1)            So many times I listen to the so-called wise sayings of man’s philosophies; but, as sound as their portrayal exude, I just laugh. I laugh at the hollowness of reasons attached to them. They, a lot of the philosophies, fail to satisfy God’s protocol. Why? Quite unbeknown to the human mental perception is the fact that a lot of man’s supposedly wise sayings are bejewelled with the gaud of Satanism. One of them is a recording of the great Jimmy Cliff. The song says, “Opportunity only knocks once, grab it fast or you lose your chance”. We sang it with so much gusto. Beautiful lyrics, captivating sounds arrangement, we are agreed, by the Reggae super-star.

Martha and Mary listen to Jesus

Each time a sermon invites one to the altar call of spiritual regeneration, it is an opportunity to be born again. Every time a proclaimer of the gospel approaches an individual, offering to lead him in the sinner’s prayer, giving him an opportunity to make a volte-face turn from the impending hell bound of those who do not have the salvific relationship with Jesus, it certainly is another opportunity. Some heard the same call, Church Services after dozens of Christian worship days before they finally decided, “I’m going to do it tonight!” For some others scores of proclaimers had to knock on the door of their homes or met them at different places before genuinely agreeing to say the prayer of salvation. In each of these cases does the philosophy of ‘opportunity only knocks once’ apply? Each time of a thousand times is actually the second chance, as far as God is concerned, explained Reverend Chris Okotie.

Every blessed day of an individual’s life on terra firma is an opportunity to get it right. Amen.

How many days of accruable opportunities can one find in the one hundred and twenty years of Noah’s evangelism to the incorrigible antediluvians of his days? The repentance opportunity kept knocking at the doors of their hearts: every sunup to sundown days of the one one-fifth centuries of the antediluvian age. How do I know that he preached for 120 years? Noah began to be a progenitor at the age of five hundred. He made his entrance into the ark for safety from the great deluge at his six hundredth year age.

Through the obedience of Noah’s family, the world got another opportunity to live.

What accounts for the twenty years’ difference is contextually found, in my firm understanding, in Genesis 6:3 “And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.” The Hebrew for ‘yet’ is wᵉ (wɪˈ), a conjunction prefix, meaning: ‘however, so then; emphasizing even, indeed.’ It expresses the thought of ‘though man deserved a speedy judgment’ he has 120 probationary period of years. This, according to this context, happens to do with the probationary proclaiming ministry days of Noah. This shows that Noah had received this prophetic office before the birth of his progenies, twenty years earlier. 1Peter 3:20 “Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.” The underscoring other verse is 2Peter 2:5 “And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;” as the antediluvian prophet and preacher of an impending calamity.

God is love

There is no ritualistic waiting for the opportunity to do a knuckle ram to be observed. When the need arrives, just take it. Psalm 145:18 says, “The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.” It is actually at every turn of a need that beckons on opportunities to seek the LORD’s face. Opportunity is not the thing that establishes a need; it only reminds you of your desired slant. Why would someone see an opportunity to be 100,000 dollars richer and will snub it? The amount in question is huge, and a host of people will kill to have it. Why someone will not have the need for it is simply because he has his eyes on what makes him two million dollars richer. The need brings opportunity into prominence, and not the other way round.

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Praying the sinner’s prayer as it is contained in Romans 10: 8-10 is the prayer of salvation that gets one born again. This settles the spiritual quarrel man has with God. To get born again, say this prayer, with all your heart:

Dear heavenly FATHER, I come to You now in the name of Jesus Christ. I believe in my heart that Jesus is the Son of God. I believe that Jesus died for my sins. I believe that You raised Jesus Christ from the dead. I confess with my mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord. Today, I receive Jesus Christ as my Lord and my Saviour and I give God all the glory. Amen.

(…to be continued…)

The 2nd part is here

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