon is not written in his sermon note but on the pages of his daily walk with men. Our Christ-like nature should be the greatest selling point in the harvest field for souls. Many people don't really need to listen to our elongated and cleverly-fabricated words before they decide for Christ. Talk is truly cheap but the walk of a genuine believer can unveil the gospel and its simplicity to sinners seamlessly.

Unfortunately, there are many companions of St. Francis in the church today. These people do not understand that the walk (character) is much more important than the talk (sermon). Despite their big titles and positions in the kingdom, they have many terrible character flaws capable of chasing unbelievers away from the narrow path. They display some negative anointing like pride, anger, unforgiveness, arrogance, hatred while carrying the Bible to go and preach to their unbelieving neighbours and friends. The resultant outcome of those preaching engagements may be quite easy to predict! Unbelievers will make mockery of those hypocritical preachers and their sermons.

"We are the Bibles the world is reading;

We are the Creeds the world is needing;

We are the Sermons the world is heeding" - Evangelist Billy Graham

Beloved, what gospel is your life preaching to everyone around you? Is your life preaching /publishing the gospel of anger, pride, greed, unforgiveness, arrogance, deceit, lies etc ? Or you are a living epistle of Christ's love, mercy and compassion to the dying world? Are you walking the talk or are you an hypocrite? Can unbelievers read the gospel of Christ in your life? I urge you to prayerfully meditate on this powerful poem below and trust God to make you a living epistle of Christ till He returns.

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO YOU By Arthur McPhee

The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John

Are read by more than a few,

But the one that is most read and commented on

Is the gospel according to you.

You are writing a gospel, a chapter each day

By the things that you do and the words that you say,

Men read what you write, whether faithless or true,

Say, what is the gospel according to you'

Do men read His truth and His love in your life,

Or has yours been too full of malice and strife'

Does your life speak of evil, or does it ring true'