Category: Personal walk

Earlier on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, I became a bit emotional as I read about Judas Iscariot in Matthew 27, in his futile efforts to undo his betrayal of the Lord Jesus Christ. He tried without success to return the money to the High Priest and his team when he saw that the Lord was arrested, molested, beaten and moreover, He permitted and accepted it.  The Lord was made a condemned prisoner whose crucifixion plan was being irreligiously and steadily worked out to its actualisation.  When the Jewish religious leaders refused to negotiate the Lord’s release nor accept the money they paid for His betrayal, Judas cast the money into the temple and went on to hang himself.

Some months before this in his office, as the treasurer of the twelve disciples, he was involved in petty thefts by pilfering some of the money he kept John 12:6. He must have thought that he was smart. He continued until he convinced himself that he could betray the Lord for thirty pieces of silver and of course, in his mental permutations, the Lord could not be arrested. Whatever his calculations and confidence were that the Lord could not be arrested failed, and all ended for him in tears and suicide.  Seeing his remorse, crying and eventual suicide, it became clear that he did not expect the outcome he faced. If he knew that his petty thefts would eventually lead to betraying the Lord and his committing suicide, it was likely that  he would have stopped them. It was certainly not possible for him to have a second chance or learn from experience to stop the evil of stealing from the disciples’ money bag.

Another takeaway lesson from this experience is the futility of trying to play hide and seek with the law as long as one can get away with it. This is wrong whether one is alone or working with others. It does not matter even if one is acting alone.  Joseph asked the wife of Potiphar “…How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” Genesis 39:9. This was it! His bother was not being caught by man but the fact that the all-seeing eyes of the Lord would see them. Most importantly, he would not be living as the Lord would desire of him as His child. For refusing to go into sin with Mrs Potiphar, he was lied against and ended in prison. This was a case of being imprisoned for doing good. He knew this and did not abandon the Lord in disappointment. And the Lord did not disappoint him.  Yes, the Lord took him from prison to the palace, and he became the prime minster, the number two person in Egypt. This was the Lord’s blessing for the slave boy who was wrongly imprisoned yet he trusted Him and lived to please Him. In effect, a child of God should not just be living to avoid the penalty of infringing on the laws of God and man. No, he should live no longer in the realm of keeping the law but, of seeking to  please the Lord, and walk according to the desire of the Lord all the time.

The Jews also did not get away Scot-free with their evil. They refused to accept the thirty pieces of silver because it was unlawful to accept such money into the temple. Yet, they deliberately accepted false witnesses against the Lord, an action which was unlawful. They did  it because it served their purpose of condemning the Lord to crucifixion.  Even when Pilate washed his hands to dissociate himself from the crime of crucifying, a just man, they stated that they accepted the punishment and it should be on them and their children, Matthew 27:24-25. The Lord had earlier warned of the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, Matthew 24:1-2. When it eventually happened in AD 70. It was terrible. There was no hiding place. They certainly would not choose the experience and its causes if they had a second chance. Yes, after months of fighting, the Romans destroyed the Temple, known as the Second Temple, and razed the city, with tens of thousands killed, enslaved, or executed.

There is at least another takeaway lesson from this experience of the Jews. For political reasons, they shouted that Barabbas, a criminal, should be released instead of the sinless Lord Jesus Christ, As we have already read, in spite of their bravado that they were ready to face the consequences of their choice, with the benefit of hindsight, we know that they were destroyed as a people in AD 70. They could not in any good conscience declare for such a fate again if they had a chance.

Shall we as a people learn that we are destroying our nation when we choose criminals over people with verifiable track records of good governance. Irrespective of our refusal to accept good choices, borne of integrity, the word of God states clearly that righteousness exalts a nation but sin or evil is a reproach to a people, Proverbs 14:34.

In conclusion, as children of God, we have individual choices to make, we cannot be too careful when we choose to avoid evil and do good, irrespective of what others choose. What is more, it is what the Lord desires of His children to do.

 The Call for Self-control and Level-headedness under Trials and Temptations

“He who is slow to anger is better than he who is mighty, and he who controls his spirit than he who captures a city.” Proverbs 16:32

Self-control is one of the fruit of the Spirit, Galatians 5:22-23. We also read that he who controls his spirit is better than he who captures a city.
In our everyday life, at home or at work, how much self-control do we show when the inevitable pressures and trials come our way? It is all well and good to be in good comportment when all is smooth sailing. How do we respond when the turbulence and waves of trials and temptations assail us?

Our physical reaction to pressure is just one aspect of our comportment, what about our decision making under pressure?  Shall we learn from our Lord’s example in the passage in John 8 : 3- 11 (New King James version).

³ Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, ⁴ they said to Him, “Teacher, ^[a]this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. ⁵ Now ^[b]Moses, in the law, commanded us ^[c]that such should be stoned. But what do You ^[d]say?” ⁶ This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, ^[e]as though He did not hear.

⁷ So when they continued asking Him, He ^[f]raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” ⁸ And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. ⁹ Then those who heard it, being^[g] convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. ¹⁰ When Jesus had raised Himself up ^[h]and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers ^[i]of yours? Has no one condemned you?”

¹¹ She said, “No one, Lord.”

And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go ^[j]and sin no more.”

Comments

There  are many takeaway lessons on self-control which the Lord teaches us in the handling of this episode. Shall we list some of them as follows:

1 Probably the first point that strikes most readers is the clear injustice in their treatment of the woman. There were two persons involved in the act, a man and a woman. Why parade the woman alone?

2. The Lord took His time and did not go on to respond or criticise them. He chose to write on the ground, and waited as He took control of the situation. Shall we learn to think over an issue and not be in a hurry to respond or give an answer.

3. They had to prompt the Lord to remind Him that they were waiting for His reply.

4. In His answer, He gave them a fundamental lesson in ethical behaviour and self-examination in His statement: “He who is without sins should cast the first stone”. At this, they all left, one by one until He was alone with the woman.

5. The Lord advised her that whilst she did not condemn her, she should go and sin no more. Demonstrating that He did not condone her sin.

6. It is relevant to appreciate that the Lord was not against the commandment given by Moses. No, it is necessary to understand the purpose of the Jews in arraigning the woman before Him. It was a trap such that whatever He advised on the law on the incident was implicating.

If he said do not stone her, He would have been seen to be advising against the law of God given through Moses.

If he said, stone her as commanded by the law, He would have been committing a crime against the Romans who ruled the Jews then, and they only had the authority to put anyone to death.

Therefore, He paused, waited and then answered such that His reply not only avoided their trap but also made them leave in self-guilt.

Shall we pause and try to understand a situation or the purpose of a question or an issue before responding to ensure that we provide an appropriate response.

Hebrew 11: 8

Abraham left his people and travelled with his wife and Lot to a place where he did not know.

Paradox

How can an intelligent person abandon all for a strange place because he said that the Lord so instructed him?  Some might argue with him to show them the God who gave him the instructions.

Hebrew 11: 11

Sarah at 90 years of age and Abraham at 100 conceived and gave birth to Isaac.

Paradox

Does this comply with acceptable medical theory? Was Sarah not in the age in which she could no longer have babies?

Hebrew 11: 17 & 18:

Abraham obeyed the Lord and lifted his knife to kill Isaac who was bound to the altar where he was to be burnt as an offering because God told him to offer him as a sacrifice.

Yet, it was the same Isaac that the Lord promised that through him, Abraham was to become a great nation.

Paradox

It appears that there was a contradiction in this command. Abraham should sacrifice his only son through whom the Lord had promised that he would become a great nation.

Yes, by human reasoning, there was. The intelligent pragmatic person would not accept this. How could a dead child become the father of a great nation?

Hebrew 11:19

Abraham obeyed because he reasoned and believed that God was able to raise the dead Isaac back to life and make him a great nation.

Concluding comments

Faith is a complete reliance and obedience to the Lord. In the walk of faith, empirical and quantitative demonstration of the Lord and His ways fall down.

Complete obedience and reliance on God may appear foolish to the thinking person who may choose to disobey God.

We thank the Lord for the faith of Abraham. He demonstrated that faith in the Lord, in complete obedience to Him, sometimes transcends the extremities of human reasoning and calculations. This is because the reasoning man fails to include in his calculations an acknowledgement that the world belongs to the Sovereign Lord who cannot be found by human experimentation. Otherwise, He ceases to be God but a human contraption and invention.

But He can be found, experienced and known by those who faithfully obey His revealed word. Such that to refuse to believe Him is foolishness.

 

Since writing the blog entitled “obedience is pivotal to successful Christian living”, I have felt constrained to write on the importance of obedience.

To start with, it needs to be clearly stated that salvation is by grace through faith. There is nothing that we can do to earn our salvation because it is completely a gift from the Lord based on the merits of the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ to pay for our sins on the cross of Calvary.

The question is what is the importance of obedience?

There are two Bible passages that could be used to provide a graphic answer to this question. They are as follows:

1. Encounter of Peter with Cornelius, Acts. 10: 1 – 48
2. The conversion of Saul, Acts 9: 1-19

Starting with the Encounter between Peter and Cornelius

Cornelius was a Roman centurion in Caesarea and a God-fearing man who always prayed to the Lord. During one of his prayer sessions, an angel appeared and advised him to send for Peter who was then in Joppa that he would explain to him the way to relate to the Lord.

At this time, it was not normal for the disciples to travel to non-Jewish areas to preach the gospel message.

While Peter was praying on that day, the Lord spoke to him through a vision of a vessel with all types of animals including those that it was unlawful for the Jews to eat. The Lord invited Peter to kill and eat them but he politely refused, explaining that he would not eat anything unclean. The vision came to him three times, and he rejected the invitation on as many times. The Lord told him not to describe anything God has cleansed as unclean.

Meanwhile, Cornelius had sent three men to Peter inviting him as the angel directed. By the time they got to where Peter at Joppa, the Lord had prepared Peter to be willing and ready to go with them.

The men arrived at where Peter was staying. After the greetings, they explained why they were sent to him by Cornelius. Peter thanked and informed them that they were to travel together the next day to Cornelius.    The next day, they travelled to Caesarea and met with Cornelius. As Peter was preaching they received the gift of the Holy Spirit. They believed and were baptised.

In summary, it took the obedience of Peter for Cornelius and his people, Gentiles, to receive the gospel message and be converted. Please recall that it was an angel that advised Cornelius to send for Peter who came and the Lord used him to convert Cornelius and his people. In effect, Peter was used to do a job that an angel could not do.  The obedient Christian is used by the Lord to win converts, do the task of discipleship, and other assignments  here on earth which angels cannot do.      

Summary:

Cornelius, a God-fearing man was sent by an angel to invite Peter to tell him the gospel . It was unusual for Jews to associate with Gentiles but the Lord prepared Peter for the trip. Peter obeyed and travelled with the people sent by Cornelius to Caesarea where Cornelius was.  He gave them the Gospel message and they were converted.

The second is the conversion of Saul. Acts 9: 1-19

As Saul travelled to Damascus from Jerusalem to arrest the Lord’s followers and bring them back to Jerusalem as prisoners, a dazzling light from Heaven shone around him and his two companions. He fell down. A voice called him and asked why he was persecuting him. He asked who he was. The Lord answered that it was Him that Saul was persecuting. He asked what He wanted him to do. The Lord told him to get up and go to the city and there he would be told what he must do. As he got up, he discovered that he was blind and was led to where they stayed.

Meanwhile, the Lord spoke to Ananias, a disciple and told him to go and attend to Saul. He explained to the Lord how Saul had been arresting and punishing Christians. Further, his present trip was for the same purpose.  The Lord assured him that it was perfectly safe to go, that Saul had become “a chosen vessel” to spread the gospel message to the Gentiles and he would suffer much doing this.

Ananias went to where Saul was. Prayed for him and he regained his sight.

It took obedient Ananias to pray with Saul at his conversion for him to regain his sight and health. Obedient Ananias obeyed the Lord to go to Saul in spite of the inherent and obvious danger in going to carry out the assignment, given the frightening reputation of Saul as a persecutor of Christians.

Conclusion

The Lord is not interested in the death of a sinner but that the sinner should repent and live. Ezekiel 18:32

⁴ God wants everyone to be saved by understanding the gospel message and believing in Him. ⁵ There is only one God, and there is only one way that people can reach Him. That way is through Christ Jesus, who as a man, ⁶ gave Himself to pay for everyone to be free. This is the message that was given to us at just the right time. 1 Timothy 2: 4-6

The salvation of sinners is a task that is nearest His heart, which is why He sent His Son to die and resurrect to bring persons back to Him.

He says: “Go into the world and preach the gospel”.  The Lord has been using obedient Christians to reach out and win people to Himself. And also uses them to do other good works to bring glory to His Name. This is one of the points that underline the importance of obedience in Christian living.

The crux of this article is that we have to live a life of obedience here and now in this world in order to be successful at the end of our respective life journeys.

Please, try to read through this writeup and consider the challenge at its end.

This article reviews obedience in both the Old and New Testaments. It considers its application in the conversion of Saul to Paul.  It then wraps up with the Challenge.

We start with obedience in a few verses in the New Testament. The Lord Jesus Christ states in John 10: 27-28: “27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand”

His sheep follow Him because they hear His voice and obey Him.  They cannot follow Him if they do not hear His voice and obey Him.

In John 15: 14, The Lord says: “ You are My friends if you do what I command”.

These two passages, and many others, emphasise obedience as pivotal in our walk with the Lord.

Going to the Old testament, starting from Genesis: 17: 9 – 11:  Then God said to Abraham, “As for you, you must keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you for the generations to come. 10 This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you. 

Genesis 17: 23 – 26 On that very day Abraham took his son Ishmael and all those born in his household or bought with his money, every male in his household, and circumcised them, as God told him. 24 Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised, 25 and his son Ishmael was thirteen; 26 Abraham and his son Ishmael were both circumcised on that very day.

How do you rate this on the scale of obedience, a 99 year old man, getting circumcised because God told him to do so?

The first instruction to Joshua as he succeeded Moses in leading the Israelites was, recorded in Joshua 1: 8:  “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall read it day and night, so that you may be careful to do [everything] in accordance with all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will be successful”.

From passages of both the Old and New Testament, it can be seen that obedience is a common thread running through the Bible. The Lord states clearly that we should walk in obedience to Him.  The Lord has not left us in any doubt of what He wants us to do.  In Proverbs 23:26, he says: “ My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.”

Considering the conversion of Saul, I would suggest that we may learn some lessons on the importance of obedience from this review,. Now, let us take a look at Saul who became Paul as we read from Acts, 9: 1- 15:

1 And Saul, yet breathing out threats and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,

2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.

3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:

4. And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.

7 And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.

8 And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.

9 And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.

10 And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord.

11 And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street, which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth,

12 And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight.

13 Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem:

14 And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name.

15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:

16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.

17 And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.

Can we see that statement of repentance and surrender by Saul: “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?”

Saul repented of his former zealous but ill-advised ways and completely surrendered to the Lord,  leading to his conversion.

I suggest we can also learn from  the response of Ananias to the Lord’s instruction to go and minster to Saul.

He told the Lord frankly that it was a dangerous journey to make.  Hear him,  from verse 13 “Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem: 14 And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name”.

Yes, Ananias was correct. But was he telling the Lord what He, the Lord, did not know?  He was not. He knew a little bit of Saul’s situation but the Lord knew the total picture about what had happened to Saul which Ananias did not know and could not have known of. 

Can we see our problem? We know  a bit and build our actions on that bit. But the Lord knows the whole picture and invites us to trust Him and do what He commands us to do but often we refuse; failing the Lord and ourselves by basing our actions on the little we know. Faith in the Word of God is the basis of obedience.

The Lord greatly used Paul and he trusted the Lord through thick and thin and he could say in I Corinthians 9: 27: “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway”.  Philippians 1: 21: “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain”. Should this statement be strange, it should not. The Lord Jesus warned:

Matthew 7:22-24 (KJV)

22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock.

25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

26 And ever one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:

27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

The challenge:

Upon what am I building my life? Are you building your life?  Irrespective of how we answer, the Lord knows how each of us is building our lives.

From the foregoing analysis, it is clear that when someone prays: “ Jesus, I know that no matter what I do, you will still accept me.” This is wrong and does not suggest any repentance, surrender and conversion because a converted person will desire to do what the Lord wants all the time. It should not be a case that “since I am a child of God,” I can do whatever I like and be accepted.” I know a church where some people made this statement at the time, I spoke against it but my view was not considered. Sadly, I am not sure of the attendance at fellowship now of some of the persons who were making the statement. Should this be a surprise? No, when people are led to believe that whatever they do, the Lord will accept them, why should it be worrying that they stop attending church service?

It needs to be clearly spelt out that we cannot be children of God if we choose to do what we like and have not repented of the rule we have over ourselves, and surrendered to obey the Lord completely and unconditionally as Saul confessed at his conversion. The Lord requires this of His sheep, who hear His voice and follow Him.  The Lord Jesus Christ warns: “No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish”, Luke 13:3.

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Abhor evil, even if it appears logical, it has its disastrous consequences

The Jewish religious leaders conspired and got the Romans to crucify the Lord Jesus Christ in 33 AD on trumped-up charges, ostensibly to save their nation from being destroyed. On the third day, He rose up in a glorious Easter!!!

In 70 AD, the Romans demolished Jerusalem such that the magnificent temple was so destroyed that there was no stone left on top of the other. Even today, some 1,950 years after, the temple remains not rebuilt.

Yes, “Hate what is evil; cling to what is good”.  Romans 12: 9

^“Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.” 2 Timothy 2:19. Happy Easter!!!

The year is ending, it is New Year around the corner. How prepared are we for the new year, 2023?

Being the best that I can be is a mantra, a slogan, a guiding statement worth aspiring to now, in the coming year, and always.

It translates to the following practical statements.

• In my profession, I shall seek to be the best that I can be.
• In my relationships at home, I shall seek to be the best that I can be.
• In my relationships  at work, I shall seek to be the best that I can be.
• In my community, I shall seek to be the best that I can be.
• In my own small world, irrespective of its size, I shall seek to be the best that I can be.
• In trying to earn an income, I do my level best, diligent and determined and work hard with transparent integrity.
• It is convenient and easy to criticise another person, what about me, what about you, are we consciously making efforts to be the best that we can?
• It is the in-thing, the politically correct practice, to criticise and even condemn politicians. No one says that what is bad is good. But what about you?
• Do we make deliberate efforts to do what is right all the time to glorify the Lord, who always watches and sees what we do?

Some Bible verses to consider on this subject, include the following:

1. Matthew 5: 48:  “But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect”.
2. Leviticus 11:44:   “Be ye holy even as I am holy.”
3. Titus 2:11-14 : “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works”.

Conclusion: The debate has been on-going, whether a person can be perfect here on earth.  Certainly, it borders on lack of humility for anyone to claim to have arrived. No one is good but God alone, so the Lord says, Mark 10: 18.

This of course does not encourage us to continue in any unwholesome and bad behaviour of which we may be guilty at present, because it is the Lord who also commands: “Be ye perfect as your Heavenly Father is.” Matthew 5: 48. Therefore, we need to make efforts to discard such undesirable behaviours.

In spite of our personal views on attaining perfection, none of the passages quoted in the foregoing paragraph encourages us to be quarrelsome and always overly negative and critical in almost all our public and private statements.

The challenge is for us to be a reflection of the Lord in seeking by His help to live a life of moral excellence and be a blessing to others.

 A writer suggests that “the basic call to a person in this world is to be a reflection of the character of God. That is what it means to be created in the image of God.”

chima.okereke@thegospelspeakstoday.com

The Bible states that “the fool has said in his own heart that there is no God”. Psalm 14:1. In everyday life, we often find some people who claim that there is no God. This, they presume, gives them the licence and excuse to live by their own rules. Some of them try, as much as convenient, to ensure that they do not contravene any public rules of law and order. They generally live in their comfort zone.

Some are generous in their interactions and spend on charity. Some live normal lives, trying to be gentle and practise fair play in their ways. While there is a third group whose overriding objective is to look for what is in it for them in everything they do and try to get it. For this third group, doing what is fair to all is way down in their behavioural priorities.

It has been said that there is no person who does not believe in anything. He says he does not believe in God but he believes in himself and just lives for himself. He spares himself no indulgences within his chosen areas of conveniences and comfort. He makes himself an island by refusing normal communication with other people, even those who should be in his small world. In doing this, he short-changes himself by living with counterproductive short-term decisions which have no long-term values. He sadly does himself more harm than good, both in time and eternity.

He does not attempt to worship God. He excludes himself from anything that seeks to accord reverence to the Lord. He says and reasons that he has nothing to do with God, therefore God should have nothing to do with him. He tells himself that the Lord should only be concerned with those who worship and revere Him. This of course is self-delusion.

In spite of his head-in-the-sand behaviour, the Bible states clearly that: “The LORD looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand” Psalm 14:2. The truth is that all we do, including what the self-deluded person does, are being recorded by the Lord. The Lord not only sees everything each of us does but He also knows our motives. We cannot hide anything from the Lord.

Moreover, if a person does not live in obedience to God, he is living in sin.

John 3:36 states that “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”

Proverbs 23:26: “My son give me your heart and let your eyes observe my ways”. This statement underlines the core of the matter.

From Colossians 1:16, we read that God made each individual for a purpose. It stands to reason that He cannot use the person to carry it out if he chooses not to obey Him. This is why obedience is paramount in man’s relationship with God.

This underscores why the Lord will punish those who do not know Him; “In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ” 2^nd Thessalonians 1:8.

Knowing the Lord and living in obedience to Him should not just be seen as only when the person is worshipping the Lord. No please, the Lord is interested in the total life of the person. The personal relationship with the Lord should result in getting the best out of the person for the good of his community and mankind, to the glory of God. The person could be a business professional, a scientist, a medical practitioner, indeed whatever professional, the walk with the Lord should elicit the best out of him so that he will be a delight to his society. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in Heaven, Matthew 5:16. 

Repentance is not an option; it is the only action to take. Unless you repent, there is no way you will escape, you will perish. Luke 13:5. The Lord does not desire the death of a sinner but for the sinner to arouse himself from his self-delusion and come back to Him in repentance in Christ. “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved”.

God knows that we cannot save ourselves or make ourselves right with Him. This is why he sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to come to the world. He lived, died to pay for the sins of all who will believe in Him, rose again, and returned to Heaven. As many as receive Him, He accepts by forgiving their sins and giving them the power to live for Him as children of God, John 1:12.

The opportunity to repent will not last forever; for “It is given unto man once to die, after that the judgement”. Hebrews 9:27. Today is the day of salvation, 2^nd Corinthians 6:2: For He says: “In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

Sometimes, a piece of advice is given that one should “sleep on an issue.” This means to wait to decide on the issue until the following day, after you have thought over it at night.

We read from Luke 6: 12- 13 that the Lord prayed all night, it was the next morning that He chose his disciples. The passage: “ ¹² One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray and spent the night praying to God. ¹³ When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles.”

It is intriguing that the Lord had been with the disciples for some time. Yet, when he wanted to choose the twelve apostles, He prayed all night before choosing them.

Often when we find ourselves trying to make a decision, we feel under pressure to get it done and over with.

In the sad story of Judas Iscariot, he felt bound by the desire to betray the Lord and earn thirty pieces of silver. He had reasoned it all out and was sure that he had it all wrapped up. He convinced himself that the Lord would slip off as He did in the past. Sadly, the Lord was arrested and was about going to be crucified. It then dawned on Judas, that he had betrayed the Lord. He then went on to hang himself.

One lesson to takeaway here is that we should not rush through a controversial decision. If we do, it may end up blowing up in our faces. Therefore, when the urge to decide knocks, we should learn to slow down or even dismiss it.

We could give ourselves twenty four hours at least to think things through and prayerfully weigh its consequences.

Also, in case of Judas, he was a thief as he helped himself to the apostle’s fund as the treasurer. Judas Iscariot “was a thief and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it” (John 12:6).

It was sad that in spite of all the warnings from the Lord, Judas did not repent. The Lord said:  “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21).

The Lord also warned that “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money” (Matthew 6:24).

It is sad that in spite of all these warnings, Judas was bent on going on with the Lord’s betrayal blinded by his desire to earn thirty pieces of silver and refusing to repent of his sinful habit of getting money in questionable ways. He ended up committing suicide. “He who is often rebuked, and hardens his neck, Will suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy” Proverbs 29:1

In conclusion, we should not hurry to make decisions, give ourselves time to think on the issues involved. Also, importantly is it morally correct or questionable? We should  not go on with it if it is questionable, we may save our lives if we do not.

I wrote on this subject because I felt a burden to do so. After preparing it, however, I wondered whether I should publish on such a glaringly physical life-and-death subject with all its sensibilities and emotions. I dragged my feet until, I was jolted into the necessity of discussing the subject when on the 10^th March, I saw a billboard at a bus stop at Steyne Road, London, W3 9NU`, with the following inscription:

“UNITED ACTION AGAINST SUICIDE Today and Tomorrow.”

It was posted by the group named Campaign Against Living Miserably.

Therefore, please, here is the article.

Early in February 2023, I was close to tears when I read of two murders and a suicide committed by a man to his family and himself in the UK. There was another case before then in the US. Indeed, there are many cases in different parts of the world. I wish to suggest that the basis for the decision to commit suicide is ignorance and flawed thinking.

It would appear that the driving reason for a suicide is to get everything over and done with as far as the individual’s life is concerned. There lies the foolery.

Taking one’s life is not really the end, it is only a change to another form of existence. Moving to the new existence does not erase the realities and consequences of the current life. What is the authority for this analysis?  It is discussed next.

Hebrews 9:27: “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment. So, Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.”

This verse emphasises that when the current life ends, judgement follows for the deceased. Therefore, committing suicide is no escape from the problem of the here and now but only moves the problem to the other existence with its consequences.

In effect, the suicidal act has not helped rather it worsens the situation. It is ignorance of the futility of the act that causes someone to embrace it.  If one realises that one’s situation is worsened by the act, then the resort to it should be repulsive and not attractive.

The way out of the dead end that drives and elicits the suicide is to surrender to the Lord Jesus. Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest, Matthew 11:28

Committing one’s life to the Lord Jesus Christ and surrendering to Him is the better way.  His invitation is that we should come to Him irrespective of our burdens and problems. The guarantee is that He cares and shares the problem with you. The solution that you desire may not result immediately or even later but the guarantee is that He will lead you in the way He considers best in your circumstance if you will let Him do so by surrendering and agreeing that He leads you.

The Futility and Folly of Committing a Suicide, there is a Better Way.