It is just a matter of time.

Things might not be going the way you planned. Your life might be taking a different turn; maybe you don't even know where your life is heading. you are working so hard and you can't see results, you are trying so hard to make things right but they still go wrong. You look around and it seems the world is on a standstill. I am taking time out this morning to encourage you. It is not over until you say it is over, it is not over until you give up. Please hold on strong. Hold on to God, do not trouble your heart even when you fail, even when you are down, it is not over.

Give it all to God, let Him do it all, let Him work it out. Give it a little time and you will see everything, everything I mean, not just one, everything turn out beautifully well. You will be just fine.

 

20-11 20-12 20-13 –There is a time…..Ecc3:1.

This evening, I turned on my laptop and I was going through some old pictures, then I saw a picture that read “thank you Lord for 2011” and right after it was another one that said “2012, Happy New Year: May every day of the new year glow with cheer and happiness for you and your family.” Looking at these two pictures, all I could ask myself was when the year 20-12 began that we are already counting down to its end. It seemed just like yesterday when we were gathered in church for the cross over service and everyone with great rejoicing cheered and shouted HAPPY NEW YEAR. But when we look back at it now, over three hundred days have passed already and very soon another year will roll in, we would once again wish each other happy new year and then roll into it.

Time is now a part of us and so many us now take it for granted, it is as though time is always there, it will always come, it will always go, and so we choose to just take it that way. We are no longer counting the days, we are no longer counting the minutes and hours that pass by in every single day. Sometimes we even forget that seeing a new day is a gift from God and another chance to make things right. We no longer care about opportunities we miss today because we believe that it will come again in time and so we are not making extra efforts. But the thing is whether we like it or not time is fast moving and once it is gone, it can never come back. It goes and it doesn’t wait.

So as this year rolls out again, I want each person to evaluate himself or herself. What have I done with this year? How many lives have I touched in this year? Have I been the man/woman I promised myself I would be? Have I accomplished as much as I thought I would? Did I forgive as much as I should? Did I love as much as I should have? Am I proud of what I have done this year? Will God smile down on me and say well done son/daughter? Have I been a good leader? Etc.

Really there are so many questions to ask because it is not even about the time flying, it is about what we do with the time. What are we doing with the time in our hands, what are we doing with the chances we get each day, how do we get through the day and how much do we value time.

If you have not been at your best this year, it is not too late to begin again, it is not too late to pick up the pieces and decide to make these remaining days the best part of the year. It is not too late to make a meaning of year 2012.

Time is ticking, time is moving, we are getting older and we are faced with more responsibilities each day. What we do with the times of our life is what we do with our life because each moment affects our life and each life has a time, a season and purpose.

Every purpose is fulfilled at an appointed time. Are you keeping to time or are you just allowing it slip away. Watch the time. Mine says it is time to take action, what is yours saying?  Peace.

To be continued...

 

IT’S TIME TO PACK YOUR BAGS.

Do not let false love be an excuse for you to be in an abusive or hateful relationship.

Love is a beautiful thing, it is a wonderful feeling, it is beauty, joy, happiness, peace and confidence put together in one heart. It is that overjoyed feeling that helps you to see the best in the other person. It brings peace and strength to all who are growing and living in it.

As beautiful as love is, it could be the worst nightmare if you are in partnership with the wrong person or if you have given love another meaning in your life. Many have taken love to mean sex, obsession, suffering, pain, dissatisfaction and abuse. But that is where they have gotten it all wrong. Love is a deep feeling for the other person, a feeling that makes the presence of that person make a difference in your life.  

When you are in a relationship or marriage, you are to grow in love. Love never ends, it is never exhausted, it keeps growing, it keeps expanding, it gets to a point when your heart can no longer contain it, and you have love larger than your heart. This is because loving one person can make you love the whole world in turn. Love makes us better people and that’s why when you are in a relationship where love is well defined, you are at peace with yourself and with people around you. But it is unfortunate today that love has been overused but the truth is, once it is not love, it cannot fit to be love.

Today I will be focusing on people who are in the wrong relationships, people who are mixing abusive relationships, people who got into relationships for the very wrong reasons. In all of these, there is a time to pack your bags and walk away. Getting up and moving on. Stop dancing around the truth, be honest with yourself, the sooner you tell yourself the truth the sooner you can get off.

Love is not always rosy and beautiful, it has its thorns too, remember Christ had to die for us. It wasn’t easy but it was worth it. He knew that by dying, He was giving us another chance to step into the light. Just as the sacrifice of Christ was worth it, you need to know that yours will be worth. In the midst of the storm and trials, you need to have love so strong that you can hold on to. Know your partner’s weaknesses and be sure that you can live above them. After all no one is perfect. While we try to fix things and make things right, we also need to know when it is time to pack our bags and goooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.

There are so many danger signs to let you know that you need to either make amends or get up and get going. These are just a few:

 WHEN YOU ARE NOT COMMITTED TO PRAYING FOR YOUR RELATIONSHIP. Every good thing needs prayer. If you are committed to making your relationship work, you must sow seeds of prayer into your relationship. Even before you get into the relationship or find your partner, you must pray, pray hard because it is a contract of a lifetime. Pray so you don’t fall a prey. WHEN YOU DO NOT MAKE GOD THE FOCUS OF YOUR RELATIONSHIP. Both partners must see love through the eyes of God, so that you can enjoy the love that flows without barriers. A love that is focused on God seeks to do things the right way. Loving selflessly and without shame. No sex before marriage, no abuse, and no fleshy lust. Obeying God as one even in your relationship. WHEN YOU CAN NO LONGER REMEMBER WHY YOU ARE IN THE RELATIONSHIP. Every good relationship must be built on a good foundation and if the foundation has been wrongly built, it can be revisited and built on the right foundation. You can decide to make a move for change. WHEN YOUR PARTNER DOES NOT LOVE YOU FOR WHO YOU ARE. If your partner doesn’t see the best in you or doesn’t accept you just the way you are, you need to sit down and have a rethink. WHEN YOU HAVE TO LIE TO YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS ABOUT YOUR PARTNER. If you cannot confidently tell your loved ones what your partner says or does, you are not just with the wrong person, you are becoming the wrong person. WHEN SEX HAS BEEN REPLACED FOR COMMUNICATION. When you both no longer talk, when it is time to talk, sex takes the lead and you no longer have meaningful conversation and discussion, you need to have a talk. WHEN YOUR PARTNER PUTS YOU DOWN IN PUBLIC AND USES ABUSIVE WORDS ON YOU. That in itself is an insult, you should love each other enough not to intentionally hurt yourselves, there should be a level of respect that flows out of the abundance of love. WHEN YOU FEEL, USED, SAD, WORRIED, DEPRESSED AND UNHAPPY ABOUT YOUR RELATIONSHIP. Love is one of the signs of happiness, so if you claim to be growing in love with your partner and every time you are together you are sad, you do not feel fulfilled, then you need to get up and move on. WHEN YOUR PARTNER SAYS I LOVE YOU AND DOESN’T ACT IT. Talk is cheap. If you are loved, you will know it. Every action and words should spring from a heart of love, not out of envy and deep insecurity. WHEN YOUR PARTNER DOES NOT TRUST YOU OR IS INSECURED. Danger sign. As partners, you must be able to trust one another, trust is a very important factor in every relationship and once it is lacking, there will be a vacuum. WHEN YOUR PARTNER IS VIOLENT. You cannot use love as an excuse to be in an abusive relationship. You need to be true to yourself and take a stand. You deserve better than that. WHEN YOU ARE NOT PROUD OF EACH OTHER. You should love each other enough to show each other off. Walk hand in hand, laugh loudly, defend one another. Why be with someone you cannot show off to world

These are just a few signs that you should look out for in your relationship. It is still a relationship, if it’s not workable, you have an option to walk out before it becomes marriage. Do not console yourself by saying things will get better when you are married or things will change when he has made it in life. It doesn’t work that way. “What you will not eat when you are rich, you forbid it even when you are poor.” It is dangerous to sit and watch when you should be packing up. The signs are there and the options are always staring us in the face, WALK AWAY, ITS WORKABLE, PACK YOUR LOAD AND GO, WE CAN GET PAST IT. Whichever option you will settle for, ensure that it is the best option, do not settle for less.

We all deserve the best, we deserve to be loved, we deserve to be special, we deserve to experience love in the most special and magical way. You can only find that true person who will love you exceptionally from the God of love. That’s why you need to be in love with God and He will give you your own true love. You are precious to God, you are His princes and princesses and you are worth loving. No matter who we are or where we are from, we have the right to love and be loved.

Love is not the absence of weaknesses, but it is loving that person unconditionally even in their imperfections and that is the love that Christ showed. “In that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

When you need to take actions to make things better please do, when you need to fight for it, please do and when you need to pack your bags and leave, please pack and go. Peace

BENJAMIN:TRULY SAD

I was on my way back home on a bike when I got the news. I had just left the house that morning to make a withdrawal at the ATM and then head to the salon. On my way back home I was lost in thoughts, thinking of how my day would go, how to manage my time and ensure that I did all I had to do that day. In the midst of these thoughts, I saw an okada man flash down my okada man just infront of the estate gate. The man stopped and I thought within myself that it’s probably their usual way, stopping one another for change or some other issue. All I wanted was for them to finish and let me go, I was in a hurry. I didn’t know that the information the okada man will give would come to affect me so much.

He said to my okada man “eeyan to mo daadaa ni, a fe gbe lo si mortuary nissiyin ni.” Meaning he is someone you know very well, we want to take him to the mortuary. He was holding up a poster that read GONE TOO SOON and a picture of a fine fair young man as he spoke.

When I saw the picture, I was at a loss for words, it was him, yes him, it was someone I knew, he was my church member, he was that young man that always took me free each time I was on his bike, he would insist that he takes me free. Some days I will see him and try to avoid him, he will find me and still take me free, even days when I formed annoyance, he would still take me free. He was never tired of rendering that service. He did it with the whole of his heart and happily. He was kind at heart and a very loving person. When you see him, he would just smile, he was not a man of many words but he was very helpful. He loved to wear a face cap and each time I see that fair face underneath the cap I just smiled because he was not just an okada man, he was more than that face on the bike.

I didn’t know much about him, even his name wasn’t known to me, but that face, that face, calm and ever smiling, I would never forget. I remember him saying to me one day that he would no longer be regular in church because he moved to a far place but he did promise to come whenever he was able to make it. He was indeed a wonderful person.

I looked at the picture again and all I kept saying was “oh my God” it was unbelievable. I managed to ask what happened and the guy said he had complained of a fever the previous night, he slept and never woke up to see the light of day. I was deeply touched, I couldn’t get over the news.

When I finally got to my destination, I just kept wondering, I kept asking people if they knew him, I needed someone to tell me that he wasn’t the one, that maybe there was another young man who looked liked him but no one did.

That night after my prayer meeting in church, I walked with a torch in my hand to search where they pasted his obituary, just to see again if it was him or maybe I was mistaken, I didn’t see the obituary but conversations I had with people later just proved he was the one. It wasn’t just me he gave free rides; he did to many other people from our church. He would take them and refuse to charge, he was that good. He had every right to collect that money but would not. Oh how I would miss to see that face. You may wonder why his death hit me so hard, I myself cannot understand it but I feel it and each time I think about it, it is always a sad story. Beyond the free rides, beyond his red face cap, beyond his very fair face was a very kind heart and even if I overlooked other things, I would never overlook that.

He was just 28 years when he died. It is a sad death but I am hopeful because God has a reason for everything. He knows the end from the beginning, He gives and He takes. He is not an unfaithful God and for all that happens, there is a purpose.

We cannot question God, we can only mourn with those who mourn and hope that while we still journey on this earth, we fulfil purpose before the owner of life comes to seek it.

Most of us do not know when death will come calling, some know when their time is up, but whichever way it is, please let’s live our lives as if each day is the last. This life we are living is not ours. Let us live it as unto God.

Benjamin, I do not know where you are now but I do pray that you find eternal rest and that God grants your family the fortitude to bear your absence and that your absence will not cause more problems but rather bring peace and unity to your home.

You are fondly remembered by your family, the Glory2Glory House and your friends. Keep resting till we meet to part no more.

BEGIN AGAIN

In life, we want rest, peace, refreshment, enjoyment and love. But sometimes in the midst of this search, we hit the bottom, life seems like an endless journey, debts are high and funds are low. Our dreams and aspiration seem far from fulfilment. But I’ve got a message for you, and it says BEGIN AGAIN.

So many times in life, we look around and it seems like help is coming from nowhere, it feels like every door has been shut on us. We feel empty and all alone. They are trying moments no doubt but those times are there for us to have an understanding of the times, to help us hold on to God, to help us get to a place of fulfilment, but they are never there as a give up sign.

There will be times when all around you seems dark and you long for bright days, run if must, jump if you must but please don’t give up.

Don’t give up when you have failed in sin. Don’t dwell in the sea of guilt, repent, go back to God. Take your eyes off yourself and back on Jesus, get up and get back in the fight.

When the sin that easily besets pounces at your door again to tempt you, dear sister, hold on a little longer, don’t give up.

When you feel weak and weary from within, rather than give up, begin again.

Don’t give up when you lose that brother to sickness, when you lose that sister to that accident, reach that place of hope and begin again.

When you have prayed so hard and the answers seem to be far away, darling give it a little time but never give up.

Don’t give up when the devil’s fiery darts of doubt and disbelief come and make you fret, hold on to the sweet promises of God and refuse to give up.

Do not give up when the pressure is high and troubles multiply.

When you have tried so many times and failed, please mama don’t give up, hold on

Do not give up when the field the Lord has assigned you to is hard and the harvest does not look promising:

Do not give up when your image is damaged because you are trying to be a good Christian and a better believer.

Do not give up when the wait on God seems endless. Stand to your feet and begin again. The battle is not over. You were not created to be a loser. You can fall but it is not your duty to stay in the fall, you have strength enough through Jesus Christ to stand up and begin again.

What you go through is not bigger than you neither is it bigger than your God. Look beyond that trouble, look beyond the pain, focus on Jesus and the strength you have in Him.

If you are going through trying times now, do yourself a favour, hold on to God, do not give up and where you have failed, begin again because God is with you every step of the way and He will not let you fail.

My friends God does not want you to fail so don’t fail yourself.

When it ends bad, don’t just sit there, get up and begin again.

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it (1 Corinthians 10:13).

 

WO-MAN SALT…AFTER GOD’S HEART.

When I started to type this piece on my laptop, I smiled because the first word I typed was wo-mansalt and as expected my laptop drew a red curvy line under the word. Telling me that madam you have entered a wrong word but I know I didn’t because It is my own special word, I have not heard it from anyone, so in my mind as at now o, na me form am and I will tell you the meaning soon.

When God looks to and fro throughout the earth for womansalt, He is not in search of angels. He is in search of you and me, people who are deeply spiritual, genuinely humble, totally honest and servants who have integrity. I am sure you would be wondering by now what womansalt is. Well, it is my own way of saying a WOMANSALT and a MANSALT. The bible likens us to salt. It says “Ye are the Salt of the earth.” That means that we were not planted on earth just to occupy it or be a part of the census. We were put on earth to sweeten it. Therefore a WO-MAN SALT is a man or a woman who is fulfilling the purpose of God on earth by sweetening the earth and what do I call the WO-MAN SALT, they are men and women after Gods heart. 

These set of people are deeply sensitive to spiritual things. They live a life in harmony with the Lord. Whatever burdens the Lord burdens them. They are not gratified by their own fleshy desires. They are honourable and faithful. They cannot be bought, they live above the praises of men and their focus is ever on God.

This reminds me about the story of a certain man, Ogo Ololajulo. Ogo is a prince, and then you know that his father is a king. His father is not one of those unsuccessful kings, He is a rich and very famous king. The wealth of this family could not be quantified. If the king decided to distribute money to his people every day, he would still not run out of wealth. In this kingdom, there was so much peace, prosperity and abundance. But somewhere along the line, the people began to do evil in the sight of this great king. Despite all the warning given to them, they did not heed, they continued in their negative ways. In the midst of their negligence, there arose another prince whose duty was to kill all the people and take them to his own kingdom. This prince was evil and very dangerous. When Ogos father found out his plan, it burdened him and he sought to find solution to the problem. In a bid to save the people, He sent His one and only son Ogo Ololajulo into their midst to deliver them from death. In full obedience to His father, Ogo left the palace, the wealth, the comfort, the peace, the enjoyment; he left them all behind to save the people from the dangerous prince.

When He got there, he realised that there was so much pain, chaos, sickness, trouble and disease all around. He made it a point of duty with the help of His father to heal the sick, bring peace to troubled families, give increase to those who experienced lack; He turned the hearts of many away from destruction and brought them back to light. For as many as have lost one thing or the other, He ensured restoration. With all the great works He did, many turned back to the right part but still some did not depart from their evil ways, they continued to do wrong. Eventually their evil acts led Ogo to His death but before Ogo left their midst, He ensured that He had made more disciples, He had groomed people more like Himself so that the work of His father will continue. He did not think about the pain and shame He would bear for the people, what was most important to Him was for the people not to be left without a shepherd.

 Ogooluwa was a salt on earth, He brought sweetness, hope and change to many lives and in a bid to save them, He died.

I am sure that we are all very familiar with this story. Jesus is the most amazing example of salt, sweetness and hope.

For us to be W0-MANSALT, we need to emulate Christ. We need to stand for the truth, we need to bring sweetness and hope to everyone around.

We cannot be less than a wonder. We must be a solution and we must be Zion branded. We should not be hypocrites; we should live right when we are alone and when we are in the public. It is what we do when no one is looking that tells our true character. You cannot fake it with God. Your clothes, shoes and bags do not impress Him. He is looking for men and women after His Heart not men and women after the flesh. Raise your standard to meet Gods standard. Peace.   

SLOW DOWN BABY, ASK FOR A SLAB

I am a big fan of good music. Music that lifts the soul and strengthens the Spirit. I always want more of those kinds anytime, any day. So today, I would want us to do a song together.  Worry not if you don’t have a good voice, all join. But if you have a wonderful voice like I do “sticking out tongue” that would be very fantastic too. Let’s sing:

My head is spinning like a carousel full of attention

And I cannot deny that I’m enjoying the attention

Crowd is cheering loudly,

World is looking at me

For one second I forget that this is not about me, spotlights on me

Is the world gonna listen that I’m just another vessel bringing glory unto thee

… Ori mi n wu o, E lagimo. – Rooftop MCS ft Cohbams

Many times in life, it is not about how we started but how we end. This song is a reminder to a lot of us that times will come when the fame of the world, when the little change in our pockets, when the flattery of a brother or sister will tend to take us far away from where we are going. When we get to those points, we need to relax, take a deep breath and ask God to hit our head so hard and save it from swelling.

Sometimes you look at yourself in the mirror and say “oh, what a beauty, is this really me? So I can be as fine as this, oh my God is that an obvious curve around my hips, wow. I must now begin to choose the people I walk with or you get a promotion at work and you begin to look down on those who were once on the same floor with you, or somehow a miracle happens in your life that landed you out of the country and you start to form British oyinbo and you suddenly claim that you don’t understand the language of your old friends. Great things just happen in your life and instead of using those great moments to help people; you use it to impress them.  Word of advice, slow down baby, your head is swelling, go get a slab. My Yoruba people will say “ki lo gbe to n gbi?”

Many musicians started from church today, they moved from thanking God, to inspiration and then to promoters of nudity and raw language. Many men of God started with a call from God but soon the flatter and praise of men got in the way and they lost focus. Majority of people today think that they are in the right lane; they think that they are on course. They think because they started well, they are still on track. Many forget that it is not how well you started but what your retaining power is. Many people started the wrong way but they received their slab at a very early stage and have redirected their steps. A lot of people are lost in the flattery and praise of men that they forget that it is not about them, it is about God.

 The bible says “Let he that thinketh he stand take heed lest he fall.” What do you have that you have not received, what can you give to any man that has not first being given to you. It is not in your place to become proud because of your beauty, fame, success or achievements. It was given to you so that others can benefit from it. Has the Lord blessed you so much, has He placed in you great gifts and talents, has He made you fruitful. How do you react to the blessings of God? Do you allow the praise and flattery of men get in the way, or do you focus on God and keep yourself in check with daily slabs from Him or do you enjoy the attention so much that you forget the purpose for which you were placed in that company, the purpose you were made rich, the purpose of which your life is so beautiful, the purpose of which you became famous. Do not thread on other peoples emotion, do not oppress them. Do not become proud that you forget God the giver of all good gifts and you focus on the gift. God is the giver and He sits in heaven as He watches every man, don’t let the gift and call of God be in vain. Be humble, be helpful, be a vessel bringing glory unto God, and don’t let it all get into your head.  If you are moving off course, if you are allowing the praise of people get into your head, if you are forgetting God, if you are enjoying the spotlight, take a minute and slow down darling, go back to God and get a slab.

HAPPY PLASTIC PEOPLE

“…Would it set me free if I dared to let you see, the truth behind the person that you imagine me to be, would your arms be open, would you walk away or would the love of Jesus be enough to make you stay…” – Casting Crowns

When I first heard this song, I wasn’t sure I had gotten the meaning and the lyrics right. But for a long time I just sang along and chewed my mouth were necessary. One day I googled the lyrics, and there it was, staring me in the face. It was true. The world has a lot of those, HAPPY PLASTIC PEOPLE – FAKE. Fake smile, fake love, fake happiness, fake rejoicing, fake this and fake that. We put on our best smiles and our best cloths, just to tell the world that you are better than the next person. Quit seeing yourself as better than the rest, see the best in others too. If Christ felt He was too good to die for a poor, wretched soul like me, I wouldn’t be here.  I am on a voyage:

I am looking for a man who has not failed before,

I am looking for that woman who has not fallen before,

 I am looking for that young lady who has not missed it before.

Sometimes I walk into the church and I feel like the least holy person and I wonder why the world is still so corrupt. I search the eyes of everyone looking for just one person to open up to and help me in prayer through my weakness, but I can see the criticism from where I stand, I can already smell the scent of their judgement even before the words find way to my mouth. So I push it all aside, I act like all is okay. I make people believe that all is well, that I am fine, that I am as strong as I seem, so with a plastic smile, a well made up face and soft hands for a shake, I play my part in the movie called PRETENCE. I place big mighty walls around my weaknesses, I smile to hide every pain and I pray that I get through another day. It continues like that until moments when I can get behind my closed doors, only there can I really fall apart. Only there do I truly come to terms with who I actually am.

I go church with the hope of giving my life to Christ but when I see the eyes of those who have been serving for years almost ripping my clothes off, I say to myself do not worry about what people think you can do this, but still my feet fail me because they have cast the stones. I shut my doors and I hide behind myself.

There is a stage call FALL. You have fallen and I have fallen, some others will still fall. Why act like you have never fallen before, why make the next person who is just rising from a fall seem like the greatest sinner, why make the young lady who is making efforts to let go off her bad habits seem like she does not deserve a chance, why raise your eyes up in disgust when a man falls. You fell and you were given a chance, not because you deserved it but because One who is greater than you saw the best in you when everyone around saw the worse.

Many people have pains they want to share,

Many have habits they want to control,

Many have fears they need a friend to help them get through,

How do you relate to these set of people, you say you are a Christian and you are the first to judge, you say you are a Christian and you are the first to criticise, you say you are a Christian and you are the first to cast the stone. Where is the Christ in you?

When people confide in you, when they dare to let you see the truth behind their real self. Do you open up your arms or do you walk away, is the love of Jesus able to make you stay.

God gave you a chance because He saw the best in you. Give that unloving brother a chance, give that angry sister a chance, give that uncaring mother a chance, give that unworthy father a chance. Help someone get through their pains and their failures. See the best in everyone.

Lets stop the pretence, be you, be real, be bold.

Refuse to be happy plastic, be truly happy.