Author: Pastor J.O. Lawal

End the culture of unfaithfulness | Pst J.O. Lawal

Post author By Pastor J.O. Lawal
Post date September 4, 2021
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fire in my bones

Date: September 01, 2021 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 4, No. 16

“Jesus told his disciples: “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. So he called him in and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.’”” (Luke 16:1-2NIV)
Why do we have such a high rate of unemployment in our country today? Is it basically because the successive governments we have had have been irresponsible for many years? Not exactly! Truly, our governments have failed mostly in providing the basic infrastructures that could aid the birth and growth of many businesses and organisations and, as such, reduce the rate of unemployment in the land. But these governments are not to blame for everything. Our own culture of unfaithfulness also has a lot to contribute to what we are now experiencing.

What is my point? It is that many of us cannot be trusted with anything that does not belong to us. We just do not have in us a heart that wants to faithfully handle whatever is entrusted to us. So, we are not fit for any kind of employment in which there is no well-established system to monitor us and also punish us accordingly for any kind of unfaithfulness. Otherwise, we are going to ruin any business or organisation we are employed to work in.

Just think of the number of businesses, organisations, companies, government institutions and so forth that used to be great in the country but that were wrecked through the unfaithfulness of their managers and employees. So, many who would have invested in our economy by building businesses or organisations that would employ many are afraid of doing so. Even government leaders are afraid of embarking on certain projects that would benefit the people. Why? It is because it is hard to find people who will faithfully manage or work in another person’s business and not ultimately ruin it.

So, today, if you want to start any business, people will tell you that if you are not going to be readily available to manage and nurture it yourself, you had better not start it. Otherwise, you will regret it. And this true to a very great degree. Even if it a house you want to build, and you do not plan to be there, those close to you will advise you not to try it. Why? It is because you will not likely find any contractor, even if the person is your own blood, that will manage the building faithfully and see to it that the correct items are used and that the correct thing is done.

You can now see why the rate of employment in our land is high. People who have money to invest in businesses or organisations or systems that will solve unemployment problems in many ways don’t want to do so. That is because they don’t want to lose their investment to the unfaithfulness of their would-be workers or employees. And unless we renew our minds along this line and begin to treat other people’s things faithfully, just as we would expect them to treat our things, many of us will never in this life find any real job that will make enough resources available to us.

Then, even if we find a good job for ourselves, as long as we are unfaithful in handling our duties in it, we are bound to lose it at some point. It is either we are sacked by our employers or sacked by the business or organisation itself after we have ruined it. As we see in our opening bible text, the only reason that rich man the Lord speaks about was going to sack his manager was his unfaithfulness in managing his business. And even he went on to act more unfaithfully in managing the business after he learnt that he would be sacked. So, he never had the good of his master’s business at heart; all he was concerned about was himself and his welfare. (Cf. Luke 16:3-8)

Now, of course, this man’s master commended him for being a smart person, one that knows how to get himself out of trouble. However, that did not change the fact that he was an unfaithful person that was not fit for any form of job or favour. And if we are like him, we too, as I pointed out before, are not fit for any kind of real employment. We are not even fit for any kind of financial favour to run our own business or organisation.

Why? It is because, as our Lord Jesus shows us, if we have not learnt to handle what is small in a faithful way, we cannot handle what is big in a faithful way. Also, if we have not shown ourselves as being able to handle what belongs to someone else faithfully and responsibly, only a foolish or reckless person will invest us. (Cf. Luke 16:10-12). Therefore, as I mentioned earlier, if we want to greatly reduce the rate of unemployment in our land, we all must begin to develop a culture of faithfulness. And we can start by handling whatever job or business we are doing for others or ourselves at the moment faithfully and diligently. Then God, who is the true rewarder of all faithfulness, will see to it that our faithfulness does not go unrewarded by opening doors of greater opportunities, resources and positions for us.

Copyright © 2021, 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)

Tags culture of unfaithfulness, Fire in my bones, unfaithfulness

FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2021 Pastor's Desk

Be patient with Him | Pst J.O. Lawal

Post author By Pastor J.O. Lawal
Post date September 4, 2021
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Pastor J.O. Lawal

Date: September 05, 2021 | Series: From Pastor’s Desk | Number: Vol. 10, No. 18

Beloved: grace and peace be multiplied to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. I am delighted to welcome you to a new week in the month of September 2021. My prayer is that you will keep experiencing God’s exaltation until you are fully established in His good purpose for your life, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Now one major way not to miss the full realization of God’s good purpose for our lives is to walk with Him with patience. As we see in Scriptures, the fact that God has a good purpose for someone does not mean that everything will be realized overnight. God, for instance, ordained David as king in place of Saul. But He did not put this young man on the throne the same day He ordained him. In fact, He did not put him on the throne until about thirteen years later.

Why, then, did God not put David on the throne the moment He ordained him as king? It was because he was not yet ripe for the position. Being a king comes with a lot of responsibilities and not just privileges. And if one is not wise and strong enough to handle those responsibilities, he would fail woefully. Also, if one does not have enough faithful, wise, competent and strong subjects that would help him establish and strengthen his kingdom, he would most likely be devoured by the wolves in that kingdom.

So, though God wanted David on the throne of Israel because he was a man after His heart, He still had to give him time to learn, prepare and strengthen himself for the position before putting him there. Otherwise, his reign would have ended even before it had any chance to start. And the accounts of the persecutions he suffered from the hands of Saul were enough proof for this.

In like manner, even though God has great plans for our lives and is committed to fulfilling all of them, He will not do anything that would end up destroying us or give us anything that we would not be able to manage or keep. Therefore, He may have to keep certain things from getting into our hands until we are adequately equipped to handle them, keep them and also not destroy ourselves with them. But if we are not patient, we may get angry with Him for not fulfilling His promises to us as we expect and throw away our confidence in Him. And doing that, of course, can only make us totally miss the fulfilment of His purpose for our lives.

Look at what He said to the children of Israel through Moses before He took them into the promised land: “The LORD your God will drive out those nations before you, little by little. You will not be allowed to eliminate them all at once, or the wild animals will multiply around you.” (Deut 7:22NIV) Did you see that? Even though God was going to drive out all the enemy nations before His people, so that they may occupy the land flowing with milk and honey that He had promised to give them, He did not intend to do so all at once. Why? Was it because He was not powerful enough to do so? No! Rather, it was because doing so would not be advantageous to them.

As His words clearly indicate, these Israelites were not numerous enough to occupy and manage the whole land at that time. So, even if everything was given to them all at once, it would not be long before wild animals multiplied against them and began to kill them off. And that would not be good at all. Therefore, in His wisdom, God decided that He would only eliminate their enemies little by little until they were numerous and strong enough to take over the whole land. And He still operates by the same principle. He still fulfils His purpose for His children little by little, based on their immediate ability to manage His provisions and exaltation. All they need is to be patient with Him and continue to do His will, knowing that He is utterly dependable and powerful enough to fulfil His purpose concerning them (1Thess 5:24; Heb 10:35-39).

So, if you are already feeling that God is not fulfilling His purpose in your life or is acting too slow, His Spirit is speaking to you now, saying, “Be patient and continue to do the will of God.” That is because He may just be waiting for you to become strong or wise enough to manage what He is bringing. And my prayer is that whatever is lacking in your faith, wisdom or strength to manage God’s provisions for you will be immediately and abundantly supplied, so that your experience of His exaltation and salvation will no longer be delayed. Amen.

Do have a wonderful week.

Tags pastor lawal, patience, patient

FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2021 Pastor's Desk

He is concerned about the source too | Pst J.O. Lawal

Post author By Pastor J.O. Lawal
Post date August 29, 2021
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Date: August 29, 2021 | Series: From Pastor’s Desk | Number: Vol. 10, No. 17

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. I welcome you to the last Sunday of the month of August 2021 and pray that the Lord will perfect all that concerns your affairs in the month, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Recently, I had a discussion with a young woman who was troubled about her family’s financial conditions and how things were not going well for them as they wanted. As she told me, she was so troubled about this matter that she, at some point, thought about becoming a ‘Yahoo girl’. But we know that the so-called ‘Yahoo boys’ and ‘Yahoo girls’ are nothing but fraudsters and thieves. Not only are they fraudsters and thieves, they are also sorcerers. In other words, many of them, if not all of them, have one thing or the other to do with demons in order to make money. And unless they repent, they are bound to perish even before their lives get started.

But why would that woman think of becoming a ‘Yahoo girl’? That was the question I asked her. I said, “You are a Christian and one who has a job. Why, then, would you think of doing that?” And her answer was a little surprising. It was surprising because, according to her, she has been seeing many ‘Yahoo guys’ in church meetings and observing the way they spend money in those meetings and also the way many so-called church leaders praise, adore and pray them. That made her feel oppressed and that she and her husband also needed to do something about their financial state.

Now thank God that though that dear young woman thought about getting involved in this evil thing, she was held back by the Spirit of God from doing so. But the point of the matter is that there are many in the church today who are involved in all kinds of illegal activities and who have remained comfortable among us because no one is rebuking or warning them. And regardless of how much they give to the church or how highly certain people sing their praises, their jobs and their gifts are detestable to God.

So, apart from the fact that they will not receive any reward from Him for what they are doing, they will also get punished by Him at the right time for the evils they are doing and also for being bold enough to think they could bribe God with wages of wickedness. Under the old covenant, God said to His people, “No Israelite man or woman is to become a shrine prostitute. You must not bring the earnings of a female prostitute or of a male prostitute into the house of the LORD your God to pay any vow, because the LORD your God detests them both.” (Deut 23:17-18NIV)

Did you see that? God is concerned about what we do for a living. He is concerned about the source of our income. And if what we are doing is something that He hates, we had better not bring Him any money or offering from it. That is because even if men do not know what we are up to, He knows what we are up to and will reward us accordingly. Mind you, we are not the only ones that will get punished for this nonsense; every church leader that is encouraging or supporting us to carry on in it will also get severely punished along with us.

Why did God eventually destroy Balaam the seer? It was because he loved the wages of wickedness. He was a man that would prophesy to anybody, pray for anyone or curse anyone, without first finding out what they are really up to, if you offered him enough money. So, God destroyed him, just as He is bound to destroy all these preachers that are walking in his footsteps, if they too waste time to repent. (Cf. Num 22-24 & 31:8)

So, always remember that even though God wants you to be generous to Him, He is also concerned about where the things you give Him are coming from. This is why you must not be involved in anything unclean or allow anyone to pressure you to do so (Eph 4:28). Otherwise, you will be wasting whatever you think you are giving to God or to His church, and your destruction won’t be sleeping.

Do have a great week.

Tags source

Fire in my Bones

Learn to get adequate good counsel | Pst. J.O. Lawal

Post author By Pastor J.O. Lawal
Post date August 25, 2021
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fire in my bones

Date: August 25, 2021 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 4, No. 15

“Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” (Prov 15:22NIV)

Why was Solomon a great and mighty king? Was it because he was all-wise and all-knowing? No! Indeed, God, as we are told in the bible, blessed this man with wisdom, insight and a breadth of understanding that was as measureless as the sand on the seashore (1Kings 4:29). But that is not to say that he knew everything and needed nobody’s counsel or advice to succeed in life or as king. Only God knows everything and needs nobody’s counsel or advice to do anything (Isaiah 40:13-14).

But man is not God. Man is man, however wise or knowledgeable he may be. So, he is limited in many ways and will, from time to time, need the counsel and support of others to thrive in life or to escape from trouble. And one of the things that will show that he is wise and understanding is his recognition of the fact that he does not know or understand it all – he needs the wisdom, knowledge and understanding of others too to perfect his own. Otherwise, he is a fool, even if he or some other people think of him as wise.

So, Solomon, in his wisdom, says to us in our opening bible text, “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” Have you ever failed at anything you were so sure you would succeed at? If you have, do you know why you failed? Well, even if you do not know why yet, Solomon is telling us here that one major reason people’s good plans or projects fail or fall apart is that they do not get adequate counsel or get counsel at all.

See, when we allow others to counsel us about what we want to do or about a problem we want to solve, whether through their direct words of mouth, books or audio or video recordings, we are able to see the loopholes, errors, impossibilities, possibilities or opportunities we are perhaps overlooking. And this enables us to make better informed decisions. But when we act like we know it all and do our thing, then, the surprises we get may end up being what will drive us to seek the counsel we ought to have sought before.

Therefore, before you make any major decision in your life, get counsel, adequate counsel. Meet or listen to as many people that are informed or highly experienced about the matter that you can listen to. But then, you must also understand that it is not every counsel that is good for you. Some counsel is bad and dangerous enough to destroy you. So, you need to be able to distinguish a wise and good counsel from a bad and destructive one.

Some people have all kinds of counsellors around them and that are ever ready to give them free counsel. But because they lack the wisdom of the Spirit to recognise what counsel will do them good and what counsel will destroy them, they are often embracing the wrong counsel and making life harder for themselves. And when they are done failing at something, they would say, “But I sought people’s counsel on this before I did it.”

Now what such people do not know is that success or salvation does not come just by taking counsel from people but also by taking the right counsel in its right amount from them. What was the difference between Solomon and his son, Rehoboam? It was the ability to distinguish a right counsel from a wrong and destructive one (1Kings 12). And if you want to possess and increase in this ability, give yourself to the word of God. That is because it can be trusted to make even a simple and naïve heart wise enough to distinguish what is good and profitable from what is bad and destructive (Ps 19:7).

At any rate, learn to seek and to take the right measure of counsel for every major step you are taking in life. That may just be the difference between success and failure for you or between salvation and destruction.

Tags counsel, Fire in my bones

FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2021 Pastor's Desk

One wrong thing | Pst J.O. Lawal

Post author By Pastor J.O. Lawal
Post date August 21, 2021
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Date: August 22, 2021 | Series: From Pastor’s Desk | Number: Vol. 10, No. 16

Beloved: grace and peace be yours abundantly from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. I am glad to welcome you to another week of the month of August 2021. And my prayer is that you will always be prevented by the Spirit of God from desiring or doing anything that will expose you to God’s judgment, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Now that may not sound like a very serious prayer to many. But Paul offers a similar one for the Corinthian brethren, saying, “We pray to God that you will not do anything wrong…” (2Cor 13:7NCV) So, though this appears to be a very simple prayer, it is perfectly scriptural. And since it is perfectly scriptural, it can actually be the difference between life and death or between exaltation and fall for us.

For example, Reuben was not cursed by his father because he was a troublesome young man that was always causing problems and pains. Rather, he was cursed because of just one wrong thing he did. He slept with his father’s wife. Why he did this is not stated in the bible. Perhaps he was seduced by the woman, just as Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce Joseph. We would not know. But just that one offence made him and his descendants lose their place of excellence in life. (Cf. Gen 35:21-22 & 43:3-4)

Also, what got Nadab and Abihu, two of the sons of Aaron, killed on the same day and at the same time? It was just a wrong step that they took. They were good people. Also, they were anointed priests of God. But when they offered unauthorised fire before the Lord, fire came out from His presence and consumed the two of them right away. They were not given any warning or any chance to repent. So, any wrong thing can expose us to instant destruction or a life time of trouble. (Cf. Lev 10:1-2)

See, people may be involved in all kinds of wrong things and not get punished for them immediately or in any serious or obvious manner. But just one more wrong thing from them, one that may not even appear as grievous as the ones they have been doing, and they may find themselves in some very serious trouble with God. That was what happened to King Belshazzar. God did not put him to death or take away his kingdom from him for any of the wrong things he had been doing before the day he and his people decided to use the articles belonging to His temple for merriment. But on the day he did that, the sentence of death was pronounced on him. And he was killed and his kingdom given to another. (Cf. Dan 5)

In like manner, someone may have been doing everything right before God and receiving His praise. But just one wrong thing from him can make him lose his life, his ministry or his place in the kingdom of God. Remember Moses. It was just one wrong thing that he did that made him lose his ministry of leading Israel into the Promised Land. So, one wrong thing can spoil everything for us. (Cf. Num 20:1-13)

All of this is why I find Paul’s prayer for the Corinthians to be a very relevant one for me and in fact for every child of God. And what again is this prayer? It is that we will not do any wrong thing, whether one that will lead to our death or one that will lead to our failure, destruction, depression or uselessness in life, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Do have a great week.

Tags From pastor's desk, One wrong thing

Fire in my Bones

Beware of covetousness | Pst J.O. Lawal

Post author By Pastor J.O. Lawal
Post date August 18, 2021
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fire in my bones

Date: August 18, 2021 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 4, No. 14

“Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”” (Heb 13:5-6NKJV)

All through the Scriptures, we are warned not to allow covetousness in our lives. Why? First, it is because God has promised to never leave nor forsake us, regardless of the circumstances of our lives. And that being the case, there is nothing we need immediately or later that He will not make sure we have. So, there is no reason for us to be covetous. No, there is no reason for us to want to take for ourselves what belongs to others or to want to take for ourselves what we don’t need or to want to have anything for ourselves at any cost, even at the cost of our souls. God is enough for us and is always with us. And as long as we continue to trust in Him, we will never be put to shame.

The second reason we are warned not to be covetous is that covetousness, which is also the love of money or earthly riches, is a root of all kinds of evil (1Tim 6:10). In other words, once we are covetous, there is no telling how far we may be willing to go to have what we want.

For example, even though David was a man after God’s own heart, the moment he coveted Batsheba, Uriah’s wife, he opened the door of his life for all kinds of evil to come in. First, it was adultery that came in. Later, manipulation and deceit came in – he wanted to trick Uriah into accepting a pregnancy that was not his. Finally, murder crept in. David killed this good and honourable man to cover up his sins and to also take for himself a woman that was never meant to be his. And by so doing, he opened the door of his household for satanic afflictions. (Cf. 2Sam 11-20)

What about King Ahab? Why did God make a pronouncement of disaster on him and his entire household? Was it not because of the sin of covetousness? He coveted the inheritance of another man, Naboth. He coveted something that was never meant to be his. Yes, he had a logical reason for wanting it and was even willing to pay the man any amount his inheritance was worth or give him something better. But the man was not going to give away his inheritance for anything, for it was meant to be passed on to generations of his children after him.

Now, instead for Ahab to let the matter go, he gave in to depression, which his wife used as an excuse to orchestrate the murder of Naboth and the taking over of his inheritance. And did God sit still and allow the matter to die like that? No! He did not. On the contrary, He stepped in and sent His prophet, Elijah, to judge the wickedness of this evil king and his wife. (Cf. 1Kings 21)

In like manner, He will not sit still and allow us to continue to harass, cheat, molest or destroy others through our greed or covetousness. At some point, He will step in and judge our love of money, position, fame or any of these earthly things that is driving us crazy and making us to do all kinds of evil things. So, watch your life and make sure it is free of covetousness.

And maybe you are asking, “But how do I know if I am being covetous?” Well, you will know once you see that you are willing to do just about anything to have something, even if it is something legitimate. In other words, if you are willing to make your hands dirty just to have anything in this life, even if that thing is your right, you are covetous. And you should humble yourself before God right away and allow Him to cleanse you of this evil. Otherwise, it won’t be long before it destroys you and perhaps other good people and things in your life as well.

Tags beware, coveteousness

Fire in my Bones

He knows how to save them | Pst. J.O. Lawal

Post author By Pastor J.O. Lawal
Post date August 14, 2021
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fire in my bones

Date: August 11, 2021 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 4, No. 13

“And God also destroyed the evil cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them until they were ashes. He made those cities an example of what will happen to those who are against God. But he saved Lot from those cities. Lot, a good man, was troubled because of the filthy lives of evil people. (Lot was a good man, but because he lived with evil people every day, his good heart was hurt by the evil things he saw and heard.) So the Lord knows how to save those who serve him when troubles come. He will hold evil people and punish them, while waiting for the Judgment Day.” (2Peter 2:6-9NCV)

Those are apostle Peter’s words to us. And he says them to encourage us to keep walking in righteousness, regardless of how corrupt or wicked those around us are or become. As he points out, it is not just on the day of eternal judgment that the wicked will be punished. Even right here in the world, God will not allow them to go unpunished for their wickedness, if they will not repent. It is only that it is not every time that people can relate the judgment God is bringing on them in this world to their wicked acts.

There are times, however, in which God punishes people in such a way that everyone is able to tell that He is the one punishing them for their sins. For instance, as Peter equally reminds us in our opening bible text, there was a time God had to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them until they became nothing but ashes. Why? It was because of their wickedness and filthy lives. They were so immoral and unreasonable that their men (old and young) even thought of molesting the angels that came into their cities to assess the level of their wickedness. (Cf. Gen 19:1-5)

That, by the way, is something we should keep in mind. God, from time to time, sends His angels to assess and experience firsthand what is going on in our lives, homes, communities, cities and even countries. In fact, this is one of the reasons we are told in the Scriptures to be hospitable and kind to all people, including strangers, for we cannot tell when we will be interacting with God’s angels. What report or testimony, then, will they bring before God concerning us? And what will their testimony about us make God do to us? Will it make Him elevate us or make Him demote or destroy us? (Cf. Heb 13:2)

Two angels were sent by Him to Sodom and Gomorrah to see whether the degree of their wickedness was as outrageous as the outcry against them suggested. Also, they were sent to see if there would be enough righteous people, even if they were only ten, in these cities to make God change His mind about them and give them another chance. So, the fate of these people was resting to a great extent on the assessment of these angels. Yet, that very night that they chose to sleep in the city, the men there were bent on sexually molesting them. And they would have succeeded, if they had just been ordinary men and not angels. (Cf. Gen 18:20-23)

Now what more evidence did these angels need to conclude that these two cities must be destroyed? None! So, they carried out God’s sentence on them and destroyed everybody and everything there. However, that same day, Lot and his wife and two daughters were shown favour and led out safely. Yes, Lot’s wife eventually perished on the way. But it was not because she was a partaker of the sins of the people of those cities but because she disobeyed an angelic instruction. (Cf. Gen 19:12-26)

What is the point of all this? It is that God knows how save those whose hearts are devoted to pleasing Him when He is punishing the wicked for their sins. Why were Lot and his daughters saved on the day that Sodom and Gomorrah were judged? It was because God was merciful to them. And why was He merciful to them? It was because, though they daily saw the wickedness being done in those cities and had their hearts tormented by it, they would not partake in it, encourage it or sponsor it. And they proved their innocence in all these things by welcoming the angels sent by God and bringing them into their house for comfort and safety, when no one else would take notice of them.

In like manner, we too can expect to enjoy God’s favour and mercy anytime He brings judgment on the wicked in our world, if we will not partake in their wickedness or encourage or sponsor it. So, if your heart is already fainting because of the horror of wickedness around you, remember these things and strengthen yourself in the Lord. And someday, you will be glad that you remain steadfast in righteousness, when you are made to witness the judgment of the wicked around you from a place of safety.

Tags he knows how to save them, save

FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2021 Pastor's Desk

The judgment of deceit | Pst. J.O. Lawal

Post author By Pastor J.O. Lawal
Post date August 14, 2021
No Comments on The judgment of deceit | Pst. J.O. Lawal

Date: August 15, 2021 | Series: From Pastor’s Desk | Number: Vol. 10, No. 15

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be multiplied to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. I am delighted to welcome you into another week of the month of August 2021. My prayer is that your heart will always be strengthened by the Spirit of God to walk in love and sincerity with all the people of God in your life, so that you won’t expose yourself to God’s judgment instead of enjoying the fullness of the joy of Christian fellowship. Amen.

The bible says, “Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.” (Col 3:9-10NIV) Did you see that? Lying, deception or deceit is an offspring of the nature of death that God removed from us, when we got born again. So, we must not allow it in our lives or in our dealings with one another. Otherwise, we may expose ourselves to God’s judgment. And who knows how He is going to judge? Nobody!

For example, if Ananias and his wife Sapphira had thought God could judge them with death for acting in deception towards the people of God, they most likely would not have acted the way they did. But because they had no idea that He could do so, they lied about their giving and were immediately and seriously punished for it. Both of them were judged and killed by God the same day. (Cf. Acts 5:1-11)

Now someone may say, “But many of God’s people still act in deception every now and then. Yet they don’t get killed by Him each time they do so. How come Ananias and his wife’s case was treated differently by Him?” Well, first, we need to understand that the fact that people are not judged immediately with death by God for acting in deceit or for doing any wrong thing does not mean they are not being judged at all. There are different ways He judges people. And if they are not sensitive to His things, they may never know they are being judged.

Second, we need to understand that it was not that God was treating Ananias and his wife differently. Rather, He was merely using them as scapegoats to warn others that may want to follow in their steps. And I pray that you won’t ever take any step that will make God use you as an example of how He judges wickedness, in Jesus’ name. Amen. But why did God have to use Ananias and Sapphira as scapegoats for others to learn from? It was because they tried to introduce deceit into His church. And we too should watch what we introduce into God’s church, for He is watching us and will reward us accordingly.

At any rate, as bible accounts show us, what happened to Ananias and his wife happened at a time that the love of Christ was truly reigning in the lives of all the brethren and over their affairs. This love so much dominated their lives that those who had properties among them were selling them off and bringing the money they made from their sales to the apostles to distribute to others who had need. And that, in fact, was what eradicated poverty among them, for the bible says, “There were no needy persons among them at that time.” (Cf. Acts 4:32-35)

So, all the brethren at this time, whatever their number was, were truthful and loving towards one another. And God wanted it that way, for that was what would show the world that they were true disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, during that same period, Satan somehow succeeded in getting Ananias and his wife to start thinking and acting differently. How long they carried on like this we would not know. But we do know that, at some point, they too, like some other brethren, pledged to sell a property of theirs and bring the money to the church. And they did.

However, they were not willing to bring all the money they made from the sales of the land to the church. So, they kept a part of it for themselves. Was that a problem? No! The money was theirs in the first place, as Peter would later tell them. So, they had the right to choose how they used it. But to try to deceive other people of God, who loved them and cared about them, and give them the impression that they were giving more than they were actually giving was unacceptable to God. That was why He judged their deceit, giving others like them an opportunity to learn and change their ways.

In like manner, if we too will not walk in love and sincerity with our brethren, whether in the use of our resources or spiritual gifts or in other matters, we may just be exposing ourselves to God’s judgment, which could be as terrible as physical death. Therefore, let us allow the word of God to cleanse us of all forms of insincerity and hypocrisy while we still can. And may the Spirit of God enable you and me to do what is right in this matter, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Do have a lovely week.

Tags deceit, judgement of deceit, the nature of God's judgement

FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2021 Pastor's Desk

How to become an enemy of God | Pst. J.O. Lawal

Post author By Pastor J.O. Lawal
Post date August 7, 2021
No Comments on How to become an enemy of God | Pst. J.O. Lawal

Since God our Father is a finisher of everything He sets his hands on to do, we too, as His children, must cultivate the culture of finishing every good thing we lay our hands on to do

Date: August 08, 2021 | Series: From Pastor’s Desk | Number: Vol. 10, No. 14

Beloved: welcome to the second week of the month of August 2021. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you both now and forevermore. Amen.

As we begin this new week, I want to exhort you with the words of Apostle Paul that say, “Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.” (Gal 1:10NIV) Now does this mean that it is totally wrong to gain people’s approval or to please them? No! On the contrary, it is important that we learn to please people, especially those in our lives. That is because it will promote love, peace and unity in our relationship with them.

And what does God want among men? He wants love, peace and unity among them. So, when we work to please people and accomplish these things, He is pleased. And anyone who will not study and work towards pleasing men in this manner will unlikely give himself to the discipline that pleasing God requires.

However, we need to be careful that we do not displease God while we are trying to please men. And that is the point that Paul is setting before us in that bible text. He wants us to know that while it is true that God wants us to labour to please men, so that our dealings with them may be smooth and peaceful, He does not want us to do this at the expense of our relationship with Him.

What does this mean? Well, it means that God is the one that must define for us how we please people. Yes, people may desire that we act in certain ways in order for them to be pleased or happy with us. But they are not our creator, neither are they the ones that will judge and reward us for the things we do in this life, whether good or evil. So, while it is alright for them to desire that we please them in one way or the other, we must only do what they want if it pleases God. If what they want does not please Him or is not in agreement with His will, we must refuse to do it for them or give it to them.

Will this make them happy? Will doing things that displease people make them happy? No! But as children that are responsible to God, our most important goal in life is to please Him and make Him happy and not to please men and make them happy (2Cor 5:9). Yes, in most cases, when we please God and make Him happy, people will be pleased and made happy too. But there are times that pleasing Him will set us against men. And that will be because of their hatred for His righteousness and truth (John 3:19-21).

Nevertheless, even if in pleasing God, we find ourselves at variance with men, we should not lose heart or feel bad. That is because it is far better to be an enemy of men and suffer their temporary rejection, abuse or persecution than to be an enemy of God and be forever lost. If you have men as your enemies, God is able to save you from their hands. But if you have God as your eternal enemy, who is going to save you from His hand? Nobody!

James says, “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.” (James 4:4-5NIV) Did you see that? If, for any reason, whether it is fear, money, pleasure, position or a desire for men’s reward, you choose to be a friend of the world, you automatically become an enemy of God. And the consequences of that will never be good or enjoyable for you, whether in this life or in the one to come.

Remember Pilate. Why did he release a criminal to go and continue his life of sin but condemn an innocent man to death? It was because he wanted to please men (Mark 15:15). So, he became an enemy of God and of truth and justice just because he wanted to satisfy men. I wonder what he would say to Him on the day of judgment, if he did not receive salvation through faith in Christ Jesus before his death. And I wonder what you too will say to Him on the day He visits you, if you should allow yourself to become His enemy just to remain friends with adulterers, prostitutes, thieves, swindlers, sorcerers or any other kind of wicked person. Well, my prayer is that nothing will succeed in setting you against Him, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Do have a great week.

Tags enemy, enemy of God, how to become an enemy of God

Fire in my Bones

Where does it lead? | Pst. J.O. Lawal

Post author By Pastor J.O. Lawal
Post date August 7, 2021
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fire in my bones

Date: August 04, 2021 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 4, No. 12

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” (Prov 16:25NIV)

When the prodigal son first came to his father to ask for his own share of the man’s property, he felt he was doing the right thing. Yes, he felt that running his own life and affairs without the guidance or control of his father was the right way for him to become the kind of great man he had always dreamt of becoming. So, he asked for his independence and got it. And before long, he was on his way out of his father’s house to some foreign land, where he would be the lord and master of his own life. (Cf. Luke 15:11-13)

But some years later, it became all clear to him that what he thought was a good and wise decision was nothing but a bad and foolish one. The way he thought would lead to a great experience of liberty did not lead to it at all. Instead, it led to an experience of poverty, hunger and shame. And if he had not humbled himself and accepted the reality about the inability of the way he chose to lead him to a life of prosperity and rest and gone back home, he would have perished in that way. (Cf. Luke 15:13-24)

Therefore, that a way of doing things seems right or popular to us does not mean it will lead us to our desired haven. If that way does not agree with the will of God for our lives, it can only lead us to an experience of defeat, confusion, shame, poverty, illness or death. And that is the point Solomon is communicating to us in our opening bible text, saying, “There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.”

But how do we know what way is right and what way is wrong? How do we know that this way we are taking to gain riches, fame, power, health, affluence or pleasure is right or wrong for us to take? For some people, if a way feels right for them to take, then, it must be right. So, they will take it. And for some others, if they can see a sizeable number of people taking a particular way to getting what they want, then, it must be the right way to take.

That, of course, explains why, for example, we now have many young and even old people getting involved in internet fraud, which is popularly known as ‘Yahoo’, as a way to becoming rich in life. It is also the explanation for the involvement of many in prostitution, money rituals, drug trafficking and other terrible things people now do as a way to come out of poverty and become rich, powerful or famous.

But, first, we need to know that that something feels right does not mean it is right. As we are told in the bible, in the day when there were no kings in Israel, everyone did what seemed right in his sight. That means these people did not set out to do evil or what was bad. They had a mind to do what was right or what looked right to them. But because most of the things that looked right to them were actually wrong, they ended up experiencing confusion, chaos, insecurity, death of all kinds and even a civil war that almost extinguish a whole tribe. (Cf. Judges 17-21)

So, our feeling or conscience is never the true judge of the right or wrong way to take in life. God is the true judge of these things. And if we want to know whether a way is right for us to take or not, we should consider what He is saying to us about it in His word. That will be our wisdom and salvation from dangerous and destructive paths. (Cf. 1Cor 4:4)

Also, that many people are taking a particular way to have safety, prosperity, good health, a great position in life or a home does not mean it is right. The bible says do not follow a multitude to do evil (Ex 23:2). And that is because God is not going to spare people who do evil just because they are many. He did not spare the people of Noah’s day that were sinning because they were many; instead, he spared the family of Noah, who were just eight in number. And He did not spare the multitudes that were sinning in Sodom and Gomorrah on the day that He rained down fire on them. Instead, it was Lot and his daughters that were spared – only three people. In fact, Lot’s wife did not make it out alive. (Cf. Gen 7&19)

Therefore, if you follow the way of witchcraft, sorcery, theft, prostitution, adultery, murder, drunkenness, kidnapping or any other evil way men may follow in order to solve your financial, health, marital, academic or political problems, just because many people are following it, the same fate that awaits them awaits you, even if you are a child of God. That fate is destruction. And it may not look like you will get destroyed today, tomorrow or even in ten years’ time. But you can be sure that any way you follow that is inconsistent with the will of God will not lead to life but pains, sorrow, shame or death for you.

All of this is why you should take God’s word about every matter of life seriously, for only His word leads to a sure experience of life in this world and throughout eternity (John 12:50).

Tags Fire in my bones, lead, prodigal, where does it lead?