THE ART OF PERSUASION

''Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; ......'' - 2 Corinthians  5:11

On 25th February 1879, Charles Peace, a notorious criminal was executed in England. Just before his execution, a minister said to him: “Those who die without Christ experience hell, which is the pain of forever dying without the release which death itself can bring.” Immediately, Charles interrupted the minister and said, “Sir, if I believed what you and the church say that you believe, even if England were covered with broken glass from coast to coast, I would walk over it, if need be, on hands and knees and think it worthwhile living, just to save one soul from an eternal hell like that!” - (Why Revival Tarries, Leonard Ravenhill)

The art of persuasion is a very crucial role in God's redemption agenda for mankind ( 2 Corinthians 5:11). This role is the believer's mandate statement on earth (John 15:16, Mark 16:15). To persuade simply means to convince someone to change to or follow a particular superior pathway in life. God expects believers to passionately and prayerfully plead with every lost soul around them to repent and escape from the looming danger ahead. The fact that every soul who dies without accepting Christ shall be doomed forever should make believers restless until they have witnessed to everyone around them. If possible, they need to walk on glass from coast to coast just to discharge this solemn assignment. There is no price that is too much to pay in order to rescue sinners from Hell.    

Believers' understanding of the terrible plight of sinners should always stir them up to reach out and rescue sinners by all means. However, it is not what we know that matters, but what we do with what we know.  Many believers know the terrible implication of watching sinners die and go to hell fire but they have refused to do anything to ''persuade men'' (Ezekiel 33:6). They know many things but do very little to show sinners the path of life. They have become extremely docile, selfish, brutish or insensitive to the plight of sinners around them. The great rescue mandate in Matthew 28:19 does not make any meaning to them. This is quite appalling and disturbing!

Beloved, many Charles Peace living in the danger of Hell around us today needs to be rescued. Can God send you to persuade and rescue them? Have you been persuaded and rescued? Will you gladly share your persuasion stories and experiences with those who also need to be persuaded and rescued? Will you join the Kingdom Persuasion Team? If your answer is "Yes", then may I urge you to spend quality time today praying for those lost souls out there, as you prepare to join us on Saturday 27th May, 2023, for the Global Outreach Day to witness Christ to everyone in our neighbourhood and communities.

One hymn that encourages believers to join the Kingdom Persuasion team is titled ''Go Ye Into The World'': 

GO YE INTO THE WORLD By James McGranahan, 1886

1.  Far, far away, in heathen darkness dwelling, 

     Millions of souls forever may be lost;

     Who, who will go, salvation’s story telling,

     Looking to Jesus, heeding not the cost?

     REFRAIN:

         “All pow’r is given unto Me,

          All pow’r is given unto Me,

          Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel,

          And lo, I am with you always.”

2.  See o’er the world wide open doors inviting,

     Soldiers of Christ, arise and enter in!

     Christians, awake! your forces all uniting,

     Send forth the Gospel, break the chains of sin.

May God create genuine passion/ burden for souls in our hearts. May God use us mightily to persuade men into His kingdom. Finally, when the rescue/persuasion operations on earth is over, may we be among those who will receive the Master's commendation ''Well done, good and faithful servant'' in Heaven.

Good day and God bless you.

Maranatha!

Bro. Okanlawon Taiwo

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KILL THE SPIDER

''And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out,  and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell'' - Matthew  5:29

There is a story of a man who often goes to the altar at the end of every service to kneel and pray - ''Lord, take the cobwebs out of my life''. One day his pastor, tired of hearing the same old prayer, knelt beside him and prayed, ''Lord, kill the spider!''

A Nigerian proverb says ''Leprosy should not be left unattended to while attention is placed on treating ringworm''. This proverb simply warns against the risk of misplacing one's priority in life. It means there is a tendency for one to ignore the cause of his/her problem and then concentrate on treating the symptoms. This was exactly what the young man in the story above was doing. 

In the sermon on the mount, Our saviour emphasizes the need to identify the root cause of sin around us and then deal with it decisively. This is very crucial as it will be impossible to live a victorious Christian life if we ignore the spiders (root cause) and concentrate on treating the symptoms (cobwebs). We cannot substitute responsible Christian living with hypocritical prayers and fasting. Anyone who will make it to the city of gold must be a responsible believer who would not overlook anything that is capable to holding him/her down on the earth. 

In Job 31:1, the Bible says Job understood this salient truth and he decided to kill the spider of his lustful look and strange desire for anything in skirt. However, unlike Job, King David enjoyed the spider of pornography when nobody was around (2 Samuel 11). He was addicted to watching naked women taking their baths from his balcony. Unfortunately, that ungodly habit brought great pain and agony into his life and family (2 Samuel 12). Solomon could not resist the urge for strange women like his father. He packed them in hundreds and they eventually turned his heart away from following God (1 Kings 11:4). On the other hand, Daniel was able to tame his appetite for the king's delicacies and that made him to remain relevant in the office of the presidency for several years (Daniel 1:8-21). Can you imagine, Daniel and Job praying to God to help them remove cobwebs instead of killing those destructive spiders? It will definitely be a fruitless effort! 

Unfortunately, many people believe they can continue to fraternize with the spider of sin and expect God to rescue them from its consequences. They don't seem to understand that it is impossible to act irresponsibly in life and still escape being burnt (Proverbs 6:27-29). We should not expect God to remove the cobwebs around us when we deliberately refuse to deal with the spiders weaving those cobwebs. This is not wise at all!

Friends, are there some spiders of pornography and ungodly music on your phones or laptops that are weaving the cobwebs of judgment around you? Don't you think it is time to delete them? Are there some spiders of ungodly relationships in your life that are making you enjoy the pleasures of sin? Why not disconnect yourself from those spiders before they lead you to the slaughter's slab? Why not take that radical step today to free yourself from the wicked grips of those evil spiders? Why not kill the spiders of strange appetite for ungodly habits and illicit deals before it drags you to hell? Please do it today. Tomorrow may be too late.

One simple hymn that re-echoes that wise counsel of God to us in Matthew 5:29-30 is titled "NOTHING BETWEEN": 

NOTHING BETWEEN by Charles Albert Tindley, 2008   

Nothing between my soul and the Savior,

None of this world's delusions and dreams;

I have renounced all sin and its pleasures.

Jesus is mine. There's nothing between.

Refrain:

    Nothing between my soul and the Savior,

    So that His blessed face may be seen;

    Nothing preventing the flow of His favor,

    Keep the way clear. Let nothing between.

Nothing between, not life and its treasures;

Habits and hopes, though harmless they seem,

Must not distract from Jesus our Savior.

He is my joy. There's nothing between.

Nothing between through years and through trials;

Though trouble comes, my heart is serene,

Nearing the day I stand in His beauty,

One with my Lord and nothing between.

May we receive grace to truly kill the spider so that there will be nothing between us and our saviour that can make us miss the rapture of the saints from this world.

Good day and God bless you. 

Maranatha!

Bro. Okanlawon Taiwo

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THE COAL MINER'S MENTALITY

 "In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary" - 1 Corinthians. 12:22 (NLT)

During the second world war, Britain had a difficult time keeping men working in the coal mines. Many wanted to give up their dirty, thankless jobs in dangerous mines to join the military service, which got much public praise and support. Yet without coal, the military and the people at home would be in trouble. So, Churchill faced thousands of coal miners one day and passionately told them of their importance to the war effort, and how their role could make or break the goal of maintaining England's freedom. It was said that tears appeared in the eyes of those hardened men. And they returned to their inglorious work with steely resolve (The 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork,  John C, Maxwell).

According to 1 Corinthians 12:22, there is a tendency to assume that some kingdom roles are more important than others. For instance, some people believe it is better to be a stage actor in church than a secret labourer. However, there are some unseen secret labourers behind every major move of God on the stage of life. Those secret labourers are the coal miners behind the scene in the kingdom. They are the special engines that God is using to power the wheels of His kingdom on earth. The coal miners are usually not visible in church but without their secret labour, all kingdom activities will be mere jamboree. The duty posts of the coal miners are on their knees and on the streets. They are those devoted intercessors, passionate Evangelists and committed follow-up teams in His vineyard. These people may not be recognized and appreciated by men, but they are extremely important in the kingdom expansion plan of God on earth. What a sacred responsibility!

Unfortunately, the number of secret labourers is depleting every passing day while that of stage actors is growing. This may be an indication that some secret labourers have developed the coal miner's mentality. Many now prefer to be seen and celebrated by men than serve God faithfully behind the scenes. They want to wear uniforms and stand in a conspicuous position in church like the stage actors. They seem to have forgotten that without their secret labour, all the stage actors cannot perform at optimal level.

Beloved, are you one of the secret labourers in the kingdom today? Please note that you are extremely important in the agenda of God. In fact, Heaven values your service much more than you can ever imagine. You are the Aaron and Hur of God in your Church and wherever you find yourself. The hands of your Moses may grow weary on the stage if you refuse to sustain him with your secret coal mining activities (Exodus 17:12). Please go back to your secret duty post today and continue to do what God has called you to do for Him vigorously with meekness, joy and gladness.  

One hymn that re-echoes the need for every secret labourer to remain steadfast at their appointed duty posts is titled "Toiling For Jesus''.

TOILING FOR JESUS By William A. Ogden,1890

Gladly, gladly toiling for the Master,

Go we forth with willing hands to do

Whatsoe’er to us He hath appointed,

Faithfully our mission we’ll pursue.

Refrain:

Toiling for Jesus,

Joyfully we go, joyfully we go,

Toiling for Jesus,

In His vineyard here below.

Joyful, joyful, we will tell the story

Of His love to mortals here below;

Christ, the brightness of the Father’s glory,

Freely here His blessing will bestow.

Meekly, meekly following the Master,

Walking faithfully the path He trod;

Leading wand’rers to the dear Redeemer,

Pointing sinners to the Lamb of God.

May God restore all the coal miners who have absconded from their duty post before their appointed season of labour on earth is over in Jesus name,  Amen. 

On behalf of my esteemed father in the Lord, Pastor E. A. Adeboye, I want to invite you to the May 2023 Holy Ghost service. Date: Friday - May 5, 2023. Theme: THE EVERLASTING ARM OF GOD. Time: 7pm. Venue: Redemption Camp, Ogun State, Nigeria. 

Happy new month. Good day and God bless you. 

Maranatha!

Bro. Okanlawon Taiwo

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