Brother Taiwo Awoyode
By Boluwatife Oparinde
The President of Christ Apostolic Church Youth Fellowship (CACYOF) Unilag Chapter, Brother Taiwo Awoyode has charged students on being the light and salt of their campuses.
Bro Awoyode who described that the various campuses are the world where the students must shine their light, gave the charge at the CACYOF Academic Star Summit 2022 which began on Wednesday, 20th July, 2022 at Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Ikeji Arakeji, Osun State.
Taking the first lecture of the Summit, on the topic "You are The Light and Salt on your campus" from the text Matthew 5:13-16, Bro. Awoyode expressed that, "Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, as a man on this same earth said of Himself; 'As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the World (John 9:5, 8:12)'. For Him to have referred to himself as the Light of the World, implies that the world is in darkness."
Explaining that, "Light brings about beauty, enlightenment, order and Life to the sphere it lightens," the Resource Person stated that, "the only solution to dethrone and dislodge the presence, influence and operation of darkness is the presence of shinning light. Even God, in the beginning, has only one solution to the reign of darkness; 'the Light'"
The final year student of Unilag who expressed that salt sweetens, purifies and preserves it's environment, added that "salt can only maintain its essence and usefulness as long as it remains pure within and without."
According to him, "the campuses are becoming more and more intolerable with immorality, malpractices and cultism amongst other vices. We are called to live differently by bringing about sweetness, purity and preservation to godly life and living on the campuses. God Deliberately "scattered" us in our various campuses and faculty to season and preserve it by our life of purity and character. This is how God is glorified and his kingdom established."
He also said that, "The campuses will be terrible if Light is absent and more terrible if the light does not shine. We are to remain burning with passion of Love in our heart for God and Evangelization of our campuses, thereby preaching Christ - The Light. We lightens our campuses by living the life of Christ and proclaiming the gospel of Christ. The world lies in darkness, as well as our campuses; Each unbeliever in our department and faculty needs the light."
Bro Awoyode charged his audience that, "the Earth, as well as our Campuses, needs sweetness and godly lifestyle needs to abound and be preserved. The World is in darkness and so needs the invasion and intervention of Light for normalcy (godliness and righteousness) to be the order of the day. Of course, you can't give what you don't have. Therefore, see to it that you have Salt and Light ( the life of Christ) in you. Thus, the Holy Spirit is giving us a charge today saying ARISE and SHINE!"