Author: Pastor J.O. Lawal

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Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

Title: I will not be a judge of such things|By: J.O. Lawal|Fire in my bones

fire in my bones
fire in my bones
Date: May 24, 2023|Series: Youth for Jesus|Number: Vol. 6, No. 2
“While Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him into court. "This man," they charged, "is persuading the people to worship God in ways contrary to the law." Just as Paul was about to speak, Gallio said to the Jews, "If you Jews were making a complaint about some misdemeanor or serious crime, it would be reasonable for me to listen to you. But since it involves questions about words and names and your own law — settle the matter yourselves. I will not be a judge of such things." So he had them ejected from the court. Then they all turned on Sosthenes the synagogue ruler and beat him in front of the court. But Gallio showed no concern whatever.” (Acts 18:14-17NIV)

Why did Gallio refuse to judge the matter between Paul and the Jews that had brought him to his court? It was because he did not have enough light on it. It was a religious matter that they brought before him, a matter involving Christianity and Judaism. But this man was neither a Christian nor a Jew. So, there was no way he could judge the case without being bias or unjust. 

But you know that it is one thing to know that you are not fit to handle something; it is another thing to admit that you are not fit to handle it. Gallio admitted to himself that he was not knowledgeable enough to judge Paul’s case with the Jews, even though he was a proconsul, a governor, at the time. So, he told Paul’s accusers in plain terms, “I will not be a judge of such things – go and handle this matter yourselves.” And even though they protested and began to beat the ruler of their synagogue, Gallio didn’t give a damn. He simply had all of them ejected from his court. What a man!

Now compare Gallio to Pontus Pilate who judged the case of Jesus. First, Jesus was not under his jurisdiction but under Herod’s jurisdiction. So, it was Herod that was supposed to judge His case. But Herod lost interest in judging the matter, when Jesus was not answering any of his questions, questions that were evidently irrelevant to the matter at hand. So, he sent Him back to Pilate. (Cf. Luke 23:1-12)

In any case, even though the Lord was sent back to him in that manner, he still did not have enough light to judge His case. Why? Like Gallio of Paul’s time, he too was neither a Jew nor a believer in Christ Jesus. So, he should have told the people plainly that he would not be a judge of such things. But he did not do that. Instead, he sat in judgment over Jesus and committed the greatest act of injustice of all times. He sentenced the author of life, the only man that ever lived without any sin in His life, to death and became partakers of the crime of His accusers. 

Why? He wanted to please the crowd (Mark 15:15).What is the point of all this? It is that you should learn to excuse yourself from matters that are beyond your knowledge to judge or comment on. It is normal for people to want to drag us into matters that do not concern us. Sometimes, it may be out of respect for us or because they believe we are in a position to attend to such matters.

 But regardless of what position we are holding in life or how knowledgeable we may be, there are matters that we have no business attending to and matters that are just too high for us. For example, David, even though he was God’s anointed king, once wrote in a psalm of his, “I do not concern myself with matters too high for me or subjects that I do not understand.” Why? He knew it is only arrogant people that get involved in judging cases they do not understand. And such people can only end up becoming evil judges and partakers of the sins and punishments of others. (Cf. Ps 131:1-2)

What about our Lord Jesus Himself? He also once refused to judge a family case brought to Him by a man. The man had asked Him to command his brother to divide the inheritance with him. And how did the Lord respond to that? He simply said, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” In other words, the Lord was saying, “Look, it is not in my place to judge matters like this.” (Cf. Luke 12:13-14)

Now since there were cases the Lord Jesus did not see Himself as in a position to justly judge when He was here on earth, then, we also should know that it is not every case we are fit to judge. Unfortunately, even many that we call men and women of God today do not understand this. So, they want to judge, comment on and even pray about every matter people bring to them or every current issue in their society. Why? They want to become popular among men, just like Pilate.

 But because they do these things without asking themselves whether they have enough information or are in the right positions to handle them or not, they end up lying or becoming associated with the sins of certain wicked people. And that is how many of them have lost their respect, even among those who once cherished them. 

Well, the word of God is coming to you now and saying, “It is not every matter that you are fit to judge or comment on.” And to say the fact, it will take wisdom for us to recognise such matters and strength of character to refuse to judge them. My prayer, then, is that you will always have sufficient wisdom to know matters that are not your business and sufficient strength of character to steer clear of them. Amen.

Copyright © 2023, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church --This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to pastor@abcministryng.com  or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2023 Pastor's Desk

He will find someone else | By: J.O. Lawal | Date: May 21, 2023 | Series: From Pastor’s Desk | Number: Vol. 12, No. 3

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. I welcome you to another week of the month of May 2023. And I pray that your heart will always be prompt and loyal in doing the will of God for you in every situation, so that someone else will not take the place that is yours in God’s eternal kingdom. Amen.

John the Baptist, once while preaching to the Israelites, said this to them: “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.” (Matt 3:8-9NIV) And why did he say these words to them? It was because even though the will of God had been made known to them through their Scriptures, they were not living accordingly. Yet they never stopped showing pride in the fact that they were Abraham’s descendants.

Sadly, there are still many like them today. They too are living off the names and reputations of their parents or grandparents. But they themselves have no good name or reputation that could make any serious-minded person want to associate with them. And what they do not know is that they if they will not live up to the good names and reputations of their ancestors, a time will come when no one will reckon with their relationships with these ancestors of theirs again. Instead, they will turn to those who are walking in the footsteps of these great people and begin to celebrate their names.

Now that is exactly what John the Baptist was communicating to his people, the Israelites, when he said the words in the above Scripture to them. He wanted them to know that they couldn’t inherit Abraham’s relationship with God. They would have to build their own relationship with Him by taking Him seriously the way he did. Why? It is because relationships are built and not inherited.

See, that someone was a good friend of your late parents does not mean he is going to be a good friend of yours too. If you do not relate to the person the way your parents related to him, he may, at some point, change his mind about you and stop having anything to do with you. Does that mean he has changed his mind about your parents too? No! His relationship with your parents is a settled case. But there is no way he will continue that same relationship with you, if you will not treat him with the kind of respect and love your parents gave him.

In like manner, John wanted the Jews to know that if they would not take God seriously the way their forefather Abraham did, they would not enjoy God the way he did. On the contrary, God would find Himself other children that would relate to Him as Abraham did, even if He had to raise them from some stones. And what that is telling us is that if we will not do the will of God from our hearts, He may at some point find and replace us with other people that will do what He wants, even if we have come from a family of those who once served and cherished Him.

And we have examples in Scriptures of how certain people who would not do His will were replaced by Him with others who would do what He wanted. For instance, He replaced Eli’s sons with Samuel and made him the judge of the nation of Israel instead of them. He also replaced King Saul with David, even though David was not a prince. And my prayer is that He will not have to replace you with another person in His kingdom, in your family, in your neighbourhood or in your workplace or school.

But you have to begin to take your relationship with Him seriously. You have to begin to take the doing of His will seriously. What are the things He wants you to do? Where are the places He wants you to go? Who are the people He wants you to support with your resources? You need to settle down to pray and study His word to know these things and to be devoted to them. Otherwise, He will surely and someday find someone else to do what you will not do, for His work cannot be left undone.

Have a great week.

Copyright © 2023, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to pastor@abcministry.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

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Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

Title: Limiting circumstances |By: J.O. Lawal|FIRE IN MY BONES

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

Date: May 17, 2023|Series: Youth for Jesus|Number: Vol. 6, No. 1

“Your children will be shepherds here for forty years, suffering for your unfaithfulness, until the last of your bodies lies in the desert.” (Num 14:33NIV)

Why did God say that the children of the Israelites that rebelled against Him in the wilderness, when He was leading them into the Land of Promise, would be nothing but shepherds for forty years? Was it because that was the only vocation available for humans at that time? No! There were all sorts of vocations that people could learn and practise then.

In fact, as we see in Scriptures, there were all kinds of skilled workers among these Israelites at that time. For example, we have people like Bezalel and Oholiab among them at the time. And these young men were experts in all kinds of crafts. There were also among them women who were skilled in spinning cloth materials. (Cf. Ex 31:1-11 & 35:25-26)

So, at that time, there was no shortage of skills to engage in all kinds of vocations that could transform a land into a wonder among these Israelites. But how much could they accomplish for themselves and their nation with their various skills and vocations while wandering in the wilderness? Not much!

The prevailing circumstances in that wilderness did not give much room for them to fully utilise whatever special skills or abilities they had and build great vocations or careers with them. They could not settle down there to farm. They could not settle down there to build houses. And they could not set up a market there for people from different nations to come and trade in. The best they could do there was take care of their animals and wait until God led them out of there into the land flowing with milk and honey, which He had promised them.

But why, then, didn’t they just get out of the wilderness and move into the land God had promised them? They could not. They could not because they had no power of their own to take that land. God had to give it to them. Then why was God not giving it to them, since He had promised to do so? It was because He did not want the unbelieving older generations among them to enter the land. So, He was waiting until the last one of them died before giving the land to their descendants, something that took forty years. And that, of course, also means that those qualified to enter that land of rest and prosperity were stuck in the wilderness because of their natural relationships, their relationships with their parents, grandparents, uncles, aunties and so forth.

What is the point of all this? It is that the circumstances of our birth or of where we are can put certain limitations on us, even lifetime limitations. Yes, the circumstances of our family or those of where we live, work, do business or study can keep us in poverty, illiteracy, danger or illness. And it does not matter how hardworking, diligent, educated or gifted we may be, those circumstances may never allow us to attain certain heights of usefulness, prominence, prosperity or comfort in life.

Unfortunately, many don’t know this. They don’t know that regardless of what degree of hard work, diligence or carefulness they employ where they are, as long as certain circumstances are prevalent there or in their families, their efforts will not succeed in giving them the experience of prosperity or peace that they desire. So, they keep putting in more effort. And if they are not shown mercy by God, frustration and depression are bound to set in at some point and ruin them.

What, then, do such people need? They need divine intervention. In other words, they need God to step into their situation. And what will that accomplish? First, when God steps into their situation, He will open their eyes to see what their problem really is, which is that they are being limited or hindered by certain circumstances of their lives. Second, He will take steps to remove or change the circumstances limiting them or take them away from those circumstances to where they need to be to flourish and be all that He wants them to be.

In the case of the Israelites that we are considering, God, at the right time, had to lead them out of the wilderness into the land He had prepared for them, so that they could flourish with their gifts, abilities and vocations. Otherwise, their names and memories would have disappeared along with them in the wilderness. But in the case of Isaac, when he was living in Gerar and there was a severe famine in the land, all God needed to do was give him favourable circumstances. So, though it was a time of severe famine, the man still rose above all odds and flourished in the land. (Cf. Gen 26)

So, if you feel or can see that certain prevailing circumstances where you are have been working against you and making nonsense of your diligent labour or carefulness and forcing poverty, illness, illiteracy or any other terrible thing on you, don’t waste time at all to take the case up with God. That is because He is the only person that can show you what to do and also fix the problem for you. And He will surely have it handled for you, if you will patiently allow Him.

But if you choose to use your own wisdom to address things and move to where you should not move to or stay where you need to get away from, you will someday realise, like Naomi of bible days, that you have not solved your problem at all but have only made it worse (Ruth 1). My earnest prayer is that you will act wise in this matter and not make things worse for yourself while you are trying to handle them. Amen.

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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2023 Pastor's Desk

Faith and faithfulness By: J.O. Lawal | Date: May 14, 2023 | Series: From Pastor’s Desk | Number: Vol. 12, No. 2

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. I am delighted to welcome you to a new week in the month of May 2023. And my prayer is that God will fulfil all His good intentions for making you a part of His church and of this particular assembly, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

It is now exactly eleven years that this assembly began to meet in this town as a church. And I give God glory and honour for establishing us in His will and for building us up in His love. I also thank Him for all that He has done for us individually and as a church and also for everything He has done through us in this land and in different parts of the world. His glorious name will be forever praised and honoured by all His creation. Amen.

I equally want to appreciate all of us, especially those who have been with us since the beginning, when we were less than ten people, for believing in the presence of God in our midst and for standing strong all this while, even when it did not look like we were going anywhere. I remember that for some years we did not increase beyond ten in number. And why? Was it because we were walking contrary to the will of God? No! Or was it because the word of God and His Spirit were absent in our midst? No!

To the best of my knowledge of the Scriptures, all along, we have been walking in the will of God. That is because we have been walking in love and in Christ righteousness and in utter dependence on God Himself for everything we need. Then the word of God and His Spirit have always been with us and in us, teaching us, guiding us and strengthening us to do His will.

However, unless God Himself adds to His church, human efforts to add to it can only result in chaos and judgment, when all has been said and done. Therefore, though our number was not increasing significantly for some years, we kept on meeting week after week, praying and learning the word of God. We also kept on sharing His word that has been blessing us with others by word of mouth and through all kinds of publications, as we were enabled by God. Why? Faith! We have faith in God and in the fact that He will surely build us up as His church and also multiply the work He has committed into our hands, if we remain faithful to Him and do not faint.

Now, today, though we know that the world is still before us to conquer for the Lord Jesus, we are grateful to God because He is daily building us to be conformed to the likeness of His Son Jesus Christ and also increasing us in number. Not only that, we are thankful to Him for enabling us to now publish His word on the radio and through the internet. And we know that He will carry the good work He is doing in us, among us and through us on to the very end of the times.

I want to encourage you, then, who are reading this never to despise the days of small beginnings. That is because if you remain faithful, God is able to make that which appears to be small and insignificant today great beyond measure (Zech 4:10). And even if it looks like it is going to take an eternity for what you are doing for the Lord to become great in your hand, remain faithful to Him. That is because it is not the largeness or greatness of what you are doing that God is going to reward, since He is the one responsible for it. Rather, it is your faithfulness in handling it that He will reward. And He will reward it according to His generosity not according to how much you think you have done. (Cf. Matt 20; 1Cor 3:5-9).

So, put faith and faithfulness to God above all things in all that you do for Him. He will surely honour you for doing so. And as you join us as an assembly this new year in partnering with God to be all that He wants us to be and also do all that He wants to do, you will also see Him glorified in your life, home and affairs, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Keep walking with God, and you will keep walking without fear.

Copyright © 2023, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to pastor@abcministry.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

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Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

You Will Not Find a Better or Greater God | By: J.O. Lawal | FIRE IN MY BONES

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

Date: May 10, 2023|Series: Youth for Jesus|Number: Vol. 5, No. 52

“Ahaz gathered together the furnishings from the temple of God and took them away. He shut the doors of the LORD’s temple and set up altars at every street corner in Jerusalem.” (2Chron 28:24-25NIV)

Why did King Ahaz shut the door of the Lord’s temple? It was because he did not want anyone to use it as a place of worship again. Why did he not want anyone to use the Lord’s temple for worship anymore? It was because he was angry with Him. And why was he angry with Him? It was because he felt that He was his problem – he felt that He was the reason he lost almost everything he had inherited from his ancestors.

Truly, as the account of his reign goes, things were put in reverse gear when this man became king. Everything went backward and not forward. And raiders came against the nation from every side to ruin it and to take the people captive. The situation was so bad that God, at some point, had to show mercy and intervene through one of His prophets, so that certain two hundred thousand wives and children of the land that had been taken captive would be released and sent back home. (Cf. 2Chro 28)

Yet Ahaz saw God as the problem. But was God really the problem? Was God really the reason the nation collapsed under his reign? No, God wasn’t the problem. He was the problem. He was the one that chose not to honour and worship God, as his father Jotham and his grandfather Uzziah had done. He was the one that chose idolatry and the practice of sorcery as his own way to be safe and secure. This man, as the bible tells us, was so detestable and ruthless that he offered his own sons to his gods in the fire. (Cf. 2Chro 28:1-4)

Therefore, God took away his protection. And the land became vulnerable and unsafe. What, then, should he have done? He should have returned to the God of his ancestors; he should have returned to the God that kept the nation safe and prosperous under the reigns of his father and grandfather. But did he? No, he did not!

Instead, he went deeper into idolatry. Look at how the bible puts that: 

“In his time of trouble King Ahaz became even more unfaithful to the LORD. He offered sacrifices to the gods of Damascus, who had defeated him; for he thought, “Since the gods of the kings of Aram have helped them, I will sacrifice to them so they will help me.” But they were his downfall and the downfall of all Israel.” (2Chron 28:22-23NIV)

Think about that. Ahaz was ready to worship any god that he considered to be the winning god. But he would not worship the living God. Why? He was hoping that he would find a better and more powerful god than Him. 

See, Ahaz knew that the reason he was crushed and defeated by the nations around him was that he forsook the God of his ancestors. And that made him mad. It made him mad because he felt he should be free to choose any god he wanted and not having anyone force any god on him. So, he wanted to shame God by finding a more powerful or greater god than Him to worship. That was one of the reasons he shut the doors of the temple of God and multiplied idol worship in the land.

But did Ahaz find a greater or more powerful god than the living God? No! Why did he not find? It was because there is none. There is no god greater or more powerful than the living God. To say the fact, He is the only God that exists. All the so gods that people worship are no gods at all. They are either idols, the works of men, or demons, beings created by God. So, if anyone thinks he is going to find a greater, better or more powerful god than the living God, the person has already failed before his journey starts. 

What is the point I am making? It is that there is no greater or better god than the living God. In fact, there is no other god but Him. Therefore, if, like Ahaz, you want to forsake Him for some other gods because you think He is your problem or because you think serving Him is burdensome or because you think He is too weak or slow for you, you also, like Ahaz, will someday realise that you are your own problem and that you cannot find any god like Him or any god greater or better than Him. But will your life still be intact then? Will it not have become utterly or eternally ruined by the time you find out?

Ahaz’s life and country were ruined because felt he was free to choose his own god or gods and still be fine. And there are still many like him today who equally think they are free to choose their own gods or not to choose any god at all but become their own gods. But they are wrong. Man is not free to choose his own god or gods, for he did not create or make himself. Man was created by the living God. So, he already has the God he is to worship, serve and live for. And the best thing he can do for himself is to accept this reality and live accordingly. That will be his wisdom. That will be his eternal peace.

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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2023 Pastor's Desk

Stop acting in desperation | By: J.O. Lawal | Date: May 07, 2023 | Series: From Pastor’s Desk | Number: Vol. 12, No. 1

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. I am glad to welcome you to another week of the month of May 2023. My prayer is that God will strengthen your heart to continually trust Him, regardless of the circumstances of your life or of our country, so that He may fulfil all His good intentions concerning you, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

As many of us can see today, more and more of our young men and women are daily turning to swindling, banditry, money rituals, prostitution and several other vices in order to survive. And despite all the news of the terrible things that are happening to those involved in these evils, most of them are not deterred at all. Instead, they keep overlooking the consequences of what they are doing for the temporary enjoyment they are getting from them. And to make things worse, we now have many parents approving of what these young ones are doing. How sad!

But what is responsible for this kind of attitude? Why will people daily see in the lives of others around them the consequences of choosing to go in certain directions in life and still choose to go in the same directions? One main reason for this is desperation. When people are desperate to survive and to also enjoy their lives, at least, to some degree, they will be willing to do just anything and ignore the consequences.

So, if you find yourself willing to do about anything to survive in this world, regardless of what doing so might do to your soul, to your life and to the people close to you, you must understand that you are desperate. And what is responsible for desperation? It is ignorance of God.

When people are ignorant of God, they will also be ignorant of His love for them and of His power to take care of them. And when people are ignorant of God’s love for them and power to take care of them, they will not trust Him to take care of them. Therefore, if they find themselves in any situation that threatens their existence or enjoyment of life, they will become desperate in saving themselves from it.

But no man can save himself from any problem or difficulty. It is only the one that God saves that will be safe. That is why our Lord Jesus says, “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.” (Matt 16:25NIV) Did you see that? It does not matter how desperate you are to save yourself from poverty, sickness or death, you will not succeed, if that desperation does not drive you to God. And we can see all around us how many, in their desperation to save themselves from poverty, disgrace, sickness, barrenness or death, are ruining their own lives, destroying their homes and making our world a more dangerous place to live in.

So, stop acting in desperation and doing just about anything that comes to your mind in order to enjoy life, get healed, get married or have children. King Saul once acted against the will of God in desperation in order to save his kingdom. Yet he lost what he was trying to save. And if you too allow desperation to make you go contrary to the will of God for your life, you will also end up being a terrible loser, regardless of how hard you try to win. (Cf. 1Sam 13)

But if you hand over your life to God, He will surely preserve it for you and see to it that you have everything you need to live a meaningful life and to also enjoy your eternity with Him. What, then, are you going to do? Are you going to continue to live in desperation and frustrate yourself out of this life? Or are you going to give yourself and your burdens to God and patiently watch Him take adequate care of you? My prayer is that the Spirit of God will cause you to do the right thing about this matter, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Have a great week.

Copyright © 2023, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to pastor@abcministry.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

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Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

Would you rather have Satan stay? |By: J.O. Lawal Number: Vol. 5, No. 51|FIRE IN MY BONES

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

Date: May 03, 2023|Series: Youth for Jesus|Number: Vol. 5, No. 51

“Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man — and told about the pigs as well. Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.” (Mark 5:14-17NIV)

Why did the people mentioned in our opening bible text plead with Jesus to leave their region? Was it because they did not believe in His ministry? No! As the account goes, they just witnessed something about the power and effectiveness of His ministry. They just saw how He healed and made whole a man who had been mad and who had been a terror to all of them. So, even if they did not believe in Him and in what He could do before, what they witnessed was enough to make them believe.

Yet, as we are told in the account, they were not willing to experience more of the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ in their lives, homes and region. So, they literally begged Him to leave them alone. Why? Why would they not want a man who had enough power to set a demoniac free from years of torment to stay with them? Imagine what His stay among them for a few days could mean to them. Imagine the kind of liberty and joy His stay could have brought to all the people among them that were being oppressed of the devil.

But they would not have Him. And why? The reason was that they were afraid of the financial implications of His stay. And was it that the Lord needed them to pay Him in order to stay and minister among them? No! Truly, today we have many so-called preachers that the thought of the cost of hosting them will not allow many who will have loved to be beneficiaries of their ministries to dare inviting them. But our Lord Jesus was never like that. For Him, the principle of ministry is, “Freely you have received. Freely give.” (Cf. Matt 10:8)

Since the Lord, then, was not going to take any money from these people in order to minister to them, what financial implications were they afraid of? As we are further shown in the account, what they were afraid of was that the Lord’s stay in their land may bring more harm to their businesses. Why did they think like that? It was because when the Lord drove out the demons in the mad man that was healed, He gave them permission to go into a herd of pigs that was nearby. And all the pigs these demons went into, about two thousand of them, rushed into the lake close by and drowned. (Cf. Mark 5:1-13)

Now why did the Lord permit those demons to go into those pigs? We are not given any direct reason in the account. Yes, we know from Scriptures that the Israelites were not permitted by God to eat pigs – they were unclean for them. But there is nothing in Scriptures against rearing them. By the way, camels, for instance, were also among the animals that were unclean for them to eat. Yet many of them had these beasts of burden and were using them for their travels. So, using the ceremonial uncleanness of those pigs as the Lord’s reason for allowing demons to enter them may not really hold water. (Cf. Lev 11)

What, then, was the Lord’s reason for permitting these evil spirits to have their way on this occasion? To answer that, we need to first remember that it was those demons that requested that Jesus would send them into those pigs – it was not the Lord’s idea to do that. And why did they make this request? As Mark tells us in his account of the incident, it was because they did not want to leave that region (Mark 5:10). They wanted to continue their operation there, tormenting the people and destroying their lives. And the only way for that to happen was for them to have bodies (houses) to occupy or live in.

Now they had thought that those pigs would be able to house all of them, since they were many. But the Lord knew better. The Lord knew that those animals could not handle demonic possession. They would rather die than do so. And that, of course, would ruin the business of their owners. Yet He permitted them to go into them. Why? I believe it was to reveal what was really in the heart of the people living in that place.

Remember that God did something similar, when Satan sought permission from Him to attack Job and his possession. He permitted him to attack Job and all that he had to reveal the truth about the man’s devotion to him to Satan and others watching. And though the man lost everything and was terribly afflicted in his body, he did not disown God but held fast to Him till He brought him salvation and restoration. That shows that he valued God more than his own life and more than his possessions. (Cf. Job 1&2)

Unfortunately, that was not the case with the people of Gadarenes. They cared more about their businesses than the salvation of that mad man and the salvation of their own souls. They cared more about money than the presence of Jesus Christ in their lives. The presence of Jesus in their territory threatened their businesses. But the presence of that legion of demons did not threaten them. So, begged Jesus to leave, indicating that they preferred to have Satan reigning among them than to have Him reigning among them. How sad!

But then, the truth is that many today, including Christians, are not different from these people of Gadarenes. They too would rather have Satan ruin their lives, homes and relationships or the lives of others, as long as their money, fame or position remains intact, than to experience the salvation of Jesus and perhaps lose these things. And if you are one of such people, this word is coming to you now so that you can examine your heart and ways and repent. Otherwise, you may never ever be free from the dominion of darkness.

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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2023 Pastor's Desk

Why are you doing this to yourself? | By: J.O. Lawal | Date: April 30, 2023 | Series: From Pastor’s Desk | umber: Vol. 11, No. 52

Title: Why are you doing this to yourself?
By: J.O. Lawal
Date: April 30, 2023
Series: From Pastor’s Desk
Number: Vol. 11, No. 52

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and Jesus our Lord and Saviour. I gladly welcome you to the last Sunday of the month of April 2023. My prayer is that God will clear the way for everything He wants you to have this month that you are yet to receive to come you before the month ends, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

As we come into this new week, I want to remind you of what Paul tells us about the possibility of always learning the word of God and yet not coming to know anything about Him or His truth (2Tim 3:7). And why will someone be attending church meetings and hearing the word of God and yet be ignorant of God and of the basic truths of life? One of the things that are often responsible for that is a lack of concentration.

When the word of God is coming to you and your mind is not following what you are being taught but is busy with something else or you are sleeping, there is no way you will be able to make anything out of what you are learning. Unfortunately, not paying attention to the word of God coming to them or sleeping when the word of God is coming to them has become a culture for many so-called Christians. That means it is what they do all the time. It is no wonder, then, that there has been no noticeable transformation in their lives ever since they have become Christians and have been attending church meetings.

Another reason people often learn the word of God and yet don’t get to know the truth of God through it is a lack of understanding of what they are learning. Our Lord Jesus clearly tells us that when someone hears the word of God and does not understand it, Satan will come to him and snatch what he has heard away from him. Therefore, there is no way what he has heard can translate to anything good in his life — it can only go to waste. (Cf. Matt 13:19)

Now it is understandable if one who is not a child of God hears the word of God and does not understand it. That is because he does not have the Spirit of God who gives men understanding of spiritual truths in him (1Cor 2:12). But when a child of God, one who has His Spirit in him, keeps hearing His word and yet does not understand what he is hearing, something is either wrong with him or with his teacher. And what is wrong with him may be that he is not making any effort to understand what he is learning. So, he will not bother to think or meditate on what he has heard. And he will not bother to search the Scriptures to see whether what he has heard is the truth or not. Why? He is lazy. So, like the Hebrew brethren, he is uninterested in gaining the knowledge of the truth. And that kind of person will never mature in spiritual things. (Cf. Heb 5:11-14)

Then we have those who hear the word of God and understand it but who have no intention of acting on it. And why will someone hear the word of God, understand it and yet make no decision to act on it? It is largely because he does not believe what he has heard is for him. He may see it as something for someone else to act on, but not him. And this is why, week after week, people hear the word of God and other instructions in their church meetings and still go out and act as though they did not hear a thing or do exactly the opposite of what they have heard.

The question now is, “Why are you doing this to yourself?” Why are you wasting your time learning the word of God, when you have no intention of acting on it or when you are not interested in seeing it work in your life? See, the word of God will not be of any value to you, if you will not embrace it and act on what it says. No, His word will not open your eyes to the truths you need to know to be free in life, if you will not adopt the right attitude in receiving and handling it. So, if you are among those that have been learning the word of God for years and yet are not sound in the things of God, you need to reconsider what you are doing to yourself and change your ways. Otherwise, you will never stop being a victim of the lies of the devil and the errors of lawless men.

Have a great week.

Copyright © 2023, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to pastor@abcministry.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

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Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

Why are you into it? | By: J.O. Lawal | Date: April 26 , 2023 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 5, No. 50L

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

“The assembly was in confusion: Some were shouting one thing, some another. Most of the people did not even know why they were there.” (Acts 19:32NIV)

Those were the words Luke used in describing a situation he witnessed while he and some others were staying and ministering in Ephesus with Paul. As the account goes, Paul had been in Ephesus for about three years or so, preaching the good news of Jesus Christ and seeing many lives being remarkably transformed. In fact, his ministry in this city and the other surrounding cities was so effective that many who had been involved in the practice of witchcraft and sorcery gave up their magic books to be burnt and totally turned away from the devil to serve the living God. (Cf. Acts 19:18-20)

Now, while all these things were happening, while Paul and his companions were ministering in Ephesus in the power of the Spirit of God, certain people’s businesses were being terribly affected because of what they were doing, even though they did not deliberately set out to harm those businesses. One of them was a silversmith named Demetrius. This man, according to Luke, was like a big contractor in the business of idol carving. So, he used to bring in a lot of money for the craftsmen and other people in related trades in the land. (Cf. Acts 19:23-24)

But when many people in Ephesus and in practically all the surrounding cities began to turn away from idolatry, his business began to suffer terribly. And the reason was obvious. People were no longer making household idols as they used to, for the truth about idols had dawned on them. So, all the craftsmen that had been living off their ignorance began to run out of business. They never expected such a day to come. But it came.

Perhaps you too need to anticipate and prepare for the coming of a day in which your current business may not thrive again because of the elimination of some measure of ignorance in the world. As we all know, because of the employment of technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in many organisations and businesses today, there are people that have become jobless. And there will still be more whose skills today will surely become irrelevant in years to come. Such people need to face the reality about what is coming and begin to acquire new knowledge and skills that will ensure that they continue to be relevant and needed by men. Otherwise, the kind of frustration that will eventually come upon them may be the kind that will send them to early graves.

Demetrius and his folks never thought a day would come when many of the people in their land would give up on idols and start using their money for things that are meaningful and profitable. But God brought that day upon them. And that got them seriously frustrated. So frustrated were they that they started a protest in the city and even took it to the theatre, so that the city officials would be aware of their frustration. (Cf. Acts 19:24-31)

Unfortunately, as Luke points out to us in our opening bible text, most of the people that were brought into this silly protest and led to be chanting ‘Great is the Diana of the Ephesians’ for about two hours did not even know what it was all about. In other words, they simply joined in the nonsense because they saw others joining. They did not ask questions to know why the protest was happening or whether it was of any benefit to them. They just joined. And it was after the city clerk had addressed them and pointed out the error of the protest that it became clear to them that they had wasted their time and energy on nothing. (Cf. Acts 19:33-41)

What is the point of this? It is that it is easy to be misled by a multitude. When many people are involved in something, the temptation to also join in doing it is often great. But both the word of God and history have shown us that the multitude does not always go in the right direction. Therefore, we must never be in a hurry to join any multitude to do anything or to go anywhere. Otherwise, the result may be calamitous.

See, if we are going to do something, it should not be because many people are doing it but because we know why we need to do it. And if we are going to be somewhere, it should not be because many people are going there or are there but because we know why we have to be there. Otherwise, we may end up wasting our time, energy and devotion on things that will never profit us and then become frustrated in life.

And there are many whose lives are bearing a testimony to this sort of waste and frustration. They went to school not because they knew what they would do with the education they wanted to receive but because everyone around them was going to school. Or they got into certain businesses not because they knew what to do with them but because many around them went into those businesses. And now they have become so frustrated that they are probably contemplating suicide. But whose fault is that? Thiers!

Well, if that is your situation at the moment, you don’t need to kill yourself or run away from home or further ruin your life with hard drugs or drunkenness. You just need to turn your life over to Jesus. He is able to heal you, guide you into what is best for you and also end your frustration. What, then, are you waiting for? Reach out to us now, and we will show you how to receive Him into your life and get your life back in shape.

Cheers!

Copyright © 2023, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to pastor@abcministryng.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2023 General Post Pastor's Desk

Prayers and generosity – not prayers alone | By: J.O. Lawal | Date: April 23, 2023 | Series: From Pastor’s Desk | Number: Vol. 11, No. 51

Title: Prayers and generosity – not prayers alone
By: J.O. Lawal
Date: April 23, 2023
Series: From Pastor’s Desk
Number: Vol. 11, No. 51

Title:

Beloved: grace and mercy to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. It is with great joy that I welcome you to the last week of the month of April 2023. My prayer is that God will rid your heart of all forms of stinginess to Him, so that all the flow of His blessings that you have blocked in your life will be opened for your prosperity, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Often, many of us wonder why certain individuals who are not Christians at all keep enjoying God’s favour of promotion, protection and prosperity in ways that even the believers around them are not enjoying it. And one main reason for this, as we see in Scriptures, is generosity. See, when the bible says that God loves a cheerful giver, it does not mean that this is applicable to Christians alone (2Corinthians 9:7). If an unbeliever also happens to be a cheerful giver, God will show His love to him in very remarkable and obvious ways as well.

For example, we are told this in the bible about a man called Cornelius:

“At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, “Cornelius!” Cornelius stared at him in fear. “What is it, Lord?” he asked. The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God.”” (Acts 10:1-4NIV)

Who was Cornelius, according to this text? Was he a Christian? No! Was he a Jew? No! Instead, he was a gentile soldier. And he was not an ordinary soldier; he was an important officer in the Roman army. Yet an angel of God appeared to him to tell him that God recognised him. What did God recognise him for? He recognised him for his prayers and also for his generosity.

Evidently, Cornelius, as a soldier, must have been a very busy man. Yet he was not too busy to pray. In fact, he was so devoted to prayers that God recognised him as a man of prayer. Are you also known by God as a person of prayer? Or are you too busy to have time to talk to Him?

Then, even though Cornelius was a soldier, he would not use his position as one to extort people, as many soldiers and other security men and women often do. Instead, he was using his own money to help the poor. And he was so generous in doing this that God recognised him as a cheerful and willing giver. So, someone does not have to be a Christian before God takes them seriously. If the person takes God seriously by praying to Him and being generous to others, He also will take him seriously and manifest Himself to them.

As we see in Cornelius’ case, because of his consistency in praying to God and in giving to the poor, a day came when God remembered all that he had been doing and decided that something must be done about his eternal salvation. And remember that the bible tells us not to become tired in doing good to others because, at the right time, God will remember us and reward us (Gal 6:9). How will God reward us for our generosity? No one can say. It all depends on Him. But He will surely reward us for it, whether we are Christians or not.

When God remembered Cornelius on that occasion, it was not only his prayers that He remembered him for. He also remembered him for his generosity and then sent an angel to him to lead him to Peter, the man who would show him the way of salvation. So, praying is not enough for us to receive certain things from God; we must also accompany our prayers with generosity. And there are non-Christians who understand this and often practise it. Why? They have learnt by experience that it works.

Unfortunately, many of us who are God’s people don’t understand this spiritual principle at all. We don’t know that there are times that it is not our prayers that God will work with but our generosity. So, we have to be devoted to both. That is because we don’t when today’s prayers or (and) generosity will be the very key to our promotion or salvation tomorrow. I pray that you will never again miss your promotion or salvation from trouble because of your failure to adequately pray or give. Amen.

Have a great week.

Copyright © 2023, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to pastor@abcministry.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)