EXCHANGE FOR A CHANGE

Then she lulled him to sleep on her knees, and called for a man and had him shave off the seven locks of his head. Then she began to torment him, and his strength left him.

Judges 16:19

At the onset of GSM in Nigeria, the in-thing was to have a mobile phone and Femi wasn’t left out as his mom did everything she could to get him a phone. When he got his first phone, he was quite excited that he could now give out a number to his friends who might ask for his contact. It wasn’t long before he started desiring another model so he traded with his aunty and then exchanged the one he got from her with that of a friend which seemed even better. Then, the phone fell from his pocket in a taxi and a “smart” passenger repossessed it. He now had to settle for his dad’s very old phone which his brother had also used. When this phone started to malfunction, his mum bought a new phone and gave him her old one. He used this one for some time and decided to sell it. When the money was not enough to get another one, he got another from his mom who obviously wasn’t tired of giving him phones. His mom could not bear the look of frustration on his face when that one also was stolen and gave him another which he gave out eventually. His brother gave him yet another and when this one was “sown”, he decided enough was enough and bought one for himself which he’s been using ever since.

King Solomon sacrificed a thousand Whole-Burnt-Offerings on the altar at Gibeon and God asked him what he wanted. His request for wisdom was granted with perks. He brought something to the table and there was an exchange. In the case of Samson, he grew up endowed with abilities. He apparently trivialized the grace and gifting and lost his eyes because of it. One might wonder why he told Delilah his secret seeing that she called for the Philistines every time he told her something else was the source of his might. Perhaps if he had brought something to the table, he would have placed a greater value on the gift he had.

When we pay our tithes and give our offerings, we are making an exchange. We have a right to demand the benefits that accrue from this act when we see a delay in delivery in much the same way as we would call a delivery shop to inquire about a delay in the arrival of goods we paid for. Because we brought something to the table, we have a right to a request. Heaven responds to the highest bidder. (Ever wondered why after creation on the second day, it wasn’t written that “and God saw that it was good” like it was for the day before and after? perhaps He left that for us to decide). If all the students in a class are praying to God to be the head and not the tail, God will answer because they are His own but since He respects no man, He will ‘respect’ the man who gives his best like he did to Abel. All others will fall in place in proportion to their effort (Gen. 4:4).

Need a change? Make an exchange.

- ‘Bayor

(Inspirations: Baron Ogugua, Pastor Paul Adefarasin…etc)

LET IT FLOW

Now it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” And he said to her, “There is not another vessel.” So the oil ceased.

2nd Kings 4:6

A prophet, believed by historians to be Obadiah, hid several prophets and fed them with his own money. It now got to a point in time that he ran low on funds so he went out to borrow money to keep feeding the prophets. When he died, the creditors came for his two sons to have them become slaves because apparently, they were his collateral. What Elisha asked her to do and the outcome of her obedience in belief of his instruction, guaranteed her prosperity (2nd Chronicles. 20:20)

When the prophet asked her earlier of what she had, the reply she gave suggested her disdain of the little that was left. Never despise what you have because God can multiply it. When you seem to be in want, first of all, take a look at your hand: what are you most skillful at doing? Take a look in your heart: what are you most passionate about? Take a look in your head: what are the predominant thought and ideas? Then take a look in your house: what material do you already posses that can serve as a variable for God to multiply? There will always be something left with the intrinsic potential to take you to the next level. When what you have is not sufficient to be called your harvest, then it’s a seed. It’s meant for sowing and not for eating.

The prophet asked her to borrow vessels from all her neighbors. She could only go as far as she had neighbors – your network is you net worth. Shutting the door behind her meant that for every trade, there is a secret which should not be put down. When she started to pour, the flow of the oil continued for as long as it took to fill the capacity she had made available. The capacity set a limit on the extent of breakthrough she could experience. The problem was not with the oil flow but with its destination. Sometimes it appears as though God isn’t answering our prayers for increase while all along, He’s been asking calmly, “where do I put it?” The time interval between the request and answers to our prayers is when capacity should be built. If you want God to put food on your table, leave the table uncluttered. Spiritually, we can increase capacity by fasting, study and meditation in the Word. Exposure and education can increase our capacity mentally. When it comes to financial capacity, we cause an increase when we give or increase the number of causes we finance. Nature abhors a vacuum. Wherever room is made, infilling occurs. Let it flow!

- ‘Bayor – 2009/2011

(Inspirations: Rev. Olumide Emmanuel, Pastor Sam Oye, Pastor Paul Adefarasin...etc)

Missed Call

“Hello mummy”, I said as I answered the phone. “Bayor, it’s me, Daniel”, came the response from a voice I could barely hear or recognize. If he didn’t mention his name, I would have thought it was either a wrong number or a network glitch. In the few seconds that passed before he continued, I tried so hard to reconcile the voice I just heard to the picture of my childhood friend I had in my mind. Though we had not spoken for quite some time, I still knew something was wrong. All these years, whenever I spoke with his mum, I’ll ask about him and his siblings partly because as their dad passed on a few years ago, he was the man of the house. “I’m on the sick bed but there’s something I’ll like to discuss with you” he added. This came quite as a surprise but I agreed and told him I would see him as soon as I could. I was on a journey up north to Kano that day and although I knew I would make a stopover at Kaduna, I knew I would have to really squeeze out the time to see him especially since I knew I was on assignment and didn’t really call the shots as regards my movement.

Being that I left Abuja pretty early, I arrived at Kaduna in time to catch my breath as I awaited the arrival of the guys in the other car who decided to take off some time later than we did. I felt the need to rest for a short while before they arrived and my kip was interrupted when my younger sister came in to announce that the other team had arrived. It then meant that I had subtly made up my mind to see him on returning from Kano so that I won’t be in any kind of rush. The drive down to Kano and the programme logistics were rather demanding that I didn’t remember to call to ask about his well being till much later. When I eventually called, the number never went through. This was the case till I returned back to Abuja and got a call moments later from my elder sister that Daniel didn’t make it. When she gave details of the time he passed, it coincided with the time I was on the road to Kano. I was lost for words at the sudden realisation that the call he made to me was more important than I had given priority to. All of a sudden, I started to see blocks of time that I would have maximized to get across to him. I couldn’t help thinking to myself what it was that he wanted to discuss. Why me? What would I have said? Would it have made any difference?...

I really wish I know what to write to make this post worth the reading but if it makes any sense, the definition I heard from someone of the word “Poor” comes to mind. He said P.O.O.R is an acronym for “Passing Over Opportunities Repeatedly”.

Need I say more?

- ‘Bayor

NOBLE DAD

A man of noble character, who can find?

His entire personality reflects his state of mind.

Amongst people of like manner, he may look a bit small,

But when it comes to substance, he’s standing high and tall.



He may not be known by many,

But he surely stands before kings and royalty.

All my life, I’ve watched him closely,

And I've come to discover just recently,

That great men are not just born, they’re raised,

That’s why faithful parents and guardians are to be praised.



Truly a man diligent in his work,

Won’t need to work round the clock,

Before his heart desires are met,

Saving him a lot of sweat.



Rejoice, rejoice o ye noble man,

For your life is in God's plan.

His words are true about you,

Every morning they are new.



You will flourish like a palm tree,

And leap like calves set free.

You will bear fruit in your old age,

Setting the standard as though a teenage.



Ignore what circumstances have to say,

Just rejoice and be glad ‘cause its your birthday.

To you Dad, with lots of love,

Thanks for being a blessing sent from above.

Prof. T. Ade Martins, 17th June, 2011

Press On

The tyre of the car functions better with just the right amount of air pressure.

The sail of the ship needs strong winds.

Why need the Sword of the Spirit if the enemy will fight fair?

Why need the Shield of Faith if there are no flaming arrows in the air?

Paul’s epistles might have been boring without the chains,

Mandela might not have been such an icon in history without the prison.

Needless to say, what would we know about Him without the Cross?

The size of our battles, most often than not, announce the weight of our glory.

So, for those things that seem uncalled for, greater blessings are calling.

Whether the devil likes it or 'yes', you are more than a winner.

Hold On.

Hang On.

Keep the switch of faith turned on.

Cheers!

‘Bayor

DEAR MISS ROUND THINGY

Dear Miss Round Thingy,

In response to your letter, please know I feel your angst. You see, anyone in your position would feel the way you feel. But you don't have to worry. it’s merely a feature in the "game of life". Permit me to explain:

Everyone will try to control you and make you feel insignificant but don’t forget that you are not there because of them, they are there because of you.

On this pitch, you'll find keepers and players. The keepers aren’t really your friends. They may appear to be diving to your rescue but they are actually keeping you from your goal. Don't be surprised to find your family members or loved ones playing this role. The players on the other hand, will strive to get you to your goal by any means possible. They are there to make you uncomfortable with stagnation and complacency. Even when you try to roll away from them or your goal, they’ll come after you to point you in the right direction. They won’t go easy on you to do this. You'll find that unpleasant situations and circumstances play this role all too often.

I believe in your ability to make it through the game because I had a hand in getting the right amount of air into you. I ensured you had just the right gauge to handle everything that would come your way before you were selected. So, when it feels like players can’t wait to kick you around and linesmen can’t wait to tell them you’ve been kicked out, take solace in knowing that at least one person is concerned about when you’ll be done being kicked about so He can carry you. That’s why I keep looking at my timepiece to see when that moment will come. However, since you are still on the pitch, trust me; you are up to the task!

just keep moving! You have many more seasons and pitches to feature in. The first half of this year may have informed the worry you feel but I am certain that you’ll have an UNBEATABLE EDGE in this second half because I’ll make sure you score LAST MINUTE GOALS. 

Yours alertly,

Coach G. Referee

'Bayor | 06.06.2011 | 13.04.2017 | 13.07.2020 

______________________________

Do you have a copy yet?

If you've read this book, kindly let me know your thoughts in the comment section below.

Here's what actress and singer, Stella Damasus had to say:

Imagine having a 160 page book filled with inspiration, truth, and things we need as reminders everyday. I have been so excited about it that people around me are tired of hearing about it. ...read more

BUY CRUMBS

______________________________

Also available in digital stores worldwide!!!

Freed To Fly | Morning Wind

Preview | Stream | Buy | Share | Comment

______________________________

LET'S CONNECT!

instagram.com/bayormartins | twitter.com/bayormartins

facebook.com/bayormartins | youtube.com/BayorMartins

______________________________

COMMENTS

I'm looking forward to reading from you!

Kindly add your name when posting as anonymous! 

Thank you!

MOTHER TONGUE | HOW FLUENT ARE YOU?

God took one look and said, “One people, one language; why, this is only a first step. No telling what they’ll come up with next – they’ll stop at nothing! Come, we’ll go down and garble their speech so they won’t understand each other.”

Genesis 11:6-7 (MSG)

A young boy, during an era recorded to have had limited revelations from God, ran to his master three times when he assumed it was the master that had called him. The young boy, Samuel, who later grew to become one of the great prophets of the Old Testament times, had not known God for himself. That’s why it is imperative to submit to spiritual authorities because you will almost certainly hear God’s voice the first time like that of someone you hold in high esteem (1st Samuel 3:1-9).

Two people can’t be said to be communicating if the person on the receiving side has no understanding of what’s being said. We may have found ourselves in situations where either a colleague in the office or a fellow commuter receives a phone call and the interlocutor speaks in a native language you are not familiar with. There is the natural tendency for the conversation to appear as noise and a distraction not because what they are saying is not important but because the language is not understood.

“Come, let’s talk this over! Says the Lord;…” (Isaiah 1:18 Living Bible) God desires that we communicate with Him. When we pray, He hears and most times, He has already answered the request before we had the question (Isaiah 65:24). His answers have been given to us in the form of His Word; the Bible which one might say has been around for the longest time and yet is the least read. It contains our “Mother’s” tongue and understanding it is a key to comprehending the dictates of the Spirit, our Counselor.

In the same vein, when we pray in tongues, we shut out every form of intrusion that may cause our faith to dwindle. Much like using scriptures to pray, speaking in tongues is a means of utilizing the language of the Spirit which leaves the devil and his cohorts dumbfounded because in the spiritual realm, mysteries are being uttered.

The ability of an architect to understand a building drawing is another qualification that makes his/her role unique from that of others involved in the building of a house. A layman would surely find it a daunting task to make a head of the queer looking illustration which has lines here and there, and numbers written at particular intervals.

The Bible contains kingdom parlance and a good knowledge base of it serves us in understanding what heaven is communicating to us and how we are to respond.

Most likely, we can speak our mother tongue but how fluently do we speak "The Mother Tongue?"

- 'Bayor

SAY WHAT?

Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit – you choose.
Prov.18:22

An experiment was said to have been carried out in the western world to find out the power of words. The research involved a class of young students, divided into two groups and sent into two different rooms. They were to speak over boiled rice which had been kept in these rooms. In one room, they were to say curse words which included “ugly” and in the other they were to say good words which included “beautiful”. The outcome after a number of days was that the rice over which good words were consistently spoken turned out golden yellow in color while that over which curse words were spoken turned dark brown in color. Both portions of rice came from the same source and were supposed to be decaying. The story may either be concocted or real but the truth behind it is in no way demeaned.

In Mark 11:12 – 14, we see the account of Jesus speaking in response to the fig tree which means the fig tree spoke initially by the way it appeared. When Jesus spoke to it, according to Matthew’s account, the tree withered immediately. (Matt. 21:19)

We have the authority to talk back at the things in our lives that are not going the way we want them to. When a work of our hand is not going the way we envisage, it is making a statement directly opposite to what is written in Psalm 1:3b. Every aspect of our lives answer to what we are saying and some of those things are not words but actions and reactions. The way we dress for example is a statement to the world of the worth we place on ourselves. Dress the way you want to be addressed even if you can’t disclose your address yet. Dress for where you are going and how you want to feel not where you are or how you feel. God called us as His children to be thermostats and not thermometers in our surrounding. We call the shots.

This country, Nigeria, is answering to what we the citizens are calling it. Unfortunately, it is sometimes the echo of what foreigners, who do not know Nigeria like we do, are calling it. We are royalty and we ought to be mindful of the things we say because kings don’t make passing remarks, they decree and the subjects enforce it. We have been given the gift of a mouth that cannot be contradicted (Luke 21:15). So, do take care to watch your words because they form your world. We don't just speak when we utter words, we are creating.

Perhaps one of the things that set David apart as a man after God’s heart was that he was wise enough to have prayed to God to set a guard over his lips. (Ps. 141:3). We might want to take a cue from him.

-'Bayor

PERSPECTIVES

…male and female, He created them.

Gen. 1:27

Adam says: I want my woman to be quiet, well mannered and not be someone given to nagging. I desire honesty and transparency in her. She should be a good cook, clean and well organized in the kitchen. The fear of God is another virtue I would want. She should be enlightened and not clumsy or portray a lack of people skills especially when she has to welcome guests into our home. She should be teachable and humble, neat and tidy, know how to dress like a sane person – stemming from a true knowledge of what she’s worth; (if she shows all her features to everyone, then what is left for me to see?). She should be down to earth; her ideas of life should not come from a magazine or novel. She should know what she wants, praise me for who I am, give me my space sometimes and tell me what’s on her mind always (am not a psychic). I desire her to be deep, intellectually compatible, and full of virtue and understanding. She should be supportive as the help meet. Simplicity of dressing and makeup is fine by me. She should respect herself, be consistent, not over-demanding, independent financially and able to take initiative. I need her to be there for my children, friendly (even if more wealthy), a good communicator and a hardworking personality. She should brandish an inner beauty of character with a ravishing outward beauty. She should give me the benefit of the doubt and should be one that has past the process of still trying to figure out exactly who she is. She should be given to worship and be fun to be with. She should be cheerful and smart with a priority on being in shape especially after giving birth...

Eve says: He must be a true worshipper of God and a Christian who has a proper reference of love. He should place emphasis on very good personal hygiene – no wet armpits, mouth odors, stinking socks, rumpled clothes and so on. He should be courteous once in a while (what does it take to say “thank you” or “please”?), he should be responsible for his actions (“am sorry” should not be rare in his vocabulary). He should pay his bills and be honest with his income. He should also be smart and humorous, willing to improve himself and acquire more knowledge. I would appreciate him being a good listener, confident and respectable. I can’t follow a parked car – he should be focused and know where he’s going without any confusion about it. He should carry me along and also be teachable; he should not be insecure and unwilling to follow my suggestions because we were both given the mandate to rule and dominate (…God blessed them …Gen. 1:27-28). He should be my friend and shoulder to cry on. He should be intelligent and a good cook…at least to an extent...

God says: Stop impersonating, you’re a god! Be yourself. Be like me and you won’t have any problem. I want better for you than you want for yourself. Rise above stereotypes.

What do YOU say?

 - 'Bayor

DREAM ON

Then he dreamed still another dream and told it to his brothers, and said, “look, I have dreamed another dream. And this time, the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me.”
Genesis 37:9

When it comes to life and purpose, God shows you the big picture, hands you the paintbrush and colors on palette. He then motions with His hand and says “Paint!”
Attaining success isn’t somewhat as difficult as it is to maintain it. The stories abound of quite a number of celebrities and other public figures who have come into limelight for a while and then like a puff of smoke, they dissolve into obscurity whilst the hype of their once budding notoriety becomes history. The bane of most of such celebrities has always been the lack of drive to build on the success attained thus far and seeing it as a stepping stone and not a resting point. It is said that money doesn’t make a man but rather reveals who he is. We don’t attain only to what we want sometimes but also to who we are. We can’t become more than we see ourselves becoming. The enemy of better is not bad but good and the enemy of the best is better. Whatever we have achieved or success we have attained, there is still room for more. Failure is never ending and success is never final. Apostle Paul, in exhorting the Philippians, made them understand the need to keep pressing toward the mark. (Phil.3:14).

The first time Joseph dreamt, his brothers hated him the more. Their initial hatred came as a result of the favor he received from their father. The second time he dreamt however, they envied him. This was an indication that they now believed the dream because as was the case later when Pharaoh dreamt, a second time was a confirmation of the first one he had received and an affirmation that God would surely do it.

Joseph went on to be sold into slavery on account of his dreams yet he never allowed the dream to wane. Temporary setbacks are just that – temporary. It’s risky to make permanent solutions to temporary situations. If he had given up on his dream while in Potiphar’s house, he would have concurred to the advances of his master’s wife. His chaste showed that he knew deep within him that where he was didn’t look like where he was going. Not even the promise of material wealth or benefits could match with the exceeding glory ahead. The popular song “Shout to the Lord” has a line that we need to hang our hopes on such that when we are faced with difficulties, we can affirm to the Lord that “nothing compares to the promise I have in you”.

It’s not over until you win. Keep on living, keep on winning, and keep on dreaming. The sky isn’t the limit, it’s a starting point.