Eat This!

I.D. Iluyomade

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. When quoted or excerpted, this book must be acknowledged and the author credited.

Scripture quotations are mainly from the Amplified, KJV, NLT, and NIV. Paraphrases and word substitutions are sparingly used to enhance meaning.

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ISBN: 978-978-907-241-5 (Nigeria Edition)

ISBN: 9781620959664

Dedication

This book is dedicated to the blessed memory of my dearly departed beloved father, mentor, and role model, Archdeacon Jonathan Abiodun Iluyomade; to my mother, Mrs. V. O Iluyomade, for her unceasing prayers and love; to my mother-in-law, Mrs. H.B Adejumo, for her love to my brethren at the City of David and for sharing with me the love of God. And most especially to my adorable, supportive, and beloved wife Sijuade, and our lovely children: Jola, Todun and Toju, for believing in me and for being there for me through the ages. I truly love you all. Finally, to God Almighty–Father, Son and the Holy Spirit–be all the Glory, for making this dream come true.

Acknowledgement:

I am grateful to God Almighty for the grace and opportunity to write this book, and I want to specially thank my father-in-the-Lord, Pastor E. A. Adeboye for his encouragement and for writing the foreword within days of notification in spite of his busy schedule. I also want to thank Dr. Myles Munroe for his invaluable advice and foreword to this book. I thank my brethren at the City of David-‘where the love of God reigns and dreams come true’-for giving me the platform to express myself.

I acknowledge the assistance of Pastors Jide Awe, Tunde Onadele, Sola Adewole, Professor Gbemi Mowoe, and my book doctor, Pastor Maurice Suwa, who God used to make this dream come true. Most especially, I want to thank my three wonderful children, Jola, Todun, and Toju for their support, love and understanding. Finally, I want to thank my baby love, Siju, for just being there. As our lives engaged you lit my life and our souls have become one. My love for you is like an ocean that flows forever. My love is like a prison and unto you I surrender.

Foreword

God the giver of all good gifts has endowed Pastor Iluyomade with the special gift of presenting hard, deep truth in love thus making it easily acceptable to the hearers. In this collection of sermons Pastor Idowu has put this gift to full use and parked a lot of difficult-to-accept messages in a pleasant, easy-to-digest manner. Every reader stands to benefit tremendously. Please don’t just read but assimilate the truths to derive maximum benefit from it. I recommend this work to every true seeker of biblical truth and sound doctrine.

God bless you.

Pastor E. A. Adeboye

Foreword

This erudite, eloquent, and immensely thought-provoking work gets to the heart of the deepest passions and aspirations of the human heart of learning to live life at its maximum. Eat This! is a masterpiece and a treasure chest of wisdom that will inspire and encourage.

This is indispensable reading for anyone who wants to live life above the norm. This is a profound authoritative work which spans the wisdom of the ages and yet breaks new ground in its approach and will possibly become a classic in this and the next generation.

This exceptional work by Idowu Olusola Iluyomade is one of the most profound, practical, principle-centered approaches to these subjects I have read in a long time. The author’s approach to so many timely issues brings a fresh breath of air that captivates the heart, engages the mind and inspires the spirit of the reader.

The author’s ability to leap over complicated theological and metaphysical jargon and reduce complex theories to simple practical principles that the least among us can understand is amazing.

This work will challenge the intellectual while embracing the laymen as it dismantles the mysterious of the soul search of mankind and delivers the profound in simplicity.

Pastor Idowu’s approach awakens in the reader the untapped inhibiters that retard our personal development and his antidotes empower us to rise above these self-defeating, self-limiting factors to a life of exploits in spiritual and mental advancement.

The author also integrates into each chapter the time-tested precepts giving each principle a practical application to life making the entire process people-friendly.

Every sentence of this book is pregnant with wisdom and I enjoyed the mind-expanding experience of this exciting book. I admonish you to plunge into this ocean of knowledge and watch your life change for the better.

Dr. Myles Munroe

BFM International

ITWLA

Nassau Bahamas

Contents

#1 Maturity in the Year of the King of kings

#2 Where Art Thou?

#3 Restoring Davidic Worship

#4 Chosen to Bear Fruit

#5 Perfected Praise

#6 Incomplete Worship

#7 Highest Praise

#8 Hello Pastors

#9 Tomorrow

#10 Life Beyond the Altar

#11 Redeeming the Times

#12 Amazing Grace!

#13 Prosperity of Fools

#14 I Have Found the Answer

#15 Empowered to Excel

#16 You must keep this Appointment

#17 They shall not Prevail

#18 Eat these Quotes

Chapter one

Maturity in the Year of the King of kings

“When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” 1 Corinthians 13:11

As we entered into the year 2010, the Lord gave me a vision. Much like the story in Exodus 14:21-22, it was a vision of pilgrims crossing over to the Promised Land. In the Exodus story, we encounter Israel moving from bondage in Egypt to their God-given destiny. In my vision, I saw pilgrims crossing to the place of their destiny. My prayer for you is that in 2010 and from year to year, you’ll enter your God-given destiny.

These pilgrims I saw moved from sorrow to joy, from failure to success, from servitude to sonship, and from fear to renewed faith. They trudged on with all they had, and all they had was a promise from God–that they should not be afraid but stand still to see the sure salvation of the Lord. Their confidence was anchored on God’s word which promised to ‘bring them out to take them in’ (Deuteronomy 6:23). Be assured therefore that you will not die until you have entered your destiny; you will live to achieve God’s plan for your life, in Jesus mighty name.

Indeed as you journey, remember the great works of God in your past. The children of Israel had at the back of their minds God’s great acts, the display of His almighty power through the various and horrendous plagues in Egypt. They remembered all the victories the Lord wrought by the rod of Moses. Yet that was not all, for on that fateful historic night, in the midst of the sea, they saw the waters rise up around them on the right and on the left as though great walls.

Meanwhile in rapt pursuit was the enemy. In a hot chase they came, but into hot soup they fell. Though it seemed to Israel they were in the valley of the shadow of death, it ended well for them because their God, whose name is always beautiful for situation, was with them. Yes, in the Red Sea, God revealed Himself as a deliverer, as the God of the valley, the hills, and of the seas.

If you were to appraise the previous year, it will be a potpourri, a mix of the good and the not so good. You had awesome testimonies. In other words, you had hill-top experiences. But you also had valley-type experiences. When the children of Israel crossed over to the Promised Land, the land of their destiny, they looked back and saw that not every one that stepped into the Red Sea made it across. They looked behind them and saw their enemies encumbered in mire, overthrown by the angry waves stirred thick by the wrath of God. Consequently, they broke out into a song in Exodus 15:11:

“Who is like unto thee O lord?

Who is like unto thee O lord?

Amongst the gods who is like thee

Glorious in holiness

Fearful in praises

Always doing wonders, halleluiah!”

I spoke to quite a number of people in the year 2009; I know the challenges many had to deal with. I know the disappointments and the confounding circumstances they met along the way. And maybe your story is the same. However, the reality is that you are still standing… victorious. There is a song that says ‘I never lost my hope…

I never lost my joy…I never lost my faith… most of all, I never lost my praise.’ That should be your song today. In spite of challenges, you have not lost your hope, joy, faith or your praise. Hope is a sure anchor for the soul, it keeps us when despair threatens to seize. What the enemy wants is for you to lose your praise. This brings to my mind the man Job. Job had a promising future; he was wealthy and had God on his side. However, he lost everything in one day. Job 14:14 says, ‘I will wait until my change comes’. While he stewed in his problems, God gave Job songs in the midnight. He was able to testify: ‘I know my redeemer lives’. This testimony has today become a popular song which goes thus: ‘I know my Redeemer lives…let all creation testify… let this life within me cry… I know my Redeemer lives.’ When the last page in Job’s narrative was turned, it was a story of victory. The Bible tells us God turned around his captivity, and his latter end was greater than his beginning (Job 8). Friend, even though your beginning is small, know your latter end shall greatly increase.

Apostle Paul, in 2 Corinthians 4:8-9, says: “We are troubled on every side”. Though troubled, he was not distressed; perplexed, he never despaired. Persecuted, he found he was not forsaken; cast down, he was not destroyed. While Abraham believed God for a child, God ordained for him to sire a nation. Though he was very old, and though the promise had tarried for about 25 years, Abraham never staggered in his faith; he held onto the promise and was strong in faith, giving glory to God. When the story ended, he was standing–with Isaac, his only begotten, by his side. Man’s end as prescribed by God is always good. The testimony of the children of Israel bears this fact out.

Speaking about the children of Israel, a kid once quizzed his dad:

‘Daddy, you said the children of Israel picked manna?’

‘Yes!’ Daddy answered.

‘You also say the children of Israel went through the Red Sea?’

‘Yes!’

On and on the kid enquired about the exploits of the children of Israel.

‘If the children did all that, what did the adults do?’ He finally asked.

Yes, though Scripture says ‘in the mouth of babes the Lord has ordained praise,’ it is my prayer that the adult (you reading this book) would also stand in awe and give praise to the King of kings for His mighty acts.

I heard this story also, it says…one day Satan himself appeared at a meeting of Christians. All took to their heels except for one man who sat unmoved.

‘Wurrooh!’ Satan roared.

The man hoisted one leg over the other…relaxed.

‘Don’t you know who I am? I am Satan, the devil! You are not afraid?’

‘Why should I be afraid of you?’

‘Well, everyone ran…’

The man looked at Satan and said: ‘Big deal; I have been living with your sister as wife for the past 25 years, what’s new?’

Do not be afraid ever; God is with you! You are His child, His heir. Galatians 4:1-7 says:

“Now what I mean is that as long as the inheritor (heir) is a child and under age, he does not differ from a slave, although he is the master of all the estate;

But he is under guardians and administrators or trustees until the date fixed by his father.

So we [Jewish Christians] also, when we were minors, were kept like slaves under [the rules of the Hebrew ritual and subject to] the elementary teachings of a system of external observations and regulations.

But when the proper time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born subject to [the regulations of] the Law,

To purchase the freedom of (to ransom, to redeem, to atone for those who were subject to the Law, that we might be adopted and have sonship conferred upon us [and be recognized as God’s sons].

And because you [really] are [His] sons, God has sent the Holy Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, Abba (Father)! Father!

Therefore, you are no longer a slave (bond servant) but a son; and if a son, then [it follows that you are] an heir by the aid of God, through Christ.”

Note quickly some statements made above. One, it says the heir, as long as he is a child, as long as he is under age, does not differ from a slave or a servant although he’s the master of all the estate. Because he is a child, he’s placed under tutors, under managers, under administrators, under governors, and under guidance. The Bible says that as a child of God, you will be above only and not beneath. However, you cannot exercise any authority or control until you are matured. If the manager says, ‘sit down!’ you are bound to sit still. The word heir, you know, has legal connotation. You become an heir, or you come into some form of inheritance, either through a will that is written or by letters of administration if the benefactor did not leave a will. When the testator (the man who owns the property) is writing the will, he appoints executors to control how things are done. So, until the testator dies, you cannot enter into an inheritance. Now, even when he dies, the executors will take over. The Bible explains this to us in Hebrews 9:16-17:

“For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator lives.”

We have the Old Testament, and we have the New Testament. The Testator, our Lord and Master Jesus Christ, the person who wrote the will, had to die for you to enter into your inheritance. The Lord chose to lay down His life for us, but He, however, did not trust the executors. He died to fulfil the law so that we can enter into our inheritance. But then He rose again from the dead so that He can also be the Executor of His will. No wonder Scripture says, ‘he watches over his word to perform it’.

That is why whatever God says is yours is yours; no one can take it from you because the Executor is alive to make sure every promise comes to pass. This is the very reason He would not sleep nor slumber; He is watching over His word.

The Bible calls Christians heirs. He that is born of a goat is a goat. He that is born of a dog is a dog, and he that is born of a king is a king, hence God is the King of kings.

Though God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ has already blessed you with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places (Ephesians 1:30), the text says you will still be under managers until you come of age. Yes, you cannot begin to reign and rule in your God-given estate until at good age. Ecclesiastics 10:7 says, ‘Look, I see princes walking on foot and servants on horses. Shouldn’t it be the other way round–the heir on horseback and the servant on foot?’

Grow up! That is the only way to enter into your God-given destiny. 2010 is the year of maturity. We should not be under the elements; rather, we must reign and function as kings and priests on earth.

Paul said in 1 Corinthians 13:11: “When I was a child I spoke as like a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child but when I became a man I put away childish things.’ You must put away childish things. Hebrews 6:1-3 says ‘therefore let us go on and get pass the elementary stage in the teaching and the doctrines of Christ the messiah advancing steadily towards the completeness and perfection that belong to spiritual maturity let us not again be laying the foundation of repentance and abandonment of dead works, dead formalism and of the faith of which you turn to God with teachings about purifying, the laying on of hands the resurrection of the dead the internal judgments and punishments these are all matters of which you should have been fully aware long ago if indeed God permits we will now proceed to advanced teaching.”

Hebrews 5:12-14 indicts us even further. It says: “For even though by this time you ought to be teaching others, you actually need somebody to teach you over again the very first principles of God’s word, you have called to need milk not solid food, for everyone who continues to feed on milk is obviously inexperienced and unskilled in the doctrines of the righteousness, of conformity to the divine will in purpose, thought and action, for he is a mere infant not able to talk yet but solid food is for full grown men, for those whose senses and mental faculties are trained by practice to discriminate and distinguish between what is morally good and noble and what is evil and contrary either to divine or human law.”

It is time for us Christians to grow up and enter into what God has in store for them. You need to move from being a child to a full grown son of the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

The story of Mephibosheth in 2 Samuel 9 is an interesting one. It illustrates the concept of the heir under executors and its inherent disadvantage. Mephibosheth was one of Jonathan’s sons, in the linage of Saul, the king. Though there was an inheritance left for this lad of five, it was managed by executors. His troubles were many: he was orphaned at a young age, crippled by a freak accident, and living in a place riddled with low-lives and poverty called Lo debar. But as destiny would have it, David, at a fortuitous point in Mephiboseth’s life, was seeking to do good to anyone from the house of Jonathan, his friend.

God has great and awesome promises concerning you. You need to enter into your destiny today. About 15 years ago God gave me a vision concerning the awesome things He will do. Today, He’s done quite a bit of what He showed me. When I was a child I thought like a child, but now I am grown, so I should put away childish things. What are these childish things? One of them is sin. Sin blocks your blessing. Another childish thing is not heeding and honoring the elementary principles of Christ–His commands, doctrines, and examples.

Paying your tithes and first fruits, for example, is a sign of maturity. Jericho was the first city that the children of Israel where to take over. God specifically warned them not to take any benefit from it, for it was His for the taking. Anything that comes from you or out of you that is the first—first salary, first increase, first profit, first commission, etc.—belongs to God.

Children, most of the time, are ignorant and self-destruct, and that is why we must do away with childish notions and acts. There was a child who on spotting his mum’s numerous strands of grey hair, said: ‘Mummy, why do you have so much grey on your head?’ Mummy replied jocularly: ‘It is because you have been naughty and have given me a lot of stress.’ The boy thought for a short while and said: ‘That means you gave grandma hell, because her head is completely grey.’ Children and their childish, cheeky ways.

Another child came back from school having had a rough day. ‘I wish I was born in the olden days,’ he said to his mummy. ‘Why, son?’ Mummy asks. ‘…because if I was born in the olden days, I won’t have to study all this history my teacher wants me to.’ Children!

Galatians 4:4 tells us there is this moment called the fullness of time, the appointed time, the time when a child becomes a man. This is the time of maturity. You need to realize that God is never late; He’s never too early either. He comes right on time! There is an appointed time for you. Abraham had a divine visitation. God ignored his doubts and Sarah’s unbelief because the fullness of time had come. You know Habakkuk 2:3 says, ‘The vision is yet for an appointed time; it would not tarry but speak and not lie.’ The verse goes on to say: ‘though it tarries, wait for it because it will surely come to pass and not tarry.’ When the appointed time comes, God sends salvation, deliverance, and promotion a man’s way. However, you need to prepare and be ready for this visitation. Enter into the place of maturity by eschewing the childish things. Come into full age in all your dealings. These done, the Lord will surely reveal Himself to you as the One who blesses and keeps.

Principles for Successful Living

1) You cannot enter into the fullness of God’s inheritance in your life unless you are mature and no longer require executors and administrators sitting over your inheritance.

2) Appraise the past (month, year) with regards to what was achieved and what is yet unattained. Thank God for what you went through; thanksgiving is a virtue in mature Christians.

3) Believe God’s goods are yours. Press into His promise for your life–they are for real and can be obtained in the place of maturity.

4) Choose to be mature: Discern your weakness, discover your strength, discipline yourself, and discipline your tendencies. These all lead to success.

5) In spite of what you go through, you must never lose your hope, joy, faith and most of all your praise.

Chapter two

Where Art Thou?

“And the Lord God called unto Adam and said unto him: where art thou?” Genesis 3:9

“Where art thou?” This is the first question ever asked of man by God. And that question was asked on the evening of that awful day of the very first sin. “Where art Thou?” The voice of God in His majesty rolled down the avenues of the Garden of Eden. Before that day, the voice of God was sweet music to the ears of Adam; he enjoyed communion and fellowship with God. But now all was different. Adam was filled with horror and fear, and wanted to hide himself from the eyes of the all-knowing, all-seeing God.

Friend, the Lord is today asking you this very same question: “Where are you?” Now, He is not asking your location, but your condition. In other words, He is saying, “Examine yourself; weigh yourself on my scale.” When God called out: ‘where are you?’ Adam had to come out of his hiding place to face God–eyeball to eyeball. You likewise should prepare to meet with Him.

Amos 4:12 says, “Prepare to meet your God, O Israel”. No one can hide from God. Soon and very soon, sooner than later, we all will stand before Him to give account. Where do you stand concerning spiritual things, eternal things? Where do you stand in relation to God and His kingdom? What do you weigh, assuming heaven…righteousness…Jesus Christ… eternity, were scales?

Humanity should actually thank God for calling Adam to ask his condition. We should thank Him for seeking out the stray to reclaim him. If God in His mercy had not done this, Adam’s situation would have been like that of the fallen angels who had no opportunity for reconciliation. Man’s condition would have been worse, for our Lord and Master Jesus Christ would not have come to redeem us.

Yes, we have a compassionate God who, even in judgment, remembers mercy. And this same God went lovingly after Adam asking, “Where art thou?”

Friend, the same question is resounding today, reverberating from the lips of the same God. How do you stand? “Where art thou?” The Bible says, ‘All have fallen and come short of the glory of God.’ Where are you? Are you in a bondage to Satan? Are you far from God? Are you in the midst of your enemies? The Lord is examining every being on a day to day basis. He wants answers. He wants you.

You may have heard the story of two men lost in the high seas, and eventually shipwrecked on an island. After three days there, one began to panic, saying, “We are lost forever; they will never find us.” His friend, however, replied coolly: “Don’t worry, I know my pastor will find me.”

“What do you mean your pastor will find you? We are miles away from any shore.”

Self-assured, his friend said: “Relax; I know my pastor will find me.”

“How?” “Why?” he asked.

“You see,” his friend replied, “every week, I bring to church a tithe of one million naira. So, if my pastor does not see me next week, he will look for me; he will come and find me.”

After a few days, lo and behold, the pastor was on the island.

If a pastor can cross the seas to find his tither, then the King of kings and the Lord of all lords will comb the earth to find you.

It might be that men, friends, loved ones, have rejected you. Yes, they may say you don’t look cool enough, or good looking enough, and so on; never you worry, there is One who loves you the way you are. This fact reminds me of the story of a guy who had never been out on a date before. His friend said, “Look, I have a package for you this Saturday. I want you to meet some lady and take her out on a date; her name is Doris.”

“Doris! I’ve never met anyone called Doris,” he replied.

“Don’t worry, she is my cousin, and she is a great, terrific, and beautiful lady.”

“But what if I don’t like her at first sight?”

“Chill! Let me tell you a secret, how you can escape from her if you don’t like her. As soon as she opens the door and you don’t like what you see, just pant Ha! ha! ha! ha! ha! She would then ask you, ‘What is wrong?’ Then you would say, ‘My asthma, my asthma!’ That way, you can cut off the date.”

Relieved and pleased, the first timer went to Doris’ door and knocked. When Doris opened the door, he was speechless: she was beautiful and awesome. But before he could say a word, Doris went Ha! ha! ha! ha! ha!

When God takes a look at you, He sees you beautiful; He accepts you the way you are. 1 Samuel 16: 7 says, ‘Man looks at the outside, but God looks at the heart.’ The Lord is reaching out to you as He always will. He is stretching out His hand, saying, “Where are you?”

Friend, you also need to know where you are financially…or else your check will bounce. And when your check bounces, EFCC will come after you. You need to audit your life. You need to know where you are physically. Every truly intelligent person will know the condition of his lungs, heart, and other organs in his body. You need to find out everything! You might think you have good health until the doctor returns the verdict: ‘No more red meat! No more this and that!’ Only a fool would not evaluate, and such people die early.

There is the story of a ship that was lost and in darkness. It sailed blindly for many days. In the middle of the night this fateful day, the Northern Star appeared. The captain rushed to the compass to plot his longitudes and latitudes. “Where am I?” was the question. “Where am I in relation to the Northern Star?” By aligning his position with that of the Northern Star, he found his way.

It is true we all are sailing across a perilous sea, and towards an eternal port: our final destination. There is therefore a need to know where you are, the exact spiritual latitude and longitude within which you are lodged. The question: “Where are you”, is a question imperative for all, a question of life and death. Friend, the only safe compass to guide you through life’s perilous sea is the Bible. If you steer according to the word of God, you will land safely. If you want to rely on your own rules and your wit, then you sure are heading for a shipwreck.

“Are you saved?” is another way to rephrase the question “Where art thou?” A reprise of the same question would be: “Are you lost?” “Is your name in the book of life?” “Are you on the road to Heaven?” “If God comes right now, where will you spend eternity?” are other renderings of the question.

“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Mathew 7:13-14)