Gentlemen, Start Your Engines!

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Part 1: The Basic Biblical Philosophy of Christianity

Chapter 1: God

Chapter 2: The Kingdom

Chapter 3: The Bible

Chapter 4: Man

Chapter 5: The Grand Plan

Part 2: The Basic Biblical Philosophy of Human Existence

Chapter 6: Purpose, Vision, and Destiny

Chapter 7: Starter Leadership and Seed Men

Chapter 8: Wisdom and Power

Chapter 9: Prayer and Prophecy

Chapter 10: Acts 29 and Beyond

Chapter 11: Faithfulness and Reward

Chapter 12: Cloud of Witnesses

Acknowledgments

All thanks to God for bringing me into the light of salvation and for supplying every bit of the grace and resources required to write this book. I am indebted to my family—parents and siblings—for all the love and encouragement and for supporting me in my quest to fulfill God’s assignment in my life. My sincere gratitude goes to the brothers and sisters at Lakewood Church: to Jim Lewis and the band of brothers in the men’s ministry, for helping me in becoming an authentic Christian man, and to Jose Arriola and the prayer team, for your prayers and encouragement.

I am grateful to God for the prayers and support of the men and women in my prayer group—Femi and Nike Olaniyi, Deolu and Dotun Moronkeji, Olumide Gboyega—you folks are my special angels. To my KHH friends and band of brothers who encourage and hold me accountable—Deji Ebunlomo, Ope Oyinlola, Gbenga Ijamakinwa, Sunny Amani, Sunmi Aruwajoye, and Emanuel Fakorede—I am grateful. Ebun Odeneye, thanks for keeping the late nights to edit this book. Pastor Yemi Adeyemo, thanks dearly for your support, advice, and covering. To my dear friend Jeremy Olson, your insight and advice are most valuable.

To all my teachers, mentors, and friends that I have not named, please take this book as my token of appreciation for your invaluable contributions to my life. We all wrote it together.

Introduction

This book derives its title from auto racing, the world’s most watched sport. The phrase Gentlemen, start your engines! is a celebrated highlight of the Indy 500 annual competition. I found it a good analogy for the theme of this project. We may not all be fans of auto racing, but we all run a different kind of race—the race of life. These two races are similar because they require technique, focus, and speed.

On the race track, drivers want to travel as lightly and efficiently as they can in order to finish the race and cross the finish line in good time. We are also compelled in life’s race to do the same: to decongest, achieve, optimize, and, ultimately, fulfill life goals. To the athletes on the tracks, the quality and condition of their automobile is crucial, arguably as important as the skill and training of the driver himself. In life’s race, it is imperative to find the most enabling environment, a conducive habitat of some sort—the right location, career, and assignment—that will enable us to run fastest and best.

The start of the race is unique. It requires much energy and propulsion to overcome inertia. It is also a synergetic point, where all the engineering, training, and practice come together in their final state. Beyond this point, there are no redos or tweaking, and there must be no hesitation. That’s why this book was written: in the race of life we all come to that start point sometime. This is when we realize that we cannot afford to postpone our purposes any longer. We come to that fusion stage where formal education, informal upbringing, and native intelligence must all come together to propel us toward a desired destination. Beyond that point, we cannot afford to make major mistakes, since opportunities for realignment would have become few.

At this starting stage, we need to have the clearest possible picture of our God-given goals in life. This should lead on to the pinpoint orientation of our time and energy. The unfortunate tragedy is that many people never start at all—they do not reach a stage when they fuse their resources, crank up their engines, and get to racing.

We all have an inner drive, a spiritual core that needs to be ignited and sustained in order for us to make an impact in life. This is what I call the engine. I am a Christian and a firm believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. Hence, I dedicate the first few chapters to explaining what the Christian worldview is all about. I assume that this is the best foundation on which to build any discussion about meaningfulness. It’s my existential philosophy, and I hope it can become yours too.

Men are the main target of the latter chapters, especially young men. I propose that the miracles and madness of every generation rest within the minds, means, and muscles of the men in that generation. This is not to discount the value of women at all. Rather, it is to help men maximize themselves so that they can form valuable partnerships with women. The world needs that synergy.

I must confess, though, that this book is essentially philosophical rather than practical. The intention is to influence the reader’s perspective and thought process, not to reshuffle their daily routine. It focuses on concepts rather than commands. It’s a what life is all about kind of book, emphasizing the big picture.

We humans come in two varieties: those who think a lot and those who do a lot. If one thinks deeply and thoroughly, there will be less to do, as mistakes, outtakes, and retakes will be minimal. On the other hand, if one thinks less, there will be more redos. Introspection reduces frustration. This book is meant to make the reader think—a lot.

You should find this book a good one to keep on the shelf. You will find it apt for those times when one is caught up in the hustle and bustle with nose to the grindstone—those moments of overwhelming work when we are stressed and distressed. At those times, it will be a good tool for lightening up; it will help bring you back to the big picture, to relax. Also, for those other times, when one may be going through a lull, it will provide a great source of inspiration and motivation to get you going again.

I have referenced and quoted the Bible copiously, so you may want to have one close-by while you read. Hopefully, when we reunite at the other end of this book, you would have an enhanced perspective. And if you don’t show up there, I will assume that you went far enough to satisfy your curiosity. It is my sincere desire that you first connect with our Maker, and that such a connection brings you to the fulfillment of your assigned purpose on earth. I hope you will find the substance of that desire communicated in these pages. Godspeed!

Part 1: The Basic Biblical Philosophy of Christianity

Chapter 1: God

God is real. God is sovereign. He is also beautiful.

Starting from the Beginning

I once went to a doctor’s office complaining of certain symptoms and discomforts. He sat me down, asked me lots of questions, and ran some tests. It appeared that my state did not evoke empathy from him like it had done in my friends who brought me to see him. Rather, he was filled with curiosity. My professional friend, unlike my other dear ones, did not care so much about how I was feeling, but what I was feeling and why.

Instead of being consumed by my alarming present state, he was much more interested in my past. I told him all I knew. It was by carefully surveying my symptoms from their inception and tracing their gradual deterioration, that he was able to diagnose my ailment and recommend me for appropriate treatment.

In order to make a meaningful, sometimes life-changing, impact in the present, we need to understand the past. Oftentimes, the quality of our contributions depends on how much of history we know. It is very wise to always start from the beginning.

The Reality of God

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (Gen. 1:1)

In order to start from the beginning, we must examine the concept of a God. The Bible does not debate or contemplate the existence of God and the fact that he is also the creator of all else. In fact, the scriptures begin with this idea. According to the book of Genesis, God is the beginning of everything: God was, and everything else derived from his being!

We should not, however, believe the biblical claims about God because we assume it is true, but because we know it is true. Regarding the contents and claims of the Bible about God, how should we then stand? In this instance, I think the generality of the human populace can be classified into four postures. Some are sleeping, some are fighting, some are sleepwalking, and some are standing.

Let me first discuss the sleeping ones. This is the section of the human populace that will not be bothered about the existence or nonexistence of God. They are indifferent. To them, the Bible is mythology, and the concept of a Supreme Being is far-fetched. They lead their lives the way they understand and are neither for or against religion. A large proportion of the Western world belongs to this category. They are nice, normal, rational, and modern people. To them, neither God nor the spiritual is consequential; they just want to be regular people. The twenty-first century political and civil culture works for them. Why bother them about medieval folklore? These men and women view all religion as one and the same.

The next section of humankind is the sleepwalking ones. They suspend mental judgment and reason when religious or mystical facts are presented. They are vehemently and vociferously consumed in religion. It is an integral aspect of their culture. Their overriding outlook is colored by their view of some deity—their god or gods. They are superstitious about God. To them, mysticism, spirits, occultism, witchcraft, and otherworldly experiences are part of day-to-day life. They unequivocally accept the existence of spirit beings. Curiously, most of the developing nations of Africa and South America, as well as nations of the Middle and Far East, belong to this category. They hold firmly to one religious perspective or the other.

A third class is comprised of the fighting ones. These are the atheists and intellectual elitists. To them, holding the idea of spirits or God is a mental illness that must be treated. They not only disbelieve the existence of God, they also attempt to oppose the concept. It is irrational to them that anyone would subscribe and submit to something they cannot sense, period. This philosophy is quite pervasive. Interestingly, the size of this group keeps expanding as human society advances. Scientific concepts and inventions such as evolution, human cloning, and space technology reinforce the notions held by these ones. Unlike the Middles Ages and past centuries, this modern time just lends itself to the New Age concept. It is popular to assume that I am my own god, I can control my destiny, and that all there is to life is what I feel, see, touch, and hear.

The fourth and final class is the standing ones—the many dear believers splintered and congregated around the globe. They know the God they believe. They are genuine in their faith. The Bible to them is neither myth nor superstition, but fact and truth. They do not understand it all, but they can rationalize the essence of their faith. They know the truth: their faith is real! This class of humankind is saddled with the responsibility of presenting the real truth of the biblical God to the other three classes. They must do this by living and modeling the reality of God. This class of men and women is the fulcrum about which the destiny of all humanity turns. They are the most critical breed on the face of the planet.

God cannot be fully explained or appreciated by the human mind (Isa. 55:9, Heb. 11:33). This is because we do not have a comparable phenomenon with which to fully explain him. Pictures, poems, songs, science, and feelings cannot all exhaustively capture and describe his essence. He is the only one of his kind. However, he is strikingly apparent in our world. According to Romans 1:20, his attributes are best depicted in nature and human life. We understand him by observing what we see and touch around us.

For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. (Rom. 1:20)

He is pervasive: we need not travel to the moon or rocket into space to appreciate him. We just need to look around us. In essence, it is not that God is cryptic but that man is insensitive. We have become accustomed to the basics of living: breathing, sleeping, eating, thinking, talking, pregnancy, childbirth, progeny, growth, agriculture, and so forth, that we do not appreciate their true implications. Closely observed, we would realize that an infinite intelligence must be behind all these. These events are daily miracles. God is not only revealed by supernatural, irregular miracles. We must realize that he prefers to show himself in daily, familiar miracles. God is not in some deep, obscure realm. He is simply revealed in nature. As you sit or lie or stand reading through the pages of this book, you are experiencing and witnessing the miracles of sight, thought, touch, comprehension, introspection, breathing, blinking, and balance.

I appreciate science, especially natural, physical, and archeological sciences. They make indisputable discoveries based on concrete evidence. I would never debate their discoveries. They have led to revolutions in civilization. But where I think scientists fall short is in their deductions—their attempts to explain their observations. They have never succeeded in deducing God even though they observe and see his fingerprints plastered all over their excavations, experiments, and projects. Their findings are real, but their theses, in my opinion, often miss that mark.

The Sovereignty of God

But Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him. (Psalm 115:3)

God is sovereign in person and authority. He answers to no one, but everyone answers to him, ultimately. He is most superior in authority, ability, knowledge, and status of all that exists. The word sovereign is a profound one with profound implications. It implies, in part, that God is unique, primarily by virtue of his unequaled authority. Ephesians 4:6 states that God is above all. In simple terms, God can always have his way when he chooses to. The most important determinant of events in the universe is the whim of God—his pleasure (Rev. 4:11). God is self-existent and solely preeminent.

This is what the Lord says: Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house you will build for me? Where will my resting place be? (Isa. 66:1)

God is sovereign in presence. God is not limited in location; his presence and influence can be observed all over the universe. Heaven is his primary dwelling place, but his spirit is present everywhere. Nothing is hidden from his sight, and there is no obscure corner that he does not have access to. In Psalm 139, David had to ask, "Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?"

There is, however, a difference between God’s sovereign-presence and his manifest-presence. His sovereign-presence fills the entire world, including places where he may not be worshipped or welcome (Eph. 1:23). But his manifest-presence is the revelation of his person, power, and influence in places where he is welcome and worshiped.

The manifest-presence of God is what obtains in heaven because he is willfully adored and served. On the earth, however, except for places where he is genuinely acknowledged and invited, what we have is his sovereign-presence.

I am the Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord God, who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty. (Rev. 1:8)

God is sovereign in time. He exists outside of time; he is eternal. This may be a difficult concept to grasp. First, what is time, and why was it invented? King Solomon lent us a clue when he wrote in Ecclesiastes 3:1, To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under the heaven. The reason why time exists is because there is activity. Hence, the Bible presents that God designed a grand plan (Eph. 1:9–11). He took this plan and broke it down into a set of activities or subplans. In order to create progression and sequence between projects, he allotted each a given time. Hence, time is a side effect of God’s eternal plan.

According to Paul’s accounts in his writings (Eph. 1, Rev. 22), time will expire when God’s plan is consummated. The first thing God created was time. This is because every other creature was formed after the beginning. Only God existed before time began. He created the sun and moon to help delineate and measure time, but time already existed before them. Before God, there was no before. After him, there is no thereafter!

God Is Beautiful

One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple. (Psalm 27:4)

God’s beauty speaks of his willingness and openness to relate. God created us and wants to relate with us. Relationships are integral and vital to human life. A fetus develops a relationship with the host body—the pregnant mother. Newborns form a bond with their mother and the immediate family. In that regard, it is generally accepted that man is a social being. When a young person is denied of satisfying this innate desire for relationships, they become sick and dysfunctional. Similarly, we need a relationship with God. The simplest, most accurate definition of Christianity is socializing with God. Every man needs to get to know God personally.

Suppose I want to initiate a business partnership. It would be expected of me to learn about my aspiring partners: their corporate culture, underpinning philosophies, and bylaws. I would also be interested in formulating mutually accepted terms for the new union. More importantly, I would seek out the incentives. I will be interested in the real and intangible impacts on my bottom-line. Simple enough, right?

I want to extend this analogy to the relationship between humans and God. What are the facts, terms, and incentives in initiating a relationship with God? You will be amazed at how simple, beneficial, and logical it is to want to relate with God. It is just against common sense not to want to. It makes all the sense in the world to relate with God. The major deterrent is that God has either been misrepresented by religion or that men have been completely misinformed.

Facts first, right? I recently just got into the securities market for the first time in my life. One of the initial lessons I am starting to learn is the value of research. I had never really paid much attention to financial news and business jargon. But now that my money is tied up in stocks, I have become an avid follower of the charts and tickers.

God is worth being researched. I want to challenge you to take