Venerable Henry Adelegan

Text: “…and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you… And this day shall be unto you for a memorial…” Exodus 12:13-14

Considering the spiral nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, governments at state and federal levels had no option than to lockdown some states to curtail the spread of the existential virus. Lockdown means the confinement of prisoners to cell and it derives its meaning from two words: they are lock and down. ‘Lock’ means to be put in chains or to immobilise or to hinder from access while ‘down’ means to either be put on the ground or cast in the valley or grave or a place of no reckoning. The Bible is replete with examples of people that had encounter with a lockdown life. The good news however is that for children of God, the consequence of any cast down is a lift up (Psalm 30:5; Job 14:9) provided one can walk according to understanding (1 Chro. 12:32). Job was a man who experienced a life lockdown as he fellfrom grace to grass within minutes (Job 1:13-20). When the battle of his lockdown was severe and things were at their lowest ebb, he said ‘I know that my Redeemer lives’ (Job 19:25). In Job 22:29 also, he said  when men are saying there is a cast down, we shall say there is a lifting up. Eventually, his lockdown heralded a lifting up as all his loss was restored in double fold (Job 42:10-16).

This lockdown scenario played out in biblical history many years ago when the Egyptians held the children of Israel down for 430 years (Exodus 12:40-41). As a result of King Pharaoh’s stubbornness and wickedness, cascading into his determination to hold on to power over the Israelites, God’s anger was ventilated on the Egyptians and they consequently passed through lots of hardship. From our text, God consequently announced to Moses that the angel of death was going to visit Egypt, but whatever doorpost the blood was seen, death would pass such a household over. True to God’s word, the following morning, there was weeping and wailing in the household of the Egyptians over the loss of their first born children, but the homes of the Israelites were spared because of the blood of the lamb on the lintel of their houses (Exodus 12:30). Besides what happened, God instructed Moses that the Passover must be a memorial.

It is illogical to assume that ‘ordinary blood’ can wade off the angel of death, but Paul told the Corinthians that “God uses the foolish things of this world to confound the wise” (1 Corinthians 1:27). The things that are seemingly useless with human beings are very useful tool in God’s hands. When Samson was to face the Phillistines, he used the ‘ordinary jawbone of an ass’ to slaughter thousands of men (Judges 15:15-17). When the Midianites and Amalekites that “lay along in the valley like grasshoppers for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand by the sea side for multitude” waged war against Israel, God asked Jerubaal (also called Gideon) to deploy an “ordinary army of 300 men” as against 32,000 that volunteered to fight and with that insignificant army they triumphed over the huge army of the aggressors (Judges 7:1-12).

Also,  with ‘ordinary songs and praises’ Judah destroyed the armies of the Ammonites, Edomites and Moabites (2 Chronicles 20). It was also an ‘ordinary stone’ in the hand of David that destroyed the intimidating Goliath (1 Samuel 17:49).

It is by same token that God holds the matter of blood very dearly. When Cain killed his brother, God told him “the blood of your brother is crying from the ground” (Genesis 4:9-10). In Leviticus 17:11, He explained it further that “the life of the flesh is in the blood”. This is the foundation of the Holy Communion which Jesus Christ gave to His disciples as a memorial that must be duly observed in remembrance of Him (Luke 22:19).  The blood of Jesus Christ might look ordinary to unbelievers but the blood of the lamb that was slain has potency above the blood of bulls and goats for cleansing from sin, protection  and deliverance from lockdown (Hebrews 9:13-15).

In the New testament, and on a day like this (Maundy Thursday), Jesus Christ instituted the Holy Eucharist (Matthew 26:26-28) and He enjoined that the Holy Communion must be done in His remembrance (Luke 22:19). The Holy Communion, apart from having power to protect from the hands of angels of death that have pervaded the land, it also enlightens one’s eyes of understanding, provides insight and gives direction (Ephesians 1:18 cf Luke 24:30-35).

With the Holy Communion, God opens our inner eyes to see latent opportunities as He did when He opened the eyes of Hagar and she saw the well, and was consequently saved along with her son from death. Not only that, the Holy Communion opens the window for divine favour, grace and unmerited blessings ((cf Acts 2:46-47). Lastly, the Holy Communion facilitates long life, good health and showers of blessings.

To enable you get maximum advantage of the Holy Communion over any lockdown experience, it is important to first examine yourself (I Corinthians 11:27-28, 11:18, 21-22). Paul told the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 11:29-30 that people sleep, fall sick and die when the Communion isn’t well administered and taken. You must surrender your life to Jesus Christ and live a holy life henceforth. As a follow up to that, the Holy Communion must be taken reverently, not with disrespect to the poor and needy, and must not be taken with unbelief. As you rightly partake of the Holy Communion, may God protect your family from the devil’s onslaught, incapacitate powers of wickedness in our land, bless our dear country, deliver us from the consequences of the lockdown, move us forward, give us a new dawn of economic revival, make our land peaceful, give us improved infrastructure, release to us honest leaders and cause us to experience selflessness in high places and prosperity for all, in Jesus’ name

Prayer: Father, let the blood of Jesus deliver me from physical, economic and spiritual lockdown in the name of Jesus Christ.

Venerable Henry Adelegan

Text:”…this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out” (Acts 1:18)

Desperation, according to Douglas Borton, ‘is like stealing from a mafia; you stand a good chance of attracting the wrong attention’ These words aptly describes the ministry of the desperate Judas Iscariot. Judas Iscariot was one of the disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ. Perhaps in Jesus’ pursuit to deliver him from the innate spirit of dishonesty, he was the only disciple that Jesus entrusted with a department – he was the Minister of Finance or the Chief Accounting Officer of Jesus Christ’s ministry. He was a man who saw Jesus raise the dead, saw the storm stilled, he was not on leave when the lame walked, the blinds’ eyes were opened in his presence, he was a part of the commissioning to go and heal the sick and had a part in the testimonies that followed. Unfortunately for this man of history, he started life very promisingly but lived perfidiously and had a disastrous end.

What separated Judas Iscariot from the other disciples was that firstly he was not only dishonest, but was deceitful and had a penchant for stealing from the ministry’s purse. At Bethany, when Mary, the sister of Lazarus, broke the costly ointment to honour Jesus Christ, Judas Iscariot hid behind financial expediency and deceitful religiousity to lampoon Mary for that memorial act, which he regarded as a wastage, by saying that “…Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein” (John 12:4-6).

The other aspect of his life that eventually led to his dastardly end was that, for self-serving purposes, he “…went unto the Chief priests, And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him” (Matthew 26:14-16). Judas did not only collect money from the Chief priests but he saw to it that Jesus Christ was handed over to them and killed. When Jesus Christ returned from the Mount of Olives where He went for agonising prayers, the multitude came to Him with swords and other dangerous weapons, “…he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them, and drew near unto Jesus to kiss him. But Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?” (Luke 22:47-48). Judas Iscariot betrayed the Son of man with a kiss – a kiss! For dollars-and-cents reasons, he mortgaged his today and destroyed his glorious tomorrow.

Judas Iscariot didn’t learn from his forebearers like Gehazi who could have been one of the greatest prophets in history, if not for covetousness and betrayal of trust. Like Gehazi, Judas ended his life and ministry unceremoniously. Instead of having a memorial like the other disciples that never built personal houses but have reward of having monuments named after them today and eternal homes as a worthy icing, Judas Iscariot collected the money but never enjoyed the benefits to be derived therefrom, “…he purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out” (Acts 1:18). What happened to both of them gives credence to God’s word in Jeremiah 17:11 that, “As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not; so he that getteth riches, and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end shall be a fool”.

Few years ago, there was a woman who had a very wonderful marriage but never knew the true personality of her husband until he died. At the funeral service for the deceased, a strange woman walked inside the church and the man’s family members asked her, to the uttermost shock, amazement and unbelief of the guests, to take her seat beside the weeping widow, as the man’s second wife, together with her two sons that were obvious carbon copies of the deceased. In same way was a couple whose economy was quite harsh and they lived everyday managing the meagre resources available to them. It was when the woman died that the man discovered the financial worth of her deceased wife. To his utter consternation, the woman had a house from which she was collecting rents monthly, vehicles that she was using for commercial purposes and several bank accounts that were loaded with huge sums of money. Beloved in Christ, please note that every act of dishonesty, betrayal, backstabbing and deception will end in calamity!

In this world that is bereft of backstabbers, God is calling you to repentance as nothing lasts forever. As an employee, are you having honest dealings with your employers or trying to cut corners? – remember Judas Iscariot! As a married person, is your kiss romantic or a set up strategy? Are you living honestly or deceitfully with your spouse? Does your spouse know you and your net worth or will he/she know only after death has come for you?  As a friend, are you relating honestly with your friends or ready to sell them for pieces of silver? Are you wise in your own eyes forgetting that “there is a way that seems right unto a man, but the end are the ways of death”? (Proverbs 16:25). Judas betrayed with a kiss and died ignominiously and same went for Gehazi. It is my desire and prayer that your end shall be greater than your today. You shall fulfill divine destiny, in Jesus’ name.

Beloved in Christ, as we continue this Passion week and on the verge of ending this year’s lent of glory manifestation, Jesus is enjoining you to amend your ways before it is too late, make a firm commitment to begin to live honestly and righteously with people that God has used to give you a lift up in times past, don’t revel in treachery but start to live peaceably with all men (Hebrews 12:14; Romans 12:18).

Prayer: Oh Lord, teach and continue to direct my steps so that I don’t destroy your purpose for me through desperation and love of money, in Jesus’ name.

Our Reporter

A cleric, Archbishop Samson Benjamin, on Monday staged a protest calling on the government and telecoms companies in the country not to implement the Fifth Generation Mobile Networks (5G) technology in Nigeria.

According to him, the 5G technology has health implications as it emits a lot of radiation into the atmosphere and causes illnesses.

Archbishop Benjamin, who is the founder of Resurrection Praise Ministry Worldwide, during a protest around parts of Ojo Local Government Area of Lagos State, called on Nigerians not to accept deployment of 5G Tech.

He implored Nigerians to watch what he said was an expository sermon by Pastor Chris Oyakhilome to understand what the dangers inherent in the 5G Tech.

“We should put away our differences and let our leaders know that they are not supposed to make policies for us, without seeking our opinions,” he stated.

While commending the Federal government for its recent stand on the deployment of the 5G Tech in Nigeria, he also called on President Muhammadu Buhari to take another look at the issue.

Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami), while reacting to a public outcry over the use of Fifth Generation Mobile Networks (5G), had said no license had been issued on it Nigeria.

Speaking further, Benjamin argued the technology was being promoted by a few rich people in the world that seek to take absolute control of global activities, by killing Africans through the radiation emitted by the 5G.

“Nigerians should come out and speak against the 5G Tech. It’s not good for us. We are not going to accept it.

READ ALSO: Pandemic will soon end, says Archbishop

“This is a conspiracy. People who do not love us, want to come to Africa, to cause damages. We must shut our doors against them.

“China is number one suspect of the corona virus. Nigerians say no to China corona-infected products, and aids. We don’t want their help,” he argued.

Continuing, Archbishop Benjamin, who had earlier also taken to the streets in providing foodstuff and cash to people in some parts of the state, to ameliorate the stay-at-home directive from government, said: “The anger of Nigerians is building up. They want to sell a product to us that will reduce our population. Our population is our strength. 5G technology is a weapon of mass destruction. Africans, and Nigerians in particular should not accept it.

“With the 5G technology, people will no longer have secrets, people will no longer have private lives. Nigeria’s military will be left exposed. All that glitters is not gold”, he noted.

He therefore, called on on MTN Nigeria, and other telecommunications companies in the country, to remove the masts that have been erected to demonstrate the technology in Nigeria

He also called on the presidency, National Assembly, Governors, and Houses of Assembly to stand up for the people and protect them from thE harmful technology.

Daniel Adeleye

The General Overseer of Christ Salvation Christian Centre aka Son of Jehovah World Outreach Lagos, Prophet Adesoji Abegunde, has called on the federal government to strengthen efforts to curtail the spread of the pandemic.

He also challenged state and federal governments to show more care for Nigerians especially the vulnerable ones during the pandemic.

Speaking at the church headquarters in Lagos during presentation of relief materials to members and less privileged in the community, the cleric noted successive governments have not done enough for the citizens.

He tasked Christians and the public spirited individuals to provide more charitable gestures for the less privileged.

Abegunde commended Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for being proactive in efforts to halt the spread of the virus in the state since outbreak of the pandemic in Nigeria.

On why the church provided the relief materials, he said: “I believe this is part of our ministry. Since we started we like to reach out to the less privileged and vulnerable Nigerians to bless them because many people are in need.

“And now we see what’s happening in the nation and the entire world, people’s movement is restricted. But there are people who are making daily money but can’t do so now.

“How could they get food to eat? So we decided to feed our church members and some people in the community.”

Dr. David Oyedepo

Welcome to April! I believe we must have been baptised into higher realms of faith all through the month of March, 2020. May we live under the intoxicating effect of faith all through the days of our lives (Amen)! This week, we shall focus on: The Triggers for Success!

The covenant for success is already in place, the keys that will unlock the door to success are also in place; it is like a gun powder set to be ignited. But there are triggers which will land us right into success and this is what I am going to expose you to this week.

What are the Triggers for Success?

• Opportunity: There are two closely related words –opportune and fortune. The dictionary defines ‘opportune’ to mean happening at the time that is most convenient for someone or most likely to lead to success. ‘Fortune’ or ‘good fortune’ is defined as good luck, success or good experiences. Therefore, I define a fortunate person as an ‘oppor-tunate’ person. That is, he is smart enough to grab a productive idea and put it to work; he is smart enough to know what will work and how to make it work. As it is written, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you (Matthew 7:7; see also Matthew 20:6). Opportunity therefore is a discovered avenue for profiting. It is locating what will work and making it to work. Many people miss opportunity because it is dressed in overalls and it looks like work. There are ways of locating and utilising opportunities. They include:
• By a search
• By creating opportunities
• By catching opportunities
• By utilising opportunities.
• Creativity: This is the ability to create. Every event in life is invented. God is the Master Creator. Solomon said, The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens. By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew (Proverbs 3:19-20; see also Psalm 104:24). God’s creative secret is in His wisdom. That is, inside the Word of God is God’s creative ability and this is loaded in a person called Christ. Therefore, as joint-heirs with Christ, it means that we share in His nature. If He carries creative abilities, it also means that we too carry creative abilities. The Bible says, For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16). This connotes that we have the creative mind of Christ.
• Ability: It is from the root word ‘able’. The ability to do something is the quality or skill that we have which makes it possible for us to do it. We need the trigger of ability to succeed because as long as we see ourselves as being unable to succeed, we will never have the ability to. In Numbers 13, twelve people were sent out on a mission to spy out Canaan. Ten of them came back with a report of Israel’s inability to possess the land, But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature. And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight (Numbers 13:31-33). But Joshua and Caleb saw it differently. And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it (Numbers 13:30). They saw their ability to possess the land and they actually did, while the men who brought the evil report all died in the wilderness. Success has eluded many today because they see it as an impossible feat that cannot be attained. If we can’t see our ability to do a job or to succeed, we will never be able to succeed.
• Responsibility: Another word for responsibility is ‘self-discipline’. That is, bringing ourselves under rules and laws in order to attain our ultimate goals in life. Responsibility requires that one positively responds to the demands of life or scriptures. To be outstandingly successful, we must positively apply ourselves to certain demands of life and Scriptures. The Bible says, For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel! For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me (1 Corinthians 9:16-17). Necessity was laid upon Paul to preach the gospel, not by God, but by himself. Why? He wanted to be a successful preacher and soul winner.

In conclusion, we can never be in control of the affairs of life without self-control. It is what puts us in charge. So, if we are striving for mastery (success), then we must exercise self-control. There is no greatness without responsibility; so, let’s be responsible. In order to fully utilise the triggers for success, you must be born again. Are you born again? If you are not, this is an opportunity to do so. Simply say the following prayer: Lord Jesus, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me of my sins. Cleanse me with Your precious Blood. Today, I accept You as my Lord and personal Saviour. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me! Now, I know I am born again! For further reading, please get my books: For further reading, please get my books: Ruling your World, Exploring the Secrets of Success, Success Strategies and Success Systems. I invite you to fellowship with us at the Faith Tabernacle, Canaanland, Ota, the covenant home of Winners. We have four services on Sundays, holding at 6:00 a.m., 7:50 a.m., 9:40 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. respectively. I know this teaching has blessed you. Write and share your testimony with me through: Faith Tabernacle, Canaanland, Ota, P.M.B. 21688, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria, or call 01-4548070, 01-4548280, or E-mail: feedback@lfcww.org, Facebook: David Oyedepo Ministries International, Twitter: @DavidOyedepoMin.

Venerable Henry Adelegan

There has never been a season when dysfunctionalism stared us in the face globally in the last 100 years as this present time. The advent of COVID-19 introduced an unprecedented ‘bent’ into the human race, our lives, our living and our relationship. With COVID-19, brethren are forbidden from sitting on the same pew in churches, handshakes of peace are outlawed, one chalice during the Holy Communion was declared an anathema, the doors of our places of worship are shut indefinitely, the dead are left in the morgue for uncertain periods of time, wedding are cancelled, naming ceremonies are handled by anyone in the house and with instruction not to touch the baby, the school calendar is disrupted, all roads to visit loved ones are closed, relatives outside the country are not welcome back home, rather they are referred to the isolation camp, the gifts they brought from overseas are ‘leprous’ and burnt from a distance, our borders to states and other countries are shut ad infinitum, economies of nations are experiencing recession, factories are closed, businesses are down, global hyper-inflation is staring us in the face, there is pervasive insecurity of lives and property, loved ones are dying and tomorrow is uncertain for everyone.

A ‘bent’ or COVID -9’s Dysfunctionalism state is a metaphor for awkwardness, deviation from norm, unexplainable circumstance or mockery of logic; it is a situation where things are not happening in tandem with expectation or where its workings are impaired or abnormal. An abysmal situation can be self-inflicted or orchestrated by an evil hand (Matt. 13:25). A self-inflicted COVID-19’s Dysfunctionalism state can be remedied by identification of its root cause and empirical measures are put in place to rectify same. A spiritual COVID-19’s Dysfunctionalism state is an awkward life situation that has a medical name or human explanation attached to it but cannot be remedied by medical action or human efforts cum counsel.

A self-inflicted COVID-19’s Dysfunctionalism system can be imposed on a person who ignorantly, or against counsel, innocently or wilfully bypasses boundaries set by God or the experts He has sent for guidance (Isaiah 1:18-19; 1Kings 13:1-24; 1 Sam. 15:1-23) This can be with regards to health (Exodus 15:26), education (Jer. 6:16), marriage (2 Corinthians 6:14), business (Ephesians 6:2-3) etc. During this current COVID-19 dysfunctional state for instance, it is law not to touch anyone or thing (even handles of doors among others), to report any incident of fever to the medical authorities instantly and to avoid anyone who coughs.

From our text, we are faced with the case of a woman that had lived a bent over (dysfunctional) life for 18 years. Her people and peers jeered at her whenever she appeared in the public and temple. People that were ignorant of spiritual law of cause and effect closed their reasoning to what or who could have done this to her (Matthew 13:28) but made her an object of public spectacle. She was an unfortunate personality and this exposed her to public odium because of her peculiar circumstances. Understandably, like the case of the woman with the issue of blood who for 12 years who spent all she had to get better but ended worse, she must have tried all sorts within that long years to get better as well to no avail (Mk. 5:25-34). One day however, Jesus Christ, the solution provider, entered the temple and saw her in her dysfunctional state; He saw a rope which powers of wickedness had used to tie her which no x-ray could have shown. Jesus Christ who has all powers in heaven and earth intervened (Matthew 28:18; Col. 1:16-17); He that opens and none can shut came forth (Rev. 3:8); He that says Yes and none can say No (Isaiah 46:10) commanded the ‘spiritual rope’ to be loosed and immediately she was made straight – the bent became unbent. What was impossible for science and man to do for 18years, He did it within seconds!

There are many individuals, families, marriages, organisations, nations and places of worship that are experincing COVID-19’s Dysfunctionalism as a result of sin, evil background or satan. But, the good news is that it is not over. The invitation and arrival of Jesus Christ into any dysfunctional system mindless of how bad things are or how long one has been in that terrible state will turn things around for good. The Almighty God who turned scarcity into surplus within 24 hours shall arise for you and step into your situation during this season of lent.

Are you not where you should be? Have you entered into trouble but not sin like Joseph? Are you very bright educationally without a good employment to back it up? Are you experiencing marital disappointments for no justifiable reason? Are you suffering from a strange sickness that has defied medical attention? Is any of your family members behaving irrationally? Is your business or finances going steadily down the hills mindless of your prayers, diligence and strategy? Do you have someone who is an addict and cannot stop despite all efforts? I have good news for you. It is for these reasons that Jesus Christ came to destroy the COVID-19’s Dysfunctionalism works of the devil (1John 3:8b). So, you are not hopeless. Weeping may endure for a night but your joy is here! This is your morning of joy! (Psalm 30:5).

What you need to do for your COVID 19’s Dysfunctionalism state to become straightened is to invite Jesus Christ into your life, confess your shortcomings to Him as an individual and the shortcomings of our land (2Chronicles 7:14), make a commitment not to sin again, live a life of holiness and love, let Him know what you are passing through and stop looking at man to help you.

Prayers: Father, attend to my COVID 19 Dsyfunctionalism state and turn things around for my good and our world in the name of Jesus Christ.

Venerable Henry Adelegan

Text: “Take therefore no thought for the morrow…” Matthew 6:34

The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic has thrown lots of issues up in our faces bothering on the uncertainty of tomorrow, the futility of our plans and the vanity of this world. Across the globe, COVID 19 has killed thousands of people, quarantined millions of hitherto healthy individuals, shifted wedding dates, postponed indefinitely the time to bury the dead, disrupted academic calendars, shut the doors of our places of worship, banned vehicles from plying our roads, forced us against our will to be at home, closed market doors, placed church programs in abeyance and kept us away from doing all that we desired to do indefinitely – what a world of vanity!

From our text, Jesus Christ in his narratives admonished about the futility of planning or boasting concerning tomorrow. What He told them in essence was for them to be bothered only about the present day, to make the best use of it, to live as if there will not be any tomorrow, to affect as many lives as are possible today, to reach out to the loveables and the unlovables, and neither to trust in nor to be carried away with the life of the present day as tomorrow is unknown and the world is vanity. The people that are rich and placed in position of authority are charged not to be “… highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy (1Timothy 6:17)

The Apostle James expounded and expanded the counsel of Jesus Christ that “…you that say, today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas you know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away. For what you ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. But now you rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil. Therefore to him that knows to do good, and does it not, to him it is sin (James 4:13-17). What he said in essence is that “Yesterday is history. Tomorrow a mystery. Today is a gift!” We are consequently obligated to do all the good in our hands today without laying premium on the day after because tomorrow may never come.

It is saddening how people, even in the body of Christ, plan without taking into cognisance that plans’ executions are subject to if ‘God wills’ and His second coming. People, in the political world, struggle and juggle not for tomorrow but 2023, which is years away. They forget so easily that some of their equally ambitious friends with lofty plans for next year are long gone to where they are going to give account of their stewardships like the foolish rich man who wasted his life and lived a life of eternal regret (Luke 16:19-31). A lot of people are destroying and maligning others in the political hemisphere today for them to gain advantage when the polls come in the next three years. A life of crass ignorance, tomfoolery and vanity.

The man who saw it all, enjoyed it all and knew it all was King Solomon and he admonished in Proverbs 27:1that, “Boast not about tomorrow; for you know not what a day may bring forth.” Tomorrow is uncertain. Tomorrow is unpredictable. Tomorrow is filled with surprises and tomorrow is unreliable.

Beloved in Christ, do you realise that you can die today? Are you deceived that you have lots of money (some legal and some stolen) that can take care of your health challenge? Do you think that your 2017 SUV can deliver you from accident, even if your bullet proof car can prevent bullet shots? Are you so desperate about tomorrow to think that the driver who you are paying so well and has been driving you for many years without accident is the one that has kept you to date? Far from it brethren, the only reason why you are still alive today is because the Owner of life wills it so. King Solomon in Ecclesiastes 8:8 wrote that “There is no man that has power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither has he power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it.”

Jesus is reminding you today brethren, and at this time of Lent, and during this COVID 19 pandemic, that death can come for you at anytime and under any circumstance. It is possible to be healthy and die. He is calling you to a life of political honesty, decency and integrity. The shortest cut to a short life is stealing our common patrimony and hiding behind legal terms or political coverage. God said in  Jeremiah 17:11 that “As the partridge sits on eggs, and hatches them not; so he that gets riches, and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end shall be a fool.” I pray that you will live a long life and not end as a fool.

At this time, Jesus Christ is calling on you to “Repent you therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord” ( Acts 3:19). Ask God who sees all overt and covert deeds to forgive your sins, pray for Him to pardon your attendant desperations for temporal money, position, power and political relevance and pray that He will blot off your transgressions and not hold you accountable for your wicked acts and deeds. Make a commitment that from this moment, you shall strive to live a life that is pleasing to Him and that you will be contented with all He has loathed your life with and not be desperate for temporal pleasures. Beloved you brought nothing to this world and you shall surely take nothing out of it. The only thing that will stand for you after your departure at a time unknown are your good works while you were here. Take your gaze off this temporal world and strive not to live a wasted life like the rich man.

Prayer: Father, help me to use my today well to enable me gain the rewards that lies ahead tomorrow here or with you in eternity in the name of Jesus Christ.