Omoluabi Podcast

PROVERB CONSIDERED: "Ìpọ́njú àgbẹ̀ ò ju ọdún kan." INTERPRETATION: "A farmer’s suffering will not last longer than a year."   MEANING & BIBLICAL APPLICATION: The proverb is based on the concept of sowing (planting) and harvesting. The understanding is that if a farmer plants and begins to suffer for lack of resources or even lack of food to eat, such a reversal in his circumstance is but for a moment. Because he has sown, he can look forward WITH HOPE to the harvest, which, in the worst-case scenario, will come in a year's time. This brings a lot of scriptures to mind. Psalm 126:5 MSG says "So those who planted their crops in despair will shout “Yes!” at the harvest..."  Psalm 30:5 AMPC says "...Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning." An important question to ask, though, as Anu points out, is "In 'who' is our hope — in God or in efforts?" To have faith in yourself is to put a pressure you can't keep up with on yourself. To have faith in God, however, is to believe in the One Who is able to do and undo. MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE "Prophesy Your Promise" by Bryan & Katie Torwalt  LINKS TO LISTEN TO THE EPISODE ✥ My Website — https://www.josephkolawole.org/omoluabi/ ✥ Other Platforms — https://pod.link/1550735589 FOR MORE RESOURCES FROM JOSEPH & ANU OLA https://linktr.ee/josephola https://josephola.disha.page/

PROVERB CONSIDERED: "Àparò ò ga ju ara-a wọn lọ, àfi èyí tó gun ebè." INTERPRETATION: "No partridge is taller than another except for those standing on earth mounds." (Earth mounds are little heaps of soil usually made with a hoe; in the farm, crops like yam and cassava are planted into the heaps.)  MEANING & BIBLICAL APPLICATION: Usually, this proverb is said of a group of people among whom there is none that stands out. We, however, considered the proverb from the perspective of laying emphasis on the latter part of it. Yes, partridges are alike when they are all standing on the same ground, however, if one of them goes on to stand on an earth mound, such will stand out among the rest. We considered this from the angle of SALVATION BY GRACE. All humans are alike (like partridges) in the sense that we are all sinners. Irrespective of our varying levels of self-righteousness, they all amount to filthy rags relative to God's standard of righteousness. The only way to be acceptable to God, therefore, is to stand NOT in our righteousness, but in HIS righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 2:8-9). Jesus made this possible by His atoning death and triumphant resurrection. Anyone who believes in Him, therefore, has, proverbially speaking, "climbed the earth mound" that makes such a person STAND OUT among others. In the same vein, both in our secular work and our spiritual service in God's vineyard, we need to always ask ourselves, "what earth mounds do you need to climb to stand out of the rest?" As Anu urges us all, we must endeavour to avoid limiting ourselves to people's perception of us in our service to God and to men; as long as we stay in tune with the Holy Spirit obeying His every prompting, we will always stand out among our equals. BIBLICAL REFERENCE 2 Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 2:12-13 MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE Martin Luther and the Reformation 95 Theses LINKS TO LISTEN TO THE EPISODE ✥ My Website — https://www.josephkolawole.org/omoluabi/ ✥ Other Platforms — https://pod.link/1550735589 FOR MORE RESOURCES FROM JOSEPH & ANU OLA https://linktr.ee/josephola https://josephola.disha.page/

PROVERB CONSIDERED: "Bí ayé bá ńyẹni, ìwà ìbàjẹ́ là ńhù." INTERPRETATION: "If life is being good to one, one is likely to act disgracefully." MEANING: Prosperity (especially material-wise) comes with a temptation to misbehave. REFLECTION: The idea this proverb posits is found all over the Bible. God repeatedly warned the Israelites of the tendency for them to forget that it was God who gave them the power to get wealth when they get to the promised land and inherited houses they didn't build and harvest in fields where they had not laboured. (And, indeed, they forgot God on multiple occasions in their history.) The same tendency is common to all humans, really. In our exposition, we reflected on the scenario of the United Kingdom where the land of the Welsh revival of the early 20th century and the land where the likes of Charles Spurgeon preached powerfully has now become the land where there are more atheists than there are adherents of any faith. They no longer see the need for God because they tend to have most of the things that an average person in the third world will have to pray to God to get. Likewise, Anu cited the case of a celebrity who gained weight at some point and was able to lose the weight after a while. However, rather than empathise with those who are having weight issues, she went online speaking disparagingly about such people, forgetting that she was just like that as well, not too long ago! We concluded with the beautiful prayer in Proverbs 30:8-9 (TLB) which says, "...give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs! For if I grow rich, I may become content without God. And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God’s holy name." BIBLICAL REFERENCE: Proverbs 30:7-9 LINKS TO LISTEN TO THE EPISODE ✥ My Website — https://www.josephkolawole.org/omoluabi/ ✥ Other Platforms — https://pod.link/1550735589 FOR MORE RESOURCES FROM JOSEPH & ANU OLA https://linktr.ee/josephola https://josephola.disha.page/

PROVERB CONSIDERED: "Ojú onílá nilá ṣe ńkó." INTERPRETATION: "It is in the presence of the okro planter that the fruits become fibrous (and inedible)." MEANING: The negligent person will watch as his or her affairs go to ruin. REFLECTION: When okro fruits are harvested as at when due, they are very edible and bring gain to the farmer, the seller, the buyer, the cook and the eventual consumer. But when okro fruits are not harvested at the right time, they become full of fibre on the inside, and as such, they become inedible. We discussed this from two perspectives: finishing well, and being diligent (rather than negligent).  In Luke 14:28-33, Jesus highlights the need to sit down and count the cost before embarking on a project, and taking the most viable approach to execute the project, leveraging on any helpful partnerships and associations to make up for one's lack. In Proverbs 24:33-34, we are encouraged to follow professional work habits as antidotes to poverty. BIBLICAL REFERENCES Luke 14:28-33 NIV - “28 Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? 29 For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, 30 saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’ 31 “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 33 In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples." Proverbs 24:33-34 TPT - "Professional work habits prevent poverty from becoming your permanent business partner. And: If you put off until tomorrow the work you could do today, tomorrow never seems to come." LINKS TO LISTEN TO THE EPISODE ✥ My Website — https://www.josephkolawole.org/omoluabi/ ✥ Other Platforms — https://pod.link/1550735589 FOR MORE RESOURCES FROM JOSEPH & ANU OLA https://linktr.ee/josephola https://josephola.disha.page/

PROVERB CONSIDERED: ""Níbo ló gbé wà?" nìyájú ẹkùn." INTERPRETATION: ""Where is it?" is a great insult to the leopard." MEANING: One should be smart enough to hide one’s ignorance about things one ought to know because there are some truths that are so self-evident that to query otherwise is to reveal one's foolishness. REFLECTION: The idea being put forward in the word picture that informed the proverb is that the leopard is so self-important that it will take offence if anybody should ask where it was, or which it was, among other animals. The reason is that the leopard has distinctive and unmistakable features, let alone its reputation among other animals. A case study that readily passes across the message is that of King Nebuchadnezzar in the Old Testament. In Daniel 4, we read of how God humbled him by making him experience being a beast for 7 years in order to teach him a lesson he should have known all along: there is God and He is sovereignly in charge. Indeed, anyone who denies the existence of God is denying a self-evident truth.  BIBLICAL REFERENCE: Daniel 4 LINKS TO LISTEN TO THE EPISODE ✥ Spotify — https://open.spotify.com/episode/7IqDSRJ9VKmVulNJVtc9QY ✥ My Website — https://www.josephkolawole.org/omoluabi/ ✥ Other Platforms — https://pod.link/1550735589 FOR MORE RESOURCES FROM JOSEPH & ANU OLA https://linktr.ee/josephola https://josephola.disha.page/

PROVERB CONSIDERED: "Bí ọmọdé bá ńṣe ọmọdé, àgbà a máa ṣe àgbà." INTERPRETATION: "When a child is being a child, an elder must remain an elder." MEANING: One should not permit other people’s immature behaviour to deflect one from the proper course of acting maturely. REFLECTION: The idea being put forward is that people do act according to varying levels of maturity. However, a truly wise person will not bring himself or herself low to the level of acting immaturely in reaction to someone else's immaturity. The English idiomatic equivalents can be such phrases like "That's beneath me"; "I will choose to be the adult"; or when someone says, "I will not dignify this question with an answer" (used when it is being implied that the said question is foolish or immature). As believers, the proverb should remind us that we have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16) and, therefore, must always filter our actions and reactions through the sieve of WWJD (What Would Jesus Do?). We must not allow the foolish or sinful behaviours of others to cause us to act foolishly or respond sinfully. May God help us. BIBLICAL REFERENCES 1 Corinthians 2:16b NIV - "we have the mind of Christ." 1 Corinthians 13:11 NIV - "When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things." LINKS TO LISTEN TO THE EPISODE ✥ Spotify — https://open.spotify.com/episode/30uEi9sBDoWpcdDZ3FxLXT ✥ My Website — https://www.josephkolawole.org/omoluabi/ ✥ Other Platforms — https://pod.link/1550735589 FOR MORE RESOURCES FROM JOSEPH & ANU OLA https://linktr.ee/josephola https://josephola.disha.page/

PROVERB CONSIDERED: "Ògbójú ò tẹ ara ẹ̀ nÍfá; ọ̀mọ̀ràn ò fara ẹ̀ joyè; ọ̀bẹ tó mú ò gbẹ́  ẹ̀kù ara ẹ̀" INTERPRETATION: "The fearless person does not consult the Ifá oracle on his own behalf; the super-clever person does not enthrone himself; the sharpest knife does not carve its own handgrip." MEANING: No matter how powerful and accomplished one might be, one will need other people for some things. REFLECTION:  The ideology behind this proverb resonates with the African concept of Ubuntu ("I am because you are"). The idea is that each of us finds the utmost realisation of our humanity in the reality of being in relationship with other human beings, and, in fact, with all of creation. As such, we need one another to survive and thrive in life. We must, however, be cautious of the fact that whatever help or support we receive from others or even from nature is ultimately from God. There is nothing we have that we have not received from God (1 Corinthians 4:7).  Besides, we must endeavour to embrace the roles God has given us in life. We may not be in the spotlight and we may receive lesser recognition in certain contexts, but in all, we must gladly accept to be who God has called us to be. BIBLICAL EXAMPLES CITED: David and his "mighty men". (2 Samuel 23) FOR MORE RESOURCES FROM JOSEPH & ANU OLA https://linktr.ee/josephola https://josephola.disha.page/

PROVERB CONSIDERED: "Orúkọ ńroni; àpèjà ńroni." INTERPRETATION: "One’s name affects one’s character; one’s war name determines how one behaves." MEANING: To put it succinctly, people are influenced by their names. BIBLICAL REFLECTION: This belief that people are influenced by their names is common in Biblical records, especially among the Jews. We see cases of God changing people's names and how that has a significant impact on their lives (Abram, Sarai, Jacob, Simon...). We therefore reflected on this proverb by highlighting a couple of things: 1. That we should see the opportunity to name our children as an opportunity to speak prophetically into their destinies. 2. That names can be weapons of war, and so we should not be flippant in the names we give our kids. 3. That we should embrace the opportunity to articulate what we know of God (or what we desire from Him) in self-coined names which we ascribe to Him. 4. That we should appreciate and engage with music, poetry and other art forms that can help us conceptualise God in deep expressions in our native languages. BIBLICAL EXAMPLES CITED Peter. (Matthew 16:13-20) Jabez. (1 Chronicles 4:9-10) FOR MORE RESOURCES FROM JOSEPH & ANU OLA https://linktr.ee/josephola https://josephola.disha.page/

PROVERB CONSIDERED: "Ojú àlejò la ti ńjẹ gbèsè; ẹ̀hìn-in ẹ̀ là ńsan án" INTERPRETATION: "It is in a visitor’s presence that one gets into debt; it is in her absence that one repays the debt." MEANING: One does not estimate how much hospitality is costing until one’s visitor has departed. BIBLICAL REFLECTION: Among other things, this proverb reminds us of the fact that HOSPITALITY HAS A PRICE. In spite of the price, however, both the African worldview and biblical command instruct believers to be hospitable. The wisdom of the proverb, therefore, is to remind ourselves not to 'overdo' in being hospitable to others. One way this can be done is by reminding ourselves WHO we are trying to please by our hospitality — man or God? If we put this in perspective, we won't unnecessarily 'overdo' in order to make an impression on fellow humans. Anu offered some practical tips on how this could be done.  BIBLE VERSE CITED: Hebrews 13:2 (AMPC) says "Do not forget or neglect or refuse to extend hospitality to strangers [in the brotherhood—being friendly, cordial, and gracious, sharing the comforts of your home and doing your part generously], for through it some have entertained angels without knowing it." LINKS TO LISTEN TO THE EPISODE ✥ Spotify ✥ Our Website ✥ Apple Podcast ✥ Google Podcast ✥ Amazon Podcast FOR MORE RESOURCES FROM JOSEPH & ANU OLA https://linktr.ee/josephola https://josephola.disha.page/

ỌMỌLÚÀBÍ PODCAST | EPISODE 017 PROVERB CONSIDERED: "Eegun àjànàkú: ó ma há ìkokò l'ẹ́nu." INTERPRETATION: "An elephant’s bone: it will be too much for the wolf to swallow." MEANING: This proverb is often said to warn someone who is overreaching [or has overreached] himself or herself. The simple truth is that WE ALL HAVE OUR LIMITS and we must respect that lest we break down. BIBLICAL REFLECTION: We considered two Christianese phrases people sometimes use to justify dabbling into things for which they have no capacity: "I have the mind of Christ" and "I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me." While both statements are biblical, we must be careful to not apply them out of context. If you truly have the mind of Christ, then you will be adequately led by the Holy Spirit and not waste time and effort overreaching unnecessarily. After all, as the Amplified Bible puts Philippians 4:13, the "all things" you can do through Christ mainly applies to those things which Christ has specifically called YOU to do. BIBLE VERSE CITED Philippians 4:13 (AMP) - "I can do all things [which He has called me to do] through Him who strengthens and empowers me [to fulfill His purpose—I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency; I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses me with inner strength and confident peace.]" FOR MORE RESOURCES FROM JOSEPH & ANU OLA https://linktr.ee/josephola https://josephola.disha.page/

PROVERB CONSIDERED: "Bí Ṣàǹgó bá ńpa àràbà, tó ńpa ìrókò, bíi tigi ńlá kọ́." INTERPRETATION: "Even though Ṣango kills the silk-cotton tree and kills the ìrókò tree, no such fate can befall the huge tree." MEANING: This proverb is often said as a boast which is supposedly based on the assurance that the person being referred to is mightier than anyone in the vicinity who others consider to be mighty. BIBLICAL REFLECTION: We considered this proverb from a few perspectives. 1. Every true believer can boast in their assurance of the power of God. Because God is our Father, we can be assured of divine exemptions from the plans of the enemy. 2. At the same time, those who confess to be Christians must ensure that their supposed 'boasting in the Lord' is truly rooted in their personal communion and fellowship with God lest they experience something similar to the embarrassment which the seven sons of Sceva experienced.  BIBLE VERSES CITED: Psalm 91:7 (NIV) says "A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you." The entirety of Psalm 95 (TPT)

PROVERB CONSIDERED: "Kò sí kò sí; bẹ́ẹ̀ni ọmọ wọn ńyó." INTERPRETATION: "‘‘We have nothing, we have nothing!’’ Yet their children always have full stomachs." MEANING: This proverb is often said of those who are too stingy and too tightfisted to help others. They have enough, but when others come to them for help, they claim not to have. In spite of their claim to be in lack, however, everything points to the fact that they actually do have. (For instance, their 'children' never go hungry; their stomachs are always full!) BIBLICAL REFLECTION: We considered this proverb from a few perspectives. 1. There is no biblical justification for being stingy. Your generosity will not jinx your prosperity, so fear not. 2. As believers, this proverb could actually righteously apply to us in the sense that, we actually don't live according to our means; we live according to God's riches in Christ. We live by grace! So, yes, the quality of living of a believer may not—in fact, should not—be based on what we possess per time. We may not have millions in our account, but we have access to the limitless resources of our heavenly Father who supplies all our need at the perfect time. 3. We also noted the possibility that, sometimes, we may actually have and God will instruct us not to give. We concluded that God owns all we have and we must defer to Him in knowing how to respond when people come to ask us for help. In any case, however, our default posture as Christians must be the posture of GENEROSITY. BIBLE VERSES CITED: Philippians 4:19 (NKJV) says "And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." John 16:33 (NKJV) says "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”"

ỌMỌLÚÀBÍ PODCAST | EPISODE 014 PROVERB CONSIDERED: "Bí èèyàn-án bá ṣeun ká sọ pé ó ṣeun; bí èèyàn-án bá ṣèèyàn ká sọ pé ó ṣèèyàn; nítorípé, ohun tí a ṣe, ó yẹ kó gbeni." INTERPRETATION: "If a person deserves gratitude, we should acknowledge that he deserves gratitude; if a person is kindly, we should acknowledge that he is kindly, because we all ought to reap the rewards of our actions." MEANING: The idea is simply that we should readily acknowledge and accord gratitude to those who are due of it. We emphasised the need for us to include such phrases like "Thank You" in our default day-to-day language and the need to be immediate in our show of gratitude (like the Good Samaritan did not delay in showing love to the wonder Jewish man he helped in spite of the rift that had been between Samaritans and Jews for many generations.)  BIBLICAL APPLICATION 1 Timothy 5:17-18 MSG says "Give a bonus to leaders who do a good job, especially the ones who work hard at preaching and teaching. Scripture tells us, “Don’t muzzle a working ox” and “A worker deserves his pay.”" Here, Paul stresses the need for us to give "double honour" to those who God is using to teach us God's Word and lead us in the things of God, thus facilitating our growth. By being good at what they do, such pastors and leaders deserve an intentional show of (double) honour from us to them, and God will bless us as we do so.

ỌMỌLÚÀBÍ PODCAST | EPISODE 013 PROVERB CONSIDERED: "Ọ̀kánjúwà-á bu òkèlè, ojù ẹ̀-ẹ́ lami." INTERPRETATION: "A greedy person takes a morsel of food, and tears gush from his eyes." The idea is that greed will cause someone to go for a morsel of food that is evidently too big for him/her to swallow without pain or effort. MEANING: Greed can lead to tremendous pain. If anyone bites more than he/she can chew and chooses to force himself/herself to swallow rather than spit out the excess, such a person has set himself/herself up for the pains their greed will attract. BIBLICAL APPLICATION: The Bible is full of warnings against greed and covetousness right from Eve's desire for the forbidden fruit onwards to many other examples. A notable example in the bible would be David's affair with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11). David had multiple opportunities to have stopped himself from going further and further into sin with Bathsheba, but rather than admit that he had bitten more than he can chew, he kept forcing that morsel down his throat by going to any length to cover his sin (even to the point of murdering Bathsheba's husband, Uriah!). The admonition of the proverb is to remind us that rather than allow greed's cousin (pride) to lead us into avoidable pain when we've bitten more than we can chew, we should simply admit that we have indeed bitten more than we can chew and simply get rid of the excess.

ỌMỌLÚÀBÍ PODCAST | EPISODE 012 PROVERB CONSIDERED: "Ẹni tí kò ní igi obì kì í léso." INTERPRETATION: "Whoever does not have a kola-nut tree cannot have its fruits." In other words, to be in possession of kola-nuts must be preceded by being in possession of a kola-nut tree. Or, to say it yet another way, having a kola-nut tree is the prerequisite to having kola-nuts (the fruits from the tree). MEANING:  Unless one owns the means of production, one cannot claim the product. To make it clearer with a random example, you cannot lay claims to "Goodness Bread" if you are not the owner of "Goodness Bakery". Yes, you may buy "Goodness Bread" from the market, but your ownership of the bread is limited to the few loaves you bought, and even while you have it, it remains "Goodness Bread" not "Joseph Bread" [if your name is 'Joseph', for example]. BIBLICAL APPLICATION We unpacked this using 2 imageries from the Bible: 1. The Fruit of the Spirit. (Galatians 5:22-23) The 9 virtues that Paul lists in Galatians 5:22-23 as "the Fruit of the Spirit" can seem like the sort of virtues you can find even in unbelievers. It is not only Christians who are loving, peaceful, kind, patient or self-controlled. However, the true essence of these fruits can ONLY be found in the life of someone who possesses the Spirit of God Whom produces these fruity manifestations. It is just like what the bible says about self-righteousness — no matter the level of righteousness anyone may claim to have apart from God, such righteousness will always be "filthy rags" before the Father. 2. The Vine, the Branches and their Fruits (John 15:1-5) When Jesus calls Himself the Vine in John 15 and calls those who believe in Him "the branches which bear fruits..." He goes on to say specifically in verse 5 that "... apart from me you can’t do a thing." So, for us to be able to do anything God-pleasing; it must be preceded by our possession of Him as He possesses us. ✥ Galatians 5:22-23 TLB — "But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control; and here there is no conflict with Jewish laws." ✥ John 15:1-5 TLB — “I am the true Vine, and my Father is the Gardener. He lops off every branch that doesn’t produce. And he prunes those branches that bear fruit for even larger crops. He has already tended you by pruning you back for greater strength and usefulness by means of the commands I gave you. Take care to live in me, and let me live in you. For a branch can’t produce fruit when severed from the vine. Nor can you be fruitful apart from me. “Yes, I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in me and I in him shall produce a large crop of fruit. For apart from me you can’t do a thing." ✥ John 4:10,14 TPT — "Jesus replied, “If you only knew who I am and the gift that God wants to give you, you’d ask me for a drink, and I would give you living water.” . . . For when you drink the water I give you, it becomes a gushing fountain of the Holy Spirit, flooding you with endless life!”" Summarily, don't seek the fruit; seek to possess the tree!