Month: January 2024

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Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

What is He looking for? | By: J.O. Lawal | Date: January 31, 2024 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 6, No. 38

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

“But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”” (1Sam 16:7NIV)

Who is the Lord referring to here, in our opening text? He is referring to Eliab, Jesse’s eldest son and David’s eldest brother. And what does the Lord say about him to Samuel? He says I have rejected him. What has He rejected him for? He has rejected for kingship over Israel.

Now I am sure you know that you cannot say that you have rejected someone, if you have not yet considered him. So, the reason God freely said to Samuel that He had rejected Eliab as king over Israel was that He had already considered him. When did He consider him? We would not know. But it is clear from this text that God often carries out hidden examination on people. And when He is done, the result is what will determine whether He will exalt us, leave us where are, demote us or even extinguish us.

Remember King Belshazzar. Remember that on his last day here on earth God told him the following:

“Mene: God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end.
Tekel: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting.
Peres: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.” (Dan 5:26-28NIV)

When did God start numbering the days of this man’s reign? We would not know. And when did He begin to weigh his life and performance? We would not know. Everything was hidden from him and everyone else until the last few hours of his life. And even when it was made known to him that his time was up and that his kingdom and authority would be given to someone else, did he do anything to change God’s mind? No!

Why did he do nothing to change God’s mind and verdict concerning him? Did he not believe the words of Daniel, the man of God that explained this revelation to him? He believed them. Otherwise, he would not have celebrated and exalted him that day. Why, then, did he make no move to save himself? Perhaps he thought he still had more time to repent. Or perhaps he was ignorant of the forgiving nature of God. Whatever the case may be, he perished that same night because he had failed God’s examination. (Cf. Dan 5:29-31)

Well, the point of it all is that we all are under God’s examination, whether we are aware of it or not. And what He finds in us is what will determine what He does to us or with us when He is ready to judge. So, we need to constantly work towards being successful when examined by Him. Otherwise, God forbid, our fate may end up being like Eliab’s or Belshazzar’s.

But can we work towards passing God’s examination, if we don’t even know what He is looking for? What is He looking for in our lives? What is it that He wants to see in us in order to elevate us, prosper us or prolong our days here on earth? Is it our beauty, our colour, our language, our education, our wealth or our social status? No!

As we see in our opening text, it is man that looks at outward appearances – what God looks at is the heart. So, what is your heart? What is in my heart? When God saw pride in the devil, He brought him down. And when He saw greed in King Saul, He rejected him as king. We are not told what He saw in Eliab too that made Him reject him as king. But certainly, He must have seen in him something that should not be there or He must not have seen in him something that should be there.

My prayer, in any case, is that your heart will be rid of everything that may make God reject or cast you down and instead filled to overflowing with everything good and precious enough to make Him continually honour, lift and protect you. Amen.

Copyright © 2024, 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 2024 Pastor's Desk

Be generous to God | By: J.O. Lawal | Date: January 28, 2024 | Series: From Pastor’s Desk | Number: Vol. 12, No. 39

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. I welcome you to the transition week between the months of January and February of this year. And I pray that God will open your eyes to see all the right steps you need to take to be established in His goodness and in prosperity in the year and also strengthen you to take them, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Now one of those steps you need to begin to take to be established in God’s goodness and in prosperity this year is that of generosity towards God. And how do we show generosity towards God? At least, as we well know, God will not spend our money, eat our food or live in any house we build for Him. How, then, do we act generously towards Him?

Well, we show generosity to God, first, by giving to promote His work among men. Second, we show Him generosity by giving to those He has sent to feed us with His word and to guide us in the path of righteousness. Third, we show that we are generous to Him by giving to the poor around us. (Cf. Deut 15:7-11; 1Chro 29:1-9; Prov 19:17; Matt 25:40)

Why, then, is it important that we act generously towards God in this manner? First, it is important because not being generous towards Him can open the door for labour loss in our lives. For instance, in the book of Prophet Haggai, we see that one main reason God’s people that came back from the Babylonian captivity were experiencing labour loss was their neglect of the building of the temple of God. These people just saw that even though they were working hard, their hard work was not promoting prosperity in their lives – it was just going to waste. And if God had not sent Haggai to tell them what was wrong, many of them would have perished in poverty. (Cf. Haggai 1)

In like manner, there are many believers that are working like elephants today but are getting the rewards of rats because they are not generous to God. They, like the people of Haggai’s day, always have one excuse or the other not to give for God’s work, to God’s servants and to the poor around them. And unless they repent and begin to do the right thing, they may end up dying in poverty. May that not be your lot in life, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Then it is important that we are generous towards God, if we want to fully enjoy the fruit of our labour. Our Lord Jesus tells a parable about a rich man whose ground did well one year. And according to Him, all that this man could think of was how he would build bigger barns and settle down to enjoy His wealth for many years to come. He did not thank God or say anything about giving for His work. Also, he did not say anything about supporting the priests in the land or helping the poor around Him. All he thought about was himself. What a selfish and stingy man! (Cf. Luke 12:16-21)

To cut a long story short, when he was done praising himself and talking about his future enjoyment, God responded and told him that his life would taken from him that very night. That means he would not be allowed to enjoy the fruit of his labour. It was some other people that would enjoy it. And the Lord concludes the story by saying that that is how it will be for everyone who is laying up treasures for himself but who is not generous to God. So, stinginess to God can cut short a man’s life. And you should keep that in mind.

The third reason we should be generous to God is that our own prosperity in life may sometimes be tied to it. For example, for the widow of Zarephath and her son to survive and prosper during the famine of King Ahab’s time, she needed to be generous to the man of God, Elijah. She may have been generous in her time of plenty. But her generosity in her time of plenty was not what opened the door of miraculous supply for her in the time of famine. Rather, it was her generosity in that time of famine, when she had very little, that opened that door for her. But what if she had not freely shared with the man of God at the time? Would she had survived that famine? No! (Cf. 1Kings 17)

Therefore, the word of God says, “One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.” (Prov 11:24-25NIV) Did you see that? Generous people will prosper. But stingy people will end up in poverty. Make up your mind to be generous to God and not stingy to Him, then, this year. And God will surely enlarge the boundaries of your prosperity greatly. Amen.

Do have a great week.

Copyright © 2024, 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

Don’t lie to yourself | By: J.O. Lawal | Date: January 24, 2024 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 6, No. 37

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

“Saul said to David, “Here is my older daughter Merab. I will give her to you in marriage; only serve me bravely and fight the battles of the LORD.” For Saul said to himself, “I will not raise a hand against him. Let the Philistines do that!” But David said to Saul, “Who am I, and what is my family or my father’s clan in Israel, that I should become the king’s son-in-law?” So when the time came for Merab, Saul’s daughter, to be given to David, she was given in marriage to Adriel of Meholah.” (1Sam 18:17-19NIV)

What did King Saul have in mind, when he told David that he was going to give him his daughter, Merab, in marriage? His death! It was not his happiness or his own daughter’s happiness that he sought. Rather, he just wanted to keep David close enough to him, so that he may have his opportunity to destroy him. And you may have heard the saying, “Keep your friends close but your enemies closer.” That was the evil principle that Saul was employing against David at the time.

Now did David know what Saul was up to? No! How, then, did he escape his trap? He escaped simply because he would not lie to himself about the situation at hand. The young man would simply not think of himself more highly than he ought to. How?

Well, David knew that becoming the king’s son-in-law was not a small thing. Where would he get the dowry that would be set for him? Where would he get the money to entertain all the important dignitaries that would grace their wedding, seeing that it was a princess’ wedding? What about the place the princess would stay after their wedding? Did he have the resources to put up a befitting place for her?

As we see in the bible, this young man did not start out in life as a wealthy person. Instead, he started out as a poor shepherd boy. Yes, at the time in question, God had elevated him and built him up to be a mighty and well-respected warrior in the land of Israel. That, however, did not change the fact that his family was not wealthy, influential and politically powerful enough to marry from the king’s family.

To accept that offer, then, was to place a heavy burden on himself and on his family members, a burden which they not be able to carry without experiencing disgrace or which may throw them into years of debt. So, he respectfully rejected it and moved on with his life.

Now did heavens fall down because of this? No! On the contrary, sometimes later, he was presented with another opportunity to marry another princess from Saul’s family. And this time around, he accepted the offer and married the girl involved. Why? First, the bride price had been set even before Saul’s men began to talk to him about it. Second, the bride price set was something that he and his men could handle; it was something that placed no immediate or future burden on his family members. Third, the young lady involved was truly in love with him and was ready to marry him, even though he was not a rich man at the time. So, marrying her was like a piece of cake for him. (Cf. 1Sam 18:20-29)

What is the point of all this? Well, it is that you should never lie to yourself about what you can really handle in life and what you cannot handle. See, all kinds of opportunities will surely come our way in this life. But it is not each of them that we can handle or that is meant for us. And what will keep us from going for opportunities that are beyond us or that are not meant for us at all is a possession of a true estimation of who we are and what we can truly handle in life.

If it is clear to us, then, that an opportunity is beyond what we can handle, it will only be wise of us to let it pass, as David did in Merab’s case. Yes, we may like that opportunity. It may even be a once in a lifetime opportunity. Nevertheless, inasmuch as it beyond what we or those in our lives can happily handle, we should not drive ourselves or anyone else into poverty, debt or disgrace because of it.

Why? There will be other suitable opportunities for us to live out God’s dreams for us in life. And all we need is to be building up ourselves to be ready for them. But if we have already ruined our lives or dragged everyone in our lives into disgrace because we want to utilize at all cost certain opportunities that are not meant for us, when those ones meant for us eventually come, we may not be alive or in the right frame of mind to utilize them.

So, calm down, my friend, and don’t lie to yourself. Not every opportunity is meant for you.

Copyright © 2024, 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 2024 Pastor's Desk

Are you available to Him? | By: J.O. Lawal | Date: January 21, 2024 | Series: From Pastor’s Desk | Number: Vol. 12, No. 38

Beloved: grace and peace to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. I am pleased to welcome you to another week of this year, year 2024. And my prayer is that God will rid your life of everything that has been making you unavailable for Him to use to bless others, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

As we see in the bible, God is always looking out for available instruments to use in establishing His good purpose in the lives of men. It may be His good purpose of healing them, saving them or prospering them that He wants to accomplish. But He is always in need of a man or woman or a boy or girl that is available for Him to use anytime He calls.

For instance, He said this to Ezekiel about the people of Israel: “I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none.” (Ezek 22:30NIV) Look at that. Even though these people deserved to be judged by God for all their many sins, He was still not in a hurry to judge them. Instead, He patiently searched the whole land to see if there was someone that was praying to Him for them, so that He may spare them. Unfortunately, He found none. Therefore, He was left with no choice but to judge them.

In like manner, there are many that have been left to suffer or die because God is unable to find anyone to use to minister to them. Look at the way some of us pray all the time for God’s intervention in the leadership of this country. Do you think God is not listening to us? Or do you think He is uninterested in answering our prayers? He is listening to us and giving answers to our prayers. But the problem may just be that He has not found any available soul to use to bring us the kind of comfort and peace of mind that we want. So, we also have to be praying that there will be available souls for Him to use to save our nation.

But are we even available for Him to use in offering such prayers? Are we available for Him to use in doing anything at all? This goes beyond attending church meetings. We may be attending church meetings and still not be available for God to use in blessing anybody. As you probably know, it is possible for us to be physically present in a church meeting but also present somewhere else in our minds. Therefore, when things that will bless others, like praying for them, are being done in that meeting, our hearts are not involved. How, then, can God use us to bless anyone?

In his book of prophecy, Isaiah tells us of a time in which he found himself standing in the presence of God in a vision. And as he points out, even though he was there in His presence, God was still asking, “Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?” Why did God not just say, “Isaiah, I want to send you to my people to teach them my ways?” It was because He was not going to assume that Isaiah was available for Him to use, just because he was standing in His presence. Isaiah, therefore, had to indicate that he was available for Him to use before He could send him anywhere. (Cf. Isaiah 6:1-10)

In the same vein, just because we attend church meetings, God is not going to assume that we too are available for Him to use, if we will not show Him that we are available and that He can use us. Look at many of our churches today. Do you know that even the leaders of our churches may not assume that we are available to be given any task, if we will not indicate that we are available?

For instance, if you always disappear almost immediately a church meeting ends, are you showing yourself to be available to work for God in your church? No! Or if there is a job to be done by the church and, without taking permission, you do not show up to participate, will your leaders see you as available to join them in working for God? No! See, it is the one that a church leader is constantly seeing around him or that is constantly in touch with him that he will consider to be available for him to do God’s work with. The one that is always or often avoiding him will not be seen by him as a ready worker.

Now if we are not available to work with our church leaders or brethren in our church meetings, what is the guarantee that God will find us available to use in our workplaces, schools or neighbourhoods? There is none. Of course, that someone is available to God does not mean the person is fit to be used by Him. But even if we are the most qualified for any work He wants to do, as long as we are not available, we can only remain useless to Him. And where this is the case, He may have to go to a desert to look for a Moses to use or to a prison to bring out a Joseph to use or to a Babylon to look for another Nehemiah to use.

I pray that God will not be forced to find a replacement for us this year, in Jesus’ name. Amen. And one way to prevent that from happening is for us to begin to make ourselves fully available for Him to use.

Have a great week.

Copyright © 2024, 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 General Post Youth for Jesus

Title: Borrowed to do good

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

Date: January 17, 2024|Series: Youth for Jesus|Number: Vol. 6, No. 36

“The LORD had seen how bitterly everyone in Israel, whether slave or free, was suffering; there was no one to help them. And since the LORD had not said he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven, he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam son of Jehoash.” (2Kings 14:26-27NIV)

Who did God use in saving the people of Israel from their suffering, as we are told in our opening text? It was their King, Jeroboam son of Jehoash. And what kind of man was he? Here is what is said about him in the bible: “In the fifteenth year of Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah, Jeroboam son of Jehoash king of Israel became king in Samaria, and he reigned forty-one years. He did evil in the eyes of the LORD and did not turn away from any of the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit.” (2Kings 14:23-25NIV)

So, Jeroboam was an evil and sinful man. Yet God used him in saving His people from their suffering. What is that telling us? It is that it is not only good people that God can use to save, help or lift us. He can use bad and wicked people too. To say the fact, there are times that God may not find any good person in a place to use to save or help the oppressed. For instance, David says this in a Psalm of his:“The LORD looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.” (Ps 14:2-3NIV)

Did you see that? It is possible for God to look down from heaven on a particular town, city or country and not see anyone who is not corrupt or who is devoted to doing good that He can use to build that country. What, then, would be the fate of those suffering in that country, if God were to wait until He finds or raises up a good and righteous person to help them? They may have to suffer for a much longer time.

However, because He is a compassionate God, even if using a wicked and ungodly person is what will bring urgent relief and comfort to the oppressed that are crying out to Him, He may decide to use him. And this is one of the reasons He commands us to be submissive to anyone that is in a position of authority, whether he is a good person or a bad one (Rom 13:1-5). He knows that we often resent those who are evil, believing that they are incapable of doing anything good.

So, we may not want to give them the respect and honour they deserve, if they happen to be in a position of authority over us.But the fact that someone is evil does not mean that God cannot borrow them to do good. God can borrow them to do good and He does sometimes borrow evil people to do good. That, of course, does not change the fact that they are evil and will ultimately be judged as such, if they never repent from their evil till they die. But if they are the only tool available for Him to do certain good things He wants to do for mankind, He may not hesitate to borrow and use them.

Also, the fact that someone is evil does not mean that the person does not deserve our respect. The word of God tells us to show proper respect to everyone. So, even if someone is evil, as long as he is occupying a position of authority or advantage, give him the respect and honour he deserves. It is not because of him that you are doing that; rather, it is because God, who has permitted him to be in that position, has ordered you to do so. And by obeying Him, you will be making it easy for Him to borrow him to do you good, even though he is a wicked person. (Cf. 1Pet 1:13-17)

At least, as we are shown in Scriptures, one of the reasons God places people in positions of authority is that He may use them to do good to those under them. And all that He wants from those under such people is to be submissive to them, based on the measure of their authority. That way, even if they are wicked and unreasonable, He will have just reasons to borrow and use them to do good to those under them or to replace them, if they will not allow themselves to be used by Him.

But if those under authority will not be submissive to their leaders, in line with the will of God, even if all those who are leading them are good and righteous people, God may not be able to use them to make life sweet or safe for them. So, don’t look at the goodness or evil in the lives of those who have authority over you before you submit to them. Instead, submit to them because God has ordered you to do so. Also, don’t insist that it is only good people that God should use to do you good. Otherwise, you may have to wait forever for that to happen. Instead, respect God’s wisdom in determining whom He uses in helping or saving you. And as long as He is the one working, He will not offer you corrupt help or salvation, even if He has to use an evil person. Cheers!

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FROM PASTOR’S DESK 2024 Pastor's Desk

Make a reality of it | By: J.O. Lawal | Date: January 14, 2024 | Series: From Pastor’s Desk | Number: Vol. 12, No. 37

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours immeasurably from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. I am delighted to welcome you to the third week of this year, year 2024. And I pray that God will grant you speed in accomplishing every good desire He places in your heart in the year, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

As we all can see, this year is gradually going from being a new year to an old one. So, if there is any good thing God has placed in our hearts to do in the year, now is the time to begin to make effort towards doing it. Jesus once said this to His disciples: “As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.” (John 9:4NIV) Did you see that? We don’t have all the time in the world to carry out any good desire or dream that we have for this year. So, unless we begin to work right away towards making a reality of it, night will come upon us before we know it and we will realise that the year is gone and the good things we wish to do have not been accomplished.

Now only God knows how many nights have come upon us in the past and have left us without a realisation of our good desires and dreams. And the night of this year too will come and leave us without a realisation of our good desires, if we will not immediately begin to work towards making a reality of them. As we see in the bible, Jacob, having served Laban for some years, woke up one morning and realised that he had not been doing anything for himself and his growing family. All he had been doing was working for his uncle and father-in-law, eating and drinking whatever he gave him and giving birth to children.

But what if the man got angry with him one day and decided to drive him away? How would he continue to take care of his family? Or what if the man suddenly fell ill and died? Would his sons share his inheritance with him? Even if they did, would whatever they gave him be enough to start life afresh and care for his large family? Those, I believe, were the thoughts that began to ran through Jacob’s mind at that time. And he must have concluded that if, having worked for Laban all those years, he still could not take care of his family without the man’s support, then, he needed to leave him and find something else to do with his life. (Cf. Gen 30:25-30)

However, Jacob did not just desire to leave Laban in order to prepare for the future of his family, he also took steps to make that desire a reality. How? He boldly met Laban and told him what he had decided to do. Yes, Laban was his uncle. He was also his father-in-law, the father of his two lovely wives. But we are talking here about his future and the future of his wives and children. So, he would not allow sentiments to keep him from doing what was right for them. Of course, we would not know how long he pondered on this matter before taking steps about it. But we do know from scriptures that right after his eleventh son, Joseph, was born, he told himself that he had had enough – he needed to turn his desire into a reality.

How, then did Laban respond to what Jacob told him? Did he get angry with him and tell to go to hell? No! Instead, he pleaded with him not to go but to stay with him and name his wages. Why? It was because he himself knew that he had been cheating him all along and not giving him what he deserved for his hard labour for him. That, of course, was the beginning of Jacob’s prosperity, as the account further shows us. And by the time he was eventually leaving Laban, he had become a very wealthy man. (Cf. Gen 30-31)

But what if Jacob had not seen the need for him to prepare for the future of his family at the time he did? Would he not have been thrown out of Laban’s household empty-handed one day? Surely, he would have been thrown out of his house empty-handed one day. And what if he had not acted on his desire to do what was right for his family? Would he still not have been disgraced out of Laban’s household one day? Most likely, he would have someday been disgraced out of that house by the man’s sons.

So, first, it is important that we have the right thought or desire about where we should be or what should be happening in our lives this new year. But that is not enough. We must also immediately begin to boldly take the right steps towards making our desire become a reality, even when doing so may get some people offended. Otherwise, stagnation or disgrace may end up being our lot in the year. My prayer, then, is that God will open your eyes to see all the areas of your life in which you are due for elevation and in which you need to take steps for a glorious future and also equip you with everything you need to take the right steps towards making these things a reality this new year, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Have a splendid week.

Copyright © 2024, 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

Don’t take advantage of them | By: J.O. Lawal | Date: January 10, 2024 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 6, No. 35

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

“…and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you.” (1Thess 4:6NIV)

In what matters are we not to wrong or take advantage of our neighbours? In matters relating to sex! Paul starts his admonition in the passage from which our opening text is taken by telling his readers that the will of God for them is to abstain from sexual immorality. And how are we to do that, seeing that we are living a world that is saturated with all kinds of immoral acts? According to him, it is by learning to control of bodies in ways that are holy and honourable, as those who know and fear God. (Cf. 1Thess 4:3-5)

But then, we have to deal with the fact that there may be times in which we have to relate to people who are weak in controlling their sexual appetites or who are ignorant of what could lead them into sexual sins or who are going through situations that could expose them to sexual sins. And what are we to do at such times? Are we to see in them opportunities for free or cheap sexual relations? No! Instead, we are to show that we fear God by refusing to take advantage of them.

For example, as we see in the bible, Potiphar’s wife was an emotionally weak woman. Otherwise, she would not stoop as low as to want to have sexual relations with her husband’s slave. But did Joseph take advantage of her? No! Did he see her weakness as an opportunity to have some cheap sex? No! Instead, he did all he could to make sure that they were never alone together. And even when the woman attempted to rape him, he lost no time to make good his escape. Why? He feared God. Therefore, he was eventually honoured and elevated by Him, even though he had to suffer unjustly for a while. (Cf. Gen 39)

In like manner, if you are dealing with someone of the opposite sex that is emotionally weak, always wanting your sympathy or wanting to hold, touch, embrace or be with you for no legitimate reason, don’t get carried away and take advantage of the situation. You can already see that they are weak. So, if you cannot help them, then, don’t abuse or take advantage of them. Otherwise, God, as Paul shows us in our opening text, will not fail to punish you accordingly.

Also, don’t use people’s desperation, loss or low position in life to take advantage of them. You know that they need your help, healing or comfort or that they cannot move to another level of success without you. So, instead of truly helping, healing or comforting them or instead of making their trip to higher grounds easy for them, you begin to seek how to take advantage of them sexually. You are wrong and are sinning against God. And that will surely come with grave consequences.

Mind you, it is not only in sex matters that we can take advantage of others. Even in matters concerning material things, we can take advantage of them. If, for instance, we know that someone is weak in saying ‘No’ to us, whether out of respect for us or out of deep affection for us, we can take advantage of that and be taking from them things we have no right to take from them or be pressuring them to do things their hearts don’t want to do. That is evil, a sort of witchcraft. And God will judge sooner or later, if repentance is delayed.

Also, we can take advantage of people’s miseries to receive from them what we don’t deserve to have. Our Lord Jesus, for example, rebuked the Jewish religious leaders of His time for devouring widows’ houses. How were they devouring their houses? By playing on their emotions! We all know that widows are bound to have moments of loneliness, moments in which they may want someone, anyone, to comfort them. And that is what those Jewish religious leaders often capitalised on. They would go to widows’ houses in the name of bringing them comfort and have long prayer sessions there. But they weren’t really there to comfort them, as our Lord points out, but to devour their wealth or inheritance. (Cf. Matt 23:14; Mark 12:40; Luke 20:47)

Think about it yourself. Would you allow a man of God, who had spent two or three hours praying with you in your house, to go empty-handed? No! Instead, you would want to find something for him. And if you happened to be rich, you would do your best to load him money and other things. That, of course, was what those Jewish religious leaders were looking forward to by visiting the widows of their time. They were simply looking for ways to take advantage of their emotional situations to extort them or to even sleep with them. And our Lord Jesus says that people who do such things will receive greater condemnation.

Well, the point I am making is that we should watch ourselves in our dealings with those who are weak emotionally or in character and those who are desperate, so that we don’t take advantage of them for any reason. Otherwise, the condemnation that will follow may ruin everything good in our lives.

Copyright © 2024, 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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Pastor's Desk

Regardless of their attitude | By: J.O. Lawal | Date: January 07, 2024 | Series: From Pastor’s Desk | Number: Vol. 12, No. 36

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

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours forevermore from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. I am pleased to welcome you to this new year, year 2024. And I pray that God will fulfil every good thing He has in mind for you in the year, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Of first importance, we ought to give thanks to God for the privilege of witnessing this new year. There were some who desired to witness it but who are no longer here with us today. And that is not because they were the worst among human beings. It may be because their time was up or because Satan succeeded in getting them to die before their time or because they exposed themselves to God’s judgment for wasting His grace over their lives. Whatever the case may be, what is clear is that we are alive to witness this new year because God has chosen to favour us and to give us more time to live to bring Him praise. And that gives us enough reason to be thankful to Him.

Now my admonition to you, as we begin our journey through this new year, is that you should give yourself to doing whatever good work God has assigned for you to do, regardless of the attitude of those in your world to you and what you are doing. Why? It is because it is by doing every good thing He wants you to do just the way He wants you to do it that His glory will fully manifest through what you have done. And that, of course, is when you too will fully receive your reward.

For instance, it was after Noah completed the task God had given to him to build an ark that the rain that destroyed the world of his time came. And that was also when he and his household were separated from the wickedness that had made that world an unsafe place to live in. But then, Noah had to build the ark according to the directives God had given him. Otherwise, even though he and his family had entered it, they would not have been saved after all. So, doing all that God wants us to do is not enough for us to experience His glory, promotion or salvation. We also have to do everything according to His will. Otherwise, there may be no profit for us at all for doing His work. (Cf. Gen 6-7)

Also, as we see in the bible, it was when Moses completed the task of building the tabernacle of God, just the way God had told him to do it, that the glory of God came upon it. His glory did not come upon it until it was completed and completed according to the will of God. So, the reason you have not experienced the glory of God as you should in certain areas of your life may just be that you have not done all that God requires you to do for that glory to manifest or that you are not doing what He wants you to do according to His will. If you will get busy, then, to do all that He requires of you in accordance with His will, you will surely witness the full manifestation of the glory that ought to follow. (Cf. Exodus 40)

But then, we must also keep in mind the fact that we may be discouraged from carrying out and completing the tasks God has given to us by those around us. For example, their unbelief or hostility may want to discourage us. Remember that when Jesus went to His hometown, He could not do many mighty works among them because of their unbelief and hostility. In fact, the bible says that He was amazed at their unbelief. But did He allow that to discourage Him and keep Him from continuing the task God had given to Him? No! Instead, He continued to go around to teach and to heal from place to place. That was because He knew that He must finish the task God had given to Him, whether people welcomed and believed in Him or not. (Cf. Mark 6:1-6)

Apart from the hostility or unbelief of men, their ingratitude may also want to fill our hearts with discouragement and keep us from carrying out and finishing the tasks God has given to us. For instance, on one occasion, it was only one out of certain ten lepers that Jesus had healed that came back to thank Him. And He was surprised that the remaining nine people did not come back at all to just say ‘Thank you sir’. But did He allow that to discourage Him and keep Him from healing others who came to Him? No! Why? It was because He knew that the one that would ultimately thank Him for all He was doing was the one who sent Him, that is, God. (Cf. Luke 17:11-19)

In like manner, even if people reject us, abuse us or fail to appreciate us for what God is doing through us this year, we must not lose heart and abandon His work or righteous living. Instead, we must make up our minds that we will take advantage of His grace to do everything He wants us to do in the year in accordance with His will for us, regardless of how people relate to us. That way, He will be able to fully accomplish His will through us and we also will be in a position to be rewarded by Him. And my prayer is that you will be strengthened to act according to these words in living for God and in serving Him this year, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Happy new year.

Copyright © 2024, 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: Adjusted circumstances|FIRE IN MY BONES

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

Date: January 03, 2024|Series: Youth for Jesus|Number: Vol. 6, No. 34

“By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.” (Ex 13:21-22NIV)

Who is the text above referring to? It is the children of Israel that Moses led out of Egypt. And what is the point being communicated to us about them in the text? It is that they functioned under adjusted circumstances in order to safely get to the land of rest that God was taking them.As we see in the text, when these Israelites came out of Egypt, God provided a pillar of cloud to be over them during the day and a pillar of fire to be over them during the night.

Why? First, it was to give them guidance. Why did they need guidance? It was because they did not know the way to the place God was taking them. Yes, they knew that God was taking them to a place of rest, a land flowing with milk and honey. But how would they get there? They did not know. They needed God Himself, then, to guide them moment by moment till they arrived there safely. And did He guide them or not? He did guide them by providing a pillar of cloud to lead them in the way they should go during the day and a pillar of fire to lead them in the way they should go during the night.

So, when these pillars moved, they also moved and moved in whatever direction the pillars went. And when these pillars stopped moving, they also stopped moving and camped wherever the pillars stopped. That was how God guided them all through the time they spent in the desert until they came into the promised land. So, they were never clueless or ignorant of the direction they should go. (Cf. Deut 9:15-23)

Now God, of course, does not guide anyone in this manner anymore. But He is still devoted to guiding those who commit their lives to Him in the path they should follow to be established in His rest and prosperity. How? Basically, He guides them through His word and by His Spirit. There are also times that He guides them through life’s circumstances, visions, dreams, angelic visitations, prophecies and direct revelations of Himself.

We, however, don’t have to wait for any of these before we daily receive God’s guidance. We just need to give ourselves to reading, studying and meditating on His word. And He, by His Spirit that He has put in us, will teach us what is best for us in life and guide us in the way we should go. That being the case, we too, like those Israelites of old, will never be clueless where others are or be ignorant of which direction we should be going in life where others are ignorant of it.

The second reason God provided the pillar of cloud by the day and that of fire by the night for those children of Israel was that they may be able to travel anytime without hindrance. That explains why the Egyptians who were pursuing them could not move at their pace or catch up with them. Though they were moving at the same time and in the same place, they were operating under different circumstances. Why? It was because God adjusted the circumstances of the time and the place to favour the Israelites. (Cf: Ex 14)

In addition to that, God provided the pillar of cloud by the day for those people to protect them from the intense heat of the desert. Therefore, they could move around freely in the desert without fainting. Also, He provided the pillar of fire for them by the night to give them warmth, so that the cold of the night would not make them sick. And what do you call that? Adjusted circumstances! Now does God still adjust or tune life’s circumstances to favour men? Yes, He still does. He still adjusts life’s circumstances, so that those He favours can be guided, protected or granted speed for accomplishment where others are terrified or clueless.

And all that we need to see Him adjust the circumstances of life that are bound to make others fail, perish or stagnate for our good is to humbly entrust our lives and all that concerns us to Him. That way, even if where we are now is a desert, a dry and weary land in which there is no water, God will adjust the circumstances there to favour us and see us protected and prosperous.A word of caution, however: Always be careful to function only within the boundaries of the circumstances God has placed you in life.

Yes, if those circumstances are not favourable enough, you should talk to God about adjusting or changing them for you. But don’t ever try to run your life on the basis of the circumstances others have been placed in. Otherwise, you may have yourself ruined where they have excelled. Remember that the Egyptians tried to pass through the same Red Sea the Israelites passed through and at the same time. Yet all of them perished there.

Why? The simple reason was that though they were passing through the same place at the same time, the circumstances under which they were doing so were adjusted only for the Israelites and not for them. So, be discerning. Don’t foolishly copy or imitate anyone, just because you think you are operating under the same circumstances. You may just not be operating under the same circumstances. And if you copy them, where that is the case, you may end up having yourself to blame, if you are not shown mercy.Be discerning, then, my friend.