Author: Pastor J.O. Lawal

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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2021 Pastor's Desk

Don’t let Him find you sleeping | Pst. J.O. Lawal

Date: June 27, 2021 | Series: From Pastor’s Desk | Number: Vol. 10, No. 8

Beloved: grace and peace be yours in abundance from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Saviour. Welcome to another week of this year. I pray that you will be strengthened to remain focused now and always in your walk with the Lord and in your service in His kingdom, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

As we begin this new week, let me remind you that the Lord Jesus will certainly return for all His saints, as He has promised. And if you are one of them, you should keep this in mind and look forward to it. But when exactly will He return for us? We are not told. But we are told this:

“No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back — whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!'”” Mark 13:33-37NIV)

Did you see that? The Lord clearly tells us here that nobody, not even Him, knows the day or hour He will return to take us to be with Him forever and establish a new order of things. Only God knows these things. Our own duty, then, is to look forward to this day and make ourselves ready for it. So, the question for us is, “Are we looking forward to the day of the Lord and making ourselves ready for it or are we acting as though nothing is at stake at all?”

As the Lord points out in that bible text, His return will be like that of a man who gives his servants different tasks to handle for him before he travels. Seeing, then, that this man could return anytime, it will only be wise for those servants of his to get busy with the tasks he has given them and keep watch. Otherwise, when he comes, he may not find them where they are supposed to be. And that would spell nothing but disgrace and trouble for them.

In like manner, since our Lord Jesus could return anytime, it will only be wise of us to get busy with the life He wants us to live and the works He wants us to do. What kind of life, then, does He want us to live? It is a life of holiness and godliness. And what sort of works does He want us to do? Good works! He wants us to be busy doing things that will bless those in our world, make life better for them and also draw them close to God. (Cf. Eph 2:10; 2Pet 3:11-14)

But are we busy living holy and godly lives where we are? And are we busy using all that God has given to us to do works that will make the world a better place for us all and to make men want to have God in their lives? What exactly are we busy doing now? If we are not busy living as He wants us to live, then, we are sleeping and not waiting for Him. Yes, what we are doing may be important to us and even cherished by men. But if it is not consistent with the life He wants us to live and the things He wants us to do, it is as good as nothing to Him.

Now remember that He warns us not to allow Him to come back and find us sleeping. That is because anyone that He finds sleeping is not waiting for Him but doing his own thing. That means that person does not really believe in Him and so cannot reign with Him. Those who truly believe in Him will keep watch and wait for Him instead of sleeping. And they are the ones that will reign eternally with Him and also hear these sweet words from His mouth: “Well done, good and faithful servant. Come and share in your master’s happiness!” If you, then, want to be among them, don’t let Him return and find you sleeping.

Do have a splendid week.

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)

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Fire in my Bones

Learn to deliver on time | Pst. J.O. Lawal

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

Date: June 23, 2021 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 4, No. 6

“Then the king said to Amasa, “Summon the men of Judah to come to me within three days, and be here yourself.” But when Amasa went to summon Judah, he took longer than the time the king had set for him.” (2Sam 20:4-5NIV)

One of the things everyone who wants to continually increase in relevance in their job must learn is how to work with time or deliver on time. Every task has the right amount of time to be invested in it. And it is important that we know this and function accordingly. Even the devil, according to the bible, knows that he does not have all the time in the world to mislead humanity and bring them to ruins. So, he is not ready to lose time at all. Instead, he and his demons are daily working hard and fast to destroy sinners and to also lure God’s people into error through immorality, greed, envy, bitterness and so forth. (Cf. Rev 12:12)

Therefore, if you are given any task, whether by your employer or by a client, don’t handle it as though you had all the time in the world to do it or as though it were the only task for you in life. Instead, first find out or determine the required amount of time to invest in it. Then proceed to handle it with the aim of finishing on time or even earlier. That way, you can always make yourself ready to take on something else and increase in usefulness. Also, that way, you can avoid losing your place of relevance in your job or trade to others, who perhaps are willing to do anything to have it.

In our opening text, for example, we are told of how Amasa, the general of Israel’s army, did not finish the task given to him by King David on time. What was this task? It was to muster the army of Judah together to snuff out a growing rebellion before it got out of hand. But this man failed to deliver on time. And why did it take him so long to get this task done? We are not told.

Mind you, gathering the army was not even the main job at hand. The main job was to quell a rebellion. And if it was going to take him ages to gather the men, when exactly would the real thing be done? It is clear, then, that Amasa did not work with an understanding of the seriousness and urgency of the matter at hand. Therefore, he ended up losing the job to another person, Abishai, who knew what it takes to deliver on time. Also, by failing to deliver on time, he gave Joab, another general, who desperately wanted his office as the commander of the army, a reason and an opportunity to murder him in cold blood and take his place. (Cf. 2Sam 20)

In like manner, if you too will not learn to finish every task that is given to you on time, it won’t be long before you lose your relevance or place. Understand that your employers or clients won’t forever endure your slothfulness or excuses for not getting their jobs ready on time, regardless of how good you are at what you do. At some point, they will do whatever they can to find a replacement for you, instead of allowing you to ruin their work.

Besides, there may just be around you individuals who are waiting for you to slip up a little, so that they may use the occasion to get rid of you and take your place. And if you allow slothfulness or distraction to keep putting you behind schedule in handling your job, you may someday become their victim. So, wake up and be diligent.

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)

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Fire in my Bones

What is your excuse? | Pastor J.O. Lawal

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

Date: June 16, 2021 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 4, No. 5

““Ah, Sovereign LORD,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am only a child.” But the LORD said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a child.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the LORD.” (Jer 1:6-8NIV)

When the Lord first appeared to Jeremiah to tell him of His purpose for his life and His readiness to use him, his excuse was that he was too young for the job. But did God not know that he was a young man before approaching him? He knew. Was He not the one that selected him for this task even before he was formed in the womb? He was the one. And did He not know his potential and limitations? He did.

So, what excuse could this young man possibly give God to make Him change His mind about using him? None! That was why He told him to drop his excuses and fears and get set to be useful and fulfil His purpose for his life. And He promised him that he would never be alone in doing the job He was giving him. Instead, He would always be with him to guide, protect and make him successful. All he would need, then, was to believe and act accordingly.

Now did Jeremiah believe God or not? He did. And did He fail him? No, He did not fail him. Instead, as He had promised, He stood by him all through those years that he faithfully proclaimed His word to all the people and nations that He sent him to. Yes, he encountered all kinds of trials – betrayals, rejection, persecution, imprisonment and even death. But God protected him in all these things and made him stand before the world as a true prophet of His.

In like manner, you too had been known and chosen by God for greatness before you were formed in the womb. And you don’t have to be a prophet or a president of a nation before you stand before Him as a great person. You just need to identify fully with His purpose for your life and fulfil it. That will be your greatness.

Also, you do not need to see a vision, have a dream or receive a special revelation from God before you know what His purpose for your life is. You just need to begin to diligently work with those good and righteous desires you have in your heart, and you will be good to go. The bible says it is God who works in us to will and to act according to His good purpose (Phil 2:13). That means those good and righteous desires that are rising in your heart are not coming from the devil but from God. And the skills, abilities and education you now possess to do good and righteous things in life have also become yours through His enablement.

Therefore, instead of making excuses that you are too young, poor, uneducated and so forth to be a world shaker, start putting these things to some honest and legitimate use. And unless, like David, you receive a specific message from God not to do something good and righteous that you have the ability to do, let nothing stop you from doing it (1Chro 17:1-14). Then God, who was with Jeremiah, will be with you too to guide, protect, and make you succeed.

See, as long as God is on your side, you are not too young, poor, uninfluential, weak or uneducated to fulfil His purpose for your life and become a highly useful and great person in His sight. It all depends on the purpose He wants to use you to serve in life. Don’t forget that the bible makes it very clear to us that it is not those who think of themselves as great or those who are called great by men that are truly great in the sight of God. It is only those whom God Himself calls great that are actually great. (Cf. Luke 16:15; 2Cor 10:18)

So, do away with all the excuses you are making for remaining irresponsible, useless and insignificant in life and get to work, making the most of every good thing God has endowed you with. And you will always find Him ready to see you through and make your life truly count. Then, even if you have wasted several years of your life wandering in irresponsible living, it is still not too late for God to make the remaining years of your life count for something. If He could pick up Moses at age 80 and make the remaining years of his life a wonder, He could do similar or greater things for you, if you too will reach out for His restoration and renewal. So, reach out for Him, and you will find Him waiting and ready to help you.

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)

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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2021 Pastor's Desk

Double jeopardy | Pastor J.O. Lawal

Date June 20, 2021 | Number: Vol. 10, No. 7

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. Welcome to another week of the month of June 2021. I pray that your heart will be strengthened to always retain and profit with every word God is bringing to you all through the remaining days of your life, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

I offered that prayer for you because the word of God is clear about the fact that it is not everyone that hears or reads the word of God that ends up profiting with it. Why is this so? It is so because in order to profit with the word of God, one must not just read or hear it; he must also act on it. It is only the one that acts on what he hears or reads that will experience the fullness of the blessing of what God says. The one who merely listens to the word or reads it but does not act on it is only deceiving himself – he will not experience in his life the result that the word is supposed to accomplish in it (Cf. Matt 7:24-27; James 1:22-25; Rev 1:3)

So, our aim in reading or listening to the word of God must be to act on it. Otherwise, not only will His word not accomplish His will in our lives, it will also stand against us as a witness when God begins to judge (John 12:48). For example, there was a time that the leaders of the remnant of the Jews in Judah came to Jeremiah to ask him to seek God’s face for them, so that they may know where to go or stay. They even went on to say to him, “May the LORD be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act in accordance with everything the LORD your God sends you to tell us. Whether it is favorable or unfavorable, we will obey the LORD our God, to whom we are sending you, so that it will go well with us, for we will obey the LORD our God.” (Jer 42:5-6NIV)

Did you notice that those people said that they would act on the word of God, whether it was favourable for them or not? Yet when Jeremiah came back with God’s word for them, their response was, “…You are lying! The LORD our God has not sent you to say, ‘You must not go to Egypt to settle there.’ But Baruch son of Neriah is inciting you against us to hand us over to the Babylonians, so they may kill us or carry us into exile to Babylon.” (Jer 43:2-3NIV) Therefore, they rejected the word of the Lord and acted according to their own wisdom and desire.

But why did they ask Jeremiah to find out the mind of God for them, when they were not willing to accept whatever His will for them was? It was because they did not know that it would have been better for them not to know the will of God at all than to know His will and refuse to act on it. That would mean nothing but double punishment for them. They would not just suffer for not doing the will of God but also for knowing His will and deliberately rejecting it.

So, Jeremiah said this to them: “O remnant of Judah, the LORD has told you, ‘Do not go to Egypt.’ Be sure of this: I warn you today that you made a fatal mistake when you sent me to the LORD your God and said, ‘Pray to the LORD our God for us; tell us everything he says and we will do it.’ I have told you today, but you still have not obeyed the LORD your God in all he sent me to tell you. So now, be sure of this: You will die by the sword, famine and plague in the place where you want to go to settle.”” (Jer 42:19-22NIV) Did you see that? It is a fatal mistake for us to seek to know the will of God and then refuse to act on what He is saying to us. It can only mean double jeopardy for us.

Unfortunately, many of us do not realise that this is what we are doing to ourselves, when we show up in church meetings or before our leaders, hear the word of God about how we are to live and then leave to go and do the exact opposite of what we have heard. But what is the point of coming to hear the word of God, when it would only mean more troubles for us? Would it not be better for you to avoid His word altogether than to hear it and then say to yourself, “That preacher can say whatever he likes to say. But what I will do is in my mind?” That will simply bring greater punishments and sufferings on you, as it is probably your experience already. I mean that it will only make you suffer more than those who do not have the knowledge of God’s will at all.

So, stop putting yourself in more troubles by refusing to act on the truth of God’s word that you know. And may you be led to repentance and restoration wherever you are suffering as a result of this, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Have a great week.

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)

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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2021 Pastor's Desk

Wait for the Lord | J.O. Lawal

Date: June 13, 2021 | Number: Vol. 10, No. 6

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. I am delighted to welcome you to another week in the month of June 2021. And my prayer is that you and your family will be preserved to witness the good that God will bring about for this country, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

David, in one of his psalms, says, “I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.” (Ps 27:13-14NIV) What is this man confident of? He is confident that he will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of living. And why is he confident in this way? It is because he is waiting on the Lord who does not disappoint.

As we see in the scriptures, as a young man, David was faced with severe persecutions from Saul, who was king over Israel at that time. So, he, his men and their family members had to constantly be on the run and could not live as normal people lived. There was even a time that their temporary camp was burnt down and all their wives and children were taken away by the Amalekites. And all his men became so distressed that they were even talking about stoning him, for they felt that their association with him had brought them nothing but trouble. (Cf. 1Sam 30)

Yet the bible says that David did not lose heart in the face of all these things. Instead, he kept on strengthening himself in the Lord, knowing that He would ultimately give him victory all the way and also end his days of wandering someday (1Sam 30:6). That was why he said I am still confident that I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. And did he see it or not? He did. He saw God’s goodness not after his death but during his lifetime. He not became king over the nation of Israel but also had the rare privilege of crowning one of his sons king over the land before his death.

But why was David able to eventually witness the goodness of the Lord in his lifetime, despite all the terrible experiences he had, even as a young man? As we see in the bible text above, it was because he did not lose heart but waited for the Lord. The Lord had ordained him king in place of Saul and given him many great and wonderful promises. But for him to witness the manifestation of all these things, he needed to demonstrate faith and patience in Him. Yes, he had to do this for a number of years. But his faith in God and patience ultimately paid off. Therefore, he is able to tell others in his psalm above to do just as he did, if they too want to witness the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

Do you, then, also want to witness the goodness of the Lord in your lifetime? Do you want to be alive and well, when God burns the garment of reproach of this nation and wears her with a garment of glory and praise? I want to be alive and well then. I also want my family to be alive and well then. And, like David, I am confident that the good Lord, who saved us from our sins and brought us into His glorious kingdom, will make this happen. So, regardless of what I see or hear, I will not lose heart or throw away my confidence in Him. Instead, I will be strong in heart and wait for Him. Yes, I will wait for Him because He cares about me and is also trustworthy. But will you too do the same?

Do have a splendid week.

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)

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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2021 Pastor's Desk

Return to Him with thanksgiving | Pst. J.O. Lawal

from pastor's desk

Date: June 06, 2021 | Number: Vol. 10, No. 5

Beloved: welcome to the second week of the month of June 2021. May God’s grace and mercy overflow without measure over your life and through your life in the week and throughout the remaining part of the year, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Now, while it is good to pray in this manner and expect God to answer, we also need to understand that if we have not been showing adequate gratitude for all that He has been doing for us, we really should not be expecting Him to do more for us. Of course, I am not saying that God will definitely not do more for us, if we do not show Him that we are grateful for what He has already done for us. He is God and not man. So, He does not always wait for us to thank or appreciate Him for what He has done for us or is doing for us before He does more for us.

Nevertheless, He always expects us to show that we appreciate what He is doing in our lives or has done for us. For example, Luke, in his gospel, tells us of how certain ten lepers came to the Lord Jesus for healing. And when they came, He did not drive them away. Instead, He had compassion on them and asked them to go and show themselves to the priests. So, they went, as He had instructed them. And as they were going, they suddenly realised that they had been cleansed – their leprosy had disappeared. (Cf. Luke 17:11-14)

What, then, was the most appropriate thing for these men to do? With my own little knowledge of things, I believe it was for them to go back to Jesus and first thank Him wholeheartedly for what He had done for them. Their condition at that time, of course, may not give them access to money or other resources that they could bring to appreciate Him. But at least, they could go back to Him and appreciate Him for their healing before they would think of what next to do with the new beginning He had given their lives.

Now did they do this? Did they all go back to find Jesus and appreciate Him for what He had done for them? No! Only one of them, a Samaritan, came back to Him to worship and thank Him for his healing. And the Lord, of course, was displeased with this and said, “”Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”” (Luke 17:17-19NIV)

That means the Lord actually expected all these ten men to come back and thank Him for their healing. At least, He was not asking them to bring Him money or anything else. And He did not collect anything from them before healing them, for healing is always a free gift of God. This, of course, is not to say that it would have been wrong of them to bring money or any material thing to appreciate Him, something He would most likely not collect from them. It would not be wrong of them to do that at all.

By the way, according to the Law of Moses, there were things anyone that got cleansed of a terrible disease like leprosy was to take to a priest, who would make atonement for him. That was why the Lord asked those men to go and show themselves to the priests. And as the Law also says, certain parts of whatever such a person brought would go to the priest ministering to God on his behalf. If it was alright, then, for a priest that did nothing for them to get well to receive offerings from them, what about the one that actually healed them? Was He not more deserving to receive thanksgiving offerings from them along with their worship? He was. (Cf. Leviticus 14:1-31)

But He was not expecting anything else from them other than their words of praise and thanksgiving. Unfortunately, only one of them came to give Him this. And it was only that one that came back to appreciate Him that received additional words of blessing from His mouth — your faith has made you well. What these additional words of blessing would mean in that man’s life only God knows. But he certainly received more than the other men because he came back to give thanks.

What, then, is this story teaching us? It is that there are certain things that we may never receive from God, if we will not learn to appreciate Him for what He is doing for us. And He is doing all kinds of things that our wisdom, money, position, fame or education cannot get for us. So, let us stop being ungrateful to God and instead start thoughtfully and wholeheartedly appreciating Him for everything He is doing for us, even with our resources. I pray that our hearts will be awakened and strengthened to always do what is right in this matter, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Do have a very pleasant week.

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Latori tabili Paitor

Pada tọọ wa pẹlu idupẹ | Paito J.O. Lawal


Ọjọ: Okudu 06, 2021 | Nọmba: Vol. 10, No. 5

Olufẹ: kaabọ sinu ọsẹ keji ninu oṣu Okudu 2021. Ki oore-ọfẹ ati aanu Ọlọrun maa ṣan lori aye rẹ ati nipasẹ aye rẹ laini odiwọn ninu ọsẹ naa ati ni gbogbo eyi ti o ku ninu ọdun yi, ni orukọ Jesu. Amin.

Wayi o, bi o tilẹ jẹ pe o dara jọjọ lati ma gbadura ni iru ọna yi ati lati ma reti pe ki Ọlọrun dahun, a tun nilo lati jẹ ki o ye wa pe ti a ko ba ma fi imoore ti o peye han lori gbogbo awọn nkan ti O ti n ṣe fun wa, ko yẹ ki a maa reti ki O tun ṣe jubẹẹ lọ fun wa. Mi o wa sọ pe o di dandan ki Ọlọrun ma ṣe ju bi O ṣe n ṣe fun wa latẹyin wa lọ, ti a ko ba fi imoore han si fun awọn nkan ti O ti ṣe fun wa. Ọlọrun ni Oun jẹ; ko ki i ṣe eniyan. Nitorina, ko ki i fi gbogbo igba duro de wa lati dupẹ lọwọ rẹ tabi fi imoore han si fun awọn nkan ti O ti ṣe fun wa tabi ti O n ṣe fun wa ki O to o ṣe jubẹẹ lọ si fun wa.

Sibẹsibẹ, gbogbo igba ni O ma n reti pe ki a fi imoore wa han lori awọn nkan ti O n ṣe ninu aye wa tabi ti O ti ṣe fun wa. Fun apẹẹrẹ, Luuku, ninu iwe ihinrere rẹ, sọ fun wa bi awọn adẹtẹ mẹwa kan ṣe tọ Jesu Oluwa wa fun iwosan. Nigbati wọn si de, ko le wọn danu. Dipo eyi, O ṣaanu fun wọn, O si sọ fun wọn pe ki wọn lọ fi ara wọn han awọn alufa. Nitorina, wọn lọ, bi O ti ṣe paṣẹ fun wọn. Nigba ti wọn si n lọ, lojiji ni wọn ri pe a ti wẹ wọn mọ — ẹtẹ wọn ti poora. (Wo: Luuku 17:11-14)

Ki wa ni nkan ti o tọ fun awọn ọkunrin wọnyi lati ṣẹ? Pẹlu imọ kekere ti mo ni nipa bi o ṣe yẹ ki a ma ṣe nkan, mo gbagbọ pe nṣe ni o yẹ ki wọn pada tọ Jesu lọ lati kọkọ fi tọkantọkan dupẹ lọwọ rẹ fun nkan ti O ṣe fun wọn. Lotitọ, pẹlu bi nkan ṣẹ ri wọn ni akoko yẹn, wọn le ma ni oore-ọfẹ lati ni owo lọwọ tabi awọn nkan miran ti wọn le mu tọ Jesu wa lati dupẹ lọwọ rẹ. Amọ, o tilẹ wa kere ju, wọn le pada sọdọ rẹ lati dupẹ lọwọ rẹ fun iwosan wọn, ki wọn to wa bẹrẹ si ni woye nkan ti wọn fẹ ṣe pẹlu ibẹrẹ tuntun ti O ti fun aye wọn.

Njẹ wọn wa ṣe eleyi bi? Ṣe gbogbo wọn naa lo pada lọ wa Jesu ri lati fi imoore wọn han si fun nkan ti O ṣe fun wọn? O ti o! Ẹnikan ṣoṣo lara wọn, ara Samaria kan, nikan naa lo pada tọ ọ wa lati juba rẹ ati lati dupẹ lọwọ rẹ fun iwosan ti o rigba. Eyi ko si dun mọ Oluwa ninu rara tobẹ ti O fi sọ pe, “Awọn mẹwaa ki a sọ di mimọ? Awọn mẹsan yooku ha da? A ko ri ẹnikan ti o pada wa fi ogo fun Ọlọrun, bikoṣe alejo yii. O si wi fun un pe, Dide ki o si maa lọ; igbagbọ rẹ mu ọ lara da.” (Luuku 17:17-19)

Eyi tunmọ si pe Oluwa gan n reti ki awọn ọkunrin mẹwẹẹwa yi pada wa lati dupẹ lọwọ rẹ fun iwosan wọn. Ko kuku sọ pe ki wọn mu owo tabi ohun miran wa fun Oun. Bẹẹ si ni ko gba nkankan lọwọ wọn ki O to wo wọn san, nitoripe iwosan jẹ ẹbun ọfẹ Ọlọrun ni gbogbo igba. Eyi naa ko si tun wa jasi pe nkan ti ko dara ni pe ki wọn mu owo tabi ohun ini wọn miran wa lati fi imoore wọn han si i, bi o tilẹ jẹ pe o fẹrẹ daniloju pe ko ni i gba lọwọ wọn. Ko si nkan ti o buru nibẹ rara.

Ka tilẹ wa wo lati ẹgbẹ miran, gẹgẹ bi ofin Mose, awọn nkan kan wa ti ẹnikẹni ti o ba gba iwẹnumọ kuro ninu arun bi ti ẹtẹ gbọdọ ko wa si ọdọ alufa ti you ṣe iwẹnumọ ẹṣẹ fun. Idi si ni yi ti Oluwa fi sọ fun awọn ọkunrin wọnyi lati lọ fi ara wọn han awọn alufa. Bi ofin na si tun ṣe tẹsiwaju lati sọ, awọn nkankan wa lara awọn nkan ti irufẹ ẹni na ba ko wa ti yoo jẹ ti alufa ti o n ṣipẹ si Ọlọrun lori ọrọ rẹ. Ti o ba wa tọ fun alufa ti ko ṣe nkankan lori bi wọn ṣe gba ilera lati gba ọrẹ lọwọ wọn, ki wa ni ki a sọ nipa ti ẹni ti o wo wọn san? Ṣe ko lẹtọ lona ti o ga ju ti alufakalufa lọ lati gba ọrẹ ọpẹ pẹlu ijọsin lọwọ wọn? O lẹtọ. (Wo: Lẹfitiku 14:1-31)

Ṣugbọn ko tilẹ wa reti nkan miran lati ọdọ wọn ju ọrọ iyin ati ọpẹ lọ. Amọ, o wa ṣeni laanu pe ẹnikan ṣoṣo ninu wọn ni o pada wa lati fun ni eyi. Ẹnikan ti o pada wa lati fi imoore han yi nikan naa si ni o ri ọrọ Ibukun miran si gba lati ẹnu rẹ — igbagbọ rẹ mu ọ lara da. Nkan ti ọrọ ibukun miran yoo wa jasi ninu aye ọkunrin yi Ọlọrun nikan ni O le sọ. Ṣugbọn o ṣa ri nkan gba si lati ọwọ rẹ ju awọn yoku lọ nitoripe o pada wa lati dupẹ.

Ki gan wa ni itan yi n kọ wa? Ohun naa ni pe awọn nkan kan wa ti a le ma rigba lọwọ Ọlọrun, ti a ko ba kọ lati ma fi imoore han si fun awọn nkan ti O n ṣe fun wa. O ṣi n ṣe oniruuru nkan fun wa ti ọgbọn wa, owo wa, ipo wa, iyi wa tabi ẹkọ wa ko le ri fun wa. Nitorina, ẹ jẹ ki a ye jẹ abaramoorejẹ, ki a si bẹrẹ si ni fi tọkantọkan, ori pipe ati pẹlupẹlu awọn nkan ini wa fi imoore wa han si fun awọn nkan ti O n ṣe fun wa. Mo si gbadura pe ki a sọ ọkan wa ji, ki a si tun fun wọn ni okun lati ma fi gbogbo igba ṣe ohun ti o tọ lori ọrọ yi, ni orukọ Jesu. Amin.

Ki o ni ọsẹ alarinrin.

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Fire in my Bones

Why they may not want to help you? – June 02, 2021

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

Series: Youth for Jesus|Number: Vol. 4, No. 3

“Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.” (Luke 15:13-16NIV)

One of the excuses people who are living in poverty often give is that no one is willing to help them or give them anything. And it is true that many today who are in a position to support or lift those around them usually don’t want to do so. Why? A lot of times, it is because they are ignorant of the mind of God about greed, selfishness and generosity. But it is not every time that people do not want to support others because they are greedy, selfish or ignorant of the gains of generosity. There are times that they do not want to do so because they just cannot trust those they want to help with the help they want to give them.

For example, almost twenty years ago, a beloved elderly woman that I met in church tried to help me start a business by freely providing me with books to sell. She did that because she felt that the business, if managed well, would soon enough put me in a position where I would have access to more resources to function well in life. And I was so sure that I would do well with it since it was something I really loved to do.

But loving to do something is not synonymous to knowing how to do it and prosper with it. Many have gone into certain businesses or professions because of their love for them. Yet they failed and got frustrated out of them because they did not have what it takes excel in them.   

Well then, though I loved that business, I did not pay enough attention to what those who were helping me to handle the books were doing. I also did not settle down to create a system that would ensure that the business was progressive and protected. Therefore, before I knew it, the books were all gone and there was no money to pay the person that helped me with them.

Now, for a while, I tried to avoid the woman that helped me set up the business, giving her all kinds of excuses for not showing up to pay back her money as scheduled. And later, when I could see that what I was doing was getting me nowhere, I went to meet her and told her the whole truth. Did she get angry with me? No! Rather, she appreciated the fact that I opened up about the whole matter. She also encouraged me greatly not to give up and cancelled by debt. But did she give me more books to start all over again? No! Even if she had offered to give me, I would most likely have rejected the offer, out of fear that I might disappoint her again.

Consider, then, how this woman would likely treat any other person that came to her after my case for financial support or help? Would she readily agree to support them? I don’t think so. And would she not think twice before she would commit her hard-earned resources into the hands of someone that may prove to be unprofitable? Certainly, she would.

What is the point I am making, then? It is that you should not just be praying and looking for help or support to rise in life; you should also be preparing yourself not to waste whatever help God eventually sends to you. You may think your problem is that there is no one to help you or lift you. But that may really not be your problem. Your problem may be that you don’t yet have what it takes to handle that sum of money or job that God will want to make available to you. And if He should go ahead and give it to you, you may end being another prodigal son.

If we take the story of the prodigal son literally, what was his problem? Was it that he left his father’s house to go and stay on his own? No! On the contrary, it was that he lacked the wisdom and financial intelligence needed to manage the wealth he was given. So, he ended up wasting everything and shutting many doors of favour against himself. As the account goes, when he got into trouble, nobody but his father wanted to help him? Why? It was because they knew him to be irresponsible with money.

In like manner, there are many like the prodigal son today who are living in abject poverty, even though they are being well-paid at work or had in the past been blessed with well-paying jobs or great financial support from some friends or family members. Some even won huge sums of money in lotteries and so forth or inherited great wealth from their parents. Yet they are now swimming oceans of poverty that they created themselves. So, nobody is interested in helping them or associating with them. And unless they seek God’s face for favour and submit themselves to be taught how to be responsible with one’s resources, skills or education, however little these things may be, they may end up dying in that condition.

So, if you sense that people don’t want to help you or support you, even though you are praying for God’s favour, it may be that they just don’t trust you. You, then, will have to show that you can be trusted with more resources, a better job or a higher position by making the most of what you have and where you are now. Show everybody how much you can accomplish with the little resources you have or with the low state you are in. And God, who is watching you and who alone has the power to lift up, will consider you and move people and situations to lift you up in due season, if you don’t give up and would also keep yourself humble (Luke 16:10-12; 1Pet 5:6).

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)

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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2021 Pastor's Desk

Judgment in the house of God | J.O. Lawal

Date: May 30, 2021 | Number: Vol. 10, No. 4

Beloved: grace and peace to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. Welcome to another week of this year. I pray that your heart will continually be strengthened by the Spirit of God to remain true to the Lord and firmly established in His righteousness, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

As the Lord has clearly made known to me, one major thing that is hindering the spread and reign of the word of God in our land is the inconsistency of the lives of many so-called children of God with His righteousness. In other words, more people are not coming to the Lord Jesus for salvation because they cannot see the fruit of salvation in the lives of many of us who claim to have been saved by Him. How can we tell people to come to the Lord for liberty from Satan and their sins, when we ourselves are still obviously living as their slaves? Who is going to take us seriously?

See, it is not that people do not want to be saved from their sins, bad habits, destructive influences, sicknesses, generational curses, poverty and so forth; it is just that they want people whose lives will prove to them that they can actually be saved from these things. And God has saved us, recreated us, filled us with His Holy Spirit and planted us where we are to be such proofs to them. Unfortunately, many of us are even ignorant of His intentions and purposes for us. So, we frustrate them by living lives that are totally contrary to what we are made to live.

This, of course, is not foreign to the church. Even in the days of the apostles of old, similar things were happening among God’s people. There were also so-called believers at that time who would not stop stealing, fornicating, swindling people, keeping malice, living in greed, cheating their workers or practising sorcery. There were even murderers, hypocrites and drunkards in the church in those days. Therefore, none of the evil practices we see in the church and among God’s people today is new or peculiar to our time. (Cf. Rom 2:21-22; 1Cor 5; James 4:1-2&5:1-6)

However, the apostles of the Lord of old have also made it very clear to us through their writings that every so-called child of God who is involved in these things is not only blaspheming the name of the Lord Jesus and despising His grace but also destroying the work of salvation that He is doing in the world. Therefore, such an individual can certainly expect a revelation of God’s wrath against him (Rom 2:1-11; Heb 10:26-31). And this not something that will be delayed to the day of judgment. Rather, it is something that he will begin to witness right from this world.

All this is why Peter says to us, “For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God…” (1Peter 4:17NIV) Did you see that? This apostle is not speaking here about the judgment that is coming on the day of the Lord. Instead, he is speaking of an on-going judgment of God that is taking place right here in the world. And he is saying those in the church also will not escape this judgment. In fact, it will start with them and among them.

Therefore, if you are deliberately doing things that are contrary to the righteousness of God, know that you are a candidate for God’s judgment. And how exactly He will judge is not something anybody can say. But from what the Lord Jesus says to the church in Thyatira and what Paul says to the Corinthian brethren, we know that God may judge His people with sicknesses, weaknesses, labour loss or even death (1Cor 11:28-30; Rev 2:20-23). And if you have not experienced any of these things, even though it is obvious that you are living in sin, you need to understand that God is just giving you time to repent. But if you fail to repent within the amount of time He has given you, then you leave Him with no choice but to judge you in His righteousness. And how that will end for you is not what I can say. So, repent now and also tell your partners in sin to repent. Otherwise you may end up being crushed under the wrath of God.

Do have a great week.

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)

Categories
Fire in my Bones Relationship (Singles)

When primitive men are better | J.O. Lawal

fire in my bones
fire in my bones

Date: May 26, 2021 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 4, No. 2

“Lamech married two women, one named Adah and the other Zillah. Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who live in tents and raise livestock. His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play the harp and flute. Zillah also had a son, Tubal-Cain, who forged all kinds of tools out of bronze and iron. Tubal-Cain’s sister was Naamah.” (Gen 4:19-22NIV)

We often refer to the first set of men and women that walked the face of this earth as primitive, and rightly so. They were crude, simple and unenlightened in many ways, according to the standards of today’s world. But these people were not stupid, dull or unintelligent. On the contrary, they were highly intelligent and sound.

For instance, as we are told in the bible, though Adam, the first man, walked around naked while he was still in the Garden of Eden, he was super intelligent enough to name all the animals in the world, as well as the birds of the air (Gen 2:19-20). So, you cannot measure the level of intelligence of someone or their ability to do big things in life merely on the basis of what they put on or where they live.

Another thing about the so-called primitive people was that they drove their minds to work in order to discover their various abilities and use them to make life better and easier for themselves. For example, in our opening bible text, we are shown how certain descendants of Cain, the first son of Adam, pioneered animal husbandry, music and blacksmithing. These were supposed to be primitive men. Yet they used their head. They recognised their skills and abilities and developed them. So, they laid the foundation for whatever good things we are seeing or enjoying today in those fields of life.

But remember that there was no well-established system of government at that time apart from the home. So, there was nobody to rely on to create jobs, build roads, provide housing estates, provide security or any of the things that we now rely on the various governments of our countries to provide for us. Everybody had to fend for themselves. Everybody had to examine themselves to see what skills or abilities they had and that they could develop and put to use to make life worth living for them.

Unfortunately, the same thing cannot be said today of many of us who belong to this so-called modern world. That is because we hardly use our head. We hardly consider what abilities, skills or resources we have at our disposal that we could put to use to make life worth living for us and others around us. That is why we often rely too much on the government, certain support organisations and just anybody we find around to set the direction our lives will go for us and how much of life we will enjoy. And as long as we are functioning like this, we will never stop being small people, individuals who are hardly adding any value to the world they live in. That, of course, will make even the so-called primitive people better than us. That is because many of them added much value to the world they lived in.

Now I am sure you don’t want end up in life as a small person. You don’t want to end up as someone who, instead of adding value to the world he is in, is always relying on others to do for him what he can and should do for himself. So, wake your brain up and begin to put it to work. Yes, like the primitive people of old, drive your brain to begin to consider all the possibilities that you can actually explore in life with your gifts, education, skills and whatever measure of resources you have. Then, as you see these possibilities, put yourself to work, to work hard and smart. And who knows? You may just end up being the pioneer of something new the world has been waiting for. Even if you do not pioneer anything, as long as you are exercising your mind to put whatever abilities or education you have to wise and significant use, it is unlikely that you will end up in life as a small or useless person.

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)