THE WEB OF DECEPTION

"Your father is the devil. You belong to him. You want to do what he wants. He was a murderer from the beginning. He was always against the truth. There is no truth in him. He is like the lies he tells. Yes, the devil is a liar. He is the father of lies" - John 8:42-44 (ERV)

Before the outbreak of World War II in 1939, Germany and Russia signed the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact. This treaty promised that neither nation would attack the other, and it laid out a plan for how they would divide the nations of Eastern Europe between them. However, in 1941, Adolf Hitler sent his tanks across the Russian border in a sneak attack. Obviously, Hitler had no interest in keeping his word; the treaty was only a temporary measure until he could do what he wanted. (The Collapse of the Soviet Empire, G. J. Neimanis) 

The above story reminds me of an African proverb that says "A chameleon can only change its colour but never change its skin". That is, the devil may change his mode of operations from time to time but his true nature and identity will forever remain the same. 

In John 8:44, Jesus Christ described Satan as "the father of lies". The devil will tell you anything you want to hear to get you to do what he wants you to do. He is indeed the grandmaster of deception who breaks every promise that he makes like the highly dreaded Adolf Hitler of Germany. 

Therefore, if Satan promises you riches, affluence and power, it will definitely be a temporary package with loads of sorrow and grief attached to it. (Proverbs 23:5, Proverbs 10:22). If he offers you a wife, then you have Satan as your Father-in-law and you can imagine how miserable life will be thereafter (Judges 16:1-5). If he promises you a child, no matter how much you lavish on him/her, the middle name of that child will be Fool, Pain and Sorrow (Proverbs 17:21). If Satan 'arranges' a car for you, then you have only succeeded in collecting a mobile casket for your entire family. If Satan gives you a house, then the description of your house will be "The Castle of Tragedy or Mansion of Agony" (Psalms  32:10). If Satan promises you a job, then you may have to spend every dime you earn to nurse his evil children like HIV AIDs, cancer, kidney failure, etc. 

Beloved, Satan is the grandmaster of deception who lures his victims and murders them prematurely (Romans 6:23). And since a chameleon can never change its skin, then, you will be a big fool if you believe the devil has something good in stock for you. Why do you want to enjoy the treaty of sin for a season when you can choose to embrace the truth for eternity (Hebrews 11:25). Therefore, I urge you to turn your back on the grandmaster of deception today, surrender your life genuinely to Jesus Christ and revoke every agreement you have entered into with the devil before it will be too late to do so. 

The statements below summarise the true nature and compensation plans of the grandmaster of deception recorded in John 8:44.

"Satan promises the best, but pays with the worst;

He promises honor and pays with disgrace;

He promises pleasure and pays with pain;

He promises profit and pays with loss;

He promises life and pays with death"  Thomas Brooks

My prayer is that, you and I will never walk into the wicked web of deceptions that the devil is using to harvest souls into the dungeon of everlasting sorrow. And as the Lord lives, everyone already captured shall be set free completely before it will be too late. 

Good day and God bless you.

Maranatha!

Bro. Okanlawon Taiwo

https://okanlawontaiwo.blogspot.com

DEATH, WHERE IS THY STING

“O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. . .” - 1 Corinthians 15:55-57

A boy and his father were driving down the road on a beautiful afternoon. Suddenly out of nowhere a bee flew in through the car window. Since the boy was allergic to bee stings he became petrified. His father quickly reached out, grabbed the bee, squeezed it in his hand, and then released it. But as soon as he let it go, the young son became frantic once again. The father sensed his son’s terror, opened his palm and said "Look,  this is the stinger of the bee in my palm. You don’t need to be afraid anymore. I have taken the sting for you.”

When the first man erred in the garden of Eden, death flew through the window into the world to wreck havoc on the soul of man (Rom 3:23). From that day, death began to sting like a bee with no regard for human's social status, age, background, qualifications, colour, language, location etc. It stings the rich the same way it stings the poor. The venomous toxin of that wild bee causes deep pain and agony to the family, friends and relatives of anyone stung by this bee. 

However, the bee of death has lost its victory over every genuine child of God (1 Corin. 15 54-57). Yes, death cannot have the last word over Christians (Rom 6:9). Through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God loosed the pains of death (Acts  2:23-24). So, whenever we are stung by the bee of death, we only leave the world of the dying to the world of the living; we leave the imperfect life on earth to the perfect life in heaven. 

"We know that when Jesus was raised from the dead it was a signal of the end of death-as-the-end. Never again will death have the last word" - Romans  6:9 (MSG)

Beloved, we don't need to be afraid of death because Jesus Christ has taken the sting out of death. Jesus took the sting of death when he hung on that old rugged cross to pay the ultimate sacrifice for the sin of man. By His death, the victory of death and grave was shortlived. But the question is, "how can I qualify to enjoy the victory over the sting of death". The answer is simple. You must become the son or daughter of the Almighty God to escape from the terrible venom in the sting of death. Please do it today! 

This special song below reinforces believers' victory over the sting of death:

O DEATH, WHERE IS THY STING? By Stephen Popovich, 2016

O death where is thy sting?

Where, grave, thy victory?

O keys of hell, why change

Ye hands at Calvary?

Lo, on that hill

God’s wrath was placed,

Our sins erased,

And death made nil.

O sinner, set thy faith

On Him who bore thy curse;

The venom of that sting

Abideth on the earth.

But Christ arose

To be our way,

And sole escape,

From sin’s grim woe.

O saint, turn not behind—

Reach forth to things ahead;

Thy faith has made thee whole

And raised thee from the dead,

To be as one

With what awaits

Past Heaven’s gate

When ends have come.

O Lord, for Thee we watch,

Unto that blessed day,

When whate’er form we take

Shall see Thee face to face;

For Thy great pow’r

Will resurrect

All Thine elect;

O wondrous hour!

Good night Hon Abdulfatai Olasunkanmi Goddey Oshungboye, It is hard to believe that God has recalled you back home to be with Him forever. We earnestly look forward to that day when we shall meet to part no more. We love you deeply but God loves you more. Continue to rest in the bossom of your Lord and Saviour. May the Great Comforter console your family and everyone that is mourning the passing of their loved ones at this moment.

Good day and God bless you.

Maranatha!

Bro. Okanlawon Taiwo

https://okanlawontaiwo.blogspot.com

NOTHING IS PERMANENT

“For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal” 2 Corinthians 4:18 

Have you ever bought something new before which you didn’t want anyone to touch? I mean you guarded the thing jealously for many days, months or years. But after a while, you could leave it anywhere and not bother if anyone touched it or not. The truth is that all the things we are struggling to acquire on earth now would mean nothing to us later. Yes, everything on earth would lose its beauty, grandeur, appeal, value, etc with time. For example, there are buildings that once looked like Presidential Villas but later become a refuse dump years after the demise of the owner. Yes, nothing on earth is permanent. Therefore, it is a miserable thing to live for things.

This earth is not permanent; but eternity is permanent (Heb 13:14). Sometimes one is up; another time one could be down. Nobody occupies any office forever. That’s why we have ex-this and ex-that! There is nothing we have or we’re going through, positive or negative, that is permanent.

Unfortunately, many people do not seem to understand this salient truth. Some political office holders get carried away by the power and authority of their offices and act as if they will be there forever. The truth is that your time here on earth is not permanent; it is temporal. The heroes and the heroines of faith listed in the Bible all died; they didn’t live forever (Heb. 11:13). Their sojourn on earth was temporal. Nothing is permanent here. Your life is passing away too, like a smoke (Psalm 102:3). You’re a sojourner and pilgrim on earth (1 Peter 2:11). This world is not your home; it is your temporary abode. Nothing is permanent.

Beloved, please focus on that which is permanent – eternity. Where will you spend your eternity? Please always look at everything through the lens of eternity (2 Corin. 4:17-18). Don’t let anything you have or any position you occupy get to your head. Everybody prays for the best, but times do change! Even a good time can become better. Nothing is permanent. Even the Permanent Secretary knows that! Someone may make himself a President for life but he can’t say no to death when it comes. You can silence the voice of opposition on earth but the trumpet of eternity cannot be silenced. You can manipulate the constitution and people to remain in power forever but when death comes, it ends everything. Lobatan! Nothing is permanent in life.

It is appointed unto men once to die, and after this, judgment (Heb. 9:27). Always think about your end. Give your life to Jesus today. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth (Col. 3:2). Live your life, knowing that you will die one day and you will meet your Maker. Eternity is a step away. It is just a breath away. Any moment can land one in eternity to face the consequences of his or her decisions or indecisions on earth.  

This powerful hymn below reechoes God’s counsel to us in Amos 4:12 on the subject matter:  

PREPARE TO MEET THY GOD By J. H. Stanley

1. Careless soul, why will you linger,

Wand’ring from the fold of God?

Hear you not the invitation?

Oh, prepare to meet thy God.

Refrain:

Careless soul, oh, heed the warning,

For your life will soon be gone;

Oh, how sad to face the judgment,

Unprepared to meet thy God.

2. Why so thoughtless are you standing,

While the fleeting years go by,

And your life is spent in folly?

Oh, prepare to meet thy God.

3. Hear you not the earnest pleadings

Of your friends that wish you well?

And perhaps before tomorrow

You’ll be called to meet your God.

4. If you spurn the invitation

Till the Spirit shall depart,

Then you’ll see your sad condition,

Unprepared to meet thy God.

As we journey to eternity, may we not hold on to the fading rags that the world calls beauty and forfeit the dazzling glory of eternity awaiting us in Heaven. 

Good day and God bless you.

Maranatha!

Bro. Okanlawon Taiwo

https://okanlawontaiwo.blogspot.com

WHEN GOD INTERVENES

"....When Jesus came near the town gate, he saw some people carrying a dead body. It was the only son of a woman who was a widow. Walking with her were many other people from the town. When the Lord saw the woman, he felt very sorry for her and said, “Don’t cry.” He walked to the open coffin and touched it. The men who were carrying the coffin stopped. Jesus spoke to the dead son: “Young man, I tell you, get up!” Then the boy sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother...." - Luke 7:11-16 (ERV)

Some years ago, while comfortably seated inside a commercial bus at Marina, Lagos I had a nudging in my spirit to disembark from the bus. Reluctantly, I obeyed and boarded the next bus few minutes later. After the bus had moved about 70 metres away from the park, one of the passengers (a man in his late 40s) suddenly stood up, held up his right hand and started screaming profusely. Thereafter, he fell down and some strange substance started gushing out of his mouth and nose as he struggled for life. There was a commotion on the bus and all the passengers ordered the driver to pull over. By this time, the poor man was almost passing out. As soon as the driver parked, all the passengers jumped out of the bus, ran some distance away and stood afar off to see what will happen to the man. Then, I realized that God actually ordered me out of the bus I had earlier boarded because He wanted to intervene in this man's case. Immediately, I moved close to the man, laid my hands on him and I prayed for him. Instantly, Jesus Christ - the Great Physician intervened. The dying man was snatched away from the cold hands of death and all the passengers who had earlier abandoned him came back to rejoice with him in the bus. Glory be to God!

Beloved, one of the signature of God on the pages of human history is His benevolent act of Divine Intervention. Whenever God intervenes in a matter, many unusual things happen. From the story above, we discovered that whenever God intervenes, the journey of great humiliation will always end in unprecedented celebration. Those who had earlier abandoned us will definitely return to rejoice with us. Also, things that had stopped working will suddenly jerk back to life effortlessly. Divine helpers will show up mysteriously to help us birth our pregnancy of miracles etc. These unusual happenings are some of God's amazing signatures on the pages of human history. Holy Spirit documented several of such unusual interventions of God in the Bible. For example, in Luke 7:11-17, when Jesus intervened, the funeral service organised for the only son of the widow of Nain was turned into a thanksgiving service.  Heaven terminated the young man’s journey to the cemetery and turned his mother's mockery to a miracle. Everyone who had gathered to mourn with that poor widow suddenly began to congratulate her. What an amazing testimony! 

"O Christ, You Are Life" is a powerful hymn that described that divine intervention recorded in Luke 7:11-17: 

O CHRIST, YOU ARE LIFE By J. M Haydn, 1784

O Christ, you are life! You heal and restore!

You bring God's good news to those lost and poor.

Through all of your ministry here on the earth

You looked in the crowds and saw each person's worth.

You entered a town; a widow was there.

She grieved for her son and cried in despair.

On seeing her sorrow, you raised up her son;

The neighbors all shouted, "A prophet has come!"

You went to a house and sat down to eat;

A woman in tears anointed your feet.

Your host muttered, "Sinner!" but you turned to say,

"She's joyful because she's forgiven today!"

Before this month is over, the Almighty God shall intervene in every area of our lives and everything moving towards the cemetery shall jerk back to life. Helpers of destiny will show up for us mysteriously and everyone who has abandoned us shall return to celebrate with us. And more importantly, God shall engage our feeble hands to intervene in hopeless cases for Him on earth in Jesus name. Amen. 

Good day and God bless you.

Maranatha!

Bro. Okanlawon Taiwo

https://okanlawontaiwo.blogspot.com