Author: Pastor J.O. Lawal

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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2022 Life Application Pastor's Desk Prayer SUNDAY BULLETINS SUNDAY BULLETINS

Title: The practice of righteousness | By: Johnson O. Lawal | Date: February 20, 2022 | Series: Taking advantage of God’s power

We have been looking at how to take advantage of the power of God. And the first thing I said we need is a clear and thorough knowledge of the quality and greatness of His power. Without knowing His power and what it is capable of accomplishing for us, we won’t be able to take adequate and appropriate advantage of it. So, we need to know His power. We need to study His power. And we need to pray to know His power. We need Him to fill our hearts with revelations of His power. So, we should continually look to Him for more and more revelations of the greatness of His power in order that we may take adequate and appropriate advantage of it.

We have been looking at how to take advantage of the power of God. And the first thing I said we need is a clear and thorough knowledge of the quality and greatness of His power. Without knowing His power and what it is capable of accomplishing for us, we won’t be able to take adequate and appropriate advantage of it. So, we need to know His power. We need to study His power. And we need to pray to know His power. We need Him to fill our hearts with revelations of His power. So, we should continually look to Him for more and more revelations of the greatness of His power in order that we may take adequate and appropriate advantage of it.

Then we talked about the place of prayer in taking advantage of God’s power. So, we must learn to pray. The bible says the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective (James 5:16). Therefore, we must not underestimate prayers that we offer in accordance with the will of God. They are powerful and effective and can change things. What we are saying is that when we pray, God’s power is unleashed for our experience and for the experience of those in our world. I already gave you a number of examples from Scriptures of how people prayed and released the power of God for their salvation, prosperity and strengthening in doing the will of God. We too, then, should devote ourselves to prayer.

Jesus says men ought always to pray and not to faint (Luke 18:1). So, do not faint in prayer. Exactly how God’s power will work when you pray is what I cannot tell you. But I can tell you that His power works in very dynamic ways. So, do not allow Satan to mess up your life or world. Instead, learn to pray, for as we pray, we release the power of God to frustrate him.

Now another way to take advantage of the power of God is through the practice of righteousness. Let me give you something Paul says to Timothy in the second chapter of his second letter to him, from verse 19: “Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: ‘The Lord knows those who are his,’ and, ‘Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.’” (2Timothy 2:19NIV) God expects everyone who confesses Jesus as Lord to turn away from wickedness, as Paul points out in this verse of his letter. And He wants them to turn away from wickedness to what? He wants them to turn away from wickedness to righteousness.

See, when we are talking about Christian living, it is not just about turning away from wickedness; it is also about devoting ourselves to practising righteousness. That is why the bible talks about putting off the old man and putting on the new man (Eph 4:20-24). So, as we talk about and emphasise the things we must no longer do; we must also be talking about the things we must be doing. Mind you, we have been recreated to do good works. Paul tells us in Ephesians, chapter 2, verse 10, that we are God’s workmanship in Christ Jesus, created to do those good works that God has prepared in advance for us to do. So, Christian living is not just about what we do not do but also about what we do. We have an obligation not just to turn away from wickedness but also to be devoted to practising righteousness.

Now as we devote ourselves to righteous living, we unleash the power of God. How this works or happens is not what we can explain. Spiritual things aren’t always things we can explain using human words. But once God is clear about what we need to do, ours is to act accordingly. And as we act on His word, we will see the results He wants us to see.

What is the point I am making? It is that through the practice of righteousness we are able to take advantage of God’s power for our protection, exaltation and favour. There are some examples I want to quickly draw your attention to about this. First, from Genesis, chapter 35, verse 1, we are told:
“Then God said to Jacob, ‘Go, up to Bethel and settle there, and build an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you were fleeing from your brother Esau. So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, ‘Get rid of the foreign gods you have with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes. Then come, let us go up to Bethel, where I will build an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and who has been with me wherever I have gone.’ So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods they had and the rings in the ears, and Jacob buried them under the oak at Shechem. Then they set out, and the terror of God fell on the towns all around them so that no one pursued them.” (Genesis 34:1-5NIV)

The bible tells us that all the things written in the Old Testament part of the bible are types and examples for us, so that we may learn from them, take advantage of the lessons they teach and live the kind of life God wants them to live. Here we are told of how God appeared to Jacob and told him to go to Bethel, settle down there and build an altar to Him. In response to this, he called all the members of his household together, told them what God had told him and instructed to do away with all their idols and foreign gods. That means, even at that time, not all the members of Jacob’s household were devoted to worshipping God. You know that he had all kinds of people with him – servants, workers, guards, wives and so forth. And these people had not been raised to be worshippers of God. So, they had idols and gods that they worshipped. They must also have had charms, tokens and so forth them as well. And these things must have been affecting Jacob and his prosperity as well.

In any case, on this occasion, he called all of them together and said, “My God, the true God, that I serve has told me to go to Bethel and live there. Now I want you all to give me your foreign idols and gods and turn away from them. And let us go and serve this God.” And they all did. They gave him all their idols and gods, which he buried so that they would not have access to them again.

Now, as they set out for Bethel, as God had told them, the fear of God came on all those around them, so that no one attacked or pursued them. What is that telling us? It is that when we give ourselves to practising righteousness, God’s power is released on our behalf. Jacob did not pray on this occasion in order to experience God’s protection. Yes, we know that he prayed to God for salvation when his brother Esau was coming to attack him. And when he prayed, the power of God was released. But on this occasion, all that he and those with him did was to turn away from their idols and foreign gods. And when they did, God released His power for their protection. He brought His fear on all those around them. So, no one pursued them, attacked them or made any attempt to hurt them. That was because the power of God had been released for their protection.

As we too give ourselves to practising righteousness, we will begin to see God’s power being released for our protection and to accomplish different things in our lives, even without praying. I am not saying we are not to be praying at all, once we devote ourselves to practising righteousness. We must always pray according to the instructions given to us by our Lord Jesus Christ and His Holy apostles. Remember that as we pray, we are expressing our dependence on God. However, besides praying, when we give ourselves to practising righteousness, we are able to take advantage of the power of God in ways beyond our imaginations.

Look at another account similar to that of Jacob’s in 2Chronicles, chapter 17. From verse 7 we are told the following:
“In the third year of his reign he sent his officials Ben-Hali, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel and Micaiah to teach in the towns of Judah. With them were certain Levites – Shemiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah and Tob-Adonijah – and the priests Elishama and Jehoram. They taught throughout Judah, taking with them the Book of the Law of the Lord; they went round to all the towns of Judah and taught the people. The fear of the Lord fell on all the kingdoms of the lands surrounding Judah, so that they did not go to war against Jehoshaphat.” (2Chronicles 17:7-9NIV)

When Jehoshaphat became king, one of the things he did was to send people to different parts of the land to teach the people the word of God. Why did he do that? Why did he send his officials to teach his people the word of God? It was so that they would devote themselves to practising righteousness. He knew that if they were taught the word of God, they would know what to do. Not only that, they would experience the cleansing, healing, transformation and prosperity that come with hearing the word of God and practising it.

So, this king understood the fact that if people would be taught the word of God, they would live lives that are consistent with the will of God. And if they would live lives that are consistent with His will, they would experience His power in their lives. God had promised them through Moses that if they would live in His righteousness, He would continue to be their God, protecting them, prospering them and lifting them. And Jehoshaphat wanted this to happen. So, he sent teachers that would teach them the word of God. As they were taught, then, and began to live according to what they were taught, the fear of the Lord came on all the kingdoms around them. So, they would not attack them.

In like manner, the terror of God can be on those around you through your practice of righteousness. So, they will not have the boldness to attack or hurt you. They may not like you or your prosperity or progress. But as you give yourself to practising righteousness, God’s fear will be on them. I mean that His power will be released for your protection. So, they would not be able to come near you, attack you or hurt you, for the power of God is all around you, protecting you. One of the things that Satan said concerning Job was that there was an edge of protection from God all around him. So, he could not be attacked, hurt or touched by his enemies. Why? It was because of the man’s devotion to practising righteousness. And I am saying that if you too will devote yourself to practising righteousness, you will be unleashing the power of God in ways you cannot describe. People will be able to sense this in your life. They will be able to tell that there is something about you that they cannot handle. So, they will be relating to you with respect or regard. (Cf. Job 1:9-10)

Furthermore, through your devotion to the practice of righteousness, God’s power can be released for your favour and advancement. Let me give you an example along this line from the book of Daniel. It is about how Daniel determined in his heart not to be defiled with the royal food and wine. And that had nothing to do with the sweetness of the food or the quality of it; rather, it had to do with the composition of the food. Daniel and his colleagues had been raised up as Jews. And as Jews they were not permitted to eat certain animals and birds or to include them in their meals. That, of course, was not because something was wrong with those animals and birds. Rather, it was because God had said that He would not want them to eat them and that He would bless them for following His instructions on this matter. (Cf. Leviticus 11)

So, the unwillingness of Daniel and his friends not to eat the royal food and wine had nothing to do with the quality of the food they were being offered but with its composition. In any case, these men resolved not to defile themselves with the royal food and wine and asked for the permission of the official in charge of their affairs not to do so. And because of their devotion to God’s righteousness, He caused that official to favour them. Look at some of the things said about this from verse 8 of chapter 1, the book of Daniel:
“But Daniel resolved no to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself in this way. Now God had caused the official to show favour and compassion to Daniel, but the official told Daniel, ‘I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men of your age? The king would the have my head because of you.’ Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hanaiah, Mishael and Azariah, ‘Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.’ So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days. At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead. To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams.” (Daniel 1:8-17NIV)

Why did Daniel and his friends experience what they experienced in the service of King Nebuchadnezzar? They experienced these things because of their devotion to righteousness. Yes, these young men were raised to worship God. So, they must have been praying to Him as well. But apart from the fact that they were praying to Him, they were also devoted to practising righteousness. And because they were devoted to practising righteousness, God also began to release His power for their favour.

For example, when they determined that they would not be defiled by the royal food and drink, God caused them to obtain favour from the official in charge of them. If everything had just been about their determination, it would not have amount to anything. But as they determined to please God, He also released His power for their favour. So, they were favoured by the official the king had appointed over them. That was why the man agreed to test them with vegetables, when they proposed to him that he should give them vegetables instead of the royal food and wine. That man agreed because God had put their love in his heart. And that was a manifestation of the power of God. His power can cause people to help you, love you and want to help you, if when it is risky. It was risky for that man to help Daniel and his friends. Yet because the power of God was at work on their behalf, he favoured them, even though it was risky.

God is powerful and awesome. And when His power begins to work in our favour, it would be mind-blowing. These men were devoted to practising righteousness. So, God caused His power to work in their favour. And when they were tested with vegetables, as they had proposed to that official of Nebuchadnezzar, they looked better at the end of the ten days than all the other young men that were eating the royal meals. How did that happen? It was through the power of God. The power of God made them look more handsome and better nourished than others.

So, you don’t have to ruin your life through prostitution, stealing, bribery and corruption or any other wrong thing because you lack certain things in life. That is because if you will give yourself to practising righteousness, God will cause His power to manifest on your behalf. And what you think is not enough will become enough or more than enough for you through the working of His power. Then where you think there is no way His power will make ways available for you there. So, people will begin to envy you, even though you do not have as much as they do. And your joy will be full, fuller than the joy of those who have more than you do. (Cf. Psalm 4:7)

That was what happened in the case of those men. The power of God worked even in their bodies because of their practice of righteousness. Also, God blessed them with wisdom, knowledge and understanding in all kinds of literature and learning. So, you who are worried because of studies just need to devote yourself to righteousness. Then you will see how God would release His power to quicken your brain, understand what others do not understand and excel in your studies. The same thing can happen in your business or any other area of your life. Therefore, take the practice of righteousness very seriously in your life. And you will be amazed at how His power will begin to work in your favour in various ways and beyond human understanding.

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

What makes you defenceless | Pst. J.O. Lawal

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

February 16, 2022 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 4, No. 40

“A man without self-control is as defenseless as a city with broken-down walls.” (Prov 25:28TLB)

Apart from the defence that we can employ through the use of arms, ammunition and trained security personnel, there are other forms of defence that we can daily take advantage of for our safety in this life. And these are mentioned in the bible. Money, for example, is described in it as a form of defence (Ecc 7:12). This, of course, is true, for there are problems we can successfully defend ourselves against with plenty of money.

Also, wisdom is described as a form of defence, for with it you can keep yourself safe from unnecessary problems and wars and win even wars that money cannot win (Ecc 7:12). Faith in God is equally described in the bible as a form of defence, for with it you can protect yourself against any attack (spiritual, physical or mental) of the devil on your life (Eph 6:16).

It will be good of us, then, to possess all these forms of defence in the right measure. That way, our safety and peace of mind in this life will be guaranteed in most situations.

But there is another kind of defence that is mentioned in the bible, which our lack of it can render our possession of all the other forms of defence useless. Solomon speaks about it in our opening bible text. He refers to it as self-control. And according to him, if a man does not have self-control, if a man does not have a grip over himself – his passions and appetites – he is as good as defenceless in life. In other words, it does not matter what quality or quantity of security personnel, money, wisdom and faith he has, he will still be vulnerable to all kinds of destructive influences and circumstances. And he will be the very one making himself vulnerable to these things.

For example, as mighty as Samson was in battle, his lack of self-control in sexual matters ended up making him vulnerable to Delilah. He could protect himself against all the hosts of the Philistines. But he could not protect himself against this one woman and her evil schemes, even though he knew what she was up to. So, eventually, he lost his ministry of saving his people and died a brutal death with his adversaries. And only God knows how many people have, just like this man, become defenceless and lost their lives, marriages, empires or purposes in life because they could not control their sexual passions. (Cf. Judges 16)

What about Esau? What prompted him to sell his birthright, something that wishes, tears or all the wealth in the world could not give to him? Godlessness fuelled by lack of self-control! Yes, he was very hungry that very day, hungry to the point of fainting. But he did not have to eat Jacob’s red stew in order to quench his hunger. He could have eaten anything else and be fine that day. But because he could no control his appetite just for some minutes, he lost not just his birthright but also his right to partake in the covenant God had made with his forefather, Abraham. So, though today we have the nation of Israel among us, the nation of Esau has disappeared into oblivion. (Cf. Gen 25:29-34)

In like manner, everyday many all around the world are becoming defenceless and losing their lives and other precious things that money, time, wishes or weeping cannot buy through their inability to control their unclean appetite for things they can do without, things that perish with time. Therefore, you have to give serious attention to those passions and appetites of yours that have tendencies to take over your life and lead you to act against common sense or against the word of God, so that you may take advantage of the grace of God to utterly subject them to your control. Otherwise, you may not know at what point they will leave your life, home, business or accomplishments defenceless for your enemies to destroy.

My prayer is that God will supply all that is lacking in your self-control, so that you may take the control of your life back from the hands of those passions and appetites that have become unclean and have been controlling you and exposing you to destruction, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

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

First consider your capability | Pst. J.O. Lawal

Date: February 20, 2022 | Series: From Pastor’s Desk | Number: Vol. 10, No. 42

Beloved: grace and peace to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. I am delighted to welcome you to the last of the weeks of this month. My prayer is that God will continually equip you with all that you need to make the most of His blessings in your life, in Jesus’ name. Amen. Have you read this month’s edition of The fire in my bones publication? Follow the link below to read.

He can make you outstanding | Pst. J.O. Lawal

In the parable that our Lord Jesus Christ Jesus shares about a man who entrusted some of his properties to a number of his servants, we get to see that our God is a God who considers people’s abilities before entrusting things to them. In other words, God will never entrust to us anything that He has not given us the capability to manage and prosper with. Truly, we may not manage well or profit with what He has given to us, as the Lord equally shows us through that parable. But that will not be because we lack the capability to manage it or prosper with it; rather, it will be because we are lazy, unfaithful or faithless. (Cf. Matt 25:14-30)

Since this, then, is the case with God, we too, who are His children, should learn to imitate Him and function with the same mindset or mentality. In other words, we too must learn to consider our capability to manage things or people and prosper with them before going for them. Otherwise, we may end up ruining whatever we acquire or have entrusted to us, our reputation or even our very lives.

What was the problem with the prodigal son? Why did end up being miserable in life? Was it because he left his father’s house with his inheritance? No! Of course, he should not have left a father who loved him and cared very much about him. But that was not the problem. The problem was that he took something that he had no capability to manage and prosper with. Therefore, he suffered terribly for doing so and almost lost his life in the process. And if his father had not been a loving and forgiving one, he would most likely have died before his time in misery, pains and shame. (Cf. Luke 15:11-32)

So, before you go for anything in life, before you even start asking God for anything in life, first, consider your capacity to handle it. See, God, as our loving Father, will never give us anything that He knows He has not given us the capability to handle. He will not give us a scorpion as food, even if we are asking for it, or a snake instead of a fish. Rather, He will give us only that which He knows we can handle and prosper with, even if we do not ask for it. (Cf. Matt 7:9-11)

However, if we pressure Him long enough to give us what He does not want to give us or decide to use whatever means we see to get for ourselves what we want, He may just allow us to have our way. And then, like the prodigal son, we will sooner or later realise that only pains, sorrow, misery and death await anyone who goes for what God has not given him or provided him with the capability to handle. (Cf. Numbers 11)

Therefore, again, before you go for that job, sign that contract or go for that house, consider your capability to handle it. Yes, before you enroll for that course in school, embark on that project or engage in that love affair, be sure you have what it takes to excel in it. Then before you take that loan, and sometimes people may need to take a loan to get some things done, consider your capability to make good use of it and to also repay at the proper time. Otherwise, you may end up making life miserable for yourself and even others in your life. My prayer is that my loving God will continually increase your capacity to tremendously prosper with whatever He delivers to you in life, so that your life may daily attract more and more good things, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Do have a fabulous 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@abcministryng.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

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Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

He can make you outstanding | Pst. J.O. Lawal

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

Date: February 16, 2022 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 4, No. 40

“Praise be to the LORD my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle.” (Ps 144:1NIV)

All kinds of wonderful things are reported in the bible about David’s exploits. First, we are told of how he killed a lion and a bear while taking care of his father’s sheep. Then we are told of how he killed that warrior-giant, Goliath, with just a sling and a stone. Also, we are told of how he never lost a battle or war, since he began to lead the armies of Israel in their campaigns. He was, in short, such a great warrior and warlord that even God testified that he shed much blood on the earth.

But how did a shepherd boy like him grow up to become as skillful and talented as he was in matters of warfare? He answers this question for us in our opening bible text. There he tells us that it was God Himself that trained his hands for war and his fingers for battle. That means he got his warfare skills and abilities through the blessings of God. Yes, he too must have subjected himself to thorough discipline, training and education in war matters. But if God had not blessed him with the abilities to comprehend warfare and to fight and win, all his devotion to training himself in the art of warfare would not have amount to anything.

Now one may wonder and ask, “But why would God make a young man like David a talented killer and warlord?” Well, it was to save and protect His people, the nation of Israel from their enemies. Remember that he did something similar with Samson. He gave him supernatural strength and abilities to kill for the protection of His people. And He still acts in similar ways today. I mean that He still gives people special abilities to create things or systems or to acquire skills and education useful and relevant in war matters in order to protect their nations. So, those nations that are now seen as world powers are what they are because they have been gifted by God with individuals who have special abilities for warfare and who are also willing to use those abilities to keep their nations safe.

But then, it is not only in war matters that God enables people to be outstanding in life. He equally enables people in other areas of life to become outstanding. In fact, there is no aspect of life in which God is not able to empower people with abilities that will make them outstanding enough to bless those in their world. For example, as we are equally told in the bible, David was not just a skilful killer and warlord, he was also a great psalmist, musician, organiser, leader and architect.

Just consider some of the things said about him in the following bible texts:

“These are the last words of David “The oracle of David son of Jesse the oracle of the man exalted by the Most High, the man anointed by the God of Jacob, Israel’s singer of songs…”” (2Sam 23:1NIV)

“And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them.” (Ps 78:72NIV)

“Then David gave his son Solomon the plans for the portico of the temple, its buildings, its storerooms, its upper parts, its inner rooms and the place of atonement. He gave him the plans of all that the Spirit had put in his mind for the courts of the temple of the LORD and all the surrounding rooms, for the treasuries of the temple of God and for the treasuries for the dedicated things. He gave him instructions for the divisions of the priests and Levites, and for all the work of serving in the temple of the LORD, as well as for all the articles to be used in its service.” (1Chron 28:11-14NIV)

“All this,” David said, “I have in writing from the hand of the LORD upon me, and he gave me understanding in all the details of the plan.”” (1Chron 28:19NIV)

Now since God was able to make David outstanding in these various areas of life, He is also able to do the same for you and me. He is able to empower us with the abilities and aptitudes we need to acquire skills, training and (or) education that will make us outstanding in one or more fields of life. But first, we too, like David, will need to love and trust Him with all our hearts, knowing that we cannot accomplish anything apart from Him. That way, He can guide us into those fields of life where He wants to use us, for it is in those fields of life where He wants to use us that He will make us outstanding. (Cf. John 15:5; 2Cor 3:5-6)

Second, we need to rid our lives of laziness and yield ourselves to get the necessary training, discipline or education to become outstanding. If we are lazy in our minds or in culture, it does not matter how blessed of God we are, we will never be outstanding in life. Instead, it is people with lesser abilities and skills that will take the places meant for us.

Third, we need to cultivate the right mentality, the mentality of the man God makes outstanding. And who does He make outstanding in life? It is that person that is always seeking to use the abilities He has blessed him with to do those in his life or world good. So, if we are always seeking to do others good or make life better for them with the abilities God has given us, however small or insignificant those abilities may be, He will certainly empower us to become outstanding with them. Then, someday, people will adore us for standing out in life as special with professions, abilities or skills that many consider as ordinary or useless.

My prayer, then, is that God will work out in your life all that is required by Him to make you outstanding with His gifts in your life, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

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 SUNDAY BULLETINS

Knowing His power | By: Johnson O. Lawal | Date: February 06, 2022 | Series: Strengthen yourself in Him

from pastor's desk

I want us to continue from where we left off on ‘Taking advantage of God’s power’. Why are we looking at this? We are looking at it because of the things we are told in the Scriptures about the power of God. We are told in them that the kingdom we belong in is a kingdom of power. We are equally told that the gospel we preach is a gospel of power. Then we are told that the power of God is for those of us who believe to enjoy, utilise and experience. In addition to that, we are told that this power is at work in us. His power is resident in us. So, everywhere we go we carry His power there. And since this is the case, it is only wise and responsible of us to begin to utilise His power and to also do those things that will make us experience His power in our lives.

More so, as Paul shows us in his letter to the Ephesians, God Himself wants us to take advantage of this power. He wants us to strengthen ourselves in Him and in His mighty power. In other words, He does not want us to live weak and beggarly lives in this world. God knows that there are forces that are against us in this world. He knows that we have enemies. And this are not human enemies. They are spirit enemies, powerful and wicked spirit beings. And these beings are ready to do anything to make life miserable for us. They are ready to do anything to hinder us in life and prevent us from being the persons God wants us to be and doing the these He wants us to do. If we, then, will not take advantage of the power of God, we will have no answer for the things they are doing against us. We will not be able to fix them or handle them. It’s only God’s power that is capable of dealing with these beings and preventing them from ruining our lives. (Cf. Ephesians 6:10NIV)

So, we have a duty, which is to learn how to use the power of God and to also begin to utilise it. It is on us to choose not to be victims in this life but to be victors. It is on us to choose not to allow the devil to have a free day in our lives. So, as I said, we need to learn how to take advantage of God’s power and then begin to take advantage of it.

How, then, do we do this? First, we need to know His power. We cannot take adequate and appropriate advantage of His power, if we do not know it. If we do not know the quality of this power and what it is able to accomplish for us, we may not be able to take advantage of it adequately or see the need for us to be serious in taking advantage of it. So, it begins with knowing His power.

Now how do we know His power? One of the ways to know it is by revelation from God Himself. In other words, God Himself will have to reveal His power to us or educate our mind about the quality and greatness of His power. For example, when God first appeared to Moses in the wilderness, He began to reveal His power to Him. Look at what we are told about this from verse 1 of Exodus, chapter 4:
“Moses answered, ‘What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, “The Lord did not appear to you”?’ Then the Lord said to him, ‘What is that in your hand?’ ‘A staff,’ he replied. The Lord said, ‘Throw it on the ground.’ Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and he ran from it. Then the Lord said to him, ‘Reach out your hand and take it by the tail.’ So Moses reached out and took hold of the snake and it turned back into a staff in his hand. ‘This,’ said the Lord, ‘is so that they may believe that the Lord, the God of their forefathers – the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob – has appeared to you.’ Then the Lord said, ‘Put your hand inside your cloak.’ So Moses put his hand into his cloak, and when he took it out, the skin was leprous – it had become as white as snow. ‘Now put it back into your cloak,’ he said. So Moses put his hand back into his cloak, and when he took it out, it was restored, like the rest of his flesh. Then the Lord said, ‘If they do not believe you or pay attention to the first sign, they may believe the second. But if they do not believe these two signs or listen to you, take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground. The water you take from the river will become blood on the ground.’ (Exodus 4:1-9NIV)


You can see that God is revealing something to Moses here about His power. He is showing him that His power can recreate. His power is His creative ability. And with His power things can be recreated. With His power the course of nature can be changed. As I have already pointed out, we need to know what His power can do or accomplish. We need to know that His power can change our situations. His power can change our life’s circumstances. Until this is revealed to us, we won’t know. And if we don’t know, we will not be able to take adequate advantage of it. If we do not know what His power can accomplish for us, we cannot have faith to experience or utilise it.

The point I am making is that until we have revelations of God’s power, we will not be able to take advantage of His power adequately and appropriately. So, we need God to reveal His power to us. We need Him to reveal the greatness of His power to us. We need Him to reveal the quality of His power to us. He did this with Moses. He also did it with Gideon, as we also see in the bible. When God was going to send him to deliver His people from the Midianites, He had to reveal His power to him in order to strengthen his faith to carry out the assignment. There are also people who will not move an inch in doing the will of God, if He does not reveal His power to them or show them what His power is able to accomplish for them or make them succeed in what He is sending them to do.

Moses and Gideon were not immediately willing to do what God wanted them to do. They kept on arguing back and forth with Him and giving Him reasons they would not succeed. And He had to strengthen their faith by revealing something of His power to them. Maybe you too need to have Him reveal things about His power to you in order for you to do certain things He wants you to do. That step you are supposed to take that you have not taken – what you need to take it may just be a revelation of God’s power. Once you see that His power is able to make you succeed in it, you will take it.

Many are finding it difficult today to live the Christian life because they have no revelation of what God’s power is able to do for them in making it possible for them to live this life. They need a revelation of His power. We all need revelations of His power. And the more revelations of His power we have the better it gets for us. That is because the revelation of His power strengthens and builds our faith.

Another way to know His power is to pray to Him about it. In Moses and Gideon’s case, they did not offer any prayer to God in order for Him to reveal His power to them. Moses did not wake up that morning that God came to him expecting himself to find God. Gideon also did not wake up that day expecting to find God the day God came to him. Yet both of them saw Him, and He revealed His power to them. So, it is not every time that God shows up and reveals His power to people because they have prayed. But we can pray to Him to give us revelations of His power. And we see this in Paul’s prayer for the Ephesian church, which we have from verse 18 of Ephesians 1 and which says:
“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, for above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.” (Ephesians 1:13-21NIV)

There are three things Paul asks of God for these brethren here. First, he prays that the eyes of their hearts may be enlightened in order that they may know the hope to which God has called them. Second, he prays that they will be made to know the riches of God’s glorious inheritance in His holy people. Third, he prays that they will be made to know God’s incomparably great power for us who believe. So, we can pray to God for revelations of His power. We can pray to Him to reveal the greatness and quality of His power to us in order to know how to take advantage of it.

Now Paul, who is offering this prayer for the brethren, already knows something of His power, for he describes it as Christ’s power of resurrection and ascension. According to him, it was God’s power that raised Jesus from the dead. Also, according to him, it was His power that caused Him to ascend on high, far above all principalities and power. And he would later write to the Philippians that he wants to know Christ and the power of His resurrection (Philippians 3:10). So, his own way of describing God’s power is to call it the power of resurrection, that is, the power that raises the dead. He also describes it as the power of ascension, the power that causes people to rise above any life’s challenge or trial.

The point I am making, in any case, is that we can pray to know God’s power; we can pray to have revelations of His power. Then we too will be able to describe His power. There are many descriptions of His power in the Scriptures from people who had revelations of it. We too can describe it to others, when we have it. I told you already how important it is for us to have revelations of His power. We cannot function beyond the revelation of His power that we have. So, we need to increase in our revelations of the power of God in order that we can take advantage of it in our situations.

We read in the bible accounts of people who took advantage of God’s power. Why were they able to do so the way they did? It was because they had revelations of it. For instance, we are told of a woman with an issue of blood. For twelve long years this woman suffered from this thing. Then, one day, she heard that Jesus was passing by and she told herself, “If I could only touch the hem of His garment, I would be well.” Then she pushed herself through the crowd to touch Jesus and, instantly, she became well. That means when she touched the hem of Jesus’ garment, the power of God was released for her healing. And she knew that she was well. Jesus also knew that power had gone out from Him to someone. Interestingly, He could not keep the power from coming out from Him to that woman.

But why was the woman able to do that? It was because she already had a revelation in her heart that God’s power could heal her and that by just touching the hem of Jesus’ garment that power would be released for her healing. She had a revelation that she did not have to meet Jesus personally in order for the power of God to be released for her healing. She also knew that Jesus did not have to lay hands on her in order for her to receive her healing. So, she did not need Him praying for her or saying anything to her. The revelation she had was that even the cloths of Jesus would have residues of God’s power in them and that if she could just touch the hem of any of His cloths, God’s power would be released for her healing. And when she did, she was healed instantly. (Cf. Mark 5:25-34)

Also, we are told in the bible of a centurion whose servant was unwell and who had come to Jesus so that He could come and lay hands on the man and make Him well. But while talking to Jesus, he just suddenly had a revelation that He did not even need to come to his house in order to heal his servant – all he needed to do was to speak a word, and the man would be well. And the Lord described that as great faith. But faith is based on revelations. That man had a revelation of the quality of God’s power. He had a revelation that the very words of Jesus carry God’s power. So, if He would speak, the power of God would be released and what he wanted done would be done. And when Jesus spoke, the power of God was released, what the man wanted was done and God was praised.

Well, we are talking about receiving revelations of God’s power, so that we can take advantage of it and change our experience in life. And I am saying that we can pray for that to happen. Paul prays for the Ephesians to know this power. We too can pray to know it. And we really need to know it, if we would be taking adequate advantage of it.

Another way to know God’s power is by studying the Scriptures and meditating on them. We have all kinds of accounts in the Scriptures of manifestations of God’s power. And by studying these accounts we too can strengthen our faith to take advantage of His power. In the book of Exodus, for example, we have a number of accounts of the manifestations of God’s power. And by studying these accounts, we too can have faith to take advantage of God’s power, especially if we find ourselves in situations that are similar to the ones the children of Israel found themselves in.

At least, we know from this book of Exodus, that God’s power can alter the course of nature or accelerate the changes of physical state of things. God told Moses to take water from the Nile river and pour it on the ground and that it would become blood. And he did, and the water did. In other words, Moses did what God told him to do. And when he did, the water that he poured on the ground became blood. We have something similar in John 2. There Jesus turned water into wine. That was a manifestation of the power of God. It can change an unpleasant situation into something pleasant. And it can alter the course of nature.

Of course, it was not everyday that Jesus turned water into wine. And it was not everyday that Moses turned water into blood. But if you find yourself in a situation in which the course of nature needs to be altered in order for a need to be met in your life or in order for you to be saved from a situation, you can have faith to utilise God’s power on your behalf. This may be a little difficult to explain. But the point of it all is that by studying and meditating on scripture accounts of the manifestations of God’s power, we too can develop our faith to experience His power in tremendous ways.

Also, in the book of Exodus, we see that by God’s power He parted the Red Sea. God’s power can do that. His power is so great that it can divide the waters of the sea. Later on, both Elijah and Elisha would demonstrate their faith along this line in parting the waters of River Jordan (2Kings 2). You may not need to divide any physical sea. But you may find yourself in a situation in which you need a way to be made for you. You may just be sandwiched in a place where you need a way out. And you can trust Him to release His power to make a way for you. Paul tells us that there is no situation that has come to us that uncommon to man and that God is faithful and will not let us be tempted beyond what we can bear but will make a way out for us, when we are tempted, so that we can stand up under it (1Corinthians 10:13).

So, God is able to make a way out for us in any situation, however dangerous the situation may be. But we need to know that His power can do this for us. Otherwise, we may not take any step to take advantage of His power to make a way for us where there is no way.

Well, what I am saying is that by studying the Scriptures to see the various ways in which God’s power was manifested in the past, we too can strengthen our faith to utilise His power for our advantage. Look at what a psalmist says about this from verse 10 of Psalm 77: “Then I thought, ‘To this I will appeal: the years when the Most High stretched out his right hand. I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds.’” (Psalm 77:10-12NIV) This man says I will remember the deeds of the Lord, I will remember your miracles of long ago and I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds. Why did he say this? It was so that he could strengthen his faith in God. He would go through the Scriptures, consider the things said in them about the power of God and meditate on them so that he could take advantage of this power.

So, learn to study Scriptures that talk about manifestations of Gods power and to meditate on them. That way, you can take advantage of His power for your preservation, exaltation, salvation, healing and so forth. Look at what Gideon said about his knowledge of God’s power when the angel of the Lord appeared to him: “When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, ‘The Lord is with you, mighty warrior. Pardon me, my Lord, ‘Gideon replied, ‘but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, “Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?” But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.’” (Judges 6:12-13NIV)

When the angel of the Lord appeared to this man, he asked, “Where is God? Where is His power that we have heard great things about? It seems that He has already abandoned us. Otherwise we would be experiencing His power.” So, Gideon was familiar with what God’s power could accomplish. He had heard about it. He had read in the Scriptures about it and had been thinking about what became of this power. Yes, he had been wondering if God’s power was no more or if it was just that God had left them. If He had not left them, why then were they not experiencing His power for their deliverance? And the angel of the Lord did answer all his questions for him.

Now thanks to God, for we have no doubt about His presence with us or the availability of His power for us and in us. We just need to know what His power could accomplish for us and then begin to take advantage of it. Therefore, you need to increase in your knowledge of the power of God, which is the point I have been making all along. You need to increase in your revelations of His power. Yes, you need sound and abiding revelations of His power in your heart, so that you can begin to adequately take advantage of it to frustrate the devil and walk in victory in every area of your life. And I pray that your heart will be filled with greater revelations of this power, so that you can take advantage of it to be the person God wants you to be and do the things He wants you to do, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

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

Remember Lot’s wife |Pst. J.O. Lawal |February 13, 2022 |Vol. 10, No. 41

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. Welcome to another week of the month of February 2022. My prayer for you is that you will continually be strengthened by the Spirit of God to remain true to Him and never to look back till the very end of this age. Amen.

As our Lord Jesus clearly points out to us, it is only those who stand firm in their faith in Him to the very end that will ultimately experience eternal salvation (Matt 24:13). Then His apostles of old also maintain the same point in all their writings. They also show us that it is only those who stand firm in their faith to the very end that are true believers and sharers in Christ (Col 1:21-23; Heb 3:6&14). So, our walk with God is not meant to be epileptic or one that we carry on with for a while. Rather, it is meant to be from start to finish. In other words, we don’t quit or look back. We just keep on moving to the very end.

See, there is danger in quitting. And there is danger in looking back. Our Lord Jesus says, “Remember Lot’s wife.” (Luke 17:32NIV) What are we to remember about Lot’s wife? Evidently, we are not being told to remember that she was Lot’s woman or that she had some daughters for him. Rather, we are being called upon to remember an incident in her life that teaches us never to look back after we have answered the call to fellowship with God.

Lot’s wife, just like her husband, was warned by the angels God sent to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah to run for her life and to never look back. That was God’s way of showing her mercy, so that she would not be destroyed along with the wicked people of Sodom and Gomorrah. But this woman disobeyed this simple command and looked back.

Now looking back must have seemed like a totally harmless thing for her to do. I mean that looking back to see what became of Sodom and Gomorrah was not like committing adultery, stealing or being involved in homosexuality. Yet doing so came with punishment for her. She immediately turned into a pillar of salt and could no longer reach her destination of safety. So, looking back for Lot’s wife was as good as participating in the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah. (Cf. Gen 19)

But what made her look back? We are not told in any clear words in the bible. Whatever it was, it made her lose her life and fail to reach her destination of safety. In like manner, there may be all kinds of things that could get us to look back to the old life of sin and disobedience to God that we have abandoned. And if we should allow any of them to make us look back, we may end up being hindered from going forward in our walk of faith in order to experience eternal salvation.

Therefore, we must continually guard our hearts and lives against those thoughts and people that often want to make us look back and desire the old and empty life we already abandoned. Yes, we must protect ourselves against anything or anybody that is constantly making us miss the old life. And remember that, as it was in the case of Lot’s wife, looking back to revel in our past lives of sin could be as bad as currently living in sin. Where this, then, is the case, we may also expect to receive the same punishment for sin that those who are currently living in sin are receiving in their lives. And what this punishment may be is not what I can tell you. But I can tell you to remember Lot’s wife.

Do have a pleasant 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@abcministryng.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

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Fire in my Bones Youth for Jesus

Prepare yourself for the top | By: J.O. Lawal Date: February 09, 2022 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 4, No. 39

“Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training…”

(1Cor 9:25NIV)

Most people start out in life desiring to be at the top. And nothing is wrong with that. That is because even God wants all His people to be at the top in life (Deut 28:13). That, of course, means there is enough room for everyone at the top. This, however, is not to say that all of us have to occupy the same office in life or be dignified in the same way. Rather, it means that each of us can distinguish himself from others in this life as unique through the things he does and by the way he does them.

But will everyone end up at the top in life? No! Why? It is because it is not everyone that develops or trains himself for the top. As Paul shows us in our opening bible text, there is a measure of discipline that we must strictly put ourselves through in life in order to accomplish certain things or attain certain heights. Of course, accomplishing anything at all in this life goes beyond the amount of effort or skills we put into it. God Himself, the creator and ruler of all things, must also permit or enable us to accomplish what we set our hearts on accomplishing. Otherwise, whatever we do to get it done will not work. (Cf. Ps 127:1-2; Ecc 9:11)

However, even if God wants us to get something done or attain some position in life, if we do not possess the discipline or character needed to be there, we won’t get there. And even if by virtue of our relationship with some people we do get there, it won’t be long before we drive ourselves out of there through our lack of fitness or character.

So, if you desire to be at the top in any field of life, identify the discipline you require and strictly give yourself to getting it. Also, identify what discipline or skills you will need to stay at the top and begin to develop or acquire them. That is because one may possess what it takes to get to the top and not possess what it takes to stay there. Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, had all the natural advantages he needed to be at the top of the kingdom his father left behind for him. But he did not possess the character to remain at the top of it. Thus, he lost a very large part of it. What about King Saul? He had all the natural attributes needed to become king. But he lacked the qualities needed to retain the kingdom for himself and his descendants after him. (Cf. 1Sam 9-16; 1Kings 12)

If you, then, do not want to end up like any of these men, don’t just trust in God to lift you to the top, also begin to train yourself for the top. Remember Joseph. He not only trusted God to take him to the top in life; he also developed himself for the top. He used every opportunity he had to serve in life to train himself and to prove himself as someone that could be trusted with people and resources at any level, in in the prison. And when the time came for him to be set above a whole nation, nobody thought it was a bad idea to do so. (Cf. Gen 39-41)

Remember David too. Yes, he trusted God to take him to that high place He had anointed him for. But before that time came, he developed himself for it. First, he so mastered his skills of playing the harp and of relating to people that when the king of the land needed someone to play for him, he was the best hand that could be found around. Also, he used the opportunity he had to directly serve the king during that period to learn all he could learn about the palace life and how to be royal and majestic. In addition, he used his time in the army to learn and show all the people that he could lead them well, from victory to victory. So, when he was given a high rank in the army, all the troops and their officers as well were pleased with it. And when he eventually became king, the whole nation had no problem following him. (Cf. 1Sam 16:14-25; 1Sam 18:5)

So, again, I am saying that if you desire to be at the top someday in life and to also stay there, then, prepare yourself for it. Get the skills and the discipline you need to be there and to stay there. Also, drop whatever attitude or mentality you have that does not belong at the top. And may the good Lord Himself give you wings to rise to that place at the top that He has prepared for you in this life, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

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

Aim to give Him more than enough

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours forevermore from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. I am glad to welcome you to the month of February 2022. My prayer is that God will cause His grace to abound towards you, so that in all things, at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work in the week and throughout this year, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Now, as God causes us to increase in good things, it is only wise and proper of us to also increase in our generosity towards Him. As we see in the bible, His desire is that we may excel in the grace of giving (2Cor 8:7). In other words, what God wants for us is that we will someday leave the realm of struggling to give to Him or to anyone He may want us to give to and come to that place where we give freely, generously and joyously. Is that to say that one cannot give freely, generously and joyously in their state of poverty? No! Or is it to say that God judges people’s giving only on the basis of the quantity of what they give? No!

For example, as Paul mentions in a letter to the Corinthians, there was a time that members of the churches of God in Macedonia gave for the cause of the gospel in their state of poverty. Yet they gave generously and joyously. In fact, they begged this apostle to allow them to give at that time. Also, we have in the bible accounts of a widow that gave to God out of her poverty. Yet the Lord Jesus said that she gave more than all the others that day, for she gave everything she had to live on. (Cf. Mark 12:41-44; Luke 21:1-4; 2Cor 8:1-5)

So, nothing is wrong with giving to God out of our poverty, as long as our hearts are right. However, there is a level of generosity we cannot attain, if we are in poverty. Yes, our hearts may be right and willing to give. But we cannot give what we do not have, if we are in poverty. And we cannot give in surpassing ways, if we are in poverty. But God wants us to get to that point in our lives where we give in surpassing ways.

For example, when He first asked the children of Israel to give for the building of His tabernacle, they gave in surpassing ways. As the bible shows us, it was so serious that Moses, at some point, had to give an order that nobody should bring any more offering to the Lord, for they already had more than enough to do the work. And as the bible also shows us, nobody was forced to bring anything to God at that time. So, all the people that gave were those who were willing and happy to give. Yet they gave more than what was needed. (Cf. Ex 35:20-36:7)

Now why were they able to do that, though they were at that time in the wilderness? It was because they were rich in earthly possessions. They could not give to God like that when they were slaves and in poverty in Egypt, even if they loved to. But on the day God led them out of Egypt, He also made them rich with the wealth of Egypt. So, when He eventually asked them to make out some offerings to Him, they did not disappoint Him. Instead, they gave more than He required. (Cf. Ex 12:33-36)

In like manner, we too can get to that point in our lives where we can give more than God requires of us. But do we want to be there? That is the question. Do we want to leave the realm of struggling to give for God’s cause for the realm of always giving more than enough to Him, to His servants and to all those He wants us to give to? If we want to, then, let us consider this prayer of Paul for the Corinthians and say ‘Amen’ to it with all our hearts: “Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.” (2Cor 9:10-11NIV)

Do have a prosperous February 2022.

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

Humble yourself for His perfection | Pst. J.O. Lawal

Date: February 02, 2022 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 4, No. 38

“Naaman’s servants went to him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’!” So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.” (2Kings 5:13-14NIV)

One of the things the bible story of Naaman teaches us is the need for us to humble ourselves, if we want to experience God’s perfection in our lives. Naaman, as the account goes, was a great Syrian army general. He was a man that was highly valued by his master, the king of Syria, for through him God had given Syria victory over their enemies all around them. You can, then, imagine the kind of life he must have been living in the land. (Cf. 2Kings 5:1)

However, though Naaman was great and mighty in the land and before his king, there was something imperfect about his life. And it was that he was leprous. Now we know how lepers are treated in most of our cultures, even today. They are treated like some plague that must be avoided at all cost. That is because leprosy not only ruins and disfigures the body of the one who has it but is also contagious. Therefore, regardless of how wonderful, intelligent, rich or educated a leper is, he will surely be abandoned by all people, including those who love and care about him, if he does not get cured on time.

You can then see why Naaman, as bible account shows, took seriously the business of getting cured of this imperfection in his life. He did not want to end up abandoned by all the wonderful people in his life in some lonely place. He did want to end up wasting away with all his skills and abilities in some forsaken outskirts of his city because of his unfitness to live among men. And so seriously did he take his desire to get cured that when his wife’s maid told him that there was a man of God in Samaria that could cure him, he lost no time in getting the permission of his master, the king of Syria, to go and meet him. (Cf. 2Kings 5:2-19)

Now, of course, it must not have been convenient for him at all to go to Israel at that time. That is because Israel was an enemy nation. More so, Israel was not as powerful as his country was at the time. So, going there to seek healing must have required a great humbling of this man’s soul. But because he wanted to be well at all cost, he humbled himself that one time and came to Israel to see the man of God that his wife’s maid had told him to meet.

Unfortunately, when he eventually came to that man’s of God’s place and was told what to do to get cured, the pride that he had set aside rose up in him again to hinder him from receiving the perfection of his health. Remember that he was a great man, one that was used to issuing orders and having people run around to carry them out. But when he came to Elisha, the man of God in Samaria, the tables were turned. It was then his turn to go and carry out the instruction of the man of God.

In fact, as the account goes, the man of God did not even come out to welcome him or honour him. He just sent a messenger to him to tell him what to do. This, of course, infuriated him and made him turn away in anger. He had thought that the man of God would come out, perform some rituals and touch the spot of his leprosy and ‘end of story’. But when that did not happen, he got seriously upset and was ready to go back home.

Thankfully, however, his servants that had come with him to see the man of God went to him to reason with him. They told him that there was no reason for him to be angry or arrogant. According to them, though the man of God did not come out to meet him, he, at least, sent someone to tell him what to do. Moreover, what he asked him to do was nothing serious, nothing beyond his ability to do. Yes, it may be beneath his status as a great Syrian army general to take his bath in any of the waters of Israel. But if that was all that getting cured of his leprosy would cost him, should anything stop him from doing it?

Well, to cut a long story short, Naaman listened to his servants, humbled himself and went to do what the man of God had told him to do. And as he did it, he was cured of his leprosy and his flesh that had been wasting away was restored like that of a young boy. So it was that Naaman received the perfection of his body by humbling himself before the man of God and his word.

Now when this man came back to thank the man of God, he did not stay inside as before, he came out to meet him and to rejoice with him. But why did he not come out the first time? Though we are not given any specific reason in the bible, I strongly believe it was to reveal that pride, all along, was one main reason Naaman had not been cured of his leprosy. Thank God, he finally dealt with it and was cured. But if he had not dealt with, he would certainly have gone back to his land with his leprosy. And he may have stayed leprous till the day of his death.

In like manner, there are many today that pride is preventing them from receiving God’s perfection in certain areas of their lives. Truly, He wants to heal them, lift them up or save them. But they too, like Naaman, would not just humble themselves before Him or in relating to the people He wants to use to perfect what is lacking, failing or dead in their lives. And until they humble themselves to act on His word or receive the people He has given for their perfection, regardless of how low the state of those people may be in life, the perfection they so seriously seek in their lives will not be theirs. Then, if care is not taken, they may end up leaving the world without ever experiencing it.

Now it is possible that you too have been seeking for a while perfection in a certain area of your life and are yet to find it. It is possible that there is an aspect of your life that needs to be perfected in order for everything you need to be where you ought to be to fit in. What is standing in the gap? What is keeping you from experiencing this perfection? Could it be pride? Could it be that you have been relating to God and men in arrogance and stubbornness? If it is, I pray that God Himself will bring about situations that will reveal it to you, so that you may repent, as Naaman later did, and humble yourself to receive His perfection wherever you need it in your life. Amen.

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

Not your spiritual gifts alone | Pst. J.O. Lawal

Date: January 30, 2022 | Series: From Pastor’s Desk | Number: Vol. 10, No. 39

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. Welcome to another week of year 2022. My prayer is that, as you go through the week, your eyes will be opened to see what things you need to give yourself to this year in order to increase in usefulness in God’s hand, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Now one main way to increase in usefulness in God’s hand, apart from offering prayers to Him, is to recognize His gifts in our lives and make the most of them. As the bible shows us, it is only those who are putting to meaningful usage what God has given to them, whether spiritual things or natural things, that He gives more things to, so that they may increase in usefulness with them. Those who are not doing much or anything with what He has given to them will not receive additional revelations, abilities, resources or opportunities from Him. In fact, if they are not careful, He may end up taking away from them what He has given them. (Cf. Mark 4:24-25; Luke 19:11-26)

So, if we want to increase in usefulness in God’s kingdom this year, we must carefully look into our lives to see what things He has given to us that we can use to serve Him or do His work. And this is not just about using our spiritual gifts to serve Him. It is also about using our natural or acquired abilities, education, resources and position to serve Him.

For example, Luke, who wrote one of gospel books and also ‘The Acts of the Apostles’, was not known as an apostle, prophet, evangelist or pastor. Rather, he was known as a trained physician or doctor. But he made use of his education and his love for history in serving the Lord by writing an orderly account of the life and ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ. He also put these things to work in giving us a brief history of the church and of the spread of the gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world. So, though he was not a preacher, he made himself useful to God in preserving for us the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. (Cf. Luke 1:1-4; Acts 1:1-2; Col 4:14)

Also, Dorcas was not a preacher or church leader. But she was always using her resources to help the poor, especially in the church. And that made her popular among the brethren. Therefore, when she died, they could not accept her death. They had to immediately send for Peter, who came to them and prayed for her to be brought back to life. And God answered him. Why? It was because He knew that if He gave that woman more years to live, she would not waste them in unproductive living. Instead, she would increase in usefulness and fruitfulness with them. (Cf. Acts 9:36-42)

So, you do not have to have preaching or healing gifts to be useful in God’s kingdom or to increase in usefulness in it. You just need to adequately and continually put to use whatever your spiritual gift is. And you will be amazed at what things God will accomplish through you. Then, even if you don’t seem to know what your spiritual gift is at the moment, consider how you can use your education, skills or resources to move forward the work of God.

For example, if you are a furniture maker, see what you can make for the use of the church of God or how you can use your abilities to save the church some unnecessary spending. Or maybe you are good with writing or artwork. Think of how you can regularly use your skills in these things to support the church and promote the gospel, instead of making excuses for not being responsible to God in any way. It is unfortunate, however, that many in our churches today don’t want to use their abilities to serve God, if it will not result in much material profit for them. In fact, some don’t mind cheating the church in matters like this. That is because their god is their stomach. (Cf. Ex 35:4-36:3; Philippians 3:18-19)

Now I know that it is wrong for any church too to underpay or cheat anyone who does any work for her simply because the person is a church member or believer. If a believer wants to give his church some discounts on goods or services supplied by him, it is fine. But it has to be as he purposes in his heart and not something he is manipulated, threatened or forced to do (2Cor 9:7). Yet we all must learn to make available everything we have that is of use in doing the Lord’s work and in increasing in usefulness in His kingdom. Otherwise, we may end up being regarded by Him someday as lazy and unprofitable servants. And may things not end like that for you and me, in Jesus’ name.

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@abcministryng.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)