Too Good To Be True
December 7, 2001 • By Ed Wrather
12.07.01
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. - John 1:12-13.
The email I received from an attorney in Lagos, Nigeria appeared to be very official and personal. It was a “Notification of Bequest”. Wonderful news! The notification stated in part: “On behalf of my late client late Pastor Polycarp Ekeocha, I write to notify you that my late client - Pastor Polycarp Ekeocha made you a beneficiary to the bequest sum of Four Hundred and Seventy Thousand US Dollars (US$470,000) in the last codicil to his last will and testament... According to him, he is giving you this because of your involvement in Christian activities and in making better the world’s situation... You are therefore required by this notification to confirm your ownership to this legacy by forwarding photocopy of any of the following proofs of identities... Best Regards, David Attah (Head of Chamber).”
Since I had received some previously suspicious emails from Nigeria I used a search engine to check out David Attah and Pastor Ekeocha. David Attah does appear to be an attorney but I found several instances of the exact same email having been sent to other Christians and Christian organizations. According to the information I found - once they are in contact with you fees are required for processing and for various things bleeding as much money as they can from those involved. Internet scam is the third largest industry in Nigeria! It was another example of something that was simply too good to be true.
Sadly, many carry over the situation of the world to the spiritual realm and are unable to believe that we have a God so good that His own Son would die (John 3:16) for our sins. It is hard for us to comprehend that the Creator of the Universe desires to adopt us in to His royal family and make us joint-heirs (Romans 8:17) with Christ. We don’t deserve it. But it is true! God loves us (sinful mankind - Romans 3:23) and has provided a way (Jesus - John 14:6) for us to be reconciled to the Holy, Righteous God. What must we do to become a part of the royal family and have our sins washed away? We must receive/accept the gift of Jesus Christ. Turn from our love of the world and turn to God. We can never deserve, never fully comprehend Him (Jesus) but by faith we receive Him (Jesus) and are born (John 3:3) into the Kingdom of God.
God has bequeathed to you the glorious riches of Jesus Christ (Philippians 4:19). There is no cost or hidden fees, it is a gift (Ephesians 2:8-10). Claim your inheritance today! Receive Him!