Author: Pastor J.O. Lawal

Title: The nobles of Tekoa

Post author By Pastor J.O. Lawal
Post date January 17, 2026

Series: From Pastor’s Desk

Number: Vol. 14, No. 38

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to another week of this month, the month of January 2026.

My prayer is that God will rid your life of everything that is preventing you from being useful to Him, so that you will not lose your place or reward in His kingdom. Amen.As we see in the bible, God stirred up a man called Nehemiah at a certain period to lead the people of Judah in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. And when he spoke to the people about it, they all began to work, everyone doing the work where it was closest to him. Why? The reason was that it was to their advantage – it was for the benefit of all the people of Judah. (Cf. Neh 2&3)

However, there were certain individuals that would not join in the work. Look at what is said about them: “The next section was repaired by the men of Tekoa, but their nobles would not put their shoulders to the work under their supervisors.” (Neh 3:5NIV)Why would the nobles of Tekoa not join in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem? We are not given any answer to this in the account. It may be pride that was responsible. Or it may be that they too were benefiting from the situation of those walls, profiting from the misery of their own people. We would not know exactly why.

Nevertheless, the walls of Jerusalem were rebuilt and completed in record time, in fifty-two days (Neh 6:15). Those walls were completed in spite of the opposition of the enemies of the people of Judah. Yes, they were completed without the contribution of the nobles of Tekoa. But it will forever be on record that when the people of God were working to rebuild the walls of the city of God, Jerusalem, and end the disgrace they were experiencing, the nobles of Tekoa did not participate.Now what do we learn from this? It is simply that whether one joins other people of God, especially those of his local assembly, in doing the work of God or not, His work will be done.

Truly, you may have all kinds of reasons or excuses for not doing your own part of God’s work. His work will be done, regardless. But it will be on record that you did not show up when others were doing it.Will God, then, reward you for what you have not done for Him? No! So, throw away all the excuses you are making for not taking your place in doing God’s work and start doing His work wholeheartedly. And may you be equipped by Him with everything you need to do His work in such a way as to be rewarded by Him. 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)

Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

Title: Don’t be simple-minded

Post author By Pastor J.O. Lawal
Post date January 15, 2026

Series: Youth for Jesus

Number: Vol. 8, No. 35

“A simple man believes anything, but a prudent man gives thought to his steps.” (Prov 14:15NIV)

Who is Solomon referring to in our opening text as a simple man? He is referring to anyone who is simple-minded. And who are the simple-minded? They are not the easy-going ones, as many people often assume. Rather, they are individuals who make judgments based on limited understanding or comprehension of the situations they are dealing with.

Therefore, they usually make foolish decisions.As Solomon shows us in our opening text, one of the reasons a simple person often makes foolish decisions is that he is too quick to believe anything they tell him. And why is that so? It is so largely because he is making decisions on the basis of sentiments, not on the basis of reason.

For example, if you can cry enough while talking to a simple person, he will most likely believe anything you tell him. Also, if you can show enough seriousness in addressing him, he will believe you. Why? His focus is on your seriousness, not on verifying the facts of what you are saying. That, of course, is how swindlers and false preachers often ensnare people.

In addition, if you can get a number of people to commend you to a simple-minded person, he will most likely believe whatever you say to him and begin to trust you. He will not make any personal effort to verify what has been said about you or to test you in any way. He will not even consider the character of those commending you to him. He will just believe that you are exactly who or what they say that you are.

Moreso, if you are a relative of a simple-minded person, he will most likely believe whatever you say. Why? His belief is that a family member will not deceive him or lie to him. And is that true? Can you trust every one of your family members to always tell you the truth? No! But a simple-minded person will do so and allow himself to be injured first before he wakes up to the fact that people and things are not always what they appear to be.

In 1Kings 13 is the story of a young and promising prophet that was fooled by an older and forgotten prophet. Why was the older prophet able to fool this younger prophet? The reason was that he was simple. He had never met this prophet before. He had never even heard of him before to know whether he had a reputation for honesty or not. Also, he did not bother to ask himself why he was the one God sent to do the job in question and not that older prophet. Yet he believed everything he told him.

Why? First, it was because that man had told him that he was a prophet. Second, it was because the man was an older man, perhaps old enough to be his father. But then, is it everyone that calls himself a prophet that is a true prophet of God? No! And is it every old person that is trustworthy? No! Sadly, that young prophet lost his life prematurely and needlessly because he was too simple to make a sound judgment of the situation he found himself in.Now we too can get seriously wounded, if we choose to be simple-minded.

Yes, we can get ourselves into unnecessary troubles, if we will not embrace the hard work involved in carefully, patiently and prayerfully examining situations before we make decisions about them.So, refuse to be simple-mined and begin to give yourself to carefully considering whatever you hear, see or want to do. And may the good Lord continually keep you from every trap of destruction. Amen.

From Pastor's Desk 2025 FROM PASTOR’S DESK 2025 Pastor's Desk

Title: The people you need

Post author By Pastor J.O. Lawal
Post date January 10, 2026
Sticky post

Series: From Pastor’s Desk
Number: Vol. 14, No. 37

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 year 2026. My prayer is that God will fulfil His good purpose for your life this year, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

As we begin this new week, I want to encourage you to begin to pray that God will clear the way for all the people you need for His good purpose to be accomplished in your life to come to you without delay. Otherwise, this year may just pass without His purpose coming to pass in your life.

Why was David able to become king over Israel, despite all that King Saul did to oppose and destroy him? One main reason was that God cleared the way for the right people to come into his life at the right time. For instance, right after he had killed Goliath, Jonathan came into his life. And this man was willing to die in order for him to become king, even though he himself was a prince of King Saul.

Also, as we are shown in 1Chronicles 11 and 12, David had all kinds of warriors sent to him by God to establish him as king over Israel. And these people were so devoted to him that if he suggested anything, they would receive it as a command and act on it, even at the cost of their lives. No wonder the kingdom of Israel was secure under his leadership, when God eventually put him on the throne.

Furthermore, why do we still have the gospel of Jesus Christ going into every part of the world today? The reason is that God has been giving Him faithful men and women as disciples right from the beginning of His ministry. And at the risk of their lives, some of these people have been taking His gospel to the ends of the earth, so that people may be saved by it.

So, for the purpose of God to be realized fully in our lives, certain people that He has appointed to help us must come to us in time and faithfully do His will in our lives. Sadly, many lives, homes, businesses and churches are not experiencing a fulfilment of God’s purpose in them today because of an absence of the right people. If we, then, don’t want to miss the fulfilment of God’s purpose in our lives, we must begin to pray to Him to clear the way for those helpers He has appointed for us to come to us without delay. And I pray that all such people will begin to come into your life to fulfil God’s purpose in it without delay, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Have a lovely week.

Tags alaythia bible church, christianity, counsel, Faith, From Pastors Desk, wisdom

Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

Title: Choose your companions carefully

Post author By Pastor J.O. Lawal
Post date January 7, 2026
No Comments on Title: Choose your companions carefully

Series: Youth for Jesus

Number: Vol. 8, No. 34

“He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.” (Prov 13:20NIV)

Who is this instruction given to? Every one of us! And what is the point of the instruction? It is that we are to choose our companions carefully. Now, of course, it is not in every situation that we are privileged to choose who gets to be in our lives. For instance, we did not get to choose our biological parents, children, siblings and other blood relatives. They were all chosen for us by God. And whether they are good, bad, beautiful or ugly, we just have to learn to live with them.But then, there are situations in which we can choose who stays in our lives and who doesn’t stay or who does certain things with us and who doesn’t. And it is in such situations that Solomon, as we see in our opening text, tells us to choose carefully.

What main thing, then, should we consider in choosing who stays in our lives and who doesn’t stay, when we have the right to make that choice? Their possession of wisdom or foolishness! Why? Well, the reason is that the character or disposition of anyone that we choose as our companion in life will naturally rob off on us, to one degree or the other. Therefore, if our companion is a wise person, our walk with them will expose our lives to some measure of the wisdom in their life.

That being the case, even if we have been given to doing foolish things, we will find ourselves beginning to do some things right in our lives. In like manner, if our companion is a foolish person, our walk with them will expose us to some of the foolishness in their life. And if we are not discerning enough, we will find ourselves acting foolish in some areas of our lives, even though that may be occasional.

Unfortunately, an occasional expression of foolishness may sometimes be costlier than an entire lifetime of foolishness. For instance, Rehoboam lost the larger portion of the kingdom his father Solomon passed down to him because of just one act of foolishness. He listened to the companion of fools that he had kept around himself. And though he later went on to start acting in wisdom, all the other steps of wisdom he took could not recover for him what he had lost through his one act of foolishness. What a shame! (Cf. 1Kings 12 & 2Chro 10)

But look at the early apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ. Most of them were uneducated and unwise by natural standards when He called them. But by walking with Him long enough, they all became sages, wise men that shook kingdoms with their lives and teachings of wisdom (Acts 4:13 & 26:24).

Therefore, if you want to continually act wise in all that you do, don’t choose any foolish person as a friend, business partner or life companion. Otherwise, foolishness will only keep on multiplying itself in your life. And who knows how terrible that may be for you?But then, how do you know whether someone you intend to choose as a companion is wise or foolish? You yourself need some measure of wisdom to know that. And may God freely supply you with whatever measure of wisdom you need to always choose wise companions for your life, in Jesus’ name. Amen.Cheers!

From Pastor's Desk 2025 FROM PASTOR’S DESK 2025 Pastor's Desk

Title: Don’t come empty-handed

Post author By Pastor J.O. Lawal
Post date January 3, 2026
No Comments on Title: Don’t come empty-handed

Series: From Pastor’s Desk

Number: Vol. 14, No. 36

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours abundantly from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. I am pleased to welcome you to the first week of the first month of this new year, year 2026. I pray that God will cause you to increase tremendously in usefulness in His hands in the year, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

As we begin this new year, I want to remind you of the words of Paul that say: “What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church.” (1Cor 14:26NIV)

What do we learn from what this apostle says to us here? First, it is that each of us ought to have something to bless others with anytime we come together for a church meeting. That means we are not to come for any church meeting only to be blessed by others but also to bless them. So, each time you are coming for a church meeting this year, be sure you have something with which you will bless others.

It may be a word of encouragement. It may be a word of prayer or prophecy. Or it may be a gift. Just be sure you don’t show up empty-handed but always with something that will be a blessing to others. And may God enable you to be faithful in doing so. Amen.The second thing we learn from what Paul says to us in that bible text is that whatever any of us does in our church etings must be for the edification of others.

So, none of us must say or do anything that will injure or destroy the faith, lives or homes of others in any of our meetings. On the contrary, everything we do or say must be intentionally said to bless and build others up. And if you are not sure you will not say or do something that will injure another person in a church meeting, you had better stay at home.Now I know you will not like to just stay at home anytime we are meeting as a church this year, if you are truly a child of God.

Instead, if God allows it, you will want to be in every meeting we hold. Therefore, pray that God will enable you to participate in every meeting we will be having in such a way that everything you say and do will be a blessing to all of us. And this will be so for you all through the year, in Jesus’ name. Amen.Happy new year.

General Post

2026 NEW YEAR ONLINE MESSAGE

Post author By Pastor J.O. Lawal
Post date January 1, 2026
No Comments on 2026 NEW YEAR ONLINE MESSAGE

Beloved: I am pleased and delighted to welcome you to year 2026. And may the grace of our Lord Jesus, the love of God and the fellowship of the Spirit of God be with you without measure all through the year. Amen.As we begin this new year, this is my word of encouragement to you:

REMEMBER THE LORD YOUR GOD

“But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today.” (Deut 8:18NIV)What is Moses’ instruction to the Israelites in our opening text? It is that they should remember the Lord their God. And why does he tell them to remember Him? It is because they can forget Him. They can get so carried away with matters of life that they will forget that God exists. Now you know that God is invisible. And because of that, it is very easy for us to lose the consciousness of His existence and presence in our lives.

Mind you, there are times that we lose in our lives the consciousness of even people that we can see. And that is often a produce of a feeling of adequacy. In other words, it is when we feel that we are adequate and not in need of people that we forget them. We hardly forget those that we know that we need to move on in life.My point, in any case, is that if we can forget people, who are visible to us, is it God who is invisible that we can’t forget? We can forget Him. And we will forget Him the moment we begin to think that we don’t need Him in our lives. Where this, then, is the case, we are bound to be disconnected from His goodness and mercy.

As Moses points out in the text above, God is the source of man’s prosperity. He is the giver of every ability needed to prosper in life and to enjoy life. So, to forget Him or not to remember Him is to disconnect ourselves from the source of life, peace, joy and prosperity. And though the consequences of that may not fully manifest immediately, they will surely manifest, if we stay long enough in that condition. Only God Himself, then, can tell how terrible that will be for us.

Therefore, if you don’t want to be disconnected from life, joy, peace, rest, prosperity and any other good thing this new year, always remember the Lord your God. Yes, always remember that He is your source, the source every good thing you may need for your sustenance in life. And as you walk in this consciousness this year, you will never be stranded or lacking in any good thing.Then you also need to remember that God is your judge. He is the judge of all of us. Solomon says this about Him: “For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” (Eccl 12:14NIV)

That clearly shows us that God is the judge of every one of us. So, we can expect Him to hold us all responsible for everything we say and do this year. And if you walk in this consciousness in the year, you will never intentionally say or do anything that is contrary to His righteousness. That way, you will keep yourself from bringing His judgment on yourself. Now my prayer is that your heart will be daily taught and strengthened to remember God in all your ways this year and to walk accordingly, for your peace of mind and prosperity, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Happy New Year.

Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

Title: His intention

Post author By Pastor J.O. Lawal
Post date December 31, 2025

Series: Youth for Jesus

Number: Vol. 8, No. 33

“His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Eph 3:10-11NIV)

Whose intention is Paul speaking of here in our opening text? God’s intention! And what is His intention? It is that His manifold wisdom will be made known to all His creation through His children, all believers in Christ Jesus.So, it is not the will of God for us as His children to be making foolish or stupid decisions in life. Rather, His will is that our decisions will be decisions of wisdom, that our words will be words of wisdom and that our actions will be actions of wisdom. That is what will cause the world of humans and the world of angels to praise Him.

Look at Solomon, for example. He so manifested the wisdom of God to his world that people came from everywhere to listen to him and to take counsel from him. Also, look at Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. They all so manifested the wisdom of God that the emperors of the Babylon of their time could not ignore them. The report was that they were all several times better than all their counterparts. Amazing, or what do you think? (Cf. 1Kings 4:29-34; Dan 1:18-20)

Then consider Bezalel and Oholiab, the two young men that led the design and construction of the tabernacle of God for Moses in the wilderness. They so manifested the wisdom of God that none of the heavenly instructions given to them by Moses was too difficult for them to understand or carry out. (Cf. Ex 31:1-11 & 35:30-35)

Furthermore, consider the apostles of old, including Paul who shared with us the words of our opening text in a letter. Even though most of them were not learned, they still so manifested the wisdom of God that they baffled rulers and leaders of people when they spoke and led many out of poverty. And they did all this to the glory and praise of God.

So, if you are a child of God, His intention is never that you will be living a silly, uncoordinated and meaningless life. Rather, His intention is that your life will be a mighty expression of His wisdom and glory every day. You, then, should begin to pray to Him that this will be a reality in your life every day. And so shall it be. Amen.

Happy new year in advance.

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)

From Pastor's Desk 2025 FROM PASTOR’S DESK 2025 Pastor's Desk

Title: You have to be ready

Post author By Pastor J.O. Lawal
Post date December 27, 2025

Series: From Pastor’s Desk

Number: Vol. 14, No. 35

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. I am delighted to welcome you to the transition week between this year, 2025, and the coming year, 2026. My prayer is that God will equip you with every good thing you need to go into the new year and succeed, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

As we all know, we get older with every day God adds to our lives. But however old we may become in life, there will always be something new God wants to do for us or give to us. It is our readiness, then, to receive from Him that will determine whether what He wants to do for us or give to us will actually be ours.

For example, God said this to Joshua after he had led the children of Israel into their inheritance and also had become very old: “When Joshua was old and well advanced in years, the LORD said to him, “You are very old, and there are still very large areas of land to be taken over.”” (Josh 13:1NIV)

Why was it an old man that God was saying these things to? Why wasn’t He saying them to some young men in the land? The reason was that God was not through with Joshua at the time, even though he had become very old. And inasmuch as he too was ready to have whatever God wanted him to have, his age would not be a problem to God.

In like manner, regardless of how old you are this year or how old you will be in the coming year, God is not through with you, as long as there is still breath in you. There are still all kinds of good and pleasant things that He wants do for you and give to you. But you have to be ready to have what He wants you to have and not use your age as your excuse for losing His blessings.Don’t forget that God knows how old you are.

Also, He knows all your inadequacies. And if He will not use your age or inadequacies as an excuse for not promoting, lifting or healing you, then, you too must not use them as an excuse for staying stagnant or unwell in life.

Instead, like Mary the mother of Jesus, you should embrace whatever He wants you to have, saying, “Let it be unto me according to your word and desire.” And as you do that, you will see Him providing for you every good thing you need to experience the fullness of His good purpose for your life.Happy new year in advance.

Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

Title: Let someone else take your place

Post author By Pastor J.O. Lawal
Post date December 25, 2025

Series: Youth for Jesus

Number: Vol. 8, No. 32

“Let your servant return, that I may die in my own town near the tomb of my father and mother. But here is your servant Kimham. Let him cross over with my lord the king. Do for him whatever pleases you.” (2Sam 19:37NIV)

Who said these words? Barzillai! And who was Barzillai? According to bible accounts, he was one of these few Israelite wealthy men that helped David with food and other things during the rebellion of Absalom. But he was not just a wealthy man at the time; he was also an old man, eighty years of age. (Cf. 2Sam 17: 27-29 &19:31-32)

Now because this man was crucial to David’s survival during Absalom’s rebellion, he wanted to bring him to live with him in Jerusalem after the rebellion had been crushed. And that, of course, was the highest honour the king may bestow on anyone. That means he would be getting the treatment of the king’s friend, eating and drinking regularly with him at his table, and perhaps also helping him with some state affairs.One, then, would think or expect Barzillai to jump at the offer, for it would give him access to greater influence and enjoyment in life.

Yet, as we see in our opening text, the man would not take the offer. Instead, he asked the king to let someone else, a gentleman that was most likely his son, take his place in accepting and enjoying the offer. Why?Well, as he himself pointed out, the reason was that he was too old and weak at the time to make the most of the offer. Yes, sometimes, we may come in contact with some eighty or more years old people that are still strong and agile and ready to take on anything life throws at them.

But in most cases, people of that age bracket are no longer willing to fight for positions, power, influence, wealth or enjoyment in life. They just want to make peace with their world or with their maker while they wait for their time to be done. Therefore, there are acts of kindness that will just be a waste them. And that was exactly what Barzillai thought of what David wanted to do for him. He saw it as an attempt to waste honour on him.

So, he pleaded with David to let someone else that still had the ability to make the most of that honour to take his place in receiving it. And as a wise and reasonable king, David listened to him and did as he had requested.Now what is the lesson for us in this? It is simply that it is not every act of kindness meant for us that we must personally accept and enjoy. There are acts of kindness meant for us that we may not readily have what it takes to enjoy.

If we, then, should insist on accepting and enjoying such acts of kindness by ourselves, we may end up wasting them. And that will be nothing but an expression of greed on our part. Wisdom, then, demands that we let others who can make the most of such acts of kindness take our place in such situations. That way, God and people will praise us for not allowing an act of goodness to be wasted on us.

Similarly, in doing good to others or in appreciating them, we must avoid wastefulness. Yes, someone may deserve our acts of kindness. But if such acts of kindness will only amount to a waste of kindness on the person, we should come up with some other acts of kindness that won’t be a waste on them. Or we can handle such acts of kindness in a way that those in their lives that have the ability to make the most of them can benefit from them. That will be our wisdom.Cheers!

From Pastor's Desk 2025 FROM PASTOR’S DESK 2025 Pastor's Desk

Title: You cannot be on the fence

Post author By Pastor J.O. Lawal
Post date December 20, 2025

Series: From Pastor’s Desk

Number: Vol. 14, No. 34

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. I am delighted to welcome you to another week of the month of December 2025. I pray that God will continue to empower you to increase in usefulness in His hands, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

As we begin this week, I want to remind you of these words of our Lord Jesus Christ that say: “He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.” (Matt 12:30NIV)

Now what point is the Lord making by saying these words? It is that we cannot be on the fence in this world or in His kingdom. If we are not on His side, then, we are against Him. And there are people who claim not to have anything against Jesus and Christianity but who don’t want to be Christians. Some of them even attend church meetings sometimes with their friends or family members. But as far as the Lord Jesus is concerned, all of them are against Him. So, they will not find Him to be their friend but their judge and enemy on the day of judgment.

Also, there are people who call themselves Christians but who don’t join others in their churches in doing anything for the Lord. And why don’t they join others in doing anything for the Lord? They may say that they are too busy to do so. They may say that they are shy or afraid of doing so. Or they may say that what is being done does not make sense to them, especially if what is being done is not their idea.

Well, as far as the Lord Jesus is concerned, all such people who are not gathering with Him are scattering what He is doing. They may not see it that way. But that is exactly what they are doing. And a day is coming when they will be punished for destroying the work of God.

Some, in fact, are already being punished for unconsciously destroying God’s work. It is just that they don’t know.Therefore, you cannot be on the fence in God’s kingdom. If you want to be inside, then, stay inside and make yourself useful. Otherwise, just stay outside so that no one will assume that you belong to Jesus when you really don’t belong to Him.Have a lovely week.