A Birthday Soliloquy

“Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He retaineth not His anger for ever, because He delighteth in mercy.” –Micah 7:18

I will love Thee, O Lord, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and my cup: Thou maintain my lot.

I rejoice with trembling, because surely I see that the Lord is with me. I am full of joy, because I perceive the hand of God upon me, working in me both the willing and the doing. I am so glad I heard the Saviour’s call and even though I am an erring child of God, yet I feel this grand and glorious feeling in my bosom again and again, a sure token that I am still Yours and that You are mine.

Since the dawn of that glorious Monday morning, when You called me by my name, my song in this land of my pilgrimage has been grace and grace alone. You called me by grace, to grace, for grace and You have been leading me with grace.

“Did not the Spirit of grace knock at my door with infinite holy motions, before I condescended to open? I refused to obey, until You called, not a third time, as to Samuel, but many a thousand times. As Lot was loath to depart out of Sodom, till the angels laid hold upon his hand, and brought him forth; so I was loath to leave my sins, and sinful companions, till the hand of the Lord laid hold upon mine heart. God's arbitrary and free grace called me and left my other sinful companions in their sin. Oh, how should this make me to admire Your love and to strive for Your holiness.” (Paraphrased from Andrew Gray’s sermon)

Lord, never once did I have any cause to regret my journey with You. Thank You for the Word, which is my sword. Thank You for the many helps, both called for and un-called for, that You’ve granted me. Thank You for the overall progress in my life. Thank You for the Puritans and Reformed Fathers. Thank You for their writings. Thank You for the Methodists and the Baptists. Thank You for the Apostolic Faith Church. Thank You for the saints that I’ve been privileged to work with. Thank You for the science and technology in my life.

Let me live, O Lord, and not die until I have shown Thy strength to this generation and the generations following. Make me a balm in Gilead, a blessing to the spiritually wretched and poor. Make me a strong voice for You here below and never allow the enemy to spoil my testimony. Lead me on to the Land of Rest and never leave me until You’ve brought me safely to Heaven and present me to Your Father as a glorious saint, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing.  Make me a pillar in Your home above.

O God Almighty, the Father of Light in whom there is no darkness or shadow of turning, see me through my journey. Keep me, O keep me from sin!

"I am tempted to think that I am now an established Christian,--that I have overcome this or that lust so long,--that I have got into the habit of the opposite grace,--so that there is no fear; I may venture very near the temptation--nearer than other men. This is a lie of Satan. As long as the Spirit dwells in my heart, He deadens me to sin, so that, if lawfully called through temptation, I may reckon upon God carrying me through. But when the Spirit leaves me, I am like dry gunpowder [ready to explode]" (Robert McCheyne)

Therefore, Lord, always be by my side and never leave me for any second. Grant me re-sounding victory over sin and Satan throughout the remainder of my life.

“According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.” -Philippians 1:20

The Grace of God and His Elect

by Benjamin B. Warfield (1851-1921)

"By grace have ye been saved," says Paul to the Ephesians (Eph. ii. 5, 8); and so important does it seem to him that his readers shall understand this and  bear it on their hearts that he says it twice in the course of four verses. He says it in such a way, moreover, as to throw a tremendous emphasis on the word "grace," and therefore on the manner in which they had been saved, as distinguished from the salvation itself. He is not assuring the Ephesians that they had been saved. They knew that for themselves, and were rejoicing in this wonderful thing which had come to them. What he is eagerly repeating to them, intent on fixing it so firmly in their hearts that they cannot escape from it for a moment, is that it is just "by grace" that they have been saved.

He is engaged in this context in reminding his readers of the greatness of their salvation. They had been dead in their trespasses and their sins, children of wrath by nature, like the rest of men. But God is rich in mercy and has loved them mightily. Because of this his great love for them, he has come to them, lying helplessly dead in their sins, and has made them alive in Christ. Here the apostle breaks in on himself to cry, for the first time, "By grace have ye been saved"! God has raised them with Christ and seated them with him in the heavenly places, for no other reason than that he might show forth in the ages to come the surpassing riches of his grace, as manifested in this his kindness to them in Christ Jesus, for-the apostle now adds with iterant emphasis--"by grace have ye been saved."

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What Can A Little Chap Do?

This is one of my favourite poems. Written by John Oxenham just after World War I. It embodies the basic essence of how I want God to help me live my life.                                                                              ------------------------------------------------

What can a little chap do for
His country and for you?
What can a little chap do?

He can fight like a Knight
for the Truth and the Right.
That’s one good thing he can do.

He can shun all that is mean,
He can keep himself clean
Both without and within.
That’s another thing he can do.

His soul he can brace
Against everything base,
And the trace will be seen
All his life in his face—
That’s a very fine thing he can do.

He can look to the light,
He can keep his thought white,
He can fight the great fight,
He can do with his might
What is good in God’s sight.
Those are excellent things he can do.

Though his years may be few,
He can march in the queue
Of the Good and the Great
Who battled with fate
And won through.
That’s a wonderful thing he can do

And in each little thing he can
follow the King
Yes, in each smallest thing
He can follow The King.
He can follow The Christ, The King.
That's the greatest thing he can do.

I have found Him whom my soul loves!

James Smith, 1859

No healthy Christian can be happy without the presence of Christ. For what the sun is to the day, the moon to the night, or the rain to the soil—that is Jesus to the soul. What a day would be without the sun, or the night without the moon, or the earth without moisture, that would the soul of the believer be without Christ. And yet we often lose a sense of the presence of Jesus, and sin away the enjoyment of his love. As the church of old who retired to bed, when she should have been actively employed for him, and then complained, "By night on my bed, I sought him whom my soul loves, I sought him but I found him not." Jesus will not indulge idleness, nor sanction sloth. Therefore she had to arise, go about the city, and inquire of the watchmen, nor could she again enjoy his presence — until she had passed by them all, and then with a glad heart she exclaimed, "I found him whom my soul loves!" Song of Solomon 3:4.

Here is a pleasing fact, the lost Savior may be found; or the forfeited presence of Jesus may be regained. When convinced of our folly, when humbled under a sense of our sin, when sighing, and crying, with ardent longing, we seek him—then he will give us a fresh manifestation of his love—his great love. Again will he appear to us, disclosing the glories of his person, the beauty of his character, and the excellency of his salvation. Then we afresh perceive his glory, and beauty, and exact adaptation to us, and our love is drawn out to him anew.  More…

It is Good to Often Reflects on Eternity

Thomas Doolittle, 1630-1707

"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."                  2 Corinthians 4:18

Eternal! What a sound does this word "eternal" make in my ears! what workings does it cause within my heart! what casting about of thoughts! What word is next to be added to it? Is it, "eternal world!" Where? for this is temporal. O! that eternal world is now by us unseen, and as to us is yet to come. But yet my trembling heart is still solicitous to what other word this word "eternal" might be prefixed as to myself, or those that hear me this day, when they and I, who, through the long-sufferance of God are yet in this present and temporal, shall be in that eternal world. Shall it be "eternal damnation" in that eternal world? How? after so many knockings of Christ, strivings of the Spirit, tenders of mercy, wooings of grace, calls of ministers, warnings of conscience, admonitions of men, waitings of patience—all which put us into a fair probability of escaping eternal damnation. O dreadful words! Can more terror be contained, can more misery be comprehended, in any two words, than in "eternal damnation?" But we in time are praying, hearing, repenting, believing, conflicting with devils, mortifying sin, weaning our hearts from this world—that, when we shall go out of time, we might find "life" or "salvation" added to "eternal." Eternal salvation! these are words as comfortable as the other were terrible, as sweet as they were bitter.

What, then? This word "eternal" is the horror of devils, the amazement of damned souls, which causes desperation in all that hellish crew; for it wounds like a dart, continually sticking in them, that they most certainly know that they are damned to all eternity. Eternal! it is the joy of angels, the delight of saints, that while they are made happy in the beatific vision, are filled with perfect love and joy, they sit and sing, "All this will he eternal." Eternal! this word—it is a loud alarm to all that be in time; a serious caution to make this our grand concern—that when we must go out of time, our "eternal" souls might not be doomed down to "eternal" damnation, but might obtain salvation that shall be "eternal;" of which we have hope and expectation, "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

Not only the experience of present spiritual good in the inward—by the pressing afflictions on the outward man, in weakening of sin, in purging away our dross, in weaning us from the world, in humbling us for our miscarriages, in reducing us from wandering, in emptying us of self-conceit, in trying our faith, in exercising our patience, in confirming our hope, in awakening of conscience, in bringing us to examine our ways, in renewing our repentance, in proving our love, in quickening us to prayer—but also the clear and certain prospect of glory after affliction, of a "weight of glory" after "light affliction," of eternal glory after short affliction, of a weight of glory "far more exceeding" all our present sorrows, burdens, calamities, than tongue can express, or pen describe, or the mind of man conceive; being more than "eye has seen, or ear has heard, or have entered into the heart of man," (1 Cor. 2:9,)—must needs be an alleviation of our sorrows, a lightening of our burdens, comfort in our grief, joy in our groans, strength in our weakness.

Though "we are troubled on every side, yet are we not distressed ; though perplexed, yet not in despair ;" (2 Cor. 4:8;) though under afflictions both felt and seen, yet "we faint not," while we keep our eye fixed upon the glorious things in the other world that are unseen and eternal too.

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Genuine Piety

by Archibald Bonar

To alleviate the anxieties of the laborious poor, and to increase the happiness of the common people, is the sincere aim of the writer of this Treatise. As the most effectual method of accomplishing this desirable object, he wishes to recommend to them, and to their families—the knowledge and the love of real religion; fully persuaded, that this alone can sufficiently support their minds under the various evils to which they are daily exposed.

Many are the snares of poverty, and severe the hardships experienced by such as are placed in the inferior stations of life. When suffering under agonizing solicitude, or cruel neglect, or all the humiliating circumstances of galling dependence; when the barrel of meal is consumed, and children weep for the supplies which their needy parents are unable to impart: when sickness unites with poverty to render their habitations dismal; when he on whose industry their hopes were centered, is pierced by the arrows of death—how pitiable then is the state of such families! But far more pitiable still, if, under these calamities, they remain strangers to the satisfying joys, and animating hopes of Christianity; if they have lived in the mournful habits of impiety, or are growing up in all the miseries of ignorance; if, amidst their complicated trials, felt and bewailed, they are destitute of the soothing consolations which enable believers to triumph in the midst of adversity.

Such ignorance of true religion can scarcely fail to be productive of profligacy and wretchedness. Those who have never been taught to seek happiness in the ways of God, yet are eager for comfort, and are naturally led to place all their expectation of enjoying it in the intoxications of vice; their poverty, united with their ignorance, involves them in many snares, hurries them on to all the awful excesses of iniquity, and drowns them at last in guilt and eternal perdition! Whereas, had they been trained up in the paths of piety and righteousness, they might have maintained an honorable character amidst all the snares of poverty, and enjoyed inward serenity amidst all the adversities of life.

To attempt, therefore, the release of many from this misery, and to aim at conducting them forward in the paths of wisdom and peace, cannot be an object unfitted to a benevolent mind. With this design, and from an ardent desire of promoting so important an object—a friend presents to the common people in our land, a plain directory and monitor, written for their instruction, and sent into the world with earnest supplications to the Father of all, for its success in promoting the best interests of mankind.

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A Timely and Lovely Exhortation

The following was extracted from James Simth’s “Rills from the Rock of Ages”, 1860. GraceGems sent it to me and I decided to publish it here.
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As we Christians advance in life, and know more of human nature, and the power of temptation--the greater interest should we take in the young, and the more urgently should we seek their salvation. It is a lovely sight to see aged Christians endeavouring to bring young people to the Saviour. And this we ought constantly to see--for they know the power . . .
  of youthful lusts,
  of the world's attractions,
  of Satanic influence,
  of the deceitfulness of the heart,
  and the value of the immortal soul!

Aged friends, do you feel and act, as you should for the young? Do you do all that you can to snatch them as brands from the burning?

Solomon was an old man when he wrote the book of Ecclesiastes, and in that book he manifests great solicitude for the young. Again and again he addresses them in different ways--but with what touching and subtle irony, does he speak to them in one place, "Be happy, young man, while you are young, and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth. Follow the ways of your heart and whatever your eyes see. BUT KNOW that for all these things--God will bring you to judgment!" Ecclesiastes 11:9

The Youth's Practice. He is happy in his youth--in his physical vigour, personal attractions, and newly acquired liberty. Feeling strong, he puts the day of judgment far from him. Vain of his person--he is proud of his appearance and abilities. Freed from the restraints of home--he removes the reins from the neck of his lusts. His heart cheers him on--and urges him forward in the pursuit of folly! He walks in the way of his heart--which is always evil. He is ignorant of its powers of deception. He is therefore deceived by the corrupt principles that work within it. He hushes his conscience to sleep, or by violence constrains it to be silent.

About Me

"Any cloth may cover our sores, but the finest silk will not cover our sins." –Henry Smith

My name is OLATUNJI Owolabi Temitayo. I was born on the 22nd of November 1984 in the city of Lagos, Nigeria. My father hails from Ibadan in Oyo state, a city famous for its ancient warriors.

My primary education started with St Peter’s Catholic School, Apapa in Lagos and then at the Methodist High School, Lagos Island. Due to divorce and re-union at various times between my parents, I had to pass through four primary schools within a period of six years! But the beautiful Star of Bethlehem always led me.

Eventually, I landed in my Grandma’s care. I lived with her in a remote but the coolest village life of Omu-Ijebu, a village (nay, a town) in Odogbolu Local Govt Area in Ogun State. The town is famous for her craft in mat-woven. Indeed, I often wove mat as a pastime. However, the major occupation was farming, but I was brought in from Lagos!

I attended the town’s Ajose Comprehensive High School and again the beautiful Star of Bethlehem led me. This time, I didn’t need to change high school at any time. I lived with my precious Grandma for all my six years of secondary education.

I loved that village life! I love its tranquility and serenity. The population was not much and vices common in Lagos were very rare except the sin of immorality in the form of fornication. The girls, however, dressed modestly. I went into a relationship with one of the girls at one time, but I was divinely restrained from committing that great blunder.

My Grandma, being a Muslim, literally forced me to go to Arabic school. Within a period of a year, I and a fellow finished their Quran and I was very skilful writing in Arabic. All throughout the town, they often called me Alfa (a term use to connote a young man who is versed in Islam).

Two years before my secondary school came to a close, I stole a book from the vicarage of United African Church located beside our house; I and the vicar’s children and the sexton were always friends. I sneaked in as usual to a room littered with books and a dead Organ. There I picked a book written by an American Evangelists and upon reading it, it began to change my world-view. He told me about Jesus in a way I never knew and I started picking interest in Christ. I can’t remember the title of the book. (I suspected my Mum took the book for I couldn’t find it after some time. Obviously, she had observed the book was occupying my attention, and knowing it’s contents, had hid it from me. She was with us at that time). I would read the Quran and then the Bible especially Psalms. Soon, some of our Muslim neighbours started calling me "two-in-one”, meaning I was trying to practise Islam and Christianity at the same time.

I came back to Lagos in 2001 and immediately slipped into sin. I abandoned both Islam and Christianity altogether. On January 2002, there was a bomb blast in Lagos at the Military cantonment and a former soldier along with his family and a cousin  (a Minister) moved into a new building near where we lived. There was also one godly man of God living close. God used these two to hedged me in and before long I started attending the Apostolic Faith Church in Ikorodu, Lagos. Then I switched to the Redeemed Christian Church of God. But none of these churches or those two Ministers could change me to a true Christian.

One day, I started seeing the world as a vacuum. I saw the pursuit of life as completely empty. More importantly, I saw the power of sin laying stronghold on virtually everybody. I saw lack of perfect peace in the hearts of so many. But those two Ministers and the churches I attended had taught me that when I become born-again, Christ will give me power to go and sin no more and that I will have peace and joy in my heart. I knew those two Ministers so closely and their life was an exception to humanity lying under the power of sin.

One night, I could not sleep over-night and it was as if I and demons fought all night. I saw sin as exceedingly powerful and unable to escape its yoke. Early in the morning, I quickly rose up to escape from those “demons”  and went to have my bath.

But bath I could not have. My mind was fixed on the power of sin. While under conviction, and thinking it was the devil that was tormenting me, I had prayed for Satan some times hoping that if he got saved, he will live me alone. But I was the one that needed to be saved.

That morning, August 22nd 2002, I was almost kneeling down, naked in the bathroom. I could not see any way of escape from sin. I saw myself as an entity without purpose and power towards any good thing. I saw sin as the greatest tragedy of life making we humans to look like brute beasts which are meant to be taken and destroyed. A way of escape from all these, I was not sure.  But I just lifted my two eyes upward and offered a short prayer, “Jesus, please deliver me”. That was it! I did not feel exhilarated  instantly but the tears that have been streaming from my eyes since I entered the bathroom stopped. I had my bath and that was the beginning of a new dawn in my existence.

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” – II Cor 5:17

Indeed, I became a completely new creature. Old things were gone and all things became new. I would spend all day reading my Bible and praying facing the wall. I would devour Christian books and magazines. I attended Church with great commitment. The house of those two Ministers mentioned above became a delight to me. I would sit at their feet eager to hear about Jesus and how to keep saved.

"Behold, what manner of love is this, that Christ should be arraigned and we adorned, that the curse should be laid on His head and the crown set on ours."  -Thomas Watson

I came into contact with Spurgeon, Jonathan Edwards and a host of the Puritan and Reformed fathers somewhere around 2003. And since then, there writings have been my staple. I share a very common and core beliefs with those ancient worthies. I hold the Bible to be true, perfect, divinely-inspired and immutable. I believe in the doctrines of grace from its conception to perfection.

Eventually, I gained admission in 2005 to study Electrical and Electronics Engineering at the Obafemi Awolowo University, here in Nigeria. There I have the flexibility, away from the prying and restricting eyes of my relatives, to practise Christianity without limitations. The environment in the school is very soothing; no fear of practising true Christianity either in or outside of the lecture rooms. Many of the students and Lecturers have some measure of true religion. The school is adjudged to be the most beautiful in the country. It has a very fine and aesthetic landscape and the serenity and orderliness of a village life.  I love the library and a place called “Sports Complex”; there students gathered almost throughout the day to pray individually and collectively but the place ought to be referred to as “Prayer Complex”!

As at writing this piece (November 27th 2010), I am sitting for my final exam in the University. The course is a five year course. It’s been a very good journey with little tendency to slip at some intervals!

My earnest desire is to uplift the Saviour in every way I can and to love Him with all my heart, soul and mind.

“Hear, Lord, my prayer; let not my soul faint under Thy discipline, nor let me faint in confessing unto Thee all Thy mercies, whereby Thou hast drawn me out of all my most evil ways, that Thou mightest become a delight to me above all the allurements which I once pursued; that I may most entirely love Thee, and clasp Thy hand with all my affections, and Thou mayest yet rescue me from every temptation, even unto the end.”

This is just a very short summary of His wondrous doings to my soul. He’s been sweet to me all the way. I see more of Him each time I gaze at Calvary and I trust that as a gentle Shepherd, He will cause me to lie and feed in the cool green pastures of His love.

"I think it is possible on earth to build a young, new Jerusalem, a little, new heaven of this surpassing love [of Christ]. God, either send me more of this love, or take me quickly over the water, where I may be filled with His love."

Blessed Jesu, Thee will I love in endless days!