THE FINISH LINE

"Do you see what this means, all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we had better get on with it. Strip down, start running and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus who both began and finished this race we are in. Study how he did it because he never lost sight of where he was headed. That exhilarating finish in and with God, he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever..." Hebrews 12:1-3 (MSG)

"During the 1968 Summer Olympics, while running the marathon, John Akhwari, had fallen down and hurt himself badly. He was bleeding and his knee had got dislocated from the joint. Considering the severity of his injuries, Akhwari was repeatedly asked to quit the race but he refused. He fell, dragged himself, ran in between but finished the marathon limping over the line. On the finishing line, he received a huge applause and almighty cheers from the little crowd. His body was exhausted but not his spirit. When he was asked the reason of doing such kind of crazy act, he replied, “My country did not send me 10,000 miles just to start the race; they sent me to finish the race.” (Brain Prick) 

Friends, the story of this great athlete at the Mexico 1968 Olympic reinforces God's appeal to believers not to lose sight of the finish line in heaven. Like John Akhwari, we may sustain emotional or  physical wounds while running the race. Some trusted friends, close associates and highly respected leaders may even step on our toes while running (Psalms 55:12-14). Should we stop running the race because of these?  The answer is "No". It is not wise to allow the noise of the market to stop us from attending to our business with the vendor. Our saviour is waiting for us at the finish line and He will not entertain any excuse if we do not make it to the Golden shore.

Beloved, have you sustained emotional bruises on the way and you are about pulling out of the race? Is everything within and around you screaming "Quit! Quit!! Quit!!!". Have you already thrown in the towel? Then, it is time to go over the story of the Perfect Finisher again. His story will definitely shoot fresh adrenaline of hope, courage, mercy and grace into your soul and keep you running until you reach the main bowl of the Stadium of Eternity in heaven. 

One song that re-echoes the teaching in Hebrews 12:1-3 is titled "The Race". As you meditate on the lyrics of this wonderful song, please trust God for grace to keep your gaze permanently on the finish line till Christ returns. 

THE RACE by Mike Specks

Before I was born into history and time 

You planned creation with me in mind 

You formed my heart you saw my face 

I was made in your image I'm no mistake 

Chorus: 

           I'm running the race down to the last minute 

           Mercy and grace are keeping me in it 

          There's a fire in my soul I'm fully committed 

          I'm running the race and I'm gonna finish 

You chose my family the place of my birth 

You knew all about me you thought I had worth 

I was called out to serve you doing your kingdom work 

And all of my days are written down in your book 

I've fallen down in this race of life 

But you came to my rescue time after time 

You told me you loved me you weren't counting my sin 

In you I found courage to rise up again 

I know you are for me, you want me to win 

I give you my soul till the very end 

Out there before me I see the prize 

Jesus is standing at the finish line 

Receive grace to finish your race and obtain the standing ovations of the cloud of witnesses that are eagerly waiting for you at the finish line in Jesus name, Amen. 

May I use this opportunity to invite you to the April 2022 Holy Ghost service. Theme: SIGNS AND WONDERS. Date: April 1, 2022. Time: 6pm daily. Venue: Redemption Camp, Nigeria. Ministering: Our beloved Daddy, Pastor E.A Adeboye and other anointed Ministers of God.  

Good day and God bless you.

Maranatha!

Bro. Okanlawon Taiwo

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THE MAN IN THE MIRROR

"If you listen to the Word and don’t live out the message you hear, you become like the person who looks in the mirror of the Word to discover the reflection of his face in the beginning. You perceive how God sees you in the mirror of the Word , but then you go out and forget your divine origin" -James 1:23‭-‬24 (TPT)

"The man in the mirror" is the title of a wonderful poem that I love to read almost every other day while growing up as a young convert.  The poem emphasizes the need to do what the man in the mirror is saying. The man in the mirror is very objective but unfortunately many people are not willing to listen and do what he says. 

There are several instances in the Bible of people who refused to pay attention to what the man in the mirror says to them. In Exodus 14:30, Pharaoh ignored what the man in the mirror was saying and he paid dearly for it with the souls of uncountable soldiers who perished in the Red Sea. Eli the Priest ignored the "ugly father figure" of his in the mirror and he was dethroned and his two sons died in one day (1 Samuel 2:22-35). A certain rich man also refused to do what the man in the mirror said about his salvation and he ended up in hell (Luke 16: 20-26). Judas Iscariot ignored what the man in the mirror told him about repentance, restitution and sanctification, and he eventually paid with his precious soul and divine calling. Mathias became an Apostle in his place (Acts 1:26).

Beloved, what is the man in the mirror saying about you today? Please don't be deceived by what those fake admirers of yours are saying. They may be giving you pats on the back but what is God saying about you? Is the man in the mirror accusing you of buying a flight ticket to hell with your money like the rich fool in Luke 12:20? Is he warning you about those destructive addictions of yours to pornography (Matt 5:28)? Is the man in the mirror prompting you to put an end to those ungodly relationships that is fuelling the fire of lust, fornication and adultery in your life (1 Cor 15:33)? Is he asking you to confess and forsake those cleverly concealed sins (Prov 28:13)?

Friends, the man in the mirror cannot be bought over with worldly possessions. He is always very true and objective. Everyone around you may be clapping for you but heaven may be weeping because of you. Men may honour you with chieftaincy titles, honorary and excellence awards but the man in the mirror may be grieved that you are walking on the path to eternal damnation.

Beloved, may I ask you once again, "What is the man in the mirror saying about you now?" Is He calling you a fool, sinner, backslider or an hypocrite? Please be real and stop deceiving yourself and everyone around you. Therefore, I urge you to please get things right with God today by surrendering your life to Jesus Christ.

Kindly mediate on this wonderful poem below and trust God for grace never to ignore what the man in the mirror again till Christ returns. 

THE MAN IN THE MIRROR by Peter Dale Wimbrow (1934). 

"When you get what you want in your struggle for self

And the world makes you king for a day,

Just go to a mirror and look at yourself, 

And see what that man has to say.

For it isn't your father or mother or wife,

Who judgement upon you must pass;

The fellow whose verdict counts most in your life

Is the one starring back from the glass.

He's the fellow to please, never mind all the rest.

For he's with you clear up to the end,

And you've passed the most dangerous, difficult test

If the man in the glass is your friend.

You may fool the whole world down the pathway of years.

And get pats on the back as you pass,

But your final reward will be the heartaches and tears

If you've cheated the man in the glass."

My prayer is that we shall not end our journey on earth with heartaches and tears. But we shall be humble enough to yield to the correction and rebuke of the man in the mirror at all times in Jesus name, Amen. 

Good day and God bless. 

Maranatha!

Bro. Okanlawon Taiwo

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THE HELPLESS AND STRANDED STARFISH

 "I can’t impress this on you too strongly. God is looking over your shoulder. .., so proclaim the Message with intensity; keep on your watch. Challenge, warn, and urge your people. Don’t ever quit. Just keep it simple." - 2 Timothy 4:1-2 (MSG)

One day, a businessman walking along the beach noticed a boy hurriedly picking and throwing things into the ocean. Approaching the boy he asked, young man, what are you doing?" The boy replied, throwing starfish back into the ocean. The surf is up and the tide is going out, if I don't throw them back,  they'll die". The businessman laughed at him and said, "Don't you realise there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish. Stop wasting your time, you can't make any difference". After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish and threw it into the ocean, then smiling at the man, he said, " I made a difference to that one". (The Starfish Story, Loren Eiseley)

The tide of this world has washed many people out of the ocean of God's enclave. There are many helpless and stranded starfish on the shore of life and heaven is looking for people with the little boy's mentality to go pick and throw them back into the ocean of God's love before they pass out. Unfortunately, many believers have developed that terrible businessman's mentality in the kingdom. They think the act of rescuing lost souls is a complete waste of time and resources. As Jamboree believers, they are of the opinion that what makes one a Christian is the array of designer dresses, shoes, wristwatches and dancing steps we display in church every Sunday. They believe any time or money spent for evangelism and follow-up is a waste. What a myopic mind-set! That is the businessman's mentality.

"Jesus sent his twelve harvest hands out with this charge: “...Go to the lost, confused people right here in the neighborhood. Tell them that the kingdom is here. Bring health to the sick. Raise the dead. Touch the untouchables. Kick out the demons..... “Don’t think you have to put on a fund-raising campaign before you start. You don’t need a lot of equipment. You are the equipment,.."-  Matthew 10:5-10 (MSG)

Beloved, you are God's equipment on the shore of this world. Yes, you are one of His anointed harvest hands. Trust you wouldn't disappoint Him. The fact that heaven rejoices over every single starfish we throw back into the ocean should encourage us to be steadfast on the shore (Luke 15:7 & 10). 

Friends, are you one of those helpless starfish that has been washed to the sea shore by the strong tide of life?. Has your inordinate obsession for power, position, success and riches thrown you out of the fountain of grace and mercy?  Then, please repent now and be thrown back into the powerful fountain that cleanses deeply. You will never regret that you did!.

Are you one of those people with the businessman's mentality around? Please repent now otherwise you will be held liable for every starfish that dies around you (Ezekiel 33:8). Are you one of those with the boy's mentality in this generation, I congratulate you. Please keep throwing those stranded starfish back into the ocean. Great shall be your reward when the Saviour returns.  

God's heartbeat as we approach the end of age is summarised in one powerful poem titled "One More Day to Live". As we mark this year's evangelism weekend, may God empower us to pick and throw every stranded starfish on our path back into the ocean of His saving grace. 

ONE MORE DAY TO LIVE (By Carol Ann) 

If I had only one more day to live,

All love, praise, and glory to you I’d give.

I’d try my best to put a smile on someone’s face

To share with them your saving grace.

Why not live each day as if it were our last

Looking towards our future and forgetting the past

To be a Christian each day we live

And most importantly to always give.

May we truly live each day as if it would be our last on earth. And as we rescue starfishes for Christ on the shore of life, may we not miss out of the grand reception on the eternal shore in Jesus name, Amen.  

Good day and God bless. 

Maranatha!

Bro. Okanlawon Taiwo

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THE LOOSE LIPS SYDROME (LLS)

“A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards.”—Proverbs 29:11

During World War II, the United States government became concerned that a number of German spies were operating in America, sending information back to Germany regarding Allied war plans and specific troop and ship movements. To keep them from impacting the war effort, the Office of War Information launched a national campaign around the slogan “Loose Lips Sink Ships.” It was a solemn warning to people not to repeat information that might be damaging or even deadly if it fell into the wrong hands.

The Loose Lips Sydrome can be describe as a situation where someone become so careless with the information he/she shares in public or on social media. One of the easiest way to identify people who are suffering from this deadly disease is to check what they say or post about themselves on social media. Everything that happens in such people's life is usually broadcast or appears on social media within 24hours. These people are nephews and cousins of King Hezekiah who loves to impress his Babylonian friends by showing off all that he had (Isaiah 39:4). The Babylonian emissary must have been very impressed with what they saw and thereafter responded with some "likes", "love" and "good comments" on social media. King Hezekiah felt very good but he never knew that his loose lips would  eventually make his children and the entire nation to become a fugitive in Babylon. His carelessness sank the ship of Isrealites  like lead. What a terrible blunder! 

"Then Isaiah said, “What have they seen in your house?” And Hezekiah answered, “They have seen everything that is in my house; there is nothing among my treasures that I have not shown them.”Isaiah 39:4 (AMP)

It is unfortunate that many people in this generation have not learn any lesson from the repercussions of King Hezekiah's loose lips. They are still impressing their Babylonian friends on Facebook and other social media platforms by showing off everything they have. They are carelessly handing over everything they have into the hands of the modern day Babylonians. 

Beloved, please stop trying to impress your Babylonian friends like Uncle Hezekiah. Stop showing off your possession in public. Don't use your lips and fingers to drill holes in the ship of your destiny. Not everything that happen to you must appear on social media for people to like, love or comment on. The wisest man that ever lived describes anyone with loose lips as a fool (Proverbs 29:11). I hope you are not a fool. 

One powerful hymn that re-echoes the need to exercise discretion with the words that come out of our mouth is titled "Oh, Be Careful".

OH, BE CAREFUL by Anonymous

Oh, be careful, little tongue, what you say,

Oh, be careful, little tongue, what you say.

There’s a Father up above looking down in tender love,

Oh, be careful, little tongue, what you say.

Oh, be careful, little hands, what you do,

Oh, be careful, little hands, what you do.

There’s a Father up above looking down in tender love,

Oh, be careful, little hands, what you do.

Oh, be careful, little feet, where you go,

Oh, be careful, little feet, where you go.

There’s a Father up above looking down in tender love,

Oh, be careful, little feet, where you go.

It is my prayer that our little tongues, hands and feets will not sink the glorious ship of our destiny in Jesus name, Amen. 

Good day and God bless you.

Maranatha!

Bro. Okanlawon Taiwo

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THE WORST ATROCITY ON EARTH

 “For My people have committed two evils: They have abandoned (rejected) Me, The fountain of living water,.." - Jeremiah 2:13 (AMP)

An atheistic barber asked a pastor, “If there is a loving God, how can He allow war, poverty and suffering? While the pastor was about to respond to the barber's question, he saw a man with a very untidy hair crossing the street. He immediately called the attention of the barber to the man and said, “You are a barber and claim to be a good one. How can you allow that man to go unkept and unshaven?” The barber replied “He never gave me a chance!”. Then, the pastor said, “Exactly, men are what they are because they reject God!”

The worst atrocity that any one can commit on earth is to reject the offer of redemption that God made to man through Jesus Christ. This offer was designed to rid the world of sin and all its consequences. It was programmed to restrain the move of the devil in turning the world into a jungle of wickedness, injustice and brutality. It is an awesome and amazing offer! Unfortunately, billions of people all over the world today have rejected this offer. Despite repeated knocks on the doors of their heart, they have refused to open to Jesus Christ. With their hardened heart, they walk across the street of life like the disheveled man in the above story. This is quite absurd!

"Look, I’m standing at the door and knocking. If anyone listens to my voice and opens the door, I’ll come in and we’ll eat together". -Revelation 3:20 (GW)

Beloved, have you opened the door of your heart to the saviour? Have you given Jesus Christ a chance to wash away your filthiness with His precious blood? Have you honoured God's invitation to His banqueting tables of mercy and grace? If you have not, then, you are guilty of the worst atrocity on earth. The consequences of rejecting God is eternal destruction that no man can bear (Isaiah 1:28). So, I urge you to please open wide the door of your heart for Jesus Christ today. Let God use His divine clippers to shave off everything capable of destroying your glorious destiny.  

"But rebels and sinners will be destroyed together, and those who abandon the Lord will die" - Isaiah 1:28 (FBV)

One hymn that re-echoes the redemption offer that God made to man in Revelation 3:20 is titled "LET HIM IN". May the doors of every sinner and backsliders' hearts be opened as they meditate on the lyrics of this wonderful hymn below:  

LET HIM IN By J. B. Atchinson

There’s a Stranger at the door,

Let Him in;

He has been there oft before,

Let Him in;

Let Him in, ere He is gone,

Let Him in, the Holy One,

Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son,

Let Him in.

Open now to Him your heart,

Let Him in;

If you wait He will depart,

Let Him in;

Let Him in, He is your Friend;

He your soul will sure defend,

He will keep you to the end,

Let Him in.

Hear you now His loving voice?

Let Him in;

Now, oh, now make Him your choice,

Let Him in;

He is standing at your door,

Joy to you He will restore,

And His Name you will adore,

Let Him in.

Now admit the heav’nly Guest,

Let Him in;

He will make for you a feast,

Let Him in;

He will speak your sins forgiv’n,

And when earth ties all are riv’n,

He will take you home to heav’n,

Let Him in.

My prayer is that you and I will not be left behind when the saints are being taken up into the City of Delight in Jesus name, Amen. 

May I use this opportunity to invite you to the March 2022 Special Holy Ghost service of the Redeemed Christian Church Of God. Theme: THE JOY OF THE LORD. Date: March 3rd - 5th, 2022. Time: 7pm daily. Venue: Redemption Camp, Nigeria. Ministering: Our beloved Daddy- Pastor E.A Adeboye and other anointed Ministers of God.  

Happy new month. Good day and God bless you.

Maranatha!

Bro. Okanlawon Taiwo

For more articles, please visit -

http://okanlawon.webnode.com

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