THE TEST OF ALLEGIANCE

''If you only want to look after your own life here on earth, you will lose it. You will not live forever with me. But if you are ready to give up your life here, and live my way, and tell other people the good news about me, then you will find real life, and you will live with me forever"- Mark 8:35 (PEV)

The first two Scottish missionaries sent to the New Hebrides Islands were killed and eaten by cannibals on the day they arrived. Thereafter, everyone refused to volunteer as missionaries to the Island. Eventually, when John G Paton agreed to go, many people tried to dissuade him that he would be eaten by cannibals. But Paton replied, “If I can but live and die serving and honouring the Lord Jesus, it will make no difference to me whether I am eaten by cannibals or by worms; and in the Great Day my resurrection body will arise as fair as yours in the likeness of our risen Redeemer.” After fifteen years of fruitful ministry, almost everyone on the Island had become Christian. (Missionary to the New Hebrides, John Gibson Paton, and James Paton)

The test of allegiance is the divine filter that God uses to separate the men from the boys in His kingdom. It is an important criteria for enlisting believers into the highest seat of honour in Heaven's Hall of Fame. God will never empower and use anyone who has never passed His test of allegiance on earth. For example, In Philippians 2:8-12, Jesus passed the test of allegiance before His name was inscribed into the Hall of Fame.

In Acts 21:10-15, Apostle Paul passed the test of allegiance before God could use him to rescue many Gentiles from eternal agony. His unwavering allegiance to divine mandate made him embark on a missionary journey to Jerusalem even when he knew that he may be imprisoned or killed (Acts 20:22-24). By that singular act of loyalty, Heaven filtered Apostle Paul's name out from the list of "the boys" in his generation. This ''If I perish, I perish'' mentality opened doors of great exploits and turned him into a masterpiece among his contemporaries and superiors in Ministry.

“..But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it in finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God'' Acts 20:22‭-‬24 (NLT)

Beloved, God is still conducting the test of allegiance in our generation. Heaven is still in the business of separating the men from the boys. The question is; will you pass or fail the test of allegiance? Do you value your life and possessions more than God? Will you obey the Lord's command even when it appears risky? Please be sincere and set your life in order. 

The lyrics of an old-time Christian song below should be our watch word until we see Christ in glory: 

I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE LAMB By Ray Boltz

 

1. I have heard how Christians long ago

Were brought before a tyrants throne

And they were told that he would spare their lives

If they would renounce the name of Christ

Chorus:

       I pledge allegiance to the lamb

      With all my strength

      With all I am

      I will seek to honor His commands

      I pledge allegiance to the Lamb

2. But one by one they chose to die

The Son of God they would not deny

Like a great angelic choir sings

I can almost hear their voices ring

3. Now the years have come and the years have gone

But the cause of Jesus still goes on

And now our time has come to count the cost

To reject this world, to embrace the cross

4. And one by one let us live our lives

For the One who died to give us life

Till the trumpet sounds on the final day

Let us proudly stand and boldly say

May God grant us grace to truly reject the world, embrace the Cross and honour His command at all times. And if you have never pledged allegiance to the Lamb of God that bore your pains, shame, and eternal sorrow on that old rugged cross, I urge you to please do so now. 

Good day and God bless you. Amen

Maranatha!

Bro. Okanlawon Taiwo

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THE PROOF OF THE PUDDING

''The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, Come, see a man, which told me all things that I ever did: is not this the Christ?  Then they went out of the city, and came unto him'' - John  4:28-30

A Professor told his students that the resurrection of Jesus Christ was false. He made reference to many scholars and books to buttress his point. Thereafter, he asked if there were any questions. One of the students stood up and said: "Sir, I have one question". As he attempted to ask his question, the student reached into his lunch pack, pulled out an apple, and began to eat it, then he said to the Professor "Sir, this apple I'm eating, is it bitter or sweet?” The Professor paused for a moment and answered in exemplary scholarly manner: "I cannot possibly answer that question, for I haven’t tasted your apple." Then, the student looked up at the Professor and said calmly, “Neither have you tasted my Jesus.”

"The proof of the pudding is in the eating" simply means one can only evaluate the quality of something after it has been tried, tasted, used, or experienced. Many amazing paradigm shifts on the pages of history confirm that this saying is true. For example, after Saul of Tarsus- a renowned prosecutor of the church had tasted the sweet saviour on the road to Damascus, his life took a new turn and he became a promoter of the gospel (Acts 9:1- 22). The scintillating taste and aroma oozing forth from the radiant glory and contagious power of resurrection changed a highly dreaded terrorist to a specially anointed Apostle of Jesus Christ. Who could have believed that merely tasting the living water at the sixth hour by the well of Jacob can turn a depressed woman into a city-transforming Evangelist in Samaria (John 4:4-42). Indeed, the proof of the pudding is in the eating! (Psalms 34:8-10)

"O taste and see that the Lord [our God] is good! Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man who trusts and takes refuge in Him''- Psalms 34:8.

Beloved, the question that student asked his Professor is still very relevant today. Have you tasted the amazing fruits of salvation that Jesus bought with His precious blood on the cross of Calvary? If you have not, then I need to remind you that "the proof of the pudding is in the eating!" Please taste and see that the Lord is good. You will never regret you did. In case you have tasted the power of the resurrected Christ, then you should be kind and bold enough to tell everyone around you how sweet your Jesus is. Please don't be selfish, share your apples with people whose heads are full (like the above professor) but their hearts are completely empty. 

The lyrics of this hymn below describes how the Samaritan woman draw the attention of everyone around her to the Saviour.

OH, COME SEE A MAN

One day as the Lord passed a well,

A woman so thirsty was there.

He was not content until

He left her the water that’s real, pure, and clear.

Chorus:

               Oh, come see a man,

               Oh, come see a man,

               Who told me all things that ever I did.

               Is this not the Christ?

               Is this not the Christ?

               He fills me forever and ever! Amen.

He spoke words that I’d never heard,

Yet how He did stir up my thirst!

He spoke of the water that lives,

To all who are thirsty, He freely will give.

Now this living water have I!

I drink and I soar to the sky!

His praises now fill all the air

Because I am speaking Him, now, everywhere!

May we begin to soar on high like that Samaritan woman as we tell someone about God's love (2 Corinthians 5:18).

"..Because of what Christ has done, God has brought us back to himself, as his friends. Now he wants us to bring other people to be his friends too. That is the job that he has given to us." - 2 Corinthians 5:18 (EASY) 

Good day, and God bless.

Maranatha!

Bro. Okanlawon Taiwo

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MAKE THE HORSE THIRSTY

''Jesus answered and said unto her, whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw'' - John  4:13-15

A young salesman was disappointed about losing a big sale, and as he talked with his sales manager he lamented, “I guess it just proves you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.” The manager replied, “Your job is not to make him drink. Your job is to make him thirsty.” 

The sales manager's comment above clearly corroborates one of the salient lessons that Jesus Christ taught His disciples in John 4:4-42. There were four invisible walls (religious, gender, racial, and moral) between the Samaritan woman and Jesus Christ. These invisible walls were strong enough to make the Samaritan woman not thirsty for God. However, the woman willingly crossed those four barriers to ask Jesus Christ for living water. The question is, how did this happen? How did Jesus succeed in making the horse be very thirsty for God? 

The Saviour was sincere in His approach and deliberate in His action towards creating a real thirst for God in the Samaritan woman. Although, He was so tired, thirsty, and hungry, the eternity of this woman was a top priority on His agenda (John 4:34). Jesus patiently tolerated a woman that others had ostracized. He saw a renowned evangelist in a woman already tagged a disgrace to womanhood. He was passionate and caring enough to spend quality time with the woman to describe the benefits of drinking from the well of life. Jesus was genuinely concerned about this woman and wouldn't give up on her easily. The perseverance and uncommon show of love demonstrated by the greatest salesman that ever lived eventually paid off. The Samaritan woman finally shouted ''I am thirsty Sir, please I need the living water''. Jesus Christ gave her the living water and she experienced a great transformation instantly.

Beloved, Christians are God's salesman on earth. Our primary duty is to make every unbeliever around us to be thirsty for God as Jesus Christ did. We can do this by emulating the greatest salesman that ever lived. Our attitude and disposition towards unbelievers must show that we are truly thirsty for God and His kingdom. 

Friends, are you thirsty for God? Will you like to drink the living water like the Samaritan woman did? Are you witnessing with passion like the Saviour? If our employer (Jesus Christ) shows up today, will you get any reward for all the years you have been in His kingdom? It is already six months into the year 2023, how many valid sales transactions have you successfully completed for the Saviour? Have you forgotten that your reward shall be based on the number of sales you consummate for God while on earth (John 4:36, Daniel 12:3)?

"The Price Of Revival" is the title of a song that re-echoes the reward of kingdom salesmen: 

THE PRICE OF REVIVAL By Dr. John R. Rice, 1895 - 1980.

1. The price of revival, the cost of soul winning,

The long hours of praying, the burden, the tears;

The pleading with sinners though lonely, a stranger,

 

CHORUS: 

     Reaping, heavenly reaping! 

     For souls won down here.

2. The treasures of earth, oh, how vain and how fleeting;      

They vanish like mist and they wither like leaves;

But souls who are won by our tears and our pleading

Will remain for our reaping up there.

3. To come to that reaping with wood, hay and stubble,

How sad to appear at the Lord’s judgment seat,

With no one we’ve won to trust Jesus our Saviour

To present at the reaping up there.

4. The wise, they shall shine like the firmament glory

When payday shall come for the winner of souls!

Then they who’ve saved many by salvation’s story

Like the stars, blest forever, shall shine.

May God give us the salesman's passion like that of Christ and make us useful for His end-time harvest. 

Good day and God bless you.

Maranatha!

Bro. Okanlawon Taiwo

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THE AVAILABLE PAPER

"The woman then left her water pot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, Come, see a man, which told me all things that I ever did: is not this the Christ?  Then they went out of the city, and came unto him'' - John 4:28 - 30    

In 1924, an English artist named William Wolcott went to New York to record his impressions of that great city. One morning he was in the office of his friend when the urge to sketch came upon him. Seeing some papers on his friend's desk, he asked, "May I have that?". His friend answered, "That's not sketching paper. That's ordinary wrapping paper". Not wanting to lose that spark of inspiration, Wolcott took that ordinary wrapping paper and made two sketches. Later that same year, one of those sketches sold for $500 and the other for $1,000, quite a sum for 1924 (Becoming a Person of Influence, John Maxwell).              

The Greatest Artist (God) can use different types of paper to sketch or display His agenda for humanity on earth. The sketching paper could represent the growing or matured believer while the ordinary wrapping paper represents the young convert. God cannot be stranded hence, whenever the former is not available, He often uses the latter to advance His course on earth.  

Jesus Christ proved this salient point in John 4:4-42. It was the sixth hour, and Jesus stopped by the city of Samaria to organize an open-air crusade beside Jacob's well. There was a need to send some people into Samaria to publicize the program and invite the people to the crusade. Unfortunately, all the sketching papers (His disciples) who could have handled this task perfectly were not available. They were hungry and had gone to buy food from the nearest grocery store in town. While still concerned about the non-availability of the sketching papers, Jesus lifted up His eyes and saw a woman of Samaria walking towards the crusade ground. The Greatest Artist didn't waste time in getting to work on that available ordinary wrapping paper. Jesus approached the woman, gave her the living water, and sketched some amazing testimonies upon the table of her heart. And immediately, the woman left her water pot by the well and ran into the city to advertise the program. Through her effort, many people in the city were drawn to the venue. This is simply amazing! How can someone who had never attended the school of disciple or Bible college speak and all the men of the city started trouping to the crusade ground to see Jesus? That is simply what God can do with any ordinary wrapping paper that is available for His use. 

Beloved, are you an ordinary wrapping paper? God wants to use you like that Samaritan woman. There is no limit to what the Greatest Artist (God) can do when He lays His hands on any available ordinary wrapping paper. Please ask God for the living water that can quench your thirst completely today like that Samaritan woman. Are you one of the sketching papers on earth today? I say a big congratulations to you. However, for you to remain relevant, you must always be available for God's use. If you are not, you will soon be replaced with ordinary wrapping papers. A word is enough for the wise.

The lyrics of this hymn below should be believers' anthem till they see Christ on the Golden Shore: 

LORD, SPEAK TO ME,  By Frances R. Havergal , 1872

1. Lord, speak to me that I may speak

    In living echoes of your tone.

    As you have sought, so let me seek

    Your erring children, lost and lone.

2. Oh, lead me, Lord, that I may lead

     The wand'ring and the wav'ring feet.

     Oh, feed me, Lord, that I may feed

     Your hungry ones with manna sweet.

3. Oh, teach me, Lord, that I may teach

    The precious truths which you impart.

    And wing my words that they may reach

    The hidden depths of many a heart.

4. Oh, fill me with your fullness, Lord,

    Until my very hearts o'erflows

    In kindling thought and glowing word,

    Your love to tell, your praise to show.

5. Oh, use me, Lord, use even me,

    Just as you will, and when, and where

    Until your blessed face I see,

    Your rest, your joy, your glory share.

May our search for food and worldly pleasure in the grocery store of this world not make God replace us with ordinary wrapping papers. We shall never become a relic in God's agenda in Jesus name, Amen. 

Good day and God bless you.

Maranatha!

Bro. Okanlawon Taiwo

For more articles, please visit -

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