Author: Pastor J.O. Lawal

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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2022 Pastor's Desk

Keep yourself humble. | Pst. J.O. Lawal. | June 12, 2022. | Vol. 11, No. 6

Beloved: grace and peace be yours immeasurably from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. Welcome to another week of the month of June 2022. I pray that God will keep your heart humble before Him all the time, so that redundancy or stagnation will not take charge of your life, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

As we are told in the bible, the reason the angel of God that we now call Satan became Satan was pride. Originally, he was made by God to be perfect in beauty and wisdom and was given a very high place among the angels of God. But when he allowed his beauty to fill him with pride, he was thrown down by God from his position of prestige and power. (Cf. Ezekiel 28:11-19)

Why, then, are we told this in the bible? It is so that we may know that God hates pride. And why does He hate pride? It is because pride is a symptom of our refusal to give Him credit for whatever good thing we have or are able to do. As we see in the bible, we all are nothing apart from God and can have nothing apart from Him. He is our creator and the creator of everything else that exists. So, there is nothing we can take credit for in this life or in the age to come. He is before all things and all things are from Him and for Him. (Cf. Ps 24:1; Col 1:16-17; Rev 4:11)

But when we fail to acknowledge this fact and begin to act like we are something, whether towards Him or towards men, we are positioning ourselves to be thrown down by Him, just as Satan was thrown down by Him. The bible says, “God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.” So, it does not matter who we are or what height we have attained in life, the moment we allow pride in our lives, the moment we start to think or act as if we were God, we would find Him resisting us. And if we fail to repent quickly, we will soon enough find ourselves trampled down on the floor of life or in the pit of hell. (Cf. James 4:6; 1Peter 5:5)

So, give no room for any form of pride in you, regardless of how smoothly life is going for you or what position of advantage you are or how useful you have become in the hands of God. Remember that Satan was once a great instrument of praise in the hand of God. But pride ruined him. And it can ruin us too. It can corrupt our beauty, wisdom, knowledge, position and usefulness, if we too allow it. It can turn us into beasts, beasts that God will not want to have anything to do with.

And is that what you want? Do you want to become someone that God will begin to seek to discard or get rid of? I am sure you don’t. But that is what may eventually happen, if you allow any form of pride in you. So, watch yourself. Watch the way you relate to God and the way you relate to men. And may the Spirit of God open your eyes to whatever form of pride you have in you, so that you can deal with it before it leads to your downfall, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Have a lovely week.

Copyright © 2022, 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

Get adequate instructions | Pst. J.O. Lawal | June 08, 2022 | Youth for Jesus | Vol. 5, No. 4

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

“When David was told, “Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are looting the threshing floors,” he inquired of the LORD, saying, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?” The LORD answered him, “Go, attack the Philistines and save Keilah.” But David’s men said to him, “Here in Judah we are afraid. How much more, then, if we go to Keilah against the Philistine forces!” Once again David inquired of the LORD, and the LORD answered him, “Go down to Keilah, for I am going to give the Philistines into your hand.” So David and his men went to Keilah, fought the Philistines and carried off their livestock. He inflicted heavy losses on the Philistines and saved the people of Keilah. (Now Abiathar son of Ahimelech had brought the ephod down with him when he fled to David at Keilah.)” (1Sam 23:1-6NIV)

From our opening bible text, it is clear that it is not enough to find out from God if it is alright for us to do something; it is equally important we find out from Him whether success is sure for us in what He says that we can do or not. David, as we see in the text, was not just satisfied with the fact that God told him that it was okay for him to support the people of Keilah in fighting the Philistines. He also wanted to be sure that doing so would not result in defeat but victory for him. And he got his answers.

But why did David act like that? He must have known that the fact that God tells someone to go ahead and do something does not mean that the person will succeed in doing so. If the person does not ask God questions on how to go about what they want to do or ask Him if they are going to succeed in doing it, they may not succeed. They may, in fact, get killed or injured while acting on the word of God.

For example, we are told in the bible that when God told Samuel to go and anoint David in place of King Saul, he immediately protested. Why? He knew that Saul had become wicked and ruthless, for the Spirit of God had already left him at the time. And if he should carelessly ordain someone else in his place, Saul would most likely kill him. So, he had to express his concern to God about the matter. And God taught him what he would do in order to succeed in the assignment and not put himself in arms’ way. If that had not been the case, if he had simply hurried down to the house of Jesse to anoint David as king in place of Saul, he would most likely have lost his life in the process, even though it was the will of God he was carrying out. (Cf. 1Sam 16:1-14)

Also, we are told in the book of Judges of how the eleven tribes of Israel failed twice to defeat the tribe of Benjamin, even though God was in support of their cause. As the story goes, certain wicked men from the tribe of Benjamin had raped a woman to death. And because their tribesmen would not punish them or hand them over to be punished by the people of God, all the men from the remaining eleven tribes decided to move against them in battle to purge the land of wickedness. (Cf. Judges 19-20)

But they did not just move against these Benjaminites without first consulting God. They consulted Him first, and He asked them to go. He even told them the first tribe to go. But when they went, they met with utter defeat. Summoning courage, they came to God again to ask whether it was alright for them to go to battle against the men of Benjamin. And He said that it was alright for them to go. But when they did, they lost again. In fact, their loss was so terrible that they all came back, weeping and crying before the Lord. (Cf. Judges 20:17-26)

Nevertheless, they inquired of the Lord again the third time to know if they should still go and fight the men of Benjamin. This time, however, God did not just tell them to go but also told them that He would give them victory. And when they went and fought against those evil men, they succeeded. Why? It was because the Lord had said that He would make them succeed. (Cf. Judges 20:27-28)

But why did they fail the first two times they went to battle against the Benjaminites, even though God approved of their going? Though we are not expressly told this in the bible, we can infer from other things said in it that they failed in that manner because they did not get enough instructions from God about the matter. Yes, they asked God if they could go to battle against those people and who should go up first among them. But they did not ask Him about the right time to strike or if they would succeed at all in doing so. So, they failed. And it was just the mercy of God that made them succeed in the final battle; it was not that they learnt their lessons and asked sufficient and right questions.

However, David, who must have read their account in the Scriptures, would not act like them at all in fighting any battle. He would not just ask God if it was okay for Him to engage in any battle; he would also ask Him if he would succeed in doing so. And God always answered him. No wonder he never lost any battle. (Cf. 1Sam 30:7-8; 2Sam 5:18-19)

In like manner, if we too do not want to find ourselves failing while acting on God’s word or instructions, we should always be patient to be adequately instructed by Him. Yes, God has spoken to you about what to do about a matter. But also make sure you find out how to go about it, where to handle it and when to handle it. Don’t run ahead with insufficient instructions about the will of God concerning any matter of your life, even if it is a prophet, an angel or God Himself that has spoken to you. Instead, like Samuel and David, always ask relevant and enough questions from God about any matter you are dealing with. Otherwise, you may often find yourself failing or getting injured while doing His will.

Copyright © 2022, 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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General Post

You may not see them again | Pst. J.O. Lawal | May 25, 2022 | Youth for Jesus | Vol. 5, No. 3

“But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he was not willing to let them go. Pharaoh said to Moses, “Get out of my sight! Make sure you do not appear before me again! The day you see my face you will die.” “Just as you say,” Moses replied, “I will never appear before you again.”” (Ex 10:27-29NIV)

As the bible account of the deliverance of the nation of Israel from their Egyptian overlords shows, Moses, by the command of God, met with Pharaoh several times, asking him to let the Israelites go. But the man wouldn’t just listen. Yes, there were times that he begged Moses to plead with God on his behalf and on behalf of his people, so that He may remove His heavy hand of punishment from them. And Moses did, thinking that doing so would make the man repent of his stubbornness. Yet this man failed to keep his word each of those times.

Finally, as we see in our opening bible text, there came a time that he ordered Moses never to show up before him again. Otherwise, he would die. And Moses never went back to him again. Why? It was because the time for his destruction had come. And he was certainly destroyed. 

What is the point of this, then? It is that it is God’s mercy that makes Him send people to warn us, correct us or rebuke us, whenever we are missing it. But He will not forever be sending them to warn or dissuade us from walking in the path of error, disgrace, failure or destruction, if we will not heed His word. At some point, He will stop those He is using to set us right from coming to us. And when He does so, when He gives us over to have our way, we should know that our disgrace or destruction is right at the door.

We have another similar example in the story of King Saul. He was the first anointed king of Israel and was loved by the Lord. But he had this wrong attitude towards spiritual authority and divine instructions, which Samuel, the prophet, had once openly rebuked him about. And did he take this man of God’s word of rebuke seriously? Evidently, he did not. So, when he failed to totally destroy the Amalekites and all that they had, as God had instructed him to do, Samuel came to him with a severe word of judgment from God. And that was the last time Samuel came to him. He never came to him again. Even when an evil spirit began to torment and hurt him, this man of God did not show up before him to pray for him or to counsel him. He just left him to himself. (Cf. 1Sam 13&15)

Therefore, this king went from bad to worse. He went on to become miserable, irresponsible, envious, dangerous and murderous. And towards the end of his life, he found himself looking for a witch to counsel him, even though he was the one that had driven all the witches in the land out of it when he became king. Why? It was because God had nothing to say to him again, even though he longed to hear from Him. So, he perished in battle as though he were not anointed at all. (Cf. 1Sam 28&31)

In like manner, if we keep refusing godly and wise counsel that God is bringing to us through His people that He has planted in our lives, a time may come when He will have nothing more to say to us. Where that is the case, we are not likely to see again all those wonderful people He has been using to say to us thing that will lead us to salvation or elevation. And that will be because He has stopped them from coming to us. Then, like Saul, we too may end up seeking counsel or help from witches, wizards or some foolish individuals, whose counsel will ultimately send us to our destruction.

So, if you are one of those who often meet sound counsel with stubbornness, pride or resentment, you need to watch yourself and repent when you still can. Otherwise, a time may come when you will never again see good, honest, wise and righteous counsellors in your life again. And perhaps you are already there. Perhaps all those good people that God used to send to set you right have already been withdrawn by Him. It is not too late for you to humble yourself before Him and ask for His mercy, since you still have life in you. And He will show you mercy, if you do so. But if you insist on walking in your path of error, then, know that nothing but destruction is all you can expect, when all has been said and done.

Copyright © 2022, 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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Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

It is uncertain | Pst. J.O. Lawal | May 25, 2022 | Youth for Jesus | Vol. 5, No. 2

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

“Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.” (1Tim 6:17NIV)

What is the Spirit’s instruction to those who are rich in this present world, as we see in our opening text? It is for them not to be proud or to put their hope in earthly riches. Now, of course, this instruction is not applicable to those who are rich alone but to all men. That is because it is not only those who are rich who can be proud. Those who are poor can also be proud. And I have seen under the sun very poor and lowly people who are full of themselves, just as I have seen under it rich and influential people who are meek and easy to get along with.

So, to say the fact, it is not wealth that makes people become proud. People are proud because Satan has succeeded in making them have an opinion of themselves that does not exist. And wealth may just be the one thing that will underline that pride that has always been in them.

In any case, we all, not just the rich among us, are being warned by the Spirit not to be arrogant or to put our hope in wealth or earthly riches. And why are we warned not to put our hope in earthly riches? It is because they are uncertain. In other words, wealth is unreliable. Yes, wealth is undependable. So, it can disappoint you or put you to shame when you least expect it to do so.

Unfortunately, many do not know this. So, in a crazy fashion, they run around the world, getting involved in all kinds of foolish and harmful things in order to become rich. And will that definitely make them become rich? No! Eagerness for money or earthly riches will not necessarily make you rich or wealthy. And there are millions all around the world today whose lives are proving this to be the fact. They have been running around for money all their lives. Yet they are poor, very poor today. 

Then, even if you have become rich or wealthy, whether through diligent and honest labour or otherwise, it still does not mean that you are going to have the happy, peaceful and rich life your heart desires to have here on earth. And there are many wealthy people today that are not happy. Yes, they are rich in earthly goods. But their riches have not been able to give them peace of mind, a sound body, a great marriage or fantastic children. Why? It is because wealth has no power to give anybody anything God has not given.

Besides all that, wealth can be lost. It can fly away. It can disappear into thin air. As we are told in the bible, in one day, righteous Lot lost all the possessions he had used his entire life to labour for to the fires that consumed Sodom and Gomorrah. And in one day, blameless and upright Job, who was considered to be richest and greatest of all the men of the eastern part of the world of his time, lost everything he had laboured for all his life. Did these men lose their wealth because they were evil? No! Rather, they lost it because life’s circumstances went against them at some point in their lives. (Cf. Gen 19; Job 1; Prov 23:5)

So, the uncertainty of earthly riches can manifest to any man, whether they are righteous or wicked. And if that should happen, what will determine what happens to them afterwards is where their confidence lies all along. If their confidence lies in their wealth and they have been building their lives on it, then, they will most likely perish with it, if it perishes or disappoints them. But if their confidence lies in God, then, He will comfort them and restore them, even if their wealth fails or disappoints them. That was what happened in Job’s case. He did not lose his life and eternity along with his wealth because his confidence was never in it but in God. And though life circumstances really messed him up, God eventually showed up at the right time, comforted him and also restored him. (Cf. Job 42)

Now this same God is always ready to heal, comfort and restore you, regardless of what life throws at you. But you have to put your confidence in Him and not in money or anything else. That is because He is the only one that is certain in His devotion, love and care. But all other people and things can fail you and will fail you, if the circumstances are right. 

Copyright © 2022, 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 2022 Pastor's Desk

Reset your life focus | Pst. J.O. Lawal | May 29, 2022 | Vol. 11, No. 4

Beloved: grace and peace be yours from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. Welcome to another week of the year, which is the transition week between the months of May and June. I pray that your heart will continually be strengthened to take seriously whatever ministry God has given to you in His kingdom, so that you will not fail Him and lose your reward. Amen.

Our Lord Jesus once said this to His disciples: “My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish His work.” (Cf. John 4:34) On another occasion He also said to them: “As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.” (John 9:4NIV) Why did our Lord speak like this? First, it was because He knew that God had given Him a ministry to carry out here on earth. Second, it was because He had a sense of responsibility. And this was driving Him to take the ministry God had given to Him seriously. Third, it was because He knew that He did not have forever to do the job God had given Him. So, if He did not give His ministry the attention it deserved, He would not complete it by the time His time here on earth was up.

In like manner, each of us too has received a ministry from the Lord. Each of us has a job or a set of jobs that God has assigned him to do for Him and His kingdom here on earth. That is what the bible tells us. It is on us, then, to know what the ministry we have received from Him is and to begin to carry it out diligently and with the intent of finishing it on time. And Paul, speaking along this line to the Ephesian-elders, says this about himself: “However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me — the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.” (Acts 20:24NIV)

Can you see that Paul’s focus in life was not at all different from our Lord Jesus’ focus in life? His focus too was to do the will of God with his life and to finish His work. And would that be convenient for him? He did not expect it to be convenient. In fact, he said that the Holy Spirit had already warned him not to expect this to be convenient for him (Acts 20:22-23). However, whether it was convenient or not, he was determined to please God with his life in all ways and to diligently complete the task He had given to him. Why? It was because he knew that the one who called him and set him apart for Himself would always be with him and ensure that he succeeded. 

Now if we too would function with the mindset that both our Lord Jesus and Paul had about living for God and doing His work, then, we will never fail God, regardless of how hard or inconvenient things may be for us. But is this the mindset with which we are operating in life? Are we functioning with an abiding consciousness that our lives must be lived to please God and to do the work He has given us, whatever this work may be and whatever the circumstances of our lives may be?

If we are not functioning with this consciousness, then, we are simply wasting our lives. No, it may not look like we are wasting our lives, especially if we are being praised by men for our accomplishments in different areas of life. But a time is coming when, as Jonah eventually did, we will realise that all our race outside the will of God can only end in the belly of a big fish, in a place of utter darkness, where there is no gain, where there is no reward. And that is when we will know that all that we have done has been for nothing. My prayer is that your race and toil here on earth will not eventually amount to nothing, in Jesus’ name. But you too must reset your focus, if it has not been on doing the will of God and finishing the task He has given you.

Do have a great week.

Copyright © 2022, 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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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2022 Pastor's Desk

Very sad but not strange | J.O. Lawal

from pastor's desk

FPD/05/2022_11(3)

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. Welcome to another week of the month of May 2022. I pray that you and all that is yours will always be kept safe from all the evil expectations and activities of the enemies of the Christian faith, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Recently, there was a great outrage all over the country against the brutal killing of Deborah Yakubu Samuel, a student of a college of Education in Sokoto State. And while this act is very sad and highly condemnable, we must understand that it is neither new nor strange to the world. Similar acts have happened before and are still happening in different parts of the world today, especially in places where people think it is their job to fight for God or defend His honour.

Do you know that even under the leadership of the Holy Roman Catholic Church priests, centuries ago, many good and righteous people were wrongly stoned to death, beheaded or burnt at the stake for blasphemy or heresy? So, if the church is no longer killing her own members, it is not because she has never done so before; rather, it is because the Spirit of God has cleansed her of her ignorance and set her right.

Then we must also not forget why our Lord Jesus Christ Himself was cruelly murdered by the religious leaders of the Jews of His earthly days. It was because of blasphemy. Those Jews, as we see in the bible, had zero tolerance for blasphemy. So, when Jesus began to refer to Himself as the Son of God, they equated that to blasphemy and began to call for His head. But their leaders did not just pick Him from the street and kill Him, as a mob would do. Instead, they arrested Him, got people to testify against Him and then condemned Him to death.

Why did they not kill Jesus for blasphemy the very moment they had Him arrested? First, it was because they knew that there were many people in the land that believed that He was a true man of God. So, unless it could be proved that He had done something sacrilegious, like saying something blasphemous against God, they could not lay their hands on Him and not meet with the anger of the people. And even at that, it was against the Law of Moses to kill a man like that without a proper trial. You must first bring at least two people to testify against him. Then you must allow him to also speak for himself. Otherwise, you will be shedding innocent blood before God by killing him. And that was exactly what they did with Jesus before condemning Him to death. (Cf. Deut 17:2-7; Matt 26:57-66)

The second reason they did not immediately kill Jesus was that there was a higher law in the land at the time, the Law of the Romans. And there was no way they would kill a popular person like Him, even if the person was guilty as they may have alleged, without first trying him according to that law and not get into trouble, if their Roman overlords should decide to look into the matter. That why Jesus was taken to Pontius Pilate, so that he may ratify the death sentence they had already passed on Him. And He would have been set free, if Pilate had not been a weak and fickle leader. (Cf. John 18:26-19:16)

So, it is not a new thing for righteous people to be unjustly killed under the guise of religion. And such things usually happen where leaders are weak like Pilate and love the praise of men more than the praise of God. Even Paul, for example, on one occasion, would have been lynched by a Jewish mob because of things like this, if the Roman army general stationed at Jerusalem at the time had been weak or slow to intervene. (Cf. Acts 21:17-23:35)

What is my point in all this? It is that while we ask for justice for Deborah Yakubu Samuel and also pray that God will comfort her family, we must not fail, as children of God, to learn from what happened to her. And what are the lessons for us in that matter? The first is that we must always be careful in relating to people of other religions, especially those who are hostile to the Christian faith, so that they will never have any legitimate reason to slander or condemn us.

The second lesson for us in the matter is that wherever the leadership of our place of residence is weak or unjust, God may not be able to use it to protect us from wickedness. So, unless we are sure that God wants to use our suffering or death there to glorify Himself, we should mind how we attend to religious issues in such a place. Otherwise, we may end up sleeping in Christ before our time. And may the God of all grace continue to keep all His children in this country and all over the world safe from every kind of evil. Amen.

Do have a great week.

Copyright © 2022, 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

Don’t overstep your boundaries | Pst. J.O. Lawal | May 18, 2022 | Youth for Jesus | Vol. 5, No. 1

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

“But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the LORD his God, and entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense. Azariah the priest with eighty other courageous priests of the LORD followed him in. They confronted him and said, “It is not right for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the LORD. That is for the priests, the descendants of Aaron, who have been consecrated to burn incense. Leave the sanctuary, for you have been unfaithful; and you will not be honored by the LORD God.” Uzziah, who had a censer in his hand ready to burn incense, became angry. While he was raging at the priests in their presence before the incense altar in the LORD’s temple, leprosy broke out on his forehead. When Azariah the chief priest and all the other priests looked at him, they saw that he had leprosy on his forehead, so they hurried him out. Indeed, he himself was eager to leave, because the LORD had afflicted him.” (2Chron 26:16-20NIV)

What led Uzziah to enter the temple of the Lord to burn incense? It was pride. Here was a king that began reigning at the age of sixteen and then went on to reign for fifty-two long years. Even the great King David reigned for only forty years (2Sam 5:4-5). But this man enjoyed many fruitful years of reign as a king over the land of Judah. Why? It was because the Lord gave him rest, good health and success in all his ways. In fact, the Scripture says that this man was marvellously helped by God to become famous, powerful and great (2Chro 26:15).

But then, after many years of enjoying the goodness of God, he began to think of himself as some special breed. At least, he had succeeded as a king, as a military leader, as a farmer and as a land developer (2Chro 26:6-10). So, as he thought, if he should go into priestly ministry as well, nothing should stop him from succeeding. That was why he entered the temple of the Lord with incense in his hands to burn.

However, as the priests in the land boldly told him, it was not in his place to burn incense to the Lord. In other words, he had already overstepped his boundaries. He had taken upon himself to do something that he was neither anointed nor trained to do. As the bible shows us, even those who were anointed as priests at that time could not just show up before the Lord anyhow or offer any kind of incense to him and not suffer for it. 

Why did Nadab and Abihu die before the Lord, even though they were his anointed priests? Was it not because they offered a strange fire before him? (Cf. Lev 10:1-3) Then why did God, through Samuel, tell King Saul that his kingdom would not endure? Was it not because he took up the priestly duty of Samuel in offering some sacrifices to the Lord on an occasion? Yes, he did what he did because he was frustrated and under great pressure from those around him. Nevertheless, he did it at the cost of his kingdom. (Cf. 1Sam 13)

Now these two accounts were well documented in the Scriptures for someone like Uzziah to learn from. But apparently, he learnt nothing from them. So, the very day he overstepped his boundaries to assume priestly functions in the land was the day God struck him with leprosy on his forehead. God struck him with something he could not hide from anybody. So, he had to step down from the throne for his son, Jotham, to reign in his stead. And even when he died, public sentiments would not allow the palace to bury him with his ancestors. Instead, he was buried in a field near them. (Cf. 2Chronicles 26:21-23)

What is the point of this? It is that while it is good to diversify in life, especially when God is increasing us in good things, we must know our boundaries in life and not overstep them. That you are successful in a certain line of business or vocation does not mean that you have what it takes to succeed in any other kind of business or vocation. 

So, if it is not something you are absolutely sure you have abilities or training for, don’t allow pride, greed or the smooth talk of men drive you into doing it. Otherwise, you may meet with utter disgrace by getting involved in it. And only God knows how many successful people that have met with certain death, disgrace, illness or destruction by getting involved in politics or some sort of businesses that they did not have the ability, training, influence or experience to succeed in.

Then, regardless of how successful you may be in life, don’t ever disregard spiritual authority or carelessly interfere in spiritual functions that God has not given you abilities for. Yes, every child of God is anointed and not one of us is more anointed than others. However, each of us has their own place in the kingdom. And it is only by staying in that place where God has anointed you to be that you can prosper. If you should, then, begin to address yourself by a name or title that God has not given you and to take up tasks that He has not gifted you to do, at some point, disgrace or destruction may break out on your forehead. And you won’t be able to hide it. So, mind yourself. 

Copyright © 2022, 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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General Post

Dealing with the unreasonable | By: J.O. Lawal | Date: May 11, 2022 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 4, No. 52

“…and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for not all have faith.” (2Thess 3:2NKJV)

Why does Paul ask that this kind of prayer be offered for him and his companions? It is because he acknowledges that the world is not in shortage of wicked and unreasonable people, who have no fear of God in their hearts. And unless God Himself rescues us from their schemes, if we encounter them, we cannot be safe.

Recently, an uncle of mind shared with some of us in the family an account concerning a friend of his who had lost a large portion of his land to some wicked and unreasonable fellow. According to him, this friend of his had bought a large portion of land a number of years ago and had perfected its papers. He even got the Certificate of Ownership (C of O) for the land from the government, so that he would forever have rest over it.

But to his surprise, some years later, out of the blues, a man showed up and gave a huge sum of money to those who had sold the land to him in order to have it. He simply insisted that he must have it and that there was nothing anybody could do to stop him from having it. In response, my uncle’s friend decided to take up the matter legally and put an end to the nonsense. But some people who knew the person he was dealing with well and who also cared about him came to warn him to drop the case and accept whatever portion of the land he was given. Otherwise, he may lose his life in the process. And that was how he gave up and accepted defeat.

Now what that means is that there are times that even the law of the land or the agents enforcing it may not be able to save us, if we are dealing with wicked and unreasonable people. That is because these are individuals who care only about themselves and what they want. They don’t care about what they do to have what then want, who gets hurt in their process of getting what they want or what repercussions may follow the steps they take in getting what they want. Such people are nothing but a law to themselves.

So, you cannot threaten them or make them change their minds with the law. They know their way around the law. They know how to break or bend the law and get away with doing so. Sometimes, they do not even care about being caught or punished by the law. So, unless you are like them and are ready to fight dirty with them, regardless of it might cost you, you will have to entrust yourself and all that is yours to God to keep you safe from them.

Remember Jezebel of bible days. Remember how she killed Naboth and took his land for her husband, Ahab. Interestingly, it was the judges of Naboth’s city that she used to get rid of him. And they succeeded. Yes, God eventually judged Ahab and his household for this wickedness. But that did not bring Naboth back to life or restore his land to his family. (Cf. 1Kings 21)

So, if you have to deal with an unreasonable and wicked person at any point in this life, don’t ever rely on your wisdom, wealth, influence or the law of the land. It won’t work, for they don’t play by the rules. Instead, rely on God solely for your safety and victory. Then know when to give up or lose what can be bought or replaced in order to preserve what cannot be bought or replaced (Luke 12:13-15; 1Cor 6:7). That will be a sign that you are not greedy or foolish., And God who sees every heart and who has power over all things will vindicate and honour you at the right time.

Copyright © 2022, 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 2022 Pastor's Desk

Is your heart right before Him? | Pst. J.O. Lawal | May 15, 2022 | Vol. 11, No. 2

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. I welcome you to another week of this month and pray that God will keep your heart right before Him all the time, so that your Christian race in this life will not be in vain. Amen.

In the book of Acts we have the account of a man called Simon the Sorcerer. This man, as the account goes, used to live in a Samaritan city where Philip first proclaimed the gospel of Jesus Christ. And when he saw the miracles and wonders that that evangelist performed, he was so thrilled that he too got baptized in the name of the Lord like other Samaritans in the city. (Cf. Acts 8:5-24)

But this man was a sorcerer, one that had amazed the people before that time with his magical powers and sorcery. So, by becoming baptised in the name of Jesus, he was acknowledging that Philip was operating by a greater and higher power. And that is something every child of God ought to keep in mind. We are operating by the greatest power and the highest authority in all the creation of God. Therefore, we should lose all our fears of witchcraft, sorcery and divination. Yes, we should lose our fear of the devil and his demons. That is because we have authority and power over them in Christ Jesus – all of them are under our feet. (Cf. Luke 10:19; Rom 16:20; 1 John 2:14; 1John 4:4)

In any case, having being baptised in the name of Jesus, Simon began to follow Philip everywhere, for he was astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw. That means he too began to pose like a child of God, like a true Christian. But when Apostles Peter and John came to that same city and began to lay hands on the believers there to receive the Holy Spirit, the evil in Simon’s heart was revealed.

What did he do? He offered them money to buy the gift of the Holy Spirit. Why? He too wanted to be doing what Philip and these apostles were doing. And he was so desperate about doing so that he was willing to pay money for the ability to do so. So, it is not a new thing to have people who will go to any extent, including joining secret cults or using charms and sorcery, to be able to amaze people and present themselves as important in the kingdom of God.

Now how did Peter respond to what Simon did? He responded by saying these words: 

”May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.” (Acts 8:20-23NIV)

Can you see that? What was the problem with Simon? It was that his heart was never right with God. He was never truly born again. He never had any part in Christ. But he was moving around with Philip and the apostles. He was very close to them and enjoying their company. He might even have eaten with them on a number of occasions or carry out some errands for them. Yet his heart was not right.

So, that you are coming for church meetings regularly or moving around with preachers and other believers does not mean that your heart is right. Truly, people may not know what is going on in your heart, if it is not revealed to them, as in the case of Simon. They may not know that you are filled with envy, greed, impurity or bitterness. But God knows. You too know. And if you do not repent on time, a day may come when certain occurrences will expose the falsehood and wickedness in your heart. 

Besides, as long as your heart is not right before God, even if you are indeed born again, your experience of the goodness of God will always be affected. This explains why the promotion, healing, fruitfulness, peace of mind or prosperity that some believers are looking forward to may never be theirs. Their hearts are not right. And until they repent, things can only get worse for them. So, always guard your heart with all seriousness and keep all forms of greed, bitterness, envy and wickedness out of it. And may the God of grace enable you to always do so for your own good, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Have a lovely week.

Copyright © 2022, 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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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2022 Pastor's Desk

What are you doing here? | Pst. J.O. Lawal


Date: May 08, 2022 | Series: From Pastor’s Desk | Number: Vol. 11, No. 1

Beloved: grace and peace be yours from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. Welcome to another week of the month of May 2022. My prayers it that God will always see to it that you are settled in the right place for His purpose to be fully accomplished in your life, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Once God appeared to Prophet Elijah at Mount Horeb and twice asked him this great question, “What are you doing here?” Now when do we ask people this kind of question? First, we ask them when we do not expect to find them where they are, that is, when we expect them to be somewhere else. Second, we ask them when we want to know their mission where they are and if it is worthy enough to bring or keep them there.

So, when God asked Elijah, “What are you doing here?” first, He wanted him to know that He was not expecting him to be there at the time. Second, He wanted to know his mission there. And did He not know his mission there? He knew it. Yet He wanted to hear it from his own mouth. (Cf. 1Kings 19)

In any case, Elijah’s reason for being at Horeb at that time did not really matter to God. That was because he was not supposed to be there in the first place. Yes, it was life’s pressure that drove him there to seek death. But he was not supposed to be there. That was because his job on earth was not yet finished. So, God told him to go back the very way he came and complete his mission. And he did.

In like manner, there are people today that are in the wrong place in life. And that is the reason they are not flourishing or seeing God’s purpose being accomplished in their lives. Yes, like Elijah or Hagar, Sarah’s maidservant, life’s pressure has driven them away from where God wants to be to where they are not supposed to be. But regardless of how comfortable they may be in those wrong places, the purpose of God cannot be fully realized in their lives. (Cf. Gen 16)

Therefore, they need to see these things and move away from where they are to where God wants them to be. And He is already asking them, “What are you doing here? Do you realise that you are not supposed to be here? Do you realise that my purpose and promises for you cannot be fulfilled here?” But can they even hear His voice? If they can, are they willing to move to where He wants them to be, so that they may have room to flourish and experience the fulfilment of His good purpose for them?

Now perhaps you are one of such people. My prayer for you is that God will open your ears to hear what He is saying to you and also strengthen you to act accordingly, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Do have a splendid week.

Copyright © 2022, 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)