THE CHRISTIAN WALK

Moshood FayemiwoMonday, June 5, 2017
[email protected]
Cameron, Texas, USA

ARE YOU REALLY A SUCCESSFUL PERSON?

omeone called me few years ago and informed me thus-: "Brother, that your friend and classmate - (she mentioned his name)-is now a big man. He has a big house and several cars. He's really successful." I laughed. As if we too do not have a big house, plenty of money and even more-to the Glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, I asked the acquaintance, if having all these earthly stuffs is the definition of being successful. She was eerily silent, apparently wondering like the rest people of the world what is a successful life after all. In its ordinary definition, having accomplished a thing and seen it to the logical end is the world's definition of success. You enrolled in a college program few years ago and graduated; found a job and rose through the ranks to retirement; or being referred to as a "successful" businessman/woman, or being distinguished in your specialization. The world has six standard criteria for measuring earthly success namely: - money and finance, educational qualifications, material possessions, influence and status in the society. Satan offered these six earthly attractions to our First Parents in the Garden of Eden and they were beguiled (Gen. 3: 1-6). If your pre-occupation in life is consumed by these six demands, you're indeed the most to be pitied in life! Satan offered the same worldly needs and attractions to our Lord Jesus Christ during His earthly sojourn here with us more than 2, 000 years ago, but the King told the prince of this world the definition of success according to the Creator of the heavens, and the One in charge of the sovereign universe.

What is success? You may be surprised none of the above six checklists cut it in God's Word. "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success" (Joshua 1:1-8 KJV). Only seven other Bible translations used the proper adjective: "good success" used by the King James Version: English Standard Version, JPN Tanakh 1917 Translation, American Standard Version, English Revised Version, Webster's Bible Translation, King's James 2000 and World English Bible as originally contained in the Hebrew manuscript in the world. It is extremely and vitally important to distinguish between "success" and "good success" as the True Lord God Almighty did in His irreverent word. There are gazillions of human souls that have passed through this earth that we assumed had "success" but didn't attain "good success," according to God's definition. Good success, in the Eyes of our Maker has nothing, absolutely nothing to do with the any of the above six checklists. Let's look at the seven characteristics and checklists of the True Lord God Almighty in His definition of good success as revealed in the Holy Bible.

Will You Return Home? The Yoruba people of the world has a repertoire of proverbs piths, metaphors, epigrams and sarcasms in capturing the essence of life. "Aiye loja, orun nile," says one, literally meaning: "Earth is the market of life and heaven is our permanent home." See here, the Yoruba didn't say; death is our final and period- end of life, but confessed the existence of an Elysian place known as heaven as all lesser mortal's permanent abode. To be considered a successful person in the eyes of the Yoruba is make heaven, which is in tandem with the Word of Life in Joshua 1:1-8. Anytime I am informed of the passage of a person, I want to know, if that person will return home since he/she just departs from the market-earth. Ask yourself; will I return to my permanent home-heaven, once I am done here on earth-the market? How do you know you will return home-heaven? All religions of the world have been unsuccessful to unravel this formula until I read these evergreen words from One Person Who claimed to have come directly from there and knows how to get back to that permanent place. Hear what He said: "If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven--the Son of Man" (John 3:12-13). Wao!

All the prophets and founders of religions and religious movements I have read only gave a glimpse of this permanent home, but Jesus Christ said He is the Only One Who could take me there according to Him in John 14:6: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." This is either the truth or false, but cannot be both. Its either this Jesus Christ is saying the absolute and naked truth or telling a lie ever concocted and told under heaven. Then in 1985, I read the following life-changing and life-defining words in John 1:18: "No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known." Those words radically changed my definition of success. Then the clincher for me were these assuring Words from Jesus Christ Himself: "I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled." (John 17:6-12). Friend, I don't know where you're reading this, but if those words will not redefine your definition of success, the choice is yours.

Why Am I Here? I remember the day as if it was yesterday when my friend and classmate, Tokunbo (Sen. Tokumboh Afikuyomi) breezed into my Lagos office in the early 1990s and entreated thus; "Fayee, this is our time" and tried to convince me to join the defunct Social Democratic Party-SDP. I had started very early as student union president at the University of Lagos, the name was there and all it required was plunge into the trade. But was this really my calling? Was this the purpose the True Lord God Almighty sent me here on market earth? Everything the Lord God Almighty created is for a purpose. He told Jeremiah thus: "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." (Jeremiah 1:5). People call me all the time here in the United States and ask: "Fayee, what is going on? Won't you play politics in Nigeria?" I laugh. I remember another classmate of mine who thought we were competing in the race of life and ran to Ondo state to play politics. He succeeded in amassing ill-gotten money and became a "big man", but I was shocked when the Holy Spirit showed me the calling He had for that man.

Chief Obafemi Awolowo was not supposed to be a politician in Nigeria. That was not what the True Lord God Almighty was preparing him for, but Satanic spiritual forces and their human agents changed his destiny. They convinced him he would be great and make name for himself in politics rather than took the mantle of spiritual leadership from that great man of God, Apostle Ayo Babalola. The Lord God Almighty gave Chief Awolowo all the gifts he needed to discharge his Christian ministry, including the gift of prophecy, but he preferred to play politics. Despite that, the gift still worked in politics and that was why everything the late sage said always came to pass, because as the Holy Bible says: "God's gifts are irrevocable" (Romans 11:29). However, Chief Awolowo missed his destiny. You, who are reading this piece should pray seriously that you will never miss your destiny in this world in Jesus Mighty Name, Amen. Satan and his demons, including their human agents can and do change the plans of God for us. You can be famous, rich, have plenty material possessions, parade chains of university degrees and be a "successful" person by human worldly standards, but are you a "good success" as the Lord God Almighty disclosed to Joshua in Joshua 1:8 above? There are great and famous actors/actresses, football and sports stars, presidents and politicians, intellectuals and philosophers, maestros, tycoons, inventors etc. who were "successful," but to the Creator, they did not achieve "good success" in life. Yes, it's possible for one to achieve "bad success" in life. Hear me and hear me now, friend, it is not what we do for the Lord God Almighty that He is interested in as I have disclosed some time ago in this column and I am repeating it again; rather, who asked you to do what you're doing? Has the Lord told you thus: "While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." (Acts 13:2). You Mr. Pastor, Madam Deaconess and Evangelist, Oga General Overseer, and other man-made titles, has the Lord really called you to that ministry? I received an offer few years ago to go to the Northeastern Continental United States to pastor a fledging church. It was fantastic package and I was enthusiastic, but decided to crosscheck with the Boss. The Holy Spirit told me matter-of-factly: "I haven't called you to be a church pastor." To be successful in God's Eyes, these are His Words and not mine: "For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. And likewise, he who had received two gained two more also. But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord's money. After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them�." (Read the rest in the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25:14-30).

I remember a young girl was following me all over the aisles at a grocery store in Chicago few years ago. I was annoyed and shouted at her what she wanted. "Sorry sir, my mom sent me to buy cheese," she told me almost weeping. I took her to the cheese section and pointed at the refrigerator. "She said I should buy Swiss cheese," she informed me. "What is the difference, cheese is cheese", I replied rather irritated. "Sir, you don't understand, my mom will send me back, unless it is Swiss cheese.," the girl replied. Get it now? Have you ever wondered why the Lord Jesus Christ will tell those who performed miracles, opened the eyes of the blind and all kinds of things in His Name while here in the earthly market on the Day of Judgment that He didn't know them and they should depart from His Presence? Because they did not do the Will of the Father here in the market of life.

How About Tomorrow? My wife and I were on vacation in Louisiana few years ago and I ran into a Nigerian in New Orleans. We exchanged pleasantries and as usual, struck up conversation. For the next thirty minutes, the man went on strings of American women, both white and "Akata" he had slept with and sired children through them. He was saying this as if they were accomplishments in his biography as part of His American Odyssey. Then I asked him silently; "Where are the children now?" He was taken aback. I received an email some time ago from a lady in another state here in the United States, who claimed to be one of the Fayemiwos. I probed and later found out she was fathered by one of my reckless half-brothers deported from the United States for stealing and credit card fraud few years ago. While I was still in Nigeria twenty-five years ago, I saw another girl with one of my late half-sisters and asked who she was and was told she was my late father's last born. I had never met her in my life and we were fathered by the same man! What is your contribution to humanity? You are not a real man, if you cannot take care of your kids. Man, up and do the needful for the Lord God Almighty will demand from you what you did with the lives of the children/souls you brought to the world. Hear what He commanded in Genesis 9:5-6: "And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal. And from each human being, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of another human being."

Not only will you render an account of your own life, but you will also be made to render account of how you managed the lives of your children. If you knew the plan of the Lord God Almighty for marriage, you will not be hopping from one bed to the other thinking you are "enjoying." You have four children from four women and you're happy you're a popular jingo in social circle. Hell is waiting for you, if you do not repent. God's definition of success was made known to Papa Abraham this way in Gen. 18:19: "For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him." You say you're a successful businessman, president, well-read and popular but have neglected the children the Lord God Almighty gave you; some fathers do not even know the number of children they have and you think you are a successful man, you're joking.

Am I Gathering or Scattering? If the world/earth is a marketplace as the Yoruba say, anyone who causes commotion and trouble in the market disrupts the flow of business and commerce. Law enforcement agencies are always on standby to fix those people. Satan and his demons have recruited some human beings in their column to disrupt the flow of commerce and commercial activities in the marketplace of life. When you cast your lots with Satan and his demons, either deliberately or ignorantly, you are part of Satan's family. Whatever success you recorded in that venture is "bad success." There are only two sets of people on earth: those who are gathering with the Lord Jesus Christ or scattering with Him. Hear Him: "He that is not with me is against me, and he that gathers not with me scatter". (Luke 11:23 Darby Translation). In the Journey of Life, the True Lord God Almighty demands our individual allegiance and loyalty right here and here now on earth before we transit. There is no re-do; no second chance. Anyone who says there is another opportunity to make this life-defining decision after here is deceiving you. As the Word of Life says in Joshua 24:14: "Decide today Whom you will serve." In this clear-cut and unambiguous declaration of your loyalty and allegiance, there are only two Spiritual Candidates: The Lord Jesus Christ or Satan, period! There is no splendid isolation or as one student union activist jocularly said in those days at the University of Lagos; "There is no partial belongation."

The Lord God Almighty has deliberately picked this earth to make His case for His Goodness, Love, Grace, Mercy and all the embodiments of His Divine Blessings. Similarly, being a Just and Equitable God, He has also allowed Satan to make a case for his, Evilness, Destruction and Badness, indeed, all the embodiment of Nether Gloominess. All creation in heaven and on earth and inside the waters and all abodes have the opportunity to see how every human soul makes their individual choice; God or Satan, heaven or hell, bad success or good success. The choice is yours. The choice is also mine. For those of us who forsook all: politics, worldly fame, human status, ill-gotten wealth, self, and all that the world offers, it was deliberate. We saw a better life, more rewarding and permanent waiting at the Other Side of eternity. This conscious, deliberate and sensible choice is what God's good success is all about. Only in the Lord Jesus Christ can such "good success" be found, trust me; nowhere and no one else.

Do I Know Him? When a new student is given an admission to a college or university, he/she is made to go through an orientation. When a new worker or employee is signed in, he or she is probated; before a man or woman are joined together in holy matrimony, they are enjoined to court each other without sex and on and on in all spheres of life. Why should anyone think he or she can enter God's Abode in heaven without knowing the Owner of that heaven? I was called by a friend from another state for advice and counseling on whether he should allow his wife's brother from Nigeria stay in their house. "I wasn't informed Dr and didn't know he was coming, but only came home to see him, what do I do?" I asked him some salient questions about the young man's spiritual state, and he told me. "Show him the way out, quick and pronto," was my reply. Many have invited problems and Achan into their matrimonial homes through in-laws and relatives without knowing, while fighting the demons in the villages without realizing there is an agent right there already under their roof. The Lord God Almighty has blessed us here in Cameron, Texas with the finest, biggest and most gorgeous mansion in town and we thank the Lord Jesus Christ for the Jesus Christ Solution Center. But we do not just open our doors to anyone, not out of pride, but its spiritual. If we do not know your stand with the Lord Jesus Christ, whether you are a relative, near or distant, in-laws, neighbors, friends or acquaintances, it's a long shot. Apostle Paul warned us thus: Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? (2 Corinthians 6:14).

Do not get me wrong folks; we love everyone. We render help and assistance to everyone as the Lord Jesus Christ enables and empowers us. We pray and intercede for everyone. That is how far we can go as a family. But for us to have intimate and deep relationship to the extent of welcoming you into our home, my wife and I must know your spiritual state for as the Word of Life says; "It shall so happen that the enemies of a man or woman shall be members of his/her household" (Micah 7:6). For five years when I relocated from Nigeria to the United States, the Holy Spirit instructed me never to call anyone in Nigeria. The eternal separation the Word of Life talks about in eternity starts right here on earth There are some people you do not need to associate with or see in your life, if you are to attain the goals that the Almighty God sets for you in life. They do not belong in your life, let them go. If you want to keep such people in your life, you will never fulfil your destiny. Let's be candid; apart from the Lord Jesus Christ Who is your Creator and Friend, there is no other person you can trust intimately in your life, even your spouse. This is a fact. Allow the Holy Spirit to direct you and run your life. Let Him choose your spouse for you and your circle of friends. Many lives have been ruined, because they wanted to run their lives by themselves, whereas as Jeremiah 10:23 aptly says: "LORD, I know that people's lives are not their own; it is not for them to direct their steps." The Lord Jesus came to this mother earth physically to make the Father-the True Lord God Almighty-known to us; thus, if you want to know the Almighty God Who created the heavens and the earth, look unto Jesus Christ, period. You cannot think your way through or brain out to know God, just as the new college student must be orientated into the college system. When you're put on probation in a new employment, you need a superior to understudy and become acculturated into that new job. You can't rely on religious rituals and depend on dogmas to understand the True Lord God Almighty. Religion will not take you far in attaining good success as defined by the Omnipotent, Omnipresent and Omniscient Lord God Almighty; only intimate and close relationship with Him as Jesus Christ disclosed in John 3:13: "�no one hath ascended into heaven, but he that descended out of heaven, [even] the Son of man, who is in heaven." (ASV).

If you aren't doing what the Creator made you for while here; if you are not gathering with Him while here on earth and if you didn't have any relationship with Him while here, will it not be stupid of you to think you will just enter His Presence in heaven? Does it even make sense? Yes, this True Lord God wants each of us to know Him while here on earth and He made this known plainly in Jeremiah 9:23-24: "Thus says the LORD, "Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight," declares the LORD."

Did I Fight the Good Fight? The prosperity sermon is engulfing the world today and millions of souls are literally walking into hell fire, because of this end-time Satanic work. No one hears so much about suffering for Christ today. Persecution seems to be an anathema in today's Christendom. Yes, the Lord God Almighty is still in the business of prospering His children, but Satan has crept in on us stealthily that this is all we hear about now in Christianity. Who becomes an overcomer without passing overwhelming odds? Who wears a crown without fighting a battle? The Lord Jesus Christ told us that we would go through tribulations. He told us that surely, we shall pass through the floods, but He would raise a standard over the waters to demonstrate to us He is the all-powerful. We would surely pass through the fire, but He assured us that we will not be burnt. Only those who are ready and willing, indeed, fighting the good fight of faith will be described as the good successful, period!

What Do I Leave Behind? Finally, you are successful by God's standard, by what you left behind when you're gone from here on earth. It is called legacy. There are two things you will be remembered for when you are dead; not your riches, political position, fame, number of women you slept with, children you sired, your material possessions etc. but two things: the problems you created for people/the world and the problems you solved while here on earth.

ISSUES OF LIFE

Will President Muhammadu Buhari Make It? New Revelations

I hear all kinds of prophecies out there; Buhari will be the last president of Nigeria, the army will stage a coup, because Babangida dog- whistled in March that " there is a military wing of the PDP," and a civil war is in the offing and other outlandish statements. The True Lord God Almighty hasn't shown me any of these scary things. Most Nigerians do not know how important Nigeria is to the True Almighty God in His overall plan for the black race. Nigeria is not an accident, trust me. This nation is very important and strategic in the spirit realm. Only those with the Holy Spirit of the True Lord God Almighty will understand what we are saying here. Even on a personal note, one may prefer we go our separate ways, but Nigeria is not going to divide; not in this generation, not in my generation. She will be bedeviled with crises, because Satan also has a plan for Nigeria. Therefore, there is intense spiritual warfare over the soul of this spiritually important and Godly strategic nation. There are seven spiritually strategic nations on earth the Lord Jesus Christ wants to use as battle axes in these end times for the Good News and Nigeria is one of them. Only the spiritually matured and connected will understand what the Holy Spirit is saying here. So back to Buhari, he is not going to die. We said it here two years ago that, if Buhari will not govern Nigeria for two terms, it will not because of his death. We also followed up with another revelation earlier this year. On October 1, 2017, the Holy Spirit will tell us what will happen in 2019 as we revealed in this column earlier this year.

President Barrow, Please Stop It Now!

On Monday January 12, 2015, the Holy Spirit revealed to us that former President Yahaya Jammeh would not last as president of The Gambia and would lose the last election in that country. Here was the link to that prophecy as published in this column:

https://nigeriaworld.com/feature/publication/fayemiwo/011215.html

Again, on Tuesday December 13, 2016, we warned encore of the future of The Gambia under Mr. Jammeh. We also reiterated the message to those who contacted us on his behalf that Jammeh was gone as president and it was fulfilled. Again, here is the link to that follow-up: https://nigeriaworld.com/feature/publication/fayemiwo/121316.html President Barrow may unwittingly be sliding into the shoes of his disgraced predecessor. President Adama Barrow, please stop it. Yes, I know you want to extirpate corruption in your nation. You want to bring former President Jammeh and his former henchmen and women to justice, but the Holy Spirit is telling us to tell you to stop it.

Who Will Succeed Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola in 2018?

We spoke about this matter here in this column on Friday January 6, 2017. Here is the link: https://nigeriaworld.com/feature/publication/fayemiwo/010617.html We haven't seen anything contrary! Whoever Rauf chooses as his successor will become the next governor of Osun state.

The Youngest Gov. To Bite the Dust? Yahaya Bello's Banana Peels

On Sunday August 09, 2015, the Holy Spirit revealed to us who would become the next governor of Kogi state. Again, here is the link to that prophecy and it was fulfilled: -

https://nigeriaworld.com/feature/publication/fayemiwo/080915.html I can see political disaster for the youngest governor in Nigeria. This is not a joke.

The PDP and Jonathan in 2019

Do I hear the ailing PDP is considering rehabilitating former President Goodluck Jonathan? That will sing the Nunc dimitic of the comatose behemoth. Bye, bye PDP forever, if you made this mistake. Mr. Jonathan has completed his political assignment in the Federal Republic of Nigeria, period! Do not bring him back as a presidential candidate. He is done with his assignment in Nigeria.

Scandal and Sadness in Nigeria's Entertainment World

A popular Nigerian musician will be involved in sex scandal in the remaining half of the year. He will contract AIDS to the bemusement of his fans. His sex video will also be leaked on the social media which will expose him to worldwide ridicule. This incident will occur outside Nigeria in a country where he will visit for a concert/public performance. He has just lost an uncle recently and the shame may move him to commit suicide. This young man needs serious intercessory prayers and change in his entire lifestyle.

See you next week, if the Lord Jesus Chris tarries in His Second Coming.

IMAGES IN THE NEWS