A TEARLESS OR BLEEDING HEART

"Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is, that they may be saved" - Romans 10:1 (ESV)

A few years ago, I was privileged to work with a group of believers in witnessing to people within a particular community during Easter Let's Go A Fishing Program. Prior to the set date, a detailed location mapping was carried out and workers divided into groups for effective door to door evangelism. However, on that fateful day, over 60 percent of the people expected never showed up. Interestingly, majority of these people were Ordained/Altar Ministers, Choristers, Ushers, Sunday School teachers and House Fellowship leaders. So, the question is why were they not available? Don't they understand the importance of winning souls? Are they not concerned about the eternal damnation and horrible plights of sinners? 

"Have you no wish for others to be saved? Then, you're not saved yourself, be sure of that" - C. H. Spurgeon. 

It is quite disheartening to see believers exhibiting unusual complacency in preaching the gospel. God wants us to have an unquenchable passion for souls that will move us to pray for sinners and also drive us to go out and plead with them to repent. This passion for souls will change our tearless hearts to bleeding hearts like that of Apostle Paul (Romans 10:1) and John Knox. 

"Father, give me Scotland or I die" -John Knox

"The gospel of a broken heart demands the ministry of bleeding hearts. When our sympathy loses its pang we can no longer be the servants of the passion. We can never heal the needs we do not feel. Tearless hearts can never be heralds of the passion. We must pity if we would redeem. We must bleed if we would be ministers of the saving blood." - Dr. Jowett

Beloved, do you have a tearless heart or bleeding heart? Are you always looking for opportunity to preach the gospel. Although, many of us look like serious Christians but something has gone wrong within us. We have become self-centred and out of tune with God and His agenda for our lives. We have lost our passion for souls and a tearless heart have replaced the bleeding heart that we once had. Oh! This is really saddening.

Friends, another Let's Go A Fishing is here. Don't you think you desperately need a heart transplant before the season of harvest on earth is over? Don’t you think you need a bleeding heart like Apostle Paul and John Knox? Please be sincere with yourself. 

This wonderful hymn below summarizes the heart beat of God, the prayers of Apostle Paul and John Knox:  

LORD, GIVE US SOULS

Gathered are we in the name of our God,

Lord, give us souls, Lord, give us souls;

Trusting His grace and His wonderful Word,

Lord, give us souls, we pray.

Refrain:

        Seals to our labor, and souls for our hire,

        This blessèd Lord, is our one great desire;

        Souls for whom Jesus His precious life gave,

        Lord, give us souls, we pray.

Loved ones are lost, and our friends are astray,

Lord, give us souls, Lord, give us souls;

Help us to win them while yet it is day,

Lord, give us souls, we pray.

Come, Holy Ghost, on Thy people descend,

Lord, give us souls, Lord, give us souls;

Make our hearts holy, Thy kingdom extend,

Lord, give us souls, we pray.

Harvest is passing, yes, soon ’twill be gone,

Lord, give us souls, Lord, give us souls;

Bring us at last to our heavenly home,

Lord, give us souls, we pray.

My prayer for you and my humble self is that God will rend our tearless hearts and replace it with bleeding hearts of a true Disciple before the end time harvest is over on earth. 

On behalf of my esteemed father in the Lord, Pastor. E. A. Adeboye, I would like to invite you to the 2023 Holy Ghost Congress. Theme: DIVINE REPOSITIONING. Date: Dec 4th - 9th, 2023. Venue: The Redemption City, Mowe, Nigeria.  

Happy New Month and God bless you.

Maranatha!

Bro. Okanlawon Taiwo

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TIME TO GIVE

"Give freely and spontaneously. Don’t have a stingy heart. The way you handle matters like this triggers God, your God’s, blessing in everything you do, all your work and ventures" -  Deuteronomy‬ ‭15:10‭ (MSG)

In 1783, the harvest in France was a terrible one, and there were many who suffered as a result. However, Lafayette’s farms were unaffected by the devastating crop failures. One of his workers then offered what seemed to be good advice to Lafayette, “The bad harvest has raised the price of wheat. This is the time to sell.” After thinking about the hungry peasants in the surrounding villages, Lafayette disagreed and said, “No, this is the time to give.” (Lesson Commentary, August 2009, Daniel Lioy)

In recent years, food prices have been on the rise across Nigeria. The situation deteriorated due to the impact of government policies such as the removal of subsidies on petrol, among others. According to National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the food inflation rate in October 2023 was 31.52 per cent, which was 7.80 per cent points higher compared to the rate recorded in October 2022 (23.72 per cent).

It is obvious that year 2023 has been a very challenging year for most families in Nigeria; they groan endlessly as prices of food stuff and other essential commodities keep on increasing astronomically on a daily basis. However, in the midst of this harsh economic condition, God still have some Lafayettes who are enjoying divine sustenance in the land. 

Beloved, are you among "the Lafayette" in the land? We thank God for your life and pray that God will continue to preserve and sustain your harvest till Christ returns. However, as you prepare to enjoy your harvest during this Yuletide season with your loved ones, please remember the hungry peasants around you. In such a time like this, it is not wise to hoard your wheat from the needy. God never blesses you for your own benefit only, but that you can be a blessing to others in need at all times (Deut 15:7-11). Every act of kindness to the needy is a loan to God and would be repaid in due time (Proverbs 19:17). However, the rewards for withholding help from the needy are heavy rain of curses and impoverishment from God (Proverbs 28:27 & 11:24-25). 

"If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord, and He will repay you!" - Proverbs 19:17 (NLT)

One special poem that summarizes God's position on the subject matter is titled "Ten Things God Won’t Ask On That Day":

TEN THINGS GOD WON'T ASK ON THAT DAY

1. God won’t ask what kind of car you drove, 

He’ll ask how many people you gave a lift to who didn’t have any transportation.

2. God won’t ask the square footage of your house,

He’ll ask how many people you welcomed into your home.

3. God won’t ask about the clothes you had in your wardrobe, 

but He’ll ask how many you helped to clothe.

4. God won’t ask what your highest salary was, 

but He’ll ask if you compromised your testimony to obtain it.

5. God won’t ask what your job title was,

but He’ll ask whether you performed your job to the best of your ability.

6. God won’t ask how many friends you had, 

He’ll ask how many people to whom you made sure you were a friend.

7. God won’t ask in what neighbourhood you lived, 

He’ll ask how you treated and behaved with your neighbours.

8. God won’t ask about the colour of your skin, 

He’ll ask about the quality and growth of your character.

9. God wont ask you how much of your time you used watching television,

but He will ask how much you used caring for others?

10. God won’t ask why it took you so long to seek salvation; 

He’ll just demonstrate how pleased He is to have you and take you to your mansion in heaven.

May our lives continue to be a blessing to others till our days on earth are over. 

Please join us for Jesus Supermarket 2023 as we trust God to meet the needs of many families in this season. Venue: RCCG Place of His Power, 8 Gbeminiyi Street, Off Ijaiye Ojokoro Road, Opposite LADO filling Station, Lagos. Date: 24th of December, 2023. Time: 8am.  

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a prosperous new year in advance. 

Maranatha!

Bro. Okanlawon Taiwo

For more articles, please visit -

https://okanlawon.webnode.com

https:// okanlawontaiwo.blogspot.com

Instagram: @lawontaiwo

Twitter: @tammytaiwo