2013 EFA-F Third Anniversary Lecture: Walking In His Ways -Esther Folorunso Ayantayo Foundation

Who was Esther Folorunso Ayantayo and what is Esther Folorunso Ayantayo Foundation?

Late Princess Mrs Esther Folorunso Ayantayo, Nee Adefila [20/08/1966-17/08/2010] was a wife, mother, Christian, scholar, helper and philanthropist, who walked in His ways. In the condolence register, shortly after her departure to eternal glory, people gave the following reactions:

• Her death caused great pain; very difficult, painful, hard to believe; a great irrevocable loss; most disturbing, shocking news; gone so soon; death too sudden; premature departure; I will miss you; short well-spent life.   
• She is humble; always beaming in smiles; ever ready to help; honest; respectful; perfect child of God; calm; gentle easy going; noble woman; dutiful; caring; a rare gem; a good model; caring mother; showed fruits of the Spirit; hospitable; lived life of service unto humanity; gallant soldier; the jewel of inestimable value; virtuous woman rare to see; you lived a life of J – O – Y. Jesus first, others next, yourself last. 
• She attracted God to call her home soon; It is just time, for they tried all efforts; I know you are happy where you are; death is the gate passed to another life; death took you from us but certainly death cannot take you from God; Glory of God back to God; You still live at the right hand of God. 

To us her sunset at noon (burial program). But from God ‘Welcome thou faithful servant, enter into My rest, where there shall be no gnashing of teeth.’ 

What Walking In His Ways Mean:

•             Prelude: How I pray that God will open our eyes to understand how minute we are as human beings, if not that we are made and formed in the image of God. The very planet ‘Earth’ that you and I exist in is just one of several planets in the Universe God created and He is in control of. Man’s mind and science cannot fully fathom nor imagine/ comprehend the size of the universe. There are many undiscovered creations of God in the universe. You and I are just micro dust in the universe, yet God El-Shaddai the mighty one has chosen to love us as if we are His only creatures [Is40:12-31]. Ps8:4-6 declares ‘What is man that You remember him, the son of man that You look after him? You made him little less than God and crowned him with glory and honour. You made him lord over the works of your hands; You put everything under his feet.’ Prov7:1&2 says ‘My son, obey my words, and treasure my commands. Keep my commands and live; protect my teachings as you would the pupil of your eye.’
•             Walking In His Ways: ‘Walking’ is an action word. So we are here for practical demonstrations, we must be renewed to start in fullness. It is a dynamic, progressive and upward-growing closer walk with God. It touches and affects and involves all aspects of a Christian’s life.  
•             ‘His Ways’: ‘His’ refer to whom? and what are His ‘Ways’? [Jn14:6, 3; Eph2:17-22]. Jesus told him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’ vs3: If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come back and receive you to myself, so that where I am you may be also. God is highly principled and can never change His standard. It’s time you and I make God’s principles ours and live by them. God’s standard cannot be compromised, He is holy, always right and does what is right; He cannot change His standard, He is utterly pure but clothed with love and mercy. Absolutely there is no imperfection, nothing unrighteous in God, and that is where He delights to take us. Appreciate and bless God for these, and also covet more of His love. It is important you stop craving for unrighteousness in all its ramifications. Recall: [2Tim2:19; Deut30:19; Is60:1; 2Pet3:14; Prov8:10,13,17]. Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, having this inscription: The Lord knows who are His, and Everyone who names the name of the Lord must turn away from unrighteousness. I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live.    Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord shines over you. Therefore, dear friends, while you wait for these things, make every effort to be found in peace without spot or blemish before Him. Accept my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than pure gold. To fear the Lord is to hate evil… I love those who love me, and those who search for me find me.    

            Remember Balak insist cursing Israel and Balaam disobeying God [Num22:1-35-40]. Saul lost his principles[God saw in him before making him king], and lost his throne as king; Vashti lost her principle as queen for her husband the king, and lost her crown (Esther 1:10-22). Insist on walking in the way of God, adhere strictly to God’s principles.

           Prayer:

•             God has called you and me to walk in His way because we are not mistakenly created, but ordained from creation to walk in His ways. See it as great opportunity [Jn15:16a; Eph2:10; Heb2:5-13etc/ Ps8:4-6;]. You did not choose Me, but I chose you. For we are His creation- created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them. For He has not subjected to angels the world to come that we are talking about. But one has somewhere testified: What is man, that You remember him, or the son of man, that You care for him? You made him lower than the angels for a short time; You crowned him with glory and honor and subjected everything under his feet. For in subjecting everything to him, He left nothing not subject to him. As it is we do not yet see everything subjected to him. But we do see Jesus- made lower than the angels for a short time so that by God’s grace He might taste death for everyone- crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death. For it was fitting, in bringing many sons to glory, that He, for whom and through whom all things exist, should make the source of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father. That is why He is not ashamed to call them brothers, saying: ‘I will proclaim Your name to My brothers; I will sing hymns to You in the congregation.’ Again I will trust in Him. And again, Here I am with the children God gave Me. Irrespective of circumstances surrounding your birth and death, claim the strength of God. [Today we are remembering late Mrs Ayantayo and other people of faith like Abraham, Samuel, Moses, John the Baptist, Paul, the 12 disciples whose life and death showed they walked in His ways]. (Heb11:13-16). These all died in faith without having received the promises, but they saw them from a distance, greeted them, and confessed that they were foreigners and temporary residents on the earth. Now those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been remembering that land they came from, they would have had opportunity to return. But they now aspire to a better land- a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them. I am and I have nothing outside Christ, so is each of us [Jer18:6; 1Corinth4:7; Is45:9-19-end; Is64:9] …Just like clay in the porter’s hand so are you in my hand, house of Israel.

 For who makes you so superior? What do you have that you didn’t receive? If, in fact, you did receive it, why do you boast as if you hadn’t received it? Woe to the one who argues with his maker…..can clay command the one forming it?… Lord do not be terribly angry, on our iniquity forever. Please look all of us are your people.                                                                                                               

•                Our earnest expectation and hope with all boldness and always is that CHRIST BE MAGNIFIED IN EACH OF US! The message from our heart should be: For me to live=Christ, and if l die = Gain [Hos6:3; 1Corinth9:26&27; Phil1:20-21,27,29]. Let us strive to know the Lord.  His appearance is as sure as the dawn. He will come to us like the rain, like the spring showers that water the land. Therefore I do not run like one who runs aimlessly, or box like one who beats the air. Instead, I discipline my body and bring it under strict control, so that after preaching to others, I myself will not be disqualified. My eager expectation and hope is that I will not be ashamed about anything, but that now as always, with all boldness, Christ will be highly honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For me, living is Christ and dying is gain….Just one thing: live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ….It has been given to you…to also suffer for Him.
•             No compromising- LOVE NOT THE WORLD! [1Jn2:15-17; Mk8:35-38]. Do not love the world or the things that belong to the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the father is not in him. For everything that belongs to the world- the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride in one’s lifestyle- is not from the Father, but is from the world. And the world with its lust is passing away, but the one who does God’s will remains forever. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of Me and the gospel will save it. For what does it benefit a man to gain the whole world yet lose his life?……For whoever is ashamed of Me and of My words in this adulterous  and sinful generation…I’ll be ashamed of him….. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me [Phil4:13]. I am able to do all things through him who strengthens me.

Implications of Walking In His Ways:

You and I are friends of God. You are cordial with God, and have deep knowledge of God. [Jn15:14-15; Prov17:17].  You are My friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you slaves anymore, because a slave doesn’t know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have heard from My Father. A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a difficult time.

|  You and I must guard our hearts jealously to focus on Him (God) only. Avoid anything that will tamper or cut off our relationship with God. [Prov4:20-23].

–Study and inculcate word of God into your heart and being; 

–Listen to God and never lose sight of God;

–Store them in your heart.

My son, pay attention to my words; listen closely to my sayings. Don’t lose sight of them; keep them within your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and health to one’s whole body. Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life.[Thy word have l hid in my heart, that l might not sin against thee, that l might not sin/2x, Thy word have l hid in my heart].

|  You will be truthful, honest, loyal, always on the right path [Prov4:24-27]. Don’t let your mouth speak dishonestly, and don’t let your lips talk deviously. Let your eyes look forward; fix your gaze straight ahead. Carefully consider the path for your feet, and all your ways will be established. Don’t turn to the right or to the left; keep your feet away from evil.

|  You belong to God completely, so are humble like him, and utilize His bestowed grace on you. [Luke18:9-14 Parable of the Pharisee & Tax Collector; Jn1:16-18,3] Indeed, we have all received grace after grace from His fullness, for although the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through the Lord Jesus Christ…. He has revealed Him. Jesus humbled himself, suffered for us and ransomed us to Himself. He call us His brothers, we belong to Him, and He expects us to walk in His ways (Heb2:5-19).

|  You are light that cannot be comprehended by darkness. Jn1:5 says ‘That light shines in the darkness, yet the darkness did not overcome it.’

|  God knows you and you are complete in Him [I know my sheep, my sheep hear my voice and they follow me? I am complete in Him-Paul’s letters?]

|  You are righteous and uncompromising, and so you are bold in the Lord, with no evil determination. [Prov28:1, 5 The wicked flee when no one is pursuing them, but the righteous are as bold as a lion. Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the Lord understand everything].

|  You are to testify about Him (Christ) [e.g. John-Jn1:7-8] He came as a witness to testify about the light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but he came to testify about the light. 

|  It is demonstrating LOVE Jn15:17 says ‘This is what I command you: love one another.’ 1Jn3:10 &11 declares ‘This is how God’s children and the devil’s children are made evident- Whoever does not do what is right is not of God, especially the one who does not love his brother. For this is the message you have heard from the beginning: we should love one another.’ 

|  You have life and health to your whole body. [Prov4:22-23] For they are life to those who find them, and health to one’s whole body.’ Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life.’

|  You experience continuous renewed strength. Is40:29-31-  He gives strength to the weary and strengthens the powerless. Youths may faint and grow weary, and young men stumble and fall, but those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings as eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not faint.

|  We will be enriched with overwhelming riches. [Is60:11-18-22. Gates open; have wealth and glory of nations; enemies, adversaries &opponents annihilated; experience presence of God; be object of eternal pride; God will prove He is for you].

|  Knows and understand God’s majesty, authority, greatness, and awesomeness, which is beyond anything human mind can capture; His glory, power and holiness [Is40:25&26]. ‘Who will you compare me to, or who is my equal?’ asks the Holy one. Look up and see who created these? He brings out the starry boat by number; He calls all of them by name. Because of His great power and strength not one of them is missing.

|  You experience the wonders and depths of His grace; You’ll realize the value God place on our worship and in us generally.

In Conclusion

[1Jn5:18-20; Col3:5-17] Completely RESOLVE to get sticked to God, walk with Him, you and I will continually know His ways till death or rapture takes us fully to His presence. God bless you, Amen.

Prayers:

1. Gracious unchanging, limitless, compassionate, full of love and ever righteous Lord, purge me and cleanse me from all sins in Jesus’ name, Amen.
2. Help me to always remember Your greatness, revive my faith in You, and seek to walk in Your ways in Jesus’ name, Amen. I will obey You completely; 
3. I thank You for in walking with You I can give You valuable praise and worship; my life can have full purpose and fulfillment; I am fashioned after Your image, and will live for You in utter purity and holiness; I have hope of eternity with You in Jesus’ name.
4. Lord grant me grace to always walk in the footsteps of Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit enriching my journeys with His presence and power Amen. Empower me to prefer Your ways to mine, hear, love and understand You, and to trust Your guidance.
5. Father You will keep blessing me beyond words in Jesus’ name, Amen. 

SONGS:

(a)    Prov4:20- My son pay attention to my words, incline your hearts to my sayings,

(b)   He promised ‘Never to leave Us Alone’! [Jn14, especially Vs18,1-4,]

(c)    I must be there! I’m sure of it! That City of gold I must be there! [Jn14:2-3] 

(d)   My God reigns/4X How lovely on the mountains are the feet of them who bring good news

(e)    If God is dead who mends my broken heart

(f)    Create in me a new heart oh Lord and renew the right spirit within me.

(g)   That I may know Him/4X, and His power/3X of resurrection/2X.

(h)   In His time/2X He makes all things beautiful in His time, Lord you show me every day, as you teach me in your way, that I do just what you say in your time.

Come bless the Lord, all ye servants of the Lord, who stand this day in the presence of the Lord, lift up your hands to the holy place [and bless the Lord]3X.

Lecture delivered by:

MORONKOLA, D.O.