Category: ..Food for thought…

Posted on

The Farmer, His seed and His good ground

“but other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭13‬:‭8‬ ‭KJV‬‬

The farmer went out to sow. He expected good results. He lost the yield on the seed that fell by the road side, the stony ground and the field of thorns.

Now of the ones that fell on the good soil, some of the seed yielded a 100 fold, some yielded 60 and some others 30 fold returns.

What happened to the ones with 60 and 30 fold? Remember they all fell on the good soil, so the differental is not about the soil now.

We have to also ask the seed about its journey from landing on the soil to harvest time. There are stages of development to go through, there are things going on underneath the ground unseen to the naked eyes looking above the ground. The crops faces its own battles against natural elements and external opposition.

We must remain trusting God throughout all the phases. We must trust God with the processes that we have no control over.

The enemy that snatched the seed from the wayside and brought the obstacles against seed on stony ground as well as the thorns to choke the plant is still around to fight the yield on the good soil.

Those who have gardens know that the winds of life blow against the crops even after they have sprouted and borne fruits. Between the time the fruits show up and they get to ripening, a lot of things still happen that limits the eventual outcome.

Notice there was no record of the sower ever once blaming the good soil for the different levels of results.

Same seed on the same good soil but not all of them produced equal results.

The farmer did not blame the soil in this outcome. He understands that life happens. Winds blow, the sway of life happens, animals pluck out of the budding fruits, birds pick at some of them and the yield on some crops ends up not being 100 percent.

I had a dream where I had the task of carrying eggs across a difficult terrain, a difficult course. Some dogs were chasing at some point and I had to climb over obstacles. The path was difficult. At the end of the journey some of the eggs had fallen off and got broken. I felt bad I lost some eggs along the way, but the person I saw at the end of race did not complain about the broken eggs, he only showed me other tasks and how we can even make more yield in other ways for the farm.

I believe God understands the why of the different yields, he wants us to continue working. I think we should be a little easy on ourselves when some of our endeavours don’t go exactly as expected. Let’s be grateful we had a yield. As long as the soil is still his, the farmer knows to come back again next year to plant some more.

As long as you remain the good soil, keep receiving the seed, the farmer will keep coming back every season. I am learning to expect some difficulties along the way. Nothing ever goes exactly as envisaged or planned. In all cases I trust God to fulfill His purpose in spite of the adverse situations.

Shalom

Olaolu Oyeyemi

Posted on

As we close the chapter on the year 2020

Agreeably the year 2020 has been a challenging one with the world groaning under the affliction of the COVID-19 pandemic. The world cannot wait for the year to end hoping for a better year 2021 ahead. However, as the children of God’s kingdom – even though we are in the world together with everyone – we know that God remains the same, He’s not shocked by the events in the world and He has been faithful to His Word and kept His commitment to His people. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). If we take a moment to look back into the year 2020, consider all our experiences, our wins and our losses, we will see that God has been good to us as He has always been and that we have so many reasons to be thankful. As we close this year reflecting on these things, let us keep on looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). Let us keep standing our ground, listening out for and obeying His instructions, using our God given authority wherever God has positioned us. His will shall ultimately be done in our lives and on the earth.

Have a Merry Christmas and a glorious New Year 2021 ahead. Shalom.

Olaolu Oyeyemi

Posted on

Son of Encouragement

encouragement(Picture from wittybizgal.com)

‘Son of encouragement’- that was the name given to Barnabas. His character encapsulates the theme of my thoughts.

Everybody needs some form of affirmation. I guess it is a human thing. The only thing is that no one should be hung up on seeking approval from every nook and craning just for the sake of affirmation and encouragement.

Jesus Christ is the only example of perfection known to man. He had a perfect self-image and seemingly needed no affirmation from anyone. How I want to be like Jesus! He was fully aware of himself and needed no human being to define him.

However it is key to understand that Jesus Christ being The Word of God in human flesh was in constant communion and communication with His Father, he had his need for affirmation met by The Father. His father made sure he knew how much He loved him and how crucial his assignment was to the God-head, heaven and earth. On the day Jesus was to be baptized in water by John, a voice rang out from Heaven, the Father affirmed His son by speaking out – This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased. (Matt. 3:17). That is a huge statement, and in fact the entire Gospel in my opinion is founded on this declaration. That was good enough affirmation for Jesus to run with, such that when the devil came – like he came to Eve and Adam – in the next chapter to test his understanding of His identity, Jesus was ready to respond to the spirit of doubt and unbelief.

I think all Dads should learn a great lesson from God about taking the time to affirm and encourage our kids – natural or adopted.

I think everyone needs some encouragement and we all have the responsibility to be an encouragement to someone. However, if there’s no one there to give the encouragement, I have learnt to look inward like David, drawing from the Spirit of God to encourage myself. I got to do what I got to do. I have to keep on going.

The bottom line is that God’s love and commitment to His children never wanes. He has loved us with and everlasting love.

“This is the way GOD put it: “They found grace out in the desert, these people who survived the killing. Israel, out looking for a place to rest, met God out looking for them!” GOD told them, “I’ve never quit loving you and never will. Expect love, love, and more love! And so now I’ll start over with you and build you up again, dear virgin Israel. You’ll resume your singing, grabbing tambourines and joining the dance. You’ll go back to your old work of planting vineyards on the Samaritan hillsides, and sit back and enjoy the fruit— oh, how you’ll enjoy those harvests! The time’s coming when watchmen will call out from the hilltops of Ephraim: ‘On your feet! Let’s go to Zion, go to meet our GOD!’””

Jeremiah 31:2-6 MSG.

Shalom!

‘Laolu Oyeyemi.

 

Posted on

Like a thief in the night…He’s coming back.

sky2Hey! Wake Up! Jesus is actually coming back!

I remember the days when a month could hardly go by without a message about the Rapture and the 2nd coming of the Lord. The consciousness of the imminence of His return was popular and palpable. Believers lived wth an expectation of the Lord’s return. Funny and overboard as it may sound, I actually remember instances where people were scared the Rapture had taken place just for the fact that some respected believers skipped a meeting or were delayed keeping an appointment. It was that serious.

Do you remember how it used to be? You know what I mean, there was a conscious expectation of the Lord’s coming in the air.

Well, time has indeed changed and so called ‘knowledge’ has increased, The world is changed , comfort levels have changed, huge strides have been made in the world of science and medicine, the world has ‘shrunk’ seemingly due to advancement in communication and Technology. Societies, cultures, our ways of life, definitions of morals and family principles have changed and somehow it seems the focus of our Christian messages has also changed along with the world.

In the midst of all these changes and as a new generation emerge; we must remember we have a baseline, a reference point, the source of truth, which is the everlasting and immovable word of God.

 I am so grateful that God does not change with time. He himself declared in Malachi 3:6 ‘I am the Lord, I change not’, and mind you ‘that is why you sons of Jacob are not consumed’.

 Human beings do change with time. The most respected of preachers say things and sometimes come back refuting things they claimed were true. Leaders, Organizations and countries do change their policies over time. Surely it is comforting to know that in the midst of all these uncertainties, we have a God who does not change. We have His word to return to in times of chaos and confusion.

I have been thinking about recent events in the world and how day in day out astounding news of evil hit us from the airwaves. Though not new, but nonetheless striking; Terrorism, acts of violence, senseless shooting sprees, sexual profanity and unbridled immorality, corruption all over the world, and have you noticed how sex-laden our commercials have become these days? – Without any considerations for the kids and under-aged, sexual scenes are broadcast in broad daylight when the kids are watching; it all speaks to the moral decadence of our society today. I wonder what will be ten years from now.

In the last days’ perilous times shall come’.

◄ 2 Timothy 3 ►
New International Version1But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.

 

It dawned on me, the word of God says, ‘He will come like a thief in the night’. When no one is expecting.

◄ 1 Thessalonians 5 ►
New International VersionThe Day of the Lord1Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, 2for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

4But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. 5You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. 6So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober. 7For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. 8But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. 9For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 10He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. 11Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

 

   The word of God has not changed. There is a certain ‘day’ of the Lord that is coming and our consciousness of His return should be awakened. ’He that hath ears, let him hear what the Spirit of the Lord is saying’. Selah

 

‘Laolu Oyeyemi.

Posted on

I refuse to wither

lionApathy, doubt, procrastination, indecision, ‘maybes’, ‘what-ifs’ and ‘impossible’ are children of the same parents, Mr. Fear and Mrs. ‘Laid-Back’.

Their hobby is to sit around enjoying the cool breeze of the graveyard where everything is quiet and predictable. They have given up on life, the excitement and suspense of new challenges and sweetness of battles-won. They sit around singing ”Que sera sera’ – whatever will be, will be’. They are content with getting by, they deceive themselves, believing they are immune from shock and crisis.

How wrong they are. ‘Woe to them who are at ease in Zion’, ‘When they say there is peace and quiet, then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains, and they will not escape’, ‘Moab has been at ease since his Youth; He has also been undisturbed, like wine on its dregs, And he has not been emptied from vessel to vessel, Nor has he gone into exile. Therefore he retains his flavor, And his aroma has not changed.’ (Amos 6:1, Thess. 5:3,1 Jer 48:11).

 

My fervent prayer today is;  ‘Lord – do not allow me rest in the place of the dead , when I am supposed to be among the living, pulsating with life. Refresh me when I am tired, Nudge me when I am taking it too easy, push me when I refuse to move.’

I refuse to die off in my daytime. In fact I will never die. I live to die no more, I have the life of God in me. I am alive in Christ for evermore, redeeming the time, not slothful in business, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.

‘Laolu Oyeyemi

Posted on

Let us all Die – today….

thecross
We claim to be children of God,
How much of the world have we changed?
What is our influence in the day to day affairs of the people of our time?
We claim to be lovers of God, how many have we shown the genuine, unbridled and unselfish love of God?
How much are we willing to sacrifice?
Like Jesus did, who are we willing to give our lives for?
I think Christians will really not have any serious impact in our world until we really decide to die to self and self seeking practices and focus on what matters to God – selflessness, which is not natural for a human being to practice. That’s where we need to show that we are in Christ and we can do all things through Christ who strengthen us.
Let us all die today.  I mean die to self, so we can resurrect and really live like Jesus.
Mark 8:34
New Living Translation
Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me.
 Selah.
Laolu Oyeyemi
Posted on

The Race to No-Where

ratrace stop

Perhaps the greatest problem we have as humans is this bane of competition and comparison between us which fuels envy, jealousy and pure pride. It threatens the strongest bond and separates families. It tears friends apart and even divides the body of Christ. Why can’t we just accept God’s unique course for our individual lives and quit looking over the fence at the other person’s yard?

It is interesting to note that It was competition and comparison that led to Lucifer’s rebellion recorded in heaven (Isaiah 14:13-15), It was also competition and comparison that led to the fall of man in the garden as engineered by the same Lucifer: (Gen 2:4-5)  Message Translation

4-5 The serpent told the Woman, “You won’t die. God knows that the moment you eat from that tree, you’ll see what’s really going on. You’ll be just like God, knowing everything, ranging all the way from good to evil.”

Paul in his response to criticisms about his style of ministry in 2 Corinthians 10:12 said:

The Message 2Corinthians 10:12

12 We’re not, understand, putting ourselves in a league with those who boast that they’re our superiors. We wouldn’t dare do that. But in all this comparing and grading and competing, they quite miss the point.

Amplified Version

12 Not that we [have the audacity to] venture to class or [even to] compare ourselves with some who exalt and furnish testimonials for themselves! However, when they measure themselves with themselves and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding and behave unwisely.

There is no way five friends who started out together in High School or even at College will end up the same way doing the same job, in the same city, living in the same type of house, driving the same type of cars, and all having the same lifestyle. It’s just not how life is wired.

We all have different lives and destinies in God and the earlier we realize this, the better for all of us, and the better for the church and humanity at large.

I am praying for God to help me, lest I fall into the same trap, this rat race everyone seems to be swirling in, and if I am already in it, that the Lord should help me drop out of such a fruitless and endless labour, running in circles against God’s will and purpose for my life.

What would make you not rejoice whole heartedly with a brother or sister when you get to hear of a blessing or breakthrough in their lives?

Have you ever caught yourself quickly scanning such news through your filter of comparison, trying to size yourself up with the other person in the light of their new elevation? Your reaction to the person then spins out of your assessment and how you view yourself compared to them. Such reactions are based on the flesh (sinful nature) and rooted in pride.

Most people would hardly own up to pride, but if you still harbor envy, malice or disdain and disrespect for others based on their status in life, then you may want to seek the help of the Holy Spirit in examining your heart again.
That is it, right there, some of the reasons our community will never be as powerful and blessed as God intended, why our families are falling apart, why our churches and ministries are growing weaker by the day, how we open up ourselves to the afflictions and attacks of the enemy on daily basis – competition and comparison.

I ought to love the Lord with all my heart, soul and might, then I ought to love myself appreciating and thanking God for where I am today and looking ahead to what is in store. The next task is to love the people of God and appreciate God’s goodness in their lives. I do not want what belongs to someone else – that would be covetousness, all I want is what God has for me and that would be just be sufficient for me.

I have come to understand that before I can effectively love other people the way God wants me to love them, I need to first of all love and accept myself, the way God made me, the gifts and abilities he gave to me and the unique course my life is meant to take. Diversity is one of the principles on which God founded the universe. God made everything perfectly and beautifully yet not one creature is exactly the same as the next. Even when animals are of the same species, they each have their unique signatures (DNA), plants may look alike, but they have their differences. Human beings are meant to be unique, even when they share the same womb and come into the world at the same time as twins, they still have their individuality.

In the wise words of my parents and my grand parents before them

 “We do not time ourselves, working with someone else’s time-piece”

That would be foolhardy.

It is time to stop looking over the fence trying to be someone’s duplicate, it is time to look within, find out and appreciate what makes you ‘the you’ you are meant to be and indeed shine.

 

“Man is not man’s idea

Man is God’s idea

Man’s success is not Man’s idea of success

Man’s success is God’s Idea of Man’s success.”  (Author unknown)

 Shalom

Laolu Oyeyemi.

_______________

Beloved,  I am excited you are reading this piece and I hope it was not a waste of your time.

I’ll like to know you read this and I’ll appreciate you dropping a note. Thank you.

Posted on

The Christmas Story Retold – The ‘I’ version…

(Please listen to the ‘I’ version of the nativity story…)

If I was Jesus:infant-jesus-born

  • I would have been so busy managing the angels, I would think twice about leaving everything behind.
  • Back in Heaven I would have be so dignified, it would have been too difficult stooping so low as to becoming a ‘bloody’ human being susceptible to unthinkable abuse and disrespect.
  • If at all I agreed to become a human, at least I should be born to the richest and best of parents – possibly a prominent king somewhere.
  • I would definitely not agree to make an entry in a dirty stable. Give me the cleanest and most comfortable inn or hospital bed.
  • Kings and Queens from all over the world – preferably not shepherds, should be the ones to come welcome me.

Thank God Jesus thought differently.

Check this out:

Philippians 2:5

The Message (MSG)

5-8 Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.

If I was Joseph:

  • How In the world would I agree to proceed with the marriage with my supposed wife pregnant with a baby? Is someone taking me for a fool? Ok. I had a dream and I saw an angel. How can I be so sure the dream is from God? Why did God not consult with me first before striking an agreement with my bethrothed?
  • OK, now I have agreed to marry her, but surely God would not expect me to wait for so many months, till the child was born – before consummating the marriage? I just cannot wait for that long.
  • Why go through the trouble? Running from ‘pillar to post’ because of a child I did not actually father?

We thank God Joseph was an honorable man:

What if Joseph had despised the sanctity of God’s plan and purpose and had forced himself on Mary before the baby was born? That would have surely given rise to further doubtful questions about the virgin birth of Jesus the Saviour.

Check this out:

Matthew 1

The Message (MSG)

18-19 The birth of Jesus took place like this. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. Before they came to the marriage bed, Joseph discovered she was pregnant. (It was by the Holy Spirit, but he didn’t know that.) Joseph, chagrined but noble, determined to take care of things quietly so Mary would not be disgraced.

20-23 While he was trying to figure a way out, he had a dream. God’s angel spoke in the dream: “Joseph, son of David, don’t hesitate to get married. Mary’s pregnancy is Spirit-conceived. God’s Holy Spirit has made her pregnant. She will bring a son to birth, and when she does, you, Joseph, will name him Jesus—‘God saves’—because he will save his people from their sins.” This would bring the prophet’s embryonic sermon to full term:

Watch for this—a virgin will get pregnant and bear a son;
They will name him Immanuel (Hebrew for “God is with us”).

24-25 Then Joseph woke up. He did exactly what God’s angel commanded in the dream: He married Mary. But he did not consummate the marriage until she had the baby. He named the baby Jesus.

 If I was Mary:

  • I could have asked: Why me? Why did you choose me for this experiment? Now I am open to ridicule, disgrace and the risk of being stoned to death.
  • I could have thought – Am I not free to exercise my free will and terminate this strange pregnancy?

If Mary was a different kind of person and acted irresponsibly – what would have happened to the baby Jesus?

Check this out:

Luke 1

Amplified Bible (AMP)

26 Now in the sixth month [after that], the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee named Nazareth,

27 To a girl never having been married and a [v]virgin engaged to be married to a man whose name was Joseph, a descendant of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.

28 And he came to her and said, Hail, O favored one [[w]endued with grace]! The Lord is with you![x]Blessed (favored of God) are you before all other women!

29 But when she saw him, she was greatly troubled and disturbed and confused at what he said and kept revolving in her mind what such a greeting might mean.

30 And the angel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found grace ([y]free, spontaneous, absolute favor and loving-kindness) with God.

31 And listen! You will become pregnant and will give birth to a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus.

32 He will be great (eminent) and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to Him the throne of His forefather David,

33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob throughout the ages; and of His reign there will be no end.

34 And Mary said to the angel, How can this be, since I have no [intimacy with any man as a] husband?

35 Then the angel said to her, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you [like a shining cloud]; and so the holy (pure, sinless) Thing (Offspring) which shall be born of you will be called the Son of God.

__________________________

Blow the Trumpet:

–      Jesus gave up everything to come to our physical and natural world in order to live and die as a man for mankind. One can liken that to a fully grown human being turning to an ant in order to go resolve an issue in the ant colony. Jesus was humble, selfless, sacrificial and obedient to God the father. He is our perfect role model and the Bible says we should emulate Jesus having the same mind as he demonstrated (Philippians 2:5-8).

–      Mary was declared blessed among women, a unique choice, she received the holy calling of God with all meekness and readiness of heart. God found her worthy to be the one to carry out heaven’s assignment. Everything was at stake. Yes, God is omnipotent, but he still needed this earthen vessel to incubate and nurture the seed, the Word that became Jesus.

–      She did not abort the pregnancy, neither did she carelessly endanger the baby’s life before and after birth. She took good care of Jesus and was with him all the way. She was a faithful mother and servant of God. The world surely needs more exemplary women like Mary in our generation.

–      Joseph was a man of integrity and honor, a man God could trust with the life of His son. God is looking for more men like Joseph in our days, Men who will lay everything down for their family and their faith in God. Joseph played a key role in the bringing to birth of Jesus, he was born for this purpose and he fulfilled his calling of being a honourable earthly father to Jesus the Lord.

As we celebrate another Christmas season, let us study, learn from and emulate these major characters in the glorious history of the birth of the Saviour of the world.

Shallom!

Laolu Oyeyemi.

Posted on

Time to draw up my list: Christmas gifts

It’s that time of the year again, when you compile your list of recipients, make plans and buy gifts for family, friends and….wait a minute…

I need to actually review my list and check out who made it in this year.

It appears I have been spending money buying gifts for the same set of people every year. While some recipients are genuinely appreciative, some other ones manage to let out some shallow ‘thank- you’ but really it’s obvious they do not appreciate the gifts.

Well, this year, I need to pause a little while and ask myself some serious questions begging for honest answers. Why am I giving out these gifts and who should I be sending gifts to?

I’ll like to ask myself; If I ask the Lord who should be on my list this year would His list be different from mine?

What will He have to say about my list? He probably will ask me for the motive behind my giving. Honestly the motives might not be far-fetched;

–          Please people, remain in their good books.

–          Prove a point to someone, who might actually never change their minds about me anyway

–          Give them because they also gave me last year…..

And some other reasons best known to me..

Who will the Holy Spirit have me extend a hand of love and care to this Christmas?

–          An unbelieving neighbour?

–          A gang member across the street?

–          A lonely single Mum or Dad?

–          Uncared for kids in my neighbourhood?

–          Someone around desperately seeking for love and a sense of value and self worth?

–          Homeless folks?

–          A self proclaimed enemy who will never expect anything from me?

The list of unlikely recipients goes on and on.

Matthew 25:40

The Message (MSG)

37-40 “Then those ‘sheep’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?’ Then the King will say, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.’

I am only saying, do something different this year, obey God and let Him answer someone’s prayer through you. Be there as God’s instrument to show someone he or she is also cared for this Christmas season.

This is a seed for the Holy Spirit to brood on in your hearts this season.

Merry  Christmas!

–

‘Laolu Oyeyemi.