Author: Pastor J.O. Lawal

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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2020 Pastor's Desk

Do not put your trust in princes – April 19, 2020

from pastor's desk

Beloved: I am delighted to welcome you to another week of the month of April 2020. And I pray that God will make where you are a place of rest and flourishing for you, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

It is clear that many all around the world are confined to their various houses at the moment and cannot freely move around to work or do anything for themselves. And that is because of the rapid spread of COVID-19, which has forced governnments of all the countries in the world to place some degree of restrictions on their peoples. To what extent this is affecting everyone only God can tell. But it is clear that many are not finding it easy or funny at all, which is why there are all kinds of complaints and murmurrings everywhere. I mean that there are murmurings and finger pointing in many places against government leaders, political leaders, community leaders, religious leaders, leaders in the business world and even those who lead various world organisations. And that is largely due to the inability of many of them to provide true leadership and comfort for their people at such a time as this.

But then, the Lord already says to this to us about human leaders, “Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save.” (Ps 146:3NIV) Did you see that? The Lord says we are not to put our trust in human leaders. And notice that He does not say, “Do not obey human leaders.” We are to obey our leaders, as long as they are not asking us to do something contrary to the will of God (Dan 3&6). This, of course, is good and pleasing to God, who takes no pleasure in rebellion and pride (Rom 13:1-5; 1Pet 2:13-14).

In any case, why does the Lord tell us not to trust in human leaders? It is because they cannot save us from our problems. Yes, they will always promise us heaven and earth and salvation and relief from all kinds of problems and trials we are daily confronted with. But the truth is that even if they have the will to do the things they have promised to do, the ability to deliver does not belong to them but to God (Prov 16:1&9 & 19:21). And if He does not enable them to do as they desire or as they have promised, nothing will ever get done by them.

Therefore, the Lord warns us not to put our trust in them or in any other human but in Him. And why should we put our trust in Him? First, it is because He cares about us (Matt 6:25-34; 1Pet 5:7). Second, it is because He has the ability to fully take care of us (Jer 32:27). Third, it is because He can be trusted all the time (Deut 32:3-4; 1Thess 5:24). No wonder the writer of the Psalm I gave you above goes on to say:

“Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God, the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them — the LORD, who remains faithful forever. He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets prisoners free, the LORD gives sight to the blind, the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down, the LORD loves the righteous. The LORD watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.” (Ps 146:5-9NIV)

Look at that. Blessed is the one whose trust is in the Lord, the Maker and Owner of everything. Why? It is because the Lord will certainly and always take care of him, regardless of what the circumstances of his life might be. Look at the different categories of people the Psalmist mentions in that Psalm and how the Lord takes care of them, though they are weak and helpless. And He will take care of you too, if you will allow Him and put your trust in Him, even during this period when many are filled with depression, distrust and bitterness. So, put your trust in Him, my friend, notwithstanding what your current situation may be. And you will find that He is utterly faithful and dependable.

Do have a pleasant week.

Copyright © 2020, 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)

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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2020 Pastor's Desk

Title: Comfort is available in God – April 12, 2020

from pastor's desk

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be multiplied to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. Welcome to another week of the month of April 2020. My prayer is that the comfort of God will overflow and overwhelm your life all through this period of national and worldwide crises, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Evidently, these are very difficult times for people all around the world. And that is basically because of the partial or total lockdown that we all are faced with. So, those who have money cannot really spend it to enjoy themselves the way they would love to. And those who do not have are agitated because they cannot go out to make some money to take care of themselves. Then those who have or who are suspected to have contacted this horrible disease ‘Coronavirus’ have had to unhappily surrender themselves for isolation and treatment. And families of those who died as a result of the disease also have had to deal with the pains of not being able to give them proper burial or pay their dead bodies their last respect.

To make matters worse, many in different parts of the world are daily confronted with the reality of the incompetence and limitations of their leaders. Many can now see for themselves that their so-called leaders, whether at the national level or at the community level, only care about themselves and are so selfish that all they can think of at the moment is how to take advantage of the present crises to further enrich themselves. This is why their supposed relief measures have become the laughingstock of many. Also, many can now see that their leaders, whom they have literally worshipped for years, are only humans too – they are not God. So, apart from the fact that they too can be messed up by this fast spreading horrible disease, they are equally and terribly limited in terms of capacity to handle certain life’s problems, even though some of them seem to be trying their best to help.

What, then, are we to do in the midst of these terrible times that are driving many crazy? Who are we to turn to for comfort and relief at such a time as this? It is clear that we all need to be comforted and given relief from the evils of these times. But who can we trust to comfort us now? And who actually has the capacity to do so?

Well, Paul, in one of his letters, answers these questions for us, when He says, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.” (2Cor 1:3-4NIV) Look at the way he describes God here. He calls Him the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort. So, two things stand out here about the character of God. The first is that He is a compassionate Father. That means He is a Father that will not sit still and watch His children or anyone who reaches out for Him to suffer or get destroyed by their problems. The second thing about God is that He is the God of all comfort. In other words, every measure or form of comfort anybody can hope to have or receive in this life is with God and can only come from Him.

Therefore, at such a time as this, when most people are going crazy because they are distressed and really have no one to trust or depend on, we, who are God’s children, ought to be drawing their attention to the fact that we have a Father who will not only show them compassion but also comfort them. But if we ourselves have not learnt to receive and enjoy His comfort, there is no way we can lead others to do the same. For instance, the reason Paul was able to say through that letter that God is the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort was that he himself had been enjoying His comfort. Then he made it clear that one of the reasons God was comforting them was that they too would be able to comfort others who are in trouble with the same comfort they had received from Him.

So, in order for us to serve as a channel through which others will receive and enjoy God’s comfort anytime, especially now, we must first show that our own lives are receiving and enjoying His comfort. But our lives will not receive and enjoy His comfort, if our hearts are not resting on Him and reaching out to receive from Him all that we need. If we, therefore, want to be fully comforted and also be channels of comfort for those around us during this period, let us set our hearts fully on God. And just as He comforted Job, David, Paul and other saints of old in their times of distress, He will comfort us too and also use us in comforting others with the same comfort we have received from Him.

Do have a week full of comfort.

Copyright © 2020, 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)

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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2020 Pastor's Desk

Title: Heart worship – April 05, 2020

Beloved: grace, mercy and love from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. I welcome you to a new week in the year and pray you will be strengthened and kept steady all through this period of worldwide crises, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

As we start this new week, let me remind you of the words of Jesus to a Samaritan woman that He once ministered to, which say, “Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:21-24NIV) Why did the Lord say these things to the woman? He said them to let her realise that true worship of God is not something anybody can tie to any particular location; true worship of God is of the heart.

Up till the time the Lord was speaking to that woman, the worship life of the Jews was tied to the temple in Jerusalem. And that was consistent with the instructions given to them in the laws of Moses and the prayers of Solomon in dedicating the temple of worship that he built in his own day (Deut 12; 1Kings 8). But when the Lord came, He began to show the people that what God was concerned about was not the building or city in which they were worshiping Him; what He was concerned about was the heart with which they worshipped Him. And that explains why He would allow the city of Jerusalem and the temple of worship in it to be sacked by an enemy nation, when the heart of His people were no longer with Him (2Kings 25:1-21).

Unfortunately, many of God’s people today, including their leaders, still need to be taught this same truth over and over again. They need to be taught again and again that true worship of God is primarily of the heart. In other words, it is from our hearts that our worship of God must evolve. Our praying, singing, dancing, giving, preaching and every other thing we do in service to God must rise from our hearts. And until our hearts are fully and truly involved in whatever we are doing for God, we can be sure that it can only be taken by Him as vanity – a waste of everything (Mark 7:6-7).

So, worshipping God is never about any place or structure; rather, it is ever about the heart of those who are worshiping Him. Sadly, for many today, the worship of God is about structures, places or facilities. This is why a lot of kingdom resources is being put into the erection of magnificent structures and acquisition of all kinds of expensive facilities today. While it is true that God’s people, depending on the times they find themselves, may need to have access to some structures or facilities, we must never make them think that they cannot do without such facilities. Facilities and structures, however important they may seem to us, are not God and should never take His place in our lives. Also, facilities and structures are not human beings. So, they cannot worship God. It is the use we put them to, then, that determines whether God sees them as useful or not.

See, true worship is about God and the people who are worshipping Him. Once God is out of the question, then, all we find is idolatry – the worship of things, organisations or people. And once people (their hearts) are out of the equation, then, all we find is noise and no worship at all. So, for us to have true worship, first, we must see God as the centre of it all. Second, we must understand that we are really the ones that He wants and that can worship Him. And as long as our hearts are fully with Him, He is fine with us and our worship, regardless of where we are and what material things we are using to serve Him. But if our hearts are not with Him, then, there is no worship of Him, regardless of what expensive things or structures we are employing in our worship.

Finally, remember that the apostles of old equally show us through their writings that the real temple of God is made up of people and not earthly structures, however magnificent they may be (1Cor 3:16-17&6:19-20; 1Pet 2:4-5). So, at such a time as this, when most people cannot access the places they have tied their worship life to because of the spread of Coronavirus, I want you to know that you can still worship God adequately and appropriately. All you need to remember is that you yourself are the temple of the living God, not those structures or places you used to go, and that your heart can offer Him true worship from wherever you are.

Do have a peaceful week.

Copyright © 2020, 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)

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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2020 Pastor's Desk

Title: How long will you wait? – March 29, 2020

from pastor's desk

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. I welcome you to another week of this year and pray that it will be a week of rest and peace for you in all ways, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Now, as we begin this new week, I want to admonish you with Joshua’s words to the Israelites, which say, “How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you?” (Josh 18:3NIV) Evidently, at the time Joshua said these words to the children of Israel, some part of the Promised land had been taken over by the people. In fact, records show that he had already led them to conquer thirty-one kings and their lands (Josh 12:7-24). Yet there were still very large areas of land for them to take over (Josh 13:1-5).

Unfortunately, it seemed at that time that the people were already comfortable with what they had. So, they were not making any move to take over the remaining lands and begin to enjoy them, as God expected. And this was displeasing to Joshua, who had patiently laboured for years to see that they fully came into what God had promised them. Therefore, he charged them with these words: “How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you?” In other words, he was saying to them, “God has already given you this land to possess and enjoy. What, then, are you waiting for? Why are you not yet taking it over to possess and enjoy? Or are you expecting God to force you to do so?”

In like manner, there are things that God has already made available for every one of His children to possess and enjoy in Christ Jesus. And it is on each of them to find out what these things are and to embrace them for their enjoyment. God is not going to force us to take hold of His provisions for us. We are the ones that must want what He has provided enough to go for them. For instance, we know that He has already made provisions for us in Christ Jesus to walk in victory over sin, sicknesses, diseases, failure, poverty and every work of darkness. And it is now on us to go for a life of victory over these things. But if we ourselves don’t seriously want to experience them in our lives, it may take us forever before we begin to take steps of faith towards enjoying them.

Also, there are works God wants every one of His children to be doing for the advancement of His purpose here on earth. And He has already provided all that we are going to need to do these works. But if we are distracted, lazy or afraid, it may take us ages before we start doing them, that is, if we ever make any move to do them at all. This explains why there are many highly gifted children of God that are redundant in the kingdom.

In any case, the Lord is asking us right now, “How long will you wait before you start taking hold of all my blessings for you to be the persons you are supposed to be? And how long will you wait before you begin to do those good works I have appointed and gifted you to do?” Now nobody can answer these questions for any of us. Each of us must answer them for himself. But we must remember that we don’t have forever to enjoy those blessings of God that are meant for us to enjoy here on earth. What I mean is that there is not going to be a carry over of the things that are meant for us here on earth to heaven. If we fail to use what is provided for us here, when we have the opportunity to do so, then, that is our own loss. We won’t be needing any of those things in the kingdom we are being led into.

In addition, we don’t have forever to do those works God wants us to do here on earth. A time is coming when all such works must cease (John 9:4). And whatever we fail to do right here and right now is lost; it cannot be credited to our account. This is why we must wake up and begin to take advantage of God’s grace for us to do the things He wants to do and to live fully the life He has designed for us to live. And my prayer is that our hearts will be strengthened and encouraged not to waste God’s provisions for us to live excellent and meaningful lives right here on earth. Amen.

Do have a splendid week.

Copyright © 2020, 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)

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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2020 Pastor's Desk

Title: He can restore you – March 22, 2020


Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to this new week. And I pray that you will experience restoration and comfort in every area of your life in which you have been cheated or robbed, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Now I offered that prayer for you so that you will not lose heart or give up because of whatever loss you may have experienced in life. It is a clear fact that there are lossess that are difficult to handle or cope with. There are lossess that are able to destroy whole lives and whatever potential they may have in them. And there are losses that make people wish for death or say all kinds of negative things about themselves, others and even God.

Nevertheless, because our God is a merciful God, we can trust Him to enable us deal with our losses and to also comfort and restore us, even when we are the ones responsible for those losses. He once said this to His people: “So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, The crawling locust, The consuming locust, And the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you. You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, And praise the name of the LORD your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you; And My people shall never be put to shame.” (Joel 2:25-26NKJV)

Did you see that? Even though afflictions came on those people because of their many sins against God, He still, in His mercy, promised to restore to them the wasted years of their lives and to satisfy them with abundance of good things. This, of course, is contrary to the thinking of many. They think once time, which is man’s most valuable asset, is lost, there is nothing that can be done to redeem it — all the privileges and opportunities that come with it are lost altogether.

But God says, “No, that is not always the case. If I want to, I can restore your wasted years and the opportunities that were lost with them.” And this does not mean that He will bring back the years or opportunities that are already gone. No! Rather, it means that He will do to and for our lives things that will make them look like we never really lost anything. That was what He did for Job, for example. That man, in one day, lost everything, including his ten children. And while he was still trying to process that, he lost his heath too. But what he did do wrong? Nothing, according to the bible! God simply allowed Satan to strike him the way he did in order to show him (Satan) and the world of men that this man’s faith was genuine and not fake. (Cf. Job 1&2)

In any case, when Job had given up on life and had become thoroughly worn out in every sense, God came to Him, set Him right where he was wrong and then restored him. God literally brought beauty, health and joy back into that man’s life. And not only that, He also gave him more years and energy to enjoy his restoration. The Lord indeed is a merciful God. (Cf. Job 42; James 5:11)

In like manner, regardless of the degree of losses you are dealing with, if you will utterly cast yourself on God, He will certainly restore and comfort you. How He will do this is not something I know or can tell you. But I do know that He is more than up to the task. So, don’t, because of your losses, surrender to the devil or take your life. Instead give your life and everything you are experiencing to God. And in His wisdom, He will do whatever is needful for your restoration and comfort, which will manifest in due season.

Do have a pleasant week.

Copyright © 2020, 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)

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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2020 Pastor's Desk Topical Studies

Title: Is anything hindering the flow of His blessings? – March 15, 2020


Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. It is with great joy that I welcome you into another week of the month of March 2020. And I pray that your life will be cleansed of everything that is keeping you back from experiencing the fullness of God’s blessings, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

According to the bible, God has blessed all of us who believe in Christ Jesus with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Him (Eph 1:3). So, we have been chosen and ordained by Him to live overwhelmingly blessed lives. But are we fully enjoying these blessings? Are we fully enjoying His blessings of favour, good health, prosperity, joy, peace, self-control, patience and so forth? Is it even evident in our lives that we are blessed of God?

But it ought to be evident to those of the world that we are blessed of God. I mean that they ought to daily see through us what it means to blessed of God, what it means to have Him as one’s Father. For example, we are told in the bible that Potiphar, Joseph’s Egyptian master, was able to see that God was with him and was making him successful in all that he did. In other words, he could tell that Joseph was not walking alone; he had the living God walking with him and making his life a very blessed one (Gen 39:2-6). Interestingly, it was a similar thing that Laban learnt about Joseph’s father, Jacob, when he was with him. He said to him on one occasion, “I have learnt by experience (signs) that God has blessed me because of you.” (Cf. Gen 30:27)

So, the presence of God’s blessings in and on our lives ought to be pronounced and conspicuous. People should be able to say that our lives are orderly, prosperous and full of the fruit of the Spirit because God’s blessings are at work in us. At least, when people are operating under certain curses, we often can tell, regardless of how rich or influential they may be. We can tell that their lives are worn-out or out of place because certain negative influences are at work in them.

In like manner, the workings of God’s blessings cannot be hidden. In other words, if His blessings are truly at work in us, those around us will be able to tell. If this, then, is not the case, we need to find out why. We are blessed of God already, unless we are not Christians. So, we should be enjoying these blessings to the full. And if we are not enjoying them, we ought to find out why.

Now, of course, the problem can never be with God. It is always with us. We are always the ones doing something that will hinder the flow of the blessings or not doing something that will make His blessings freely flow. For instance, from what we see in the bible, one major thing that kept the children of Israel that Moses brought out of Egypt from entering and possessing the Promised Land was unbelief. The bible actually declares in no uncertain terms that they could not enter God’s rest because of unbelief (Heb 3:19). But they were brought out of Egypt so that they could enter that land that was flowing with milk and honey. And they experienced the wonders of God both in Egypt and in the wilderness so that they would be full inheritors of that land. Nevertheless, the bible says God was not pleased with most of them. So, He caused their bodies to be scattered over the desert during a period of forty years (1Cor 10:1-5).

But why was God not pleased with the same people He delivered from Egypt? Why was He displeased enough with them to keep them from going into the land He had promised them and enjoying it? Paul says one major reason is unbelief. They did not believe that God was able to deliver on His promises. And that cost most of them their place in the Promised land. But unbelief wasn’t the only reason. As Paul shows us in a letter of his, there other reasons as well. Some of them did not make it into the Promised Land because of idolatry, sexual immorality, grumbling, lack of contentment or rebellion against authority. And the apostle says we are to learn from what happened to these people, so that we too will not be denied of the full experience and enjoyment of God’s blessings because of our own errors. (Cf. 1Cor 10:1-11)

So, as we begin this new week, ask the Lord to open your eyes to see whatever wrong thing in your own life that is preventing you from fully enjoying His blessings that have been generously poured out on us. And you can be sure that He will answer you. But if you already know what wrong things you are involved in, don’t boast in them or act as though you did not know that these things are present in your life (James 3:14). Instead, admit your wrongs and repent of them quickly. Otherwise whatever you are still experiencing of God’s blessings may soon enough be taken away from you. And then you will begin to understand what it means to function without the goodness of God. May things never come to that for you, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Do have a splendid week.

Copyright © 2020, 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)

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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2020 Pastor's Desk

Title: Be concerned about their welfare ,March 08, 2020

from pastor's desk

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours immeasurably from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. I am delighted to welcome you into the second week of the month of March 2020. And my prayer is that my God shall supply every need of yours from the fullness of His glorious and indescribable riches in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Now, if you have been paying attention to Scriptures for a while, the line of prayer above should not be strange to you at all. I picked it from Paul’s letter to the Philippians, chapter 4, verse 19. In other words, this prayer was originally offered by Paul for the Philippian brethren. And why would he pray specifically like that for them? It was because of the material support he had been receiving from them.

Just take a look at what he says about this church:

“I am very happy in the Lord that you have shown your care for me again. You continued to care about me, but there was no way for you to show it. I am not telling you this because I need anything. I have learned to be satisfied with the things I have and with everything that happens. I know how to live when I am poor, and I know how to live when I have plenty. I have learned the secret of being happy at any time in everything that happens, when I have enough to eat and when I go hungry, when I have more than I need and when I do not have enough. I can do all things through Christ, because he gives me strength. I can do all things through Christ, because he gives me strength. But it was good that you helped me when I needed it. You Philippians remember when I first preached the Good News there. When I left Macedonia, you were the only church that gave me help. Several times you sent me things I needed when I was in Thessalonica. Really, it is not that I want to receive gifts from you, but I want you to have the good that comes from giving. And now I have everything, and more. I have all I need, because Epaphroditus brought your gift to me. It is like a sweet-smelling sacrifice offered to God, who accepts that sacrifice and is pleased with it. My God will use his wonderful riches in Christ Jesus to give you everything you need.” (Phil 4:13-19NCV)

First, observe that Paul, through this letter, made it very clear that he could do with or without the gifts of these brethren in Philippi. That was because he had learnt the secret of contentment. He had learnt from God how to handle himself whether he had plenty or little. Nevertheless, he was glad in Christ Jesus because the Philippian brethren cared about him and his ministry. These brethren had been supporting him right from the time he first came to minister among them. And even after he had left their city, they still continued to send him aid. Then, at the time he was writing the letter, he had just received another set of gifts from them. How wonderful these brethren must have been!

In any case, even though Paul could do without the gifts of these Philippians, he accepted them with thanksgiving. And why? It was because he wanted them to receive the reward that comes from giving to God. “God? What has God got to do with this?” someone may ask. Well, He has got everything to do with it. Again, observe from the text that Paul says that the gifts of these brethren are like a sweet-smelling sacrifice offered to God. So, even though it was he that received and used the gifts, they were actually an offering made out to God. And why was that so? It was so because those brethren were giving in response to God’s command. God has commanded that those who teach and preach His word should be generously and adequately supported by those who benefit from their ministries (1Cor 9:14; Gal 6:6; 1Tim 5:17-18). So, when we give to those who feed us with the word of God, in obedience to this command, we are indirectly giving Him. And we can be sure that He will repay us, whether they, as Paul prays for the Philippian brethren, pray for us or not. (Cf. 2Cor 9:6-11; Gal 6:6-10)

Unfortunately, many of us who are being edified week after week by leaders from our various assemblies often act irresponsibly along this line. We don’t take usually take the initiative to support them with our resources. And many of them know this. They know that unless they pressure us, manipulate us or threaten us, most of us will totally ignore their needs. So, they cast off all restraints and begin to use all kinds of horrible means to raise money and other material things for themselves, instead of relying on God to take care of their needs. And are they going to have any excuse before God for doing this? No! But we too, who are continually failing God in this area, will not be held guiltless, as far as this matter is concerned. All of this is why I want you to repent, as you go this week, and begin to deal with your failures in this area. And may God’s good Spirit help you to retrace your steps, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Have a great week.

Copyright © 2020, 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)

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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2020 Pastor's Desk

Title: Fulfil His purpose with your position – February 23, 2020

from pastor's desk

Beloved: Welcome to the last week of the month of February 2020. And may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the companionship of the Holy Spirit be with you both now and forevermore. Amen.

As we start this new week, I want to remind you of one of the main lessons of the book of Esther, which is that God does not put people in positions of influence by mistake; there is always a purpose to it. It all started with the mistake of a great king, Xerxes, who in his drunkenness took some terrible steps that got his queen, Vashti, deposed (Esther 1). And this, of course, opened the door for lowly but favoured Esther to become the queen of one of the most powerful kings of all times (Esther 2).

But why would God lift up a commoner like Esther to become queen in that vast empire of Xerxes, an empire of a hundred and twenty-seven provinces (states), stretching from India to Ethiopia (Esther 1:1)? Was it because she was the most beautiful or most gracious of the young virgins that contested for the position? We are not told that in the account. Instead, what we are told is that she won the favour of Hegai, the Eunuch in charge of the king’s Harem (Esther 2:8-9). That, of course, gave a little advantage over others. Then she won the favour of all the people that saw her, when it was her turn to appear before the king (Esther 2:15). Finally, she won the favour and approval of the king himself more than any of the other virgins. So, he crowned her queen in place of Vashti. (Cf. Esther 2:17)

It was God’s favour, then, not beauty that got Esther into that position of advantage. And remember that the bible says, “For promotion and power come from nowhere on earth, but only from God. He promotes one and deposes another.” (Ps 75:6-7TLB) So, regardless of what position of advantage you or anyone else may be in this life, you must never forget that you could never have gotten there without God’s aid. Yes, it is possible that you manipulated your way to where you are now, cheating, lying, killing or even getting diabolical and ruthless. Nevertheless, if God had not wanted you there, nothing could have brought you there. And if you fail to learn God’s purpose for bringing you there and begin to live up to it, someday you may perish with that position or be ruthlessly and shamefully replaced.

Well, I ask again, “Why was Esther, a commoner, lifted up to that great position of significance in that Persian empire?” Was it so that she could dress gorgeously all the time and throw very expensive parties every now and then, in the name of the king? Yes, those were part of the reasons. I mean that her office required that she did such things. But God who put her in that position had something bigger and nobler in mind. He had the salvation of her people in mind. So when the time came for her to use her position to save her people, He had to stir up her uncle (Mordecai) to talk some sense into her and show her that the salvation of her people may just be the reason she was queen at that time. Thankfully, she saw what God wanted her to see and sprang to action, even though it meant putting her life in jeopardy. And that was how she was used to prevent a total annihilation of the Jewish people in that empire and at that time. (Cf. Esther 3-9)

In like manner, God has not stopped lifting up commoners and people with no great abilities or potential to positions of advantage and influence. Unfortunately, instead for them to humble themselves under His mighty hand and allow Him to use them to comfort, lift and bless others, what we find is that many of them often function in arrogance and pride. So, they end up abusing their positions and using them in ways that are contrary to God’s purpose for them. They act like this, forgetting that there will always be greater heights to attain in life and that there is no way God can further lift them up, if He is totally dissatisfied with what they have done with where they are.

All this explains why certain individuals that some of us know seem to have reach the crest of their advancement in life, even though others around them have not stopped rising higher and higher. And perhaps it is the reason you too are no longer experiencing any tangible advancement in your life. You have been abusing that little promotion or increase you got from God the other time. So, He is now resisting you because of your pride (James 4:6; 1Pet 5:5). And if you don’t retrace your steps and begin to use that position or influence to do His will, you may never experience any real progress in life again. So, watch yourself. And may the Spirit of God help you do what is right on this note.

Do have a very pleasant week.

Copyright © 2020, 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)

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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2020 Pastor's Desk

Title: Read, hear and do – February 16, 2020

read, hear and do

Beloved: I am delighted to welcome you into another week of the month of February 2020. And may grace, mercy and peace be yours abundantly from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

As we go this new week, I want to remind you how important it is for us not just to be hearers or readers of God’s word but to also be doers of it as well. Indeed, the bible makes it clear that when we read or hear God’s word, we are blessed. That means there are activities or provisions of God that are activated on our behalf when we listen to God’s word being taught by others or when we read and meditate on the Scriptures ourselves.

For instance, John, speaking about his book, the Revelation of Jesus, says, “Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.” (Rev 1:3NIV) Observe that there are three categories of blessedness that John speaks of here. First, he speaks of the blessedness of reading the word of God. So, each time you put aside other things to read or study God’s word, there are blessings of God (in form of inner strength, courage, hope, faith and so forth) that are released on your behalf. You may never know anything about them, but good things happen to you, for you and in you each time you read the word of God. And that is why if you know how to read, then, do your best not to cheat yourself of the blessedness of reading the Holy Scriptures as often as you can.

Second, John speaks of the blessedness of hearing the word of God. Whether you know how to read or not, each time you present yourself or make yourself available to hear God’s word read or taught to you, there is a release of certain blessings of God on your behalf. This explains why people sometimes get healed of terrible sicknesses, diseases and deformities, just by listening to the word of God and without anybody praying for them. And it explains why certain destructive addictions and bad behaviours sometimes just disappear from people’s lives, just by listening to the word of God again and again, without anybody praying for them. So, inasmuch as God has blessed you with the gift of hearing, make the most of the preaching or teaching time in your church meetings. Don’t allow anybody or anything to distract you when the word of God is being taught to you. And also do your best to use your resources to take advantage of the different means of listening to the word of God that modern technology now makes available to us. That is because no one can comprehend or quantify the extent to which God’s blessings can manifest in your life just by listening to His word.

Finally, Johns speaks of the blessedness of taking the word of God to heart, so that one may act on it. And this, as supported by other Scriptures, is what enables one to continually enjoy and experience all of the blessings of God that have been poured out upon us in all their fullness. For instance, our Lord Jesus and Apostle James both tell us that anyone who hears God’s word but does not act on it is foolish and deceiving himself, if he is expecting the word to fully produce the results it is meant to produce in his life. That is because the word of God can only fully release the blessings of God in the life of the one that acts on it, the one that does what the word says. (Cf. Matt 7:24-27; Luke 6:47-49; James 1:22-25)

Also, our Lord Jesus, once while responding to a woman who had said to Him, “Blessed is the mother that gave birth to you and nursed you,” said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” (Cf. Luke 11:27-28) Think about that. Mary’s natural relationship with our Lord Jesus could not readily unleash the flow of the fullness of God’s blessings into her life or through her life. She also, like every other person, had to take God’s word seriously in order for that to happen (Luke 1:26-45; Acts 1:14). In the same way, our natural relationship with great preachers of God’s word or our closeness to them or to the bible cannot release or activate the fullness of the blessings of God for our enjoyment. We must give ourselves to acting on the word of God for that to happen. So, if we want to continually enjoy all that the goodness of God is able to make available to us or carry out on our behalf, we must not stop at reading or hearing His word; we must also give ourselves to practising His word wholeheartedly. And I pray that the Spirit of God will continually strengthen our hearts to take these things seriously every remaining day of our lives here on earth. Amen.

Do have a very pleasant week.

Copyright © 2020, 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)

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FROM PASTOR'S DESK 2020 Pastor's Desk

Title: Where the word of a king is – February 09, 2020

from pastor's desk

“Where the word of a King is, there is power: and who may say unto him, What doest thou?” (Ecc 8:4KJV) With these awesome quote from Solomon, often called the Preacher, I welcome you dear beloved into a new week. The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has brought us this far will preserve us until the end of the year, if He tarries. Amen.

Beloved, I perceive it is necessary we take time out to remind ourselves of the salient facts contained in the opening scriptures above. We are conversant with earthly rule, and we know that earthly kings exercise their authorities over their subjects – people under their domain. They may earn the respect of others outside their domain or even gain their admiration. Nevertheless, the ability to enforce their authority lies within their domain. And I am glad we are not ignorant of our translation from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God’s beloved Son (Col 1:13).

Now a disobedience to the king’s order in an earthly kingdom carries dire consequences. Irrespective of the myriads of excuses presented, their moral grounds, or how illogical the king’s order appears, the king’s word is Power! Queen Vashti’s case is one of the pictures illustrated in the scriptures to emphasise this. It’s clear King Ahasuerus acted under the influence of strong wine and his order requesting Vashti the Queen to come was self-aggravating – to show off her beauty before drunk officials. Nevertheless, the morality of her excuses for disobeying the king did not exempt her from the consequences! It was at the cost of her throne! Think about that! (Cf. Esther 1)

The preacher, in our opening text, goes further to intimate us of one of the reasons the king’s word cannot be treated with a laisser-faire (do as you like) disposition. It is because no one can question Him! This I believe should give us reasons to examine the way we have handled the Lord’s instructions, revelations and divine commitments in times past and the way we are handling them at the moment. Rationalizing God’s direct instructions to us based on human thinking, immediate circumstances or past negative experiences is the main grounding box that has kept a lot of us at a spot.

A similar example is given to us in the Gospel of Saint John (John 2:7-8). We are not told that Jesus prayed over the water; neither are we told that He blessed the water pots. And come to think of it: how relevant is the instruction to the need on ground? Wine! Fill the water pots with Water! Yet, they could have missed their miracle, if they had logically analyzed the situation or treated the King’s Word with nonchalance. How often we grieve the Spirit of God in this area.

Some of us handle the King’s word at our convenience! Solomon tells us in the next two verses that a wise man’s heart discerns both ‘time’ and ‘judgment’ because to every purpose there is ‘time’ and ‘judgment’ (Ecc 8:5-6). What a profound warning that is to us. It warns us of the consequences of procrastination. It informs us that every instruction from the King has a ‘time-element’ and ‘possible consequences’, if we miss the ‘timing’. (Cf. Luke 19: 41-44)

“You Son of Man are the Watchman. I have made you a watchman for Israel. The MINUTE you hear a MESSAGE from ME, WARN THEM! If I say to the wicked, ‘Wicked Man, Wicked Woman, you are on a fast track to death!’ and you don’t speak up and warn the wicked to change their ways, the wicked will die unwarned in their sins AND I’LL HOLD YOU RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR BLOODSHED.” (Eze 33: 7-8MSG – emphasis added) I do not know the implications of that, but I know it’s not going to be good. So, as we go this week, I want us to reflect on these time-dependent words of our King: “Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost…” (Cf. Matt 28:19-20) What excuse will you give for disobeying the King’s Order?

Do have a fabulous week.

Copyright © 2020, 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)