Author: Praise Kolawole

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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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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: Peace in the prison


By: Omotola Dunsin Babarinde
Date: August 09, 2026
Series: From Pastor’s Desk
Number: Vol. 15, No. 15

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. It is with great pleasure I welcome you to another week of this month. My prayer is that you will experience the peace of God that is beyond human understanding wherever you are hurting in your life, so that your joy may be full. Amen.

As we begin this new week, I want encourage you with the story of Paul and Silas in the prison in Philippi. These men had been arrested, flogged and jailed because they set free a slave girl from an evil spirit that was using her. But then, instead of being discouraged, the began to pray and praise God. Look at what Luke says about this:

“And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.” (Acts 16:25KJV)

Now, as we all know, a prison is a place of confinement, pain and hopelessness. Yet Paul and Silas experienced God’s peace even while imprisoned. Their story teaches us that our circumstances do not have to control our hearts. True peace comes from God’s presence, not from a trouble-free life.

What, then, can we learn from Paul and Silas? First, it is that peace comes through trusting God. Although they had been beaten and chained, Paul and Silas did not complain. Instead, they trusted God even in their suffering. Isaiah 26:3 says, “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.” So, if we put our trust in God, He will keep us in perfect peace.

Second, we learn from them that peace produces praise. Instead of murmuring, Paul and Silas prayed and sang hymns at midnight. Their worship showed that their peace came from God. Philippians 4:7 says, “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” That means once there is peace, our hearts will be calm enough to praise God.

Third, we learn from what happened to Paul and Silas in that prison that peace activates God’s Power. As they worshipped with hearts full of peace, God sent an earthquake, the prison doors opened and every chain was broken. Remember that Psalm 34:19 says, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.” So, regardless of the number of our problems, the peace of God is able to release the power of God to solve every one of them.

Fourth, we learn from them that our experience of God’s peace can bless others. The jailer and his household believed in Jesus and were saved because of Paul and Silas’ experience of peace in the prison. Matthew 5:16 says, “Let your light so shine before men…” So, if we allow the peace of God to reign in our lives, it will cause others to come to God because of us.

In closing, God’s peace is available even in difficult situations. Prayer and praise strengthen our faith during trials. God can turn a prison into a place of testimony. Your calm faith in hardship can lead others to Christ. So, even though you are in a “prison” today, perhaps the prison of financial difficulties, sickness, family problems, disappointment, or persecution, do not lose hope. If you keep trusting God, praying to Him and praising Him, He will give you peace and bring deliverance at the right time.

Have a pleasant 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: You don’t know it all

Series: Youth for Jesus
Number: Vol. 9, No. 11

“Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that we all possess knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know.” (1 Cor 8:1-2NIV)

Those words were penned down by Paul for the Corinthian brethren about two thousand years ago. Yet they are still very much relevant today. And they are calling our attention to the need to always be ready to learn and not assume that we know everything about every matter.

Now from what Paul says in that text, there are three basic things we must know about knowledge. The first is that everybody knows something. In other words, however ignorant someone may be, they still possess some measure of knowledge. They may not know how to fully utilise the knowledge they have. But they know something. So, don’t ever think of anyone as utterly ignorant.

The second thing we need to know about knowledge is that it is capable of producing pride. Knowledge in itself is not meant to produce pride. Rather, it is meant to enlighten, instruct and educate. But it can become a vehicle for conveying pride in the hand of the one that has it. And where that is the case, it will not benefit or build people up as it should.

As Paul shows us in that text, as good as it is to possess useful knowledge, if that knowledge is not being handled by love, it will not build anybody up. On the contrary, it may end up destroying people. For instance, those who make atomic bombs or nuclear weapons do so with knowledge, great knowledge. But how beneficial is their use of this great knowledge to humanity? I am sure you know the answer.

So, unless love is the thing motivating the use of the knowledge we have, it will not do anybody good. It will only ruin lives, homes and even nations. Knowledge, then, is not good in the hand of a loveless person.

The third thing we need to know about knowledge, as we see in our opening text, is that no one has enough of it. That means I don’t know it all and you don’t know it all. Yes, you may think that you know enough or everything about a matter. But that is because you have not yet met someone that will expose your knowledge gap. The day you meet that person is the day you will see that you don’t yet know as much as you should. And that may come with some measure of disgrace, especially if you have been acting in pride about what you think you know.

Therefore, regardless of what you think you know about a matter, always assume that there may be someone else somewhere who knows about it more or better than you. That way, you will be ready to listen to others, learn more and perfect your knowledge. But if you are continually going about with the air of ‘I know it all’, never wanting to keep quiet to listen and learn from others, a day may come when your poverty of knowledge will be exposed in a very shameful way. What, then, will you use to cover your shame?

An expert in the law of Moses, for instance, once asked Jesus about the greatest of the commandments of God. And the Lord answered him in a very direct way. But instead for him to just take the answer and begin to act on it, he tried to show himself as highly knowledgeable by further asking the Lord, “Who is my neighbour?” That, of course, prompted the Lord to tell him a story, the story now popularly known as ‘The good Samaritan’. And when He was done telling the story, the foolishness and self-righteousness of the man had been exposed. So, he went away disgraced. (Cf. Luke 10:25:37)

Now you don’t have to disgrace yourself in a similar manner. And you won’t, if you will continually remind yourself that you don’t know it all and be willing to learn from others. Truly, others may not have much to teach you. But whatever little knowledge you are able to gain from them may someday be the difference between failure and success or honour and disgrace for you. 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)

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From Pastor's Desk 2026 Pastor's Desk

Title: There Shall Be Showers of Blessing


By: Omotola Dunsin Babarinde
Date: July 19, 2026
Series: From Pastor’s Desk
Number: Vol. 15, No. 11

Beloved: grace and mercy be yours from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Redeemer. I welcome you with gladness into another week of this month, the month of July 2025. My prayer is that every blessing you have freely received from God will work in your life in the week to make you excel in all that you do. Amen.

As we begin this new week, I want to encourage you with these words of the Scripture:

“And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing.” (Ezekiel 34:26KJV)

Every child of God desires to experience His blessings in their lives. However, God’s promise is not just for a little blessing but for showers of blessing—abundant, overflowing and timely blessings. Just as rain refreshes dry ground and brings fruitfulness, God’s blessings bring renewal, restoration and increase to every area of people’s lives.

What, then, are showers of blessing? First, we have spiritual blessings. These come to us as salvation and forgiveness, gifts of the Holy Spirit and fruit of the Spirit, resulting in spiritual growth. And remember that our Lord Jesus, in John 7:38-39, promises rivers of living water to those who believe in Him. These are rivers of the Holy Spirit. And those of us who have Him in our lives already have these rivers of His blessing flowing in us and through us.

Then we have material blessings. God provides for His children’s needs, opening all kinds of doors for their promotion, progress and welfare. That is why Paul, in Philippians 4:19, says, “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

In addition, we have blessings of restoration. God restores what has been lost. He turns sorrow into joy. Joel 2:25 says, “And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten…” So, as God’s blessings are working in our lives, we can expect Him to restore to us things that we have lost.

But then, even though God’s blessings are readily and freely available for all men, certain conditions must be met for people to receive and enjoy them. What are these conditions? First, people must repent and return to God. Sin can hinder the receiving or the manifestation of God’s blessings. (Cf. Isaiah 59:1–2)

Second, obey God’s Word. Obedience to God brings divine favor (Deuteronomy 28:1–2). Third, be faithful in serving God. God rewards those who diligently seek and serve Him (Hebrews 11:6). Fourth, live by faith. Believe and embrace God’s promises, even when you cannot yet see them (Hebrews 6:12).

In conclusion, no matter how dry your situation may seem at the moment, God is able to make you experience showers of His blessing every day. Therefore, trust Him, remain faithful and continue walking in obedience. The same God who promised showers of blessing is faithful to fulfill His Word. I pray that God will cause every dry area of your life to experience great showers of His blessing, as you go this week, 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: At the set time


Date: July 15, 2026
Series: Youth for Jesus
Number: Vol. 9, No. 9

“I said to myself, “In due season God will judge everything man does, both good and bad.”” (Eccl 3:17TLB)

What point is Solomon making in our opening bible text? It is that there is nothing we do here on earth that God will not reward us for, not just in heaven but also here on earth.

But then, the time or season that God will judge and reward us for whatever we do, good or bad, is not up to us to determine. Rather, it is up to Him to determine.

All of this is why we need to give ourselves to doing only what is good and righteous in His sight. And even if we should do anything wrong in His sight, we should lose no time to seek and obtain His forgiveness. Otherwise, at the set time or in the right season, He will reward us or our descendants for our deeds, whether good or bad.

For example, when the Shunammite woman began to take care of Elisha anytime he came to her town, she did not know when God would reward her or how He would reward her. She was probably just waiting for a heavenly reward from Him. But a day came when God moved the prophet to minister to her. That, of course, was the end of her barrenness. And she and her family would afterwards go on to experience more of God’s reward for her generosity at some other times in very spectacular ways. (Cf. 1 Kings 4&8)

So, if you are doing good and are not yet seeing God’s reward for it, don’t lose heart. Instead, continue to do good. That is because, at the set time, God will surely reward you. Interestingly, the reward may even extend to your descendants after you. So, always look beyond yourself when expecting God’s reward for obeying Him by doing good. That is because He is able to do immeasurably more than what we ask or think, according to His power that is at work in us. (Cf. Galatians 6:9 & Ephesians 3:20)

In like manner, if you are doing evil, God will surely reward you for it at the set time, if you fail to repent and receive His forgiveness when you can. For example, when Reuben slept with his father’s wife, the man did not say or do anything about it, even though he heard about it. Why? We are not told the reason in the account. It may be that he did not want to place a curse on him and ruin his life, especially since he was his first child. (Cf. Genesis 35:21-22)

But then, we also do not have it on record that Reuben did anything to seek God’s forgiveness and his father’s forgiveness. He just treated the matter as a non-issue, since his father said nothing about it. But when the time came for God to prophesy about his future and the future of his brothers through their father, his judgment came. He was told that he would no longer excel in life. And it was so. (Cf. Genesis 49:3)

Also, when the Amalekites came out to attack the Israelites in the wilderness unprovoked, they thought that the matter would end there. But the matter did not end there at all. Years later, God would visit them with judgment when Israel had their first king. And though the people responsible for the mess were long dead at the time, God paid their descendants the debt of judgment He owed their nation in full. (Cf. Exodus 17:9-16)

So, as I already pointed out, God’s judgment will surely come to each of us at the set time for everything we are doing. That is because judgment, as far as He is concerned, is a debt that He owes each of us. And He must pay it at the set time. We should, therefore, turn away from everything wicked to only what is good. That is the only way the judgment payments being made into our account by God will make us glad and not sorrowful.

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: Are you on the Lord’s side?


By: Omotola Dunsin Babarinde
Series: From Pastor’s Desk
Number: Vol. 15, No. 09

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord and Redeemer. It is with delight that I welcome you to the transition week between the months of June and July 2026. My prayer is that nothing in this life will succeed in luring you away from your devotion to God and expose you to His judgment, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

As we begin this new week, I want to admonish you with the words of the Scripture that say:

“Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the Lord’s side? let him come unto me…” (Ex 32:26)

Now God is still asking this same question today: “Who is on the Lord’s side?” In a world filled with sin, compromise and distractions, every believer must make a choice of whose side they will be, the Lord’s side or the side of the world.

What, then, does being on the Lord’s side mean? First, it means choosing obedience over disobedience. John 14:15 says, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” Second, it means standing for righteousness. Romans 12:2 says, “Be not conformed to this world…”

Third, being on the Lord’s side means following Christ wholeheartedly. Luke 9:23 says, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” Fourth, being on the Lord’s side means serving God faithfully. Joshua 24:15 says, “…As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

God is looking for men and women who will stand for Him, regardless of the cost. The Lord’s side is not always the popular side, but it is always the victorious side. And today, God is asking each of us, “Are you on my side?” Let our answer be as Joshua’s: “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

My prayer is that God, our Father, will daily help you to stand firmly on His side. I also pray that He will give you the courage to obey Him, serve Him and follow Him faithfully all the days of your life. Amen.

Have a splendid 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: Everything is on record


By: Omotola Dunsin Babarinde
Date: June 14, 2026
Series: From Pastor’s Desk
Number: Vol. 15, No. 7

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 June 2026. My prayer is that God will cause you to live everyday with the consciousness that your words and deeds will be judged someday, so that you may devote yourself to living a life worthy of Him. Amen.

As we begin this new week, I want to encourage you with the words of the bible that say:

“Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard; a scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honoured his name…” (Malachi 3:16NIV)

What is this telling us? It is that God keeps records of everything we do. Our words, actions, sacrifices, prayers and service are seen and not forgotten by Him. Many people think that because no one sees what they do, it does not matter. But the Bible teaches that God sees all things and will bring everything to judgment.

Ecclesiastes 12:14 says: “For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.” This means that both our good deeds and our wrong actions are on record before God. Nothing escapes His notice.

Also, Matthew 12:36 says: “But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.” Can you see that? Every word spoken is recorded. Therefore, believers must be very careful of their speech, conduct and relationship with others. That is because they will someday be held accountable for them.

The good news is that God also records our faithfulness, prayers, giving, and labor in His kingdom. Hebrews 6:10 says: “For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love…” So, if you have been serving God faithfully and seem unrecognized by people, do not be discouraged. Everything is on record before God, and He will reward every faithful servant in His own time.

Since everything is on record, then, let us live holy lives, serve God sincerely and remain faithful. The God who records every deed will surely reward the righteous and judge every work according to His perfect justice.

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: Don’t despise it

Series: Youth for Jesus

Number: Vol. 9, No. 3

“For who has despised the day of small things? For these seven rejoice to see The plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. They are the eyes of the LORD, Which scan to and fro throughout the whole earth.” (Zech 4:10NKJV)

Who is speaking here in our opening text? It is God. And what is He saying? He is saying that no one should ever despise whatever He is working on, simply because it looks small or little. That is because His Spirit will see to it that what He is doing, however small or little it may seem in the eyes of men, is completed in such a way that there will be much rejoicing over it.

Now, as we see in our opening text, it was a prince of Judah called Zerubbabel that this word first came to. And it came to him to encourage him not to look down on what he was doing in building the temple of the Lord as something insignificant.

But why would he look down on the temple he was leading his people to build as insignificant or small? One main reason was that he was must have been comparing it with the temple Solomon built. The temple Solomon built was indeed great and magnificent. And to compare it with what Zerubbabel and his people were building at the time would be like to compare day and night. In fact, when the foundation of their own temple was laid, those who were privileged to see Solomon’s temple could only weep aloud. (Cf. Ezra 3:10-12)

Nonetheless, what God was really concerned about was not the magnificence of His temple but the degree to which it was able to serve His purpose. The temple Solomon built was indeed magnificent, as I pointed out already. Yet God handed it over to the Babylonians to destroy it. Why? It was no longer serving His purpose.

So, even if what we are doing is great and lofty in the eyes of men, as long as it is not serving God’s purpose and bringing Him pleasure, He will cast it aside as useless. But if what we are doing is little and yet is serving His purpose, He will give increase to it Himself so that it will be able to serve His purpose even more.

Therefore, however small or little what you are doing in life may be in your eyes or in the eyes of others, as long as God is able to use it to bless or touch someone’s life, don’t despise it. And don’t allow anyone to talk you into despising it, regardless of what they may say. That is because the Spirit of God is able to take that which appears small or little today in the eyes of men and make it a wonder for the world to see.

Then, in closing, be very careful of comparing whatever you are doing with what others are doing. It is a sure way to discourage yourself or to begin to think of yourself more highly than you ought to. And that will cause you to limit the move of God in your life and through what you are doing in very serious ways.

So, watch 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)

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From Pastor's Desk 2026 Pastor's Desk

Title: Do not grieve God


Series: From Pastor’s Desk
Number: Vol. 15, No. 1

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. It is with great delight that I welcome you to the fifth month of this year, the month of May 2026. My prayer is that God will always keep you from doing anything that will grieve Him and make Him change His mind about fulfilling His plans for your life, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Now I offered that prayer for you because it is possible for us to grieve God. Yes, it is possible for us to cause Him sorrow through the way we live and through our attitude towards His word. And that is because He loves us. It is only those that we love and care about that can grieve us or make us sorrowful. Those that we don’t love cannot grieve us, regardless of how badly they behave towards us. In fact, we will most likely not allow someone that we don’t love to do anything that will make us sorrowful.

But when someone that we love and cherish begins to treat us with disrespect, we will not be happy at all. And if the person continues to make us unhappy like that, we may just change our minds about them and withdraw our love from them. Then they will no longer be able to enjoy their relationship with us the way they used to.

In like manner, because God loves us, we can grieve Him. And if we should make grieving Him a culture, a time may come when He will change His mind about us and about His plans for us. How, then, are we not going to waste or ruin our lives, if that should happen?

For instance, this is said about why God removed King Saul from his place as ruler over the nation of Israel:

“Then the word of the LORD came to Samuel: “I am grieved that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions.” Samuel was troubled, and he cried out to the LORD all that night.” (1Sam 15:10-11NIV)

Did you see that? God was grieved that He made Saul king over Israel. Why? The reason was that the man made it a habit to disregard His commands. To make matters worse, he had no sense of remorse at all. He found it hard to genuinely repent whenever he was rebuked or corrected. So, God changed His mind about him and replaced him with another person.

Now did Saul feel remorseful, when God changed his mind about him, and seek His face for mercy? No, he did not. Instead, he just carried on acting as king, as though nothing had happened. So, he ended up ruining his life and making nonsense of whatever good thing he did as a king for the nation of Israel.

But then, as we see in the account, Samuel, who was not the one that was removed from his position, continued to mourn before God for this man. In fact, at some point, God had to tell him to stop mourning for Saul and go and anoint someone else in his place (1 Sam 16:1). And why was he mourning for Saul like that? It was because he understood the gravity of grieving God and the need for genuine repentance if we have done so. Otherwise, we may just end up wasting our lives and whatever grace we have received from God.

All of this is why we too are warned in the Scriptures in this way:

“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” (Eph 4:30NIV)

Did you see that? We must watch ourselves not to give ourselves to doing anything that will grieve the Spirit of God that is living in us. And if we have been grieving Him in any way, we should repent and seek His face for forgiveness without delay. Otherwise, like King Saul, we too may end up wasting all the love and grace He has showered on our lives. May that not be our lot, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Have a lovely May 2026.

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)