HEAVEN GAINS AND
THE EARTH LOSES
EXIT OF
THREESOME
ARCHITECT
OLUBUNMI ADEDEJI, REV. DR. WILSON ADEBOGUN BADEJO AND PASTOR ARCHITECT
OLASUNKANMI FOLORUNSHO OLANIYAN.
Opening Verse: Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints. Psalm 116:15
Bible Text: Psalm
116:12-19
More Texts: Gen
49:33; Num 33:38; Ps 37:37, 72:14; Pr 14:32; Isa 57:1-2; Dan 12:2; Lk 2:29, 16:19-22; Acts 7:60; Rom 14:8, Phil
1:21; 1Thess 3:1, 5:9-11; 2Tim 4:6-8; Heb 11:13, 21-22; 2Pet 1:14; Rev 1:5-6,
21:4-7
Message of the Day: Precious, valuable, priceless, treasurable, worth a great deal, much
valued, of great importance, unique and exquisite in the sight of the all
knowing, all wise and almighty God, the death (home call) of His saints. Notice
the plurality of the words saints used in our Opening Verse. The saints of the
Lord, the redeemed of the Lord, the servants of the Lord, those whom the blood of
Jesus had made nigh unto God, those who had taken the cup of salvation, these
are they who believed unto everlasting life in Christ, they are exceedingly
precious unto God in life or death. These all subscribed to the word of the
Holy Ghost: For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we
die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the
Lord's. Romans 14:8.
In the Lord Jesus Christ, we are free to say with Paul: For to me
to live is Christ, and to die is gain. Philippians 1:21. Whether we wake or sleep, we should live
together with Christ.
In the month of August, 2021, three saints exited this world for eternal
home call to ever be with the Lord whom they have loved and served from their
youth to old age. With their exit, heaven gains and earth loses. These great
men are men of unquantifiable achievements in the vineyard of the most High. The
threesome is in the bosom of the Lord in exhilarating joy. They are Architect
Olubunmi Adedeji at 79, Rev. Dr. Wilson Adebogun Badejo at 74 and Pastor Architect
Olasunkanmi Folorunsho Olaniyan at 73. The three had in Christ one great
character in common. They were unusually humble. Their humility and their
demeanor did not betray their litany of enviable achievements.
Architect Bunmi Adedeji exited this side of eternity within the first two
hours of Saturday, August 7, 2021. Dr. Badejo took off on the same day. He was
active to the last moment. Architect Olaniyan exited the seventh day of the duo.
The threesome went to their eternal home country of their citizenship. Heaven
gains and the earth loses. As these were received in glory singing alleluia,
the heavenly language. Amen alleluia. Architect Bunmi Adedeji was my boss in
Gideon Associates, Ibadan, where I had a brief stint. Lively, vivacious,
unassuming and gracious with inclined joyfulness. One day, from Lagos I led Brother
W.F Kumuyi (Deeper Life G.S) to visit Architect Adedeji in his Ibadan office.
To my surprise they knew one another. They began to talk of their days in
Christian youth activities in the sixties. The last time I met Architect Bunmi
Adedeji was when we were both speakers at C.A.C Youth Convention.
Dr. Badejo was a man in his own class. I was the chairman when he
launched his book as Agege Foursquare District Overseer. One day, he visited my
office. He led me to his personal house which was then under construction. One
experience I can never forget with Rev. Badejo was when he, the wife with
myself led in the dedication of a magnificent house built by a friend. I was
surprised as he led us from room to room and facility to facility of this
multiroom complex and we stopped to pray at each place in turn. I retained this
experience as a practical way to dedicate any building.
Architect Kanmi Olaniyan was a senior contemporary to me in the school of
architecture, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. Brother Kanmi as we fondly called
him was the son of a Chief Imam. He was the Ladani of the student body Mosque
at a Government Secondary School. In the absence of the Mosque Imam that comes
from the town, Brother Kanmi was leading worship in the mosque on this faithful
day when the Lord Jesus manifested to him. Brother Kanmi became a resoundingly
born again Christian never to look back again. Years later, while in Zaria,
when he wrote his testimony in a Christian magazine, attempt was made to kill
him. Mercilessly did they beat him. Like other Saints before him, he was waxing
stronger in the faith. He understood Christianity. Only heaven knows the
sacrifice of his total commitment to the fortune of the gospel. He was on the
front of the fiery line of the gospel works. He gave time, money and service
for the Lord’s work.
We got close in the latter years to his exit. He was there with me in the
village at my dad’s home going. He arranged for the Pallbearers that led the
casket in a triumphant entry to my village. He was the one that arranged for
security in one of the harvest seasons of my late dad’s Cashew Farm. He personally
toured the Cashew Farm and interacted with my siblings. He told me the tour
took him forty five minutes. He told me it was a worthy farm for attention.
Again and again we talked and prayed on phone. We did have occasions of
prolonged talk. Many times he expressed his concern and fear of on the state of
persecutions and oppressions of the body of Christ in Nigeria. We had good times
of prayer on phone. He had visited me in Lagos on a number of occasions. Of
late, he told me he will be visiting me for a stay of fellowship. In our final
discussion on phone, we were talking of heaven. Brother Kanmi I missed you
greatly. I am holding back tears as I remember your personality in the faith of
Jesus Christ. We shall meet to part no more.
The threesome Adedeji, Badejo and Olaniyan had fought a good fight, they
had kept the faith and they had finished their course, their crown of
righteousness is sure. To God be the glory.
From You to God: My God, let me finish well with the crown of righteousness waiting for me
in Jesus name.
Application: More
than ever before be determine to reach the kingdom of Christ.
Footnote: He
that overcometh shall inherit all things.
0 Comments