Blog Posts

Today’s FOC would be a bit different. A little more interactive. I’ll tell a story, and you try to guess who I’m talking about. I remember some riddles we used to tell back in school. 

I am something, the baby inside me is also pregnant, and the baby inside that baby is also pregnant, what am I?: An Onion.

Perfect! Let us then begin

• I am a group of people; God took us from Egypt to The Promised Land. God led us with great signs, yet we complained at every turn. Who am I? Ans: The Israelites. 

Are you sure? How many of us have experienced the supernatural acts of God, but we still have doubts about His ability to provide, lead, or bring us into His promises?

• I am someone, I walked with Jesus, and I saw Him do so many miracles. I am witness to most of his works, yet I denied him 3 times when people asked me about Him. Who am I? Ans: Peter. 

Are we sure? How many times have we been ashamed of representing Jesus in public? How many times have our co-workers asked us how our weekend went, and we replied just “fine”, instead of boldly saying we went to church? I wonder how many of us dressed up for Halloween in our bid to be socially acceptable. How many times were we ashamed to tell the world that we are Christians, and because of who we are, we cannot do some things with them? How often have our colleagues at work asked us to grab a drink, and we were too scared to say no because “What if this is how they determine who gets promotions?”

Let’s try another one

• I am someone, God made promises to me. He promised me things that I honestly cannot see now. He promised that I would be a living and walking example of a blessing that spans generations. But He’s taking too long. I wonder if He may need some help. Or maybe I misunderstood what He meant. Why don’t I create this alternative called Ishmael for Him? Who am I? Ans: Abraham. 

Hmm but how many of us have created alternatives to what God promised? How many of us have tried to present the results of our iniquity to God for Him to bless? Some of us youth are currently in relationships that we know God disagrees with. But we continue because the biological clock is ticking, and God lives in a realm outside of time. Maybe He is unaware that Humans don’t have time to wait. A sister may be convinced that a brother is the Will of God for her. So, she considers sleeping with him because Brother Godswill may just lose interest in her without her body. 

You know, some of us are very good Christians. We have taken it upon ourselves to protect the integrity of God. The promises of God are beginning to fall to the ground, and we stretch out our hands like Uzzah to support them. Without our help, God will be said to have lied. So, we, in our great power and glorious wisdom, take a sin and force it into the will of God that the name of God be not blasphemed. Then like a Nollywood movie, we end it with “To God be the glory”. So, you find a Christian who stole and cheated to make wealth giving testimonies in church about the prophecies of prosperity coming to pass in his life. Eh, who knows maybe this is how God planned our lives. Maybe the end justifies the means. Maybe God can approve an alternative if His purposes eventually come to pass. Ahh, I’m getting distracted, where were we? We were playing a game. “I am Something”

• I am someone, God sent me to a certain place. But I don’t like the people there, so I won’t go. Instead, I’ll intentionally disobey God. (Unless of course, he sends a big fish.) Who am I? Ans: Jonah. 

Correct, but how many of us have been given certain instructions that we intentionally ignored? How many of us have been told to give to causes, to be the divine helpers to certain people, but we refused? How many of us have been willful and consistent interruptions to the program of God? Many of us have brought major storms, both into our lives and the lives of the people close to us, as a direct result of our disobedience to the instructions of God. 

Many of us have triggered seasons of God’s silence. Not because the Spirit does not speak expressly, but because God will not repeat Himself. No matter how much time has passed, the requirement is that you start from the last instruction He gave. After all, of what use are new instructions when the previous one has been ignored? Isn’t it funny that we call Jesus “Lord”, yet we wish to choose when He can exercise that Lordship over us?

• I am someone. I walked with Jesus. I also saw Him do many miracles, but right now, money is needed, and it doesn’t seem like Jesus will satisfy my needs. So, I might as well make 30 pieces off some others and then I’ll return to Him after I have made it. After all, the kingdom needs financiers. Who am I? Ans: Judas.

 That’s true, but how many of us betray Jesus? Of course, none of us would betray Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. But, for a promotion at work, for 30 minutes of pleasure with a beautiful damsel, for $30,000 more a year. The result remains betrayal; the only difference is the price. 

How many of us have put our jobs over Him? Does it not make sense to pick Sunday Shifts as an extra source of income? I mean, Canada is getting more and more expensive. How many of us have justified our lack of a personal relationship with God with the fact that our Jobs, which we prayed for, are too stressful? “Jesus would understand, right? We are too tired for anything else”. Is it not funny that we reject the hyper-grace doctrine while desiring its benefits? “Jesus understands.” I call it “The Doctrine of Convenience”.

Even Sunday Service attendance is beginning to look like a great sacrifice, and we wonder if the online services would not offer the same experience. Bro Bamidele once aptly said, “Many want the benefits of Jesus without Jesus Himself.”

For some of us, our integrity is very conditional. For as long as Jesus continues to deliver, then “Behold a man in whom there is no deceit.” But when the chips are down, how many of us are willing to lie, cheat, cook numbers in our businesses, and manipulate tax figures for that very important daily bread?

You see, the bible is a truly beautiful book. It outlines every possible path of action that a man can take and its resulting consequence. Paths of Lust, of Love, of Restraint, of Anger, of Fear, of Courage, of Haste, of Patience, of Foolishness and of Wisdom, of Revenge, of Pain, Of Pride and Humility. There truly is nothing new under the sun. Every path we could ever consider has been explored by bible characters. The things that are, have been before. Sometimes, it takes seeing things from the perspective of an observer to understand our errors. That was the reason for Nathan’s parable to David. To hold up the mirror, that the King might see the Thief. I wonder if we also look into that mirror. I wonder if we would find ourselves in the path of Vasti’s disrespect, or Nabal’s foolishness or Absalom’s treachery. Most importantly, I pray we recognize the errors of their characters and correct them before we walk into their outcomes.

Alive by the Word