Month: December 2023

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General Post

WELCOME TO 2024 – BE DETERMINED


Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be immeasurably yours from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. I am delighted to welcome you to this new year, year 2024. And I pray that God will keep your heart occupied with gladness all through the year, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Now, as we begin this new year, you need to be determined to live in the fullness of God’s will, regardless of the current circumstances of your life. Otherwise, the gift of the year to you may just end up being a waste. Look at Daniel, for example. Even though he found himself in the land of slavery, against his wish, he was still determined to live in the will of God.

The bible says, “But Daniel was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king…” (Dan 1:8NLT) Did you see that? Young Daniel was determined not to have his life messed up in any way, even though he was a slave in a strange land. And because he was determined to honour God with his life, He caused him to be highly favoured by all the kings he worked with. So, he went on to become a powerful force to be reckoned in the entire Babylonian realm for decades. (Cf. Dan 1-6)

So, I am not saying that it is enough to be determined to do the will of God. However determined we are about doing His will, if He does not furnish us with the strength and favour to do so, we will not be able to do so. That is because doing the will of God does not depend human desire or effort but on God’s mercy. And someone like Peter had to learn that the hard way. (Cf. Matt 26:69-75; Rom 9:16)

Nevertheless, it is important that we first show that we are determined to do His will. Then we can expect Him to furnish us with all that we need to do it. Those who have no determination to do His will are probably expecting Him to be pushing them to do what they do not want to do. But He rarely does that. And even if He has to push us to do what we do not want to do, we may end up being injured in the process. So, if we want God’s favour to freely flow in enabling us to do His will, our hearts must love and be determined to do what He wants.

Then we must also be determined to take God’s provisions for us and to make the most of them. Otherwise, Satan will see to it that we have no access to what is ours to possess and enjoy. Look at what is said about the people of Manasseh and the inheritance given to them by God in the land of Canaan: “But Manasseh did not drive out the people of Beth Shan or Taanach or Dor or Ibleam or Megiddo and their surrounding settlements, for the Canaanites were determined to live in that land.” (Judg 1:27NIV)

Think about that. Even though God had already given the inheritance of the people of Manasseh to them, they still failed to completely drive out the people originally living there. So, they ended up cohabiting with them, making it possible for those people to corrupt them with their idols. Why was that so? It was so because the determination of those people to stay in the land was greater than the determination of the people of Manasseh to drive them out of it.

So, if our determination to take hold of God’s provisions for our fruitfulness and prosperity and utilise them is not greater than Satan’s determination to keep us from accessing and enjoying them, we may end up not being all that we can be and not enjoying all that we can enjoy in this life. All of this is why our Lord Jesus tells us that men ought to always pray and not give up. It is also why He tells us to pray until our joy is full. (Cf. Luke 18L1l John 16:24)

That means as long as we are not yet where God wants us to be and enjoying all that He wants us to enjoy, we must not resign. We must not stop praying. We must not stop declaring God’s word over our lives and affairs. And we must not stop practising righteousness. Yes, Satan and his agents may be doing all that they can to frustrate us or to keep us from accessing and enjoying God’s provisions for us. But as long as we remain resolute to have and enjoy all that God wants us to have and to become all that He wants us to become, nothing will be able to stop the flow of His grace in our lives and affairs.

I welcome you once again into this new year. And I pray that your heart will be renewed with sufficient determination, courage and strength to go for all that God wants you to have in the year and possess and enjoy it, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Happy 2024!

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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2023 Pastor's Desk

He has gone ahead of you | By: J.O. Lawal | Date: December 31, 2023 | Series: From Pastor’s Desk | Number: Vol. 12, No. 35

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. I am delighted to welcome you to the last Sunday of this year, which also happens to be the very last day of the year. And I pray that God will fill your heart with all joy and peace throughout day and as we cross over into a new year, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

As we are about to move into a new year, I want to admonish you with some of the words of Moses to the children of Israel, as they were about to cross over into the Promised Land, which say:

“The LORD your God himself will cross over ahead of you. He will destroy these nations before you, and you will take possession of their land. Joshua also will cross over ahead of you, as the LORD said.” (Deut 31:3NIV)

Who would cross over ahead of those Israelites into the land they wanted to possess? First, it was the Lord their God Himself that would cross over ahead of them. Why? It was to handle anyone or anything that may want to prevent them from entering the land and possessing it for their prosperity and enjoyment. Therefore, even though they did not know all the challenges and opportunities they would be confronted with in the land, they could confidently go into it, knowing that God was already there to take care of everything for their good. And that was exactly what happened. They confidently went into the land and took possession of it, to the glory of God and for their enjoyment.

In like manner, since we too have the same God that went ahead of these Israelites to take possession of that land flowing with milk and honey as our God, we should also calm our hearts, knowing that He has already crossed over into the new year we are about to enter for us. And why has He crossed over into it ahead of us? It is to make sure nothing prevents us from possessing and enjoying every good thing He has deposited in it for us.

Therefore, let us drop whatever fear we have of the new year we are moving into and confidently go into it. That is because it is going to be a more glorious year for us and our families. It will be a year in which God will cause all the good things He has deposited in our lives for our prosperity to manifest. And it will be a year in which He will lead us to possess and enjoy the best that He has deposited in our land for us. We just need to cooperate with Him, and we will surely enjoy all that He has in store for us.

Then, as Moses also pointed out to those Israelites, there was still another person that would cross over ahead of them into the Promised Land. That person was Joshua. And who was Joshua? Joshua was the man ordained and equipped by God to lead them to take possession of the land that He was giving them. That means he was God’s human representative or messenger assigned to help all of them until they were established in the land. And did he do his job well or not? He did it well. He led them and fought and won with them until each of them received his own inheritance and settled in it.

In the same vein, I want you to know that God has already assigned and sent helpers ahead of us into the new year we are moving into. Why? It is so that they will work with us and support us until His good purpose for our lives is fully accomplished. What we need is just to recognise every one of such helpers and humbly allow them to do in our lives and to our lives what God has sent them to do. Doing their job, of course, may shake us out of our comfort zone. But if we will cooperate with them, in accordance with the will of God, their presence in our lives can only result in the manifestation of the glory of God in the year.

So, look forward to an exciting new year, regardless of what your current situation may be at the moment. My prayer is that your heart will be strengthened to cooperate with God and all the people He may want to use for you in the year, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Happy New Year in advance.

Copyright © 2023, 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 pastor@abcministry.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

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Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

What it is your motivation? | By: J.O. Lawal | Date: December 27, 2023 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 6, No. 33

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

“Then I observed that most people are motivated to success because they envy their neighbors. But this, too, is meaningless—like chasing the wind.” (Eccl 4:4NLT)

We have, by the grace of God, come to another year-end. And as it should be, this is a time in which people should settle down to see how their lives have fared in the year. But while it is important that we settle down to evaluate our lives and affairs to see how things have been with us in the year, the yardsticks we use in doing so are even more important. That is the because the yardsticks we use in evaluating ourselves are what will determine whether our evaluation will be true, objective and reliable as a point of reference or not.

Now among the yardsticks people use in evaluating themselves is the measure of success or failure of their neighbours. And when we are talking about ‘neighbours’ in this sense, we are referring to anyone close enough to us to get our attention. So, that person may be a friend, a sibling, a colleague at work or in school, a church member or a business competitor. Whoever the person is to us, what is happening in their life is important enough to get our attention and make us judge ourselves as progressive, stagnant or retrogressive.

But is it right for us to judge ourselves as a success or a failure on the basis of what is happening or has happened in other people’s lives, even if those people are our blood relatives? No! Why? It is because the word of God says so. Look at the way it puts it: “We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise.” (2Cor 10:12NIV)

Did you see that? It is a foolish thing to judge ourselves according to human standards. Yes, it is a foolish thing to compare our lives with the lives of others in order to determine whether our lives are doing well or not. Why? First, it is because God, who created all of us, has made each of us differently, with different potential and abilities. Second, it is because the circumstances of our lives are different, regardless of how closely related or bonded we may be. Therefore, God’s expectations on every life are different.

Since God’s expectations on every life are different, it follows, then, that He will be rating how each of us is doing in life according to those expectations. So, it is how well we meet up with His expectations on our lives that will say whether He will consider us to be a success or a failure, not how well we meet up with what is going in others’ lives or how better we do than them.

Unfortunately, as I mentioned earlier, most people evaluate their lives according to what is going on in the lives of others around them. Therefore, as Solomon tells us in our opening text, their motivation for success in life is envy, the envy of their neighbour. There is, of course, a good side to envy. That is when you envy certain attributes of success or devotion to doing what is right that you see in others, so that you can emulate them. But anything that goes beyond that is of the evil one.

What we are saying is that if the reason you want to be whatever you want to be or have whatever you want to have in life is that you are envious of someone, then, you are missing it. You are simply chasing the wind. In other words, you are going after the impossible. You cannot be another person, however hard you try. And you can never have what another person has unless you steal or buy it from them. Then, even if you possess for yourself what belongs to another person, you can never enjoy it the way they have enjoyed it or will enjoy it. That is because life is designed for each of us to enjoy differently, according to the measure of grace measured out to us by God.

So, stop drawing your motivation from what is happening in other people’s lives but from God’s expectations on your life. That way, you will not be evaluating your life according to their success or failure. This, then, means that you need to know God’s expectations on your life. And you can know them by giving yourself to His word, by praying to Him and also by fellowshipping with others who know Him. My prayer is that you will be guided and strengthened to evaluate your life in this light this year-end, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Cheers!

Copyright © 2023, 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 pastor@abcministryng.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

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Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

Title: Be thoughtful in appreciation|Fire in my bones

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

Date: December 20, 2023|Series: Youth for Jesus|Number: Vol. 6, No. 32

“When Haman entered, the king asked him, “What should be done for the man the king delights to honor?” Now Haman thought to himself, “Who is there that the king would rather honor than me?” So he answered the king, “For the man the king delights to honor, have them bring a royal robe the king has worn and a horse the king has ridden, one with a royal crest placed on its head. Then let the robe and horse be entrusted to one of the king’s most noble princes. Let them robe the man the king delights to honor, and lead him on the horse through the city streets, proclaiming before him, ‘This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor!'” “Go at once,” the king commanded Haman. “Get the robe and the horse and do just as you have suggested for Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the king’s gate. Do not neglect anything you have recommended.”” (Est 6:6-10NIV)

The bible passage above is clearly a familiar one to many readers of the bible. And it speaks of how the great King Xerxes appreciated and honoured a Jew called Mordecai. As the story goes, Mordecai once exposed certain officers of this king that had plotted to assassinate him. Why did they plot to assassinate him? We are not told in the account. But we are told that Mordecai found out about them and was discreet enough to expose them before they were able to carry out their wicked plot or escape. (Cf. Esther 2:21-23)

However, as the account also further reveals, Xerxes did not appreciate Mordecai at all for this act of kindness done to him. Yes, what he did was recorded in the book of the annals of his kingdom right before him. Nonetheless, he did nothing to appreciate him. Why? We would not know. Maybe he did not consider what he did as anything special at the time. Or maybe he was just in a prolonged bad mood. We wouldn’t know.But there came a time when Mordecai really needed this man to return the favour and spare his life and the lives of his people too.

That, of course, was when God, who does not forget people and who knows how to turn people’s mistakes or omissions around for the good of His people, brought about circumstances that drove this king to revisit the matter. And when he did, he himself was surprised that he did nothing to appreciate Mordecai for his act of kindness and faithfulness to him and the realm. So, he immediately began to think of how best to reward him.Well, as he thought hard about how best to reward Mordecai, that is, in accordance with his own status as an emperor, his most beloved official, Haman, came in. It was he, then, that helped this king in properly dealing with the matter.

Of course, he came up with what he came up with because he had arrogantly thought that the reward was coming to him. But the fact that he put himself in the picture helped in coming up with a sort of appreciation that the king himself could not resist or reject. It was just perfect for him.What, then, is the account teaching us? First, it is that we should learn not to overlook people’s acts of kindness to us. Instead, we should appreciate them on time, that is, when it will make the most sense.

Otherwise, we may end up having God drive us to do what we have neglected to do, in a more expensive or grand way. Looking again at Xerxes’ case: if he had appreciated Mordecai immediately after he saved his life, he may not have needed to go through the trouble of treating him like an emperor. Delayed appreciation, then, will most likely cost you more. So, don’t delay or defer giving appreciation to whom it is due. And even if, for some reasons, you failed to appreciate certain people you should have appreciated, you should still appreciate them the moment your error is brought to your notice.

Why? It is better late than never. Another important lesson from this bible story is the need for us to be thoughtful in appreciating others. Don’t be involved in giving useless or meaningless appreciation or gifts to people. Instead, always be thoughtful about what you want to do. Appreciating people is never mainly about money but about our thoughtfulness in doing it. That great king, Xerxes, did not spend money in appreciating Mordecai. But the kind of appreciation he gave to him was more than what anyone in his kingdom could hope for in a lifetime. He made him wear his royal robe, ride his royal horse and wear his royal crest on his head. Then he had him led through the royal city by his most dignified official, with the herald ‘This is how the king treats the man he honours.’ That, of course, changed Mordecai’s status in the realm for the rest of his life.

So, it is not mainly about how much we are able to spend in appreciating those who have done us good in life. It is mainly about being thoughtful. It is mainly about carefully considering the best way to appreciate them, in the light of what they have done for us and also in the light of our own status. And if we know how to think well about ourselves, as Haman did, we should have no problem coming up with truly nice and pleasant ways of appreciating people. Will you try this, then, as we come to the last days of this year, as we come to this season of thanksgiving and appreciation? And may God load you with sufficient wisdom, determination and resources to appreciate well all the people that deserve your appreciation at this time, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2023 Pastor's Desk

Appreciating God and men | By: J.O. Lawal | Date: December 24, 2023 | Series: From Pastor’s Desk | Number: Vol. 12, No. 34

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. I welcome you to the last week of the year 2023. And I pray that God will perfect all that concerns you and fill your heart and home with all joy and peace in the week, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

As we come to the last days of this year, it is important that you genuinely show appreciation to God and to those He has used for your elevation, comfort or safety in the year. Why is this important? First, it is because it is the will of God for us to always appreciate Him for what He is doing for us and to also learn to appreciate those that He is using for us in one way or the other.

For instance, Paul says this to us about appreciating God: “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1Thess 5:18NIV) Did you see that? It is the will of God for us to give thanks to Him in all circumstances. And how do we do that? We do so by offering sacrifices of praise to Him (Heb 13:15). Then we do so by giving to Him from our substance (Prov 3:9).

Furthermore, Paul says this to us about appreciating those who lead us in our churches: “The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching.” (1Tim 5:17NIV) Did you see that? Those feeding us with God’s word deserve to be doubly appreciated. That means they deserve for us to appreciate them with our words and also with our resources. And that is because what they are doing is moving our lives forward and keeping our souls safe.

But then, it is not only those feeding us with the word of God that are worthy of double honour. Others also that God has used in very special ways to move our lives forward or make us safe this year also deserve it. They also deserve more than our words of appreciation but also some gifts from us. This, of course, is not about getting expensive gifts for them, though nothing is wrong with that if we have the means. Rather, it is about relating to them with a true sense of appreciation.

Now if we will not show God and others that He has used to bless us in very obvious and special ways this year genuine and heartfelt appreciation, first, we will be shutting the door against receiving more from them. Not only that, we may just be exposing ourselves to God’s judgment. For example, when Nabal refused to appreciate David and his men for all that God had used them to do for his men, God stepped in to judge him. And that resulted in his untimely death. (Cf. 1Sam 25)

Also, Jesus told a parable of a rich man whose ground produced a good crop and of how the man did not think at all about thanking God or honouring him with anything from his profit. All he did was talk about how he was going to enjoy life more and enlarge his barns. So, God judged him as stingy and took his life in the midst of his prosperity. And our Lord ends the parable by saying that is how it will be for everyone who stores us riches for himself but is not rich towards God. (Cf. Luke 12:16-21)

My prayer is that God’s judgment will not come on you because of your failure to appreciate Him and others that deserve your appreciation adequately. But you too should think deeply about all He has done for you this year and how to appreciate Him for it. Also, think deeply about all the people He has used for your prosperity and peace of mind this year and how you are going to appreciate them, especially this festive season. I pray that your heart will be led to do the right thing about these things and your purse loaded with everything you need to do so. Amen.

Merry Christmas in advance!

Copyright © 2023, 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 pastor@abcministry.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2023 Pastor's Desk

Don’t be a scoffer | By: J.O. Lawal | Date: December 17, 2023 | Series: From Pastor’s Desk | Number: Vol. 12, No. 33

Beloved: Grace, mercy and peace be yours from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. I am pleased to welcome to another week of the month of December 2023. My prayer is that God will make you and your home truly glad in every way this new week and throughout the remaining days of this year. Amen.

Now one of the ways to continually experience true happiness from God’s hand is to always treat whatever He says to us with respect, even when what He says to us does not make sense to us. The bible tells us that God’s foolishness is wiser than man’s wisdom and His weakness stronger than man’s strength (1Cor 1:25). Therefore, even if our minds cannot handle what He is saying to us about Himself or about our lives, our wisdom will be to just accept it and act accordingly.

Unfortunately, because of a lack of understanding of this, many scoff at whatever God tells them that their brains cannot handle. Therefore, they are unable to reap the benefits of being obedient to His word. Not only that, they may even lose their lives or some other things that are important to them as a result of their scoffing.

For example, we have in 2Kings, chapters 6 and 7, the story of an officer of a king of Israel that scoffed at the word of the Lord and what happened to him as a result of his scoffing. As the account goes, there had been a severe famine in the land of Israel that led people to begin to kill their own children for food. And it was at that point that the king remembered that there was Prophet Elisha in the land and that such a thing should not be happening under his watch. That, of course, is typical of the way many of our government leaders, especially in this country, function. They are reactionary leaders. So, unless the problems of many become their personal problems, unless the problems of many come to their doorsteps, they will not show any serious concern for the welfare of their people.

Well, when the king eventually woke up from his sleep and sent messengers to Prophet Elisha, God spoke through him to the land, saying, “Hear the word of the LORD. This is what the LORD says: About this time tomorrow, a seah of flour will sell for a shekel and two seahs of barley for a shekel at the gate of Samaria.”” (2Kings 7:1NIV) By today’s standard, a shekel is about two hundred and twelve naira and a seah of measurement can take about seven and a half litres of water. So, it is like saying that two bowls (kongos) of flour will not cost more than two hundred and fifty naira.

Does that not sound outrageous and impossible? It does! But during that period, God said through His prophet, Elisha, that He would bring about a situation in less than a day that would so bring the prices of food items down in Samaria that hunger would disappear from the city. And whether the king believed this or not, we would not know. That was because he did not say anything. He just kept his peace to see how what God had said would come to pass.

But there was a very close officer of this king that could not help but scoff at what the Lord had said. Why? He thought of it something irresponsible to say. According to him, even if the windows of heaven were opened and food started falling down from there like rain, what God had said could not happen. Why did he speak like that? He spoke like that because what the Lord had said did not make any financial sense to him. So, he made a joke out of it. And because he made a joke out of it, his scoffing was judged by the Lord through Elisha. He was told that he would be allowed to see the beautiful thing God had planned to do for His people but his mouth would not be allowed to taste it. And that was exactly how things went for him. (Cf. 2Kings 7)

Now I have interacted in recent times with people who believe that regardless of what God does for our country, things cannot go back to the way they were years ago. That means such people, even if they are Christians, don’t believe in the prayers we are offering for the nation. That is the reason for their scoffing. But we have seen that it is a dangerous thing to scoff at the Lord’s word, whether about Himself, about us, about others or about anything. Even if you don’t believe what He is saying, keep your unbelief to yourself. Don’t spread it or make a joke out of His word. That is because those who scoff at God’s word are unconsciously placing themselves under His judgment (Ps 1:1; 2Pet 3:3-9). And if they should meet someone like Prophet Elisha or Apostle Peter, who will effect that judgment, they may not live to tell the story. So, watch yourself. And may the good Lord keep your heart humble before Him all the time. Amen.

Have a lovely week.

Copyright © 2023, 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 pastor@abcministry.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

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Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

Title: When your background is irrelevant|Fire in my bones

fire in my bones
fire in my bones
Date: December 13, 2023|Series: Youth for Jesus|Number: Vol. 6, No. 31

“Where you began will seem unimportant, because your future will be so successful.” (Job 8:7NCV)

Recently, I congratulated one of my church elder brothers who was just awarded a doctorate degree by one of the prestigious universities in the land. And though the news met me as a surprise, I was really happy and grateful to God for him. Why? First, it was because I remembered where we started from. It was a little town that you could not find on the map of Nigeria of those days. It was really a rural place then and still won’t be considered by many as an urban centre today. Yet, against all odds, some people have risen from that same rural place to become great and mighty in the country. 

So, where you started from in life is not really what is important but where you eventually rise to. You may have started from an obscure and unknown place in life. But once you become successful and great in life, only few people will bother to find out where you started or how you started. What they will be concerned about is how they can be a part of your success or benefit from it.

Second, I was surprised at the news of his doctorate degree award because when we were still the young boys of the church, he did not look like someone that would go on to become an academic. Yes, he was one of our role models then, someone that would master anything he set his heart on to learn. But I personally still did not see an academic in him. Yet, at this moment, what I saw or did not see in him years ago is irrelevant. He is already what he is by the grace of God. 

And there is nothing anybody can do against that.What is the point of that? It is this: that you do not have an impressive look or beginning does not mean you are not loaded with God’s grace to become great and mighty here on earth. So, don’t let how you look or where you are taking off prevent you from dreaming great things for yourself in life. 

Instead, determine to take advantage of the grace of God to utilise to the full all the beautiful things He has deposited in you. And if you will do that, only God Himself can tell how far you will go and how high you will rise in life.Now that, of course, is the point being made by one of Job’s friend (Bildad) in our opening bible text. And though he was misapplying it at the time, we cannot run away from the truth it is communicating. What truth is it communicating? It is that your future can make your background irrelevant. 

In other words, what becomes of your life in the future can make your background, social, academic, financial or spiritual, irrelevant. What, then, will become of your life, when all has been said and done? Will it make your natural or spiritual background irrelevant? If it will make it irrelevant, in what way will it make it irrelevant? Is it going to be on a positive note or on a negative note? The future that that dear church elder brother of mine came into has made his natural background irrelevant on a positive note. 

Everyone will now relate to him on the basis of his new status, a doctor of philosophy, not on the basis of the littleness or insignificance of the town in which he was born and raised. But the same thing could not be said of the prodigal son. He was born and raised in wealth. But all of that, at some point, became irrelevant, since he failed to make the most of it in building a place of greatness for himself in life. (Cf. Luke 15)

Well, the point is that when the story of your life is finally completed, what becomes of you is what will really matter and not your background. My prayer is that you will be led by the Spirit of God to make the most of everything He has provided for you to be all that you can be in this life, irrespective of your background, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2023 Pastor's Desk

Outrageous honour | By: J.O. Lawal | Date: December 10, 2023 | Series: From Pastor’s Desk | Number: Vol. 12, No. 32

from pastor's desk

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. I am delighted to welcome you to another week of the last month of this year, the month of December 2023. My prayer is that God will lead you to do every good thing you are meant to do this year, so that His rewards that are also meant to be yours by doing so will be yours without delay, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

As we see in the bible, just some days before our Lord Jesus was crucified, a dinner was given in His honour in Bethany, where He had raised Lazarus from the dead. And Mary, the sister of Lazarus, took advantage of the moment to celebrate Him in an unexpected and outrageous way. What did she do? Here is the account:

“Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it. “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “[It was intended] that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”” (John 12:3-8NIV)

Did you see that? Just to honour Jesus, this woman poured on His feet a whole jar of perfume that was worth one year’s wages of a hired worker. When did she start planning to do this? We would not know. How did she get this jar of very expensive perfume? We would not know. But we do know that what she did that day was not well-received by most of the people that witnessed it. Why? It was outrageous!

To say the fact, it is outrageous to use one year’s salaries to buy a bottle of perfume and then waste everything on one person’s feet in few minutes. Many would even consider it irresponsible to use up that kind of expensive perfume in few months. But Mary did not use it up in few months but in few minutes. And she did it without any feeling of guilt or reluctance. She did it cheerfully and even used her hair to clean the Lord’s feet, as she poured the perfume on them.

Now why did she do that? Her reason for doing so is actually beyond what we can imagine. But it is clear that Jesus meant so much to her that she wanted to honour Him in such a way that anyone who heard about what she did would surely say, “What? Is that not too much?” And that was exactly what happened. Those who witnessed what she did were all like, “Stop! What are you doing? Is this not too much?” In fact, Judas Iscariot protested seriously against it and said that she should have given the perfume to the Lord so that they would sell it and give the money to the poor.

But then, to everyone’s surprise, the Lord did not stop Mary or rebuke her for doing what she did. Instead, He said what she did was done by the leading of the Spirit. In fact, He added that it was God that made her save that perfume for that moment, to prepare Him for His burial. In other words, if she had not honoured Him the way she did that day, the opportunity to do so would have eluded her forever, for it was during that same period that He was arrested and killed. But because she did it, the Lord said, as recorded by both Matthew and Mark in their gospels, wherever the gospel is proclaimed, what she did will also be told, in memory of her. And that is what I am doing here. (Cf. Matt 26:13; Mark 14:9)

In any case, what is the point of this story? First, it is that we must desire to honour Jesus in outrageous ways, in ways that will make those around us wonder whether we are the only ones He is good to. That is because He deserves it. Second, it is that we must learn to pray that God will always lead us to recognise every opportunity to specially honour the Lord that we must not miss in life and to also be ready to utilise it. Otherwise, we will miss those special rewards that are meant to be ours alone.

Now perhaps the Spirit of God is already telling you that this year-end gives you an opportunity to do something rare, something outrageous to honour the Lord. It will be wise for you to listen and act without delay. Otherwise, the opportunity to do so may never show up again. And if that should happen, your reward also will never be yours. My prayer is that just as Mary, King Solomon and Barnabas did not miss their opportunities to honour God in very outrageous ways and be unusually rewarded by Him, you too will not miss yours. Amen. (Cf. 1Kings 3:4-15; Acts 4:36-37)

Have a great week.

Copyright © 2023, 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 pastor@abcministry.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

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Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

It was nothing but a symbol | By: J.O. Lawal | Date: December 06, 2023 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 6, No. 30

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

“When the ark of the LORD’s covenant came into the camp, all Israel raised such a great shout that the ground shook. Hearing the uproar, the Philistines asked, “What’s all this shouting in the Hebrew camp?” When they learned that the ark of the LORD had come into the camp, the Philistines were afraid. “A god has come into the camp,” they said. “We’re in trouble! Nothing like this has happened before. Woe to us! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? They are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the desert. Be strong, Philistines! Be men, or you will be subject to the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Be men, and fight!” So the Philistines fought, and the Israelites were defeated and every man fled to his tent. The slaughter was very great; Israel lost thirty thousand foot soldiers. The ark of God was captured, and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died.” (1Sam 4:5-11NIV)

Why did the Israelites bring in the Ark of the Lord’s covenant into the camp on the occasion mentioned in our opening bible text? They brought it in because they thought doing so would give them victory over their enemies, the Philistines. And did things go as they had expected? No! On the contrary, they were soundly defeated by their enemies. Not only that, the Ark of the Lord’s covenant that they had brought in to save them was captured and taken away by their enemies.

Why? What went wrong? Well, the problem was that those Israelites made the mistake of misrepresenting the Ark of the Covenant for God Himself. And notice that even the Philistines, their enemies, also made the same mistake. When they heard that the Ark of the Lord’s covenant had been brought into the camp of the Israelites, they were sorely afraid. That was because they felt that God Himself had stepped into their camp and would fight for them.

But somehow, they managed to encourage themselves to fight and fight hard, even if it meant confronting the God of the Israelites. And their courage and bravery paid off. They defeated the Israelites, captured the Ark of the Covenant and took it away to their land, believing that they had captured the God of the Israelites. And did they really capture God? No! But they had to learn the reality about that in a very hard way. (Cf. 1Sam 5-6)

In any case, my point is that the Israelites made a mistake at that time to misrepresent the Ark of the Covenant for God Himself. That was why they tried to use it like a charm to defeat their enemies. But they were wrong. That Ark was not God. That Ark was only a symbol of God’s presence. It, therefore, means that if God Himself was not with them and on their side, the presence of His Ark with them would mean nothing.

Now what God with them and on their side at the time? No! As the account shows us, God was very angry with the people at the time because of their idolatry (1Sam 7:2-4). To make matters worse, their leading priests, the sons of Eli, that were supposed to set them right were also altogether corrupt (1Sam 2:12-17). Yet these men believed that as long as the Ark of the Lord was with them, God was with them. That explains why they were confident to take this Ark into the camp of the Israelites on the day of battle, believing that it was God they were carrying there and that He would surely perform.

But to their shock, God did not perform that day. And He did not perform because He was not with them. All they had with them was a symbol of His presence, not His presence. So, they lost their lives even though they had a symbol of His presence with them. What a shame!

Unfortunately, there are still many like the Israelites of that time who have no understanding that God is not a religious symbol or item but a real person. Therefore, they always expect Him to move on their behalf, irrespective of what they are doing with their lives or their attitude towards His word, just because they are carrying some religious symbols or items around. But they are simply joking.

See, God will not do anything for anybody just because they are carrying bibles, anointing oil, anointed handkerchiefs, anointed water or some crosses around. Those things are merely religious symbols and items, having no power of their own to do anything to or for anybody. So, God can do without them any day and anytime. And even if He decides to use any of them, He will only do so to the degree that the one handling it functions according to His word. If the person using it will not take His word seriously and act on it, he will soon enough find it utterly useless to him.

So, if you are one of those whose trust is in religious symbols and items instead of in God, you have set yourself up for constant defeat. That is because instead of seeing God move on your behalf in the face of life’s challenges, it is your symbols that you are going to be seeing moving. And of what help will those moving symbols be to you, then, if you are not shown mercy by God? Of no help whatsoever!

Likewise, if you are one of those who believe that once you carry certain religious symbols or items around, things will always work together for your good, regardless of what you do, you are simply preparing yourself for sudden destruction or defeat. Remember that the Ark of the Covenant, which was a symbolic presence of God with His people, could not save the sons of Eli when they really needed salvation. And why should it save them? After all, it was nothing but pieces of wood decorated with gold.

In like manner, what you too are carrying around, whether it is made of gold or silver and regardless of who prayed over it for you, is nothing but an item. So, it won’t be able to play the role of God and save you on the day of battle, if God Himself does not save you. And will God want you to save you in your hour of need, with or without your religious symbols or items? It all depends on how seriously you take Him and His word and what measure of mercy He decides to show you. I counsel you, then, to take Him seriously instead of relying on some symbols, for in doing so is real salvation.

Copyright © 2023, 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 pastor@abcministryng.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2023 Pastor's Desk

If God had not been on our side | By: J.O. Lawal | Date: December 03, 2023 | Series: From Pastor’s Desk | Number: Vol. 12, No. 31

Pastor J.O. Lawal
Pastor J.O. Lawal

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. I am delighted to welcome you to the last month of this year, the month of December. My prayer is that the month will be one of overflowing joy for you and your home, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

We ought to give thanks to God for giving us the privilege to witness the last month of this year. The year, indeed, has been a very tough one for our country as a whole. And perhaps it has been a very tough one for you and your family too. Nevertheless, God has not allowed the difficulties of the year to swallow us up. And we ought to give thanks to Him for this.

Now there is a Psalm of David that I consider fitting for us to read and meditate on at such a time as this. It is Psalm 124, and it goes like this:

“If the LORD had not been on our side — let Israel say — if the LORD had not been on our side when men attacked us, when their anger flared against us, they would have swallowed us alive; the flood would have engulfed us, the torrent would have swept over us, the raging waters would have swept us away. Praise be to the LORD, who has not let us be torn by their teeth. We have escaped like a bird out of the fowler’s snare; the snare has been broken, and we have escaped. Our help is in the name of the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.” (Ps 124NIV)

Did you see that? What we ought to be saying at this time is that the reason we and the people we love have not become victims of the anger, jealousy and wickedness of the enemies around us this year is that God has been on our side. If God had not been on our side, we would surely have become victims of their wicked expectations concerning us. That is what my testimony ought to be at this time. This is what your own testimony also ought to be at this time.

Also, the reason you have not been swept away by the flood and angry waters of challenges that have come against this country and against you too this year is that God has been on your side. If He had not been on your side, you will most likely have become a history. But because He is always with you, you are alive and well enough today to be able to talk about what you have been through. Should you not, then, be praising His name for this? You should.

Then it is possible that there were situations in your life this year in which you felt that Satan had eventually gotten you, situations in which you felt as if there were no way of escape for you from the shame, poverty or death staring you in the face. Yet, somehow, the traps that caught you were broken and you were able to escape without being hurt. Who do you think made that happen? It was God. He was the one that made you escape like a bird from the snare of the fowler. He was the one that did not allow you to become food for the devil and his agents.

Therefore, regardless of what you may have gone through this year, you ought to express your sincere and deep gratitude to God for keeping you alive to witness the last month of the year. No, things may not be as good as you want them to be in your life at the moment. In fact, a number of things may have gone from good to bad or bad to worse for you. But first, you need to understand that the reason you have accomplished or enjoyed any good thing at all this year is God. Without Him, you could not have done, received, eaten or enjoyed anything good at all in the year. (Cf. Ecc 2:24-25; Is 26:12; 1Tim 6:17)

Then, another thing you need to understand is that as long as there is life in you, you can still witness the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living, if only you will not stop trusting Him and being thankful to Him. David, in another Psalm of his, says, “I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.” (Ps 27:13NIV) What about you? Are you also confident that you will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living and not after you have died?

Well, I am confident that I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living, even in this country Nigeria, regardless of what the times may be saying at the moment. I am confident like this because I know that God, our Father, will always be with me to make all things work together for my good. And my prayer is that you too will be strengthened to confidently walk with God to experience every good thing He wants you to experience in this life, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Have a splendid December 2023.

Copyright © 2023, 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 pastor@abcministry.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)