Husbands of Sapphira, Sons of Ananias: Who Are You?

By Olubunmi Folasade J. Tijesu

The main characters—Ananias and Sapphira—made a specific choice, but things did not go as planned! Walking in their shoes, you may discover that you have more in common with these Bible characters than you currently realize. Follow the Author’s journey as she shares what she discovered! You will be surprised, challenged, and amazed as you answer this question: “Who are you?”

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jan 7, 2022
• ISBN: 9781664249417

Olubunmi Folasade J. Tijesu

Ms. Olubunmi Folasade J. TiJesu was born and raised in Nigeria; she is a confirmed descendant of Yoruba royalty, as the lineage of both of her parents are from established branches of the royal family in the great town of Ile-Ife. In her early twenties, Ms. TiJesu emigrated to the United States of America (USA) as a Registered Nurse (RN) upon successful completion of her three-year nursing training at the prestigious and reputable University College Hospital School of Nursing (UCHSON) in Ibadan and a few days after the Traditional wedding ceremony of her first marriage. She is a practicing RN, BSN and is currently pursuing her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree after attending both Howard University and Georgetown University. Ms. TiJesu is a copyright and patent holder as well as a registered business owner, residing in the greater Washington, DC area (the DMV). Ms. TiJesu attributes all her achievements in life to the Almighty God—Creator of the heavens, the Earth, and the Father of our savior Jesus Christ by His powerful Holy Spirit.

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Copyright © 2022 OLUBUNMI FOLASADE J. TIJESU.

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ISBN: 978-1-6642-4940-0 (sc)

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WestBow Press rev. date: 12/31/2021

CONTENTS

Dedication

Introduction

Disclaimer

Chapter 1 Who Am I?

Chapter 2 I Love Me!

Chapter 3 I Love My Neighbor

Chapter 4 I Love Jesus!

Chapter 5 Who Is My Neighbor?

Chapter 6 To Obey Or Not To Obey?

Chapter 7 Ananias Or His Son?

Chapter 8 Who Is The Fool?

Chapter 9 Legacy

Conclusion

Just In Case

Survey

Contact Information

References

Pictures

DEDICATION

This premier companion book and all the others to follow are dedicated to the Creator God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit, our reminder. These are also dedicated to my inherited rewards from the Lord (Psalm 127): Olubunmi R.(chief proofreader), EyinojuOluwa E.(chief copy editor), and Oluwole D.(chief illustrator). Your resilient and unbroken spirits encourage me daily. Because of you I am not ashamed. Thank you for not turning away from the only One who can work out all evil plots, schemes, and attempts against us for our good and to the shame of our common enemy and his agents! I declare that because of you, my children and arrows with fire, I am not afraid of our enemies at our gates. I ask our Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, that you, your spouses, your children, and their spouses (from generation to generation until Jesus Christ returns) will continue to be arrows with fire in yours and God’s hands, amen. I love you all eternally.

Signed,

Olubunmi F. J. TiJesu

Your Mother and forever cheerleader

INTRODUCTION

At the end of your journey through this book, mighty man of valor, you will:

• Confront your truth.

• Confront yourself.

• Identify yourself.

• Reconcile with yourself.

• Love yourself as Christ loves you.

• Love your neighbors as yourself.

• Call truth truth.

• Call goodness goodness.

• Call righteousness righteousness.

• Choose whose side you belong to—now and forever.

• Choose your real friends.

• Choose the path to your forever home.

While you may not need to keep a Bible super handy (unless you prefer to use a different translation), you will need a journal to record your reactions, especially your first thoughts to what you are yet to discover about yourself, and then how you worked and/or walked through your thoughts to your actions. Who knows, you might even write your own biography after this journey!

Have you ever asked yourself or have you ever been asked what I have dubbed, The Golden Question(s) (TGQ(s))—namely, Who are you? and Who am I? Can you recall the first time you were asked, who asked you, where you were, and why you were asked—Who are you? Can you recall how you felt, the emotions that were elicited or triggered the first time you were confronted with the probing searchlight of the question—Who are you? If you have never been asked, have you ever asked yourself, Who am I? Can you recall when it finally dawned on you to probe; the circumstances that prompted you to ask yourself The Golden Question? Can you recall the emotions triggered when you asked yourself TGQ—Who am I?

I dubbed Who are you? and Who am I? as TGQs because everyone has to answer these questions at a point in their lifetime. The earlier in life you take a timeout moment to answer The Golden Question(s) (TGQ(s)), the sooner you will be liberated to either love or dislike the who you discover that you are, or to love or dislike the who you discover that you are not and probably wish to become someday—before the end of your time here on earth.

Allow me to elaborate further. What if your true personality, contrary to your belief, is undesirable based on the qualities of the fruit of the Spirit of God? Yes, TGQs are measured by the fruit of the Spirit of God in Jesus Christ. Why? Because, ultimately, whether you are of an Aderemi or Obalogun or Windsor or Obalufon or Tudor descent that alone will not get you into the heaven of God. After all, your family name does not necessarily mean that you have the goodness, the righteousness, and the truth of the Spirit of God in you.

Walking in the Spirit

16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. (Galatians 5:16–26 New King James Version)

I have nothing else to add to these words of life according to Jesus and through the writer of the book of Galatians. Kindly take a timeout moment to meditate on this Bible passage. Ask—

Our Father, in the name of Jesus, show me who am I in the light of these words of life. I trust Your truth about me even though I may be slow to accept and embrace it by my will. I desire Your will not mine because You desire truth in my inward parts, and in my hidden parts You will make me to know Your wisdom. So, create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me, amen.

Every word on these pages, I declare by the authority in the name of Jesus Christ and by the power of His blood, will be life to you, beloved son of God and not death in the name of Jesus, amen!

63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him. 65 And He said, Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father." 66 From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. 67 Then Jesus said to the twelve, Do you also want to go away? 68 But Simon Peter answered Him, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. (John 6:63–69 NKJV)

Also—

17 Then the high priest rose up, and all those who were with him (which is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with indignation, 18 and laid their hands on the apostles and put them in the common prison. 19 But at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, 20 Go, stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life. 21 And when they heard that, they entered the temple early in the morning and taught. But the high priest and those with him came and called the council together, with all the elders of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. (Acts 5:17–21)

Mighty man of valor, I encourage you to shine the light of these words of life into your discovery of yourself and make a decision to be transformed into the you that will inherit the kingdom of God. The Lord bless you on this journey I declare over you because I ask our Father, in the name of Jesus, amen.

My goal is to walk with you through the neighborhood, through the park and sit at your table, at your desk, or kneel beside you in your prayer room, or as you lounge in the room with your favorite furniture—any day, rain, snow, cloudy, or sunny, while sharing my life experiences with you in hopes that at the end of each day, as you read this book, I would’ve equipped you with spirit-empowering and mind-renewing insights that will save you and I from sudden death! And that, ultimately, I would help to usher you into the transformed life that you’ve always wanted. So help me God, with Your power from on high I ask in Jesus’ name, amen.

All praise to our loving Father! He promised us we will never take this journey through life (in our lifetime) alone. Never! It’s very profound and deeply reassuring to be in relationship with such Majesty. Oh, the joy of His presence, walking hand in hand with us, His royal kings and queens, as we walk hand in hand with one another as our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers!

15 If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. (John 14:15–18)

Can He be any more assuring and reassuring?! ...forever...with you...in you...I will not leave...I will come... Wow! We are not orphans!! If the following will be of any comfort to you, thankfully, literally, most of our body parts (inside and outside) have pairs. I encourage you to find at least one trusted person to pair up or partner with to take this journey with you: your spouse, a parent, a friend, an adult child, a coworker, a new believer in Jesus, a mentee, etc.

20 But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. 21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of you; nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. 22 No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. 23 And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, 24 but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, 25 that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. 26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. (1 Corinthians 12:20–26)

My God-inspired objective and intended outcome for writing this book, I believe, are to gently and lovingly steer you, created son of the Most High God, to confront yourself plus your fellow husbands of Sapphira and sons of Ananias. So, beloved son of our Father and our Savior, Jesus Christ, girded with our belt of truth and the shield of faith in His assurance that we will recover, we will overcome, we will be transformed by the renewing of our minds to be more like Him who dwells in us—let us commit to finishing this journey very well. Beloved son of God, I am not compelling you because the Bible says so, no! On the contrary, I am imploring you to please take this walk with the rest of us called by His name to show forth His praise because Jesus in God and His Holy Spirit loves you! God bless you.

My ultimate God-inspired desire is to feed you, God’s beloved sheep, with His heart’s desire for you as it is in heaven; and as He commanded through our brother Peter. I want to lift Jesus up in this my first companion book and the others to follow so that all people will be drawn unto Him alone, amen. I am not seeking to be theologically or politically correct. I just want to have a heart-to-heart reasoning with you and males all over the world, who can hear the Father’s call for such a time as this.

37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water. 39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. 40 Therefore many from the crowd, when they heard this saying, said, Truly this is the Prophet. 41 Others said, This is the Christ. (John 7:37–41a)

I believe in Jesus and I believe that per John 7:37–41a, the rivers of His living water—the Holy Spirit—flow out of my heart and onto these pages to give you His life. I believe that God has given me a mouth and wisdom that ALL my enemies will not be able to contradict nor resist for your sake, amen!

…15 for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist. (Luke 21:15)

I am God’s decanter and His new wineskin. As He pleases, and as I am being poured out like rivers of living water, He diffuses the fragrance of His understanding, knowledge, faith, and wisdom to you and the world! The fragrance of His knowledge is double edged because to some, I am His aroma of life that leads to life; but to others, I am His aroma of death that leads to death! Death to the contrary powers of darkness and their agents/mediums; but life to you and the world, whosoever believes by the power of Christ’s blood! Amen!

14 Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. 15 For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. 16 To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things? 17 For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ. (2 Corinthians 2:14–17)

Finally, God’s truth must prevail over our lives. Otherwise, our lives at the end of our respective journeys on this side of heaven will be meaningless. I choose to live a meaningful, purposeful life to embody the truth of God in Christ and to leave the legacy of truth for my children, their spouses, and the generations to come (from generation to generation until Jesus Christ returns). I pray in the name of Jesus that every man would choose to take the same stand and follow the same course through life moving forward, amen!

1 Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me. 4 Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight—That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge. 5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me. 6 Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom. 7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8 Make me hear joy and gladness, That the bones You have broken may rejoice. 9 Hide Your face from my sins, And blot out all my iniquities. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit. 13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners shall be converted to You. 14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, The God of my salvation, And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness. 15 O Lord, open my lips, And my mouth shall show forth Your praise. 16 For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart—These, O God, You will not despise. (Psalm 51:1–17)

Based on this scripture, I humble myself in submission to God’s power and sovereignty in Jesus Christ and I ask on our collective behalf that—

Our Father, in the name of Jesus, show us who we are in the light of these words of life. I trust Your truth about us, Father, even though we may be slow to accept and embrace it by our will. I desire Your will not ours because You desire truth in our inward parts, and in our hidden parts You will make us to know Your wisdom. So, create in us clean hearts, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within us, amen.

Throughout this book, we will take timeout moments to recite this prayer to help us through the challenges we may face until we overcome in order to move forward and to work on the next challenge until we overcome again and again.

Our Foundation

Lest we end up like passengers aboard a ship that is tossed about by the waves of the sea and are so disoriented—not able to discern or remember how we arrived at our destination(s), I would like to define the anchors for this journey that we are about start.

Walk in Light—Jesus

8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9