Back on Track towards the MVP ✨

Hello friend,

Over the past few weeks, I’ve doubled down on the gospel project with renewed clarity and drive, inched closer to the end of my current contract with Upstream, and gotten my first car! ✨

More on these below. 👇🏽

Life update

First, I'd like to share that I am safe here in Nigeria, to the glory of God! 🙌🏽 However, many of our brothers and sisters in Christ in the northern part of Nigeria can't say the same at the moment, amidst the ongoing persecution. 🥲 

Please join us in praying that they do not waiver in their faith in Christ 🛡️, and the imperishable, undefiled and unfading hope that's tied to it. ✨

Please pray that the brethren will not esteem their earthly life higher than the hope they've been called to. May we love not our lives even unto death, such that we testify of Christ even in the face of it! 📢

I am grateful to God for brothers who have really encouraged me in this season, especially two of my accountability partners and my pastor. 🤲🏽

• Sam shared a beneficial analogy on sanctification with me, and I found it to be really encouraging. 😲 

• Excel encouraged me to be a lot more consistent in prayers 🙏🏽, and

• Besides faithfully teaching God’s Word, Pastor Gbenga constantly feeds me with books. 🤓 

All of these are means of grace for which I am grateful. I've also found that I enjoy fellowship a lot more, both with the Lord and with other believers. ✨

All praise to God! 🙌🏽 I have completed my driving school program. Although I'm still awaiting my proper license, I am now able to drive with temporary alternatives. I, uhm, found some parts of the process to be questionable, and every time I objected, I was told "Nigeria ni 🥲" (This is Nigeria!).

I love my country, though ✊🏽, and, Lord willing, I will do my part in contributing to its growth and development as feasible. 🤞🏽

Ministry update

This month has been really amazing compared to the previous one, in terms of drive and inspiration. ✨ I believe the prior lack of motivation was due to an unseen weight I had mounted by indulging in sin. I can't explain it, but it's real. 😶 

Many times, I felt like "I know what the gospel is; why does it feel so hard to build an expression of it?!".

It felt easier to work on other things that had a clear path/design.

However, I am grateful to God that, in this season, He did not leave me helpless in that regard. Shortly after publishing the last newsletter issue, I told God that I honestly didn't know how to proceed with the project, and I desperately needed His help (I still do 🤠).

Having worked with Upstream for over 2 months, the end of our current contract is in sight. 😅 We are currently working on gathering feedback and making necessary tweaks. Lord willing, we will finalise this contract within a couple of days. 🤞🏽

It has been a pleasure partnering with Upstream in this unique setting lately, and I am grateful to God and the organisation for the opportunity. ✨ 

Lord willing, I will still be involved with Upstream as a volunteer after the contract ends. It is indeed a blessing to be a part of what they are doing 🙌🏽.

The first phase of Skeûos’ registration is approximately 70% complete, and we'll continue to work diligently to wrap it up soon, Lord willing, before the end of the year. 🤞🏽

Changed lives

I've been going through Peter a lot recently, and I noticed a progression. Peter seems to esteem purification and godliness as a precursor to brotherly love (see 1 Peter 1:22 and 2 Peter 1:3-7).

I've found this not just to be logical, but also practical 👌🏽.

Sin deters fellowship (with God and with His people), and as such, it's logical that one may not be able to love properly in that state. 🥲

Is it easier to love the brethren when you are constantly reminded of intentional sin? Not in my experience - no. 😬

This love has proven helpful in my recent fights against temptation.

Perhaps my collective analysis of those scenarios is wrong; I praise God for the victories He has given me, regardless. 🙌🏽 🙈 

P.S.: This section should feature stories of how the apps we create edify people. I am only sharing things about myself and people close to me (with their permission) for as long as the projects remain in development. 👌🏽

Prayer requests

Here are a few specific ways you can pray with me 🙏🏽:

• Productivity: Please pray that the Lord blesses my efforts to deploy the MVP for testing by the end of the month. 🚀

• Safety: Please pray that the Lord continues to keep this new driver safe on our roads. 🚘

• Spread of the gospel: May the true gospel continue to spread across the world, especially in Nigeria, despite persecution. 🔥

I pray intentionally for my partners regularly, and I'd love to know how I could be specifically praying for us. If you are interested, use the button below to share prayer requests, and I'd be happy to join you in praying for them.

Something to think about

"...but you don't see my heart"

Over the last four weeks, I've heard this phrase or a variant of it used pretty frequently. 🤔 

It's typically said in response to being called out or questioned about something, so you're probably not going to hear it if you "mind your business" and skimp on probing or calling people out. 🤠

I struggle to shake the feeling that people who pull that card probably assume they actually know the state of their own hearts, and others just don't understand. 🥲

Indeed, it is not granted to me to see anyone's heart. 👌🏽

In fact, I'm ignorant of the state of my own heart until the Lord, in His mercy 🤲🏽, reveals parts to me, through His Word 📖, His people 👬🏽, etc.

However, the fruits that stem from the heart are usually visible 🍇. With time, they prop up, serving as very effective indicators of the state of people’s hearts.

I've also found that, often, it takes a brother (someone outside you) to point out things that indicate heart issues.

So, I'd like you to consider with me:

…in relation to receiving correction 🤲🏽:

• What's my typical disposition to correction?

  ^{(Hint: Disposing feedback because "you don't see my heart" is not wise)}

• Do I reject corrections based on how they are presented?

…in relation to pointing out fruits 👉🏽:

• Do I affirm good fruits in others? 👏🏽

• Do I probe and call believers out when I see sin ⚠️, or do I "pursue peace"?

• In the face of a brother's sin, do I affirm their salvation 🟢 or warn them of the dangers of sin? 🟠

  • Why? 🤔

I pray that the Lord helps each one of us to play our parts effectively as brothers and sisters, speaking the truth to one another in love 🤗, so that we may be taught, reproofed, corrected, trained in righteousness, and made complete—ready for every good work. ✨

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