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TURN

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The book of Luke chronicles three very famous parables of Jesus in its 15th chapter. These are the parable of the Lost Sheep, the parable of the Lost Coin and the parable of the Prodigal Son. In case you don’t know, a parable is a simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson, as told by Jesus in the Gospels (Oxford Dictionary). These 3 stories were brilliantly arranged by Luke to tell a concise and consistent story. The main message is the subject we will be discussing with some references to the parables but I highly recommend that you read the entire thing in Luke chapter 15.

In the first two parables, Jesus uses a word that is sadly becoming unpopular today: “REPENT”. In the past, the word was associated with the archetype of the angry preacher yelling damnation at people. However, seeing that our Lord used this word Himself, it will do us good to separate the word from this stereotype and understand as Jesus meant for it to be. The Greek transliteration of the word is “metanoeō” which means to change one’s mind. It means that the repeated phrase Jesus made in verses 7 and 10 can be rewritten as “there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that changes their mind”

This change of mind is said to be something that Heaven rejoices about. I take this detour from our line of thought to establish a point. The sinner’s repentance or change of mind is something that is not in the control of Heaven or any supernatural force. This is why there is rejoicing. This change of mind is completely controlled by the will of a man. Therefore, Heaven’s best efforts will only present a compelling argument to the man but he or she can reject that argument no matter how convincing. In the event that someone, anyone makes that change of mind, Heaven rejoices. The third parable illustrates this perfectly.

The parable of the Prodigal Son has some odd bits that can help us in understanding this dynamic. For reference, the Father represents God and the prodigal son represents the Sinner. In this parable, the son asks his Father for all of his inheritance and the Father gives him. We know nothing about how the Father feels about this until much later but we do know the Father does not try to stop him. The son squanders his wealth and becomes painfully aware of his need. All through this experience, there is no interruption from the Father. Finally, the son makes a decision. He changes his mind about living on his own dime. In other words, he repents!

How did this happen? What caused repentance? How does a sinner come to change his mind?

The key is in verses 17-19:

“When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home, even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’ (Luke 15:17-19 NLT)

At this point we see a very important action the son took: he said to himself. This is important because the bible tells us that Faith comes by hearing and for that to happen there must be a preacher (Romans 10:14-15). Consequently, 1 Corinthians 1:21 (NLT) says:

Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe.

This means that the ordinary human cannot just think through repentance; we have to have it preached to our minds – even if the preacher is ourselves. In some supernatural situations, the preacher is supernatural like in the case of Paul before he became an apostle in Acts 9. Somehow, every sinner will hear the word of God, every sinner will have the chance to change their mind, to repent. The prodigal son preached to himself and glory to God, he repented.

In verse 20, we see two important things that bring our discussion to a sweet close. First, a change of mind naturally leads to a change of action. Once the prodigal son was convinced of his state and what he needed to do, the next verse opened with “he went and did it”. Many people in our present day cannot reconcile this transition with their lives because we assume that these steps happened speedily. While I cannot make any inference as to how long each phase lasted, I can say from experience that the “preaching” phase is the longest one. Our minds are not quick learners, it takes persistent and consistent preaching for our minds to change. Think of how long it takes for a child to start speaking fluently – Years! It takes even much more for an adult to learn a new language, yet all these are systems that we are naturally inclined to. For a spiritual lesson, our minds reject it but the key is to keep on preaching. Sometimes, we assimilate things intellectually but our minds do not budge. We agree but we do not believe. This is tricky but from verse 20 we learn that the clearest proof of a change of mind is a natural inclination to want to change your actions.

Secondly, we see that in verse 20, the Father responds early and massively at the instance of his son’s repentance. From His response, we can infer that He had been waiting for this moment. We can now see that He considered His son lost and dead when He left. This cannot be easy for any Father. It is not easy for God either. So when His son made that crucial change, He was overjoyed. As great as this joy is, the best part is that the Father took over the responsibility for His son’s restoration. The son did not have to work for His father’s favour or earn his way into salvation. His Father welcomed him immediately and set up a system for the son to be restored. This is what distinguishes Christianity from every other religion in the world. We believe and God does the heavy lifting. Where every other religion gives you a list of things to do, Christianity gives you a list of things to believe, to be convinced about, to change your mind, …to repent.

I will close this off with a very important lesson. It is our job to preach to ourselves or expose ourselves to the word of God. God will not do that for us. However, what we expose ourselves to is now more crucial than ever. Self-help motivations won’t do. Tips and tricks will not work. Our minds are very hard to convince and it truly takes something out of this world to convince them. This is what Christians say that it is the Holy Spirit that does this work. I agree with this notion but the bible actually tells us that the Holy Spirit convicts us by reminding us of the words of Jesus. On this premise, I can boldly say that the functional element for repentance is the Word of God. The Bible puts it this way:

For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. (Hebrews 4:12 NLT)

This means that if you can diligently expose yourself to the preaching of the word of God either by yourself or others. It will only be a matter of time and your mind will cave in. When this glorious event happens, Heaven will rejoice. Even you will notice that something has changed because your desires will switch and what once looked like an unquenchable thirst will be replaced by peaceful satisfaction. The best part is that God, your Father will take responsibility for your restoration. Like the Father in the parable, He will set it all up and you can just rest in His embrace. It really is that simple.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

Turn Your Eyes upon Jesus Chorus by Helen H. Lemmel

Grace and peace family.

Ezeonyeka Godswill
(c) 2023

Kindness Versus Love

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Kindness is a display of charitable behavior towards someone, while love means a profound and caring affection towards someone. Clearly, kindness and love don’t mean the same thing. Kindness is what one shows to the outsider, while love is for the insiders. It’s not rightly acceptable to say you are kind to your own children. You simply love them. You are to be kind to someone out there but loving to your own family. Thus, love is certainly of a higher value than kindness.

The prodigal son’s elder brother only knew and lived on their father’s kindness. He never knew nor understood their father’s love. He kept doing many things to please the father who was already pleased with him. On the day his brother returned home, the Scripture apprises to us that he was in the field till quite a later time of the day, whereas the main servants were already at home. One would wonder what he was doing out there all alone. By living only on his dad’s kindness, he only could SOMEDAY expect to receive a kid goat from his dad, when everything, including the fatted calf which was later killed for his brother, was for him to enjoy had he understood his dad’s love.

Hmm, it’s sad to know that many children of God are living exactly like this prodigal son’s older brother. They only know of God’s kindness, never His love all their life. They relate with Papa God as His hired servants when they are actually His beloved children. And mere kindness never gets anybody the best, only love does, always. God is kind toward everybody but especially loves His own children. You may have started on God’s kindness, as we all somehow do, but you don’t remain there. You need to move on to knowing and receiving God’s love that you may experience and enjoy God’s best in life henceforth.


The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

Jeremiah 31:3
Funmi P. Adebayo is a preacher of the gospel of Christ and believes that His gospel covers everything, as God is God of all things without an exemption at all. God has helped him found a ministry by the name, THE SIMPLE LIFE OF CHRIST MINISTRY (AKA THE RESTING PLACE), the platform through which God’s Spirit is helping him to reach out to the world with the simple message of Jesus Christ and by the demonstration of the Spirit and of power, which is solely for the defense and the confirmation of the same gospel of Christ.
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The Evening Will Tell

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When we think of a group of children in an open place, somehow playtime should come to mind. During holidays or weekends, children could be seen gathering at the house of one person. They will play together and have fun. Sometimes some mothers will serve all of them some snacks. These children can sometimes get along so well, that if a total stranger happens to come around, they may not know whose child is which. But no matter how long they stay and play together, the evening time will always reveal who among them belong(s) in that particular house. The rest will have to go back to their respective houses one way or another.

Jesus said that the servant does not remain in the house forever, only the son does. We may all be rolling together now like we are God’s children, but the evening time will reveal who really is God’s; those who will remain with God. Those who aren’t will surely be sent away. Unlike the children’s case, only two homes are involved here, God’s and the devil’s. If you aren’t God’s, you are automatically the devil’s. So, as we all appear to be God’s children now, playing together at this temporary home, called earth, while God keeps serving us some good meals, do make sure you are God’s indeed. Don’t wait till the evening time before you know where you belong.

Please, thoughtfully answer this, Are you a son or a servant?

[34]Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth (is doing) sin is the servant of sin.
[35]And the servant abideth not in the house forever: but the Son abideth ever.

John 8:34-35

– Funmi P. Adebayo
(c) 2022

Funmi P. Adebayo is a preacher of the gospel of Christ and believes that His gospel covers everything, as God is God of all things without an exemption at all. God has helped him found a ministry by the name, THE SIMPLE LIFE OF CHRIST MINISTRY (AKA THE RESTING PLACE), the platform through which God’s Spirit is helping him to reach out to the world with the simple message of Jesus Christ and by the demonstration of the Spirit and of power, which is solely for the defense and the confirmation of the same gospel of Christ.
Download Funmi’s maiden e-book

Simply Be Your-Christ-You

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Live your life not to try to PROVE a point to anybody, but to simply MANIFEST the manifold wisdom of God in you everywhere. Note that proving and manifesting are not the same. You may prove a point that you don’t necessarily live by and still be applauded by many. But who you really are, at the core, will surely manifest one way or another, especially in pressing moments.

Who you are is who you are

You don’t have to prove it to be approved of men. You just spontaneously live it out before all, both privately and publicly. No double life! No double living!

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

Galatians 2:20
Download Funmi’s New E-Book
Funmi P. Adebayo is a preacher of the gospel of Christ and believes that His gospel covers everything, as God is God of all things without an exemption at all. God has helped him found a ministry by the name, THE SIMPLE LIFE OF CHRIST MINISTRY (AKA THE RESTING PLACE), the platform through which God’s Spirit is helping him to reach out to the world with the simple message of Jesus Christ and by the demonstration of the Spirit and of power, which is solely for the defense and the confirmation of the same gospel of Christ.

BE CHRIST’S LIGHT IN THIS WORLD

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The system of this world is of darkness and we are not called to blend with it. We are called to be THE LIGHT OF CHRIST according to how it’s clearly noted in the Scripture of Truth. It is a decaying earth that we live in and we are to be the salt thereof for its preservation. But Jesus spoke of the possibilities of the salt losing its salinity and the light becoming darkness.

May we not fulfill this part of the prophecy, for it will surely come to pass on some and that has been happening since time immemorial. It’s a choice everyone will have to make, which part they’ll fall in.

Have you downloaded Funmi’s New E-book

The truth provided in this book will serve as a great tool in your hand to successfully and with ease navigate your path through life. You will walk in God’s understanding about everything concerning you and never be confused again on any matter of life. All this will always put your heart at rest. So make sure you peruse this book for proper application afterward.

Learn more

– Funmi P. Adebayo
(c) 2022

Lover of my soul

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God is simple, very loving, and understanding. The generations of humans might have made God look hard, inconsiderate, and unloving, yet they can’t change who God is. He is a good God, Who cares for everything He created. He is a loving, caring, and very responsible heavenly Father Who planned the best right from the foundation of the world for His children, whom He made in His own image and after His own likeness. He is ever faithful and good. Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever. He gives good things always to His beloved children. Get to meet with this God for yourself.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

James 1:17

– Funmi P. Adebayo
(c) 2022

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DRIVEN

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Before I wrote this, I was watching a YouTube video. Was it the best use of time? Well, I’ll let you be the judge of that.

The subject of this particular video was Elon Musk and if you know much about this enigma of a man, you would understand the awe poured so lavishly into the language that was used.

However, one word jumped at me.

Driven

I have come across this word too many times in my short life and I do believe that it stirs up the same stereotype in most minds – the individual walking as though blind to the world around them. Consumed by passionate zeal, they pursue some goal almost to a fault. When they are successful, they lead humanity to a new frontier and when they are not successful, they become a cautionary tale.

Driven

However, what struck me in thought and compelled me to write this is the more literal iteration of the word.

To be driven in more literal terms assumes one very important thing – the loss of a will. 

It implies that something or someone else is in control. Thus, you are DRIVEN by a DRIVER. I believe this concept is not in any sense novel to most people because it is obvious, but I also believe it is so obvious that its essence is missed.

We attribute the word as a descriptor for high-achievers and purposeful people in our society without realizing that if success would be an ideal, then there is a compulsory need for one’s will to be so lost in someone or something that it dictates how their life will be lived.

Driven

I hope this should cost you a moment of conscious thought because most of us would agree that we wish to do something great with our lives. I want that for myself too and in considering this word, I remember that great things come at a cost no less than surrender.

The word “surrender” may feel like old English in this century but I believe it is quite the perfect synonym for “driven”.

To be driven is an act of surrender.

It might not seem obvious in our day because cars do not have a will. Thus, if living things are the only entities with a will, how can we operate as non-living so that we can attain goals that are otherwise unattainable?

At this point, I turn to words I have trusted for most of my life.

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Romans 12:1-2

I find the concept of a living sacrifice to be odd and I cannot claim to fully understand but it does help us, in this case, to give language to the idea of being driven despite having a functional will.

Basically, to be driven is to be alive but to live as though dead. The great thing though is the next verse presents us an action point to being living sacrifices (aka driven) and that is to be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Two things to note in this verse include the acknowledgment that this is a transformational process and that the solution is an ongoing activity. Put in perspective, the verse insinuates a need for a change and emphasizes that this change can only happen through repetitive and consistent action.

Driven

Armed with the knowledge that we are not born with the ability to be driven and the need to acquire this status by consistent action, one would assume that I can now go ahead and be the best I can be. The unfortunate reality though is that even though I can, I do not necessarily engage.

I think many would read this and understand how crippling this thought can be. Apostle Paul, who wrote the scripture above actually confessed to this same struggle just a few chapters before this one.

The vicious cycle of wanting to do your best and flaking out when the work comes thus leading to the need again is one that is familiar across time and place. It is why we look at the likes of Elon Musk and say with utmost certainty, something else must be in control.

Driven

We could go down that lane and discover some great gems, but I would like to infer something I think to be quite interesting. Remember that from the portion of scripture quoted above, we know that one has to engage the consistent action of “renewing the mind” to undergo the transformation necessary to become a living sacrifice (aka driven).

My inference is that some activities which we would consider as being driven are in fact how we can get to be driven. By this I mean, that “renewing the mind” can often look like the car (you) is already in motion (driven).

I think renewing the mind is necessary before you are driven, and it is how you stay driven. Let’s call it the fuel.

Driven

I would like to end this with what I believe “renewing the mind” looks like. Glory Aimufua, a dear friend of mine once communicated a concept that struck me as odd. In her words, she believed that to do anything well, one had to “brainwash” themselves by engaging consistently with it. I think this is similar to what I believe “renewing the mind” to be.

To undertake a proper brainwash, one would have to be disciplined enough to regularly have intentional contact with that concept or context. In essence, renewing the mind is providing your mind the opportunity to access the thing you desire to be driven by.

I like the terms “renewing” and “transformation” because it points to something very important and that is as you create these intentional instances of contact, you are in effect giving your mind a newness and/or a different form.

It then makes sense that after making a habit of renewing our mind, you seem to be a different human – one that is possessed by an all-consuming passion.

Driven

I hope you see that to be driven, much like a car there is a very important need to first build the momentum to at least start. I also hope that you are aware of the very real risk that whatever you do this with, will drive you.

This is a good thing because to make the journey to success you cannot drive yourself, you must be driven by something or someone else.

In summary, it is an illusion to imagine you are the driver. I am more inclined to say, you are the car, but you can decide what or who sits in the driver’s seat.

Driven.

– EZEONYEKA GODSWILL
(c) 2022

THE GAY MISCONCEPTION

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It is routine for the ‘boys’ to take turns in getting the bill after each hang out. Today, Ugonna got the bill and after the jabs and hearty humorous perks, it was time to go home. As they got up to leave, Arinze with a smirk placed his hands on Ugonna’s shoulder and said, ‘Thanks dear’.
‘God punish you there’, said Ugonna violently shrugging off his hand.
The rest of the group exploded in hysterical laughter including Arinze. Ugonna joined in almost immediately. There was a silent understanding of what just transpired.

Something similar happened some time ago at work. My colleague and I noticed two guys holding hands. We fixated on their hands waiting for them to unlock their grip in time for us to conclude it is usual but they didn’t indulge our expectation.

‘I thought guys don’t hold hands for too long’, my colleague whispered. ‘Perhaps they are gay’. On another thought, I added ‘it may
be a normal thing’. We went about our business and forgot all about it.

And yes! I should mention a particular encounter that I am still mad at myself over. Women hardly give me lifts (no, that’s not what I am mad at). I may be wrong to presume men give women lifts more than women give women lifts but that has been my experience. On this particular day however, a pretty lady gave me a lift. She seemed a bit older so when she asked if I was going her way, I said ‘yes ma’ and hopped in. ‘Please use your seat belt’. I fastened it instantly. ‘Are we supposed to wear these leg chains on the right or left leg? I noticed you are wearing yours on the right. I usually wear mine on the left leg’. I then relaxed, I giggled and told
her I didn’t think there are any rules to how it should be worn. We got into discussion on people’s perception of it as a trend and her perception of people’s perception. We talked about self-consciousness. By the time I got to where I was going to drop, I had already decided I like her and wanted her to be my friend. What do I do? Collect her number? I thought that may be
weird or overstepping of boundaries. I knew I should collect it but before I made up my mind on how to go about it, I had already said ‘thank you and have a nice day’. I watched her drive away wishing she asked for my number and only then realising we didn’t even ask each other’s names.

I wonder if this way of thought we have is as a result of societal conditioning. I bet it would have been easier to ask a guy for his number. Ugonna would have thought it cool if a girl called him ‘dear’ with a hand on his shoulder and there shouldn’t be anything gay about two guys holding hands or lingering in a hug. At a point in life however, there is usually a self-awakening for the open minded when he decides to live in accordance to his convictions irrespective of how unconventional it is.

The beauty of our individuality is masked by societal construct. Tomorrow we’ll talk about the damaging effects of living in accordance to societal expectation. Today let’s focus on not letting its rigidity infiltrate our minds with perversion.

– ChyD
(c) 2020