Month: August 2024

Categories
FROM PASTOR’S DESK 2024 Pastor's Desk

They may be ahead of you in the kingdom | By: J.O. Lawal | Date: September 01, 2024 | Series: From Pastor’s Desk | Number: Vol. 13, No. 18

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. I am delighted to welcome you to this new month, the month of September 2024. I pray that none of the things meant for your peace of mind and elevation will be hidden from you in the month, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

As we begin this new month, I want to remind you of a parable of our Lord Jesus Christ that goes like this:

“”What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’ “‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. “Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go. “Which of the two did what his father wanted?” “The first,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you.”” (Matt 21:28-32NIV)

What is the main point of this parable? It is that it is not enough to mentally agree to do the will of God; we must also go ahead and do it. And unless we are actually doing what we know and agree to be the will of God for us in every area of our lives, we will not be different from those who do not believe in God at all.

As we see in the parable, when that father spoke to his first son about going to work in his vineyard, the young man told him plainly that he would not go. Why? We are not told. He must have had his reasons. But later that same day, he thought about his refusal to obey his father and concluded that it was wrong of him to do so. Therefore, he repented and went to do what his father had commanded him to do.

But when this father spoke to his second son, he did not argue with him at all. Instead, he said, “Yes, sir. I will go and work in your vineyard, as you have commanded.” However, he never went to do the father’s will. Why? We are not told. He must have all kinds of excuses for not going. But the point of it was that he did not go to do the will of his father, even though he had originally agreed that he would do it.

Now, having told this parable, Jesus went on to make its point clear to the religious leaders of the Jews that He told it to. And what was its point? It was that that those that they considered to be sinners would get into the kingdom of God ahead of them. Why? It was because even though they knew the will of God and were preaching His will, they would not do it. But those that they referred to as sinners and useless people were turning away from their sins to do the will of God at the preaching of Jesus. So, they would surely get ahead of them into the kingdom of God.

In like manner, we may think of ourselves as godly and spiritual people, simply because we attend church meetings, carry bibles around and say ‘Jesus is Lord’ all the time. But if we are not doing the things God wants us to do in our lives and in our society, we are just deceiving ourselves and are not better than those who do not believe at all. If, however, those that we think are worthless sinners begin to turn around to do the will of God in their lives, we will someday be surprised to see that they are ahead of us in the kingdom of God.

How, then, will you feel, if you find out on the Day of the Lord that certain individuals that you do not think know anything about God or the way of righteousness are in the kingdom of God while you are in hell or are occupying better positions in the kingdom of God than you? Well, I am sure you know that such feelings are hard to imagine. But that will be the case, if you are not devoted to doing the will of God wholeheartedly. So, stop using religion to cover up your disobedience to God and begin to do all that you know to be His will for your life. And I pray that you will be strengthened to do so, even as you journey through this month and the remaining part of the year, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Have a pleasant September 2024.

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)

Categories
Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

I have rejected him | By: J.O. Lawal | Date: August 28, 2024 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 7, No. 15

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

“When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the LORD’s anointed stands here before the LORD.” 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 16:6-7NIV)

Why did God tell Samuel that He had rejected Eliab, Jesse’s first son, when he wanted to anoint him as king over Israel? We are not told in plain terms in the account. We are just told that even though his physical appearance and height were okay, they were not the qualities God was looking for in the man that He wanted to choose as king over Israel.

What qualities, then, was God looking for? Qualities of the heart! As we see in our opening text, God told Samuel that it was the heart of the person that He would choose as king that He was really concerned about and not the person’s outward appearance. Yes, it is natural for us, human beings, to fix our eyes on what we can see in people, when we are making decisions about them. And that is because unless God gives us revelations about what is going on inside them, we cannot know it.

But what is going on in people’s hearts is what really determines how they will ultimately turn out. So, if we make decisions about them only on the basis of the outward things we see about them, we may be wrong. And we are often wrong. But if we make decisions about them based on what is hidden in their hearts, we can never be wrong.

Now that is where God is different from us and, of course, greater than us. He makes His decisions about us all the time on the basis of what is hidden in our hearts and not on the basis of our outward appearance or disposition. Therefore, He is all the time right about us.

In any case, the point we are making is that God rejected Eliab as king over Israel because something was wrong with his heart. Mind you, the fact that He rejected this man shows that He had first considered him. But something within him made Him reject him. And what could that thing be?

As I said before, we are not told in plain terms in the account. But we do know from the bible that when Goliath came threatening the armies of Israel and David, Eliab’s youngest brother, began to ask questions about what the king would do for any man that killed this giant, Eliab got mad at him. He was so mad at him that he referred to him as proud and wicked. (Cf. 1Sam 17:26-28)

But was David indeed proud and wicked? The young man was simply concerned about the honour of God and of the nation of Israel. And that was why he wanted to know what would be done for the person that handled Goliath. But Eliab would not even allow him to talk. He just wanted him to shut up and get out of the camp.

What does that show us? Well, it shows us something about the inner life of Eliab. It shows us that he was an intolerant person, someone that would not be willing to listen to those under him and learn from them. It also shows us that he was someone that was lacking in ability to recognise talents and abilities.

David was his blood brother, a brother that grew up under his watch. Yet he could not see the warrior and leader in him. All he could see was an overpampered and braggadocios boy. How, then, would he, as king, be able to harness the human resources of an entire nation and make the most of them, if he could not recognise and harness the human resources in his father’s household?

Well, God may have other reasons for rejecting Eliab. But the points I shared above are the only things we can readily place our fingers on in the bible about the man’s character. And as far as I am concerned, they are enough points to disqualify anyone from being king over God’s people.

Now remember that pride, disobedience and excuses were the things that made God reject Saul as king. So, sometimes, those things that we do not consider as serious may just be what will disqualify us for certain positions of usefulness or advantage that God may want to put us in life. That is why we must not make any excuse for any wrong attitude we have in life. Instead, we must take advantage of the grace of God to destroy it. Otherwise, it may be the difference between where we are and where God wants us to be in life.

Cheers!

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)

Categories
FROM PASTOR’S DESK 2024 Pastor's Desk

Be filled with the Spirit | By: J.O. Lawal | Date: August 25, 2024 | Series: From Pastor’s Desk | Number: Vol. 13, No. 17

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 week of this month, the month of August 2024. My prayer is that God will perfect all that concerns you in the month, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

As we face this new week, I want to remind you that the will of God is for you to continually operate in life from the fullness of His Spirit that is living in you. In other words, He expects you to always speak and act from the fullness of the Holy Spirit. That way, whatever goes out of your life will be something that will please God and also edify those around you.

Now look at what Paul says to us about this:

“Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Eph 5:17-20NIV)

What is the first thing Paul says to us in this text? It is that we must not be foolish but understand the will of God for our lives. So, it is foolishness not to know the will of God for our lives. Yes, it is foolishness to be making excuses for not knowing what God wants for our lives. That is because we can know His will for our lives, if we want to know and also make effort to know. And if we don’t know His will for our lives and live accordingly, we are going to waste our lives.

Then, having told us how important it is for us to know the will of God for our lives, Paul goes on to tell us something about the will of God for us. And what is that? He says it is the will of God for us not to get drunk on wine but to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Why does he compare getting drunk on wine with being filled with the Spirit of God? It is because when people get drunk, they lose control of themselves to wine and start speaking and acting from its fullness in them. In like manner, when people are filled with the Spirit of God, they lose control of themselves to Him and start speaking and acting from His fullness in them. Which, then, do you want, to be controlled by wine or to be controlled by the Spirit of God?

Well, the will of God is that you allow His Spirit to take charge of you and control what you say and do. And how do you do that? It is by filling yourself with the word of God. That is because the word of God and the Spirit of God are one. And when you fill yourself with His word, you will naturally begin to act, speak and sing from the fullness of His word in you. It follows, then, that if you are not acting, speaking and singing from the fullness of the word of God, you are not full of His word – it is something else you are full of.

As I pointed out before, when people are full of wine, they speak and act from its fullness. But it is not only wine that people can be full of. People can also be full of bitterness, greed, anger, jealousy, pride or lust. In any case, whatever it is they are full of is what they will speak, sing and act from its fullness.

Now, of course, people may say that they are full of the Spirit of God. But what they say that they are full of is not what is important but what their lives are giving out. Do you know that by checking the status of some people on WhatsApp, Facebook or some other social media platforms, you can tell what they are full of? Yes, you can tell whether it is the word and love of God that they are full of or whether it is anger, depression, frustration, bitterness, lust, envy, murmuring or pride that they are full of. But as for you, what you must be full of is the word of God. And as you fill yourself with His word, you will find yourself naturally living a life that is worthy of God and blessing your world.

Have a lovely 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)

Categories
Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

Seeing correctly | By: J.O. Lawal | Date: August 21, 2024 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 7, No. 14

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

“The word of the LORD came to me: “What do you see, Jeremiah?” “I see the branch of an almond tree,” I replied. The LORD said to me, “You have seen correctly, for I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled.”” (Jer 1:11-12NIV)

Why has God given us eyes? Obviously, it is so that we can see with them. But being able to see with our eyes is one thing; being able to see whatever we see with our eyes correctly is another thing. If we do not or cannot see correctly what is before us, then, whatever judgment or decision we are going to make about that thing is going to be faulty. All of this is why we all need and, in fact, want eyes that are sound.

But then, it is possible for us to have eyes that are sound and still not being seeing correctly. And that is because though we are looking, we are not making effort to concentrate and see what we actually need to see. Jesus, once while addressing the Jews, said that it is possible for one to be looking and not seeing what he is meant to see (Mark 4:12). That means even though that person is looking and seeing many things, he is not really seeing what is of relevance or benefit to him. And when we cannot see what is of relevance or benefit to us, we cannot take advantage of it for our progress or safety.

In our opening bible text, God asked Jeremiah, “What do you see?” And when he replied, God told him that he had seen correctly. If he had not seen correctly, there was no way he would have been able to comprehend or utilize what God had wanted to tell him about the matter at hand. But because he saw what God was showing him correctly, God was able to further instruct him about what He wanted him to do.

Why, then, was Jeremiah able to see what God wanted him to see correctly? It was because he was looking attentively. Once, when Ezekiel was having some visions of God, he was told by the angel sent to him that he would need to pay a close attention to what he was going to be shown and told. Otherwise, he was going to waste the opportunity he was being given to see certain things about the future of his people. (Cf. Ezek 40:1-4)

So, if we are going to be able to take advantage of whatever God is showing us or the happenings around us, we must pay attention to whatever we are seeing on purpose. Many who are slow learners today are so not because something is wrong with their brains but because they hardly pay attention on purpose to what they are being shown or taught.

Also, many who usually miss out on opportunities for advancement around them or who are often getting injured or losing things by accidents experience these things not because life is against them but because they hardly pay attention on purpose to what is happening around them. Yes, these ones have eyes that are good enough to see everything happening around them. But because they are never intent on seeing what could be of benefit or salvation to them from the things they can see, they often miss out on what is meant for their peace, protection or prosperity.

For example, when Ishmael, Hagar’s son, was dying of thirst in the desert, all her mother could do was sob and wait for him to die. But there was actually a well of water right where they were that they could drink from and live. Yet, until God spoke to Hagar and opened her eyes to see it, none of the two of them saw it, even though their eyes were wide open. (Cf. Gen 21:14-19)

Why did they not see it? First, it was because they were not intently looking for water in that place. And why were they not looking for water on purpose there? It was most likely because they thought it was useless to do so, seeing that the place was a desert.

In the same vein, there are times that we don’t see certain things we are meant to see in life because of assumptions. We just assume that those things cannot just be where we are. So, we don’t look out for them on purpose. But those things may just be there. And it is when someone else lays hands on them and begins to utilize them for his own progress or safety that we will wake up and begin to wish we too had been more careful and attentive in looking. But time may have run out on us by then. So, don’t ever again assume that something cannot be somewhere until you have diligently looked or sought for it. Otherwise, your assumption may end up being a very costly one.

Another reason Hagar and her son did not see that well of water before God spoke to them was that it was not revealed to them. As I pointed out before, they were in a desert. And that was a very unusual place to find a well of water. Yet it was there. So, if it had not been divinely revealed to them, even if they had been looking out for it on purpose, they may not have seen it.

That, then, means that it takes divine revelations to see what we need to see in certain places in life. Otherwise, however hard we look for those things, we will not see or find them. Thankfully, God has promised to show us great and unsearchable things of life, if we will learn to pray to Him (Jer 33;3). So, if we want our eyes to be seeing the things we need to see in life and to be seeing them correctly, even in unusual places, we must learn to pray to God for divine revelations. And as we do so, our eyes will daily see correctly all that we need to see for our progress, elevation and safety in life.

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)

Categories
FROM PASTOR’S DESK 2024 General Post Pastor's Desk

Boring believers | By: J.O. Lawal | Date: August 18, 2024 | Series: From Pastor’s Desk | Number: Vol. 13, No. 16

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 month of August 2024. My prayer is that God will fill your heart with great excitement for Him and for His kingdom, as we begin the week, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

One of the reasons we are not daily seeing many people turning on their own to the Lord Jesus for salvation is that many of us who refer to ourselves as Christians are not excited about God and about our faith. We are not excited to read or listen to the word of God. We are not excited to pray. We are not excited to sing and dance before the Lord. And we are not excited to give. In short, we are boring believers.

Now no one wants to be around boring people. No one wants to be around those who are not excited about their lives or whatever they are doing. And because many of us are boring to live with, work with or study with, the unbelievers around us would rather want to be in the beer parlour and in the discos than be with us or be in our church meetings. What a shame!

But God is not boring to live with or be with. And we see that illustrated in our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the exact representation of His being. He was not boring to live with or be with at all when He walked the face of the earth. Read the gospels. And you will see that the disciples never had any dull moment with Him. The only time they began to be sorrowful was when it became clear that He would be taken away from them. Yet He told them not to be sorrowful at all. Why? According to Him, it was because the Holy Spirit would come and take His place in their lives, living in them, with them and through them. So, there would be no reason for them to be dull or boring in life. (Cf. John 14-16)

Why, then, are many of us dull and boring today, even though we claim to have the Holy Spirit in us? Why are we not excited about God, about His word, about prayer, about giving and about service in God’s kingdom? We are excited about watching worldly movies, listening to worldly songs, being with ungodly friends and attending worldly parties. But when it comes to our relationship with God and with His people, all that can be seen in us is dullness. What exactly is our problem?

Evidently, it is the spirit of lukewarmness that is in the world that has taken hold of us. It was this same spirit that afflicted the church of God in Laodicea of bible times and made them spiritually pitiful, wretched, poor, blind and naked. Interestingly, this wicked spirit will not altogether stop us from attending church meetings, praying, hearing God’s word or giving. But it will make us do these things in such unserious and dull ways that we will gain nothing by doing them. (Cf. Rev 3:14-22)

See, as we are shown in the bible, people don’t get changed and lifted by God just because they come to Him. Rather, they get changed and lifted by Him because they come to Him with hearts that are serious about living with Him and being blessed by Him. What I am saying is that it is only those whose hearts are seriously eager for God and what He has in store for them that will truly enjoy Him and be able to attract others to Him. (Cf. Heb 11:6)

So, if your life is not attracting others to the Lord Jesus Christ, it will either mean that you are not excited about Him at all or that your eagerness and excitement about Him are not enough. And like members of the church of Laodicea, you are in danger of being rejected as a fake believer by the Lord. My prayer is that when we stand before the Lord on that glorious day, you will not be rejected as a fake child of God, in Jesus’ name. But you need to pray now to God that He will awaken everything that is dead in your zeal and excitement for Him and His kingdom, so that you will be on fire for Him for the rest of your time here on earth.

Have a lovely 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)

Categories
Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

Manifesting foolishness | By: J.O. Lawal | Date: August 14, 2024 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 7, No. 14

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

“Even as he walks along the road, the fool lacks sense and shows everyone how stupid he is.” (Eccl 10:3NIV)

Have you noticed that children often spend longer time than expected when they are sent on errands by their parents, guardians, teachers or other elderly ones? Why? One main reason is that they get easily distracted on the way. A child sent on an errand, for instance, may stand to look at the movement of a butterfly from one flower to another for some minutes before coming back to himself and to need to hurry back and complete the errand he has been sent to carry out. And by the time he gets back, he may have to receive some beating for messing some things up by not being on time in handling what he has been sent to do.

But then, it is not only children that lose their presence of mind or become absent-minded when on their way to doing something. A lot of times, adults too lose their presence of mind when they are on their way to doing things. They may not get distracted by a butterfly or an earthworm, though some of them can get distracted by a dancing masquerade or by some people fighting. But they can forget totally that they need to be safe in order to get to wherever they are going and get whatever they need to do there done.

For instance, often we see our drivers and motorcyclists drive recklessly on our roads because they are in a hurry to get somewhere. But if they should be involved in an accident through their recklessness or carelessness, will they still be able to get to wherever they are going on time? What about what they want to do? Will they still be able to do it? Then if they should end up dead or in a hospital, what will that do to their dreams in life or to their families and other loved ones?

Also, we often see our young men and young men pressing their phones while going from one place to another or blocking their ears with earphones because they are listening to some music? And we have had some hit and killed or injured by ongoing vehicles because of this. Is it, then, wrong to use phones or to listen to music? No! But doing so while on the road or while driving prevents you from functioning with the required level of concentration you need to be safe. And regardless of how important what you are doing with that phone at that time may be, it cannot be as important as the safety of your life or of others. So, it can wait.

But will you allow it to wait? Will you allow the pressing of your phone to wait, while you are walking or driving along a road, in order for you and others to be safe? Will you slow down a little bit with your vehicle and observe traffic rules in order for you and others to arrive at your destination safely? And will you ignore that funny scene in order to be on time in handling that job or business or study?

Well, as we see in our opening bible text, we can tell if someone is a fool or not by merely looking at the way he walks or drives or what he does while walking or driving along the road. And a foolish person will only be concerned about arriving at his destination when walking or driving along the road. He will not consider the danger his behaviour and actions on the road can pose to him, his loved ones and his society as a whole.

Thus, you don’t need to be well acquainted with someone before you know whether they are foolish or not. By merely looking at their conduct while they are going from one place to another, you will be able to tell. In like manner, you don’t need to wait for someone to tell you that you are foolish before you know that you are. Just by considering how you have been acting and behaving on the road since you came of age, you should be able to tell.

At any rate, if you can you see that you have been manifesting foolishness in this sense, just repent right away and start doing what is right.

Cheers!

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)

Categories
FROM PASTOR’S DESK 2024 Pastor's Desk

Be yielded to God’s leading | By: J.O. Lawal | Date: August 11, 2024 | Series: From Pastor’s Desk | Number: Vol. 13, No. 15

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours from God our father and Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. I am delighted to welcome you to another week of this month. I pray that the Spirit of God will cause your heart to be daily yielded to God’s leading, so that you may be guided into His best for your life. Amen.

As we see in the bible, God loves us so much that He does not want us to miss it in life. No, He doesn’t want us to waste our lives pursing shadows and unprofitable things. But we will pursue shadows and unprofitable things, if we do not have His guidance, for the bible says, “Lord, I know that people’s lives are not their own; it is not for them to direct their steps.” (Jer 10:23NIV)

Did you see that? Our lives are not our own and it is not in our place to direct our own steps. Who, then, is in the right place to direct our steps in life? God our creator! And is He interested in doing this? Yes, He is. In fact, the bible tells us that not only is God interested in directing us in the right path, He is also committed to doing so.

However, we must yield ourselves to be led by Him into what is best for us and not be stubborn or wise in our own eyes. Otherwise, we will lead ourselves into the valley of the shadow of death. And where that is the case, death and barrenness are the only things we can hope for, if we waste time before reaching out to God for His mercy. (Cf. Ps 32:8-9)

Look at Lot, for instance. When he was with Abraham, both of them never went anywhere God was not leading them. But from the very day he left Abraham, he began to lead himself. He began to make his choices based on what he saw and according to his wisdom. And the choices he made ultimately led to the loss of his wealth and wife and also the corruption of his family. (Cf. Gen 13&19)

So, don’t ever again attempt to lead yourself. Instead, let God lead you. And you will let him lead you, if you believe that He knows what He is doing and can never lead you to destruction but to the place of prosperity He has in mind for you. Yes, there may be times that God may lead you to the Red Sea. I mean that there may be situations in which God’s leading may put you right between the Red Sea and the army of Pharaoh. But as long as you continue to follow Him, knowing that He knows what He is doing, neither the Red Sea nor the army of Pharaoh will be able to stop you from getting to where you are meant to be in life.

But how will God lead me, seeing that I cannot see Him? Well, basically, God leads His children by His written word. Yes, He also sometimes leads them through visions, dreams, prophecies or angels. But He will never lead them to do anything contrary to His written word. That, of course, is why you must daily give yourself to His word and also to prayer. Once you are doing this, you can be sure that you will never be clueless about what direction to go in life. That is because God will make sure you are daily guided in the way to go.

So, give yourself every day to the word of God and also prayer. And you will surely be led by God into all that is best for your life.

Have a very 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)

Categories
Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

Just one act of foolishness | By: J.O. Lawal| Date: August 07, 2024 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 7, No. 13

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

“As dead flies give perfume a bad smell, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.” (Eccl 10:1NIV)

What is Solomon talking about in our opening bible text? He is talking about the need for us to be consistent in living wise and honourable lives. And why do we need to do that? It is because just one act of foolishness or dishonour can ruin a reputation that has taken us a whole lifetime to build.

For instance, David had a reputation for being a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22). But on the night that he decided to sleep with Uriah’s wife, he messed up everything for himself. He ruined his reputation as a god-fearing man and opened the door of his family for a devouring sword of judgment to devour it (2Sam 11-19). So, the bible summarises his life and reign in this way: “For David had done what was right in the eyes of the LORD and had not failed to keep any of the LORD’s commands all the days of his life — except in the case of Uriah the Hittite.” (1Kings 15:5NIV)

What about Moses? God testified that he was faithful as a servant in all His house (Num 12:7). In other words, in everything God required of this man, he pleased Him well. But just one act of folly from him, just one act of disobedience from him, and he lost the opportunity to lead the children of Israel into the Promised Land. (Cf. Num 20)

Now was what Moses’ life dream? Was it not to lead the children of Israel into the Promised Land? That was what he lived and fought for. That was what he endured years of suffering and loneliness for. Yet when he disobeyed God’s instruction at the waters of Meribah, the very thing he had laboured and longed for was taken away from him. How sad!

In like manner, there have been great husbands who lost their homes and respect because of just one act of foolishness, just as there have been wonderful wives who lost their homes and honour because of just one moment of immorality. Then there have been faithful employees who ruined their honour and their chances to become great leaders in life by listening to some foolish colleagues just once. And what about those young men and women who ruined their chances of getting quality education or who contracted life-threatening diseases because of just one moment of sexual immorality? The list goes on and on.

Well, the point of it all is that those of us who are living by the wisdom of the word of God must be consistent in doing so. We must not, for any reason, ignore the wisdom of God because we want to gratify the cravings of our flesh or please ourselves just for one moment. Otherwise, the consequences of that one moment of foolishness may ruin our entire lives, homes or reputations permanently and without remedy.

Now that is Solomon’s message to us in our opening bible text. My prayer is that you will not do any wrong thing, however little it may seem, that will outweigh or make a mess of all the honour and prosperity that you have gained by the wisdom of God at work in your life, in Jesus’ name. 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)

Categories
FROM PASTOR’S DESK 2024 Pastor's Desk

Peace for prosperity | By: J.O. Lawal | Date: August 04, 2024 | Series: From Pastor’s Desk | Number: Vol. 13, No. 14

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

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to another month of this year, the month of August 2024. My prayer is that God will grant you peace in every way, at all times and over everything that is yours in the month. Amen.

Why is it important for us to have peace within us and all around us? One main reason is that peace promotes prosperity and enjoyment of life. When people are at peace in their hearts, they can settle down to think and dream of great things. And when people have peace all around them, they can focus their energy on realizing their dreams.

But when we are troubled and are not at peace within, even if there are opportunities to do great things around us, fear will not let us utilize those opportunities. For example, Paul says this about his brief stay in Troas: “Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me, I still had no peace of mind, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said good-by to them and went on to Macedonia.” (2Cor 2:12-13NIV)

Did you see that? Even though there was a great opportunity for this apostle to preach the gospel in that place, he could not take advantage of it. Why? He had no peace of mind. Something was troubling him. What was it? It was the fact that he did not find Titus, his companion, there. And we too would most likely act the same way under similar circumstances. We would allow a wonderful opportunity to do something big or enjoyable for ourselves to pass, if a loved one was sick or was in trouble.

Also, if there is chaos all around us, even if we have great dreams and abilities, we may not be able to convert those dreams and abilities into anything meaningful. And many have died with their great dreams because the places they lived in were not peaceful enough to accommodate progress. Then even if we are able to realise our dreams in an atmosphere of chaos and trouble, we may not be able to enjoy the labour of our hands the way we should enjoy it in the place.

So, having great abilities and great dreams where there is no peace is as good as having nothing at all. In fact, it may not be wise at all to think or dream of doing great things where there is no peace. For instance, here is what God once said to a man named Baruch, who happened to be Jeremiah’s secretary: “Should you then seek great things for yourself? Seek them not. For I will bring disaster on all people, declares the LORD, but wherever you go I will let you escape with your life.” (Jer 45:5NIV)

Did you see that? God told Baruch not to think of doing anything great for himself in the land of Judah at that time. He was not to think of building a house, starting a business or getting a wife for himself. Why? Disaster was coming on the land. And the disaster coming would destroy the whole country and drive everyone away. However, God promised to keep him safe wherever he went.

You can see, then, peace is very important for progress and enjoyment of life. And that is why we must continually pray, as we are instructed in Scriptures, for the peace of God to reign in our lives and all around us. So, I pray for you again, as we begin this new month, that God will cause His peace that surpasses all human understanding to reign in your life, all around you and over everything that is yours, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Have a great August 2024.

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)