Month: April 2025

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From Pastor's Desk 2025 Pastor's Desk

Why Mary Magdalene?_J.0_Lawal

Recommended Citation

Lawal, J. O. (2025, April 6). Why Mary Magdalene? From Pastor’s Desk, 12(49).

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours abundantly from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to the month of April 2025. My prayer is that God will make Himself known to you more adequately in the month, so that you can become more and more like the Lord Jesus in all ways. Amen.

One of the things that determine the extent to which God will make Himself known to us is our eagerness for Him. For example, the first person Jesus appeared to after His resurrection was Mary the Magdelene, not Peter, James, John or any of other apostles. Why? What made her so special that she was the first to see Jesus after His resurrection? At least, from what we see in the bible, this woman was not Jesus’s mother or sister. Also, she is not referred to as Jesus’ friend, as Lazarus and his sisters are referred to as His friends. On the contrary, she is described in the bible as the woman from whom Jesus drove out seven demons. (Cf. Luke 8:2; John 20:1-18)

So, Mary Magdalene was technically a witch before Jesus met her. Yes, she was a wicked woman before she met the Lord. Yet she was the first person that Jesus revealed Himself to after His resurrection. Why her?

Well, as we also see in the bible, it was because of her unusual eagerness for the Lord that He revealed Himself to her first. And how was that so? First, after her deliverance from her life of wickedness, she became one of the few people that supported Jesus most with their money and substance (Luke 8:1-3). Second, when Jesus was arrested and crucified, she was among the women that stood with Him to the very end, to the time He died and was laid in the tomb (Matt 27:55-61).

Third, this woman was among the women that went back to the tomb of Jesus on the day of His resurrection to take care of His dead body (Mark 16:1). Fourth, when they got to the tomb of Jesus and could not find His body there, it was only Mary Magdalene that would not leave the tomb. Others, including Peter and John, who had come to find out what had happened left. But she stayed there and continued to weep for the Lord because she thought some wicked people had come to steal His dead body. (Cf. John 20:1-18)

Now it was while she was weeping for the Lord in front of that tomb that He showed Himself to her. You can see, then, that it was because she was the most passionate about the Lord at that time that He revealed Himself to her first after His resurrection. That shows us that there is no favouritism with the Lord. If we are passionate about Him, He will make Himself known to us in ways He may not make Himself known to other people, irrespective of our age, sex, position, colour or history.

But then, let us not think that the Lord will automatically make Himself known to us because we bear bible names like Mary, Peter, James, John and so forth. If we are not passionate about Him as Mary Magdalene was, He will not reveal much about Himself to us. Let us be passionate about Him, then, if we want to know Him adequately. And we can show our passion for Him through our devotion to His word, prayer and Christian fellowship. My prayer is that our hearts will be daily strengthened to be seriously devoted to these things, so that we may get to know the Lord as we ought to know Him. Amen.

Have a lovely April 2025.

Copyright © 2025, 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: 08146472876)

Categories
Single Message Series

Your life and your message_J.O._Lawal

Recommended Citation

Lawal, J. O. (2025, March 30). Your life and your message. See to It series.

I want of further share with you on ‘See to it’. As you now know, we are told in Scriptures to see to it that none of us falls away from the grace of God. We are also told to see to it that none of us develops a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. We have these instructions given to us in Hebrews, chapters 3 and 12. And we have been looking at those things that will aid us in taking them seriously.

Now, based on that, I said we must be involved in one another’s life. If we are not involved in our lives, there is no way we will be able to help one another from falling away from the grace of God. Remember that if any of us should fall away from God’s grace, as we are told in the Scriptures, we will have to dissociate ourselves from the person. That does not mean we are not to pray for the person’s restoration. But while that person remains fallen away from the grace of God, while that person has chosen to be living in sin, we will have to dissociate ourselves from him. For that not to happen, we have to be involved in one another’s life. We have to know what is going on in one another’s life. That way, we will be able to protect ourselves from the schemes of the devil.

But then, as I equally pointed out before, if we will be involved in one another’s life, then, we must be open with our lives. If we are not open with our lives, there is no way we can adequately know what is going on in one another’s life and be helpful to one another. And the leaders must take the lead in doing this. Our leaders must first be open with their lives. It is only then that they can encourage their brethren to also be open with their lives. And once we are open with our lives in this manner, we will be in a position to help one another.

However, it is not enough for us to be open with our lives; what is seen in our lives also has to be what God wants to see in them. Our lives have to be showing that we actually know what we are doing. Our lives have to be showing that we are walking in the light of the truth and that we are not a part of the problems we are trying to solve. And I remember giving us some Scriptures to show the main qualities we must have to be able to help one another stay in the truth of Jesus. And what are these qualities? First, we must be full of goodness. Second, we must be filled with knowledge. Third, we must have the wisdom of the Spirit to help one another.

Now I want to dwell a little on this point, which is that we cannot help one another, if we ourselves have fallen away from the grace of God, if we ourselves have developed a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. We may try to help others. But it will be hypocritical of us to try to do so. That is because we ourselves need help.

Then let me say this: Falling away from the grace of God is not always evidenced by staying away from church meetings. It may happen. It may not happen. Where it happens, it is usually what happens last. It is usually the last evidence of the fact that someone has fallen away from the grace of God.

What I mean is that many who have fallen away from the grace of God have not stopped attending church meetings. There are many who have turned away from God who still attend church meetings. And we have pastors, evangelists, prophets and so forth among them. They still preach. They still own personal bibles. But they are living in sin. And because they attend church meetings, pray, own personal bibles and preach we are not paying attention to the fact that they are living in sin and in need of help. Yet they are always out there trying to help others live right, when they themselves are not living right. This, of course, is wrong.

Look at some of the things Paul has to say about this in Romans, chapter 2, from verse 17:

“Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and boast in God; if you know his will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law; if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of little children, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth – you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? As it is written: ‘God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”” (Romans 2:17-24NIV)

What is Paul driving at here? Well, he is simply showing us the possibility of a living a life that is contrary to the message we live. It is possible for our lives to be completely contrary to what we teach. It is possible for us to be telling others not to steal, when we ourselves are stealing. It is possible for us to be telling people not to be involved in adultery, when we ourselves are involved in adultery. It is possible for us to be telling lies, while preaching to others not to tell lies. And where this is the case, we are just being hypocritical and cannot help anybody.

Our Lord Jesus mentions something very similar while sharing with the Jews on an occasion. He said this, from Matthew’s gospel, chapter 23, verse 1:

“Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.”” (Matthew 23:1NIV)

First, here, the Lord says that the teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. In other words, they are representing Moses. So, they are authorized to teach the people. This being the case, Jesus tells the people to be careful to do everything they tell them to do.

However, the Lord goes on to say that the people must not do what these men are doing. Why? The reason is that they do not practise what they preach. That means their lives are contrary to their teachings. So, while people can follow their teachings, they cannot emulate their way of life. And this is the situation in many Christian assemblies. We have people who are trying to guide others but who themselves need guidance. We have people who are trying to help others but who themselves need help. We have people whose lives are not right but who are trying to help others get their lives right. Can they, in all honesty, help anybody? No!

Yes, people may say the correct things. But if their lives do not agree with what they say, and this is open to people, will they take them seriously? This is one of the reasons our witness in the world has been weak. What we are preaching is contrary to what people see in our lives. We claim to be preaching righteousness but are not walking in righteousness. We claim to be preaching truth but are not living in the truth. We claim to be preaching peace but many of us are difficult to relate to – we are quite uncooperative. It is only when we hold our bibles that we appear cooperative. But when people interact with us outside that scope, they find us to be very uncooperative and difficult to deal with. So, they are not drawn to the truth or the light we claim to be shining.

Well, the point I am making is that if we will be able to help one another, it is important that we ourselves have not fallen away the grace. Yes, if we want to help our brethren to stay in the truth and daily live lives pleasing to God, then, we must show through our own lives that we are in the truth and established in righteousness.

Paul says this to the Corinthians:

“For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.” (1Corinthians 4:7NIV)

Here Paul is saying that his way of life agrees with what he teaches everywhere in every church. So, it is not that he teaches one thing and then does something else. No! His life is in agreement with what he teaches. And it has to be like that for every one of us too, if we will be able to help one another. Our lives must be in agreement with the message we preach. There, then, must be nothing like my message is different from my life. My message must not be different from my way of life. My life is actually my message. Otherwise, no one will take what I say seriously.

So, if you are teaching people to be full of joy but your own life is not full of joy, why should they take you seriously? If you are teaching people to be gentle, humble and peaceable but your life is not a revelation of these things, who is going to take you seriously? This is why Paul goes on to say this to Timothy:

“Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.” (1Timothy 4:16NIV)

How do we help others? We start by first watching our own lives and doctrine. Our lives and our doctrine must be in agreement. So, we have to watch them closely. That way, we can tell whether they are in agreement with the will of God or not. And once we see that they are in agreement with His will, we persevere in them. That means we are to keep on living that life that is in agreement with God’s will. Then and only then are going to be able to save both ourselves and our hearers.

What I have been saying all along is that if we will be able to help one another stay right in the will of God, then, our lives must be obviously right – they must be obviously in agreement with the will of God. Otherwise, no one will take us seriously. You can see why we have many in our various Christian assemblies who are rebellious and do not take instructions seriously. These ones live as they please. And one main reason is that most of their leaders, most of those who are in a position to set them right are not living right. They are hypocritical themselves. My prayer is that God will rid our lives and our various churches of everything that has to do with hypocrisy. Amen.

Copyright © 2025 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: 08146472876)

Categories
Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

fmb_Love is not always in a hurry_J.O._Lawal

Recommended Citation:

Lawal, J. O. (2025, April 2). Love is not always in a hurry. Youth for Jesus, 7(46).

“Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.” (John 11:5-6NIV)

When you love someone, how do you treat anything that concerns them? You treat it with all the seriousness it requires. But that does not seem to be what we see in our opening text. As we see in it, Jesus loved Lazarus, Martha and their sister, Mary. Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, He stayed where He was two more days.

Now that did not look like an expression of love, or did it? No, it did not. If He had loved Lazarus indeed, then, He would have been in a hurry to get to him before he died. But He did not do that. Instead, He waited until the man had been in the tomb four days before He went to raise him up from the dead. And that made everything look like He deliberately used Lazarus’ misery to promote His own glory.

But was it really like that? No, it was not like that. As the account shows us, even though Jesus waited two more days where He was when He heard that Lazarus was sick, the man was already lying in the tomb four days by the time He got to his town. That would mean that it took the messenger that had brought Him the news at least one day to get Him, just as it took Him at least one day to get to Lazarus’ place. Judging by that, Lazarus had already died by the time the man that brought Jesus news of his illness got to Him.

More so, Jesus Himself later plainly told His disciples that Lazarus was dead, that is, before they all left for his place (John 11:14). How did He know that? It was by divine revelation. So, Jesus did not wait two more days where He was because He wanted Lazarus to die before He would go and see him. Rather, He waited that way because He knew that the man was already dead and there was no need to be in a rush to go and raise him up.

But then, He could still have left immediately to raise Lazarus from the dead. And if He had done that, Lazarus’ sisters and their people would not have had to mourn him as much as they did. But He did not do that. Instead, He waited two more days before going to see him. Why?

Well, in answering that, first, Jesus was not in a hurry to go and raise Lazarus from the dead because He knew that the power of God could not be hindered by time or decay. So, regardless of when He got to where Lazarus was, the power of God would still work in bringing the man back to life.

Second, if Jesus had immediately gone to raise Lazarus up from the dead, his family and others with them may not have appreciated the awesomeness of God’s power as they did when He raised him up when his body was already decaying and smelling. In fact, some people may even have said that the reason it was easy for Him to bring him back to life was that Lazarus merely fainted or went into a coma for a while. And that way, they would have dismissed any involvement of the mighty power of God in what happened to him.

But Jesus would not make it easy for anyone to dismiss the awesomeness of God’s power as nothing. So, even though He loved Lazarus and his sisters very much, He handled the bringing back of the man from death to life in such a way that everyone who got to know about it would appreciate it and glorify God for it. And that is showing us that true love is not always in a hurry to help or solve problems. Rather, it is always thoughtful enough to handle whatever it does to help others in such a way that it will be adequately and appropriately appreciated.

Unfortunately, many of us know nothing about this quality of love. Therefore, we are often in a hurry to express our love to people anyhow, instead of acting in thoughtfulness in expressing it. But there are times that love needs to let people appreciate the enormousness of their problems in order for them to also appreciate the solution that it offers them. Otherwise, they may just treat an invaluable gift of love as something ordinary or common. And where that is the case, love may be wounded, paralysed or killed. That explains why some people now find it hard to act in love towards anyone. Their love was wounded, paralysed or killed by some who should have appreciated it.

Well, if you don’t want that to happen to your love for anybody, don’t always make something difficult look easy, just because you can do it. And don’t always make something expensive look cheap, just because you can afford it. Then learn to let people see the need for them to be helped before stepping in to help. Otherwise, you may just make your love or acts of love look like nothing to individuals who have difficulties recognising genuine love.

Cheers!

Copyright © 2025, 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: 08146472876)