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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2021 Pastor's Desk

God and People | J.O. LAWAL

Date: May 09, 2021 | Number: Vol. 10, No. 1

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours forever from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. Welcome to another week of the month of May 2021. I pray that God, by His divine power, will fulfil all your good and righteous desires for the week, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

This week, it becomes exactly nine years that we have been meeting in this town as a church. So, first, we ought to thank God for calling us out of darkness into His wonderful light in order that we may fellowship with Him and His Son, Jesus Christ. We also ought to thank Him for making us representatives of His eternal kingdom in this world of darkness. May His Holy name be exalted forever. Amen.

Now, as we begin another year together in this wonderful fellowship with God and His Son, Jesus Christ, and with one another, there are two things I want you to take very seriously. First, take your relationship with God very seriously. Don’t forget that what qualifies all of us to be members of this assembly is our relationship with God. Yes, it is because we all are God’s children that we are fellowshipping together as one family and enjoying His love and the love of one another.

Therefore, above everything else, your relationship and fellowship with God must be taken very seriously. Until you take it as seriously as you ought to, none of us can be blessed through our fellowship with you the way we ought to be blessed through it. So, put God first in all things. And prove that by making it your goal to rely on Him for everything you need and to do what pleases Him in all things. As you do this, He will see to it that everything about your life is made perfect and that you do not lack anything you need to live a fruitful and meaningful life. (Cf. Matt 6:33)

Then I also want you to take all the people God has planted in your life very seriously, starting with members of your immediate household. Why is this important? It is important because it is the will of God for you. Read through the Scriptures, and you will see that God is always concerned about people and how they are doing (Ps 8:3-8). Even though He is God and can afford to ignore us or do without us, He still cherishes us and always wants to do us good. And that is because He loves us and wants the best for us at all times.

Since we, then, are His children, we are not expected to act differently from Him. In other words, we too must be lovers of people, just as God is. And we must be genuinely concerned about them, especially the ones He has put in our lives, and always consider how we may do them good. Until this is the case with us, we cannot be good ministers of Jesus Christ.

You know ministry is not just about serving God; it is also about serving people. To say the fact, it is because God wants us to serve people that He blessed us with all the gifts of the Spirits we have and all the resources we have access to, as His church (1Cor 12:4-7). So, we cannot claim to be serving Him, when we are not serving people. And we cannot serve people adequately and appropriately, if we are not interested in them and what is going on in their lives. Do you know that we cannot even take care of our husbands, wives, children, parents and siblings well, if we are not truly interested in their lives?

So, apart from your confidence in God, another important thing that will make you a good minister of Jesus Christ is your genuine interest in people. How interested are you in the lives and progress of your family members? How interested are you in the lives and progress of members of this assembly, with whom you fellowship week after week? And how interested are you in the lives and progress of all other people that are close to you in one way or the other? Your degree of interest in these people is what will drive you to seek God’s face for them and to also put to work the abilities, skills and resources God has given you in helping them.

If you, then, can see that your level of interest in people is low, you need to start praying to God seriously about it. That is because it is showing that you are not allowing His love in you to flow freely. It is love, God’s love, that makes us take genuine interest in people’s welfare. And where this is not flowing freely, we will hardly be concerned about others. Pray, therefore, that God will cause His love to flow freely in your life, as it ought to, so that you can be used by Him to bless all those that He intends to bless through you.

Once again, I welcome you to another year of great fellowship with God and with another and pray that we all will increase in fruitfulness and usefulness like never before in it, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Have a fabulous 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

They stayed at a distance | J.O. LAWAL

Date: May 05, 2021 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 3, No. 51

“When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.”” (Ex 20:18-19NIV)

After God had safely led the children of Israel out of Egypt, their house of bondage, He told Moses to get them ready for a meeting with Him. And part of the instructions he was given was that the people should not come near the mountain of the meeting or go up it until they heard a long blast of a ram’s horn. Otherwise, death would be the penalty. (Cf. Ex 19:10-13)

However, when God eventually stepped on the mountain of the meeting, Mount Sinai, and the people saw His terror, they no longer desired to relate to Him directly anymore. In fact, they would not even go up the mountain again with Moses. They just stayed at a distance from God and His mountain and missed that fellowship experience that would have changed their lives forever. (Cf. Ex 20:21)

Now someone may ask, “Why did God appear to the people in that manner? Why did He have to show them His terror and make them sick with fear? He could, at least, have appeared to them in a gentle and yet majestic way. Then they would not have been so afraid of Him that they would not want to have anything to do with Him again.” Good questions! Good thoughts! But we are not in a position to choose for God how He is to manifest Himself to us. Rather, He is the one to determine how He will manifest Himself to us. Otherwise, His purpose in manifesting Himself to us will not be accomplished.

What I am saying is that God has reasons He manifests Himself to people. And it is the reason for which He wants to manifest Himself to them that will determine the means He uses in manifesting Himself to them. If we, then, do not want to miss the purpose of His manifestation, we need to look beyond the means He is using to Him. In other words, we should not get carried away by the awesomeness of the means He using to reveal Himself to us or get frightened by its terror. Instead, we should fix our gaze on Him. That way, we will be able to experience what He wants us to experience through His manifestation of Himself to us.

In the case we are considering, God chose to reveal Himself to the Israelites the way He did so that they would also know Him as a God to be feared. They had known Him as their saviour and deliverer, one that they could call upon anytime and any day for mercy and help and who would answer. But they also needed to know Him as one who must not be taken lightly, as one who could destroy them, as He destroyed their enemies, if they would not obey Him.

Unfortunately, they did not want to know God that way. They did not want to embrace Him as a God of terror and justice. So, they would not meet with Him or have Him talk to them directly anymore. Instead, they asked Moses to be the intermediary and mediator between them and Him. And that was how they lost the opportunity of knowing God personally and intimately and have their lives changed forever by their knowledge of Him.

Now there are many today like these Israelites, who do not want to have any intimate relationship with God. These ones have no problem accepting Him as a God of goodness, favour and mercy. And they have no problem accepting Him as a saviour and deliverer. But they have problems accepting Him as a God of justice and terror. What they want is a God that is good and kind and who will not punish sin or wickedness. They will be comfortable with that kind of God. But that kind of God does not exist. The true God must not just be loving, kind and merciful but also just and righteous. That is because it is not only His love and mercy that will change our lives and make them right but also His justice and discipline. And until we are willing to embrace His love, mercy, justice, discipline and whatever else He stands for, our lives will never be what they are meant to be.

For instance, why was Moses, whom the Israelites chose to represent them, different from them? Why did he end up becoming a man that God Himself commended as faithful in all His house? He too was a man like them. He too saw the same things they saw, heard the same things they heard and was as afraid of God as they were. But he had a burning desire to know God personally and intimately, regardless of the means He might use in making Himself known to him. Also, he was ready to embrace God in all His fullness, to embrace whatever was revealed to him about Him. So, he approached the thick darkness where God was in order to meet with Him and fellowship with Him. And that experience was not like anything he had had before in his life – it changed his life and ministry forever. (Cf. Ex 20-34)

If we too want our knowledge of God to change our lives forever, we must be willing to know Him in His fullness and regardless of the means He is using to make Himself known to us. And we must be willing to accept whatever He reveals to us about Himself, even if it is something shocking and awesome to bear. That is because, as I pointed out before, it is only as we embrace Him in all His fullness that our lives can be perfected. So, stop relating to God at a distance and stop looking for intermediaries between you and Him, especially since you are not coming to Him in the same manner as did the Israelites (Heb 12:18-24). Instead, freely and boldly draw near to Him through Christ Jesus and embrace all that He is showing you about Himself. And you will be amazed at how your life will be transformed from whatever it is now to all that it is meant to be.

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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Latori tabili Paitor

O ṣi le ṣe ju bẹẹ lọ – J.O. Lawal

Ojo: Ebibi 02, 2021 | Nomba: Vol. 9, No. 52

Olufẹ: ki oore-ọfẹ, aanu ati alaafia jẹ tirẹ titi lailai lati ọdọ Ọlọrun Baba wa ati Jesu Kirisiti Oluwa wa. Inu mi dun lati ki ọ kaabọ sinu oṣu tuntun yi, oṣu Ebibi 2021. Adura mi si ni pe ki aṣeyọri pẹlu irọrun jẹ tirẹ ninu gbogbo iṣẹ rẹ ti o tọna ninu oṣu naa, ni orukọ Jesu. Amin.

Ọrọ iyanju mi si ọ, bi a ṣe n bẹrẹ oṣu yi, ni pe ki o tunbọ fi ara rẹ jin siwaju ati siwaju si ni ṣiṣe iṣẹ Oluwa. Ki si ni idi? Akọkọ, idi ni pe ifẹ Ọlọrun fun ọ ni eyi. Pọọlu, ninu lẹta rẹ si awọn ara Korinnti, sọ pe, “Nitori naa ẹyin ara mi olufẹ, ẹ maa duro ṣinṣin, laiyẹṣẹ, ki ẹ si maa tẹsiwaju ninu ṣiṣe iṣẹ Oluwa nigba gbogbo, niwọn bi ẹyin ti mọ pe iṣẹ yin kii ṣe asan ninu Oluwa.” (1Korinnti 15:58) Njẹ o ri bayi? Ki ni gbedeke igba ti o fi yẹ ki a ma fi ara wa jin fun iṣẹ Ọlọrun? Ko si gbedeke igba fun eyi rara. Gbogbo igba ni o ye ki a ma fi ara wa jin fun iṣẹ rẹ. Eyi tunmọ si pe nṣe ni o yẹ ki a gbajumọ nkan ti O fẹ ki a ṣe ninu ijoba rẹ, ki a si ma ti ọwọ ọlẹ tabi imẹlẹ bọ ọ.

Nkan ti mo n sọ ni pe Ọlọrun fẹ ki a ma pọ si ni iwulo ni ijọba rẹ, ki a ma si ṣe dinkun rara. Nitorina, bi o ṣe wu ki awọn nkan ti o n ṣe ninu ijọba rẹ le pọ to, o ṣi le ṣe ju bẹẹ lọ. O le bukun fun awọn eniyan pẹlu ọrọ Ọlọrun, adura rẹ, ẹbun rẹ ati bẹẹbẹẹ lọ ju bi o ti ṣe n ṣe ni akoko yi. O kan nilo lati mọ lọkan rẹ pe Ọlọrun n gboju le ọ lati ṣiṣẹ siwaju ati siwaju si fun un, ki o ṣi bẹrẹ si ni rin ni ibamu pẹlu afiyesi yi.

Idi keji ti a fi nilo lati fi ara wa jin lati ṣiṣẹ Ọlọrun siwaju ati siwaju si ni pe gbogbo igba ni Ọlọrun, Baba wa, funrarẹ gan n fi n ṣiṣẹ. Gbogbo igba ni O fi n bukun fun awọn eniyan, yi aye wọn pada, tu wọn silẹ, wo wọn san, gbe wọn soke ati bẹẹbẹẹ lọ. Ko fi igba kankan su u lati ṣe rere fun awọn eniyan ati lati ṣe idajọ ododo ni orilẹ aye. Eyi i gan ni o fun Jesu ni oriya lati ma fi gbogbo igba gbajumọ iṣẹ rẹ nigba ti O wa ni aye yi. Si ranti pe O sọ pe, “Baba mi n ṣiṣẹ titi di isinsinyi, emi si n ṣiṣẹ.” (Johanu 5:17) Niwọn igba ti awa na si jẹ ọmọ Baba, a gbọdọ tẹra mọṣẹ.

Idi kẹta ti a fi ni lati pọ si ninu iṣẹ Ọlọrun, gẹgẹ bi Pọọlu ti ṣe fi ye wa, ni pe iṣẹ wa ki i ṣe lasan. Ki ni itunmọ eyi? Eni, o tunmọ si pe ohun ti a n ṣe jẹ pataki si Ọlọrun. Iwaasu wa, adura wa, fifi-funni wa, ṣiṣiṣẹ lati sọ awọn eniyan di ọmọ ẹyin ati bẹẹbẹẹ lọ ṣe pataki si, nitori pe O n lo awọn nkan yi lati mu ete rẹ ṣẹ ninu aye awọn eniyan. Eji, o tunmọ si pe Ọlọrun yoo pin wa lere fun gbogbo iṣẹ ti a ba fi tọkantọkan ṣe fun un. Awọn eniyan le ma kọbiara tabi yin wa fun laalaa wa ninu ijọba Ọlọrun. Ṣugbọn Ọlọrun ko ni fi igba kankan foju fo ohunkohun ti a ba ṣe fun un, bi o tilẹ jẹ pe a kan fun ọkan lara awọn ọmọ rẹ ni omi ni (Matiu 10:42). Nitorina, a ni awọn idi ti o gbamuṣe lati fi ara wa jin fun iṣẹ rẹ.

Amọ ṣe o wa ṣeeṣe fun wa lati fi ara wa jin siwaju ati siwaju si fun iṣẹ Ọlọrun, lalai ṣaarẹ tabi rẹwẹsi? Bẹẹni, o ṣeeṣe. O ṣeeṣe nitoripe a ko fi wa silẹ lati da iṣẹ rẹ ṣe. Oun gangan yoo wa pẹlu wa ati ninu wa ni gbogbo igba lati ṣe ohunkohun ti O ba fẹ ki a ṣe. Ki a tilẹ sọ otitọ, a ko le ṣe iṣẹ rẹ kankan rara, ti ko ba ti ipasẹ wa ṣe. Ohun ti o ba ṣe ninu wa, pẹlu wa ati nipasẹ wa nikan naa ni o le mu ete rẹ wa si imuṣẹ, ti O si tun le fun wa ni ere le lori. Idi si ni yi ti Pọọlu ṣe sọ pe, “Nitori pe Ọlọrun ni n ṣiṣẹ ninu yin, lati fẹ ati lati ṣiṣẹ fun ifẹ inu rere rẹ.” (Filipi 2:13)

Nitorina, a ko ni idi kankan lati bẹru iṣẹ rẹ ti o wa niwaju wa, bi o ti wu ki iṣẹ na dabi ẹni pọ to tabi dabi eyi ti ko le e ṣeeṣe to. A kan nilo lati ma rin pẹlu afiyesi pe a ko ni da ṣiṣẹ rẹ — Oun funrarẹ wa pẹlu wa lati ṣe e. Bi O ba si ṣe n ṣiṣẹ ninu wa ati nipasẹ wa, a le ma reti ki oniruuru iṣẹlẹ iyanu bẹrẹ si ni ṣẹlẹ ninu aye wa ati ninu aye awọn ti o wa ni awujọ wa. Gẹgẹ bi a ṣe kọ iwe rẹ: “Wọn si jade lọ, wọn si n waasu nibi gbogbo, Oluwa si n ba wọn ṣiṣẹ, o si n fi idi ọrọ naa kalẹ, nipa ami ti n tẹle e. Aami.” (Maaku 16:20) Nibakanna, ti awa na ba gbajumọ iṣẹ rẹ, lori gbedeke oore-ọfẹ rẹ lori wa, yoo ba wa ṣiṣẹ, yoo si tun mu wiwa rẹ pẹlu wa daju nipa oniruuru iṣẹ ami ati iyanu ti yoo jẹ ki awọn eniyan ma gboriyin fun.

Ki o ni oṣu Ebibi 2021 ti o larinrin.

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

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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2021 Pastor's Desk

You can still do more – J.O Lawal

Date: May 02, 2021 | Vol. 9, No. 52

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours forevermore from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. I am delighted to welcome you into a new month, the month of May 2021. My prayer is that success with ease will be yours in all your righteous endeavours all through the month, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

My admonition to you, as we begin this new month, is that you give yourself more and more to the work of the Lord. Why? First, it is because that is the will of God for you. Paul, writing to the Corinthian brethren, says, “Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” (1 Cor 15:58NIV) Did you see that? How regularly are we to give ourselves to God’s work? Always! All the time! That means we must continually be busy with whatever He wants us to do in His kingdom and not be lazy or slack about it.

What I am saying is that God wants you to increase and not diminish in usefulness in His kingdom. So, regardless of how much you think you are doing in His kingdom right now, you can still do more. You can bless more lives with His word, your prayers, your gifts and so forth than you are doing at the moment. You just need to realise that He is counting on you to do more and more for Him and then begin to function accordingly.

The second reason we are supposed to give ourselves more and more to God’s work is that God, our Father, Himself is always working. He is always blessing lives, changing lives, delivering people, healing people, lifting people and so forth. He is just never tired of doing good to people and of giving justice on the face of the earth. This, of course, was what motivated our Lord Jesus to be busy all the time with His work, when He was here on earth. Remember that He said, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working.” (John 5:17NIV) Since we too are the Father’s children, we must keep working.

The third reason we are to abound in God’s work, as Paul points out, is that our labour is not in vain. What does this mean? One, it means that what we are doing is important to God. Our preaching, praying, giving, discipling of people and so forth are important to Him, for He is using them to fulfil His purpose in people’s lives. Two, it means that God is going to reward us for all the work we faithfully do for Him. People may not notice or appreciate our labour in the kingdom. But God is never going to overlook anything we do for Him, even if it is just a giving of one of His children a cup of water (Matt 10:42). So, we have very good reasons to be devoted to His work.

But is it possible for us to give ourselves more and more to God’s work and not faint or become discouraged? Yes, it is possible. It is possible because we are not left alone to do His work. He is going to be with us and in us all the time to do whatever He wants us to do. In fact, we cannot do His work at all, if He does not do it through us. It is only what He does in us, with us and through us that will accomplish His purpose and that He will reward us for. That is why Paul says, “For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” (Phil 2:13NIV)

So, we have no reason to be afraid of His work before us, however enormous or impossible it may look. He Himself is with us to do it. We just need to walk with the consciousness that we are not alone in this. And as He works with us and through us, we can expect all kinds of fantastic things to begin to happen in our lives and in the lives of those in our world. Just as it is written: “Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.” (Mark 16:20NIV) In like manner, if we too will go about doing His work, according to His grace on us, He will work with us and confirm His presence with us with all kinds of signs and wonders that will make men praise Him.

Do have a fabulous May 2021.

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

Watch your love – J.O. Lawal

April 28, 2021 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Vol. 3, No. 50

“Now Saul’s daughter Michal was in love with David, and when they told Saul about it, he was pleased. “I will give her to him,” he thought, “so that she may be a snare to him and so that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” So Saul said to David, “Now you have a second opportunity to become my son-in-law.”” (1Sam 18:20-21NIV)

One of the things we need to be careful of in this life is what or who we fall in love with. That is because love opens the doors of our hearts and lives to whoever or whatever we are in love with. Therefore, if we are in love with the wrong person or thing, certain wrong things or experiences may just find their way into our lives. And who knows what sort of damage they may cause?

For example, we are told in the bible of how Samson, that great and mighty man of war, fell in love with a woman called Delilah. And because he was madly in love with this woman, he opened up to her about the secret of his power. Was it wrong to open up to someone we love about certain secrets of our lives? I don’t think there is a simple answer to that. It all depends on the measure of confidence we have in the person’s love for us and also on how wise we think they are in handling matters of life. (Cf. 1Sam 16:4-31)

If we are certain that someone loves us, just as much as we love them or even more than we love them, then, it may be okay to entrust certain things about our lives to them, especially if we know that they possess the wisdom to handle what we are entrusting to them. But if we do not believe in the love someone has for us or in their ability to manage information, then, it may not be wise to open the doors of certain areas of our lives for them to come in.

That being the case, we have no business going into a love relationship with anyone that we do not believe in their love for us or in their ability to handle our secrets. Unfortunately, most people who go into love relationships don’t think well about this before they commit themselves to their love affairs. This is why we have many marriages today in which those involved don’t trust their partners with what is going on in their lives. They married people whose love they have no confidence in. So, they often have to keep secrets and look over their shoulders in order for them not be hurt by their so-called lovers.

Now that, of course, is what we see in Samson too. Though he was really in love with Delilah, he was not confident of the woman’s love for him. So, for a while, he kept the secret of his power to himself and kept on fooling her, each time she asked questions about it. But then, when he could no longer bear her nagging, he decided to tell her the whole truth, even though it was clear to him that she was up to no good. And that was the end of him. His love for her became the trap that his enemies used in catching him and making the remaining days of his life miserable.

Therefore, just as our love for people or things can be a blessing, a door through which all kinds of wonderful things may flow into our lives, it can also be a curse, a trap that holds us down for the destroyer to afflict. As we see in our opening text, King Saul saw his daughter’s love for David as something he could use as a trap to catch and destroy him. And if God had not been on the side of that young man, he would have fallen into the trap set for him and died before his time. (Cf. 1Sam 19:11-17)

All of this is why we need to be careful not to fall in love with the wrong thing or person and not to put our confidence in the love of an unfaithful person. Solomon’s love for strange women was the trap Satan used in polluting him and destroying his faith in God (1Kings 11). And Samson’s love for an unfaithful woman was the trap that held him down for his enemies to destroy. Yours may not be love for a woman or man. It may be love for wine, money, fame, games or pleasure. Inasmuch your love is for something contrary to the will of God, as revealed in His word, it will always be a potential trap that Satan can use to afflict you, pollute you or destroy your life anytime. So, watch your love.

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 kind of light are you walking with? – J.O. Lawal

April 21, 2021 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 3, No. 49

“Make certain, then, that the light in you is not darkness.” (Luke 11:35-36GNT)

Light is anything that makes things visible. In other words, light reveals the true state of things. However, how well we see whatever we are observing is dependent on the quality of light we are using. For example, we know that even though both the sun and the moon give light, the quality of light they give differs. There are things that you can see very clearly under the light of the sun that you cannot see clearly or see at all under the light of the moon. So, if you do not want to make a poor or wrong judgment about those things, you won’t rely on what the light of the moon is showing you about them. Instead, you will wait until you have the light of the sun or some other better lights to examine them.

Furthermore, as powerful as the light of the sun is, it cannot see through our bodies and show us what is inside them. So, we cannot rely on it to examine our bones, intestines and so forth. We need some other kinds of lights to do this. And that, again, is telling us that it is the quality of light we hold that will determine what we see about whatever we are examining.

That being the case, as good, powerful and relevant as all these natural and artificial lights that we daily use can be, they are not sufficient for us to make those decisions that will make life meaningful and worth living for us. For instance, they cannot show us who to marry or who not to marry, what occupations to embark on or not to embark on, what people to keep as friends and what people not to keep as friends, what the future holds for us or what it does not hold for us and so forth. We need a higher kind of light to be able to see these things and make sound decisions about them.

What, then, is that higher light that we need? Is it the light of education or that of religion or that of superstition or that of philosophy? Indeed, education, religion, superstition and philosophy offer people some measure of light that can help them to make sound decisions in some areas of their lives and not get wounded. But the kinds of lights these things offer are also limited in many ways in what they can make people see. There are times that they even cast shadows, leaving people doubtful about what is right or wrong or them to do. And there are times that they do not give light at all about what people need to do about the situations of their lives.

All of this is why people, even with their possession of the light of education, religion, superstition or philosophy, often make foolish and harmful decisions that are capable of destroying them and every good thing they have. And we have examples all around us. We have examples of people who are highly educated but who the light of education they possess could not help them in getting it right in their marriages, finances and so forth. Then we have examples of highly religious and superstitious people that the light of religion or superstition could not help them with their marriages or finances or lead them out of their bondage to certain bad habits that are secretly destroying them.

So then, it is not enough to be confident that we possess some form of light in us to walk through this life; it is equally important that we are certain that the light we have is one that will not fail us when we probably need it the most. And that is exactly the point our Lord Jesus is making in our opening text, when He says, “Make certain, then, that the light in you is not darkness.” That is because if what you call light is darkness, then, you can expect it to fail you, when you need it. But if what you call light is light indeed, then, you have no cause to worry at all, for it will lead you to that place you are meant to be in life and also keep you from stumbling or going astray.

Now the only light that is truly light and that will never fail us is the word of God. As the bible puts it, it is the true light that lights every man that comes into the world (John 1:9). This light does not have darkness in it at all (1John 1:5). So, it does not confuse people or cast shadows of doubts on their paths (James 1:17). Instead, it shows them things as they really are, so that they can make wise and upright decisions about them. And this is the higher light you and I need to possess, embrace and walk with in this world, if we do not want to stumble and fall, and if we do not want to waste our lives pursuing shadows.

So, let us go for the word of God, my friend, which is already fully documented for us in the bible and begin to shine what it says on our lives and our paths. And as long as we are walking and living in its light, we will never stumble and fall or fail to be the people we are meant to be in our homes, marriages, businesses, neighbourhoods and our society as a whole.

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

Be excited about your call – By: J.O. Lawal

April 25, 2021 | Number: Vol. 3, No. 48

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours forever from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. Welcome to the last week of the month of April 2021. My prayer is that your heart will always be strengthened to embrace and cherish the call of God on your life, so that your life may manifest His beauty more and more every remaining day of your earthly life. Amen.

As we are shown in the bible, it is not only those who are well recognised as leaders in the church that are called of God. Rather, it is every believer in Christ Jesus that has been called by Him. What, then, have we been called to? First, we have been called to fellowship with Him. The bible says, “God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.” (1Cor 1:9NIV) Did you see that? God called all of us to live with Him and to have Him live with us in a holy union. So, now, we are partakers of His life, His nature, His works, His glory, His eternal kingdom and even the hostility of men towards Him.

Second, God called us so that He may show forth His wisdom and wonderful acts through us to all His creation, especially men, angels and demons. This is why the bible says, “His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Eph 3:10-11NIV) It also says, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (1Peter 2:9NIV)

Did you see that? God called us out of darkness into His wonderful light and made us His own special people. So, you are special to God. I am special to God. We all are special to God. And not one of us is more special to Him than any other. We all are equally special to Him because He paid the same price to redeem all of us (1Pet 1:18-19). And why did He make us His own in this way? It is so that He may begin to demonstrate His many sided and indescribable wisdom and wonderful acts through every one of us, not just through our pastors, prophets and other leaders in the church.

Therefore, wherever you are and regardless of your status in this life, you have been chosen and called by God to be living that life that will make men, angels and demons see that God is great, wise and good. And is this the kind of life you are living? Are you living a great, wise and good life, one that those around you cannot ignore or fail to admire? Or is it an unimpressive, foolish and irritating life that you are living?

To say the fact, the life that many of God’s people are living where they are is one that does not impress or attract those around them. I mean that their daily life is not moving those of the world to want to have what they have or become what they are. And how will anyone be moved to want to be what you are in Christ Jesus, if you are not excited about it or if you feel inferior to them because you don’t have certain things they have or because you are not in certain positions they occupy?

As the bible tells us, God did not choose or reject any of us because of our social status in life, great or low. He did not choose or reject us any of us because we are not rich, highly educated or famous. Rather, He chose us in spite of who we were according to the standards of this world. And He chose us to do wise and great things that will shock men, angels and demons. (Cf. 1Cor 1:26-31)

So, there is no reason for us not to be excited about our call, even if we are occupying the lowest position in the world of men, the position of a slave or a prisoner. For example, when Paul stood as a prisoner before King Agrippa, Bernice and Governor Festus, who were very important people in the world of that time, he did not speak like a disadvantaged, confused or depressed person. Instead, he spoke with so much excitement about his life with God that they felt like setting him free immediately. The wisdom he spoke with was just too much for them to handle. (Cf. Acts 25:13-26:32)

Now that is what God is expecting of us too. He wants us to always take our world by surprise by the way we live and act, so that they will start saying of us, “It is either these people are mad or ‘for real.’” And when they come closer to us, they will realise that we are ‘for real’. Will you, then, wake up, throw away your garment of shame and begin to live like who you really are with much excitement? My prayer is that you will be encouraged and strengthened to do so, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Do have 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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Latori tabili Paitor

Jẹ ki ara rẹ ya gaga si ipe rẹ –

Akori: Jẹ ki ara rẹ ya gaga si ipe rẹ – Lati owo: J.O. Lawal

Ojo: Igbe 25, 2021 | Atelera: Latori tabili Paitọ Nomba: Vol. 9, No. 51

Olufẹ: ki oore-ọfẹ, aanu ati alaafia jẹ tirẹ titilai lati ọdọ Ọlọrun Baba wa ati Jesu Kirisiti Oluwa wa. Kaabọ sinu ọsẹ ti o pari oṣu Igbe 2021. Adura mi ni pe ki ọkan rẹ ma fi gbogbo igba gba okun lati tẹwọgba ipe Ọlọrun lori aye rẹ, ki o si tun mu ni pataki, ki aye rẹ ba le ma fi gbogbo igba fi ẹwa rẹ han siwaju ati siwaju si ni eyi ti o ku ni ọjọ aye rẹ. Amin.

Bi a ṣe ri ninu bibeli, ko ki i ṣe awọn ti a mọ bi adari ijọ nikan ni Ọlọrun pe. Dipo eyi, ẹnikọọkan ti o jẹ onigbagbọ ninu Kirisiti Jesu ni O pe. Ki wa gan ni a pe wa si? Akọkọ, a pe wa lati wa ni idapọ pẹlu rẹ. Bibeli sọ pe, “Olododo ni Ọlọrun, nipasẹ ẹni ti a pe yin sinu idapọ Ọmọ rẹ Jesu Kirisiti Oluwa wa.” (1Korinnti 1:9) Ṣe iwọ na ri bayi? Ọlọrun pe gbogbo wa lati gbe aye wa pẹlu rẹ, ki Oun na ba le gbe pẹlu wa ninu ibadapọ mimọ. Nitorina, ni bayi, a jẹ alabapin ninu aye rẹ, ninu ohun ti o jẹ ki o jẹ Ọlọrun, ninu iṣẹ rẹ, ninu ogo rẹ, ninu ijọba ayeraye rẹ ati pẹlupẹlu ninu ikanran awọn ọmọ eniyan mọ.  

Ikeji, Ọlọrun pe wa ki O ba le fi ọgbọn rẹ ati awọn iṣẹ ara rẹ han nipasẹ wa si awọn ẹda rẹ, paapaajulọ awọn eniyan, awọn angẹli ati awọn ẹmi aimọ. Idi ni yi ti bibeli fi sọ pe, “Ki a baa le fi ọpọlọpọ oniruuru ọgbọn Ọlọrun han nisinsinyi fun awọn ijoye ati awọn alagbara ninu awọn ọrun, nipasẹ ijọ. Gẹgẹ bi ipinnu atayebaye rẹ, eyi ti o mu ṣe nipasẹ Kirisiti Jesu Oluwa wa.” (Efesu 3:10-11) O tun sọ pe, “Ṣugbọn ẹyin ni iran ti a yan, olu-alufaa, orilẹ-ede mimọ, eniyan ọtọ; ki ẹyin ki o le fi ọla nla ẹni ti o pe yin jade kuro ninu okunkun sinu imọlẹ iyanu rẹ han.” (1Peteru 2:9)

Ṣe iwọ na ri bayi? Ọlọrun pe wa jade kuro ninu okunkun sinu imọlẹ iyanu rẹ, O si ṣe wa ni eniyan ara ọtọ si i. Nitorina, o jẹ ẹni ọtọ si Ọlọrun. Emi naa jẹ ẹni ọtọ si Ọlọrun. Gbogbo wa jẹ ẹni ọtọ si Ọlọrun. Ko si si ẹnikẹni ninu wa ti o jẹ ẹni ọtọ si i ju awa yoku lọ. Bakanna ni gbogbo wa ṣe jẹ pataki si to, nitoripe iye kan naa ni O san lati ra gbogbo wa pada (1Peteru 1:18-19). Ki si ni idi ti O fi ṣe wa ni ayanfẹ rẹ ni ọna yi? Idi ni pe ki O ba le bẹrẹ si ni fi oniruuru ọgbọn rẹ ati awọn iṣẹ iyanu rẹ han nipaṣẹ ẹnikọọkan wa, ti ko si ki i ṣe nipasẹ awọn paitọ, wolii ati awọn adari ijọ wa nikan.

Nitorina, nibikibi ti o ba wa ati ipo yowu ti o le wa ninu aye yi, Ọlọrun ti yan ọ, O si tun ti pe ọ lati ma gbe igbe aye ti yoo jẹ ki awọn eniyan, angẹli ati ẹmi aimọ mọ pe Ọlọrun ti o ga, ti o gbọn, ti o si tun dara ni Oun jẹ. Njẹ irufẹ igbe aye yi ni o wa n gbe bi? Ṣe igbe aye ti o ga, igbe aye ọlọgbọn ati igbe aye daradara ni o n gbe bi, igbe aye ti awọn ti o wa ni ayika rẹ ko le ṣe alaikọbiara si tabi alaifẹran? Abi igbe aye ti ko wu ni lori, igbe aye omugọ ati igbe aye ti o n rin awọn eniyan lara ni o n gbe?

Ki a sọ ododo, igbe aye ti ọpọ awọn eniyan Ọlọrun n gbe nibi ti wọn wa jẹ eyi ti ko le wu awọn ti o wa ni ayika wọn lori tabi ti o le fa wọn mọra. Nkan ti mo n sọ ni pe igbe aye ti wọn n fi ojoojumọ gbe ko wu awọn ti aye yi lori lati fẹ ni nkan ti wọn ni tabi da bi wọn ṣe da. Bawo si ni ori o ṣe wu ẹnikẹni lati fẹ ẹ dabi iru ẹni ti o jẹ ninu Kirisiti, niwọn igba ti ara iwọ gan ko ya gaga si i tabi niwọn igba ti o ro pe o kudiẹ kaato fun ọ nitoripe o ko ni awọn nkan ti wọn ni tabi nitoripe o ko wa ni awọn ipo ti wọn wa?

Bi bibeli ṣe sọ fun wa, Ọlọrun ko yan ẹnikẹni ninu wa tabi kọ ẹnikẹni ninu wa silẹ nitori ipo wa ni awujọ, yala ipo nla ni tabi ipo kekere. Ko yan tabi kọ ẹnikẹni ninu wa silẹ nitoripe ko jẹ olowo, ẹni ti o kawe rẹpẹtẹ tabi gbajumọ. Dipo bẹẹ, O yan wa lalai fi ti bi a ṣe jẹ nipa ti aye yi ṣe. O si yan wa lati ma a ṣe awọn nkan ọgbọn ati awọn nkan ti o ga, ti yoo si ja awọn eniyan, angẹli ati ẹmi aimọ laya. (Wo: 1Korinnti 1:26-31)

Nitorina, ko si idi kankan ti ko fi yẹ ki ara wa ya gaga lori ipe wa, bi o tilẹ jẹ pe ipo ti o kere julọ ni a wa ni aye yi, iyẹn ipo ẹru tabi ẹlẹwọn. Fun apẹẹrẹ, nigba ti Pọọlu duro gẹgẹ bi ẹlẹwọn niwaju Ọba Agiripa, Banike ati Fẹsitusi, ti wọn jẹ ẹniyan pataki ninu aye igba naa, ko sọrọ rara bi ẹni ti ko ni laari tabi bi ẹni ti aye rẹ ti dojuru tabi bi ẹni ti ọrọ aye rẹ ti su u. Dipo eyi, o sọrọ pẹlu ara ti o ya gaga nipa igbe aye rẹ pẹlu Ọlọrun to bẹẹ gẹ ti wọn fi bẹrẹ si ni wo boya ki awọn tu u silẹ lẹsẹkẹsẹ. (Wo: Iṣe awọn apositeli 25:13-26:32)

Wayi o, nkan ti Ọlọrun n fẹ lati ọdọ wa gan an niyẹn. O fẹ ki a ma fi gbogbo igba ya awọn ara aye yi lẹnu nipa bi a ṣe n gbe ati bi a ṣe n wuwa, ki wọn ba le ma sọ pe, “Ti awọn wọnyi ko ba ki i ṣe were, a jẹ pe awọn gan ni wọn mọ nkan ti wọn n ṣe.” Nigba ti wọn ba si sunmọ wa si, awọn gan yoo wa ri aridaju pe awa gan ni a mọ nkan ti a n ṣe. Njẹ o o wa jigiri bi, ki o gbe aṣọ itiju rẹ sọnu, ki o si bẹrẹ si ni gbe igbe aye ẹni ti a da ọ lati gbe pẹlu ara ti o ya gaga? Adura mi fun ọ ni pe ki o gba iwuri ati okun lati ṣe bẹẹ gẹgẹ, ni orukọ Jesu. Amin.

Ki o ni ọsẹ alarinrin.

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

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Fire in my Bones

Put it to work – J.O. Lawal

Date: April 14, 2021 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 3, No. 48

“So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. ‘Put this money to work,’ he said, ‘until I come back.’” (Luke 19:13NIV)

One of the reasons many have remained poor and will most probably die poor and small in life is that they will not put to work the skills, abilities, education or resources they have and increase in usefulness and fruitfulness with them. Why has God given us special abilities or enabled us to acquire some degree of education or put some measure of resources at our disposal? It is so that we may put these things to wise and legitimate use in order to thrive in life.

See, there is no way all of us could have been born into rich and influential families in this life. And there is no way all of could have the same measure of abilities, skills and education in life. But if we are willing, all of us, regardless of our handicaps, can put whatever little resources, abilities, skills or education we have to adequate and appropriate use and shine with it. So, instead of wasting all our energy in complaining about our government, and there is always a lot to complain about every government, or the bad circumstances of our lives, we should focus more on recognising the abilities, resources, education and skills God has put at our disposal and considering how we can make the most of them.

Now it is those who take seriously what God has given them, however little it may seem, and wisely put it to work that will keep experiencing progress or advancement in life. They are the ones He will keep elevating and promoting. And as long as they keep making the most of what they have, they will never be stagnant, poor or small in life. No, they may not become the richest or most influential person in the world. But they will know that they are fine and comfortable in life. And the bible story of a man who gave his servants some money to see what they would do with it over a period of time has a lot to teach us about this.

As the account goes, there was a certain nobleman that was going to receive a kingdom for himself. But before he left, he called ten of his servants and gave each of them some money, actually about three months salary, to work with. And why did he give them this task? First, it was to test their abilities and seriousness in handling little things, so that he may know how to promote them. Second, it was to let them discover themselves. In other words, by giving them that money to work with, he was giving each of them an opportunity to apply his mind and showcase the potential in him to thrive in the face of life difficulties.

At any rate, after a while, when he had been made king, this man came back and called in these servants to find out what they gained with the money he had given them. And the first one that came in told him that he had gained ten times the money he was given. So, his master said to him, “Well done, my good servant. Because you have been trustworthy in handling this little matter, I am putting you in charge of ten cities.” Then another servant came in and said, “Sir, I have made five times what you gave me.” And he said to that one as well, “Well done, my good servant. Because you have been trustworthy in handling this little matter, I am putting you in charge of five cities.” (Cf. Luke 19:1-19)

But then, one of the servants came in and said to him, “Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.” (Luke 19:20-21NIV) Look at that. This servant did nothing with his own money because he was afraid he may lose it and then get into trouble with his master. And so afraid was he that he did not even apply his mind at all to consider any safe business he could invest the money in. He just hid it somewhere and spent his time watching others increase in usefulness and profitability.

However, as his master pointed out when judging him, if he was indeed afraid of being punished for failing, he could at least have put the money in the bank. Then he would have taken it back with some interest. That means it was not really fear that made him do nothing with what he was given; it was laziness of mind. And so, instead for him to be promoted like the others, he was demoted. What he had was taken away from him and given to the one who made ten times what he was given. (Cf. Luke 19:22-24)

That, of course, made those who were watching the appraisal process all the time protest and say to the master of the house, “But this man already has ten minas. Why give him one more?” So, the man answered and told them this life principle: “It is the one who has that will be given more, so that he can have much more. But as for the one who does not have, even the little he has will be taken away from him.” (Cf. Luke 19:25-26)

And is this not very true? Is it not true that those who do not have in this world keep getting poorer by the day and that those who have keep getting richer moment by moment? It is. Why? For the most part, it is because while those who do not have will not just intelligently apply themselves to see how to make the most of what they have, those who have keep thinking of how they can use what they have to get more of the things they want. Therefore, if you don’t want to be among those who keep losing the little they have but among those who keep increasing what they have, take an inventory of all the abilities, skills and education you have and begin to faithfully and diligently to put them to work. That is the Lord’s principle for promotion and advancement in life.

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

Are you learning from history? – J.O. Lawal


Date: March 31, 2021 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 3, No. 4

“Joab sent David a full account of the battle. He instructed the messenger: “When you have finished giving the king this account of the battle, the king’s anger may flare up, and he may ask you, ‘Why did you get so close to the city to fight? Didn’t you know they would shoot arrows from the wall? Who killed Abimelech son of Jerub-Besheth? Didn’t a woman throw an upper millstone on him from the wall, so that he died in Thebez? Why did you get so close to the wall?’ If he asks you this, then say to him, ‘Also, your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead.’”” (2Sam 11:18-21NIV)

The message above, which was sent by Joab, Israel’s army commander, to David would never have been set forth the way it was, if David had not been bent of getting rid of Uriah, one of his most dedicated captains and whose wife he impregnated. But that is already history, which we can do absolutely nothing to rewrite. That being the case, the best we can do for ourselves is to see what lessons this history teaches and how we can adequately and appropriately apply them to our lives.

Now one main thing that stands out from what Joab said to the messenger he was sending to David is the fact that he would certainly rebuke them for letting some of his valiant men die because they would not learn from the mistake of the past. And he went on to specifically speak of an instance that David might cite, which was that of Abimelech son of Gideon, who, though was a valiant warrior and schemer, was killed by a woman because he moved too close to the wall of a tower he had wanted to capture. (Cf. Judges 9)

So, Joab had learnt from the mistake of Abimelech that it was wrong for them to move too close to the wall of the city they were fighting. He knew that doing so could get even the strongest among them killed. Why, then, did he allow some of his men to move too close to that city? It was because he wanted to get rid of Uriah in the process. So, it was not because he was not going to learn from the mistake of the past that he did what he did; rather, it was because he wanted to accomplish something evil.

Unfortunately, however, many today who won’t learn from the mistakes of the past are not up to anything cunny like Joab. They are just being foolish and dull. All around them are very perfect examples of people who made certain decisions about their lives, marriages, jobs, children, health and so forth and landed in trouble. Still, they are making the very same decisions that landed those before them in trouble. What do you call that? Stupidity! And they will someday pay dearly for it, if they are not paying for it already.

See, history is for us to learn from. And by learning adequately from it, our journey through life can be made easier and more enjoyable. But if, out of pride or dullness, we will not learn those things that are relevant to our daily living from history, we too will repeat the errors of the past and plunge ourselves into needless sufferings and pains.

One of the things I love about Joshua is that he was a man that took history seriously and learnt from it. For instance, when he was going to send men to go and spy the land of Canaan, especially Jericho, he did not send twelve men as did Moses. Instead, he sent only two. Why? Though we are not given any specific reason in the bible, we can infer that the man was acting on history. He was with Moses when he sent twelve men, one from each tribe of the Israelites, to go and spy the land. In fact, he was among the twelve men sent. But only two of them, he and Caleb, came back with a good report. The remaining ten men brought a bad report and polluted the minds of the people. And it was so bad that all the people ended up spending forty years in the wilderness because of their report, forty years for a journey that took those men just forty days. (Cf. Num 14)

So, when Joshua was going to send his own spies, he did send representatives from all the tribes. Instead, he sent only two men of faith, men that would not bring a report that would make their journey longer and more painful but that would bring a report that would stir their faith in God up. And that was exactly what happened. Those men brought a report that encouraged everyone to get ready to take what God had promised them. (Cf. Joshua 2)

In like manner, we too must not ignore history but learn from it. But we cannot learn from it, if we don’t know it. So, how much of the historical accounts that we have in the bible do you know? And what are you doing with the lessons they teach? Also, what is the history of that house or town you live in? What is the history of that office or organisation you work in? What is the history of that assembly you are fellowshipping in? What is the history of that family you want to marry from? Do you know it? If you know it, what can you learn from it or in what ways can it affect you, whether positively or negatively?

A man called Hiel ignored the history of the city of Jericho and of how Joshua cursed it and lost two of his sons for doing so (Joshua 6:26; 1Kings 16:34). I pray that you won’t have to first lose something very dear to you or even your life before you learn to pay attention to relevant histories and to adequately act on them, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

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 alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com / alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)