Month: September 2026

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Fire in my Bones General Post Youth for Jesus

Title: When God is stirring us


Date: September 30, 2026
Series: Youth for Jesus
Number: Vol. 9, No. 20

“The woman gave birth to a boy and named him Samson. He grew and the LORD blessed him, and the Spirit of the LORD began to stir him while he was in Mahaneh Dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.” (Judg 13:24-25NIV)

Who began to stir Samson? It was the Spirit of the Lord. When did He begin to stir him? When he was in a place called Mahaneh Dan. And what was the Spirit of the Lord stirring him to do? He was stirring him to fulfil the plans of God for his life.

As we see in the account of his life, which is in the bible, God had told his parents even before he was conceived that He would be using him to take the lead in delivering Israel from the hands of the Philistines (Judges 13:5). But it was not immediately he was born that God began to fulfil this prophecy. The boy had to first grow up and learn to live and work like other people. And when the time was ripe for his work to start, God began to stir him up for it.

Now we see something similar in the lives of both our Lord Jesus Christ and John the Baptist. Even though God had announced His plans for their lives before they were conceived and born, they both had to first grow up and learn to live and work like other people before God began to fulfil His plans for their lives. (Cf. Luke 1-3)

So, it is clear from Scriptures that the one that determines the time His plans for our lives will begin to materialize is God Himself, not us. He may have shown us or prophesied all kinds of beautiful things to us about His plans for us. But we must keep in mind that He will not begin to fulfil these plans until the time is ripe. And if we should try to act before the time He has set, we may put ourselves and even others in trouble.

See, even though God is stirring us for the fulfilment of certain plans of His for us, it does not mean that He wants us to act right away. The stirring may just be His way of telling us to start getting ready for what is coming. If we, then, want to know what the stirring is truly about, we must first give ourselves to praying about it and also to studying and meditating on whatever the word of God says about it.

Second, we should discuss the stirring we are experiencing with other trusted and God-fearing people in our lives, so that they can support us with their prayers and spiritual counsel. Third, we should pay attention to the circumstances of our lives, whether they are in that moment favourable to what we are being stirred to do or not. Otherwise, as I said earlier, we may end up putting ourselves and others in trouble, if we should act before God’s time.

Moses, for instance, acted before God’s time, even though it was God Himself that was stirring him for the deliverance of Israel from Egypt. That was because he did not seek divine guidance before acting and also did not pay close attention to the unfavourable circumstances of his life at the time. (Cf. Ex 2:11-15; Acts 7:23-29)

On the contrary, when God began to stir David to build Him a temple, he did nothing until he had discussed the matter with a man of God. And that was how it became clear to him that God did not put that desire in him for him to personally realise but for someone else to fulfil. So, he was saved from embarking on something good and righteous that would have resulted in frustration for him. (Cf. 1 Chro 17)

What is the point of all this? First, it is that even if we do not have any prophecy or visions about God’s plans for our lives, we can expect Him to stir us in line with His plans for us when the time is ripe for their fulfilment. Second, it is that whenever God is stirring us in line with His plans for us, we should not be a in hurry to act. Instead, we should patiently seek His guidance on the right steps to take. That way, we will be saving ourselves from any form of frustration that may be associated with acting outside the schedule of God.

Cheers!

Copyright © 2026, 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)

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From Pastor's Desk 2026 Pastor's Desk

Title: Why should we go elsewhere?



Date: September 27, 2026
Series: From Pastor’s desk
Number: Vol. 15, No. 22

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord and Redeemer. I am pleased to welcome you to the transition week between the months of September 2026 and October 2026. My prayer is that God will keep your faith in Him steadfast till the end, regardless of the challenges you may face in your walk with the Lord Jesus, so that you may receive His praise when all has been said and done. Amen.

As we see in the bible, if our faith in the Lord Jesus will be rewarded by God in His eternal kingdom, it has to be from start to finish. And for that to happen, we have to hold on to His word, even where we do not understand it or where it offends us. That is because His word is truth (John 17:17).

Now because the word of the Lord is truth, embracing it and holding on to it is the only way not to be destroyed by the lies of the devil, of the flesh and of the world. Yes, embracing and holding on to His word is the only way the purpose of God can be fully realised in our lives. Are we, then, going to continually embrace and hold on to His word, even if we do not understand how it will benefit us, even if goes against what we have in mind?

As we see in the bible, there was a day that the apostles that were with the Lord Jesus had to make a decision to either hold on to His word and become what God wanted them to be or to reject His word and return to the lives they had been living before coming to Him. Why? The reason was that the Lord said certain things that day that offended many of His disciples. They were so offended that they stopped following Him. (Cf. John 6:25-66)

But did He tell them anything that was not true that day? No, He did not. Why, then, were they so offended that they stopped following Him? The reason was that they were not willing to accept the truth He was telling them and live accordingly. And the bible tells us that we will have many so-called believers who will behave like that in these last days. They too will turn away from the truth to listen to lies because they don’t want to accept it and live accordingly. (Cf. 2 Tim 4:3-4)

In any case, after many of His disciples had left Him, we are told in the bible that the Lord turned to His twelve apostles to ask them if they too would not leave Him. Look at John’s report about this:

““You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve. Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”” (John 6:67-69NIV)

Did you see that? Even though the Lord had personally called those apostles to be with Him, He was not going to force them to stay with Him. Instead, He allowed them to decide for themselves whether staying with Him to hear the word of God, which may sometimes offend them, was worth it or whether it was just a waste of time.

How, then, did they respond to that? Well, it was Peter that spoke for all of them. And he made it clear to the Lord that they were all going nowhere. Why? According to him, only Jesus had the words of eternal life that they needed to experience the fulfilment of God’s purpose for their lives. So, why should they go elsewhere?

Now why should we too go elsewhere, if we are convinced that our Lord Jesus has the words of eternal life that will fulfil God’s purpose in our lives? And why should our faith in Him not be from start to finish, if we are convinced that He is the way, the truth and the life? Yes, His word may sometimes be hard for us to bear or go contrary to what we have always believed or not come to pass immediately. But it is the truth that will set us free and make our lives what they are meant to be.

If we, then, truly want our lives to what they are meant to be, we should daily embrace and hold on to the word of the Lord to us, even if doing so is not pleasant for us. Otherwise, we should just leave Him as those disciples left Him and do whatever we want with our lives. And at the end of everything, we all will see whether we have chosen right or wrong, even though it will be too late to make any change at the time. My prayer is that we will not make choices that will fill us with eternal regrets, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Have a lovely week.

Copyright © 2026, 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)

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From Pastor's Desk 2026 Pastor's Desk

Title: Why should we go elsewhere?

Title: Why should we go elsewhere?By: J.O. LawalDate: September 27, 2026Series: From Pastor’s deskNumber: Vol. 15, No. 22Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord and Redeemer. I am pleased to welcome you to the transition week between the months of September 2026 and October 2026. My prayer is that God will keep your faith in Him steadfast till the end, regardless of the challenges you may face in your walk with the Lord Jesus, so that you may receive His praise when all has been said and done. Amen.As we see in the bible, if our faith in the Lord Jesus will be rewarded by God in His eternal kingdom, it has to be from start to finish. And for that to happen, we have to hold on to His word, even where we do not understand it or where it offends us. That is because His word is truth (John 17:17). Now because the word of the Lord is truth, embracing it and holding on to it is the only way not to be destroyed by the lies of the devil, of the flesh and of the world. Yes, embracing and holding on to His word is the only way the purpose of God can be fully realised in our lives. Are we, then, going to continually embrace and hold on to His word, even if we do not understand how it will benefit us, even if goes against what we have in mind?As we see in the bible, there was a day that the apostles that were with the Lord Jesus had to make a decision to either hold on to His word and become what God wanted them to be or to reject His word and return to the lives they had been living before coming to Him. Why? The reason was that the Lord said certain things that day that offended many of His disciples. They were so offended that they stopped following Him. (Cf. John 6:25-66)

But did He tell them anything that was not true that day? No, He did not. Why, then, were they so offended that they stopped following Him? The reason was that they were not willing to accept the truth He was telling them and live accordingly. And the bible tells us that we will have many so-called believers who will behave like that in these last days. They too will turn away from the truth to listen to lies because they don’t want to accept it and live accordingly. (Cf. 2 Tim 4:3-4)

In any case, after many of His disciples had left Him, we are told in the bible that the Lord turned to His twelve apostles to ask them if they too would not leave Him. Look at John’s report about this:““You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve. Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”” (John 6:67-69NIV)

Did you see that? Even though the Lord had personally called those apostles to be with Him, He was not going to force them to stay with Him. Instead, He allowed them to decide for themselves whether staying with Him to hear the word of God, which may sometimes offend them, was worth it or whether it was just a waste of time.

How, then, did they respond to that? Well, it was Peter that spoke for all of them. And he made it clear to the Lord that they were all going nowhere. Why? According to him, only Jesus had the words of eternal life that they needed to experience the fulfilment of God’s purpose for their lives.

So, why should they go elsewhere?Now why should we too go elsewhere, if we are convinced that our Lord Jesus has the words of eternal life that will fulfil God’s purpose in our lives? And why should our faith in Him not be from start to finish, if we are convinced that He is the way, the truth and the life?

Yes, His word may sometimes be hard for us to bear or go contrary to what we have always believed or not come to pass immediately. But it is the truth that will set us free and make our lives what they are meant to be.If we, then, truly want our lives to what they are meant to be, we should daily embrace and hold on to the word of the Lord to us, even if doing so is not pleasant for us.

Otherwise, we should just leave Him as those disciples left Him and do whatever we want with our lives. And at the end of everything, we all will see whether we have chosen right or wrong, even though it will be too late to make any change at the time. My prayer is that we will not make choices that will fill us with eternal regrets, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Have a lovely week.

Copyright © 2026, 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)

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General Post

Title: At its proper time


By: J.O. Lawal
Date: September 23, 2026
Series: Youth for Jesus
Number: Vol. 9, No. 19

“Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.” The angel answered, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their proper time.”” (Luke 1:18-20NIV)

Who were the people conversing in our opening text? Angel Gabriel and Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist! And what was the main point of their conversation? It was that Zechariah would become dumb until the message brought to him by Gabriel was fulfilled. And did he become dumb indeed? Yes, he became dumb as the angel had said. (Cf. Luke 1:21-22)

But why did Gabriel have to afflict Zechariah with dumbness? The reason was that the man did not believe the message that he brought to him from the Lord. What message? Well, the message was that he and his wife, Elizabeth, would have a son of their own, even though they had become very old at the time.

Now was Gabriel right to judge Zechariah’s unbelief, seeing that he and his wife had become very old at the time? Should such unbelief not be expected from very old people?

Truly, such unbelief may be expected from old people. But the case of Zechariah and Elizabeth was different. How? It was different in the sense that both of them had been praying to God for a son of their own. Yes, they had become very old at the time that Angel Gabriel came with the good news from God to them that they would have a son of their own. But his coming was an answer to their prayer. That was because the very first thing the angel said to Zechariah when he came to him was that his prayer had been answered (Luke 1:11-13).

Since they, then, had been praying to God for a son of their own, being unbelieving when the news came that God had answered their prayer was not something to be expected of Zechariah. That was why Gabriel had to judge his unbelief with dumbness.

But then, the angel made it clear to him that the words he had said would still come to pass, in spite of his unbelief. And when would that be? According to him, it would be at their proper time. So, when God speaks, there is a proper time for it to come to pass. The proper time may be right away and it may not be right away. But when the proper time comes, whatever He says will come to pass.

For instance, in Zechariah’s case, there was a word that he received that same moment that came to pass right away. And that was the fact that he would become dumb until the first message he had received came to pass. Gabriel’s words were: “And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens…” When would Zechariah be silent and unable to speak? That very moment! And did it come pass or not? It did.

But what about the first word that the angel had given to him? That was not to come to pass right away. Rather, it was to come to pass at the time which God had set.

Now why did God have to set a future time for the fulfilment of that? It was because giving birth to children takes a process; it does not happen by accident or overnight. So, both Zechariah and Elizabeth would have to go through that process for the promise of God to them to be fulfilled. And the earlier they engaged in the process the earlier the promise would be fulfilled.

Mind you, as we also see in the account, Zechariah did not go home to his wife that same day he received the word of the Lord. He had to wait until the days of his duty in the temple were over before he went home. And how many days would those be? We would not know, for the account does not tell us. But it is clear from the account that the longer he stayed working in the temple the longer it would take for the promise of God to them to be fulfilled in his home. (Cf. Luke 1:23)

What is the point of all this? It is that the word of God to us will surely come to pass, regardless of how contrary the circumstances of our lives may be to it. However, His word will not come to pass until its proper time. If its proper time is now, then, it will come to pass now. But if it is not now, all we need is to be patient for its fulfilment, for it will not fail to come to pass at its proper time.

If we, however, reject or refuse to believe a word that has clearly come to us from God, just because the circumstances of our lives are telling us that it is impossible, then, He may have to judge our unbelief. And who knows how He would judge? He judged Zechariah’s unbelief with dumbness. He judged an official of Israel that rejected His word through Elisha with death. So, even if your heart is unable to comprehend how His word will be fulfilled, just keep your doubt to yourself. That way, His word can be fulfilled without your being judged.

Cheers!

Copyright © 2026, 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)

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From Pastor's Desk 2026 Pastor's Desk

Title: Stubborn and proud

Series: From Pastor’s desk
Number: Vol. 15, No. 21

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours without measure from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. It is with great joy that I welcome you to another week of the month of September 2026. My prayer is that God will keep your heart loyal to Him forever, so that you can continue to enjoy His goodness in the land of the living. Amen.

As we are shown in the bible, one main reason God rejected Saul as king over Israel was that he was stubborn and proud. Yes, he made mistakes. But anyone can make mistakes. In fact, the bible says that we all stumble in many ways. (Cf. James 3:2)

So, Saul was not rejected as king by God merely because he made some mistakes. Rather, he was rejected by Him because he was stubborn and proud. If he were not stubborn and proud, he would seek the face of God for forgiveness when he made the mistakes he made. And since God is a merciful God, He would have forgiven him, if he had sought His face for the forgiveness of his sins.

But Saul was a very stubborn and proud person. So, he would not seek God’s face for the forgiveness of his sins. Instead, he kept on acting as though his disobedience to God was not anything serious. Therefore, Samuel, the man of God that ordained him as king over Israel, completely cut himself off him. Look at what is said in the bible about that:

“Then Samuel left for Ramah, but Saul went up to his home in Gibeah of Saul. Until the day Samuel died, he did not go to see Saul again, though Samuel mourned for him. And the LORD was grieved that he had made Saul king over Israel.” (1 Sam 15:34-35NIV)

Did you see that? After Samuel had rebuked Saul for his disobedience to God the second time, he would not visit him again. And sadly, Saul also would not go to look for Samuel again until the day he wanted to capture David in Samuel’s place. Why? He felt that he did not need the man of God again. He felt that he could handle the kingdom all by himself without the spiritual guidance of Samuel again. (Cf. 1 Sam 19:18-24)

Now what was that? That was pride and stubbornness. And because of the pride and stubbornness of Saul, he ended up turning to sorcery for guidance towards the end of his reign. That, of course, was how he completely destroyed himself without remedy. (Cf. 1 Sam 28)

In like manner, there are many in the church today that are full of pride and stubbornness like King Saul. They too will not accept any form of rebuke or correction that is in line with the word of God. And if they can see that you will not allow them to do as they please, they will altogether stay away from you. So, they prefer to be attending multiple Christian assemblies than to stay in one assembly where they can be monitored and led in the will of God.

Sadly, what such people don’t understand is that they too will most likely end their lives like Saul. They too, since they will not embrace true spiritual guidance, will most likely end up turning to idolatry. That is because when they are in desperate need of God’s help, He will not attend to them. And He will not attend to them because, like King Saul, they will not seek Him with a loyal heart, even though they are in desperate need of His help.

So, if you have been acting stubborn and proud towards those that God has appointed to give you spiritual guidance, you had better retrace your steps before it is too late. Otherwise, your stubbornness and pride will not just take God’s provisions away from you; they may also make you lose your soul. And may that not be your portion, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Have a lovely week.

Copyright © 2026, 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)

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Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

Title: Diligence, honesty and accountability


Series: Youth for Jesus
Number: Vol. 9, No. 18

“The men in charge of the work were diligent, and the repairs progressed under them. They rebuilt the temple of God according to its original design and reinforced it. When they had finished, they brought the rest of the money to the king and Jehoiada, and with it were made articles for the LORD’s temple: articles for the service and for the burnt offerings, and also dishes and other objects of gold and silver. As long as Jehoiada lived, burnt offerings were presented continually in the temple of the LORD.” (2 Chron 24:13-14NIV)

Who were the men being referred to in our opening text? They were the men that handled the repair of the temple of God during the reign of King Joash and under the leadership of Jehoiada the priest.

Now what are the key things said about these men in the text? The first is that they handled the work given to them diligently. Therefore, the repairs being done progressed under them. In other words, King Joash, Jehoiada the priest and the rest of the people of the land could see value for the money that they gave for the repair of the temple. And that was because of the diligence of the people the work was entrusted to.

What this, of course, is showing us is that if we want anything entrusted to us, whether it is spiritual or material, to experience real and visible progress, we must handle it with diligence. And we will handle it with diligence, if we desire to see the progress and success of whatever is committed to our trust.

Unfortunately, many people today, including God’s children, most times care only about what they will gain from whatever task that is given to them; they hardly care about the success or progress of the task itself. And that is nothing but selfishness, a kind that closes doors of favour against people. If you, then, don’t want doors of favour to be closing against you, don’t just be concerned about the profit or prestige you will make from the jobs or tasks given to you; always be concerned about their success or progress as well.

The second thing said about the men in our opening text is that they were honest and accountable. As the text shows, when they were done with the repairs done on the temple, they returned the money that was left to the king and Jehoiada. Why? They had already received their own wages for the job they did. So, it was only right for them to account for what they spent on repairing the temple and to also return what was not spent in doing the job.

More so, the temple they worked on was their own place of worship too. And if they could not repair it free of charge, the least they could do was to handle whatever money or materials given to them with utmost carefulness and honesty. That way, if anything was not used or spent, it could be used to take care of other matters in the temple, which was exactly what happened. The money they returned was used by the king and the chief priest to provide a number of articles of gold and silver needed for worship in the temple. And what they did will always be on record about them till Jesus will come.

Now will it be on record about you and me that we too are honest and accountable in handling whatever is entrusted to us by others? And this does not have to do with what is entrusted to us in our churches alone but also with whatever is entrusted to us by others in our workplaces, schools, families, societies or neighbourhoods. Will it be on record among those we are dealing with that we are honest and accountable?

It is a pity that even when some of us are handling tasks that we too are ultimately going to benefit from, we will still act dishonest. We will still be considering how we can make outrageous profits. And what do you think will happen when what we are up to is discovered? It will be put on record that we are dishonest and unreliable. Only God, then, will be able to tell the degree to which that will affect our personal progress and peace of mind in life.

In any case, the point of it all is that in handling whatever task that is entrusted to us, we should exhibit diligence, honesty and accountability that will bless the task in our hands. If we do so, it will be on record for others to read, say or hear about us. And who knows where God will use that to open doors of favour for us here on earth?

Copyright © 2026, 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)

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From Pastor's Desk 2026 Pastor's Desk

Title: He opened their minds


Series: From Pastor’s desk
Number: Vol. 15, No. 20

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours without measure from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. I am delighted to welcome you to another week of the month of September 2026. My prayer is that God, by His Spirit in us, will daily fill your heart with sufficient understanding of His purpose, plans and provisions for you, so that you can be all that He wants you to be here on earth, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

After the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, He began to appear to His disciples in different places and at different times. And on one of those occasions, He shared with some of these disciples a number of things about Himself as written in the Scriptures. But for them to understand the things He was showing them from the Scriptures, they needed understanding. Here is what Luke tells us about that:

“He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.” (Luke 24:44-46NIV)

Did you see that? Our Lord Jesus opened the minds of His disciples so that they could understand the Scriptures He was showing them. That means we can never understand the Scriptures until God Himself opens our minds to understand them. And until we understand them, we will not be able to live our lives fully according to His purpose, plans and provisions for us.

Jesus was able to fully live His life according to the purpose, plans and provisions of God for Him because He understood the Scriptures and what they say about Him. As Luke also tells us, while talking with two of His disciples after His resurrection, Jesus told them about God’s purpose, plans and provisions for Him through the Scriptures, beginning with Moses and all the prophets. And as He shared these things with them, their hearts were on fire within them. (Cf. Luke 24:13-32)

But why was Jesus able to speak to those disciples about Himself through the Scriptures? The reason was that He understood the Scriptures thoroughly. And how was He able to understand them thoroughly? It was by the Holy Spirit.

In like manner, we too can understand God’s purpose, plans and provisions for us through the Scriptures. But the Holy Spirit will have to open our minds for that to happen, as Jesus opened the minds of those disciples of His to understand the Scriptures. Otherwise, we may misrepresent things, even if we are studying the Scriptures with great devotion, and begin to do things that are contrary to God’s purpose, plans and provisions for us. And that will not be good for us at all.

Remember that the people that crucified Jesus were those who were daily studying the Scriptures to discover who their Messiah would be and when He would come to them. Why, then, could they not recognise Jesus as their Messiah? The reason was that their minds were not opened to understand the Scriptures that they were studying. (Cf. Acts 13:27)

So, it is not enough for us to be studying the Scriptures; it is also important that God opens our minds to understand them. Otherwise, what we are studying will do us no good. My prayer is that God will daily open your own mind to understand Hs word each time you are hearing, reading, studying or meditating on it, so that all His purpose and plans for your life may be fulfilled. Amen.

Have a lovely week.

Copyright © 2026, 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)

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Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

Title: Friends in need



Series: Youth for Jesus
Number: Vol. 9, No. 17

“The next day we landed at Sidon; and Julius, in kindness to Paul, allowed him to go to his friends so they might provide for his needs.” (Acts 27:3NIV)

Who allowed Paul to go to his friends? It was Julius. Who was Julius? He was the Roman centurion that was saddled with the responsibility of taking Paul to Rome to face trial before Ceasar. And why did this man allow Paul to visit his friends when they landed at Sidon? It was so that the man of God may get some material support from them for his journey to Rome.

Evidently, Paul must have discussed his situation with this man and pleaded for the permission to visit some of the people he knew in Sidon to get some assistance for that journey and perhaps also for his stay and trial in Rome. If it was Julius’ responsibility to provide for Paul’s needs, he would not need to ask for his permission to source for outside help. But that was not the centurion’s responsibility. His responsibility was to safely take Paul to Rome to face his trial. And he was utterly committed to doing that.

But being a kind and reasonable man, he had compassion on Paul and gave him permission to visit his friends in Sidon and get help from them. And was he able to get help from them or not? He must have been able to get help from them, since Luke, the writer of the story, does not tell us in the account that he came back disappointed. It follows, then, that the friends of Paul in Sidon were not just friends by words of mouth; they were friends in need and friends indeed.

As we all know, there were no telephones or mobile phones at the time in question. So, there was every possibility that those friends of Paul were not expecting him when he showed up. Yet they did all that they could to aid him, even though the notice was short. That is the beauty of having true and reliable friends.

So, from this account, we learn that it is good to have friends, even as believers in Christ Jesus. Even our Lord Jesus Christ had friends when He was here on earth. For instance, Lazarus, the man that He raised from the dead after four days, was His friend. And Jesus used to visit him and his sisters from time to time for moments of refreshing. (Cf. John 11:1-3)

But what sort of friends are we to have? They must be friends in need, that is, friends that we can rely on for help or support in times of need. Some people will only show themselves as our friends when they can benefit from our well-being or when we are not making any demand on them. If we should no longer be in a situation where they can benefit something from us or if we should make any request that will inconvenience them for any reason, they will surely find a way to excuse themselves from us. Those are not the kind of friends we need. Those are not friends indeed.

A friend in need will do all that he can to be there for you in your hour of need, even if it is not convenient and even if he does not know how to help or have the means to help. Those are the kind of friends Paul had in Sidon. That was the kind of friend David had in Jonathan. And if the friends you currently have in your life are not like that, you should know that you do not have friends at all.

Then if you too are not that kind of friend to anyone who is calling you ‘my friend’, you are not a friend at all. So, you should stop posing as anyone’s friend. Otherwise, you will be misleading them to rely on you for support that you are not ready to give. And if you should cause them pains on account of that, God will not see you as guiltless.

So, mind yourself.

Copyright © 2026, 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
General Post

Title: Will He consider me?


Date: September 06, 2026
Series: From Pastor’s desk
Number: Vol. 15, No. 19

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours without measure from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. I am delighted to welcome you to another week of the month of September 2026. My prayer is that God will daily equip you with everything that will make you a true worshipper in His sight, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

As we are shown in the bible, God is always looking at the hearts of people everywhere. And what He sees in their hearts is one of the things that will determine how He relates to them. For instance, after King Asa began to act in pride, God sent a prophet to say this to him:

“For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him…” (2 Chron 16:9NKJV)

Did you see that? God’s eyes are continually on the earth to find those whose hearts are loyal to Him, that is, those whose hearts will never trust in any other person or thing apart from Him. And why is He looking for such people? It is so that He may show Himself strong on their behalf. It is so that He may show Himself as capable of taking care of them, regardless of the challenges they may be facing in life.

Also, while Jesus was speaking with a Samaritan woman, He said this to her:

“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.” (John 4:23NIV)

What kind of worshipers is God looking for? He is looking for those who will worship Him in spirit and truth. In other words, He is looking for those who will serve Him with all their hearts and not be insincere in any way in their dealings with Him. These are the people that He can trust with the revelation of Himself and of His power. These are the people that He can trust with the good works that He wants to do here in the world. That is because they are the only ones that will serve Him faithfully, regardless of the times and seasons of their lives, regardless of whether it is convenient for them to serve Him or not.

Some of us may be wondering why God is not revealing much of Himself to us or using us to do certain good works that He is doing through others, even though we attend church meetings regularly or give offerings and tithes regularly. What we don’t understand is that God is not looking for those who will attend church meetings or give offerings regularly, even though these things are important. Rather, He is looking for those who will serve Him wholeheartedly, regardless of the times or seasons of their lives. And if we are not such people, there are things God will never consider us for.

So, as we begin a new week, ask yourself, “If God is looking for someone that He can trust with the knowledge of Himself, of His will, of His provisions or of some good work to be done where I am, will He consider me? Do I have that kind of heart that will make Him consider me?” Remember that God does not play favourites. So, even though He loves all of us equally, it is those whose hearts are fully devoted to Him that He will be able to trust with anything important to Him. That is why we should continually pray that He will rid our lives of anything that may be preventing us from fully devoting our hearts to serving Him. Then He will begin to see us as people that He can consider for any kind of good work.

Have a lovely week.

Copyright © 2026, 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

Title: Don’t be rigid



Series: Youth for Jesus
Number: Vol. 9, No. 16

“The next day we landed at Sidon; and Julius, in kindness to Paul, allowed him to go to his friends so they might provide for his needs.” (Acts 27:3NIV)

Who was Julius? He was the Roman centurion that was given the responsibility of taking Paul to Rome, so that he may be tried for his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ by Ceasar himself. And what did he do for Paul, as mentioned in our opening text? He showed him kindness when they got to Sidon by allowing him to visit his friends there for support.

Now if Julius had not allowed Paul to visit his friends on that occasion, what would the man of God have done? Nothing! Julius was not under any obligation to allow him to visit anybody. His main obligation was to safely deliver him for trial in the court of Ceasar. And once he was done with that, whatever became of Paul would not be his headache.

However, the man chose to be considerate instead of being rigid. Why? The reason was that, in his judgment, he did not see Paul as a criminal. He was a soldier. He was, in fact, not just an ordinary soldier but a centurion, an army officer. So, he must have dealt with all kinds of criminals before he met Paul. And having interacted with the man of God for a while, he concluded that he was not a criminal but a victim of circumstances.

So, he decided not to be rigid but kind in relating to him. That was why he allowed him to visit his friends for support when they got to Sidon. He knew that Paul would need as much material support as he could get to survive in Rome, that is, before his trial, during his trial and even after his trial, depending on how things went for him.

Now did Paul disappoint him? No! Did Paul attempt to run away when the man gave him permission to visit his friends for help? No! Instead, Paul treated the man’s kindness with respect and ensured that he had no reason to worry about him. And because of that, as we are later informed in the bible about their trip together, the man did all that he could to protect Paul, even when his soldiers suggested that they kill all the prisoners to prevent them from escaping after they had suffered a shipwreck. (Cf. Acts 27:42-44)

What are the lessons for us in this, then? The first is that we should learn to be considerate and not rigid in relating to everyone in our lives or everyone we might meet in life. Truly, we may have a measure of authority to determine what people can do or not do where we are. It does not mean that we should not know when we need to apply mercy and consideration in dealing with them.

See, some people that we have authority over today may just be victims of life’s circumstances. It may not be that we are better than them or that they will always be under our authority. Therefore, we should treat them with mercy and consideration and not be harsh or overbearing in relating to them. And that is not so that they may repay us when times of refreshing come to them. Rather, it is because it is the right thing to do.

Remember that the bible says that mercy will be shown to the one that is merciful and that judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. So, know when and where to be merciful and considerate instead of being rigid. And besides the fact that those involved will always remember you as a comforter sent from God to them in a time of trial, God also will remember to be merciful to you in your own times of trial, which you don’t know when or how they will come. (Cf. Matt 5:7; James 2:13)

Another lesson from the story is that we too need to learn to make it easy for those with authority over us to deal with us with consideration and mercy. The reason some people with authority are rigid and never merciful in using their authority is that they have been betrayed in the past. They showed mercy and kindness to some people and got wounded for it. So, they promised or swore to themselves never to be merciful or understanding again in using their authority. And it will take a great experience of the love of God for such individuals to be healed of this malady.

In any case, my point is that always conduct yourself in such a way as to make it easy for those with authority over you in any place to be kind and considerate in relating to you. And when they show you unusual kindness because they are being considerate, don’t abuse or misuse it. Otherwise, you may not be the only one that will pay for it; others too that you don’t even know may also end up paying for it. And will God praise you for that? Never!

So, mind yourself.

Copyright © 2026, 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)