REALITIES MINISTRIES
Beloved: grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. I am glad to welcome you to the last Sunday of this month and pray that God will teach and strengthen your heart to live responsibly in all your relationships and affairs this week and throughout the remaining part of your earthly life, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Olufẹ: ki ore-ọfẹ, aanu ati alaafia jẹ tirẹ lati ọdọ Ọlọrun Baba wa ati Jesu Kirisiti Oluwa wa. Inu mi dun lati ki ọ ku ikalẹ sinu ọjọ isinmi ti o kẹyin osu yi, mo si gbadura pe ki Ọlọrun kọ ọ, ki O si tun fi okun kun ọkan rẹ lati ma fi gbogbo igba gbe igbe aye ẹni ti o wulo ninu ibasepọ ati iṣẹ ọwọ rẹ gbogbo ni ọsẹ yi ati ni iyoku ọjọ aye rẹ. Amin.
“Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.””
We don’t need to look into the bible for illustrations or examples in order for us to know that what Paul says to the Corinthian brethren in the above Scripture is true. That is because all around us are people that are illustrating the truth of it with their lives. I am talking about people whose lives were great and organised until they started moving with some individuals that got them involved in certain destructive practices that changed them from being good, kind, honest, trustworthy and loving individuals to wicked, corrupt, dishonest, violent and lazy people. So, indeed, bad company corrupts good character.
Beloved: grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. I welcome you to the last week of the month of August 2020 and pray that you will be kept safe from every evil scheme of the devil all through the week and throughout the remaining part of the year, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Now while it is good and appropriate for me to pray for you in the manner I did, it is also important that you too do not give the devil any opportunity to work in your life and defeat you. Paul, writing to the Ephesian brethren, says, “Don’t give the devil any opportunity to work.” (Eph 4:27GW) Why does he say this? He says this because of his awareness of the devil’s character. And what is his character? According to the bible, he is a liar, thief, killer, destroyer and devourer (John 8:44 &10:10; 1Pet 5:8).
Olufẹ: ki ore-ofẹ, aanu ati alaafia jẹ tirẹ lẹkunrẹrẹ lati ọdọ Ọlọrun Baba wa ati Jesu Kirisiti Oluwa wa. Mo ki ọ kabọ sinu ọsẹ ti o pari osu Ogun 2020, mo si tun gbadura pe ki a pa ọ mọ kuro ninu gbogbo arekereke ibi eṣu ni gbogbo ọsẹ na ati ni gbogbo eyi ti o ku ki ọdun yi fi pari, ni orukọ Jesu. Amin.
Nje bi o ti jẹ pe o dara, ti o si tun tọ fun mi lati gba aduura fun ọ ni ọna ti mo ṣe gba yi, o tun se pataki pe ki iwọ na ma gba eṣu laye lati ṣiṣẹ ninu aye rẹ ki o si bori. Pọọlu, ninu lẹta rẹ si awọn ara Efesu, sọ wipe, “Bẹni ki ẹ ma ṣe fi aye fun Eṣu.” (Efesu 4:27) Kini idi ti o fi sọ eyi? O sọ eyi nitori oye rẹ nipa iru ẹda ti Eṣu jẹ. Iru ẹda wa si ni o jẹ? Gẹgẹ bi ọrọ bibeli, o jẹ opurọ, ole, apaniyan, apanirun ati ajẹnirun (Johannu 8:44&10:10; 1Peteru 5:8).
“The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, “This man deserves to have you do this, because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.” So Jesus went with them.””
(Luke 7:4-6NIV)
From what we know in Scriptures, most of the elders of the Jews hated Jesus because of His stand for righteousness and also because of His claim that He was the Son of God. Nevertheless, as we see in our opening text, there was a time when some of them were willing to put their hatred and bitterness towards Him aside and plead with Him to follow them to heal someone’s servant. And why? Based on their own words, it was because of the man’s love for their nation and religion. In other words, they could tell that he loved them and also cared about what they cared about. That was, in fact, why, as one man, he built a synagogue for them.
Beloved: grace and mercy be with you forever from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord and Redeemer. I welcome you to this new week and pray that you will be preserved in all your ways from every form of danger and satanic attacks, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Now one major way for us to continually enjoy God’s protection from all kinds of danger is to walk in obedience to His instructions all the time. As the bible makes very clear, there is no way we can totally avoid trouble in this world. That is because it is a world that is lying under the control of the devil, that is, to whatever degree God has permitted it (1John 5:19). So, even if we are functioning in the best of character, there will still be individuals who will yield themselves to be used by the devil to make trouble for us. And if he can’t readily get someone to use against us, he may decide to use a created thing or system to attack us.
Daniel, for instance, was living a life that was totally committed to pleasing God. Yet Satan succeeded in getting some of the officials of Babylon to set him up. So, he ended up in a den of lions. (Cf. Dan 6) What about Job? God Himself testified that he was blameless and upright. Yet a time came when Satan came against him and used all kinds of people and things to afflict him. (Cf. Job 1&2)
Therefore, as long as we are in this world, we will, from time to time, come into moments in which troubles will come for us and want to subdue and destroy us. But inasmuch as we are yielded to God, are living in absolute submission to Him and are counting solely on His provisions for us, there is no form of trouble that will come for us that we won’t be able to walk in victory over (Eph 6:10-18). And observe that there are two things I said we must do in order to walk in victory over any trouble. The first is to be fully yielded to God. The second is to be absolutely dependent on Him. It is not either one of the two that we are to do; it is both of them that we must do. Otherwise we are not going to get the desired results.
Unfortunately, there are many of us today who think all that is important is that we totally depend on God and His power and authority to walk in victory in life – how we relate to His instructions is secondary. But that is not how we are taught to live in Scriptures. What we are taught is this: “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7NIV) Did you see that? Satan can be resisted and driven away by us. In other words, we can refuse to accept satanic works or activities in our lives. And that is because we are God’s children and have been given the needed authority by Jesus to overcome all his power (Luke 10:19).
But in order for our authority to resist the devil and his works to work, James says we must first of all submit ourselves to God’s authority. If we will not yield ourselves to God and walk in obedience to His instructions, then, we will constantly find ourselves in situations in which we may not be able to appropriately use or enjoy the authority and grace He has given us to walk in victory over the devil and his works. And that may someday prove disastrous for us.
Look at Samson, for example. He was anointed and authorised by God to rescue the people of Israel from the rule and oppression of the Philistines. And he actually set out in life to do so. But because he would not discipline himself to be yielded to God in every area of his life, he was constantly doing things he was not supposed to do and being in places he was not supposed to be. This also seriously affected his ability to organise himself and the people he was supposed to lead to unitedly resist and supress their enemies. He did all he did as a lone wolf. And though, in his indiscipline and disobedience to the ways of God, he escaped the traps of his enemies for many years, there eventually came a time in which he lost God’s anointing upon his life and the authority to protect himself and his people from their enemies. Therefore, he died before his time and left his work unfinished. (Cf. Judges 14-16)
Now if we too don’t want to end up being crushed by satanic schemes and attacks, then, we must not relate to God and His word as Samson did. Instead, we must fully yield ourselves to Him and be devoted to living according to His instructions. Then, regardless of where we find ourselves or what the enemy throws at us while we are walking in God’s will, we can be sure that His protection will always be with us, even as we steadfastly utilise the authority He has given us in Christ Jesus.
Do have a fabulous week.
Copyright © 2020, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com/alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
By: J.O. Lawal | Date: August 16, 2020 | Series: From Pastor’s Desk | Number: Vol. 9, No. 15
Olufẹ: ki ore-ọfẹ ati aanu wa pẹlu re titi lailai lati ọdọ Ọlọrun Baba wa ati Jesu Kirisiti Oluwa ati Olurapada wa. Mo ki ọ kaabọ sinu ọsẹ tuntun yi, mo si gbadura pe ki a pa ọ mọ ninu gbogbo ọna re kuro ninu ewu ati idojukọ Satani gbogbo, ni orukọ Jesu. Amin
Njẹ ọna kan pataki fun wa lati ma fi igba gbogbo gbadun aabo Ọlọrun kuro ninu ewu orisirisi ni ki a ma rin ni igbọran si aṣẹ rẹ ni gbogbo igba. Gẹgẹ bi Bibeli se fi han wa kedere, ko si bi a se le yago patapata fun wahala ninu aye yi. Idi si ni pe aye na jẹ eyi ti o wa labẹ isakoso Esu, niwọn ibi ti Ọlọrun gba a laaye de (1Johanu 5:19). Nitorina, bi a ba tilẹ n fi gbogbo igba wiwa ti o tọ ati ti o si yẹ, a ko le ṣa lairi awọn kan ti yo fi ara wọn jin fun Esu lati da wahala silẹ fun wa. Ti ko ba si wa ri ẹni ti o le lo lati se eyi, o le pinu lati lo nkan ti a da tabi ilana ti a la kalẹ yowu ti o ba ri lati doju ija kọ wa.
Danieli, fun apẹẹrẹ, n gbe igbe aye ti o fi ara rẹ jin patapata lati dun Ọlọrun ninu. Sibẹsibẹ Esu se aseyọri lati lo awọn adari ilẹ Babiloni kan lati se akoba fun. Nitorina, o ba ara rẹ ninu iho Kiniun. (Wo: Danieli 6) Jobu na n kọ? Ọlọrun funrarẹ jẹwo pe ọkunrin yi jẹ ẹni ti o wa ni alailẹbi, ti iwuwasi rẹ si tọ. Sibẹsibe, akoko kan de ti Esu gbogun ti, ti o si lo oniruuru eniyan ati nkan lati pọn loju. (Wo: Jobu 1&2)
Nitorina, niwọn igba ti a ba si wa ninu aye yi, ni orekore ni a o ma ba ara wa ni awọn asiko kan ti wahala yo tọ wa wa, ti yo si fẹ bori wa, ki o si tun pa wa run. Sugbọn ni ọwọ igba ti a ba tẹriba fun Ọlọrun, ti a n gbe igbe aye iyọnda si, ti a si n fi gbogbo igba gbọkanle fun ipese rẹ, ko si irufẹ wahala ti o le tọ wa wa ti a ko ni le rin ni iṣẹgun lori rẹ (Efesu 6:10-18). Njẹ kiyesi pe nkan meji ni mo sọ pe a gbọdọ se lati le rin ni iṣẹgun lori wahala yowu ti o le de ba wa. Akọkọ ni pe ki a tẹriba patapata fun Ọlọrun. Ekeji ni pe ki a gbọkanle patapata. Ki i se pe ki a mu ọkan tabi ekeji ninu awon nkan meji yi; mejeji ni a gbọdọ se. Laijẹbẹ, a ko ni ri iru eso ti o yẹ ki a ri.
O wa seni laanu pe ọpọ ninu wa loni lo ro wipe nkan ti o se pataki ni pe ki a kan gbọkan wa le Ọlọrun ati agbara ati aṣẹ rẹ lati rin ni iṣẹgun laye yi – iha ti a kọ si ofin rẹ ko ja mọ nkankan lọtiti. Sugbọn bi a se kọ wa kọ ni eyi ninu iwe mimọ. Nkan ti a kọ wa ni eyi: “Nitorina ẹ tẹriba fun Ọlọrun. Ẹ kọ oju ija si Eṣu, on o si sa kuro lọdọ nyin.” (Jakobu 4:7) Se iwọ na ri bayi? A le doju ija kọ Satani, ki a si le danu kuro lọdọ wa. Eyi tunmọ si pe a le kọ lati fi aye gba iṣẹ ati akitiyan Esu laye wa. Idi si ni wipe ọmọ Ọlọrun ni a jẹ ati pe ati fun wa ni aṣẹ ti a nilo lati bori gbogbo agbara Esu lati ọwọ Jesu (Luuku 10:19).
Sugbọn ki aṣẹ wa lati doju ija ko Esu ati iṣẹ rẹ ki a si bori to le ṣiṣẹ bi o ṣe tọ, Jemisi (Jakọbu) so wipe a kọkọ gbọdọ tẹriba fun aṣẹ Ọlọrun. Ti a ko ba ni tẹri wa ba fun Ọlọrun, ki a si ma rin ni igbọran si awọn ofin rẹ, nse ni a o ma fi ọpọ igba ba ara wa ni ipo ti a le ti ma le lo tabi gbadun aṣẹ ati ore-ọfẹ ti O fun wa lati rin ni iṣẹgun lori Esu ati iṣẹ rẹ.
Wo Samusoni, fun apẹẹrẹ. O jẹ ẹni ti Ọlọrun fi amin ororo yan, ti O si tun fun ni aṣẹ lati gba awọn ara Isiraẹli kuro lọwọ isakoso ati ifiyajẹni awọn Filisitini. O si mura lati se eyi. Sugbọn nitoripe o kọ lati ko ara rẹ ni ijanu lati tẹriba fun Ọlọrun ni gbogbo igbesi aye re, ọpọ igba ni o n ṣe awọn nkan ti ko tọ fun lati se, ti o si tun n lọ si awọn ibi ti ko yẹ ki o lọ. Eyi si jẹ ki o soro fun lati le seto aye rẹ, ki o si ko awọn eniyan ti a pe lati dari jọ ni iṣọkan lati dojukọ awọn ọta wọn, ki wọn si bori. O kan n se adanikanse ni. Bi o wa tilẹ jẹ wipe, ninu ainikoraẹninijanu ati aigbọran si ọna Ọlọrun rẹ, o fi ọpọlọpọ ọdun bọ ninu panpẹ awọn ọta re, akoko kan de ti o jẹ wipe ẹmi iyasọtọ Ọlọrun ati aṣẹ ti a fun lati da abo bo ara rẹ ati awọn eniyan rẹ kuro lọwọ awọn ọta wọn fi sile. Nitorina o ku ki akoko rẹ to pe, o si fi iṣẹ ti a fi le lọwọ silẹ lai pari. (Wo: Awọn Onidajọ 14-15)
Nibayi, ti awa na ko ba fẹ parun nipasẹ arekereke ati idojukọ Satani, a ko gbọdọ kọ iha ti Samusoni kọ si Ọlọrun ati si ọrọ rẹ si. Dipo bẹ, a gbọdọ tẹ ori wa ba fun patapata, ki a si fi ara wa jin lati ma rin ninu ilana rẹ. Ti a ba si ti n se eyi, ibikibi ti o wu ki a ti ba ara wa tabi ohunkohun ti o wu ki ọta lẹ mọ wa ninu irinajo wa ninu ifẹ Ọlọrun, a le mọ daju pe aabo rẹ yo daju lori wa, bi awa si ti n fi iduroṣinṣin se amulo aṣẹ ti O fi fun wa ninu Jesu Kirisiti.
Ọsẹ adun o.
Copyright © 2020, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com/alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
Lati owo: J.O. Lawal | Ojo: Ogun 16, 2020 | Atelera: Latori tabili Paito | Nomba: Vol. 9, No. 15
“On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: “‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.'””
(Mark 11:15-17NIV)
Why would the Lord Jesus drive out those who were buying and selling in the temple area in Jerusalem on the occasion recorded for us by Mark in the bible text above? First, it was because they were using the temple for wrong purposes. As the Lord points out, that temple is God’s house, figuratively. And as the house of God, it was set up as a place of prayer and intercession for anyone who would come to Him for forgiveness of sins and for mercy and favour. Unfortunately, the Jews and their leaders allowed a market to be set up there, giving room for all kinds of people to gather there and do all kinds of unrighteous things. So, the Lord, in His great zeal for His Father’s house, had to step in and let them see that He would not allow them to carry on in the nonsense they were doing in it and with it.
The second reason the Lord drove out those people and cleared the temple of their mess was that He had the authority to do so. In the book of Hebrews, chapter 3, we are shown that He is the Son over God’s house. That means the authority to build God’s house and determine what is allowed or disallowed there belongs to Him. Actually, in John’s record of a similar incident, we see that immediately after Jesus did this, the people asked Him to show them the authority or right that He had to do so. And He told them that He had the right to do so because He is the builder of God’s real temple, which is man’s body. But they did not understand what He was saying. (Cf. John 2:13-22)
Well then, if the Lord would not allow God’s figurative house, the temple in Jerusalem, to be turned into a market and used for wrong purposes, do you think He will allow God’s real house, His real temple, which is you and me, to be used for purposes that are contrary to the will of God for us? The answer is ‘No’. Paul, writing to the Corinthians, says, “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple.” (1Cor 3:16-17NIV)
Did you see that? We are the real temple of God, not a house, not a building, not an auditorium, however magnificent it may be. We are the house of God, the tabernacle in which He dwells. And He reserves to build us up the way He wants and determine what stays in our lives and what goes out of them. Therefore, anything or anyone that desecrates our lives and makes it unfit for God’s purpose is desecrating God’s house and making it unfit for Him to dwell in. And such a thing or person is in danger of being destroyed by God.
Unfortunately, many of us do not understand this, just as the Jews and their leaders did not understand how sacred and dear God’s house is to Him. So, we get angry when He moves to clean and clear our lives of the mess that men and the world are making of them. Yes, we get upset and even work towards hindering Him, when He begins to separate our lives from certain wrong relationships or take some things away from us. But, apart from the fact that He has absolute right to do with our lives as He pleases, He is doing these things in us for our good. He is doing them to make our lives fit for Him to live in and realise the purpose for which He has made us. And until we allow Him to do what He needs to do in us, our lives will remain a market for all kinds of individuals and things to operate in and mess up. Then He may be forced to reject us as unfit for the accomplishment of His purpose here on earth.
Now I don’t want to be rejected as an unfit vessel for the fulfilment of God’s purpose in this world. That is why I yield myself to Him to wash my life and rid it of all the things that are buying and selling in it and trying to use it for purposes different from what He has ordained it for. And will you too do the same? Will you yield your life to God to cleanse it and build it up to be what it is meant to be? Or will you keep struggling with Him and allow your life to remain a market for all kinds of people and things to desecrate? Well, the ball is in your court, and I counsel that you play it wisely. May God help you.
Copyright © 2020, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com / alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
By: J.O. Lawal | Date: August 12, 2020 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 3, No. 13
Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours forevermore from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. I am delighted to welcome you to another week of the month of August 2020. And I pray that God will work out in you all through the week everything that is pleasing in His sight and that you will not waste His grace, in Jesus name. Amen.
Now I offered that prayer for you because my desire is that your life will be a full expression of the grace and goodness of God. Have you received the grace of God at all? If you are a child of God, then, you have received His grace. And that is because the bible says it is by His grace that we have been saved. In other words, it is as a result of what God has done and given that we were saved from our sins, the works of the devil and eternal destruction. (Cf. Eph 2:1-10)
However, what God has done and given to us ought to find expression in our lives. I mean it ought to be obvious that God has actually saved us, recreated us and taken charge of our lives. For example, in writing to the Thessalonians, Paul says, “You know, brothers, that our visit to you was not a failure.” (1Thess 2:1NIV) Why would he say this to these brethren? It was because he could see a visible expression of the grace of God in their lives. As he points out in the first chapter of this letter, the word of God’s grace that they received did not leave their lives unaffected. It changed them. It made them turn away from the worship of idols to serve the living God and to wait for the return of His Son, Jesus Christ. Not only that, it turned them into models for believers in many other places to emulate. Therefore, the grace of God to them was not in vain. (Cf. 1Thess 1:4-10)
Also, Paul, writing to the Corinthians, says of himself, “…and his grace to me was not wasted…” (1Cor 15:10NCV) That means God’s grace accomplished the purpose He desired in his life. It made him the kind of person He wanted him to be and also enabled him to do the kind things He wanted him to do. But can we say the same thing about ourselves? Can we say that the grace of God that we have received is making us the kind of persons God wants us to be?
If the grace of God that has been poured out on us is not making us the kind of persons He wants us to be, then, it means we are wasting it. How does this become possible? It becomes possible when we refuse to respond appropriately and adequately to His grace. God’s grace for salvation, righteous living and spiritual service has been made available to us free of charge. And it has been freely put at our disposal in His word, His Spirit and the fellowship of the brethren. That means we can enjoy God’s grace by embracing the ministry of His word, of His Spirit and of His people that He has placed in our lives.
But then, even though these things have been freely made available to us, they will not automatically translate into changed lives for us, if we will not make the most of them. What I am saying is that if we will not take the ministry of the word of God to us very seriously, embracing what it is saying to us and living in the light of it, our lives will not express the grace of God. Also, if we will not allow the Spirit of God to take charge of our lives and affairs, counting on Him for everything we need in life, our lives will not be what God wants them to be in this world. Then, if we will not take adequate and appropriate advantage of the presence of the godly people that have been placed in our lives, we will not attain the maturity we are meant to attain in living in this world and in handling life.
Now, as I said before, inasmuch as we are not becoming more and more of all that God wants us to be and doing all that He expects us to do, we are wasting His grace and the labour of the Spirit on us. And can we waste His grace like this and still expect His praise? Will it not even suggest that we probably never received His grace but have been deceiving ourselves all along? Well, I want you to know that if you have received the grace of God at all, it ought to manifest in your life. And if it is not manifesting for all to see, you need to start asking yourself some very serious questions about your response towards utilising it. And may the Spirit of God open your eyes to see where you are missing it and enable you to begin to do what is right with His grace.
Do have a splendid week.
Copyright © 2020, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com/alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
By: J.O. Lawal | Date: August 09, 2020 | Series: From Pastor’s Desk | Number: Vol. 9, No. 13