Family and friends gathered at the GRA, Ibara Abeokuta residence of the Osile of Oke-Ona, Oba Adedapo Tejuoso on Friday February 19, 2016 to felicitate with him on his 78th birthday celebration.
It was a quiet ceremony in his expansive compound. The church community in Abeokuta and his fellowship group were on hand to rejoice with him during the celebration which spanned about two hours of communion service organized by the African Church where he worships.
Known as an evangelist, Tejuosho did not allow the occasion to slip by without preaching the gospel and urging those who were yet to embrace Jesus to do so.
He told some of the people present at the event that the time of worshiping strange gods has gone. “It is time we come to the knowledge of God and embrace the free salvation that has been given to us by the Lord Jesus. It is sweet to serve the Lord. It is rewarding.”
One of his friends who had been with him since his secondary school days about 60 years ago was on hand to testify to the goodness of Jesus. He told the gathering that he was a Muslim but had to embrace Jesus through the preaching of the monarch. He too used the occasion to appeal to those who were still undecided on who to follow stating that “there is freedom in serving Jesus.”
The highpoint of the event however was the moment when Oba Tejuosho told the gathering of his favourite scripture. He told the gathering that he reads and practices the scripture every day. Curious worshippers were wondering what this scripture could be.
One would have thought it would be a scripture that talks about prosperity or long life. But everybody was wrong as the Osile of Oke-Ona asked those at the event to turn to Matthew 5v44 which reads: But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.…
By the time he finished reading the scripture he requested that all his enemies in the congregation should stand up so he could pray for them. Nobody responded to the request. But then the message had been passed. He told the gathering that life is meant to be lived without harbouring grudge and hatred pointing out that he takes time to specially pray for this enemies and ask that God would bless them. “I don’t want my enemy to die, let them live and see the glory of God. Let them repent and come to know the Lord.” He said.
By the time he dropped the microphone, he had made a lasting impression on all those who came to rejoice with him.
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